Srinagar Gunfight: Lieutenant Governor Assured Impartial Enquiry, Says NC

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has assured an impartial enquiry into the controversial encounter in Lawaypora area of Srinagar.

On Wednesday the Army and police had claimed to have killed three militants in an encounter at Lawapora area of Srinagar.

The three slain have been identified as Ajaz Ahmed Ganai and Athar Mushtaq Wani of Pulwama and Zubair Ahmed Lone of Shopian.

Army said they had tracked the militants on the basis of intelligence inputs, adding that the latter “fired indiscriminately” and even lobbed grenades at the forces.

“For past many days, intelligence inputs were pouring in continuously about the movement of militants on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. Yesterday (Tuesday), we developed leads and came to know that militants are hiding in a house right opposite to Noora hospital at Lawaypora in HMT area,” said General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the counter-insurgency Kilo Force, H.S. Sahi.

The families of slain have disputed the account of an army that the three were militants and claimed they had no links with any militant groups.

Taking to social networking site Twitter, JKNC wrote: “MP Anantnag @masoodi_hasnain spoke to J&K LG @manojsinha_ yesterday evening and expressed his anguish over the reports surrounding Wednesday’s encounter around HMT area in Srinagar. Mr. Manoj Sinha assured an impartial enquiry into the matter.”

MP Anantnag @masoodi_hasnain spoke to J&K LG @manojsinha_ yesterday evening and expressed his anguish over the reports surrounding Wednesday's encounter around HMT area in Srinagar. Mr. Manoj Sinha assured an impartial enquiry into the matter.

— JKNC (@JKNC_) January 1, 2021

Earlier in a statement issued on Thursday, Masoodi sought an impartial investigation into the “killings and had impressed on the government to clear the ambiguities leading to the killing of three youth”.

“The police version is not convincing and clear-cut; it is an admitted case of police that none of the three youth in their early twenties were in the militant list; two of the youth are admitted not to have been involved in militant activities and said to be OGWs. In the case of a third boy who is twenty years old, it is said that he ‘might have joined militant ranks”, he said, adding, “The statement joined together is far from convincing and lends support to the version of families of the slain trio that they were innocent and not involved in any militant activity”.

He asked the government to recall the Shopian killing and subsequent findings that those killed were innocent and had come all the way from Rajouri to earn livelihoods and continue their studies.

He demanded a thorough investigation into the issue and return of bodies of slain youth to their families so that their last rites are observed by their families at their respective places.

Masoodi said the matter warrants time-bound inquiry as the versions of the family and the police are contradictory. “The version of the family in wake of the ambiguous version of police seems to be nearer to the truth. Therefore it becomes imperative upon the government to come clean on the matter. In previous Shopian killings, the boys were found innocent,” he said.

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KU Clarifies Postponement Of Clinical Psychology Exam

SRINAGAR: The University of Kashmir was constrained to postpone the entrance examination of M.Phil Clinical Psychology paper on Thursday (December 31, 2020) despite repeated pleas to the candidates to sit in the test.

Director of KU’s Directorate of Admissions and Competitive Examinations Prof Farooq A Mir said the M.Phil Clinical Psychology examination was scheduled to be conducted following a requisition for the same from authorities of Government Medical College Srinagar.

The examination was prioritised by the Directorate and scheduled to be held on December 31, 2020, at 11.30 am at the Kashmir University-Main Campus.

Prof Mir said that 70% of candidates had turned up for the examination and all necessary preparations were made, including deputation of examination staff.

“While the examination was about to start, the University authorities received several phone calls that many stranded candidates were holding protests in Jammu and demanding immediate postponement of the examination owing to disruption of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and cancellation of flights due to foggy weather conditions,” he said, adding that at 11.25 am, the examination was momentarily halted for merely 15 to 20 minutes over discussions with protesting students to call off their protests as their examination will be conducted afresh separately.

“The Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor instantly convened a meeting of top officers to resolve the matter of protesting candidates, while directing that the examination as scheduled be conducted without any change. While this had been resolved, the candidates in the Examination Hall instantly, without any plausible reason, started raising hue and cry and declined to sit in the examination, and thereafter left the examination hall,” Prof Mir said.

This, he said, happened despite repeated requests to them to sit in the examination and the assurances that their time loss of 15 to 20 minutes will be compensated.

“For more than two hours, the candidates were repeatedly requested by the Kashmir University authorities to sit in the examination, but they continuously refused to do so alleging paper leak—the claim which was baseless and far from facts. The University was eventually forced to postpone the examination after having exhausted all options to persuade the candidates,” Prof Mir said, adding that any other intent or motive being attributed to the postponement of the said examination is hereby refuted as baseless and far from facts.

The new date for the said examination will be notified later, he said.

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J&K Govt Signs MoU With NAFED For High Density Apple, Walnut, Cherry Plantation

SRINAGAR: In an important step towards the promotion of Horticulture produce of Jammu & Kashmir and to take it to the global market, the J&K Government today signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), apex organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in the country.

