The Border Security Force (BSF) was deployed in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu &amp; Kashmir, today after a gap of 12 years. The BSF is&nbsp;the primary force responsible for the guarding of India&#39;s borders.&nbsp; 
 
It was taken off counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir valley in 2004. 
 
BSF personnel were deployed in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk in the city and adjoining areas for law and order duties, a police official said. 
 
Officials from the civil administration, BSF and police top brass refused to comment on the deployment of the force in the city. 
 
This is the first time since 2004 that the BSF has been deployed on active duty in the city. 
 
The BSF, which took part in anti-militancy operations in Kashmir for nearly 13 years starting from 1991, was replaced in the city by the Central reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 2004. 
 
BSF troops were then moved to their primary duty of guarding the Line of Control and the international border. 
 
&nbsp;(PTI)

They were deployed in Srinagar's Lal Chowk today. BSF and the police top brass refused to say why

The Border Security Force (BSF) was deployed in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, today after a gap of 12 years. The BSF is the primary force responsible for the guarding of India's borders. It was taken off counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir valley in 2004. BSF personnel were deployed in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk in the city and adjoining areas for law and order duties, a police official said. Officials from the civil administration, BSF and police top brass refused to comment on the deployment of the force in the city. This is the first time since 2004 that the BSF has been deployed on active duty in the city. The BSF, which took part in anti-militancy operations in Kashmir for nearly 13 years starting from 1991, was replaced in the city by the Central reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 2004. BSF troops were then moved to their primary duty of guarding the Line of Control and the international border. (PTI)

India deploys Border Security Force in Kashmir after 12 years

A delegation of opposition leaders from India&#39;s Kashmir met President Pranab Mukherjee in capital New Delhi on Saturday to apprise him of the prevailing unrest in the northern province. 
 
Kashmir has been on the boil since Indian security forces gunned down 22-year-old Burhan Wani, leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, a group fighting Indian control of the Muslim-majority region, on July 8.&nbsp;Wani represented a new generation of fighters in a region where alienation runs deep even though attacks have fallen dramatically in recent years.&nbsp;His killing has triggered the Valley&#39;s worst outbreak of violence in six years. 
 
The delegation included leaders from National Conference, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), Congress, Democratic Party Front (DPF) and People&#39;s Democratic Front (PDF). 
 
The delegation called for a political plan to diffuse the over month-and-a-half long crisis in India&#39;s only Muslim-majority state. 
 
&quot;The motive was to bring to the president&#39;s notice the situation with which the state of Jammu and Kashmir and especially the Kashmir valley is grappling. According to us, this is a big human tragedy which is being faced by our people,&quot; said a leader of CPI (M), Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami. 
 
Tarigami alleged that the federal and state government had so far followed an inhuman approach in tackling the situation. 
 
Meanwhile, curfew continued to remain in force for the 43rd consecutive day in the Valley with the police personnel maintaining strict vigil in Srinagar, the&nbsp;summer capital of the province. Shops remained shut and roads deserted as civilians chose to stay indoors.&nbsp;Repeated clashes between protesters and security forces have overwhelmed hospitals, where some patients with severe injuries said they had been beaten in their homes by troops. 
 
At least 65 people have been killed and 6,000 injured in the ensuing clashes, many of them wounded by pellets fired by security forces enforcing a curfew across the region.&nbsp;India has urged its security forces to act with restraint as they try to keep protesters off the streets and quell near-daily violence, but many segments have accused troops of using excessive force. 
 
Kashmir is at the centre of a decades-old rivalry between India and Pakistan, which rules a northwestern section of the divided region, and backed an insurgency in the late 1980s and 1990s that Indian security forces largely crushed.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The delegation has called for a political plan to diffuse the month-and-a-half long crisis in Kashmir

A delegation of opposition leaders from India's Kashmir met President Pranab Mukherjee in capital New Delhi on Saturday to apprise him of the prevailing unrest in the northern province. Kashmir has been on the boil since Indian security forces gunned down 22-year-old Burhan Wani, leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, a group fighting Indian control of the Muslim-majority region, on July 8. Wani represented a new generation of fighters in a region where alienation runs deep even though attacks have fallen dramatically in recent years. His killing has triggered the Valley's worst outbreak of violence in six years. The delegation included leaders from National Conference, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), Congress, Democratic Party Front (DPF) and People's Democratic Front (PDF). The delegation called for a political plan to diffuse the over month-and-a-half long crisis in India's only Muslim-majority state. "The motive was to bring to the president's notice the situation with which the state of Jammu and Kashmir and especially the Kashmir valley is grappling. According to us, this is a big human tragedy which is being faced by our people," said a leader of CPI (M), Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami. Tarigami alleged that the federal and state government had so far followed an inhuman approach in tackling the situation. Meanwhile, curfew continued to remain in force for the 43rd consecutive day in the Valley with the police personnel maintaining strict vigil in Srinagar, the summer capital of the province. Shops remained shut and roads deserted as civilians chose to stay indoors. Repeated clashes between protesters and security forces have overwhelmed hospitals, where some patients with severe injuries said they had been beaten in their homes by troops. At least 65 people have been killed and 6,000 injured in the ensuing clashes, many of them wounded by pellets fired by security forces enforcing a curfew across the region. India has urged its security forces to act with restraint as they try to keep protesters off the streets and quell near-daily violence, but many segments have accused troops of using excessive force. Kashmir is at the centre of a decades-old rivalry between India and Pakistan, which rules a northwestern section of the divided region, and backed an insurgency in the late 1980s and 1990s that Indian security forces largely crushed. (Reuters)

Kashmir opposition leaders meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee

Amid an outrage in Kashmir Valley, Indian Army on Friday said that actions by its soldiers like the one in which a lecturer was killed will not be tolerated.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;These raids were not sanctioned in the first place. It is unjustified. Nobody can support it and it will not be tolerated,&quot; northern army commander lieutenant general DS Hooda told reporters here. 
 
He said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident that took place during the intervening night of August 17 and 18 in Khrew area of Pulwama district in South Kashmir.&nbsp; 
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<h5>Asked about the circumstances that led to the incident, the army commander said according to information he has, the troops came under stone pelting by the mobs.</h5>
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Shabir Ahmad Monga, a lecturer, was killed and 18 others sustained injuries when they were thrashed by army personnel who were conducting nocturnal raids to arrest stone pelters in the area. 
 
Asked about the circumstances that led to the incident, the army commander said according to information he has, the troops came under stone pelting by the mobs. 
 
&quot;The instructions are there to exercise maximum restraint but these are difficult times. The security forces are facing tough times and sometimes things get out of hand,&quot; he added. 
 
It&#39;s been more than a month that Kashmir has remained on a boil after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed on July 8.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

An inquiry has been ordered to investigate into the recent night raids that triggered outrage, northern army commander told

Amid an outrage in Kashmir Valley, Indian Army on Friday said that actions by its soldiers like the one in which a lecturer was killed will not be tolerated. "These raids were not sanctioned in the first place. It is unjustified. Nobody can support it and it will not be tolerated," northern army commander lieutenant general DS Hooda told reporters here. He said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident that took place during the intervening night of August 17 and 18 in Khrew area of Pulwama district in South Kashmir. Asked about the circumstances that led to the incident, the army commander said according to information he has, the troops came under stone pelting by the mobs. Shabir Ahmad Monga, a lecturer, was killed and 18 others sustained injuries when they were thrashed by army personnel who were conducting nocturnal raids to arrest stone pelters in the area. Asked about the circumstances that led to the incident, the army commander said according to information he has, the troops came under stone pelting by the mobs. "The instructions are there to exercise maximum restraint but these are difficult times. The security forces are facing tough times and sometimes things get out of hand," he added. It's been more than a month that Kashmir has remained on a boil after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed on July 8. (PTI)

'Raids were not sanctioned,' says Indian Army after lecturer's killing in Kashmir?

India&#39;s security force told a Jammu and Kashmir court they have fired 3,000 pellet&nbsp;cartridges (1.6 million pellets) between July 9 and August 11 to quell protests in the restive region.&nbsp; 
 
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said the pellet cartridges, introduced in 2010, were an accepted weapon to control riots. 
 
CRPF said a ban on use of such cartridges would mean they would have no option but to open fire with rifles, a deadlier alternative,&nbsp;during extreme situations. 
 
The statement was made in an affidavit filed by the Indian security agency in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on pellet cartridges. 
 
CRPF also disclosed that it has used 14 types of &quot;less lethal and non-lethal&quot; munitions to control crowds during the ongoing protests in the Valley, which has been on the boil since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was gunned down by Indian security forces on July 8.&nbsp; 
 
Some of the the &#39;less lethal&#39;&nbsp;ammunitions&nbsp;used by the federal law enforcement agency are&nbsp;Oleoresin (a chilli extract) grenades, pepper balls, stun grenades and electric shells. 
 
(DNA)&nbsp;

CRPF, India's federal law enforcement and civilian agency, told a court that pellet cartridges were an accepted weapon to control riots

India's security force told a Jammu and Kashmir court they have fired 3,000 pellet cartridges (1.6 million pellets) between July 9 and August 11 to quell protests in the restive region. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said the pellet cartridges, introduced in 2010, were an accepted weapon to control riots. CRPF said a ban on use of such cartridges would mean they would have no option but to open fire with rifles, a deadlier alternative, during extreme situations. The statement was made in an affidavit filed by the Indian security agency in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on pellet cartridges. CRPF also disclosed that it has used 14 types of "less lethal and non-lethal" munitions to control crowds during the ongoing protests in the Valley, which has been on the boil since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was gunned down by Indian security forces on July 8. Some of the the 'less lethal' ammunitions used by the federal law enforcement agency are Oleoresin (a chilli extract) grenades, pepper balls, stun grenades and electric shells. (DNA)

'1.6 mn pellets fired during first 34 days of ongoing Kashmir curfew'

Two days after Pakistan invited India for foreign secretary-level talks on Kashmir, saying it is the &ldquo;international obligation&rdquo; of both the countries to resolve the issue, India today said &quot;terror still remains the core concern that needed to be talked about&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Since aspects related to cross-border terrorism are central to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, India has proposed that discussions between the foreign secretaries be focussed on them,&quot; Indian foreign secretary conveyed in a statement to his Pakistan counterpart.&nbsp; 
 
A section of Indian media, however, interpreted it as the country&#39;s rejection of Pakistan&#39;s proposal to hold talks on Kashmir. 
 
Pakistan foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria had earlier said in a statement that Indian high commissioner Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation for talks. 
 
&ldquo;The foreign secretary called in the Indian high commissioner this afternoon [Monday], and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan,&rdquo; Zakaria said. 
 
The invitation was extended amid tension in bilateral ties due to the war of words between the two nations over the issue.&nbsp;In response to the invitation, the Indian foreign secretary has conveyed his willingness to visit Islamabad. 
 
&quot;India rejects in their entirety the self-serving allegations regarding the situation in northernmost state Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India where Pakistan has no locus standi,&quot; the statement read.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan&rsquo;s adviser on foreign affairs said last week that a conference of envoys of Pakistan earlier this month had agreed that Islamabad seek talks with New Delhi.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Kashmir Valley has remained on a boil for over a month after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen millitant commander Burhan Wani.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

Pakistan's invitation was extended amid tensions in bilateral ties over the ongoing Kashmir dispute

Two days after Pakistan invited India for foreign secretary-level talks on Kashmir, saying it is the “international obligation” of both the countries to resolve the issue, India today said "terror still remains the core concern that needed to be talked about". "Since aspects related to cross-border terrorism are central to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, India has proposed that discussions between the foreign secretaries be focussed on them," Indian foreign secretary conveyed in a statement to his Pakistan counterpart. A section of Indian media, however, interpreted it as the country's rejection of Pakistan's proposal to hold talks on Kashmir. Pakistan foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria had earlier said in a statement that Indian high commissioner Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation for talks. “The foreign secretary called in the Indian high commissioner this afternoon [Monday], and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan,” Zakaria said. The invitation was extended amid tension in bilateral ties due to the war of words between the two nations over the issue. In response to the invitation, the Indian foreign secretary has conveyed his willingness to visit Islamabad. "India rejects in their entirety the self-serving allegations regarding the situation in northernmost state Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India where Pakistan has no locus standi," the statement read. Pakistan’s adviser on foreign affairs said last week that a conference of envoys of Pakistan earlier this month had agreed that Islamabad seek talks with New Delhi. Meanwhile, the Kashmir Valley has remained on a boil for over a month after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen millitant commander Burhan Wani. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Terrorism remains core concern: India responds to Pak's talks proposal

Suspected militants killed two soldiers and one police officer in an ambush on a convoy overnight in Kashmir, an official in the troubled region said on Wednesday. 
 
An unknown number of gunmen opened fire on the two army trucks and a police car travelling through Baramulla district, 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of the region`s main city of Srinagar. 
 
&quot;Two soldiers and one police officer were killed while two soldiers and another police officer were injured,&quot; district police superintendent Imtiaz Hussain said. 
 
Security forces launched a major search for the militants who fled the scene, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. 
 
Army convoys have been travelling more frequently at night in recent weeks through the region to avoid encountering protesting residents.&nbsp; 
 
Kashmir has been under curfew since protests erupted over the death last month of a popular young rebel leader, Burhan Wani, in a gunfight with security forces. 
 
More than 60 civilians have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan region since 2010. 
 
(AFP) 
 
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Unknown number of gunmen opened fire on two army trucks and a police car

Suspected militants killed two soldiers and one police officer in an ambush on a convoy overnight in Kashmir, an official in the troubled region said on Wednesday. An unknown number of gunmen opened fire on the two army trucks and a police car travelling through Baramulla district, 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of the region`s main city of Srinagar. "Two soldiers and one police officer were killed while two soldiers and another police officer were injured," district police superintendent Imtiaz Hussain said. Security forces launched a major search for the militants who fled the scene, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. Army convoys have been travelling more frequently at night in recent weeks through the region to avoid encountering protesting residents. Kashmir has been under curfew since protests erupted over the death last month of a popular young rebel leader, Burhan Wani, in a gunfight with security forces. More than 60 civilians have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan region since 2010. (AFP)

Three security personnel killed in Kashmir ambush

Security forces shot dead five people and wounded another 20 during protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday, according to witnesses and security sources. 
 
Four people were killed in Aripanthan village after residents took to the streets to protest what they said were aggressive tactics by members of the security forces during an overnight patrol designed to enforce a curfew. 
 
