Kupwara, February 14
People in remote areas of north Kashmir are suffering for want of essentials including vegetables and ration. While the authorities relaxed curfew for the second consecutive day today, locals said they were facing shortage of essentials as supplies could not reach local markets due to curfew till Tuesday and the ongoing strike since Sunday.

“Most shops lack essentials including fresh vegetables. Ration depots continue to remain closed since Saturday. Although curfew has been lifted, due to the strike which has led to absence of public transport on roads, nothing has reached local markets,” said Javid Ahmad Lone, a Lassipora Sogam resident in Lolab.

Reports from remote villages in Handwara town said people were suffering for want of essentials including ration. “We are caught in a situation like 2010 summer unrest. There is severe shortage of essentials, mostly fresh vegetables and many ailing people fail to reach Handwara hospital for treatment,” said Irshad Ahmad of Magam village in Handwara tehsil.

Locals of remote Doolipora village in Kupwara tehsil said they were facing shortage of fresh vegetables and other commodities. “Commodities available in two shops in the village have been consumed by people starting Monday. We are facing severe shortage of essentials including milk and fresh vegetables,” said Abdul Rashid of Doolipora, 4 km from Trehgam.

Locals of some other villages including Bakikar, Wadipora, Rajwar and Wadarbala said they were facing shortage of fresh vegetables and medicines at local health centres. “Fresh vegetables have not reached our village over the past five days due to curfew and strike. A few employees attended the local health centre yesterday but said there were no medicines available at the centre,” said Ashiq Hussain of Baikakar village in Handwara tehsil.

Reports of shortage of essential commodities were also received from Sheeri, Watergam and some other villages in Baramulla district.

Kupwara, February 14
Relaxation in curfew in Kupwara for the second consecutive day may have allowed some movement of people in major towns of the district, but most of the attendants and patients at major hospitals in the district failed 
to reach their respective destinations due to a general strike.

Amid a general strike, people were seen moving on deserted streets in Handwara and Kupwara towns. Most shops and commercial establishments in Handwara, Trehgam, Kralpora and Kupwara remained closed due to the general strike.

Attendants and patients at sub-district hospital Kupwara and district hospital Handwara are the worst hit. They were seen searching for vehicles to ferry them to different destinations. Very few passenger vehicles were seen plying on deserted roads as most patients failed to reach their respective destinations.

“Since Sunday, I have been struggling to find a vehicle to reach my home. Despite repeated pleas, the hospital management did not provide me ambulance to ferry my wife,” said Abdul Ahad, husband of Kulsoom from Kalaroose, 15 km from Kupwara.

Kulsoom gave birth to a female baby on Friday and doctors discharged her on Sunday. Like Kulsoom, dozens of patients and attendants are stranded in Kupwara hospital for want of a vehicle. A stranded attendant Shabir Ahmad Badana of remote village Chowkibal said, “The hospital has only two ambulances and scores of patients from remote areas have been unable to reach their respective destinations. Like many others, I am struggling to take home my mother who was discharged from the hospital on Monday.”

A senior doctor at Kupwara hospital said many surgeries listed in the hospital from Sunday onwards could not be performed as patients failed to reach the hospital due to curfew. Reports from district hospital Handwara said many patients and attendants remained stranded in the hospital due to strike.

“Although the authorities have relaxed curfew for the second consecutive day today, we are helpless when it comes to reaching our respective destinations, due to the general strike.

Passenger vehicles are off the roads and hospital management says it cannot provide every patient the ambulance service,” said Ghulam Mohidin of remote Rajwar village in Handwara town.

Last evening, taking advantage of relaxation in curfew, people made it to vegetable vendors in Kupwara and Handwara markets to buy vegetables. “I bought vegetables including potatoes and onions from the market.

For the past four days, we have been consuming pulses as nothing was available at home,” said Rafiq Ahmad of Dar Mohalla Kupwara.

People returned empty-handed from ATMs in Kupwara and Handwara as almost all cash-dispensing machines either lacked cash or were found closed.

Srinagar, February 14
While day temperatures dipped significantly in the Valley today, the weathermen have forecasted light to moderate rain/snowfall at many places across the state.

The city recorded 9.9°C maximum temperature today, an official of the Meteorological Department said. The day temperature in the summer capital dipped by 6.2°C as compared to yesterday.

Other parts of the Valley too witnessed a dip in the day temperatures. Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded 10.1°C maximum temperature while the border town of Kupwara recorded 7.6°C maximum temperature.

Qazigund and Kupwara had recorded 12.8°C and 14.0°C maximum temperatures respectively, yesterday.

Similarly, the tourist resort, Pahalgam in south Kashmir, recorded 10.0°C maximum temperature.

