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Sainiks barge into Geelani’s conference
Salahuddin unhappy with Pak policy on Kashmir
Leasing out of Gulmarg land put on hold
First batch of 217 pilgrims leaves for Haj
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VC gets two-year extension
7 feared dead in snowstorm
Militants kill trader in Baramula
BJP office-bearers by Nov 30
Lawyers go on strike to protest attack
Jammu-Srinagar road reopens to one-way traffic
18 booked for flouting PFA
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Sainiks barge into Geelani’s conference
Jammu, November 23 The police was posted around the Press Club where Mr Geelani addressed reporters, but activists of the two parties sneaked there and raised slogans against him and Pakistan. Those accompanying Mr Geelani also raised slogans. The police pushed Shiv Sena and Janata Party activists out from the hall. Mr Geelani criticised the Congress-led coalition government in the state for inviting outsiders to acquire land on lease at Gulmarg and other tourist places for building hotels and other infrastructure. He gave a call for strike in the state on November 25 against Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for “putting the state on sale”. He said Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory and allowing outsiders to settle here was not acceptable to him. The path for leasing land to outsiders was paved in 1978 by the then National Conference government of Sheikh Abdullah when legislation to this effect was passed in the Assembly. Mr Geelani said more than 40 per cent of land in the state was under the occupation of the armed forces and now outsiders were being leased out properties at tourist places which would render local people landless. He described the step as a “conspiracy” against the people of the state. He said the formulas of autonomy, self-rule and dialogue were not acceptable to people of Kashmir. India had initiated a dialogue with Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership 130 times for the solution of the Kashmir problem, but there was no outcome of the exercise. He said nothing short of the right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir would restore peace in the state. He made it clear that he was not against dialogue, but it should be purposeful. He demanded India should withdraw armed forces from Kashmir.
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Salahuddin unhappy with Pak policy on Kashmir
Jammu, November 23 The council’s supremo said " We have the resources and we shall not be cowed down by suspension of material and moral support by Islamabad." Both Geelani and Salahuddin actually want Pakistan to mount pressure on Delhi so that the ongoing talks remained Kashmir centric. Political observers here are of the opinion that, having realised that in the absence of moral and material support from Islamabad, Kashmiri separatists had lost the vital issue to harp on and hence have started clamouring over the government's plan to give land on lease to businessmen and those connected with tourist industry for building hotels and huts at tourist resorts in collaboration with business houses from outside the state. Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference have demanded that land for building hotels and huts should not be purchased by non-state subjects. They have even called for ban on the entry of labourers, masons and carpenters from outside the state into Kashmir which could otherwise alter the demographic character of the Valley.
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Leasing out of Gulmarg land put on hold
Srinagar, November 23 Disclosing this at a press conference here today, the Tourism Minister, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, said the matter would be taken up at the Cabinet before proceeding further. The process of auctioning and leasing of land had been stopped in view of the apprehension of the people at large, he said. The minister said the interest of the people was of prime importance. This decision had been taken by the government last month when the auction of the land in the world famous tourist spot of Gulmarg had been approved. Even as the minister had earlier clarified that the land was not being leased out to non-state subjects, the issue had taken a different turn, with public demonstrations recently held in Gulmarg and Tangmarg. Those associated with the tourism trade in these areas apprehended that the land was being leased out to private parties, particularly non-state subjects. This, according to them, would only help the outside parties and there would be no benefit to the locals or state subjects. The Opposition National Conference president, Mr Omar Abdullah, also expressed concern over the government plan of leasing out land to the parties from outside the state. Addressing a public meeting at Handwara in north Kashmir yesterday, he blamed the former Chief Minister and PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, for this “conspiracy”. Meanwhile, the National Conference here today supported the general strike call for November 25 in protest against the government decision to lease out land in Gulmarg to non-state subject private parties. The NC president said the party would go ahead with the programme and further plan of action would be announced here tomorrow. Both factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, led by the hardline Syed Ali Shah Geelani and moderate Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) of Shabir Ahmad Shah and others have opposed the government plan. The Geelani faction has called for a general strike in Kashmir on November 25 in protest against the government’s decision. The Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference also organised a seminar here on Monday on the issue wherein he sought public support against “unauthorised occupation of land” by the government and security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir. He dared Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to find out as to who had illegally occupied lakhs of kanals of Auqaf land in Jammu and in parts of the Kashmir valley and Ladakh region. The state government, at the same time, has launched a campaign to retrieve about 25 lakh kanals of state land costing over Rs 25,000 crore from land mafia and others.
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First batch of 217 pilgrims leaves for Haj
Srinagar, November 23 Minister for Haj and Auqaf Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Minister of State for Power and Health Peer Mohammad Hussain, Minister of State for Rural Development Javid Mustafa Mir, Divisional Commissioner Basharat Ahmad, the Budgam Deputy Commissioner were present on the occasion. Interacting with the pilgrims, Mr Azad enquired about the facilities made available to them at the tourist reception centre and the airport.
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VC gets two-year extension
Jammu, November 23 A spokesman of Raj Bhavan said the Governor had granted extension to Professor Bansal for academic excellence and expediting infrastructure development of the University.
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7 feared dead in snowstorm
Jammu, November 23 These persons were taking animals to the Kashmir valley from the mountainous route on November 16 when they were trapped in snowstorm. Senior superintendent of police, Doda, Manohar Singh, said today a police team accompanied by 25 locals had gone to the spot, but was not in a position to trace the missing persons because of continuing snow for the past five days. He said the area had received 10 feet of snow. Among those feared dead are, Abdul Rehman, Ghulam Hassan, Mohammad Karim, Mohammad Rasool, Gulab Din and Mohammad Ramzan. |
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Militants kill trader in Baramula
Jammu, November 23 On a tip off, security forces busted a militant hideout in the Aramdaki area of Banihal in Doda district and recovered from it 15 kg of white explosive and four aluminium antennas, they said. From another hideout at Teli Mohalla in the Salwah area of Mendhar Tehsil in Poonch district, security forces recovered one AK-56 rifle and three Chinese-made hand grenades. Meanwhile, a shopkeeper was shot dead by militants in Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today. Shabir Ahmad Lone, who ran a shop at Zalura in Sopore, 55 km from here, was shot at by the militants last evening, they said.
— PTI
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BJP office-bearers by Nov 30
Jammu, November 23 Mr Khajuria said here yesterday office-bearers of the party would be announced by November 30. He is leaving for Delhi on Friday to discuss the issue with the central party leadership. BJP general secretary Sanjay Joshi has summoned him to Delhi for the purpose.
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Lawyers go on strike to protest attack
Srinagar, November 23 The Bar association expressed concern over the attempt on the life of Mian Abdul Qayoom, a spokesman of the Bar said after a general body meeting of the association here today. Qayoom escaped unhurt when two armed youths hurled a grenade on him near his residence at Bulbulbagh Barzullah in uptown city last evening. He said the association had decided not to attend courts tomorrow as a mark of protest.
— PTI
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Jammu-Srinagar road reopens to one-way traffic
Jammu, November 23 The highway was re-opened after Border Roads Organisation men removed blockades last night, the police said here. Light vehicles were also plying from both sides. The highway was blocked at Panthal yesterday due to landslides and shooting stones.
— PTI
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18 booked for flouting PFA
Jammu, November 23 In Udhampur district weather office fined traders for violating weights and measures laws. Shawl sellers at Patnitop were also directed to remove sign boards of the Jammu-Ladakh Handloom Corporation and Jammu the handlooms used by them at their establishments.
— PTI
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Jammu, November 23
