A day after the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir killed Naveed Jatt, the LeT terrorist who police say was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari, the police on Thursday gunned down two more terrorists in the valley.

The terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Khrew area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in a search operation that followed a tip-off.

The police have also recovered arms and ammunition from the slain terrorists.

The police stated that no collateral damage took place during the encounter.

(With inputs from agencies)

A day after the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir killed Naveed Jatt, the LeT terrorist who police say was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari, the police on Thursday gunned down two more terrorists in the valley.

A day after the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir killed Naveed Jatt, the LeT terrorist who police say was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari, the police on Thursday gunned down two more terrorists in the valley. The terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Khrew area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in a search operation that followed a tip-off. The police have also recovered arms and ammunition from the slain terrorists. The police stated that no collateral damage took place during the encounter. (With inputs from agencies)

Two terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama 

A day after laying the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/just-political-will-needed-to-solve-kashimr-says-pm-imran-khan-during-kartarpur-ceremony-180007"> stone for the Kartarpur corridor</a>, Pakistan PM Imran Khan interacted with a group Indian journalists and said he would happy to PM Narendra Modi and talk to him while adding that he was "willing to wait for (general) elections to get over in India for a gesture from New Delhi."

"People in Pakistan want peace with India. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-dont-know-why-was-sidhu-criticised-for-participating-in-my-oath-taking-ceremony-imran-khan-180013">The mindset of people here has changed</a>," Pakistan PM Imran Khan said.

On Thursday while making a speech on the Kartarpur ceremony PM Imran Khan had said the Kashmir problem between India and Pakistan can be solved, he reiterated his position today saying: "Nothing is impossible," while answering a question from Indian reporters on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

He repeated his quote during the&nbsp;Kartarpur ceremony that if India takes one step, Pakistan will take two

However, the Pakistan prime minister told journalists today that "gesture for peace can't be one-sided".

"Let us talk. I am ready for talks on any issue. There can't be a military solution to Kashmir," PM Imran Khan insisted.

On the issue of terror, Imran Khan said that it is not in our interest to allow use of Pakistan's territory for terror outside.

On JuD chief Hafiz Saeed whom India accuses of being the mastermind behing the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Imran Khand said: "There are UN sanctions against Hafiz Saeed. There is already a clampdown on the JuD chief."

A day after laying the stone for the Kartarpur corridor, Pakistan PM Imran Khan interacted with a group Indian journalists and said he would happy to PM Narendra Modi and talk to him while adding that he was "willing to wait for (general) elections to get over in India for a gesture from New Delhi.

A day after laying the stone for the Kartarpur corridor, Pakistan PM Imran Khan interacted with a group Indian journalists and said he would happy to PM Narendra Modi and talk to him while adding that he was "willing to wait for (general) elections to get over in India for a gesture from New Delhi." "People in Pakistan want peace with India. The mindset of people here has changed," Pakistan PM Imran Khan said. On Thursday while making a speech on the Kartarpur ceremony PM Imran Khan had said the Kashmir problem between India and Pakistan can be solved, he reiterated his position today saying: "Nothing is impossible," while answering a question from Indian reporters on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. He repeated his quote during the Kartarpur ceremony that if India takes one step, Pakistan will take two However, the Pakistan prime minister told journalists today that "gesture for peace can't be one-sided". "Let us talk. I am ready for talks on any issue. There can't be a military solution to Kashmir," PM Imran Khan insisted. On the issue of terror, Imran Khan said that it is not in our interest to allow use of Pakistan's territory for terror outside. On JuD chief Hafiz Saeed whom India accuses of being the mastermind behing the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Imran Khand said: "There are UN sanctions against Hafiz Saeed. There is already a clampdown on the JuD chief."

Happy to meet PM Modi, there can't be a military solution to Kashmir: Pak PM Imran Khan at media interaction

The CPI(M) said Tuesday Governor <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/governor-of-jammu-and-kashmir-satya-pal-malik-speaks-to-sudhir-chaudhary-173379">Satya Pal Malik</a>'s comments on the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir confirmed the apprehensions of the people that the BJP was desperately trying to impose its government on the state by hook or crook.

"The statement of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in Gwalior that Sajad Lone would have become chief minister of the state had he sought the opinion of New Delhi before <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/end-of-honeymoon-political-mccarthyism-bites-bjp-in-kashmir-178810">dissolving the legislative assembly</a> confirms the apprehensions of the people that BJP was trying desperately to impose its government on Jammu and Kashmir by hook or cook", the J&amp;K CPI(M) said in a statement in Jammu.

The CPI(M) had been saying it from Day I that the BJP-led Centre's intentions for keeping the Assembly in suspended animation were not clear and finally the cat is out of the bag, the statement said.

They were trying to encourage defections and indulge in horse-trading to form a government in the state. Now, the nominee of the Centre, the governor has himself blown the lid off, it added.&nbsp;

Addressing a function in Gwalior on Saturday, the governor had purportedly said he dissolved the state Assembly as he did not want to go down in history as a "dishonest man".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-did-not-act-on-bjps-behest-nobody-gave-me-list-of-mlas-says-jk-governor-satya-pal-malik-after-dissolving-assembly-178721">I did not act on BJP's behest, says J&amp;K governor Satya Pal Malik after dissolving </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-did-not-act-on-bjps-behest-nobody-gave-me-list-of-mlas-says-jk-governor-satya-pal-malik-after-dissolving-assembly-178721">assembly</a>

Malik had abruptly dissolved the J&amp;K Assembly last week after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of the rival NC and the Congress. This was followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference, led by Lone, which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties.

The CPI(M) said now everything was clear before the people of the state and the country what actually the BJP wanted to do in J&amp;K. "People of Jammu and Kashmir state have always rejected the divisive designs of communal forces and will do the same in the future", it added.&nbsp;

The CPI(M) said Tuesday Governor Satya Pal Malik's comments on the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir confirmed the apprehensions of the people that the BJP was desperately trying to impose its government on the state by hook or crook.

The CPI(M) said Tuesday Governor Satya Pal Malik's comments on the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir confirmed the apprehensions of the people that the BJP was desperately trying to impose its government on the state by hook or crook. "The statement of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in Gwalior that Sajad Lone would have become chief minister of the state had he sought the opinion of New Delhi before dissolving the legislative assembly confirms the apprehensions of the people that BJP was trying desperately to impose its government on Jammu and Kashmir by hook or cook", the J&K CPI(M) said in a statement in Jammu. The CPI(M) had been saying it from Day I that the BJP-led Centre's intentions for keeping the Assembly in suspended animation were not clear and finally the cat is out of the bag, the statement said. They were trying to encourage defections and indulge in horse-trading to form a government in the state. Now, the nominee of the Centre, the governor has himself blown the lid off, it added. Addressing a function in Gwalior on Saturday, the governor had purportedly said he dissolved the state Assembly as he did not want to go down in history as a "dishonest man". Also read: I did not act on BJP's behest, says J&K governor Satya Pal Malik after dissolving assembly Malik had abruptly dissolved the J&K Assembly last week after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of the rival NC and the Congress. This was followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference, led by Lone, which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties. The CPI(M) said now everything was clear before the people of the state and the country what actually the BJP wanted to do in J&K. "People of Jammu and Kashmir state have always rejected the divisive designs of communal forces and will do the same in the future", it added.

Finally, the cat is out of the bag: CPI(M) on J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik's remark

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have killed Naveed Jatt, the LeT terrorist who police say was involved in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/editor-shujaat-bukhari-shot-dead-but-rising-kashmir-hits-stands-144544">the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari</a> in June.

A second terrorist was also killed in the encounter that broke out&nbsp;in Budgam district's Chathergam village on Wednesday morning.

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Budgam Encounter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a>: Naveed Jatt and another terrorist gunned down by security forces. Jatt was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a> <a href="https://t.co/lWcLJwOCFp">pic.twitter.com/lWcLJwOCFp</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1067653081452736512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Television news reports said clashes broke out between the security forces and locals after Jatt's killing.&nbsp;

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Two CRPF personnel were injured in stone pelting while encounter between security forces and terrorists was underway in Budgam (deferred visuals) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a> <a href="https://t.co/woUCaWeIt0">pic.twitter.com/woUCaWeIt0</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1067680222990995456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A K Bhatt, GOC Army’s 15 Corps: In an operation this morning in Budgam, 2 terrorists were killed. One of them is Naveed Jatt, he was believed to be involved in the killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari. 2 of our men were also injured &amp; taken to hospital, both are out of danger. <a href="https://t.co/oyXkGmY7UG">pic.twitter.com/oyXkGmY7UG</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1067696468696403968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;Jatt was the second terrorist thought to have been involved in Bukhari's assassination to be killed.

LeT commander Azad Ahmed Malik was among six terrorists killed in an encounter last week. Police say he too was involved in Bukhari's killing.

Bukhari, editor of the Rising Kashmir newspaper, was shot dead outside his office in Srinagar's Press Enclave in June. Two of his (PSOs) personal security officers were shot dead along with him. (An attempt had been made on Bukhari's life earlier.)&nbsp;

Bukhari, 50, had at the time been about to leave for an iftar party.&nbsp;

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Lashkar e Taiba Commander Naveed Jatt, who was involved in the assassination of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari was gunned down by security forces in Budgam earlier today ( pic source: J&amp;K Police)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a> <a href="https://t.co/cfe6oh8sdc">pic.twitter.com/cfe6oh8sdc</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1067678034822610944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Jatt was a Pakistani and had escaped from police custody from a Srinagar hospital on February 6 this year. 
 
&nbsp;

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have killed Naveed Jatt, the LeT terrorist who police say was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari in June.

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have killed Naveed Jatt, the LeT terrorist who police say was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari in June. A second terrorist was also killed in the encounter that broke out in Budgam district's Chathergam village on Wednesday morning. Budgam Encounter #UPDATE: Naveed Jatt and another terrorist gunned down by security forces. Jatt was involved in the assassination of journalist Shujaat Bukhari #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/lWcLJwOCFp — ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018 × Television news reports said clashes broke out between the security forces and locals after Jatt's killing. Two CRPF personnel were injured in stone pelting while encounter between security forces and terrorists was underway in Budgam (deferred visuals) #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/woUCaWeIt0 — ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018 × A K Bhatt, GOC Army’s 15 Corps: In an operation this morning in Budgam, 2 terrorists were killed. One of them is Naveed Jatt, he was believed to be involved in the killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari. 2 of our men were also injured & taken to hospital, both are out of danger. pic.twitter.com/oyXkGmY7UG — ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018 × Jatt was the second terrorist thought to have been involved in Bukhari's assassination to be killed. LeT commander Azad Ahmed Malik was among six terrorists killed in an encounter last week. Police say he too was involved in Bukhari's killing. Bukhari, editor of the Rising Kashmir newspaper, was shot dead outside his office in Srinagar's Press Enclave in June. Two of his (PSOs) personal security officers were shot dead along with him. (An attempt had been made on Bukhari's life earlier.) Bukhari, 50, had at the time been about to leave for an iftar party. Lashkar e Taiba Commander Naveed Jatt, who was involved in the assassination of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari was gunned down by security forces in Budgam earlier today ( pic source: J&K Police)#JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/cfe6oh8sdc — ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2018 × Jatt was a Pakistani and had escaped from police custody from a Srinagar hospital on February 6 this year.

J&K: Terrorist thought responsible for journalist Shujaat Bukhari's killing shot dead

Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu &amp; Kashmir assembly on Wednesday night. Prior to the dissolution, he is said to have consulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and a few of PM’s advisers.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, according to media reports, is reported to have written to the Governor that she could not reach Raj Bhawan, but she tweeted in public domain, claiming that she had the support and backing of 56 MLAs. Soon after, Sajjad Lone, with only two MLAs in the assembly, showed his interest by saying that he had the support of BJP and over 18 other independent MLAs.

The legal position under Section 53 of the J&amp;K Constitution is that the action of the Governor does not need to be ratified by Parliament. It is only after the expiry of six months that President Rule can be imposed that needs Parliament’s ratification. The Governor has said that the reasons for his decision to dissolve the assembly that had a tenure till 2020, were reports of extensive horse trading and possible exchange of money in order to secure the support of legislators, thus jeopardising the fragile security scenario in the state. The Governor further said there is the impossibility of forming a stable government by coming together of political parties with opposing ideologies. 
 
&nbsp;The BJP, a partner of PDP until a few months ago, supported the Governor’s decision, saying that “J&amp;K needs a firm administration to deal with terrorism and not a combination of terror-friendly parties”. Further, BJP leaders commented, that “the best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government.”

Governor Malik has allowed his own reputation to be imperilled along with the impact he was reportedly making with Kashmiris by promoting his healing-touch policy, making efforts to reach out for peace and dialogue. Malik’s action has lowered the prestige of the gubernatorial office in a fragile and sensitive state of the Indian Union. He is an experienced politician and should have exhausted all the normal constitutional and democratic norms set out by the apex court.&nbsp;

Since the BJP-PDP government was dissolved in June, the Jammu and Kashmir assembly was kept in suspended animation and Governor’s Rule imposed in the state. Malik was not bound by the convention of recommending the dissolution of the assembly on advice of the chief minister and state cabinet, because neither existed. The dissolution deprived the elected legislators the opportunity to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir again.

Important political and constitutional issues lie at the heart of Governor’s action. Legally and constitutionally, Malik can say he was well within his rights to dissolve the assembly. Legitimately, power was exercised, but it was done in the pursuit of illegitimate goals. The timing of the dissolution makes it clear that Malik moved under orders — willingly or otherwise — to forestall the formation of a government that would prove inimical to the BJP’s calculations. By dissolving the J&amp;K assembly, he has ignored admittedly dodgy precedents set elsewhere.