One resident said one protester was killed immediately after members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) opened fire and another three died of their injuries. 
 
A further 12 protesters were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The identities of the four who died were not immediately known but all were young men. 
 
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a security official confirmed to AFP &quot;a patrol party fired on the protesters. Four have died&quot;. 
 
Another protester was shot dead in Larkipora village in south Kashmir after residents clashed with paramilitary troopers, according to witnesses. 
 
A senior police officer in the region and witnesses told AFP that forces fired live rounds during the protests that also left eight people injured. 
 
The deaths come a day after a total of nine people were killed in a series of clashes and gun battles across the region, including a commander of the CRPF which is an Indian paramilitary police unit. 
 
Authorities have imposed a curfew in large parts of Kashmir, India&#39;s only Muslim majority state, since July 9 during an upsurge in violence sparked by the killing of a top militant commander called Burhan Wani in a gunfight with security forces. 
 
More than 60 civilians, mostly young men, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the region&#39;s worst violence since 2010. 
 
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 but both claim the territory in full. 
 
It is the epicentre of a separatist insurgency, with several rebel groups fighting Indian troops and police as they seek either independence or a merger with Pakistan. 
 
(AFP)

Four people were killed in Aripanthan village; its residents were protesting what they said were aggressive tactics by security forces

Security forces shot dead five people and wounded another 20 during protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday, according to witnesses and security sources. Four people were killed in Aripanthan village after residents took to the streets to protest what they said were aggressive tactics by members of the security forces during an overnight patrol designed to enforce a curfew. One resident said one protester was killed immediately after members of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) opened fire and another three died of their injuries. A further 12 protesters were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The identities of the four who died were not immediately known but all were young men. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a security official confirmed to AFP "a patrol party fired on the protesters. Four have died". Another protester was shot dead in Larkipora village in south Kashmir after residents clashed with paramilitary troopers, according to witnesses. A senior police officer in the region and witnesses told AFP that forces fired live rounds during the protests that also left eight people injured. The deaths come a day after a total of nine people were killed in a series of clashes and gun battles across the region, including a commander of the CRPF which is an Indian paramilitary police unit. Authorities have imposed a curfew in large parts of Kashmir, India's only Muslim majority state, since July 9 during an upsurge in violence sparked by the killing of a top militant commander called Burhan Wani in a gunfight with security forces. More than 60 civilians, mostly young men, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the region's worst violence since 2010. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947 but both claim the territory in full. It is the epicentre of a separatist insurgency, with several rebel groups fighting Indian troops and police as they seek either independence or a merger with Pakistan. (AFP)

Five protesters killed, 20 wounded in Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA), a UK-based umbrella alliance comprising Kashmiri diaspora and civil organisations, today held a protest demonstration outside the Pakistani High Commission in London seeking global pressure on Pakistan for human rights violations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit. 
 
The demonstrators demanded fundamental rights for Kashmiris in Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). 
 
They said Pakistan had thrown an iron curtain across Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit. Slogans were also raised for Pakistan to leave the region. 
 
Shabir Chaudhry, spokesperson of the Kashmir National Party, who participated in the demonstration, while speaking to the media, stated that the protest had been organised to raise the issue of human rights atrocities against Kashmiris in Pakistan and Gilgit. 
 
Referring to the killing of Arif Shahid, leader of the All Parties National Alliance in Rawalpindi in 2013, Chaudhry said there was no doubt that Shahid had been killed by the Pakistani establishment simply because he had raised his voice for the basic rights of the people of Pakistan and Gilgit. 
 
Chaudhry further said that it was odd that the Pakistani Government could refer to Burhan Wani, commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen as a martyr but people like Shahid, who never raised a gun against Pakistan, are labelled as terrorists. 
 
Chaudhry said that Shahid must be declared a martyr for having spoken all his life for the rights of the marginalised in Pakistan. 
 
(ANI)

Demonstrators demanded fundamental rights for Kashmiris in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan

The Jammu and Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA), a UK-based umbrella alliance comprising Kashmiri diaspora and civil organisations, today held a protest demonstration outside the Pakistani High Commission in London seeking global pressure on Pakistan for human rights violations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit. The demonstrators demanded fundamental rights for Kashmiris in Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). They said Pakistan had thrown an iron curtain across Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit. Slogans were also raised for Pakistan to leave the region. Shabir Chaudhry, spokesperson of the Kashmir National Party, who participated in the demonstration, while speaking to the media, stated that the protest had been organised to raise the issue of human rights atrocities against Kashmiris in Pakistan and Gilgit. Referring to the killing of Arif Shahid, leader of the All Parties National Alliance in Rawalpindi in 2013, Chaudhry said there was no doubt that Shahid had been killed by the Pakistani establishment simply because he had raised his voice for the basic rights of the people of Pakistan and Gilgit. Chaudhry further said that it was odd that the Pakistani Government could refer to Burhan Wani, commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen as a martyr but people like Shahid, who never raised a gun against Pakistan, are labelled as terrorists. Chaudhry said that Shahid must be declared a martyr for having spoken all his life for the rights of the marginalised in Pakistan. (ANI)

Pakistan high commission in UK under siege by Kashmir groups over human rights violations

At least four protesters were killed amid firing by India&#39;s security forces in central Kashmir`s Budgam district today morning. 
 
As per reports, the incident took place when the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel opened fire on the group of protesters who pelted stones at them at Aripanthan area of the district in northern India.&nbsp; 
 
Several others are also reported to have sustained injuries. With this, the death toll in the valley following Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani`s killing has reached 64. 
 
Curfew and separatist shutdown continued in Kashmir today for the 39th consecutive day. All educational institutions, shops, public transport and other businesses have remained shut since&nbsp;July 9, a day after Wani was killed. 
 
However, banks, post offices, and government offices have been functioning during this period. Several thousand people have been injured in the clashes that began on&nbsp;July 9. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Indian security forces opened fire at protesters involved in pelting stones in central Kashmir

At least four protesters were killed amid firing by India's security forces in central Kashmir`s Budgam district today morning. As per reports, the incident took place when the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel opened fire on the group of protesters who pelted stones at them at Aripanthan area of the district in northern India. Several others are also reported to have sustained injuries. With this, the death toll in the valley following Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani`s killing has reached 64. Curfew and separatist shutdown continued in Kashmir today for the 39th consecutive day. All educational institutions, shops, public transport and other businesses have remained shut since July 9, a day after Wani was killed. However, banks, post offices, and government offices have been functioning during this period. Several thousand people have been injured in the clashes that began on July 9. (ANI)

4 more gunned down in Kashmir ferment, death toll climbs to 64

Two armed militants attacked a police station in Indian Kashmir on Monday, police said, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his annual Independence Day speech in New Delhi. 
 
The gunmen were unable to take control of the police station in the old city of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu &amp; Kashmir, but did kill one police reservist and injure nine in the attack. WION&#39;s Srinagar correspondent reports that the man slain was the commandant of the 49th battalion. The CRPF spokesman said that firing has stopped, but that a search and combing operation is currently going on. &nbsp;Two militants are believed to have been killed. 
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UPDATE: Two CRPF jawans and one J&amp;K policeman injured after 3 terrorists attack security forces in Srinagar,exchange of fire continues
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/765034579895914496">August 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Separately, the Indian Army said it had foiled an attempt to infiltrate two militants from Pakistan into India. The two men were killed in the Uri sector of the de facto border between the neighbouring countries in North Kashmir. 
 
Kashmir has witnessed violent protests since the July 8 killing of militant leader Burhan Wani, a commander of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, with 54 people killed and several thousand wounded in clashes with security forces. 
 
Modi avoided direct reference to Kashmir in his Independence Day speech, but he did criticise people in Pakistan for celebrating when what he called terrorist attacks were launched on Indian soil. 
 
The prime minister met national party leaders on Friday to seek ways to end the worst unrest in Kashmir since 2010, but there was no agreement to send an all-party delegation to the region for talks to try and calm tensions there. 
 
Both India and Pakistan rule Kashmir in part but claim it in full. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two of their three wars since independence 69 years ago over the Muslim-majority region where the Line of Control, or de facto border, still runs roughly where the guns fell silent in 1948. 
 
(WION with inputs from&nbsp;Agencies)

The gunmen were unable to take control of the police station in the old city of Srinagar, but did kill 1 reservist and injure 9

Two armed militants attacked a police station in Indian Kashmir on Monday, police said, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his annual Independence Day speech in New Delhi. The gunmen were unable to take control of the police station in the old city of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, but did kill one police reservist and injure nine in the attack. WION's Srinagar correspondent reports that the man slain was the commandant of the 49th battalion. The CRPF spokesman said that firing has stopped, but that a search and combing operation is currently going on. Two militants are believed to have been killed. UPDATE: Two CRPF jawans and one J&K policeman injured after 3 terrorists attack security forces in Srinagar,exchange of fire continues — ANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016 Separately, the Indian Army said it had foiled an attempt to infiltrate two militants from Pakistan into India. The two men were killed in the Uri sector of the de facto border between the neighbouring countries in North Kashmir. Kashmir has witnessed violent protests since the July 8 killing of militant leader Burhan Wani, a commander of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, with 54 people killed and several thousand wounded in clashes with security forces. Modi avoided direct reference to Kashmir in his Independence Day speech, but he did criticise people in Pakistan for celebrating when what he called terrorist attacks were launched on Indian soil. The prime minister met national party leaders on Friday to seek ways to end the worst unrest in Kashmir since 2010, but there was no agreement to send an all-party delegation to the region for talks to try and calm tensions there. Both India and Pakistan rule Kashmir in part but claim it in full. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two of their three wars since independence 69 years ago over the Muslim-majority region where the Line of Control, or de facto border, still runs roughly where the guns fell silent in 1948. (WION with inputs from Agencies)

Militants open fire in India's Srinagar, 1 security personnel dead, 9 injured

Terming Pakistan&#39;s proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir as &#39;absurd&#39;, India today strongly retorted that it along with others in the region have already received enough of &quot;trademark exports&quot; from that country including terrorism and infiltrators. 
 
India&#39;s sharp reaction came after it received a note verbale from Pakistan&#39;s foreign ministry on Friday proposing to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir. External affairs ministry &quot;completely and categorically&quot; rejected the communication from Pakistan. 
 
&quot;A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd,&quot; External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. 
 
&quot;India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistan&#39;s trademark exports -- international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency,&quot; he said. 
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India&#39;s reaction came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of northernmost state Jammu and Kashmir. 
 
Earlier in the day, Pakistani high commissioner to India Abdul Basit made provocative statements over Kashmir and said his country will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state. 
 
Basit made the comments during the country&#39;s Independence Day celebrations at its embassy here. 
 
In Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain, while addressing a gathering at a flag hoisting ceremony, also raised the Kashmir issue, saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination. 
 
India and Pakistan have been engaged in a war of words over Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s statements on the situation in Kashmir which has been witnessing unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. 
 
Wani was described as a martyr by Pakistan, which has also tried to internationalise the Kashmir issue while India has been maintaining that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Valley is the root cause of the turbulence.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

India's sharp reaction came after receiving a note verbale from Pakistan's foreign ministry proposing to send supplies to Jammu & Kashmir

Terming Pakistan's proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir as 'absurd', India today strongly retorted that it along with others in the region have already received enough of "trademark exports" from that country including terrorism and infiltrators. India's sharp reaction came after it received a note verbale from Pakistan's foreign ministry on Friday proposing to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir. External affairs ministry "completely and categorically" rejected the communication from Pakistan. "A communication was apparently delivered to our High Commission in Islamabad on August 12. I can only characterise its contents that propose sending supplies to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as absurd," External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. "India and others in the region have already received enough of Pakistan's trademark exports -- international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency," he said. Earlier in the day, Pakistani high commissioner to India Abdul Basit made provocative statements over Kashmir and said his country will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state. India's reaction came on a day when Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of northernmost state Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier in the day, Pakistani high commissioner to India Abdul Basit made provocative statements over Kashmir and said his country will continue to extend full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of the state. Basit made the comments during the country's Independence Day celebrations at its embassy here. In Islamabad, President Mamnoon Hussain, while addressing a gathering at a flag hoisting ceremony, also raised the Kashmir issue, saying the country will continue to support Kashmiris in their bid for the right to self-determination. India and Pakistan have been engaged in a war of words over Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statements on the situation in Kashmir which has been witnessing unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Wani was described as a martyr by Pakistan, which has also tried to internationalise the Kashmir issue while India has been maintaining that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Valley is the root cause of the turbulence. (PTI)

'International terrorism', 'cross-border infiltration' are Pakistan's trademark exports, India says ?

Islamabad: As Pakistan celebrates its 70th Independence Day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday dedicated the day to the freedom movement in Kashmir. 
 
&quot;I dedicate this year`s 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir,&quot; the Express Tribune quoted Sharif as saying. 
 
An official release by the Prime Minister&#39;s house states the main Independence Day event will be a flag-hoisting ceremony in the federal capital, where President Mamnoon Hussain would address the nation. 
 
The flag-hoisting ceremonies would also be held in all provincial capitals and district headquarters.Sharif also paid homage to the martyrs, who have laid down their lives for the country. 
 
&quot;We remember all our martyrs from every segment of the state. They are in every political party, every field of life, every religion. They are all Pakistanis. They are individuals of one nation,&quot; he said. 
 
He also said that this 14th August also carried deep feelings of grief as the pain of Quetta`s martyrs is still fresh. 
 
Remembering Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he said that Pakistan`s creation was impossible without the former`s leadership. 
 
&quot;When we remember the Quaid, leaders and workers of Pakistan Movement, our hearts are enlightened with the memory people who have become immortal by sacrificing their lives for the country,&quot; he said. 
 
Meanwhile, President Mamnoon in his Independence Day message urged the nation to forge unity to secure a better and brighter future for the coming generations. 
 
&quot;We need to initiate the process of correction individually, then from homes and communities to derive more benefits and ensure the democratic values take root at the state, governmental and administrative levels to pave the way for a meaningful change,&quot; he said. 
 
Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali also extended heartiest felicitations to the countrymen.The day will finally dawn with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

The premier also remembered those who were martyred in Quetta recently

Islamabad: As Pakistan celebrates its 70th Independence Day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday dedicated the day to the freedom movement in Kashmir. "I dedicate this year`s 14th August to the freedom of Kashmir," the Express Tribune quoted Sharif as saying. An official release by the Prime Minister's house states the main Independence Day event will be a flag-hoisting ceremony in the federal capital, where President Mamnoon Hussain would address the nation. The flag-hoisting ceremonies would also be held in all provincial capitals and district headquarters.Sharif also paid homage to the martyrs, who have laid down their lives for the country. "We remember all our martyrs from every segment of the state. They are in every political party, every field of life, every religion. They are all Pakistanis. They are individuals of one nation," he said. He also said that this 14th August also carried deep feelings of grief as the pain of Quetta`s martyrs is still fresh. Remembering Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, he said that Pakistan`s creation was impossible without the former`s leadership. "When we remember the Quaid, leaders and workers of Pakistan Movement, our hearts are enlightened with the memory people who have become immortal by sacrificing their lives for the country," he said. Meanwhile, President Mamnoon in his Independence Day message urged the nation to forge unity to secure a better and brighter future for the coming generations. "We need to initiate the process of correction individually, then from homes and communities to derive more benefits and ensure the democratic values take root at the state, governmental and administrative levels to pave the way for a meaningful change," he said. Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali also extended heartiest felicitations to the countrymen.The day will finally dawn with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals. (ANI)

Pakistan PM Sharif dedicates Independence Day to 'Kashmir movement'

A video in support of slain Kashmir-based Hizbul Mujahideen&nbsp;commander Burhan Wani, who was killed by&nbsp;Indian security forces last month, is doing the rounds on social media.&nbsp; 
 
The recording shows 12 armed men raising pro-Burhan and anti-India slogans. 
 
The youth leading the group is seen walking in a forest, carrying a wireless set while the others that follow him are seen armed with assault rifles and&nbsp;rocket launchers. Dressed in army fatigues, the men appear to be in their 20s. Their accent, however,&nbsp;does not appear to be typically of a Kashmiri resident. 
 
?The group leader is videoed saying, &quot;This challenge (baazi) is a challenge of blood which you will lose. For each Burhan that you kill, every house will birth a Burhan.&quot; 
 
The suspected militant then introduces&nbsp;himself as Tayib Burhan. The remaining gunmen, who follow him in a single column, also introduce themselves,&nbsp;adding &#39;Burhan&#39; to their first names. They&nbsp;identify themselves as Ali, Irfan,&nbsp;Abdullah, Sultan, Saifullah, Rizwan, Amir, Aslam, Inam Roshan, Usman and Ahmed. 
 
A security official told dna they are yet to establish the origin of the video. 
 
This video surfaces less than a fortnight after a video of the new&nbsp;Hizbul Mujahideen&#39;s militant commander, who is known by the&nbsp;nom de guerre Mehmood Ghaznavi,&nbsp;and four of his associates was circulated on social media. 
 
&quot;Our focus is to restore the law and order situation in the Valley. We have taken notice of such videos appearing on social media. We will take appropriate action once the situation normalises,&quot; said the senior security official based in Srinagar. 
 
On July 8, militant leader Burhan Wani was killed in a fierce gunbattle with security forces of Indian-administered Kashmir. 
 
Azaan Javaid | DNA

The recording shows 12 armed men, armed with assault rifles and?rocket launchers, raising pro-Burhan and anti-India slogans

A video in support of slain Kashmir-based Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was killed by Indian security forces last month, is doing the rounds on social media. The recording shows 12 armed men raising pro-Burhan and anti-India slogans. The youth leading the group is seen walking in a forest, carrying a wireless set while the others that follow him are seen armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers. Dressed in army fatigues, the men appear to be in their 20s. Their accent, however, does not appear to be typically of a Kashmiri resident. ?The group leader is videoed saying, "This challenge (baazi) is a challenge of blood which you will lose. For each Burhan that you kill, every house will birth a Burhan." The suspected militant then introduces himself as Tayib Burhan. The remaining gunmen, who follow him in a single column, also introduce themselves, adding 'Burhan' to their first names. They identify themselves as Ali, Irfan, Abdullah, Sultan, Saifullah, Rizwan, Amir, Aslam, Inam Roshan, Usman and Ahmed. A security official told dna they are yet to establish the origin of the video. This video surfaces less than a fortnight after a video of the new Hizbul Mujahideen's militant commander, who is known by the nom de guerre Mehmood Ghaznavi, and four of his associates was circulated on social media. "Our focus is to restore the law and order situation in the Valley. We have taken notice of such videos appearing on social media. We will take appropriate action once the situation normalises," said the senior security official based in Srinagar. On July 8, militant leader Burhan Wani was killed in a fierce gunbattle with security forces of Indian-administered Kashmir. Azaan Javaid | DNA

Anti-India video supporting dead Kashmir terrorist Burhan Wani circulates on social media

Voicing concern over prolonged curfew, violence and loss of lives in Kashmir Valley, lower house of the Indian parliament (Lok Sabha) today unanimously passed a resolution, appealing for urgent steps to restore order and peace in the Valley while asserting that there can be no compromise with the country&#39;s integrity and security.&nbsp; 
 
In the resolution read out by the speaker, Sumitra Mahajan, the lower house appealed to all sections of the society in northernmost state, Jammu and Kashmir to restore the confidence among the people in general and youth in particular.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The house conveys its deep sense of anguish and concern over the loss of lives and critical injuries caused by the deteriorating situation,&quot; it said.&nbsp; 
 
Amid thumping of desks by members from all sides, the resolution asserted that the house &quot;is of the firm and considered view that there cannot be any compromise on unity, integrity and national security. 
 
&quot;It is equally an imperative that urgent steps are taken to restore order and peace for the alleviation of the sufferings of the people,&quot; it said.&nbsp; 
 
The resolution was read out by the speaker after opposition parties suggested that she instead of home minister Rajnath Singh should propose it.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier, leader of grand old party Congress Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that the house pass a resolution on Kashmir where the situation was turning complex and was deteriorating by the day. The House should appeal that the whole nation is united on the issue, Kharge said which was promptly agreed to by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier Congress chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia was seen having some discussions with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home minister, apparently over the issue of adopting the resolution. 
 
Earlier this week, the upper house (Rajya Sabha) too had passed a resolution expressing its serious concern over the prolonged turbulence, violence and curfew in the Kashmir valley.&nbsp; 
 
The Lok Sabha adopted the resolution unanimously shortly before the monsoon session was adjourned sine-die by the speaker. 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

The house said 'urgent steps need to be taken to restore order and peace for the alleviation of the sufferings of the people'

Voicing concern over prolonged curfew, violence and loss of lives in Kashmir Valley, lower house of the Indian parliament (Lok Sabha) today unanimously passed a resolution, appealing for urgent steps to restore order and peace in the Valley while asserting that there can be no compromise with the country's integrity and security. In the resolution read out by the speaker, Sumitra Mahajan, the lower house appealed to all sections of the society in northernmost state, Jammu and Kashmir to restore the confidence among the people in general and youth in particular. "The house conveys its deep sense of anguish and concern over the loss of lives and critical injuries caused by the deteriorating situation," it said. Amid thumping of desks by members from all sides, the resolution asserted that the house "is of the firm and considered view that there cannot be any compromise on unity, integrity and national security. "It is equally an imperative that urgent steps are taken to restore order and peace for the alleviation of the sufferings of the people," it said. The resolution was read out by the speaker after opposition parties suggested that she instead of home minister Rajnath Singh should propose it. Earlier, leader of grand old party Congress Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that the house pass a resolution on Kashmir where the situation was turning complex and was deteriorating by the day. The House should appeal that the whole nation is united on the issue, Kharge said which was promptly agreed to by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Earlier Congress chief whip Jyotiraditya Scindia was seen having some discussions with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home minister, apparently over the issue of adopting the resolution. Earlier this week, the upper house (Rajya Sabha) too had passed a resolution expressing its serious concern over the prolonged turbulence, violence and curfew in the Kashmir valley. The Lok Sabha adopted the resolution unanimously shortly before the monsoon session was adjourned sine-die by the speaker. (PTI)

Lower house of Indian Parliament passes resolution over Kashmir unrest, appeals for peace

A tarana (poem) eulogising killed Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani seems to have become a major concern for security forces posted in the most volatile parts of south Kashmir,in northern India, which has already been witnessing pitched battles between forces and local residents. 
 
The poem, a part of which was apparently written by the slain militant himself, has extra verses added to it by unknown locals who routinely play a recording of the same on loudspeakers installed in local mosques. 
 
Senior Indian security officials, currently facing a challenging job of arresting the protesters in the Valley that erupted following the killing of Burhan Wani, believe that poems such as these are being used as propaganda tool to encourage youth to confront forces violently. 
 
Recording of these poems have been playing in local mosques across the Valley as part of protest that erupted soon after the killing of the militant commander on July 8 
 
The author of the poem writes about the alleged atrocities witnessed by Kashmiri people and how Burhan is the &ldquo;Son of Kashmir&rdquo; who protects the Valley. 
 
Burhan Wani&rsquo;s father and his elder brother Khalid, who was also killed by security forces, also find a mention in the poem. 
 
Security officials believe that playing the &lsquo;taranas&rsquo;, with which Kashmiri youth seem to connect emotionally, is &ldquo;adding fuel to the fire&rdquo; and the fact that it is gaining popularity in south Kashmir is becoming a grave concern for forces on the ground. 
 
Using tarana&rsquo;s, said a senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer, is not new to the valley and was quite a common happening in early 90s when the valley was engulfed in full scale militancy. 
 
&ldquo;Loudspeakers were further used during the 2010 unrest to play recording of similar poems but this time around the problem has aggravated,&rdquo; the officer told dna adding that individuals are using social media to disseminate similar material. 
 
When asked whether the poem was in fact written by Burhan Wani himself, a senior security official said, &ldquo;Police had recovered some material from the militants that were killed on July 8 including weapons. 
 
Our main concern following such encounters is that the last rites are performed peacefully and without creating a law and order situation in the valley. Rest seems less important.&rdquo; 
 
Azaan Javaid/ DNA

Believed to be written by Wani, it has extra verses added to it by unknown locals who routinely play it on loudspeakers installed at mosques

A tarana (poem) eulogising killed Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani seems to have become a major concern for security forces posted in the most volatile parts of south Kashmir,in northern India, which has already been witnessing pitched battles between forces and local residents. The poem, a part of which was apparently written by the slain militant himself, has extra verses added to it by unknown locals who routinely play a recording of the same on loudspeakers installed in local mosques. Senior Indian security officials, currently facing a challenging job of arresting the protesters in the Valley that erupted following the killing of Burhan Wani, believe that poems such as these are being used as propaganda tool to encourage youth to confront forces violently. Recording of these poems have been playing in local mosques across the Valley as part of protest that erupted soon after the killing of the militant commander on July 8 The author of the poem writes about the alleged atrocities witnessed by Kashmiri people and how Burhan is the “Son of Kashmir” who protects the Valley. Burhan Wani’s father and his elder brother Khalid, who was also killed by security forces, also find a mention in the poem. Security officials believe that playing the ‘taranas’, with which Kashmiri youth seem to connect emotionally, is “adding fuel to the fire” and the fact that it is gaining popularity in south Kashmir is becoming a grave concern for forces on the ground. Using tarana’s, said a senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer, is not new to the valley and was quite a common happening in early 90s when the valley was engulfed in full scale militancy. “Loudspeakers were further used during the 2010 unrest to play recording of similar poems but this time around the problem has aggravated,” the officer told dna adding that individuals are using social media to disseminate similar material. When asked whether the poem was in fact written by Burhan Wani himself, a senior security official said, “Police had recovered some material from the militants that were killed on July 8 including weapons. Our main concern following such encounters is that the last rites are performed peacefully and without creating a law and order situation in the valley. Rest seems less important.” Azaan Javaid/ DNA

Dead Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's poem puts security forces in Kashmir on alert

A petrol bomb was hurled at the house of Naeem Akhtar, education minister of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, in Parraypora area of Srinagar city last night, police said today. 
 
No one was hurt in the attack that was carried out by unidentified persons.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;A petrol bomb was hurled at the residence of the education minister at Parraypora late last night, causing damage to the main gate of the house,&quot; a police official said.&nbsp; 
 
Akhtar and his wife were not present in the premises as they have shifted to high-security Gupkar Road after the PDP-BJP coalition government was sworn in March last year.&nbsp; 
 
A petrol bomb was also hurled at the office of Road and Buildings department at SDA colony in Bemina area of the city last night, the official said. He said no one was hurt in the incident. 
 
Kashmir valley remains gripped with tension after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter by security forces on July 8. More than 50 people have died and thousands have been injured in the ensuing protests.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

No one was hurt in the attack that was carried out by unidentified persons, officials said

A petrol bomb was hurled at the house of Naeem Akhtar, education minister of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, in Parraypora area of Srinagar city last night, police said today. No one was hurt in the attack that was carried out by unidentified persons. "A petrol bomb was hurled at the residence of the education minister at Parraypora late last night, causing damage to the main gate of the house," a police official said. Akhtar and his wife were not present in the premises as they have shifted to high-security Gupkar Road after the PDP-BJP coalition government was sworn in March last year. A petrol bomb was also hurled at the office of Road and Buildings department at SDA colony in Bemina area of the city last night, the official said. He said no one was hurt in the incident. Kashmir valley remains gripped with tension after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter by security forces on July 8. More than 50 people have died and thousands have been injured in the ensuing protests. (PTI)

India: Petrol bomb hurled at education minister's home in Jammu and Kashmir

Turkey, a close ally of Pakistan, today hoped that the Kashmir issue would be resolved through dialogue, while backing Islamabad&#39;s stance to send an Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) team to the Valley to probe the alleged human rights violations. 
 
&quot;Turkey fully supports Pakistan&#39;s position on Jammu and Kashmir,&quot; Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a joint press conference here with Pakistan prime minister&#39;s advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz. 
 
Cavusoglu said Turkey is an active member of the OIC contact group of Kashmir and attends its meeting. Hopefully its next meeting would be held in September, he said. 
 
&quot;I would like to ask the secretary general of the OIC to mobilise the contact group and send an observer mission. We believe this issue (Kashmir) can be solved through dialogue,&quot; he said. 
 
Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue at the UN, and demanded sending a fact finding team to the valley to probe the alleged human rights violations there.&nbsp;Forty-nine people have been killed in Kashmir in clashes since security forces killed Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8. 
 
