|
|
|
|
|
In election mode, Mufti roars in NC bastion
Radical groups, ISI targeting Indians in Pak jails: Ex-spies
1991 ‘mass rape’ incident
JKPCC chief welcomes Vohra’s reappointment as Governor
|
|
|
Chinese incursions attack on country’s sovereignty: BJP
Govt taking spurious drugs issue casually: JKNPP
State to organise road shows in Saudi Arabia to boost tourism
50% of rural govt schools do not have libraries: Survey
Durbar Move offices all set to open in Valley next week
Five BGSB varsity students booked
Missing woman found in Rajouri
|
|
In election mode, Mufti roars in NC bastion
Srinagar, April 29 Mufti said this while addressing a public rally at Ganderbal, the home constituency of the Sheikh family represented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Eyeing a decisive mandate in its favour in the next year’s Assembly elections, the PDP leader said the party would strive to run the state by involving other political stakeholders as well. Mufti made it to the National Conference bastion, just a day after he had taken a dig at the ruling party from the PDP bastion at Beijbehara in south Kashmir. Ganderbal has been represented by the Sheikh leaders — Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and the third generation Omar Abdullah — in all elections except in 2002, when it had gone to the PDP. The PDP patron said the party’s “agenda for resolution of the Kashmir issue” was under implementation when its tenure ended. But the “unfinished business has to be completed and for that we will need everybody’s active cooperation and support,” he said. Mufti said the confidence-building measures for India and Pakistan after the 2003 initiative taken up by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the change in the political atmosphere of the subcontinent had much to do with the free and fair exercise of vote in Jammu and Kashmir. Mufti said Ganderbal had sent in 2002 a powerful message of change across the state and even outside. He said that spirit had to be revived if the mission of resolution had to be taken to its logical conclusion. He said the next elections would be conducted on the comparative performance of political parties both in the government and in the Opposition. Solid issues would be there for people to vote for. While on the top would be the political resolution of J&K, important economic issues like the power crisis would have to be debated and brought into public attention for its solution, he said. The PDP leader also touched upon other issues like unemployment. He demanded a clear policy on tackling it. Senior party leader and former deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the doors of the party were open for everyone who had the good of the state at heart and wanted to contribute to peace and development. The party’s chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar, former minister Qazi Mohammed Afzal and others were also present. Eyeing a decisive mandate in its favour in the next year’s Assembly elections, patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said the party would strive to run the state by involving other political stakeholders as well.
|
||
|
Radical groups, ISI targeting Indians in Pak jails: Ex-spies
Jammu, April 29 Their revelation gets reaffirmed against the backdrop of the brutal killing of Indian prisoner Chamel Singh, a resident of Molu Pargwal, in Kot Lakhpat Jail on January 15, followed by a murderous attack on Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh in the same prison on April 26. “During my 11-year-long ordeal in various Pakistani prisons, including Kot Lakhpat Jail, I have been witness to deaths of at least four Indian prisoners (Surjeet Singh of Ludhiana, Hans Raj, alias Hansu, of RS Pura, Behra Masih of Dera Baba Nanak and Paramanand of Rajasthan) because of continuous third degree torture. A dozen Indians were forcibly administered psychotropic drugs, making them mental wrecks,” says Vinod Sawhney, a former spy and president of the Jammu Ex-Sleuths’ Association. “They (prisoners) were tortured for years and as a result contracted infections, which led to chronic diseases resulting in their deaths well before they crossed their 40s,” he adds. Sawhney still remembers his years spent in Gora Jail in Sialkot, Central Jail in Multan, Central Jail in Sahiwal and Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore from 1977 to 1988. “Sahiwal is the most atrocious and infamous prison followed by Kot Lakhpat Jail, where Indian prisoners who are mostly convicted of spying undergo third degree torture, ranging from keeping them in pitch-dark dungeons, subjecting them to electric shocks, pulling their nails, besides fettering them in chains or manacles around ankles that weigh 10 kg,” he says. “The media has become active these days and that is why Chamel Singh’s killing and the attack on Sarabjit are out in the open. Otherwise, Pakistan has been maltreating Indian prisoners with the help of Islamic radical groups and the ISI, which plant rogue elements in Pakistani prisons to eliminate Indians prisoners,” he adds. Sarabjit, too, in the past had reportedly complained of being given some psychotropic drugs to make him mentally unstable. Kot Lakhpat Jail currently houses some 17,000 inmates, in sharp contrast to its official capacity of 4,000. Another former spy, Babu Ram, a resident of Nalla Thanger, who languished in Kot Lakhpat Jail for 19 years, still gets uneasy by the thought of the third degree torture he was given in Pakistani prisons. “They pulled my finger nails. Not only this, they used to hammer pins into my toe nails. For three and a half years, I did not know whether it was day or night,” Babu Ram says. Sahiwal is the most atrocious and infamous prison followed by Kot Lakhpat Jail, where Indian prisoners who are mostly convicted of spying undergo third degree torture |
