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PM on two-day visit to Kashmir from tomorrow

June 6, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be on a two-day visit to Kashmir from tomorrow during which he is expected to renew the offer for talks with separatists and review the progress in the Round Table peace initiative and development work being undertaken in the state. Official sources said today that the Prime Minister will address a convocation of the Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural University in Srinagar.

Governor N N Vohra, who is also the university”s Chancellor, had invited Singh to the event. Tight security arrangements are being made with police pickets erected at various places to combat threats from terror groups.

A ”hartal” call has been given by pro-Pakistan leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani which was supported by Aasiya Andrabi of hardline separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat. It will be for the second time that the Prime Minister will be visiting the Kashmir valley after he got a second term last May.

He was in Sringar last October. Singh will also be accompanied by Union Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prathviraj Chauhan.

The Prime Minister will begin his visit by holding consultations with various political parties of the state over the progress on recommendations made during the two sessions of the Round Table Conference chaired by him. The visit comes against the backdrop of the “quiet diplomacy” initiated by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram with separatist leaders failing to make any headway as the Hurriyat refused to join it owing to pressure from militant groups.

Singh is likely to renew the offer of the Union Government to hold talks with separatists asking them to work towards restoring normalcy in the state. He is expected to hold meetings with various political parties of the state during which ruling National Conference is likely to seek early talks on providing greater autonomy in the state as recommended by Sagir Ahmed Committee set up by the Prime Minister himself, the sources said.

A meeting with senior bureaucrats and Army and police officials was also being planned to discuss the spurt in infiltration from across the border.

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Over 320 arrested for rioting in Jammu and Kashmir

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, July 9(ANI): Jammu and Kashmir police has arrested over 320 people in the valley for allegedly indulging in rioting, including seven people charged under the Public Safety Act.

The state police had chalked out a list of anti-social elements, who had been disturbing peace in various districts of the valley, before carrying out raids on Wednesday night that lasted till early this morning.

According to sources, people have been picked up from Kulgam, Anantnag and Baramulla districts of the state and have been slapped with minor charges of disturbing peace to serious offences like section 307 (attempt of murder).

The Kashmir Valley was rocked by prolonged violent protests for over eight days after bodies of two women were recovered from a stream on May 30.

Local residents at Shopian had alleged that two women were abducted, raped and killed by personnel of security forces.

To contain the violence in the valley, the authorities had placed most of the separatist leaders under house arrest, including hard line leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. (ANI)

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Kashmir remembers Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, Abdul Ghani Lone

May 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, May 21 (ANI): Life came to a standstill in Kashmir on Thursday following a shutdown to mark the death anniversaries of two separatist leaders.

Unidentified gunmen assassinated Mirwaiz Moulana Mohammad Farooq, former chief priest of the region in 1990 at his residence in Srinagar. Whereas, moderate separatist All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone was killed on this day in 2002.

Most markets, schools and colleges were shut following a call by Hurriyat, which bands nearly two dozen social, political and religious groups.

People gathered at prayer houses to offer homage to the dead leaders.

“Today, people observed their death anniversary and so this strike has been called. People gathered at the Idgah and offered homage to them,” said Shabir Ahmed, a resident.

Security forces and separatists blamed each other for Lone’s assassination. (ANI)

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Violent protests rock Kashmir

May 16, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, May 16 (ANI): At least nine persons were injured here after police fired teargas shells to disperse stone-pelting protesters demanding release of jailed leaders during the Parliament elections.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman of hardline faction of separatist All Parties Hurriyat (freedom) Conference (APHC) has been calling for protests.

“We are protesting against the detention of our political prisoners. Geelani has pressurised the Indian Government to release our separatist leaders,” said Mohammad Shafi, general secretary of the Democratic Political Movement.

The protesters pelted stones on the police and paramilitary forces who baton-charged and lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control.

Geelani remained under house arrest even as other separatist leaders were released from their confinement on Thursday.

APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Muhammad Yaseen Malik, and others have also been released from house arrest.

The release of the leaders came after elections ended Wednesday. They were put under house arrest to prevent them from running poll boycott campaign. (ANI)

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Separatist leader Sajjad Lone contesting polls in Kashmir

May 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Baramulla (J-K), May 11 (ANI): Having plunged headlong into an electoral campaign as the first separatist in Kashmir to contest the polls since a revolt broke out in Kashmir in 1989, People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone says he has changed his strategy, not his ideology.