Cavusoglu, who is in Pakistan on an important visit after a failed military coup, thanked Islamabad for being the first country to denounce the coup attempt.&nbsp;He said Turkey was taking steps against those involved in the coup staged by supporters of US-based influential Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen. 
 
He said Gulen&#39;s organisations pose a risk or threat to the security and stability of every country. 
 
&quot;This terrorist organisation has a global network of schools, business associations and cultural organisations. In the past, we supported them but we didn&#39;t know they had a hidden agenda, that they were trying to take over power in Turkey through such attempts,&quot; he said. 
 
He said that Pakistan and Turkey supported each other against terrorism.&nbsp;On his part, Aziz pledged Pakistan&#39;s unequivocal support for a democratic, peaceful and stable Turkey under the dynamic leadership of President Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
He noted with satisfaction that both sides have agreed to continue to tackle the menace of terrorism and defeat the scourge. The two sides also exchanged views on situation in Afghanistan and the need for a lasting political solution. 
 
Aziz said the two countries share similar views on the migration crisis and the plight of Syrian refugees. He said Pakistan and Turkey host the largest refugee population in the world. 
 
(PTI)

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu extended his support in a press conference in Islamabad

Turkey, a close ally of Pakistan, today hoped that the Kashmir issue would be resolved through dialogue, while backing Islamabad's stance to send an Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) team to the Valley to probe the alleged human rights violations. "Turkey fully supports Pakistan's position on Jammu and Kashmir," Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a joint press conference here with Pakistan prime minister's advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz. Cavusoglu said Turkey is an active member of the OIC contact group of Kashmir and attends its meeting. Hopefully its next meeting would be held in September, he said. "I would like to ask the secretary general of the OIC to mobilise the contact group and send an observer mission. We believe this issue (Kashmir) can be solved through dialogue," he said. Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue at the UN, and demanded sending a fact finding team to the valley to probe the alleged human rights violations there. Forty-nine people have been killed in Kashmir in clashes since security forces killed Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Cavusoglu, who is in Pakistan on an important visit after a failed military coup, thanked Islamabad for being the first country to denounce the coup attempt. He said Turkey was taking steps against those involved in the coup staged by supporters of US-based influential Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen. He said Gulen's organisations pose a risk or threat to the security and stability of every country. "This terrorist organisation has a global network of schools, business associations and cultural organisations. In the past, we supported them but we didn't know they had a hidden agenda, that they were trying to take over power in Turkey through such attempts," he said. He said that Pakistan and Turkey supported each other against terrorism. On his part, Aziz pledged Pakistan's unequivocal support for a democratic, peaceful and stable Turkey under the dynamic leadership of President Tayyip Erdogan. He noted with satisfaction that both sides have agreed to continue to tackle the menace of terrorism and defeat the scourge. The two sides also exchanged views on situation in Afghanistan and the need for a lasting political solution. Aziz said the two countries share similar views on the migration crisis and the plight of Syrian refugees. He said Pakistan and Turkey host the largest refugee population in the world. (PTI)

Turkey backs Pakistan's stand on Jammu and Kashmir

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Pakistan as per schedule, sources at the ministry of external affairs said today. This is despite Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed&#39;s warning of a countrywide protest by his outfit. 
 
Singh is scheduled to visit Pakistan on August 3, to attend a SAARC ministerial conference. 
 
Accusing Singh of being &quot;responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris&quot;, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan if the Indian minister travels to the country.&nbsp;Sources, however, said, &quot;The visit is on track. India attains highest priority to SAARC. The visit is strictly to abide by our SAARC commitments.&quot;&nbsp;They also said that the host country (Pakistan) is responsible for the home minister&#39;s security. 
 
The alleged mastermind of the 2008 terror attack in western city of Mumbai in a statement said, &quot;If Singh comes to Islamabad on August 3, the JuD would hold countrywide protest to tell the world that the Pakistani rulers might have compulsions to receive Kashmiris&#39; killers, but the people of Pakistan are siding with oppressed Kashmiris.&quot; 
 
&quot;I want to ask the Pakistani government will it add insult to injury to the wounds of Kashmiris by welcoming Rajnath who is responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;It will be ironical, as on the one hand the whole Pakistani nation is protesting against the Indian atrocities in Kashmir, and on the other hand the Pakistani rulers will be garlanding Singh,&quot; said the statement . 
 
External affairs ministry has also made it clear that there will be no bilateral meeting between Singh and Pakistani leaders during his visit on August 3 and 4. 
 
India and Pakistan are witnessing growing bitterness after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani&#39;s killing on July 8. 
 
Not only did Sharif praise Wani but he also remarked that &quot;Kashmir will one day become Pakistan&quot;, a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country &quot;will not be realised even at the end of eternity&quot;. 
 
Further needling India, Pakistan has demanded an independent inquiry into the &quot;extrajudicial&quot; killing of Wani, and claimed that the denial of &quot;plebiscite&quot; to Kashmiri people was behind the flare-up in the Valley. 
 
(DNA)

Singh will be travelling to Pakistan as per schedule, despite JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's warnings of a countrywide protest by his outfit

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh will be travelling to Pakistan as per schedule, sources at the ministry of external affairs said today. This is despite Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's warning of a countrywide protest by his outfit. Singh is scheduled to visit Pakistan on August 3, to attend a SAARC ministerial conference. Accusing Singh of being "responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris", JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan if the Indian minister travels to the country. Sources, however, said, "The visit is on track. India attains highest priority to SAARC. The visit is strictly to abide by our SAARC commitments." They also said that the host country (Pakistan) is responsible for the home minister's security. The alleged mastermind of the 2008 terror attack in western city of Mumbai in a statement said, "If Singh comes to Islamabad on August 3, the JuD would hold countrywide protest to tell the world that the Pakistani rulers might have compulsions to receive Kashmiris' killers, but the people of Pakistan are siding with oppressed Kashmiris." "I want to ask the Pakistani government will it add insult to injury to the wounds of Kashmiris by welcoming Rajnath who is responsible for the killings of innocent Kashmiris," he said. "It will be ironical, as on the one hand the whole Pakistani nation is protesting against the Indian atrocities in Kashmir, and on the other hand the Pakistani rulers will be garlanding Singh," said the statement . External affairs ministry has also made it clear that there will be no bilateral meeting between Singh and Pakistani leaders during his visit on August 3 and 4. India and Pakistan are witnessing growing bitterness after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani's killing on July 8. Not only did Sharif praise Wani but he also remarked that "Kashmir will one day become Pakistan", a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country "will not be realised even at the end of eternity". Further needling India, Pakistan has demanded an independent inquiry into the "extrajudicial" killing of Wani, and claimed that the denial of "plebiscite" to Kashmiri people was behind the flare-up in the Valley. (DNA)

SAARC summit: 'Pakistan responsible for Indian home minister Rajnath Singh's security'

Massive protests erupted across Pakistan-controlled Kashmir as people hit the streets against the recent elections, which they claimed were rigged by the winning Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). 
 
The PML-N was declared winner in 32 out of the 41 seats for the elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, held on July 21. 
 
Protesters blocked the traffic and burnt tyres as they staged protests in Muzaffarabad. All commercial establishments also remained shut in cities as protesters held demonstrations outside government buildings. 
 
Various incidents of violence were also reported from across the region as supporters of political parties clashed with each other. 
 
&quot;After rigging elections, they are now indulging in widespread propaganda and killing. They have killed our friend. If the authorities fail to take any action, they will be responsible for any future incident,&quot; said a party worker of Muslim Conference on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
The protesters alleged that genuine voters were not allowed to cast their votes during the elections and the country&#39;s intelligence services rigged the polls in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s party. 
 
&quot;The election commission should suspend everyone. They have stooped to such low levels. We suggest everyone not to indulge in any violence, but now when they have started (the violence), we will reply back for sure,&quot; said a local, Raza Mansoor. 
 
The PML-N had fielded 38 candidates in the elections, while the Pakistan People&#39;s Party (PPP) had contested elections on all 41 seats. Imran Khan&#39;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had contested elections in 32 constituencies. 
 
The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir was split between India and Pakistan in 1948, after they fought a brief war over it. It remains at the heart of animosity between the nuclear-armed neighbours. 
 
The win by Sharif&#39;s party in the region is seen to not have any direct bearing on Pakistan&#39;s stand on the Kashmir dispute or on its dealings with India. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Various incidents of violence were also reported from across the region as supporters of political parties clashed with each-other

Massive protests erupted across Pakistan-controlled Kashmir as people hit the streets against the recent elections, which they claimed were rigged by the winning Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The PML-N was declared winner in 32 out of the 41 seats for the elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, held on July 21. Protesters blocked the traffic and burnt tyres as they staged protests in Muzaffarabad. All commercial establishments also remained shut in cities as protesters held demonstrations outside government buildings. Various incidents of violence were also reported from across the region as supporters of political parties clashed with each other. "After rigging elections, they are now indulging in widespread propaganda and killing. They have killed our friend. If the authorities fail to take any action, they will be responsible for any future incident," said a party worker of Muslim Conference on Tuesday. The protesters alleged that genuine voters were not allowed to cast their votes during the elections and the country's intelligence services rigged the polls in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party. "The election commission should suspend everyone. They have stooped to such low levels. We suggest everyone not to indulge in any violence, but now when they have started (the violence), we will reply back for sure," said a local, Raza Mansoor. The PML-N had fielded 38 candidates in the elections, while the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had contested elections on all 41 seats. Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had contested elections in 32 constituencies. The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir was split between India and Pakistan in 1948, after they fought a brief war over it. It remains at the heart of animosity between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The win by Sharif's party in the region is seen to not have any direct bearing on Pakistan's stand on the Kashmir dispute or on its dealings with India. (Reuters)

Pakistan-controlled Kashmir erupts into protests over 'rigged elections'

Authorities lifted a curfew in summer capital of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir today after 17 days of lockdown, but protesters continued to clash with police in the main city of Indian-administered Kashmir following two weeks of deadly violence. 
 
&quot;There will be no restrictions in any part of district Srinagar today on 26 July,&quot; top administrative official Farooq Ahmad Lone said in a statement. 
 
It was unclear whether the lifting of the curfew was simply a temporary move to allow angry protesters some release, or if the relaxation of restrictions would continue. 
 
Mobile and internet networks remained suspended in Srinagar and across the restive territory, while a curfew was still in force in southern areas, where most of the 50 deaths have occurred. 
 
Hundreds of angry residents rallied in the city today to protest against Indian rule, shouting slogans for freedom and clashing with police who fired tear gas canisters to disperse them, a witness said. 
 
Shops, schools and businesses remained shut in the city while vehicles were off the roads. 
 
Separatist leaders opposed to Indian rule of the disputed territory have extended an ongoing strike to Saturday, but have appealed to shopkeepers to open for a few hours each day to allow people to buy essential supplies. 
 
&quot;We will open shops after 2:00 pm,&quot; Umer Ahmed, a shopkeeper in the old quarter of Srinagar told AFP. 
 
The unrest was triggered by the killing on July 8 of a 21 years old young rebel leader Burhan Wani in a gunfight with soldiers. 
The wide-scale protests in the region have also left thousands injured. 
 
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the rivals won independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full. 
 
Several rebel groups, including Wani&#39;s Hizbul Mujahideen, have fought for decades an estimated 500,000 Indian troops deployed in the territory, demanding independence or its merger with Pakistan. 
 
Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

It was unclear whether the lifting of the curfew was simply a temporary move to allow angry protesters some release

Authorities lifted a curfew in summer capital of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir today after 17 days of lockdown, but protesters continued to clash with police in the main city of Indian-administered Kashmir following two weeks of deadly violence. "There will be no restrictions in any part of district Srinagar today on 26 July," top administrative official Farooq Ahmad Lone said in a statement. It was unclear whether the lifting of the curfew was simply a temporary move to allow angry protesters some release, or if the relaxation of restrictions would continue. Mobile and internet networks remained suspended in Srinagar and across the restive territory, while a curfew was still in force in southern areas, where most of the 50 deaths have occurred. Hundreds of angry residents rallied in the city today to protest against Indian rule, shouting slogans for freedom and clashing with police who fired tear gas canisters to disperse them, a witness said. Shops, schools and businesses remained shut in the city while vehicles were off the roads. Separatist leaders opposed to Indian rule of the disputed territory have extended an ongoing strike to Saturday, but have appealed to shopkeepers to open for a few hours each day to allow people to buy essential supplies. "We will open shops after 2:00 pm," Umer Ahmed, a shopkeeper in the old quarter of Srinagar told AFP. The unrest was triggered by the killing on July 8 of a 21 years old young rebel leader Burhan Wani in a gunfight with soldiers. The wide-scale protests in the region have also left thousands injured. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the rivals won independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full. Several rebel groups, including Wani's Hizbul Mujahideen, have fought for decades an estimated 500,000 Indian troops deployed in the territory, demanding independence or its merger with Pakistan. Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting. (AFP)

India: Curfew lifted in Srinagar after 17 days of lockdown, clashes continue

In the midst of massive outburst, men and women, young and old, are out on roads. Slogans from the loudspeaker of nearby mosques fill the air.&nbsp;Young boys man the highway enforcing a strike called by &#39;pro-freedom&#39; camps.&nbsp; 
 
Gripped with unrest for more than two weeks, South Kashmir in India&#39;s northernmost state, Jammu and Kashmir, is angry and mourning.&nbsp; 
 
Amid this anger, a small hamlet in Kokernag area, between a dense cover of poplar and willow trees, is as silent as a grave. This &#39;unnerving&#39; silence in Bemdoora village is not usual for the inhabitants, they say.&nbsp; 
 
Dozen homes burnt down in frenzy&nbsp; 
 
Two weeks after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed here with two other rebels,&nbsp;the residents of this rural neighbourhood,&nbsp;nearly 80 km from state&#39;s summer capital Srinagar, are living in constant fear.&nbsp; 
 
Close to a dozen homes have already been burnt down in a frenzy that erupted against some locals of Bemdoora for allegedly informing the police about the whereabouts of the three armed militants in the area. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/burhan%204-20160725084539.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
One of the homes in the hamlet that bore the wrath of protesters.
</div>
Following the gunfight on July 8 where Wani was killed, hundreds have come to the the hamlet to show contempt against the locals rather than empathy, holding them &quot;responsible&quot; for the encounter.&nbsp; 
 
Farooq Ahmad&#39;s home, where Wani and two others were shot down by security forces, was the first to be burned down by hundreds of angry protesters, who alleged that Farooq tipped off the police about them hiding in the area.&nbsp; 
 
Farooq, the maternal uncle of one of Wani&#39;s associates, Sartaj Ahmad, has left the village along with his family. 
 
