Kashmir Times

Imagine the psyche of a student who gets questioned, frisked and undergoes scores of other sorts of harassments almost on a regular basis. Imagine a student's inclination towards his studies when he witnesses bomb blasts, cross-firing incidents, grenade attacks and land-mine explosions occurring around him; imagine his eagerness for his studies when his father, brother, sister or any other close relative gets beaten in front of him. Worse still; imagine his craving for studies when his father or brother gets killed in front of him or for that matter his sister or mother gets molested or raped in front of him.

"The most pronounced impact is psychological. In a society where children continue to witness, experience and hear of killings and atrocities, and are exposed to physical and emotional violence, they suffer from various psychosomatic and psychiatric ailments. In the Kashmir region, 57.38 per cent of the children have become fearful, 55.36 per cent suffer from depression, and 54.25 per cent cannot sleep", observes Balraj Puri, Director Institute of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, in his study "Young Victims of Militancy" which appeared in Frontline July 30- August 12, 2005.

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Article taken from the issue:30 Nov,2007

Labels: children, emotional stress, jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, kashmir, kashmir news, orphans, phsycologist, physical voilence

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However, the partially frozen parts near the banks melted as the day progressed.

It was the coldest night of the season so far after the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 4.2 degree Celsius which was 3.2 degree below normal, a weather office spokesman told UNI.

Major and small pounds across the Kashmir valley were also frozen because of severe cold while water supply in many areas was affected after the tapes were frozen. Majority of nullahs have also dried up because of no rainfall. Many pounds in the valley, including in the central Kashmir, were also frozen.

The weather office spokesman said that in the absence of Western Disturbances (WD), the chances of rainfall in the near future in the region was almost bleak.

The frequency of WD is not enough to cause rain or snowfall, he said adding major fall in the minimum temperature was because of open sky during the day and night.

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Article taken from the issue:28 November, 2007

Labels: Climate, Coldest Night, Dal Lake, Frozen, kashmir, kashmir news, Kashmir Valley, Temperature

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Pakistan's embattled military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, who once described his uniform as his "second skin", will take oath as civilian President for a second term on November 29, his spokesman said here today.

Musharraf, whose re-election in the October 6 presidential poll was validated by the Supreme Court last week, is expected to doff his military uniform a day earlier.

The Pakistan Army has begun preparations for a ceremony at which Musharraf will quit as army chief and his hand-picked deputy, Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kiyani, will assume the military post.

Presidential spokesman Maj Gen (retired) Rashid Qureshi announced that Musharraf will be sworn in for a second five-year term at the Aiwan-e-Sadr or presidency here by Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar on November 29.

The ceremony will be attended by the caretaker prime minister, provincial chief ministers and governors, three service chiefs, members of the interim cabinet, for- mer prime ministers and ministers and other dignitaries.

On November 28, Musharraf will hand over charge as army chief to Kiyani during a ceremony at army headquarters in the near by garrison city of Rawalpindi.

The military ruler last month appointed Kiyani, a former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, as vice chief of the army.

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Article taken From the issue:27 November, 2007

Labels: pakistan, pakistan's embattled military ruler, Pervez Musharraf, Re-election

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Sharif arrived in his home city of Lahore from Saudi Arabia, where he has spent most of his eight years in exile since President Gen. Pervez Musharraf overthrew him in a 1999 coup. He waved to the cameras from an airport stairwell, dressed in his trademark white shirt and a dark waistcoat, state television showed.

Security forces had rounded up some Sharif activists and attempted to seal off the airport. But 1,000 supporters found a way through tight security around the airport to swarm into the terminal building, waving the green flag of his party and shouting "Musharraf, go!"

Police lifted batons to drive them back from the arrivals area, but had no space to swing them amid the dancing, jubilant crowds.

Hundreds more gathered outside the airport perimeter fence and along the route into the city, where loudspeakers mounted on trucks were blaring out patriotic songs.

Sharif's return could prove challenging for Musharraf, particularly if the former prime minister makes an alliance with Benazir Bhutto, another expremier who was allowed to return to Pakistan last month. But it is also a potential boon for the general, allowing him to claim that he favors a genuine return to democracy.

Both Bhutto and Sharif are seeking to return to power after Jan. 8 parliamentary elections. But the ballot, which the West hopes will produce a moderate government able to stand up to Islamic extremism, has been thrown into confusion by Musharraf's Nov. 3 seizure of emergency powers.

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Article taken from the issue: 26 November, 2007

Labels: Benazir Bhutto, elections, ex-prime minister, home coming ceremony, islam, islamic extremism, lahore, muslim, Nawaz Sharif, pakistan, parliamentary elections, Pervez Musharraf, saudi arabia

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On April 29, 2007, SSP Kupwara Vijay Kumar claimed that four Pakistani militants owing allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in a gunfight with police and army at Mangarwar forest area in Kandi, Kupwara.

"My younger son (Reyaz Ahmad Bhat, 18) had an altercation with his brotherin-law over his maltreating my daughter. The altercation took place on April 25 and during the row, my son-inlaw and his brother and my younger son left the place one after another. Since then there has been no trace of my son and I never heard about him", said Ismail, who suffers from cancer and is receiving treatment from doctors in SKIMS.

Ismail says that five minutes after the altercation police landed in their house and claimed that his son, Reyaz, was a militant and had fired from a weapon.

The CRPF bunker is just a stone throw's distance from Ismail's residence and he says if his son had fired from a weapon, the CRPF personnel would have been the first to reach the spot.

"They searched all our house hold belongings.

