Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday claimed that if he would have taken the opinion of the Central Government on Government formation in Jammu and Kashmir the Peoples’ Conference Chairman Sajad Lone would have become chief minister of the state but I dissolved assembly keeping in view apprehsions of horse trading .

Addressing students at Gwalior University he said “I want to reiterate it that I would have been compelled to form the government of Sajad Lone had I looked up to New Delhi but I didn’t want to go down in the history as a dishonest man,”.

Malik said, he feared that horse-trading might have taken place to form the government and that it could have led to “killings and chaos in Kashmir.”

The governor, however, claimed that both PDP and Sajad had ‘no numbers’ to form the government as nobody among them came forward with their numbers.

Defending his decision to annul the assembly, Malik said that he received congratulatory messages praising him.

During his speech at the pre-convocation academic conclave at ITM University, Malik also said there is no possibility of autonomy, freedom or merger with Pakistan in Kashmir.
He said that the Kashmir issue is there because of the false dreams shown by the politicians for last fifty years.

“Nobody including mainstream political parties or Hurriyat or Pakistan can resolve the Kashmir issue but the youth in the Valley only can resolve the Kashmir issue,” he said.

The two militants killed in a gunfight with government forces at Redwani area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday have been identified.

The slain militants are Ajaz Ahmad Makroo son of late Ghulam Rasool Makroo resident of Qaimoh and Waris Ahmad Malik son of Bashir Ahmad resident of Arwani.

Police spokesman said, as per records, they were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toia outfit and were involved in several attacks.

Ajaz Makroo was a close associate of militant commanders Naveed Jat and Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada. Dada was among six militants killed in an encounter in Anantnag few days ago.

Former SSP Riyaz Bedar on Tuesday joined National Conference (NC) in presence of party vice president Omar Abdullah and other top NC leaders at party headquarters Nawai-Subuh Srinagar.

Reports said Riyaz Bedar was accorded a warm welcome by party’s vice president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in presence of top party leaders.

Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), NC District President Baramulla Javid Ahmad Dar said, “keeping in view the exemplary service track record of Riyaz Bedar, party will be benefited by his experience in public service. Omar Abdullah also lauded the services of Riyaz Bedar while welcoming him into the party fold.”

Riyaz Bedar belongs from Pattan township of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and is likely to take on PDP rebel and former minister Imran Raza Ansari from the Pattan constituency of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Srinagar: Two militants, a armyman were killed while as two CRPF men were injured after a Nocturnal gunfight raged between militants and goverment forces in Redwani area of Qaimoh in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday.

Reports reaching GNS said that two militants and a armyman were killed after a joint team of army’s 1RR, CRPF and SOG cordoned off Redwani.

A senior Police official also confirmed to GNS that two militants have been killed.

The officer further said that militants fired UBGL outside encounter site area towards CRPF in which two CRPF men were injured who were shifted to nearby hospital for specialised treatment.

However officer said that identity of the slain militants are yet to be ascertained.

The slain aryman has been identified as Prakash Yadav.