16 December 2015

SRINAGAR | 16 December 2015 | 04 Rabi ul Awwal 1437 AH Vol: 3 | Issue No: 298 | Pages: 08 | Rs 3/- 

WEDNESDAY 

3rd 

PRECIOUS KASHMIR 

http//www.preciouskashmir.com | email: preciouskashmir@gmail.com 

Protests against 

CAPD rock Srinagar 

Consumers set ablaze their ration cards 

Precious Kashmir News 

Srinagar, Dec 15: The Srinagar 

city Tuesday was 

rocked with protests against 

the Consumer Affairs and 

Public Distribution (CAPD) 

department at several places 

for issuing a circular that five 

kg ration will be provided to 

each family member each 

month in the state. 

The protesters took to 

streets in different areas including, 

Kanni Kadal, Abi 

Guzar, Karan Nagar and Tanki 

Pora. The inhabitants of Kanni 

Kadal in the wee hours on 

Tuesday came out of their 

homes and staged protest 

against the department while 

the protesters also blocked 

the main road of the area. 

The protesters set their 

ration cards on fire and said 

that they don’t need five kgs 

of ration as the same won’t 

bring any respite to their lives. 

They marched from Kanni 

Kadal to Karan Nagar and later 

dispersed peacefully. 

Modi is a ‘coward’ and a ‘psychopath’: Kejriwal 

New Deilh, Dec 15: Delhi Chief Minister 

Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday 

said that CBI raided his office and 

described Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi as "a coward and a psychopath". 

The CBI, however, said it did not 

raid Kejriwal's office but that of his 

secretary. A senior union minister said 

that Modi had "nothing to do" with 

the raid. 

An incensed Kejriwal promptly 

took to twitter and said: "Modi is a 

coward and a psycopath." 

"CBI raids my office," he said, adding: 

"When Modi cudn't handle me 

politically, he resorts to this cowardice." 

A CBI officer said that a case has 

been registered against Kerjiwal's 

secretary Rajendra Kumar for alleged 

abuse of office to favour a particular 

firm in the last few years in getting 

tenders from Delhi government departments. 

"After taking warrants, searches 

are being conducted in the office and 

residence of Rajendra Kumar. The allegations 

against Kumar were raised 

by member secretary Delhi Dialogue 

Commission Ashish Kumar Joshi," the 

CBI officer said. 

Kejriwal retorted: "CBI lying. My 

own office raided. Files of CM office 

are being looked into. Let Modi say 

which file he wants?" 

Contending that Rajendra Kumar 

was just an excuse, Kejriwal said the 

The protesters said, “The 

CAPD department by announcing 

five kg ration per 

head has forced us to raise 

voices against the department 

as the same is not sufficient 

for us.” 

Terming the order of 

CAPD department as discrimination, 

the protesting 

inhabitants said that the government 

should revoke the 

order at earliest and should 

announce any alternate order, 

which will accommodate the 

aspiration of people here. 

“Despite pushing people 

Secret talks or 

‘Out of Box’ solution 

unacceptable: Shah 


Srinagar, Dec 15: Reacting 

to the statements of Indian 

External Affairs Minister 

Sushma Swaraj and Indian 

ambassador in Pakistan C 

Raghuram, the Democratic 

Freedom Party (DFP) chairman 

Shabir Ahmad Shah on 

Tuesday said that sidelining 

the Kashmir issue “will complicate 

the issues instead of 

resolving them”. 

“To put the Kashmir issue 

to backburner or to hold 

secret talks in this regard will 

obviously complicate the issues 

and as such, the dialogue 

process cannot move forward,” 

Shah, who continues 

to be under house arrest, said 

in a statement issued to press. 

Shah, however, made it 

clear that "we are not against 

the Indo-Pak talks or the steps 

taken to initiate the Confidence 

Building Measures 

(CBMs) between the two nations 

but to expect the establishment 

of peace in South 

Asia without addressing the 

Kashmir issue is sheer foolishness”. 

Rejecting the “Out of Box” 

solution, Shabir Ahmad Shah 

said that Kashmir dispute 

stands among the longstanding 

issues in the United Nations’ 

agenda and no solution 

will be acceptable if the real 

stakeholders – the Kashmiris 

– are not taken on board in 

the dialogue process. 

Terming the statement of 

Indian ambassador in Pakistan 

C Raghuram as “far from 

reality and incorrect”, the DFP 

chairman said: “When we 

talk of Jammu and Kashmir, 

we mean that territory which 

existed before the partition of 

India and the referendum 

See Shah on Pg 6 

files at his office were being examined. 

In a string of tweets, Kejriwal said: 

"I am the only CM who dismissed, on 

my own, a minister n a senior officer 

on charges of corruption and handed 

their cases to CBI." 

Kejriwal was referring to the October 

9 public sacking of Food Minister 

Asim Ahmed Khan for allegedly demanding 

bribes from a builder. 

"If CBI had any evidence against 

Rajender, why didn't they share it wid 

me? I wud hv acted against him," Kejriwal 

said in another tweet. 

Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu 

on Tuesday said that the prime 

minister has "nothing to do" with the 

CBI raids at Kejriwal's office. 

"CBI is an independent organisation. 

The government does not interfere 

at all. How can you criticize the 

central government and the prime 

to walls by unscheduled power 

cuts, the authorities are 

trying to make people’s survival 

difficult here,” they said. 

Meanwhile, Abi Guzar 

residents also staged protest 

against the department and 

blocked the road leading to 

Gantagarh (Clock Tower). 

Accusing authorities for 

ignoring their plights, the residents 

were demanding revocation 

of the order at earliest. 

“We are appealing the 

higher ups of the department 

to revoke the order at earliest 

See Protests on Pg 6 

minister? PM has nothing to do with 

this," Naidu told reporters here. 

"It has become fashionable from 

the Delhi chief minister to quarrel with 

the central government and take PM's 

name for everything," he said, adding 

"CBI does not function under the government. 

Gone are days of Congress 

when CBI used to be misused." 

Delhi Police sources said that the 

Delhi government's Anti-Corruption 

Branch (ACB) last Thursday forwarded 

a complaint registered against Rajendra 

Kumar to the CBI. 

Sources said that Joshi had approached 

approached the ACB with 

his complaint on July 13. 

Union Minister of State for Home 

Affairs Kiren Rijiju refused to comment 

on the issue and merely said: "Don't ask 

ministers about agency's work." 

See Kejriwal on Pg 6 

New Delhi, Dec 15: Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi today 

said resumption of talks 

with Pakistan was to "try and 

turn the course of history" 

and to bring an end to terrorism 

but made it clear that the 

neighbouring country would 

be judged by "its commitment 

on terrorism." 

Modi also asserted that 

India will never drop its guard 

on security as he admitted 

that there are many challenges 

and barriers on the path. 

Speaking to India's top 

military commanders on 

board the country's largest 

aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, 

Modi said "we are engaging 

Pakistan to try and turn 

the course of history, bring an 

end to terrorism, build peaceful 

relations, advance cooperation 

and promote stability 

and prosperity in our region. 

"There are many challenges 

and barriers on the 

path. But the effort is worth it 

because the peace dividends 

are huge and the future of our 

children is at stake. So, we will 

test their intentions to define 

the path ahead. For this, we 

have started a new NSA-level 

dialogue to bring security experts 

face to face with each 

other. 

"But we will never drop 

our guard on security and we 

will continue to judge progress 

on their commitments 

on terrorism," he said. 

This is the first time that 

Modi has spoken on the relations 

with Pakistan after the 

two countries announced the 

re-engagement under bilateral 

comprehensive dialogue 

last week. 

The announcement 

came after Modi had met his 

Pakistani counterpart Nawaz 

Sharif on the sidelines of the 

climate change summit in 

Paris on November 30 where 

the two also agreed to hold 

NSA-level talks. 

Addressing the first ever 

Combined Commanders Conference 

to be held outside the 

national capital, the Prime 

Minister warned against 

"reckless" nuclear build up 

and continuing military modernisation 

and expansion. 

Modi said "our neighbourhood 

is most critical for 

our future and for our place in 

the world. 

"But ours is a difficult 

See Talks on Pg 6 

Delhi CM owes 

PM an ‘unqualified 

apology’: BJP 

New Delhi, Dec 15: New Delhi, Dec 

15: The ruling BJP has demanded 

an "unqualified apology" from Delhi 

chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for his 

words against Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi this morning. 

"Kejriwal should tender an unqualified 

apology to the Prime Minister 

for using words like coward. What 

he said is uncalled for, unwarranted, 

shameful and condemnable," said 

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. 

Responding to the demand, Kejriwal's 

deputy, Manish Sisodia, said: 

"You apologise for your actions, we'll 

apologise for our words." He accused 

the BJP of "misusing the CBI just like 

the Congress did." 

Kejriwal alleged this morning 

that his office had been raided by the 

Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI 

and in a strong attack on PM Modi 

tweeted, "When Modi cudn't handle 

me politically, he resorts to this cowardice," 

and also, "Modi is a coward 

and a psycopath." 

The government and the BJP 

have denied that Kejriwal's office was 

raided or sealed, as has the CBI, which 

See BJP on Pg 6 

Journalism With A Human Heart 

Talks with Pak is to try and turn 

course of history: Modi 

Fake encounter victim’s kin 

demand death to culprits 


Srinagar, Dec 15: Nearly ten 

years since the murder of Abdul 

Rehman Padroo, a carpenter 

who was killed in a stage 

managed encounter after his 

enforced disappearance in 

2006, his family on Tuesday 

demanded severe punishment 

to the culprits. 

“They should be either 

hanged or they should rot in 

prison for entire life (imprisoned 

for life),” Padroo’s wife 

said. 

“We have lost everything 

while the accused are still 

drawing pension. We have 

no source of income and our 

source of sustenance has been 

severely affected after death 

of father-in-law in March this 

year,” she said and castigated 

the government for leaving 

them to “fend for ourselves.” 

She along with her four 

young daughters and 11-yearold 

son appeared before a trial 

court in Srinagar, travelling 

about 100 kilometers from 

Larnoo Kokernag in Anantnag 

district and urged the judge to 

“give us justice.” 

Without making any 

comment, the judge called 

Kashmir High Bar Association 

general secretary who later 

apprised the family about legal 

process and made them 

understand that the judgment 

will be delivered only 

after completion of the trial. 

“We have waited for almost 

ten years and can wait 

for few months more but 

those who have snatched 

our father should be brought 

to justice and given befitting 

punishment,” said Rayeesa 

Rehman, eldest of four 

daughters who was flanked 

by mother, her brother and 

three sisters including the 

one who was only 40-day-old 

when his father was whisked 

away in December 2006. 

“Our father was innocent 

and killed for none of his fault. 

We only want justice,” she 

added. 

Padroo, a carpenter from 

Kokernag, was passed off as 

Lashkar militant Abu Zahid 

and killed in a fake encounter 

after his disappearance from 

Batalamoo on 8 December 

2006. A Special Investigation 

Team later arrested former 

SSP Hans Raj Parihar along 

with six other accused who 

are in currently under detention 

at Central Jail Srinagar. 

Besides Parihar, the SIT 

had found Dy SP Bahadur 

Ram, ASI Farooq Gudoo, 

driver Farooq Ahmad Padder, 

Manzoor Ahmad Malik and 

Constable Bansi Lal guilty for 

See Fake on Pg 6 

Both PMs likely to 

meet next month 

UN sickened by 

public hatred 

against Muslims 

United Nations, Dec 15: 

Two senior United Nations 

(UN) officials has said they 

are "sickened by blatant 

manifestations of hatred and 

intolerance" by public figures 

and others, particularly 

against Muslims, in response 

to recent extremist attacks. 

According to Dawn, 

Adama Dieng, the special 

adviser on the prevention 

of genocide, and Jennifer 

Welsh, the special adviser on 

the responsibility to protect 

civilians, said any "advocacy 

of national, racial or religious 

hatred that constitutes 

incitement to discrimination, 

hostility or violence" is 

See UN on Pg 6 

Islamabad, Dec 15: Pakistan today executed 

eight convicted murderers in different jails of 

its Punjab province, bringing the total number of 

executions to 310 since it lifted a moratorium on 

the death penalty following a terror attack on an 

army run school in December last year. 

The hangings were carried out just a day 

before the first anniversary of the Peshawar 

school attack that left over 150 people, mostly 

students, dead and prompted the government 

to lift the six-year moratorium on the death 

penalty. 

The latest executions were carried out in 

jails of Multan, Bahawalpur, Gujrat, Attock and 

Islamabad, Dec 14: Prime 

Minister Narendra Modi and 

his Pakistani counterpart 

Nawaz Sharif are likely to 

meet next month in Switzerland, 

the media reported. 

They will attend the 46th 

annual meeting of the World 

Economic Forum (WEF) in 

Davos-Klosters. The threeday 

meeting will commence 

on January 20. 

New Delhi has shown 

its consent for participation 

by Modi while Nawaz 

will attend the forum from 

Pakistani side, The News International 

on Wednesday 

quoted diplomatic sources 

as saying. 

Meanwhile, it is likely 

that the foreign secretaries' 

talks between Pakistan and 

India will take place after the 

Davos meeting of the two 

prime ministers. 

India is insisting that the 

talks that would determine 

the course of future dialogue 

between both the countries 

should be held in New Delhi 

while Pakistan is asking it 

take place in Islamabad, the 

sources said. 

Cold wave 

intensifies 

in Valley 


Srinagar, Dec 15: Cold wave 

intensified in Kashmir valley 

with Leh town in Ladakh 

region being the coldest place 

in Jammu and Kashmir as the 

mercury fell there to minus 

14 degrees Celsius. 

An official of the Meteorological 

Department here 

said the minimum temperature 

in Leh registered a drop 

of two degrees yesterday 

compared to previous night. 

He said the nearby 

Kargil town recorded a low 

of minus 11.4 degrees Celsius, 

slightly up from minus 

12.1 degrees Celsius a night 

earlier. 

The famous ski-resort of 

Gulmarg, in north Kashmir, 

registered a slump of nearly 

eight degrees in the night 

temperature as the minimum 

settled at minus 8.8 degrees 

Celsius compared to the 

previous night's minus 1.0 

degrees Celsius. 

The mercury in Pahalgam, 

which serves as a base 

camp for the annual Amarnath 

Yatra in south Kashmir, 

dropped more than three 

See Cold Wave on Pg 6 

29 journalists killed in 

Iraq in 2015: Report 

Baghdad, Dec 15: A total of 

29 journalists were killed in 

violence-ridden Iraq in 2015, 

many of them executed by 

the extremist Islamic State 

(IS) group, an Iraqi journalists' 

body said on Tuesday. 

The latest count by the 

syndicate brings the death toll 

of journalists in the country to 

435 since the US-led invasion 

in 2003, Xinhua reported. 

There is fear for the safety 

of the journalists who are vulnerable 

to more attacks in the 

absence of law and ignorance 

in some government departments 

about the positive role 

of the press in correcting the 

course of political performance 

and detecting errors, 

said a report by the Iraqi Journalists' 

Syndicate. 

