German diplomats call on Tanvir

Srinagar, May 20 : Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Monday said that India and Pakistan need to sit across the table and share perspectives notwithstanding the intricateness of the issue that has been plaguing the bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries.

According to a statement issued here, a delegation of German diplomats on Monday called on political advisor to party vice president Tanvir Sadiq. Interacting with the delegation, Tanvir necessitated for dialogue between India and Pakistan.

While speaking with diplomats Bastian Weber, Second Secretary Political Affairs and Protocol and Sakshi Aroro from the German Embassy, NC leader and political advisor to Omar Abdullah, Tanvir Sadiq ‪reflected on the wide range of issues of issues pertaining to the state and the region in general.

While calling for a Comprehensive Dialogue Process (CDP) and Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between the two countries Tanvir said, “We are hopeful that the new government in the country starts a process of dialogue with Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan should initiate CBMs in order to remove the cobwebs of mistrust. Many lives have been lost to the frenzy of conflict, now it is high time that both the countries seriously engage with each for the greater cause of peace and tranquillity in the region.”

Emphasizing on the need of initialization of a peace process by addressing political issues of the state politically, Tanvir said that National Conference had always been a votary of cordial Indo Pak relations.

“It is the people of J&K, who directly come in-between the line of fire between the two nations. If the relation between the two countries becomes cordial it will noticeably bring relief to the people of our state. The people of our state are the straight beneficiaries of the good neighbourly relations between New Delhi and Islamabad,” he said.

Taking about the solution to the protracted issue of Kashmir, Tanvir said, “Restoration of autonomy to the state of J&K has been the bed rock of policy of J&K National Conference; the party will continue to work for the restoration of the autonomy to the state. It is the only solution that satiates the political and development demands of all the region of the state. We aren’t seeking anything new, we are asking for what has been guaranteed to us by the Constitution of India.”

While recalling the role of National Conference in political empowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Tanvir talked about the initiatives taken in strengthening democracy and forging the bonds of amity between various sections of the people right from 1953. He said the party envisioned a strong, prosperous and secular Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar, May 20 : The killing of a political worker in Zungalpora village of Kulgam and killing of few more civilians during similar incidents and encounters between militants and security forces in south Kashmir are highly condemnable acts and leave a question before everybody that for how long the blood of civilians will continue to flow in Kashmir?

The reckless killing of civilians at the hands of both the parties involved in the conflict continues unabated. Whether a civilian is killed by the bullet from one side or the other side, it is loss of precious human life. Whose ‘cause’ is fulfilled by the killings of civilians? Unfortunately, it is a Kashmiri who is getting killed every day.

Violence and killings can never be a solution to any problem. There is also a need for all the stakeholders involved to shun the extreme and rigid positions in favour of some common middle ground which will take into consideration the genuine political aspirations of all the people involved. Any solution to the problem should be a lasting one and should satisfy everyone’s aspirations and also keeping in view the radically altered geopolitical scenario.

While expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, he demanded an immediate end to the civilian killings in the Valley.

Srinagar, May 20 : Torture is used as a matter of policy by the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir in a systematic and institutional manner and “all the institutions of the State form a part”, said Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) and the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) in the first comprehensive report on torture in Jammu and Kashmir.

The report, titled Torture: “Indian State’s Instrument of Control in Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir”, focuses on “torture in Jammu and Kashmir by the State since 1990, and provides a contextual understanding of various phases of torture being perpetrated in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947.”

Using 432 case studies, the report charts out trends and patterns, targets, perpetrators, sites, contexts and impacts of “torture” in Jammu and Kashmir.

Due to legal, political and moral impunity extended to the armed forces, it says, not a single prosecution has taken place in any case of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Despite global attention and condemnation of torture following exposés of indiscriminate torture practised in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib prisons, torture remains hidden in Jammu and Kashmir, where tens of thousands of civilians have been subjected to it. It says.

“Torture is used as a matter of policy by the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir in a systematic and institutional manner, as all the institutions of the State be it a legislature, executive, judiciary and armed forces form a part,” it says. The widespread use of torture continues unabatedly in Jammu and Kashmir.

“As recently as 19 March 2019, a 29-year-old school principal, Rizwan Pandith was killed due to torture after being illegally detained in the Cargo camp of the Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police.” Three days later, it says, the Police filed a case against deceased Rizwan, alleging that he was trying to escape from the Police custody while no case was filed against police officials under whose custody he was killed.

This report gives a brief understanding of the historical background in the use of ‘torture’ in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 to curb any dissenting voices, a practice which attained an unprecedented magnitude post-1990.

The report categorizes the eras after 1990 during which “torture and other human rights violations,” while still being carried out by the Indian armed forces and Jammu & Kashmir Police, were also outsourced to different formations like Ikhwan and Village Defence Committees (VDCs).

This report establishes that the number of methods of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment as set out in the UN OHCHR Istanbul Protocol, and continues to be perpetrated in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a statement issued.

