Kashmir Archives | Page 31 of 224

Soviet Afghanistan, and Kashmir

August 17, 2021 Editor

By -Bruce Riedel Tampa, Florida, is a long way from South Asia, but in mid-2011 I was there to attend a conference on Pakistan at the headquarters of the US Central Command as a guest of Gen David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan. I was to review Pakistan’s role in supporting the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. Only twenty-five years ago the United States had fought a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s help. President Ronald Reagan enjoyed Pakistan’s support and won the war. Now, in the twenty-first…

Article 370 Abrogation Anniversary: Police warns Traders against observing Shutdown

August 5, 2021 Editor

Claiming that the shutdowns were boosting the morale of militant organisations, the Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday warned traders against observing a strike in this capital city on the second anniversary of special status revocation. According to reports, police on Wednesday held a meeting with local shopkeepers, traders, and manufacturers of the city center Lal Chowk at the Kothi Bagh police station and directed them not to observe any shutdown on the second anniversary of special status revocation and to run their businesses as usual. The meeting came at…

GoI to deny Passport, Jobs to J&K Residents with ‘Adverse Police Report’

August 2, 2021August 3, 2021 Editor

The CID wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police has ordered the denial of security clearance required for passport and other government services to all those involved in stone-pelting or subversive activities. In an order issued on Saturday, the senior superintendent of police (SSP), CID, Special Branch (SB), Kashmir, has directed all the field units under it to ensure that the person’s involvement in law and order, stone-pelting cases, and other crime prejudicial to the security of the state be specifically looked into during verification related to passport, service and any…

Will let people of Kashmir decide if they want to join Pakistan or become an ‘Independent Nation’: Imran Khan

July 24, 2021July 24, 2021 Editor

Departing from Pakistan’s declared policy on Kashmir, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that Islamabad would let the people of Kashmir decide if they want to join Pakistan or become an “independent state”. India has asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of India. Addressing an election rally in Tarar Khal area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) ahead of the polls on July 25, Khan also rejected claims by a leading Opposition leader that his government was working on a plan to make…

Attempts were made to Infect Phones in Kashmir with Pegasus: Forensic Evidence

July 24, 2021July 24, 2021 Editor

Besides separatists like Bilal Lone and the Mirwaiz, the list of potential targets for surveillance includes a prominent Delhi-based civil society critic of government policy, journalists, and family members of some mainstream politicians. Besides Delhi-based Kashmiri journalists and a prominent civil society activist critical of official policy towards Jammu and Kashmir, more than 25 people from the Kashmir Valley were selected as potential targets of intrusive surveillance between 2017 and mid-2019 by an as yet unidentified government agency that is also believed to be a client of the Israeli company…

Reminder notice by ED sends to Geelani for depositing Rs 14.40L penalty in 10 days

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 Editor

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent a reminder notice to separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, directing him to pay the Rs 14.40 lakh penalty imposed on him under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) within 10 days of receipt of the notice. The copy of the notice dated July 13 has been viewed by IANS. The Assistant Director of ED sent the reminder notice to Geelani, directing him to pay the penalty of Rs 14.40 lakh, which was imposed upon him under FEMA. The notice further asked Geelani to…

13 July 1931 Martyr’s Day; Roads leading to venue sealed, Unionists forced to hold closed-door function

July 14, 2021July 14, 2021 Editor

As the authorities in Kashmir sealed off the martyrs’ graveyard in the old city area to prevent people and political parties from assembling to commemorate the killing of 22 people by Dogra forces on this day in 1931, political parties observed the day at their offices. The National Conference leaders including Dr. Farooq Abdullah paid tributes to the martyrs at the party office. “We pay our humble tributes to the Martyrs of July 13, 1931. Their sacrifices will always be remembered. We observe this day to reiterate our commitment to…

Resolve Kashmir issue to end the cycle of killing: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

July 10, 2021July 10, 2021 Editor

Hurriyat leader flags geopolitical changes in the region to call for early solution Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Thursday called for a resolution to the Kashmir problem to bring an end to the cycle of killings. Meanwhile, a spontaneous shutdown was observed in parts of the Kashmir valley on the fifth death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Burhan Wani. “The recent rise in killings of Kashmiris in J&K is a grim reminder of the need to resolve the Kashmir conflict urgently and prevent the region from getting consumed by…

Admin to stop allotment of Govt contracts to individuals, firms with ‘Links to Anti-national Elements’

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021 Editor

Jammu and Kashmir administration is planning to stop allotment of contracts and supply orders to individuals, firms with “links to anti-national elements” and “dubious antecedents”. According to the documents, quoted in The Wire report, the JK administration has asked top bureaucrats to devise mechanisms to ensure that individuals and firms with dubious antecedents and direct and indirect links with anti-national elements won’t get any government contracts. Quoting minutes of a meeting held at the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar on May 31, the report said: “Taking serious note of the issue of…

Kashmiris need good administration, not statehood or elections

June 29, 2021June 29, 2021 Editor

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led central government has started its first major political outreach in the Kashmir valley on 5 August 2019, when the special status of the erstwhile state was revoked and its geography was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Under this outreach, New Delhi convened an all-party meeting on July 24 with the valley’s elite club of political leaders—including the chiefs of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC)—which was a significant development. After the meeting, New Delhi said that exercise of delimitation and…