Take Bihar. In 2015, an alliance of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United) and Congress had swept the state elections and formed a coalition government. In July 2017, barely two years later, in a move clearly orchestrated by outgoing and incoming chief minister Nitish Kumar, he disbanded the “grand alliance” by resigning as chief minister and was sworn in hours later in the same position, but with the BJP as his new ally. No gubernatorial compunctions seemed to have been experienced in showing the green light to this manoeuvre — a blatant betrayal of the 2015 mandate. In Goa, the Congress won 17 of the 40 assembly seats and the BJP, 13. The BJP got nine legislators on its side — three each from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party and three independents. Armed with a list of 22, it was invited to form a government, which it duly did. No one expressed any reservations whatsoever.&nbsp;

Now take Jammu and Kashmir. When the PDP and BJP decided to form a coalition government, no questions were raised by the governor about this decidedly surreal alliance. If you really stretch yourself, you can find some common ground between the PDP and National Conference — they are both Kashmiri parties, both are committed to some notion of Kashmiri exceptionalism and autonomy and share the same kind of social constituencies. Also, the PDP and Congress have been allies in the past.

But by what stretch of imagination did the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir decide that the PDP and BJP, who are ideologically and programmatically on absolutely opposite ends of the spectrum, could form a “stable” government? The imagination boggles. It is reported that the central government views this coalition as detrimental to the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Of course, it does. But not because the “arrangement” would be riven by “contradictions”.

What will transpire now is not yet clear. Someone or the other could move court against the dismissal of the assembly, which makes logical sense. The Congress, National Conference, PDP and other political parties may be content to wait things out for another six months, by which time state elections will have to be held. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-give-everyone-a-chance-in-jk-2688311">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu & Kashmir assembly on Wednesday night. Prior to the dissolution, he is said to have consulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and a few of PM’s advisers.

Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu & Kashmir assembly on Wednesday night. Prior to the dissolution, he is said to have consulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and a few of PM’s advisers. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, according to media reports, is reported to have written to the Governor that she could not reach Raj Bhawan, but she tweeted in public domain, claiming that she had the support and backing of 56 MLAs. Soon after, Sajjad Lone, with only two MLAs in the assembly, showed his interest by saying that he had the support of BJP and over 18 other independent MLAs. The legal position under Section 53 of the J&K Constitution is that the action of the Governor does not need to be ratified by Parliament. It is only after the expiry of six months that President Rule can be imposed that needs Parliament’s ratification. The Governor has said that the reasons for his decision to dissolve the assembly that had a tenure till 2020, were reports of extensive horse trading and possible exchange of money in order to secure the support of legislators, thus jeopardising the fragile security scenario in the state. The Governor further said there is the impossibility of forming a stable government by coming together of political parties with opposing ideologies. The BJP, a partner of PDP until a few months ago, supported the Governor’s decision, saying that “J&K needs a firm administration to deal with terrorism and not a combination of terror-friendly parties”. Further, BJP leaders commented, that “the best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government.” Governor Malik has allowed his own reputation to be imperilled along with the impact he was reportedly making with Kashmiris by promoting his healing-touch policy, making efforts to reach out for peace and dialogue. Malik’s action has lowered the prestige of the gubernatorial office in a fragile and sensitive state of the Indian Union. He is an experienced politician and should have exhausted all the normal constitutional and democratic norms set out by the apex court. Since the BJP-PDP government was dissolved in June, the Jammu and Kashmir assembly was kept in suspended animation and Governor’s Rule imposed in the state. Malik was not bound by the convention of recommending the dissolution of the assembly on advice of the chief minister and state cabinet, because neither existed. The dissolution deprived the elected legislators the opportunity to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir again. Important political and constitutional issues lie at the heart of Governor’s action. Legally and constitutionally, Malik can say he was well within his rights to dissolve the assembly. Legitimately, power was exercised, but it was done in the pursuit of illegitimate goals. The timing of the dissolution makes it clear that Malik moved under orders — willingly or otherwise — to forestall the formation of a government that would prove inimical to the BJP’s calculations. By dissolving the J&K assembly, he has ignored admittedly dodgy precedents set elsewhere. Take Bihar. In 2015, an alliance of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United) and Congress had swept the state elections and formed a coalition government. In July 2017, barely two years later, in a move clearly orchestrated by outgoing and incoming chief minister Nitish Kumar, he disbanded the “grand alliance” by resigning as chief minister and was sworn in hours later in the same position, but with the BJP as his new ally. No gubernatorial compunctions seemed to have been experienced in showing the green light to this manoeuvre — a blatant betrayal of the 2015 mandate. In Goa, the Congress won 17 of the 40 assembly seats and the BJP, 13. The BJP got nine legislators on its side — three each from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party and three independents. Armed with a list of 22, it was invited to form a government, which it duly did. No one expressed any reservations whatsoever. Now take Jammu and Kashmir. When the PDP and BJP decided to form a coalition government, no questions were raised by the governor about this decidedly surreal alliance. If you really stretch yourself, you can find some common ground between the PDP and National Conference — they are both Kashmiri parties, both are committed to some notion of Kashmiri exceptionalism and autonomy and share the same kind of social constituencies. Also, the PDP and Congress have been allies in the past. But by what stretch of imagination did the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir decide that the PDP and BJP, who are ideologically and programmatically on absolutely opposite ends of the spectrum, could form a “stable” government? The imagination boggles. It is reported that the central government views this coalition as detrimental to the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Of course, it does. But not because the “arrangement” would be riven by “contradictions”. What will transpire now is not yet clear. Someone or the other could move court against the dismissal of the assembly, which makes logical sense. The Congress, National Conference, PDP and other political parties may be content to wait things out for another six months, by which time state elections will have to be held. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Everyone should be given a chance in J&K

A day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/best-option-in-jk-is-fresh-polls-at-earliest-says-bjp-178700">Jammu and Kashmir(J&amp;K) assembly</a> was dissolved, governor Satya Pal Malik said his decision was made in favour of the state and he was not acting on BJP's behest.

"Nobody&nbsp;gave me a&nbsp;list of MLAs,"&nbsp;the governor said while declaring that he could not allow horse-trading in the assembly.

"Are government's formed through social media? I neither tweet nor see the tweets. I selected yesterday for the decision to dissolve the assembly as it was a holy day, it was Eid," he said&nbsp;on Mehbooba Mufti's letter sent to him in the form of a tweet

"It is the Election Commission's job to decide on the date of the elections,"&nbsp;he said. "I did not act on BJP's behest," he added.

The J&amp;K assembly was abruptly dissolved by the governor after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference(NC) and the Congress. Another bid to form the government was made by two-member People's Conference.

The dissolution was announced by governor Satyapal Malik in a communique released by Raj Bhavan.

"Why will they go to court? They were demanding this for five months. I want that they go to court, it's their right, they should go," he said after some leaders expressed their willingness to challenge the governor's decision in court.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, National Conference(NC) leader today accused the BJP of being behind the dissolution of J&amp;K assembly which was announced by governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday&nbsp;night.

"J&amp;K has been subjected to a lot of suffering," the former chief minister said, adding that talks were going on for an alliance. "We have interests of the people in mind," he asserted.

Omar said NC and PDP were in talks to form the next government in the state.

"I do not want to be chief minister," Omar told reporters at a press conference in Srinagar. He informed that the NC core group had held a meeting today to take stock of the situation.

Taking a jibe at the governor, Omar said fax machine had become the new political player in J&amp;K. He said the BJP wanted elections in the state.&nbsp;

The BJP said: "The proposed alliance between the Congress and the PDP broke up even before it was formed. They have taken contradictory positions on dissolution. One supports it and the other opposes it."

"The best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government," it added.

A day after the Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) assembly was dissolved, governor Satya Pal Malik said his decision was made in favour of the state and he was not acting on BJP's behest.

A day after the Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) assembly was dissolved, governor Satya Pal Malik said his decision was made in favour of the state and he was not acting on BJP's behest. "Nobody gave me a list of MLAs," the governor said while declaring that he could not allow horse-trading in the assembly. "Are government's formed through social media? I neither tweet nor see the tweets. I selected yesterday for the decision to dissolve the assembly as it was a holy day, it was Eid," he said on Mehbooba Mufti's letter sent to him in the form of a tweet "It is the Election Commission's job to decide on the date of the elections," he said. "I did not act on BJP's behest," he added. The J&K assembly was abruptly dissolved by the governor after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference(NC) and the Congress. Another bid to form the government was made by two-member People's Conference. The dissolution was announced by governor Satyapal Malik in a communique released by Raj Bhavan. "Why will they go to court? They were demanding this for five months. I want that they go to court, it's their right, they should go," he said after some leaders expressed their willingness to challenge the governor's decision in court. Meanwhile, National Conference(NC) leader today accused the BJP of being behind the dissolution of J&K assembly which was announced by governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday night. "J&K has been subjected to a lot of suffering," the former chief minister said, adding that talks were going on for an alliance. "We have interests of the people in mind," he asserted. Omar said NC and PDP were in talks to form the next government in the state. "I do not want to be chief minister," Omar told reporters at a press conference in Srinagar. He informed that the NC core group had held a meeting today to take stock of the situation. Taking a jibe at the governor, Omar said fax machine had become the new political player in J&K. He said the BJP wanted elections in the state. The BJP said: "The proposed alliance between the Congress and the PDP broke up even before it was formed. They have taken contradictory positions on dissolution. One supports it and the other opposes it." "The best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government," it added.

I did not act on BJP's behest, says J&K governor Satya Pal Malik after dissolving assembly

The BJP Wednesday said the best option in Jammu and Kashmir is to have fresh <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-kashmir-mehbooba-mufti-writes-to-governor-stakes-claim-to-form-government-178644">assembly polls</a> at the earliest as it slammed the proposed<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/governors-decision-to-dissolve-assembly-unconstitutional-mehbooba-should-move-court-saifuddin-soz-178651"> alliance of opposition </a>parties as a "combination of terror-friendly parties".

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Twitter, soon after the state governor dissolved the assembly amid claims by rival formations on forming a government, that the border state cannot afford horse-trading and instability keeping its security scenario in mind.

"The proposed alliance between the Congress and the PDP broke up even before it was formed. They have taken contradictory positions on dissolution. One supports it and the other opposes it," the BJP said.

"The best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government," it added. Jammu and Kashmir needs a firm administration to deal with terrorism and not a combination of terror-friendly parties, it added.

The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was abruptly dissolved by the Governor Wednesday night hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties.

The dissolution was announced by Governor Satyapal Malik in a communique released by the Raj Bhavan. In Jammu, the BJP's state unit chief Ravinder Raina said, "We welcome the decision of the governor to dissolve legislative assembly. We welcome it."

The bid by the PDP, NC and the Congress "was a conspiracy against the people of Jammu and Ladakh (regions). It was conspiracy against nationalist people and also against the country at the behest of some forces."

"We not only welcome the decision but thank the governor for foiling the conspiracy hatched by these anti-national and anti-country forces," he added.

Questioning the letter written by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti staking claim to form a government, Raina said it was her own MLA Raza Ansari who challenged her by saying that he has 16 PDP MLAs with him supporting Sajad Lone of the People's Conference.

The BJP Wednesday said the best option in Jammu and Kashmir is to have fresh assembly polls at the earliest as it slammed the proposed alliance of opposition parties as a "combination of terror-friendly parties".

The BJP Wednesday said the best option in Jammu and Kashmir is to have fresh assembly polls at the earliest as it slammed the proposed alliance of opposition parties as a "combination of terror-friendly parties". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Twitter, soon after the state governor dissolved the assembly amid claims by rival formations on forming a government, that the border state cannot afford horse-trading and instability keeping its security scenario in mind. "The proposed alliance between the Congress and the PDP broke up even before it was formed. They have taken contradictory positions on dissolution. One supports it and the other opposes it," the BJP said. "The best option in such a scenario is to go in for a fresh election at the earliest. This assembly cannot produce a stable government," it added. Jammu and Kashmir needs a firm administration to deal with terrorism and not a combination of terror-friendly parties, it added. The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was abruptly dissolved by the Governor Wednesday night hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties. The dissolution was announced by Governor Satyapal Malik in a communique released by the Raj Bhavan. In Jammu, the BJP's state unit chief Ravinder Raina said, "We welcome the decision of the governor to dissolve legislative assembly. We welcome it." The bid by the PDP, NC and the Congress "was a conspiracy against the people of Jammu and Ladakh (regions). It was conspiracy against nationalist people and also against the country at the behest of some forces." "We not only welcome the decision but thank the governor for foiling the conspiracy hatched by these anti-national and anti-country forces," he added. Questioning the letter written by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti staking claim to form a government, Raina said it was her own MLA Raza Ansari who challenged her by saying that he has 16 PDP MLAs with him supporting Sajad Lone of the People's Conference.

This assembly cannot produce a stable government, says BJP amid J&K crisis

Ram Madhav, National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday took back his comment that the alliance between PDP, Congress and National Conference was made on Pakistan's behest after Omar Abdullah asked him to prove his allegation.&nbsp;

Earlier the two leaders clashed on Twitter, a day after Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah objected to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary, Ram Madhav suggesting that Abdullah's National Conference (NC) had tied up with arch-rival Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form a government on "instructions from across the border".

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Just landed@Aizawl n saw this. Now tht u deny any external pressure I take back my comment, bt, now tht u proved it ws genuine love btw NC n PDP tht prompted a failed govt formation attempt,u shud fight nxt elections 2gether. 😂Mind u it’s pol comnt,not personal <a href="https://t.co/DsOYiwwXmo">https://t.co/DsOYiwwXmo</a>
— Ram Madhav (@rammadhavbjp) <a href="https://twitter.com/rammadhavbjp/status/1065524861676728320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"No, misplaced attempts at humour won`t work. You HAVE claimed my party has been acting at the behest of Pakistan. I dare you to prove it! Place the evidence of your allegation of NC boycott of ULB polls at Pak behest in the public domain. It`s an open challenge to you &amp; your Govt.," Omar Abdullah tweeted.

