SRINAGAR: Millions of Kashmiris remained confined to their homes for the third consecutive day on Tuesday as police and paramilitary forces deployed in lanes and bylanes of Srinagar and other districts of occupied Kashmir valley enforced a strict curfew to prevent a pro-Azadi mass sit-in at historic Lal Chowk.

Keeping People Away: CRPF personnel were deployed in strength across Kashmir to prevent people from joining Azadi March to Lal Chowk- KO pix Mukhtar Khan Barring minor incidents of slogan shouting by groups of youth who gathered in several city areas and towns, the situation remained by and large peaceful and there was been no report of any violence or major defiance of curfew.

While tens of thousands of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed to enforce curfew, the Army was also kept on stand by. Hundreds of gun-toting CRPF personnel had taken up positions in and around the Lal Chowk with all the entry and exit points of the square sealed with barbed wire fencing. Metal gates were erected on sensitive points.

The newly acquired anti-riot armoured vehicles too had been positioned at strategic locations in the city to prevent people from defying curfew restrictions. “The situation remained peaceful throughout the Valley and no incident of violence has taken place from anywhere,” IGP (Kashmir Zone), B. Srinivas, said.

Earlier a tragedy was averted in old town Baramulla when people, preparing to hold a pro-freedom march, overpowered a man carrying a grenade. The youth identified as Adil Ahmad Lone son of Abdur Rahman of Tauheed Gunj, was given a severe beating and later handed over to police.

Before he was handed over to police, the youth claimed before media persons that he was directed by an army officer from a local camp to hurl grenade on the protesters. While army denied the charge police said it has booked the youth under the ‘provisions of law’ and started investigations.

In Srinagar groups of youth attempted to defy curfew in several city areas including Maisuma, Safa Kadal, Chattabal and Hyderpora. However, according to reports, paramilitary CRPF swung into action immediately chasing the youth in the lanes and by-lanes of the congested localities. Over 2,000 vehicles were stranded on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Tuesday due to suspension of vehicular traffic by authorities in view of curfew in the Kashmir valley.

All newspapers in occupied Kashmir valley failed to hit the stands as State administration imposed indefinite curfew for second consecutive day to abort ‘Lal Chowk March’ organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee. The newspapers blamed State administration for failing to provide adequate curfew passes to their staff. With curfew likely to continue, newspapers may fail to hit the stands on Tuesday as well.

Meanwhile, the State administration has asked two local cable TV channels, Sen Channel and Mouj Kasheer to stop beaming its programs for the time being while other cable TV channels failed to beam any current affairs program due to non-issuance curfew passes. Managing Director of Sen Channel Mir Amjad said that the government seized the equipment on lame excuses. “They seized our equipment saying you showed the press conference of JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik while the fact is that the government is worried that if we show the real situation, people will revolt,” said Amjad.

He said: “Government is using these excuses to black information from reaching to the common masses.“No news program went on air due to non-issuance of curfew pass. Early in August the administration had promised to give sufficient passes but they again failed,” said an official of a local cable TV channel.

“They want information to be blocked and are using oppressive tactics,” he said.
In last week of August, no daily newspaper could hit the stands for a week’s time due to imposition of curfew as police, CRPF men and army refused to entertain curfew passes and beat journalist working for local, Indian and international agencies. It was only after the government, following a meeting between Chief Secretary, S S Kapur and editors of several newspapers decided to issue adequate number of specially designed and coloured curfew passes to the media organizations.-SANA

SRINAGAR: Patron Jammu Kashmir Mahaz-e-Azadi Muhammad Azam Inquilabi Sunday said that India and Pakistan must understand that some West powers doesn’t want them to come close. In a statement Inquilabi said, “Time has come that both countries must understand that some imperialistic powers and Hawks of West doesn’t want the two influential neighbouring countries to come close to each other.”

West power want them to be engaged with their internal rife just to hamper the effective budge of peace and reconciliation, Azam Said. He said It is mandatory for Indo-Pak leadership not to get entrapped in ensnare` of West.

Inquilabi said: “Asif Ali Zardari and Manmohan Singh- scheduled to meet in America this month must apply the thought of pragmatic political predictions with maturity so as to clear all the impediments which hammer the peaceful and durable resolution of Kashmir.”

Inquilabi maintained that peace between Indian and Pakistan can guaranty the mutual cooperation among the countries like China, Russia, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia , Saudi Arabia and other countries of Asia. They will help-in for the steadfastness of long pending issues of world and rectify the internal conditions existing in whole of the Asian countries.

