Srinagar
Unknown persons on Friday lobbed a rifle grenade at 49 Bn CRPF bunker at Hari Singh High Street Lalchowk area of Srinagar.
Reports said that the grenade missed the target and exploded near bund, but there were no reports of any loss.
Meanwhile, Paramilitary forces and police have cordoned off the area and search operation is going on.
Srinagar
In a major relief to the female government employees of the state, the state government today principally agreed to include In-vitro Fertilization treatment (IVF) under Medical Attendance-cum-Allowance rules.
This was stated by Minister for Finance, Labour and Employment Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari. A proposal in this regard has been moved by the Finance Department to include the treatment in the said rules.
The Minister said the inclusion of IVF will be beneficial for the female employees of the state as the expenses for this treatment in select hospitals will be covered under rules.
He said the inclusion of IVF in the Medical Attendance-cum-Allowance rules was the long pending demand of the employees. He said the present dispensation is committed to redressing the grievances of the government employees and all possible measures are being taken in this regard.
After formal inclusion of IVF in the relevant rules, every female government employee shall be allowed reimbursement of the amount, if any, charged by the hospital authorities, including the cost of drugs purchased from the market during the period of hospitalization in the already notified select hospitals.
Srinagar
Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Lt Gen. N C Marwah called on Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti here on Friday.
Lt. Gen. Marwah calls on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti
During the meeting, Lt. Gen. Marwah briefed the Chief Minister about various activities and initiatives of the Authority.
He appreciated the steps taken by the State Government in disaster risk mitigation measures and the innovative schemes and projects launched by the state.
Srinagar
Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik on Friday said that desecration of graveyards, attacks on families of rivals, destroying their residential houses and fruit gardens and trying to burn down their families, incarcerating and torturing political leaders and activists is ‘all inhuman, unethical and acts of cowardice’.
JKLF leaders stages protest in Srinagar.
KL Image by Bilal Bahadur
Addressing a gathering at Masjid Bilal, Malik while stressing upon the need to upkeep the rights of humans (Haqooq Ul Ibad) along with the rights of the Almighty, said that “holy month of Ramazan actually teaches us to give preference to others and be kind to humanity.”
He said that Islam has established the institution of Zakat which is actually a blessing as if used properly this can eradicate poverty, vanish anarchy and immorality from our society.
“Our society is witnessing killings, destruction of properties and mayhem of every kind, has an increased number of orphans, widows and sufferers and our prime concern should be to look after these people, use our Zakat for their up-liftmen as it is our prime duty according to Quran and Sunnah,” he said.
He said that Kashmir is burning and no one is paying heed to the cries of Kashmiris. Our young and old are being slaughtered, arrested, tortured, tormented and humiliated with impunity by government forces.
“These men in uniform enjoy immunity and legal cover that is provided by the assembly and its members, be these from BJP, PDP, NC, and Congress, CPI or any other pro-political parties or independent. This is the main task, these assembly members perform and it is important for us to learn from our past mistakes and boycott all these pro-India politicians and their parties,” he said.
He said that about six months back, after some attacks on police families, DG of police issued a statement and said that warring parties are fighting each other and in this war no one should involve families as it is against humanity, morals and ethics.
“This statement was taken well by people at that time but today we see police, army, SOG and other forces attacking families of militants, destroying their residential houses, cutting down and destroying their orchids, desecrating graves of slain militants and even try to set ablaze a family along with their house,” he added.
“We want to ask DGP that where has his sermon on ethics, humanity, and peace for families gone today. Isn’t this an act of cowardice to attack and desecrate graves and graveyards?,” he questioned, saying that the Chief Minister and her party who invoke ‘Mufti sahib Ka Khawab’ (Dream of Mufti Sahib) in every issue is mum on these acts as if this too was Mufti sahibs dream.
Condemning the plight of Kashmiri inmates languishing in different jails of the country including Tihar Jail and the jails of Jammu Kashmir, Malik said that thousands of young and old are being harassed and tortured in jails and police along with the civil authorities are employing every tactic to prolong their incarceration.
