Srinagar, Aug 28 Hakeem Aslam was waiting for hours at the Centaur Lake View Hotel here on Wednesday to meet his elder brother Hakeem Yaseen.

Yaseen, the Peoples Democratic Forum (PDF) MLA from Khan Sahib Assembly constituency in central Kashmir”s Budgam district, was detained after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.

Aslam said he had twice applied and failed to meet his brother. “I am hopeful that I will succeed this time. His son, who has met him, has told us that his health is suffering,” he said.

But Aslam wasn”t not alone. At the hotel, which houses more than 50 legislators as well as other mainstream Kashmiri leaders detained since August 5, are long queues of relatives who have applied for a meeting with their dear ones.

Haji Ghulam Ahmad Malik had come to meet prominent Shia leader and politician Imran Ansari. His daughter Afrooza is getting married. Ansari showed the nikah papers and sought permission for Ansari to conduct the nikah prayers.

“Imran Ansari is our spiritual leader. Till the time he reads the nikah prayers, I will wait,” said Malik.

Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have also been detained and kept at Hari Niwas and a guest house in Chasma Shahi.

–IANS

New Delhi, Aug 28 A Jammu and Kashmir Police officer on Wednesday targeted the Urdu service of a foreign broadcaster saying exaggerated stories it put out on Kashmir were widely shared on social media, motivating young Pakistanis to take to terrorism.

“It”s important to portray a truthful picture of Kashmir situation because a lot of Pakistani boys reading these Urdu exaggerated stories widely shared on social media get motivated to join terrorist ranks and come to Kashmir creating trouble,” said Imtiyaz Hussain.

Sharing a news piece in Urdu, he accused the broadcaster of deleting a controversial line from the story of which he “had taken the screenshot though”.

He said the reporter of the story “presumes on behalf of rioters that a truck would be carrying security forces, so killed the truck driver. What a shameful justification of murder by a learned journalist! Shame needs to die of shame. RIP Journalism,” he tweeted.

Hussain said the truth was that the ultimate causality in journalism was driven by agenda. “Wish we had reporters on ground reporting truth. Absolving murderers is no journalism.”

Earlier, on August 26, he said there had been only two killings in Kashmir since August 4, when a security crackdown was launched before Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was axed and Jammu and Kashmir was split into two Union Territories.

“One person was killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists and another, a truck driver, by Pakistan instigated rioters.”

He alleged that none of these were reported by the foreign media “because it doesn”t fit in the scheme of their propaganda”.

In a separate tweet, he said “one terrorist and one policeman were killed in a gunfight in Baramulla. Total four killings since August 4. There is no so-called siege or lockdown. People are free to move and there is a huge rush on roads”.

–IANS

‘Relaxations increased to 81 police stations, 15 more exchanges operationalized across Kashmir’

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 27: The Government has decided to reopen high schools from Wednesday in the areas where restrictions have already been lifted.

At ajoint press briefing here by Director Information and Public Relations, Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, Director School Education Kashmir, Muhammad Younis Malik and Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar,Haseeb Mughal, said that the government has decided to reopen high schools in the areas where restrictions have been removed.

On the situation in Kashmir, it was informed that day time restrictions have been lifted from 81 police stations which was earlier 69 police stations and restrictions would be eased out in ten more police stations by Thursday.

The police stations where restrictions were lifted include north Kashmir’s Hajin, Kreeri, Dangiwacha and Vilgam. In south Kashmir the police stations include Anantnag, Kulgam, Tral and Shopian. Similarly, in central Kashmir the police stations where restrictions have been removed include Nishat, Shergari, Beerwah and Chrar-e-Sharief.

It was also informed that no major law and order incident was reported from anywhere across the Valley.

Regarding the landline phones restoration, it was informed that the landlines are being restored in the areas where restrictions have been lifted with 15 more exchanges have been operationalized across the Valley.

It was further informed that in Anantnag district the exchanges which are being made operational include Lakripora, Kokernag, Doru and Veeri.

Similarly, in Baramulla district Fatehgarh, Gadkhud, Wagoora, Raohama, Salamabad, Watergam, Kunzer and Singpora exchanges are being operationalized.

In central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Khan Sahib and Magam while in Kupwara district Trehgam exchanges are being restored, the presser was told.

