Srinagar, April 13 : Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) European Union zonal delegation met with the officials of Amnesty International and conveyed deep concern over the ban on party, arrest of chairman Yasin Malik and the situation of in Jammu & Kashmir.

JKLF also expressed concerned over the continued detention, shifting and handing over of Yasin Malik to NIA and condemned the issuance of notices by Enforcement Directorate against the teenage daughters of senior Hurriyat leader Shabir Ahmad Shah.

The chief spokesman of JKLF, Muhammad Rafiq Dar, in a statement issued said: “A two member delegation comprising of JKLF (EU) zonal president Chaudhry Tanveer Ahmed and the zonal spokesman Qari Mazhar Iqbal Naeemi met with the Amnesty International (AI) officials. The meeting took place with the chairman AI Finland Mr. Frank Johansson at its head office in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, one of the important EU member state.”

“The delegation apprised the AI officials about the undemocratic decision of Indian authorities of banning a political party like JKLF that has a history of peaceful and non-violent past and termed it as an unjust and undemocratic act that needs to be condemned,” he said.

“Chaudhry Tanveer lamented over the Indian non-political, aggressive and the militaristic approach towards the leadership and population of the State, who are striving for the just cause of their national freedom and right of self-determination,” Dar said.

The spokesperson said that the AI officials patiently listened to the JKLF delegation and promised their full support especially in terms of human rights violations of any kind.

JKLF Zonal president Tanveer Ahmed Choudhry at the end of the meeting handed over a four paged document, prepared by the party Diplomatic Bureau Chief Prof. Raja Zafar Khan, to the AI official that narrated the ban on JKLF and arrest of Yasin Malik as undemocratic and it also mentioned some of the “gross human rights issues”, the Rafiq Dar said.

The spokesperson while condemning the issuance of notices by ED to two teenage daughters of senior Hurriyat leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, who is languishing in Delhi Tihar Jail for the last two years, termed these acts as ridiculous and uncalled for. 

Srinagar, April 13 : Police on Saturday recovered the body of a minor boy who had drowned in the Jhelum two days ago.

Officials said that the Suhail  Ahmad Khawaja (12) son of Abdul Gafoor Khawaja of Tanghdar had drowned in the river near Fateh Kadal area here.

On Saturday morning, locals spotted a  body floating in the river near Sumbal and informed the concerned police station, they said. 

The body was identified as that of Suhail and handed over to his family for last rites after legal and medical formalities. (GNS)

Suhail Khan

Srinagar, April 13 : Police on Saturday retrieved the semi-decomposed body of a 26-year-old youth from a dam Boniyar area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, nearly a month after he met and accident and fell into the water body

Officials told GNS said that some locals found a body lying inside the dam at Ijara, Pehlipora area of Boniyar and immediately informed police who later recovered the body.

The concerned Station House Officer (SHO) said the body was identified as that of Khalid Ahmad Lone (26) son of Ghulam Ahmad Lone of Pehlipora, Boniyar.

Khalid had met with an accident on March 18, last month when a vehicle he was driving skidded off the road and fell into the dam, he said.

While the vehicle was recovered by the police, the search party could not find the body, he said, adding today the semi-decomposed body was recovered.

After conducting medico-legal formalities, the body of the deceased has been handed over to the family for last rites. (GNS)

Srinagar, April 13 : The government has ordered prosecution of a “team of militants” who it said were tasked by Lashkar-e-Toiba to target government forces for snatching arms and ammunition in Qazigund area of south Kashmir.

According to an order by principal secretary of state’s home department, on 13 July last year, Police Station, Qazigund received information through reliable sources to the effect that a group of Lashkar-e-Toiba militants particularly Azad Dada of Arwani have constituted a team of militants Qazigund in order to target the government forces for snatching of arms and ammunition.

The team, the order says, was also intending to motivate the youth to join the militant organization. “A group of OGWs lead by Sartaj Ahmad Dar of Sopat, Mohammad Abbas Dar of Ganjipora , Abdul Qayoom Wani of Ganjipora, Masood Ahmad Bhat of Cheddar, Khalid Showkat Ganie of Zadoora, Zaffer Ahmad Rather of Sopat, Owais Ahmad Khan of Furrah etc are facilitating, aiding supporting and providing arms ammunition to militants for committing subversive activities in the State,” reads the order, a copy of which lies with news agency.“This conspiracy on part of the accused persons is a threat to the security and integrity of State as well as Country,” it says. Further, the OGWs were providing weapons to the organization from unknown sources for committing unlawful activities etc, it says.

Subsequently, a case (FIR No 164/2018) was registered at Police Station Qazigund and further investigation was taken up.

“During the course of investigation accused Sartaj Ahmad was apprehended “who disclosed that he along with other accused persons Mohammad Abbas Dar, Abdul Qayoom Wani, Masood Ahmad Bhat, Khalid Showkat Ganie, Zaffer Ahmad Rather, Owais Ahmad Khan, Masroor Ahmad, Wasim Rather has made a group on the instructions of militants Azad Dada and Shakoor Ganie to work as Over Ground Workers of Lashkar-e-Toiba and to provide arms and ammunition to the (militants).”