In an exclusive interview with ANI on Thursday, Madhav had said, "The PDP and NC boycotted local body polls last month because they had instructions from across the border. Probably they had fresh instructions from across the border to come together and form a government.

"On Wednesday, arch rivals PDP, NC along with Congress confirmed that they stitched up an alliance to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been under Governor`s rule since June when the BJP ended its ruling alliance with the PDP. Madhav was quick to clarify that he didn`t mean to offend Abdullah."Just take it in your stride @OmarAbdullah Not questioning your patriotism at all. But d sudden love between NC n PDP nd hurry to form government leads to many suspicions n political comments. Not to offend u," Madhav said in a Tweet.

(With inputs from ANI)

Ram Madhav, National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday took back his comment that the alliance between PDP, Congress and National Conference was made on Pakistan's behest after Omar Abdullah asked him to prove his allegation.

Ram Madhav, National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday took back his comment that the alliance between PDP, Congress and National Conference was made on Pakistan's behest after Omar Abdullah asked him to prove his allegation. Earlier the two leaders clashed on Twitter, a day after Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah objected to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary, Ram Madhav suggesting that Abdullah's National Conference (NC) had tied up with arch-rival Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form a government on "instructions from across the border". Just landed@Aizawl n saw this. Now tht u deny any external pressure I take back my comment, bt, now tht u proved it ws genuine love btw NC n PDP tht prompted a failed govt formation attempt,u shud fight nxt elections 2gether. 😂Mind u it’s pol comnt,not personal https://t.co/DsOYiwwXmo — Ram Madhav (@rammadhavbjp) November 22, 2018 × "No, misplaced attempts at humour won`t work. You HAVE claimed my party has been acting at the behest of Pakistan. I dare you to prove it! Place the evidence of your allegation of NC boycott of ULB polls at Pak behest in the public domain. It`s an open challenge to you & your Govt.," Omar Abdullah tweeted. In an exclusive interview with ANI on Thursday, Madhav had said, "The PDP and NC boycotted local body polls last month because they had instructions from across the border. Probably they had fresh instructions from across the border to come together and form a government. "On Wednesday, arch rivals PDP, NC along with Congress confirmed that they stitched up an alliance to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been under Governor`s rule since June when the BJP ended its ruling alliance with the PDP. Madhav was quick to clarify that he didn`t mean to offend Abdullah."Just take it in your stride @OmarAbdullah Not questioning your patriotism at all. But d sudden love between NC n PDP nd hurry to form government leads to many suspicions n political comments. Not to offend u," Madhav said in a Tweet. (With inputs from ANI)

Ram Madhav takes back his 'Pakistan behind J&K alliance' comment after Omar dare

Voting for the second phase of panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir ended with 80.4 per cent of voter turnout in Jammu division and 53.2 per cent in Kashmir division, while overall voter turnout of the state was 71.1 per cent.

As much as 72.3 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Ramban, 77.9 per cent in Kishtwar, 81.7 per cent in Doda, 83.5 per cent in Rajouri, 84 per cent in Udhampur, 27.4 per cent turnout in Ganderbal, 44.8 per cent in Kashmir Valley, 66.3 per cent in Leh, 70.5 per cent in Kupwara and 75.2 per cent in Kargil.

Over 2.37 lakh voters out of 3.31 lakh voters exercised their franchise in spite of threats to life and limb.

Speaking to ANI, Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik said that no poll-related casualty was reported in any part of the state.

"Good thing is there was no poll-related casualty. Villagers want their share of development; it will strengthen democracy in villages. Till now politics of Kashmir was in urbans' hands, now it will bring a new generation of politicians," he added.

Polling was held in 17 blocks in Jammu division, 12 blocks in Kashmir region and 11 blocks in Ladakh region.

The third phase of polling is scheduled for November 24.

Voting for the second phase of panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir ended with 80.4 per cent of voter turnout in Jammu division and 53.2 per cent in Kashmir division, while overall voter turnout of the state was 71.

Voting for the second phase of panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir ended with 80.4 per cent of voter turnout in Jammu division and 53.2 per cent in Kashmir division, while overall voter turnout of the state was 71.1 per cent. As much as 72.3 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Ramban, 77.9 per cent in Kishtwar, 81.7 per cent in Doda, 83.5 per cent in Rajouri, 84 per cent in Udhampur, 27.4 per cent turnout in Ganderbal, 44.8 per cent in Kashmir Valley, 66.3 per cent in Leh, 70.5 per cent in Kupwara and 75.2 per cent in Kargil. Over 2.37 lakh voters out of 3.31 lakh voters exercised their franchise in spite of threats to life and limb. Speaking to ANI, Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik said that no poll-related casualty was reported in any part of the state. "Good thing is there was no poll-related casualty. Villagers want their share of development; it will strengthen democracy in villages. Till now politics of Kashmir was in urbans' hands, now it will bring a new generation of politicians," he added. Polling was held in 17 blocks in Jammu division, 12 blocks in Kashmir region and 11 blocks in Ladakh region. The third phase of polling is scheduled for November 24.

J&K panchayat polls: 71.1% voter turnout recorded in second phase

Four terrorists and a Para commando were killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces in Nadigam area of South Kashmir's Shopian district.

A Senior Police official has confirmed the report.

The officer further said that the identity of the slain militants is yet to be ascertained.&nbsp;

A cordon and search operation was launched by security forces this morning in the area after intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The Valley has been witnessing a spurt in terror activities for the past few months.

On November 18, two terrorists associated with terror outfit Al-Badr were killed in an encounter in Rebban area of Shopian district.

On the same day, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan lost his life after terrorists opened fire on a CRPF camp at Railway Colony in Pulwama`s Kakapora area.

Four terrorists and a Para commando were killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces in Nadigam area of South Kashmir's Shopian district. A Senior Police official has confirmed the report.

Four terrorists and a Para commando were killed on Tuesday in an encounter with security forces in Nadigam area of South Kashmir's Shopian district. A Senior Police official has confirmed the report. The officer further said that the identity of the slain militants is yet to be ascertained. A cordon and search operation was launched by security forces this morning in the area after intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said. The Valley has been witnessing a spurt in terror activities for the past few months. On November 18, two terrorists associated with terror outfit Al-Badr were killed in an encounter in Rebban area of Shopian district. On the same day, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan lost his life after terrorists opened fire on a CRPF camp at Railway Colony in Pulwama`s Kakapora area.

Four terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in J&K's Shopian district

The polling for the first of the nine-phased panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday recorded a large voters turnout.

While Jammu recorded a polling percentage of 79.5 per cent, Kashmir valley's voter turnout was 64.5 per cent.

Polling started at 8 am on Saturday morning under tight security arrangements and ended at 2 pm.

Heavy deployment of police and central paramilitary forces were made to ensure a peaceful polling process.

Separatists had called for a protest shutdown on Saturday asking the people to stay away from these elections. 
&nbsp;

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The polling percentage in the first phase of Panchayat elections are 79.5% and 64.5% in Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1063807399398699009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This was the first of the nine-phased Panchayat polls, being held in the state after seven years.

The last phase of voting will be held on December 11.

The polling for the first of the nine-phased panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday recorded a large voters turnout. While Jammu recorded a polling percentage of 79.

The polling for the first of the nine-phased panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday recorded a large voters turnout. While Jammu recorded a polling percentage of 79.5 per cent, Kashmir valley's voter turnout was 64.5 per cent. Polling started at 8 am on Saturday morning under tight security arrangements and ended at 2 pm. Heavy deployment of police and central paramilitary forces were made to ensure a peaceful polling process. Separatists had called for a protest shutdown on Saturday asking the people to stay away from these elections. The polling percentage in the first phase of Panchayat elections are 79.5% and 64.5% in Jammu and Kashmir, respectively. — ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2018 × This was the first of the nine-phased Panchayat polls, being held in the state after seven years. The last phase of voting will be held on December 11.

J&K records large voter turnout in first phase of panchayat elections

Terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen's posters, asking people to stay away from the upcoming panchayat elections, have surfaced in Doda district, prompting the police to lodge a case against miscreants, an official said Sunday.

A case was registered Sunday on the surfacing of posters in Dhandal and Gurmal area of Kastigarh after which over a dozen suspected persons were rounded up for questioning, the official said.

The nine-phase village panchayat elections are scheduled to start in the state on November 17.

"Police received specific information about the pasting of some posters purportedly by banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group with the intention to disrupt the upcoming elections. The message on the posters asked prospective candidates not to participate in the panchayat election," he said.

He said the police swung into action and registered a case under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Ranbir Penal Code at Doda police station and started the investigation.

During the preliminary investigation, around 13 suspects were rounded up and questioned, the officer said, adding further probe is on in the matter. 
Some more suspects are likely to be questioned, he added.

Doda Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg visited the area Saturday and held a public meeting to reassure people not to be afraid of miscreants' threat and understand their designs, the officer said.

To restore the general public's confidence, the police have also launched regular patrolling in the area, besides conducting the police-community partnership group meetings in Dhandal and Kastigarh areas and assured them that the miscreants would be traced soon and booked, the official said.

Even as the local people continue to be upbeat about the elections, the police appealed to them to remain steadfast and participate in the democratic process without any fear "to frustrate the nefarious designs of the elements inimical to the peace and development", he said.

As many as 232 nominations have been filed in Kashtigarh block for 88 seats of panch and sarpanch of village panchayats.

Terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen's posters, asking people to stay away from the upcoming panchayat elections, have surfaced in Doda district, prompting the police to lodge a case against miscreants, an official said Sunday.

Terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen's posters, asking people to stay away from the upcoming panchayat elections, have surfaced in Doda district, prompting the police to lodge a case against miscreants, an official said Sunday. A case was registered Sunday on the surfacing of posters in Dhandal and Gurmal area of Kastigarh after which over a dozen suspected persons were rounded up for questioning, the official said. The nine-phase village panchayat elections are scheduled to start in the state on November 17. "Police received specific information about the pasting of some posters purportedly by banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group with the intention to disrupt the upcoming elections. The message on the posters asked prospective candidates not to participate in the panchayat election," he said. He said the police swung into action and registered a case under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Ranbir Penal Code at Doda police station and started the investigation. During the preliminary investigation, around 13 suspects were rounded up and questioned, the officer said, adding further probe is on in the matter. Some more suspects are likely to be questioned, he added. Doda Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg visited the area Saturday and held a public meeting to reassure people not to be afraid of miscreants' threat and understand their designs, the officer said. To restore the general public's confidence, the police have also launched regular patrolling in the area, besides conducting the police-community partnership group meetings in Dhandal and Kastigarh areas and assured them that the miscreants would be traced soon and booked, the official said. Even as the local people continue to be upbeat about the elections, the police appealed to them to remain steadfast and participate in the democratic process without any fear "to frustrate the nefarious designs of the elements inimical to the peace and development", he said. As many as 232 nominations have been filed in Kashtigarh block for 88 seats of panch and sarpanch of village panchayats.

Kashmir: Hizbul Mujahideen posters tell voters to stay away from panchayat polls

Bodies of two terrorists have been recovered in Pulwama's Tral town following an exchange of fire between terrorists and security personnel, Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Wednesday.

The police further informed that they have recovered arms and ammunition, including M4 and AK 47 rifles and other incriminating materials from the site of the encounter.

The dead terrorists have been identified as Showkat Ahmad, a resident of Tral, and Usman from Pakistan.

In its statement, the state police said, "The terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the same group was involved in a series of attacks and firing on the security forces'&nbsp;camp from a distance, in recent times. They were also involved in many other civilian atrocities in the area. The police investigation has started."

The Police have also cautioned citizens not to venture near the encounter zone as stray explosive materials can prove to be dangerous.

"People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials if any," the police said. 
&nbsp;

Bodies of two terrorists have been recovered in Pulwama's Tral town following an exchange of fire between terrorists and security personnel, Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Wednesday.

Bodies of two terrorists have been recovered in Pulwama's Tral town following an exchange of fire between terrorists and security personnel, Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Wednesday. The police further informed that they have recovered arms and ammunition, including M4 and AK 47 rifles and other incriminating materials from the site of the encounter. The dead terrorists have been identified as Showkat Ahmad, a resident of Tral, and Usman from Pakistan. In its statement, the state police said, "The terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the same group was involved in a series of attacks and firing on the security forces' camp from a distance, in recent times. They were also involved in many other civilian atrocities in the area. The police investigation has started." The Police have also cautioned citizens not to venture near the encounter zone as stray explosive materials can prove to be dangerous. "People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials if any," the police said.

J&K: Bodies of 2 terrorists, ammunition recovered in Tral

The desperation to see his parents prompted Jammu and Kashmir Police's sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmed Mir to shave off his beard and change appearance in his unsuccessful attempt to dodge militants who had laid a death trap for him in his village, his colleagues said on Sunday.

A peace votary, 30-year-old Mir was shot dead by militants at Wahibug in the militancy-infested Pulwama district of South Kashmir on Sunday afternoon when he was on his way home.

Posted in the CID department, Mir had been warned against venturing into his village as there was a possibility of an attack by militant groups, who have been targeting policemen in the state recently.

"I had told him that he should not go as militants could attack. But he was desperate to see his parents who reside at Sontabugh in the interiors of Pulwama district," recalled one of his supervising officers.

This morning as he was preparing to leave for home, he came with a changed appearance. He shaved off his beard and decided to use his personal vehicle to go to his native village, the officer said.

"Now they (militants) will not be able to recognise me" were possibly his last words to his officer before he left for home with a smiling face as he was seeing his parents after a long time.

Mir is survived by his father and mother.

A passionate officer, who was considered as an able person in handling operations, was pained to see his colleagues getting killed by militants, especially on the day of Shab-e-Qadar, the holiest night in the fasting month of Ramzan, when two policemen were killed in Pulwama.

