08 January 2016

SRINAGAR | 08 January 2016 | 27 Rabi ul Awwal 1437 AH Vol: 4 | Issue No: 07 | Pages: 08 | Rs 3/- 

FRIDAY 

4th 

PRECIOUS KASHMIR 

Journalism With A Human Heart 

C 

M 

Y 

K 

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

An era of politics! 

CM Mufti Sayeed passes away 

State declares 7-day mourning; National, State Flag fly at half-mast 

Precious Kashmir News 

Srinagar, Jan 7: Chief Minister, Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed, who was admitted 

in All India Institute of Medical Sciences 

(AIIMS) New Delhi, passed away this 

morning. He was 79. 

The Chief Minister had complained 

of exhaustion during his hectic tour of 

Srinagar city on December 22. He was 

flown to New Delhi on December 24 and 

was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 

of AIIMS. 

The departed leader will be accorded 

State funeral. The state has also declared 

seven-day mourning as a mark of respect 

to the departed leader. All State government 

offices and educational institutions 

in the State shall remain closed 

today. National & State Flags will be 

flown half-mast during the mourning 

on all buildings and places where these 

are flown. 

Born on January 12, 1936, Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed, had an illustrious 

political career, that culminated when 

he became the Chief Minister of the 

state for the first time in 2002. He was 

sworn in for the second time as Chief 

Minister of Jammu & Kashmir on March 

01, 2015. 

Mufti Sayeed had also earlier served 

as Union Home and Tourism Minister. 

One of the last politicians in Jammu 

& Kashmir, who had grown into the 

mould of an upright and unblemished 

statesman, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 

represented courage of conviction and a 

lifelong political struggle spanning over 

five decades. His vision for the state of 

Jammu & Kashmir as a distinct feature 

of the idea of India is complemented by 

the clear-cut democratic construct of his 

Mufti was a pro-people 

politician: Azad 

Srinagar, Jan 7: Leader of Opposition 

in Rajya Sabha and 

Former Chief Minister of J&K 

Ghulam Nabi Azad has expressed 

profound grief and 

sorrow on the passing away 

of Jammu & Kashmir Chief 

Minister Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed. 

In his condolence message, 

Ghulam Nabi Azad said, 

“I am deeply saddened by the 

passing away of Mufti Sahab. 

My heart goes out in sympathy 

to Mufti, Mehbooba Mufti 

and members of the bereaved 

family”. 

Azad said that Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed’s demise has 

created a void in the socio-political 

arena of Jammu & Kashmir 

and the country which is 

very difficult to fill. 

Recalling his long association 

with Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed, Azad said he was a 

hard-core nationalist, a true 

democrat and a pro-people 

political leader who made 

enormous contribution to 

public life at the national and 

State level. 

“I have had a very close 

and personal relation with 

Mufti Sahab during his long 

political thought, an inclusive polity and 

ingenious development. 

As he assumed office of Chief Minister 

of Jammu & Kashmir for the second 

time on 1st March 2015, it seemed Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed was destined to be 

the man for hard times. In 2002 when 

he became the Chief Minister, with just 

16 seats in the State Assembly, in alliance 

with the Congress, J&K was reeling under 

extremely adverse conditions on politico-economic 

fronts. Personal liberties 

were severely restricted and our army 

was in an eye-ball to eye-ball confrontation 

with Pakistan in the aftermath of the 

attack on Parliament. 

Responding to the people’s innermost 

yearning for peace with dignity, 

Mufti after assuming charge as the Chief 

Minister of J&K in 2002, crusaded the 

“Healing Touch” policy to repair the people’s 

hurt psyche, salvaging their bruised 

dignity, rekindling a new hope in their 

hearts and motivating them to mould 

their destiny through a participatory political 

and democratic process. The result 

was there for all to behold and fortunately, 

the country’s leadership, at that time 

also understood and appreciated the rejuvenating 

and hopeful political transformation 

in the State and responded to it in 

good measure. 

Seen as a visionary leader, a smart 

political strategist and masterful politician, 

Mufti’s arrival on the stage in J&K 

in 2002 and his deft handling of the 

delicate political equations resulted in 

an almost instant change in the situation, 

both within the State and in the regional 

context. His invitation to the then Prime 

Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address 

a rally in Srinagar, first ever for a Prime 

Minister in nearly two decades, from the 

political career. What made 

him matchlessly distinct 

were his indefatigable will, 

firmness of resolve and inexhaustible 

energy”. 

Azad said “one would 

wonder how at the age of 

eighty he would work with 

relentless zeal and untiring 

energy” adding that even one 

day before his illness he was 

touring Srinagar city in harsh 

winter condition. 

Describing him a selfrespecting, 

seasoned and 

thinking politician, Azad said 

he relentlessly strived for the 

equitable development of all 

the regions of the State and 

envisioned a unified, inclusive, 

pluralistic and progressive 

J&K and a strong India. 

His qualities of head and 

heart, warmth and concern 

for others won him friends 

from across the political spectrum 

and made him dear to 

one and all, without any distinction 

of caste, colour and 

creed. 

“We have lost a towering 

leader and a highly experienced 

politician who will 

be missed for a long time to 

come” said Azad. 

PDP stage, triggered a new wave of peace 

efforts which culminated in withdrawal 

of forces from forward areas, ceasefire 

along the borders, disbanding of instruments 

like STF and SOG, scrapping of 

POTA and release of political prisoners. It 

also led to a direct engagement between 

India and Pakistan and of the Central 

Government with the separatist leaders 

in Kashmir. 

Mufti’s vision for the State and the 

region articulated in PDP’s Self-Rule 

framework besides suggesting a slew of 

economic and political measures advocating 

a sub-regional trade arrangement 

with a Free Trade Zone in Jammu & Kashmir 

to be implemented under SAFTA or 

under a separate arrangement between 

New Delhi and Islamabad. 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed believed 

that facilitating free movement of goods 

and people through the traditional cross- 

LoC routes in Jammu & Kashmir would 

help the policymakers on the two sides 

of the divide to facilitate the political 

changes that the people in the region so 

badly need. He saw opening of Srinagar- 

Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote 

roads along the LoC as a stepping stone 

towards forging a new economic alliance 

in the region. 

Within the State, Mufti’s political 

focus was on connecting communities 

and regions into one conglomerate of 

harmonious diversities. His emphasis on 

improving the trust levels between two 

main regions of Kashmir and Jammu 

has remained the driving force for his 

party PDP’s political engagement in 

all the regions and sub-regions that it 

could emerge as a unifying force that 

offers channels of aspirations and representation 

to each one of them. 

Laid to rest in Dara 

Shiko Park in Bijbehara 

Naeem Akhtar leads funeral prayers in 

Srinagar, Rajnath also present 


CM’s death widely condoled in JK 

Guv, CS, Admn Secretaries, among others express grief 


Geelani, Mirwaiz, JeI also condole death 


Srinagar, Jan 7: Hurriyat (G) chairman 

Syed Ali Geelani on Thursday condoled 

the demise of Jammu and Kashmir 

Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. 

In a statement issued here today, 

the octogenarian leader expressed 

sympathy with the family of Sayeed, 

who passed away early morning today 

at AIIMS in New Delhi. 

Jammu, Jan 7: Governor N.N. Vohra has 

expressed grief over the untimely passing 

on of J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohamad 

Sayeed. 

In a condolence message the Governor 

has conveyed his heartfelt sympathy 

to the members of the bereaved family 

and prayed for peace to the departed 

soul. 

Recalling his long association with 

Mufti Sahib, the Governor described 

him as a senior seasoned politician and 

an astute administrator who was deeply 

committed to restoring the State to sustained 

peace and normalcy and carrying 

it forward to achieve rapid growth and 

development on all fronts. The Governor 

observed that the gap created by Mufti 

Sahib’s demise in the polity of the State 

would not be easy to fill. 

Sharing the grief of the state, Chief 

Secretary, B R Sharma and all Administrative 

Secretaries have deeply mourned 

the demise of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed who passed away today 

at New Delhi. 

As a mark of respect, the Chief Secretary 

said that the state government has 

declared seven day mourning from today 

and there shall be no official entertainment, 

besides the National and the State 

Flags shall fly at half mast on all government 

buildings and places during this 

period. 

All government offices and educational 

institutions in the state shall remain 

closed today, he added. 

Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir, Legislative 

Assembly, Kavinder Gupta on 

his and on behalf of the Assembly Secretariat 

has expressed deep shock and 

sorrow on the sad and untimely demise 

of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed. 

The Speaker said that the late leader 

was a great visionary and an experienced 

politician. He termed Mufti Sayeed as a 

true statesman and added that his death 

has created a vacuum in the political horizon 

of the State as well as the country 

See CM’s Death on Pg 6 

“Death is an ultimate truth. Whether 

one is a king or a commoner, every 

See Geelani on Pg 6 

Farooq, Omar 

express grief 

Srinagar, Jan 7: National Conference 

President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and 

Working President Omar Abdullah have 

expressed profound grief and sorrow 

over the demise of J&K Chief Minister 

Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and 

prayed for peace to the departed soul. 

In a statement, expressing heartfelt 

condolences with the bereaved family 

and Mufti Sahib's supporters, Dr. Farooq 

Abdullah and Omar Abdullah have conveyed 

their solidarity to them in this 

See Farooq on Pg 6 

Srinagar, Jan 7: Chief Minster Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed was Thursday 

evening at 6:40 PM laid to rest at Dara 

Shikho Garden in Bijbehara town in 

Anantnag district. 

The funeral payers of chief minister 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed were 

held at Sher-I-Kashmir Cricket Stadium 

here today evening. 

The funeral prayers (Nimazi Jinaza) 

were led by PDP senior leader 

Naeem Akhtar. 

Senior Congress leaders Ghulam 

Nabi Azad, G A Mir and Prof Saif-u- 

Din Soz, former chief minister Omar 

Abdullah, senior PDP leader Tariq 

Hameed Karra, senior leaders Ali Mohammad 

Sagar, PDF leader Hakim Yasin, 

Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Sajjad 

Gani Lone, Altaf Bukhari, Basharat 

Bukhari and all the PDP ministers were 

present during the funeral. 

Congress leader G N Monga, PDP 

General Secretary Nizam-u-Din Bhat, 

PDP minister Ashraf Mir also participated 

in the funeral. 

Home Minister Rajnath Singh and 

minister in PMO’s office Dr Jitendra 

Singh was also present during the funeral. 

According to correspondent Tasaduq 

Rashid, in Bijbehara, DGP K Rajendra, 

Chief Secretary B R Sharma, 

Health Minister Lal Singh, PHE Minister 

Sukhnandan Kumar, JK Congress 

Chief G A Mir, Finance Minister Haseeb 

Drabu, Principal Secretary to CM, B B 

Vyas 

were present at the prayers, the 

second funeral offered in the day. 

Top officials of civil and police administration 

were also present. Police 

presented a Guard of Honour to after 

the funeral prayers. 

After the funeral prayers, the body 

of the chief minister was taken in a procession 

to his ancestral home town, 

Bijbehara in Anantnag district, where 

another funeral prayer will be held at 

Dara Shikho Garden in the town. His 

body will be laid to rest in the garden. 

Mufti, 79, passed away at AIIMS in 

New Delhi this morning after two-week 

illness. 

Sayeed, detected with sepsis, decreased 

blood count and pneumonia, 

was admitted to AIIMS on December 

24, with complaints of neck pain and 

fever. He had remained in the intensive 

See Bijbehara on Pg 6 


Srinagar, Jan 7: After her father 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 

passed away on Thursday 

morning, Mehbooba Sayeed is 

the obvious choice to succeed 

him as the chief minister of 

the state of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Mehbooba Mufti has big 

shoes to fill, since her father 

had been a prolific politician 

and an astute statesman. Although 

Jammu and Kashmir 

has always seen conflicts, it 

is going to be an especially 

tough ride for Sayeed as she 

takes oath as the first woman 

chief minister of the state. 

She is still one of the 

most recognized politicians 

in Jammu and Kashmir and is 

known for commitment and 

dedication. She is the only 

woman politician from Kashmir, 

who is known across the 

country. Here are some things 

you should know about Mehbooba. 

She was born on May 22, 

1959 in Akhran Nowpara in 

South Kashmir’s Anantnag 

President, VP, 

PM condole 

death 


New Delhi, Jan 7: The President of 

India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has 

condoled the passing away of Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed, Chief Minister 

of Jammu and Kashmir. 

In a condolence message to 

his daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, the 

President has said, “I am sad to 

learn about the passing away of 

your father, Shri Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed, Chief Minister of Jammu 

and Kashmir. 

Sayeed was a colleague of long 

years. He distinguished himself 

through remarkable political acumen 

and vision. Throughout his 

life, Shri Sayeed worked for the 

socio-political transformation and 

betterment of the State of Jammu 

and Kashmir. In his passing away, 

we have lost an outstanding public 

figure who was always in touch 

with the grassroots of society. Shri 

Sayeed’s contribution to Jammu 

and Kashmir and India through 

long years of public service will be 

always remembered. 

Please accept my heartfelt condolences 

and convey them to all 

other members of your family. May 

God give you and your family 

See President on Pg 6 

Mehbooba set to 

become first woman 

chief minister of J&K 

district. She studied Literature 

at Government School 

of Women in Jammu and 

Kashmir. She went on to earn 

a Law degree, like her father, 

from the University of Kashmir. 