Lone has defended his move of entering the electoral process by maintaining that he is still committed to the Kashmiri cause. He is contesting the ongoing general elections from Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I am not fighting for the government, I am claiming for leadership, I will take up the issue of my people and Kashmir in the parliament and voice the opinion of the people, and this is my promise,” said Lone.

Lone had walked out of Kashmir’s main separatist alliance, All Parties Hurriyat Conference, after his father, senior separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone was assassinated in 2002 by the militants.

He is married to Asma Khan, the daughter of Pakistan based Amanuallah Khan, who is the founder of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front.

His move has given separatist leaders, especially Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference to castigate him by branding him a traitor to the Kashmiri cause.

However, such allegations do not worry Lone and he is busy holding road shows in his constituency to woo voters across Baramulla.

“Who is a traitor and who is not is something that no one can just get up and say, I have also made sacrifices, I lost my father, my party workers have also been martyred,” said Lone.

The entry of Sajjad Lone in the electoral fray has given nightmares to Shareif-u-Din Shariq who is contesting from the ruling National Conference and Mohammad Dilawar, who is the candidate of regional People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The Baramulla constituency will go to polls on May 13. (ANI)

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Residents defy boycott call to cast votes in Kashmir

May 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, May 7 (ANI): Defying the boycott call given by the separatists, residents came out in large numbers to cast their votes in Kashmir on Thursday.

Defying the boycott call, a large number of men and women stood outside the polling station waiting for their turn to cast their votes.

The voters termed the poll boycott as wrong and said everybody should cast their votes.

“It is wrong to boycott the polls. They are beneficial for us. Everybody should cast their votes and elect the government,” said Irfan, a voter.

Gun toting policemen kept a hawk eye as they stood guard on the polling station. The security personnel frisked voters before allowing them to enter the polling station.

The appeal by the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference to stay away from the vote in Srinagar, is seen as an attempt to deny New Delhi any credit for holding elections in the Himalayan region.

Kashmir’s separatist leaders are struggling to win back popular support, and are hoping that a boycott of Thursday’s election may yet breathe new life.

The separatists have had to suffer a major setback after residents defied a boycott call given by the Hurriyat during the State Assembly polls held in November 2008 and came out in large numbers to cast their votes.

A prominent Kashmiri separatist leader, Sajjad Lone, who had given a call for poll boycott during the state elections, has decided to contest during these general elections and raise the voices of Kashmiris in Parliament. (ANI)

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Talks with separatists after polls, says Farooq Abdulaah

May 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Apr 28 (ANI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the state government will facilitate talks between the Central Government and separatists after general elections in the country are over.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Abdullah, who is the National Conference party’s candidate for the Srinagar-Budgam seat, said: As I said earlier, we are committed to it. A new government will be formed after the elections, we will talk to them (separatists) and facilitate them to talk to the federal government.”

Abdullah added that the tourists inflow to Kashmir has been badly effected by the negative campaign by various quarters and his decision to campaign at the Dal Lake was to give a message valley is safe.

“You know that tourist season is affected due to some reason and also there is a wrong propaganda. It was necessary to show this that nothing of the sort is here and there is no danger to anybody,” Abdullah said.

Separatists on Friday had warned the people of the valley not to participate in elections, prompting authorities to place two-dozen separatist leaders including senior Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Nayeem Ahmad Khan under house arrest.

The decision by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a conglomerate of 26 Kashmiri separatist groups, came after United Jihad Council (UJC) asked the separatist alliance to support their call to shun the poll.

However, another senior separatist leader, Sajjad Gani Lone, who walked out of Hurriyat in 2002, said this month that he would contest the poll and take his struggle to parliament in New Delhi.

Jammu and Kashmir is voting in all the five phases of elections on April 16, 23, 30, May 7 and 13.

Today was the last day of campaigning for the third phase of elections. (ANI)

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Anti-election protests rock Srinagar

April 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Apr 25 (ANI): Police resorted to baton-charge to quell the violent separatists who staged an anti-poll protest here on Friday.

Kashmir’s main separatist alliance appealed to the people of the region to boycott general elections, prompting authorities to place two separatist leaders under house arrest.

The decision by the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference comes after the Pakistan-based United Jihad Council (UJC) asked the separatist alliance to support their call to shun the poll.

As the activists tried to proceed towards Lal Chowk, the police baton charged and used tear gas shells to disperse the agitating youth.

The UJC is a Pakistan-based amalgam of 13-militant groups fighting Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmir.he general elections began last week, but voting in the Kashmir valley has been split into three phases starting from April 30.

The staggered voting is to allow security forces to shift themselves around the troubled region.

