At least 27 people were killed and several injured in a bus accident in the mountainous Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday morning,
police said.
The accident took place when the bus skidded off the road and fell into Neeru nullah, a tributary of Chenab river at Pul Doda in Doda district, about 170 km north-east of Jammu, the state's winter capital.
The bus was on its way to the district headquarter town of Doda from Bhaderwah.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Complete strike in Kashmir
In Kashmir, complete strike is being observed, today, against the stepped up Indian state terrorism and gross human rights violation by Indian troops. The occupation authorities have placed the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other Hurriyet leaders including Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi, Fazl Haq Qureshi, Zafar Akbar Butt and Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, under house arrest.
one HM militant arrested by Police
One HM militant Ghulam Mohammad Mir @ Arif S/o Mohd Jamal Mir R/o Panzen (A) Kangan Ganderbal while roaming in suspicious condition was arrested apprehended by police station Ram Munshi Bagh at Sonwar during Naka checking. One Chinese grenade has been recovered from his possession. Police has registered a case in this regard.
One person died while another one was injured in two different road traffic accidents across Kashmir Valley.
A Tata Sumo bearing registration number JK05-B/1332 hit one pedestrian namely Ghulam Qadir Bhat S/o Assadullah R/o Mughal Pora Saloosa at Patkhah Bazar Baramulla , resulting in his on spot death. Police has registered a case in this regard.
A passenger vehicle bearing registration number JK01-D/2725 hit and injured a lady Mst. Khadija W/o Late Mohammad Sadiq R/o Kralyar at Jogi Lanker near Vishwa Barti College Rainawari, Srinagar. The injured was rushed to hospital for treatment. Police has registered a case in this regard. (Source:Zonal Police Headquarters Srinager)
One person died while another one was injured in two different road traffic accidents across Kashmir Valley.
A Tata Sumo bearing registration number JK05-B/1332 hit one pedestrian namely Ghulam Qadir Bhat S/o Assadullah R/o Mughal Pora Saloosa at Patkhah Bazar Baramulla , resulting in his on spot death. Police has registered a case in this regard.
A passenger vehicle bearing registration number JK01-D/2725 hit and injured a lady Mst. Khadija W/o Late Mohammad Sadiq R/o Kralyar at Jogi Lanker near Vishwa Barti College Rainawari, Srinagar. The injured was rushed to hospital for treatment. Police has registered a case in this regard. (Source:Zonal Police Headquarters Srinager)
Press release of mahaz-e-Azadi
Jammu Kashmir Mahaz-e-Azadi (MeA)President Mir Mohammad Iqbal in a statement has strongly condemned the imposition of undeclared curfew in major parts of Srinagar and Sopore –paradoxically section 144 has been invoked to barb Kashmiris resolute for Freedom . Army’s action in Bumai Sopore in which two innocent youth were martyred , is the indicative of the fact that armed forces deputed in Kashmir are meant to exterminate the just cause (freedom) and have been left trigger free.
MeA pays rich tributes to Youth of Bumai who achieved martyrdom, Mir Said, “We urge international HR organizations to depute fact finding missions for Kashmir : to query for the killing of naïve Kashmiris at the hands Indian armed forces ” Meanwhile President Mahaz-e-Azadi has also express disapproval on the mysterious killing of Maisuma youth at Parimpora and insisted for an independent probe in to the incident. In the meantime MeA has expressed profoun grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Advocate Gh. Hassan Malik of Tral and expressed sympathies with the bereaved family of Malik .MeA prayed that -May Allah grant eternal peace to the departed soul.
MeA pays rich tributes to Youth of Bumai who achieved martyrdom, Mir Said, “We urge international HR organizations to depute fact finding missions for Kashmir : to query for the killing of naïve Kashmiris at the hands Indian armed forces ” Meanwhile President Mahaz-e-Azadi has also express disapproval on the mysterious killing of Maisuma youth at Parimpora and insisted for an independent probe in to the incident. In the meantime MeA has expressed profoun grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Advocate Gh. Hassan Malik of Tral and expressed sympathies with the bereaved family of Malik .MeA prayed that -May Allah grant eternal peace to the departed soul.
Press release of PL
Jammu Kashmir peoples League (PL) in a statement has strongly condemned the imposition of undeclared curfew in major parts of Srinagar and Sopore –Indian authorities have invoked section 144 to barb Kashmiris resolute for freedom . Army’s action in Bumai Sopore indicates that armed forces in Kashmir are on Nazis pattern of Genocide -who have been deputed by New Delhi to exterminate the just cause (Freedom) and forces have been left trigger free, and PL pays rich tributes to youth of Bumai who achieved martyrdom , senior PL leaders and chief organizer Parvaiz Dar said. Meanwhile PL urges international HR organizations to depute fact finding missions for Kashmir : to query for the killing of naïve Kashmiris at the hands of Indian armed forces . In the meantime Dar has also express disapproval on the mysterious killing of Maisuma youth at Parimpora and maintain that independent probe should be carried into the incident. It is enigmatic to say that a heavy contingent of police reported early morning at PL headquarters at Rajbagh and asked all the persons present in the office to remain indoors thus restricting their movements which include Senior PL leaders like Shakeel-u-Rehman, Gh. Nabi Waseem, Sofi Maqbool and even Parvaiz Dar.
press release of Hurriyat Conference
On the fourth day of Javaid Ahmad of Sopore martyred by Indian army at Bumai beside another youth on 21st Feb. Chief Office superintendent of Hurriyat conference and Senior Muslim Conference Leader Shabir Ahmad Dar along with Senior Awami Action Committee leader visited the house of Slain Kashmiri Youth . While speaking on the occasion Shabir Ahmad Dar said that Indian armed forces have unleashed reign of terror in Kashmir just to silence the legitimate voice of Kashmiris. “ We salute the determination shown by common stock of people of Kashmir for their unending support to the freedom struggle” Shabir said, “We are being maimed for demanding our justifiable assertion -right of right to self determination as guaranteed by UNO” No matter Indian armed forces can kill our youth ,but we are not cowards- we know that Kashmiris are fighting politically and diplomatically against occupational forces who are ten times more than our whole populace even after Kashmiris have sustained firm belief for freedom though our esteem has been bombarded: so that we take a bow ,let us resist peacefully by all means alongside the propaganda which has been let loose upon us but still we salute our nation , Shabir Said. Dar maintained that caging whole Kashmir nation by the forced aggression the sentiment of Azadi(freedom) can not be unruffled.
PDP to NC government-Dont repeat history of dishonoring human rights.
Blaming NC led coalition government of going by the precedence set by former NC regime from 1996-2002, PDP today said that NCs casual attitude towards human rights respect was likely to deteriorate the situation in Jammu and Kashmir which was heading towards normalcy due to consistent efforts of PDP.
While condemning the fresh killing of an innocent auto driver in Srinagar, a PDP spokesperson today said that the state could not expect anything good from a regime which has always been casual to such dastard acts.