After the killings, he wrote on his Facebook account on June 12: "So the job is done!!! Another feat achieved!! Once again the auspicious night became the victim!! Once again we will witness people justifying those dastardly acts!! Once again we will witness silence from the other camp!! Once again we will witness grand wreath laying ceremonies!! But who is going to tell the little children that their fathers were the victims.

How many lives more do you want!! How can a Muslim kill another one.... How could that killer eat sehri after making a child orphan!! Is there anyone who is going to fill the void !!!! For heaven's sake stop this mindless violence ... I don't blame anyone except India and Pakistan who are making merry in their own countries and killing people mindlessly !! Talk peace !! Talk peace !! talk peace!! Cant bear it now!!!"

Son of a retired police officer, Mir, who was from 2010 batch of sub-inspector, had served in Ganderbal district of South Kashmir for five years before being transferred to Kulgam district last year.

He was shifted to the CID department in March this year and his superiors recalled his dedication towards his work.

Militants have been targeting policemen in the state and killed two special police officer and a constable last month, triggering an unrest in the lower ranks of the force with some SPOs declaring their resignation on social media.

In fact, some militants had claimed that Mir had also submitted his resignation.

When the body of Mir was being brought to Pulwama district lines by a police team from Wahibugh, it was attacked by stone pelters as security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation in Chewa and the area where he was shot dead.

The police have also launched a probe to ascertain how the information about his journey to home had been leaked to militant groups, who had been waiting to ambush him at Wahibugh.

Reacting to the police officer's killing, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, "Very unfortunate &amp; highly condemnable. These killings are aimed at destroying the morale of the police force &amp; we must guard against all such attempts. My heartfelt sympathies to the family and colleagues of Mir Imtiyaz."

A wreath-laying ceremony for Mir, who was killed "in a cowardly act of terror", was held at the District Police Lines in Pulwama, a spokesman said.

Civil and police officers led by Inspector General of Police S P Pani laid floral wreaths and paid rich tributes to the police officer, the spokesman said.

His Facebook page was full of condolence messages from his friends and others who remembered him as a soft gentleman.

Ranji cricketer from Kashmir Valley Samiullah Beg recalled his meeting with Mir, saying a "few years back, a good looking police officer came up to me amid a large public gathering, during my site visit in my area and asked for autograph. Surprised as I was, I enquired more and he turned out to be an ardent cricket fan from south Kashmir, who had followed my career from ab-initio. He had more knowledge of my cricketing milestones than even closest of my friends".

"Years later, today I saw his body on Facebook, being shot dead...Kashmiris are getting killed across the divide and their seems no immediate end to it. Unfortunate! Is the word."&nbsp;

The desperation to see his parents prompted Jammu and Kashmir Police's sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmed Mir to shave off his beard and change appearance in his unsuccessful attempt to dodge militants who had laid a death trap for him in his village, his colleagues said on Sunday.

The desperation to see his parents prompted Jammu and Kashmir Police's sub-inspector Imtiyaz Ahmed Mir to shave off his beard and change appearance in his unsuccessful attempt to dodge militants who had laid a death trap for him in his village, his colleagues said on Sunday. A peace votary, 30-year-old Mir was shot dead by militants at Wahibug in the militancy-infested Pulwama district of South Kashmir on Sunday afternoon when he was on his way home. Posted in the CID department, Mir had been warned against venturing into his village as there was a possibility of an attack by militant groups, who have been targeting policemen in the state recently. "I had told him that he should not go as militants could attack. But he was desperate to see his parents who reside at Sontabugh in the interiors of Pulwama district," recalled one of his supervising officers. This morning as he was preparing to leave for home, he came with a changed appearance. He shaved off his beard and decided to use his personal vehicle to go to his native village, the officer said. "Now they (militants) will not be able to recognise me" were possibly his last words to his officer before he left for home with a smiling face as he was seeing his parents after a long time. Mir is survived by his father and mother. A passionate officer, who was considered as an able person in handling operations, was pained to see his colleagues getting killed by militants, especially on the day of Shab-e-Qadar, the holiest night in the fasting month of Ramzan, when two policemen were killed in Pulwama. After the killings, he wrote on his Facebook account on June 12: "So the job is done!!! Another feat achieved!! Once again the auspicious night became the victim!! Once again we will witness people justifying those dastardly acts!! Once again we will witness silence from the other camp!! Once again we will witness grand wreath laying ceremonies!! But who is going to tell the little children that their fathers were the victims. How many lives more do you want!! How can a Muslim kill another one.... How could that killer eat sehri after making a child orphan!! Is there anyone who is going to fill the void !!!! For heaven's sake stop this mindless violence ... I don't blame anyone except India and Pakistan who are making merry in their own countries and killing people mindlessly !! Talk peace !! Talk peace !! talk peace!! Cant bear it now!!!" Son of a retired police officer, Mir, who was from 2010 batch of sub-inspector, had served in Ganderbal district of South Kashmir for five years before being transferred to Kulgam district last year. He was shifted to the CID department in March this year and his superiors recalled his dedication towards his work. Militants have been targeting policemen in the state and killed two special police officer and a constable last month, triggering an unrest in the lower ranks of the force with some SPOs declaring their resignation on social media. In fact, some militants had claimed that Mir had also submitted his resignation. When the body of Mir was being brought to Pulwama district lines by a police team from Wahibugh, it was attacked by stone pelters as security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation in Chewa and the area where he was shot dead. The police have also launched a probe to ascertain how the information about his journey to home had been leaked to militant groups, who had been waiting to ambush him at Wahibugh. Reacting to the police officer's killing, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, "Very unfortunate & highly condemnable. These killings are aimed at destroying the morale of the police force & we must guard against all such attempts. My heartfelt sympathies to the family and colleagues of Mir Imtiyaz." A wreath-laying ceremony for Mir, who was killed "in a cowardly act of terror", was held at the District Police Lines in Pulwama, a spokesman said. Civil and police officers led by Inspector General of Police S P Pani laid floral wreaths and paid rich tributes to the police officer, the spokesman said. His Facebook page was full of condolence messages from his friends and others who remembered him as a soft gentleman. Ranji cricketer from Kashmir Valley Samiullah Beg recalled his meeting with Mir, saying a "few years back, a good looking police officer came up to me amid a large public gathering, during my site visit in my area and asked for autograph. Surprised as I was, I enquired more and he turned out to be an ardent cricket fan from south Kashmir, who had followed my career from ab-initio. He had more knowledge of my cricketing milestones than even closest of my friends". "Years later, today I saw his body on Facebook, being shot dead...Kashmiris are getting killed across the divide and their seems no immediate end to it. Unfortunate! Is the word."

J&K cop killed by militants was desperate to meet parents, shaved beard to change look 

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) was killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowgam area after a terrorist lobbed a grenade at him.

The CISF officer, Rajesh Kumar, deployed at Wagoora, Nowgam got wounded on Friday night. He later succumbed to his injuries.

The area has been cordoned off.

Further details are awaited.

On Friday, Rajendra Singh, an army soldier of the Quick Reaction Team, succumbed to his injuries in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district.

Singh was hit on the head on Thursday when some unidentified persons hurled stones at the convoy passing through the Anantnag bypass tri-junction.

Besides Singh, two other soldiers were also killed in Sopore and Tral in two separate incidents in the past two days.&nbsp;

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) was killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowgam area after a terrorist lobbed a grenade at him.

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) was killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowgam area after a terrorist lobbed a grenade at him. The CISF officer, Rajesh Kumar, deployed at Wagoora, Nowgam got wounded on Friday night. He later succumbed to his injuries. The area has been cordoned off. Further details are awaited. On Friday, Rajendra Singh, an army soldier of the Quick Reaction Team, succumbed to his injuries in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. Singh was hit on the head on Thursday when some unidentified persons hurled stones at the convoy passing through the Anantnag bypass tri-junction. Besides Singh, two other soldiers were also killed in Sopore and Tral in two separate incidents in the past two days.

Jammu and Kashmir: CISF Assistant Sub-Inspector killed in grenade attack

The phase from the end of October to early November in J&amp;K every year is 'paralysis' time. The old practice of moving the 'durbar' from Srinagar (summer capital) to Jammu (winter capital) demands a pack up and reopening period and virtually puts the government into freeze. About Rs 100 crore is spent on the practice of moving files, records and personnel twice a year. It is not a practice which can be stopped easily due to sentiments attached to the seat of power being alternated between the two cities of Srinagar and Jammu. 
 
When an elected government is in place, this should be the time for the political representatives to visit their constituencies, ascertain the problems for winter and determine the needs to make life a little more comfortable in the bleak season. During Governor's rule even more opportunities exist, provided there is a will in the political community and the administration. There are many aspects which the administration should be looking at – snow-clearance, public health centres with sufficient medicines in them and in the market, emergency medical relief, adequate energy reserves and food stocks in the event of road closure, and the power situation. The new Governor is proactively attempting to change things and should be advised on ground realities that will really constitute change in a transformational way.

There is a misnomer that in winter violence takes backstage. In earlier times when foreign terrorists (FTs) were in abundance all over Kashmir, it was never very easy for them to move around given the lack of vegetation for cover and non-availability of guides. With militancy becoming largely local, at least in South Kashmir, local terrorists (LTs) know the ground and have multiple hideouts and safe houses. The level of violence through winter could remain almost the same as summer unless innovations are applied. Pakistan will attempt to up the ante to put India under pressure before the elections next year. Early indicators of enhanced rabble- rousing were evident in the speech of Pakistan Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari, at Islamabad two days ago. Her supposed strategic conflict resolution model appears akin to a conflict-enhancing one. Economically broke or not, Pakistan is not going to let go of opportunities to weaken India's integration of J&amp;K and continuance of violence forms an important aspect of that strategy. If violence levels come down in the hinterland then the choice remains to instigate more violence at the LoC. This is typical Pakistani strategy where strategic planning has no vision of the terminal end but there is immense clarity about the initiation in which much energy is expended. Fighting the twin tracks, of violence and information, remains the challenge for those responsible for securing and mainstreaming J&amp;K.

The Indian security forces (SF) have been adept at quelling violence through 28 years but there is no common yardstick for the application of practices of counter-violence. The nature of violence is dynamic and best practices have to keep pace with change. Accusations of adopting a muscular policy to quell violence will remain rife. These have never cowed us down and should not do so now. The watch words here are sensitivity and calibration and that comes with careful monitoring, extensive coordination and the one aspect we rarely speak about, training. The Army has facilities and staff for training a very large strength. 
 
There is no reason why these should not be available to all SF and without ego. No security personnel should ever be allowed to operate without having undergone joint training at such a facility. There has to be a more purposeful demonstration of will to calibrate than the one recently displayed at Kulgam's Laroo village, where unexploded munitions, probably of the terrorists, were left without final physical search and clearance leading to seven fatalities of civilians who entered the encounter site prematurely. The Governor himself chided the SF but the grim reality and the paradox remains; the persisting presence of SF after an encounter brings them into contact with instigated flash mobs thus enhancing the feasibility of serious casualties on both sides. It's a truism that violence can never be overcome with counter-violence; it can only be contained. A mature strategic-operational leadership understands this and the need for a muscular policy is to the extent necessary to contain violence. The reduction and final neutralization comes through means other than violent and allude to the other half of Pakistani strategy — the use of information to instigate.

Governance at the grassroots forms a part of the information domain as it has a telling psychological effect on the population. Surprisingly, Kashmir has been uncomfortable through winter for many years due to inadequacy of infrastructure for as basic a thing among others as stocks of cooking gas and other fuel. In bleak, cloudy, snow conditions, the abundance of material comforts brings joy to people. Nothing can be done in a single season but the Governor and his administration ensuring an energetic presence during such times and maintaining contact with people will have a telling effect. The Governor has shown a sense of commitment; taking this proposal to visibility in other domains can have a cascading effect of positivity.

Two other measures among a host of ideas come to mind, due to experience of being amongst the troops and the people. Let the administration spend some money on a 'meeting of minds' programme for the various regions of J&amp;K. There exists such a perceptional fear 'for the other' that mutual understanding and cooperation for the betterment of the people is adversely affected. It is only worsening by the day due to the negative media blitz from Delhi's visual channels. The involvement of the Kashmiri Pandit community in such a campaign will only be helpful. Secondly, Governor's Rule does not place an embargo on grassroots politics. There are panchayat polls yet to be completed. Hopefully, these will go through without much violence but post polls, efforts should be made so that the regional mainstream parties, the NC and the PDP, can return to their constituencies. Dealing with J&amp;K, without their presence will only give us an artificial sense of calm; that calm should give us no joy. 
 
(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-governance-at-the-grass-roots-2679671">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The phase from the end of October to early November in J&K every year is 'paralysis' time. The old practice of moving the 'durbar' from Srinagar (summer capital) to Jammu (winter capital) demands a pack up and reopening period and virtually puts the government into freeze.

