Srinagar, Dec 2 (GNS): Ahtisham Bilal, a student of Sharda University in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida, who had joined militant ranks following an assaulted during campus violence in October this year, was detained by police on Sunday.

Ahtisham Bilal, according to family sources, was detained from his home at Khanyar locality in the downtown Srinagar on Sunday afternoon.

A police officer told GNS that the youth was brought back into the mainstream with the help of his family.

“We neither arrested nor detained him. We have only taken him to the hospital for medical check-up as the youth was ill,” said the officer who wished not to be named.

Even police tweeted, without naming him that the youth was brought back into the mainstream with the help of the family and “more details would be shared later.”

On October 4, Ahtisham was injured when a mob assaulted Afghani students at Sharda University. On October 28, he disappeared after leaving the campus for New Delhi.

In the first week of November, a picture of Ahtisham, dressed in black and a grenade vest strapped around his chest with  Islamic State’s black banner in the backdrop, appeared on the social media.

Ahtisham was studying for a Bachelor’s in radiography at the varsity before joint the militant ranks. As per the police investigation,  Ahtisham was a friend of Faid Mushtaq Waza, the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant who was killed in a gunfight with the government forces in Srinagar recently.

His family, however, had denied that Ahtisham was friends with Waza. “Faid  Mushtaq Waza was from another mohalla and used to offer prayers in our mosque. There was no friendship between the two,” said Ahtisham’s relative.  (GNS)

Srinagar, Dec 02 (GNS): With the drop in mercury to sub-freezing temperatures in Kashmir valley, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Sunday warned that chill of winter increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

“You are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke during winter months,” cautioned DAK president Dr. Nisar ul Hassan in a communiqué.

“Research shows that there are up to 53 percent more heart attacks in winter than in summer,” he said.

Quoting a study published in European Journal of Epidemiology, Dr Nisar said for every 2.9-degree centigrade decline in temperature, the number of strokes in general population goes up by 11 percent. But among those already at high risk due to raised blood pressure, smoking or being overweight the increase is 30 percent.

“Frigid temperatures constrict blood vessels that increase blood pressure which makes heart attack or stroke more likely,” he said adding “the blood tends to be thicker and stickier during extreme cold which makes it easier to clot.”

Dr. Nisar said flu of winter heightens the risk of these cases. Flu causes acute and severe inflammation that builds up fat deposits in the inner walls of the blood vessels. These fat deposits dislodge and get stuck in heart or brain, where they block the blood flow.

 He added lack of sunlight during winter leaves people vitamin D deficient which is associated with increased risk of dying from heart attack or stroke.

“While we can’t change the weather, we can take precautions to protect ourselves from health risks of cold weather. Keep yourself warm to prevent from the cold temperature. If you move out, dress in layers, wear a hat, gloves, and scarf. Avoid going out in chill for a walk and move your workout inside. Get your annual flu shot and don’t forget to take your vitamin D,” suggested Dr Nisar. (GNS)

Rehan Showkat

Srinagar, Dec 2 (GNS): Fearing that the government decision would increase “loot of forests”, Jammu and Kashmir (Non- Gazetted) employees association on Sunday demanded immediate rollback of the recent hike in the timber prices by the governor administration.

Mir Nazir, state president of J&K (Non- Gazetted) forest officers association (NGFOA), also threatened statewide protest if the order was not rolled back immediately.

“The authorities are trying to make the corporation financially strong on the shoulders of poor people. This happened first time in the history of forest department right from Maharaja rule,” Mir said.

“The hike in the rates will cost more risk to the forest employees (territorial). By this decision, the government has actually annoyed poor people who might resort to forest loot given that they need timber to build residential homes and may not afford to purchase it through the exorbitant and very high rates set by the government,” he told GNS, and demanded immediate revocation of the order.

He said that the task of distribution shall be resorted back to the forest department.

He said whenever there are forest fires, people living close to the forests rush to douse off the flames.

“The main reason for them to douse the flames is to ensure that forest cover is needed by them and the need includes the timber,” he said.

The people putting up in the forest areas have also voiced concern over the hike in the timber prices and have demanded its immediate rollback.

Expressing concern over it, the people said that if the order was not revoked, there were apprehensions of more timber smuggling due to “unprecedented” hike in the prices.

 “We are poor people and cannot afford money to purchase the timer at such unprecedented hike. There are chances of more timber smuggling,” said Mohammad Sultan flanked by other residents of Kupwara district.

The new order was issued on November 22. The government till recently provided highly subsidized timber to people living near forests and villages to discourage smuggling. However, the rates of the timber have been increased several times. People used to get the quality Deodar timber at Rs 350 per cft that now is priced at Rs 1210 for Above Poverty Line (APL) people while for Below Poverty Line (BPL) it will be now more than double the cost – at Rs 712.

Similarly, the new rate for Kail timber is Rs 776 for APL and Rs 458 for BPL, while as Fir (Badlu) timber will be provided at the rate of Rs 403 and Rs 237 for BPL.

The people said the adverse weather in this Himalayan region has made the construction of houses a basic necessity, and hike the rates to such level was unbearable. The order must be revoked at the earliest, they demanded.

An official echoed the concern of the people and asked the government to relook into the order.

“Most of the people living in the vicinity of forests are backward and even middle-class people would not be able to bear the costs,” he said. (GNS)