Year: 2017

Families being forced to ask sons to return home: Hizb Commander Riyaz Naikoo

Editor

Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo has alleged that government forces are forcing families of militants to make appeals to their sons to return home. In an audiotape that went viral on social media on Saturday, Naikoo said that militant outfits do not “force any Kashmiri youth to join their ranks, nor do they force anyone to stay with them.” “The Indian forces are going to the homes of militants to press them for the return of their kin. They are being pressurised to make appeal to their sons in…

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Bookies see BJP victory in Gujarat elections, say likely to win 118-120 seats

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The bookmakers are offering Rs 1.25 for every Rs 1 placed on a BJP win, and Rs 3 for every Rs 1 placed on a Congress win. The Bharatiya Janata Party will most likely win between 118 and 120 seats in the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections, although it is possible that it could win just around 100 with the Indian National Congress winning up to 80 seats in the 182-member assembly, according to bookmakers in Gujarat and Mumbai. Although betting is illegal in India, a huge underground betting business sprouts…

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Sopore has traces of 5000-year-old civilisation: Heritage Expert

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Atiqa Bano paid tributes for contribution to redefine vernacular heritage Traces of Sopore being a civilisation have been found, a noted heritage expert of Kashmir said Sunday. Delivering Atiqa Bano memorial lecture to mark the heritage week, heritage expert and former Director General (DG) Tourism, Saleem Beg said in the north Kashmir’s apple-rich town of Sopore and adjoining areas, traces had been found that prove it was a 5000-year-old civilisation. Beg said “this makes it imperative to explore it further with new dimensions.” “This is important to know our past…

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Resistance Camp asks people to observe shutdown, Admin places restrictions across Srinagar

Editor

Reiterating shutdown call for 27 November (Monday), the joint resistance leadership on Sunday stated that “gruesome atrocities committed by Indian forces across North and South Kashmir are crossing limits.” A joint statement issued by JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik said that “condition of thousands of innocents languishing in jails and police stations is also worsening with each passing day.” “Kashmiris are always protesting against these human rights violations and strike call for Monday (27 November 2017) is also intended to highlight these…

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GoI’s Interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma reaches out to Kashmir’s protest hotbed

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Meets 14 delegations amid tight security The Government of India’s (GoI) Interlocutor, Dineshwar Sharma, Sunday reached out to the people of the Pulwama-the district which remained epicentre of protests after killing of HM militant commander, Burhan Muzafar Wani, last year and subsequently during anti-militancy operations this year. Sharma paid his maiden visit to Pulwama district in South Kashmir after being appointed as special representative by GoI last month. The visit was seen important as the area was the epicentre in last year’s unrest in the Valley which was triggered after…

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GoI’s U-turn on rehab plan leaves displaced Kashmiri Pandits disappointed

Editor

The U-turn by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over setting up of transit camps for displaced Kashmiri Hindus in the Valley has raised a major question: Has the BJP abandoned Pandits to make way for separatist and radical elements in the dialogue process? There is general perception among the minority community that the BJP-led Central government and the PDP-BJP coalition in J&K have for the first time delinked the Pandit issue from the peace process initiated in 1996 when Inder Kumar Gujral was the Prime Minister. The plan to…

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Hafiz Saeed’s release ‘Celebrated’ in Begum Bagh Uttar Pradesh

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Police were on their toes in Lakhimpur city on Friday morning after members of a community allegedly celebrated the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind and co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan. Some residents of Begum Bagh colony in Shivpuri area allegedly decorated their houses with green flags and also raised slogans like ‘Hafiz Saeed zindabad’ and ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. The issue was immediately brought to district magistrate Akashdeep’s notice after which police force was rushed to the colony. Officials said that the administration acted promptly as members of some…

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Amnesty to Kashmir youth on Dineshwar Sharma’s urge, will it help his image?

Editor

On thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered review of cases lodged against “first-time stone pelters” in the past three years. An already constituted committee is to review the cases and furnish its recommendations within 10 days. But while Mehbooba has announced the measure, she wasn’t the one who decided on it. Days before, the proposal was okayed by the Home Ministry on the recommendation of the new J&K interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma. To highlight the genesis of the move, the state government announced the review on the eve…

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Bullet riddled body of army man recovered who was abducted from his home in Pulwama

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The body of an Indian Army jawan who was abducted Friday from his home in Kashmir’s Pulwama, has been recovered. Unknown gunmen on Saturday killed an army soldier on leave in Wothmula village of Shopian district of south Kashmir, army said. Sepoy Irfan Ahmad Dar, posted with 175 Territorial Army (Engineers) in Bandipora, had left home at Senzen village in his car on Friday but did not return. His bullet riddled body was found by the locals in an orchard in nearby Wothmula village of the district. “He was on…

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Authorities construct road, allow camping site in restricted area at Pahalgam

Editor

The Authorities have allowed the construction in the restricted area at Pahalgam for which the trees have been cut and a road is being built at Aru Valley. A camping site is now being raised next to the river Lidder and the construction activity is going on close to Sarshaar park. Excavators and other heavy machinery has been pressed into service which have left the area ravaged and raised the environmental concerns. Governmnet has built an approach road and dug a large area which passes adjacent to river Lidder thereby…

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