Is There SOP On Use Of Pepper Gas?

SRINAGAR — The State Human Rights Commission has granted government “last opportunity” of one week to produce the copy of standard operating procedure (SOP) regarding the use of pepper gas while maintaining law and order in the Kashmir Valley. “Copy of SOP as directed has been produced. The last opportunity for one week is granted. If the copy of SOP is not produced by next date, it will be presumed that there is no SOP and it is free for all,” said chairperson of SHRC Justice (Retd) Bilal Nazki. The Commission was hearing a plea filed on December 2, 2011, by Chairman International Forum for Justice Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, alleging police use pepper gun gas in huge quantity due to which residents of various areas of Srinagar are subjected to huge torture as infants and elderly persons got unconscious due to inhaling of pepper gas. Quoting Opinion of an expert, Untoo states that doses of some of the chemicals in pepper spray can produce respiratory, cardiac and neurological problems and even death. While the complainant had stated that a few persons also died due to the pepper gas used by Police and paramilitary forces, the SHRC had, during one of the previous hearing, underlined that State was duty bound under constitution and law to protect the lives of the citizens and in no case are at liberty or have license to adopt such measures which would endanger the health of its subjects in the name of maintaining law and order. “The state is to protect human rights and fundamental rights of the citizens, even in the face of grave provocations and adverse situation. The officers entrusted with the duty to maintain law and order have to act with due regard to human rights of the citizens of the State. Some suitable action should be taken against the concerned. After all, a law is respected for its observance rather than its breach or its being on a statute book,” the SHRC had said.

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Auqib Questioned For 3 Hours By NIA, Summoned Again On Sunday.

SRINAGAR — Kashmir Observer reporter, Auqib Javeed, was questioned for three hours by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi on Saturday. He has been summoned again on Sunday. Auqib, an accredited journalist, was summoned by the investigating agency to its Delhi office for questioning in a sedition case filed against Dukhtaraan-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi and two of her aides. “I was asked questions regarding interviews of various persons done by me, types of stories which I do, my education including schooling and higher studies as well as family background,” he said. Auqib had on January 15 this year conducted interview of Asiya Andrabi and it had appeared in a local weekly magazine. “I entered the NIA office at around 4 p.m. and left at around 7 p.m. Two officers were in the room and their questions centered on my work and my person,” he said, adding, “Both the officers made me feel relaxed and offered tea and snacks.” Auqib was summoned to NIA headquarters in connection with the case (RC-17/2018/NIA/DLI ) DATED 27TH April, 2018. He was accompanied to NIA office by a lawyer but was told that there is “no need for a lawyer.” "Whereas it appears that you are acquainted with the circumstances of the case noted below, which is now under investigation by the superintendent of Police/NIA/New Delhi under chapter XII of the code of criminal procedure, you are hereby required to attend before the undersigned at Investigation Agency, Hgrs in New Delhi for the purpose of your examination relating to the case," read a summon issued to Auqib. On July 6, Andrabi and two of her associates were arrested by NIA and taken to New Delhi. Kashmir Editors Guild has expressed concern over the development saying the frequent summoning of journalists is weakening democracy and the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech. ‘Stop Harassing Kashmiri journalists’ Kashmir Working Journalist Association and Kashmir Journalist Association have taken strong note of the summoning of a Srinagar based journalist by National Investigative Agency for questioning to New Delhi, terming it as intimidation and harassment of Kashmiri journalist. Auqib Javeed, an accredited journalist working with Kashmir Observer has been summoned to New Delhi by NIA, apparently for what appears to be a story he reported. A joint statement from the associations, condemning the move, said the summoning reflects highhanded approach of the federal agency to ascribe motive to journalists’ professional work, and summon them like criminals.

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Attempts to Break PDP Will Lead to More Salahudins

