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Govt imposes section 144 : Varmul, June 18: In the wake of Varmul Chalo call on Friday given by Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the district magistrate, Varmul has promulgated section 144 of J&K Cr PC within the towns of Varmul, Sopur and on Highway from Pattan to Varmul to Gantamulla, Sangram to Sopur, Sopur to Ladoora, and Varmul to Watergam from 5 am.
“The step has been taken with a view to maintain peace and public tranquility and prevent danger to human life and Public/Private property,” a government statement said.
The government said that these restrictions shall not apply to holding of prayers in Masjids or burial rites/ceremonies but in case of areas notified above for application of restrictions under Section 144 CrPC, the duly magistrates should be approached in order to prevent misconception about such occasions/ceremonies by law enforcement agencies.
The statement added that to minimize the inconvenience of general public in view of this imposition and to require any emergency assistance, the district administration has set up control rooms in the DC office.
The telephone numbers of the control rooms are Addl. DC, Varmul, 236490, 9419013364(Mobile), PA to DC, 234210, 9906526900 (Mobile).
On Sunday, Hurriyat Conference (G) had renewed its weeklong protest programme urging people to stage peaceful demonstrations to protest the dual rape and murder of Shopian women.
As per the program, Hurriyat had urged people to march to Varmul district to participate in a protest rally.

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Day 20: Shopian continues to simmer : Shopian,June 18: Shopian town observed a complete shutdown for 20th consecutive day on Thursday against the twin rape and murder of Asiya and Neloofar.
Thousands of people, including men, women and children, raising pro-freedom slogans marched through the streets of town this afternoon to express their ire against the incident. Protesters were demanding stern punishment for the culprits. The call for the protests was given by Shopian Mashawarti Committee, spearheading the agitation for justice.
Meanwhile, the committee has decided to continue with strike until the perpetrators are not identified. “We have one-point agenda. We want perpetrators to be arrested and punished,” said, vice-president of the committee, Muhammad Shafi Khan.
He advised the people to come forward and help the needy with rations and other essentials.

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Protests against arrest of Geelani, others : Srinagar, June 18: Following the call of Hurriyat Conference (G), hundreds of people Thursday staged demonstrations to protest the continued detention of the pro-freedom leaders and activists. The protesters demanded an immediate release of all the prisoners lodged in jails. As many as 12 Hurriyat (G) activists were arrested when police stifled the protests.
The biggest protest march was staged in old city here where hundreds of youth took to streets in the afternoon. Shouting pro-freedom and anti-government slogans the protesters marched from Nowhatta to Kankah-e-Moula.
The protesters were demanding release of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and other detainees.
The protests suspended traffic for several hours and the business also remained affected. The paramilitary CRPF and police deployed in huge numbers remained on guard. The protesters however dispersed peacefully.
In city centre Lal Chowk, dozens of activists of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (R) staged a peaceful sit-in at Press Colony. Similar protest demonstration was held by the activists of Hurriyat (G) at Abi-Guzar this afternoon.
The protesters tried to march on the Residency Road but they were intercepted by the police. At least a dozen activists were arrested.
Peaceful protests were also reported from North Kashmir’s Sopur and Varmul areas. Hundreds of people, mainly youths, took to streets in Sopur and staged anti-government demonstrations.
Protesters were also held in several areas of South Kashmir. The youths took to streets in Cheeni Chowk in Islamabad town and demanded the release of pro-freedom leaders and activists.

