Year: 2018

Change in GOI’s policy our victory, Not in hurry to respond to Delhi’s talks offer: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

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Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday said the big U-turn by New Delhi on its “rigid stand on dialogue” is result of sacrifices of Kashmiri youth and asserted that separatist leadership was in no hurry to respond to Delhi’s dialogue offer but would respond after due deliberations. “If this new approach of New Delhi is result of “change in policy” or “change in circumstances”, we welcomed it earlier and will continue to welcome. But we are not in hurry. Hurriyat Conference and Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) are not…

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Ramadan truce hasn’t received good response: Dy CM Kavinder Gupta

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Amid reports that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will extend the ongoing ceasefire beyond the holy month of Ramadan, Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta on Thursday said the unilateral truce announced by the Centre on May 16 had not received an encouraging response so far. “The government had announced the suspension of operations in the holy month of Ramadan with a hope that this bold initiative will be reciprocated by different groups to take the process of peace and reconciliation to a logical conclusion,” Gupta said during an informal chat…

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Farooq Ahmad, Kashmir’s ‘Human Shield’ declines Big Boss offer

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Artisan Farooq Ahmad Dar, 29, who hit the headlines in April last year after an Army Major tied him to a jeep as a human shield, has claimed to have rejected a ₹ 50 lakh offer to be on Colours’ reality show Big Boss, as he continues his fight for compensation with the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in Kashmir. Mr. Dar, who hails from the nondescript and far-off Chill village of Budgam, said: “I was offered ₹50 lakh by Big Boss producers in July last year. They even told…

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Stone Pelting cases against minors to be dropped: Rajnath Singh

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The Centre has made the decision to withdraw stone-throwing cases against minors in the Valley, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, while asking youth to shun the ‘path of destruction’. Rajnath said he saw a ray of hope in the youth which was possible by their active participation in sports activities, besides studies. He announced huge sops for sports infrastructure development in the state. “As far as the question of our children is concerned, I want to say that children are children. Anybody can mislead them but we…

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How can talks happen when leaders speak in different voices: Omar Abdullah

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“How can we galvanize Hurriyat leaders for talks when different BJP leaders at centre speak in different voices over the possible talks with separatists,” former Chief Minister and the National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said while addressing party workers during a convention at Dak Bungalow Baramulla on Thursday. Omar said various voices are emerging from different leaders of BJP at centre which makes the talk about the talks ambiguous. “The union Home Minister who is on a two days visit to Kashmir says we are ready for talks. However,…

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GOI concerned about future of Kashmir youth, will change fate and face of Kashmir: Rajnath Singh

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Home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the Narendra Modi government will change the “fate and face” of Jammu and Kashmir, but urged the youth to work towards changing their own fate. Speaking at a Sports Conclave in Srinagar, Singh said the government has a “lot of love for Kashmir”, and asked the youth to take advantage of the opportunities being provided by the Centre and state government. “Many sporting talents have been lost in the dark for many years in this state. Now, we are giving opportunities to the…

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Centre must step in to check rising airfares: PDP

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday asked the state and the Central governments to take immediate measures for addressing the skyrocketing air fares to Kashmir during peak tourist season. In a statement issued here, PDP general secretary Mansoor Hussain said the people of the Kashmir valley in general and those associated with the tourism sector in particular were hopeful that the Central government would address the concerns already expressed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti over the hike in air fares to Srinagar. “The people of Kashmir are hopeful that…

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Police writes to CRPF, seeks details on why paramilitary vehicle was moving in non-deployment area

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The Jammu and Kashmir Police have written to the CRPF seeking an explanation that why a lone CRPF vehicle moved through the Nowhatta area of Srinagar where it was decided that there will be no deployment of security forces on last Friday after clashes left at least 20 youth injured on 25 May. Two youths were run over by an armoured vehicle of the CRPF which left one of them dead and another wounded and the family of the deceased has sought that a murder case should be pressed against…

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Just 3 days went without violence during last 3 weeks

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Since the announcement of the Ramadan ceasefire by the Union Government, the Kashmir valley has witnessed 43 incidents of violence, including 18 grenade attacks and 22 killings. In the first three weeks of the holy month of Ramadan, which started on May 17, only three days have passed when militants did not initiate any action. The militants made their intentions clear on the very first day of Ramadan when they struck in the heart of the city and stole three rifles from a police post near the venue where Prime…

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Ex-DIG, four others to spend 10 years in jail for 2006 Sex Scandal

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A special court on Wednesday sentenced five convicts—two high-ranking police officers among them—to 10 years imprisonment for raping a minor in a 12-year-old case from Jammu & Kashmir. KC Padhi, a former deputy inspector general of the Border Security Force, and Mohammad Ashraf Mir, former deputy superintendent of police, were among those who were found guilty in a case that dated back to 2006. The case, known as the J&K sex scandal, made news headlines when police came across CDs of two minor girls sexually exploited in 2006. When questioned,…

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