The report showed that 

IS militants executed 20 journalists 

in and near the IS-held 

city of Mosul during the year. 

Three others were killed 

while covering battles against 

the IS extremist militants 

while six others were killed in 

violence in Baghdad and Iraqi 

cities. 

According to the report, 

See Report on Pg 6 

Pak hangs 8 ahead of Peshawar 

school attack anniversary 

Dera Ghazi Khan, according an official of interior 

ministry. 

"Two convicts each were hanged in Multan, 

Bahawalpur and Gujrat and one each in 

Dera Ghazi Khan and Attock," said the official. 

"They were convicted for separate murders." 

Today's hangings take the number of execution 

to 310 in less than one year, in a shocking 

development to the local and international 

human right activists. 

Organisations like the UN, the EU, Amnesty 

International and Human Rights Watch have 

demanded Pakistan to stop the hangings. 

See Pak on Pg 6 

C 

M 

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K 

C 

M 

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K



Jammu, Dec 15: Deputy Chief 

Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh has 

maintained that necessary 

efforts are afoot to preserve 

and propagate rich artistic 

traditions of the State and in 

this regard steps have already 

been taken. 

Deputy Chief Minister 

was speaking after inaugurating 

Dark Clouds Silver lining, 

an Exhibition of sculptures 

of renowned artist Ravinder 

Jamwal at Jammu University 

here today. 

Vice Chancellor, Jammu 

University, R. D Sharma, Vice 

Chairman Kissan Board, D. 

S Chib, MLA, Ramnagar, R. S 

Pathania, Mamta Singh, Director 

Local Urban Local bodies 

Jammu, Soujanya Sharma, 

academicians, artists and 

intellectuals were present on 

the occasion. 

Dr. Singh said that the 

State has rich artistic traditions 

which are known globally 

and need is to ensure 

their propagation, preservation 

for the posterity. He said 

that the Government is doing 

its bit and now the onus lies 

on the artists, art lovers and 

intellectuals to come forward 

and strengthen the initiatives 

being taken. “We will provide 

necessary assistance to the 

artists and the aspiring once 

so that their talent is properly 

channelized and honed in 

the right direction and they 

carry forward the rich tradition 

already set by several 

renowned artists belonging 

to this part of country” he 

elaborated. 

The Deputy Chief Minister 

complemented the organizers 

for organizing such 

an exhibition which depicts 

human agony, suffering and 

also contextualize recent happenings 

in the State. He said 

that the artist is a well known 

figure among the contemporaries 

and he has, to his credit 

several works which are exemplary 

and has created a 

niche for himself in various 

art forms. 

It is pertinent to mention 

that the sculptors displayed 

at the exhibition are based on 

the theme of recent migrations 

of the people living on 

the international border who 

have to constantly migrate to 

safer places on account of border 

skirmishes. 

Later, the Deputy Chief 

Minister, interacted with the 

artists and academicians 

present on the occasion. 


Jammu, Dec 15: Governor 

N.N Vohra, Chancellor of 

the Sher-e-Kashmir University 

of Agricultural Sciences 

and Technology of Jammu 

(SKUAST-J), stressed the importance 

of inter-university 

collaborations in academics, 

research and extension activities 

of the Farm Universities 

for increasing agriculture 

production in the State. 

The Governor was chairing 

the 14th Council meeting 

of SKUAST-J, here at the Raj 

Bhavan, yesterday. Chief 

Minister Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed, Pro Chancellor of 

the University, participated 

in the discussions. 

The Chancellor advised 

the VC to take all required 

steps for filling up of all 

vacant seats both in UG as 

well as PG programmes 

and designing student exchange 

programmes with 

other State Farm Universities 

of North India. He appreciated 

the VC’s efforts to 

News 

Wednesday 

2 

16.12.2015 

Over 21000 kanals of forest land 

evicted from encroachers: Bali 


Jammu, Dec 15: Minister for Forest, 

Ecology and Environment, 

Bali Bhagat today described climate 

change and global warming 

as greatest challenge confronting 

mankind that necessitates collective 

action to reverse its negative 

impact. 

Addressing media persons 

and environmental experts at a 

daylong workshop titled ‘media 

orientation on climate change reporting’ 

held at Press Club Jammu, 

here, the Minister said that world 

is witnessing abnormal behavior 

of nature including untimely 

and heavy rains, severe and prolonged 

droughts and other environmental 

hazards which have 

clearly been linked to climate 

change. “Global warming has 

put every country on the globe 

in great anxiety, forcing them to 

come together on a single platform 

to discuss the vital issue 

and seek solutions to meet the 

challenge collectively”, he said. 

Highlighting the role of media 

in educating the masses, Bali 

said that media impacts minds of 

Efforts afoot to preserve, propagate 

rich artistic traditions of State: Dy CM 

Vibodh chairs 

DRSC-IV 

committee meet 

Jammu, Dec 15: A meeting 

of Department Related 

Standing Committee (DRSC- 

IV) was held today under 

the Chairmanship of Kibosh 

Gupta to review the functioning 

of Transport Department. 

In the meeting, the 

committee recommended 

financial support for revival 

of SRTC and also suggested 

that 5 percent of the total 

revenue collected by the 

Motor Vehicle Department 

(MVD) be allowed to be 

utilized by the department 

itself for its smooth functioning. 

Legislators, Dr. Shehnaz 

Ganai, Surrninder Ambardar 

and Sofi Mohammad 

Yousuf were also present in 

the meeting. 

Ganderbal, Dec 15: A meeting 

of the District Road Safety 

Committee was held under 

the chairmanship of Deputy 

Commissioner Ganderbal 

Showkat Aijaz Bhat. 

Deputy Commissioner 

Ganderbal directed the Motor 

Vehicle Department Ganderbal 

and the Traffic Police to 

organize road safety awareness 

program in collaboration 

with the Education, Health and 

other departments for the teenage 

drivers and also for the professional 

drivers of passenger 

service vehicles especially the 

drivers of school buses. 

Jammu, Dec 15: Minister 

of State for PWD (R&B) 

and Revenue, Sunil Kumar 

Sharma paid surprise visit 

to Tehsildar office Nagrota 

and took first hand appraisal 

from the public regarding 

the services provided by the 

Revenue Department. 

Stressing on the effective 

implementation of Public 

Services Guarantee Act, 

Sharma directed the Tehsildar 

to ensure that people 

get services related to Revenue 

Department like issuance 

of Permanent Resident 

Certificates (PRCs), Category 

Certificates, Backward Area 

Certificates, income certificates 

etc in a time bound 

manner. 

During the visit, the 

Minister inspected various 

files and records in the office 

people and due to its large reach, 

media can certainly help in disseminating 

information about 

environment issues to a wider audience 

through its routine reporting. 

He said, environment is such 

a subject which is connected with 

the life of every one, rich or poor, 

hence it is obligatory on the part 

of every individual to contribute 

towards this sacred cause and also 

educate others to help in promoting 

the environment to secure future 

generations. 

Elaborating about the initiatives 

of the Government in conserving 

natural resources, the 

Minister said that during the past 

9 months over 21000 kanals of 

forest land has been retrieved 

from illegal possession of people 

in different parts of the State. He 

said new government has decided 

to free every inch of encroached 

land and restore these as green 

cover. Besides, government has 

decided to undertake a massive 

plantation drive across the State 

to rejuvenate the degraded forest 

areas, said Bali. 

To curb the menace of timber 

smuggling and other valuable forest 

produce, Bali said that the department 

has devised a well-knit 

mechanism and stepped up the 

vigil in sensitive areas and during 

the same period over 400 vehicles 

and 200 horses/ponies used in illegal 

activities have been confiscated. 

He said government will 

deal with all such criminals sternly 

and impose heavy fine to create 

deterrence, so that no one dares to 

cause loss to natural resources, he 

asserted. 

Lauding the press club for the 

noble initiative in organizing this 

‘Providing corruption free 

administration top priority of Govt’ 

Chief Education Officer 

was directed to issue directions 

to all the schools to 

strictly follow the guidelines 

of the Supreme Court regarding 

maintenance of the school 

buses and installation of speed 

governors and not to allow 

any student who is without 

license or helmet. He directed 

the ARTO Ganderbal and the 

local police to check overloading 

in passenger vehicles 

particularly during the peak 

hours. 

Executive Engineer R&B 

and PMGSY were directed to 

make zebra crossing visible in 

especially the files related to 

Public Services Guarantee 

Act (PSGA) and directed 

the Tehsildar to ensure 

that people don’t have to 

wait for long in the offices 

for redressal of their grievances. 

The Minster while interacting 

with the locals on 

the occasion said that they 

should feel free to approach 

his office if their genuine 

District Road Safety Committee 

meet held in Ganderbal 

front of the school exit and entry 

points and were directed 

to install more road signs to 

avoid road accidents. 

Deputy Commissioner 

directed all the members to 

make coordinated efforts to 

ensure safety of public on 

roads. 

SP Ganderbal, ACR Ganderbal, 

Dy SP traffic Ganderbal, 

Chief Medical Officer, 

Chief Education Officer, Executive 

Engineer (R&B), Executive 

Engineer PMGSY, ARTO 

Ganderbal, Executive officer 

municipality, representative 

of the Beacon, were present. 

useful workshop, the Minister 

said that the event could prove 

useful for the budding journalists. 

He assured full support from 

the government in such social initiatives. 

He also appreciated the 

CEE and Ahmadabad based organization 

EEET and Dr. C M Seth 

for their valuable contribution in 

educating the masses about environment 

conservation. He also 

appreciated the initiative of environment 

exhibition in moving 

train “Science Express” organized 

in November, 2015 at Udhampur 

strengthen the Counselling 

and Placement Cell in the 

University and advised him 

to take all required steps for 

improving the placement 

percentage of pass-outs in 

the University. 

The Chancellor advised 

the VC to give practical 

shape to the prepared 

blue print for giving boost 

to the area-specific specialized 

farming in the State; 

to conduct regular training 

programmes in far flung 

areas of the State for upgrading 

post harvest skills 

of people in the rural and 

backward areas to improve 

their economic status and 

stressed the need to set up a 

mechanism for the qualitative 

assessment of research 

projects which should be 

audited with respect to administrative, 

financial and 

technical impediments. 

The Chief Minister and 

the Pro-Chancellor advised 

the VC to adopt 4-5 villages 

in the vicinity of the 

University, perhaps in R.S. 

and Samba, saying that the event 

proved useful as thousands of 

people, especially the students 

visited got acquainted with the 

issues related to climate change 

and efforts to promote the environment. 

Director Environment, Ecology 

and Remote Sensing, O P Sharma, 

Eminent Environmentalist, Dr. C 

M Seth, Prof Anil Raina, JU, Senior 

Journalists, Sanjeet Sharma, 

Dinesh Manhotra, Ajay Bachloo, 

Dr. Abdesh Gangwal, EEET, Ahmadabad 

also addressed the gathering 

and shared their insight on 

the subject and suggested measures 

to tackle it at the local level 

and globally. 

On the occasion, the Minister 

also gave away certificates of merit 

to journalists for reporting on environment 

related issues. 

The workshop was organized 

by the Press Club of Jammu in collaboration 

with CEE and EEET Ahmadabad. 

Large number of prominent 

media persons, research 

scholars, environmental experts 

and Members of the management 

of Press Club of Jammu were present 

on the occasion. 

Governor for improving 

inter-university collaborations 

cases are being delayed adding 

that providing corruption 

free administration and 

better services in a hassle 

free manner forms the top 

priority of the present government. 

He also said that 

there will be zero tolerance 

for corruption and urged the 

people to bring to his notice 

any official of the department 

found indulging in any 

such malpractice. 

Jammu, Dec 15: Jammu and 

Kashmir Police and particularly 

Armed Police has been called 

upon from time to time to render 

services for rescuing people 

who get caught in inclement 

weather or hostile circumstances 

in mountainous areas of the 

State. This was stated by Director 

General of Police (DGP), K. 

Rajendra Kumar, while releasing 

a Film “Rescue Rangers” and 

manual “Mountain Guide” at a 

function organised by Armed 

Headquarters at Police Auditorium 

here this evening. 

Rajendra said since police 

personnel are the first responders 

to emergencies and being 

trained for this, they will be 

14 th council meeting of SKUAST-J held 

Jammu, Dec 15: Minister for 

Horticulture, Hajj and Auqaf, 

Abdul Rehman Veeri Tuesday 

gave strict directions for 

gearing up of enforcement 

wing of horticulture department 

to ensure quality supply 

of pesticides and other 

Horticulture Mineral Oils 

(HMOs) to fruit growers of 

the State. 

The Minister was addressing 

a joint meeting of 

higher ups of Horticulture Department 

and representatives 

of various Oil companies. 

The Minister said Government 

is committed to 

facilitate the fruit growers 

on every front to produce 

quality fruit in the State. He 

asked oil companies to ensure 

timely availability of 

HMOs and to fulfil all codal 

formalities to ensure quality 

able to respond effectively and 

rescue people from disastrous 

situations. He said the demands 

for services like rescue operations 

and disaster management 

are increasing. Over the time 

we felt that we need to have it 

as a programme and reduce our 

dependence on other organisations 

for training our people. 

DGP said topography of 

Jammu and Kashmir and the 

nature of natural disasters that 

the state could witness has 

been one of the main factors 

that prompted us to prepare 

the training manual “Mountain 

Guide” and produce the film 

“Rescue Rangers”. He said the 

publication aims to provide basic 

information and technical 

knowledge of mountaineering 

and rescue operations during 

avalanches and other mountain 

disasters to trainees so that 

they learn the fundamentals of 

mountain-climbing to become 

better mountaineers with skills 

of rescue and evacuation. 

The DGP congratulated the 

efforts of ADGP, M. S. M. Sahai 

and his team in producing such 

a film and guide book. He said it 

will prove immensely beneficial 

for all sections of the society. He 

also hoped that JKP will raise 

flag on the highest peak of the 

world in 2016. The manual 

contains important guidelines 

for mountaineers. It contains 

Pura, where the students 

of the University would do 

field work not only for acquiring 

practical knowledge 

but also for contributing towards 

improving the cropping 

pattern and introduction 

of commercially viable 

ancillary activities. As he 

had observed in the Council 

Meeting of SKUAST-K the 

Pro-Chancellor stressed the 

need to promote dairy and 

poultry farming with enhanced 

private sector participation. 

He also advised 

the University’s participation 

in the revival of sericulture 

in the State. 

The Council approved 

the proposal of Directorate 

of Research for the upgradation 

of Dry Land Research 

Sub-Station to Advanced 

Centre for Rainfed Agriculture, 

Dhansar and establishment 

of Advanced Centre 

for Horticulture, Udheywalla, 

by restructuring the various 

stations of SKUAST-J. 

To overcome the prolonged 

delays involved in land acquisition 

for setting up of 

KVKs, the Council decided 

that all future KVKs should 

be established in the Stateowned 

farms, wherever 

available in the districts. 

Abdul Rehman Bhat, 

Minister for Horticulture; 

Bali Bhagat, Minister for Forests, 

Sajjad Gani Lone, Minister 

for Animal Husbandry; 

and Ghulam Nabi Lone, Minister 

for Agriculture; urged 

both the VCs to optimally utilize 

all the existing resources 

at the disposal of the Farm 

Universities for speedy development 

of agriculture and its 

allied sectors. 