When the Assembly elections 

were announced for the 

first time in the valley in 1996, 

Mehbooba’s father Mufti Sayeed 

was a member of the 

Indian National Congress. 

However, no one was ready 

to contest under the banner 

of a national party. Sayeed 

convinced his wife Gulshan 

Ara and daughter Mehbooba 

to contest from Pahalgam and 

Bijbehara respectively. While 

Gulshan lost, Mehbooba won 

See Mehbooba on Pg 6 

C 

M 

Y 

K


News 

Friday 

2 

08.01.2016 

www.preciouskashmir.com 

Detailed Profile of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 


Srinagar, Jan 7: One of the last politicians in Jammu & 

Kashmir, who had grown into the mould of an upright and 

unblemished statesman, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed represented 

courage of conviction and a lifelong political struggle 

spanning over five decades. His vision for the state of 

Jammu & Kashmir as a distinct feature of the idea of India 

is complemented by the clear-cut democratic construct of 

his political thought, an inclusive polity and ingenious development. 

As he assumed office of Chief Minister of Jammu & 

Kashmir for the second time on 1st March 2015, it seemed 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was destined to be the man for 

hard times. In 2002 when he became the Chief Minister, 

with just 16 seats in the State Assembly, in alliance with 

the Congress, J&K was reeling under extremely adverse 

conditions on politico-economic fronts. Personal liberties 

were severely restricted and our army was in an eye-ball 

to eye-ball confrontation with Pakistan in the aftermath of 

the attack on Parliament. 

Responding to the people’s innermost yearning for 

peace with dignity, Mufti after assuming charge as the 

Chief Minister of J&K in 2002, crusaded the “Healing 

Touch” policy to repair the people’s hurt psyche, salvaging 

their bruised dignity, rekindling a new hope in their hearts 

and motivating them to mould their destiny through a 

participatory political and democratic process. The result 

was there for all to behold and fortunately, the country’s 

leadership, at that time also understood and appreciated 

the rejuvenating and hopeful political transformation in 

the State and responded to it in good measure. 

Seen as a visionary leader, a smart political strategist 

and masterful politician, Mufti’s arrival on the stage in J&K 

in 2002 and his deft handling of the delicate political equations 

resulted in an almost instant change in the situation, 

both within the State and in the regional context. His invitation 

to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to 

address a rally in Srinagar, first ever for a Prime Minister 

in nearly two decades, from the PDP stage, triggered a new 

wave of peace efforts which culminated in withdrawal 

of forces from forward areas, ceasefire along the borders, 

disbanding of instruments like STF and SOG, scrapping of 

POTA and release of political prisoners. It also led to a direct 

engagement between India and Pakistan and of the 

Central Government with the separatist leaders in Kashmir. 

Mufti’s vision for the State and the region articulated 

in PDP’s Self-Rule framework besides suggesting a slew of 

economic and political measures advocating a sub-regional 

trade arrangement with a Free Trade Zone in Jammu & 

Kashmir to be implemented under SAFTA or under a separate 

arrangement between New Delhi and Islamabad. 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed believed that facilitating 

free movement of goods and people through the 

traditional cross-LoC routes in Jammu & Kashmir 

would help the policymakers on the two sides of 

the divide to facilitate the political changes that 

the people in the region so badly need. He saw 

opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch- 

Rawalakote roads along the LoC as a stepping 

stone towards forging a new economic alliance 

in the region. 

Within the State, Mufti’s political focus was 

on connecting communities and regions into 

one conglomerate of harmonious diversities. 

His emphasis on improving the trust levels 

between two main regions of Kashmir and 

Jammu has remained the driving force for 

his party PDP’s political engagement in 

all the regions and sub-regions that 

it could emerge as a unifying force 

that offers channels of aspirations 

and representation to each one 

of them. 

Early Life 

Born in Baba Mohalla 

in Bijbehara town of district 

Anantnag on 12th 

January 1936, Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed’s 

early life was typical 

of the new bourgeoisie 

that emerged in 

Kashmir in the middle 

of the century. 

Having graduated 

from S. P. College 

in Srinagar, he 

went on to obtain 

a degree in 

Law, and a postgraduate 

degree 

in Arab History 

from Aligarh Muslim 

University (AMU). 

Although Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed hoped to 

gain government employment, 

he was persuaded by his 

friends to start a law practice in 

Anantnag, and to join politics. He 

joined the Anantnag Bar Association 

and briefly practiced as a lawyer at District 

Court, Anantnag. 

Political Career 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a 

strong votary of friendly relations between 

India and Pakistan, which he 

believed was critical to the political 

stability in J&K as well the Subcontinent. 

He was a staunch believer in the 

democratic polity and was responsible 

for introducing political competition 

in the state. 

In the late 1950s he joined 

the circle around prominent lawyer 

and National Conference (NC) 

leader P. L. Handoo. He followed Handoo 

into the breakaway Democratic National 

Conference (DNC), led by G.M. Sadiq, 

along with D. P. Dhar, Syed Mir Qasim and G. L. 

Dogra. He was appointed District Convener of the 

new organization - DNC, the first formal political post 

he held. 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was elected to 

the Assembly from Bijbe- hara in 

1962, and retained the seat 

in 1967. As a result, 

he was appointed 

a Deputy Minister 

by G.M. 

Sadiq. 

In 1972 the 

late leader became 

a minister 

in the Cabinet, 

headed 

by Syed Mir 

Qasim and 

was also elected 

the party’s 

leader in the Legislative 

Council. 

In 1975, he was made the leader of the Congress Legislature 

Party and Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress 

President. He continued to hold the post of PCC Chief in 

J&K for over a decade. 

In 1986, he was appointed as Union Tourism Minister 

in the Government headed by the then Prime Minister, 

Rajiv Gandhi. 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed resigned from the Union 

Government and the Congress following Rajiv-Farooq Accord 

of 1987. 

He later joined the Jan Morcha, led by V. P. Singh and 

was appointed Union Home Minister in 1989, after having 

won the Lok Sabha elections of that year as Jan Morcha 

candidate from Muzaffarnagar, in Uttar Pradesh. 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed returned to J&K politics 

after having rejoined the Congress in 1996. He won the 

Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in 1998, but soon resigned from 

both his position and the Congress party to form a new regional 

political party- the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

After remaining in the Congress for better part of his 

life, Mufti along with some likeminded associates and Mehbooba 

Mufti, his daughter, founded the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) in 1999 and led the first PDP-Congress 

coalition government in the State from 2002 to 2005. 

In 2002, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became the Chief 

Minister of Jammu & Kashmir for the first time. His party 

PDP won 16 seats and formed an alliance with Congress 

to assume power from October 2002 to November 2005. 

PDP was an important ally of United Progressive Alliance-I 

at the Centre.The late leader’s first term as the Chief Minister 

of the State between 2002 and 2005, led to significant 

steps like opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, 

initiation of trade and travel across the Line of Control 

(LoC) without passports and visas, with India and Pakistan 

making some significant concessions on Kashmir. 

The prospects of PDP started to shine again in the Lok 

Sabha election of 2014 when it won all the three seats in 

Kashmir valley. 

Under the astute leadership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, 

PDP has emerged as a dominant regional political force 

in Jammu & Kashmir introducing democratic competition 

in J&K. 

A much-respected politician, 

Mufti Sayeed will be 

remembered for his 

tenacity, focus, 

steadfastness, 

and ability to 

make critical 

decisions during 

difficult 

times. 

Ministers, dignitaries, politicians, 

associations condole CM’s demise 


Srinagar, Jan 7: The Jammu and Kashmir High 

Court led by Chief Justice, N. Paul Vasanthakumar 

has expressed heartfelt grief on the sad 

demise of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed and condoled with the members of the 

bereaved family. 

In a condolence message, it said that Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed was known for his administrative 

skills. He carved out a place for himself 

in the history of not only the state of Jammu 

and Kashmir but the country as a whole. His 

demise has created a great vacuum, which is 

difficult to be filled up. It has caused an irreparable 

loss to the entire populace of the country. 

May God give peace to his soul and courage to 

the family members to bear this huge loss. 

A condolence meeting was held at Pragati 

Bhawan, Jammu chaired by Dr (Prof.) Nirmal 

Gupta, Chairperson J&K State Social Welfare 

Board to condole the sad demise of Chief Minister 

of J&K, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. 

The joint condolence meeting was attended 

by Secretaries, officers and staff of Social 

Welfare Board, State Advisory Board for 

Welfare and Development of Pahari Speaking 

People, State Advisory Board for Welfare and 

Development of Other Backward Classes, State 

Advisory Board for Welfare and Development 

of Scheduled Castes. 

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Gupta expressed 

sympathies with the bereaved family 

and paid tributes to the departed soul. She 

termed Mufti as a visionary and a sincere person, 

who was always concerned for well being 

and welfare of the weaker sections of the society. 

She termed his demise as an irreparable 

loss for the entire State, in general and the Social 

Welfare Board, in particular. 

The KAS Association has deeply mourned 

the sad demise of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed. 

“In passing away of Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed, the State has lost a visionary and a 

dynamic leader” the association in a condolence 

message said. 

The association shares grief with the bereaved 

family and prays for peace to the departed 

soul, it said. 

Ghulam Rasool Mir, Chairman Employees 

Coordination Committee on his and on behalf 

of employees of the Civil Secretariat, today expressed 

profound grief and sorrow over the sad 


Sayeed. 

In a condolence meeting held here at the 

Civil Secretariat, Chairman, Employees Coordination 

Committee said that the state has 

lost a visionary leader who remained committed 

and devoted towards welfare of the state 

throughout his long political career. It was also 

felt that the services of such a tall leader were 

eminently required at this stage when the state 

was moving ahead on the path of development 

and peace under his leadership. 

It was observed that Mufti Sayeed breathed 

his last while performing his duty as the Chief 

Minister and working tirelessly to redress 

grievances of people of the state. 

P.S Jamwal, President J&K Planning and 

Statistical Employees Association, Maqbool 

Hussein, President Lower Grade Employees 

Union and Farooq Ahmad President Employees 

Assembly Secretariat also paid rich tributes to 

the departed soul. 

A special prayer was also offered to pay 

homage to the departed soul. All participants 

shared their deep sorrow and expressed sympathy 

with the bereaved family. 

Abdul Rehman Veeri has expressed deep 

shock and grief over the sad demise of Chief 

Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. 

In his condolence message, Veeri said that 

Mufti Sahab's demise leaves a huge void in the 

nation particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, 

where his commendable leadership had a major 

impact on people's lives. 

“The contribution of Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed to Jammu and Kashmir and the Nation 

during long years of public service will always 

be remembered’’, Veeri said and added that he 

was known for his love for common masses, 

especially the underprivileged. 

Paddar calls Mufti visionary 

statesman, towering leader 


Srinagar, Jan 7: Abdul Majeed Paddar 

has expressed profound grief and 

sorrow over the sad and untimely 


Sayeed who passed today at 

AIIMS after brief illness. 

Calling him a towering leader, visionary 

statesman, and embodiment 

of secularism, Paddar said Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed has contributed 

a lot for the upliftment and welfare 

of people, besides development and 

prosperity of nation throughout his 

decades old political career. 

Paddar observed that the gap 

created by Mufti Sahib’s demise in 

the polity of the State would not be 

easy to fill. He said Mufti sahib was a 

senior seasoned politician and a wise 

administrator who was sincerely 

committed to bring back the State to 

sustained peace and normalcy and 

carrying it forward to achieve speedy 

development and growth on all fronts 

which will be remembered for ever in 

the history of J&K. 

Paddar said Mufti Sahib spent 

his life for the welfare and dignity 

of people and always wished wellbeing 

and prosperity of people. He 

also expressed his sympathy and 

solidarity with the bereaved family 

and prayed for the eternal pace to 

the departed soul. 

Veeri expressed his heart felt solidarity and 

sympathy with the bereaved family. He participated 

in the funeral prayer and visited the 

residence of Mufti Sahab where he shared condolences 

with the family members. He prayed 

for eternal peace to the departed soul. 

Chander Prakash Ganga has expressed 

grief over the death of Chief Minister, Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed, who passed away today 

morning while undergoing treatment at AIIMS 

in New Delhi. 

In his condolence message, Ganga described 

the demise of Mufti Sayeed as “untimely 

and sad”. He said that state has lost a great 

leader whose contribution to the state will always 

be remembered. 

“Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a visionary 

leader who was committed for the development 

and welfare of people of the state”, he 

added. 

Ganga also shared grief with the bereaved 

family and prayed for peace to the departed 

soul. 

Priya Sethi has expressed profound grief 

and sorrow on the sad demise of Chief Minister, 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. 

In passing away of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, 

Jammu and Kashmir has lost a visionary 

leader who always espoused the message of 

peace and brotherhood and worked tirelessly 

for the growth and development of the people 

of the state, She said. 

She described the late leader as a great 

statesman who believed in bridging gaps and 

bringing equitable development in all the three 

regions of the state. 

Sethi has expressed sympathies with the 

bereaved family of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 

and has prayed for peace to the departed soul. 

Abdul Gani Kohli has expressed profound 

grief and sorrow on passing away of Chief Minister, 


Kohli said death of Mufti Sahab is a great 

loss to the entire nation especially to the people 

of Jammu and Kashmir. He was a great leader 

and his commitment to bring together the 

people of three regions of the state cannot be 

forgotten. He espoused vision based on equitable 

and inclusive development and peace and 

prosperity of the people of the state. 