The smoke still emanates from a spilled rice mound set on fire here, while the walls of granaries have already crumbled. People have vented out their anger by damaging these homes. &nbsp; 
 
&#39;Encounter did not last long&#39;&nbsp; 
 
According to a local, the gunfight between the militants and security forces did not last too long after the area was cordoned off on July 8. 
 
&ldquo;We heard a few gun shots, and within 10 minutes, the three were killed,&rdquo; he said, asking not to be named. Fearing a further backlash, the villagers are living in dread. Others hope to reason with the protesters to not damage properties further.&nbsp; 
 
Ghulam Qadir, along with many other locals, however, confesses no one in the locality had any idea about the presence of the armed militants in the area and said that people should wait until the facts are laid bare.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;We request people and Hurriyat leaders to tell others, especially people living in areas near this village, to be calm and patient,&rdquo; Qadir appeals.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/kash1-20160723041103.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Kashmir valley has been gripped with tension following Wani&#39;s death.
</div>
As many as 6,000 apple trees have been destroyed inside an orchard, spread over nearly 10-acre, close to where Burhan was killed.&nbsp; 
 
Fayaz Ahmad, an employee at the orchard, says they were beaten up by an angry mob that believed the property belonged to state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;We pleaded before them that it is not owned by any minister, but they did not listen and destroyed everything, even setting our living quarters on fire,&rdquo; Fayaz says.&nbsp; 
 
Outside the village, a few young boys say they firmly believe that Farooq&#39;s family was involved in the encounter. &ldquo;Otherwise, there is no reason why it couldn&rsquo;t have lasted longer,&rdquo; they say.&nbsp; 
 
After Wani&#39;s killing, more than 50 have been killed and about 4,000 have been left injured in the widespread chaos that enveloped Kashmir valley over the past 15 days.&nbsp; 
 
Close to a hundred have been blinded in pellet firing. The separatist camp, fighting for Kashmir&#39;s independence, have issued a protest and strike calendar for people to follow till July 29.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)

Mobs from neighbouring areas attacked the Kokernag village after rumours that they had tipped-off police about Wani's hideout

In the midst of massive outburst, men and women, young and old, are out on roads. Slogans from the loudspeaker of nearby mosques fill the air. Young boys man the highway enforcing a strike called by 'pro-freedom' camps. Gripped with unrest for more than two weeks, South Kashmir in India's northernmost state, Jammu and Kashmir, is angry and mourning. Amid this anger, a small hamlet in Kokernag area, between a dense cover of poplar and willow trees, is as silent as a grave. This 'unnerving' silence in Bemdoora village is not usual for the inhabitants, they say. Dozen homes burnt down in frenzy Two weeks after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed here with two other rebels, the residents of this rural neighbourhood, nearly 80 km from state's summer capital Srinagar, are living in constant fear. Close to a dozen homes have already been burnt down in a frenzy that erupted against some locals of Bemdoora for allegedly informing the police about the whereabouts of the three armed militants in the area. One of the homes in the hamlet that bore the wrath of protesters. Following the gunfight on July 8 where Wani was killed, hundreds have come to the the hamlet to show contempt against the locals rather than empathy, holding them "responsible" for the encounter. Farooq Ahmad's home, where Wani and two others were shot down by security forces, was the first to be burned down by hundreds of angry protesters, who alleged that Farooq tipped off the police about them hiding in the area. Farooq, the maternal uncle of one of Wani's associates, Sartaj Ahmad, has left the village along with his family. The smoke still emanates from a spilled rice mound set on fire here, while the walls of granaries have already crumbled. People have vented out their anger by damaging these homes. 'Encounter did not last long' According to a local, the gunfight between the militants and security forces did not last too long after the area was cordoned off on July 8. “We heard a few gun shots, and within 10 minutes, the three were killed,” he said, asking not to be named. Fearing a further backlash, the villagers are living in dread. Others hope to reason with the protesters to not damage properties further. Ghulam Qadir, along with many other locals, however, confesses no one in the locality had any idea about the presence of the armed militants in the area and said that people should wait until the facts are laid bare. “We request people and Hurriyat leaders to tell others, especially people living in areas near this village, to be calm and patient,” Qadir appeals. Kashmir valley has been gripped with tension following Wani's death. As many as 6,000 apple trees have been destroyed inside an orchard, spread over nearly 10-acre, close to where Burhan was killed. Fayaz Ahmad, an employee at the orchard, says they were beaten up by an angry mob that believed the property belonged to state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. “We pleaded before them that it is not owned by any minister, but they did not listen and destroyed everything, even setting our living quarters on fire,” Fayaz says. Outside the village, a few young boys say they firmly believe that Farooq's family was involved in the encounter. “Otherwise, there is no reason why it couldn’t have lasted longer,” they say. After Wani's killing, more than 50 have been killed and about 4,000 have been left injured in the widespread chaos that enveloped Kashmir valley over the past 15 days. Close to a hundred have been blinded in pellet firing. The separatist camp, fighting for Kashmir's independence, have issued a protest and strike calendar for people to follow till July 29. (WION)

Branded 'informers', Kashmir village Burhan Wani was slain in lives in terror

Asserting that the relations between India and Pakistan were at its best during the regime of former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, north Indian state Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s chief minister Mehbooba Mufti today said encouraging the youngsters to take up arms in Kashmir reflected &#39;hypocrisy&#39; on the part of Islamabad. 
 
Mehbooba, who met Indian interior minister Minister Rajnath Singh today, thanked the doctors and other personnel working round the clock to bring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir back to normal. 
 
&quot;Today India as well as Pakistan has an opportunity to talk and discuss. But they shouldn&#39;t tell their children that if you take up guns and die, we will salute you. I think this is hypocrisy. They torture those who take up guns and teach some other lesson to our children. I believe this is wrong and this shouldn&#39;t happen,&quot; Mufti told ANI. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Thankful to the doctors and others who r&nbsp;trying round-the-clock to bring back normalcy in the state: J&amp;K CM <a href="https://t.co/b1Z5ouhFqp">pic.twitter.com/b1Z5ouhFqp</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757157683699060736">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Hypocrisy. Country (Pak) that punishes children who take up gun in their country but glorifies youth taking up gun in Kashmir: J&amp;K CM
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757156924945231872">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: J&amp;K CM Mehbooba Mufti expresses her displeasure over glorification of Kashmiri youth who take up guns by Pak<a href="https://t.co/G9R9ltVJhS">https://t.co/G9R9ltVJhS</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757169035016441856">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
She said everybody takes the problem of Jammu and Kashmir seriously only when the situation is bad. 
 
&quot;When the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is bad, we think about finding a solution. But when the situation becomes normal, we forget about it. This is the reason why Mufti ji (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) took two months to form the government with the BJP. He created an agenda of alliance that this is the way if you have to take out Jammu and Kashmir from the problem,&quot; she said. 
 
Expressing grief over loss of lives in Kashmir violence in the aftermath of terrorist Burhan Wani`s killing, Mehbooba said the confident building measures must continue. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
Pak needs to change this policy of theirs.Imp to start dialogue,confident building measures b/w the 2 nations-J&amp;K CM <a href="https://t.co/9UOW92dend">pic.twitter.com/9UOW92dend</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/757151455967141888">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
 
&quot;It is unfortunately not for the first time that there is such an atmosphere here. Many civilians and police personnel have died. Confidence building measures started, but later it stopped. The best period was 2002 when Mufti Government was formed here and Vajpayee Government was formed in New Delhi,&quot; she said. 
 
Mufti further said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met&nbsp;Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by visiting Lahore &#39;but unfortunately the dialogue process got stalled after Pathankot&#39;. 
 
Authorities today lifted the ongoing curfew from four districts of Ganderbal, Badgam, Bandipora and Baramulla in the Kashmir valley as the law and order situation showed marginal improvement. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Mufti said Pakistan punishes its children who take up guns in their country, but hypocritically glorifies Kashmiri youth taking up arms

Asserting that the relations between India and Pakistan were at its best during the regime of former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, north Indian state Jammu and Kashmir's chief minister Mehbooba Mufti today said encouraging the youngsters to take up arms in Kashmir reflected 'hypocrisy' on the part of Islamabad. Mehbooba, who met Indian interior minister Minister Rajnath Singh today, thanked the doctors and other personnel working round the clock to bring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir back to normal. "Today India as well as Pakistan has an opportunity to talk and discuss. But they shouldn't tell their children that if you take up guns and die, we will salute you. I think this is hypocrisy. They torture those who take up guns and teach some other lesson to our children. I believe this is wrong and this shouldn't happen," Mufti told ANI. Thankful to the doctors and others who r trying round-the-clock to bring back normalcy in the state: J&K CM pic.twitter.com/b1Z5ouhFqp — ANI (@ANI_news) July 24, 2016 Hypocrisy. Country (Pak) that punishes children who take up gun in their country but glorifies youth taking up gun in Kashmir: J&K CM — ANI (@ANI_news) July 24, 2016 #WATCH: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti expresses her displeasure over glorification of Kashmiri youth who take up guns by Pakhttps://t.co/G9R9ltVJhS — ANI (@ANI_news) July 24, 2016 She said everybody takes the problem of Jammu and Kashmir seriously only when the situation is bad. "When the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is bad, we think about finding a solution. But when the situation becomes normal, we forget about it. This is the reason why Mufti ji (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) took two months to form the government with the BJP. He created an agenda of alliance that this is the way if you have to take out Jammu and Kashmir from the problem," she said. Expressing grief over loss of lives in Kashmir violence in the aftermath of terrorist Burhan Wani`s killing, Mehbooba said the confident building measures must continue. Pak needs to change this policy of theirs.Imp to start dialogue,confident building measures b/w the 2 nations-J&K CM pic.twitter.com/9UOW92dend — ANI (@ANI_news) July 24, 2016 "It is unfortunately not for the first time that there is such an atmosphere here. Many civilians and police personnel have died. Confidence building measures started, but later it stopped. The best period was 2002 when Mufti Government was formed here and Vajpayee Government was formed in New Delhi," she said. Mufti further said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by visiting Lahore 'but unfortunately the dialogue process got stalled after Pathankot'. Authorities today lifted the ongoing curfew from four districts of Ganderbal, Badgam, Bandipora and Baramulla in the Kashmir valley as the law and order situation showed marginal improvement. (ANI)

Encouraging Kashmiri youth to take up arms reflects Pakistan's 'hypocrisy': Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh today began his two-day Kashmir visit to give a healing touch to the restive Valley, with two trade bodies boycotting him. Curfew was lifted from four districts and parts of Srinagar town but remained in force in other areas as a precautionary measure. 
 
Barring stray incidents of stone-pelting, the first day of Singh&#39;s visit to the northern most state of the country passed off peacefully. 
 
Kashmir has been on a boil for several days after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8 in an encounter with security forces.&nbsp; 
 
As he took stock of the situation in the valley, Singh met BJP ministers in the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government in the state, including deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh. A group of Muslim clerics also met Singh at the high-security Nehru Guest House. A delegation of Shikarawalas and houseboat owners also called on the home minister and apprised him of their problems. 
 
A home ministry release said Singh would meet Governor N N Vohra and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti later today. Mehbooba was away meeting families of those killed in action by security forces when Singh arrived here. 
 
Trade bodies boycot home minister&#39;s visit&nbsp; 
 
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), two major representative trade bodies in the Valley, decided not to meet the home minister, saying such exercises in the past have been futile. 
 
Meanwhile, curfew was lifted from Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam and Ganderbal districts and some parts of Srinagar city in view of the improving situation in these areas, a police official said. 
 
The official, however, said restrictions on assembly of four or more people under Section 144 CrPC will continue in the areas where curfew has been lifted. He said curfew remained in force in Anantnag, Kulgam, Kupwara, Pulwama and Shopian districts of the Valley and eight police station areas of the city. 
 
Singh is scheduled to hold meetings with state government officials, political leaders and others during his two-day stay. However, representatives of the two trade bodies, who were to meet him today, decided to boycott him. 
 
Meanwhile, two senior police officers have been transferred from South Kashmir range, which was among the worst affected areas hit by violence following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Wani. 
 
Senior IPS officer Ghulam Hassan Bhat has been posted as DIG South Kashmir range, replacing Nitish Kumar, a government spokesman said. 
 
He said SSP Anantnag Abdul Jabbar was also transfered and replaced by SSP Traffic (Rural) Zubair. 
 
The KEA, in an open letter to the Home Minister, said while they could understand the urgency for his visit to Kashmir for assessing the situation, &quot;we also can esily determine the futility of this exercise.&quot; 
 
In the hard-hitting letter, the trade body accused the Union ministers of showing &quot;arrogance and hostility&quot; to the people of the Valley about whose problems they had &quot;no real knowledge&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Barring stray incidents of stone-pelting, the first day of Rajnath Singh's visit passed off peacefully?

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh today began his two-day Kashmir visit to give a healing touch to the restive Valley, with two trade bodies boycotting him. Curfew was lifted from four districts and parts of Srinagar town but remained in force in other areas as a precautionary measure. Barring stray incidents of stone-pelting, the first day of Singh's visit to the northern most state of the country passed off peacefully. Kashmir has been on a boil for several days after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8 in an encounter with security forces. As he took stock of the situation in the valley, Singh met BJP ministers in the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government in the state, including deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh. A group of Muslim clerics also met Singh at the high-security Nehru Guest House. A delegation of Shikarawalas and houseboat owners also called on the home minister and apprised him of their problems. A home ministry release said Singh would meet Governor N N Vohra and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti later today. Mehbooba was away meeting families of those killed in action by security forces when Singh arrived here. Trade bodies boycot home minister's visit Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), two major representative trade bodies in the Valley, decided not to meet the home minister, saying such exercises in the past have been futile. Meanwhile, curfew was lifted from Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam and Ganderbal districts and some parts of Srinagar city in view of the improving situation in these areas, a police official said. The official, however, said restrictions on assembly of four or more people under Section 144 CrPC will continue in the areas where curfew has been lifted. He said curfew remained in force in Anantnag, Kulgam, Kupwara, Pulwama and Shopian districts of the Valley and eight police station areas of the city. Singh is scheduled to hold meetings with state government officials, political leaders and others during his two-day stay. However, representatives of the two trade bodies, who were to meet him today, decided to boycott him. Meanwhile, two senior police officers have been transferred from South Kashmir range, which was among the worst affected areas hit by violence following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Wani. Senior IPS officer Ghulam Hassan Bhat has been posted as DIG South Kashmir range, replacing Nitish Kumar, a government spokesman said. He said SSP Anantnag Abdul Jabbar was also transfered and replaced by SSP Traffic (Rural) Zubair. The KEA, in an open letter to the Home Minister, said while they could understand the urgency for his visit to Kashmir for assessing the situation, "we also can esily determine the futility of this exercise." In the hard-hitting letter, the trade body accused the Union ministers of showing "arrogance and hostility" to the people of the Valley about whose problems they had "no real knowledge". (PTI)

Curfew lifted in parts of violence-hit Kashmir as Indian home minister begins his two-day visit?

