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SRINAGAR, Mar 13: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday has accepted a plea by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to transfer a 30-year-old case on separatist leader and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik from Srinagar to Jammu.
Poonch, March 13 : Over 250 people had to flee for their lives as the Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) at Chakan da Bagh came under Pakistani shelling on Wednesday afternoon, police sources and eyewitnesses told.
They said that the panic gripped labourers and staff at Trade Facilitation Centre Chakan da Bagh after several mortar shells landed in the area.The labourers and staff were seen jumping into the river while some were forced to crawl on the ground to save their lives, eye-witnesses said.
A police officer said that the panic gripped the area soon after the Pakistani army targeted Indian army posts in Krishna Ghati sector, Balakote Sector, and Gulpur sector.
At Gulpur sector, several mortar shells fired by Pakistan landed at the Chakan Da Bagh trade centre resulting in minor damage to one building.
Custodian Chakan da Bagh, Fareed Ahmad Kholi said that soon after the shells landed at TFC “staff and labourers fled towards safety.” (GNS)
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SRINAGAR, Mar 13: Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) Jammu and Kashmir expresses its deep condemnation over the arrest of its legal expert Mir Assad-ullah of Pulwama by police and terms it a well-planned ploy to retreat Jama’at from approaching the court to contest the “baseless” allegations leveled by the government.
Jama’at according to statement said, Pulwama police before couple of days called Jama’at senior most Rukn Mir Assad-ullah where he was not allowed to go back to home and since then Mir is languishing in police custody which is an ample and spacious evidence that government is not willing to allow Jama’at to approach court and contest the concocted “allegations” leveled by government while imposing ban.
‘Since Jama’at is banned, police across the state have unleashed arrest spree which clearly depicts how peaceful voice is being strangulated by repressive and forcible measures? So far government forces have rounded up 300 members and associates among few were slapped by the most draconian law Public Safety Act (PSA)’, the statement said.
Jama’at once again reiterates that the “allegations” leveled by the government of India will be contested in court with the strong and valid argument but caging its legal expert at this juncture seems a well-planned conspiracy to retreat Jama’at from opting legal course of action. Jama’at terms these machinations as cheap, undemocratic and an act of pushing peaceful voice to the wall. Jama’at appeals local and international human rights groups, world community, OIC and pro-people voices to come forward and exhort their pressure upon the government of India to stop this lawlessness in Jammu and Kashmir so that this repressive era will come to an end.
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SRINAGAR, Mar 13: Suspected militants on Wednesday shot dead a 25-year-old man in Pingleena village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Showkat Ahmad Naik was reportedly shot at by masked gunmen outside his home at Naik Mohalla in Pingleena village today afternoon, reported news gathering agency GNS.
It said Naik was an army man. He was immediately evacuated to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the report quoted a police officer as having said. An army spokesman said he was a deserter and that he had never taken oath as soldier.
“Recruit Showkat Ahmed Naik Son of Mohd Yousuf Naik never took oath as a soldier. He was enrolled on 15 Jan 2018 in Territorial Army. He went to Army’s Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) Regimental Center on 21 Mar 2018,” said the spokesman. Naik, according to the spokesman, went on three days leave on 14 Sep 18 and he never returned. “He was declared deserter on 17 September 2018,” he said. (GNS)
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SRINAGAR, Mar 13: A leopard cub was caught by locals in Khurhama village of Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on late Tuesday afternoon. Locals told GNS that the leopard cub was spotted at Khurhama village at around 5:00 p.m. and caught by the villagers and handed later over to police-post Kuligam. A police officer confirmed it and said that the cub was accordingly handed over to the wildlife department. Last month a leopard cub was also caught by the locals and handed over to the wildlife department at village Chipora, adjoining to Khurhama village.
A wildlife official meanwhile told the agency that the department has asked its men to remain alert as there was the possibility of the leopardess, mother of the cubs, searching for them. “We have asked the concerned officials to remain alert and vigilant to capture the female leopard who might be roaming in the area in search of the two cubs,” the official added.
