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India, Pak exchange fire in Uri sector
Jawans’ killing in Poonch
Poonch protests Pak’s inhuman act
Mufti calls for restraint over ceasefire violations |
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5 courts designated to fast-track rape cases
Azad, Soz meet UPA chairperson to discuss Cabinet reshuffle
NC leader’s ‘plebiscite’ remark evokes strong reaction
Cabinet expansion on the cards
Cabinet approves creation of 80 posts for 5 ITIs
2,360 rape cases pending trial in various courts
AFSPA revocation: Rasheed meets Irom Sharmila
NC, Congress playing emotive politics: PDP
Unfit vehicles, bad roads causing accidents, says Reasi SSP
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India, Pak exchange fire in Uri sector
Srinagar, January 10 Sources said Pakistani troops opened fire at Indian posts with small arms last night. “The two sides have been intermittently exchanging light fire in Churanda village of Uri sector,” said a source. “Pakistani troops open fire whenever troops from this side try to move towards the post near the LoC which has been the main cause of the ceasefire violation,” a source added. The sources said the “controversial bunker” was located close to a house and due to the Pakistani firing no one was occupying the post. Churanda is surrounded by Pakistani troops from three sides and the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan have spread panic among the villagers. The Army, however, denies that any such new bunker was set up in Churanda village. “We did not construct any forward post that is being blamed for the escalation of tension on the LoC. At times, we just have minor renovation of bunkers,” said an Army officer. The local villagers, however, blamed the Army for constructing a new forward post which they suspect was the main reason for the border shelling in the village. “In October, they (Pakistanis) had made announcements calling for a stop to the construction work. And after that they have been firing, which has left three residents of the village dead,” said a villager. The Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Ghulam Ahmad Khawaja, said the situation along the LoC in the district was calm. “Our civil officers are also monitoring the situation and the Uri area is peaceful,” he added. Meanwhile, an Army press release said today Pakistan had carried out a ceasefire violation on the night of January 5-6 and “controlled retaliation” was carried out by the Indian Army on January 6 in the Uri sector. “No LoC transgression has been resorted to by the Indian Army in the Uri Sector on January 6 as alleged,” it said. Pakistan has been alleging that one of its soldiers was killed by Indian troops along the LoC in Uri sector on Sunday. |
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Jawans’ killing in Poonch
Jammu, January 10 The denial of the Foreign Office of Pakistan released yesterday by its state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said: “Pakistan was prepared to investigate the recent ceasefire violations on the Line of Control through the United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)”. That makes it crystal clear even to a layman that Pakistan by bringing in the UNMOGIP into the picture is desperately trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue and the method it adopted was the brutal killing of the Indian soldiers. The Pakistani establishment was aware of the fact that India would react and demand a probe to bring the culprits to book. So, it activated its commandos to do the job, Army sources told The Tribune. It was also known that India would never accept any international probe. So, the probe would never get conducted as in the case of 26/11. Now, as expected, India has rejected the present proposal of Pakistan. This gruesome path was adopted by Pakistan because all its plans on Kashmir had fallen flat in 2011 and 2012 Tuesday’s incident came after a series of failed attempts of infiltration from across the Line of Control, and its failure to whip up passions in the Valley over one incident or the other, the latest being that of Pulwama, where anti-Army sentiments were sought to be raised by pro-Pakistan elements in Kashmir. Nothing else but its own denial confirmed all this. Pakistan is shying away from bringing the culprits to international attention for that would establish that Pakistan was behind these gruesome killings. So there ends the whole question of a probe to nail the culprits. It has been rightly pointed out by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that there is someone at the top who wants to derail the fragile peace process. Woefully watching its plans falling flat despite about 100 ceasefire violations and several infiltration attempts, Pakistan looked for this brutal option to draw international attention to the Kashmir issue through the UNMOGIP. |
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Poonch protests Pak’s inhuman act
