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Restrictions in city today : Srinagar, Feb 24: Authorities have decided to “impose restrictions in sensitive areas” of the city on Wednesday to maintain law and order.
Several pro-freedom organizations have given a strike call against the killing of two youth in unprovoked firing by Army in Bomai Sopur on Saturday.
Senior police officials wishing anonymity told Greater Kashmir that in view of strike call and protests against the Sopur killings and the situation arising out of the murder of an auto-driver of Bemina, restrictions will be imposed in the city.
“The movement of large groups of people will not be allowed. Heavy deployment of police and troopers will be made in sensitive places to prevent protests,” they said.
Pertinently, the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is scheduled to address people at Bomai Sopur on the fourth day ceremony of the two youth
“Special nakas have been set up from Srinagar to Sangrama to prevent entry of separatists into Sopur,”
Authorities have already put senior pro-freedom leaders, including Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Bilal Ghani Lone and Zafar Akbar Bhat, under house arrest.

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City turns Into Battle Ground : 50 Hurt In Violent Clashes Over Auto Driver’s Killing : Srinagar, Feb 24: At least 50 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured in violent clashes in the civil lines areas and several downtown localities on Tuesday over killing of an auto driver by unidentified persons at Parimpora on the city outskirts on Monday night.
The deceased, Shabir Ahmad Sheikh son of Ghulam Ahmad Sheikh of Bemina, is a close relative of the chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik, and brother of party’s executive member, Meraj-ud-Din Sheikh.
Though the locals blamed the Special Operations Group of police for the killing, police refuted the allegation and didn’t rule out the involvement of Sheikh’s relatives and friends.
Eyewitness said three non-locals had boarded Sheikh’s auto near his ancestral house at Maisuma on Monday evening. “The trio asked Sheikh to proceed to Rangreth. That was the last time we saw him,” a local wishing anonymity said.
On Tuesday morning, police recovered Sheikh’s body near Sharifabad - Parimpora road and shifted it to the Police Control Room. After finding strangulation marks on his throat, police registered a murder case and handed over Sheikh’s body to his relatives.
A pall of gloom descended on Maisuma when Sheikh’s body was brought to his ancestral house there. All the shops and commercial establishments in Maisuma, Gaw Kadal, Lal Chowk pulled down their shutters to protest the killing. Hundreds of people assembled at Maisuma and staged protests against the killing. Wailing and beating their chest, a large number of women surrounded the body. Thousands of people offered Nimaz-e-Jinaza to the deceased near Budshah Chowk.
Shouting pro-freedom slogans, people carried the body in a procession up to Dalgate. The angry protesters severely thrashed a group of policeman when they tried to stop them near Regal Chowk. Sensing trouble, paramilitary CRPF troopers were seen running towards safer places.
As the procession reached near Hotel Broadway, the protesters ripped apart a hoarding with life-size images of UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, and prime minister, Manmohan Singh.
“Qatilon Ko Saza Do, Task Force Hai Hai, Hum Kya Chathay Aazadi (Punish the killers, down with Task Force, We want freedom,” they shouted.
Laced with iron rods and hockey sticks, the angry youth set ablaze traffic beats at TRC and on Maulana Azad road and smashed windscreens of many vehicles.
After laying Sheikh’s body to rest at Malteng in Dalgate area, angry protesters assembled at Lal Chowk and went on a rampage. They attacked policemen and troopers with stones triggering violent clashes. At least 50 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured in the clashes.
The Bureau Chief of Times Now, Tariq Mir, covering the protests, was injured when a stone hit his head near Red Cross Road. He was rushed to hospital.
The protesters placed barricades and burnt types on Maulana Azad Road, Residency Road and Budshah Chowk completely disrupting vehicular movement.
Lal Chowk turned into a battlefield as thick columns of tear smoke completely engulfed the area for hours. Some women fell unconscious while others cried due to intense pain in their eyes due to the noxious smoke.
Police swung into action and continuously fired dozens of tear smoke shells, but the protesters offered stiff resistance and dispersed in groups across the Lal Chowk.
Besides chanting anti-India slogans, the protesters staged Ragda at Lal Chowk and bullied the CRPF troopers stationed in a building near Ghanta Ghar.
As the protesters chased away the troopers near Abi Guzar, policemen boarded a bullet proof gypsy and opened indiscriminate fire in air forcing the protesters to disperse. The pitched battle continued till Tuesday evening.
Protests against the killing also erupted in many localities of the old city. Reports said the protesters clashed with police and troopers at Nowhatta, Fateh Kadal, Safa Kadal and its adjoining areas. Police had a tough time to deal with the protesters and fired several tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters.
SSP REFUTES SOG INVOLVEMENT
The senior superintendent of police, Syed Afadul Mujtaba, strongly refuted the allegations that the SOG killed the driver.
“This is a sheer figment of imagination and an attempt to divert the issue. Police or any of its agency has no role in the killing. In fact, we have registered a murder case after recovering the body at Parimpora. Some vested interests and hooligans flared up the emotions and resorted to stone pelting,” the SSP said.
The SSP said the case resembled with the killing of handicraft dealer Nazir Mahajan who was murdered allegedly by his son.
Pertinently the killing had also evoked massive protest for days together. The locals had blamed the liquor barons for the killings. However, after thorough investigation, police had solved the blind murder case in a record time.
“We will investigate all the aspects of the case. We can’t rule out the involvement of the relatives and friends of the deceased. Truth will come to fore soon. It is just a matter of time,” the SSP said.