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 27: Sh. Sailesh, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India, who is part of the team, on a two day visit to Kashmir, met Governor Satya Pal Malik at the Raj Bhavan here today.

Sh. Sailesh apprised Governor about his ongoing assessment of the possibilities existing for the socio-economic development of the region, for   welfare of the minorities and skill development of the youth.

Governor emphasised the need for ensuring holistic development of J&K and extending benefits of various Central government schemes to the intending population. He stressed imparting needed skills to the youth in sync with the job market requirements.

To spread the message of peace and harmony after the revoking of the Article 370 by the central government, Kashmiris in the city, along with the city-based NGO Sarhad, have organised a 10-day Ganpati puja at Lal chowk in Srinagar starting from September 2.

Sanjay Nahar, founder of Sarhad said, “Public celebration of Ganpati puja at Lal chowk has been done for the last 18 years. Continuing the tradition we will be hosting the Ganpati puja this year as well, despite some areas being under curfew.”

He added, “We have sought assistance from the state administration there so that the puja happens without any hindrances. The state administration has promised complete assistance also assuring that some of the officials will be present at the puja.”

Various programmes are usually conducted in these 10 days, however, considering the tense environment, currently there is uncertainly about any programmes, said Nahar.

Nahar is a social worker and founder of the 23-year-old organisation called Sarhad, which has provided humanitarian support to children from Jammu and Kashmir.

Now in his early 50s, Nahar founded Sarhad in 1995 to work in the border areas, notably Kashmir and Punjab, to strengthen ties between these border states and the rest of India. His work in Kashmir has been mainly in the form of providing relief and rehabilitation to children from the Valley who became orphans and those who suffered due to the violence caused by terrorism.

Courtesy Hindustan Times

‘Can’t afford to suffer losses in every season, time for permanent settlement of Kashmir’

Gowhar Nazir

Srinagar, August 27 : As uneasy calm continues to prevail in Kashmir, the already ailing tourism industry of the region in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 has further witnessed a blow taking a toll Valley’s beleaguered economy.

It’s pertinent to mention that the fleeing of tourists has cast a shadow on the tourism sector which according to the reliable sources provides livelihood to over about six lakh5.6 Lakh people in the valley.

Few day’s right before the abrogation of the special status, the state administration issued an advisory which advised tourists to vacate, leaving hotels and houseboats deserted. As the top players of the tourism industry claims that the revenue to the tune of crores of rupees has been lost due to situation which led to mass cancellation of bookings.

“Right from the day one of the issuance of tourist advisory by the state government not a single room is occupied and no further booking have been made so far.  This is unfortunately for the first time that all the 30 rooms at my hotel are vacant,” Younis Ahmed Kenu, who owns a hotel at the Boulevard road, near Dalgate, told. “Right after accessing the ground level situation in Kashmir I preferred to lock down the hotel, causing a huge loss to my business.”

Farooq Ahmed Dangola, a houseboat owner said that at an average they were used to operate on full bookings during the month of August, which they perceive among the best performing month of the every financial year but unfortunately due to the abrogation of Article 370 which led to restrictions and shutdowns due to which they are suffering huge losses. 

“As from the previous business operations, an average earnings during the month of August recorded about seven lakh, but this sudden move of clampdown and restrictions have choked our business this time,” he said, adding, “I have suffered huge losses due to the restrictions and uneasy calm. Now

Talking to news agency, Fayaz Ahmed Baba, a Shikara owner at the Dal Lake, here said that his business started affecting due to the advisory of the state government issued prior to the scrapping of Article 370. “Keeping in view the present scenario, we are afraid about future investments into this striving sector as we have been facing deep financial crisis due to the restrictions and shutdowns.

The government is least concerned about our sufferings and losses which incurred due to their advisory and we are sure that by the end of this tormenting time they will come up with figures of estimated losses and nothing else. We lost our expectations from the present government who devastated us financially due to the forcefully imposed restrictions,” Baba said.(KNO)

‘We are not able to pay Loan instalment let alone salary of our staff’

Srinagar, August 27 : Due to the prevailing uncertainty in Kashmir in the backdrop of revocation of article 370, more than 5,000 Kashmir hotels stand locked and at least 10,000 staff members of chain of hotels have been fired as the owners assert that due to the huge losses they have suffered in the past over 20 days, they were not able to pay their loan instalments let alone the salary of their employees.

