Category: Kashmir

Kashmir

Mirwaiz Farooq under detention for last 20 months; not released even during Ramadan: Hurriyat

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The Hurriyat Conference on Friday said it was “extremely unfortunate” that even in the month of Ramzan, its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is a prominent religious leader in Kashmir, has not been released from his “arbitrary” detention. The Hurriyat leader was detained at his house on August 4, 2019, a day ahead of the Centre announcing the abrogation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, and its bifurcation into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. “It is extremely unfortunate and deeply hurts the sentiments…

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Peace in South Asia contingent upon resolution of Kashmir dispute; Khan writes to Modi

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Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan, has said that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Imran Khan said this while thanking the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for his letter in which he conveyed greetings to the Pakistanis on Pakistan Day, observed on March 23. PM Imran Khan in his latest letter to Narendra Modi wrote, “The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India. We are convinced that…

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Recent Protest in Srinagar triggers the biggest crackdown since 2019

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The first protest in months in Srinagar’s old city has triggered the biggest government crackdown since 2019, with dozens of youths arrested since Friday and some of them booked under the stringent Public Safety Act. Police said they had arrested 39 “stone-throwing” youths during dozens of raids after a protest at Jamia Masjid on Friday. Fifteen accused have been booked under the PSA, Valley police chief Vijay Kumar told a news conference on Wednesday. A person can be detained for six months or even longer without trial under the PSA.…

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Pheran Row: Fear of the Pheran returns to Kashmir Valley, Security forces issue fresh guideline

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Security forces have been asking those wearing the loose, traditional garment – including the reporter – to take it off as they fear it may be used to hide arms. Civilians wearing pherans – the long robe traditionally worn in Kashmir in winter as protection against the cold – have found themselves under security forces’ scrutiny once again. On February 19 two policemen were killed after being shot at close range by a militant in the Baghat area of uptown Srinagar, along the high-security Airport Road. The incident was captured…

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Frisking, CASO, Crackdown returned to Srinagar City, Pheran wearing population on hit-list

Editor

Twenty-five-year-old Abid Lone grew up hearing horrifying stories from his father about crackdowns by the government forces in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. His father would be dragged out of the garments’ shop on Hari Singh High Street in the middle of the day for frisking. “It was normal for my father,” he recalled. However, it never happened with him until today. On Monday afternoon, the clocks turned back to the 1990s, when the insurgency was at its peak in Kashmir Valley and such random frisking was…

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Iran offers to mediate in bringing the Kashmir conflict to an end

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an interview to Press TV, Iran’s state television news channel has called for the need to respect the rights of the people of Kashmir in ‘determining their own destiny’ and offered to mediate and play a “constructive role” in bringing the conflict to an end. Responding to a question on “what has been the policy of president Rouhani” and what does he tell India about the situation, Zarif said, “our policy has been very clear. We emphasise the need to respect the rights…

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Army Human Rights record in J&K have raised barrier before German Arms Exports

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The country is India’s sixth-largest trading partner and its largest trading partner from the European Union. Concerns over the security forces’ human rights record in Jammu and Kashmir have raised a barrier before Germany’s small arms exports to India. German regulations and covenants restrict, and often prohibit, arms sales to nations or regions where their use might cause direct or collateral damage to civilian populations and institutions. Two Indian security officials familiar with the bar on German small arms producers said these companies had failed to obtain export licences from…

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Mutton Row: The fact-finding committee recommends Rs 518 Kg for mutton in Kashmir

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The fact-finding team that visited various livestock markets outside J&K to ascertain the viable rates at which mutton could be sold in the Valley Tuesday recommended the government to allow mutton retailers to sell Grade-A meat at Rs 518 per kilogram. In this regard the team comprising of members of the All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association, Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) and local journalists that travelled to different cities and states to find the mutton prices submitted a report to the director of Department of Civil Supply, Consumer Affairs and…

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Shutdown in Kashmir to mark JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat’s 37th death anniversary

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Normal life was affected in Kashmir on Thursday due to a shutdown to mark the 37th death anniversary of JKLF founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on this day in 1984, officials said. Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut in Srinagar, while public transport was largely off the roads, they officials said. However, the officials said, private cars, auto-rickshaws and cabs were plying in the city. The officials said similar reports of shutdown were also received from other…

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Agencies spreading false rumors, we stand firm over Kashmir Issue: Hurriyat Leadership

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All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on Wednesday asked people to be wary of ‘mischief mongers and agencies who are spreading false rumours’ through some media outlets that some APHC leader led by the Mirwaiz group has reached out to New Delhi asking for “apology.” On Tuesday, a local news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) had reported that three pro-freedom leaders from Kashmir valley had met top leadership in Delhi for the first time after revocation of the limited-autonomy and bifurcation of the state into two Union territories. KDC quoting…

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