Earlier, Dr. Pradeep K. 

Sharma, Vice Chancellor, 

SKUAST, Jammu, presented 

a detailed report on the 

status of teaching, research 

and extension activities undertaken 

by the varsity. He 

dwelt on the achievements 

of the University in varied 

fields. He also gave details 

of the various ongoing research 

projects and those 

in the pipeline. 

check of the spray oils. 

Veeri said flying squads 

shall be deployed in rural 

areas for proper checking of 

pesticides and spray oils. He 

said the department will act 

strictly against black marketers 

and hoarders of HMOs 

and anyone found doing so 

shall be dealt with severely. 

He asked Director Enforcement 

to make foolproof 

agreement for maintaining 

quality and standard of HMOs. 

“The Horticulture Development 

officers who are already 

delegated with powers 

of enforcement inspectors 

shall be geared up for timely 

action against spurious pesticides 

and HMOs in market” 

the Minister said and added 

that a core group at district 

headquarters shall be established 

to give updates 

regarding status of enforcement 

agencies. 

The Minister said that a 

meeting of all stakeholders 

shall be convened next week 

chapters that provide basic and 

technical information needed 

by mountaineers during training 

and mountaineering expeditions. 

It provides information 

about mountain weather, 

www.preciouskashmir.com 

Sajad chairs DDB 

Doda review meet 

Doda, Dec 15: Minister for 

Science and Technology and 

Animal Husbandry, Sajad Gani 

Lone chaired a meeting to assess 

the implementation progress 

on the decisions of the 

District Development Board 

Doda, here today. 

While stressing on the 

cent percent utilization of the 

funds available under various 

schemes the Minister impressed 

upon all the heads of 

the departments and sector 

officers present in the meeting 

to ensure implementation of 

all the DDB decisions in stipulated 

timeline .He asked for out 

of box thinking and innovations 

to bring out revolutionary 

change in the performance of 

the departments. 

Taking a review of the 

projects under tourism sector, 

Lone said that for generating 

the additional Government 

accommodation at Doda a project 

report for the development 

of JKTDC building near Dak 

banglow Doda should be submitted 

at an earliest and asked 

the DC Doda to do the needful 

in this regard. He also asked 

the Deputy Commissioner to 

project the pending un irrigated 

villages of the district 

for inclusion in the proposed 

lift irrigation schemes in consultations 

with the legislators. 

Stressing on the development 

of the futuristic projects 

especially in PHE and R&B 

sector so that project could 

withstand the changing vagaries 

of time Lone announced 

constitution of a technical 

committee at District level 

which will have the mandate 

of submitting the technical report 

of the future viability of 

the kandi canal irrigation project 

in the District. 

On the demand of the legislator 

over the less width of 

Kahara-Tanta road than the 

prescribed norms, the minister 

asked DC Doda to constitute 

a committee to demarcate 

the land acquired for the road 

and asses the causes for any 

such diversion from norms so 

that the responsibilities could 

be fixed. Lone also took a detailed 

review of various other 

mega projects in Doda such as 

Steel Girder Bridge at Thatri, 

Shiva Dal Steel Girder Bridge, 

Community Hall Doda, Court 

complex Doda, truck terminal 

Doda, and various PHC Buildings 

and directed the concerned 

executive agencies to stick to the 

time lines fixed for completion 

of these mega projects. 

Ansari reviews 

dev scenario 

in Pattan 

Baramulla, Dec 15: Minister 

for Youth Services and Sports, 

Imran Raza Ansari today 

reviewed the implementation 

of developmental schemes 

during a meeting held at ITI 

Pattan. 

District Development 

Commissioner, Baramulla, 

Joint Director Planning, Engineers, 

District and Sectoral 

officers were also present. 

The Minister took stock 

of works on roads, filtration 

plants, school buildings under 

SSA, RMSA, upgradation of 

transformers and Electric 

infrastructure. The Minister 

also reviewed health sector in 

the area with directions to the 

concerned officials to ensure 

availability of doctors, paramedical 

staff and medicine in 

all hospitals. Directions were 

also issued to the Chief Education 

officer to expedite work 

on school buildings taken up 

under RMSA and SSA. 

Availability of ration in 

the constituency was also 

discussed with instructions 

from the Minister to ensure 

complete registration of consumers 

under the FSA. 

Govt committed to facilitate fruit 

growers for quality production: Veeri 

to sort out measures and to 

take a final decision to ensure 

availability of Horticulture 

Mineral Oils in the State. 

The Minister was informed 

that soil testing 

laboratories have been made 

functional at all district headquarters 

and to further improve 

the testing standards 6 

mobile soil testing vans shall 

be put in service by the end of 

the current financial year. 

Commissioner Secretary 

Horticulture, Mohammad 

Ashraf Bukhari, Vice 

Chancellor SKUAST, Kashmir 

Nazir Ahmed, Director Horticulture, 

Kashmir/Jammu, Director 

Agriculture Kashmir/ 

Jammu, Director Law Enforcement, 

Director Research 

SKUAST, Director Planning 

APD and other senior officers 

were present in the meeting. 

DGP releases Rescue Rangers, Mountain Guide 

mountaineering equipment, its 

use and management, mountain 

and glacier climbing and 

above all the techniques and 

skills required to rescue people 

from mountainous terrains.

Precious Kashmir 

NEWS 

Srinagar,Wednesday 


3 

Mirwaiz welcomes resumption 

of Indo-Pak dialogue 


Srinagar, Dec 15: Stating that to 

follow the teachings of Prophet 

Muhammad (SAW) is not only 

necessary for Muslims but it benefits 

the entire humanity, All Parties 

Hurriyat Conference (APHC) 

Chairman and Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama 

(MMA) Ameer (chief), 

Mirwaiz Dr. Moulvi Muhammad 

Umar Farooq Tuesday said these 

teachings provide solution to all 

troubles and tribulations that the 

Muslims were caught in, be it 

political or social. 

Addressing a massive gathering 

of devotees at the shrine of 

Khawaja Bahuddin Naqshband 

at Khawaja Bazaar Khankah after 

offering the annual traditional 

prayers of Khawaja Digar (Asr 

prayers) which is held on the start 

of the Muslim lunar month of Rabi-ul-Awal, 

the Mirwaiz paid rich 

tributes to the saint and recalled 

his contributions and his work for 

the society and for the spread of 

Islam. 

The APHC Chairman said the 

Muslim world was encountering 

various political and social problems 

and Muslim societies were 

getting more materialistic and 

getting caught in other menaces 

Army given 

Pro-Active 

role: Geelani 


Khawaja 

Digar 

observed 

Srinagar, Dec 15: Hurriyat 

(g) chairperson Syed Ali 

Geelani Tuesday strongly 

condemned the alleged 

Army raid on the house of 

its district president Shopian 

Muhammad Amin Ahangar 

and said that the BJP-PDP coalition 

government has again 

given army a pro-active role 

and they have started harassing 

the ‘pro-resistance’ leadership. 

Geelani said that this is a 

serious issue since the record 

of army is very negative. 

“Many people in the past 

have been killed by the army 

without reason.” 

As per a statement issued 

here, Geelani said that the 

civil administration is acting 

like a mute spectator and as 

a result people are feeling harassed. 

Srinagar, Dec 15: Khawaja 

Digar was observed at the 

Naqashbandh Sahib (RA) 

shrine in the old City with 

lakhs of devotees thronging 

the shrine for the congregational 

Asar Salah, despite cold 

wave. Mirwaiz Dr Umar Farooq 

addressed the mammoth 

gathering. 

The urs of Hazrat Khwaja 

Baha-ud-Din Muhammad 

Naqshband Bukhrai (RA) is celebrated 

on the 3rd Rabi-ul-Awal 

every year, besides the 

gatherings for special prayers 

(khatmat-muazzamat) are 

held for twelve days i.e. from 

21st Safar to 3rd Rabi-ul Awal. 

These gatherings are held every 

day at 8 AM in the Khanqah-i-Naqshbandiya. 

On the 

urs day after the Asr prayers, 

special mass prayers are 

held called ‘Khoja Digar’. This 

practice continues as a tradition 

from the times of Hazrat 

Khwaja Khawand Mahmood 

i.e. from 1017 AH- 405 years. 

Amid biting cold devotees 

thronged the shrine of 

the revered Sufi saint located 

at Khwaja Bazaar, Nowhatta, 

for prayers and supplications. 

A large congregation of devotees 

gathered to offer special 

‘Khwaji Digar’ prayers in the 

afternoon. In his address, the 

Mirwaiz threw light on the 

life of Prophet (PBUH) and 

asked the Ummah to follow 

Quran and Sunnah. He also 

threw light on the life of Hazrat 

Sheikh Hamzah Makhdoom 

(RA) adding that the 

saint made historic contribution 

towards the people of 

Kashmir and spread of Islam 

in the Valley. (CNS) 

as they were getting far from the 

message and teachings of the 

Allah, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) 

and saints like Hazrat Naqshband 

and suggested that the only way 

to encounter these problems was 

to follow their teachings in letter 

and spirit. 

Throwing light on the present 

political situation, the Mirwaiz 

welcoming the resumption of 

dialogue between India and Pakistan 

said that APHC has always 

been for the cordial relationship 

Shutdown in Kulgam against ‘callous’ PDD 


Kulgam, Dec 15: Many 

people including children 

were injured in South 

Kashmir’s Kulgam district 

on Tuesday when police 

allegedly resorted to lathi 

charge and tear smoke 

shelling to disperse 

the villagers protesting 

against shortage of electricity 

in the district. 

Eyewitnesses said 

that Kulgam district 

observed a complete 

shutdown against the 

non-availability of electricity. 

All the shops and 

business establishments 

remained shut. The call 

for shutdown was given 

by apolitical organization 

Falah Behbood Committee 

Kulgam. 

Reports said that 

people from different 

hamlets of the district 

including traders 

community assembled 

in large numbers and protested 

against shortage of 

electricity in main chowk. 

The protesters alleged 

that since September 

this year almost all the 

hamlets of the district 

have been reeling under 

darkness while the Power 

Development Department 

officials particularly 

the Executive Engineer 

have been doing nothing 

to supply them electricity 

‘Mitigate our 

sufferings: Dal 

dwellers to 

Government 


Srinagar, Dec 15: Even 

though Deputy Chief 

Minister Dr Nirmal Singh 

convened a meeting with 

Lakes and Waterways 

Development Department 

(LAWDA) in Srinagar on 

Tuesday, the Dal Dwellers 

staged a protest alleging that 

Government has been doing 

nothing to mitigate their 

sufferings. 

“For years we have been 

awaiting proper land allotment 

for rehabilitation and 

compensation for the houses 

destroyed in 2014 floods, but 

year on year, we face new 

hurdles. Seven months after 

the new government took 

over, we are still running 

from pillar to post to get our 

demands met,” the protesters 

said. 

They said that during 

the survey 166 houses were 

identified and government 

had promised to award 

between India and Pakistan and 

dialogue is the most effective 

way to resolve the contentious 

issues between the two countries. 

Mirwaiz said that unlike the past 

when dialogue would be stalled 

on one or the other pretext, this 

time, we hope, the dialogue 

would be carried forward with all 

seriousness and in a meaningful 

way. He said that Kashmir being 

the most important pending issue 

between the two countries would 

get the attention it deserves 

compensation to the owners 

of those destroyed houses. 

“Even after identification 

nothing was done. Neither 

we are compensated nor 

we are allowed to repair our 

houses. This is injustice and 

we are here to protest seeking 

justice. The Deputy Chief 

Minister had assured us several 

time that our demands 

will be met but nothing has 

happened on ground,” the 

Dal Dwellers told CNS. 

They alleged that 

LAWDA has been misleading 

government over compensation 

and rehabilitation 

issue. “Dozens of meeting 

were convened by LAWDA 

to settle our issue and those 

meeting ended up without 

any positive outcome,” 

they said and appealed 

Deputy Chief Minister to 

mitigate the sufferings of 

Dal Dwellers who have been 

facing hardships on account 

of callous attitude of the 

government. 

as per schedule. 

The protesters amid 

anti PDD slogans blocked 

the road. A huge contingent 

of police reached the 

spot and asked the protesters 

to disperse. However, 

they refused after 

which police resorted to 

baton charge, and lobbed 

tear gas shells to quell the 

protesters, reports said. 

Reports said that several 

people mostly children 

sustained injuries and 

were rushed to the hospital 

for treatment. The 

agitated protesters pelted 

stones on the police. The 

clashes continued for 

hours. 

Castigating police for 

because the continuation of this 

issue has been a stumbling block 

in the overall stability and progress 

of South Asian region. 

Mirwaiz expressed hope that 

the dialogue will lead to fresh 

confidence building measures 

over Kashmir, be it within the 

Kashmir or across the line of control 

so as to help develop a cordial 

atmosphere for the smooth 

progress of the dialogue. 

Mirwaiz said Kashmir is 

basically a political and a human 

using excessive force on 

the peaceful protesters, 

one of the members of 

Falah Behboodh Committee 

Nisar Ahmed 

said that the freedom 

and liberty of the people 

have been curtailed to 

the extent that even 

peaceful protests are not 

allowed for a right cause. 

He alleged that police 

lobbed tear smoke shells 

at a Darasgah resulting in 

the injuries of many little 

children. 

“The power supply 

in the district this winter 

has been totally erratic 

and the PDD does not 

even follow their own 

schedule,” he said. 

Tarigami condemns action against protesters 

Srinagar Dec 15: CPI (M) senior leader 

and MLA Kulgam has strongly condemned 

the use of force against the 

people who were peacefully protesting 

against the grim power situation 

in Kulgam today. He said that it seems 

that the present regime is only relying 

on brutal force against legitimate protests 

by the people. 

Terming the police action as unfortunate 

and uncalled for, Tarigami 

deplored the government on use of 

such “authoritarian” methods against 

peaceful demonstrations. “Despite 

tall claims for separate package for 

power sector in the State, the government 

is still using lathicharge, tear gas 

shells as a means to suppress protest.” 

He said that the Power Development 

Department (PDD) in Kulgam is 

making the common citizens victims of 

its callous approach. The overall power 

supply system in the state has become 

too faulty to cater to the genuine energy 

needs of consumers he added and 

said that the valley is face to face with 

a grim electricity scenario, Kulgam district 

seems to be at the receiving end of 

this power crisis. Only mere assurances 

are given which cannot address the 

gravity of the dismal power situation in 

the district. 

issue and needs a political 

solution. He said that both the 

countries shall have to devise a 

mechanism in order to include 

the people of Kashmir in the 

dialogue because without their 

participation and without taking 

their aspirations into account 

there cannot be a just and agreeable 

solution to this issue. 

The APHC Chairman called 

upon the Indo-Pak leadership to 

rise above their traditional political 

stances and show statesmanship 

and seriousness in resolving 

the complex issues for ensuring 

long-lasting peace and stability in 

the region. 

