SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government terminated three employees on Sunday under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution for their involvement in anti-national actions. Article 311 of the Indian Constitution provides for the removal of a person employed in civil capacities by the Union or a State.
The government, in a statement, said that as a result of their involvement in actions that were detrimental to the interests of the State, such as involvement in terrorism-related activities and drug trafficking, these employees’ activities had come to the attention of law enforcement and intelligence authorities.
Manzoor Ahmad Itoo, Junior Engineer (Public Works Department) in PMGSY, Bandipore, Syed Saleem Andrabi, Orderly in Social Welfare Department, Tehsil Handwara, District Kupwara, and Mohd. Aurif Sheikh, Teacher in Government Middle School, Pagihalla, Mahore, Reasi are the employees who have been dismissed.
Manzoor Ahmad Itoo was a key player in enlisting the public’s support for the terrorists and inspiring young people to do the same, endangering the security of the Indian State. Drug trafficking has been linked to Syed Saleem Andrabi. Moreover, Mohd. Aurif Sheikh was discovered to have planted IEDs under the direction of terrorists operating out of Pakistan, resulting in the loss of lives and destruction of public property.
The government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for anti-national elements who have abused their position in government. 44 government officials have already been fired using the provisions of Article 311 of the Indian Constitution prior to these three dismissals.
Srinagar: Sanjay Sharma, 40, a bank security guard by profession who was killed in a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district was on his way to a local market, police said.
Sanjay Sharma was shot in the chest at point blank range in the Achan area of Pulwama on Sunday morning.He was quickly taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Condemnations of the killing poured in from all the sections of society. Cutting across the party lines , political parties unequivocally condemned the killing.
The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha,strongly condemned the killing of Kashmiri Pandit in Pulwama saying the administration has given a free hand to security forces to deal with the killers. He said the administration is standing strong with the breaved family.
“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The administration has given a free hand to the security forces to deal with the terrorists and we will continue to combat such acts of terrorism firmly and decisively,” he said.
A few hours after the incident, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah took to his twitter and wrote that he was deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Sanjay Pandith.
“Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Sanjay Pandith of Achan in Pulwama district of South Kashmir. Sanjay was working as a bank security guard and was killed in a militant attack earlier today. I unequivocally condemn this attack and send my condolences to his loved ones,” tweeted Omar.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti lashed out at BJP for its “failure to protect minorities” in J&K and accused BJP of using these types of incidents to defame Muslims in the country.
“It is the government’s failure. The BJP government has failed to ensure safety of the minorities here. They (BJP) use minorities to show normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. They use these incidents to defame Muslims across the country,” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief told reporters.
Blaming the BJP-led Centre for failing to protect Kashmiri Pandits, she said, “A few days ago, right-wing terrorists killed two Muslims in Rajasthan. Today, you have killed a Hindu. What is the difference between you and them?”
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit, saying it was a matter of grave concern.
“Any killing, especially a targeted killing, is a matter of grave concern and condemnable. We condemn it,” Azad told reporters.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said every targeted killing is condemnable, be that of a Kashmiri Pandit or a Muslim or a Sikh and whether the victim is from Jammu or Kashmir.
However, he said the most unfortunate part is that while many people were arrested in connection with such incidents over the last 30 years, “not one killer has been arrested for these targeted killings in the last two years”
NC’s chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq called the killing an unfortunate incident.
“ As a majority community, we have to ensure the protection of the minorities as the government has failed to do so,” he said.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s borderland continues to be peaceful and tension free as the ceasefire between the rival armies entered the third year. There is no shelling from either side and life is near normal. Unlike past, people straddling the Line of Control are throwing big feasts on marriages, which are visible and noisy.
A sweets exchange between the two army officers from India and Pakistan on the bridge over Kishanganga in Teetwal. The sweets were exchanged on the the occasion of Eid on July 21, 2021.
The ceasefire is holding despite Islamabad and Delhi not seeing eye to eye and the diplomatic relationship continues to remain at the lowest ebb, ever. The two countries, however, continue to hit at each other in international forums, mostly on and around Kashmir. The security grid continues to maintain a strong counter-infiltration mechanism in place.
In the last two years, there were only three instances of breach of ceasefire and the officials insist they were of minor nature.
While the infiltration is by and large very difficult, the security grid is facing two different challenges. One is the use of drones in supplying arms and ammunition and another is the consistent supply of drugs. While the patches of the International Border falling in the Kathua and Jammu sector is usually in news for drone infiltrations, it is the Karnah (Tangdhar) sector of the LoC that is usually been as major source of drugs entry into Kashmir.
With the guns silent along the Line of Control (LoC), the residents who were earlier demanding bunkers and shelters to save from raining shells are now seeking better road and other basic infrastructure.
“The road stretches at Dardkote in Uri are dotted with potholes which speaks volumes about the tall claims of the government of improving road connectivity,” Faisal Khan, a Sarpanch in Uri, were quoted saying by a local news gatherer, KNO. “The road is dotted with huge potholes and has not been repaired for the last several years and the authorities concerned are least bothered about the sufferings of people. The road acts as an important link which connects several areas and thousands of commuters, transporters pass through potholes every day.”
