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NEWS Updates - 17
Jan 2009 |
* Kashmir Curses Israhell,
Protests Held Against GAZA Carnage
*
Snowfall in plains likely in 2 days
*
Obama’s UN envoy mentions Kashmir
* Hurriyat, Mehbooba welcome Miliband’s statement
* Omar
orders release of 15 detainees
* Troops go berserk in downtown, probe ordered |
Kashmir Curses Israhell,
Protests Held Against GAZA Carnage
: Srinagar, Jan 16: Police on Friday used force to
disperse the anti-Israeli demonstrators who took to
streets in several parts of the Valley to protest the
onslaught on Gaza that has led to about 1000 deaths. At
least 12 persons were injured in violent clashes between
the police and protesters.
After the Friday prayers, hundreds of people took to
streets in old city and Maisuma to protest the Israeli
aggression.
The protesters shouted anti-Israeli slogans to express
outrage over the attack on Gaza. “The Israelis are
killing innocent civilians in Gaza. This is nothing but
an organized genocide,” the protesters said, carrying
anti-America and anti-Israel banners.
The protesters clashed with police in Maisuma, Nowhatta,
Nawakadal and Rajouri Kadal. At least 12 persons,
including some policeman, were injured when police fired
scores of teargas shells to disperse the protesters. In
Saraf Kadal, witnesses said, the troopers of Central
Reserve Police Force broke window panes of several
houses and vehicles after the protests.
In Maisuma, hundreds of protesters were led by senior
pro-freedom leaders, Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah and
Bashir Ahmad Bhat. Earlier, Javaid Ahmad Mir also led
anti-Israel demonstration.
“Men, women, children, aged persons have been killed in
the Israeli action and the killings are going on. This
is sheer barbarism,” the leaders said.
The protesters carried banners and placards which read:
‘Down with Israel and Zionist terrorism, Stop genocide
in Palestine, We want end to Israeli barbarism and
oppression.’
They castigated the world community for its ‘criminal
silence’ over the Israeli action. “The world community
should immediately intervene and stop Palestinians from
being killed,” said Muhammad Iqbal, a protester.
Like Iqbal, scores of protesters said the protests were
aimed at expressing solidarity with the Palestinians.
“We want to show Israel that people of Palestine are not
alone in their fight against oppression and
discrimination. We share a common objective with the
Palestinians and pledge our support to them by staging
protests against Israel and reaffirm our commitment to
free Kashmir from the chains of bondage,” they said.
Reports said anti-Israel demonstrations were held in
other districts of the Valley including Ganderbal,
Varmul and Islamabad. In Sopur, people held anti-Israel
protests after the Friday prayers, taking out a
procession from Jamia Masjid to Main Chowk.
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Snowfall in plains likely in 2 days :
Srinagar, Jan 16: The upper
reaches of Valley on Friday witnessed
heavy snowfall while plains were lashed
by intermittent rainfall. Weatherman has
forecasted heavy to moderate snowfall in
upper reaches and plains of the Valley
for next 48 hours.
The state government claimed to have
made all the arrangements, including
keeping Kashmir’s lifeline, the
Srinagar-Jammu highway open, and speedy
snow clearance besides rescue and relief
operations.
Heavy to moderate snowfall was witnessed
in upper reaches including Gulmarg,
Gurez, Shopian, Machil, Zanaskar,
Pankhar, Saikoo, Drass, Hirpora, Yusmarg
and Pahalgam. Despite snowfall,
Srinagar-Jammu highway was open for
traffic till reports last came in on
Friday evening.
“Snow is continuously falling in these
areas for past 12 hours. Due to western
disturbances, Valley will receive
moderate snowfall and rains for next 48
hours. However, upper reaches will
receive heavy snowfall. We have issued
an advisory to the state government for
making appropriate arrangements,”
Director of Meteorological department,
TK Jotshi told Greater Kashmir.
In view of forecast for heavy to
moderate snowfall in the Kashmir Valley
for at least next two days, the
Government has put the respective deputy
commissioners, concerned departments,
security personnel and cops on alert to
meet any eventuality arising due to
snowfall or inclement weather
conditions.
Officer on Special Duty with Divisional
Commissioner, Aamir Ali said, “We have
made all the arrangements for snow
clearance and disaster management. Hope
we should not be caught unaware this
time.”
“We are using sophisticated numerical
model and gadgets for accurate weather
forecast. This helps us to formulate
quick response to the situation and
issue advance warnings. By accurate
forecast, people have lot of confidence
in us.” Aamir said.