He strongly condemned Saturday’s blast of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad which caused damage at a large extent to people and civil property resulting into complete destruction and havoc.-SANA

SRINAGAR: Government troops fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse Muslim protesters throwing rocks and chanting anti-India slogans in Kashmir’s main city on Saturday. Several people were injured in the clash, police said. Hundreds of angry protesters spilled onto the streets in Srinagar’s Nowhatta district to demand an end to Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region, said Prabhakar Tripathi, a spokesman for the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force.

Some protesters threw rocks at troops who were trying to disperse the rowdy crowd, and the forces retaliated with tear gas and rubber bullets, Tripathi said. He said several protesters and troops were injured but was unable to say how many. Meanwhile, a separatist-called general strike Saturday paralyzed life across much of Indian-controlled Kashmir, closing down shops, businesses and schools.

The strike was called by the Jammu-Kashmir Coordination Committee, which includes Muslim separatist leaders and representatives of businesses, lawyers and government employees. Anti-India sentiment runs deep in Indian-administered Kashmir, where most people favor independence from mainly Hindu India, or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars over the region. In recent months, the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir has seen some of the largest protests against Indian rule in two decades. Although they had subsided in recent weeks, separatist leaders have launched new protests during the current Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Mirwaiz Omer Farooq, a key separatist leader, said government troops have been using force to quell popular protests, although he did not comment specifically on Saturday’s clashes.`This is a peaceful uprising but India is not giving the people any space for peaceful protests,” Farooq said.

On Friday, thousands of people took to the streets after prayers in the Muslim-majority region. The rallies led to scattered clashes which injured 19 police and paramilitary soldiers and 11 protesters, police said in a statement. Separatist groups have been fighting since 1989 to end Indian rule, leaving an estimated 68,000 people dead. At least 45 people have died in the recent violence, most of them killed when soldiers opened fire on Muslim protesters.-SANA

SRINAGAR: Hundreds of Kashmiris arrested since the armed uprising in the state of Jammu and Kashmir are detained for protracted period without trial by government agencies, disregarding the court orders quashing their detention under the infamous Public Safety Act. Advocate Mir Shafqat Hussain who is counselling on behalf of about 200 detainees languishing in different jails in and outside the state told Rising Kashmir that court orders undoing their detention are thrown to winds by the executive. Read the full story

ISLAMABAD: Seeking world body’s pro-active role in resolving the thorny issue of Kashmir amicably, the leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference lodged a sit-in protest in front of the United Nations Military Observers Group (UNMOGIP) office here. Holding banners and placards, the protesters chanted pro-freedom slogans demanding India quit Kashmir. Speaking on the occasion, Kashmiri representatives made a passionate appeal to the United Nations to discharge its duties vis-à-vis holding a free, fair and impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir so that people of the state can exercise their right to self-determination, promised to them by the international community and the leadership of India and Pakistan respectively. Read the full story

SRINAGAR: The chairman of the Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, today announced to uphold the march to Lal Chowk call and appealed for mass support to the programmes of the coordination committee. The Mirwaiz was to head a crucial meeting of his alliance at the Hurriyat headquarters in Rajbagh today, but was not allowed to move out of his Nigeen residence by the police, because of which the meeting was held at his home. Read the full story

NEW DELHI : India has slammed the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for its statement on Jammu and Kashmir, describing it as “uncalled for and irresponsible,” and asserting that India did not need any advice regarding protection of human rights of its citizens. “We regret that the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a statement on the situation in J and K. This is uncalled for and irresponsible. India does not need any advice in respect of the protection and promotion of the human rights of its citizens,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said in response to a question. Read the full story

SRINAGAR: Chairman Jammu Kashmir Peoples League (JKPL) and leader of APHC, Sheikh Abdul Aziz was killed in firing by Indian army on a mmassive public march towards Muzaffarabad at Bonyar on Monday. Sheikh Aziz and Shabir Shah were leading the march which was stopped by a massive use of force by Indian army. Aziz, a veteran pro-independence leader, was a member of Hurriyat Executive Council. Read the full story

ISLAMABAD: Seeking world body’s role in bringing an end to the continuing violence and economic blockade against Kashmiris, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Pakistan Chapter has urged the United Nations to act now to mitigate the sufferings of Kashmiris. Read the full story

JAMMU: The Muslims in Jammu have constituted a new front to represent the community at various forums. Informed sources said that prominent members of Muslim community from various areas of the Samba, Kathua, Samba, Nowshera, and other areas today assembled at Batandi to take stock of situation arising out of the ongoing agitation in the region. The members unanimously constituted a new forum – Muslim Front Jammu so as to represent the community at various forums as well as to safeguard the interests of the community. Read the full story