The Supreme Court in India will next week hear the plea seeking direction for Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra to take over the administration of the country&#39;s northern most state in the interest of security, safety and fundamental rights of the Indian citizens residing in the Valley. 
 
The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, a local political party, had filed the petition in the apex court seeking direction for the governor to intervene under section 92 of the constitution of the state and take over the administration. 
 
The petition also says that the state governor may also be directed to dissolve the assembly of the state, which has failed to discharge its duties and functions which is evident from the present situation. Meanwhile, the state government may be directed to lift ban on the movement of the pilgrims to the holy shrine of Shri Amarnath cave in the valley. 
 
The top court directed the state and central government to ensure safety and security of all citizens of India residing in Jammu and Kashmir at all costs. 
 
Yesterday, in the wake of the prevailing situation in violence-hit Kashmir, General Secretary of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), the politcial party ruling at the centre, Ram Madhav called on Vohra and discussed recent developments in the Valley, a day after he met Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. 
 
The Valley has erupted into violent protests after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The petition filed by a local political party accuses state government of failing to discharge its duties in violence-hit Kashmir

The Supreme Court in India will next week hear the plea seeking direction for Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra to take over the administration of the country's northern most state in the interest of security, safety and fundamental rights of the Indian citizens residing in the Valley. The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, a local political party, had filed the petition in the apex court seeking direction for the governor to intervene under section 92 of the constitution of the state and take over the administration. The petition also says that the state governor may also be directed to dissolve the assembly of the state, which has failed to discharge its duties and functions which is evident from the present situation. Meanwhile, the state government may be directed to lift ban on the movement of the pilgrims to the holy shrine of Shri Amarnath cave in the valley. The top court directed the state and central government to ensure safety and security of all citizens of India residing in Jammu and Kashmir at all costs. Yesterday, in the wake of the prevailing situation in violence-hit Kashmir, General Secretary of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), the politcial party ruling at the centre, Ram Madhav called on Vohra and discussed recent developments in the Valley, a day after he met Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The Valley has erupted into violent protests after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. (ANI)

In wake of Kashmir unrest, top court in India to hear plea for governor's rule next week

Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed today said he had received a call from Asiya Andrabi, the founder of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, seeking his help to resolve what she called the crisis in India&#39;s northern state of Kashmir. Addressing a rally here, Saeed said, &quot;The way Indian security forces are engaged in bloodshed in Kashmir, my sister Asiya Andrabi cried for 15 minutes and told me over phone that my brothers where are you?&quot; 
 
&quot;I am telling my sister Asiya that my sister, we are coming. This act of violence will come to end and nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent,&quot; he added. Saeed further said that he had also received a call from Burhan Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen militant), wherein he had said, &quot;His (Wanis) last wish was to talk to me (Saeed)&quot;. 
 
&quot;Few days before his death, Burhan Wani told me over a phone that it was my desire to talk with you. Now my desire has been fulfilled, and now, I am waiting for martyrdom,&quot; said Saeed in an event organized to express solidarity with both Andrabi and Wani. 
 
&quot;I want to assure the people of Kashmir that if you are in the field, we are also with you,&quot; said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader. He also warned India that this was its last chance to accept separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani&#39;s four-point formula on Kashmir and to withdraw security forces from the valley, else the decision will be taken in battlefield. 
 
&quot;We have to give a message to India to stop and withdraw forces and accept Geelani&#39;s four-point formula immediately, because, this is the last chance, and hereafter, the matter will be decided in the battlefield,&quot; said Saeed. 
 
The Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader organised a procession from Lahore to Islamabad. It comprised of trucks and buses, stretched for several kilometers, and passed through many cities, including Gujaranwala, Jhelum and Gujarat. 
 
His rallies were attended by federal ministers and religious leaders of various organisations. The Pakistan Government&#39;s direct links with Hafiz Saeed has been further exposed by Islamabad allowing him to lead an anti-India rally on the Kashmir issue.&nbsp; 
 
Saeed led a Pakistan Government call to Observe July 19 as a Black Day, apparently to draw attention to the &quot;burning issue of Kashmir.&quot; The Obama Administration has been taken aback by this event. 
 
The US has designated both the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as foreign terrorist organisations. Saeed has also been listed by the UN Security Council&#39;s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.&nbsp; 
 
South Asia watchers in Washington say that by allowing a terrorist to take up a government sponsored cause the Pakistan Government has bared its selective approach towards terrorism. When banned outfits are allowed to openly hold rallies in Pakistan at the behest of the Government the allegations about Pakistan using terror as state policy appears to gain ground. 
 
Experts say had Pakistan banned Saeed from holding this rally and had instead placed someone else in charge of the July 19 protests then that would have been understandable.&nbsp;The question arises why Saeed, is it because he is a terror asset which the state cannot do without, wonder South Asia analysts. They question is Saeed so important that Islamabad is risking an important relationship with the United States. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s irrevocable links with Saeed have disappointed the Obama Administration but have not shocked officials. It was always known in Washington&#39;s South Asia circles that Hafiz Saeed is an asset that the Pakistani State will always protect not standing the fact that he is a designated global terrorist.&nbsp; 
 
The LeT remains active and open in Pakistan and just recently had the audacity to attack Medina in Saudi Arabia in which 12 of its suspected members were arrested. This connection was also highlighted by a European Parliament Report by Vice President Ryszard Czarnecki where he pointed out how the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity front of the LeT was radicalising the Pakistani Diaspora and the state was a mute spectator. 
 
The July 19 Kashmir Rally is certain to be brought up on Capitol Hill where proposals are afoot to cut financial aid to Pakistan in the absence of complete and verifiable de-linkage with terror groups. 
 
While the Obama Administration has been supporting Pakistan as an important ally in the war against terror, this July 19 rally, where a wanted terrorist has been given state patronage, is certain to raise questions and embarrass Washington. 
 
(ANI)

Addressing a rally in Pakistan, Saeed said he has assured Andrabi that nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent

Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed today said he had received a call from Asiya Andrabi, the founder of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, seeking his help to resolve what she called the crisis in India's northern state of Kashmir. Addressing a rally here, Saeed said, "The way Indian security forces are engaged in bloodshed in Kashmir, my sister Asiya Andrabi cried for 15 minutes and told me over phone that my brothers where are you?" "I am telling my sister Asiya that my sister, we are coming. This act of violence will come to end and nobody can stop Kashmir from becoming independent," he added. Saeed further said that he had also received a call from Burhan Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen militant), wherein he had said, "His (Wanis) last wish was to talk to me (Saeed)". "Few days before his death, Burhan Wani told me over a phone that it was my desire to talk with you. Now my desire has been fulfilled, and now, I am waiting for martyrdom," said Saeed in an event organized to express solidarity with both Andrabi and Wani. "I want to assure the people of Kashmir that if you are in the field, we are also with you," said the Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader. He also warned India that this was its last chance to accept separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's four-point formula on Kashmir and to withdraw security forces from the valley, else the decision will be taken in battlefield. "We have to give a message to India to stop and withdraw forces and accept Geelani's four-point formula immediately, because, this is the last chance, and hereafter, the matter will be decided in the battlefield," said Saeed. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader organised a procession from Lahore to Islamabad. It comprised of trucks and buses, stretched for several kilometers, and passed through many cities, including Gujaranwala, Jhelum and Gujarat. His rallies were attended by federal ministers and religious leaders of various organisations. The Pakistan Government's direct links with Hafiz Saeed has been further exposed by Islamabad allowing him to lead an anti-India rally on the Kashmir issue. Saeed led a Pakistan Government call to Observe July 19 as a Black Day, apparently to draw attention to the "burning issue of Kashmir." The Obama Administration has been taken aback by this event. The US has designated both the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) as foreign terrorist organisations. Saeed has also been listed by the UN Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee. South Asia watchers in Washington say that by allowing a terrorist to take up a government sponsored cause the Pakistan Government has bared its selective approach towards terrorism. When banned outfits are allowed to openly hold rallies in Pakistan at the behest of the Government the allegations about Pakistan using terror as state policy appears to gain ground. Experts say had Pakistan banned Saeed from holding this rally and had instead placed someone else in charge of the July 19 protests then that would have been understandable. The question arises why Saeed, is it because he is a terror asset which the state cannot do without, wonder South Asia analysts. They question is Saeed so important that Islamabad is risking an important relationship with the United States. Pakistan's irrevocable links with Saeed have disappointed the Obama Administration but have not shocked officials. It was always known in Washington's South Asia circles that Hafiz Saeed is an asset that the Pakistani State will always protect not standing the fact that he is a designated global terrorist. The LeT remains active and open in Pakistan and just recently had the audacity to attack Medina in Saudi Arabia in which 12 of its suspected members were arrested. This connection was also highlighted by a European Parliament Report by Vice President Ryszard Czarnecki where he pointed out how the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a charity front of the LeT was radicalising the Pakistani Diaspora and the state was a mute spectator. The July 19 Kashmir Rally is certain to be brought up on Capitol Hill where proposals are afoot to cut financial aid to Pakistan in the absence of complete and verifiable de-linkage with terror groups. While the Obama Administration has been supporting Pakistan as an important ally in the war against terror, this July 19 rally, where a wanted terrorist has been given state patronage, is certain to raise questions and embarrass Washington. (ANI)

Hafiz Saeed assures help to 'sister' Asiya Andrabi

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s party has swept polls in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, local media reported on Friday. 
 
&quot;The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has swept the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections and is all set to form a government in the Valley, unconfirmed reports received from the 41 constituencies of the self-governing administrative division indicate,&quot; reported Pakistan Today.&nbsp; 
 
The daily newspaper said that according to unofficial results, the PML-N had bagged 32 seats, while the Muslim Conference three.&nbsp;&quot;Both the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf)&nbsp;and PPP &nbsp;(Pakistan Peoples Party) managed to secure two seats each.&nbsp;One seat was won by an independent candidate.&quot;

Forty-one AJK or Pakistan-controlled Kashmir&nbsp;constituencies went to polls with 423 candidates contesting for the seats.&nbsp;

&quot;Twenty-nine&nbsp;seats were meant for all 10 districts of the AJK and 12 for Pakistan-based refugees from Azad Jammu and Kashmir&quot;. 
 
Pakistan Today said that according to the AJK Election Commission, there were 2,674,586 registered voters in all 10 districts&nbsp;and out of the 44 registered political parties in AJK, a strong standoff was&nbsp;between candidates of the PML-N, PTI and PPP. 
 
(WION)

The twenty-nine seats were meant for all 10 districts of the area and 12 for Pakistan-based refugees from the region

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party has swept polls in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, local media reported on Friday. "The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has swept the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections and is all set to form a government in the Valley, unconfirmed reports received from the 41 constituencies of the self-governing administrative division indicate," reported Pakistan Today. The daily newspaper said that according to unofficial results, the PML-N had bagged 32 seats, while the Muslim Conference three. "Both the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) and PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) managed to secure two seats each. One seat was won by an independent candidate." Forty-one AJK or Pakistan-controlled Kashmir constituencies went to polls with 423 candidates contesting for the seats. "Twenty-nine seats were meant for all 10 districts of the AJK and 12 for Pakistan-based refugees from Azad Jammu and Kashmir". Pakistan Today said that according to the AJK Election Commission, there were 2,674,586 registered voters in all 10 districts and out of the 44 registered political parties in AJK, a strong standoff was between candidates of the PML-N, PTI and PPP. (WION)

PM Sharif's party sweeps poll in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, say local media reports

After a lull of almost 22 years, India and Pakistan have returned to fight on Kashmir on the diplomatic turf, with China also muddying waters, dropping its usual reticence and unilaterally commenting on the violence in the region. 
 
The situation in Kashmir has also come handy for China to hit down its relations with India.After opposing India&#39;s membership at the NSG, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang in a usual departure said Beijing was concerned at the situation in the state od Jammu and Kashmir. &quot;We are equally concerned about the casualties in the clash, and hope that the relevant incident will be handled properly,&quot; she said. 
 
Diplomatic sources here say that the China&#39;s commentary on Kashmir and its stand at the NSG was rooted in re-hyphenating India with Pakistan as well as claiming the sole ownership of being the Asian power. 
 
Last time, Pakistan had attempted a major diplomatic move on Kashmir in March 1994, by pushing the grouping of Islamic countries and some Western nations to sponsor a resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) against India. 
 
While India&#39;s home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday categorically blamed Pakistan for the unrest, ministry of external affairs (MEA) also hit out at Islamabad for observing &#39;Kashmir&#39;s Accession to Pakistan Day&#39; and &#39;Black Day&#39;. 
 
The MEA spokesperson Vikas Swaroop asked the world to take note that rallies and events over past two days in Pakistan were led by UN-designated terrorists. These groups in the past &quot;protested the elimination of dreaded terrorists, including Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour, in Pakistan&quot;. 
 
In Pakistan, Sartaj Aziz, adviser to prime minister Nawaz Sharif, announced that his country will approach the UNCHR on its own behalf and on behalf of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) contact group on Kashmir to demand sending a fact-finding mission to Kashmir and also to impose a ban on the use of pellet guns for dispersing people exercising their right to protest. 
 
Last time, Pakistan burnt its fingers at the UNCHR in 1994, when India succeeded in prevailing upon Iran to abstain at the OIC session from voting, and thereby failing the consensus required to back the resolution. 
 
The joint OIC resolution, backed by some Western nations, was supposed to be put before the UNCHR, which if approved was to be referred to the UN Security Council for initiating economic sanctions and other punitive measures against India. That was also the last time Pakistan tried to get a resolution on the Kashmir issue tabled in a UN forum. 
 