He said stress is being laid to keep the
Srinagar-Jammu highway open during
snowfall. He said in case of heavy
snowfall or landslides, appropriate
arrangements have been made for stranded
passengers on the highway.
The Government has constructed shelter
sheds and stored huge quantity of
eatables at Lower Munda, Chakwal Gud,
and Nasu Badigund on the highway. A
joint control room has been established
at Qazigund to monitor traffic on
highway.
“In extreme conditions, we will be air
dropping food packets at those places on
the highway where there is no safe
shelter or human habitations. Beacon
authorities are working round-the-clock
and have managed to keep the highway
open for traffic from both sides,” Aamir
said.
Authorities have kept 47 snow clearing
machines on stand-by in various district
headquarters. “In case of snowfall, our
priority will be to clear roads leading
to hospitals, Airport and Receiving
Stations and restoring power supply,” he
said. He said to prevent water logging
in low lying areas, all the dewatering
pumps stations are functioning
round-the-clock.
Aamir claimed that sufficient stock of
rice, wheat, LPG, and Petroleum products
has been made in the Valley. “As a
precaution, we have stored stocks of
essential commodities for three weeks.
Besides, a special team will conduct
market checking during snowfall to check
hoarding.” |
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Obama’s UN envoy mentions Kashmir :
Washington, Jan 16: United States
ambassador-designate to the United
Nations, Susan Rice, has identified
Kashmir as one of the hot spots and
bracketed it with conflict-torn regions,
including the Balkans and Golan heights.
The reference to Kashmir came during
Rice’s testimony before the Senate
foreign relations committee, which held
a nomination hearing for her on
Thursday.
“From the Balkans to East Timor, from
Liberia to Kashmir, from Cyprus to the
Golan Heights, the United Nations has,
for more than six decades, played a
critical role in forestalling renewed
fighting, helping to resolve conflict
and repair war-torn countries, providing
humanitarian aid, organising elections,
and responding to threats to
international peace and security,” Rice
said in her testimony. Rice, former
assistant secretary of state for African
affairs in the Clinton administration,
was foreign policy adviser to Barack
Obama during his election campaign.
After Obama won the November 4
presidential polls, he nominated Rice
for US ambassador to the UN, with
cabinet rank.
In the past too, Rice has identified
Kashmir as one of the conflict zones of
the world.
AGENCIES |
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Hurriyat, Mehbooba welcome Miliband’s
statement : Srinagar, Jan 16:
The British Foreign Secretary David
Miliband statement calling for need of
resolution of Kashmir dispute has been
welcomed by both pro-freedom and
pro-India leaders. Hurriyat chairman
Mirwaiz asking the international
community to “act now on Kashmir” termed
India’s reaction to Miliband’s statement
as an over reaction.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband
called Thursday for a rethink of the
strategy against terrorism, saying the
notion of a “war on terror” was
misleading, and said resolution of
Kashmir dispute was important for peace.
Miliband’s comments, days before U.S.
President George W. Bush hands the keys
to the White House to Barack Obama,
implicitly criticized aspects of the
“war on terror” by Bush after the
September 11 attack on World Trade
Tower.
“Resolution of the dispute over Kashmir
would help deny extremists in the region
one of their main calls to arms, and
allow Pakistani authorities to focus
more effectively on tackling the threat
on their western borders,” Miliband
wrote in an opinion piece for the
Guardian newspaper.
India was quick to react to it. It said
it does not share London’s views and
does not need “unsolicited advice on its
internal issues.”
“We do not need unsolicited advice on
the internal issues of India like Jammu
and Kashmir,” External Affairs Ministry
spokesman Vishnu Prakash told reporters
yesterday.
However, the Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq said the United Kingdom has
role in Kashmir and has moral
responsibility facilitate the resolution
of Kashmir dispute. Earlier, he said,
the US President Barack Obama has also
called for resolution of Kashmir dispute
and “I think that time has come they
should now act.” He said that the
international situation was such that
Palestine and Kashmir dispute requires
intervention. He rejected the Government
of India’s response to the British
Foreign Secretary’s suggestion and said
that India should accept the ground
situation. “It would have been far
better had India taken the advice in
positive sense,” Mirwaiz said adding
that Miliband stated nothing wrong but
brought the reality to the fore. He said
India has overreacted to the proposal
and accused India of “taking refuge in
the elections politics.” But, he added,
the world realizes the real threat and
considers that elections couldn’t be
alternative to the settlement of Kashmir
dispute. Mirwaiz said that International
community should break their silence on
carnage in Gaza and intervene.
