Emphasising that terrorism is the grossest violation of human rights and should be so acknowledged by any impartial and objective observer, the Indian side said a part of the territories of Jammu and Kashmir remain under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan. “We also demand that Pakistan must fulfil its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistanoccupied Kashmir (PoK),” the diplomat said. Read less...
The entire State of J&K is an integral part, has been an integral part and will be an integral part of India. No attempt or unilateral attempt or step to change that would have any legal basis, whatsoever, and it will be entirely unacceptable. “Any such step would not be able to hide the illegality of Pakistan’s occupation of parts of J&K which it must vacate, forthwith. It will also not be able to hide the tremendous, very concerning human rights violations and denial of freedom that has been going on in parts controlled by Pakistan for the last 70 years,” the spokesperson said.
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Bhamre said, in 2016 the area along the Line of Control (LoC), which is under operational control of the Army, saw 228 instances of ceasefire violations while the area along the international border (IB) in J&K, under the control of the Border Security Force (BSF), recorded 221 instances of ceasefire violations. This accounts for more than one instance of ceasefire violation every day. In 2017, 30 instances of ceasefire violations were recorded along the LoC while six such instances along the international border were recorded until February 6 by the BSF.
"The case for Pakistan encouraging a new terror organisation in Kashmir, with complete deniability for itself, is strong. Musa is speaking a new antiseparatist, antiHizb and antiPakistan line, targeted at the Kashmiri youth. He is advocating 'Islamist uprising for freedom of Kashmir', said an officer. On May 34, photographs of nine masked militants with a black flag similar to that of terror group Islamic State (IS) were displayed on social media in J&K. However, unlike the IS flag, the one in the image only had Islamic Kalma, the Islamic doctrine of faith, inscribed with an AK47 insignia below the difference, agencies believe, reflecting the desire of local terrorists to remain distinct from the IS brand. Pakistanbased LeT as well as Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK)based HM ‘supreme commander’ Salahuddin, in statements issued on May 10 and 12, respectively, denounced the images. They claimed they had nothing to do with the IS and those waving IS flags and requested parents of Kashmiri youths as well as the youths themselves to avoid such influences.
India suspects Pakistani agencies were trying to rebrand Kashmir struggle as "Islamist uprising for liberation of Kashmir" since the time of Burhan Wani. It took Pakistan 10 months after Wani's killing to reorganize the branding campaign, focused on Musa, an intelligence source claimed.
The clashes also raged in northern Sopore Town in Baramulla District after Friday prayers on May 26, adds Daily Excelsior. The youth converged outside Sopore Jama Masjid and pelted stones on security personnel. The clashes in the area continued for several hours. Read less...
Intelligence sources said HM is likely to nominate Naikoo as its new chief to counter the narrative of deposed ‘commander’ Zakir Musa that terrorists in Kashmir were fighting for an Islamic Caliphate and imposition of Shariat. Pakistanbased HM leadership, according to intelligence agencies, is under tremendous pressure from ISI (InterServices Intelligence) after deposed HM ‘commander’ Zakir Musa last week spoke about establishing a Caliphate in the Valley, besides threatening separatists against terming Kashmir's struggle as political fight. "By appointing moderate Naikoo as new chief, HM may overshadow Zakir, who gained prominence among hardliners in Kashmir due to ISIS ideology. Also, HM would prove to the world that it was not fighting for Islamic rule in Kashmir," an intelligence source said. Read less...
Three Kashmiri separatists, on May 29, appeared before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi for questioning in connection with a case related to the funding of terror and subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), reports Daily Excelsior. Sources said Farooq Ahmad Dar alias ‘Bitta Karate’, Nayeem Khan and Javed Ahmed Baba alias ‘Gazi’ of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat have arrived in New Delhi for questioning by NIA sleuths. Dar, Ahmed and Khan were asked to bring certain bank and property documents, besides other papers, before the NIA team that had questioned them here for four consecutive days earlier this month.
The questioning comes after the Central probe agency, formed in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, named Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafeez Saeed, hardline Kashmiri separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and National Front chairman Nayeem Khan in a Preliminary Enquiry (PE). Khan has since been suspended from the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference. The case is based on a sting operation, aired on a news channel, in which Khan was purportedly shown confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups through hawala channels.