The phase from the end of October to early November in J&K every year is 'paralysis' time. The old practice of moving the 'durbar' from Srinagar (summer capital) to Jammu (winter capital) demands a pack up and reopening period and virtually puts the government into freeze. About Rs 100 crore is spent on the practice of moving files, records and personnel twice a year. It is not a practice which can be stopped easily due to sentiments attached to the seat of power being alternated between the two cities of Srinagar and Jammu. When an elected government is in place, this should be the time for the political representatives to visit their constituencies, ascertain the problems for winter and determine the needs to make life a little more comfortable in the bleak season. During Governor's rule even more opportunities exist, provided there is a will in the political community and the administration. There are many aspects which the administration should be looking at – snow-clearance, public health centres with sufficient medicines in them and in the market, emergency medical relief, adequate energy reserves and food stocks in the event of road closure, and the power situation. The new Governor is proactively attempting to change things and should be advised on ground realities that will really constitute change in a transformational way. There is a misnomer that in winter violence takes backstage. In earlier times when foreign terrorists (FTs) were in abundance all over Kashmir, it was never very easy for them to move around given the lack of vegetation for cover and non-availability of guides. With militancy becoming largely local, at least in South Kashmir, local terrorists (LTs) know the ground and have multiple hideouts and safe houses. The level of violence through winter could remain almost the same as summer unless innovations are applied. Pakistan will attempt to up the ante to put India under pressure before the elections next year. Early indicators of enhanced rabble- rousing were evident in the speech of Pakistan Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari, at Islamabad two days ago. Her supposed strategic conflict resolution model appears akin to a conflict-enhancing one. Economically broke or not, Pakistan is not going to let go of opportunities to weaken India's integration of J&K and continuance of violence forms an important aspect of that strategy. If violence levels come down in the hinterland then the choice remains to instigate more violence at the LoC. This is typical Pakistani strategy where strategic planning has no vision of the terminal end but there is immense clarity about the initiation in which much energy is expended. Fighting the twin tracks, of violence and information, remains the challenge for those responsible for securing and mainstreaming J&K. The Indian security forces (SF) have been adept at quelling violence through 28 years but there is no common yardstick for the application of practices of counter-violence. The nature of violence is dynamic and best practices have to keep pace with change. Accusations of adopting a muscular policy to quell violence will remain rife. These have never cowed us down and should not do so now. The watch words here are sensitivity and calibration and that comes with careful monitoring, extensive coordination and the one aspect we rarely speak about, training. The Army has facilities and staff for training a very large strength. There is no reason why these should not be available to all SF and without ego. No security personnel should ever be allowed to operate without having undergone joint training at such a facility. There has to be a more purposeful demonstration of will to calibrate than the one recently displayed at Kulgam's Laroo village, where unexploded munitions, probably of the terrorists, were left without final physical search and clearance leading to seven fatalities of civilians who entered the encounter site prematurely. The Governor himself chided the SF but the grim reality and the paradox remains; the persisting presence of SF after an encounter brings them into contact with instigated flash mobs thus enhancing the feasibility of serious casualties on both sides. It's a truism that violence can never be overcome with counter-violence; it can only be contained. A mature strategic-operational leadership understands this and the need for a muscular policy is to the extent necessary to contain violence. The reduction and final neutralization comes through means other than violent and allude to the other half of Pakistani strategy — the use of information to instigate. Governance at the grassroots forms a part of the information domain as it has a telling psychological effect on the population. Surprisingly, Kashmir has been uncomfortable through winter for many years due to inadequacy of infrastructure for as basic a thing among others as stocks of cooking gas and other fuel. In bleak, cloudy, snow conditions, the abundance of material comforts brings joy to people. Nothing can be done in a single season but the Governor and his administration ensuring an energetic presence during such times and maintaining contact with people will have a telling effect. The Governor has shown a sense of commitment; taking this proposal to visibility in other domains can have a cascading effect of positivity. Two other measures among a host of ideas come to mind, due to experience of being amongst the troops and the people. Let the administration spend some money on a 'meeting of minds' programme for the various regions of J&K. There exists such a perceptional fear 'for the other' that mutual understanding and cooperation for the betterment of the people is adversely affected. It is only worsening by the day due to the negative media blitz from Delhi's visual channels. The involvement of the Kashmiri Pandit community in such a campaign will only be helpful. Secondly, Governor's Rule does not place an embargo on grassroots politics. There are panchayat polls yet to be completed. Hopefully, these will go through without much violence but post polls, efforts should be made so that the regional mainstream parties, the NC and the PDP, can return to their constituencies. Dealing with J&K, without their presence will only give us an artificial sense of calm; that calm should give us no joy. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

J&K needs to strengthen governance at grassroot level

The situation&nbsp;in Jammu and Kashmir remains tense. The state is being targetted by cross-border terrorism for a long time now. Two months ago, Governor Satya Pal Malik had taken charge of the state. WION's Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary spoke exclusively to the&nbsp;J&amp;K governor on&nbsp;the current situation in the state.

WION:&nbsp;Terrorists make headlines in news, but a Kashmiri being selected in the Indian Premier League or in IAS does not make it to headlines.&nbsp;How will you change the narrative?

Governor Satya Pal Malik:&nbsp;The tragedy is that the country's media demonises Kashmir. The whole of the Valley is projected as&nbsp;being against the country. When a Kashmiri got selected to the IPL, at least 20,000 people went (to his house) to congratulate him. I have promised that the state will have its international stadium&nbsp;and its own IPL team. The youth will take up guns if they are not given any other alternative.

The youth have nothing productive to do after 6 pm. There are no cinema halls. But now we are working on it.&nbsp;

WION: Will cinemas reopen in Srinagar?

Governor Satya Pal Malik:&nbsp; Not only cinema halls, but coffee houses will be opened. All such places where the young&nbsp;generation can sit and discuss something positive.

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir remains tense. The state is being targetted by cross-border terrorism for a long time now. Two months ago, Governor Satya Pal Malik had taken charge of the state.

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir remains tense. The state is being targetted by cross-border terrorism for a long time now. Two months ago, Governor Satya Pal Malik had taken charge of the state. WION's Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary spoke exclusively to the J&K governor on the current situation in the state. WION: Terrorists make headlines in news, but a Kashmiri being selected in the Indian Premier League or in IAS does not make it to headlines. How will you change the narrative? Governor Satya Pal Malik: The tragedy is that the country's media demonises Kashmir. The whole of the Valley is projected as being against the country. When a Kashmiri got selected to the IPL, at least 20,000 people went (to his house) to congratulate him. I have promised that the state will have its international stadium and its own IPL team. The youth will take up guns if they are not given any other alternative. The youth have nothing productive to do after 6 pm. There are no cinema halls. But now we are working on it. WION: Will cinemas reopen in Srinagar? Governor Satya Pal Malik: Not only cinema halls, but coffee houses will be opened. All such places where the young generation can sit and discuss something positive.

Youth will take up guns if they are not given any other alternative: J&K Governor to WION

The just-concluded urban local body elections in Kashmir witnessed poor voter turnout but these polls will perhaps be remembered for the dearth of contestants as 69 per cent of 598 wards in the valley did not require any polling.

According to data compiled by the election department of Jammu and Kashmir, out of 598 wards spanning across 40 municipal bodies in 10 districts of the valley, polling was held only in 186 wards.&nbsp;

The remaining 412 wards&nbsp;constituting 68.89 per cent of the total - did not require any voting.

The government had made elaborate security arrangements to secure polling staff and polling stations but kept the identity of candidates, who dared to defy militant threats, a secret for security reasons.

As a result, there was no campaigning for these elections and in most cases the candidates chose to remain anonymous.

Over thirty per cent of wards in these 40 urban local bodies across Kashmir valley will remain unrepresented.

No nomination papers were received from 181 wards (30.26 per cent) for the elections. Most of these wards were in the third phase of the polls ? 62, followed by 56 in the second phase, 44 in the last and 19 in the first phase.

Out of the 598 wards, 231 wards - 38.62 per cent ? were those which saw no contest and the solitary candidate in each of these wards was declared winner unopposed.

While 69 of these wards were in the first phase, 61 were in the second, 49 in the third and 52 in the fourth and last phase.

In these polls, six municipal bodies had two or less contesting candidates in total two of them zero.

For Pulwama municipal body, which has 13 wards, there were only two contesting candidates who won unopposed. Awantipora, Beerwah and Seer Hamdan municipal bodies ? all having 13 wards each had only one contesting candidate each in the whole civic body.

Frisal in Kulgam district and Khrew in Pulwama district ? both in south Kashmir received no nomination papers from any of the 13 wards each body has.

In total, out of the 40 civic bodies in the valley, voting did not take place in 27 of them.

The poll percentage in the rest of the 13 municipal bodies was recorded at 8.3 per cent in the first phase, 3.4 per cent in the second, 3.5 per cent in the third and 4.2 per cent in the fourth and last phase.

The reasons for the low participation in these polls candidate-wise as well as voting percentage-wise&nbsp;can be attributed to threats by militants against any participation in these polls.&nbsp;

Stringent security arrangements were made for the smooth conduct of the polls, while candidates at many places were taken to secure locations ? which meant no visible campaign for the polls in the valley.

The state's two main parties National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) along with CPI(M) stayed away from the polls because of the legal challenge to Article 35-A of the Constitution in the Supreme Court.

Separatists in the valley had also asked the people to boycott polls.&nbsp;

The just-concluded urban local body elections in Kashmir witnessed poor voter turnout but these polls will perhaps be remembered for the dearth of contestants as 69 per cent of 598 wards in the valley did not require any polling.

The just-concluded urban local body elections in Kashmir witnessed poor voter turnout but these polls will perhaps be remembered for the dearth of contestants as 69 per cent of 598 wards in the valley did not require any polling. According to data compiled by the election department of Jammu and Kashmir, out of 598 wards spanning across 40 municipal bodies in 10 districts of the valley, polling was held only in 186 wards. The remaining 412 wards constituting 68.89 per cent of the total - did not require any voting. The government had made elaborate security arrangements to secure polling staff and polling stations but kept the identity of candidates, who dared to defy militant threats, a secret for security reasons. As a result, there was no campaigning for these elections and in most cases the candidates chose to remain anonymous. Over thirty per cent of wards in these 40 urban local bodies across Kashmir valley will remain unrepresented. No nomination papers were received from 181 wards (30.26 per cent) for the elections. Most of these wards were in the third phase of the polls ? 62, followed by 56 in the second phase, 44 in the last and 19 in the first phase. Out of the 598 wards, 231 wards - 38.62 per cent ? were those which saw no contest and the solitary candidate in each of these wards was declared winner unopposed. While 69 of these wards were in the first phase, 61 were in the second, 49 in the third and 52 in the fourth and last phase. In these polls, six municipal bodies had two or less contesting candidates in total two of them zero. For Pulwama municipal body, which has 13 wards, there were only two contesting candidates who won unopposed. Awantipora, Beerwah and Seer Hamdan municipal bodies ? all having 13 wards each had only one contesting candidate each in the whole civic body. Frisal in Kulgam district and Khrew in Pulwama district ? both in south Kashmir received no nomination papers from any of the 13 wards each body has. In total, out of the 40 civic bodies in the valley, voting did not take place in 27 of them. The poll percentage in the rest of the 13 municipal bodies was recorded at 8.3 per cent in the first phase, 3.4 per cent in the second, 3.5 per cent in the third and 4.2 per cent in the fourth and last phase. The reasons for the low participation in these polls candidate-wise as well as voting percentage-wise can be attributed to threats by militants against any participation in these polls. Stringent security arrangements were made for the smooth conduct of the polls, while candidates at many places were taken to secure locations ? which meant no visible campaign for the polls in the valley. The state's two main parties National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) along with CPI(M) stayed away from the polls because of the legal challenge to Article 35-A of the Constitution in the Supreme Court. Separatists in the valley had also asked the people to boycott polls.

J&K urban body polls: 69% of 598 wards in Valley did not require polling

Safakadal, a ward in the city's old town, and Chanapora, in the Civil Lines, polled less than 10 votes each in the third phase of the urban local body elections in which 20 municipal wards went to polls Saturday.

The polling, which began at 6 am and ended at 4 pm saw 11 Srinagar Municipal Corporation wards recording less than 100 votes, and at the end of the day only 2,827 of the over 1.53 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the polls that have been boycotted by mainstream political parties such as the National Conference and its arch rival the PDP.&nbsp;

Safakadal, which has a total electorate of 9,062, saw two voters turning out in the first hour of the polling and an addition of one more in the last hour taking the total number of votes polled to three.

There was minor incident of stone pelting in this area and police had to use mild force to disperse the unruly mob, officials said.

Chanapora, which has an electorate of 10,000, had polled only two votes till 1 pm with an addition of only six more votes to end with a tally of eight by the close of polling.

The posh Rajbagh area of the city saw only 19 voters turning up at the polling stations to register their choice of candidate while as nearby Ikhrajpora polled a much higher tally of 149 votes.

The historic Lal Chowk, which has an electoral strength 5,827, saw only 71 voters exercise their franchise during the day.

Daulatabad and Makhdoom Sahib in the old city, which fall in the Khanyar assembly segment represented by National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, saw a comparatively 'good' turnout.

Daulatabad registered 596 out of the total 8,431 eligible votes while Makhdoom Sahib -- which houses the revered shrine of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom --saw 550 of the 6,132 eligible votes getting cast.

As many as 36 voters turned out to cast their votes at Hyderpora ward, where hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani lives.&nbsp;

Safakadal, a ward in the city's old town, and Chanapora, in the Civil Lines, polled less than 10 votes each in the third phase of the urban local body elections in which 20 municipal wards went to polls Saturday.

Safakadal, a ward in the city's old town, and Chanapora, in the Civil Lines, polled less than 10 votes each in the third phase of the urban local body elections in which 20 municipal wards went to polls Saturday. The polling, which began at 6 am and ended at 4 pm saw 11 Srinagar Municipal Corporation wards recording less than 100 votes, and at the end of the day only 2,827 of the over 1.53 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the polls that have been boycotted by mainstream political parties such as the National Conference and its arch rival the PDP. Safakadal, which has a total electorate of 9,062, saw two voters turning out in the first hour of the polling and an addition of one more in the last hour taking the total number of votes polled to three. There was minor incident of stone pelting in this area and police had to use mild force to disperse the unruly mob, officials said. Chanapora, which has an electorate of 10,000, had polled only two votes till 1 pm with an addition of only six more votes to end with a tally of eight by the close of polling. The posh Rajbagh area of the city saw only 19 voters turning up at the polling stations to register their choice of candidate while as nearby Ikhrajpora polled a much higher tally of 149 votes. The historic Lal Chowk, which has an electoral strength 5,827, saw only 71 voters exercise their franchise during the day. Daulatabad and Makhdoom Sahib in the old city, which fall in the Khanyar assembly segment represented by National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, saw a comparatively 'good' turnout. Daulatabad registered 596 out of the total 8,431 eligible votes while Makhdoom Sahib -- which houses the revered shrine of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom --saw 550 of the 6,132 eligible votes getting cast. As many as 36 voters turned out to cast their votes at Hyderpora ward, where hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani lives.