They took me, my elder son, Javaid and his two uncles in custody. I was detained for four days, the uncles of my son were detained for three and four days respectively while Javed spent a week in the police detention. We all were tortured in the custody by police personnel and they wanted information about Reyaz from us. We all pleaded that he was innocent and was not a militant", he said.

His elder son Javed, who had spent a week in the jail, said that after release, he admitted his father in SKIMS where he was being attended by the doctors. "I tried to search for my younger brother and even tried to lodge a missing report in Police Station Maharaj Gunj, but the concerned police officials refused to lodge report on the pretext that he was a militant. I told them if he was a militant then why police and other security agencies did not arrest him".

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Article taken from the issue: 23 Novemeber, 2007

Labels: fake encounter, kashmir, kashmir news, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Mangarwar forest, Pakistani militants

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According to Amin, he was summoned by the cops of police post ChogulHandwara in a case of theft of water pump last Friday. "I was tortured ruthlessly by the police men and they were asking about the theft of water pump that was handed over to an engineer," he said, adding " I was left after two days and for two consecutive days I was tortured".

The torture marks on the body of Amin are visible and he was referred to Srinagar for treatment. "I am not involved in the theft of pump and we handed over the pump to the concerned engineer" he said.

Labels: case of theft of water pump, irrigation department, kashmir, police investigation, srinagar, torture

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Police said that they were wanted in case FIR numbers 258 of 2007 dated September 11, 2007 and 294 of 2007 dated September 30, 2007 registered in Police Station Gandhi Nagar under sections 457 and 380 RPC.

Both the FIRs were registered following thefts in godowns of Salora International Agency 545-A Gandhi Nagar on the respective dates.

Police identified the arrested thieves as Rakesh Arwar, son of Sham Lal and Dulya, son of Punni both residents of Nagwan district Chattarpur Madhya Pradesh, Raja alias Sanatan, son of Abhimanyo and Vishno alias Bittu, son of Divender both the residents of Bihar at present resident of Jai Colony Delhi.

Police said that Rakesh Arwar and Dulya of Chattarpur were detained by the cops on suspicion from Gandhi Nagar on November 13, 2007 and 20 mobile phones were recovered from their possession as they broke down during questioning and confessed of committing thefts. On their disclosure, their two associates Raja and Vishno were arrested from Jai Colony Delhi and thirty-three stolen mobile phones were recovered from their possession.

Other seventy mobile phones were thrown by them near Railway track at Ambala Cant after the local police chased them on suspicion.

The arrests and recovery was made by the police team headed by Station House Officer (SHO) Police Station Gandhi Nagar Inspector Rafiq Manhas under the supervision of SDPO South DySP Sukhdev Raj. The special team to work out the thefts was constituted by SP South Zahid Naseem Manhas on the directions of SSP Jammu Parminder Singh.

Giving details Superintendent of police Jammu South Zahid Manhas said that police received a complaint by a Mobile distributor Salora International that unidentified persons have stolen mobile sets from his godown.

Labels: 123 cell phones, cell phones, jammu, kashmir, kashmir news, mobiles

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Labels: communists, jammu, jklf, journey of freedom, kashmir, safar-e-azadi

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Calling the imposition of emergency in Pakistan an inopportune happening, former Chief Minister and patron of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammed Sayeed hoped that it would be a transitional phase and establishment in Pakistan would ensure return of democratic set-up at the earliest. "Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf had to impose emergency in Pakistan, I hope Pakistan's return to democracy is as swift as has been the imposition of emergency," said Mufti while addressing a rally at Jandyal in Jammu today. He added that Pakistan has been passing through tough times and prayed to almighty for early possible return of democracy.

Maintaining that President Pervez Musharraf's presence helped improving relationships between the two countries, Mufti said that Musharraf's vision helped in transforming the relationships between India and Pakistan. "Peace process is moving forward and Musharraf has been playing a vital role, by ensuring continuation of ceasefire along the borders and by taking politically and publicly fruitful decisions, Musharraf has ensured that history of Jammu and Kashmir vis-à-vis relationships between the two neighbours is redrafted," added Mufti. Laying stress on the continuation of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between the two countries, Mufti said, "When former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee extended the hand of friendship towards Pakistan, president Musharraf responded and thereafter we have been witness to historic and infallible decisions which the two countries have taken in consultation with leadership of both sides of Jammu and Kashmir." Mufti prayed for early return of democracy in Pakistan and hoped that the elections in Pakistan would be held as scheduled. "Democracy is incomparable to any other power structure which exists in the world, I hope elections are held as scheduled and democratic institutions function more vibrantly in Pakistan," added Mufti. He stated that the imposition of emergency would not impede the speed at which peace process is moving forward.

Stating that Congress People's Democratic Party (PDP) coalition successfully took the state on the path of peace, tranquility and development, Mufti said that during his three year stint as Chief Minister of the state, his government made sincere efforts to ensure that all three regions of the state receive an equitable share of resources available for development."We had set a goal of healing physical, psychological and emotional wounds inflicted by violence across the state, striving towards giving good governance, ensuring political stability and fulfilling expectations of the people of the state, we made efforts and succeeded in numerous ways," added Mufti. He asked the people to extend their support to the policies and programmes of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). "I have come to know that scarcity of water is a major problem in this area, the problem must be addressed at the earliest," added Mufti. Maintaining that he would ensure construction of a playground...To read the complete article click here: http://epaper.kashmirtimes.com

Labels: kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, pakistan, PDP, Pervez Musharraf

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Labels: kashmir, trail, train

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