Praying for Khawaja Bahuddin 

Naqshband and calling 

upon the devotees to ensure 

that their mission and their 

vision bears fruit with the 

spread of Islam, the Mirwaiz 

paid tributes to the martyrs 

of Kashmir and prayed to the 

Almighty Allah to accord them 

a special place in Jannah. 

He also offered Khawaja Digar 

(Asr) prayers at Khawaja Naqshbandh 

Sahab shrine along with 

thousands of devotees who had 

come there from all parts of Kashmir 

to be part of the traditional 

congregational prayers. 


Srinagar, Dec 15: Deputy 

Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal 

Kumar Singh today asked 

officers and executing 

agencies to ensure timely 

completion of all ongoing 

developmental projects, so 

that the people get benefit 

of such initiatives undertaken 

by the government. 

The Deputy Chief 

Minister who is also the 

Chairman of Lakes and 

Waterways Development 

Authority (LAWDA) was 

presiding over the Dal Lake 

Conservation and Management 

programme review 

meeting held here. 

Appreciating work 

done by the department, 

the Minister said, “Although 

LAWDA is doing a 

commendable job, yet our 

aim should be to complete 

all projects within the stipulated 

time,” the Minister 

said and maintained that 

the ecological concerns 

and other related issues 

should also be taken into 

consideration. 

Stressing on the need 

for beautification and 

conservation of lakes, the 

Minister said that there 

are many tourists who 

cherish the beauty of lakes. 

Bukhari reviews 

Milad arrangements 


Srinagar, Dec 15: Minister 

for Public Works, Floriculture 

and Parks, Syed Altaf 

Bukhari on Tuesday reviewed 

the arrangements 

by various departments 

for Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi 

(SAW). 

The meeting was attended 

by Divisional Commissioner 

Kashmir Asgar 

Hassan Samoon, DC Srinagar 

Farooq Ahmed Lone, 

Chief Engineers of PHE 

and R&B, Director CAPD, 

VC LAWDA Commissioner 

SMC, 

The Minister directed 

the officers to ensure proper 

arrangements for the 

devotees. 

Chief Engineer PDD 

informed the Minister 

that they have deputed 

additional staff at Dargah 

and other shrines to ensure 

proper maintenance 

besides ensuring uninterrupted 

power supply. He 

said the department has 

installed high mast lights 

for proper lighting in the 

He reminded the government 

about the District Development Board 

decision wherein it was agreed to upgrade 

Grid Station Kulgam from 40 

MV to 100 MV in June 2015. However 

six months have elapsed but nothing 

has been done so far. 

The unending power crisis in the 

entire Valley and particularly in Kulgam 

district is a direct result of insensitivity 

of the Power Development Department. 

The government has failed to 

create a buffer stock of electricity transformers 

at District and Divisional level 

to address the situation surfaced due to 

damaged transformers. (CNS) 

LAWDA asked to meet 

project deadlines 

area. Minister told the officer 

to ensure uninterrupted 

power supply in and 

around the Dargah shrine 

and other shrines of the 

valley where Milad is being 

observed. 

During the meeting, 

RTO Kashmir said the department 

has arranged 

530 additional vehicles in 

the city for ferrying the 

devotees to and from the 

Dargah shrine. 

SSP traffic on the occasion 

said the department 

has devised a proper traffic 

route plan and the parking 

slots for the devotees 

and the same will be communicated 

to the people 

through print and electronic 

media. 

Regarding sanitation 

Commissioner SMC said 

they have deputed staff in 

the shrines round the clock 

and are cleaning the premises 

of the shrine. As the 

inner periphery of Shrine 

is managed by Medical 

College Srinagar, the Minister 

asked SMC to depute 

more staff to the Medical 

College for ensuring proper 

sanitation of the shrine. 

The corporation has deputed 

130 safaiwalas who 

work round the clock in 

four shifts. 

Disappearance of 

3 villagers spark shutdown, 

protest in Kupwara 


Kupwara, Dec 15: Amid 

anti-Army and anti-establishment 

slogans, the 

locals in frontier district 

Kupwara staged a massive 

protest against the disappearances 

of three civilians 

from Dardpora Kralpora 

on Tuesday. All the 

shops and business establishment 

remained shut 

while protesters blocked 

vehicular movement on 

roads in Thregam area 

prompting police to rush 

to the spot. 

Pertinently, the family 

members of the missing 

persons had filed 

a petition in the court 

of Judicial Magistrate 

Kupwara in which they 

alleged that Ghulam 

Jeelani Khatana and Mir 

Hussain Khatana-residents 

of Dardepora Kupwara, 

and Ali Muhammad 

Sheikh of Trehgam 

Kupwara are untraceable 

since November 17 after 

they were taken along 

by Manzoor Ahmad Khoja 

of 160 TA Battalion. 

In compliance with the 

court directions, police 

Therefore, it is imperative 

to enhance their beauty, 

keep them clean and also 

undertake necessary steps 

to conserve the world 

famous water bodies, he 

maintained. 

Earlier, Vice-Chairman 

(VC), LAWDA, Sarmad Hafeez 

gave a detailed power 

point presentation highlighting 

the achievements, 

issues, and challenges 

faced by the department. 

With regard to the 

water surface area of Dal 

Lake, the VC informed that 

as per the satellite imagery 

taken by a government 

agency the lake water surface 

has gone up by almost 

two sq km to 20.21 sq km 

in comparison to 18.95 sq 

km as recorded by Sir Walter 

Lawrence in 1895. 

The VC said that the 

department has restored 

38 water channels, and 57 

springs. 

Assuring the Minister 

that the department has 

adapted a zero tolerance 

policy by not allowing 

any construction in the 

area, Hafeez said that out 

of 3163 illegal structures 

constructed in the recent 

past LAWDA has so far 

removed 900 structures, 

while the rest 2263 shall 

also be removed soon. 

He further informed 

that on High Court’s 

direction tenders have 

been floated for shifting of 

houseboats from Dole- 

Demb in the first phase. 

Giving details about 

the families rehabilitated 

and resettled in the area, 

the VC said that out of 

6415 families 2162 have 

been moved to Rakh-i- 

Arth, and the department 

is working on moving the 

rest. 

The Enforcement Wing 

of the department is now 

registering cases against 

those who try to disrupt 

demolition of any illegal 

construction, the Minister 

was informed. 

The Minister was also 

apprised with augmentation 

of navigational 

fleet and vehicles for 

the department. Hafeez 

requested the Minister to 

allow LAWDA to for hire 

consultants to prepare a 

detailed project for the 

conservation of Anchar, 

Khushalsar, and Gilsar 

lakes. 

Director LAWDA, Secretary 

LAWDA, Scientists, 

and other concerned officers 

were present during 

the meeting. 

Hundreds of B.Ed 

students not received 

their roll numbers 

‘Colleges asking 

us to appear as 

backlog students 

in March’ 

Srinagar, Dec 15: Hundreds 

of B.Ed students 

who are supposed to 

appear in examinations 

from December 

22nd this month have 

not received their Roll 

Numbers and Admit 

Cards as a result they 

have been wandering 

from pillar to post to get 

the same. 

These students said 

that college authorities 

have informed them 

that separate examination 

will be conducted 

for them in March 2016. 

“The College authorities 

have been forcing 

us to appear as backlog 

candidates in March 

while we are ready and 

prepared for December 

examination. This in 

injustice towards us and 

had arrested the accused 

soldier allegedly responsible 

for the abduction of 

the trio and currently he 

is in police remand. 

The protesters alleged 

despite the accused being 

in police remand from 

past week, no progress 

has been made to trace 

the missing persons. They 

alleged that investigation 

into the matter has been 

going on at snail’s pace. 

The protesters blocked 

the road resulting in the 

complete shutdown in 

the town. 

“It was Manzoor 

who took my father and 

two other persons. Police 

should interrogate 

him to know the whereabouts 

of the missing 

persons. Police have 

gone soft on accused as 

he is working for Army,” 

the son of Ghulam Jeelani 

said. 

The protesters dispersed 

after police assurance 

that missing persons 

will be traced without any 

delay. “We are on job and 

investigation is going on 

in right direction,” said a 

police official. (CNS) 

why should we suffer 

for the blunder done by 

Kashmir University and 

respective colleges,” a 

B.Ed student from Kashmir 

College of Education 

Sopore said. 

Principal Kashmir 

College of Education 

Abdul Rashid said that 

a separate examination 

will be conducted for 

those students who 

have either left Valley 

or have not received 

their roll number 

slips. He added that 

some 21,000 students 

will appear in March 

examination. “University 

will soon come up 

with a notice in this 

regard,” he said. 

Controller Examination 

Kashmir University 

Abdul Salam said 

that these students 

can appear as backlog 

candidates in March. 

“Let us conduct the examination 

in December 

first later on we will 

think about the left out 

students,” he said. (CNS)

Precious Kashmir 

Edit 

Srinagar,Wednesday 

16.12.2015 4 

Cancerous lifestyle 

In Kashmir, people are more aware of plastic as 

a pollutant, but are generally less aware of the 

polluting effects of Thermocol, a widely used 

material in disposable plates. It is easy-to-mouldinto-shape 

nature helps to transport fragile and 

oddly shaped consignment easily. But its disposal 

proves to be a challenging task. Some of 

us recycle it by cutting and painting it and turning 

it into a decorative item. We also use it to 

mount drawings and photographs in exhibitions 

and stalls in fairs. But a majority of them remain 

buried in the heap of trash in dumping grounds. 

Thermocol contains an important thermoplastic 

compound called polystyrene, which is obtained 

by the polymerisation of styrene or phenylethene 

or polyethene. Being non-biodegradable and 

resistant to photolysis, or the breaking down 

of materials by protons originating from a light 

source, they continue to remain intact in the soil, 

without undergoing bacterial decomposition, 

thereby turning it infertile. This combined with 

their light-weighted nature causes them to float, 

resulting in huge quantities of polystyrene accumulating 

along water bodies in Kashmir. Polystyrene 

also release poisonous gases on incineration 

which, when inhaled, can cause respiratory 

problems. Styrofoam is another brand name for 

the lightweight, insulating polystyrene (Thermocol 

is a brand name too) that keeps products cold or 

hot, making for its widespread use as cups and 

glasses in all get-together events. These cups are 

known to choke drains during rains. The fact that 

styrene can adversely affect humans in a number 

of ways raises serious public health and safety 

questions regarding its build-up in human tissue 

and the root cause of this build- up. According 

to a Foundation for Achievements in Science 

and Education fact sheet, long term exposure to 

small quantities of styrene can cause neurotoxic 

(fatigue, nervousness, difficulty sleeping), hematological 

(low platelet and hemoglobin values), 

cytogenetic (chromosomal and lymphatic abnormalities) 

and carcinogenic effects. Studies 

also suggest that styrene mimics oestrogen in 

females and can therefore disrupt normal hormone 

functions, possibly contributing to thyroid 

problems, menstrual irregularities, and other hormone-related 

problems, as well as breast cancer 

and prostate cancer. Apart from being a potent 

health hazard, these disposable products are also 

non-biodegradable and pose a huge environmental 

challenge as they pile on without decomposing 

and as a result making the earth infertile. A ban 

was placed on usage of such products earlier this 

month by SMC however on ground nothing seem 

to have changed so far. The authorities concerned 

should take strict measures so that such products 

are not sold at all and people are not exposed to 

health risks. 

Other Opinion 

This is a big moment for 

Michael Stephens 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s recent 

municipal elections is not usually a 

story most international observers 

would spend an awful lot of time on. 

But the election of 19 women from 

some 2,100 candidates has focused attention 

for the first time on the role of women in a 

country which has over the years received 

much criticism for its perceived imbalance of 

gender. 

While fewer than one percent of the successful 

candidates were female, make no mistake, 

this is a big moment for Saudi. Thirty women 

already sit in Saudi Arabia’s 150-member 

parliament, known as the Shura Council, but 

they are appointed directly by the king. So the 

election of women by the public is a welcome 

step which in the eyes of many commentators 

- indeed many Saudis - is long overdue. 

There is much more to be done, the next most 

likely step being the normalisation of driving 

for men and women. But as with all things in 

the kingdom, change happens slowly and at 

its own pace. 

Managing the pace of reform, which speeded 

up markedly under King Abdullah and seems 

to have maintained its rate under King 

Salman, is one of the most difficult jobs for a 

Saudi king to manage. 

Social experiment 

People commenting on Saudi Arabia often 

forget how big the country is, how varied is 

the history of its constituent regions, and how 

diverse are the many citizens who comprise 

it. The kingdom is a plethora of different communities, 

ethnicities and value structures all 

fused in one large, family-run social experiment. 

When it comes to reform, the kingdom’s 

rulers need to balance a varying mixture of 

push and pull factors. Some constituents 

seek to push social reforms on apace, while 

others chafe at the notion and, indeed, even 

vehemently oppose it. And unlike the popular 

perception, not all of those opponents to 

reform are men. 

Beginning in the 1960s and largely driven 

by the need for technical expertise as the 

country sought to maximise its oil revenues, 

many thousands of Saudis - almost all male - 

were sent abroad to study, particularly to the 

United States and Britain. 

Saudi Arabia 

In Saudi, societal change is driven not only 

from the top down, but by a large sector of 

the population whose technocratic experience 

and financial clout gives them power ... 

Naturally, many of them absorbed some of 

the ways of life of their host country during 

their formative period of young adulthood, 

and infused some of these values into their 

life back home. The result was the formation 

of a cosmopolitan, well-educated business 

class of Saudis whose views often contradicted 

the more conservative status quo in the 

country that existed at the time, and which 

began a gentle push for economic and social 

reform. 

Traditional values 

In many ways this is different from the other 

Gulf states which largely lack a middle class. 

In Saudi, societal change is driven not only 

from the top down, but by a large sector of 

the population whose technocratic experience 

and financial clout gives them power in 

a system that is still outwardly an absolute 

monarchy. 

Contrast this with more conservative areas 

of the country such as al-Qassim and parts 

of Hail province, which are also seeing the 

growth of a technocratic class but are still 

largely places where the religious police are 

more often seen as defenders of culture and 

morality than they are some sort of clerical 

despotism. 

Traditional values and hierarchies are still 

highly respected and expected to be honoured, 

including by the royals. When placing 

these very different constituencies side by 

side you begin to see how difficult the conundrum 

is. The gaps in aspiration and social 

values between Saudi citizens are far wider 

than the vast majority of states existing in the 

world today. 

So reform in Saudi is a constant work in progress, 

a product of negotiation, compromise 

and attempts to keep multiple sectors of the 

population happy all at the same time. Despite 

a noted absence of polling data, Saudis 

by and large trust their rulers to do the right 

thing, and look for stability and consistency 

from the ruling house. 

A Saudi woman casts her ballot at a polling 

centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [AP] 

Large leaps in policy-making and violent upheavals 

in the social order are simply not the 

Saudi way, and at a moment of deep regional 

unrest after the removal of several regional 

strongmen, these desires have only been 

enforced. 

