Category: General

Srinagar, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):The latest Delimitation Commission’s report recommending massive redrawing of the occupied Jammu and Kashmir assembly and Indian parliamentary constituencies continues to draw flak from all major regional political parties.

Describing the Commission Draft Report as bizarre, National Conference General Secretary Haji Ali Mohammad Sagar said that the party will not allow any attempt to divide the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He expressed concern over the repeated attempts of disempowering the people of Jammu and Kashmir by coming up with atrocious measures one after the other.

Another party leader Rattan Lal Gupta summarily rejected the draft report, saying that norms have been violated while carrying out the exercise. Former National Conference MLA, Ajaz Ahmed Jan demanded that Poonch and Rajouri should be given one more seat.

Miffed at delimitation proposal, several BJP leaders tendered their resignation over the deletion of Suchetgarh constituency in the report of the Delimitation Commission. The report proposes its merger with RS Pura and Bishnah constituencies.

The infuriated local BJP leaders held a protest at the party’s Jammu office, demanding reinstatement of the Suchetgarh Assembly. According to information, 83 polling booth heads, 26 Shakti Kendra heads, 2 mandal heads, Suchetgarh’s Block Development Council (BDC) chairman Tarsaim Singh, Ghar Singh and Krishen Choudhary submitted their resignation to BJP’s J and K general secretary Ashok Kaul.

Jammu-based National Panthers Party describing the Delimitation report as biased, defective and anomalous staged a massive protest demonstration in Jammu. The protest was led by led by Harsh Dev Singh. The protesters called for removal of all imbalances as well as deficiencies in the report. They raised slogans against BJP government and Delimitation Commission for conniving in the process of preparation of draft report and ignoring the suggestions given by the opposition parties and civil society.

A protest sit-in was also staged by the Jagti Tenement Committee and Soan Kashmir Front J and K in Jammu under the chairmanship of its President Shadi Lal Pandita against the report.

IIOJK chapter Coordinator OBC Madan Lal Chalotra blamed BJP for politically motivated and biased Delimitation Commission’s draft report with an aim to create division in the society. Addressing a joining programme which was organized by Sardar Rajinder Singh Khalsa in Jammu Madan Lal Chalotra said that BJP has cheated the people of Jammu again by influencing the draft report of Delimitation Commission which has discriminated against the people of different districts.

While criticizing the ruling BJP with pursuing anti-poor agenda to protect the interests of big corporate houses, Mahila Congress said that saffron brigade has been exposed before the people. Addressing the executive committee meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Mahila Congress, the party leaders lashed out at BJP for pursuing oppressive policies to suppress the voice of the youth, women, farmers, and other weaker sections of the society.

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Srinagar, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT): In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while paying tributes to the frontline leader of the ongoing freedom movement Shaheed Muhammad Maqbool Butt and the illustrious son of the soil Shaheed Muhammad Afzal Guru on their martyrdom anniversaries hailed their sacrifices for the Kashmir cause.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who is under house detention in Srinagar in a statement said the history of sacrifices rendered by the people of Kashmir and the leadership for the right to self-determination is so glorious that it cannot be forgotten, adding that one must not lose hope with the changing times.

“Whatever be the situation, we must keep up our courage and resolve and continue to pursue the vision and mission for which the sacrifices of in numerous lives and properties are being made from 1931 in general and 1947 in particular,” he added. He called for a complete strike on 9th and 11th February when the two leaders were hanged.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged the international community especially world human rights organizations to put pressure on India to return mortal remains of Maqbool Butt and Afzal Guru buried in Tihar jail to their families for burial in in Kashmir.

APHC-AJK leaders Mehmood Ahmad Saghar and Uzair Ahmad Ghazali in their statements said that the two Kashmiri leaders were hanged with a fair trial. They termed it as a clear-cut case of judicial murder.

APHC leaders Chaudhry Shaheen Iqbal, Hakeem Abdul Rasheed, Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Irshad Ahmed Malik, Ghulam Nabi War and Chaudhry Muzamil advocate in a joint statement said that hanging of Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru was a ruthless murder.

They added that the executions reinforced the point that there was no justice for Kashmiris in the Indian courts. APHC leaders Muhammad Iqbal Mir and Abdul Samaq Inqilabi also paid tributes to the martyred leaders.

APHC leader Zamrooda Habib and APHC-AJK chapter leader Shameem Shawl in a joint statement reiterated their demand for the transfer of the mortal remains of the two leaders to Kashmir from New Delhi’s Tihar Jail. They said that Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru are heroes of the Kashmiri people.

APHC-AJK leaders Mehmood Ahmad Saghar, Syed Aijaz Rehmani and Uzair Ahmad Ghazali in their statements said that the two Kashmiri leaders were hanged with a fair trial. They termed it as a clear-cut case of judicial murder.

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Paris, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):The international non-profit organization working for safeguarding the right to freedom of information, Reporters without Borders (RSF), has called for immediate and unconditional release of the editor of the leading investigative media outlet in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Fahad Shah, widely respected abroad for the quality of his reporting.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Reporters without Borders (RSF) spokesperson Pauline Ades Mevel in a statement said Fahad Shah is facing the possibility of life imprisonment on a sedition charge.

The police used a tweet on 5 February to announce that Fahad Shah, the editor of The Kashmir Walla news website, had been arrested the day before in Pulwama, a town in the south of Jammu and Kashmir, for “spreading fake news and inciting the public to disrupt law and order”. On the basis of these charges, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment under section 124 (A) of the penal code – India’s sedition law.

A nominee for the RSF Prize for Courage in 2020, Shah was summoned by police and arrested on 4 February in connection with The Kashmir Walla’s coverage of a gunfight between police and “militants” on 30 January. It was not the first time he has been questioned in connection with his reporting, but it was the first time such serious charges have been brought against him.