The residents expressed concern over the condition of government schools. “Four classes are functioning in a single room at Dardkote,” they said, adding that similar conditions are in maximum government-based schools”.
Authorities, however, are not taking the bunker construction far granted. By the end of fiscal 2022-23, almost all the bunkers are expected to be ready. MHA is funding the construction of 14460 bunkers which includes 13029 Individual and 1431 community bunkers.
The bunker construction was not impacted by the February 25, 2021 ceasefire when the Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan announced the ceasefire after discussing it on hotline. The ceasefire was outcome of back-channel diplomacy between the two countries and took many months to happen. AK Doval, India’s National Security Adviser and Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed are reported to have held a secret meeting in the United Arab Emirates in 2020, which led to the February 25 joint statement from the rival armies agreeing to strict adherence to the 2003 ceasefire understanding. This actually was revival and renewal of the ceasefire that came into force on November 26, 2003.
Both sides maintained a ceasefire for the first three years. However, in 2006, the breaches started and continued expanded with the hot talks in Delhi and Islamabad.
In 2017, 12 civilians and 19 security personnel were killed in border shelling incidents. 2018 saw 2140 instances of ceasefire violations, which peaked to 3479 in 2019. In 2020, 46 people lost their lives in 5133 incidents of ceasefire violations.
On February 3, 2021, MHA told the parliament that in three years – 2018, 2019 and 2020, 72 security personnel and 70 civilians were killed in 10,752 cases of ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir on LoC and IB. In these incidents, 364 security personnel and 341 civilians survived with injuries.
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has terminated the services of three of its employees under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India, over alleged terror links.
The terminated staffers are Mohammed Mir Andrabi, Syed Hameed Yatoo, Arif Sheikh dismissed from services for terror links in Jammu and Kashmir.
SRINAGAR: The Chief Coordinator of G20 India along with other top officials of ministry of tourism have arrived in Srinagar to take stock of preparations.
Quoting a top official news agency, KDC reported that Harish Vardhan Singla, Chief Coordinator G20, Ministry of External affairs, Arvind Singh, Secretary Ministry of Tourism, GOI, Rakesh Kumar Verma Addl. Secretary Ministry of Tourism, GOI, and other top officials, arrived from New Delhi by Air India flight.
Kashmir is all set to host the G20 meeting in the second week of May, 2023, Srinagar.
Hosting the event will be a “moment of pride” for Kashmir as this is the first G20 meeting to be held in the Union Territory, the official said.
“The G20 includes almost 70 per cent of the world population as well as economically. Holding the G20 meeting in Srinagar has its importance as it will help in boosting tourism and many misgivings, which our neighbouring country tries to portray, would also be clarified,” he added.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police along with Army on Sunday recovered a huge quantity of high-valued narcotics and has arrested three smugglers believed to be running a cross LoC narcotics peddling racket in the district.
Quoting officials KNO reported that an operation was launched jointly by Army and police in Poonch and three narcotics peddlders have been intercepted.
The trio was running a cross LoC smuggling racket, said officials.
Around three kilograms of high-valued narcotics worth crores has been recovered so far in Noorkote village, on LoC in Poonch sector, officials said.
The operation is going on and more arrests are expected.
SRINAGAR: J&K experienced dry weather throughout the past 24 hours. The MeT office predicted scattered to moderately widespread light rain/snow for the following day on Sunday.
“In J&K over the next 24 hours, light rain/snow is expected to be scattered to fairly widespread,” an official of the MeT department said.
Srinagar had 7.3, Pahalgam 3.2 and Gulmarg minus 1.6 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature today.
In Ladakh region, Drass town had minus 10.1, Kargil minus 8.2 and Leh minus 6.6 as the minimum temperature.
Jammu had 12.5, Katra 13.1, Batote 9, Banihal 7.4 and Bhaderwah 5.5 as the minimum temperature.(IANS)
SRINAGAR: Cracking the whip on drug peddlers, District Magistrate Shopian on Saturday ordered seizure/ freezing of illegally acquired properties of two more drug traffickers in the district.
The action has been taken under the provisions of Chapter VA of the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotic Substances Act, 1985.
The order reads that the said properties shall not be transferred or any other use undertaken on it without the permission of the District Magistrate.
The Competent Authority under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Shopian, accorded a seal of approval to freezing of ill-gotten properties of two more drug peddlers who were given reasonable time period to prove credentials and produce the requisite documents that substantiate the property as legal.
The frozen property includes illegally acquired buildings and land from the proceeds of narcotics trade. The properties were purchased from ill-gotten money of drug trafficking within the last six years in the name of accused persons as well as in the name of their kith and kin.
The district administration has issued notices to several persons involved in the drug trafficking in the recent past and asked all of them to disclose the source of the acquisition of the properties and has in previous week frozen assets of 05 drug traffickers in the first instance.
SRINAGAR: Suspected militants on Sunday fired upon a Bank Security guard at Achan in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Quoting a senior police officer news agency GNS reported that militants this morning fired upon a person namely Sanjay Pandith son of Kashi Naath Pandith resident of Achan.
The injured has been shifted to nearby hospital for further treatment. By occupation he is a Bank Security Guard, the officer added.
Meanwhile whole area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers.