Detained Hurriyat leader Nayeem Ahmad
Khan said the importance of the
resolution of Kashmir dispute to end
violence in the region as realised and
reflected by the British Foreign
Minister David Miliband’s statement is a
positive approach to deal with the
Indo-Pak relations.
Nayeem Khan in a statement issued in
Kuthua Jail described British FM’s
assertions recognition of the fact that
Kashmir is an issue that has global
implications and cannot be stalled.
“Miliband’s statement negates the Indian
point of view that Kashmir dispute is an
internal issue of India and can be
resolved within the ambience of Indian
rule, its constitution and elections,”
Khan added. He maintained that the
international community especially the
new administration in the US must
recognise the message that Miliband has
conveyed. Khan said the time has come
that world community takes a pro-active
role in solving the Kashmir issue on the
principles of conflict resolution rather
than conflict management.
Nayeem Khan said, India is desperately
attempting to divert the attention of
such growing realisation within the
western powers and trying to create war
hysteria so that international community
“gets engaged in conflict management
rather than conflict resolution.”
The president Peoples Democratic Party
Mehbooba Mufti said “David has stated
something that has been felt by many
people.” She said there was reason in
his statement and “we need to address
Kashmir dispute.” “Kashmir is an issue
and issued should be settled,” she said.
She said the Government of India was
free to respond in whatever manner it
thinks but “there is urge for the
solution of Kashmir issue.” The chief
minister Omer Abdullah and the NC
president Dr Farooq Abdullah were not
available for the comments. |
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Omar orders release of 15 detainees :
PSA Revoked Against Ayaz Akbar, Noor
Muhammad Kalwal, Others : Jammu, Jan 16:
A day after chief minister Omar Abdullah
assured the release of people arrested
during pro-independence uprising in June
following Amarnath land transfer deal,
the government today revoked with
“immediate effect” the detention of 15
people detained under Public Safety Act
(PSA) for participating in
demonstrations.
Among the detainees to be released are
Muhammad Akbar Khanday alias Ayaz Akbar,
the spokesman of Hurriyat Conference (G)
and senior JKLF leader Noor Muhammad
Kalwal.
Omar yesterday told reporters that his
government was actively considering
release of PSA detainees. On his orders,
the Government today revoked detention
of 15 PSA detainees, an official
spokesman said.
The detainees are Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat son
of Ghulam Ahmad of Sindu Shirmal,
Shopian; Nissar Ahmad Najar son of Abdul
Gani, Sindu Shirmal, Shopian; Abdul
Rashid Naikoo son of Ghulam Hassan
Naikoo, Laroo, Kulgam; Ghulam Muhammad
Khan alias Khan Sopori son of Ghulam
Mohi-ud-Din of Shalpora, Sopur; Zafar
Khurshid Mirza son of Muhammad Shafi of
Khabbllan Behrote, Thanamandi, Rajouri;
Bashir Ahmad Indrabi son of Muhammad
Amin of Awantipora, Pulwama; Tariq Ahmad
Shah son of Muhammad Amin of Baba
Mohalla, Shopian; Showkat Ahmad Hakeem
son of Ghulam Muhammad of Paribal, Hajan,
Bandipora; Rashid Abdullah Bhat son of
Muhammad Abdullah of Yaripora, Kulgam;
Ghulam Rasool Dar son of Abdul Rehman of
Sanatnagar; Ghulam Ahmad Dar son of
Abdul Samad alias Lala Dar of Suchipora,
Kreeri; Nissar Hussain Rather son of Ali
Muhammad of Munawar Abad, Khanyar,
Srinagar; Ashiq Hussain Sofi son of Noor
Muhammad of Gousia Colony, Khanyar.
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Troops go berserk in downtown, probe
ordered : Srinagar, Jan 16:
Troopers of CRPF on Friday broke window
panes of several houses and vehicles in
Saraf Kadal and Mallaratta areas of old
city after the eruption of anti-Israel
protests.
Witnesses said the troops threw stones
at the windows and broke many of them
with bamboo sticks. “The police action
is unwarranted,” they said.
The Inspector General of Police,
Kashmir, Dr B Srinivas, has ordered
inquiry into the incident. “The inquiry
to be conducted by SSP Srinagar shall be
held immediately. The matter was also
brought to the notice of IGP CRPF who
has also assured of strict action. In
the meanwhile the concerned CRPF Company
has been moved out from the areas,” said
a police handout. |
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NEWS /
Articles are reproductions of Local News
Papers (Greater Kashmir & Others)
So the legal rights are with there
respective Writers / Publishers |
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