The situation could take ugly turn and may roll back to the one witnessed in early nineties if the security forces deployed in the state are not made accountable by withdrawing the unbridled powers given to them through AFSPA and certain other laws. Ordering probes and constituting enquiry commissions could not serve any purpose unless the powers enjoyed by the security forces are not withdrawn he said.
People of the state had reposed their faith in a system that was completely overhauled by PDP led coalition government in 2002, unfortunately we are back to square one due to the insensitivity of NC led coalition government to the fundamental rights of the citizens.
PDP cant be a mute spectator to the sufferings of the common masses as incidents involving gross human rights violations continue unabated. On the very first day of assuming its office, this government was gifted with the killing of a physically challenged person, since then death and destruction is dancing in every nook and corner of the state spokesperson said and added that in less than one and a half month about six innocent persons have been killed mercilessly and more than forty people booked under PSA merely on suspicion. Incidents of loot and arson are on rise and frisking, ghost of night crackdown renewed protests showered with bullets every now and then in remote areas.
He said that "Healing Touch" policy of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had weaned away people from violence, helped to usher in the beginnings of peace, and helped democratic culture reassert itself with noticeable vigour, unfortunately the new NC government has compromised all for the seat of power and cares little for the good of the people. He, however said that PDP will not allow the government to play with the life and dignity of innocents and will fight back the insensitivity of the present regime in and out side the assembly.
While condemning the fresh killing of an innocent auto driver in Srinagar, a PDP spokesperson today said that the state could not expect anything good from a regime which has always been casual to such dastard acts.
The situation could take ugly turn and may roll back to the one witnessed in early nineties if the security forces deployed in the state are not made accountable by withdrawing the unbridled powers given to them through AFSPA and certain other laws. Ordering probes and constituting enquiry commissions could not serve any purpose unless the powers enjoyed by the security forces are not withdrawn he said.
People of the state had reposed their faith in a system that was completely overhauled by PDP led coalition government in 2002, unfortunately we are back to square one due to the insensitivity of NC led coalition government to the fundamental rights of the citizens.
PDP cant be a mute spectator to the sufferings of the common masses as incidents involving gross human rights violations continue unabated. On the very first day of assuming its office, this government was gifted with the killing of a physically challenged person, since then death and destruction is dancing in every nook and corner of the state spokesperson said and added that in less than one and a half month about six innocent persons have been killed mercilessly and more than forty people booked under PSA merely on suspicion. Incidents of loot and arson are on rise and frisking, ghost of night crackdown renewed protests showered with bullets every now and then in remote areas.
He said that "Healing Touch" policy of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had weaned away people from violence, helped to usher in the beginnings of peace, and helped democratic culture reassert itself with noticeable vigour, unfortunately the new NC government has compromised all for the seat of power and cares little for the good of the people. He, however said that PDP will not allow the government to play with the life and dignity of innocents and will fight back the insensitivity of the present regime in and out side the assembly.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Pakistani Accord Appears Stalled
Pakistani Accord Appears Stalled
A controversial, closely watched peace agreement designed to end Taliban violence in the scenic Swat Valley hung in limbo Wednesday amid criticism in Pakistan and rising concern in Washington.
Neither the Pakistani government nor the Islamic extremists were willing to formalize the accord, announced by Pakistani officials Monday. The proposed pact marks an unprecedented and risky attempt to disarm about 2,000 Taliban fighters, who have invaded and terrorized a once-bucolic area of 1.5 million in northwestern Pakistan, by offering to install a strict system of Islamic law in the surrounding district.
Supporters see the offer as an urgently needed bid for peace and a potential model for other areas ravaged by Pakistan`s growing Islamist militancy, which now controls areas 80 miles from the capital of this nuclear-armed Muslim nation. Critics say it would make too many concessions to ruthless religious forces and provide them with a launching pad to drive deeper into the settled areas of Pakistan from their safe haven in the rough tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan.
"This is a bad idea that sends a very wrong signal," said Rifaat Hussain, a professor of defense and security studies at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, the capital. "It legitimizes the existence of violent armed groups and allows them to draw the wrong lesson: that if you are powerful enough to challenge the writ of the state, it will cave in and appease you."
In Washington, where the Obama administration has been conspicuously silent about the agreement, officials said privately that they considered it a major setback for U.S. goals in the region. "It`s a surrender disguised as a truce," one official said, describing it as an admission that the government lacks the capacity to defend the crucial western part of the country.
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Several officials said the proposed pact was evidence that the Pakistani government has no coherent plan for combating militancy. One noted that Islamabad had offered no comprehensive package of economic aid or outlined a long-term structure for the region. "This is signing a deal and calling it done," this official said. "What comes next?"
In December, Pakistani military efforts to roust the Taliban from the Swat Valley were defeated by the far smaller extremist force. The military "met resistance that they and we didn`t expect," a U.S. official said, citing sophisticated Taliban tactics, command and communications and participation by extremists from Chechnya and Afghanistan. The military, he said, "won some tactical victories; they didn`t win their strategic objectives."
Monday`s proposed peace accord took the Obama administration by surprise, U.S. officials said. They received no advance notice of the deal and remained uncertain of what was happening on the ground. "We`re not even sure if it`s a real deal," a senior U.S. military official said.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of diplomatic and military sensitivities, said they hoped for clarification by next week, when senior Pakistani and Afghan delegations are due to arrive in Washington for high-level talks that are part of the administration`s strategic review of the Afghan war effort and its policy toward Pakistan and the region.
The delegations will be headed by the foreign ministers of the two countries and will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and special envoy Richard C. Holbrooke, among others. Holbrooke, who set up the visits during a tour of the region last week, said Wednesday that the administration expected two things from the meetings. "One, a sense of both countries that they are participating actively in shaping our strategy toward their countries, that it`s not just a unilateral dictat. Secondly, " he said, "to stimulate them to do similar strategic thinking."
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose government faces an identical challenge from Taliban insurgents controlling large portions of the Afghan countryside, plans to travel to Islamabad on Thursday for talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and other officials.
In the Swat Valley, a second day of confusion and uncertainty about the pact passed Wednesday, with rising hopes and a jubilant peace march among the local population, followed by the brutal killing of a Pakistani TV journalist, Musa Khan Khel. He was apparently seized and shot by militants while covering the peace march, despite a Taliban offer of a 10-day cease-fire while elements of the accord are implemented. Thousands of people turned out Wednesday morning in Swat to cheer and follow a delegation of religious and political leaders who entered the Taliban-controlled territory to persuade the extremists to sign the pact and put down their weapons. The Taliban has ravaged the once-pristine, affluent area for months, burning schools, killing police and ordering women to remain home. More than half the populace is believed to have fled their homes.
Leaders of Pakistan`s secular Awami National Party, which orchestrated the deal, insist that it will bring a better justice system to the region and that they can reason with the Taliban because they are from the same ethnic Pashtun tribe. But other prominent Pakistanis assert that civilian leaders underestimate the danger posed by the insurgents.