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PDP ‘moves’ resolution for AFSPA withdrawal : Jammu, Feb 24: The Peoples Democratic Party has moved a private member resolution in the Legislative Assembly for the withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state of Jammu and Kashmir to prevent killings of innocent citizens at the hands of troops.
PDP MLA from Darhal, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, has moved the resolution under Rule 174 of the Rules, Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly.
In a letter to the speaker, Ali said that in view of the situation arising out of the Bumai incident, he placed a resolution in the Assembly.
The resolution reads as: “This august House resolved to recommend to the Government of India to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.”
The PDP MLA asked the speaker to entertain the resolution in public interest.
“Scrapping of this Act is a must to prevent loss of human lives at the hands of troops,” Ali said. Strongly condemning the Bomai killings, he said recurrence of such incidents would be stopped only by scrapping such draconian laws which were against the civilized society.

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Pharma companies accuse SKIMS of flouting purchase norms: Srinagar, Feb 24: Some reputed pharmaceutical companies of India have written to the Jammu and Kashmir government alleging that the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, had preferred purchase of various “critical” drugs from companies at higher rates than those quoted by others in the competition.
A Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company has written to the Finance and Health ministers of the state as also to SKIMS director to say that purchase of drugs in contravention of the well-established norms was “totally wrong.”
“While making the decision, your good self cannot ignore our lowest rate as compared to the too high rates being approved which results in too much burden on the poor patients,” writes the regional sales manager of the company to financial commissioner, Finance, besides the ministers and other officials, on February 20, 2009.
The documents available with Greater Kashmir reveal that the quotation of the company was not approved even as it had quoted the lowest rates and had even been short listed by the Cardiology Department. Instead, the order has been placed with a company which has quoted Rs 250 more in case of one single item. The company had quoted Rs 170 apiece while the SKIMS authorities approved the purchase at Rs 450, sources said.
Sources in the Institute said some other companies were also likely to write to the state government about various other “discrepancies” in drugs procurement.
When contacted, the Head of the SKIMS Material Management Wing, Khursheed Ahmad Bukhari, admitted that the hospital had received representation from the Hyderabad-based company. “We have sent it to the technical committee for their comments,” he told Greater Kashmir.
However, Bukhari said, that eight out of 500 drugs had been approved on the basis of their superior quality. “The concerned experts didn’t compromise on the quality of some drugs,” he said. “Still, we are waiting for the technical committee’s report.”
Meanwhile, the SKIMS insiders demanded thorough probe into the purchase of vital drugs. “Let the authorities investigate what has gone wrong. If the concerned HODs have shortlisted their favourite companies, they must be held accountable. But if the administration has played any mischief, action must be initiated against it,” said a senior doctor pleading anonymity.
Pertinently, the hospital is reported to have procured some vital anti-cancer drugs from banned pharmaceutical companies and those lacking the requisite marketing and manufacturing experience.

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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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