SRINAGAR,TUESDAY,22 RABI AL SAANI 1434 AH ; 05 MARCH 2013

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Safeguarding people my concern: Omar

‘Politics on blood PDP’s trait’

Jammu, March 04: Reiterating his assertion about the need of clearing doubts in the minds of people and answering the question that Afzal Guru’s hanging was not selective and political, which he (CM) believes is not, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Monday said that the course of action regarding similar cases would determine it. “Let us wait and watch what action is being taken against others convicted in similar cases”, he added and lambasted PDP and separatists for doing politics on human blood. “Yes, my government imposed restriction, people have to face difficulties, newspapers did not hit stalls but we saved the bloodshed and safeguarded the lives which was of prime concern and main objective before me after the hanging of Afzal Guru”, he said elaborating that on 8^th February 2013 at about 8 p.m. he was informed by the Union Home Minister that the mercy petition moved by the family of Afzal Guru has been rejected by the President of India and the Union Government has decided to hang Guru on 9^thFebruary 2013 morning. “I was asked to make necessary preparations regarding controlling the situation in the State”, he said adding that the prime concern at that point in time and that hour of emergency before me was to save the lives of people and avoid any use of force”, he said maintaining that the imposition of curfew in the Valley was only resort in that situation. He said in 2006 the Supreme Court gave death sentence to Guru the then government imposed curfew for 21 days.Castigating PDP for playing politics on blood and shedding crocodile tears over the hanging of Afzal Guru, the Chief Minister said that PDP only wants to utilize such incidents for their vested interests otherwise they do not have any concern either for the family of Afzal Guru or the people of the State. “You want to play dirty politics over blood and shed crocodile tears to astray people otherwise your whole record is before the public”, he said informing the House that other than the statement made by Mufti Sayeed regarding Afzal Guru some days back, Mufti Sayeed has never talked about this issue right from 2006 when the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence to Guru up to 2013. He said describing it nothing but politics and opportunism to utilize situations for party benefits. “Everyone in the State and the Country is aware that I had told the Centre repeatedly that the death sentence of Afzal Guru should be converted into life term. I had also conveyed the law and order and security apprehensions of Afzal Guru hanging to the Centre time and again. I held the same position both when I was not in the government and as the Chief Minister of the State”, Omar told the House while widening up the debate in Legislative Assembly on the aftermath situation of Afzal Guru’s hanging. “I was waiting that leader of single largest party in Legislative Assembly (Mehboob Mufti) during her speech on the subject would raise some pertinent points and identify the provisions of law, but she had only one objective in her mind to willy-nilly reel me in the incident of Afzal Guru’s hanging as if I had ordered his death sentence, rejected his mercy and moved the lever of hangman’s noose”, he said and castigated PDP for its dirty politics on human blood to gain benefits out of it.“You have no concern either for Afzal Guru or his family, neither you were concerned about people facing difficulties under curfew, you only wanted the situation go out of control, precious human lives are lost and you had an open field to play politics”, he told the PDP leadership in the House. “I have deprived you of this chance. Safeguarding people was my only concern and I am highly thankful to the people that they understood your tricks and those of separatists and refused to fall in your political game”, he said adding that the controlling of situation and safeguarding the life and property could not have been possible without the active support of the people for which he congratulated them and express his gratitude.“You want to play politics on blood but not me, you want to see people bleed but not me, you want to gain benefits out of bloodshed but not me and your trait is to utilize these situations for your interests but I am not of that grain, human life is above everything to me, I cannot tolerate that the blood of my people sheds, their safeguarding is my politics and I will continue to do the same”, he lamented and criticised both PDP and separatists for this kind of politics. “You have become the traders of death, and you want human blood to shed; you will not change your trait”, he told while addressing PDP.