The forms of torture that have been documented in this report include stripping the detainees naked (190 out of 432 cases studied for this report), beating with sticks, iron rods or leather belts (326 cases), roller treatment (169 cases), water-boarding (24 cases), dunking detainees’ head in water (101 cases), electrocution including in genitals (231 cases), hanging from the ceiling, mostly upside down (121 cases), burning of the body with hot objects (35 cases), solitary confinement (11 cases), sleep deprivation (21 cases), sexual torture (238 cases) including rape and sodomy, among others.

The report points out that a predominant majority of the torture victims are civilians: 301 out of 432, which include women, students and juveniles, political activists, human rights activists and journalists. “Entire populations have also been subjected to collective punishments like cordon and search operations (CASOs) during which torture and sexual violence have been common.”

This report provides an insight into how torture has ruined the lives of survivors with a multitude of them suffering from chronic ailments resulting from torture.

Apart from the physical ailments, people who have been tortured or even witnessed it, have suffered from psychological issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

49 of the 432 victims of torture died post-torture, 40 of them as a result of injuries received during torture. “Since many deaths due to torture-related injuries are not immediate but may occur after years or even decades, accurate figures of such fatalities and morbidity are extremely hard to estimate.” (GNS)

Terms it atrocious and against human values

SRINAGAR, May 20: Strongly condemning the killing of PDP worker and a resident of Zungalpora village of Kulgam district, former finance minster Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Monday termed all such incidents as atrocious and against human values.

He said the violence in any of its forms or manifestations is reprehensible and cannot be a substitute to peaceful resolution of issues. “Such target killings are inhuman and most unfortunate. Nothing can be achieved through such heinous acts except for inflicting irreparable loss to the families of those killed in such incidents,” Bukhari observed.

               The former minister said it is unfortunate that the civilian killings at the hands of parties, involved in the conflict continues unabated in Kashmir. “This valley is losing precious lives on day-to-day basis. It hardly matters who kills whom.   But ultimately it is a human being who loses his precious life especially when it comes to the non combatants. This madness needs to be stopped somewhere,” he appealed.

Expressing heartfelt sympathies, the former minister conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family, friends and acquaintances of the slain political worker. “Target killings in Kashmir is not new but the same puts a question mark on both sides of the conflict that for how long the civilians will continue to bleed in Kashmir?” he asked. 

Srinagar, May 20 : Paying rich tributes to the Shaheed-e-Hurriyat Khawaja Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz Moulana Mohammad Farooq on their anniversaries, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani said that both the leaders played a glaring role for the ongoing movement for right to self-determination.

Recalling his personal relation with both the leaders, Hurriyat (G) chairman in a statement issued said that he always treated them as younger brothers.

“They had immense leadership qualities and had dedicated their lives for the sacred cause of freedom movement,” he said.

While recalling their valuable contributions for the ongoing movement, he expressed his hope that their followers and fans shall lead their mission with zeal and zest and stand as a mountains against those who are hell-bent to exploit their sacrifices for their petty interests.

Terming Moulana farooq as an Islamic scholar and great orator and Abdul Gani Lone a seasoned politician and a statesman, Hurriyat (G) chairman urged the people to observe a complete shutdown on May 21, 2019 and make “Eidgah Chaloo” programme a grand success to commemorate their martyrdom.

Srinagar, May 20 : NC leader and party candidate for Anantnag parliamentary constituency Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi has condemned the “efforts of Jammu and Kashmir Bank management to change selection criteria for probationary officer and banking associate vacancies in mid-stream at the behest of the forces keen to see the candidates from a particular region out of race and disempowered”.

In a statement issued, Masoodi said: “Once the selection criteria stands duly notified ahead of declaration of the results of the examination held, the Bank management lacks power and jurisdiction to change the selection criteria in the middle of the selection process to the disadvantage of candidates from a particular region and obviously for mala fide reasons. Any effort to push the aspirants from a particular region out of the race for the advertised posts will be unconstitutional and illegal and fought with full force.”

J&K Bank management, Masoodi said, “apparently emboldened by the condonation of previously reported alleged large scale malpractices in recruitment, pointed out by no less an authority than the Governor, is with impunity planning to play with the career of candidates from one region, only to please the forces that initially took strong exception to its lack of transparency in recruitments, whooping NPAs and corporate mismanagement but later did not enquire into alleged malpractices and mismanagement”.

While expressing surprise over reluctance of Governor administration to share the decisions taken in SAC regarding J&K Bank though initially made public, the NC leader said the silence in this regard strengthens the suspicion that the selection criteria is changed mid-stream at behest of  the higher authorities and “to repay the favours shown by such authorities  to the bank management in  ignoring the alleged bungling in recruitment at the cost of career of thousands of candidates from a particular region”.

Masoodi has asked the Bank management to adhere to and follow the selection criteria duly notified prior to declaration of results and make selection on the basis of such criteria.

He also requested the civil society groups to persuade the Bank management to follow the notified selection criteria and not to harm the interest of candidates of one region.

Masoodi assured all moral support and legal assistance to the candidates “who are on streets against the arbitrary and capricious decision of the Bank management”.

“The only solution to stop the corporate mismanagement, malpractices, and opaqueness, according to him, is to bring the Bank under purview of RTI Act,” Masoodi said and exhorted RTI activists to redouble their efforts in this regard, unmindful of the efforts to muzzle their voice.