It is important to note that each step women 

take that increases their visibility in public 

life, or sports, or culture, represents another 

cultural norm being reset. Young Saudis, who 

make up the vast majority of the kingdom’s 

population, will grow up in a country in 

which women being involved in sport, the 

workplace, and in writing legislation will be 

seen as the norm. 

From this there is no going back, and for a 

country that has tried to maintain its traditions 

as the world around it has changed dramatically, 

this is a big step into the unknown 

that makes conservatives nervous. 

Tide of change 

But conservatives cannot hold back the tide of 

change for ever. Indeed, it is often socioeconomic 

pressures that come with modernising 

the Saudi economy that are forcing the king’s 

hand. 

To compete with the world, Saudi needs its 

entire native workforce to chip in. To build a 

modern economy without 50 percent of the 

population, many of whom score far higher 

than their male counterparts in school and 

university exams, simply makes no sense. 

Alongside this comes the added conundrum 

of getting women to and from work. Saudis 

are not Qataris, and plenty of husbands simply 

cannot afford to pay for a driver for their 

wife to get to and from work every day, which 

means negotiating an extra hour or two in 

Riyadh’s infamous traffic jams. Sooner or later 

those taboos will also be broken. 

Change is happening, and not because of the 

pressure of Amnesty International or the 

European Union. It is from the everyday 

pressures within Saudi society itself. 

Saudis are plugged into the world. One 

need only see the penchant for young 

Saudis to be constantly messaging 

across their three telephones on different 

social outlets to know that they are 

engaging with the outside in ways their 

grandparents, and even their parents, 

never did. 

Reform might seem desperately overdue, 

but it is speeding up as the country 

changes demographically and young 

people require society to be managed 

in a different way. The push and pull factors 

are still there, and make no mistake about it, 

Saudi still has a long road ahead. But it will ultimately 

be for the Saudis to decide what that 

reform looks like, and how it comes about. 

Gas from Central Asia 

T 

he symbolic ground-laying for the construction 

of the gas pipeline that will link Turkmenistan, 

Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, was begun in 

Turkmenistan Sunday, with vice-president Hamid 

Ansari attending from the Indian side. Given the 

strong influence of the unpleasant geopolitical 

reality of international terrorism in Pakistan and 

Afghanistan, through which bulk of the 1,840-km 

pipeline will pass, only an optimist will believe 

that the TAPI channel will be operational by 2018, 

as planned. 

But if the $10 billion project to extract and export 

Caspian Sea gas, anchored by the Asian Development 

Bank, can be pulled off, India will be hugely 

benefited. The Indian economy is consuming energy 

at a rapid rate and Turkmen gas will become 

a handily available resource. Afghanistan and Pakistan 

will earn handsome rents for letting the raw 

material pass through their territories. 

Turkmenistan is the world’s fourth largest gas producer. 

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, 

of which present-day Turkmenistan was a part, the 

United States was loathe to let Turkmen gas pass 

through Russia’s grid, and encouraged its evacuation 

in a southwardly direction, even holding talks 

with the then Taliban government in Afghanistan 

in late 1990s for this purpose. 

Should the threat of terrorism make it impossible 

to carry on with the project, letting the gas pass 

through Iran is an option. But that will entail a lastmile 

journey through the sea for the commodity to 

reach India. That could change the costing. The US 

too could raise practical objections on account of 

the Iran factor. 

Printer, Publisher, Owner : Afaq Ahmad Bhat 

Editor: Afaq Ahmad Bhat 

Legal Advisor: Hakim Sami Yaqoob (Advocate) 

Published From: Rajbagh Opposite Radio Colony Srinagar J&K 

Printed At: Alsafa Printing Press Hazuri Bagh Srinagar 

RNI No: JKENG/2013/55310 

Cell No: 9419081703 

Email: preciouskashmir@gmail.com 

Website: www.preciouskashmir.com 

Climate change and China: 

The indispensable nation 

Richard Javad Heydarian 

This year has been the hottest on record, 

unleashing a new round of extreme weather 

events, which have caused mayhem across 

the world. The recent massive flooding in 

Chennai in southern India, which affected 

millions of people, slashed as much as $3bn from the 

country’s assets. 

The Philippines, a tropical nation battered by 

increasingly vicious storms, is still reeling from the 

aftermath of typhoon Haiyan, which caused much 

devastation, and has just been hit by typhoon Melor. 

It is gradually dawning upon us that climate 

change is a real and present danger to the survival of 

humanity. Crucially, this year also marked perhaps our 

final opportunity to head off a climactic apocalypse, 

as world powers squabbled over establishing a 

new global regime to oversee a desperately needed 

transition towards a more sustainable, clean and 

green future. 

With the Kyoto Protocol, which imposed mandatory 

emission-reduction targets on the industrialised 

world, already expired, there is a need to 

negotiate a new legally binding set of agreements 

to meet climate change mitigation and adaptation 

targets. 

And this is why the world fixed its gaze on the 

United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) 

in Paris, where delegates from 195 nations gathered 

to iron out a global climate blueprint. 

Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister 

presiding over the conference, laid out an ambitious 

draft agreement which aims to limit global warming 

in coming decades to below 2C. 

But the Paris Agreement is not a treaty that 

imposes mandatory emission-reduction targets on 

specific countries. So its success will largely depend 

on the goodwill of world powers, which hold humanity’s 

future in their hands. 

Emerging economies such as China, which 

became the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse 

gases back in 2007, will be as - if not more - crucial 

than the United States and other industrialised 

countries to realising any global climate goal. 

Whether it likes or not, China has become a truly 

indispensable nation. 

Two worlds in one 

Since the commencement of its “reform and 

opening up” strategy in 1978, China has been 

caught in a frenzy of economic catch-up, rapidly 

climbing up the ladder of development and lifting 

hundreds of millions of people out of poverty along 

the way. Within a single generation, it has been 

transformed from a failed Stalinist utopia into the 

world’s factory. 

If the world is to avert a climate disaster, China, 

and to a lesser degree other emerging markets such 

as India, will have to abandon their current model 

of development in favour of a more carbon-neutral, 

sustainable economy. 

Under the 13th Five Year Plan, the Chinese Communist 

Party is determined to establish a “Moderately 

Prosperous Society” by 2021, the centenary of 

the party’s establishment. 

By 2049, the centenary of the establishment of 

the People Republic of China, the aim is to create 

a “modern socialist country that is prosperous, 

strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious”. 

Thanks to an “at-all-costs” model of development, 

which cared little for the environment, it 

didn’t take long for a turbo-charged China to climb 

to the top of the list of the world’s biggest carbonemitting 

nations. According to a joint report by the 

Asian Development Bank and Tsinghua University, 

seven out of 10 of the most polluted cities are in 

China. 

Pollution levels have been so heavy in Beijing 

this month that the Chinese government was forced 

to declare a “red alert” for the first time. 

In aggregate terms, China is the world’s second 

largest economy, and poised to become the biggest 

in the near future. Yet, it is still classified as a 

developing nation. For this reason, it has long been 

exempt from mandatory emission-reduction targets 

that only apply to industrialised nations. 

The indispensable nation 

To be fair, unlike the West and Japan, which 

have long contributed to the concentration of 

greenhouse gas in the atmosphere since embarking 

on the Industrial Revolution, China’s more recent 

industrialisation means that it carries smaller 

historical responsibility for human-induced climate 

change. 

So rightfully, much of the burden of emission 

reduction should fall on the shoulders of the US and 

other developed nations. 

But any meaningful climate change mitigation 

regime will have to bring China onboard. Even in 

per capita terms, China’s emission levels (7.2 tonnes 

per person) are higher than the European Union 

(6.8 tonnes) and the global average (5 tonnes). 

China alone is responsible for 29 percent of the 

total greenhouse gas emission, almost twice that of 

the US, which is followed by the EU, and the other 

emerging market giant, India. 

The message is clear. If the world is to avert a 

climate disaster, China - and to a lesser degree other 

emerging markets such as India - will have to abandon 

their current model of development in favour 

of a more carbon-neutral, sustainable economy. 

To be fair, China is now a leading nation in 

terms of renewable energy investment and innovation, 

an encouraging fact that hasn’t escaped 

leading pundits such as Thomas Friedman, who has 

lavishly praised Beijing in this regard. 

In the run-up to the COP 21 summit, China 

forwarded a plan that pledged to cut its greenhouse 

gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product 

by 60-65 percent from the 2005 level, increase the 

contribution of renewables such as solar and wind 

power by up to 20 percent of its primary energy 

consumption, and designate the year 2030 as its 

peak emission year. 

Critics claim, however, that China initially refused 

to commit itself to any legally binding document 

or any mandatory review of its pledges. 

Ultimately, individual powers such as China will 

decide how far they are willing to go in averting a 

global climactic meltdown. The country’s successful 

transition to a sustainable economic model is not 

only a priority of its government, which has recognised 

the gravity of the issue, but also an imperative 

for humanity’s survival. 

Richard Javad Heydarian is a specialist in Asian 

geopolitical/economic affairs and author of Asia’s 

New Battlefield: US, China, and the Struggle for Western 

Pacific. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s 

own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial 

policy. 

>>>>>>>>> Please send your articles and letters on preciouskashmir@gmail.com >>>>>>>>>


Sensex Nifty Gold 

Business/ International 

Wednesday 

5 



Silver Dollar J&K Bank Yes Bank SBI ICICI Bank HDFC Bank 

170.09 

50.85 

117.00 

37.00 

0.17 

0.15 

8.10 

0.45 

2.60 

4.40 

25320.44 

7700.90 

25,230.00 

33,450.00 

66.92 

75.90 

691.35 

226.40 

246.40 

1,059.45 

Nifty ends above 7700 led by oil stocks 

Mumbai, Dec 15: Markets reversed early 

losses in the second half of the trading 

session to end higher on Tuesday after 

firm global crude oil prices led to a rally 

in oil stocks while FMCG shares gained 

despite rise in consumer price inflation. 

The S&P BSE Sensex surged 170.09 

points to close at 25,320.44 and the 

Nifty50 surged 50.85 points to end at 

7,700.90. In the broader markets, BSE 

Midcap and Smallcap indices were up 

0.5%-1%. 

Commenting on the current market 

situation, Amar Ambani, Head of 

Research, IIFL, said, “Nifty50 extended 

its recovery for the second day in a row. 

The rally would further extend if Nifty50 

manages to convincingly breach past 

the 7,705 mark on a closing basis. 7,800 

would act as the first hurdle on the upside 

beyond which we see Nifty racing 

towards the December high of 7,980 

mark.” 

Meanwhile, market participants will 

keenly watch the proceedings of the 

two-day US Federal Reserve meet which 

begins later today. The US central bank is 

widely expected to raise interest rates for 

General Electric 

sells Japan 

lending unit for 

$4.8 billion 

Tokyo, Dec 15: US industrial 

conglomerate General 

Electric Co is selling its 

Japan commercial lending 

business to Sumitomo Mitsui 

Finance and Leasing for 

about USD 4.8 billion. 

The deal, announced 

today and to be concluded 

by April next year, marks 

the withdrawal of GE Capital 

from Japan, except for a 

minor joint venture, according 

to Akihiro Yoshinobu, 

spokesman for GE Capital 

in Tokyo. 

General Electric, based 

in Fairfield, Connecticut, 

has been focusing on industrial 

businesses, based 

on making large complicated 

equipment for other 

companies, and shrinking 

its other businesses that 

focus on finance. 

JK Bank opens business 

unit at Jandrah Jammu 

Srinagar, Nov 15: Keeping 

with its plan to expand further 

into the rural pockets of 

the state, J&K Bank opened 

one more business unit at 

Jandrah in Tehsil Dansal of 

Jammu. Zonal Head Jmu (C- 

1) Arvind Gupta inaugurated 

the business unit in presence 

of Cluster Head Rajesh Gupta 

besides valuable customers, 

senior citizens and other notables 

from the area. 

Speaking on the occasion, 

Zonal Head said, “J&K 

Bank remains committed 

to bring world class banking 

services to the people 

belonging to all parts of the 

state right at their door step.” 

He assured the audience 

of total support and best customer 

services. 

Notably, this business 

unit will cater to about fifty 

villages of the area. 

the first time in almost a decade. 

At 3:35 pm, the rupee was quoting 

at 67.01 against dollar on demand from 

banks and exporters amid heightened 

uncertainties of US rate hike. 

Besides, stocks rose in Europe and 

Asia on Tuesday, though volatile oil 

prices kept investors cautious before a 

widely anticipated increase in US interest 

rates later in the week. Oil prices resumed 

their fall and the euro rose against 

the dollar. 

European shares opened higher after 

hitting 2-1/2-month lows on Monday 

when oil prices fell to their weakest since 

2008. FTSE rose over 1%. 

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific 

shares outside Japan was up about 0.1%. 

New Delhi, Dec 15: The number of female 

billionaires has grown at a faster 

clip than the male billionaires, multiplying 

by 6.6x over the last two decades 

compared to 5.2x for men, with 

Asian female entrepreneurs standing 

out as the main driver of this development, 

says a latest report by UBS Group 

AG and PwC latest report - “The changing 

faces of billionaires.” 

“Our research shows the number 

of female billionaires has grown by a 

factor of 6.6, from 22 in 1995 to 145 in 

2014. By comparison, the number 

of male billionaires remains far 

larger at 1,202, but has grown 

by a relatively smaller factor 

of 5.2,” the UBS - PwC report 

says. 

Women are taking their 

place in the elite club of billionaires, 

both as entrepreneurs 

in their own right and as 

leaders of family dynasties. This, the 

UBS-PwC survey calls the ‘Athena Factor’, 

after the Greek goddess of wisdom, 

courage and inspiration. In the 

Yemen truce starts as warring 

sides meet in Switzerland 

Yemen, Dec 15: A ceasefire has taken 

effect in Yemen after more than a 

year of fighting between government 

forces and Houthi rebels in which 

thousands of people were killed. 

Fighting raged on Tuesday 

shortly before the 09:00 GMT start 

of the ceasefire, which was called by 

the Saudi-led coalition battling the 

Iran-backed rebels. 

Coalition warplanes bombed 

rebel positions in Taiz, as Houthis 

attempted to advance towards the 

loyalist-held northern neighbourhood 

of al-Zonooj, a military official 

told AFP news agency. 

Warplanes also bombed rebel 

positions south of Sanaa overnight 

on Monday, witnesses said. 

The coalition, which launched 

an air campaign against the Shia 

Houthi rebels in March, said the 

ceasefire would go ahead at the 

request of Yemeni President Abd- 

Rabbu Mansour Hadi. But it warned 

that it “reserves the right to respond 

in case of any violation”. 

Talks in Switzerland 

Hadi has declared his government’s 

intention to have the sevenday 

truce to coincide with talks 

opening in Switzerland and to be 

“renewed automatically if the other 

party commits to it”, the coalition 

statement said. 

A Yemeni presidential statement 

said the proposed ceasefire 

“comes out of keenness to grab any 

chance to achieve peace, to reduce 

the suffering of our people in Yemen 

and to end bloodshed”. 

New Zealand picks new design 

to challenge current flag 

Wellington, Dec 15: New Zealanders have 

chose a new flag design that will be put 

up as a challenger to their current flag in a 

March vote. 