Afzal hanging created mistrust, widened gaps once again: Padgaonkar

Srinagar, March 4 (VOS):  Admitting that Afzal Guru's Secret execution has created a huge mistrust among the people of Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief interlocutor and renowned journalist Dilip Padgaongar on Monday said that if the family version of the Mudasir Kamran, who was found dead in his hostel room in Hyderabad on Saturday turned out a fact in enquiry, he would consult the Indian civil society and take the issue to the people of Andhra Pradesh.He however maintained that suicides are being committed everywhere in the country and the people of J&K must wait till the enquiry report was made public."For now, what the establishment has been maintaining, it is a suicide; but what has made it a flash point, is disconnect and mistrust between the people of JK and rest of the country", Padgaonkar told VOS on Monday evening from Pune.He elaborated and said that for last so couple of years there were numerous initiatives taken to build the trust of the people especially that of the valley and to a greater extent the goal had been achieved. He however was quick to add that the secrete execution of Afzal Guru washed away all that had been achieved and the valley were again pushed to cynicism and mistrust. "I raised my voice even that time against denying Guru a last meet with his family," he said. He said that Kashmiris had been very hospitable and supportive during his visits to valley as interlocutor and added that his team had succeeded to a great extent in narrowing down the void between people of J&K and the GOI. However the former chief interlocutor admitted that Guru episode has not only halted the process but also widened the gaps once again.He, however, said that it was not also a fact that Kashmiris are being victimised everywhere. Citing the example of his meet with Kashmiri students in his home town Pune, Padgaonker invited the separatists including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and common Kashmiris to visit Pune and see how comfortable Kashmiri students are there."I invite anyone from Kashmir including SAS Geelani to Pune and see how much comfortable Kashmiri students are here,” Said Padgaonker.Asked if he had plans to play any role in bridging the gaps between Kashmiris and GOI, Padgaonker said, “Certainly, but not officially. Kashmir has become part of my life and at individual level; I would do whatever is possible to see peace returning to Kashmir."He claimed that on the advice of his team, the union home ministry had a year back issued an advisory to all states, asking them to facilitate hassle free accommodation arrangements for Kashmiri students. (VOS)

Details of Mudasir’s death given to family: Omar

‘Cannot be made public unless family consents’

Jammu, March 04:  Intervening in the Legislative Assembly on a point raised by some legislators regarding the death of a Kashmiri student in Hyderabad, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today informed the House that the details about the investigations in this regard conducted by the Police have been shared with the family of the deceased.The Chief Minister said that there are some elements in the report which cannot be made public unless the family gives consent in this regard, as such; the government is not in a position to reveal the report in the House.“There is nothing mysterious in Mudasir’s death who ended his life in Hyderabad. We have been probing the matter and have shared the information with the family. We have told them the circumstances under which Mudasir went into depression leading to his suicide”, the CM told legislative Assembly.

Family rubbishes claim; says Mudasir was tortured

Srinagar: However Ashiq Hussain Malla, the elder brother of deceased while refuting the Chief Minister’s claims said, “Police or government has not shared any secret information with us till now. It is a clear murder and we could not communicate with Mudasir for four days. My brother was a pious and religious person, he could not have commit suicide.”. “We have learnt that Mudasir had taken part in funereal prayers in absentia for Afzal Guru. This seems to be the reason that Mudasir has been murdered after inflicting torture on him”, he added.He claimed that his brother had been tortured before death. “There were clear cigarette burn marks on his body including his shoulders”.“Mudasir’s body was taken to Primary Health Centre Parigam where doctors examined the body and declared that Mudasir had been severely tortured”, said Ashiq while talking toVOS.

Owaisi assures full support to Kashmiri students in AP

Srinagar, Mar 4 (VOS): Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader and Member Parliament from Hyderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi Monday assured his party’s full support to Kashmiri students studying in Andhra Pradesh and asked them to contact their party men in case of any problem.Talking to VOS over phone from New Delhi, Owaisi said, “They (Kashmiri students) should approach me directly or my office in case of any problem in any part of AP. There is no reason for Kashmiris to feel insecure in AP. They shouldn’t feel alone as we are with them.”On the death of a student Mudasir Ahmed Malla of Parigam Pulwama in Hyderabad, he said, “I have taken up the issue with Police Commissioner. I will also take up the issue of harassment of Mudasir with the Union Human Resource Development minister.”Owaisi who was part of All Party delegation which visited the Kashmir valley in the midst of summer 2010 unrest told VOS that Mudasir was being harassed by the Proctor of the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. “I will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice to the family of the victim,” he added. (VOS)

‘Daily wager’ Omar getting Kashmiris killed to save his job: PDP

“Afzal’s hanging a murder, violates SC judgements”