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Hurriyats doubt, JKLF welcomes PM’s statement, JK Govt has jailed leaders with whom Delhi wants to talk: Mirwaiz, Srinagar, June 18: Day after Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh expressed willingness to hold talks with any group in Kashmir, the two factions of Hurriyat Conference doubted the initiative. While Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Geelani said the PM’s statement was a hoax, the Mirwaiz Hurriyat said New Delhi should first prove its sincerity on Kashmir. Muhammad Yasin Malik of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, however, welcomed the PM’s words.
The Hurriyat Conference (G), which has never entered into a dialogue with New-Delhi, said the adamant approach of New Delhi over the issue has failed all negotiations in the past. “Those who negotiated with New Delhi know the reality of these negotiations. New Delhi first needs to stop considering Kashmir only as a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan,” acting chairman Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi said.
“If you read between the lines, Manmohan Singh’s stand on Kashmir is unchanged and that makes his initiative irrelevant,” Sumjhi said, though accepting that Kashmir dispute could only be settled on the table.
He said New Delhi needs to initiate peace process with Pakistan and take positive measures to bring stability in Kashmir so that a tripartite dialogue is possible. “These measures will prove sincerity of New Delhi towards the Kashmir issue but till then it is all hoax and we reject it,” he added.
The Hurriyat Conference (M) said the state government has jailed the leaders with whom New Delhi was expressing willingness for negotiations. The chairman of Hurriyat (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said they have already put forth a five-point formula, “And if New Delhi is serious about negotiations they should consider our formula to prepare ground for negotiations.”
The five-point formula says New Delhi should revoke AFSPA, Disturbed Areas Act and other ‘draconian’ laws in the state; Start stepwise demilitarization of Kashmir; Start a systematic process to remove differences between parties involved with the Kashmir issue; Promote free trade between two Kashmirs; And in view of the complicacies and delicacies of Kashmir issue, the government of India should sincerely chalk out a strategy which should be free of all political gimmicks and purely based on farsightedness, wisdom and realism until its final resolution.
Mirwaiz termed the Kashmir issue as sensitive one, needing caution. “Keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue we have given the formula. It shall prepare the ground for negotiations,” he said, adding, “The Kashmir issue needs to be addressed first and the other problems associated with it will automatically vanish.”
Taking a different view, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front welcomed the initiative by the PM.
“Wars have yielded nothing but ruined generations. India and Pakistan need to address the Kashmir issue on priority and include Kashmiris in the dialogue process,” Yasin Malik said, adding, “The meeting between Indian and Pakistani leaders in Russia is encouraging sign.” he said. “If invited, JKLF would call a meeting and take a decision on participation after taking everyone into confidence.”
Malik said that when he had met Dr Singh he, according to Malik, had expressed his desire to resolve the Kashmir issue for peace and stability in the south Asia. “I hope he will use his peoples’ mandate to bring peace for Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri people by resolving this vexed issue.”

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Salah-ud-Din decries Hurriyat’s response : Srinagar, June 18: Terming as hasty and disappointing the response of some Kashmiri separatist leaders to, what he called, vague statement of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the United Jihad Council (UJC) chairman Syed Salah-ud-Din on Thursday alleged that Dr Singh’s statements on Kashmir issue were never based on sincerity.
“On the one hand, Dr Singh talks of zero tolerance to human rights violations, on the other, the ground situation in Kashmir belies his all claims. In Kashmir people are killed ruthlessly, women are raped and murdered, houses looted and ransacked and pro-movement leaders and activists arrested and detained in jails under draconian laws,” said Salah-ud-Din, according to UJC statement.
Terming as surprising and unfortunate the ‘hasty’ response of some Hurriyat leaders to Dr Manmohan Singh’s statement, Salah-ud-Din accused them of ignoring the Kashmiris sacrifices and sentiments.
“These Hurriyat leaders have expressed satisfaction over the Manmohan-Zardari meeting in Russia and termed it as well development, ignoring the fact that the Indo-Pak heads had not even made a fleeting reference to Kashmir issue during their talks,” said Salah-ud-Din, adding that Zardari during the meeting could not muster the courage to mention Kashmir and human rights violations perpetrated allegedly by the Indian armed forces there.
Expressing serious concern over the falling health of pro-movement leaders and activists including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Asiya Andrabi and Shabir Ahmad Shah in jails outside Valley, Salah-ud-Din drew the attention of international human rights organizations to these excesses. He strongly condemned the arrest and detention of a 14-year old boy Omar Nayeem Dar in Khatua Jail under Public Safety Act (PSA).

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