Poonch, January 10 Protesters raised slogans against Pakistan. Addressing the gathering, Nishchint Gupta said, “This is the high time for the Central government to teach Pakistan a lesson. It has become their habit to disrupt peace in Jammu and Kashmir.” Gupta said the act should be condemned by all countries and all sections of society. Advocate Iftiqar Bazmi expressed resentment over the Pakistani army’s brutal act and appealed to the youth to be united. The protesters appealed to the Central government to sever all relations with Pakistan. They said the gruesome act by the Pakistani army had once again proved that it had no respect for the ceasefire agreement and for other country’s Army as well. |
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Mufti calls for restraint over ceasefire violations
Srinagar, January 10 The party cautioned against any further downside in the Indo-Pak relations. In a statement issued here today, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed hoped the political leadership of the two countries would rise to the occasion to save the biggest confidence-building measure that had come as a great relief to the people of the state. “Earlier, innocent civilian lives were also lost in Churunda village of Uri, bringing back the spectre of border shelling that had made life impossible for people for nearly six decades,” he said. Mufti said, “While strategic considerations are needed to find place in our response to the lately volatile environment on the
LoC, it was of supreme importance that the hawks on either side are not able to derail the peace process between the two
neighbours. It is the people of the state who are the basic stakeholders in peace.” He said their life, property and dignity was in the line of fire in any hostilities between our country and Pakistan. “The 2003 ceasefire was a statesmanly response by the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, to the urge for peace he found among people during his visit to
Srinagar. The process was carried forward by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh even in the face of Mumbai attacks. The people of the state have invested a lot in the peace process and it would be dangerous if the process is allowed to be sabotaged through the misadventures like the ones in
Mendhar,” he said. Describing the ceasefire as the mother of all confidence building measures, Mufti said no progress was possible on other fronts like trade between the two countries or the reopening of the traditional routes across the LoC for travel and trade if the borders remained tense. He said the people of the state who lived in border areas had rediscovered the meaning of life after the 2003 peace initiative and they were looking at the deteriorating situation with immense anxiety. |
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5 courts designated to fast-track rape cases
Srinagar, January 10 Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court MM Kumar today designated five fast-track courts for holding trial of rape cases in the state. The decision to earmark five existing courts as fast-track courts in J-K comes just five days after Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir had on January 5 written to all high courts to fast-track cases related to crime against women. It had observed that any delay in the trial of such cases "may be one of the factors contributing to the rise" in such incidents. In an early morning function today, Justice Kumar inaugurated the court of 3rd Additional District Judge (TADA) in Jammu as a fast-track court for the trail of rape cases in Jammu district. He was accompanied by Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Hasnain Massodi. Later, the Chief Justice inaugurated four more courts earmarked as fast-track courts in four districts of Kashmir division and addressed the judges of these courts via video-conferencing from Jammu. The inaugural function for these fast-track courts was held in Srinagar Deputy Commissioner’s office, where besides the judges of these designated courts, many lawyers and government officials were present. Justice Kumar reminded the judges about their “obligation” towards “delivery of timely justice.” The four courts designated as fast-track cases for trial of rape cases and other crimes in Kashmir division include the court of 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge, Srinagar; court of 1st Additional District & Sessions Judge, Baramulla; court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Anantnag; and the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Pulwama. “Keeping in view the urgency of expeditious trial of rape cases and the fact that justice delayed is justice denied, Chief Justice MM Kumar took a lead in this and earmarked five existing courts in the state as fast-track courts for the trial of rape cases and other crimes against the women,” said Registrar General of the J-K High Court Suresh Kumar. The decision was taken by the high court considering the high pendency of rape cases in these districts, he said. In a strongly worded letter to all Chief Justices of the state high courts on January 5, the Chief Justice of India had observed that because of delays in trial, "deterrence pales into insignificance".