Jammu, March 04 (VOS):  Calling Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as ‘daily wager of New Delhi’, senior Peoples Democratic Party leader Muzafar Hussain Beigh said the CM is saving his job at the cost of lives of Kashmiris.“If he can’t save the lives of Kashmiris and is unable to convince the central government, he has no right to be the Chief Minister of the state. He is allowing killing of Kashmiris to save his chair”, Beigh told media person here.Beig accused the Chief Minister of having lowered the prestige and value of his position. He said Omar Abdullah was trying to save his position by behaving like someone who is working on daily wage basis. “He is an insult to the State of Jammu and Kashmir and has brought Chief Minister’s position into disrepute”, he said.The senior PDP leader held the Sheikh dynasty responsible for hanging of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru.“No Chief Minister other than someone belonging to Sheikh family would have allowed the execution of Afzal Guru in view of its tremendous fallout on the political and psychological fronts of Kashmir. The Sheikh family has been given the job of hangman exclusively as is established by the execution of Afzal and before him Maqbool Bhat”, Baig added.Baig said, the Chief Minister in reply to the debate on the Adjournment Motion ironically claimed credit for clamping curfew, banning news papers and unleashing repression in Kashmir. “As if he has done a favour to all us, it looks”, Baig said.“It is their tradition to get people hanged. Dr Farooq was responsible for hanging of Bhat while as Omar Abdullah gave his consent to hanging of Guru”, he added.He accused the Chief Minister of practicing double standards. “First he went to Delhi and agreed to the hanging. Now in Kashmir he is feigning innocence and ignorance”, Beigh said.Terming parliament attack convict, Muhammad Afzal Guru’s, hanging as a murder, Beigh said the hanging violated the decisions of the Supreme Court of India.Referring to the process which culminated in Afzal’s hanging, Baig said it was not an execution but a murder. He said the Constitution of India and the Supreme Court’s decisions of the subject had been blatantly violated. He said Omar Abdullah facilitated this process in his family tradition just to be able to stick to power.“It was not an execution, it is a murder. According to the Supreme Court decision a mercy petition cannot be kept on hold for more than two years. The death sentence gets changed into life imprisonment after two years. This is a murder of SC judgements as the mercy petition was kept on hold for six years”, the legal stalwart said. (VOS)

Law Minister retorts

While reacting to the statements of PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beig, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah said the allegations and use of indecent language by the PDP leader will not harm the reputation of the Chief Minister.“Muzafar Beig has rendered all his qualifications and certificates useless by giving cheap statements. The Chief Minister is committed to welfare of people of the state and such statements will not deter him”, the law Minister said.

India can never become friend of Kashmiris: Geelani

“Mudasir murdered under conspiracy”

Srinagar, Mar 4 (VOS):  Speaking tough against the policies allegedly adopted by India against people of Kashmir, Chairman Hurriyat (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani said “India can never become a friend of people of Kashmir but are only hell bent upon committing atrocities against them”.“Every Kashmiri is insecure in India. India can never be the friend of Kashmir. It (India) is putting its best efforts to cover the murder of Mudasir Kamran. India has made us slaves and the murder of Mudasir is one of the visible signs of our being slave of India”, Geelani told VOS.He said Mudasir had participated in the anti execution protests after Mohammad Afzal Guru’s hanging and had offered funeral prayers in absentia. “He has been murdered under a conspiracy”, he claimed.Appealing people to choose the right path and be determined to follow it till the end, Hurriyat Chairman said, “I appeal people to be united and to maintain constant determination. We’ll get independence from India if we fight collectively at this juncture”.He called killing of Mudasir as ‘a blot on the face on Indian Democracy’.“India has no moral or legal right to rule over us. It is committing genocide against us”, he added.  He said that ‘these atrocities will continue to occur until the last soldier of India leaves land of Kashmir’. (VOS)

SKIMS employees protest against alleged corruption by Director

“They don’t have authority to protest”, Dir. SKIMS

Srinagar, Mar. 4 (VOS): Alleging that the Director SKIMS has turned the institute into a hub of corruption hub, Non Gazetted Employees Welfare Association (NGEWA) held protests in the premises of institute against the alleged anti employee’s policies and illegal activities of the Director. The director SKIMS said that the employees have no right to protest or to make such allegations.Holding banners reading ‘Institute Bachao, Director Hatav’, protesters were chanting anti Director slogans and appealing the authorities to intervene to save the institute.“Director has turned this institution into the hub of corruption. From bottom to top, everything is done under pecuniary bias. Doctors are assigned irrelevant tasks like purchase and allotment, transportation, engineering. We fail to understand what the concern of Doctors with these tasks is. It is only to indulge into corrupt activities under cover”, NGEWA President Ghulam Ahmad Pandit told VOS.He said protests were held for one hour and will continue till the Director is removed and an independent inquiry is ordered against the Director.The protestors said that the institute was established by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah after hardships and various difficulties and we would not allow anyone to exploit the public property for vested interests.“All free tests for cancer patients  have been declared now chargeable by this Director and the crores of rupees are going in Director’s pocket with due share to his associates”, alleged protestors.When contacted Director SKIMS Mushtaq Zargar, said, “There are a few employees who protest.  They don’t have any authority to make allegations and to protest. All allegations are baseless. They’re government employees and have not right to protest”.He said that it was better to write to the concerned authorities about the allegations than to go media and to protest. (VOS)