After collecting “evidence”, the government in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 45 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the State Government accorded sanction for launching prosecution against the accused persons—Sartaj Ahmad Dar, Mohd Abbass Dar, Abdul Qayoom Wani, Gh Hassan Wani, Khalid Showkat Ganie, Aamir Ahmad Thoker, Salaal Amad Ganie alias Shakoor Ahmad Ganie of Chadder, Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada, Waseern Ahmad Rather , Dawood Ahmad Dar, Masood Nulled Bhat and Zaffar Ahmad Rather for the commission of offences punishable u/s 13(2), 18,19,38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,1967.

Six of them have been arrested while proceedings under 512 CrPC have been launched against rest of them, the order adds. (GNS)

Srinagar , Arp 13: The Department of Floriculture today opened Mughal Gardens of Kashmir valley to the public.

Director Floriculture, Dr Abdul Hafiz Shah during a function organised by the Department at Shalimar garden said that they are expecting a good number of tourists both national and local will visit the Mughal gardens The Director said that apart from throwing open Mughal gardens of Srinagar, Mughal gardens located at the north and south Kashmir have also been thrown open today.

A large number of local and outside tourists visited different Mughal gardens in Srinagar. Various school children also visited these gardens.

The Department had organized cultural events at some of the gardens for entertaining the tourists while acquainting them with local culture through traditional Bande Pather.

Stalls showcasing Kashmiri arts and crafts and foods were also set up for the visitors.

Srinagar, Apr 13 : Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Saturday said that Omar Abdullah seems to have suddenly discovered a sense of humor or has lost touch with the ground.

“NC has lost Baramulla. PC has taken the seat convincingly. While we are quiet with humility, the loser is beating drums of victory after fearing a repeat of Baramulla loss in the Srinagar Parliamentary seat. We fought on an agenda of truthfulness and were up against some of the worst falsehood propagated by the NC. One fine day the NC would announce that they are restoring the Prime Minister and Sadar-e-Riyasat posts. The next day they would announce removing the PSA. This is the same NC which has been an active participant in abolishing these posts. This is the same NC whose leader Sheikh Sahib, an ex PM of Kashmir, happily took oath as the Chief Minister of Kashmir in lieu of power in 1975. This is the same NC which in 1975 passed the Constitutional order 101 dated 23-07-1975 grievously eroding the special status. This is the same NC which scripted the Land grants bill. This is the same NC which opened the flood gates for leasing out thousands of kanals to defense establishment”, he added.

Sajad said that NC is vehemently propagating the falsehood of conspiracies being hatched when they are out of power.

“The biggest conspiracy hatched against the Kashmiris has been the NC. Delhi in league with the NC stole an entire election to keep them in power and when people rose in revolt, it was primarily against the NC. Does the NC forget that they along with their leader Farooq Abdullah fled the state in 1989 leaving their workers behind? Have they forgotten that the word NC was a stigma in 1989? Have they forgotten how NC workers would issue statements in newspapers distancing themselves from the NC? In the aftermath of 1987 robbery of elections leading up to the revolt of 1989, the top NC leadership fled and while we were all facing brutalities, being jailed, killed, beaten up, Farooq sahib and the future tormentor of Kashmiris Omar Abdullah spent most of the time in Europe and Delhi. These special tourists were thrust yet again on Kashmiris in 1996 when yet another entire election was stolen to hand power on platter. I ask the people of Kashmir.

Sajad further said that NC’s politics is based on mastering the art of Complaisance.

“A party, a dynasty which is indebted to the core to Delhi for protecting them, for installing them in 1975, stealing for them in 1987 and reinstalling them in 1996- would they ever be able to stand up to them? They have been in power for 36 years. Can they give us one instance when they stood up and showed real defiance? They are compulsive compliers. Have we forgotten what L K Advani wrote in is book? How Farooq Abdullah when asked to choose between a discussion on autonomy resolution and Omar Abdullah’s junior union ministry, chose the junior ministry for junior Abdullah”, he added.

Sajad said that Farooq Abdullah’s utterances against the Mayor Mr. Junaid Matto are deplorable and shameful.

“Just imagine the difference in ages. While Farooq sahib is marching towards mid eighties, young Junaid is barely in mid thirties. Does it behoove Farooq sahib to say that insects will eat him up in his grave, does it behoove him to say that he has forgotten the grave. It is Farooq Sahib who has all along forgotten the grave. Rather than fighting the elections he should have settled with a prayer mat. And instead he has the temerity to say such things about a young person, blooming in his youth. We really are not surprised given the thousands of youth who have perished at your hands. We still have an unsolicited piece of advice. Take to the prayer mat, if you have one given that it will take hundreds of years for you to atone your sins”, he added.

Srinagar, Apr 13, : Seeking immediate cancellation  of the nomination of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti from Anantnag parliamentary seat,  Bhartiya Janata Party state spokesman Altaf Thakur while strongly opposed the act of a PDP supporter holding a toy pistol and toy AK 47 gun in his hands in a PDP rally at Chadoora, Budgam urged the  Chief Electoral Officer JK and the Election Commission of India to disqualify Mehoobba for promoting militancy in her poll rallies.

In a statement issued here, Thakur said that it was unfortunate that for the greed of power, Mehbooba was pl saying militancy card to garner support from people.This way, PDP is promoting gun culture in Kashmir just to befool people and to seek votes.

Thakur said that chief electoral officer and the Election Commission of India must look into the issue on priority and immediately disqualify the PDP president by cancelling her nomination papers. He said BJP will strongly opposed any move aimed at promoting the gun culture.