"All segments of society and the general public need to be educated that Talibanization is a real and serious threat to the country, and that if nothing is done to stop its advance, then the anarchy will spread," Asad Munir, a retired brigadier and former intelligence chief in North-West Frontier Province, wrote in the News newspaper Tuesday. Pakistan`s intelligence service once helped create Islamist militias to fight other wars.
In Swat, where followers of a nonviolent Islamist leader named Sufi Mohammad have been demanding the enforcement of Islamic law for years, the announcement of the agreement Monday was greeted by relief and hope. Shops reopened and people flooded the streets after months of hurrying home in fear. Preparations were made to welcome Mohammad, who had offered to come to Swat and persuade the fighters to lay down their arms.
On Wednesday morning, Mohammad`s "caravan of peace" made its way into the valley, and thousands of well-wishers rallied in the central town of Mingaora. Many people seemed nervous and uncertain, however, and black-turbaned Taliban fighters were seen patrolling the outskirts of the city with weapons and walkie-talkies.
"We want peace at any cost," Gul Bad Shah, 46, a shopkeeper in one town said as the marchers passed. "We are very happy to see the hustle and bustle in the markets after a long time." A college student named Rehmanullah, 22, said the Taliban movement in Swat "will evaporate once the law is implemented in letter and spirit."
All day, Mohammad and his delegation moved from town to town, chanting for peace and hearing the cheers of supporters. Senior provincial officials and legislators, who rarely dare to venture into Swat these days, accompanied them. But a negotiating committee from the Taliban continued to meet in an undisclosed location and made no public comment.
The government`s position on the deal also remained unclear, creating further anxiety. President Zardari, reportedly under pressure from the West, went a second day without signing the pact or making public the details of the law system. Several leaders in Swat told Geo television that they could co-exist with the Taliban and blamed the government for sabotaging their chance for peace.
But by late afternoon, news that Khan Khel had been slain while covering the march seemed to mock public hopes that the extremists` word could be trusted. Videos on the evening news showed him interviewing smiling people along the route, interspersed with images of colleagues carrying his corpse.
"He was with us all day on the march, and then suddenly we heard he had been kidnapped and killed and his body dumped on the road," said Irfan Ashraf, a reporter for Dawn television, speaking from Swat. "He was a journalist to the core, a sweet guy, and now he is no more here with us." Source:Washington Post
A controversial, closely watched peace agreement designed to end Taliban violence in the scenic Swat Valley hung in limbo Wednesday amid criticism in Pakistan and rising concern in Washington.
Neither the Pakistani government nor the Islamic extremists were willing to formalize the accord, announced by Pakistani officials Monday. The proposed pact marks an unprecedented and risky attempt to disarm about 2,000 Taliban fighters, who have invaded and terrorized a once-bucolic area of 1.5 million in northwestern Pakistan, by offering to install a strict system of Islamic law in the surrounding district.
Supporters see the offer as an urgently needed bid for peace and a potential model for other areas ravaged by Pakistan`s growing Islamist militancy, which now controls areas 80 miles from the capital of this nuclear-armed Muslim nation. Critics say it would make too many concessions to ruthless religious forces and provide them with a launching pad to drive deeper into the settled areas of Pakistan from their safe haven in the rough tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan.
"This is a bad idea that sends a very wrong signal," said Rifaat Hussain, a professor of defense and security studies at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, the capital. "It legitimizes the existence of violent armed groups and allows them to draw the wrong lesson: that if you are powerful enough to challenge the writ of the state, it will cave in and appease you."
In Washington, where the Obama administration has been conspicuously silent about the agreement, officials said privately that they considered it a major setback for U.S. goals in the region. "It`s a surrender disguised as a truce," one official said, describing it as an admission that the government lacks the capacity to defend the crucial western part of the country.
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Several officials said the proposed pact was evidence that the Pakistani government has no coherent plan for combating militancy. One noted that Islamabad had offered no comprehensive package of economic aid or outlined a long-term structure for the region. "This is signing a deal and calling it done," this official said. "What comes next?"
In December, Pakistani military efforts to roust the Taliban from the Swat Valley were defeated by the far smaller extremist force. The military "met resistance that they and we didn`t expect," a U.S. official said, citing sophisticated Taliban tactics, command and communications and participation by extremists from Chechnya and Afghanistan. The military, he said, "won some tactical victories; they didn`t win their strategic objectives."
Monday`s proposed peace accord took the Obama administration by surprise, U.S. officials said. They received no advance notice of the deal and remained uncertain of what was happening on the ground. "We`re not even sure if it`s a real deal," a senior U.S. military official said.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of diplomatic and military sensitivities, said they hoped for clarification by next week, when senior Pakistani and Afghan delegations are due to arrive in Washington for high-level talks that are part of the administration`s strategic review of the Afghan war effort and its policy toward Pakistan and the region.
The delegations will be headed by the foreign ministers of the two countries and will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and special envoy Richard C. Holbrooke, among others. Holbrooke, who set up the visits during a tour of the region last week, said Wednesday that the administration expected two things from the meetings. "One, a sense of both countries that they are participating actively in shaping our strategy toward their countries, that it`s not just a unilateral dictat. Secondly, " he said, "to stimulate them to do similar strategic thinking."
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose government faces an identical challenge from Taliban insurgents controlling large portions of the Afghan countryside, plans to travel to Islamabad on Thursday for talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and other officials.
In the Swat Valley, a second day of confusion and uncertainty about the pact passed Wednesday, with rising hopes and a jubilant peace march among the local population, followed by the brutal killing of a Pakistani TV journalist, Musa Khan Khel. He was apparently seized and shot by militants while covering the peace march, despite a Taliban offer of a 10-day cease-fire while elements of the accord are implemented. Thousands of people turned out Wednesday morning in Swat to cheer and follow a delegation of religious and political leaders who entered the Taliban-controlled territory to persuade the extremists to sign the pact and put down their weapons. The Taliban has ravaged the once-pristine, affluent area for months, burning schools, killing police and ordering women to remain home. More than half the populace is believed to have fled their homes.
Leaders of Pakistan`s secular Awami National Party, which orchestrated the deal, insist that it will bring a better justice system to the region and that they can reason with the Taliban because they are from the same ethnic Pashtun tribe. But other prominent Pakistanis assert that civilian leaders underestimate the danger posed by the insurgents.
"All segments of society and the general public need to be educated that Talibanization is a real and serious threat to the country, and that if nothing is done to stop its advance, then the anarchy will spread," Asad Munir, a retired brigadier and former intelligence chief in North-West Frontier Province, wrote in the News newspaper Tuesday. Pakistan`s intelligence service once helped create Islamist militias to fight other wars.