CM failed to give assurance on return of Afzal’s body: Mehbooba

“Arrogantly justified official repression, curfew” 

Jammu, March 4:   President of the Peoples Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti today expressed her party’s dissatisfaction with Chief Minister’s reply to the debate on the Adjournment Motion moved by her party on the execution of Mohammad Afzal Guru. PDP leader told the House that the Government had failed to give any assurance on the return of the mortal remains of Afzal Guru to his family. She told the House that instead of making any substantial commitment on the return of the mortal remains or offering explanation on the shameful conduct of his government around the hanging of Afzal Guru, the Chief Minister had arrogantly justified the official repression in the shape of curfew and media gag in Kashmir Valley.

Earlier while opening the debate in the House on Adjournment Motion, Mehbooba Mufti said that nobody had expected that the government of India would execute Afzal Guru in view of its apprehended adverse impact on the situation in the State where the government had invested a lot ever since the time of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who had declared to solve the Kashmir problem under the ambit of humanity (Insaniyat ke dairey mein).

She said that hanging of Afzal Guru was a shocker  which hit everybody like a bolt from the blue. She said that it was a setback to the peace and reconciliation process.

Mehbooba said the State Government and the Chief Minister could not wash their hands off this decision as they are part of the ruling coalition in Delhi as well as in the State.

She further added that if governments of Tamil Nadu and Punjab could pursue cases of the killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh, why Government of Jammu and Kashmir had not taken any step to pursue mercy petition of Mohammad Afzal Guru.

Mehbooba, while quoting from statements of  various experts including the eminent jurist Fali Nariman, said that Afzal Guru was not directly involved in storming the Parliament or killing any persons during the attack. Hanging of Afzal Guru was wrong and at least his family members should have been given prior information. She quoted jail manuals and said that at least Galib, son of Afzal Guru, should have been allowed to meet his father one last time. “You are a father. If you go somewhere for five days, you want to see your son” Mehbooba told the chief minister in a choked voice. She said that entire country was discussing the killing of Parbhakaran’s son but justice was also denied to Galib. Parbhakaran was an established terrorist and but Afzal’s direct involvement was not established in any such act. His son too deserved justice and constitutional right.

PDP president further made it clear that when legal process was completed on Afzal Guru case, the PDP had completed it tenure.

 She lamented that a number of persons have been involved in killing of innocent persons in fake encounters, during peaceful street protests. There are thousands of unmarked graves and enforced disappearances but none of the perpetrators has been punished so far.

PDP president also questioned intension of Chief Minister for demanding mortal remains of Maqbool Bhat. She pointed out that Chief Minister has taken up the issue of the body of the Maqbool Bhat only to scuttle return of the mortal remain of Afzal Guru. She said Maqbool too was hanged during an NC government’s tenure 40 years back. Even though we are not against return of Maqbool’s body as well why does the chief minister bring up his issue now if not to scuttle the demand of Afzal’s family.

While winding up debate, she asked the House should resolve that after Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru, this process of execution should be stopped. “There should be no one after Bhat and Guru”, she demanded.

During the debate, when Law Minister Mir Saifullah tried to blame the PDP-Congress coalition, Ms Mufti retorted that the hanging would never have been allowed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. “It needs a Tara Masih (hangman)- a role that is played only by one family in the State”

She also demanded that State Government should provide legal helps to all those innocent Kashmir youth who have been languishing in different jails across the country. She narrated example of Lajpat Nagar incident in which an innocent Kashmiri youth was acquitted after 17 years. The government must come out with a white paper on the subject she said.

