TOP STORY OF THE DAY |
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| When I’ll open my mouth, theirs will shut: Mir alias Moma Kanna | | No FIRs registered at any police station | | |
ET EXCLUSIVE
AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
MAGAM (Budgam), Feb 3: Valley’s prominent counter-insurgent and controversial nominee of this year’s prestigious Padma Sharee national award, Ghulam Mohammad Mir alias Moma Kanna, today revealed that his association with the former Union Home Minister and J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, as also with his party, PDP, and daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, had remained “extraordinary” for 20 years of the Kashmir militancy till he shifted his political loyalty to National Conference (NC) in 2008.
He said that he played key role in getting Mufti’s daughter, Rubaiya Sayeed, two Swiss engineers, former Minister Khem Latta Wakhloo and her husband, besides many other high profile abductees, released from the clutches of militants while working for Mufti’s government, neutralizing over 5,000 militants and being directly in touch with Mufti’s Cabinet colleague, George Fernandes, all J&K Governors and senior officials of J&K Police and security forces. He also claimed that, unlike many of his ilk, there were no allegations of human rights abuse or any ot... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| Time for Omar Abdullah to act against ‘vested interests’ | | STARK REALITY | | |
RUSTAM
JAMMU, FEB 3: Commenting on the killing of teenage Wamiq Farooq last Sunday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah opined two days later that certain “vested interests” are responsible for the killing of the boy.
He was absolutely right when he indirectly accused the out-on-the-limb, frustrated and desperate APHC of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Tehrik-e-Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the Kashmir Bar Association and similar other outfits.
However, the ruling coalition cannot escape the accusation that it itself has been quite soft towards those whom the Chief Minister described as “vested interests”. It would be no exaggeration to say that the State Government has virtually abdicated it... | |
| | | | Why not (posthumous) Bharat Ratna for Kukka Parrey? | | Opinion | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, February 3:-If assistance given to security agencies in eliminating militants by any individual or a group of people is definite guide for winning Padma Shri award there should have been a large number of Kashmiris who deserved the award. Ghulam Mohammad Mir, a former militant and later a counter insurgent, has been selected for Padma Shri award which has triggered a political controversy in which the very prestigious award is getting soiled. No doubt Mir has said that he deserved the award because of great help he had given to security forces in eliminating militants it had to be seen whether he was the only counter insurgent to do so in the Kashmir valley. He ... | |
| | | | Fake saffron invokes PSA, 4 detained | | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 3: Four persons involved in producing fake saffron have been detained under public safety act (PSA). This was stated today by DIG South Kashmir, Kamal Saini while addressing a press conference at Pampore today.
Saini said the house where fake saffron was manufactured has been sealed in accordance with court orders to that effect. “The culprits have caused severe loss to saffron growers and have been detained under PSA”, he said adding the public had been demanding their detention under PSA.
DIG Kamal Saini said the culprits had truck with traders outside the state and had been selling fake saffron to gullible customers across India. “During the cou... | |
| | | | 25 cops among 75 injured in Kashmir | | 50 held for stone pelting | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 3: Violent clashes between policed and stone pelting youth continued for second consecutive day today across Kashmir. Today’s clashes left at least 75 persons including 25 police and CRPF men wounded. The police took into custody 50 `stone pelters’ from Batmaloo and down town Srinagar.
People resumed normal activities early this morning in uptown city. However, the stone pelters soon forced the people to go indoors. Traffic went off the roads and shops were closed. Soon after ding dong battles ensued with the police at Sidiqabad and elsewhere in Batmaloo areas. The police lobbed scores of tear smoke shells to disperse the protestors. Several rounds were... | |
| | | | Wamiq’s mother rejects ex-gratia | | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 3: We do not need ex-gratia. We need justice. We can give ex-gratia to the tune of Rs 10 lakhs to Omar Abdullah for his two sons. This was stated by Wamiq’s mother, Firdousa while addressing media persons at her Rainawari residence.
A tearful Firdousa said that she received a call from district magistrate’s office last evening. “The caller said the government had sanctioned RS 2 lakh as ex-gratia for Wamiq’s killing. He also told me that a family member shall get government employment as well. We have been told to keep mum”, she said and burst into tears.
“The Chief Minister does not know what death of a son means to his mother. I am ready to give ten l... | |
| | | | Wajahat’s kidding with Padma awards | | | |
ABID SHAH
NEW DELHI, FEB 3: The justification given by Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah for the Padma honour given to a counter-insurgent from Jammu and Kashmir is self-contradictory as it was only Habibullah who earlier said that awards were meant for “school kids”.
In last November Magsasay award winner and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal’s offer to select and award best information commissioners from Centre as well as States was called by Habibullah as “demeaning” since, according to him, information commissioners were “no school kids”.
He was backed in spurning Kejriwal’s award offer for information commissioners by his second-in-command MA Ansari who saw the poss... | |
| | | | Indo-Pak FS meet to focus only on terror: PC | | | |
Agencies
New Delhi, Feb 3: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will attend the SAARC Home Minister’s Summit in Islamabad.
The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan are likely to meet very soon to focus on starting the dialogue process, after relations between the two countries soured following the 26/ 11 Mumbai attacks.
The foreign secretaries are expected to meet after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram returns from Islamabad after attending the SAARC Home Minister’s Summit from February 26-28.
However, well-paced sources said that the two foreign secretaries would not be discussing elements of the composite peace process.
The focus would primarily remain on issues related to terro... | |
| | | | Vaishno Devi shrine on militants’ radar: CRPF | | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 3: The holy cave shrine of Shri Vaishno Devi, one of the most visited pilgrimage centers in the country, is on the radar of militants, a senior official said today.
"There is a threat to the cave shrine of Shri Vaishno Devi from militants. We have received inputs that militants want to do some mischief," Special Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) N K Tripathi told reporters here.
"Elaborate security measures are in place as per the threat perception. There is no laxity on part of the CRPF," he said.
Jawans have been put on high level of vigilance and they started patrolling well before January 26 in Trikuta hills, the abode of cave sh... | |
| | | | Traffic disrupted due to stone pelting on highway | | | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 3 : Hundreds of vehicles were today stranded on the bypass highway in the city outskirts after reported of stone pelting, forcing the security forces to burst teargas shells at different places from Chanapora to Nowgam.
According to eyewitnesses, hundred of vehicles, mostly private vehicles and trucks loaded with essentials stranded at different places on the bypass for several hours.
People took to the streets at different places on the bypass highway from Chanapora to Nowgam, pelting stones on the security forces and passing vehicles.
Over a dozen vehicles were also damaged in the stone pelting and traffic came to a halt, resulting in traffic jams on... | |
| | | | ED cracks down on terror funds | | | |
Agencies
New Delhi, Feb 3: In what could be the biggest-ever exercise to track down terror funding, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered around 30 cases across India in the last three months against dreaded terrorists on charges of money laundering and waging war against the country. It has also frozen many bank accounts, and sealed properties allegedly acquired using terror funds.
In Delhi alone, 15 cases have been registered against terrorists such as Jagar Singh Hawara, Babbar Khalsa International activist accused in Delhi cinema hall blasts in 2005 and Lashkar-e-Tayebba operative Tarik Ahmed Dar, allegedly involved in the Delhi Diwali bombings in Sarojini Nagar in the sam... | |
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