Besides Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party are contesting in the region. (ANI)

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Protest against moderate Hurriyat Conference

April 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Apr 17 (ANI): A large number of protesters on Friday gathered near the Jamia mosque to protest against the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference.

The angry mob was shouting slogans against the Hurriyat Conference’s acting Chairman Molvi Abas Ansari. The mob also burnt the effigy of Abas Ansari.

The protesters were raising slogans in favour of the hard-liner separatist leader Sayed Ali Shah Geelani.

The mob was later dispersed by the police to maintain law and order. There has been a crack among the separatist leaders regarding the polls with one calling for boycott and other contesting the polls.

The protest came after the moderate faction of the Hurriyat conference decided not to boycott the general elections.

A decision to this effect was taken despite the fact that its hardline political faction has chosen to call for the poll boycott and even expressed resolve to conduct an anti-election campaign. (ANI)

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Separatist leader Sajad Lone declares he will contest Lok Sabha poll

April 11, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, April 11 (IANS) In a breakthrough for Indian democracy senior separatist leader Sajad Lone Saturday announced his decision to contest election from Baramulla for a seat in the Lok Sabha.

“I am fighting elections,” Lone, the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, told reporters here.

He is the first separatist leader of his stature to join the democratic process since the outbreak of militancy over two decades ago. Separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir had previously rejected the Indian democratic process.

But now, the younger son of slain separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone said he would be contesting from Baramulla constituency in north Kashmir.

“It is a change of strategy and not of ideology. I will take the problems of the Kashmiri people to the Indian parliament,” Lone said, adding: “I still challenge India’s authority on Kashmir.”

The People’s Conference chairman said his decision to contest elections was not a blow to the separatist campaign in Kashmir.

He said his party was not a member of any of the two Hurriyat Conference factions though he was a member of the conglomerate’s coordination committee, which called for the boycott of the 2008 assembly polls.

“The boycott call was rejected by the people and now it is a question of my credibility. I will represent Kashmir in India not India in Kashmir,” the young leader said.

Lone asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to ensure free and fair elections in the state.

“Ensuring free and fair poll without any rigging was a challenge to young Omar Abdullah,” he said.

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12 injured in clashes in Srinagar

April 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

SRINAGAR: At least 12 persons were injured as police fired teargas shells and used batons to disperse stone-pelting mobs protesting the continued
detention of separatist leaders here on Friday.

Shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, scores of youth took to streets at Kawdara in downtown Srinagar shortly after Friday prayers and indulged in stone-pelting on police and paramilitary personnel, official sources said.

Police fired teargas shells and used batons to disperse the mob, which spread to adjoining Rajouri Kadal and Naidkadal areas, the sources said.

They said 12 persons, including five policemen were injured in the clashes.

Meanwhile, eight activists of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TEH), founded by chairman of the hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani, were taken into preventive custody when they tried to stage a march in the heart of the city in protest against the house arrest of their leader.

Demanding immediate release of Geelani, who was placed under house-arrest on March 30, several activists of the TEH assembled at Partap Park and tried to stage a march, the sources said.

Police tried to restrain the protesters and took eight of them, including district president and former militant commander General Moosa and Imtiyaz Ahmad respectively into preventive custody, the sources said.

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Partial curfew imposed in Srinagar

March 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Mar 7 (ANI): A day after the killing of a youth in Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Saturday imposed restrictions on people’s movement in certain areas of interior city.

The police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the area to keep the situation under control.

According to official sources, the step has been taken as a precaution any measure.

A youth was killed on Friday when Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel opened fire on a group of protestors. The protesters were demanding release of the separatist leaders in various jails. (ANI)

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Kashmir separatist demand release of leaders under house-arrest

January 31, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Jan. 30 (ANI): A large number of people took to streets in Srinagar to protest detentions of various separatist leaders since Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly elections were held here.

The slogan shouting protesters were led by a senior seperatist leader Shabir Ahmed.

“Till the time our leaders are not released from house arrest, we will continue to protest,” said Ahmad, a Muslim League leader.

Local security personnel had to use tear gas after the protesters resorted to heavy stone pelting on them.

Authorities in the state had put in detention some separatist leaders, who were allegedly inciting people to boycott last year’s State Assembly elections.

Protestors claimed that many of their leaders who participated in the peaceful demonstration were still behind the bars.

Kashmir’s main separatist alliance the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference had given a public call for complete boycott of elections in the state. But the voters across the Jammu and Kashmir turned out in large numbers, defying the boycott call. (ANI)

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