J&K municipal polls: Safakadal, Chanapora wards record less than 10 votes each in third phase

Eighty-eight candidates have already&nbsp;been declared winners without any opposition in the urban local body elections in&nbsp;Jammu and Kashmir(J&amp;K) in five districts ahead of the third phase of elections on Saturday.&nbsp;

Out of the 110 candidates, eight-eight candidates have won the polls without a contest.&nbsp;No one filed any nomination from 23 wards.

On Saturday, out of the 157 wards in the five&nbsp;districts in the Kashmir Valley, polls will be held in&nbsp;40 wards where 110 candidates will be fighting the elections.

At least 2 lakh 35 thousand voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the third phase of the polls.

The voting for the second phase of the urban local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir took place on Wednesday. The polls received about 80 per cent of voter turnout in Jammu while it was 3.4 per cent came out to vote in Kashmir.&nbsp;

The Valley witnessed a low voter turnout in the first phase of municipal polls which concluded on October 8. The first phase of elections saw 70 per cent voter turnout in Jammu region&nbsp;and 8.2 per cent in the Valley.

The four-phase urban local body elections began on October 8 and will end on October 16.

Eighty-eight candidates have already been declared winners without any opposition in the urban local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) in five districts ahead of the third phase of elections on Saturday.

Eighty-eight candidates have already been declared winners without any opposition in the urban local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) in five districts ahead of the third phase of elections on Saturday. Out of the 110 candidates, eight-eight candidates have won the polls without a contest. No one filed any nomination from 23 wards. On Saturday, out of the 157 wards in the five districts in the Kashmir Valley, polls will be held in 40 wards where 110 candidates will be fighting the elections. At least 2 lakh 35 thousand voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the third phase of the polls. The voting for the second phase of the urban local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir took place on Wednesday. The polls received about 80 per cent of voter turnout in Jammu while it was 3.4 per cent came out to vote in Kashmir. The Valley witnessed a low voter turnout in the first phase of municipal polls which concluded on October 8. The first phase of elections saw 70 per cent voter turnout in Jammu region and 8.2 per cent in the Valley. The four-phase urban local body elections began on October 8 and will end on October 16.

J&K urban local body elections: 88 candidates win without contest in third phase to be held on Saturday

At least two terrorists were gunned in Handwara town of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in an ongoing encounter between security officials and terrorists.

According to a report by ANI, arms and ammunition were recovered.&nbsp;

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Two terrorists killed in Handwara encounter. Arms and ammunition recovered. Identities of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained. Operation continues: J&amp;K police <a href="https://t.co/0WKsON9bEH">https://t.co/0WKsON9bEH</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1050288025958150144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Identities of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained.

The area has now been cordoned off by the security officials.

Internet services are also suspended in the area.

As the operation is still underway,&nbsp;further details regarding the encounter are awaited.

A number of militants have been killed by security forces in recent months, including the Lashkar's Abu Dujana and the Hizbul's Sabzar Ahmed Bhat, indicating a ramping up of anti-militant activity. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch on Wednesday. One soldier has been injured in the incident.

Last month, three simultaneous encounters were reported between terrorists and security personnel in several areas of Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

The encounters were reported from Dooru Shahabad in Anantnag district, Noorbagh in Srinagar city, and Chadoora in Budgam district.

One terrorist was killed in Dooru and two were killed in the Budgam encounter.

At least two terrorists were gunned in Handwara town of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in an ongoing encounter between security officials and terrorists.

At least two terrorists were gunned in Handwara town of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in an ongoing encounter between security officials and terrorists. According to a report by ANI, arms and ammunition were recovered. Two terrorists killed in Handwara encounter. Arms and ammunition recovered. Identities of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained. Operation continues: J&K police https://t.co/0WKsON9bEH — ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2018 × Identities of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained. The area has now been cordoned off by the security officials. Internet services are also suspended in the area. As the operation is still underway, further details regarding the encounter are awaited. A number of militants have been killed by security forces in recent months, including the Lashkar's Abu Dujana and the Hizbul's Sabzar Ahmed Bhat, indicating a ramping up of anti-militant activity. Meanwhile, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch on Wednesday. One soldier has been injured in the incident. Last month, three simultaneous encounters were reported between terrorists and security personnel in several areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The encounters were reported from Dooru Shahabad in Anantnag district, Noorbagh in Srinagar city, and Chadoora in Budgam district. One terrorist was killed in Dooru and two were killed in the Budgam encounter.

J&K: 2 Terrorists killed in ongoing encounter in Handwara

Amid terror threats and boycott calls by separatist groups and the two main regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polling for the first phase of municipal elections in 422 of the 1,145 wards begun on Monday morning

Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place by the state authorities and the election commission, to ensure peaceful polls. Also, all candidates have been provided with either cluster security in hotels or individually in the Valley.

The polling began to start at 7 AM, will culminate at 4 PM later today.

According to the Election Commission, a total of 1283 candidates will be contesting in the 422 municipal wards today. This time large numbers of independents candidates are also in the fray.

This municipal election is also witnessing two significant firsts. In a major development, in these municipal polls, first-time electronic voting machines are being used, in accordance with the rules that have been amended in 2016.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a>: Voting for urban local bodies underway at a polling booth in Gandhi Nagar's Ward no. 2, in Jammu district. <a href="https://t.co/c3oXDC4pe3">pic.twitter.com/c3oXDC4pe3</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1049121402757009408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a>: Voting begins in 11 districts in the first of the four phases of urban local bodies elections; Visuals from Ward no. 48 in Jammu <a href="https://t.co/V6QhmfWTLG">pic.twitter.com/V6QhmfWTLG</a>
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In another first, Election commission is also providing voting by the migrants by means of postal ballots. Since the migrants continue to be enrolled in the respective assembly constituencies from which the municipal committees or panchayat's would derive the rolls, therefore the facility will be provided for them to vote.

The counting of votes will be done on October 20.

Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam had also announced that the Centre would provide a one-month extra salary to all those government employees who will be on poll duty.

Amid terror threats and boycott calls by separatist groups and the two main regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polling for the first phase of municipal elections in 422 of the 1,145 wards begun on Monday morning Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place by the state authorities and the election commission, to ensure peaceful polls.

Amid terror threats and boycott calls by separatist groups and the two main regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polling for the first phase of municipal elections in 422 of the 1,145 wards begun on Monday morning Unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place by the state authorities and the election commission, to ensure peaceful polls. Also, all candidates have been provided with either cluster security in hotels or individually in the Valley. The polling began to start at 7 AM, will culminate at 4 PM later today. According to the Election Commission, a total of 1283 candidates will be contesting in the 422 municipal wards today. This time large numbers of independents candidates are also in the fray. This municipal election is also witnessing two significant firsts. In a major development, in these municipal polls, first-time electronic voting machines are being used, in accordance with the rules that have been amended in 2016. #JammuAndKashmir: Voting for urban local bodies underway at a polling booth in Gandhi Nagar's Ward no. 2, in Jammu district. pic.twitter.com/c3oXDC4pe3 — ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018 × #JammuAndKashmir: Voting begins in 11 districts in the first of the four phases of urban local bodies elections; Visuals from Ward no. 48 in Jammu pic.twitter.com/V6QhmfWTLG — ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018 × In another first, Election commission is also providing voting by the migrants by means of postal ballots. Since the migrants continue to be enrolled in the respective assembly constituencies from which the municipal committees or panchayat's would derive the rolls, therefore the facility will be provided for them to vote. The counting of votes will be done on October 20. Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam had also announced that the Centre would provide a one-month extra salary to all those government employees who will be on poll duty.

J&K urban local body polls: Voting underway amid tight security

Security forces have intensified checking and area domination as part of an elaborate plan to provide a sense of security for the smooth conduct of local body polls in the Kashmir Valley, officials said Sunday. The first phase of the polls start Monday.

"An elaborate security plan has been put in place for the smooth conduct of the polls,"&nbsp;a senior police official said.

He said security forces have intensified vehicle checking, frisking and area domination in the city as well as in the other areas of the valley in the run-up to the polls.

"Many check-points have been placed in the city where vehicles are being checked. Sniffer dogs are also being used to check vehicles. We are making sure that no untoward incident happens,"&nbsp;he said.

The official said while providing a secure atmosphere for the polls was a challenge, there is a good synergy between various security agencies and several steps have been taken to provide a general sense of security in the valley.

"We are providing cluster security. Most of the candidates have been taken to secure locations and some have been given a security cover. The areas are being made safe through operations and increased presence of forces as well as through area domination,"&nbsp;the official said.

He said deployment of forces has been worked out and sensitive areas have been taken care of.

The official said polling booths have been secured and a thick layer of security has been thrown around them.

"The focus is to keep trouble-makers at bay so that there is untoward incident and people come out to vote without any fear,"&nbsp;he said.

Inspector General of CRPF, Kashmir, Ravideep Singh Sahi said the "environment" in the entire Kashmir Valley is under control and the endeavour is to create a sense of security so that the people come out to vote.

"We have made elaborate arrangements for the security. Whatever force was required for the elections, has come and they are being deployed. They have been here for some time and they are adequately familiarised with the area. We have started area domination, check-points have been installed in various areas and we are working in close coordination with the police and army,"&nbsp;Singh said.

He said operations were being conducted to arrest trouble mongers so that a secure environment is provided to the people.

"We have made adequate arrangements for the security of the candidates, their personal security as well as the accommodation arrangements, we have an elaborate plan for that. Area domination, checking and operations have been going on so that trouble mongers are arrested and there is a general sense of security," the IG CRPF said.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Saturday took a detailed review of the security situation in the state ahead of the first phase of the municipal elections.

The meeting was attended by Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh, GOC 15 Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhat, and top officials from police, CRPF and civil administration.

The meeting discussed security arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections to urban local bodies and panchayats and the need of a safe environment for the elections.&nbsp;

Security forces have intensified checking and area domination as part of an elaborate plan to provide a sense of security for the smooth conduct of local body polls in the Kashmir Valley, officials said Sunday.

Security forces have intensified checking and area domination as part of an elaborate plan to provide a sense of security for the smooth conduct of local body polls in the Kashmir Valley, officials said Sunday. The first phase of the polls start Monday. "An elaborate security plan has been put in place for the smooth conduct of the polls," a senior police official said. He said security forces have intensified vehicle checking, frisking and area domination in the city as well as in the other areas of the valley in the run-up to the polls. "Many check-points have been placed in the city where vehicles are being checked. Sniffer dogs are also being used to check vehicles. We are making sure that no untoward incident happens," he said. The official said while providing a secure atmosphere for the polls was a challenge, there is a good synergy between various security agencies and several steps have been taken to provide a general sense of security in the valley. "We are providing cluster security. Most of the candidates have been taken to secure locations and some have been given a security cover. The areas are being made safe through operations and increased presence of forces as well as through area domination," the official said. He said deployment of forces has been worked out and sensitive areas have been taken care of. The official said polling booths have been secured and a thick layer of security has been thrown around them. "The focus is to keep trouble-makers at bay so that there is untoward incident and people come out to vote without any fear," he said. Inspector General of CRPF, Kashmir, Ravideep Singh Sahi said the "environment" in the entire Kashmir Valley is under control and the endeavour is to create a sense of security so that the people come out to vote. "We have made elaborate arrangements for the security. Whatever force was required for the elections, has come and they are being deployed. They have been here for some time and they are adequately familiarised with the area. We have started area domination, check-points have been installed in various areas and we are working in close coordination with the police and army," Singh said. He said operations were being conducted to arrest trouble mongers so that a secure environment is provided to the people. "We have made adequate arrangements for the security of the candidates, their personal security as well as the accommodation arrangements, we have an elaborate plan for that. Area domination, checking and operations have been going on so that trouble mongers are arrested and there is a general sense of security," the IG CRPF said. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Saturday took a detailed review of the security situation in the state ahead of the first phase of the municipal elections. The meeting was attended by Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh, GOC 15 Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhat, and top officials from police, CRPF and civil administration. The meeting discussed security arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections to urban local bodies and panchayats and the need of a safe environment for the elections.

Jammu and Kashmir: Local body polls today after 13 years, security beefed up

Two days ahead of the local body election in Jammu and Kashmir, terrorists on Friday shot dead two civilians and injured another by firing at them.

The terrorists opened fire at the people from a&nbsp;close range in Karfali Mohalla area of Srinagar.

The state police have launched a search and rescue operation to find the terrorist&nbsp;involved in the case.&nbsp;

SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray said, "Two people have been killed, they had some political background, we are ascertaining more details".&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> Two people have been killed, they had some political background, we are ascertaining more details: SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray <a href="https://t.co/tJ3XKm1jEE">pic.twitter.com/tJ3XKm1jEE</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1048102144073715712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Two days ahead of the local body election in Jammu and Kashmir, terrorists on Friday shot dead two civilians and injured another by firing at them. The terrorists opened fire at the people from a close range in Karfali Mohalla area of Srinagar.

