A youth died in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday, taking the overall death toll in past more than a month to 71. Doctors at the District Hospital Pulwama said that Shakeel Ahmad Ganaie succumbed at the hospital. A doctor said he was hit by a bullet near his shoulder that had pierced through his heart. “He breathed his last at the SDH Pulwama,” he said. Ganaie, a resident of Chandgam, was injured in clashes in Haal area of the district, said a witness. Many persons were injured after government…
Read MoreDay: August 26, 2016
Reasons why Mehbooba has adopted a new tough approach on Kashmir Unrest
What explains Mehbooba Mufti’s sudden change in stance? The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister whom we saw on Thursday bears little resemblance to the one who a month back seemed almost apologetic that Indian security forces had killed Burhan Wani. Breaking her 20-day silence period following the Hizbul Mujaheedin commander’s death (an unusual reticence for a chief minister whose state was in throes of a violent turmoil), the PDP chief had appeared before the media on 28 July, also a Thursday, and suggested that security forces were unaware of Wani’s…
Read MoreStrict Curfew after dusk makes life more difficult
“Bhago yahan se” (go away from here)–a voice suddenly booms from a dark corner of a street in curfew-bound Srinagar as dusk falls. This is the voice of a para-military personnel behind a concertina wire who tries to prevent movement of people on the main road here and is unwilling to listen to anyone even if one is carrying a curfew pass or has some emergency. Srinagar like any other part of Kashmir is witnessing the longest spell of curfew since July 8 when unrest broke out in the Valley.…
Read MoreSrinagar’s Silent Streets; Curfew brings summer capital to Grinding Halt
Every day, Residency Road in Srinagar is packed with thousands of shoppers, commuters, students and office goers. It is the busiest street in the heart of Srinagar city. But, these days, it takes a while before you notice a moving soul. Shops are shut, business establishments are closed and no one has any inkling when the situation will return to normal. Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is a curfewed city; its days bear an uncanny resemblance to its nights. A city of more than…
Read MoreClashes erupted in Hygam, Shopian several injured; Handwara on boil; Clashes, Protests in Baramulla
Four persons were injured in clashes in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday. Witnesses said that four persons were injured in clashes at Baba Mohalla and Golchakri areas of the Shopian town. One of the youths, who suffered an injury in the eye, has been shifted to Srinagar for advanced treatment. Several persons were injured in clashes that erupted in Hygam area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday. The clashes erupted after government forces intercepted a rally of hundreds of people from Hygam and its adjoining villages heading towards…
Read MoreAfter Mehbooba Mufti’s ‘Confession’ of ‘Beegaar’, Er Rasheed demands action
Awami Ittihaad Party chief and MLA Langate Er Rasheed on Friday “congratulated” CM Ms Mehbooba Mufti for her confession that army and task force have been subjecting people to unpaid forced labour and committing “atrocities” on unarmed civilians in Kashmir during last few decades. In a statement issued this afternoon, Rasheed said, “whatsoever the intensions of Mehbooba Mufti in making the revelations public would have been but it should act as an eye-opener for world community that a person not less than the rank of CM is authenticating the allegations…
Read MorePro-freedom rally in Hajin; Clashes in Bandipora, Palhallan, North Kashmir; Resistance group detained ahead of Eidgah March
Massive Protests erupted in Hajin area in Bandipora district against the civilian killings in Kashmir after Friday prayers. A peaceful protest march was taken out from Jamia Masjid Hajin towards the main Chowk. People from adjoining areas also joined the rally shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. The protest is going on. Clashes between protesters and government forces erupted in Bandipora and Kaloosa in north Kashmir after Friday prayers, reports said. Local sources said that a massive rally was held at Bandipora which was tear gassed by government forces resulting in the…
Read More49th Straight day of Curfew, Restrictions, Shutdown
Curfew was on Friday extended to several areas of Kashmir to foil a planned march by separatists to Eidgah in old city area as normal life continued to remain paralysed for the 49th consecutive day in the Valley. The curfew was put into effect in the wake of protests following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in July. Official sources said that curfew has been extended to entire Srinagar district, Pulwama district and south Kashmir towns of Shopian and Anantnag. They said north Kashmir towns of Baramulla, Pattan…
Read MoreChilli-based PAVA shells being considered as replacement for pellet guns
With eye injuries caused by use of pellet guns in Jammu & Kashmir turning into a major controversy, an expert panel of the home ministry is exploring whether these can be replaced with newly-developed PAVA shells, a chilli-based non-lethal munition which temporarily incapacitates the targets and renders them immobile for several minutes. Though a final decision is yet to be taken, government sources said a seven-member panel involving officers from home ministry, BSF, CRPF, J&K Police , IIT-Delhi and Ordnance Factory Board is considering their use for control crowd. The…
Read MoreThe Rise of more Burhans
Killing of the Hizbul commander in Kashmir is radicalising youth But what has become worrisome for the security establishment is the growing support for militants in the valley. Adnan Bhat At a large rally in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a dozen kids holding toy guns and replicas of AK-47’s made out of bare wood carefully listen to sermons of Azadi being delivered from the podium. They are well aware of the situation right now in Kashmir. Some of them say they want to be like “Burhan Bhai”. Scenes like these…
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