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SRINAGAR, Mar 13: Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to let the people to choose their government in a democratic way by paving way for holding assembly election in the state.
The National Conference Vice President appealed to Prime Minister to allow the people to exercise their vote in the state. “The right to choose an elected government, as opposed to being governed by a handpicked nominee of the central government, is the hallmark of the sort of democracy you are tweeting about. Please give us our democratic right to choose our own government,” Omar wrote on Twitter.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday morning appealed all people from different walks of life to ensure that people in large numbers come out to vote in general elections 2019.
However, Omar was quick to criticize the Prime Minister by alleging that the BJP government had “consciously” disenfranchised the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Dear @narendramodi Sahib, it is good to see you appealing to famous people to increase voter turnout however at the same time your government has consciously disenfranchised people in J&K by not holding Assembly elections on time,” Omar said in another tweet.
While the regional parties have appealed the central government to hold the assembly elections in the state, the Election Commission of India has not announced the dates as of yet. The delay in announcement of assembly elections has drawn severe criticism from all the mainstream parties in the state.
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SRINAGAR, Mar 13: A day after Congress President Rahul Ghandi formally declined Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s pre-poll alliance offer, the party has opened negotiations with National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir with both parties almost agreeing to field joint candidates on three seats each.
Quoting sources in the state Congress a local news gathering agency RNA said, that a final round of talks would be held this evening between the top leaderships in New Delhi and it was likely that both would come to a consensus during the meeting. A senior leader of JPCC said that the bone of contention however, between the two parties is the Jammu-Kathua seat. He said National Conference wants to get Jammu and give Anantnag to Congress in return, whereas Congress wants Jammu and is willing to leave Anantnag for NC.
“We have almost reached to final stage of negotiations. As per the initial proposal National Conference would be fielding candidates from Srinagar and Baramulla , whereas Congress would be given Ladakh, Dooda-Udampur . We have differences on Jammu-Kathua and Anantnag seats. We want them (NC) to contest from Anantnag and leave Jammu for us which they are not agreeing upon as of now.” A senior JKPCC leader told RNA, adding that a final meeting of the two leaderships would be taking places this evening in order to arrive at some conclusion. He however, added that Congress was unwilling to leave Jammu-Kathua seat for NC.
Meanwhile JKPCC leaders from South Kashmir have urged Party High command not to go for pre-poll alliance in LS elections only and said both parties should announce alliance for assembly elections also.
JKPCC Senior Vice-President Mohaammd Anwar Khan and former MLA Mohamamd Amin Bhat told RNA that if there is any alliance at all, between Congress and National Conference, it should be for both LS and Assembly.
“We can’t have an alliance which benefits National conference only, let there be alliance for both LS and assembly. Only then should our leadership move forward.” M. Amin Bhat told RNA, adding that the two leaderships are meeting this evening in New Delhi where the things would be given a final shape.
Meanwhile National conference provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani was unavailable for his comments. “I am in meeting, will call you back.” . Wani told RNA, when requested about his comment about the latest developments.
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NEW DELHI, Mar 13: Amid criticism over the decision not to conduct assembly and Lok Sabha polls simultaneously in Jammu and Kashmir, Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday held a meeting to take into account the affairs of the State.
The Commission met its special observers for the State, AS Gill, Noor Mohammad and Vinod Zutshi, and discussed the situation before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and the modalities for the assembly elections, official sources said. Meanwhile, the Election Commission appointed observes for J&K are arriving in Srinagar on Thursday for a series of meetings with different stakeholders including various political parties, administration and law enforcing agencies.
The team comprises of former Deputy Election Commissioner of India Vinod Zutshi, former IAS officer Noor Mohaammd and A.S Gill
According to a local news gathering agency RNA, former Deputy Election commissioner and one of the observers Vinod Zutshi said that their engagements would be finalized by the Chief Election Officer Jammu and Kashmir. He however, stressed that the team has not received a tour diary as yet and was likely to receive it shortly.