The Electoral Commission announced 

on Tuesday that the Silver Fern Flag, which 

was chosen via a postal ballot, would be the 

flag to move forward to the second referendum 

as the preferred alternative. 

The flag that receives the most votes in 

the final referendum on in March 2016 will 

become the New Zealand flag. 

The current design’s Union Jack is a 

legacy of New Zealand’s history as a British 

colony. 

The question of whether to change a 

national symbol that has endured for more 

than a century has raised plenty of passion 

and scepticism in this nation of 4.6 million. 

People submitted more than 10,000 flag 

designs, including bizarre ones such as a 

kiwi, the native bird, shooting a green laser 

beam from its eye. 

In the end it came down to two flags by 

Kyle Lockwood that featured the same design 

of a silver fern and four red stars, but 

with different background colours. 

Lockwood’s black and blue flag 

just edged his red and darker blue flag 

50.6 percent to 49.4 percent in a runoff 

vote. Even the designer found it a tough 

choice. 

“I agonised over the two on my voting 

form,” said Lockwood. “For a couple of 

weeks, I’d walk past it and think ‘Which 

one?’ I like them both equally.” 

Lockwood, 38, an architectural designer 

who was born in the capital Wellington and 

now lives in Australia, said he did not want 

to say which one he gave his top vote. 

Japan’s Nikkei stock index ended down 

1.7% at a 7-1/2-week low and Chinese 

stocks lost 0.3%-0.5%. 

Back home, oil shares firmed up following 

slight rebound in global crude oil 

prices. Reliance Industries rose over 2% 

while ONGC gained nearly 2%. 

FMCG stocks gained despite rise in 

November consumer price inflation. ITC 

and Hindustan Unilever were up 1%-2.4% 

each. 

“We have seen a defensive buying in 

the market just before the US Federal Reserve 

meet which starts later today. We 

feel that the market has already factored 

the consensus rate hike expectation of 

25 bps. On the domestic front, November 

CPI inflation has moved up to 5.4%, 

which is just below the 5.8% targeted by 

RBI for January, 2016. This may limit the 

room for further rate cut by RBI in the 

near-term,” adds Vinod Nair, Head-Fundamental 

Research, Geojit BNP Paribas 

Financial Services. 

Auto shares recouped early losses 

after witnessing selling pressure in early 

trades on concerns that the proposed ban 

on diesel vehicles by the NGT in Delhi 

recent past, they’ve emerged not only 

as business pioneers but also as the 

drivers of families’ business and philanthropic 

legacies, it says. 

The survey of over 1,300 

billionaires ana- 

lysed 

d a t a 

from 

the 

last 19 

years across the 14 largest billionaire 

markets, accounting for 75% 

of global billionaire wealth. While the 

global GDP has almost tripled from 

could spill on to other states. Tata Motors, 

Hero Moto, Bajaj Auto and Maruti Suzuki 

ended higher between 1%-2%. 

Most bank shares rebounded from 

lower levels and ended positive barring 

ICICI Bank. HDFC, HDFC Bank and 

ICICI Bank were up 0.1%-1%. Earlier, bank 

shares were under pressure on concerns 

of rising bond yields on expectations that 

the US Federal Reserve at its two-day 

meet which begins later today may signal 

hike in interest rates. 

Sun Pharma rose about 1% after the 

company announced the divestment of 

its Bryan, Ohio, US manufacturing unit 

following an agreement Nostrum Laboratories 

Inc. 

Among other shares, Tara Jewels was 

locked in upper circuit of 10% at Rs 55.55, 

extending its past three days rally on the 

BSE, on back of heavy volumes. 

Force Motors rallied over 14% to Rs 

3,138 on the BSE on back of heavy volumes. 

Hotel Leelaventure gained almost 3% 

after the company announced that it has 

completed the Rs 725-crore sale of its 

Goa property to Ceres Hotels. 

Number of women billionaires 

rise seven-fold in 20 years: Report 

Moscow, Dec 15: US Secretary of State 

John Kerry has arrived in Moscow to 

try to narrow differences with Russian 

leader Vladimir Putin over the role of 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in any 

political transition in Syria. 

Kerry is expected to prepare the 

ground for a third round of talks of 

world powers on Syria, amid doubts 

over whether a meeting scheduled for 

Friday in New York will go ahead. 

Moscow said that Kerry and Russian 

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov 

agreed in a phone call on the need for 

specific preconditions to be met before 

any new meeting, throwing the timing 

into doubt. 

However, US state department 

spokesman Mark Toner said there were 

no preconditions to having this meeting. 

A lull in fighting is sorely needed 

in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest 

nation, where the UN says an estimated 

80 percent of the population 

requires humanitarian aid. 

Armed groups, including the 

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 

(ISIL) group, have exploited the violence, 

gaining ground and carrying 

out deadly attacks against both sides 

in the conflict. 

Yemen’s conflict pits pro-government 

forces backed by the coalition 

against the Houthis and renegade 

troops loyal to ex-president 

Ali Abdullah Saleh. 

The rebel forces have yet to say if 

they will abide by the ceasefire. 

Previous UN efforts have failed 

to narrow differences, and past truces 

were broken. 

“We hope the [rebel] militias 

will commit to the ceasefire this 

time,” said Mueen Abdulmalek, a 

member of the coalition-backed 

government’s delegation at peace 

talks. 

A presidency official confirmed 

the truce was agreed by Hadi and 

Yemen’s UN envoy Ismail Ould 

Cheikh Ahmed. 

The build-up for the ceasefire 

was overshadowed by confusion 

over when it would begin. 

It had been due to take effect at 

midnight (21:00 GMT) on Monday 

but shortly before that the coalition 

announced its postponement 

after a rocket killed the head of 

Saudi special forces in Aden as well 

as an Emirati officer. 

Riyadh, Dec 15: Saudi Arabia 

has formed a coalition of 

34 mainly Muslim countries 

- including powers such as 

Egypt and Turkey - to coordinate 

a fight against “terrorist 

organisations”. 

The alliance was announced 

by Mohammed 

bin Salman, the country’s 

defence minister and deputy 

crown prince, on Tuesday. 

Arab countries such as 

Qatar and the UAE will join 

the coalition, as well as Middle 

Eastern, Asian, and African 

states, including Turkey, 

Pakistan, Malaysia, and Nigeria. 

Saudi Arabia’s regional 

rival Iran and its allies Syria 

and Iraq, were excluded 

from the alliance despite the 

states sharing a common 

enemy in the Islamic State 

of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) 

group. 

Bin Salman said the 

states would work together 

to target “any terrorist or- 

Russia is one of Assad’s staunchest 

allies and launched a campaign of air 

strikes to support his forces against rebels 

on September 30. 

It says only the Syrian people and 

not external powers should decide Assad’s 

political fate. 

Speaking before Kerry’s arrival in 

Moscow, a state department official 

said Kerry would also raise concerns 

about Russia’s continued bombing of 

Syrian opposition forces instead of 

fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq 

and the Levant (ISIL), an approach likely 

to anger Moscow. 

Before the talks, the Russian foreign 

ministry issued a statement complaining 

that Washington was not ready to 

fully cooperate in the struggle against 

ISIL and needed to rethink its policy of 

$30 trillion to over $77 trillion over the 

last two decades, the wealth of billionaires 

in the study has increased almost 

eight-fold, from $0.7 trillion in 1995 to 

$5.4 trillion in 2014. 

According to the report, Asia has 

seen the strongest growth of female 

billionaires in the past 10 years with 

their numbers growing by a factor of 

8.3 from only 3 to 25 today. This compares 

to a growth factor of 2.7 (from 

21 to 57) in Europe and 1.7 or 37 to 

63 in the US. 

Female billionaires in Asia 

make up almost one fifth of the 

global female billionaire population 

and generally are younger 

than their global counterparts, findings 

suggest. Nearly half (52%) of Asia’s 

female billionaires are first-generation 

entrepreneurs. On the other hand, within 

Europe and the US, female billionaires 

have mostly inherited their wealth (93% 

have done so in Europe, versus 81% in 

the US). Notably, almost a fifth (19%) of 

US female billionaires are self-made, 

compared with 7% in Europe. 

Saudi Arabia forms Muslim 

‘anti-terrorism’ coalition 

Kerry in Russia in attempt to 

narrow gap over Syria 

“dividing terrorists into good and bad 

ones”. 

Kerry’s meeting with Putin follows 

a meeting last week in Riyadh, 

which agreed to unite a number of 

opposition groups, excluding ISIL, to 

negotiate with Damascus in Syrian 

peace talks. 

While Kerry said there were still 

“kinks” that needed to be worked out, 

mainly to do with which groups should 

be included in peace talks, the Kremlin 

rejected the outcome of the Riyadh 

meeting, saying some of the groups 

were considered terrorists. 

Assad himself appeared to cast 

doubt on the very idea of peace talks on 

Friday, saying he would not negotiate 

with armed groups that he said were 

backed by the US and Saudi Arabia. 

Petrol price 

cut by 50p/ltr, 

diesel by 46p 

New Delhi, Dec 15: Petrol price 

was today cut by 50 paisa and 

diesel by 46 paisa a litre, much 

lower than an anticipated 

decrease as oil companies left 

cushion for the government to 

mop up gains accruing from 

global oil prices dipping to 

multi-year lows. 

Petrol will cost Rs 59.98 

from midnight tonight in Delhi 

as against Rs 60.48 per litre 

currently. 

Similarly, a litre of diesel 

will cost Rs 46.09 as compared 

to Rs 46.55 now, said Indian Oil 

Corp (IOC), the nation’s biggest 

fuel retailer said. 

The rate of basket of crude 

oil that India buys hit a 11-year 

low of USD 34.39 per barrel 

yesterday, but the average for 

the fortnight which is taken 

into account for calculating 

new prices, was USD 4-5 more. 

Acting as a counterbalance 

was the rupee that 

fell to Rs 66.99 to a US dollar 

yesterday as against average 

of Rs 66.21 of second half of 

November for the previous cut. 

Industry officials said the 

net impact of the two should 

have warranted a reduction of 

at least Rs 2 per litre but the 

oil companies have kept some 

cushion on cues that government 

may like to raise excise 

duty on the two fuels to mop 

up its revenues as it has done 

five times in last one year. 

Excise duty was last raised 

on November 7; on petrol, by 

Rs 1.60 per litre and on diesel 

by 40 paise. 

That increase in excise 

duty is to yield an additional 

revenue of about Rs 3,200 

crore to the government during 

the rest of the current fiscal. 

In the previous four hikes 

between November 2014 and 

January 2015, totalling Rs 7.75 

per litre on petrol and Rs 6.50 

a litre on diesel, it had mopped 

up about Rs 20,000 crore in additional 

revenue to meet fiscal 

deficit targets. 

The government had collected 

Rs 99,184 crore in excise 

collections from the petroleum 

sector in 2014-15. 

ganisation, not just ISIL” in 

countries including Iraq, 

Syria. Libya, Egypt, and Afghanistan. 

Military operations 

would work in accordance 

with local laws and in cooperation 

with the international 

community, he 

added. 

In an earlier press statement 

issued by the Saudi 

Press Agency, officials said 

that the group would be 

led by Saudi Arabia, which 

would host a “joint operations 

centre to coordinate” 

efforts. 

ISIL threat 

Most of the countries in 

the coalition are currently 

involved in military operations 

against ISIL or have 

been targeted by the group. 

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf 

allies have carried out air 

strikes against the fighters 

in Syria and were targeted 

by the group in Yemen, 

where they are involved in 

a separate war against Iranbacked 

Houthi rebels. 

Three dead as 

typhoon hits 

Philippines 

Legazpi, Dec 15: Typhoon Melor 

carved through the central 

Philippines on Tuesday bringing 

heavy rain and strong winds 

that left millions without power 

and at least three people dead, 

officials said. 

One person died of 

hypothermia while two others 

drowned in floods in the poor 

fishing town of Catarman in 

Northern Samar province in the 

Visayas region south of Manila, 

municipal disaster officer Jonathan 

Baldo told DZMM radio. 

The storm toppled trees and 

cut electricity to at least seven 

provinces, the National Disaster 

Risk Reduction and Management 

Council (NDRRMC) said.


HEALTH 


Srinagar | Wednesday 


36 

Is brown food healthier 

than white food? 

Well, if I don’t answer this question at 

least 10 times a day then it’s definitely 

a Sunday! There’s just no escaping it. 

Brown over white - the verdict is already 

passed. We all insist that brown bread or 

brown rice is a `healthier’ choice. However, 

I beg to differ. 

Let’s start by why is brown better 

than white: Enough research and studies 

have now proved that the process of 

milling and refining strips the grain of its 

nutrients and thus eating the unrefined 

kin of the same (may it be wheat or rice 

or sugar) is healthier as it retains the 

minerals and vitamins that are present 

in the outer bran or husk. Agreed. Completely 

correct information.My reasons 

differ: When we are taught nutrition, 

we are taught about the five basic food 

groups. Each food group is composed 

of the essential parameters of good nutrition. 

Energy givers or carbohydrates, 

building blocks or proteins, essential 

fats, vitamins and minerals. Each food 

item is divided into one of these groups 

depending on what it is the best source 

of. Thus, cereals are primarily energy 

givers (or carbs) and are eaten so that 

the body gets enough fuel to carry out 

all its daily metabolic processes and any 

physical activity during the day. Cereals 

are not the main source of vitamins and 

minerals (which the outer bran is rich 

in); that group is mainly composed of 

fruits and vegetables that are the power 

house of the essential anti-oxidants and 

minerals. So, the question is, `Why are 

we then searching for minerals in a food 

item that is not its source?’. It’s the same 

as saying, `Please don’t eat oranges, they 

have no proteins!’ Yes, whole wheat atta 

over maida or brown rice over polished 

white rice does have more manganese, 

selenium and magnesium, but I can get 

all of this and a hundred times more nutrition 

from just an apple. Why search 

Cancer rates rising 

in lower-income 

countries: Study 

While incidence and 

mortality rates from several 

common types of cancer 

in many high-income 

countries have gone down, 

many low-and middle-income 

countries have seen 

cancer rates rise, partially 

due to increases in risk 

factors that are typical of 

Western countries, says a 

study. 

Improved screening 

and detection efforts, combined 

with decreases in risk 

factors like smoking, have 

reduced the incidence and 

mortality rates from cancer 

in high-income countries, 

the findings showed. 

Worldwide, an estimated 

14.1 million new cancer 

cases and 8.2 million cancer 

deaths occurred in 2012, 

the study said. 

“This study gives us 

important clues about the 

epidemiology of cancer and 

gives us some ideas about 

what we could further investigate 

to improve global 

public health,” said one of 

the researchers Lindsey 

Torre from the American 

Cancer Society. 

The researchers 

analysed incidence and 

mortality data for the 

years 2003-2007 from the 

International Agency for 

Research on Cancer (IARC) 

database, which includes 

incidence data through 

2007 from cancer incidence 

in five continents, and 

mortality data through 

2012 from the WHO Cancer 

Mortality database. 

Study data reflected 

50 countries selected to 

represent various regions of 

the world. 