J&K Government signs MoU with NAFED for High Density Plantation of Horticulture produce

The MoU with NAFED is seen as a game-changer for the Horticulture sector in Jammu and Kashmir. High-Density plantation of Apple, Walnut, Cherry, Flowers etc has the potential to increase the income of farmers by 3 to 4 times.

After signing of the MoU, NAFED to cover 5500 Hectares at a cost of Rs.1700 Crore in the next five years with major focus on Apple, Walnut, Cherry, Pear and other significant horticulture produce. NAFED will also set up 20 Farmer-Producer Organizations, one in each district, in the next three months.

The NAFED will set up three cold storage clusters, one each in North Kashmir, South Kashmir and Kathua at a cost of Rs.500 Crore, besides ensuring Geographical Indications tags (GI Tags) for all premium/niche horticulture produce, branding and marketing of fruit crops like Apple, Walnut, Cherry, Olive, Litchi etc.

In presence of Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, UT of J&K, the MoU was signed between Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Government, Agriculture and Horticulture Department, J&K and Sanjeev Kumar Chadha, Managing Director, NAFED.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha observed that the J&K Government is tirelessly working on four issues that are being addressed on priority -Increasing productivity through the intervention of technology; ensuring best price and market support; mitigation of risks, and diversification through allied activities.

The Lt Governor said that Horticulture produce of Jammu division will be given a major push for marketing and NAFED will also look into the possibility of high-density plantation of Apple in Kishtwar and Bhaderwah.

“The UT Government will work with NAFED to promote horticulture produce and to set up a quality planting material lab. GI tagging of all premium horticulture produce and marketing is top priority of the administration. The investment in various areas to promote and market horticulture produce is being made for faster expansion. We intend to increase Cold Storage capacity, identify and promote horticulture produce of Jammu division to ensure better price to farmers,” the Lt Governor said.

As per the MoU, NAFED with J&K Government will create post-harvest infrastructure for agriculture/horticulture crops in the form of Cold Atmosphere Stores, Grading and Processing facilities in future at the locations decided by the UT administration. Besides, implementation of high density plantation, NAFED will develop hi-tech nurseries for raising root stock and also import it to facilitate the farmers.

This historical initiative involves setting up virus indexing labs as per latest protocol for testing of quality planting material. The MoU has given a major thrust to marketing. The NAFED with J&K Government will work on branding and marketing of fruit crops and establishment of market linkages for exotic and non-seasonal vegetables and flowers in different metro cities of India.

Sanjeev Kumar Chadha, Managing Director, NAFED said the organisation will work in a time bound manner on each point to increase productivity and also ensuring availability of hybrid vegetable seeds and high value exotic vegetable seeds while giving special focus to popularize aromatic plants of Jammu division.

Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Government, Agriculture and Horticulture Department, J&K said that all the required infrastructure including cold storage and processing facilities will be made available in a short span of time to take horticulture of Jammu and Kashmir in the global market. The robust mechanism for branding and marketing of horticulture produce and market linkage within the country will revolutionize the agriculture and horticulture sector in Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor, besides other senior officers attended the MoU signing ceremony, in person and through virtual mode.

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Gulmarg Freezes At Minus 9.0, Srinagar At Minus 6.4

SRINAGAR: Minimum temperatures again fall in the Kashmir Valley on Friday due to clear overnight sky, a Met official said.

“We are expecting light to moderate snowfall between January 4 and 5. Till that time the present cold wave is likely to continue unabated,” an official of the MeT department said.

The minimum temperature recorded in the Srinagar city was minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, an official of the Meteorological Department said.

The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, which experienced several feet of snowfall on various occasions, was the coldest place in Kashmir with a low of minus 9.0 degrees Celsius.

The famous hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius.

Kupwara township of north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius. Kokernag, in south Kashmir, recorded minus 7.8 degrees Celsius while Qazigund registered minus 5.7, he said.

In the Jammu region, Jammu city recorded 4.2 degrees Celsius, Katra recorded 5.2, Banihal 1.0, Batote recorded 0.9 and Bhaderwah minus 1.8 as the night’s lowest temperatures.

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Srinagar Gunfight: Mehbooba Writes To LG, Seeks Impartial And Swift Probe

SRINAGAR: The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday wrote a letter to Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha seeking an impartial and swift probe into the killing of three youths in Lawaypora encounter on the outskirts of Srinagar city and also demanded that their bodies be returned to the families.

HMT encounter: former J&K CM @MehboobaMufti writes to Lieutenant Governor of J&K, demands returning of dead bodies to families & impartial investigation. pic.twitter.com/qVSvcHolRJ

— Ieshan Wani (@Ieshan_W) January 1, 2021

Three youths from south Kashmir were killed on Wednesday inside a house by the forces in a joint operation, while police and army claimed they were militants, relatives claim they were students.

