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Valley shuts on custodial killing in Sopore Cops responsible for causing death of civilian by torture being arrested 8/4/2011 12:07:48 AM Ahmed Ali Fayyaz EARLY TIMES REPORT SRINAGAR, Aug 3: August 2011 is still no match to August 2010 when as many as 30 civilian protestors and arsonists died in Police and paramilitary firing in Kashmir valley in just first half of the month. The custodial killing of a 28-year-old in Sopore has, nevertheless, caused a major threat to the eight-month-long fragile peace. Valley today observed near-total shutdown on the separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani's call, even as no significant incident of violence was reported from anywhere and most of the government offices functioned normally. Geelani's call, supported by head of the rival faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, evoked substantial response as most of the shops and business establishments, besides commercial tra...   READ MORE

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VAT on cross LOC trade items to be abolished, 2000 to be adjusted under Rehbar-I-Ziraat Cabinet meeting today 8/4/2011 12:05:03 AM Early Times Report Jammu, Aug 3: In what can be seen as major relief for scores of cross LOC traders, the government is likely to Okay a proposal tomorrow in which the traders will be exempted from VAT duty which was levied upon their items of trade till date. The matter is scheduled as one of the important items in agenda for cabinet meeting to be held tomorrow. The cabinet will also give go ahead signal to the proposal that promises adjustment of around 2000 people in agriculture jobs under Rehbar-I-ZIraat scheme. Sources said the government has taken up this as one of the agenda to be approved by the cabinet in the meeting tomorrow which will abolish VAT duty on as many as 22 it...   READ MORE   Omar Abdullah and striking contractual lecturers 5th day of official apathy and indifference 8/4/2011 12:04:40 AM Early Times Report Jammu, Aug 3: The indefinite hunger strike by contractual lecturers continued for the 5th consecutive day in Srinagar and so did the indifference of the state government towards their plight. Class work in various colleges has suffered immensely because of the continuing strike by the contractual lecturers. The striking lecturers are demanding that their remunerations be increased, their services be given due weigh tage when the posts they have been working at are finally filled through a bona fide recruitment process. Interestingly, the striking contractual college teachers have been claiming that they are made to take more classes daily in contrast to their regular ...   READ MORE   170 temples damaged, many others encroached upon: Report Return of Kashmir Pandits to valley-III 8/4/2011 12:04:08 AM Syed Junaid Hashmi EARLY TIMES REPORT Jammu, Aug 3: Amidst Jammu and Kashmir government's reluctance to bring legislation for security, preservation and maintenance of temples in Kashmir valley, a union government report has affirmed that 170 temples have been damaged in the militancy related incidents across Kashmir valley during last 21 years of militancy. The report has stated that there were 430 temples in the valley before migration of Kashmiri pandits (KPs) in the wake of eruption of terrorism in 1989, of which 170 have suffered extensive damages. 260 others are also in bad shape and if not taken care of, they too are likely to meet the same fate. Report asserts that 90 temples ...   READ MORE   Only 30 percent staff strength in PDD are regular employees 8/4/2011 12:03:28 AM Early Times Report JAMMU, Aug 3: It may sound incredible but is a fact that 30 percent of total staff strength are the regular employees in Power Development Department and rest 70 percent are all temporary workers including permanent daily wagers (PDL), Temporary Daily Wagers (TDL) and need based casual laborers. Despite the tall claims of the Government about the re-organization of the PDD and Power Development Corporation (PDC) nothing concrete has materialized so far alleged the ill fated employees of the Department who over the years crave for their regularization. The Government has engaged thousands of need based casual laborers, PDLs and TDLs in both PDD and PDC and despite comple...   READ MORE   Who can change nomenclature of JK's top posts? 8/4/2011 12:03:12 AM Early Times Report Jammu, Aug 3: A few days ago some quarters expressed serious concern over what they called `preparations for restoration of pre-1953 status to Jammu Kashmir. Through the columns of local newspapers they warned against any compromise on the unity and integrity of the country. There is no denying the fact that the National Conference believes that autonomy was the best solution to the vexed problem. How to achieve the goal? Can it be granted by the Prime Minister and his cabinet? According to constitutional experts, the government has to go to the Parliament and amend the constitution, or re-induct the omitted articles that spoke about autonomy of the state. This also...   READ MORE   ‘Surrendered militants heckled opposition at Sopore, Shopian’ 8/4/2011 12:02:46 AM Early Times Report srinagar, Aug 3: Hitting hard at the Chief Minister, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mahbooba Mufti expressed determination to intensify her agitation for civil liberties accused the Chief Minister of usuing surrendered militants to silence opposition members at Sopore and Shopian. She also accused the Chief Minister of hushing up the Sopore `custodial killing' case through his juvenile responses. Mufti said that the surrendered militants were a mascot of NC rule and they have been putting them to varied use like election frauds and attacking opposition whether in Sopore or earlier in Shopian. "The killing of Nazim in custody raises genuine apprehensions...   