Two days ahead of the local body election in Jammu and Kashmir, terrorists on Friday shot dead two civilians and injured another by firing at them. The terrorists opened fire at the people from a close range in Karfali Mohalla area of Srinagar. The state police have launched a search and rescue operation to find the terrorist involved in the case. SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray said, "Two people have been killed, they had some political background, we are ascertaining more details". #UPDATE Two people have been killed, they had some political background, we are ascertaining more details: SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Ismail Parray pic.twitter.com/tJ3XKm1jEE — ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2018 × (With inputs from agencies)

Jammu and Kashmir: 2 civilians killed, 1 injured as terrorists open fire in Srinagar

The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) today rejected Pakistan's allegation of Indian security forces using chemical weapons in Jammu and Kashmir(J&amp;K).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-in-video-terrorists-order-ex-sarpanch-to-tell-son-to-quit-police-job-166669">Also Read:&nbsp;In </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-in-video-terrorists-order-ex-sarpanch-to-tell-son-to-quit-police-job-166669">video</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-in-video-terrorists-order-ex-sarpanch-to-tell-son-to-quit-police-job-166669">, terrorists in J&amp;K order ex-sarpanch to tell son to quit police job</a>

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had on Thursday alleged that Indian security forces were reportedly using chemical weapons against Kashmiris in J&amp;K.&nbsp;

"Such allegations are not new and are totally unfounded," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

"We completely reject allegations made by Pakistan about the reported use of chemical weapons by the Indian security forces against Indian citizens," the MEA spokesman&nbsp;said.

India is the original signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) with the international community recognising India’s abiding commitment to the CWC which is the universal multilateral instrument prohibiting the use of chemical weapons, the MEA said, adding that India has repeatedly stated its complete opposition to the use of chemical weapons.

"It is of deep concern that Pakistan repeatedly tries to make such false allegations. They are acting in a highly irresponsible manner with the sole purpose of repeating untruths in the vain hope that the international community will start believing in their falsehood," the MEA spokesman said.

The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) today rejected Pakistan's allegation of Indian security forces using chemical weapons in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). Also Read: In video, terrorists in J&K order ex-sarpanch to tell son to quit police job Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had on Thursday alleged that Indian security forces were reportedly using chemical weapons against Kashmiris in J&K.

The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) today rejected Pakistan's allegation of Indian security forces using chemical weapons in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K). Also Read: In video, terrorists in J&K order ex-sarpanch to tell son to quit police job Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had on Thursday alleged that Indian security forces were reportedly using chemical weapons against Kashmiris in J&K. "Such allegations are not new and are totally unfounded," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. "We completely reject allegations made by Pakistan about the reported use of chemical weapons by the Indian security forces against Indian citizens," the MEA spokesman said. India is the original signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) with the international community recognising India’s abiding commitment to the CWC which is the universal multilateral instrument prohibiting the use of chemical weapons, the MEA said, adding that India has repeatedly stated its complete opposition to the use of chemical weapons. "It is of deep concern that Pakistan repeatedly tries to make such false allegations. They are acting in a highly irresponsible manner with the sole purpose of repeating untruths in the vain hope that the international community will start believing in their falsehood," the MEA spokesman said.

Completely reject Pak allegation on security forces using chemical weapons in J&K: India

A policeman injured in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.

The policeman was injured in a terrorist attack at a police station.

The incident has come days after the recent brutal&nbsp;killing of three policemen in the state.

Over the years the state has witnessed a remarkable increase in the militant attacks on the police personnel.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jammukashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#jammukashmir</a>: Policeman who was injured in terror attack on a police station in Shopian has succumbed to injuries. (visuals deferred) <a href="https://t.co/eJ6cyRZifG">pic.twitter.com/eJ6cyRZifG</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1046228428230471680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, the army prevented an infiltration bid&nbsp;along the Line of Control (LoC) in the state's Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district.

The Army responded strongly to the ceasefire violation and the infiltration attempt.

"There was an infiltration attempt by terrorists and ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in Tangdhar sector in the north Kashmir district late last night," an Army official said Sunday.

"Own forces retaliated strongly and foiled infiltration bid being attempted under covering fire by Pakistan Army," the official said.

He said "there was no damage, injury or casualty on this side.

(With inputs from agencies)

A policeman injured in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. The policeman was injured in a terrorist attack at a police station.

A policeman injured in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. The policeman was injured in a terrorist attack at a police station. The incident has come days after the recent brutal killing of three policemen in the state. Over the years the state has witnessed a remarkable increase in the militant attacks on the police personnel. #UPDATE #jammukashmir: Policeman who was injured in terror attack on a police station in Shopian has succumbed to injuries. (visuals deferred) pic.twitter.com/eJ6cyRZifG — ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2018 × Meanwhile, the army prevented an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in the state's Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district. The Army responded strongly to the ceasefire violation and the infiltration attempt. "There was an infiltration attempt by terrorists and ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in Tangdhar sector in the north Kashmir district late last night," an Army official said Sunday. "Own forces retaliated strongly and foiled infiltration bid being attempted under covering fire by Pakistan Army," the official said. He said "there was no damage, injury or casualty on this side. (With inputs from agencies)

J&K: 1 policeman killed in terror attack at police station in Shopian

On September 27, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will find herself in the same room as Pakistan’s new foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the SAARC foreign ministers’ annual meeting, customarily held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. A perfunctory namaste will be all Qureshi gets.

Why is Pakistan so keen to talk to India even as it continues to mutilate the bodies of Indian jawans and unleash terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)? To answer that question, delve into the psychology of Pakistan – a mindset few Indian governments have read correctly. For years, Indian policymakers believed the conventional wisdom that Pakistan was run by the three As – Army, America and Allah.

America has since been replaced by China but the other two remain dominant forces in Pakistan. The army owns a third of Pakistan’s commercial real estate and several of the country’s businesses. Religious leaders too remain relevant. But there are two additional elements that hold sway in Pakistan.&nbsp;

First, the judiciary. It took centre-stage when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar Chaudhry ended Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship in 2008. The courts have since played cat and mouse with the army, defying it only to retreat later. Their complicity during the rigged Pakistan general election in July 2018 revealed the limits to their defiance. There have, however, been spasmodic displays of independence. The Islamabad High Court, for example, last week released former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam from the prison they had been incarcerated in to prevent them, on the army’s orders, from contesting the general election. That paved the way for the victory of the army’s favoured candidate Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The second new force to emerge in Pakistan is the in-house jihadi. The old Army-America-Allah triumvirate relied on outsourced jihadis. They gave the Pakistani army plausible deniability for acts of terror. That pretence is over. Pakistan’s Border Action Teams (BATs) work openly with LeT and JeM terrorists to kill, decapitate and mutilate the bodies of Indian soldiers on both the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

India’s Pakistan strategy has meanwhile oscillated between resolve and naïveté. The surgical strikes across the LoC, whose second anniversary falls on September 29, displayed resolve. Inviting an ISI team to visit the site of the ISI-sponsored terror attack on Pathankot betrayed extreme naïveté.

More recently, this inchoate policy saw the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) agree to a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi on the sidelines of the UNGA session on September 29 and, 24 hours later, cancel the meeting. The flip-flop was therefore caused not by any change in circumstances but by the eruption of public outrage. A meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi would have signalled India’s indecisive attitude towards Pakistan’s continuing use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. That would, in turn, encourage Pakistan’s renegade army to intensify terror attacks on Indian soil using its in-house jihadi factory. The outcome India needs is the opposite: to discourage the Pakistani army from carrying out terror attacks in India by imposing an unaffordable cost on it.

Between dialogue and war, there is a large space to achieve this outcome. Pakistan is desperate for a bailout from the International Monetary fund (IMF). Its economy is in a shambles. Foreign exchange reserves at $10 billion are barely enough to cover 60 days of imports. The Imran Khan government has discovered to its horror that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) favours Chinese companies at the expense of Pakistani firms, apart from burdening the country with unsustainable high-cost debt.

Meanwhile, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has reported that, following Pakistan’s greylisting in June 2018, Islamabad’s steps to curb terror financing have been inadequate. Pakistani courts have instead allowed globally designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed to carry on their charitable activities despite the fact that they are a known cover for terror groups.

FATF has given Pakistan up to September 2019 to clean up its act. If it does not, and on present evidence, it will not, it will be blacklisted. That would cripple Pakistan’s economy. Islamabad is banking on getting the three votes it needs to veto blacklisting by FATF. These three votes are from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. If even one of these abandons Pakistan (two, Saudi Arabia and UAE, did when it was greylisted), Pakistan could find itself in a financial black hole.

Given that India holds all the aces and Pakistan none, it is important for the Modi government to follow the policy Modi himself had enunciated: “terror and talks don’t go together.” Pakistan’s strategy is unidimensional: seek talks with India to gain international respectability while continuing to sponsor terrorism in Kashmir. For Islamabad terrorism is not a means to an end. It is an end in itself. Low-intensity, low-cost proxy war against India justifies the army’s centrality in Pakistan and the financial perks that accompany it.

Ask the inhabitants of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) if the Pakistani army cares about Kashmiris. A visit to Muzaffarabad, the benighted capital of PoK, will provide a graphic answer. For the Pakistani army, Kashmiris, in J&amp;K and PoK alike, are fodder. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-rebooting-india-s-pak-strategy-2668336">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

On September 27, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will find herself in the same room as Pakistan’s new foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the SAARC foreign ministers’ annual meeting, customarily held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

On September 27, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will find herself in the same room as Pakistan’s new foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the SAARC foreign ministers’ annual meeting, customarily held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. A perfunctory namaste will be all Qureshi gets. Why is Pakistan so keen to talk to India even as it continues to mutilate the bodies of Indian jawans and unleash terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)? To answer that question, delve into the psychology of Pakistan – a mindset few Indian governments have read correctly. For years, Indian policymakers believed the conventional wisdom that Pakistan was run by the three As – Army, America and Allah. America has since been replaced by China but the other two remain dominant forces in Pakistan. The army owns a third of Pakistan’s commercial real estate and several of the country’s businesses. Religious leaders too remain relevant. But there are two additional elements that hold sway in Pakistan. First, the judiciary. It took centre-stage when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar Chaudhry ended Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship in 2008. The courts have since played cat and mouse with the army, defying it only to retreat later. Their complicity during the rigged Pakistan general election in July 2018 revealed the limits to their defiance. There have, however, been spasmodic displays of independence. The Islamabad High Court, for example, last week released former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam from the prison they had been incarcerated in to prevent them, on the army’s orders, from contesting the general election. That paved the way for the victory of the army’s favoured candidate Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The second new force to emerge in Pakistan is the in-house jihadi. The old Army-America-Allah triumvirate relied on outsourced jihadis. They gave the Pakistani army plausible deniability for acts of terror. That pretence is over. Pakistan’s Border Action Teams (BATs) work openly with LeT and JeM terrorists to kill, decapitate and mutilate the bodies of Indian soldiers on both the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB). India’s Pakistan strategy has meanwhile oscillated between resolve and naïveté. The surgical strikes across the LoC, whose second anniversary falls on September 29, displayed resolve. Inviting an ISI team to visit the site of the ISI-sponsored terror attack on Pathankot betrayed extreme naïveté. More recently, this inchoate policy saw the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) agree to a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi on the sidelines of the UNGA session on September 29 and, 24 hours later, cancel the meeting. The flip-flop was therefore caused not by any change in circumstances but by the eruption of public outrage. A meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi would have signalled India’s indecisive attitude towards Pakistan’s continuing use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. That would, in turn, encourage Pakistan’s renegade army to intensify terror attacks on Indian soil using its in-house jihadi factory. The outcome India needs is the opposite: to discourage the Pakistani army from carrying out terror attacks in India by imposing an unaffordable cost on it. Between dialogue and war, there is a large space to achieve this outcome. Pakistan is desperate for a bailout from the International Monetary fund (IMF). Its economy is in a shambles. Foreign exchange reserves at $10 billion are barely enough to cover 60 days of imports. The Imran Khan government has discovered to its horror that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) favours Chinese companies at the expense of Pakistani firms, apart from burdening the country with unsustainable high-cost debt. Meanwhile, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has reported that, following Pakistan’s greylisting in June 2018, Islamabad’s steps to curb terror financing have been inadequate. Pakistani courts have instead allowed globally designated terrorists like Hafiz Saeed to carry on their charitable activities despite the fact that they are a known cover for terror groups. FATF has given Pakistan up to September 2019 to clean up its act. If it does not, and on present evidence, it will not, it will be blacklisted. That would cripple Pakistan’s economy. Islamabad is banking on getting the three votes it needs to veto blacklisting by FATF. These three votes are from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE. If even one of these abandons Pakistan (two, Saudi Arabia and UAE, did when it was greylisted), Pakistan could find itself in a financial black hole. Given that India holds all the aces and Pakistan none, it is important for the Modi government to follow the policy Modi himself had enunciated: “terror and talks don’t go together.” Pakistan’s strategy is unidimensional: seek talks with India to gain international respectability while continuing to sponsor terrorism in Kashmir. For Islamabad terrorism is not a means to an end. It is an end in itself. Low-intensity, low-cost proxy war against India justifies the army’s centrality in Pakistan and the financial perks that accompany it. Ask the inhabitants of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) if the Pakistani army cares about Kashmiris. A visit to Muzaffarabad, the benighted capital of PoK, will provide a graphic answer. For the Pakistani army, Kashmiris, in J&K and PoK alike, are fodder. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Pakistan seeks talks with India to earn respect while continuing to sponsor terrorism

Three militants and a soldier were killed Monday in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of ultras eliminated in the operation to five.

"Three more terrorists have been killed today as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector (in north Kashmir's Kupwara district)," an Army spokesman said.&nbsp;

He added that a gallant soldier was also martyred in the operation.

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Photo of Indian Army's Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who lost his life in action today during an anti-infiltration operation in Jammu &amp; Kashmir's Tangdhar sector today. <a href="https://t.co/nGGrT7la0j">pic.twitter.com/nGGrT7la0j</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1044238376700973057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The army on Sunday had foiled an infiltration bid and killed two terrorists in the&nbsp;sector in the&nbsp;encounter that ensued after the terrorists&nbsp;were challenged by alert troops.

(With inputs from agencies)

Three militants and a soldier were killed Monday in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of ultras eliminated in the operation to five.