||
|
1991 ‘mass rape’ incident
Srinagar, April 29 “Answer whether a matter can be agitated before the High Court through a PIL after the passage of 22 years and whether a PIL is the medium to seek the implementation of the State Human Rights Commission judgment”, the High Court division bench today told the petitioner lawyer, who insisted on admitting his PIL, which was listed today. The PIL, filed by a group and students and teachers through human rights activist and lawyer advocate Parvez Imroz, calls for summoning the entire record before the court. It has sought reinvestigation into the case FIR as directed by the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in 2011. The incident involved the alleged rape of over 32 village women by Army personnel in remote Kupwara village Kunan Poshpora on February 23 in 1991. In October 2011, the SHRC had passed a judgment on the incident, demanding reopening of the case and filing a case against the then Director, Prosecution, for “deliberately scuttling” the investigation into the matter. The commission had recommended that the state should prosecute the then Director, Prosecution, who had sought closure of the case as the perpetrators were “untraceable”. “Why are you filing the PIL into the incident after a gap of over 20 years? Justify the maintainability of the PIL on this ground,” the division bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey observed as soon as the PIL, listed at serial two in the regular cause list, was called for hearing. Counsel Imroz in his submission said the “matter is of public importance” involving the alleged rape of 32 women, and he was before the High Court seeking reinvestigation into the matter on the ground that the matter was “hushed up”. “Besides, very recently in 2011, the SHRC passed a judgment into the Kunan Poshpora incident asking for reinvestigation of the case FIR, but even after a passage of over one and a half years, the government has not filed its action taken report (ATR) on the SHRC verdict yet,” Imroz submitted while praying that the PIL be admitted. “In these situations, the only remedy available is to agitate the matter before the High Court, therefore this PIL”, he added. However on this, the bench asked him that that why should the High Court pass an order through the medium of this PIL for implementation of the SHRC orders. “Before we take up the matter, answer two points on the maintainability of the petition. Can a matter be agitated 22 years after it has happened and, second, tell us if the PIL is a medium to implement the SHRC verdict?” the bench stated while asking the petitioner counsel to provide “legal references” to these questions in further submissions scheduled for next week. The court, however, neither granted any interim relief nor passed any orders on admission of the PIL in today’s hearing. What the PIL says
|
||
|
JKPCC chief welcomes Vohra’s reappointment as Governor
Jammu, April 29 “It is a matter of great satisfaction that the Government of India has appointed NN Vohra as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir for another term. This measure will, among other things, promote stability and harmony in the state,” Saifuddin Soz, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, said in a press statement here. Soz said he had known Vohra for a long time. “His secular credentials are fully recognised all over. Vohra has already shown his culture and taste for equity and justice as basic principles for a balanced social, economic and political development in the state,” the JKPCC chief said. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Jammu, also welcomed the continuation of Vohra as the Governor of the state for a second term. YV Sharma, president of the CCI, congratulated Vohra on his reappointment and said, “The CCI feels that Vohra, on account of his sense of judgement, political sagacity, statesmanship and administrative acumen, has brought peace and harmony to the state during his first term which saw a decline in militancy and a sense of satisfaction among the people of the state.” He said his (Vohra) continuation for the second term would usher in a better era of peace and prosperity in the state. The University of Jammu has also welcomed Vohra’s reappointment as the Governor of the state. Vohra is also the Chancellor of the University of Jammu. Vice-Chancellor of the JU Prof MPS Ishar, on behalf of the entire university fraternity, expressed pleasure over Vohra’s reappointment and hoped that the university would continue to tread the path of progress under his able patronage. The Teachers Association of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, has also congratulated Vohra for being reappointed as the Governor of the state. “The Governor being the Chancellor of SKUAST, Jammu, shall be a guiding force for the overall development of the farm university. He has taken a keen interest in improving the research, teaching and extension activities during the last five years,” said Dr Narinder Singh, president of the association. The All Jammu Hotels Lodges Association (AJHLA) has also hailed the reappointed of NN Vohra as the Governor. A meeting of the association was held here today under the Chairmanship of its president, Indeerjeet Khajuria. Khajuria termed the decision as a welcome development. The AJHLA further commended Vohra’s role in the promotion of Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir, with the active participation of Muslims. Meanwhile, the Citizens Forum also welcomed the reappointment of Vohra. A meeting of the forum held here today under the chairmanship of its president RK Chadha observed that being associated with the affairs of the state for a long time, both as a Union Home Secretary and Defence Secretary and later as an interlocutor on J&K during the government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Vohra had deep insight into the problems and psyches of various sections of the people of the state. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the Government of India has appointed NN Vohra as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir for another term. This measure will, among other things, promote stability and harmony in the state |
