|
|
|
NEWS Updates - 17
June 2009 |
*
Transporters follow Hurriyat programme
Protest Rallies Across Valley
*
Army chief discusses AFSPA with Governor
* ‘Killer’ cop fired
* Separatists pledge economic support to needy |
Transporters follow Hurriyat programme /
Protest Rallies Across Valley: Srinagar, June 16:
On the call of Hurriyat Conference lead by Syed Ali
Geelani, transporters Tuesday held protest
demonstrations and took out rallies across the Valley
against the rape and murder of teenaged Asiya and her
pregnant sister-in-law Neelofer in Shopian, allegedly by
troops. The transporters asked the government to punish
the guilty and demanded revocation of the Armed Forces
Special Powers Act.
Kashmir Valley Transporters Association took out a rally
from KMD bus stand Batamaloo here. Shouting pro-freedom
slogans and holding placards seeking justice for Shopian
victims, the protesters marched through the secretariat
road, Jehangir Chowk, Budshah Chowk and reached press
enclave.
Condemning the Shopian incident, they demanded an end to
the human rights abuses in the state.
“We want the government to punish the culprits who have
outraged the chastity of two women in Shopian. Unless
the guilty are punished we will continue our protest,”
Haji Bashir Ahmad, president KVTA said.
He vowed full support to the people of Shopian who are
observing an indefinite shutdown seeking justice for the
victims. “We are with Shopian people and will fight
along with them for justice to the victims,” he said.
“We will bear everything but not attack on the modesty
of our women, we will prefer to die than see our women
being outraged and then murdered with such brutality,”
he added.
He said the Association, on the call of Hurriyat
Conference (G), has organised protest rallies throughout
the valley. “All the transporters, bus and taxi drivers
are taking part in the protests,” he said. In south
Kashmir’s Islamabad town, the transporters including
bus, taxi and auto drivers took out a protest rally from
general bus stand and marched through the town. They
shouted slogans demanding stern punishment to the
perpetrators of Shopian rape and murder and demanded
revocation of AFSPA, which they said was responsible for
the unabated human rights abuses in the state.
Reports of similar protests were also received from
Qazigund and Kulgam.
In North Kashmir’s Varmul town, bus and taxi operators
took out a rally from the bus stand and marched through
the town markets. They demanded that the Shopian
culprits be produced before public. Reports of
transporters’ protests also poured in from Bandipora and
Kupwara.
In Sopur, transporters halted operations for one hour
and took out a protest rally from bus stand to the
Sub-district Magistrate’s office where they submitted a
memorandum seeking punishment to Shopian rapists.
|
|
Top |
Army chief discusses AFSPA with Governor
: Srinagar/New Delhi, Jun 16:
With the demand for revocation of the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)
growing louder in Jammu and Kashmir,
Army chief General Deepak Kapoor today
held discussions with the governor N N
Vohra on the issue in Srinagar, apart
from reviewing the security situation in
the state.
Kapoor, who had reached Srinagar
yesterday on a two-day trip, met the
Governor and discussed the situation and
the issue of revocation of AFSPA, Army
sources said here.
He also discussed the security
arrangements for Amarnath pilgrimage
that began recently, issues of
insurgency and cross-border
infiltration, sources said.
The Army chief also reviewed the overall
security situation in the valley with
his commanders and the 15 ‘Chinar’ Corps
Commander Lt Gen Bikram Singh gave him a
low-down on the security apparatus that
was in place in the state to tackle the
twin issues of infiltration and
militancy.
During his interaction with Army
officers and personnel while visiting
formations involved in
counter-infiltration and anti-militancy
operations, Kapoor reviewed the
prevailing situation, apart from asking
the soldiers to keep a “strict vigil” to
prevent infiltration from across the
Line of Control (LOC).
“The Army chief was briefed on the
anti-infiltration obstacle system and
its efficacy, apart from measures to
counter militancy in Kashmir,” sources
said.
Northern Army Commander Lt Gen P C
Bhardwaj was with Kapoor during his
visits to the formations.
Army chief’s wife Kirti Kapoor, who
accompanied him on the tour, attended a
Veer Nari Sammelan in Srinagar under the
aegis of Army Wives Welfare Association
(AWWA) and distributed welfare measures
to nearly 100 Army widows.
The participants were educated on the
pensionary benefits post the Sixth Pay
Commission implementation and the
Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme
(ECHS), apart from scrutinising their
pension documents and intimating of any
anomalies for rectification. |
|
Top |
‘Killer’
cop fired : /Aluchi Bagh custodial
killing : Srinagar, June 16: The
State Government Tuesday dismissed from
service the Special Operations Group
inspector, Khursheed Ahmed, who
allegedly killed Manzoor Ahmed Beigh of
Aloochi Bagh in custody last month.
Sources in the administration said the
Home department issued an order,
dismissing Khursheed Ahmed. The
inspector was in-charge of the SOG Cargo
camp at the time of the civilian’s death
in custody. The accused had picked up
Manzoor Ahmed to reclaim a loan that
Beigh owed to another person.
During a recent press conference, chief
minister Omar Abdulah said he had
recommended the officer’s dismissal from
service.
Manzoor’s death in custody had triggered
massive anti-police protests in the
city. He was picked up by SOG personnel
on May 18 from his shop in Hari Singh
High Street here. |
|
Top |
Separatists pledge economic support to
needy: Srinagar, June 16: The
separatist camp has decided to provide
economic support to the Shopian
residents who are on an indefinite
protest strike for the past 18 days
against the rape of murder of teenaged
Asiya and her pregnant sister-in-law
Neelofer, allegedly by troops.
The Majlis-e-Mashawrat (coordination
committee) formed by the residents to
spearhead the agitation has decided the
strike would continue until the guilty
are punished.
While the two factions of Hurriyat have
convened meetings on Wednesday to decide
on how to help the Shopian people, the
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front has
started dispatching relief to the south
Kashmir district. One such consignment
of daily provisions was sent to Shopian
on Monday.
The Majlis-e-Mashawrat has pledged to
compensate the daily wagers in the
district to sustain the agitation.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, the chairman
of Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq, said they have been in touch
with the Majlis to help them in every
possible way. He said a team of Hurriyat
activists has been sent to Shopian.
“We are getting in touch with the
traders’ unions and other organizations.
We have called a meeting of our members
on Wednesday and after that we will
decide how we can provide relief to the
Shopian residents,” he said.
He said all Kashmiris need to come
together and extend support to Shopian.
“It is time for unity and we all need to
stand by the people of Shopian,” he
said.
Hurriyat Conference (G) is also holding
an executive body meeting on Wednesday
to decide upon economic support to
Shopian. “We will decide in tomorrow’s
meeting,” Hurriyat (G) acting chairman,
Ghulam Nabi Sumji said.
“Whole Kashmir is with the people of
Shopian and we will extend whatever
support we can,” he said.
JKLF chairman Yaseen Malik says the
Front would reach out to the public to
collect relief material for Shopian.
“This will continue till the situation
normalizes in the district,” he said.
Malik termed the indefinite strike in
Shopian as genuine and appealed people
to extend support to it. “It is a strike
for the honour and chastity of our
mothers and sisters and it is our moral
responsibility to make this strike a
success,” he said. |
|
Top |
|
|
|
Top |
|
|
|
Top |
|
NEWS /
Articles are reproductions of Local News
Papers (Greater Kashmir & Others)
So the legal rights are with there
respective Writers / Publishers |
|
|