READ MORE   Padgaonkar defends participation in ISI-sponsored anti-India seminars Defending The Indefensible 8/4/2011 12:02:27 AM Rustam EARLY TIMES REPORT Jammu, Aug 3: Chief interlocutor for Jammu & Kashmir Dileep Padgaonkar has virtually snubbed his critics, including interlocutor M M Ansari, and defended his participation in the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI)-sponsored anti-India seminar/seminars. Only the other day, he came down heavily on those who had denounced him for his association with the ISI America-based agent of Kashmir origin Ghulam Nabi Fai or who had denounced him for taking part in anti-India seminars organized in different parts of the world with a view to projecting the Pakistani line on Jammu & Kashmir and shamelessly asserted that "he did no wrong by attending Fai's meetings." The critics o...   READ MORE   Custodial killings stir up political waters in Kashmir again Why Jammu politicians 'choose' silence when such crime happen in Jammu? 8/4/2011 12:01:49 AM Early Times Report Jammu, Aug 3: Sopore has once again stirred political waters of Kashmir which remained relatively calm for the last two years over the issue of custodial killings. Both separatist camp as well as mainstream political parties, political stalwarts in individual capacities are once again up in arms over the killing, genuinely so as the crime is unpardonable indeed. But ironically , this crime though of equal magnitude, no matter with different backgrounds of the victim, Jammu and Jammu based parties as well as politicians have always chosen to maintain silence as and when such crimes came to for in this region. Kashmir region has a reason to raise hue and cry over the cust...   READ MORE   What are the authorities waiting for? Central University 8/4/2011 12:01:25 AM Neha EARLY TIMES REPORT Jammu, Aug 3: The situation in the educational institutions in Jammu province is deteriorating day by day. The number of students, including girl students, making common cause with those spearheading the movement for the early establishment of Central University in Jammu and appointment of its first Vice-Chancellor is multiplying by the day. This is one aspect of the emerging situation that suggests that a full-scale confrontation between the students and the authorities is imminent. In fact, the confrontation between the students and the police has already started. The other aspect of the emerging situation is the entry into the movement of a very large number of...   READ MORE   Police drags feet in youth's "murder", alleges family 8/4/2011 12:00:44 AM JAMMU: The family and relatives of Rakesh, whose body was found in a nullah at Khairi near Bishnah here on May 23 last, today alleged that police investigation in the case was very slow. Talking to media at Bari Brahmana, Chano Ram said as his son Rakesh's body bore injury marks, it was a clear case of murder but the investigation of Bishnah police into the case was below expectation. Rakesh, who lived with his parents at Kunanpur, Birpur, carried strained relations with his wife and in-laws. Over some issue, his wife had left their house and gone to her parents house at Ratnuchak. On May 22, Rakesh left for Ratnuchak to bring his wife back home. A day later, ie on May 23, his body was f...   READ MORE   2 hurt critically as kucha house collapses at Mahore 8/4/2011 12:00:27 AM JAMMU: A kucha house today gave way to incessant rains at Khour in Mahore area of Reasi as a result of which two youth sustained critical injuries. Khour is a remote Reasi village and does not have any road link. It is connected with Mahore town by about 50 km hilly terrain. Police sources said due to incessant rains lashing the area for the past few days, a kucha house collapsed at Khour at about 3.30 pm. Two youth were wounded in the incident, the sources added. One of them was identified as Manzoor. Sources said the injured were being shifted by the villagers to Mahore primary health centre and were likely to reach there late at night....   READ MORE   Ahead of I Day LeT militant arrested in Jammu 8/3/2011 11:59:57 PM Jammu: A Lashker-e -Toiba militant who went underground from Reasi for the last three years had been arrested from Belicharana area along with his father in law and wife by sleuths of Special Operation Group (SOG) here today. The catch has been made just few days ahead of Independence Day, sources said. Identified as Mushtaq Ahmed alias Mustafa of village Budhan, Reasi who remained active from 2004 in Reasi district went under ground in 2008 which made the security agencies on toe. Sources said that during his operational days he remained involved in several killings. Mustafa was also involved in several encounters with security forces on many occasions but he managed to give a slip to ...   READ MORE

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Athletics team leaves for NZ championship Judo championship from August 6 APL final postponed due to rains 4 Jammu teams leave for Tickoo Memorial Tourney DYSS lifts women’s cricket tourney Chanting of ‘Aum’ leads towards spirituality   READ MORE THIS SECTION

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