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Handwara killings: Azad orders judicial probe
Pakistan gives importance to Farooq Papa
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Cousin Niaz vacates Bhaderwah seat for Azad
Implement ban on private practice by doctors, says HC
Sale of India Today banned
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Handwara killings: Azad orders judicial probe
Jammu, March 1 The announcement was made by Mr Azad in the Assembly following a discussion on the issue of violation of human rights in the state. The Legislative Council also discussed such violations. Speaker Tara Chand, had allowed the discussion following noisy protests by members of the opposition National Conference (NC). Replying to the discussion, Mr Azad said the incident was unfortunate, but while condemning such happenings the members should also raise their voice against the terrorists who engaged in the proxy war being encouraged and abetted by Pakistan. He said it was a misconception that no follow-up action was taken on the magisterial inquiries into earlier incidents of human rights violation. The Chief Minister disclosed that action against 134 personnel of the Army so far, had been taken. This includes, life imprisonment for two personnel, rigorous imprisonment for 59, as many as 13 personnel were dismissed from service along with one-year rigorous imprisonment and five others were dismissed. Disciplinary action against 79 personnel of the BSF from the rank of DIG to constable had been taken. Similarly, 60 personnel of the state police have faced action for violating human rights. Mr Azad said as terrorists have killed 15,894 civilians in 16 years of militancy in the state, but no voice had been raised against this. Besides, 3493 soldiers and 1200 personnel of paramilitary forces have sacrificed lives while fighting militancy. He said human rights violations by uniformed forces would not be tolerated, but one thing should be kept in mind that soldiers protecting our lives and honour while facing a hostile weather were also human beings and sons and brothers of someone. Giving details, the Chief Minister said that since 1990 as 64,132 incidents of terrorist violence had been registered in the state. The recoveries made from terrorist hideouts were of a very high magnitude with seizure of 28,203 AK rifles, 36 lakh rounds of ammunition, 10,212 pistols, 56,000 grenades and 400 quintals of explosives. He expressed determination of the government to eliminate militancy and restore peace and normalcy in the state while ensuring that the life and dignity of the common people were safeguarded at all times. Notwithstanding the extreme restraint shown by the forces, incidents of collateral damage take place. However, the government is committed to ensure that human rights violations are brought down to the zero level. He gave figures showing decline in the complaints of human rights violations. He said in 2000 as 84 complaints of rights violations were received. The number of complaints in 2001 was 142, 2002 (74), 2003 (25), 2004 (16) and 2005 (7). Mr Azad said the boys killed in the incident at Dodipura in Handwara had been identified as, Samad Mir (24), Ghulam Hassan Bhat (18), Shakir Ahmed Wani (8) and Amir Ahmed Hajan (9). An ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh to next of the kin of each of them has been disbursed and one relative of each of them had absorbed in government service. Earlier, during discussion on the issue, Mr
A.R. Rather, leader of the opposition, said that incidents of human rights violation had put credibility of Mr Azad at stake. He said functioning of the state human rights commission had been crippled without an IGP for investigating the complaints since 2002. Mr M.Y. Tarigami (CPM) demanded that security forces be made accountable for their action. Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar (NC) demanded action against those Army officers who tried to mislead the people on the Handwara incident. |
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Pakistan gives importance to Farooq Papa
Jammu, March 1 Reports from across the LOC say that it is on the suggestion of those who matter in Islamabad that Mr Javed Ahmed Mir, who had two years ago parted company with the JKLF chief, Mr Yasin Malik, and had been enrolled in the JKLF headed by Mr Farooq Papa had received invitation for attending the Pugwash conference to be held from March 10 to 12 in Islamabad. Earlier, Mr Yasin Malik was among half a dozen mainstream and separatist leaders invited to the conference. The reports said that Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, who heads the Kashmir-American Council in Washington and has gone close to the Pakistani establishment, had played a key role in securing an invitation to Mr Javed Ahmed Mir to the Pugwash conference in order to cut Mr Yasin Malik to size. Though Mr Malik had been given a warm welcome during his visit to Pakistan two months ago, which included his meeting with
Gen. Pervez Musharraf, he is said to have come under a shadow after he accompanied cricketer Imran Khan to some places in Pakistan and played cricket with him. The relations between Mr Imran Khan and Gen Pervez Musharraf are strained and Mr Malik’s honeymoon with Mr Khan is said to have annoyed the Pakistani establishment which has now started giving importance to the Farooq Papa-led JKLF. No doubt, the hardcore separatist, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had been invited to the Pugwash conference, his participation is in doubt because his impounded passport has not been released to him. He had been issued a special travel document for performing the Haj pilgrimage last month. This time, the Pugwash conference in Islamabad seems to hold an added interest for the people in Kashmir as for the first time several mainstream political leaders, including the President, Mr Omar Abdullah, and senior PDP leader, Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, have decided to participate in the conference. |
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Cousin Niaz vacates Bhaderwah seat for Azad
Jammu, March 1 Mr Azad finally has chosen a seat being considered the “safest” for him. The announcement was made in the Assembly by the Speaker Tara Chand, who said that he had received the resignation of Mr Niaz and he has accepted it with immediate effect. Mr Azad, who became Chief Minister in November, is not a member of any of the Houses in the state. It is mandatory that he should become a member of one of the two Houses in six months of becoming Chief Minister. Speculations were rife for some time that Mr Azad might contest the Rafiabad seat in the valley that was vacant. However, the PDP reportedly was not in a mood to vacate the seat for Mr Azad as its own senior member Mr Dillawar Mir was an aspirant for the ticket. The resignation of Mr Niaz has also set at rest that Mr Azad might get himself nominated as a member of the upper House to escape a direct election. He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election from Inderwal in the Doda district in 1977 and after that he would be contesting the Assembly election after 29 years in the state. There were indications that byelections for the four vacant seats of Bhaderwah, Pattan, Rafiabad and Sangrama might be held around mid-April. The Assembly secretariat this afternoon faxed the notification regarding the Bhaderwah seat falling vacant to the Election Commission and has asked for filling the vacancy caused following the resignation of Mr Niaz. Mr Azad had been meeting a deputations from Bhaderwah in the past few days giving indications that he might not go after the Rafiabad seat and stick to his home district. Meanwhile, Mr Niaz told reporters that he had offered his seat to Mr Azad because it would be the privilege of Doda district to have the firstever Chief Minister from the Jammu division.
— TNS |
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Implement ban on private practice by doctors, says HC
Jammu, March 1 The court also ordered effective checking of the sale of spurious drugs. These directions came today on a complaint which was treated as a public interest litigation. The court has directed the Principal Secretary, Health, the Director of Health and the Drug Controller to take the necessary measures in this behalf. The court has sought the list of registered private hospitals, nursing homes and clinical establishments with the nature of medical facilities available with them. The court has sought the compliance report on the next date of hearing on April 25. |
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Sale of India Today banned
Jammu, March 1 This was announced by the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beig, in the Assembly following noisy protests by members on the issue. He said that orders had been issued to confiscate copies of the magazine in the state. Cutting across party lines, the members took strong exception to publishing of such material.
— TNS |
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