Proctor directly involved in death of Pulwama scholar: ANC

Muzafar Shah visits Eflu campus in Hyderabad

Srinagar, March 04: Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference today accused the Proctor of English and Foreign Languages University at Hyderabad of direct involvement and  betment in the death of Kashmiri scholar, Muddasir Kamran of Parigam (Pulwama), at the University hostel.In a statement issued on Monday, the party president, Begum Khalidah Shah, expressed profound shock and grief over the gruesome death of Muddasir. She assured the bereaved family the party would spare no efforts to bring the culprits to justice.Following her instructions, party’s Senior Vice-President, Muzaffar Shah, visited the University campus to ascertain the circumstances surrounding Muddasir’s death. During his interaction with various scholars, he was told the University Proctor was responsible for it.“According to research scholar, Garram Sita Rammulla, who lived next-door to Muddasir Kamran, the rabidly communal Proctor, Harish Vizra, used to harass the Kashmiri scholar causing him extreme frustration and it was at his (Vizra’s) instance that Muddasir was handed over to the police station where he was subjected to physical torture,” the statement said.Quoting the research scholar, Shah said, the teaching and non-teaching staff, including professors and lecturers, as also scholars and students, had staged massive demonstrations to protest Muddasir’s death, and forcing closure of the University.“Unless and until the Proctor and the concerned police officials are booked for the heinous crime; a member of Muddasir’s family is given a job and an ex-gratia relief of Rs 40 lakh is paid to the bereaved parents, the University will remain closed,” the protestors announced.Expressing profound sympathies and solidarity with the bereaved family at Hyderabad, Shah said a 3- member party delegation headed by him would meet with the Home Minister and other authorities on 8th or 9th of this month and demand exemplary punishment for the accused to ensure zero tolerance for such crimes in future.

Bar defers Police bill conference, to be held on March 9

Srinagar, March 4: The Kashmir High Court Bar Association has deferred the conference on police bill 2013 which will now be held on March 9 instead of March 5.General Secretary of the HCBA said that an extra ordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the J&K High Court Bar Association has decided that in view of the protest calendar issued by MMM, the conference to be held on 05th of March on proposed J&K Police Bill 2013, is postponed and now the conference will be held on Saturday i.e., 09th of March 2013 at 11:00 a.m.The esteemed personals who have expressed their views on this issue and prepared papers are also requested to participate in this conference and re-express their views before the august body of the Bar Association, he added.“All the District and Mufassil Bar Associations of J&K State are once again reminded to participate in the seminar and send their representatives alongwith written opinions on the proposed J&K Police Bill 2013. There will be no work on the said date and in this behalf all the presiding officers of the respective courts have also been informed”, he added.

Handing over of mortal remains of Afzal taken up with centre: Saifullah

Jammu, March 04: Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah has said that the State Government has already requested the Union Government for handing over the mortal remains of late Afzal Guru, so that his family could perform his last rites.The Minister was speaking at a Press Conference here today.Mr. Saifullah said that the present Government has tackled the situation in a very efficient manner in the aftermath of Afzal Guru’s hanging. He said instead of appreciating the Government for tackling the situation carefully, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was busy in blame game.The Minister said that PDP is misleading the people over the death of Afzal Guru and playing   merely a drama in media. He said that the PDP leader in the house who was stressing on holding discussion on the return of mortal remains of Guru did not make a mention of this during the discussion on the adjournment motion today.Mir Saifullah suggested the PDP not to play politics at the cost of people’s lives, adding that they should collectively work for the welfare of the people.The Minister said that the people of the State are knowledgeable enough to differentiate between right and wrong and identify the ones who are trying to mislead them and disturb the peaceful environs of the state.

678 stranded passengers of Kargil airlifted in IL76.
Srinagar, March 4: 678 stranded passengers of Kargil were airlifted in IL76 Indian Air Force plane between Jammu-Leh and Srinagar-Leh, today.264 passengers were airlifted from Jammu to Leh, 145 from Leh to Srinagar and 254 from Srinagar to Leh in IL76 sorties and 15 passengers were also lifted from Kargil to Jammu in AN32.plane. Subject to availability of aircraft, two sorties of AN32 Kargil Courier have been planned between Jammu/Kargil and Srinagar/Kargil on 5th March. The passengers expressed their gratitude to Indian Air Force as well as Minister of State for Science & Tech, Feroze Ahmed Khan and Chief Executive Counsellor, LAHDC Kargil, Kachu Ahmed Ali Khan for facilitating the airlift of the stranded passengers.

Edifice of trust has been bulldozed: Tarigami

Jammu, March 04: Observing that hanging of Parliament attack convict, Mohammad Afzal Guru was not in the overall interests of the country, the CPI (M) State Secretary and Member Legislative Assembly Kulgam, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami today said that hanging of Guru without informing his family members has contributed neither in national unity nor the national security adding that it is bound to help only those who want to under- mine the fabric of the country.

Participating in a debate on adjournment motion on hanging of Afzal Guru and return of his mortal remains to his family in the legislative assembly today, Tarigami said that the circumstances under which the episode took place shall have serious implications on the social and political sphere of the state as it has exposed how major decisions of national importance are made on petty political considerations without caring of its fallout.“The episode has also put a question mark on the judicial and constitutional system of the country”, Tarigami added.

