Category: Kashmir

Kashmir

Tufail Qadir ‘Militant for a week’ returns home

Editor

J&K police on Thursday said a Srinagar boy, who had reportedly joined the militant ranks, has returned home safely and is with his family. Tufail Qadir Mir, 19, had gone missing on May 24 and then surfaced in a video on Facebook wherein he was seen wielding a gun, sending the entire security apparatus in Srinagar into a tizzy. Tufail, according to police, is 34th youth who has returned home in Kashmir after joining the militant ranks, since September last year. “He (Tufail) is back and is with his family…

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Govt locked down schools for 17 days during last 34 working days

Editor

In past month, J&K government has shut down schools across Kashmir for 17 days, often citing ‘anticipated student protests’ as reason for taking the ‘precautionary measure’ of locking down the institutions. In the past 34 days, the students in schools and various colleges have been able to attend only 50 percent classes given the frequent closure of the schools by the government. In the beginning the divisional administration ordered for closure of all the universities, colleges and Higher Secondary Schools (HSS) in Kashmir on April 18 “as a precautionary measure”…

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Syed Ali Geelani rules out talks with GoI

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‘We’ll never talk with those pursuing fanatical ideology’ Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Wednesday ruled out talks with Government of India (GoI) saying there will be no talks with Delhi till it accepts Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory and they will never talk to those pursuing fanatical ideology. “There can be no talks with GoI unless it accepted J&K as a disputed territory. We’ll never beg for talks,” Geelani said in a statement issued here today. He said authorities in New Delhi are “irrational, following fanatical…

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Governor NN Vohra visits Kheer Bhawani shrine, reviews arrangements

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J&K governor N N Vohra visited Mata Kheer Bhawani shrine at Tulmulla, Ganderbal and prayed for peace and well-being of people. He extended his greetings to the people, particularly Kashmiri Pandits, on the occasion of ‘Jyestha Ashtami’. BB Vyas, chief secretary; Baseer Ahmed Khan, divisional commissioner, Kashmir; Tariq Hussain Ganai, deputy commissioner Ganderbal; Fayaz Ahmad Lone, senior superintendent of police Ganderbal, representatives of Dharmarth Trust and several members of Kashmiri Pandit community received the governor on his arrival at the shrine. “The governor discussed with chief secretary and other officers…

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Kashmir problem confined to 5 Districts only: Venkaiah Naidu

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The government has ruled out talks with separatists in Kashmir and insists that the problem of violence is limited to just five districts of south Kashmir while the rest of the state is “in peace”. The government is ready for talks on “development” with all other stakeholders, says Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, who questioned the demand for a Ramzan ceasefire. In an interview with IANS, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said the state and central governments were making “best efforts to deal with the situation” in the Kashmir Valley…

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Srinagar youth planned to join ISIS; deported from Turkey

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A 21-year-old Kashmiri youth, who was allegedly trying to join the terror group ISIS, has been deported from Turkey to India after being picked up by the Turkish authorities, official sources here said today. Srinagar resident Afshan Parvaiz was deported from the Turkish capital of Ankara on May 25 and whisked away to an undisclosed destination by the security agencies in Delhi, the sources said. He was being assessed by various security agencies, they said. Parvaiz had left home after an argument with his father, who wanted him to join…

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Centre wants military solution to Valley: Mirwaiz

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Claiming that that the statements of the Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat indicated that New Delhi had handed over Kashmir and its people to the Army, moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today said it looked like the Central government was interested in a military solution to a political and human issue. In a statement today, Mirwaiz, who continues to be under house arrest, said the “statements coming out of New Delhi show that the Government of India has decided to openly admit that it…

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Restrictions, Shutdown cripple life in Kashmir for 2nd consecutive day

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Protests, clashes at some places Curbs to continue today in view of Tral Chalo: DGP Schools, college to remain closed: Div Com Train services, mobile internet remains suspended KU, IUST postpone exams The restrictions imposed by authorities and shutdown called by separatists to protest the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Bhat and his associate paralysed life in Valley for the second consecutive day on Monday. The curfew-like restrictions remained in force for second day in areas falling under Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, MR Gunj, Rainawari, Maisuma and Kral Khud police…

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Burhan Wani’s death anniversary to clash with Amarnath yatra, Protests feared

Editor

In Kashmir valley, death anniversaries are always a fraught time. Protests peak at this time. February 9 and February 11 are two such days. February 9 is observed as death anniversary of Mohammed Afzal Guru, who was hanged for his role in the Parliament attack while February 11 is death anniversary of JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat. Bhat was hanged in the Tihar jail in 1984 after he was found guilty of killing an Indian intelligence official in England. Despite the many years that have passed, there is a complete shutdown…

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After Sabzar Bhat, Kashmir police sees tech-savvy Riyaz Naikoo as new face of Hizbul Mujahideen

Editor

Following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, police officials in Kashmir see another militant and tech-savvy Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo replacing Sabzar as the new commander in Kashmir. Top police sources said that Naikoo is the one of the oldest surviving militants and could be new commander after Sabzar. They said that the Hizbul Mujahideen could prefer Naikoo over the two other oldest surviving militants — Altaf Kachroo and Saddam Padder — as the outfit may bank on him to use the social networking sites to galvanise…

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