The authors noted 

developments across eight 

major kinds of cancer, 

which account for 60 

percent of total global cases 

and deaths. 

The report detailed 

trends in breast, prostate, 

colorectal, lung, esophageal, 

stomach, liver and 

cervical cancers. 

The incidence and 

mortality of many of these 

cancers have decreased in 

high-income countries, but 

risen in low-and middle-income 

countries due 

to factors that may include 

lifestyle changes and lack 

of appropriate screening or 

prevention measures. 

Cancer is a leading 

cause of death worldwide 

in countries of all income 

levels, and the number of 

cancer cases and deaths is 

expected to grow rapidly as 

populations grow, age, and 

adopt lifestyle behaviours 

that increase cancer risk. 

for a needle in a haystack when the 

search begins and ends in a simple fruit? 

Basking in the umbrella of brown 

over white, we are told that brown 

sugar is better than white or brown 

eggs are healthier than the white ones. 

Do you really think it’s true? 

Well, the calorie count of one 

gram of sugar -- brown or white -is 

identical and other than calories 

sugar gives us nothing else. Thus it 

is nothing but empty calories. Yes, 

brown sugar may give you a bit more 

minerals be cause it is unrefined 

cane sugar, but this doesn’t earn it 

any extra brownie points.And the 

same goes with eggs; the nutritional 

value is not dependent on the colour 

of the egg. It is the colour of the hen 

that lays the egg that decides its colour! 

White feathered hens lay white 

eggs and red-feathered hens lay 

brown eggs. 

Vegan diet can actually 

harm the environment 

Contrary to claims by 

vegetarians and the 

activist groups that 

promote their world 

view and actor Arnold 

Schwarzenegger’s 

speech at the United 

Nations climate 

talks in Paris, eating a 

vegetarian diet could 

actually add to climate 

change. 

As per the new 

Carnegie Mellon 

University research, 

following the USDA 

recommendations to 

consume more fruits, 

vegetables, dairy and 

seafood is more harmful 

to the environment 

because those foods 

have relatively high 

resource uses and 

greenhouse gas (GHG) 

emissions per calorie. 

The study measured 

the changes in energy 

use, blue water footprint 

and GHG emissions 

associated with 

U.S. food consumption 

patterns.Eating lettuce 

is over three times 

worse in greenhouse 

gas emissions than 

eating bacon, said 

researcher Paul Fischbeck, 

adding “lots of 

common vegetables 

require more resources 

per calorie than you 

would think. Eggplant, 

celery and cucumbers 

look particularly bad 

when compared to 

pork or chicken.”On 

one hand, the results 

showed that getting 

our weight under control 

and eating fewer 

calories, has a positive 

effect on the environment 

and reduces 

energy use, water use 

and GHG emissions 

from the food supply 

chain by approximately 

9 percent. 

However, eating 

the recommended 

“healthier” foods, a 

mix of fruits, vegetables, 

dairy and 

seafood, increased the 

environmental impact 

in all three categories: 

Energy use went up 

by 38 percent, water 

use by 10 percent and 

GHG emissions by 6 

percent. 

Why gardening is good 

for your health? 

While maintaining a garden is a great 

hobby, it can also be relaxing and good 

for your health. Here are some key 

benefits to it.- It’s like getting a good 

exercise outdoors. 30 minutes of gardening 

a few times a week involves a 

lot of bending and digging, which is 

good for your muscles. 

- It helps you connect with nature especially 

if you’re living in the city. You 

can also get to watch a variety of animals, 

insects and birds that will come 

to visit the garden.- One of the biggest 

advantages of growing your own green 

patch in your backyard is that you can 

cultivate organic veggies. These will be 

fresh, minus any chemicals and pesticides, 

unlike the produce you buy from 

the market. Also, they will be instantly 

Consuming 

fish oil will 

keep eye 

problems 

away 

handy, whenever you want to cook; all 

you have to do is step out, pluck some 

vegetables and cook!- Gardening is 

an activity that can bring down your 

stress levels and boost your mood. It is 

a therapy that is recommended to people 

who have illnesses and disorders 

too, as it requires you to step outside 

the house and breathe in some fresh 

air. Most importantly, it helps alleviate 

the mood, because your surround 

yourself with plants and flowers. 

According to a new study, taking fish oil every day can keep eyesight troubles at 

bay. 

Omega-3 fatty acids have been known to prevent cardiovascular diseases 

like heart attacks and strokes and now, this polyunsaturated fat, most commonly 

found in cold-water fish like sardines, salmon and mackerel as well as some nuts 

and seeds, has been found to ward off debilitating ‘dry eye’ syndrome, the Mirror 

reported. 

And because it also boosts contrast sensitivity, an important measure of visual 

function in situations of low light or fog, omega-3 could keep you safe when 

negotiating dark roads too. 

Researchers found that omega-3 oil supplements can improve dry eye by as 

much as 105 per cent.David Allamby, a world-renowned specialist and laser eye 

surgeon, revealed that tear film has a layer of oil that helps keep water on the 

surface of the eye and if people are deficient in omega-3s, they may suffer dry, 

uncomfortable eyes.He added that cold water fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, 

tuna are best, adding “Or flaxseed oil is a good vegetarian alternative. I give my 

patients flaxseed oil supplements before and after laser eye surgery, to improve 

the quality of their eyes and their vision.” 

The findings have been unveiled at the American Society of Cataract and 

Refractive Surgery Symposium in San Diego, USA. 

Benefits 

of drinking 

warm lemon 

water every 

morning 

Drinking 

a cup of 

warm lemon 

water every 

morning is 

one of the simplest, 

most affordable and 

natural ways to improve 

your health which has 

incredible benefits on 

your health. 

Energizes your Body 

It gives your body a 

lasting boost of energy, 

making it a healthier 

alternative to your 

morning tea or coffee. 

Healthy Digestion 

The minerals and 

vitamins found in 

lemon juice encourages 

healthy digestion, 

reduces heartburn and 

bloating by loosening 

any toxins trapped in 

your digestive tract. 

Rich Source of 

Potassium 

Lemons are also a great 

source of potassium 

which help keep your 

heart healthy, build 

muscle, and aid the 

body in breaking down 

and using carbohydrates. 

Relives stress and 

uplifts the mood 

The scent of a lemon 

helps clear the mind, 

reduces feelings of 

stress and uplifts our 

moods while also aiding 

feelings of depression 

and anxiety. 

Curbs Hunger 

Lemons can help curb 

feelings of hunger 

throughout the day 

making it easier to resist 

temptations and reduce 

snacking on fatty foods 

throughout the day thus 

aiding in weight loss. 

Boosts your 

Immune System 

Vitamin C found in lemons 

is great at boosting 

our immune system. It 

is also a great option as 

compared to an orange 

since it has less sugar 

thus making it a great 

alternative. 

Improves the Skin 

The antioxidants 

found in lemons help 

rejuvenate the skin 

and prevent wrinkles, 

blemishes and frees it 

from radical damage 

by purifying the skin, 

removing toxins and 

killing bacteria to reveal 

clear, glowing skin. 

FROM FRONT PAGE..................... 

Protests........ 

and should provide the same quantity of ration, which we are 

currently receiving,” they said. 

Threatening to stage massive protests against the government, 

the residents said that if the government will fail to revoke 

the order then they will come on roads and government 

will at that time fail to douse the fire. 

The residents of Tanki Pora also held protest against the 

same order and asked the higher ups to revoke the order as 

soon as possible. “We are being forced to face a tough time as 

after snatching electricity, the state government is trying to cut 

ration quantity of Kashmiris,” they said. 

The protesters said that the state government has miserably 

failed to provide benefits to the people of Kashmir. 

“Since the new dispensation came into power in the state, 

the people of Kashmir are facing tough time as the administration 

has failed to look into the sufferings of people,” they said. 

Minister for CAPD, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali on Monday said 

over phone that the order is beneficial for the people here and 

alleged that politics is behind such protests. 

The CAPD minister replied after he was asked about the 

Maisuma protest, which led to ding dong battles. Earlier, the 

protesters of Maisuma also set their ration cards on fire. (KNS) 

Talks........ 

neighbourhood with the full spectrum of security challenges. 

We see terrorism and ceasefire violations, reckless nuclear 

build-up and threats, border transgressions and continuing 

military modernisation and expansion. The shadow of West 

Asian instability is becoming longer," he said. 

Cold Wave........ 

degrees to settle at minus 7.5 degrees Celsius, the official said. 

Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a low of 

minus 0.3 degrees Celsius while Qazigund and Kokernag, both 

in south Kashmir, recorded minus 0.8 degrees Celsius and minus 

1.3 degrees Celsius respectively. The night temperature in 

Kupwara town in north Kashmir dropped nearly two degrees to 

settle at minus 2.5 degrees Celsius. The MET Office has forecast 

mainly dry weather over the next 24 hours. 

Shah....... 

is the solution to resolve the disputed status of the whole region.” 

He said the secret talks are nothing but “deception” which 

“will not yield any results” and reiterated that involving the 

Kashmiri resistance leadership in the composite dialogue process 

is inevitable. 

“The border issue, mutual confrontation, trade exchange 

or Onion-Potato business cannot bring peace in the South Asia. 

India should acknowledge the disputed status of Jammu and 

Kashmir and should express willingness to take the real stakeholders 

on board,” he said. 

Fake....... 

the killing. 

The SIT had exhumed Padroo’s body in Ajas area of Bandipora 

district. After his enforced disappearance, Padroo was taken 

to Waskoora in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district where he 

was killed in the fake encounter by the accused, working with 

Special Operation Group (SOG) posted in Ganderbal and Sumbal 

camps. 

The DNA taken from the body of Padroo matched with that 

of his relatives in Larnoo Kokernag, confirming that the killed 

‘foreign militant’ was not a Pakistani militant but the abducted 

carpenter. (GNS) 

UN....... 

prohibited by international human rights law and laws in many 

countries. 

Citing a joint statement, the report said, they denounced 

"the deliberate and dangerous spread of misinformation and 

the manipulation of people's fears and concerns for political 

gain". 

Dieng and Welsh strongly condemned extremist attacks 

but underlined that linking such attacks to Muslims has resulted 

in discrimination and targeting, the report said. 

They said calls by United States (US) political figures for 

Muslims to be banned from entering the US be registered in 

a national database or to be forced to carry identification that 

would highlight their religion are "unacceptable" and "an affront 

to our common humanity". 

"They did not specifically name any Americans, but Republican 

presidential front-runner Donald Trump has advocated 

all of these positions, creating a political firestorm that has galvanised 

his supporters in the Republican base while generating 

denunciations from the party establishment and all the leading 

Democratic candidates," it reported. 

Anti-Muslim sentiment was already building in the US after 

the deadly Nov 13 Paris attacks, with most Republican state 

governors saying they opposed resettling refugees from Syria's 

civil war in their states, it said. 

Report....... 

more than 43 offences were registered against journalists during 

the year, ranging from abduction, beating and raids on their 

headquarters and houses to prevent them from reporting. 

Such killings came despite some positive indicators like 

increasing confirmations by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi 

toward rejecting any kind of offences against journalists, and 

his orders to set up investigative committees to follow up any 

offence that might happen against journalists, it added. 

Observers blame the current chronic instability, violence 

and emergence of extremist groups, such as the IS, on the US 

which invaded Iraq in March 2003 under the pretext of seeking 

to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the country. 

Pak....... 

However, Pakistan rejected their demands, saying that it will 

help to deter militancy in the country. 

The rights activists reject the argument as more than 90 per 

cent hanged since restoration of moratorium were those convicted 

for murder and were not involved in terrorism. 

Initially executions were resumed for terrorism offences 

only. Later, the government lifted moratorium on the death 

penalty in all capital cases on March 10. 

Kejriwal....... 

Kejriwal has repeatedly maintained that he would not tolerate 

corruption and had said that "even if we have to give the biggest 

sacrifice, we will not compromise on corruption. We are keeping 

a vigil on everyone". 

His deputy, Manish Sisodia, tweeted that CBI is trying to 

stop honest politics through the fear of raids. He added that 

people are with the truth and they won't succeed. 

The Aam Aadmi Party reacted strongly to the development, 

with spokesperson Ashutosh asking: "If they wanted to see any 

file, why did they not inform Delhi CM?" 

"Raiding CM's office without informing CM is an act of cowardice. 

Whichever file they demand, will be given to them," he 

told reporters. 

Condemning the raid, the JD-U's K.C. Tyagi described it as 

an act of cowardice and that the party condemned it. "We will 

raise this issue in parliament," he said. 

He described it as politics of vendetta against a chief minister 

who is not from the BJP. 

The AAP had resoundingly won the Delhi assembly election 

in February this year, winning 67 of the 70 seats. The BJP had 

managed to get barely three seats. 

BJP....... 

said it only searched the office of bureaucrat Rajender Kumar, 

principal secretary to the Delhi chief minister, on allegations of 

corruption. 

Prasad said Kejriwal's office was "not touched," adding that 

the CBI is not required by law to seek the permission of a chief 

minister to raid an official. "The CBI had a proper search warrant 

issued by a competent court....I hope the CBI will be allowed to 

work without pressure," Prasad said, accusing Kejriwal's Aam 

Aadmi Party of "politicising a corruption case." 

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told Parliament 

that "the office of the chief minister of Delhi has not been 

raided. The raid has nothing to do with Arvind Kejriwal or his 

tenure as chief minister. The search is against an officer." 

The CBI said Rajender Kumar is accused of corruption in 

computer purchases and claimed that it found about Rs 13 lakh 

in cash and foreign currency worth Rs 3 lakh in the raids today 

on the bureaucrat and another person. 

Kejriwal alleged, "FM lied in Parliament. My own office files 

are being looked into to get some evidence against me. Rajender 

is an excuse." 

AAP said the CBI sealed an entire floor in the Delhi secretariat 

while conducting the raids, not allowing access even to 

the Chief Minister's office. 

Lal Singh inaugurates 

physiotherapy Center 

Jammu, Dec 15: Minister for Health and Medical Education, 

ARI and Trainings, Choudhary Lal Singh inaugurated the Physiotherapy 

center at Old Age Home Amphalla here today. 

On the occasion, the Minister was briefed about various services 

being offered at the clinic. He was informed that the clinic 

is going to provide multiple treatment facilities for neck pain, 

cervical problems, shoulder and frozen pain, muscle sprain and 

strain, stroke, muscle tightness, knee and back pain, etc. 

After dedicating the clinic, Ch Lal Singh said the clinic would 

provide multiple treatments to the inmates of old age home. He 

directed the concerned to put in their best efforts to ensure free 

medicine and diagnostic tests to the inmates.

7 

SRINAGAR,WEDNESDAY 


S 

P 

O 

R 

T 

S 

BPL 2015: 

Misbah-ul-Haq 

and other 

Pakistani 

players return 

home with 

bitter memories 

Karachi: Many of the Pakistani 

players who went to 

Bangladesh to appear in the 

Bangladesh Premier League 

return home with bitter 

memories and unhappy 

at being sidelined by the 

team owners and management. 