Since the latest flare-up in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Indian leadership at the highest level had decided to ignore incessant provocation and statements from Pakistan, terming them as political compulsions of Nawaz Sharif government in the wake of assembly elections in the PoK. But the rallies of jihadis in Pakistan seem to have pushed New Delhi&#39;s patience to limits. 
 
In a strong recrimination, India also urged Islamabad to stop &quot;misleading&quot; the international community and Kashmiris through meaningless exercises. In a statement, the spokesperson asked Pakistan to fulfill its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir&nbsp;and refrain from its deplorable meddling in internal affairs in any manner. &quot;We once again ask Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of our country and refrain from its deplorable meddling in our internal affairs in any manner.&quot; 
 
&quot;In view of the threats of marches and protests at the High Commission of India in Islamabad, we ask the government of Pakistan to ensure full safety and security of the High Commission, all its officials and their families in Pakistan,&quot; the statement concluded. 
 
In the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, interior minister Rajnath Singh categorically blamed Pakistan for the unrest in the Kashmir saying that the terrorism in the Valley is Pakistan-sponsored. 
 
He said the neighbouring country, instead of fixing its internal matters, is trying to destabilise India. He also took strong exception for observing Black Day in Pakistan after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was involved in various heinous crimes and activities. 
 
Stating that Pakistan has no right to interfere in India&#39;s internal matters, he said it was doing so to deflect attention from its failures as the people there were fighting along sectarian lines. 
 
Training guns further, he said the country came into being in the name of religion, but failed to keep the Muslims together and underwent a division. &quot;It does not need to worry about Muslims in India,&quot; he said and invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee&#39;s poem to suggest that those who fuel fire in the homes of others get caught in the same blaze. 
 
In Islamabad, Aziz promised every possible effort to draw international attention towards &quot;Indian brutalities&quot; and to resolve the dispute. He also said he has shot off letters to the UN secretary general, president of the Security Council, OIC secretary general, UN high commissioner for Human Rights and the foreign ministers of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey). 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Islamabad wants UN to send fact-finding mission to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, China comments on the situation

After a lull of almost 22 years, India and Pakistan have returned to fight on Kashmir on the diplomatic turf, with China also muddying waters, dropping its usual reticence and unilaterally commenting on the violence in the region. The situation in Kashmir has also come handy for China to hit down its relations with India.After opposing India's membership at the NSG, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang in a usual departure said Beijing was concerned at the situation in the state od Jammu and Kashmir. "We are equally concerned about the casualties in the clash, and hope that the relevant incident will be handled properly," she said. Diplomatic sources here say that the China's commentary on Kashmir and its stand at the NSG was rooted in re-hyphenating India with Pakistan as well as claiming the sole ownership of being the Asian power. Last time, Pakistan had attempted a major diplomatic move on Kashmir in March 1994, by pushing the grouping of Islamic countries and some Western nations to sponsor a resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) against India. While India's home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday categorically blamed Pakistan for the unrest, ministry of external affairs (MEA) also hit out at Islamabad for observing 'Kashmir's Accession to Pakistan Day' and 'Black Day'. The MEA spokesperson Vikas Swaroop asked the world to take note that rallies and events over past two days in Pakistan were led by UN-designated terrorists. These groups in the past "protested the elimination of dreaded terrorists, including Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour, in Pakistan". In Pakistan, Sartaj Aziz, adviser to prime minister Nawaz Sharif, announced that his country will approach the UNCHR on its own behalf and on behalf of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) contact group on Kashmir to demand sending a fact-finding mission to Kashmir and also to impose a ban on the use of pellet guns for dispersing people exercising their right to protest. Last time, Pakistan burnt its fingers at the UNCHR in 1994, when India succeeded in prevailing upon Iran to abstain at the OIC session from voting, and thereby failing the consensus required to back the resolution. The joint OIC resolution, backed by some Western nations, was supposed to be put before the UNCHR, which if approved was to be referred to the UN Security Council for initiating economic sanctions and other punitive measures against India. That was also the last time Pakistan tried to get a resolution on the Kashmir issue tabled in a UN forum. Since the latest flare-up in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Indian leadership at the highest level had decided to ignore incessant provocation and statements from Pakistan, terming them as political compulsions of Nawaz Sharif government in the wake of assembly elections in the PoK. But the rallies of jihadis in Pakistan seem to have pushed New Delhi's patience to limits. In a strong recrimination, India also urged Islamabad to stop "misleading" the international community and Kashmiris through meaningless exercises. In a statement, the spokesperson asked Pakistan to fulfill its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and refrain from its deplorable meddling in internal affairs in any manner. "We once again ask Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of our country and refrain from its deplorable meddling in our internal affairs in any manner." "In view of the threats of marches and protests at the High Commission of India in Islamabad, we ask the government of Pakistan to ensure full safety and security of the High Commission, all its officials and their families in Pakistan," the statement concluded. In the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, interior minister Rajnath Singh categorically blamed Pakistan for the unrest in the Kashmir saying that the terrorism in the Valley is Pakistan-sponsored. He said the neighbouring country, instead of fixing its internal matters, is trying to destabilise India. He also took strong exception for observing Black Day in Pakistan after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was involved in various heinous crimes and activities. Stating that Pakistan has no right to interfere in India's internal matters, he said it was doing so to deflect attention from its failures as the people there were fighting along sectarian lines. Training guns further, he said the country came into being in the name of religion, but failed to keep the Muslims together and underwent a division. "It does not need to worry about Muslims in India," he said and invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's poem to suggest that those who fuel fire in the homes of others get caught in the same blaze. In Islamabad, Aziz promised every possible effort to draw international attention towards "Indian brutalities" and to resolve the dispute. He also said he has shot off letters to the UN secretary general, president of the Security Council, OIC secretary general, UN high commissioner for Human Rights and the foreign ministers of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir (Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Turkey). (WION)

India, Pakistan in diplomatic war on Kashmir issue, China muddies waters

With the curfew in the Valley dragging on, life in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir continued to be in a state of paralysis even though incidents of violence between locals and the security forces show no sign of cooling down and the death toll of civilians continues to rise. 
 
Meanwhile, owners and editors of newspapers in the Valley have refused to publish dailies, in protest against the state governments failure to own the &quot;ban order&quot; that was issued three days ago. 
 
Yesterday, Mufti had clarified to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu that no ban has been imposed on the publication of newspapers in the troubled state. 
 
Naidu spoke to Mufti on Monday night on the issue of ban on newspapers in the state. 
 
Mufti&#39;s contradiction came days after government spokesman Nayeem Akhtar reportedly said that &quot;the undesirable step was taken to ensure peace, to save lives and strengthen peace efforts&quot;. 
 
According to reports, hawkers in the citys centre alleged that police did not allow them to distribute the newspapers and also seized their copies. 
 
With Pakistan observing &#39;Black Day&#39; today over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, security measured have been stepped up as more police and paramilitary soldiers have been deployed across all towns and villages, including Srinagar to maintain law and order. 
 
So far, at least 45 people have been killed in clashes with security forces and around 3000 remain injured. 
 
Cellphone services and mobile internet remains blocked, also newspapers are refusing to publish. 
 
Meanwhile, in the wake of the violent situation in the Valley spiraling out of control day-by-day, Indian army chief General Dalbir Singh will visit Jammu and Kashmir today to take stock of the situation. 
 
The death toll climbed to 42 after a woman who had sustained grievous injuries at Qazigund on Monday succumbed in hospital early morning yesterday. 
 
However, the Indian army yesterday expressed regret over the death of civilians in Qazigund and ordered a probe in the matter. 
 
Expressing grief over the loss of life and injuries sustained by the protesters, the Army appealed to the people of the Valley to maintain peace and refrain from attacking security forces or their vehicles or establishments, thus creating situations where they are left with no option but to retaliate in self defence. 
 
The incidents of violence continue to crop up despite the Indian government and state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti urging the people to maintain calm and cooperate with the state government to restore peace in the Valley.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)

Security in Valley stepped up as Pakistan observes 'Black Day' over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani

With the curfew in the Valley dragging on, life in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir continued to be in a state of paralysis even though incidents of violence between locals and the security forces show no sign of cooling down and the death toll of civilians continues to rise. Meanwhile, owners and editors of newspapers in the Valley have refused to publish dailies, in protest against the state governments failure to own the "ban order" that was issued three days ago. Yesterday, Mufti had clarified to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu that no ban has been imposed on the publication of newspapers in the troubled state. Naidu spoke to Mufti on Monday night on the issue of ban on newspapers in the state. Mufti's contradiction came days after government spokesman Nayeem Akhtar reportedly said that "the undesirable step was taken to ensure peace, to save lives and strengthen peace efforts". According to reports, hawkers in the citys centre alleged that police did not allow them to distribute the newspapers and also seized their copies. With Pakistan observing 'Black Day' today over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, security measured have been stepped up as more police and paramilitary soldiers have been deployed across all towns and villages, including Srinagar to maintain law and order. So far, at least 45 people have been killed in clashes with security forces and around 3000 remain injured. Cellphone services and mobile internet remains blocked, also newspapers are refusing to publish. Meanwhile, in the wake of the violent situation in the Valley spiraling out of control day-by-day, Indian army chief General Dalbir Singh will visit Jammu and Kashmir today to take stock of the situation. The death toll climbed to 42 after a woman who had sustained grievous injuries at Qazigund on Monday succumbed in hospital early morning yesterday. However, the Indian army yesterday expressed regret over the death of civilians in Qazigund and ordered a probe in the matter. Expressing grief over the loss of life and injuries sustained by the protesters, the Army appealed to the people of the Valley to maintain peace and refrain from attacking security forces or their vehicles or establishments, thus creating situations where they are left with no option but to retaliate in self defence. The incidents of violence continue to crop up despite the Indian government and state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti urging the people to maintain calm and cooperate with the state government to restore peace in the Valley. (ANI)

Kashmir unrest: Newspapers refuse to publish despite permission

Curfew today remained in force across Jammu and Kashmir, and normal life paralysed for the eighth day in the wake of clashes following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. 
 
&quot;Curfew continues to remain in force in all 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley today as precautionary measure for maintaining law and order,&quot; a police official said. 
 
He said the decision to continue the curfew was taken in view of large number of stone-pelting incidents across the valley yesterday. 
 
Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength across the Valley for strict implementation of the prohibitory orders, the official said. 
 
Mobile telephone services in the Valley also remained suspended to prevent any rumour-mongering.&nbsp;&quot;Only postpaid connections of BSNL are working,&quot; the official said. 
 
Mobile Internet services continued to remain suspended for the seventh day today while trains are also off the tracks in the Valley as a precautionary measure. 
 
Violent protests rocked Jammu and Kashmir last weekend following the killing of Burhan Wani and two of his associates in an encounter with security forces on July 8 in the &nbsp;Kokernag area of the Anantnag district. 
 
In the ensuing clashes 38 persons, including one cop, have been killed, while 3,140 persons, including 1,500 security force personnel, have been injured. 
 
Normal life has remained paralysed since last Saturday in Kashmir on account of both separatist-led strikes and curfew-like restrictions imposed by authorities. 
 
The separatists groups, both factions of Hurriyat Conference and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, have been issuing strike calls, a practice reminiscent of the 2010 summer agitation.&nbsp;The separatists groups yesterday extended the strike call till Monday evening. 
 
(PTI)

Mobile telephone service is also suspended to prevent rumour-mongering

Curfew today remained in force across Jammu and Kashmir, and normal life paralysed for the eighth day in the wake of clashes following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. "Curfew continues to remain in force in all 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley today as precautionary measure for maintaining law and order," a police official said. He said the decision to continue the curfew was taken in view of large number of stone-pelting incidents across the valley yesterday. Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength across the Valley for strict implementation of the prohibitory orders, the official said. Mobile telephone services in the Valley also remained suspended to prevent any rumour-mongering. "Only postpaid connections of BSNL are working," the official said. Mobile Internet services continued to remain suspended for the seventh day today while trains are also off the tracks in the Valley as a precautionary measure. Violent protests rocked Jammu and Kashmir last weekend following the killing of Burhan Wani and two of his associates in an encounter with security forces on July 8 in the Kokernag area of the Anantnag district. In the ensuing clashes 38 persons, including one cop, have been killed, while 3,140 persons, including 1,500 security force personnel, have been injured. Normal life has remained paralysed since last Saturday in Kashmir on account of both separatist-led strikes and curfew-like restrictions imposed by authorities. The separatists groups, both factions of Hurriyat Conference and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, have been issuing strike calls, a practice reminiscent of the 2010 summer agitation. The separatists groups yesterday extended the strike call till Monday evening. (PTI)

Curfew in Kashmir Valley remains

Eleven-year-old Umar Ahmad Shah of Pulwama in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir will probably not be able to see again out of one of his eyes. The sixth-standard boy was hit in one eye and the body by pellets in the latest round of clashes between Indian security forces and protesters in the troubled state.&nbsp; 
 
He lies in the emergency ward of a hospital here, his body bearing numerous entry marks where the pellets have pierced through his skin. 
&nbsp; 
Doctors say, given the nature of his injury, it is unlikely he will see out of his injured eye again.&nbsp; 
 
Umar&rsquo;s is not a stray case. About a 125 people across the state have received pellet injuries to the eyes. Doctors say a majority of them will suffer from some sort of vision impairment despite the best efforts of medical professionals. 
&nbsp; 
Thirty five people have died and some 1,300 have been injured since the unrest began last Friday when Hizbul Mujhadeen (branded a terrorist organisation by India, EU, and the US) commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani was killed in a gun battle in Kokarnag. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We have conducted 90 initial eye surgeries on these patients. They need to be reoperated upon for restoration of their vision. There are 25 to 30 other patients who have suffered pellet wounds but are responding to conservative management. Majority will have some sort of vision impairment,&rdquo; Dr Sajad Khanday, senior assistant professor with the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, and an associate at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, told WION. 
&nbsp; 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ctresize-20160713020628.jpg" /> 
(Photo: CT scan of a shawl weaver hit by pellet gunfire. Courtesy: Immad Manzoor Shah) 
 
Pellet guns were first used in Kashmir by Britishers hunting ducks. The gun was introduced into the armoury of the security forces as a &#39;non-lethal weapon&#39; after 2010 when 120 people were killed in firing on protesters and stone pelters. 
&nbsp; 
The guns shoot a cartridge which disgorges tiny lead projectiles on the way to its target. The guns have not caused very many fatalities, but they have blinded a number of people ever since the security forces took it up in the Valley. 
&nbsp; 
The Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Manan Bukhari -- who has authored &#39;Scars of Pellet Guns&#39;; the Hurriyat is a body of Kashmiri leaders working towards independence for Kashmir --&nbsp;&nbsp;had earlier&nbsp;discovered that two major hospitals in the state have treated about 63 civilians for pellet gun injuries in the past two years. 
&nbsp; 
The Public Information Officer (PIO) of SKIMS Medical College has revealed that 16 patients with pellet gun injuries were brought to the hospital last year. Nine of them had eye injuries. The records show that two of the patients were blinded, three of them lost sight in one eye, while one patient had partial eyesight restored. 
&nbsp; 
Forty seven people with pellet gun injuries were brought to SMHS Hospital, said its PIO.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, said that 38 people with pellet gun injuries were admitted to the hospital between October 2014 and November 2015. 
&nbsp; 
An official communique from the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Srinagar further states that 32 patients underwent surgery the same day they were brought in and were discharged a few days later. But the patients did not turn up for further check-ups. &ldquo;So the exact number of patients who lost their eyesight or whose eyesight was impaired is not known.&quot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
Bukhari told WION that some 1,600 people had been injured by pellet gunfire up to last month. 
 