In Swat, where followers of a nonviolent Islamist leader named Sufi Mohammad have been demanding the enforcement of Islamic law for years, the announcement of the agreement Monday was greeted by relief and hope. Shops reopened and people flooded the streets after months of hurrying home in fear. Preparations were made to welcome Mohammad, who had offered to come to Swat and persuade the fighters to lay down their arms.
On Wednesday morning, Mohammad`s "caravan of peace" made its way into the valley, and thousands of well-wishers rallied in the central town of Mingaora. Many people seemed nervous and uncertain, however, and black-turbaned Taliban fighters were seen patrolling the outskirts of the city with weapons and walkie-talkies.
"We want peace at any cost," Gul Bad Shah, 46, a shopkeeper in one town said as the marchers passed. "We are very happy to see the hustle and bustle in the markets after a long time." A college student named Rehmanullah, 22, said the Taliban movement in Swat "will evaporate once the law is implemented in letter and spirit."
All day, Mohammad and his delegation moved from town to town, chanting for peace and hearing the cheers of supporters. Senior provincial officials and legislators, who rarely dare to venture into Swat these days, accompanied them. But a negotiating committee from the Taliban continued to meet in an undisclosed location and made no public comment.
The government`s position on the deal also remained unclear, creating further anxiety. President Zardari, reportedly under pressure from the West, went a second day without signing the pact or making public the details of the law system. Several leaders in Swat told Geo television that they could co-exist with the Taliban and blamed the government for sabotaging their chance for peace.
But by late afternoon, news that Khan Khel had been slain while covering the march seemed to mock public hopes that the extremists` word could be trusted. Videos on the evening news showed him interviewing smiling people along the route, interspersed with images of colleagues carrying his corpse.
"He was with us all day on the march, and then suddenly we heard he had been kidnapped and killed and his body dumped on the road," said Irfan Ashraf, a reporter for Dawn television, speaking from Swat. "He was a journalist to the core, a sweet guy, and now he is no more here with us." Source:Washington Post
Mulayam not averse to `conditional` alliance with BJP
Clarifying his statement with regard to the possibilities of his ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its top leadership, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday said that the issue was not new.
Samajwadi Party had said that it had no problem with BJP if the saffron party gave up its Hindutva issues, drawing a sharp reaction from the main opposition party which said it cannot make sacrifice its ideology for short-term political gains.
"I have repeatedly said that if the BJP gives up the temple issue and its demand to withdraw Article 370 from Kashmir (which allows special status to the valley state) I have no problems in joining hands with them in public interest," Mulayam said responding to a question on the confusion in the media that gave an impression that SP was in contact with BJP for an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections.
"I had stated in Lok Sabha and also told Advaniji a long time back that we have no problem with BJP in case it dropped the three contentious issues of Article 370, uniform civil code and Ram Temple. A reference to it can also be found in the parliament records," SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow.
The BJP dismissed as "mischievous" Yadav`s remarks saying these are "intended to spread rumour”.
"There cannot be even a remote possibility for BJP to consider SP," party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters in New Delhi.
"Such statements are an effort to misguide the voters and is part of SP`s efforts to regain its lost relevance by creating confusion among the masses", he added.
Naqvi said "Ayodhya is among the core issues of the party and there is no point to leave it. Our party is not like others which can compromise on its ideology for short term political gains," Naqvi said.
"BJP stands for justice, social uplift and equality for all while both SP and BSP have proven by their rule that they are synonymous with goondaraj, injustice and to create a rift in society," he said.Agencies
Samajwadi Party had said that it had no problem with BJP if the saffron party gave up its Hindutva issues, drawing a sharp reaction from the main opposition party which said it cannot make sacrifice its ideology for short-term political gains.
"I have repeatedly said that if the BJP gives up the temple issue and its demand to withdraw Article 370 from Kashmir (which allows special status to the valley state) I have no problems in joining hands with them in public interest," Mulayam said responding to a question on the confusion in the media that gave an impression that SP was in contact with BJP for an alliance for the Lok Sabha elections.
"I had stated in Lok Sabha and also told Advaniji a long time back that we have no problem with BJP in case it dropped the three contentious issues of Article 370, uniform civil code and Ram Temple. A reference to it can also be found in the parliament records," SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow.
The BJP dismissed as "mischievous" Yadav`s remarks saying these are "intended to spread rumour”.
"There cannot be even a remote possibility for BJP to consider SP," party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters in New Delhi.
"Such statements are an effort to misguide the voters and is part of SP`s efforts to regain its lost relevance by creating confusion among the masses", he added.
Naqvi said "Ayodhya is among the core issues of the party and there is no point to leave it. Our party is not like others which can compromise on its ideology for short term political gains," Naqvi said.
"BJP stands for justice, social uplift and equality for all while both SP and BSP have proven by their rule that they are synonymous with goondaraj, injustice and to create a rift in society," he said.Agencies
The “Most Gifted Boy” from the Gifted Nation India: Mushtaq Ahmad Dar. (Innovator)
Profiles S.F Ahmad from GIAN Cell, J&K, The University of Kashmir.
“A Mind is a Fire to be Kindled, Not a Vessel to be filled” This Plutarch’s saying fits well, to a young and promising innovator from the unceremonious sector of Jammu and Kashmir, namely Mushtaq Ahmad Dar who not only kindled his mind but also send off a strong message to the whole of India that to disregard unsung and unaided innovators from the informal sector at the grass root level is a big slip.
Mushatq Ahmad Dar unquestionably belongs to the second class of great men because he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he emerged as the finest innovator not only of his home state Jammu and Kashmir but the best innovator of the nation as well. This all Mushtaq attained because of his unbreakable work and his keen curiosity of doing ordinary work in an extraordinary fashion.
Born in 1982, in a distant village of Kreeri in Southern Kashmir some 100 kms away from the summer capital Srinagar, Mushtaq completed his schooling from Middle School Kreeri. Mushtaq failed to appear in the exams of 10th class because of his father’s death and this ill-timed death of Mr Gh Nabi Dar, father of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar became an obstacle in his educational line of business and till date he (Mushtaq) has failed to complete his 10th class examination.
If Mushtaq is to be believed then this ill timed bereavement of his father became the raison d'être of his voyage to the world of innovations and creativity and only after his father’s untimely death many crude concepts stuck his mind.
“I lost the whole lot, all optimism when i lost my father before the time age. Because after my father’s untimely death no one was primed or ready to give a lift to me, to provide me quality education and not to have a word of other life surviving possessions. This undeniably is the most unforgettable and most emotional incident of my life and surely this occasion of my life changed me once for all and i resolute to do a little but novel and innovative and today i reached that standing” narrates Mushtaq with tears in his eyes.