Kohli expressed sympathies with the bereaved 

family and prayed for peace to the departed 

soul. 

Pawan Kumar Gupta has condoled the sad 

and untimely demise of Chief Minister, Mufti 

Mohammad Sayeed. 

Gupta has expressed his sympathies with 

the bereaved family members and prayed for 

peace to the departed soul. 

Abdul Haq has expressed profound grief 

over the demise of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed. 

In his condolence message, Abdul Haq 

termed the demise of Mufti Sayeed as a “national 

tragedy”. He said Jammu and Kashmir 

has lost a well wisher who spent all his life 

struggling for the betterment of public. “Many 

times I have seen tears in the eyes of Mufti Sahab 

when we talked about the people of the 

state. He wanted people to live with dignity 

and pride” 

“He always worked towards bringing peace 

in the state and would make his Ministers work 

for the development of the state,” he said adding 

that his contribution to the state will always 

be remembered. 

Abdul Haq participated in the funeral 

prayers of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and expressed 

solidarity with the bereaved family. 

Choudhary Lal Singh has expressed shock 

and grief over the demise of Chief Minister, 


The demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 

has left a great void which would be difficult to 

fill, Lal Singh said. He said we have lost a senior 

leader, a nationalist and a statesman who was 

working day and night for the betterment of 

the people of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Mufti Sahab always stressed on dialogue 

as a solution to problems and espoused a vision 

for Jammu and Kashmir based on friendship, 

respect and mutual co-existence. He 

wanted to see Jammu and Kashmir prosper 

across all the three regions. 

Lone, Haq condole demise of Mufti 

Srinagar, Jan 7: Minister for Science 

and technology Sajad Gani Lone 

has expressed condolence over the 

death of Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad 

Sayeed, who passed away 

at AIIMS in New Delhi Thursday 

morning. 

Lone said that contribution 

of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to 

Jammu and Kashmir through long 

years of public service will always 

be remembered. The senior leader 

expressed sympathies with the bereaved 

family. 

Abdul Haq has expressed profound 

grief over the demise of 

Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed. In his condolence message, 

Abdul Haq termed the demise of 

Mufti Sayeed as a “national tragedy”. 

He said Jammu and Kashmir 

has lost a well wisher who spent 

all his life struggling for the betterment 

of public. “Many times I have 

seen tears in the eyes of Mufti Sahab 

when we talked about the people of 

the state. He wanted people to live 

with dignity and pride” 

“He always worked towards 

bringing peace in the state and 

would make his Ministers work for 

the development of the state,” he 

said adding that his contribution to 

the state will always be remembered. 

Sayeed’s contribution 

historic: Nirmal Singh 

Jammu, Jan 7: Dr. Nirmal Singh has expressed 

heartfelt grief on the sad demise of 

Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 

and condoled with the bereaved family. 

In a condolence message, Dr Singh 

highlighted the contribution of the late 

leader and said that Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed has played a historic role in political 

circles of the state and the country. He said Mufti Sayeed 

was known for his political acumen, Statesmanship and he 

was leader of the masses. 

Dr Singh further said that in his political career spanning 

over five decades, he carved out a place for himself in the 

history of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the country. 

His demise has created a great vacuum, which is difficult to 

be filled up, he said and maintained that it has caused an irreparable 

loss to the entire populace of the nation. 

Dr. Singh prayed for courage to the family to bear the irreparable 

loss. 

State lost astute, visionary 

leader: Altaf Bukhari 

Srinagar, Jan 7: Syed Mohammad Altaf 

Bukhari has expressed deep sorrow 

and grief over the demise of Chief Minister, 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who 

breathed his last this morning at New 

Delhi after brief illness. He said “We lost 

a big hope”. 

Describing death of the Mufti Mohammad 

Sayed as a great loss to the 

nation, Bukhari said that State has lost 

an astute and visionary leader. He said that the huge gap created 

by the death of this great leader is impossible to fill. 

Extending sympathies with bereaved family, he said 

“the great leader was a member of our family” and termed 

the death his personal loss”. “Our hearts are bleeding and 

eyes are wet” said Bukhari and appealed people of the State, 

especially Kashmir Valley to keep control over their emotions 

and pray for eternal peace to departed soul. 

Altaf Bukhari said that the political matureness of late 

leader was acknowledged at both the National and International 

level, adding that efforts the great leader made for 

peace and tranquillity in subcontinent will be written in 

Golden letters. He said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed all along 

his political career worked for peace and advocated friendly 

relations between India and Pakistan. He worked for bringing 

both the countries close for the sake of the people of 

both the countries, particularly, J&K State. 

He said opening of Muzaffarabad road and Chakandabad 

point besides Mughal road was the result of the efforts of 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and aimed to bring those families 

close to each other, who were parted from each other since 

1947. He said the people to people contact through these 

routes bore fruitful results. 

PSC remembers his vision to 

strengthen the institution 

Jammu, Jan 7: J&K Public Service Commission today held 

a condolence meeting on the sad demise of Chief Minister, 


The Commission fondly remembered the vision and rich 

contributions made by the great statesman in strengthening 

the institutions of the state. 

The Commission shall always remember with gratitude 

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as a friend, guide, who took keen 

interest in the development of the Commission. It resolved 

to emulate his values and strive hard to carry forward his 

mission. The Commission observed two minute silence to 

pay homage to the departed soul.

Precious Kashmir 


New Delhi, Jan 7: India 

on Thursday said the ball 

was in Pakistan’s court on 

continuation of the resumed 

bilateral talks, following the 

attack on the IAF base in 

Pathankot in Punjab. 

“As far as we are concerned, 

the ball is in Pakistan’s 

court. The immediate 

issue is Pakistan’s response 

to the attack and the actionable 

intelligence provided to 

it,” external affairs ministry 

spokesperson Vikas Swarup 

said in a media briefing. 

“The attack on the 

Pathankot air base has once 

again put renewed focus 

on the challenge posed by 

cross-border terrorism,” he 

said. 

Seven security personnel 

were killed in the attack 

on the Pathankot Air Force 

Station by six militants. All 

six of them were killed by 

security forces. 

Stating that the Indian 

government’s Pakistan policy 

was clear and consistent, 

Swarup said India wanted 

friendly relations with all 

its neighbours, including 

Pakistan. 

“We have extended 

our hand of friendship to 

Pakistan but we will not 

countenance cross-border 

attacks,” he said. 

According to the 

spokesman, the decision 

to start a comprehensive 

bilateral dialogue followed 

after a “constructive” meeting 

between the national 

security advisors of the 

two countries in Bangkok 

on December 6 “in which 

the central concerns of terrorism, 

peace and security, 

tranquillity along the Line of 

Control were discussed”. 

“Our prime minister 

(Narendra Modi) had a 

conversation with the prime 

minister of Pakistan (Nawaz 

NEWS 

Bilateral talks: Ball in 

Pakistan’s court, says India 

We have extended our hand of friendship to Pakistan but we 

will not countenance cross-border attacks, 

Sharif). During that conversation, 

our prime minister 

very strongly urged the 

prime minister of Pakistan 

to take action,” Swarup said. 

“Actionable intelligence 

with regard to the attack 

and the links with the 

perpetrators in Pakistan 

have been provided to the 

Pakistani side. The Pakistani 

prime minister promised 

prompt and decisive action. 

We now await that prompt 

and decisive action.” 

There was a thaw in 

India-Pakistan relations 

following a seemingly impromptu 

meeting between 

Modi and Shartif on November 

30 on the sidelines of 

the Paris climate summit. 

On December 6, Indian 

National Security Advisor 

Ajit Doval and his Pakistani 

counterpart Naseer Khan 

Janjua met in Bangkok. 

Two days later, Sushma 

Swaraj landed in Islamabad 

to attend the Heart of Asia 

conference on Afghanistan. 

On December 9, Sushma 

Swaraj announced that 

Modi would visit Islamabad 

in 2016 to attend the South 

Asian Association for Regional 

Cooperation (Saarc) 

summit. 

India and Pakistan 

have since agreed to start 

a comprehensive bilateral 

dialogue. 

It was when the stage 

was being set for the foreign 

secretaries to meet this 

month in Islamabad that 

the militants mounted the 

attack on the IAF base at 

Pathankot. 

Srinagar,Friday 


Technically, nobody 

is ruling J&K 

Srinagar, Jan 7: With Chief 

Minister Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed not around, 

J&K is under nobody’s rule. 

No elected government is 

around and the governor N 

N Vohra has not promulgated 

his rule either. This, experts 

say, has happened for 

the first time in the history 

of J&K post 1947. 

Mufti was the third Chief 

Minister who passed away 

in office. Every time the 

Chief Minister breathed his 

last, his successor took oath 

of office almost instantly. 

Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq 

died in a Chandigarh hospital 

on December 12, 1971. 

Almost instantly Syed Mir 

Qasim succeeded him. The 

transfer of power took place 

the same day. 

After prolonged illness, 

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah 

passed away on September 

8, 1982. Well before he 

was laid to rest, his son Dr 

Farooq Abdullah took over 

as the new Chief Minister. 

However, in this case, while 

it is already known that Mehbooba 

Mufti will replace 

her father, no formal takeover 

has happened. This 

creates a new precedence in 

the state politics. 

A top state government officer 

said that they had made 

an arrangement for oath 

ceremony in Srinagar only. 

Even governor N N Vohra 

was in Srinagar till late in 

the evening and later he 

took off for Jammu. 

“Madam is in a bad state 

and she is in shock,” one officer 

said. “She may take a 

bit of time.” 

Unconfirmed reports from 

Jammu suggest that both 

the coalition partners BJP 

and PDP have not formally 

submitted their letters of 

support for the new Chief 

Minister which could be another 

reason. 

During the day, one party 

insider said, three PDP leaders 

have had a brief meeting 

with governor but it was informal. 

“They did not carry 

any letter,” the leader said. 

“It will go soon.” 

3 

BJP sources suggest that 

since most of its ministers 

had flown to Srinagar to attend 

the funeral prayers, the 

party would sit formally in 

Jammu and send the letter. 

Whatever the factors responsible 

for the new precedence, 

the fact remains that 

J&K is not under anybody’s 

rule, right now. There is, 

however, a possibility that 

Raj Bhawan may issue a notification 

later tonight. 

Reports not attributed to 

anybody but in circulation 

on social websites 

suggest the oath ceremony 

may possibly take over 

on Friday. But there is not 

a hint if the ceremony will 

take place in Srinagar or 

in Jammu. (KL) 

Dry, chilly weather in Kashmir, 

Gulmarg freezes at minus 11.2 deg 


Srinagar, Jan 7: Dry and 

chilly weather continued 

in the Kashmir valley 

where the minimum 

temperature witnessed a 

drop but was still above 

normal barring at world 

famous ski resort of 

Gulmarg which freezes at 

minus 11.2 degree. 

Though Leh also 

recorded some improvement, 

but border town 

of Kargil in the Ladakh 

region witnessed further 

drop and settled at minus 

10.4 degree minimum 

temperature. 

A Met department 

spokesman said here this 

afternoon that weather 

will remain dry in the 

Valley and Jammu region 

during the next 24 hours 

while isolated rain could 

occur in Ladakh. 

He said due to clear 

sky after recording 

snowfall recently, there 

is considerable drop in 

the mercury at Gulmarg, 

famed ski resort in north 

Kashmir, connected by 

helicopter service from 

summer capital, Srinagar. 

Against yesterday’s 

minus 8 degree, the minimum 

temperature there 

was minus 11.2 degree, 

more than four notches 

below normal. 

The maximum temperature 

yesterday was 

also two degree below 

normal. Interestingly 

famed health, resort 

Pahalgam recorded major 

improvement in the 

weather. Against yesterdays 

minus 3.5 degree, 

it was 0.5 degree, seven 

notches above normal. 

People woke up to a 

sunny morning but sun 

was playing hide and 

seek as the day progressed 

in the summer 

capital, Srinagar, where 

the mercury remained 

above normal though it 

witnessed some drop. 

Against yesterday’s 

2.9 degree, it was 0.9 degree, 

more than a notch 

above normal in the city, 

where so far coldest was 

minus 5.6 degree recorded 

on December 21. 

He said sky would 

be generally cloudy 

and the maximum and 

minimum temperature 

will be around 4 degree 

and 0 degree respectively 

during the next 24 

hours. Qazigund, 

gateway of Kashmir on 

Srinagar-Jammu National 

Highway, Kokernag and 

Kupwara also recorded 

above normal though it 

witnessed a drop. 

Leh recorded minus 

7 degree against yesterday’s 

minus 9.3 degree 

while at Kargil it was 

minus 10.4 degree 

against yesterdays minus 

10 degree. 

Sky would be partly 

cloudy and the maximum 

and minimum 

temperatures would be 

around 7 degree and 

minus 5 degree respectively 

during the next 24 

hours in Leh. 

He said at winter 

capital, Jammu, the 

sky would be generally 

cloudy and the maximum 

and minimum temperatures 

would be around 

18 degree and 10 degree 

respectively during the 

next 24 hours. (UNI) 


Srinagar, Jan 7: All the 

business establishments 

and shops remained 

closed while traffic was 

off the roads on eighth 

consecutive day, today, in 

Pulwama town. 

Police personnel 

were deployed in every 

nook and corner of the 

town to thwart anti-India 

protests and authorities 

did not allow the youth 

to set up a memorial in 

the town. 

The youth in Pulwama 

want to set up a 

memorial with posters 

and pictures of slain militants. 