 
 
 
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In five days of unrest, some 125 youths have been hit in the eye. Doctors say most will suffer 'some sort of vision impairment'

Eleven-year-old Umar Ahmad Shah of Pulwama in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir will probably not be able to see again out of one of his eyes. The sixth-standard boy was hit in one eye and the body by pellets in the latest round of clashes between Indian security forces and protesters in the troubled state. He lies in the emergency ward of a hospital here, his body bearing numerous entry marks where the pellets have pierced through his skin. Doctors say, given the nature of his injury, it is unlikely he will see out of his injured eye again. Umar’s is not a stray case. About a 125 people across the state have received pellet injuries to the eyes. Doctors say a majority of them will suffer from some sort of vision impairment despite the best efforts of medical professionals. Thirty five people have died and some 1,300 have been injured since the unrest began last Friday when Hizbul Mujhadeen (branded a terrorist organisation by India, EU, and the US) commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani was killed in a gun battle in Kokarnag. “We have conducted 90 initial eye surgeries on these patients. They need to be reoperated upon for restoration of their vision. There are 25 to 30 other patients who have suffered pellet wounds but are responding to conservative management. Majority will have some sort of vision impairment,” Dr Sajad Khanday, senior assistant professor with the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, and an associate at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, told WION. (Photo: CT scan of a shawl weaver hit by pellet gunfire. Courtesy: Immad Manzoor Shah) Pellet guns were first used in Kashmir by Britishers hunting ducks. The gun was introduced into the armoury of the security forces as a 'non-lethal weapon' after 2010 when 120 people were killed in firing on protesters and stone pelters. The guns shoot a cartridge which disgorges tiny lead projectiles on the way to its target. The guns have not caused very many fatalities, but they have blinded a number of people ever since the security forces took it up in the Valley. The Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Manan Bukhari -- who has authored 'Scars of Pellet Guns'; the Hurriyat is a body of Kashmiri leaders working towards independence for Kashmir -- had earlier discovered that two major hospitals in the state have treated about 63 civilians for pellet gun injuries in the past two years. The Public Information Officer (PIO) of SKIMS Medical College has revealed that 16 patients with pellet gun injuries were brought to the hospital last year. Nine of them had eye injuries. The records show that two of the patients were blinded, three of them lost sight in one eye, while one patient had partial eyesight restored. Forty seven people with pellet gun injuries were brought to SMHS Hospital, said its PIO. The Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, said that 38 people with pellet gun injuries were admitted to the hospital between October 2014 and November 2015. An official communique from the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Srinagar further states that 32 patients underwent surgery the same day they were brought in and were discharged a few days later. But the patients did not turn up for further check-ups. “So the exact number of patients who lost their eyesight or whose eyesight was impaired is not known." Bukhari told WION that some 1,600 people had been injured by pellet gunfire up to last month.

First used to hunt ducks, Kashmir's pellet guns now blind protesters

It was early afternoon when we made a quiet exit from our hotel in Islamabad from the back door. 
 
We had an interview lined by with head of a Kashmiri terrorist group, Abdullah, whose real name is Ghulam Rasool. He had killed over a 100 people and was held in jail in Kashmir. But then he became unwell and was admitted in hospital from where he escaped. 
 
It was almost lunch time and we saw him finish his prayer. In the meanwhile, our equipment was checked and we were frisked into this small home in a poor neighbourhood. Lunch was served, a full chicken in each plate. I asked him what his ultimate goal was. When will he stop? He said that the day the whole world turned Islamic he would. I knew Ghulam Rasool was going to be doing what he is doing for the rest of his life, killing more people in what he believed was his work for his God. 
 
Impact of terrorism 
 
The sharp rise in terrorism around the globe has put the countries on edge, and it seems the more the governments are doing to tackle the menace the more the terrorists are getting bolder. Terrorism continues to remain unbeatable, at least for now. 
 
Terror claimed more than 32,600 lives in 2014, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2015. The index compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank, also showed a staggering 80 per cent increase in deaths caused by terrorism over the previous year. In the past one year, there have been 1,195 terrorist attacks across the globe, with Bangladesh cafe violence being the most recent one. From Pakistan to Nigeria, seven countries are locked in dangerous conflicts or full&shy;scale wars involving terrorism. 
 
What drives people to terror? 
 
Terrorist organisations may receive massive fundings from vested interests but it is surprising how they are able to deploy human resources at such sustainable levels. A few reasons can be found in the social, economic and political factors. A country has been at war for so long that the people there know nothing but only war as a way of life. 
 
Some terrorists come from poor economic backgrounds or in certain cases the would&shy; be terrorists are subjected to class differences or social discrimination leading them to join extremist organisations. The poor and illiterate, it is said, are easy to radicalise. 
 
However, in the case of the Dhaka cafe attack, there were terrorists from affluent backgrounds with good education who had joined hands with terror organisations such as the ISIS. Closer home, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on Friday, belonged to a relatively well&shy;-off family. His father is a retired school principal, and Wani himself was a good student who secured 90 per cent in his class X examination in 2010. 
 
Effects of radicalisation 
 
The impact of radicalisation is so deep that it sometimes blurs blood ties. Twin brothers in Saudi Arabia recently killed their mother after she tried to stop them from joining Islamic State in Syria. The twins were arrested trying to flee across the border to Yemen. 
 
Is education a factor? 
 
Many people around the world have been surprised by the trend of educated people getting into terrorism. The question is what drives such educated individuals to extremist organisations? Is their religion playing a role in all this? Education, per se, has nothing to do with it. There is nothing to get surprised by the fact that most of the attackers in Bangladesh massacre were educated men. In the Nazi Germany, the perpetrators of holocaust were decently educated. In India also, there is the Godmen culture, especially among the Hindus. A large chunk of the so &shy;called godmen&rsquo;s followers often comes from the upper middle class and educated families. They have complete faith in the godmen they follow. So much so that the followers of one of the godmen have preserved his body with the belief that one day he would come alive. 
 
A psychologist&rsquo;s perspective 
 
Psychologist Dr Harish Shetty says: &ldquo;Man&rsquo;s search for meaning has been a perennial quest since mankind evolved. Many found meaning in harakiri, martyrdom and other culturally sanctioned &lsquo;suicide homicide&rsquo; complex during the last few centuries. The terminologies change depending from which side one views the act. Freedom fighters or terrorists are the descriptive denominators. 
 
In an era where peace and technology have overwhelmed religious doctrines, certain sections feel threatened and are rebelling against this sweeping change in the garb of religion.&rdquo; Globalisation, Dr Shetty says, is viewed as a religious doctrine or an ideology that undermines the control of powerful religious heads. &ldquo;A small section of people falls prey to this indoctrination and finds a new meaning in life. Freedom fighters kill the oppressor and the so&shy;called terrorists today suffer from the same core belief &mdash; kill the perceived enemy or those who are the extensions. 
 
So hit out at those who are enemies and die for the cause. Martyrdom is not new and death in war is the new intoxication, going down fighting is a new high by the dominant ideologies.&rdquo; &ldquo;Dying for such a cause may be viewed with disgust in the dominant ideologies. Meaning in life is a psychosocial pursuit and an altruistic desire...as Freud described...such killings may suffer from similar intrinsic psychosocial needs,&rdquo; Dr Shetty adds. 
 
Government&rsquo;s role 
 
Maybe the governments should spend more in researching and understanding the factors that attract the common citizens towards terrorism. They should take steps to reduce the number of people being influenced by extremist thoughts. Use of force or fighting a war, for that matter, may be required to ensure a nation&rsquo;s security but it is also important to find ways to stop people from going astray. 
 
Terrorists are just terrorists 
 
Religion may not be the reason but could merely be an effective tool to turn individuals into terrorists. On another trip to Lahore, I met Syed Salahuddin, the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Kashmiri&shy; led terrorism outfit. He said he had become a terrorist after his family was killed after he challenged a political party in elections and the police did not protect him and his family. 
 
Religion seems to be a common thread in many of the global wars today but we need to go past the usual paradigm and see how some individuals may be using Islam to kill people. For us, terrorists are just terrorists. And they have to be stopped. 
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Combating terror : Countries need to identify factors behind terrorism to take on the scourge effectively

It was early afternoon when we made a quiet exit from our hotel in Islamabad from the back door. We had an interview lined by with head of a Kashmiri terrorist group, Abdullah, whose real name is Ghulam Rasool. He had killed over a 100 people and was held in jail in Kashmir. But then he became unwell and was admitted in hospital from where he escaped. It was almost lunch time and we saw him finish his prayer. In the meanwhile, our equipment was checked and we were frisked into this small home in a poor neighbourhood. Lunch was served, a full chicken in each plate. I asked him what his ultimate goal was. When will he stop? He said that the day the whole world turned Islamic he would. I knew Ghulam Rasool was going to be doing what he is doing for the rest of his life, killing more people in what he believed was his work for his God. Impact of terrorism The sharp rise in terrorism around the globe has put the countries on edge, and it seems the more the governments are doing to tackle the menace the more the terrorists are getting bolder. Terrorism continues to remain unbeatable, at least for now. Terror claimed more than 32,600 lives in 2014, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2015. The index compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a global think tank, also showed a staggering 80 per cent increase in deaths caused by terrorism over the previous year. In the past one year, there have been 1,195 terrorist attacks across the globe, with Bangladesh cafe violence being the most recent one. From Pakistan to Nigeria, seven countries are locked in dangerous conflicts or fullscale wars involving terrorism. What drives people to terror? Terrorist organisations may receive massive fundings from vested interests but it is surprising how they are able to deploy human resources at such sustainable levels. A few reasons can be found in the social, economic and political factors. A country has been at war for so long that the people there know nothing but only war as a way of life. Some terrorists come from poor economic backgrounds or in certain cases the would be terrorists are subjected to class differences or social discrimination leading them to join extremist organisations. The poor and illiterate, it is said, are easy to radicalise. However, in the case of the Dhaka cafe attack, there were terrorists from affluent backgrounds with good education who had joined hands with terror organisations such as the ISIS. Closer home, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was killed by security forces in Kashmir on Friday, belonged to a relatively well-off family. His father is a retired school principal, and Wani himself was a good student who secured 90 per cent in his class X examination in 2010. Effects of radicalisation The impact of radicalisation is so deep that it sometimes blurs blood ties. Twin brothers in Saudi Arabia recently killed their mother after she tried to stop them from joining Islamic State in Syria. The twins were arrested trying to flee across the border to Yemen. Is education a factor? Many people around the world have been surprised by the trend of educated people getting into terrorism. The question is what drives such educated individuals to extremist organisations? Is their religion playing a role in all this? Education, per se, has nothing to do with it. There is nothing to get surprised by the fact that most of the attackers in Bangladesh massacre were educated men. In the Nazi Germany, the perpetrators of holocaust were decently educated. In India also, there is the Godmen culture, especially among the Hindus. A large chunk of the so called godmen’s followers often comes from the upper middle class and educated families. They have complete faith in the godmen they follow. So much so that the followers of one of the godmen have preserved his body with the belief that one day he would come alive. A psychologist’s perspective Psychologist Dr Harish Shetty says: “Man’s search for meaning has been a perennial quest since mankind evolved. Many found meaning in harakiri, martyrdom and other culturally sanctioned ‘suicide homicide’ complex during the last few centuries. The terminologies change depending from which side one views the act. Freedom fighters or terrorists are the descriptive denominators. In an era where peace and technology have overwhelmed religious doctrines, certain sections feel threatened and are rebelling against this sweeping change in the garb of religion.” Globalisation, Dr Shetty says, is viewed as a religious doctrine or an ideology that undermines the control of powerful religious heads. “A small section of people falls prey to this indoctrination and finds a new meaning in life. Freedom fighters kill the oppressor and the socalled terrorists today suffer from the same core belief — kill the perceived enemy or those who are the extensions. So hit out at those who are enemies and die for the cause. Martyrdom is not new and death in war is the new intoxication, going down fighting is a new high by the dominant ideologies.” “Dying for such a cause may be viewed with disgust in the dominant ideologies. Meaning in life is a psychosocial pursuit and an altruistic desire...as Freud described...such killings may suffer from similar intrinsic psychosocial needs,” Dr Shetty adds. Government’s role Maybe the governments should spend more in researching and understanding the factors that attract the common citizens towards terrorism. They should take steps to reduce the number of people being influenced by extremist thoughts. Use of force or fighting a war, for that matter, may be required to ensure a nation’s security but it is also important to find ways to stop people from going astray. Terrorists are just terrorists Religion may not be the reason but could merely be an effective tool to turn individuals into terrorists. On another trip to Lahore, I met Syed Salahuddin, the head of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Kashmiri led terrorism outfit. He said he had become a terrorist after his family was killed after he challenged a political party in elections and the police did not protect him and his family. Religion seems to be a common thread in many of the global wars today but we need to go past the usual paradigm and see how some individuals may be using Islam to kill people. For us, terrorists are just terrorists. And they have to be stopped.

Factors that drive people to take up arms

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