Srinagar, May 28 : A man was injured after shot at by suspected militants at Zaloora village of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Tuesday evening.

Reports reaching GNS said that the gunmen believed to be militants fired upon the man identified as Feroz Ahmad Gojri (34) at his home at Zaloora. In the incident, Feroz received two bullet wounds in his both thighs.

A police officer confirmed the incident and said that Feroz was immediately rushed district hospital Handwara for treatment.

Soon after the incident a joint team of army and SOG launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area to nab the assailants. (GNS)

Pir Zubair

Kupwara, May 28 : The district administration Kupwara on Tuesday asked people to immediate fell the banned Russian poplar trees from their proprietary land within three days for the larger interest of the society.   

“District administration has launched a drive to remove the Russian Poplar trees. We have been receiving complaints by locals and there are also clear cut directions from the high court in this regard,” Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Anshul Garg told reporters here.

“The pollens from the female poplar trees cause tremendous respiratory problems to people. Keeping in the problems faced by the people, we have launched a drive and we have involved Revenue, Social Forest, Police and Irrigation Department,” he said, according to GNS.

“The drive has been launched on state land and Kahcharai land. We started the drive in Kupwara and today it was started from Handwara. We have through advertisements in local dailies urged people should clear such trees from their proprietary land,” he said, adding, “Since it is for the benefit of the society, people are urged to clear them from their proprietary land within three days.”

Else, he said, the public administration will take necessary action thereafter. “Health hazard is for society at large and there are clear cut directions from High Court and implementing the directions is very imperative,” the deputy commissioner added.      

The Deputy Commissioner directed all Tehsildars and other concerned to intensify the drive to axe the banned poplars immediately in the district.

He directed ACR Kupwara to frame the teams of officers at Tehsil and Zonal level for fully implementation of court order. (GNS)

One of the two slain was engineering student, another foreigner; internet snapped

Srinagar, May 28 : Two militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit were killed in an encounter with government forces in the forest area of Anantnag district in South Kashmir on Tuesday.

Reports reaching GNS said that a joint team of army’s 19 RR, CRPF and SOG cordoned off Nilphan and Andoo forest areas situated between the two villages of Kharpora and Kashwan in Kokernag.

A senior police officer said that the siege was laid following specific inputs about the presence of some militants in the area.

As such the joint team intensified the searches and fired some warning shots towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants opened fire leading to an encounter, the officer said.

During the course of gunfight, two militants were killed and their bodies were recovered along with as many weapons and other warlike stores, he said.

He said that the identities of the slain and group affiliation are being ascertained.

However, sources identified the slain militants as Faisal Nazir Mir son of Nazir Ahmad Mir of Kharbugh Srigufara at present FM Gali Naibasti KP road Anantnag and another one a Pakistani national. According to sources, both the slain were affiliated with JeM militant outfit.

After conducting all medico-legal formalities, the body of the slain local was handed over to his family for last rites, reports reaching to GNS said.

The body has been taken to Kharbugh Srinagar for burial in the ancestral graveyard, they said.

According to family and locals, the slain was an electrical engineering student before joining militant ranks nearly two months ago.

Meanwhile, stone pelting clashes broke out at some parts of Anantnag. In wake of the killing, the authorities have snapped internet service in the southern district as a precautionary measure. (GNS)

Qayoom Khan

Srinagar, May 28 : Father of slain Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind chief Zakir Musa today asked people to remain united and do not create division on the basis of different militant groups.

In his address to mourners at his Noorpora residence in the southern Tral area, Musa’s father Abdul Rashid Bhat said he always wanted his son to stay non-controversial.

“I wanted that my son too should have been non-controversial. Whether people agree or disagree, we have to invite people towards a particular cause, but we should do it without any quarrels,” Rashid, a retired government engineer, said.

“Please be United, don’t get divided,” he urged. Musa’s father said that “enemy is always looking for an opportunity to divide us”. “We’ve already been divided into different sects, now they are dividing us into groups,” he said.

The father of one of Kashmir’s most popular militant commander while reiterating his son’s stand said that he believes all militants are fighting to satisfy Allah.

“Every militant is dear to us. His only aim is to satisfy Allah, irrespective of his group affiliation. But we create issues over these things also. Please don’t do it. All Mujahideen are equal for us, irrespective of groups, colour, qualification and region,” he said.

Pertinent to mention here that while Zakir Musa was critical of Pakistan-based leadership of militant outfits active in Kashmir, he never targeted militants active in Kashmir. In his multiple statements, he had praised slain militants of various outfits, saying they all laid down their lives for the cause of Islam. (GNS)

Srinagar, May 28 : The Government has directed all the Administrative Secretaries/Head of Departments/Deputy Commissioners/Managing Directors of the Corporations, Boards etc functioning under the State Government to immediately cancel the appointments, if any, made on the basis of certificates issued by the Central Board of Higher Education (CBHE), Uttam Nagar, New Delhi.

According to an order issued by the General Administration Department, (GAD) on May 27th, it has been established that Central Board of Higher Education, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi is a fake institution and its certificates/examinations are not recognized by any national body/authority. In response to the queries of the State Government regarding the authenticity of the above said Board, the concerned competent authorities have clarified that the said Board has been simply registered as a Society and not empowered to issue any certificate of academic qualification.

The matter has come to fore after a complaint was received by the Government regarding the genuineness of the certificates issued by the Central Board of Higher Education, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi on the basis of which some people have got the employment in Government departments. Accordingly, the Government took up the matter with various competent authorities, including J&K State Board of School Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy and Secretary Education, National Capital Territory of Delhi, Directorate of Education (Private School Branch) Old Secretariat, New Delhi to establish the genuineness of the institution and validity of certificates issued by it. In turn, the said authorities have clarified that the said institution (CBHE) Uttam Nagar, New Delhi does not exist in the name of recognized boards of the School Education.

In view of the above clarification by the competent authorities, the Government has disposed off the matter with the observations that “the appointment obtained by misrepresentation of facts or by playing fraud upon the competent authority is void as the illegality of obtaining an appointment by the production of documents which are not valid goes to the root of the appointment itself. The appointment obtained by such means itself is illegal and invalid”.