When asked is there any possibility of ECI revisiting its decision of conducting assembly polls in J&K, . Vinod Zutshi told RNA that, he was not mandated to speak on behalf of ECI. He also said that their engagements with stakeholders would be finalized by locals CEO and they will not be briefing about their engagements to anyone including media.
“We too have to follow a sort of code of conduct. What we will do in J&K would be submitted to ECI and we would be reporting directly to ECI only.” . Zutshi told RNA. The observer said that they had a meeting with Election Commissioner of India and others during which they were briefed about their mandate and they will be acting according to that only.
Earlier the Election commissioner of India had announced the special observer’s team on Sunday. The observers- according to media reports – have been told to visit the state ‘at an earliest’ to make an independent assessment of the situation and report back to EC.
Jammu, Mar 13 : Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh has sanctioned DGP’s Special Reward in favour of three wards of police personnel for qualifying different competitive examinations.
Rupees ten thousand each has been sanctioned for the wards who have qualified B Tech, BVSc&AH and Medical officer (Ayurvedic), after passing JEE main, SKUAST and PSC exams.
The wards of serving police personnel who have been granted Special reward are Nimrat Hassan daughter of DySP, Ghulam Hassain, Saquib Malik son of HC Shabir Ahmad and Diviya Sharma daughter of SI Inderjeet Sharma for qualifying B Tech, BVSc &AH and Medical officer (Ayurvedic) respectively.
Juvenile Board of Jammu and Kashmir has rejected medical reports suggesting that the teenager allegedly involved in a grenade attack in Jammu last week was in fact an “adult”, officials said on Wednesday.
The board has sought for all school records of the accused which it suspects to be a minor.
The officials said that the reports of the bone and teeth test conducted on the accused showed that his age was around 19 years and it had sought 10 days of remand which was rejected by the board.
The Juvenile Board asked the police to submit all relevant documents from the school after which a decision would be taken, they said.
The ‘juvenile’ was nabbed immediately after he allegedly threw the grenade at the Jammu bus stand that left two people dead and 29 injured on March 7.
During his initial interrogation, the ‘juvenile’ had said that he was paid Rs 50,000 by a Hizbul Mujahideen militant for it.
While the medical tests claims his age to be 19 years and more, one set of documents recovered from him show that he turned 16 on Tuesday and another show that he turned 14.
According to the investigators, self-styled district chief of Kulgam’s Hizbul Mujahideen outfit Fayaz had passed on a grenade to an overground worker, Muzammil, for lobbing at a crowded place anywhere in Jammu.
Muzammil had developed cold feet and refused to throw it. He was then instructed to pass on the grenade to the boy who was codenamed “chotu”.
The picture of the ‘juvenile’ was shown to Muzammil, who is at present in police custody, and he identified him as the person who had received the grenade, the officials said.
The ‘teenager’ is the eldest among three children. Son of a painter, he was studying in class 9.
Last Thursday’s was the third grenade attack by militants on Jammu bus stand since May last year and it came just three weeks after the Pulwama terror strike on February 14 that killed 40 CRPF jawans.
The attack was carried out around 11.50 am resulting in the death of Mohammad Sharik, 17, and and injuries to 32 others, including 11 from the Valley, 10 from Jammu and others from outside the state. One more person identified as Mohammad Riyaz succumbed to his injuries last Friday.
The detention of the ‘juvenile’ indicated that militant groups will be using underage boys for throwing grenades as they can escape the stringent punishment from law, sources said.
Terror groups in the state hired under-aged boys in early 2000 who were used for throwing grenades at security forces for handsome monetary considerations.
However, the practice had come to an end by 2009 after police carried out effective counselling of parents in areas highly-infested by terrorism.(PTI)