NEWS LOCAL NEWS Attempts to Break PDP Will Lead to More Salahudins OBSERVER NEWS SERVICE• JUL 13, 2018 • 529 J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti - File PIc J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti - File PIc SRINAGAR: Lashing out at her former partner the BJP, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Friday warned that any attempt by New Delhi to beak her People's Democratic Party (PDP) will lead to serious consequences and give new impetus to militancy. Accusing Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to break her party MLAs to form a new government in Jammu and Kashmir that was put under the Governor’s rule last month, Mehbooba said that any such move will push the state to 90s era when militancy was at its peak in the state, adding that more Salahuddins and Yasin Maliks will be born. Mehbooba was speaking to reporters at Martyrs Cemetery here on the Martyrs Day,commemorated annually to remember those Kashmiris who sacrificed their lives to rid Kashmir of autocratic Dogra rule. Mufti who headed the BJP-PDP coalition government for nearly or two years said that the consequences will be dangerous if attempts are made to break the PDP which has maximum MLAs in the current assembly. (''Agar Dilli ne 1987 ki tarah yahan ki awam ke vote pe daaka dala, agar iss kism ki tod fod ki koshish ki, jis tarah ek Salahuddin ek Yasin Malik ne janm liya...agar Dilliwalon ne PDP ko todne ki koshish ki uski nataish bahut zyada khatarnaak hogi,'' she said.) “If Delhi tries to dismiss the voting rights of people like 1987, if it tries to create divisions and interfere like that then I think just like a Salahuddin and a Yasin Malik were born in 1987…if it tries to break PDP like that then outcomes will be dangerous,” the former J&K CM said. The CM’s remark comes in the backdrop of growing speculations that the BJP which has 25 MLAs, was poaching the PDP rebels and resorting to ‘unlawful means’ to break the lawmakers to gain the numbers. The J&K Assembly has 87 chairs with PDP being the largest one having 28 legislators. The two party had ruled the state for more than three years but their alliance ended only last month when the BJP quit the Mufti government citing her failure in checking militancy and rise in radicalisation. Mufti had earlier warned the BJP soon after it ended its ties with PDP and said that any attempt to engineer defections in her party “will erode the trust of the Kashmiris in Indian democracy”. “If Delhi intervenes and breaks our party, and makes Sajad Lone or whosoever as the Chief Minister, it will erode the trust of the Kashmiris in Indian democracy. Any intervention from Delhi will be taken seriously,” the PDP chief had said.

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New audio released by Zakir Mosa Zakir Musa talking abt Burhan Wani'

Valley Updates New audio released by Zakir Mosa Zakir Musa talking abt Burhan Wani'

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Presence’ Of Anaconda Snake Eggs Baffles South Kashmir’s Pulwama Locals

Srinagar: The presence of snakes and Anaconda eggs have created fear psychosis among people in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The mysterious presence of Anaconda eggs have not only baffled people but the officials from Wild Life Department are also clueless. Reports said that anaconda snake eggs were found by people at various villages in agricultural land and orchards including Mitrigam, Sirnu, Muran, Rohmu and Monghama. Showkat Ahmed, a local from Pulwama told CNS that the other day he was in orchard when he found a bag in which anaconda eggs were present. “The bag was sealed with a label. The department of wild life Brazil was written on it,” he said. Locals added that they found a large number of snakes roaming in the orchards. “The presence of snakes in orchards and fields in Pulwama is a rare phenomenon. We never come across any snake in our fields but now we are perplexed and baffled,” they said. Meanwhile, a team from Wild Life Department visited different villages but said they didn’t find any snake anywhere. “There is nothing new in it. In Kashmir we find snakes at different places but the presence of anaconda snakes and eggs is totally new and strange,” said an official...

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CRPF Inducts 500 Women Personnel To Tackle Protests In Kashmir.

NEW DELHI — Breaking yet another glass ceiling, a special contingent of about 500 women CRPF personnel has been brought to Kashmir valley for regular security duties and tackle the unruly crowds and stone-pelters, a senior officer of the paramilitary force said. The Women personnel, largely in constable ranks, are based at Central Reserve Police Force recruit training centre in Humhama in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir and are being trained in counter-riot and anti-militancy operations. "This is the newest theatre of operations where Women personnel have been brought in. This is the maiden team of Women personnel in the Kashmir valley. A few years back, the CRPF Women troops were inducted into the anti-naxal operations grid in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand," the officer told PTI. He said the Women, after their 45-day induction training and combat-stress inoculation, will be deployed in the valley to tackle stone-pelters and protestors, including Women. It was believed that the special anti-riot wing of the paramilitary force - the RAF - could be brought into the valley to tackle violent protests by civilians and stone-pelting incidents but that was not found feasible, he said. "It was then decided why not induct Women to tackle these situations faced by CRPF units in the valley on a regular basis. These 500 Women personnel will be deployed in downtown Srinagar and other parts of the valley very soon," he said. The Women, according to their training officer Manju K, were now familiarising with the topography of the valley, Srinagar town and are being trained to handle "less-lethal" ammunition and weapons such as rubber bullets, pellet guns, pump-action guns and tear gas shells and PAVA shells, a chilli-based non-lethal munition. They will also be armed with regular assualt and lethal weapons such as the AK-series rifles and the INSAS so that in case of a terrorist attack they can retaliate, take the opponent down and defend themselves, the training officer said. A fresh lot of body protectors and bullet-proof armour is also being procured for the special Women squad inducted for operations in the valley for the first time, the officer said It was thought, the official said, by CRPF commanders that with instances of Women and girls undertaking pitched battles with security forces and targeting them with stones, it will be wise to deploy Women personnel to counter them...

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