Emphasizing over the need of releasing all these political inmates on Eid, Malik said that ICRC and other international human rights organizations should take a note of these atrocities being committed on Kashmiri inmates and use their good offices to provide relief to these inmates.
Meanwhile, JKLF leaders and activists staged a peaceful protest against the plight of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in different Indian jails and incarceration centers of Jammu Kashmir.
On JRL call, JKLF leaders and activists staged a peaceful protest at Lal Chowk against the plight of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in different jails and incarceration centers of Jammu Kashmir.
Led by JKLF vice chairman Advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt, JKLF leaders and activists including Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi, Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Muhammad Yasin Butt, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Ghulam Muhammad Dar, Muhammad Haneef, Imtiyaz Ahmad, Meraj ud Din Parray and others along with people from different walks of life today gathered at Madeena Chowk and staged a peaceful protest against torturing Kashmiri inmates languishing in different Indian jails including Tihar Jail and in the jails of Jammu Kashmir.
Holding placards in their hands and raising slogans against atrocities committed against inmates, protesters marched towards Lal Chowk and staged a peaceful sit-in near Budshah Chowk which was addressed by various JKLF leaders.
Srinagar
Terming the prevailing situation in the state as ‘worrisome and grim’, Hurriyat Conference (G) said the people were living life under constant threat due to the dense presence of forces on the ground.
“People in the state are facing horrendous situations, un-proportionate military might, detentions, desecration of religious places and unabated killings,” Hurriyat (G) said in a statement.
While supporting the shutdown call given by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on June 02, the Hurriyat (g) spokesman said, adding, it happens despite Kashmiris resort “to peaceful means to convey their feelings and represent people’s aspirations and their sentiments.”
“We will never succumb to pressure. Sacrifices laid by the nation won’t go waste and nobody will be allowed to play with their sacrifices. We will pursue our cherished mission till it is taken to its logical conclusion,” the Hurriyat (g) added.
Referring to civilian properties set ablaze by brutal forces in Kakpora Pulwama, Hurriyat said: “killing, loot, plunder, vandalising properties of civilians and brave hearts, chopping fruit trees have become vulnerable and human rights bodies are not allowed to take notice of this.”
Hurriyat said that authorities barred the amalgam chairman, Syed Ali Geelani from offering Friday prayers, saying it is brazen interference in religious matters.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat conference leaders and activists staged a protest demonstration at Hyderpora Srinagar against ill-treatment, vengeance, torture, and denial of basic rights to detainees lodged in Tihar and other jails.
Srinagar
Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that the right from the day people of Kashmir started their fight against the ‘oppression’ of Dogras to Delhi’s, the pulpit of Jamia Masjid has reverberated with the voice against repression and to highlight and represents the true aspirations of people of Kashmir to break free from the yoke of subjugation.
Mirwaiz addressing on Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid Srinagar.
Addressing a mammoth Friday gathering at the historic Jamia Masjid here Mirwaiz said that whether it was the Sikh rule or the Dogra rule, Jamia Masjid was targeted time and again and in 1931 and it was for the first time during Dogra rule when the grand masjid was closed for Jumat-ul-Vida(last Friday of Ramadhan) prayers.
He said since then conspiracies were hatched against Jamia Masjid over the past 90 years and one of the brutal assaults on the sanctity of this masjid was on August 25, 1989, under operation Jamia Masjid when the Kashmir’s spiritual centre was desecrated.
Mirwaiz said that Jamia Masjid continues to be an eyesore for the ruling regimes including those at the helm today as its pulpit represents the sentiments and aspirations of the people and fearlessly raises its voice against oppression and atrocities inflicted on the people of Kashmir in pursuit of the fulfillment of those aspirations.
Mirwaiz said that the more measures government takes to damage the sanctity and centrality of the Jamia Masjid, the more people should throng the place to give a befitting reply to the government that Kashmiris will never surrender.
He said even today barricades were erected by the police at various places to prevent youth and people from reaching Jamia Masjid.