||
|
Chinese incursions attack on country’s sovereignty: BJP
Jammu, April 29 “The Central government’s policy towards China is soft, as a result of which China indulges in intrusions in the Ladakh region every now and then. The Congress-led UPA government has adopted complete silence over the incidents of foreign attacks on the country’s sovereignty,” Thupstan Chhewang, BJP national executive member and former MP, told reporters here. Chhewang, who belongs to the Ladakh region, said repeated intrusions by the People’s Liberation Army of China deep into the Indian Territory had been taken “casually” by the Union Government which encouraged China, resulting in the present situation, where entry into the Indian borders had become a routine affair for China. Flanked by national executive member of the party Nirmal Singh and state general secretary Bali Bhagat, Chhewang alleged that instead of taking immediate appropriate steps to discourage China from “waging an undeclared war” against India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and other Union ministers were making “foolish” statements. “It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister described the issue as a localised problem. Statements like un-demarcated borders between India and China or disputed area are utterances of seditious nature,” the leader said. He alleged that China had never honoured agreements and protocol between both countries after the 1962 war to respect the Actual Line of Control (LAC) and resolve related misunderstandings through proper channels. “The soft defence policy towards China has not only demoralised the Army and other forces deployed along the borders but the people living in these areas are also feeling scared,” the former MP said, adding that the recent incursion by Chinese troops had given a setback to tourism, with local and foreign tourists cancelling their visits to Leh and other parts of the Ladakh region. He alleged that China was moving with a “well-planned conspiracy” to grab land in Ladakh and the same was continuously happening because the Central government had never bothered to retaliate adequately. He said it was high time the Union Government took note of frequent intrusions by China and reviewed its defence policy vis-à-vis China. He also demanded creation of a special command base in Ladakh to counter Chinese threats. |
||
|
Govt taking spurious drugs issue casually: JKNPP
Jammu, April 29 “It is criminal that the distribution of spurious medicines has been continuing unabated in the whole state with the authorities concerned having acquired medicines even from private drug companies which have been blacklisted in other states,” said Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP chairman, while referring to the scam in purchase and sale of fake and substandard drugs in the state. He said due to “culpable conduct” on the part of the authorities concerned, there couldn’t be a count of how many lives had been affected and how many people had suffered due to spurious drugs. “The absence of a proper drug policy governing the purchase and distribution of life-saving medicines and drugs has been a topic of discussion in the state during the past several years but the authorities concerned refused to wake up to the menace for reasons best known to them,” Singh said. He said the issue was taken casually by the authorities concerned. — TNS |
||
|
State to organise road shows in Saudi Arabia to boost tourism
Jammu, April 29 A team of the tourism department led by Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmed Mir will inaugurate the show along with senior members of the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. The tour has been cleared by the Central government as part of diplomatic efforts to project a peaceful face of the state, especially the Kashmir valley, among people of the Middle East. Several events in this regard are slated to be held in Jeddah, Dammam and Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Apart from the Tourism Minister, the delegation includes Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, Kashmir Tourism Director Talat Parvez and Gulmarg Development Authority chief executive officer Tariq Hussain Ganai. Officials said Arabs mostly preferred to explore Europe and America. They said Arabs were not much aware about Kashmir. “By organising these shows, we want to create awareness among them. Middle East travellers are not like westerners. They want comfort and luxury while others are here in the search of adventure. This is one reason why Arabs don’t come here,” said a tourism official. Tourism Minister GA Mir said, “J&K has a huge tourism potential as it has a rich cultural and religious heritage. The Middle East is one of our priority areas along with Europe and the Far East. There is a need to create awareness among people in these countries.” Tourism officials said Kashmir had been attracting tourists from Western Europe for decades, even during the peak of insurgency. They said the Valley also attracted Israeli travellers despite an attack on them