On one side Mushatq botched and failed to perform well in studies because of his father’s untimely death but the other side Mushatq started glowing in the world of Innovations and creativity. In 2005 he decided to work on some new-fangled and novel projects which in actuality will profit the people and this became the motive behind Mushatq’s first innovation “Walnut cracking machine” which in reality is the long felt need of the people of this vale aligned with the walnut industry. No doubt people of Jammu and Kashmir know little about Mushtaq and his innovations but undoubtedly Mushtaq has succeeded in fetching media treatment both in Local and National English ,Urdu dailies and impressed with the work of Mushatq “Kashmir Images” the leading circulated and first multi edition newspaper of Jammu and Kashmir being published simultaneously in Jammu and Kashmir started a series of articles beneath the heading “ UNSUNG INNOVATORS” .Local television channels are no exception to this. More significantly this innovation has received inquiries from China, Greece and Korea.
“Walnut Cracking Machine is my original and initial innovation, and this was achievable only because of the shore up provided to me by University science Instrumentation Centre (USIC), The University Of Kashmir, National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Ahmadabad, GIAN North, Rajasthan, and GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir (University of Kashmir). They not only helped me fiscally but also encouraged me at every stride and provided all technical support. All Kudoos and honour to NIF, Ahmadabad, and USIC of the University of Kashmir, because solely speaking devoid of these two Institutions my innovations were not possible, not to speak of commercialising my innovations. At the same time i am in person obliged to Prof. G.M Bhat, Director UCIC and Chairman GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir for his support and back-up” says, Mushtaq Ahmad Dar.
If Mushtaq is to believed then his supreme triumph so far is his association with National Innovation Foundation, DST (Department Of Science and Technology) GOI, University of Kashmir, GIAN CELLS and other Honeybee networks. “Yes of course all recognition and praise goes to National Innovation Foundation and all the technical staff of USIC, Kashmir University, GIAN Cells and Honey Bee Networks, because it is National Innovation Foundation and The University of Kashmir which in truth and spirit induced the gene of creativity in me and i deem this was my biggest achievement so for. I have received fiscal support from NIF, KU, GIAN Cells and obviously devoid of financial support my ideas where of no use. Not only this my ideas were also improved into prototypes and modification, testing, customization of prototype and establishing business using my innovations was all carried out by NIF and University Science and Instrumentation Centre, Kashmir University ” added Mushtaq Ahmad Dar
Not only this, but after the WCM (WALNUT CRACKING MACHINE), Mushtaq Ahmad Dar in a very petite span of time came up with a new thought of “Tree Climber” on 15-03-2007. This idea was acceptable to one and all and when this idea was transformed into a product, this new innovation fascinated many faces and many profitable offers for commercialization of this product where received ranging from Uttaranchal Government to Power Development Department (PDD) of Jammu and Kashmir State.
“Yes obviously, this is my second innovation and this too was doable and possible with the support of all those persons who are linked with DST, NIF, KU and GIAN Cells. I got all financial, technical and moral support from these Organisations and beyond doubt i am indebted to Prof. A. K Gupta who is senior Professor IIM Ahmadabad and is also Vice Chairman National innovation Foundation” says Mushtaq Ahmad Dar.
As if these two innovations were not adequate for Mushtaq, “Cracker Mushatq”, comes up with the third innovation of “Almond Cracker” which is now equipped and is all set for commercialization and will hit the market stands after the upcoming conference at University Of Kashmir which will be attended by the Chief Minister of the State and will be jointly organised by the University of Kashmir and GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir.
“Yes almond cracker is all set for commercialation and will hit the stands in next month only. We have received all the support from National Innovation Foundation and we here at Kashmir University have lend full support to the innovations of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar. Mushtaq is in actuality doing well and in future we are expecting a lot from Mushtaq Ahmad” says Prof G.M Bhat Chairman GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir and Director, University Science Instrumentation centre, University Of Kashmir.
“Alongside side this, for the first time, in the times past of Kashmir, local innovations from local innovators that too from the unceremonious sector will knock the markets in near future. Kashmir University in corporation with NIF and GIAN Cell is organising a two–day long workshop for the commercialization of these homemade innovations and most decisively we here at USIC and at GIAN Cell are committed to lend a hand to bump up these unsung and unaided grass root innovators” added Prof. G.M Bhat.
The fortitude and spirit of innovating new things is gaining impetus with every passing day in Mushatq who is yet to complete his 10th standard examination and after meeting NIF, KU and GIAN cells which serves the best platform for Mushtaq like innovators of our country, no force on earth can stop him from inventing new things if Mushatq is to be believed.
At very last but not the least we cannot explain Mushtaq as a “Genius” but at the same time there is no name from all sides to place alongside Mushatq Ahmad Dar. But let us put simply, Mushatq Ahmad Dar is the most gifted boy, who lives in the most gifted Nation “The India”-- which in every sense is a unity in diversity.
“S.F AHMAD is working as a collaborator with National Innovation Foundation Ahmadabad and is working as Researcher with London based "Magazine " can be reached at sajusfa_321@yahoo.co.in
“A Mind is a Fire to be Kindled, Not a Vessel to be filled” This Plutarch’s saying fits well, to a young and promising innovator from the unceremonious sector of Jammu and Kashmir, namely Mushtaq Ahmad Dar who not only kindled his mind but also send off a strong message to the whole of India that to disregard unsung and unaided innovators from the informal sector at the grass root level is a big slip.
Mushatq Ahmad Dar unquestionably belongs to the second class of great men because he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he emerged as the finest innovator not only of his home state Jammu and Kashmir but the best innovator of the nation as well. This all Mushtaq attained because of his unbreakable work and his keen curiosity of doing ordinary work in an extraordinary fashion.
Born in 1982, in a distant village of Kreeri in Southern Kashmir some 100 kms away from the summer capital Srinagar, Mushtaq completed his schooling from Middle School Kreeri. Mushtaq failed to appear in the exams of 10th class because of his father’s death and this ill-timed death of Mr Gh Nabi Dar, father of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar became an obstacle in his educational line of business and till date he (Mushtaq) has failed to complete his 10th class examination.
If Mushtaq is to be believed then this ill timed bereavement of his father became the raison d'être of his voyage to the world of innovations and creativity and only after his father’s untimely death many crude concepts stuck his mind.
“I lost the whole lot, all optimism when i lost my father before the time age. Because after my father’s untimely death no one was primed or ready to give a lift to me, to provide me quality education and not to have a word of other life surviving possessions. This undeniably is the most unforgettable and most emotional incident of my life and surely this occasion of my life changed me once for all and i resolute to do a little but novel and innovative and today i reached that standing” narrates Mushtaq with tears in his eyes.
On one side Mushatq botched and failed to perform well in studies because of his father’s untimely death but the other side Mushatq started glowing in the world of Innovations and creativity. In 2005 he decided to work on some new-fangled and novel projects which in actuality will profit the people and this became the motive behind Mushatq’s first innovation “Walnut cracking machine” which in reality is the long felt need of the people of this vale aligned with the walnut industry. No doubt people of Jammu and Kashmir know little about Mushtaq and his innovations but undoubtedly Mushtaq has succeeded in fetching media treatment both in Local and National English ,Urdu dailies and impressed with the work of Mushatq “Kashmir Images” the leading circulated and first multi edition newspaper of Jammu and Kashmir being published simultaneously in Jammu and Kashmir started a series of articles beneath the heading “ UNSUNG INNOVATORS” .Local television channels are no exception to this. More significantly this innovation has received inquiries from China, Greece and Korea.
