Hurriyat to set up ‘Economic Advisory Council’

Rejects adoption of single tier shoura system

(VOS):

Srinagar, July 10: Rejecting demands of some of the Hurriyat constituents for adoption of single tier system by the conglomerate, Hurriyat Conference Tuesday said it will constitute different committees to strengthen the forum.

“Majority of the members disagreed to converting Hurriyat into a single tier system, so we have rule out the option”, Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said. However, the Hurriyat will actively involve the General Council members in the day to day functioning of the conglomerate by setting up different working committees, he added. “We want the General council members to take responsibility and actively involve themselves in the Hurriyat”, he said.

The Hurriyat Chairman was speaking to media persons during a press conference, held soon after conclusion of the Hurriyat Conference General Council session at the Mirwaiz Manzil here. Hurriyat leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Zafar Akbar Bhat and others had reportedly raised the issue to restructuring of the Hurriyat Conference by adopting single tier system in the Hurriyat. Some members had suggested that a single Shoura or Majlis-e-mashawrat be set up instead of the two-tier General and Executive Council.

Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat will constitute an Economic Advisory Council asserting that issues related to economy and natural resources of the state can not be taken for granted.

“We cannot avoid day to day issues confronting people neither can we be ignorant of them”, Mirwaiz said adding people and natural resources of the state are being exploited by governments and the Hurriyat is obliged to take notice of such issues.

He said the Hurriyat will engage pro-Kashmiri and pro freedom retired bureaucrats, civil society members and trade union leaders in the economic advisory council. “The Hurriyat wants to formulate a comprehensive economic policy for the state”, he added.

Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat will always support the civil society whenever it raise voice against the misuse and exploitation of state’s water resources. “Different agreements between India and Pakistan in this regard are against the interest of the people of the state”, he said while calling for a review of the agreements.

While conceding that no one can put a gag on personal opinions of leaders, the Hurriyat Chairman said the constitution of the Hurriyat conference was supreme and binding. He said everyone must keep the constitution of the Hurriyat it in mind while making public statements.

The Hurriyat Conference Chairman expressed satisfaction over the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) announced by India and Pakistan, however, he categorically stated that the two countries need to take concrete steps to resolve the Kashmir issue. He also confirmed that the Hurriyat will visit Pakistan in September or October to take the process of dialogue forward. “

The Hurriyat Chairman said the Cross LoC trade needs to be controlled by Kashmiris rather than governments of India and Pakistan.

Taj to sue Kamal

(VOS)

Srinagar, July 10: Two days after National Conference Additional General Secretary Dr Mustafa Kamal alleged that Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Taj Mohiudin won the election with the support of the army, the latter has decided to send a legal notice to Kamal.

Some news reports earlier had quoted Kamal of saying that ‘Taj won elections only because of the support of army in Uri constituency’.

Sources told VOS that Taj has decided to sue Kamal over his remarks. “The legal advisor of Taj has framed a notice and it would be sent to Kamal soon,” they added.

Taj confirmed to VOS that he has decided to sue Kamal. “I will sue Kamal for leveling baseless allegations against me,” he added. (VOS)

Contractors abuse, threaten Chief Engineer PHE

Employees Federation condemn, hold protest

(VOS):

Srinagar, July 10: A group of agitated contractors Monday allegedly threatened and abused Chief Engineer Public Health Engineering Department at his residence at Parray pora here.

The Chief Engineer confirmed to VOS that some contractors had abused him at 9 am on Monday at his residence.

“In order to infuse transparency into the system, I recently issued a circular asking all officers to ensure all works are properly tendered and allotted, after receiving some complaints that some works have not been tendered”, said the chief Engineer Gh Rasool Zargar. “However some miscreants among the contractors threatened and abused me after creating ruckus at my residence”, he added. Zargar said the contractors raised offensive slogans against him.

Meanwhile the PHE Employees Federation protested against the erring contractors outside the Chief Engineer’s office at Rajbagh today. The Federation condemned the attack on the officer and called for immediate action against the culprits. (VOS)

NC cause and beneficiary of Kashmir problem: Mehbooba

Expresses concern over lack of town development

(VOS)

Srinagar, July 10: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said while the state faced huge governance and development deficit things could not be fixed without finding a resolution of political problems. “The political instability has only helped keep accountability and democratic competition out of the system which impacted many generations in J&K and helped vested interest represented and cultivated by National Conference” she told well attended workers meetings at Pattan, Sopore and Baramulla today. Senior leader Moulvi Iftikhar Hussein Ansari and general secretary Mohammad Dilawar Mir also attended the meetings convened to focus on civic problems of these towns.

Mehbooba said resolution of Kashmir and restoration of trust between the state and rest of the country should get priority to achieve over all development and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir. She said the mistrust was a result of the U turns and flip flop of state’s premier political force, the national conference. “They set up different counters at different times to suit the family interests of party’s leadership. Soon after independence the party broke ranks with its allies to lead a 22 year struggle for plebiscite in which two generations of Kashmiris got consumed without achieving any thing” she said. But in 1975, Mehbooba said they did a complete volte face to get power and propounded the ominous ‘wavelength with center’ theory to seal the sellout of rivers and power projects.

Soon after losing power the party launched another emotional exploitation enterprise to call for autonomy and restoration of pre 1953 position only to be forgotten once back in power, Mehbooba recalled. She said the rigging in 1987 elections following the power sharing arrangement with congress proved the proverbial straw on camel’s back and people of the state found themselves literally against the wall after they found all democratic options closed on them. “While this resulted in huge destruction of the state NC made a reappearance as the permanent power brokers convincing the security establishment that while Kashmiris were not worth the country’s trust or a democratic system this party alone could keep them leashed with force, POTA and task force etc”.

Mehbooba said this atmosphere of mistrust has converted every wrong committed in J&K in the name of official definition of nationalism and security right in the eyes of rest of the country. All wrong practices, be it the brazen rigging in elections like 1987 leading to militancy or corruption which is at its peak today or misgoverence are condoned in the name of a flawed interpretation of national interest she asserted. She said even though the union cabinet identified the trust and governance deficit as reasons for the 2010 unrest that cost 120 lives nothing changed as a false peace was clamped in the valley. “The PDP is committed to retrieve the state from this helplessness through genuine democratic exercise and bring to the people the benefits of modern development and accountability of elected representatives” she said.

Mehbooba said her party wants to usher in permanent and sustainable change in which no government is beyond accountability unlike NC dispensations which survive in power by selling out interests of the state. “First they pushed the state into darkness and economic mess by selling out water and power and now replaced J&K Bank with RBI which has resulted in virtual bankruptcy”. They strike close bonds with everybody in Delhi at political and personal levels while trying to befool people with slogans here, Mehbooba said and stressed that days of NC’s political deception and gimmickry were numbered if people saw through their tactics. She said the resources of J&K belong to its people and the arrangement with NHPC needs to be renegotiated to secure enough funds for development and employment of youth. “Our youth are among the best in the world and if NC had not sold state’s water resources they would have had enough opportunities to grow to the highest level of economic emancipation” she said.

Referring to the issues of development and amenities in the towns she visited, Mehbooba urged the government to launch expansion and consolidation of health care in these places. Similarly sewerage and drainage system was almost non existent and needed immediate attention. She said drinking water and power supply had caused huge dislocation in daily life but the government had been unable to respond to these burning issues.