Talking to news agency Fayaz Ahmed Lone, a hotel owner at Boulevard said that since past over twenty days, they have suffered huge losses. “I had 25 staffers including waiters and cooks. I have fired at 16 in the first phase and three more in the second phase as I am not able to pay them their monthly salary due to the prevailing situation that has taken a serious toll on the tourism industry,” he said.

He said that August month used to be the peak season for the tourism industry in Kashmir and the uncertainty has gripped entire Valley at a time when “we were expecting huge tourism inflow.”

At hotel pine and peaks Gulmarg, due to the tensions in the wake of scrapping of article 370, the hotel management has laid off 30 staffers including eight cooks and waiters.

“When hotel is empty, we decided to lock it down for some time with a hope that situation improves. But one thing is clear that financial position of all the hoteliers is in a sorry state of affairs,” Mujeeb ur Rehman, who owns, hotel pine and peaks told.

Talking to news agency, Arshid Rasool, who was working as a waiter at hotel Emperor on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway, said that he was asked to quit his job by the hotel management that cited deteriorating financial position in the backdrop of roll back of Article 370.

Since August 5, when the Government of India revoked the Article 370, an unprecedented clampdown was imposed in Kashmir amid heavy deployment of security forces.

Mobile phone services and all kinds of internet facilities were snapped while as strict curbs were imposed across Kashmir especially in the summer capital of Srinagar. Since then, Schools, Colleges are shut and normal life across the region stands badly affected. (KNO) 

One body has been recovered, search for another one on, militants have killed them: ADGP Munir Khan, says Kashmir peaceful so far, one militant arrested in Baramulla

Srinagar, August 27 : Two nomadic Gujjars have been killed in South Kashmir’s Tral area in Pulwama district after they were abducted by the militants. The body of one slain Bakerewal has been recovered while the search for another was still on, a top official told KNO on Tuesday.

“Two Bakerwal who were busy with their herd at Tral were killed by militants. The duo were first abducted and then killed,” the officer revealed.

Talking to news agency Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) law and order, security, Munir Khan confirmed the incident saying that one body has been recovered and search for another one is on and that too will be retrieved soon.

“They were abducted by the militants. We have launched a massive search across the Tral belt and will soon get the killers,” he said. Police said that they have launched a massive manhunt in Tral and Pulwama areas to reach out to the assailants. He said that police has been trying its best to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in Kashmir and so far it has succeeded.

“We have managed to ensure peaceful atmosphere,” ADGP Khan told. “Our ultimate aim is to protect life and property for which enough measures have been taken.” After the massive clampdown imposed in Kashmir, internet services, mobile phones and landlines were disconnected in the wake of abrogation of article 370 on August 5.

Leaders of almost all the mainstream political parties were arrested and lodged in sub jail Centaur hotel at SKICC here while as separatists too have been been arrested or lodged in preventive custody in their own homes. 

Meanwhile, Police said that a militant was arrested in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district along with a weapon. “He is being questioned for his role in militancy related acts,” a police officer told.

(KNO)

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have reportedly rejected an offer by the administration to end their detention.

The two leaders have been in detention since August 5 when the Centre abrogated the Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

As per sources, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik told Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah about the possibility of shifting them to their respective residences.

The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, however, told the two leaders that they will be released only if they don’t mobilise their supporters in the Valley against abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state.

Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti categorically rejected the offer following which their detention was extended in government guest houses nearthe Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

DETAINED SINCE AUGUST 5

Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah were detained on August 5 after the Centre moved to abrogate provisions of Article 370 in the Rajya Sabha.

The two leaders were initially kept together at Hari Niwas Palace in Srinagar. They were, however, later separated following an argument and placedunder detention at two separate guest houses. Former chief minister FarooqAbdullah, meanwhile, has been kept under detention at his home.

Sources also told India Today that Omar Abdullah is regularly enquiring about the situation in the Valley from police personnel.

A satellite TV with all available news channels has also been provided to the two J&K leaders at their detention centres.

Earlier, a senior government official had made it clear that any decision on the release of the people under detention in Jammu and Kashmir will be taken by the local administration depending on the ground situation.