Month: June 2018

Shujaat Bukhari gunned down by militants on orders from Pakistan: J&K Police

Editor

The Jammu & Kashmir police department has got some concrete clues on the killing of Shujaat Bukhari and expects to crack the case soon, even by the end of June, senior police officers said on condition of anonymity. The officers, who are directly involved in investigations, added that Bukhari was gunned down by terrorists on instructions from across the border, most probably for trying to promote peace in the Valley. According to them, this was seen unfavourably by separatists and the Jamait-e-Islami leaders on both sides of the Line of…

Read More

Amit Shah reviews party’s strategy, preparation ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Editor

BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday reviewed the party’s preparations and strategy for the Lok Sabha election due next year during his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the saffron party withdrew support from the PDP-led government. Shah, who reached the winter capital this morning for a day-long trip, will address a rally to mark “historic martyrdom anniversary” of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The BJP chief was accorded a rousing reception with party’s youth wing taking out a bike rally from the airport to the state guest…

Read More

Shutdown against civilian killings today: Joint Resistance Leadership

Editor

Expressing concern over resumption of Operation All-Out and CASOs in Kashmir which has resulted in killing of four civilians in past one week, the Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik has called for a complete shutdown against “planned genocide of Kashmiri youth” on June 25. In a joint statement, the JRL said the forces have resumed the Operation and when people resist to forces’ harassment action they are met “showered with pellets and bullets with a sole aim of killing them”. “We…

Read More

Amit Shah’s anti-PDP tirade draws flak, even from BJP’s own, PDP hits back

Editor

All political parties, including the BJP, have termed saffron party president Amit Shah’s allegations against the PDP’s discriminating policies with Jammu and Ladakh as half-truths. Most leaders were of the view that Shah’s speech made in Jammu on Saturday lacked conviction as he desperately tried to safeguard the BJP. “Whatever Amit Shah said in Jammu indicated two things: one, he was totally defensive; and two, he virtually exposed his own ministers. While they were in government, the BJP ministers did not assert their position and authority just to keep the…

Read More

BJP leader Choudhary Lal Singh warns Kashmir journalists to ‘Mend their ways’

Editor

BJP’s Choudhary Lal Singh on Friday warned journalists to ‘mend their ways’ over their reporting on the Kathua rape and murder case, with an apparent reference to the assassination of Kashmir journalist Shujaat Bukhari. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Choudhary Lal Singh on Friday warned journalists to ‘mend their ways’ over their reporting on the Kathua rape and murder case, with an apparent reference to the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari. The forest minister in the previous PDP-BJP government, Singh was asked to resign from the cabinet in April after…

Read More

Anantnag encounter marks return of cordon and search operations

Editor

At around 2 am on Friday, security forces began a cordon and search operation in Srigufwara village in the volatile Anantnag district. At 6 am, they zeroed in on a house where four militants believed to be working with the local unit of the Islamic State were trapped, after which an encounter started. Jammu and Kashmir Police officials say four militants, a civilian and a policeman were killed. They stated that among the four militants killed, two were locals. Further, the wife of the civilian who died also sustained a…

Read More

Soz’s claims on Independent Kashmir ‘Cheap Gimmick’ to sell book: Congress

Editor

The Congress today dismissed the claims of party leader and former union minister Saifuddin Soz on the choice of Kashmiris as stray remarks and “cheap gimmick” to sell his forthcoming book and said the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit will take appropriate action. In his book, Soz has said that “independence” is the first choice of Kashmiris as he supported former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s assessment in this regard. “Musharraf had explained that if Kashmiris were given a chance to exercise their free will, they would prefer to be independent.…

Read More

NC favours dissolution of assembly; PDP, BJP remained silent during all-party meet

Editor

The National Conference along with other parties urged Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra to take some confidence building measures besides carrying out a crackdown on corruption and cleaning the governance system. The governor, who had called an all-party meet to seek opinion of political representatives on the governance of the state, was apprised of their views by representatives of all political parties in the state. The National Conference and other parties including Panthers Party also favoured an immediate dissolution of the state assembly and to make atmosphere conducive for…

Read More

Won’t surrender no matter how tough struggle be: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

Editor

Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday said all the parties who have ruled Kashmir since 1947, have acted as “collaborators” of New Delhi rather than standing up for the rights of the people of J&K. Addressing at the 55th foundation day of Awami Action Committee (AAC) observed as a “day of pledge” at the AAC headquarters, here at Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal, he said that the Kashmir movement has witnessed a transition as today our fourth generation is on roads demanding their birthright. “We as a nation won’t…

Read More

Need to reach minds of boys with guns in Kashmir: Saifuddin Soz

Editor

Saifuddin Soz, who stirred controversy over his comments on an ‘independent’ Kashmir, said a hardline stand against militancy would not work in the Valley. Congress leader Saifuddin Soz wants a “powerful dialogue” with “boys who wield guns”, not a hardline approach, in Kashmir. In the thick of a controversy for his remarks on an “independent” Kashmir, Soz – who has authored a book, Kashmir: Glimpses of history and the story of struggle – said in an interview that the Centre should hold talks with militants through the Hurriyat Conference, an…

Read More