in the 1991s. However, travellers from Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries have not shown any interest, they said. Infrastructure created over the years, besides gardens and parks, has suffered a lot of damage, casting its affect on tourism here. Following an improvement in the security scenario, the state witnessed revival of tourism. However, several Western countries such as the UK, Australia and the United States still have negative travel advisories for Kashmir after the infamous kidnapping of five Western tourists by a terrorist group, Al-Faran, in 1995. “Saudis are high-spending tourists and Kashmir is endowed with natural beauty. Being a Muslim majority region, it has a lot to offer,” said an official. The tourism sector had received a severe blow after the eruption of armed insurgency. During 1990s, tourism was at an all-time low in the state. |
||
|
50% of rural govt schools do not have libraries: Survey
Srinagar, April 29 Volunteers of local organisations conduct the survey in every rural district of the country. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, specifies norms for schools which includes facilities such as buildings, drinking water, toilets and libraries. The least number of libraries are at the primary and upper primary levels (Class I-VIII). Fifty per cent of the 387 rural government schools are without libraries. The survey found that the libraries in 26 per cent of the government schools were unused. Only 23.8
per cent school libraries in the rural areas of the state were used. This despite the fact that the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has sanctioned various funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) to these schools as School Development Grant and School Maintenance Grant, the report states. The absence of libraries in the schools may also be an indicator of the low level of comprehension among students in these schools with only 41 per cent of Class V being
able to read Class II standard text. Experts say reading and learning skills among children were acquired in libraries especially at the elementary level. “The libraries help develop reading skills when students devote a lot of time to reading books under the supervision of teachers. The report is a clear indicator of why the
government school students do not perform well in English and other language subjects because they lack comprehension,” Abdul Hamid Parray,an expert in Library
Sciences at Islamic University of Science and Technology said. The libraries help develop reading skills when students devote a lot of time to reading books under the supervision of teachers. The report is a clear indicator of why the government school students do not perform well in English and other language subjects because they lack comprehension — Abdul Hamid Parray, library sciences expert |
||
|
Durbar Move offices all set to open in Valley next week
Srinagar, April 29 “We started unloading the trucks today and the files are being dispatched to the offices concerned here. While the process will be completed by tomorrow, we are hiring 45 JKTDC huts besides 118 hotels having a total of 3,100 rooms to accommodate the employees,” said the Deputy Director, Estates, Mohammad Farooq Dar. He said bureaucrats and other higher-ups would be accommodated at JKTDC huts while other employees were being accommodated in hotels after the security clearance. Three additional JKTDC hotels were also being hired to accommodate senior officials so that the employees faced no problems. “Besides, repair work and face-lifting exercise has been completed at the various (Estates) flats at Jawahar Nagar, Tulsi Bagh, Budshah Bridge, Sanatnagar and other areas of the city to house employees,” Dar added. While the civil secretariat is reopening its offices here on May 6 as part of the bi-annual Durbar Move exercise, the main city roads too are being spruced up with repair and paint work over the past week. Labourers can be seen engaged in repair and paintwork on the edges of pavements and railings at roads close to the civil secretariat and areas in and around city centre Lal Chowk ahead of the Durbar Move. While the Estates Department is looking after the dispatching of files to the offices concerned and accommodation of the employees, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has already launched a sanitation drive to remove garbage at the main city points before the opening of Durbar offices. The annual Durbar Move practice was started in 1872 by then ruler of the state, Maharaja Gulab Singh. Even though the practice costs the state exchequer crores of rupees and several people, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, have expressed reservations over it, the tradition continues. The J&K legislature, Raj Bhawan and various Durbar Move offices were closed in Jammu on April 26. |
||
|
Five BGSB varsity students booked
Rajouri, April 29 Student of B.Tech (fourth semester) Mohit Kumar was attacked by five engineering students on the university campus late evening. Reports said a case had been registered against the five students in a local police station at Rajouri. They have been identified as Ishrar, Ajaz, Mumeeb, Salman and Peerzada. They are absconding since the incident took place. Registrar of the university, while talking to The Tribune, said, “It was a minor scuffle between the students. Now both the sides have compromised.” |
||
|
Missing woman found in Rajouri
Jammu, April 29 The woman who was married was living with her parents for past 11 months. Her father had lodged a complaint with the police. The woman was handed over to her parents today.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Jammu, April 29
Jammu, April 29
