Air collision averted over Banihal on Friday

SRINAGAR: Friday witnessed a serious air accident that could have colossal costs, reports from Delhi said. A BSF pane and a commercial air career flights were flying too close to each other over the Benihal heights.

Srinagar Aiport

Incidentally the BSF plane was carrying Rajiv Maharishi, the Home Secretary of India and 11 others. The IndiGo Aircraft was flying 180 passengers. Reports said the two aircrafts – of two different sizes – came “perilously close to each other”.

It was only after the automatic alarm system alerting the two pilots that the flying machines paved way for each other by changing the paths.

Director General Civil Aviations has initiated an investigation into the incident that, according to reports, was not revealed to the Home Secretary by the pilot of BSF aircraft.

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Er Rasheed condemns killing of Bashir Lashkari, aide

Srinagar

Independent Langate lawmaker Engineer Rasheed on Saturday denounced the killing of two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants and accused the state government and its security agencies of celebrating the deaths of Kashmiris including civilians and the militants.

Rasheed said that New Delhi is more interested in killing and controlling Kashmiris by bullets rather showing any desire for a peaceful settlement to Kashmir dispute, a statement issued by the firebrand lawmaker said.

Engineer Rashid (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)

Reacting to Dialgam encounter Rasheed said that while police and other security agencies have enough reasons to justify the encounter but calling the death of Lashkar commander Bashir Lashkari and his colleague a big success carries no weight.

Rasheed said, “The version of security agencies after every encounter even may carry some weight but the perception among masses is completely against security forces and New Delhi. The state whose forces claim to be defending in true terms seizes to exist on the ground if its people are against it, as it is the people who constitute the main ingredients of the state.”

The lawmaker said, “If the state apparatus itself claims to be at war with militants and proudly celebrates their deaths, then it has no moral right to question all those including militants and common masses who do not question the killings by militants.”

Before condemning Bashir Lashkari, the govt must answer why he was forced to re-join the militant outfits due to severe torture and humiliation by various agencies.

The govt when asked, never answer in the assembly that is why Bashir Lashkari was forced to become militant.

“Both militants and the forces are claiming to be fighting for their respective ideologies but the public perception favours militants, thus every effort to label the militants as criminals and killers falls flat on moral grounds”.

Rasheed added that use of force in Dialgam which resulted in two more deaths of civilians is one more slap on the security agencies and both their aggression and propaganda against militants has proved counterproductive as usual.

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Resistance leaders call for shutdown on Sunday against civilian killings

Joint resistance leadership on Saturday called for a complete shutdown on Sunday against the use of brute force against civilians in Dialgam area in southern Kashmir.

In a joint statement, the resistance leaders including Geelani, Mirwaiz and Malik called for a valley-wide shutdown to protest the forces highhandedness.

The leaders said that Indian forces have unleashed a reign of terror in the state.

“People of Kashmir particularly youth are being killed under a well planned conspiracy.”

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Salahuddin’s designation as ‘global terrorist’ doesn’t change our policy on Kashmir: US

Srinagar

The US State Department has said that the designation of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin as a “global terrorist” does not reflect a change in the US policy on Kashmir.

“Our policy on Kashmir has not changed,” said a State Department spokesperson when asked if the designation indicated a change in the US policy on Kashmir, which Washington sees as a “disputed territory”, Dawn.com reported.

On June 26, the State Department declared Salah­uddin, whose real name is Mohammad Yusuf Shah, a “specially designated global terrorist”.

American statement describes occupied territory as Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir

The reference to the need for “a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict” and the description of the territory as “Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir,” — although largely ignored in Pakistan — was noted by opposition parties in India.

In an earlier statement to Dawn, a State Department spokesperson had said that Washington saw Kashmir as a dispute that needed to be resolved peacefully.

“The pace, scope, and character of any discussions on Kashmir is for the two sides to determine, but we support any and all positive steps India and Pakistan can take to forge closer relations,” the spokesperson added.

During the Modi-Trump meeting, the US administration allowed both Kashmiri and Sikh communities to protest outside the White House.

Diplomatic observers in Washington say that the designation statement and the US position on Kashmir show that while eager to forge a close relationship with India, the United States also wants to maintain its ties with Pakistan.

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Dialgam encounter: Two militants including Bashir Lashkari killed

Srinagar

Two militants have been killed in the ongoing encounter in Dailgam area of Islamabad district on Saturday.

Reports said that Bashir Lashkari & Azad Malik have been killed in the encounter.

An army man takes position during the encounter in Dialgam area of Islamabad district in southern part of Kashmir. KL Image/Shah Hilal

Besides, two civilians fell to bullets after forces resorted to firing on the civilian protesters who tried to storm in to the encounter site to pave way for the militants to escape.

It is believed that Bashir Lashkari was involved in the killing of six policemen including an SHO in an ambush last month

More than 2 dozen civilians have suffered injuries. Some of them were hit by bullets and have been referred to Srinagar hospitals.

A gunfight erupted between forces and militants after forces cordoned off a village in Dialgam area of the southern Kashmir district. They had specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

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GST row: Kashmir trade, business establishments shut in protest

Srinagar

All shops and business establishments were closed and transport was off roads in Kashmir after traders and transporters called for a shutdown on the Goods and Service Tax (GST) issue.

As Jammu and Kashmir enjoys ‘special status’ in the Indian Constitution through Article 370, traders, transporters and opposition parties have raised objections with regard to the implementation of the GST in the state.

However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has claimed that the ‘special status won’t be diluted in any case’.

The state government has called for a special session from July 4 to July 8 where the GST Bill will be debated and is expected to be passed.

The Kashmiri Traders and Manufactures Association sat on protest against the one nation one tax policy under GST .They were demanding a separate GST tax for Jammu and Kashmir.

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Dialgam encounter: Rescued 17 civilians, police says

Srinagar

Police on Saturday said that all the 17 civilians who were holed up with militants in a residential house in Dialgam area of Islamabad district have been rescued.

Earlier a standoff was going on after a cross-firing between government forces and holed-up militants in Islamabad district, police said.

Police said that after rescuing all the civilians from the area, operation against the militants has been resumed.

A lady and a youth was killed earlier after hit by bullets near the encounter site.

At least 12 more civilians sustained injuries during clashes which started soon after forces started operation against the militants.

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