“Walnut Cracking Machine is my original and initial innovation, and this was achievable only because of the shore up provided to me by University science Instrumentation Centre (USIC), The University Of Kashmir, National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Ahmadabad, GIAN North, Rajasthan, and GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir (University of Kashmir). They not only helped me fiscally but also encouraged me at every stride and provided all technical support. All Kudoos and honour to NIF, Ahmadabad, and USIC of the University of Kashmir, because solely speaking devoid of these two Institutions my innovations were not possible, not to speak of commercialising my innovations. At the same time i am in person obliged to Prof. G.M Bhat, Director UCIC and Chairman GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir for his support and back-up” says, Mushtaq Ahmad Dar.
If Mushtaq is to believed then his supreme triumph so far is his association with National Innovation Foundation, DST (Department Of Science and Technology) GOI, University of Kashmir, GIAN CELLS and other Honeybee networks. “Yes of course all recognition and praise goes to National Innovation Foundation and all the technical staff of USIC, Kashmir University, GIAN Cells and Honey Bee Networks, because it is National Innovation Foundation and The University of Kashmir which in truth and spirit induced the gene of creativity in me and i deem this was my biggest achievement so for. I have received fiscal support from NIF, KU, GIAN Cells and obviously devoid of financial support my ideas where of no use. Not only this my ideas were also improved into prototypes and modification, testing, customization of prototype and establishing business using my innovations was all carried out by NIF and University Science and Instrumentation Centre, Kashmir University ” added Mushtaq Ahmad Dar
Not only this, but after the WCM (WALNUT CRACKING MACHINE), Mushtaq Ahmad Dar in a very petite span of time came up with a new thought of “Tree Climber” on 15-03-2007. This idea was acceptable to one and all and when this idea was transformed into a product, this new innovation fascinated many faces and many profitable offers for commercialization of this product where received ranging from Uttaranchal Government to Power Development Department (PDD) of Jammu and Kashmir State.
“Yes obviously, this is my second innovation and this too was doable and possible with the support of all those persons who are linked with DST, NIF, KU and GIAN Cells. I got all financial, technical and moral support from these Organisations and beyond doubt i am indebted to Prof. A. K Gupta who is senior Professor IIM Ahmadabad and is also Vice Chairman National innovation Foundation” says Mushtaq Ahmad Dar.
As if these two innovations were not adequate for Mushtaq, “Cracker Mushatq”, comes up with the third innovation of “Almond Cracker” which is now equipped and is all set for commercialization and will hit the market stands after the upcoming conference at University Of Kashmir which will be attended by the Chief Minister of the State and will be jointly organised by the University of Kashmir and GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir.
“Yes almond cracker is all set for commercialation and will hit the stands in next month only. We have received all the support from National Innovation Foundation and we here at Kashmir University have lend full support to the innovations of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar. Mushtaq is in actuality doing well and in future we are expecting a lot from Mushtaq Ahmad” says Prof G.M Bhat Chairman GIAN Cell Jammu and Kashmir and Director, University Science Instrumentation centre, University Of Kashmir.
“Alongside side this, for the first time, in the times past of Kashmir, local innovations from local innovators that too from the unceremonious sector will knock the markets in near future. Kashmir University in corporation with NIF and GIAN Cell is organising a two–day long workshop for the commercialization of these homemade innovations and most decisively we here at USIC and at GIAN Cell are committed to lend a hand to bump up these unsung and unaided grass root innovators” added Prof. G.M Bhat.
The fortitude and spirit of innovating new things is gaining impetus with every passing day in Mushatq who is yet to complete his 10th standard examination and after meeting NIF, KU and GIAN cells which serves the best platform for Mushtaq like innovators of our country, no force on earth can stop him from inventing new things if Mushatq is to be believed.
At very last but not the least we cannot explain Mushtaq as a “Genius” but at the same time there is no name from all sides to place alongside Mushatq Ahmad Dar. But let us put simply, Mushatq Ahmad Dar is the most gifted boy, who lives in the most gifted Nation “The India”-- which in every sense is a unity in diversity.
“S.F AHMAD is working as a collaborator with National Innovation Foundation Ahmadabad and is working as Researcher with London based "Magazine " can be reached at sajusfa_321@yahoo.co.in
2 Die, 38 injured in road mishaps
2 Die, 38 injured in road mishaps
Two persons died and thirty eight others were injured in different road accidents in Jammu.
A Pulsar motorcycle bearing registration number JK02S/7773 on way from Parade towards Gandhi Nagar, fell down from flyover near Ayurvedic Hospital, resulting on spot death of one persons namely Jasbir Singh age 26 years S/o Sewa Singh R/o Banihal Ramban and injuries to two persons namely Ashwani Parihar S/o Subash chand R/o Gatha Bhaderwah and Bunesh S/o Nagesh Parihar H. No. 53 Karan Nagar Jammu. Both injured were shifted to GMC Jammu for treatment.
A Maruti Van bearing registration number JK02D/4147 on way from Tikri to Udhampur rolled down at Tikri Mand, resulting in injuries to eight persons of a family. All injured were shifted to District Hospital Udhampur where one lady namely Sneh Lata age 60 years W/o Subash Gupta R/o W. No. 9 Udhampur succumbed to her injuriesRomesh Kumar age 28 years S/o Bodh Raj R/o Pouni Chak and Sohan Lal 23 years S/o Devi Raj R/o Mangal Katra were admitted in GMC Jammu after consuming poison.
One unidentified male dead body age 36 years was recovered from Jewel near park. Dead body kept in mortuary room of GMC Jammu for identification.
During naka checking at Phinther Chowk falling under the jurisdiction of police station Billawer, 1850 No's of capsules of Paravion Space and 80 Gram Charas was recovered from the possession of Koushal Singh S/o Omkar Singh R/o Dadwara. Police station Billawar has registered a case FIR No. 15/2009 U/S 8/20, 21 NDPS Act in this regard. (Zonal Police Headquarters Srinagar)
Two persons died and thirty eight others were injured in different road accidents in Jammu.
A Pulsar motorcycle bearing registration number JK02S/7773 on way from Parade towards Gandhi Nagar, fell down from flyover near Ayurvedic Hospital, resulting on spot death of one persons namely Jasbir Singh age 26 years S/o Sewa Singh R/o Banihal Ramban and injuries to two persons namely Ashwani Parihar S/o Subash chand R/o Gatha Bhaderwah and Bunesh S/o Nagesh Parihar H. No. 53 Karan Nagar Jammu. Both injured were shifted to GMC Jammu for treatment.