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Azad, Soz meet UPA chairperson to discuss Cabinet reshuffle
Jammu, January 10 Sources said a high-level meeting of party leaders was held today with Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the proposed Cabinet reshuffle. Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, political adviser to Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz and AICC general secretary Mohan Parkash, who is the in charge of the state Congress, were present in the meeting which lasted for more than two hours. “After the meeting, Azad, Soz and Mohan Parkash were asked to evolve a consensus on the names of new faces who would be inducted into the Cabinet,” a source said and added some Congress ministers are likely to be dropped during the reshuffle. Soz had met Sonia Gandhi yesterday to discuss the political situation in the state. He had termed his meeting with the Congress president as “routine”. The sources said Congress minister Peerzada Mohammed Sayeed, who was divested of his Education portfolio in February 2012, had also met Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday. Peerzada was holding the Education portfolio when his son was charged with using unfair means in the board examination. Peerzada continues to hold charge of little known Public Enterprises Department. Insiders in the Congress said most of the senior party leaders were camping at New Delhi amidst speculations of the Cabinet reshuffle. The sources in the party said there was a feeling among the senior leaders that the NC was taking benefit of their infighting so they had decided to bring “truce” to implement their agenda. “A two-hour-long meeting between Soz and Azad on Tuesday is a clear indication that the party leadership has realised the importance of unity,” said a senior Congress leader on the conditions of anonymity. He said Soz had gone to meet Azad and both the leaders held a meeting for two hours. The state Congress has been divided into two factions, one headed by Soz and another by those who owe their allegiance to Azad.
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NC leader’s ‘plebiscite’ remark evokes strong reaction
Jammu, January 10 While coalition partner Congress has maintained a guarded silence on the “controversial” statement by the National Conference leader, who demanded plebiscite for Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition parties have taken the issue to the streets. BJP activists under the leadership of state president Jugal Kishore Sharma took out a protest from the party headquarters, which after passing through main bazaars, culminated at City Chowk where protesters burnt an effigy of the NC. The party activists carried placards and raised slogans demanding prosecution of the National Conference leader under the Sedition Act and punishment for him for making statements demanding independence for Kashmir. They also raised slogans against the NC-Congress coalition. Addressing the gathering, Sharma said the utterances made by Sheikh Nazir were open sedition and a threat to peace and unity of the country. He said it was not for the first time that an NC leader had advocated for independence. He said Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah had also made such statements for which he was jailed for more than two decades. He said the Congress silence on the issue was unfortunate, which was a partner in the government. Meanwhile, activists of the Panthers Party also held a demonstration against National Conference leaders. A handout issued by the party said a demonstration was held at JK House, New Delhi, which demanded immediate dismissal of the government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The Panthers Party accused Abdullahs of their secessionist activities and utterances, demanding plebiscite and independence on behalf of the National Conference, which is headed by Union Minister Farooq Abdullah. The Panthers Party activists urged Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to dismiss Farooq from the counsel of ministers and prosecute him for his criminal act which amounted to sedition under the criminal law. |
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Cabinet expansion on the cards
Srinagar, January 10 They said the cabinet reshuffle was likely to take place within next three to four days. PCC chief Saifuddin Soz is camping in New Delhi and had a meeting with AICC president Sonia Gandhi yesterday. Sources said he had been in touch with Ghulam Nabi Azad and the two had framed a joint list of ministerial candidates. They said several other senior party leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed and former ministers GM Saroori and Abdul Majid Wani, had visited the national capital to meet the senior Congress leadership. The party hopes to fill posts which had fallen vacant with the resignation of Roads and Buildings Minister GM Saroori and divesting of the Education portfolio of Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed. “These MLC elections in the state have come at a good time because their results will have a bearing on the reshuffle that is being