“A journalist cannot be thrown in prison and face spending the rest of his life there simply for doing his job and covering a news story,” said Pauline Ades Mevel. “This arrest is a disturbing sign and confirms that independent journalism is in the process of disappearing in Indian-administered Kashmir. We call on the territory’s authorities to release Fahad Shah immediately and unconditionally.”

A request for Shah’s release on bail was immediately filed by his lawyer, Umair Rongam, who described his arrest as “shocking” and “the end of the rule of law.”

Worsening situation

“Working as a journalist was never easy in Kashmir, and now with each passing day it seems more difficult,” Shah told RSF in 2017. In recent years, Shah has been subjected to repeated attacks on his home as well as police interrogations designed to intimidate him and get him to reveal the sources for his reporting.

Harassment of all Kashmiri journalists has been growing ever since the government in New Delhi abolished the territory’s partial autonomy in August 2019. There have been more violations of the right to information by the local authorities since the start of 2022, she added.

Paramilitaries arrested Sajad Gul, a reporter for The Kashmir Walla, on 5 January and the Indian government closed the Kashmir Press Club two weeks later. Gul’s arrest was “part of a procedure of stopping journalists from reporting incidents that the government sees as problematic,” Shah told RSF at the time. India is ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2021 World Press Freedom Index.

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Islamabad, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi is on official visit to Iraq. During the visit, the Naval Chief called on Commander Iraqi Navy Admiral Ahmed Jaasim Maarij and Defence Minister HE Mr Jumma Inad Sadoon Khattab, separately.

Upon arrival at Naval Headquarters Basra, the Naval Chief was received by Commander Iraqi Navy Admiral Ahmed Jaasim Maarij and was presented Guard of Honour. During the meeting with Commander Iraqi Navy, regional maritime security and professional matters of mutual interest including bilateral naval collaboration were discussed. The Naval Chief highlighted Pakistan Navy’s efforts for ensuring maritime security in the region including Regional Maritime Security Patrols and participation in Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The Admiral also visited Naval Base Um Qasir and Iraqi Naval Academy where a briefing was given to the Naval Chief.

Later during Call-on with Defence Minister HE Mr Jumma Inad Sadoon Khattab, professional matters of mutual interest including bilateral defence collaboration were discussed. The Naval Chief underscored the importance of enhancing interactions between the armed forces of both countries through exercises and training exchange programmes. The Iraqi Defence Minister while acknowledging the significance of strong bilateral military cooperation in diverse realms, stressed on enhancing collaborations in expanded military domains. It is expected that visit of the Naval Chief will further augment and expand defence ties between the two countries in general and navies in particular.

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Naval Headquarters, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Srinagar, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, complete shutdown will be observed, tomorrow, to mark the 9th martyrdom anniversary of prominent Kashmiri leader, Muhammad Afzal Guru. According to Kashmir Media Service, call for the strike has been given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Massrat Aalam Butt, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and supported by all other Hurriyat leaders. They have also called for complete strike on Friday on the occasion of the martyrdom anniversary of another prominent liberation leader, Muhammad Maqbool Butt.

India had hanged Muhammad Afzal Guru in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on 9th February in 2013 and Muhammad Maqbool Butt in the same jail on 11th February, 1984, for their role in Kashmir freedom movement. Their bodies are buried in the premises of the jail. Meanwhile, posters appeared in different areas of the occupied territory, urging the people to observe complete shutdown on February 9 and 11 to m=pay homage to Muhammad Afzal Guru and Muhammad Maqbool Butt on their martyrdom anniversaries.

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Islamabad, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):South Korean automobile manufacturer, Hyundai is facing a severe backlash in India after its partner in Pakistan commemorated on Facebook the Kashmir Solidarity Day, to express unity with the oppressed people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The post was made by Pakistan’s Nishat Group, the country’s largest business conglomerate, on Saturday, when Pakistan marked its annual Kashmir Solidarity Day. Indian foreign ministry spokesman Arndam Bagchi said today that South Korea’s ambassador to India was summoned to express displeasure over the social media post by the Pakistani partner of Hyundai Motor on Kashmir.

Bagchi said, “It was highlighted that this matter concerned India’s territorial integrity on which there could be no compromise. We expect the company to take appropriate action to properly address these issues.”

As per the Indian media, the foreign ministers of India and South Korea also spoke by telephone as the car company faced a backlash in India from customers angered by comments expressing solidarity with the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Indian foreign ministry spokesman claimed that South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong expressed his regret during the conversation with Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

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Islamabad, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan desires a peaceful solution to the long-running Kashmir dispute. The prime minster said this in a conversation with China’s leading TV channel, Chinese Global Television Network (CTGN), Radio Pakistan reported. The premier appeared in an interview with the CTGN during his recently concluded visit of China.

Imran Khan said that the Kashmir issue plays the role of a bone of contention between Pakistan and India, as he underlined the need for a political solution for all regional conflicts through dialogue. The prime minister said he is one of the people who believe that differences should be resolved through political dialogue; however, there is an extreme nationalist government in India and we find it very difficult to move forward specifically because of Kashmir. He said Kashmir is the only issue with India and rather than trying resolving the issue, New Delhi has done things worse.

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Jammu, February 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a teenage boy was injured in a landmine explosion in Poonch district, today. Official said that 16-year-old Mohammad Yasar was wounded due to a landmine blast in Noorkote Mohalla Pothi area of the district. They said that he suffered injuries in left foot and was shifted to district hospital Poonch.

Meanwhile, at least seven passengers were injured, today, after a bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Ramban district of Jammu region. The accident took place in Thangrote area of the district.

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