Three militants and a soldier were killed Monday in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of ultras eliminated in the operation to five. "Three more terrorists have been killed today as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector (in north Kashmir's Kupwara district)," an Army spokesman said. He added that a gallant soldier was also martyred in the operation. Photo of Indian Army's Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who lost his life in action today during an anti-infiltration operation in Jammu & Kashmir's Tangdhar sector today. pic.twitter.com/nGGrT7la0j — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018 × The army on Sunday had foiled an infiltration bid and killed two terrorists in the sector in the encounter that ensued after the terrorists were challenged by alert troops. (With inputs from agencies)

J&K: 3 militants, 1 solider killed in anti-infiltration operation along LoC

In any irregular warfare situation, when terrorists are on the run due to security forces' pressure, they will resort to unconventional ways of diluting the forces' effectiveness. In 1999, at the height of Kargil operations, terror groups chose to execute 'Fidayeen' attacks or suicide missions. These forced out of proportion defensive security measures to be taken by the armed forces, thus reducing the ongoing pressure from offensive counter-terror operations. The advent of stone throwing and street turbulence in 2008 was a ploy employed when terrorist numbers plummeted after the LoC fence came into being in 2004 and enabled far more effective counter infiltration.&nbsp;

This created another domain sometimes referred to as "agitational terrorism". The army had raised the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) to fight terrorism and it proved to be one of the most successful military experiments. Remaining one of the most effective arms of the security forces has been the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Its continuity in operations, wealth of experience of its personnel, affinity with the local populace and steadfastness under threat, from time to time, has all through ensured a force multiplication effect. Alongside them are the personnel of the JAK Light Infantry's Territorial Army Home &amp; Hearth units, as also regular soldiers from the JAK LI Regiment whose presence while on leave (2,000-3,000 personnel at any given time) in villages and cities has had a stabilising effect on the environment. Through the height of the militancy, these personnel were never targeted by terrorists, presumably on the premise that it would attract the ire of the army and the JKP. The foreign terrorists (FTs), then in majority, always suspected that much more intense operations would follow if local SF personnel and their families became targets.

The steadfastness of the local soldiers and policemen under trying circumstances within Kashmir's social milieu was one of the hallmarks of our efforts towards countering Pakistani and separatist efforts. It was particularly borne out during the 2008-10 agitation. In 2016, in the wake of Burhan Wani's killing, it was the local militancy which took the upper hand. The first noticeable change was the initiation of the targeting of policemen's homes and forced admission by their families of allegiance to the terrorist cause. From then on, as the local hold over the violent element of the separatist movement was enhanced, the threat to local soldiers on leave and policemen has multiplied manifold. The paralysis and embarrassment of the administration through targeting of local functionaries was earlier witnessed with the killing of 16 sarpanchs and injuring of 30 other elected grassroots leaders over the last few years.

In the interim, in August 2018, the establishment reportedly attempted an intimidation and targeting of the families of a few terrorists leading to a quid pro quo action by terrorists against policemen's families. The standoff eased once both sides stood down but it probably emboldened the local terrorists to renew their threats and execute these with a higher level of intimidation. That translated on September 18, 2018, when Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) issued a warning through an uploaded video recording. It threatened to kill every Kashmiri working for JKP and Indian Army if they didn't resign within four days; failure to resign would lead to the killing of families, as per the threat. The video went viral on social media bringing yet another facet into the ongoing information war which the terrorists are clearly dominating thus far.

Not taking the threat too lightly, the authorities have displayed sensitivity to the sentiments that will be created within ranks of soldiers serving away from the Valley, the TA-H&amp;H and personnel of the JKP who remain the most visible and vulnerable. The Hizbul Mujahideen has given an indication of its intent to do on ground what it has threatened, when it killed three SPOs in Shopian on 21 September 2018. It is obvious that securing all Kashmiri armed forces personnel and families will pose a bigger challenge for the establishment and take away much of the offensive content from the anti-terrorism operations.

A major domain which will be affected will be intelligence, for which the army's dependence is largely on the JKP. In the see-saw battle for domination of the security space in the Valley, the SF have been clearly dominant once the negative situation arising from the trigger effect of the killing of Burhan Wani on 8 July 2016 was stabilised. That domination is now under challenge and answers are not easy. This will have an adverse effect also on the intended strategy of the government to take the proxy war campaign beyond just security related operations. Outreach operations, restoration of political activity at the grassroots and most importantly the successful conduct of the local bodies' polls due over the next two months, will all be adversely affected.

The government needs to act quickly to restore confidence. It is not panic station yet, but clearly there is a dearth of troops in Shopian, in particular, that is affording space and freedom of movement to the terrorists. The only answer is through a strong focused response against the terrorists and their leadership by greater density of troops presence. Once earlier, in 2010, the separatists attempted to cross the limit of tolerance of the establishment by threatening to surround all army camps in the Valley. It was an ill-advised move, against which the army made its intent extremely clear; that it would brook no attempts at intimidation and would unhesitatingly resort to counter violence to defeat such attempts. The separatists then stood down.

However, times have changed. The separatists and terrorists, backed by the deep State across the LoC, have been emboldened many a time in recent years to cross the limits of tolerance and bear consequences in the vain hope that it would create far greater alienation and force the hand of the establishment. If they are targeting the local bodies' polls for cancellation, then the government needs to be even more committed towards their conduct once the announcement has been made.

This is not a juncture when the establishment can display any squeamishness or be forced on the back foot. It is only hoped that better sense will prevail in the thinking of HM who may find that in the battle of wits, the government can accept being on the back foot only temporarily. In the long run, it can remain defensive only at a very negative cost.

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-new-threats-to-forces-in-jk-2666174">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

In any irregular warfare situation, when terrorists are on the run due to security forces' pressure, they will resort to unconventional ways of diluting the forces' effectiveness.

In any irregular warfare situation, when terrorists are on the run due to security forces' pressure, they will resort to unconventional ways of diluting the forces' effectiveness. In 1999, at the height of Kargil operations, terror groups chose to execute 'Fidayeen' attacks or suicide missions. These forced out of proportion defensive security measures to be taken by the armed forces, thus reducing the ongoing pressure from offensive counter-terror operations. The advent of stone throwing and street turbulence in 2008 was a ploy employed when terrorist numbers plummeted after the LoC fence came into being in 2004 and enabled far more effective counter infiltration. This created another domain sometimes referred to as "agitational terrorism". The army had raised the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) to fight terrorism and it proved to be one of the most successful military experiments. Remaining one of the most effective arms of the security forces has been the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Its continuity in operations, wealth of experience of its personnel, affinity with the local populace and steadfastness under threat, from time to time, has all through ensured a force multiplication effect. Alongside them are the personnel of the JAK Light Infantry's Territorial Army Home & Hearth units, as also regular soldiers from the JAK LI Regiment whose presence while on leave (2,000-3,000 personnel at any given time) in villages and cities has had a stabilising effect on the environment. Through the height of the militancy, these personnel were never targeted by terrorists, presumably on the premise that it would attract the ire of the army and the JKP. The foreign terrorists (FTs), then in majority, always suspected that much more intense operations would follow if local SF personnel and their families became targets. The steadfastness of the local soldiers and policemen under trying circumstances within Kashmir's social milieu was one of the hallmarks of our efforts towards countering Pakistani and separatist efforts. It was particularly borne out during the 2008-10 agitation. In 2016, in the wake of Burhan Wani's killing, it was the local militancy which took the upper hand. The first noticeable change was the initiation of the targeting of policemen's homes and forced admission by their families of allegiance to the terrorist cause. From then on, as the local hold over the violent element of the separatist movement was enhanced, the threat to local soldiers on leave and policemen has multiplied manifold. The paralysis and embarrassment of the administration through targeting of local functionaries was earlier witnessed with the killing of 16 sarpanchs and injuring of 30 other elected grassroots leaders over the last few years. In the interim, in August 2018, the establishment reportedly attempted an intimidation and targeting of the families of a few terrorists leading to a quid pro quo action by terrorists against policemen's families. The standoff eased once both sides stood down but it probably emboldened the local terrorists to renew their threats and execute these with a higher level of intimidation. That translated on September 18, 2018, when Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) issued a warning through an uploaded video recording. It threatened to kill every Kashmiri working for JKP and Indian Army if they didn't resign within four days; failure to resign would lead to the killing of families, as per the threat. The video went viral on social media bringing yet another facet into the ongoing information war which the terrorists are clearly dominating thus far. Not taking the threat too lightly, the authorities have displayed sensitivity to the sentiments that will be created within ranks of soldiers serving away from the Valley, the TA-H&H and personnel of the JKP who remain the most visible and vulnerable. The Hizbul Mujahideen has given an indication of its intent to do on ground what it has threatened, when it killed three SPOs in Shopian on 21 September 2018. It is obvious that securing all Kashmiri armed forces personnel and families will pose a bigger challenge for the establishment and take away much of the offensive content from the anti-terrorism operations. A major domain which will be affected will be intelligence, for which the army's dependence is largely on the JKP. In the see-saw battle for domination of the security space in the Valley, the SF have been clearly dominant once the negative situation arising from the trigger effect of the killing of Burhan Wani on 8 July 2016 was stabilised. That domination is now under challenge and answers are not easy. This will have an adverse effect also on the intended strategy of the government to take the proxy war campaign beyond just security related operations. Outreach operations, restoration of political activity at the grassroots and most importantly the successful conduct of the local bodies' polls due over the next two months, will all be adversely affected. The government needs to act quickly to restore confidence. It is not panic station yet, but clearly there is a dearth of troops in Shopian, in particular, that is affording space and freedom of movement to the terrorists. The only answer is through a strong focused response against the terrorists and their leadership by greater density of troops presence. Once earlier, in 2010, the separatists attempted to cross the limit of tolerance of the establishment by threatening to surround all army camps in the Valley. It was an ill-advised move, against which the army made its intent extremely clear; that it would brook no attempts at intimidation and would unhesitatingly resort to counter violence to defeat such attempts. The separatists then stood down. However, times have changed. The separatists and terrorists, backed by the deep State across the LoC, have been emboldened many a time in recent years to cross the limits of tolerance and bear consequences in the vain hope that it would create far greater alienation and force the hand of the establishment. If they are targeting the local bodies' polls for cancellation, then the government needs to be even more committed towards their conduct once the announcement has been made. This is not a juncture when the establishment can display any squeamishness or be forced on the back foot. It is only hoped that better sense will prevail in the thinking of HM who may find that in the battle of wits, the government can accept being on the back foot only temporarily. In the long run, it can remain defensive only at a very negative cost. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: New threats to forces in J&K

India today rejected the <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/jk-terrorists-abduct-indian-army-soldier-from-pulwama-144334">United Nations report which called </a>for an inquiry into abuses in "Indian-administered Kashmir" as well as "Pakistan-administered Kashmir".&nbsp

India said the UN report on human rights violation in Kashmir was "fallacious, tendentious and motivated". UN report on Kashmir violates India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the ministry of external affairs said.

In a first of its kind report, the UN said there was an urgent need to address the past and ongoing human rights violations, "any resolution to the political situation in Kashmir should entail a commitment to ending the cycles of violence and accountability for past and current human rights violations."

Specifically named "Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir: Developments in the Indian State of J-K from June 2016 to April 2018, and General Human Rights Concerns in Azad J-K and Gilgit-Baltistan", it noted there were a variety of "armed groups operating" in the&nbspIndian state of J&K.

"Despite the Government of Pakistan's assertions of denial of any support to these groups, experts believe that Pakistan's military continues to support their operations across the Line of Control in Indian-Administered Kashmir," the report said. &nbsp

It said that there was documented evidence of these groups committing human right abuses, including kidnappings and killings of civilians.

The report said, "the people on both sides of the Line of Control have been detrimentally impacted and suffer from limitations or denial of a range of human rights."

The report asked for urgent repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1990 and to "immediately remove the requirement for prior central government permission to prosecute security forces personnel accused of human rights violations in civilian courts."

It said that there was documented evidence of these groups committing human right abuses, including kidnappings and killings of civilians.

India today rejected the United Nations report which called for an inquiry into abuses in "Indian-administered Kashmir" as well as "Pakistan-administered Kashmir". India said the UN report on human rights violation in Kashmir was "fallacious, tendentious and motivated". UN report on Kashmir violates India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the ministry of external affairs said. In a first of its kind report, the UN said there was an urgent need to address the past and ongoing human rights violations, "any resolution to the political situation in Kashmir should entail a commitment to ending the cycles of violence and accountability for past and current human rights violations." Specifically named "Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Kashmir: Developments in the Indian State of J-K from June 2016 to April 2018, and General Human Rights Concerns in Azad J-K and Gilgit-Baltistan", it noted there were a variety of "armed groups operating" in the&nbspIndian state of J&K. "Despite the Government of Pakistan's assertions of denial of any support to these groups, experts believe that Pakistan's military continues to support their operations across the Line of Control in Indian-Administered Kashmir," the report said. It said that there was documented evidence of these groups committing human right abuses, including kidnappings and killings of civilians. The report said, "the people on both sides of the Line of Control have been detrimentally impacted and suffer from limitations or denial of a range of human rights." The report asked for urgent repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1990 and to "immediately remove the requirement for prior central government permission to prosecute security forces personnel accused of human rights violations in civilian courts."

UN report on J&K is fallacious, tendentious and motivated: India

Terrorists fired on a police officer in Shopian's Katho Halan area in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) today.&nbsp;

The special police officer is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital. The incident comes hours after Pakistan troops opened fire at a BSF post in Chambliyal sector of Samba in J&K.

On Wednesday afternoon, Pakistan summoned India's acting Deputy High Commissioner alleging India violated ceasefire along the Line of Control(LoC).

On Wednesday afternoon, Pakistan summoned India's acting Deputy High Commissioner

Terrorists fired on a police officer in Shopian's Katho Halan area in Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) today. The special police officer is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital. The incident comes hours after Pakistan troops opened fire at a BSF post in Chambliyal sector of Samba in J&K. On Wednesday afternoon, Pakistan summoned India's acting Deputy High Commissioner alleging India violated ceasefire along the Line of Control(LoC).

Terrorists open fire on police officer in Shopian

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