Foremost among them 

is Pakistan‘s test captain 

Misbah-ul-Haq who was 

sidelined by the Rangpur 

Riders management for his 

team’s last seven matches 

while preference was given 

to other foreign signings 

including Afghanistan’s little 

known Muhammad Nabi. “I 

can’t say much on this but 

I guess the team owners 

and coaches know what is 

required. But it is not easy 

sitting on the bench for so 

long,” Misbah said just before 

his team’s knockout game on 

Sunday night. 

Misbah clearly looked upset 

at his continued exclusion 

even for the knockout match 

against Barissal Bulls. His 

omission has surprised many 

in the Pakistan cricket circles 

while others like Kamran 

Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Umar 

Akmal and Wahab Riaz have 

also returned home not 

happy at being given the cold 

shoulder treatment. “I had 

made it clear to my franchise 

owners and management 

that I wanted to open in the 

BPL but after just two matches 

I didn’t get any proper 

response,” Kamran said. 

“I didn’t go there only for 

the money I went there as 

I thought the BPL would 

allow me to further remind 

the selectors I am doing 

well,” he said. Pakistan’s fast 

bowler Wahab also decided 

it was better to return home 

midway through the BPL 

and walk the ramp in Lahore 

than sit and waste his time 

in Dhaka. “Obviously it is not 

easy to be ignored like this 

for majority matches. It has 

been tough on Misbah but he 

has handled himself well,” 

Wahab who also appeared 

for Rangpur said. 

Wahab had joined the BPL on 

December 1st after the Pakistan 

and England series along 

with Shahid Afridi, Shoaib 

Malik, Ahmed Shehzad, 

Umar Akmal, Sohail Tanvir 

and Muhammad Hafeez. Fast 

bowler Sohail Khan also got 

just one match for Dhaka 

Gladiators during his three 

week stay in Bangladesh 

while Pakistan’s spin stalwart 

Saeed Ajmal was also played 

in just two matches and then 

dumped on the sidelines. 

A total of around 17 players 

from Pakistan were signed 

by the BPL franchises but 

only left arm pacer Muhammad 

Aamir enjoyed . 

IPL player draft: Pune franchise picks MS 

Dhoni, Suresh Raina goes to Rajkot 

HIGHLIGHTS 

• New Rising had the first go in the draft 

because they bid less than Intex in the IPL 

franchise auction. 

• The two franchises have a limited purse 

of Rs 66 crore to form their squads for the 

season. 

• Dhoni and Raina will play for opposing 

teams for the first time in the IPL. 

NEW DELHI: New Rising, the Pune franchise 

bought by Kolkata-based businessman Sanjiv 

Goenka, expectedly picked Indian limited 

overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the 

first player for Rs 12.5 crore in the first-ever 

player draft of the Indian Premier League 

(IPL) in Mumbai on Tuesday. 

Intex Technologies owner Keshav Bansal, 

who invested in the Rajkot franchise, picked 

Suresh Raina as the first choice followed by 

Ravindra Jadeja - the local Saurashtra boy 

who has grown up playing in Rajkot. 

Dhoni and Raina will play for opposing 

teams for the first time in the IPL. 

New Rising picked up former Rajasthan 

Royals batsman Ajinkya Rahane as their 

second choice. It would be interesting to see 

Dhoni, who has criticised Rahane’s ‘slow batting’ 

on Indian pitches, team up for the slam 

bang tournament. 

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin 

was then picked up by Pune and New Zealand 

captain Brendon McCullum went to Rajkot. 

Australian captain Steve Smith was picked 

by Pune while his teammate all-rounder 

James Faulkner went to Rajkot. 

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum 

had challenged his side before the first Test 

against Sri Lanka to continue their momentum 

from their series in Australia and after 

their 122-run victory has asked them to do it 

again. 

The New Zealanders lost the three-match 

series across the Tasman 2-0 but had improved 

throughout and were considered 

unlucky not to have snatched a series draw 

with victory in the deciding day-night Test in 

Adelaide, which the hosts managed to clinch 

in a tense three-wicket finish. 

Against Sri Lanka at University Oval in 

Dunedin, with more favourable conditions 

they showed they could sustain their level of 

good play as they eye a return series against 

Steve Smith’s side next February. 

“It was essential we got the win because 

Pune then picked up South African T20 

captain Faf du Plessis and Rajkot went for 

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. 

The two new franchises will have to pay 

Rs 12.5 crore to the first player they pick at 

the draft, Rs 9.5 crore to the second, Rs 7.5 

crore to the third, Rs 5.5 crore to the fourth 

Ashwin, Jadeja in top-5 of ICC 

all-rounders’ rankings 

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Ashwin held on to his top spot, while 

Jadeja rose a rung to be fifth in the allrounders’ 

chart. 

• Kane Williamson stood just two steps 

away from the top spot in the rankings 

for Test batsmen. 

• No Indian found a place in the top-10 of 

batsmen’s rankings. 

DUBAI: Ravichandran Ashwin held on to 

his top spot, while Ravindra Jadeja rose a 

rung to be fifth in the all-rounders’ chart 

of the latest ICC Test rankings issued 

on Tuesday.However, no Indian found a 

place in the top-10 of batsmen’s rankings 

even though Ashwin (2nd) and Jadeja 

(8th) represented the country in the 

bowlers’ list.Elsewhere, Kane Williamson 

stood just two steps away from the top 

spot in the rankings for Test batsmen, 

which were released after the conclusion 

of the Dunedin and Hobart Tests. 

Williamson has earned the rise to third 

place, just three points off South Africa’s AB 

de Villiers, thanks to two consistent knocks 

of 88 and 71, helping New Zealand extend 

its winning streak to 12 home Test victories 

in a row, after they beat Sri Lanka by 122 

runs. 

Williamson’s team-mate Martin Guptill has 

jumped up a remarkable 18 places, after 

scoring 156 and 46. Guptill was rewarded 

we played some excellent cricket,” McCullum 

told reporters in Dunedin. 

“The thing about Australia was I think we 

got better as the series went on and this Test 

match we stepped it up another notch. 

“The challenge for us for the next three 

matches over the summer is to keep putting 

that line in the sand further and further away. 

“That’s the challenge for us.” 

What must have been pleasing for McCullum 

was the fact that Martin Guptill managed 

to put a poor return against Australia behind 

him to score 202 runs in the match, while 

Tom Latham finally converted a start to notch 

his first century at home. 

Bowlers Doug Bracewell and Neil Wagner 

also continued to charge in on a pitch that did 

not deteriorate through the entire five days 

and perform the thankless task of tying down 

and Rs 4 crore to the fifth. 

However, there is a provision to safeguard 

the interests of the players in this formula 

being applied by the BCCI. If Dhoni’s existing 

contract with Super Kings is anything more 

or less than Rs. 12.5 crore (as he was picked 

first), the balance amount will have to be 

National level Women Competition 

Concludes at Jammu 

State encourages 

talented girls in 

Sports: DG YSS 

Jammu, Dec 15: National level 

Women Competition, Group III Athletics, 

Badminton and Table Tennis 

concluded here today. On the 

valedictory function, the final event 

of 4x100 metre relay race was held 

which Punjab Won while as Tamil 

Nadu and Delhi secured 2nd and 3rd 

positions respectively. The sports 

meet was organised by Directorate 

of Youth Services and Sports under 

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA). 

Director General, Youth Services and 

Sports, Jahangir Mir was the Chief 

Guest on the occasion whereas DIG 

BSF Frontier Headquarters Mohan 

Mehta was the Guest of Honour. 

with only his second man of the match 

award in Tests. 

Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum 

has moved up two places to 17th, while 

his Sri Lanka opposite number Angelo 

Matthews has marked the visiting side’s 

presence in the top 10 batsman rankings, 

down one place to seventh.Over in Hobart, 

Australia skipper Steven Smith has tumbled 

three places to fourth and he is now just 11 

points ahead of his team-mate David Warner. 

But there was better news for Adam Voges 

who led the charge for Australia with a first 

innings double-century. Voges’ knock has 

vaulted him 19 places to a career-high 15th 

place in the latest rankings.Shaun Marsh supported 

Voges ably, scoring 182, and together 

the pair added a sixth-highest all time 

partnership of 449 runs. In the process. 

Speaking on the occasion, the Director 

General said that Government is 

committed to boost talent in sports 

among school children in the state. 

He said, Minister for Sports Molvi 

Imran Raza Ansari is taking keen 

interest in channelizing such talent in 

youth both in rural and urban areas. 

The Director General said that the 

department is committed to take 

forward Central Government’s initiative 

under ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ 

slogan and is encouraging talented 

girls across the state. 

Jahangir Mir also mentioned that 

the Department has been able to 

achieve participation of as many 

as 2 lakh students in different 

sports and athletics at various 

levels throughout the state and also 

ensured state’s participation in 44 

sporting events. 

Earlier, the Director General and 

other dignitaries distributed awards 

and mementoes among best 

performing students during the 

4 day sports event. Punjab, Tamil 

Nadu and Maharashtra won overall 

trophy in Athletics, Table Tennis 

and Badminton respectively. 

an end and exerting scoreboard pressure on 

the Sri Lankans. 

Bracewell, who was arguably the best 

bowler for New Zealand in Australia, continued 

his strong form without much return. 

“I thought he bowled absolutely brilliantly 

throughout the Test match and all 

through Australia as well and just hasn’t got 

the rewards at the moment,” McCullum said 

of Bracewell’s match return of 1-88 from 40.2 

overs.“The good thing is h didn’t get frustrated. 

He had a good, calm head about him.” 

Wagner, brought in as the fourth seamer, 

also put pressure on Sri Lanka’s batsmen with 

a sustained period of hostile short-pitched 

bowling that kept them on the back foot and 

will cause coach Mike Hesson selection issues 

ahead of the second Test. 

“There’s obviously times when there’s 

separately adjusted by the franchise buying 

him.According to an IPL official, if Dhoni 

was being paid only Rs 50 lakh by Chennai 

Super Kings, he will continue to get only 

Rs 50 lakh from the new franchise but Rs. 

12.5 crore will be deducted from the salary 

purse (the franchise won’t be able to use this 

money). Likewise, if Dhoni was being paid Rs 

20 crore by Chennai Super Kings, the franchise 

buying him, in this case Pune, will find Rs 12.5 

crore deducted from the purse whereas it will 

have to pay Dhoni the balance of Rs 7.5 crore 

additionally.New Rising had the first go in the 

draft because they bid less than Intex in the 

IPL franchise auction earlier this month in New 

Delhi. New Rising bought the Pune franchise 

for Rs minus 16 crore while Intex bought the 

Rajkot franchise for Rs minus 10 crore. 

The two IPL franchises had the option of 

picking five players each on an alternate basis, 

to form the crux of their new squads. 

The remaining players from the pool of 

50-cricketers who until the previous season 

were employed with Chennai Super Kings and 

Rajasthan Royals - will now go into a separate 

pool, to be brought up for auction on February 

6 next year in Mumbai. 

The two franchises have a limited purse of 

Rs 66 crore to form their squads for the season 

and a minimum spending of Rs 40 crore was 

mandatory between the draft and the auction 

in February.New Rising was unlikely to let go 

of Dhoni, India’s most successful captain, 

who will lead the national team into the 

World T20 at home next year just before the 

IPL. 

Participation in Sport events promote 

understanding and camaraderie: Governor 

Inaugurates Silver Rolling 

Volley Ball Championship 

Jammu, Dec 15: Governor N.N Vohra, 

inaugurated the 2nd State Level 

Governor’s Silver Rolling Volley Ball 

Championship Trophy” at Government 

Degree College, Udhampur in which 24 

teams from the various Degree Colleges 

of the Jammu and Kashmir regions are 

competing. Pawan Gupta, MoS Finance 

also graced the occasion. 

Complimenting Principal Bhalwal 

and welcoming the participating teams, 

the Governor observed that sports 

activities should be an important part 

of the curricula of all educational 

institutions and they should strive to 

organize regular sports activities. He 

exhorted the organizers to also ensure 

participation of teams from Ladakh 

region and other far flung areas of the 

State in this tournament, particularly 

from the rural area colleges in Poonch, 

Rajouri, Doda and Kishtwar districts. 

Emphasizing the significance of 

sports and games, the Governor observed 

that games provide an opportunity 

to the youth to develop sound 

character, healthy mind and body and 

besides, promote leadership, camaraderie, 

and lasting friendships among 

the youth. 

The Governor watched the Exhibition 

Volley Ball Match which was 

played between the teams of Government 

Degree College Udhampur and 

Government College for Physical 

Education, Ganderbal. He complimented 

the players for their talented 

performance and presented 

medals to both teams. 

Earlier, on his arrival, the Governor 

was presented with Guard 

of Honour. The inaugural function 

started with the unfurling of the 

Championship Flag by the Governor. 

An impressive and high quality 

cultural programme, comprising 

folk dances of the State, was 

presented by the students of 

the Government Degree College 

Udhampur.S.S. Bhalwal, Principal, 

Government Degree College presented 

the Welcome Address and 

Dr. Tariq Ahmad Kawoos, Director 

Colleges, presented the Vote of 

Thanks.Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, 

Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, 

Surinder Gupta, Deputy Inspector 

General, Udhampur- Reasi Range were 

among the important personalities 

present on the occasion. 

Chelsea FC should stick 

with Jose Mourinho in 

time of crisis 

New Delhi: Premier 

League defending champions 

Chelsea find themselves 

in an unfamiliar 

position in the league 

table as Leicester City 

piled up more misery for 

Jose Mourinho. 

Chelsea encountered 

their ninth loss of the 

season in 16 games to stay 

a point above the relegation 

zone. A new wave of 

change in performances 

were expected to come, 

but as weeks pass by 

Chelsea’s rise from the 

drought has failed simultaneously. 

Monday’s 1-2 loss 

against Leicester, was another 

scathing blow to the 

Blues whose expectations 

Challenge is to continue our momentum: Brendon McCullum 

from the season is lowering 

day by day. With a top 

four finish being questionable, 

Mourinho needs 

to galvanize his troops 

and get something from 

this stuttering campaign. 

The Blues were looking 

for a top four finish weeks 

earlier but two losses on 

the trot has shifted the 

realism to a rather top 

half end.Jose Mourinho 

needs time after having 

encountered this low 

phase in his managerial 

career for the first ever 

time. Being a winner all 

his life, Jose knows he has 

to take Chelsea out from 

the slump and rightly so 

he is the person who can 

do it. 

been a bit of resistance there and we just had 

to keep plugging away and I thought that’s 

when Neil Wagner really stepped up for us,” 

McCullum said. 

“He bowled those ‘dead overs’ with hostility 

and when he’s in your team you know 

that you’ve got those overs when you are 

going to be able to create some opportunities.” 

The key for his side, McCullum added, 

was to keep up that intensity when the 

second Test begins at Hamilton’s Seddon 

Park on Friday.“Sri Lanka is a pretty tough 

opposition to get results against. They have 

some excellent young bowlers and they 

asked some questions on day one. 

“We knew we would get better and it’s 

one thing expecting yourselves to get better 

but it’s another thing actually doing it.

16 December 2015

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