However, the night temperatures at most of the places apart from Srinagar continued to remain sub-zero. While the summer capital saw a low of 0.7?°C, Qazigund, Kupwara and Pahalgam recorded minus 1.2, minus 1.0 and minus 3.4°C minimum temperatures, respectively. Ski resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir remained the coldest place in the Valley recording minus 7.0°C minimum temperature.

The Ladakh region continued to remain in the grip of cold wave. Kargil recorded minus 13.0°C minimum temperature while Leh saw a low of minus 12.1°C. The day temperature at Kargil too dipped below the freezing point as the area recorded minus 2.8°C maximum temperature. Leh recorded 2.6°C maximum temperature.

While most parts of the Valley remained dry amid overcast conditions, Kupwara recorded 2.8 mm rainfall today.

The weathermen have forecasted light to moderate rainfall at many places across the Valley and Jammu region. Light snowfall is expected in Ladakh, an official of the Meteorological Department said.

Meanwhile, one-way traffic continued to ply on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Traffic, Munir Khan said all kinds of vehicles would be allowed to travel from here towards Jammu tomorrow subject to fair weather conditions.

Anantnag, February 14
People in districts of south Kashmir have not been able to stock up on essential supplies, despite restrictions being eased off. The markets have fallen short of supplies after five days of strict clampdown.

Residents from various parts of the south Kashmir region said the markets in their respective areas continued to face acute shortage of eatables and other essential supplies.

“There is a shortage of milk in the market and vegetables available are also rotten,” said Ali Muhammad, a resident of Bijbehara town here in Anantnag district.

The shopkeepers, while expressing helplessness, said they had not received any fresh stock of supplies since a week now.

“Whatever supplies we have been receiving gets consumed within minutes,” said a vegetable vendor in Pulwama town.

Chemists, too said, they were running out of stock. “The life-saving drugs get consumed very fast and we have not received any fresh supplies during the last five days,” said a Chemist in Shopian town.

Shopkeepers say the continuous curfew in many areas of Srinagar city has put a halt on the supply of the essential supplies.

“We get most of our supplies from the dealers in Srinagar and they have not been able to deliver in wake of continuous restrictions in most of the parts of the capital city,” said Irshad Ahmad, a pharmaceutical distributor in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Moreover, people here are facing severe shortage of cooking gas.

“We have been calling on the helpline number provided by the district administration for delivery of cooking gas in our area but to no avail,” said Muhammad Arshad, a resident of Bijbehara town in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

The local residents alleged that they had been calling the cooking gas dealers in the district. However, the dealers too had been paying no heed to the needs of the people.

Srinagar, February 14
The Kashmiri lawyers today staged a protest in Srinagar, demanding the authorities to return the mortal remains of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was executed on February 9 at Tihar Jail in New Delhi.

Around three dozen lawyers of the Kashmir High Court Bar Association today took out a protest from the Sadder Court complex here, raising slogans against the secret execution of Afzal Guru.

The protesting lawyers, in their slogans, demanded to return the body of Afzal to his family for its burial in Kashmir. The senior lawyers, who took part in the protest, included advocate Nazir A Rongar, advocate Mohammad Abdullah Pandith and advocate Ajaz A Bedar (Bar vice-president).

The protesting lawyers were, however, stopped at the outer gates of the Sadder Court Complex and were prevented by the police deployed in strength from venturing towards the Lal Chowk area of Srinagar. Later, the lawyers dispersed peacefully.

The senior Bar lawyers, who addressed the protestors, said Afzal Guru did not get a fair trail and was executed by the UPA government for political considerations.

The lawyers said before taking a decision to hang Afzal, the Central Government should have taken into the overwhelming sentiments of the Kashmiri people, which was against the hanging.

“The hanging is politically motivated. The authorities should now return the body to his family for burial as per the Muslim rites,” the lawyers demanded before ending their protest.

The Bar Association, in its earlier statement, had warned of serious political ramifications of the Afzal’s hanging.

“The hanging of Afzal Guru to death is against all international legal norms, political ethics and international political conventions,” the statement said in its statement on Wednesday. 

Srinagar, February 14
While curfew restrictions were eased in various parts of the Valley on Thursday, Afzal Guru’s native village in north Kashmir’s Sopore area continued to remain sealed for the sixth consecutive day.

Jageer village near the volatile Sopore town was put under strict curfew almost three hours before Afzal was hanged in Tihar jail on the morning of February 9.

All the three entry points to the village have been sealed and barricaded by the Army and police since and they don’t allow anyone to enter the village, not even the ones who come to show their condolences to the family.

The family, which has been receiving condolences, alleged that a few of their relatives were not allowed to visit them.

“Many of our relatives and even people from other villages are not allowed to visit our home for condolences. And those who manage to reach have to cross over many hurdles including crossing the river Jhelum by boat before reaching our village,” said elder brother of Afzal, Aijaz Ahmed Guru. “We hope that at least our relatives will be allowed to visit the family.”