He asked by this action of the state whose collective conscience got satisfied? Of those who are forced to commit suicide in different parts of the country or of those who are forced to starve having no sufficient food to eat or of those who have been rendered hopeless. This is only the tiny section of elite, a section of media and those jingoist elements who have no concern for our plural and democratic ethos who might have got satisfied. He cautioned that people of Kashmir can conclude that Afzal Guru has been hanged only because of certain narrow political considerations and that this is the selective execution. It is unfortunate that UPA govt. has responded to the vociferous demand raised by the BJP and Sangh pariwar. It is sad that Sangh pariwar is setting an agenda which is being responded to by those who claim to be followers of  Mahatama Gandhi and Pandit Nehru. Had this execution helped the process of normalization in Kashmir? The answer is no. It has only provided oxygen to those who are desperate to undermine the peace process. A feeling of alienation has been strengthened further. And the feeling that a Kashmiri is expendable while those from other parts of India are not will only be reinforced.

However, he appealed the youth of the state not to fall prey to those who have no concern for their future adding that “you need a good and dignified life not frustration and anger. All of us together must work hard for a better and dignified future of our people. Only a sustained, determined and serious collective effort can make it possible.

Soz, Rana, Tarigami express solidarity with Hakim Yasin

Srinagar, Mar 4 (VOS):  Various religious, political and social organizations across the State have expressed solidarity with the Hakim Mohammad Yasin over the demise of his brother in law.
Prof. Saifdin Soz, M. Yousuf Tarigami, Davinder Raina and Editor in Chief KAshmir News Service Mohammad Aslam Bhat has also expressed solidarity with the Yasin and bereaved family and prayed for the eternal peace of departed soul

Kashmir shuts on MMM call

Research scholar buried amidst tense situation in Pulwama

Protests, stone pelting, tear gas shelling marks day
Srinagar, March 4 (VOS):  Amid stringent restrictions in Pulwama, complete shutdown was observed across Kashmir while private vehicles including Sumos and Mini buses were seen plying in and around city areas. The shut down call had been given by the Mutahida Majlis e Mashavrat in protest against the death of a Kashmiri student in Hyderabad.

Incidents of protests and stone pelting were reported from across length and breadth of valley with police and paramilitary forces resorting to tear gas shelling and lathi charge to disperse angry crowds.

According to a police spokesman some minor incidents of stone pelting were reported from Safakadal, Rojouri Kadal, Nawabazar, Karanagar and a couple of places from Srinagar city.

He said minor incidents of stone pelting were also reported from Magam in Budgam, Khanpora in Baramulla and Poshwan in Pulwama.

Meanwhile, according to VOS reporter pitched battles were fought between angry youth and police at Newa Chowk in Pulwama with security forces resorting to lathi charge and tear gas shelling to disperse the youth.

Reports of protests and clashes were also received from some north Kashmir areas including Bandipora.

Amidst pro-freedom slogans by thousands assembled to attend the funeral prayers of 29-year-old research scholar hailing from Parigam area of Pulwama district in South Kashmir, Mudassir Ahmad Malla was laid to rest at his native village on Monday when Majlis Mashawarat had given a call for shutdown to protest his death in Hyderabad.
Mudassir’s body arrived at his native village on Monday morning amidst thousands waiting for the last rites to be performed. Before that number of religious and political leaders addressed the gathering at his residence at Parigam.
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani addressed the mourners telephonically and expressed sympathies with the bereaved. Among those who addressed the gathering include, members of Jamaat Islami, Jamiat Ahlihaadith, and various Hurriyat leaders and some politicians also.

 The people present at the funeral procession said visible torture marks were all over the body, putting a serious question mark over the police claims, that Mudassir committed suicide.

The PhD scholar was found dead at his hostel room at the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad, Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, body of the deceased was also examined by a team of doctors from Sub District Hospital Pampore. “We had been asked to confirm whether post-mortem has been conducted on the body and that is why we examined the body”, said a doctor. However, family members of the deceased said the doctors had confirmed that torture marks were found on the body of Mudasir. (VOS)

PDP is a divided house: NC

Jammu, March 04: A spokesman of National Conference on Monday objurgated People’s Democratic Party for its inherent repugnance, sayings edifice of its political deception fell apart with infighting within the party leadership coming to fore.