A Maruti Van bearing registration number JK02D/4147 on way from Tikri to Udhampur rolled down at Tikri Mand, resulting in injuries to eight persons of a family. All injured were shifted to District Hospital Udhampur where one lady namely Sneh Lata age 60 years W/o Subash Gupta R/o W. No. 9 Udhampur succumbed to her injuriesRomesh Kumar age 28 years S/o Bodh Raj R/o Pouni Chak and Sohan Lal 23 years S/o Devi Raj R/o Mangal Katra were admitted in GMC Jammu after consuming poison.
One unidentified male dead body age 36 years was recovered from Jewel near park. Dead body kept in mortuary room of GMC Jammu for identification.
During naka checking at Phinther Chowk falling under the jurisdiction of police station Billawer, 1850 No's of capsules of Paravion Space and 80 Gram Charas was recovered from the possession of Koushal Singh S/o Omkar Singh R/o Dadwara. Police station Billawar has registered a case FIR No. 15/2009 U/S 8/20, 21 NDPS Act in this regard. (Zonal Police Headquarters Srinagar)
JKSM asks Obama to nominate Clinton as Special Envoy on Kashmir
JKSM asks Obama to nominate Clinton as Special Envoy on Kashmir
ISLAMABAD, FEB 18: The vice chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) and the senior leader of All Parties of Hurriayat Conference (APHC) Azad Kashmir Chapter Altaf Ahmad Bhat has asked the US President Barrack Hussain Obama to make the former US President Bill Clinton a “Special Envoy” on Kashmir dispute, says a press release issued here on Wednesday.
Altaf Bhat said Clinton has proved wile solving the most complicated issues like Bosnia, Kosovo and East Timor and he is in position to settle the Jammu and Kashmir dispute once for all as per the wishes of Kashmiri people to bring peace in South Asia. No doubt Obama is serious to make South Asia prosperous and safe for the world peace but it needs a charismatic personality who will work on this dispute aimed at ensuring the peace and tranquility in the sub-continent.
Bhat appealed both the leadership of India and Pakistan to come forward and extend their support to the former US president Bill Clinton.
Altaf Bhat said Clinton has world wide fame and he is the only leader who would be acceptable for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said Clinton has a rich history of peace, tolerance and coexistence which he proved during his tenure in White House.
Altaf Bhat grilled also the government of India on the black laws like Public Safty Act (PSA) and Special Powers to the Army across the state of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir which are being used to convert Kashmiris into minority. He still the people of Kashmir are facing harassments at the hands of Special Task Force (STF) and other security agencies. He said now it is the duty of puppet government of Omar Abdullah to release all the prisoners and stop the killing of innocent youth of Kashmir.
Altaf said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are thankful to the people and Government of Pakistan who observed February 5, as a Solidarity Day with zeal and fervor aimed to extend their moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their right of self-determination movement.
ISLAMABAD, FEB 18: The vice chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) and the senior leader of All Parties of Hurriayat Conference (APHC) Azad Kashmir Chapter Altaf Ahmad Bhat has asked the US President Barrack Hussain Obama to make the former US President Bill Clinton a “Special Envoy” on Kashmir dispute, says a press release issued here on Wednesday.
Altaf Bhat said Clinton has proved wile solving the most complicated issues like Bosnia, Kosovo and East Timor and he is in position to settle the Jammu and Kashmir dispute once for all as per the wishes of Kashmiri people to bring peace in South Asia. No doubt Obama is serious to make South Asia prosperous and safe for the world peace but it needs a charismatic personality who will work on this dispute aimed at ensuring the peace and tranquility in the sub-continent.
Bhat appealed both the leadership of India and Pakistan to come forward and extend their support to the former US president Bill Clinton.
Altaf Bhat said Clinton has world wide fame and he is the only leader who would be acceptable for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said Clinton has a rich history of peace, tolerance and coexistence which he proved during his tenure in White House.
Altaf Bhat grilled also the government of India on the black laws like Public Safty Act (PSA) and Special Powers to the Army across the state of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir which are being used to convert Kashmiris into minority. He still the people of Kashmir are facing harassments at the hands of Special Task Force (STF) and other security agencies. He said now it is the duty of puppet government of Omar Abdullah to release all the prisoners and stop the killing of innocent youth of Kashmir.
Altaf said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are thankful to the people and Government of Pakistan who observed February 5, as a Solidarity Day with zeal and fervor aimed to extend their moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their right of self-determination movement.
Road to SA's stability passes through J&K: Mufti
Road to SA's stability passes through J&K: Mufti
Jammu, February 18 – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said the road to peace, stability, progress and prosperity in South Asia passes through Jammu & Kashmir.
Addressing a function organized in connection with the joining of Lok Jan Shakti (LJP) and BSP leaders from Jammu region in PDP here today, Sayeed said amicable settlement the problem of Jammu & Kashmir offers the only opportunity of a breakthrough for India and Pakistan to co-exist peacefully and to the benefit of one of the largest human masses of the world. He said Jammu & Kashmir, in recent years has shown the way forward and it is for New Delhi and Islamabad to respond positively to the people's yearning for peace and a permanent settlement of the issue.
The PDP Patron said continuation of the historic peace process set off on 18th April 2003 by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and carried on by his successor Dr Manmohan Singh was a historical necessity. "Neither country could afford to go back on it, nor would Kashmir issue disappear by whatever else happens around it," he said.
Referring to the internal dimension of the problem of Jammu & Kashmir, Sayeed said there were important and well-defined issues to be resolved between the State and the Union. "Most of them had been covered by the Working Groups constituted by the Prime Minister," he said and added these recommendations should not prove mere pieces of paper and would have to be acted upon in the interest of the people of the State and the country. The PDP, he said will with all its public support work for implementation of these recommendations for the larger public good.
Mufti said the current crisis on economic, financial and infrastructure fronts confronting the State, can't be met with small-time responses of the Government. He said patchworks can't improve the quality of life of the State's people and the larger issue of exploitation of State's water and land resources has to be addressed to take care of the State's development needs in the 21st century.
The PDP Patron said all regions of the State are facing economic deprivation because of wanton exploitation of our water and natural resources. He said economic empowerment of the common people including our youth can be achieved only if we have a free and unlimited access to our own resources.
"The Central Government will only have to create an enabling atmosphere in which we can seek and receive direct financial investment in the State," Sayeed said. Unfortunately, this has been discouraged in J&K and instead our water resources were usurped first in the 1950's by sealing the rights on them to the central government under the Indus Water Treaty and later during the last National Conference regime that signed away all the major identified power projects mostly on Chenab and Jehlum to the NHPC, he said. "This unimaginative action has now rendered the State to economic destitution with the Doda and Kishtwar districts today facing a double-edged weapon," he said and demanded review of all such actions that are detrimental to the State's economic interests.
