Former Chief Secretary Muhammmad Iqbal Khanday passed away on Monday.

The 1978 batch IAS officer Khanday held various positions in the state government before taking the top position.

Khanday in his career held a number of positions in different capacities. He was a Deputy Commissioner, a director and then headed planning – for a long time, tourism, health, home, finance, R&B, besides heading the IMPA.

Khanday, held several key positions in his career, was also principal secretary to the former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Mohd Ashraf Sehrai paid glorious tributes to the slain Zainapora Shopian militants identified as Yawar Wani of Batnoor Pulwama and Nawaz Ahmed of Rebban Shopian and expressed pain and grief with the bereaved family.

In a statement issued to KNS, Sehrai, said that the unprecedented sacrifices of Kashmiri people for Kashmir cause would not go waste. He said that India could not silence the voices of Kashmiris through use of brute force.

Chairman Tehreek-e-Hurriyat said, “the indigenous uprising of the Kashmiris has been met, as usual, with brutal repression by India’s occupation force of over half a million soldiers. These brutalities will not suppress the spirit of the Kashmiris; it will only intensify their anger and fortify their determination to see India end its occupation of Kashmir.”

Sehrai said, “a new generation of Kashmiris has risen spontaneously against India’s illegal occupation – demanding freedom from occupation. a popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris, young and old, men and women, armed only with an undying faith in the legitimacy of their cause, and a hunger for freedom in their hearts. The demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination, as promised to them by several Security Council resolutions. Our struggle is a legitimate one for liberation from alien occupation.”

He said, “International law and the declarations of the United Nations on Self Determination, give the Kashmiri people the right to struggle for their freedom. Every year, the General Assembly unanimously adopts the resolution, which reaffirms “the right of all peoples to self-determination” and calls on the states concerned to immediately end their occupation and “all acts of repression.”To end this , steps should be taken practically and the United Nations remains an indispensable Organization to restore order and ensure global peace, stability and prosperity. Its principles remain the crucial pillars of international legality, the guide for the conduct of Member States and the guarantor of the legitimate rights of all nations and peoples. The UN must regain its credibility as the central instrument for the promotion of peace, prosperity and liberty.”

Former Chief Minister and President Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday termed the killings of civilian youth in Shopian barbaric and bestial, stating that the people of the state in unison must save youngsters from such catastrophe.

Huzaif Kuttay, a 19-year-old resident of Kulgam was abducted and his body was found with his throat slit. Earlier, Nadeem Manzoor, a resident of Safanagri was abducted and killed on Thursday night.

While meeting the party functionaries from Wachi and Pulwama, Mehbooba said words aren’t enough to condemn the killing of teenagers and that such acts of brutality have no place in Kashmir which in the entire world for centuries is known for its generosity and kindness and has been an abode of revered Sufis and saints.

Terming the killing of youth worrisome and perturbing, the PDP chief stated that no religion on earth permits any person or a group to commit such heinous and sadistic acts and terrify the peace loving people. “We as a society need to rise above party affiliations to save youngsters from becoming victims of the unending cycle of violence. Words are not enough to condemn the killing of the teenagers in Shopian. Our heart goes out to the families at this hour of irreparable loss. The entire state is in shock due to such an unfortunate incident,” Mehbooba said.

Other PDP leaders who were present during the meeting include PDP Vice President Abdul Rahman Veeri, Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Aijaz Mir, Mohammad Yosuf and others.

Kashmir Journalists Association has come in support of journalist Raashid Hassan and condemned threats to his life being issued allegedly by an Rehbar-e-Taleem teacher following his story on appointment scam of Education department in south Kashmir’s Shopian district .

Kashmir Journalist Association (KJA) believes that such acts are the outcome of intolerance and frustration among the corrupt officials who consider honest and factual journalism as threat to their ill-practices.

Raashid, who works with Kashmir Reader newspaper from Shopian, has been abused and threatened by an ReT teacher namely Ashiq Ahmad following his story ‘12 ReTs posted Resource Persons in Shopian’ which appeared in the newspaper on Saturday.

KJA wants to make it clear that if anything untoward happens to Raashid the ReT teacher and the Education Department will be responsible for it.

The journalist body has already brought this issue to the notice of Director Education Kashmir, G N Itoo.

We again reiterate that strict action must be taken against the teacher so that it remains a deterrent and discourages officials from issuing threats.

KJA also urges agencies to take congnisance of the threats issued by the teacher against Raashid so as to ensure that the reporter remains safe.

District administration on Saturday ordered detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) of two members of Hizbul Mujahideen including a Border Security Force (BSF) man from frontier Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

A district administration official told Global News Service (GNS) that deputy commissioner Kupwara has ordered the detention of the duo under PSA and have been shifted to Kotbalwal jail in Jammu today evening.

The deputy commissioner has passed separate orders to detain the BSF personal Shakir Ahmad Wani and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh. While Shakir has been booked under PSA number 26/DMK/PSA/ 2018 and Mustafa under 2 /DMK/PSA/ 2018.

The two Hizbul Mujahideen members were arrested by SOG and army’s 28 RR during a raid at Lolab on October 4 this year.

The arrested persons include Shakir Ahmad Wani son of Mohammed Ramzan Wani and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh son of Abdul Ahad Sheikh, both residents of Tekipora, Lolab.

The police had said that Shakir, a BSF personal was posted outside the state and was on leave when he along with his associate was arrested by the joint team of the government forces.

A police spokesman had said that acting on a specific input, Kupwara Police busted an OGW module of the outfit, operating in Lolab area of the district.

A case FIR no.77 of 2018 u/s 7/25 Arms act 13, 18, 39 Unlawful Activities Act stands registered in P/S Sogam against them.

Kashmir Valley on Saturday saw over 64 per cent electorate cast vote in the first of the 9-phased Panchayat elections, officials said. The polling like the Urban Local Body elections remained incident-free, they said.

Giving details, the official said Kupwara district in north Kashmir recorded the highest turnout of 71.9 per cent followed by 69.1 per cent in Baramulla, 55.7 per cent in Bandipora, 11.9% in Ganderbal, 21.8 per cent in Srinagar and 30.1 per cent in Budgam. There was 59.7 per cent voting in Leh and 70.9 per cent in Kargil, they said.

The total polling percentage in Jammu division was 79.5 per cent as 2.35 lakh voters out of 2.95 lakh voted, they said.

In Jammu region, polling per cent in Kishtwar was 74.1 per cent, Rajouri 78.9, Poonch 78.7, Udhampur 83.6, Doda 80.8, Kathua 80 and Ramban 78.2 per cent, they added.

There will be eight more phases of panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

The first phase polling was held in 47 blocks, including 16 blocks in Kashmir, 21 in Jammu and 10 in Ladakh region.

There were 3296 polling stations across the state, including 1303 in Kashmir and 1993 in Jammu Division. 5585 candidates were in the fray for 420 Sarpanch and 1845 Panch seats in Phase-I. 85 Sarpanchs and 1676 Panchs have already been elected unopposed in Phase-I.

687 polling stations were categorized as hypersensitive including 491 in Kashmir and 196 in Jammu Division.

In the areas going to polls in the Phase-I, 445059 electors were eligible for voting for Sarpanch seats and 272792 for Panch constituencies.