Till date meetings 

between the authorities 

and locals have failed to 

break the deadlock. The 

youth have said that the 

strike would continue 

till they are not allowed 

to put the memorial at 

place. 

Pertinently, the protest 

strike erupted after 

killing of two militants 

including Manzoor 

Pulwama observes shutdown 

on 8th day over memorial row 

Others should follow ‘martyrs 

memorial’ move by Pulwama youth 

Precious Kshmir News 

Pulwama, Jan 7: Commenting over the continuous shutdown in Pulwama for the eighth 

consecutive day, Chairperson All Parties Hurriyat Conference (g) Syed Ali Geelani Thursday 

said that installation of “martyrs memorial” at the Shaheed Park Pulwama is a genuine and 

logical demand of the local people and the “objection of the administration and the police 

in the erection of this board is an unjustified and unnecessary action”. 

He cautioned government that rigidity over the issue will have serious consequences 

and the Hurriyat Conference (g) will “appeal the people in the entire state 

to protest against this”. 

Geelani expressed his deep concern that one Ghulam Mohammad, a shopkeeper, 

is missing “in the on-going protests” in the Pulwama and his whereabouts are not 

known from last 4 days. “Nobody knows that who among the police or other Indian 

agencies have arrested him,” he said. 

Ahmad Bhat by troops 

on December 31, 2015 in 

Pulwama, which continues 

till date. 

The President of 

Traders Federation, 

Pulwama, Bashir Ahmad 

Wani said that they had 

requested the civil and 

police administration to 

allow the youth to install 

the memorial with only 

some Quran verses, but 

they did not agree to the 

demand. 

“Martyrs graveyard 

is there since 1931, and 

a signboard reading 

Mazar-e-Shuhada already 

stands there. But the authorities 

are not ready to 

allow installation of one 

more signboard reading 

Mazar-e-Shuhada and 

carrying a Quranic verse,” 

Ahmad told media men. 

He said there will be 

nothing objectionable in 

the sign to be erected’. 

However, the Deputy 

Commissioner of Pulwama, 

Niraj Kumar, said 

that they won’t allow the 

memorial to be installed. 

2 die, 4 

injured 

in road 

mishaps 

Srinagar, Jan 7: A girl has 

consumed some poisonous 

substance in Kokernag area 

of Islamabad last evening, 

police said. 

A girl (name withheld) resident 

of Larnoo Kokernag 

consumed some poisonous 

substance at her home. 

She was immediately shifted 

to the District Hospital 

for treatment. 

Meanwhile, two persons 

died while four others were 

injured in different road accidents 

across the valley. 

A Maruti car bearing 

registration number 

BL2CL-0208 hit and injured 

two pedestrians identified 

as Manzoor Ahmad Bhat 

and Mohammad Amin 

Bhat residents of Poniwa 

Kulgam at Poniwa. Among 

the injured Manzoor Ahmad 

was succumbed to 

his injuries on way to the 

SKIMS Hospital. 

In Srinagar, a truck bearing 

registration number 

JK05A-9676 hit a Scooty 

bearing registration number 

JK01AA-7726 at Bypass 

Nowgam. 

Mufti favoured talks 

to resolve Kashmir 

problem: Advani 

New Delhi, Jan 7: Senior 

BJP leader L.K. Advani 

on Thursday said that 

Jammu and Kashmir 

Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad 

Sayeed always 

favoured unconditional 

talks to resolve the Kashmir 

problem. 

“Mufti Sayeed 

survived several attacks 

on his life by Kashmiri 

separatists who oppose 

Indian rule. He was in 

favour of unconditional 

dialogue between the 

governments of India and 

Pakistan to resolve the 

Kashmir problem,” Advani 

said in a condolence 

message on Sayeed’s 

death. 

“His demise is a loss 

to the people of Jammu 

and Kashmir as he was 

very popular in the state,” 

he added. 

Advani also said that 

Sayeed led successfully 

the coalition government 

of the Bharatiya Janata 

Party and the Peoples 

Democratic Party in Jammu 

and Kashmir. 

“I deeply mourn 

Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s 

passing away. May 

the departed soul rest in 

peace,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Mufti 

Muhammad Sayeed’s 

contribution as a humanist 

will forever be remembered 

and his death is a 

great loss to the nation, 

Congress president Sonia 

Gandhi said on Thursday. 

“Muftiji’s contribution 

as a humanist and 

to public life in various 

capacities will forever be 

remembered,” a statement 

quoting Gandhi 

said. 

She extended her 

condolence to Sayeed’s 

wife and daughter Mehbooba 

Mufti. 

“In his death, the state 

of Jammu and Kashmir 

and the nation has lost a 

great leader,” it added. 

Mufti missed 80th 

birthday by 5 Days 


Srinagar, Jan 7: Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed, late CM 

of Jammu and Kashmir, 

who died early Thursday 

morning at AIIMS in New 

Delhi, missed his eightieth 

birthday by five days. 

He was 79. 

Mufti was born in 

family of religious clerics 

at Baba Mohalla in South 

Kashmir’s Bijbehara town 

on January 12, 1936. He 

completed his graduation 

from S P College Srinagar 

before obtaining a law degree 

and then Post Graduation 

in Arab History from 

Aligarh Muslim University. 

Mufti was sworn-in as 

Chief Minister of J&K for 

second time on March Ist 

2015 when his party, PDP, 

formed coalition government 

with the BJP. 

Father of four, Mufti’s, 

affiliation to pro-India politics 

is as old as Kashmir’s 

accession to India itself. Less 

known to people, Mufti has 

been a practicing lawyer as 

well. 

Sayeed is survived by 

his wife Gulshan Ara and 

daughters Mehbooba Mufti, 

Mehmooda Sayeed, Rubaiyya 

Sayeed and son, Mufti 

Tasaduq Sayeed. 

He was the 12th chief 

minister of the state and 

will be succeeded by his 

daughter Mehbooba Mufti 

Sayeed, who will be the first 

female chief minister of the 

state. 

In July 1999, Sayeed 

found the Jammu and Kashmir 

People’s Democratic 

Party (PDP). The party was 

founded with the aim to 

persuade the government 

of India to initiate an unconditional 

dialogue with 

Kashmiris for the resolution 

of the Kashmir problem. 

Sayeed soon emerged 

as a popular politician, despite 

the long history of 

conflict in the state. He has 

served as the chief minister 

of the state twice- first from 

November 2, 2002, to November 

2, 2005 and second 

time from March 1, 2015 to 

today. He became known 

for his astute political sense, 

honed by decade of being in 

Kashmir politics. 

The PDP’s rise brought 

about the downfall of Jammu 

and Kashmir’s oldest and once 

most popular party National 

Conference (NC), which was 

founded by Sheikh Abdullah. 

Interestingly, Sayeed 

had started his political 

career with the National 

Conference Party in 1950. 

Sayeed was a member of 

Congress, for almost four decades, 

until he parted ways 

with it to join Jan Morcha 

led by former Prime Minister 

VP Singh. When Singh 

became the PM, Mufti won 

Lok Sabha elections from 

Muzaffarnagar in Uttar 

Pradesh. He became the 

first Muslim Home Minister 

of India in 1989. 

Handwara minor 

slaughtered in 

Punjab: Er Rashid 


Srinagar, Jan 7: Independent 

lawmaker representing 

North Kashmir’s Langate 

constituency in state assembly, 

Er Rasheed Thursday 

claimed that a Kashmiri 

youth was killed in Punjab 

today. 

Expressing deep anger 

and anguish, Rasheed said, 

“a 12 year old boy namely 

Irshad Ahmad Lone S/O 

Javed Ahmad Lone R/O 

Waisa Handwara at Fagwada 

Punjab, was stabbed to 

death at the hands of miscreants 

today.” 

Rasheed, in an Awami 

Ittihaad Party statement 

said, “the criminal and 

other elements have been 

given a free hand to attack 

Kashmiris. Javed, who is a 

business man and exports 

Kashmiri Shawls every year 

to various states, had taken 

his twelve year old son 

Irshad with him to spend 

winter vacations, but when 

he left his residence for his 

daily routine job and left 

his twelve year old son at 

the residence. He on return 

in the afternoon found 

him dead in his room. Innocent 

Irshad had been 

stabbed several times and 

the murderers had also stolen 

shawls and other goods 

worth lakhs of rupees.” 

Rasheed appealed state 

government to take up the 

matter with Punjab police 

so that culprits are arrested 

and handed over to law. 

He added that he is in 

constant touch with top 

brasses of Punjab and expresses 

hope that culprits 

will be arrested soon.

Precious Kashmir 

A suave 

politician 

Edit 

Srinagar,Friday 

08.01.2016 4 

Mahmoud Abbas, your 

time is running out 

From an obscure lawyer to becoming the only Muslim 

Home Minister New Delhi has seen so far, Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed carved a niche for himself in national and 

Jammu and Kashmir politics with the craftiness and unwavering 

focus of an avid bridge player he was. In a political 

career spanning nearly six decades, Sayeed emerged 

as a rival power centre to the mighty Abdullahs, always 

playing his cards close to the chest, while making friends 

with parties following conflicting ideologies to suit his political 

agenda. 

The high-points in the political journey of Sayeed, who 

would have turned 80 on January 12, was his being catapulted 

to the chair of free India's first Muslim Home Minister 

in 1989 and, years later, becoming the Chief Minister 

of the restive state for a second time in 2015, heading a 

coalition with BJP, which had its first brush with power in 

the only Muslim-majority state. 

Sayeed's stint in the Home Ministry, at a time when militancy 

had begun to rear its ugly head in his home state, 

would, however, be most remembered for the kidnapping 

of his third daughter Rubaiya by JKLF. The militants 

demanded freeing five of their comrades in exchange for 

Rubaiya's freedom and let her off only after their demand 

had been met. The kidnapping and subsequent release of 

the militants, according to Sayeed's rivals, projected India 

as a "soft state" for the first time. Not the one to give up 

easily, Sayeed engineered a coup of sorts ahead of the 1977 

elections as Congress withdrew support to Abdullah's government. 

The aim was to have a Congress Chief Minister 

– which would have been Sayeed – in place for elections 

to control the official machinery but Governor L K Jha 

brought the state under Governor's rule. 

It was the first time that Jammu and Kashmir was brought 

under Governor's rule. Sayeed would later play a role in 

imposition of Governor's rule on all five occasions during 

his epic political career. 

The results of 1977 Assembly elections all but killed Sayeed's 

dream of becoming the Chief Minister as Abdullah's 

National Conference came to power with a thumping majority. 

Sayeed was a key player when Governor's Rule was imposed 

for the second time in the state in 1986. The National 

Conference and Abdullahs have privately held the wily 

man from south Kashmir responsible for the intra-party 

rebellion against and subsequent dismissal of Farooq Abdullah 

by Governor Jagmohan in 1984. The power tussle 

between Farooq and his brother-in-law G M Shah led to a 

permanent estrangement and also saw the latter becoming 

Chief Minister with Congress support. Sayeed became 

the unanimous choice for Chief Minister when PDP and 

BJP reached an agreement to form a coalition government 

and took oath on March 1, 2015. 

P 

Lamis Andoni 

alestinian President Mahmoud Abbas can no longer 

think outside his self-imposed bubble, thus he 

is constantly trying to reiterate his credentials as 

“a peace partner” to Israel and his commitment to 

combatting “terrorism and extremism”. 

The fact that Israel is waging a daily war 

against the Palestinians, who are subjected to all 

forms of terror by the Israeli army and settlers, 

does not seem to get in the way of his wellrehearsed 

refrain. 

Not that he is not aware of the reality around 

him, as the problem runs deeper than a mere 

state of oblivion. Every time Abbas speaks, his 

words underscore the deeper crisis of a besieged 

and subservient mental state that the erstwhile 

leaders of the Palestinian revolution have locked 

themselves into. 

The tragedy is that neither Abbas nor the 

Palestinian Authority (PA) are even trying to break 

out of the trap, carefully woven around them by 

the 1993 Oslo Accords and all subsequent agreements. 

Instead they are pathetically clutching 

to the trappings of a powerless authority, that 

manifests itself only when it comes to reigning 

their people. 

Nationalist priority 

In his latest speech on Tuesday, Abbas went as 

far as claiming that preserving the PA is a nationalist 

priority - a strange statement considering 

that his very presence in Bethlehem to take part 

in the Christian Orthodox celebrations of Christmas 

would not have been possible without the 

approval of the Israeli occupation authorities. 

There is no doubt that Abbas’ insistence on 

sustaining the PA is largely a matter of self-interest 

- not only his own but that of a Palestinian 

elite that flourished under Oslo. This elite includes 

a network of past and present Palestinian officials, 

part of the intelligentsia and even many in nongovernment 

organisations (NGOs). 

There is no doubt that Abbas’ insistence on 

sustaining the PA is largely a matter of self-interest 

- not only his own but that of a Palestinian 

elite that flourished under Oslo. 

The problem is that many in this elite have 

internalised the driving idea of the series of 

agreements with Israel since Oslo, that Palestinian 

good behaviour could earn Palestinians international 

“respectability” and a state. 

Therefore, the so-called “Israeli security 

requirements” - that Israel and the US insist upon 

including in every accord especially in the Hebron 

protocols, the Wye River agreed upon and the 

Road Map for peace - have become the principle 

measure of “Palestinian civility” and commitment 

to peace. 

