The Government of India is discussing a proposal to withdraw the Indian Army completely, in a phased manner, from the Valley hinterland.

Reports said that before or shortly after the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian army may be withdrawn from rural and remote areas of Kashmir Valley.

There are currently scores of army camps in rural areas of Kashmir. Reports added that the proposal of withdrawing the army from the hinterland has been analyzed and it needs the government of India’s nod only.

If approved, the Army will have a presence only on the Line of Control (LoC).

Reports said that it is also proposed that the CRPF would fill in to meet the challenges of both law and order and counter-militant operations in Jammu and Kashmir. [KNT]

The post Army may be withdrawn in a phased manner from Kashmir rural areas first appeared on Kashmir News trust.

Sleuths of State Investigation Agency (SIA) raided different locations in Kashmir capital Srinagar on Friday morning.

Sources said that these raids were carried out in connection with militancy-related cases.

They said teams of SIA accompanied by the local police and para-military troopers carried out raids in Jawahar Nagar, Barzulla and Natipora area of Srinagar outskirts.

Sources added that during searches, some material including laptops, pen drives and cell phones were confiscated.

The raids were underway till the filing of this report. [KNT]

The post SIA raid several locations in Srinagar first appeared on Kashmir News trust.

Eleven people including 7 civilians and 2 militants died in different militancy-related incidents in January this month in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two local militants were killed in an encounter at the main market in Budgam, however, in one of the encounters at Rudbugh village of the same district militants after an exchange of fire managed to escape.

Joint forces also killed 2 infiltrators while in a militant strike, 7 civilians including two children succumbed at the Upper Dangri area in the Rajouri district of the Jammu region within a span of two days.

Two infiltrators were killed in Balakote Poonch.

Two militants as per police were neutralized in an encounter at the main market Budgam. The slain militants were identified as Arbaz Ahmed Mir of Putrigam and Shahid Ahmed Sheikh of Kesrigam Kakapora, both from Pulwama district.

Militants also lobbed a grenade at Eidgah Srinagar resulting in injuries to a civilian.

Besides three soldiers including a JCO slipped to death in the Maachil Sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara while walking on a snow track during an operation. [KNT]

The post Jan 2023: 11 people including 7 civilians killed in J&K first appeared on Kashmir News trust.

Stating that country can’t run on the wheels of ‘hate, former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah Monday said that peace and development lie in love, amity, dialogue and reconciliation.

Reacting to the recent killings in Rajouri, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that it is unfortunate that militancy still exists in Jammu and Kashmir and people are being killed.

He said society has got divided into the lines of religion and there is so much hate. “Who is responsible for all this mess? The victims were enemies of none. Home Ministry is bound to find a solution,” he said.

While responding to a question Farooq Abdullah without naming Pakistan said dialogue is a must. “We can’t change our boundaries but yes, we can add to our hardships. Hate will spread like wildfire and we have to find ways and means to spread love not hate. See, what’s happening in Nanital. Muslims are being evicted from their homes. Their house are being demolished. Will this country progress on the wheels of hate,” he questioned.

“After the killing of a few Kashmiri Pandits, we had written to LG Manoj Sinha to call all the leaders and convene an All Party Meeting to find a way. If they think it (militancy) will end because of their army and police, they are wrong as it won’t end,” Farooq Abdullah said.

He said the solution to this (militancy) problem is neither easy or difficult. “We have to adopt those ways leading to a solution. There is no tailor-made solution but we have to strive for a solution. They (Government) made tall claims of peace after converting Jammu and Kashmir into a union territory and abrogating Article 370. Didn’t it say that militancy is because of the presence of Article 370? Militancy is still there and showing an upward trend,” Farooq Abdullah as per news agency Kashmir News Trust said.

He said during his tenure as Chief Minister the strength of the army and paramilitary forces were not as high as it is today.

He said unity is the only way to bring peace to Jammu and Kashmir. “Whether you are in opposition or in power, you have to hold the hand of everyone and forge unity.”

Dr Farooq Abdullah said that the way things are moving and incidents take place clearly indicates that they (militants) want to create a wedge between communities. “They want hate spreads and the image of India gets dented. If you think the formation of any government will put an end to militancy then you are living in a fool’s paradise. The new government has to face the challenge of militancy. We have to talk to the sponsors of militancy,” he said.

