Srinagar, May 2, : Renowned Economist and former Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu Thursday said that there is no question of returning back to People’s Democratic Party. “I have resigned from the party and I am not going to join it back. I am not sure whether I will contest the elections or not,” he said.

    He refuted the rumours that he was a BJP man in PDP. “Let those who accuse me of being a BJP man accuse. I don’t think such allegations deserve any reaction. I was assigned a role of negotiator by late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed with New Delhi when he assumed the power and I played that role competently,” Drabu told news agency CNS.

     He credited Mehbooba Mufti for making PDP vibrant. “Mehbooba Mufti is known as mass leader because she worked on ground while her late father was a strategist and experienced leader. PDP was his idea,” he said.

    While defending the implantation of Goods and Service Tax (GST) in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Haseeb Drabu said  that PDP failed to convey the message to the people that Jammu and Kashmir was the only state and this was the only Act that was introduced after passed by State Assembly otherwise all the Acts had been implemented in the state through Presidential Orders. “PDP failed to propagate this development. “We sent it for President’s approval only after it was passed by the Legislative Assembly.The resolution about GST was proposed only after preserving the state’s taxation powers, enshrined in the J&K Constitution. All necessary safeguards to section 5 of the J&K State Constitution have been ensured,” he said.

   When asked shortly after the implementation of GST in Jammu and Kashmir, India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stated that the economic integration of J&K with India is complete now; Drabu said that it is the choice of a politician to make remarks. “

  While talking about the suspension of Line of Control trade (LoC trade), Drabu said the reasons given by New Delhi for this are absurd and vague. “It has been suspended for the reasons that fake currency, drugs and arms are being traded. Doesn’t black money is being seized in other parts of India. Didn’t police seize black currency in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and other parts of India? Do we stop election process with these incidents? he questioned.

  While responding to a question, Drabu said Article 35 A can’t be abrogated as the petitions against it have already been rejected twice by the Supreme Court of India. (CNS) 

SRINAGAR, MAY 02: The Pulwama and Shopian districts of South Kashmir are slated to go to polls in the three-phase schedule for Anantnag Parliamentary constituency on May 06, 2019.

Over 5.22 lakh electors are going to exercise their franchise in the twin districts spread over six assembly segments comprising Tral, Pampore, Pulwama, Rajpora, Wachi and Shopian. As many as 695 polling stations have been established across the districts for smooth conduct of the elections.

These Southern Kashmir Districts have 522,530 electors including 271,127 males, 250,735 females, 657 service electors (646 males and 11 females) and 11 transgender voters.

Pulwama District has 351,314 electors including 181,259 males, 169,508 females, 541 service electors (533 male and 08 female) and 06 transgender voters. For smooth polling, the ECI has set up 450 polling stations across the district.

District Pulwama comprises four assembly segments of Tral, Pampore, Pulwama and Rajpora.

Rajpora Assembly segment has the highest number of 95,633 electors including 49,808 males, 45,738  females and 87 male service voters while as Pampore has the lowest 82,188 electors, including 41,929 males, 40,230 females, 24 male service voters and five transgender voters.

Tral assembly segment has 88,617 electors 45,637 males, 42, 650 females, 329 service voters (324 male and 5 female) and single transgender voter.

Pulwama assembly segment has 84,876 electors, including 43885 males, 40,890 females and 101 service voters (98 male and three females).

Similarly, Shopian District has 171,216 electors including 89,868 males, 81,227 females, 116 service electors (113 male and 03 female) and five transgender voters. For smooth polling, the ECI has set up 245 polling stations across the district.

Wachi assembly segment has 83,532 electors including 43,848 males, 39,614 females, 66 service voters (63 males and 3 females) and four transgender voters.

Shopian assembly segment has 87,684 electors, including 46,020 males, 41,613 females, 50 male service voters, and a single transgender voter. 

The candidates in the fray are Hasnain Masoodi of Jammu Kashmir National Conference, Sofi Yousuf of Bhartiya Janta Party, Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Indian National Congress, Mehbooba Mufti of Jammu Kashmir People’s Democratic Party, Nisar Ahmad Wani of Jammu & Kashmir National Panthers Party, Choudhary Zaffar Ali of Jammu Kashmir People’s Conference, Sanjay Kumar Dhar of Manav Adhikar Party, Surinder Singh of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) and Imtiyaz Ahmad Rather, Ridwana Sanam, Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, Zubair Masoodi, Shams Khwaja, Ali Mohammad Wani, Ghulam Mohammad Wani, Kyasir Ahmed Sheikh, Manzoor Ahmad Khan and Mirza Sajad Hussain Beigh, all independents.

The Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency is spread over four districts comprising Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama.

The Anantnag and Kulgam districts of Anantnag PC went to polls on April 23 and April 29 respectively.

The voting timing has been fixed from 7 am to 4 pm.

Shopian May 2: District Election Officer Shopian Dr Owais Ahmed today chaired a meeting of the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of Shopian district here at Mini Secretariat Arhama Shopian.

AS many as 300 BLO’s participated in the meeting.

Appreciating the hard work and efforts of the BLOs, DEO urged upon them to put extra effort and assist the polling and other staff with their required logistics on the poll day.

He instructed BLO’s to visit their assigned polling stations for a final check of the assured minimum facility of electricity, toilet, furniture, ramp, water and other facilities.

BLOs were stressed to remain present outside their respective polling stations on the poll day for the convenience of the electors.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Dy. District Election Officer, ARO Wachi were also present during the meeting.

Baramulla, May 02: With an aim to generate awareness about various social evils prevailed in our society, a day long awareness programme on dowry with the theme “Anti Dowry – Wake up Call” was today organized at Government Women’s College Baramulla with Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, G N Itoo as the chief guest.

Programme was organized by J&K Students and Youth Welfare Organization in collaboration with the college authorities in which a large number of girl students and other prominent citizens participated.
On the occasion, a series of lectures were delivered on the topic wherein emphasis was laid on awareness dissemination to eradicate the menace from the society.

Deputy Commissioner, in his address complimented the concerned for organizing the programme and underlined the need to change the perception and vision of people about various social evils. He said that several anti-dowry legislations have been framed so that a woman, which constitutes an important component of the family lives a dignified and empowered life in the society. Moreover, he urged upon the participants especially the girl students to act as the ambassadors so that the message is conveyed and disseminated at the grass root levels.

Meanwhile, Dr Itoo informed that district administration is celebrating a special Drug de-addiction week from April 29 to May 05 as an initiative to eradicate the menace of drug addiction from the society. He highlighted the role of different sections in achieving the goal of drug free society and said that woman has a vital role to play in this regard.

Srinagar 02 May: Expressing sympathy with the families of commandos killed in brutal Naxal attack in Maharashtra, AIP President Er. Rasheed has reiterated that violence is not solution to any problem.

In a statement issued today Er. Rasheed said “while the attack is condemnable, New Delhi needs to introspect and answer certain serious and tough questions. Can New Delhi answer if it will show same anger and anguish towards the people of Maharashtra, it showed towards Kashmiris after the Pulwama attack? Will Maharashtrains be attacked the same way, Kashmiris were attacked in rest of the India and will the high ways be closed in the same manner Jammu Srinagar High Way is closed twice a week?”

Er. Rasheed asked union government to answer that why the religion of the attackers is not being linked with the attackers who attacked and killed fifteen commandos in Maharashtra.

He said “Whenever any incident takes place in Kashmir New Delhi makes huge hue and cry not only in the country but across the world but why it keeps mum if more heinous attacks taken place in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal or other places. Is life of those killed in Maharashtra attack less important than the life of Jawans killed in Pulwama attack.

Kashmiris have a right to answer that why AFSPA is not being put in place in Naxal hit states and why are not draconian laws like PSA being imposed in these states”. Er. Rasheed while expressing sympathy with the families of killed police Jawans in Maharashtra reiterated that every human life is precious and there is no justification to violence neither by state nor by non-state actors.

Er. Rasheed added that Maharashtra attack has exposed the double standards of Indian state towards Kashmiris and it is yet again proven that New Delhi has huge hateredness towards Kashmiris and sees them as their enemies. Er. Rasheed said “The response shown to the Maharashtra brutal attack reminds US and Indian allegations against Pakistanis for classifying Taliban militants as good Taliban and bad Taliban. It is obvious that Indian state is firm, brutal and harsh towards every Kashmiris but overlooks what is happening in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and other Naxal hit states for the reason it believes Naxals and other militant outfits in rest of the Indian as its own people, but sees every Kashmiri as its enemy”.