discussed,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted on November 28 last year, days before the elections to four seats of the Legislative Council. In these elections held on December 3, after a gap of 38 years, the ruling NC-Congress coalition in a joint contest bagged all four seats, two each from Kashmir and Jammu divisions. There have been various factors which have necessitated the cabinet expansion and reshuffle of portfolios, which started with the stepping down of Saroori in August 2010. Though the controversy over the fairness of his daughter’s entrance examination to a private medical college in Jammu cost him the ministerial berth, Saroori remains the main contender. Another senior Congress minister, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, was divested of his important (School) Education portfolio when his foster son adopted dubious means in the 2009 Class X state board examinations. Both the portfolios have been retained by the Chief Minister since then. With simmering differences within Congress cadres over the demand for the return of the two portfolios, there has been a growing pressure to accommodate one or two “deserving” candidates. Saroori is understood to be one among them in order to give adequate representation to the Chenab valley in the state Cabinet. Another Congress aspirant, Abdul Majid Wani, a former minister in the PDP-Congress coalition government, is also believed to be under consideration for representation in the area. The National Conference is facing “tremendous pressure” to accommodate its “deserving” candidates. Even as the party has an equal representation in various areas across the state, north Kashmir districts Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore are least represented by the NC. It will have to decide the fate of Kupwara MLA Mir Saifullah, who has been at the helm of affairs for the last three terms. It will have to come up with an alternative candidate to represent Handwara constituency in place of its stalwart Choudhary Mohammad
Ramzan. |
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Cabinet approves creation of 80 posts for 5 ITIs
Jammu, January 10 The Cabinet also accorded sanction to the transfer of state land, measuring 93 kanals at Sangani village, Akhnoor tehsil in Jammu district, in favour of the state Health and Medical Education Department for construction and establishment of an Ayurvedic college. The Cabinet approved the promotion of Arun Kumar, Financial Commissioner (Revenue), to a fixed scale of the IAS (Rs 80,000) with effect from January 2, 2012. The Cabinet also approved the regularisation of three retired in charge Chief Engineers, Showkat Ahmad Shahdad, Mumtaz Nazim and Vijay Kumar Koul, as the Chief Engineers. — TNS |
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2,360 rape cases pending trial in various courts
Srinagar, January 10 To deal with a huge backlog of rape cases, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has written to the state government for creation of eight new courts of the rank of District and Sessions Judge as fast-track courts in eight districts, where the pendency of rape cases is high. “In Jammu and Kashmir, 2,360 rape cases are pending trial before courts in many districts,” a senior high court official said. He said the highest number of rape cases was pending before the courts in Baramulla district. Baramulla is followed by Kulgam district, where 250 rape cases are pending in the courts. In Anantnag district in south Kashmir, 247 rape cases are before the courts. In Kupwara district in north Kashmir, 196 rape cases are pending trial. Pulwama district has 162 such cases. In Srinagar, the number of pending rape cases is 157. In Jammu province, Jammu district tops the list, where 147 rape cases are pending trial before the courts. Rajouri district has 121 rape cases which are pending trial. “These eight districts have the highest number of rape cases pending before the courts. In other districts, the number of such cases is low,” the official said. Asked what measures were being taken to deal with the pendency and expeditious trail of rape cases in the state, the Registrar General of the high court Suresh Kumar Sharma said the court had taken up the matter with the state government. “The J-K High Court has sought the creation of eight courts of the rank of District and Sessions Judge as fast-track courts in the districts where there is a huge pendency of rape cases. The matter for creation of these courts has been taken up with the state government,” the Registrar General said. Since it would take time for new fast-track courts to be “actually” created, Sharma said it was resolved to earmark five existing courts as fast track to exclusively try rape cases to provide succour to the victims. |
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AFSPA revocation: Rasheed meets Irom Sharmila