In practice these ever renewed and redefined 

security requirements have been an excuse for 

appropriating lands, building illegal Jewish settlements, 

displacing Palestinians, trigger-happy 

soldiers shooting Palestinians among other forms 

of punishments in violation of all international 

conventions. 

Worst of all, these so called “security requirements”, 

implied from the outset of Oslo that the 

role of the Palestinian leadership is to safeguard 

the security of not only the Israelis but that of 

the Israeli colonial structure. 

Lopsided security equation 

The security of the Palestinian people and 

officials alike was never a relevant issue. The 

lopsided security equation was essentially put 

in place to guarantee free reign for the Israeli 

army and the armed settlers to violate Palestinian 

rights. 

Israel has acted with impunity every time 

it considers its security has been violated - its 

ruthless aggressions from the shelling of the 

West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the 2001 

Palestinian intifada to the successive wars on 

Gaza were meant to send a message that all 

Palestinians will suffer when Palestinians leaders 

fail to abort the Palestinian resistance. 

Instead of challenging the inhumane premise 

of the self-defined Israeli security, Abbas 

and the PA have come to accept the US-Israeli 

notion that their ability to preserve Israeli security 

is the main raison d’etre. 

A sudden announcement of the dissolution 

of the PA may not be plausible or even advisable. 

Such a step needs a lot of preparations as 

it is a huge albeit necessary reap. But the main 

problem is there is no political will, let alone a 

disastrous absence a strategic vision. 

In large part, the PA is unwilling - or 

perhaps incapable - to offer such a vision, as 

it is clearly afraid of ousting itself and in its 

influence - that it wants to keep at the expense 

of the Palestinian cause and people.The only 

solution, or beginning of a solution means 

the renewal of the Palestinian leadership, free 

from Oslo, and that represents all Palestinians 

from inside and outside Palestine. The PA itself 

marginalised and undermined the Palestine 

Liberation Organisation (PLO), the only such 

structure, that has been broken and indeed of 

fundamental structuring. 

Instead, Abbas in his speech as in previous 

speeches was more keen on sending a message 

to Israel that the PA is committed to conditions 

of a non-existent peace process , in reaction to 

Israel statements warning from a collapse of 

the PA. 

Blackmailing policy 

Israeli settlements themselves are part of 

a continuous blackmailing policy to remind 

the PA lest the PA forgot for one second to toe 

the line. Hence Abbas renewed his and the PA 

credentials pledging that the resistance will be 

confined to “peaceful demonstrations” as if that 

has ever prevented the Israeli army responding 

with fire and illegal arrests. 

The PA security itself has prevented the 

demonstrations from reaching the Israeli army 

checkpoints as part of policing Palestinians 

instead of protecting them from the constant 

Israeli attacks. 

Not that Hamas is far from the game. Its understandings, 

mediated through Egypt, with the 

Israelis also stipulate prevention of resistance 

as Israeli distortion of the besieged Gaza, whose 

people continue to be exposed to Israel’s highly 

sophisticated arsenal of destruction. 

The Palestinian leadership is making Palestinians 

more vulnerable by its self-serving false 

illusion that good behaviour and safekeeping 

Israeli security is a key to an end of the Israeli 

occupation. When Abbas was asked following 

his speech about implementing a decision by 

the PLO Central Council to suspend security 

coordination with Israel he responded by describing 

the decision as “sacred”. 

Rhetorically he moved away from the 

infamous “security with Israel is sacred” quote, 

but practically sent the opposite message to 

Israel, not only by stressing commitment to the 

Israeli stipulations but also acting upon them, 

thus almost immediately receiving a satisfactory 

response from Israel. 

When a leadership, elected or not, seeks legitimacy 

from the occupier, it automatically loses 

legitimacy as the representative of its own people. 

Time is running out. Israel is rapidly consolidating 

its colonial apartheid structure. It is time 

for Palestinians everywhere to formulate a unified 

liberation strategy and whoever lags behind is 

automatically driven out or rendered irrelevant. 

Abbas can continue either continue to live in 

his bubble, or break out of it, but the bubble will 

eventually burst and it will expel all those who 

have lived in it for so long. 

Lamis Andoni is an analyst and commentator 

on Middle Eastern and Palestinian affairs. 

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 

Other Opinion 

New flashpoint erupts 

The relationship between the two key rival power 

centres of West Asia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, acknowledged 

to be the world centres of the 

Shia and Sunni communities respectively, 

has nosedived since Riyadh executed a 

leading Shia cleric along with 45 others — mainly 

thought to be individuals linked to Al Qaeda — on 

Saturday. The reaction in Tehran was unusually 

strong, and the crowd torched a section of the Saudi 

embassy in the Iranian capital. The Saudis have cut 

off diplomatic ties with Iran. They did not heed the 

admonition of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to 

his countrymen who engaged in the vandalism. The 

Iranian leader even said the act had brought his 

country a bad name. 

The sectarian Shia-Sunni cleavage, which underpins 

the various flashpoints in the region except 

the Palestine-Israel question, is thus the widest 

it has been in decades. For a start, the Iran-Saudi 

standoff places at risk the diplomatic and political 

resolution to the Syrian crisis that Washington and 

Moscow have patiently tried to bring about along 

with key international and regional powers, including 

Tehran and Riyadh. The political and military 

situation in the fragile Afghan theatre can also potentially 

be affected, and this should be of immense 

concern to New Delhi. 

India has fruitful bilateral relations with both Tehran 

and Riyadh. It must play a fine watching game. 

The balance of its interests appears to lie in being 

above the fray, and at every stage offering its counsel 

against escalation in any form or forum. 

Email: preciouskashmir@gmail.com 

Website: www.preciouskashmir.com 

Why Obama’s gun 

control efforts will fail 

Khaled A Beydoun 

The rise in gun violence, and its most horrific 

episodes, brought US President Barack Obama 

to tears on Tuesday afternoon. Flanked by the 

mothers of Jordan Davis and Chris Martinez, 

amid the memory of other victims of gun 

violence, Obama delivered an urgent call and outlined an 

executive plan for greater gun control. 

Obama’s tears were every bit as memorable as his 

words. While listing the string of mass shootings that 

unfolded in recent years, Obama paused when he recollected 

the 20 schoolchildren gunned down by Adam 

Lanza in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012. 

“Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad,” 

Obama revealed, in a rare moment of presidential candor 

and emotion. As if speaking directly to the segment of 

Americans that associate rising gun violence with easy 

access to arms. 

Nearly 2,600 miles from Washington, DC, in Burns, 

Oregon, stood the opposition. Led by Ammon Bundy, 100 

men brandishing guns and holding a contrary stance on 

arms dominated the headlines. 

Hailing from rural, predominantly white spaces, 

Bundy and his band of gun-toting protesters view the 

Second Amendment as the cornerstone of citizenship. 

The very marker of freedom that, if any way diminished 

or circumscribed by the federal government, justified 

violent response. 

For Americans living within or on the margins of 

cities ravaged by gun violence, Obama’s plan could not 

come too soon. Yet, for factions from remote townships 

who romanticise about 18th century-styled militias, and 

view gun ownership as the fundamental constitutional 

right, Obama’s speech - and tears - are not a call to disarm 

but rather, a call to take on even more arms. 

A series of rifts divide the United States and its 

people. The election of Obama in 2008 delivered two 

distinct messages with regard to race - the nation’s most 

embedded and turbulent faultline. For conservatives, 

Obama’s ascent to the Oval Office marked the opening 

of a “post-racial America” - evidence that racism was a 

relic of the past. Or, for blatant racists, the beginning of 

“white America’s end”.For progressives, however, the 

election of Obama marked a historic symbolic achievement, 

not meaningful structural reform. The arrival of 

the first black president intersected with the erosion of 

affirmative action, widening wealth gaps between black 

and white Americans, and during Obama’s second term, 

the “gutting of the Voting Rights Act” - intensifying voter 

suppression in predominantly black districts. 

The racial divide 

The racial divide in the US mirrors its spatial divide. 

Americans of colour, victimised by gun violence inflicted 

by citizens and police, are largely concentrated in cities. 

These are the disproportionate spaces where the vast 

majority of mass shootings take place. 

The racial divide in the US mirrors its spatial divide. 

Far from US cities, in rural towns and remote and 

townships, is where the Second Amendment holds both 

constitutional and spiritual significance. These isolated, 

overwhelmingly white working-class spaces spawn the 

likes of Cliven Bundy, Jon Ritzheimer of anti-Muslim 

protests fame, and the majority of the National Rifle Association’s 

(NRA) rabid base. 

In the US, guns are far more than weapons. They are 

ideological talismans, and depending on which side one 

stands, symbols of either individual liberty or systematic 

violence. Republican candidates, most notably Donald 

Trump, have capitalised on this divide. 

By stoking xenophobic and Islamophobic fears, Republican 

frontrunners have issued a call to arms against 

“illegal immigrants”, Muslims, and “thugs”, playing on 

race and racism to embolden NRA backers and militants. 

Disarming dangerous elements 

However, for Charleston, South Carolina, Aurora, 

Colorado, and Obama’s hometown of Chicago, gun control 

does not mean “using both hands” - but disarming 

dangerous elements within the community. And just as 

importantly, those looming on the fringe. 

Like Dylann Roof, whose hell-bent racism moved 

him to execute nine black churchgoers in Charleston. Or 

Craig Stephen Hicks, who shot and killed three Muslim 

American students in Chapel Hill in February 2015. 

And the 100 armed militiamen in Oregon, who view 

black, brown and Muslim Americans as transgressors 

and terrorists.For communities ravaged by mass shootings, 

gun control does not diminish freedom, it diminishes 

danger. Federal monitoring of gun sale controls 

will lessen the chances of innocent teenagers, such as 

Jordan Davis, being gunned down.Obama’s reforms also 

mitigate access to guns in gang-ridden communities, 

where youth, residents and other innocents have fallen 

victim to direct and stray bullets.“We know we can’t 

stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world,” 

Obama pleaded, before firing at the NRA and their textual 

interpretation of the Second Amendment, adding more 

fodder to the gun control standoff in the US, and the 

deepening the racial, spatial and ideological divides that 

lay beneath it. 

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


Sensex Nifty Gold 

Business/ International 

Friday 

5 



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

554.50 

172.70 

229.00 

160.00 

0.11 

1.75 

25.00 

7.30 

3.35 

10.90 

24851.83 

7568.30 

25,970.00 

33,934.00 

66.93 

81.45 

678.85 

209.55 

246.75 

1,056.20 

Sensex ends 555 points down at 24852 

Mumbai, Jan 7: Benchmark share indices 

lost ground for the fourth straight session 

to end at their lowest closing level 

in four months, amid a sell-off in global 

stocks, after further depreciation of the 

Chinese yuan rekindled fears of a growth 

slowdown in the world’s second largest 

economy while slump in crude oil prices 

also dampened sentiment. 

The S&P BSE Sensex plunged 555 

points to end at 24,852 after hitting a 52- 

week low of 24,825.70 intra-day and the 

Nifty50 lost 173 points to close at 7,568. 

Meanwhile, the broader markets underperformed 

the benchmarks with BSE 

Midcap and Smallcap indices slumping 

between 2.5%-3% each. 

“After the shake off given by China 

in terms of 3rd Currency Devaluation in 

a span of 5 odd months, there was sheer 

disappointment across the global markets. 

Almost all of Nifty 50 stocks closed 

in the negative today, a very rare reading. 

It indicates that this market may need a 

lot of time to recover. So far the indices 

are down almost 5% YTD, and the year 

has just begun,” Said Kunal Bothra, Head- 

Advisory, LKP Securities. 

“Nifty is very close to breaking its 

previous swing lows which I believe 

could be a formality given the fear index 

spiking up. The next supports for Nifty 

would then arise near the 7,380 mark 

and approx 24150 in Sensex,” he added. 

Chinese markets have put the 

India to grow at 7.8 per cent 

this year: World Bank 

Washington, Jan 7: India is 

projected to grow by a robust 

7.8 per cent this year 

and 7.9 per cent in the next 

two years, the World Bank 

forecast today citing strong 

investor sentiment and the 

positive effect on real incomes 

of the recent fall in 

oil prices. 

In its latest Global Economic 

Prospect report 

which is released every six 

months — the World Bank 

marginally reduced India’s 

growth rate 0.2 per cent 

in 2015 and 0.1 per cent in 

both 2016 and 2017. 

However, India continues 

to be the bright spot of 

the global economy, as Chinese 

growth is projected to 

slow further. 

The World Bank estimates 

that China grew at 

an estimated 6.9 per cent in 

2015 (0.3 per cent less than 

its June projection). 

According to the report, 

China is estimated to grow 

at 6.7 per cent in 2016 and 

6.5 per cent each in 2017 

and 2018. 

The growth rate projections 

is 0.3 per cent in 2016 

and 0.4 per cent in 2017. 

While Russia and Brazil 

are expected to remain in 

recession in 2016. 

“In contrast to other 

major developing countries, 

growth in India remained 

robust, buoyed by strong 

investor sentiment and the 

positive effect on real incomes 

of the recent fall in oil 

prices,” the World Bank said. 

India’s currency and 

stock markets were largely 

resilient over the past year, 

even during bouts of volatility 

in global financial markets, 

the report said. 

Reserve Bank of India, 

it said, has rebuilt reserves 

while net FDI flows have remained 

positive. 

Ongoing fiscal consolidation 

in India has reduced 

the central government’s 

fiscal deficit to close to 

4 per cent of GDP (on a 

12-month rolling basis), 

down from a peak of 7.6 

per cent in 2009. 