Raising the slogans ye mulq hamara hai, is ka faisla hum karengay, shohada kay waris zinda hai, jis Kashmir ko khoon say seenchay, wo Kashmir hamara hai and hum kya chahtay azadi , people responded in loud voices. Mirwaiz said these slogans will continue to reverberate in the mosque till we achieve our right.
Referring to the subhuman plight of the political prisoners in various jails across India Mirwaiz said these prisoners have been languishing in jails for years on end and some of them have even completed, 25, 21, 15, 13 and 11 years in prisons.
He named all the 25 political prisoners who are lodged in various jails in and outside the state that include Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakthoo lodged in Udhampur jail Jammu having completed 25 years in prison. Similarly, Javaid Ahmed Khan is in Tihar jail in Delhi and has completed 21 years.
Mirwaiz said Mahmood Topiwala, Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Mirza Nisar Hussain, Ali Muhammad Bhat, Lateif Ahmed Waza Abdul Ghani Goni have completed 21 years each. He said Ghulam Muhamamd Bhat has completed 16 years, Barkat Ali khan, Muhamamd Sidiq Gujar Muhamamd Iqbal Khan, Muhamamd Sidiq Gujar, Sai Muhammad Gujar, Mehandia Gujar, Abdul Wahid Naik, Feroz Ahmed Bhat, Pervez Ahmed Mir, Shaikh Imran, Dr Muhammad Shafi Khan, Muhammad Aslam, abdul Hamid Teli , Bilal Ahmed Kuta, Muhammad Abbas Wani, Maqsood Ahmed Bhat and Farooq Ahmed Sheikh have completed, 15, 12, 11 and 10 years respectively in prisons as well as Massarat Alam Bhat who is in prison since many years
Mirwaiz also said that Hurriyat leaders arrested by the NIA and ED and lodged in New Delhi’s Tihar that include Shabir Ahmed Shah, Advocate Shahidul Islam, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Mehraj udin Kalwal, Peer Saifullah, Ghulam Muhamamd Bhat, Zahoor Ahmed Wali, Shahid Yousuf, Farooq Ahmed Dar and others. He said under a well-planned conspiracy, these prisoners have been lodged either in small prison cells or along with dreaded criminals which pose a direct threat to their life. He also condemned the arrest of Syeda Asiya Andrabi and many of her associates
Mirwaiz paid tributes to the Kashmiri prisoners for their perseverance courage and commitment towards the goal of right to self-determination. He asked GOI to give up its obstinacy and policy of revenge and release these prisoners forthwith, remove AFSPA and start demilitarisation from Jammu Kashmir.
Mirwaiz said that as per the past practice, this year too, coming Friday will be observed as Jumatul Vida and also as Youm-e-Qudus (in solidarity with Palestine) and also Youme-e-Kashmir (Kashmir Day).
Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir Bank gave a warm send off to its Executive President Vagesh Chander, who attained superannuation after serving the bank for over three decades at various key positions.
J&K Bank Chairman presents a gift to Executive President
Chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmed along with Executive Presidents Pushap Kumar Tickoo, Rajesh Kumar Chibber, Presidents, Vice-presidents and other senior officers attended the farewell held at the bank’s Corporate Office.
“Throughout his service career that spanned over three decades, Vagish Chander has played an important role in different capacities in the growth and development of the bank. He was currently among other departments heading the bank’s Human Resource Development Department,” the spokesman in a statement said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Parvez Ahmed said, “People like Vagish Chander are rare now. He was one of the most gentle and humble officers who served the bank utilizing all his capacities and with exemplary dedication. In that sense, he was one of our pioneering officers to have contributed richly to the growth of this bank.”
The chairman while praising his humility and humble nature said, “Now it is the responsibility of new leadership along with the younger officers to carry forward such rich legacy towards new heights.”
Thanking the bank and his longtime colleagues Vagish Chander said, “I feel immensely indebted to this great institution for everything I have learned and earned during these memorable years of my life.”
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all my colleagues who worked with me and gave me wonderful memories to cherish for the rest of my life.”