Local residents in the village had erected a tent outside the double-storeyed house of Afzal on the river bank where the male family members have been receiving the condolences. The three entry points to the villages were sealed by the troops in the wee hours of Saturday. The government, sources say, fears a large number of people would throng the village for condolences if allowed to do so and that may create a law and order situation. “But the villagers are allowed to move within the village,” said a police officer. “The relatives of the family are also allowed to visit the house,” he added.

The curfew restrictions are likely to continue in the village for two more days. “We will examine the situation and accordingly take a call on lifting the curfew in Jageer,” said the official.

Srinagar, February 14
A Srinagar youth died under mysterious circumstances in Srinagar.

Police said Pranjee Hangloo, son of Nandlal, resident of Rainawari, Srinagar, was found unconscious in his Xylo vehicle (JK02A/6711) at Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), Srinagar.

“He was shifted to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, where he expired,” a police spokesman said. Police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Srinagar, February 14
Clarifying that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had no role to play in the hanging of Afzal Guru, the National Conference today strongly hit out at Kashmir High Court Bar Association for dragging CM’s name into the issue surrounding Afzal’s hanging.

The NC has termed the statement of Bar as full of ‘utter lies, fabricated with a malicious intent” and has sought an apology from the Bar Association.

While condemning the hanging of Afzal Guru, the J&K High Court Bar Association had on Wednesday said that “people of Kashmir” are “deeply saddened” by his execution and had accused the state government of “colluding” with the Central government in carrying out the “secret” execution.

“It is very unfortunate and disappointing that Kashmir Bar has come out with a statement that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had given consent to the hanging of Afzal Guru, while on the contrary, Omar wasn’t required to give consent nor was his consent sought before the decision was taken,” a National Conference spokesman said here in a statement.

Accusing Bar of “deliberately inciting” people against Chief Minister and National Conference, the spokesman said that “if by spreading lies they (Bar) are practicing their profession, NC can only but imagine the plight of the people they represent in the courtrooms”.

“As the Bar, it has to lead by example. Though in particular it lectures on the rule of law, it’s statement of this nature falls short of the standards it seeks to impose on others," he added.

The Bar had accused the Chief Minister of “repeating history like his father” and former Chief Minister of J&K Dr Farooq Abdullah who, the Bar said, had played an “instrumental role” in the execution of Maqbool Bhat in Tihar jail in 1984.

“By this statement, they have proved that they are being remote-controlled by people who want to create a law and order problem here,” the spokesman said while seeking an “apology” from the Bar.

Srinagar, February 14
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Hassan Samoon conducted an extensive tour of Bandipora and Ganderbal districts today to take stock of the availability of essentials and basic amenities being provided to the people.

He was apprised that adequate stocks of essential commodities were available in the twin districts and sale outlets were functioning smoothly to distribute food grains to the people.

The health services were also being rendered to the people in all the health institutions. Meanwhile, the divisional commissioner took stock of the essentials available in the Valley during video conference with the deputy commissioners of various districts.

The divisional commissioner was informed that 280 ATMs and 256 branches of the J&K Bank were open and functioned smoothly today, besides transactions worth Rs 4.60 crore were made in different districts. The meeting was informed that Rs 53 crore were disbursed through various treasuries.

The meeting was also informed that truck loads of essentials commodities which crossed Zig Lower Munda towards Srinagar include 733 of rice and 293 of wheat, 71 of sugar, 11 of poultry, 15 of sheep and goat truck loads, besides 116 Kerosene tankers, 86 diesel tankers, and 55 LPG cylinder truck loads. It was also told that 89,000 litres of milk and 10,000 poultry birds were dispatched to the interior areas of the city. — TNS

Srinagar, February 14
Kashmir University has decided to go ahead with its All-India botanical tour on February 17 to various Indian varsities which is being organised by the Department of Botany, Kashmir University.

Prof Irshad Ahmad Nowchoo, Head of Department, Botany, KU, said the students from second and fourth semester of the Botany Department, who had already registered for the tour, should contact the teachers concerned for further information.

“We have already made travel and lodging bookings outside the state. So the tour cannot be delayed. The students will be allowed to reach the university on the allotted date,” he said. 

Jammu, February 14
Bahu Fort Development Committee (BFDC) has criticised the coalition government for encouraging the land mafia in various parts of the city including Raika, Bahu-Fort, Bathandi, Sunjwan, Chatta, Bermini, Rati-Saradi etc.

Addressing mediapersons, Ishant Gupta, spokesperson of the committee, alleged that some political workers were threatening, harassing and forcibly grabbing land belonging to the poor in connivance with the police, the forest department and the administration.