Suhail Khan

Sopore, Jun 05 : The celebrations of Eid ul Fitr was started by massive clashes when youths came out on the streets and waved flags of ISIS in north Kashmir’s Sopore town.

Post Eid prayers, the protestors chanted slogans and clashed with forces on duty in Jamia area of Apple town.

The forces in turn lobbed tear smoke shells to disperse them.

Clashes between youths and forces in the area was on when last reports came in.

Similar protests were reported in parts of valley including hot belt South Kashmir post Eid prayers.

Qayoom Khan

Srinagar, May 05: A woman was killed and another person was injured after attacked by unknown gunmen at Narbal area of Kakapora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday.

A police officer told GNS that some unknown gunmen barged inside a residential house of Nageena Jan wife of late Mohammad Yousuf Lone and opened fire upon her.

In the incident, Nageena suffered critical bullet wounds and died instantly while as another person namely Jalaludin Bhufanda also suffered bullet injuries, he said.

The injured person was immediately shifted to nearby health facility where from he was referred to Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment, he said.

Pertinently, Mohd Yousuf Lone, husband of Nageena Jan was also killed by some unknown gunmen on May 19, 2017.

He said that soon after the incident a joint team of army and SOG launched a hunt to nab the assailants. (GNS)

Srinagar: Clashes broke out between youth and police in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district after Eid Nimaaz was over.

According to the witnesses, youths, chanting pro freedom and anti-India slogans, clashed with forces in several areas of old town areas of Anantnag.

Clashes were reported from Janglat mandi; Reeshi Bazar; Lal chowk and Sherbagh areas.

Eid prayers were not held at Ahl-e-hadees Eidgah Achajipora, Hanfia Eidgah Janglatandi because of overnight rains While as Eid prayers were offered at Jamia Ahlihadees Sherbaggh, Jamia Masjid Hanfia Reeeshi Bazar and Darul Huda and Rehat Mosque Lal Chowk.

Inputs form Agencies

Pir Zubair

Srinagar, June 4 : Over 100 sheep died due to lightning amid heavy rains on Tuesday late night at upper reaches of Chowkibal in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Reports reaching news agency said that around 102 sheep were killed late last night after the lightning struck Tumna forest area of Chowkibal.

The sheep belonged to Ghulam Hassan Khatana, Mohd Zaman Khatana and Abdul; Rehman Khatana of Shali Rajouri. (GNS)

Srinagar, June 4: In view of inclement weather, Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jama Masjid (AAJ) Srinagar has announced that Eid-ul-Fitr prayer will be offered now at the historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar at 10:00 am.

Prior to Eid prayers, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq would shed light on the philosophy of Eid ul-Fitr in his sermon which will commence at 9:00 am, an AAJ statement issued said.

AAJ has urged the people to participate in the Ijtima in large numbers to express unity and maintain discipline. (GNS)

Srinagar: Former Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday termed as distressing government of India’s plan to redraw assembly constituencies in J&K.

“Distressed to hear about GoIs plan to redraw assembly constituencies in J&K. Forced delimitation is an obvious attempt to inflict another emotional partition of the state on communal lines,” Mehbooba Mufti said. “Instead of allowing old wounds to heal, GoI is inflicting pain on Kashmiris,” she tweeted.

The Supreme Court on November 9, 2010 upheld the freeze imposed by Jammu and Kashmir government on delimitation of assembly constituencies in the state till 2026 and dismissed the plea that it violated the “basic structure” of the Constitution.

Rejecting J&K Panther’s Party chief Bhim Singh’s argument that it deprived Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes the right to represent the Valley, the apex court in a judgement had said that courts cannot interfere in matters of delimitation as there was an express Constitutional bar on such interference.

By an amendment to Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act 1957 and Section 47(3) of the Constitution of J&K made in 2002, the state decided to freeze the delimitation exercise till 2026. The last census operation in the state was completed in 2001 but the delimitation was done in 1995.

The state High Court had upheld the validity of the amendment, following which the party appealed in the apex court.
The main plea of the petitioner was that the freeze would result in strong imbalances without the demographical changes being properly reflected and the essence of democracy will be defeated.

Singh said that of the 37 constituencies in Jammu, some are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes whereas of the 46 constituencies in Kashmir Valley, not a single constituency is reserved for SCs and STs.

Dismissing the plea, a Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and Asok Kumar Ganguly had said “we are of the opinion that a right to caste vote is a valuable right but to demand any uniform value of one’s voting right through the process of delimitation, disregarding the statutory and constitutional dispensation based on historical reasons is not a justiciable right.