“How can PDP leaders be sincere to people when they cannot agree among themselves”, the spokesman said while referring to the ruckus created by the party members during discussions on Afzal Guru issue in the Legislative Assembly.

He described PDP as a divided house and said they are not clear in their thought and perceptions and thus make mess of things out of sheer frustration and desperation to carve out political space. He said ego and interest clash has further aggravated the malady inflicted to the party. He referred to the attempts created by the PDP members when their leader lost the track from the actual issue and based her arguments on falsehood. Sensing the goof up, he said the PDP members, in their vein bid, tried to force another speaker to plead the party’s weak case.

The spokesman questioned PDP’s seriousness over the matter, asking if they were so concerned why Mufti Mohammed Sayeed chose to skip the proceedings. “It has been the habit of PDP to play to galleries to whip up passions”, he maintained.

He expressed regrets over political opportunism of the parties like PDP and BJP and said this sort of unhealthy politics has cost the state’s interests dearly. He also referred to the observations of Mr Muzaffrar Hussain Beig during his press conference and described these as hogwash, aimed at creating confusion and hoodwinking the public opinion. He said his charges were in-cohesive and out of context given the real issues.

He said PDPs desperation for power has frustrated its leadership, particularly after seeing writing on the wall about imminent dismemberment of their party from the political scene. He said the parties foisted cannot survive the public scrutiny. “The people can read between the lines”, he said adding that hobnobbing between BJP and PDP speaks volumes about their covert designs and ulterior motives. In this context, he referred to the deal between the two parties with latter compromising the special status of Jammu and Kashmir for its political survival.

The spokesman described PDP and BJP as two facets of the same coin and said their main mission is to weaken the National Conference which is a mass movement and not only a political party.

He lamented over the role of divisive and destructive political parties, saying they get their sustenance from the disturbed conditions in the state. Instead of helping to meet the challenges and provide people conducive atmosphere to live in, they are precipitating the issues to derive political mileage.   He said his party is determined to foil their machinations and expose them before the people.

Describing PDP and BJP as reactionary forces, the spokesman said that by sensationalizing the issues they want to divide the people on regional and communal lines. This is a larger plot of establishing their foothold by igniting regional passions, he said and reiterated his party’s determination to give divisive forces a befitting reply at the strength of people’s support to National Conference which has withstood test of times and maintained unity in diversity of this sensitive state.

JKLF condemns “killing” of Mudasir

Sriniagar, March 4:  Acting chairman JKLF advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt has strongly condemned the alleged brutal killing of a Kashmiri scholar Mudasir Kamran of Parigam Pulwama in Hyderabad India.

In a statement, Butt said that today rulers and their police claim that Mudasir Kamran killed himself by hanging ‘but thousands of people who saw his dead body including the doctors who examined him in Kashmir have confirmed that his body had visible marks of torture, beating and burnings’.

“ We want to ask these so called rulers and their forces that if Mudasir Kamran was nor killed, from where have these marks of torture on his body come from? Butt sahib said that the rulers and forces whose only job is to conceal truth can never be trusted because their Kashmir enmity is well known”.

Butt expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and said that whole kashmiri nation was Equal partner in the hour of grief and sorrow. A delegation of JKLF led by district president Pulwama Javed Ahmad butt today visited Parigam and participated in the jinaza of shaheed Mudasir kamran. The delegation expressed condolences to his family

Torture marks indicate Mudsair was murdered: JAH

JAH President leads Jinaza prayers

“The visible torture marks on the body of Mudasir kamran clearly indicates that this young kashmiri Muslim was murdered”. This was stated by the president of Jamiat Ahlihadees Jammu Kashmir Moulana Ghulam Rasool Malik while addressing thousands of people at Parigam Pulwama who had gathered there to offer jinaza prayers for Mudasir Kamran who was allegedly killed in Hyderabad.

Moulana Ghulam Rasool Malik who was leading a high level delegation of Jamiat Ahlihadees was accompanied by vice president Jamiat Moulana Reyaz Ahmad Shah, secretary general Jamiat Abdul Rehman Butt and others.

Speaking on the occasion the Jamiat leaders said, “If Mudasir was not killed, how come his dead body bears marks of torture on it? From where have these marks come? Couldn’t the doctors who examined him after death in Hyderabad see these visible marks?”. 

Speakers said that torture marks clearly indicate that this poor kashmiri Muslim was subjected to torture before being killed and only an Impartial probe can bring out the truth in this regard. Jamiat leaders participated in the Nimaz I Jinaza which was led by President Jamiat Ahlihadees Moulana Ghulam Rasool Malik. It is worth to mention that deceased Mudasir kamran was the son of a local leader of Jamiat Ahlihadees Ghulam Qadir Malla. 