In the report, South 

Asia is projected to be a 

bright spot in the outlook 

for emerging and developing 

economies, with growth 

speeding up to 7.3 per cent 

in 2016 from 7 per cent in 

the year just ended. 

The region has smaller 

trade links with China than 

other regions, and is a net 

importer of oil and will benefit 

from lower global energy 

prices. 

For FY 2016-17, India, 

the dominant economy in 

the region, is projected to 

grow at a faster 7.8 per cent 

and growth in Pakistan (on 

a factor cost basis) is expected 

to accelerate to 4.5 

per cent, the report said. 

New York, Jan 7: Brent 

crude prices fell to fresh 

11-year lows on Thursday 

as fresh concerns over 

China’s economy added to 

huge storage overhangs, 

near-record production and 

slowing demand that have 

already pummelled prices. 

China accelerated the 

devaluation of the yuan on 

Thursday, sending currencies 

across the region reeling 

and domestic stock markets 

tumbling, as investors 

feared the Asian giant was 

kicking off a virtual trade 

war against its competitors. 

Trading on its stock markets 

was suspended for the rest 

of the day. 

Global oil prices have 

crashed 70 per cent since 

mid-2014 as near record 

output from major producers 

like the Organization of 

the Petroleum Exporting 

Countries (OPEC), Russia 

and North America create 

a ballooning overhang 

that has left storage tanks 

around the world struggling 

to cope with the excess oil. 

At the same time, demand 

is slowing, especially 

in Asia where the biggest 

economy and energy consumer, 

China, is seeing the 

slowest economic growth in 

a generation. 

South Korea seeks US strategic 

weapons after North’s nuclear test 

Seoul, Jan 7: South Korea is in talks 

with the United States to deploy US 

strategic assets on the Korean peninsula, 

a South Korean military official 

said on Thursday, a day after North 

Korea said it successfully tested a 

hydrogen nuclear device. 

The United States and weapons 

experts voiced doubts the device 

was as advanced as North Korea 

claimed, but calls mounted for more 

sanctions against the isolated state 

for its rogue nuclear program. 

The underground explosion angered 

China, which was not given 

prior notice although it is North Korea’s 

main ally, pointing to a strain 

in ties between the neighbors. The 

test also alarmed Japan and the 

White House said Prime Minister 

Shinzo Abe agreed with US President 

Barack Obama in a telephone 

call that a firm global response was 

needed. 

Obama also spoke to President 

Park Geun-hye of South Korea to 

discuss options. 

A South Korean military official 

told Reuters the two countries had 

discussed the deployment of US 

strategic assets on the divided Korean 

peninsula, but declined to give 

further details. After North Korea 

last tested a nuclear device, in 2013, 

Washington sent a pair of nuclearcapable 

B-2 stealth bombers on a 

sortie over South Korea in a show of 

force. 

At the time, North Korea responded 

by threatening a nuclear 

strike on the United States. 

South Korea, technically in a 

state of war against the North, said 

Palestinian Authority will not 

collapse: Mahmoud Abbas 

Jerusalem, Jan 7: Palestinian president 

Mahmoud Abbas dismissed rumors that the 

Palestinian Authority could collapse, saying 

he would “never give up” on it. 

Abbas, 80, was speaking publicly for the 

first time since rumors surfaced last week 

that he was in poor health, which the PA has 

categorically denied. He did not discuss the 

matter and appeared well. 

He also spoke as three months of 

violent attacks by frustrated Palestinian 

youths on Israeli targets have made the PA 

and its leadership appear increasingly out 

of touch. 

The PA, the governing authority set up 

under the 1993 Oslo peace accords with Israel, 

has faced funding shortages, and its ongoing 

security cooperation with the Jewish 

state has been heavily criticized. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 

is preparing a contingency plan in the 

event of the PA’s collapse, according Israeli 

media reports. 

“I have heard a lot of talk in the past few 

days about the Authority, the destruction of 

the Authority, the collapse of the Authority,” 

Abbas said. “The Authority is an achievement 

of ours that we will never give up.” 

“Don’t dream of its collapsing, don’t even 

dream,” he told a press conference during a 

lunch during a lunch to mark Christmas, 

which some Orthodox churches celebrate 

on Thursday. 

The PA was meant to be a temporary 

body until a fully independent Palestinian 

state was created, but more than two 

decades after Oslo young Palestinians 

see little hope of the dream becoming 

reality - and many do not feel Abbas represents 

their concerns. 

it was not considering a nuclear deterrent 

of its own, despite calls from 

ruling party leaders. The United 

States is highly unlikely to restore 

the tactical nuclear missiles it removed 

from South Korea in 1991, 

experts said. 

The United States is also limited 

in its military response for fear of provoking 

an unpredictable regime in 

Pyongyang, said Anthony Cordesman, 

a defense policy expert at the Washington-based 

Center for Strategic and 

International Studies think tank. 

“Any escalation in this region, 

Global benchmark Brent 

crude futures fell to new 11- 

year lows of $33.09 per barrel 

on Thursday, undercutting 

a low from a day earlier, 

although prices edged back 

to $33.52 per barrel by 0213 

GMT. 

Traders said a dispute 

between Saudi Arabia and 

Iran, which might normally 

be seen as posing a risk to 

oil supplies, may actually 

newly-introduced circuit filter system 

to test for the second time in four 

days. The main reason as to why global 

markets track China is because of the 

fluctuations in the Chinese currency. 

On Wednesday The People’s Bank of 

China (PBOC) set the yuan’s daily reference 

rate at the lowest level since April 

2011 which comes as a move after the 

manufacturing sector failed to show 

any signs of picking up. Panic selling is 

witnessed across the global peers. Japan’s 

Nikkei, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, 

China’s Shanghai Composite lost between 

2%-8%. Among European peers, 

FTSE 100, CAC40 and DAX 100 plunged 

over 3% each. 

OIL & RUPEE 

Oil prices tumbled 4% to hit at fresh 

12-year lows as a result of rising US energy 

stockpiles and China’s weakening 

currency. 

Indian rupee weakened against dollar 

to trade at 66.85 down 4 paise after 

the Chinese central bank, PBOC set the 

yuan midpoint to its weakest level since 

March 2011, sending Asian currencies 

tumbling. 

SECTORS & STOCKS 

All sectoral indices closed in the in 

the red with BSE Realty, Metal, Capital 

Goods indices losing over 3% each. 

Auto stocks displayed a sharp decline 

across the bourses. Tata Motors plunged 

6% on concerns that the growth slowdown 

in China may impact JLR sales. 

Maruti Suzuki plunged 4.5% on concerns 

that margins could be hurt because of 

appreciation of the yen. Among its peers, 

Bajaj Auto, M&M and Hero MotoCorp lost 

over 2% each. 

Another sector that was battered in 

today’s trade was the oil and gas sector 

with Cairn India, RIL and ONGC dropping 

between 2%-5%. 

Meanwhile, metal stocks slumped 

as the devaluation of yuan would make 

exports to China, the world’s largest consumer, 

costlier. Hindalco, Jindal Steel, 

SAIL and Tata Steel lost up to 6%. 

Another pack which got hit today 

was the tyre pack with Apollo Tyres, Ceat 

and JK Tyres slumping between 4%-7% on 

fears that cheap imports from China may 

hurt sales. 

Meanwhile, shares of State Bank of 

India (SBI), Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Larsen 

& Toubro (L&T) and Bharat Heavy 

Electricals Limited (BHEL) hit their respective 

52-week lows on the Bombay 

Stock Exchange (BSE). SBI lost 3.4%, 

BHEL cracked 7%, ICICI Bank slipped 

1.5% and L&T lost nearly 3%. 

Brent crude hits new low as 

China worries add to glut 

Tehran, Jan 7: Iran has accused Saudi 

Arabia of an air strike on its embassy 

in the Yemeni capital Sanaa amid rising 

tensions between the two countries. 

Tehran’s foreign ministry said on 

Thursday that Saudi jets “deliberately” 

struck Iran’s embassy in Yemen in an air 

raid that injured staff. 

“This deliberate action by Saudi 

Arabia is a violation of all international 

conventions that protect diplomatic 

missions,” foreign ministry spokesman 

Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted as saying 

by state television. 

“The Saudi government is responsible 

for the damage caused and for the 

situation of members of staff who were 

injured,” Ansari added, without specifying 

when the alleged strike took place. 

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in 

any over-reaction can easily lead to 

not only a conflict between South 

and North Korea, but drag China and 

the United States and Japan into a 

confrontation,” as well, Cordesman 

said. 

Hours after the latest nuclear 

test on Wednesday, the UN Security 

Council said it would work immediately 

on significant new measures 

against North Korea. Diplomats 

said that could mean an expansion 

of sanctions against Pyongyang, although 

major powers might baulk 

at an all-out economic offensive. 

In the United States, Republican 

presidential candidates seized on 

the test to accuse Obama of running 

a “feckless” foreign policy that 

enabled North Korea to bolster its 

nuclear arms capabilities. 

US congressional sources 

said Republican leaders of the US 

House of Representatives were 

considering a vote as soon as next 

week to impose stiffer punishment 

on foreign companies doing business 

with Pyongyang. 

Yemen will investigate Iran’s accusation, 

said coalition spokesman Brigadier 

General Ahmed Asseri said, according 

to a Reuters news agency report. 

Asseri said coalition jets carried out 

heavy strikes in Sanaa on Wednesday 

night targeting missile launchers used 

by Houthi fighters against Saudi Arabia. 

be bearish as it all but eliminates 

cooperation over production 

between the two 

OPEC members. 

“Neither one of them 

(Saudi Arabia or Iran) is going 

to voluntarily cede a single 

barrel to the other, so it 

arguably makes a coordinated 

production cut even less 

likely than it has been,” one 

Middle East oil trader said. 

In the United States, 

West Texas Intermediate 

(WTI) futures set fresh 2009 

lows of $32.77 per barrel, 

with prices crawling back to 

$33.25 by 0213 GMT. 

Analysts said that the 

huge US storage overhang 

was the main reason for falling 

WTI crude. 

Data suggest gasoline 

and distillate fuel stockpiles 

increased 10.6 million barrels 

and 6.3 million barrels, 

respectively, last week. 

Dozens killed in bomb attack 

on Libyan army academy 

Tripoli, Jan 7: A truck bomb 

attack at a military training 

centre in a western town of 

Libya has killed and wounded 

dozens of people, according 

to reports. 

Witnesses said on 

Thursday the truck crashed 

into the gate of the academy 

in the coastal city of Zliten, 

around 160 km east of the 

capital Tripoli. 

Zliten mayor Miftah 

Lahmadi told Reuters news 

agency that the truck exploded 

as hundreds of recruits 

were gathering at the 

academt, leaving at least 40 

people dead. 

Libyan local news agency 

LANA, meanwhile, said 

that at least 50 people died 

after the attack took place 

when recruits were performing 

morning exercises. 

Emergency has been declared 

in four local hospitals 

following the attack, according 

to reports. 

The UN Special Representative 

to Libya, Martin 

Kobler, said that the blast 

was a suicide attack. 

Meanwhile, fires caused 

by clashes between fighters 

of the Islamic State of Iraq 

and the Levant (ISIL) group 

and security forces at Libya’s 

biggest oil ports have spread 

to five oil storage tanks 

that were still burning on 

Wednesday. 

At least nine troops were 

Iran accuses Saudi Arabia of 

Yemen embassy air strike 

He added that Houthis had used 

civilian facilities, including abandoned 

embassies. 

Asseri said the coalition had requested 

all countries to supply it with coordinates 

of the location of their diplomatic 

missions and that accusations made on 

the basis of information provided by the 

Houthis “have no credibility”. 

Tensions between the two regional 

heavyweights, which support opposite 

sides in the war in Yemen, have risen in 

recent days. 

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia severed 

relations with Iran after an attack on its 

embassy in Tehran following the kingdom’s 

execution of Shia religious leader 

Nimr al-Nimr, who was put to death 

along with 46 other mostly Sunni convicts 

on terrorism charges. 

Higher provisions 

to hit bank 

results in Q3 

Mumbai, Jan 7: Commercial 

banks, especially public sector 

banks (PSBs), are likely to see 

their income and margins 

under pressure in the third 

quarter ended December 2015 

(Q3 FY16). 

The dent in income from 

base rate cut when loan 

growth is tepid and higher 

provisions for ageing nonperforming 

assets (NPAs) will 

weigh heavily on the bottom 

lines of PSBs. The private sector 

counterparts with less exposure 

to troubled infrastructure 

sector and big-ticket corporate 

loans could show up better 

performance, according to 

analysts. 

If the Reserve Bank of 

India (RBI) sticks to its stand 

and make provisions to clean 

up books by March 2017, there 

could be more red ink on 

books. 

CRISIL Research in preview 

of Q3FY16 for PSBs said the 

total income was estimated to 

increase moderately by six per 

cent (year-on-year), as large 

borrowers are using other 

alternatives like commercial 

papers to fund their requirements, 

and also due to base 

rate cut. 

The gross non-performing 

assets (GNPAs) to remain at the 

current high levels, as delinquencies 

are expected to rise. 

The high GNPAs will restrict 

net interest income growth 

to five per cent y-o-y, despite 

some banks lowering deposit 

rates, it said. 