Farooq Abdullah was talking to reporters in Choon Budgam during his visit to the house of a senior party leader. [KNT]

The post Country can’t run on the ‘wheels of hate: Farooq Abdullah first appeared on Kashmir News trust.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yaseen Malik will observe a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi today against the life imprisonment awarded to Kashmiri youth allegedly involved in different subversive activities. There are at least 32 Kashmiri youth including two brothers who have been languishing in different jails after they have been convicted for life by different Courts in India.

Kashmiri youth convicted for life included Sheikh Nazir Ahmad (Batamaloo) Shaukat Ahmad Khan (Nishat) Dr. Muhammad Qasim Faktu, Javed Ahmed Khan, Mohammad Ayub Dar, Mohammad Ayub Mir (Hazratbal), Ghulam Qadir Bhat (Dooru), Mohammad Shafi Khan, Raj din Khan, Shabir Ahmad Malik, Mohammad Amin Dar, Noor Mohammad Tantry, Feroz Ahmad Bhat, Parvez Ahmed Mir, Sheikh Samiullah and Ali Muhammad Sheikh (brothers), Mohammad Iqbal Jan (Bandipora), Mushtaq Ahmed Kaloo, Mohammad Amin Wani, Mahmoud Topi Walla , Javed Ahmed Wani, Shabir Ahmad Najar , Gulzar Ahmad Wani and Mohammad Ishaq Paul (Shopian).

Families of almost all convicted persons blame India especially the Delhi police for implicating their dear ones in ‘false’ cases.

Sheikh Nazir Ahmad and Showkat of Khan have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Jammu court in connection with the murder of a BSF officer in 1990. The sister of Shiekh Nazir from Batamaloo told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that Nazir was hopeful of his release as he always used to tell us that he was forced to accept the murder during torture in custody.

The wife of another convict Showkat Ahmed Khan from Nishat said that her husband was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 22-year-old case. “I have no source of income. It was the local Mohalla Committee which financed me to fight the legal battle of my husband,” Sabina said and added that Shaheed Gunj police arrested her husband in May 2011 when he was at his automobile spare parts shop in Karan Nagar.

Another Kashmiri youth, Muhammad Ayoub Mir from Hazratbal was arrested in New Delhi in June 2002 and later sentenced to life imprisonment. Mir, a mechanic by profession, is serving imprisonment for ‘offenses’ under section 20 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for the ‘offenses’ under section 22 of the POTA. “All the sentences shall run concurrently,” a court had held in a judgment in 2004.

Ghulam Qadir Bhat, 60, hailing from South Kashmir’s Dooru area of Anantnag [Islamabad] was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Court on the charges of hatching a conspiracy to eliminate high-profile personalities. Her daughter Mubeena is fighting a lonely battle for the past nine years to get her father released from Tihar Jail.

Another Kashmiri youth, Muhammad Iqbal Jan detained at Tihar jail had written a letter to the President of India claiming that Delhi Police implicated him in a false case in 2006. “Delhi Police abducted me on November 16, 2006, but my detention was falsely shown on November 27, 2005, through an arranged drama. Later I was sent to Tihar jail where I am presently imprisoned,” he claims. Delhi Police arrested Jan on November 16, 2006, on charges of acting as a conduit for militants.

Delhi Police Special Cell arrested another Kashmir youth, Muhammad Amin Wani, on January 4, 2007, from Sheeshganj Gurudwara in the old city of Delhi on charges of waging a war against the country. Later on, he was convicted for life, and presently he is languishing in Tihar Jail.

Noor Mohammad Tantray, Parvaiz Ahmed Mir, and Feroz Ahmed Bhat were allegedly found guilty under various sections of IPC, POTA and Explosive Substances Act, and were also fined Rs 50,000 on January 4, 2011. Calling them “merchants of death and destruction”, Additional Sessions Judge R K Gauba sentenced them to life. Delhi Police arrested these three Kashmiris on August 31, 2003, from Delhi, while they were carrying a truck loaded with apples from Valley. Police claimed they were active members of the Jaish-e-Muhammed militant group.

Ishfaq Ahmed Paul from Aloora Shopian allegedly a Hizb militant was convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life under section 302 RPC. Police station Zainpora had registered a case of murder against him in 2005.

Similarly, there are other people including two brothers who have been convicted for life for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities.

The post “Over 30 Kashmiri convicted for life so for on militancy charges” first appeared on Kashmir News trust.