DFP demands impartial probe into Mudasir’s death

Srinagar, Mar. (VOS): Demanding for independent probe in the mysterious death of Kashmiri youth Mudasir Kamran in Hyderabad, Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) has said that Kashmiri students outside of State would feel insecure until and unless the impartial probe is not held to ascertain the facts of mysterious death.

According to statement issued here, DFP has said that the unification of resistance leadership is not apparent because of absence of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik in the Valley while Shabir Ahmad Shah, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai and Nayeem Khan has been lodged in the Srinagar central Jail.
“A delegation of front under the chairmanship of Abdul Gani visited the family of Mudasir Kamran to express solidarity with them and addressed the mourning gathering there”, reads the statement issued here.
It has condemned the use of force by Police and paramilitary forces and the arrests of youth during nocturnal raids. (VOS)

No one safe in Indian states, shift jailed youth, leaders to valley: Zaffar Akbar
Pays glowing tributes to Mudasir Ahmad.

Srinagar, March 04: Sr APHC Leader & Jammu and Kashmir salvation movement Chairman  today said that no Kashmiri is safe in any part of India and demanded early shifting of jailed Kashmiri youths and political leaders to valley immediately who are lashing in different jails of India.
Before attending funeral prayers, while addressing a huge gathering at Parigam Pulwama, as Hurriyat Representative he paid glowing tributes to Shaheed Mudasir Ahmad Malla who has been killed in Hyderabad and said that with the signs of torcher on Mudasir’s body it is clear that he has not committed suicide.

 He expressed sympathy with the bereaved family and said that whole Kashmir valley is with the family for demanding “an independent investigation from international community in the murder case of Mudasir”. He said that no one from Kashmir who is in any part of india is safe and said that the families of those youth and political leaders who are lashing in different jails are currently depressed and we demand that immediately all these people should be shifted to valley. He said that executing Mohd Afzal Guru secretly have also proved that we are not safe in India.
He expressed staisfication over the passion prevailing among the valley people especially among youth for freedom and said that besides brutal tacts of India Kashmir will get freedom at any cost.

Mir directs companies to ensure adequate stock of fertilizers

JAMMU, March 04: Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir, today directed  all the fertilizer companies  to stock adequate fertilizer in both the provinces within a weeks’ time  to  meet the requirement of farmers  for horticulture crops.

The Minister gave these directions at a high level meeting convened to review the progress of availability of fertilizer in the state.  

Minister of state for Agriculture, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, was also present in the meeting.

The Minister asked the officers to be prepared for meeting the demand of urea, DAP and MOP in valley which is expected to be increased by the next week as soon as the weather condition improves. At present, there is no shortage of fertilizer in both the provinces but  we have to be  ready to full fill the demand of horticulture farmers in coming days. In this regard, the department should take every step to meet the demand of farmers in advance. He directed all fertilizer companies to dispatch their respective consignments to  AGRO, JKFED, Cooperatives and other dealers at the earliest so that the farmers of the state could not face any problem in this regard.

The Minister was assured by NFL, Chambal, IPL and IFICO fertilizer companies that they would dispatch their consignments to the respective destinations at the earliest.

It was told in the meeting that, till date, the state has received 60000 MT of urea against the requirement of 78000 MT, 32000 MT DAP against 45000MT while 9800 MT MOP has been receives so far against the requirement of 25000 MT.

Commissioner Secretary, Shaleen Kabra , Director Agriculture Jammu, Ajay Khujaria, Director Law and Enforcement, M. S Kutoo, MD AGRO industries, MR Abdul Majeed Bhat, MD JKFED, Dr. Akram, Registrar Cooperatives, Sudarshan Sharma and representatives of  NFL, IFCO, CHAMBAL, IPL were present in the meeting.

Promotion of Law Officers

Efforts of Saifulalh, Vikar, Tantray hailed

            SRINAGAR, MARCH 04: The Officers and Officials of department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has expressed their gratitude to the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah for fulfilling the long pending demands of the employees.

   As per a communiqué, the officials are highly indebted and thankful to the Mir Saifullah for ensuring promotions in different cadres of the department.They also hailed the efforts of Minister of State for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Vikar Rasool, besides Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. G.H. Tantray for effecting the long awaited promotions.Pertinently, 11 Public Law Officers were promoted by the Government recently as Senior Law Officers.

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