Higher provisions to hit 

bank results in Q3 Ashwani 

Kumar, CMD of Dena Bank 

told Business Standard: “There 

is nominal growth in top line 

(income) for all. If that does 

not grow, it affects the bottom 

line (profit). With the ageing 

of non-performing loans, 

banks will need to make more 

provisions. There will be tough 

times.” 

Kotak Institutional Equities 

in its report said banks are 

heading into a quarter where 

banks have already cut base rate 

of over 30bps in September. 

killed and more than 40 

wounded in fighting around 

the perimeter of the area on 

Monday and Tuesday, said 

Ali al-Hassi, a spokesman 

for the security forces. 

Libya has been sliding 

deeper into conflict since 

the 2011 uprising, with rival 

governments and powerful 

militias battling for 

control of its main cities 

and oil wealth. 

11 workers die in 

latest mine 

collapse in China 

Beijing, Jan 7: Authorities in 

central China say 11 workers 

trapped underground in a coal 

mine collapse have died. 

Yulin city’s propaganda department 

says the miners were 

found Thursday afternoon, a 

day after the mine in Shaanxi 

province collapsed. 

It said in a statement that 

the reason for the collapse was 

still under investigation. 

A total of 49 miners had 

been working in the privately 

run mine at the time. The rest 

escaped. 

China’s mines have long 

been the world’s deadliest, 

but safety improvements have 

reduced deaths in recent years.


Low sunlight exposure 

increases cancer risk 

Persons residing at higher latitudes, 

with lower sunlight exposure and greater 

prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, 

are at greater risk of developing cancer, 

including leukemia, a type of blood cancer, 

new research reveals. 

Analysing data on leukemia incidence 

rates in 172 countries, the researchers 

found that people living in 

higher latitudes are at least two times at 

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

Bijbehara........ 

care unit of AIIMS since then. 

Earlier, the body of Mufti was flown to Srinagar from Palam 

Airport in New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 

several other dignitaries were also present. 

People, including young and old, in Bijbehara attended last 

rites and participated in the funeral procession in the town. 

President....... 

the strength and courage to bear this irreparable loss”. 

The Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari has also condoled 

the death of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. In a message, M. 

Hamid Ansari said Mufti Sayeed was an eminent statesman 

and a popular leader who made immense contribution to the 

progress and welfare of the state. The Vice President said Mufti 

Sayeed was a consensus builder and always placed the nation's 

interest ahead of every other consideration. 

Following is the text of the Vice President’s message: 

“I am deeply grieved to hear about the demise of Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed, the Chief Minister of J&K. 

An eminent statesman and a popular leader, Mufti Sayeed 

made immense contribution to the progress and welfare of the 

state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was a consensus builder and 

always placed the nation's interest ahead of every other consideration. 

His death is an irreparable loss to the people of India. 

I convey my deepest condolences to the bereaved members 

of the family and join the nation in praying for eternal peace for 

the departed soul." 

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi also has condoled the 

passing away of J&K CM Shri Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. 

“Mufti Sahab's demise leaves a huge void in the nation & 

in J&K, where his exemplary leadership had a major impact 

on people's lives. RIP. What stood out about Mufti Sahab was 

his statesmanship. In his long political journey he won many 

admirers across the political spectrum. Mufti Sahab provided a 

healing touch to J&K through his leadership. He will be missed 

by all of us. Condolences to his family & supporters”, the Prime 

Minister said. 

CM’s Death........ 

which is impossible to be filled. 

Expressing his heartfelt condolences and sympathy with 

the bereaved family, he prayed to Almighty to bestow peace on 

the departed soul and give courage to the bereaved family to 

greater risk of developing leukemia than 

equatorial populations. 

“These results suggest that much 

of the burden of leukemia worldwide is 

due to the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency 

we are experiencing in winter in 

populations distant from the equator,” 

said Cedric Garland, adjunct professor 

at University of California, San Diego 

School of Medicine in the US. 

Bone fracture may 

lead to body pain 

Breaking a major bone is 

likely to increase the risk 

of a widespread chronic 

body pain later in life, says 

a study. 

Women experiencing a 

hip fracture are more than 

twice as likely to suffer a 

long-term widespread pain 

in the whole body than 

those without a fracture, 

the findings showed. 

The risk is similar for 

men and women with a 

spine fracture, the study 

said. 

“This is the first study 

to demonstrate an association 

with the past fracture. 

If confirmed in further 

studies, these findings 

might help us to reduce 

the burden of chronic pain 

following such fractures,” 

said lead researcher Nicholas 

Harvey, professor at 

University of Southampton 

in Britain. 

To investigate the 

associations between a past 

history of fracture affecting 

upper and lower limb, 

spine or hip and the presence 

of chronic widespread 

body pain, the researchers 

analysed data involving 

500,000 adults between 

ages 40 and 69. 

They found that the 

risk of chronic widespread 

body pain increased in the 

case where participants 

reported of having a past 

fracture, especially in the 

spine and the hip. 

The study was 

published in the journal 

Archives of Osteoporosis. 

Leukemia rates were highest in 

countries relatively closer to the poles, 

such as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, 

Ireland, Canada and the United States. 

They were lowest in countries closer 

to the equator, such as Bolivia, Samoa, 

Madagascar and Nigeria, the findings 

showed. 

“People who live in areas with low 

solar ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure tend 

to have low levels of vitamin D metabolites 

in their blood,” Garland said. 

“These low levels place them at high 

risk of certain cancers, including leukemia,” 

Garland noted. 

Vitamin D abundantly produced 

when ultraviolet radiation from sunlight 

strikes the skin and triggers synthesis. 

The researchers analysed age-adjusted 

incidence rates of leukemia in 172 

countries from GLOBOCAN, an international 

agency for research on cancer that 

is part of the World Health Organization. 

They comparing that information 

with cloud cover data from the International 

Satellite Cloud Climatology 

Project. 

The researchers found that reduced 

UVB radiation exposure and lower vitamin 

D levels were associated with higher 

risks of cancer. 

bear this irreparable loss. 

Deputy Speaker, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi has also expressed 

deep shock and sorrow over the sad demise of the Chief Minister, 


While expressing his heartfelt condolences, he prayed to 

the Almighty to bestow peace on the departed soul and give 

fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this huge loss. 

The KAS Association has deeply mourned the sad demise of 

Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. 

“In passing away of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the State has 

lost a visionary and a dynamic leader” the association in a condolence 

message said. 

The association shares grief with the bereaved family and 

prays for peace to the departed soul, it said. 

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court led by Chief Justice, N. 

Paul Vasanthakumar has expressed heartfelt grief on the sad 

demise of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and condoled 

with the members of the bereaved family. 

In a condolence message, it said that Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed was known for his administrative skills. He carved out 

a place for himself in the history of not only the state of Jammu 

and Kashmir but the country as a whole. His demise has created 

a great vacuum, which is difficult to be filled up. It has caused 

an irreparable loss to the entire populace of the country. May 

God give peace to his soul and courage to the family members 

to bear this huge loss. 

Geelani........ 

one has to die,” Geelani was quoted as saying in the statement. 

“Every death is a lesson for a wise human being and a reminder 

that his name should be remembered for good even after his 

death.” 

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also expressed condolence 

on demise of Mufti. 

While condoling his demise, he expressed his sympathies 

with the bereaved family. 

Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) J&K late Thursday evening also condoled 

CM’s demise. 

In a statement, Ameer Jama’at-e-Islami J&K, Khawaja Ghulam 

Mohammed Bhat paid condolences to the bereaved family 

of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who left for his eternal destination 

after a brief illness in New Delhi. 

Mufti died early this morning at AIIMS in New Delhi. He 

was admitted there since December 2015. 

“Death is imminent which every living soul has to confront 

whatever the status any person may be holding. Wise is 

the person who remembers death at every occasion of the life 

keeping in mind that one day is fixed when all human beings 

HEALTH 

Anti-depressants during pregnancy 

increase birth defects risk 

Using a medication prescribed 

to treat conditions 

including depression, obsessive-compulsive 

disorder, 

anxiety and post-traumatic 

stress disorder during the 

first trimester of pregnancy 

may increase newborns' risk 

of heart defects, says a study. 

Up to one-fifth of women 

of childbearing age experience 

depressive symptoms 

that often lead to mild to 

moderate depression, and 

prescriptions for anti-depressants 

during pregnancy have 

increased in recent years. 

The most common drugs 

for treating depression in 

pregnant women are selective 

serotonin reuptake inhibitors, 

and up until 2005, one 

drug in that class - paroxetine 

- was considered to be safe 

for use during pregnancy. 

To provide a comprehensive 

assessment of the effects 

of paroxetine on newborns, 

would be resurrected and brought before Almighty Allah for 

final decision regarding the worldly deeds,” JeI statement said. 

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also tweeted his condolences to bereaved 

family of late CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. 

Farooq....... 

hour of mourning and loss. 

Senior Party Leaders, Legislators, Former Ministers including 

NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Additional General 

Secretary Dr. Mustafa Kamal, Senior Leaders Abdul Rahim 

Rather, Mubarak Gul, Mian Altaf, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Provincial 

Presidents Devender Singh Rana and Nasir Aslam Wani, 

Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sakina Ittoo, Shameema 

Firdous, Nazir Gurezi, Chief Spokesperson Aga Syed Ruhullah 

Mehdi, State Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu, Political Secretary 

to Working President Tanvir Sadiq and Provincial Youth 

Presidents Salman Ali Sagar and Ajaz Jan besides other leaders 

and office bearers have expressed grief and sorrow over Mufti 

Sahib's demise and prayed for peace to the departed soul. (KNS) 

Mehbooba....... 

the seat in the Assembly at the time when National Conference’s 

Sheikh Abdullah became the chief minister. 

Mehbooba soon became very popular and was made the 

leader of the opposition in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. In 

1999, when her father left the Congress to form the Jammu and 

Kashmir People’s Democratic Party, she also quit from the Assembly 

and became the party vice president. The party rise on 

the valley’s political scene has been credited largely to the dedication 

and commitment of Mehbooba. She built her father’s 

party from scratch and challenged the dominant Abdullahs. She 

managed to do all this when the state was reeling under the 

insurgency and separatist movement. 

She may have a calm and soft spoken demeanour, but she 

knows how to get her way around things. She played a very 

important role during the peak of militancy in Kashmir, when 

Indian Army was being accused of violating human rights in the 

state. She had knack of striking a chord with both the militants 

and the Army. She was often seen grieving with the dead militants’ 

families. She made a personal connection with the people 

and a place in their hearts. 

Mehbooba had an early marriage and has two daughters 

from the marriage- Iltija and Irtiqa. However, she divorced her 

husband, who went on to pursue an independent political career. 

Her daughters are both doing well for themselves. While 

Iltija is in London and works at the Indian High, Irtiqa studied 

screen writing from New York and is working as a screen writer, 

the researchers conducted a 

literature review and analysis 

of all relevant studies 

published from 1966 to 

2015. The investigators uncovered 

23 eligible studies. 

Compared with no use 

of paroxetine, first trimester 

use of paroxetine was 

associated with a 23 percent 

increased risk of any major 

congenital malformations 

and a 28 percent increased 

risk of major cardiac malformations 

in newborns, the 

study said. 

"Indeed, the risk/ 

benefit ratio suggests 

non-use in women with 

mild to moderately depressive 

symptoms, which 

is 85 percent of pregnant 

women with depressive 

symptoms," said lead researcher 

Anick Berard from 

University of Montreal in 

Canada. 

"Therefore, planning of 

pregnancy is essential, and 

valid treatment options such 

as psychotherapy or exercise 

regimens are warranted in 

this special population," 

Berard said. 

Pain-free dental filling 

developed by IIT-M 

More often than not patients experience 

pain or sensitivity after undergoing 

a dental filling to restore a decayed 

tooth as most conventional fillings 

begin shrinking almost immediately 

after the procedure. 

At Indian Institute of Technology 

, Madras, researchers have come up 

with a new formulation of dental 

filling that does not shrink ensuring 

a pain-free treatment. The composite 

is made of unique organic resins 

and inorganic fillers. They are also 

biologically safe compared to the ones 

currently available in the market; the 

latter can affect the endocrine system 

apart from causing sensitivity issues 

post-treatment. 

Madha Dental College and Hospital 

professor and head, department of 

conservative dentistry and endodontics, 

Dr V Susila Anand said conventional 

dental composites shrink by up 

to 5%. It not only leads to postoperative 

sensitivity or pain, but also causes 

gaps between the teeth and fillings. 

The endodontist, who s involved 

in developing was involved in developing 

the new composite, said several 

studies conducted on rats have shown 

that chemical substances leaching 

from the dental fillings can affect the 

endocrine system and target tissues of 

sex hormones besides causing other 

potentially toxic reactions. 

“The formulation is unique and 

does not leach chemical substances 

that have endocrine disruptive 

ability,” she said. “The research has 

a three-pronged approach -to curb 

postoperative sensitivity, shrinkage 

and improve biological safety,” she 

said. 

Researchers said conventional 

materials, besides discharging certain 

chemicals, also emanate heat during 

polymerisation (a chemical process) 

that can harm the pulp tissue and 

cause post treatment complications. 

The new composite releases 50% less 

heat keeping the pulp tissue safe. 

IIT-M department of engineering 

design professor Venkatesh Balasubramanian 

said formulation of the new 

composites were put through rigorous 

chemical tests including the one to 

find its clinical impact on patients 

having multiple composite restoration 

after consuming liquor. 