In her letter to LG Sinha, Mehbooba Mufti said that justice can be only served when the impartial and swift investigation is done in the case.

“I am sure you are aware of the unfortunate incident at Parimpora (Hokersar) on 30th December. Three boys, the youngest being all of 17 years old were killed in what the family has alleged to be a staged gunfight,” reads the letter by Mehbooba.

“This incident has come close on the heels of an enquiry report that held an Army captain guilty & responsible for a fake encounter at Amshipora in Shopian. Again the three victims now established as innocent through an investigation were killed & later dubbed as militants,” she says, adding, “You and I may not agree on most political matters that concern J&K but I am certain we agree that such incidents bring disrepute to the armed forces & are a grave violation of human rights.”

Mehbooba said that she was “aware that the administration is apprehensive about returning their dead bodies to the families but this callous decision will only exacerbate their sense of loss & pain.”

“One hopes that you will rethink this decision & allow them to get closure. A mother who grieves the sudden & tragic death of her beloved son shouldn’t be deprived of the last chance to see his face,” says Mehbooba, adding, “Nor does she deserve to beg for his dead body. This is simply inhuman & unacceptable.”Urging him to intervene and ensure that these families get a chance to perform the last rites as per their wishes, Mehbooba said that questions are also looming over the encounter and there are “conflicting versions & reports from police & the army.”

“Justice can be served only if it’s swift & therefore I request you to initiate an impartial investigation into the matter immediately,” Mehbooba wrote in the letter.

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Srinagar Gunfight: Police Says Family Version Proved Incorrect During Investigations

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday issued following statement regarding Srinagar encounter saying that Lawaypora Srinagar encounter started with army inputs and eventually fructified into a joint operation of Army, CRPF and Police.

Three youth from south Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian who were killed in Lawaypora encounter on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.

A police spokesman in a statement said that after the cordon was laid, terrorists lobbed grenade from inside and fired upon the search party.

“Although as per SOP militants were repeatedly appealed by the troops to surrender in the evening and again in the morning. However, instead of surrendering, they fired upon troops and eventually got neutralised in a fire-fight,” said the spokesman.

MP Anantnag @masoodi_hasnain spoke to J&K LG @manojsinha_ yesterday evening and expressed his anguish over the reports surrounding Wednesday's encounter around HMT area in Srinagar. Mr. Manoj Sinha assured an impartial enquiry into the matter.

— JKNC (@JKNC_) January 1, 2021

“In so far as claims of the parents that Aijaz Maqbool Ganai went to the University to fill up form is concerned. The same was verified and cross-checked through the modern techniques including records of the telecom department. Contrary to the claims, the verified digital evidence revealed and corroborated that Aijaz and Ather had gone to Hyderpora and from there to the place of occurrence only,” he said.

“Similarly, Zubair had gone first to Pulwama, then Anantnag, then Shopian to Pulwama and finally came to the place of occurrence,” he added.

“Background check also reveals that Aijaz and Ather Mushtaq, both OGWs variously provided logistic support to militants. Antecedents and verifications to show that both were radically inclined and had aided militants of LeT (now so-called TRF) outfit,” said the spokesman.

“One of OGW presently under police custody has also corroborated Aijaz’s association with LeT militant Faisal Mushtaq Baba who was killed in Meej (Pampore) encounter in June last year. Pertinently, Ather was relative and OGW of HM top commander Rayees Kachroo who got killed in the year 2017,” he said, adding that nevertheless, police is investigating into the case from all possible angles.

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Srinagar Gunfight: A Shutdown Marks The Beginning Of 2021

SRINAGAR: A complete shutdown is being observed in parts of Kashmir on Friday against the controversial encounter in Lawaypora area of Srinagar.

A view of Lal Chowk Srinagar on Friday, January 1, 2021. KL Image

On Wednesday the Army and police had claimed to have killed three militants in an encounter at Lawapora area of Srinagar.

The three slain have been identified as Ajaz Ahmed Ganai and Athar Mushtaq Wani of Pulwama and Zubair Ahmed Lone of Shopian.

Army said they had tracked the militants on the basis of intelligence inputs, adding that the latter “fired indiscriminately” and even lobbed grenades at the forces.

“For past many days, intelligence inputs were pouring in continuously about the movement of militants on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. Yesterday (Tuesday), we developed leads and came to know that militants are hiding in a house right opposite to Noora hospital at Lawaypora in HMT area,” said General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the counter-insurgency Kilo Force, H.S. Sahi.

The families of slain have disputed the account of an army that the three were militants and claimed they had no links with any militant groups.

The majority of the shops are shut in Srinagar and twin south Kashmir districts Pulwama and Shopian while the thin movement of traffic is on the roads.

Meanwhile, mobile Internet services remained snapped on the third consecutive day in Pulwama and Shopian.

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