Srinagar, January 10 He said Rasheed led a five-member delegation, which included social activist Tanveer Hussain, from Kashmir to Manipur to meet Sharmila. “The MLA briefed Sharmila about the human rights abuses in Kashmir and about the atrocities being committed under the garb of the AFSPA,” the PRO said. The PRO stated that Sharmila said that other MLAs in J&K and Manipur should take a cue from Rasheed and fight against “state terrorism and all sorts of human rights violations”. The team led by Rasheed also attended a meeting on human rights violations in Manipur. “It was decided at the conference that joint efforts for raising the voice for the revocation of the AFSPA from J&K and the Northeast would be intensified,” the PRO said. — TNS |
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NC, Congress playing emotive politics: PDP
Srinagar, January 10 “They have failed in governance … and with two years to go for the elections, they feel they have lost the ground. Now both the parties have resorted to emotive politics. The Congress has taken up the refugees’ issue in Jammu and the NC has resorted to the old thing, Raishumari (plebiscite),” PDP spokesman Nayeem Akhtar said. The PDP spokesman’s comment was a reaction to ruling NC general secretary Shiekh Nazir’s statement where he had asked New Delhi to fulfil its promise of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. Akhtar also criticised the Congress for raking up the refugee issue in the Jammu region. “This is a very dangerous game of brinkmanship,” the PDP spokesman said. “The fact that the two ruling parties are indulging in it is a cause for concern because Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state and anything can go out of control if they continue to play these dangerous games.” The PDP spokesman said the latest turn in the ruling coalition’s politics had to been seen vis-à-vis the recent situation on the Line of Control, where the ceasefire between the Indian and Pakistani armies seemed to have taken a dangerous turn. |
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Unfit vehicles, bad roads causing accidents, says Reasi SSP
Katra, January 10 In Reasi district, particularly in the hilly areas like Mahore, Arnas and Salal, such road accidents are frequent due to bad condition of roads, unfit vehicles, overloading, rash driving, non-availability of advanced treatment facilities in the remote areas and insensitive attitude of the state government, which seems to have turned a blind eye towards such accidents. According to the official figures, around 1,100 deaths have been reported due to road accidents across the state in 2012. More lives have been lost on roads than in militancy in the state. However, the authorities did not try to look into the root cause of accidents and come up with a substantial plan to avoid such accidents. SSP Reasi Thakur Raghuvir Singh said, “Our focus area is on visible offences, which comprises over-speeding, overloading and bad fitness of vehicles. Fitness of vehicles is to be seen by the Motor Vehicle Department. We have taken long-term and short-term measures to curb the fatal road accidents. Under the short measures, we have proposed to increase the penalty amount so that people don’t violate road safety norms frequently.” The SSP said, “There is no check on such vehicles by the traffic policemen and the transport authorities. Over 50 auto-rickshaws in Katra are plying without registration and buses are running without proper permits. The Motor Vehicle Department should keep an eye on such vehicles.” In the hilly and remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir, driving vehicle is risky and dangerous. The authorities concerned must concentrate on improving the condition of roads, he said, adding that the police had decided to establish rest and recoup centres for drivers on the highway to ensure that they don’t go to sleep while driving. “We have also deployed eight highway patrolling vehicles which would check violations of norms during the night hours,” the SSP said. Senior Congress leader Tariq Bhat said, “Despite tall claims of the government, the health centres in remote areas lack adequate treatment facilities and ambulances. The government must concentrate on measures such as improvement of roads, adequate treatment facilities in the remote areas and strict action against erring drivers for reducing the number of road accidents.” |
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The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) has condemned the repeated violations of ceasefire along the Line of Control
(LoC) which culminated in casualties in Poonch sector on Tuesday. The party cautioned against any further downside in the Indo-Pak relations.
In a statement issued here today, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed hoped the political leadership of the two countries would rise to the occasion to save the biggest confidence-building measure that had come as a great relief to the people of the state.
The statement of the National Conference general secretary Sheikh Nazir has evoked strong reaction from the BJP and the Panthers Party.
While coalition partner Congress has maintained a guarded silence on the “controversial” statement by the National Conference leader, who demanded plebiscite for Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition parties have taken the issue to the streets.