The PDP Patron said even the Working Groups and the Prime Minister's Special Task Force on Economic Development of Jammu & Kashmir have strongly recommended transfer of Center-owned power projects to the State. "The Government of India must act on these recommendations with sincerity of purpose to address the State's economic and financial woes," he said.
On this occasion LJP leaders Rafiq Malik (State President), Dinesh Verma (Senior Vice-President), Showkat Ali (President Kissan Cell), Gurdeep Singh Pandey (State President Youth), Sanjay Bhagat (State Secretary), Tilak Rak (General Secretary Dalit Sena), Khakhan Babar (State Secretary), Mulkh Raj (State Secretary), Jagtar Singh (District President), Arvind Malhotra (Convener) and BSP State Secretary Kapoor Chand Baghat alongwith their supporters joined the PDP.
Rafiq Malik, Showkat Ali, Gurdeep Singh Panday and Sanjay Bhagat had contested the recent assembly elections as the candidates of their respective parties.
PDP leaders Ved Mahajan, Sardar Rangil Singh, Trilok Singh Bajwa, Dhaman Bhasin, Mohammad Dillawar Mir, Murtaza Khan, Sardar Manjeet Singh, Shanti Devi, Chodhary Nizam-ud-Din Khatana, Asghar Ali, Falail Singh, Bladev Salathia, Rashid Malik and Balbir Singh were present on the occasion.
Jammu, February 18 – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said the road to peace, stability, progress and prosperity in South Asia passes through Jammu & Kashmir.
Addressing a function organized in connection with the joining of Lok Jan Shakti (LJP) and BSP leaders from Jammu region in PDP here today, Sayeed said amicable settlement the problem of Jammu & Kashmir offers the only opportunity of a breakthrough for India and Pakistan to co-exist peacefully and to the benefit of one of the largest human masses of the world. He said Jammu & Kashmir, in recent years has shown the way forward and it is for New Delhi and Islamabad to respond positively to the people's yearning for peace and a permanent settlement of the issue.
The PDP Patron said continuation of the historic peace process set off on 18th April 2003 by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and carried on by his successor Dr Manmohan Singh was a historical necessity. "Neither country could afford to go back on it, nor would Kashmir issue disappear by whatever else happens around it," he said.
Referring to the internal dimension of the problem of Jammu & Kashmir, Sayeed said there were important and well-defined issues to be resolved between the State and the Union. "Most of them had been covered by the Working Groups constituted by the Prime Minister," he said and added these recommendations should not prove mere pieces of paper and would have to be acted upon in the interest of the people of the State and the country. The PDP, he said will with all its public support work for implementation of these recommendations for the larger public good.
Mufti said the current crisis on economic, financial and infrastructure fronts confronting the State, can't be met with small-time responses of the Government. He said patchworks can't improve the quality of life of the State's people and the larger issue of exploitation of State's water and land resources has to be addressed to take care of the State's development needs in the 21st century.
The PDP Patron said all regions of the State are facing economic deprivation because of wanton exploitation of our water and natural resources. He said economic empowerment of the common people including our youth can be achieved only if we have a free and unlimited access to our own resources.
"The Central Government will only have to create an enabling atmosphere in which we can seek and receive direct financial investment in the State," Sayeed said. Unfortunately, this has been discouraged in J&K and instead our water resources were usurped first in the 1950's by sealing the rights on them to the central government under the Indus Water Treaty and later during the last National Conference regime that signed away all the major identified power projects mostly on Chenab and Jehlum to the NHPC, he said. "This unimaginative action has now rendered the State to economic destitution with the Doda and Kishtwar districts today facing a double-edged weapon," he said and demanded review of all such actions that are detrimental to the State's economic interests.
The PDP Patron said even the Working Groups and the Prime Minister's Special Task Force on Economic Development of Jammu & Kashmir have strongly recommended transfer of Center-owned power projects to the State. "The Government of India must act on these recommendations with sincerity of purpose to address the State's economic and financial woes," he said.
On this occasion LJP leaders Rafiq Malik (State President), Dinesh Verma (Senior Vice-President), Showkat Ali (President Kissan Cell), Gurdeep Singh Pandey (State President Youth), Sanjay Bhagat (State Secretary), Tilak Rak (General Secretary Dalit Sena), Khakhan Babar (State Secretary), Mulkh Raj (State Secretary), Jagtar Singh (District President), Arvind Malhotra (Convener) and BSP State Secretary Kapoor Chand Baghat alongwith their supporters joined the PDP.
Rafiq Malik, Showkat Ali, Gurdeep Singh Panday and Sanjay Bhagat had contested the recent assembly elections as the candidates of their respective parties.
PDP leaders Ved Mahajan, Sardar Rangil Singh, Trilok Singh Bajwa, Dhaman Bhasin, Mohammad Dillawar Mir, Murtaza Khan, Sardar Manjeet Singh, Shanti Devi, Chodhary Nizam-ud-Din Khatana, Asghar Ali, Falail Singh, Bladev Salathia, Rashid Malik and Balbir Singh were present on the occasion.
Restore and Preserve Heritage Gardens, develop commercial Floriculture: Pl. Secretary, Agriculture Prod. & Floriculture Department
Srinagar, February 18- Principal Secretary Agriculture and Floriculture Mrs. Sonali Kumar reviewed the physical progress of developmental works taken up by Floriculture department and visited Mughal Gardens Nishat and Shalimar to take stock of the on-going heritage restoration and preservation works taken up in these gardens few months back. She stressed the need for preparation of detailed project report in consultation with experts of "Indian National Trust of Art Culture and Heritage" (INTACH) Chapter, J&K, for submission to the government, so that such works are taken up with continuity for completion in a phased manner.
Mrs. Sonali Kumar expressed satisfaction to see that the Hamam which is about 600 years old, having scientifically laid heating and insulation, bathing tub, and four adjacent rooms. She directed the Director Floriculture, Dr.G.S.Naqash to use the space in Hamam as museum. During excavation of Hamam, tiles and earthen pots of Mughal period have been dug out which have been preserved. As per reports of INTACH excavated tiles of the Mughal period are first of its kind in the country.
The Principal Secretary also inspected restoration works of the neglected Baradari and fountain system in the 12th terrace of Nishat garden and appreciated the role of the department of Floriculture for taking up these works on a war footing for restoration and preservation of heritage.
Mrs. Sonali Kumar also visited the Plant Introduction Section of the department at Cheshmashahi. She evinced keen interest in development of germ-plasm bank and propagation of different kinds of ornamental plants and flowers under green house cultivation. She also inspected the Tulip Garden and discussed the preparedness of the department for ensuing tulip bloom.
While inspecting the work of the department on commercial development of floriculture in a big way, Dr.Naqash apprised her about the experimental trial taken up for the first time in entire country regarding use of Tulip as cut flower. She was enthused to observe the practical and commercial aspect of the trial and advised Director to show this successful trial to the flower growers for future commercial production of Tulip as cut flower.
While inspecting Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden, she ordered its immediate revival and completion before tourist season.
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