Srinagar, December 9
Two-day fast by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) led by chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik against alleged human rights violations by security forces in the state began at the party headquarters at Maisuma here this morning. 

A peaceful procession was also held from the old city office at Bohrikadal to the party headquarters, Maqbool Manzil, Maisuma, this evening. The protest will conclude on the World Human Rights Day tomorrow, when a memorandum on human rights abuse will be submitted to the office of the UNMOGIP here.

The fast led by Malik was joined by party leaders and members of a cross section of society, including intellectuals, poets, writers, doctors and businessmen. The relatives of those killed by security forces and disappeared persons were among those who joined the protest fast. It is against killings, custodial deaths, rape and molestation of women, destruction of property, crackdowns, arrests and other violations, Malik elaborated.

He claimed that Kashmiri students and businessmen outside the state were also being harassed and referred to the recent incident of the closure of business unit of a Kashmiri resident at Tanda in Uttar Pradesh. Malik contested claim of the government on the human rights front.

Expressing concern at human rights violations despite the Prime Minister’s assurance on zero tolerance, Malik claimed 44 custodial deaths out of 677 killings in the state since December last year. He claimed that one to six custodial deaths were reported every month in Jammu and Kashmir between December last year and November this year. He contested Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s claim that no custodial deaths had been reported between January and October this year. Azad had also claimed that custodial disappearances had declined by 95 per cent in his tenure of two years.  

Udhampur, December 9
As functioning of the administration had been hit due to lack of accommodation for officers of the newly carved Kishtwar district, the deputy commissioner has got locked all guest houses and dak bungalows being "misused" by the officers of different departments here.

Senior officers of the district administration have been working virtually without offices; some locals of Kishtwar have "captured" guest houses of different government departments.

Deputy commissioner, Kishtwar, Inayat Ullah told The Tribune that local employees had occupied these guest houses while humiliating treatment was meted out to outside employees who deserved to be accommodated in these dak bungalows.

He admitted that those who had captured these guest houses had political patronage. "Our priority is the smooth functioning of the new district", he asserted, adding, "I will not hesitate to take some extreme steps to get these government buildings evicted from local officers of different departments. I have sealed all guest houses to accommodate genuine employees there".

Although Kishtwar got district status and functioning of the district administration started from this financial year, there is no accommodation for officers appointed after the creation of the new administrative unit. Without basic infrastructure, functioning of the district administration was started and most of the offices were opened in guest houses and dak bungalows of other departments.

"There is virtual chaos in the administration as a large number of the officers of the district administration have been working without basic infrastructure", alleged Anil Parihar of Kishtwar. He said casual approach of the government was an example of discrimination against this region.

Tehsildar, naib tehsildar, chief planning officer, tehsildar Marwah, naib tehsildar (Election), SO (Planning) and other officials have got temporary accommodation in the guest house of the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department to start functioning. Three rooms of the R&B guest house were allottted temporarily to these officers/officials of the district administration. The department concerned has reportedly evicted all three rooms rendering these officers/officials without offices.

The government, in its order( 234-GAD of 6-03-2007), had transferred all government guest houses to the Revenue Department, but other departments refused to hand over these buildings to the district administration.  

Udhampur, December 9
A youth committed suicide after jumping before a running train near here. The identity of the deceased has not established as his body was badly mutilated after the train ran over him.

According to the police, a youth jumped before a train at Mian Bagh, about 5 km from here, on late Saturday night. Although his body is lying in the mortuary of the Udhampur hospital, his identity is yet not established. It is believed that the deceased was an outsider. The police has registered a case.