“This was done to understand the 

stability of the composite network 

and the correlation of its leaching to 

biological safety ,” he said 


Srinagar | Friday 


How to 

train your 

brain to 

regulate 

negative 

emotions 

36 

Researchers are 

now claiming 

to change the 

brain’s wiring 

to regulate 

emotional reactions with 

a simple computer-training 

task. 

Dr. Noga Cohen 

from the Ben-Gurion 

University said that 

these findings are the 

first to demonstrate that 

non-emotional training 

that improves the ability 

to ignore irrelevant information 

can result in 

reduced brain reactions 

to emotional events and 

alter brain connections. 

Cohen added that 

these changes were accompanied 

by strengthened 

neural connections 

between brain’s regions 

involved in inhibiting 

emotional reactions. 

The researchers hope 

to examine the impact 

of this non-emotional 

training on individuals, 

who are depressed or 

anxious. It may also be 

helpful for those at high 

risk of developing high 

blood pressure reactions 

to emotional information. 

They added that 

such future directions 

carry important potential 

clinical implications for 

a large percentage of 

the population and this 

cognitive training can 

be easily employed with 

different populations, 

such as children, elderly 

adults, and individuals 

with neurological or 

psychiatric disorders. 

After the study, the 

researchers found that 

the participants who 

completed more intense 

version of the training 

showed reduced activation 

in their amygdala 

- a brain region involved 

in negative emotions, 

including sadness and 

anxiety. 

A previous study 

led by these authors 

has already shown that 

similar training can 

reduce the tendency to 

be submersed in a repetitive-thinking 

cycle about 

a negative life event. 

like Mehbooba’s youngest brother and the late Mufti Sayeed’s 

only son, Tussadaq. 

The PDP wave in 2015 was also largely credited to Mehbooba. 

She raised the issues of rampant corruption and unemployment 

in the state, for the election. All these issues raised by 

her, gained her the support that made the party win the largest 

seats in the Assembly. She very astutely forged an alliance with 

the BJP, by invoking Atal Bihari Vajpayee and managed to secure 

the chief ministerial post for her father. 

Meanwhile almost all the PDP leaders including Muzaffar 

Hussain Beigh, Rafi Mir, Nayeem Akhtar and others unanimously 

opined that Mehbooba Mufti should take charge of (CNS) 

When Mufti forced 

Police Chief to throw 

Gupkar Road open 

Srinagar, Jan 7: Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who shortly after assuming 

the office of Chief Minister in 2002 disbanded infamous 

counter insurgent force Special Operation Group forced police 

chief to throw elite Gupkar Road open for general public. 

Recounting the day when Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad 

Sayeed was supposed to address media at Chief Minister’s 

house located at Maulana Azad Road, a scribe working for a national 

news paper told CNS that Mufti ordered the then police 

chief to throw open Gupkar Road. 

“The Gupkar road had been closed for the traffic and for 

general public soon after the eruption of militancy. Some 

people from Sonwar area of Srinagar city had approached 

CM Mufti to throw the road open for the public. We all were 

standing waiting for the arrival of Mufti. As he arrived, he 

ordered the then police chief Gopal Sharma to throw Gupkar 

road open for the general public. The reluctant Sharma 

pleaded before Mufti that road can’t be thrown open and he 

must reconsider his decision.” 

Mufti didn’t listen to him and told him his cavalcade will 

pass through Gupkar and he want’s to seen it open. “As journalists 

followed Mufti towards the lawn, DGP Gopal Sharma 

tried to convince Mufti that VVIP’s reside in the area and it will 

be great rist, but Mufti ordered him take his seat and keep his 

mouth shut,” he said. 

“We all were curious and rushed to Sonwar to see if Gupkar 

has really been thrown open for the general public. We were 

astonished to see it open and the courtesy was Mufti Sahab, “he 

said adding that Mufti didn’t use to listen to anything and he 

had a great decision power,” he said. (CNS)

7 

SRINAGAR, FRIDAY 


S 

P 

O 

R 

T 

S 

Bancroft, Agar 

fifties guide 

Scorchers to 

easy win 

Despite their dominance 

of the BBL over the years, 

Perth Scorchers have 

repeatedly been written 

off. After they slumped 

to 2 for 1 in the second 

over to a formidable 

Sydney Thunder attack, 

the Scorchers could probably 

hear the scepticism 

reverberating. However, 

once again, the defending 

champion’s famed resilience 

reared and another 

finals appearance looks 

assured after a 30-run 

victory over the Thunder 

at Spotless Stadium in 

Sydney. 

Notching their fourth 

win of the BBL, the 

Scorchers pulled a game 

clear of the Thunder after 

both teams were deadlocked 

at second on the 

ladder. 

Largely due to contrasting, 

but highly effective, 

half centuries from 

precocious youngsters 

Cameron Bancroft and 

Ashton Agar, the Scorchers 

recovered from the 

perilous early position to 

compile 5 for 175 after 

being sent in to bat. 

It was a total the 

highly disciplined Scorchers 

attack always looked 

likely to defend. On television 

commentary, Mark 

Waugh rated Thunder 

paceman Andre Russell 

the “best fast bowler in 

the competition”. Waugh 

may have a change of 

heart after Scorchers 

spearhead Jason Behrendorff 

(3 for 26 off 4 

overs) again produced 

a scintillating display 

claiming the early wickets 

of Aiden Blizzard and the 

out-of-form Jacques Kallis 

to leave the Thunder reeling 

at 2 for 17 after three 

overs. 

Shane Watson, the 

Thunder’s acting captain 

in place of an injured 

Mike Hussey, looked in 

sparkling form counterattacking 

young Scorchers 

paceman Joel Paris, who 

is set to make his ODI 

debut against India next 

week. 

But Watson fell just 

when he looked threatening, 

playing on for 18 to 

leave the Thunder 3 for 

49 in the ninth over. The 

Thunder’s chase looked 

forlorn until the powerful 

Russell produced an 

extraordinary display of 

brutish batting. In the ultimate 

purple patch, Russell 

smashed five sixes in 

eight deliveries between 

overs 12 and 14. 

The most noteworthy 

of the bunch was a 

slog off Behrendorff that 

astonishingly went 116 

metres, just one metre 

short of Dan Christian’s 

tournament record. 

Hashim Amla may have been South 

Africa captain, but wasn’t a leader 

Hashim Amla’s decision to step down as Test 

skipper in the middle of a series was a bit 

surprising, but one could sense that it was 

just around a corner. AB de Villiers has been 

appointed the new Test captain, which will 

add to his burden as he is already the One- 

Day International (ODI) skipper. But it was a 

responsibility he was willing to accept when 

Graeme Smith retired. De Villiers said that he 

was disappointed, but will back Amla, which 

is exactly what he did in the last couple of 

years. 

One must firstly applaud Amla for taking up 

the role after the likes of Smith and Jacques 

Kallis quit at almost the same time. Amla’s 

unwillingness to lead is well known. He quit 

as ODI vice-captain few years back as he 

thought that it would cause distraction to his 

batting. But that did not stop him from accepting 

Test captaincy. 

Amla, no doubt, is one of the best batsmen 

in world cricket. He can play long innings in 

Tests and accelerate when the team needs in 

the shorter formats. He is a complete team 

man, who will do what it takes to get the job 

done. But he had big shoes to fill as he had 

to take over from someone of the stature of 

Graeme Smith, who led South Africa in 108 

Tests, winning 53 of them. Replicating his 

feat would be highly impossible. 

Amla continued South Africa’s streak of being 

undefeated in away series when he won a 

series in Zimbabwe. There was a hard-fought 

home series win against Sri Lanka prior to 

the Zimbabwe series and another one against 

West Indies at home. Both Zimbabwe and 

West Indies never really posed a challenge 

to the South African team. Amla too scored 

heavily in those series and South Africa 

looked to be a dominant force. 

With rain playing spoilsport in the series in 

Bangladesh, Amla’s biggest challenge would 

come when he led his team to India. South 

Africa’s nine-year unbeaten away streak was 

on the line, and with India preparing rank 

turners almost everywhere, one wondered 

how this South African team could survive. 

Sachin Tendulkar gifts Pranav 

Dhanawade his autographed bat 

following record-breaking innings 

BCCI sent out a tweet of Pranav 

Dhanawade and his parents posing 

with the bat gifted by Sachin for his 

record innings © BCCI Twitter handle 

Indian cricketiong legend Sachin 

Tendulkar on Thursday signed one of 

his cricket bats and gifted it to Pranav 

Dhanawade, who has been in the 

news for a couple of days owing to 

his record-breaking innings of 1,009 

runs in a single innings. Sachin had 

earlier, expressed his best wishes for 

Dhanawade and congratulated him 

on his recor-breaking innings that 

in undoubtedy a world-record as of 

now. The cricketer is from Mumbai as 

he broght up the total laying for his 

school, while Sachin too hails from the 

same city, that is known to have produced 

few great and quality cricketers. 

BCCI sent out a tweet of Dhanawade 

and his parents posing with the bat 

gifted by Sachin for his record innings. 

Pranav Dhanawade congratulated by 

Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh 

Dhanawade’s historic innings of 

1009 not out earned him accolades 

Amla had a brilliant series when he toured 

India in 2011 and one thought he could carry 

his good form into this series as well. He also 

had de Villiers, who has a lot of experience 

playing in India. Barring those two it was a 

new-look South African team, compared to 

the one that toured India last time out. With 

injuries to Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, 

one sensed South Africa wuld have a mountain 

to climb, if they want to give India good 

competition. 

Misbah-ul-Haq rubbishes 

retirement rumours, says wants 

to tour England as skipper 

New Delhi: Pakistan veteran batsman 

Misbah-ul-Haq is continuing 

with his stint in domestic cricket 

in order to play Test series against 

England in July 2016. 

The skipper of the national side 

showed his class with a matchwinning 

innings of 85 and 60 in the 

day-and-night five-day final of the 

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. 

The skipper has been honest to 

state that he is playing domestic 

cricket with a view to tour England 

and lead the side. 

“The reason I am playing domestic 

cricket is because I want to 

tour England and lead the side,” 

Misbah stated on Wednesday. 

The talk of retirement surrounds 

the senior batsman as he had 

from all corners of the world, including 

earning praises from legendary 

retired cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. 

The former Indian batting maestro 

was among the many well-known 

people congratulating the Mumbai 

teenager for becoming the firstever 

batsmen to record a quadruple-digit 

score in a single, innings, 

stated earlier of retiring from 

Test cricket after the home series 

against England in 2015. 

smashing 59 sixes and 129 fours in 

the 323 deliveries that he smashed 

at a strike-rate of over 300. KC 

Gandhi High School, the institution 

whose cricket team Dhanawane 

was playing for, declared on a score of 

1465. “You need to scale new peaks!,” 

Tendulkar wrote in a post on his Twitter 

account. 

Misbah went on to add that he 

sees the tour of England as a big 

challenge for Pakistan and wants 

to see Pakistan as a top Test nation. 

Misbah’s presence in the domestic 

campaign has been a bright affair 

with the veteran showing his 

hunger at the age of 41. Misbah’s 

captaincy saw Sui Northern Gas 

team win their third successive 

Quaid Trophy title. 

But Misbah was critical of the 

youngsters in the side and stated 

that they need to understand there 

are no short cuts in Test cricket. He 

also pointed out that batsmen need 

to be prepared to bat atleast three 

sessions to get a hundred. 

He further added that the batsmen 

need to show patience and 

shouldn’t try for big hits after two 

or three deliveries. 

The Indian spinners went on to do bulk of the 

damage as South Africa went on to lose the 

four-match series 0-3, without giving much 

of a fight. That is perhaps when Amla decided 

to step down. Tour to India can be grueling as 

many captains have learnt in the past, Amla’s 

was no different. He somehow managed to 

get it together and prepared himself to lead 

South Africa in the series against England. 

It seemed as though the South African team 

had still not recovered from their scars in 

India as their batting failed once again, 

barring Dean Elgar, who was gritty in India 

and played very well in the first Test. READ: 

Alastair Cook upset with Hashim Amla stepping 

down as South Africa Test skipper 

Amla finally got back into form, scoring a 

double hundred at Cape Town. The rest of the 

team also played extremely well as South Africa 

went close to England’s first innings total 

of 629. Amla has always looked calm and 

collected on the field and during the press 

conferences. Looking at him, one gets the 

feeling that everything is fine with the South 

African team. You sometimes need someone 

like de Villiers, whose presence is always 

felt on the field and is also brutally honest 

about his players and performances with the 

media. Amla would have surely been relieved 

that there is a suitable successor and felt that 

the captaincy somehow adds extra pressure 

to his batting, which does not reflect on his 

average, which is close to 50 as skipper. But 

the time was perhaps right to move on. 

De Villiers has had tremendous success as 

skipper of the South African team. 

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 

Jharkhand outclass 

Jammu and Kashmir by 

76 runs 

Kochi: Jammu and Kashmir‘s batting collapsed 

in the face of a disciplined performance 

by Jharkhand‘s bowlers, who guided 

the team to a resounding 76-run victory in 

their Group B Twenty20 cricket match of 

the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Thursday. 

The decision to bowl after winning the toss 

backfired spectacularly on J&K as Jharkhand 

posted a stiff 179 for 4 in their 20 overs. 

J&K could only manage 103/7 in reply. 

Shasheem Rathor and Saurabh Tiwary 

were the standout performers notching up 

half-centuries for Jharkhand. While Rathor 

scored a 50 off 41 deliveries, Tiwary was the 

top run- getter with an unbeaten 57 off a 

mere 30 balls. Live Cricket Score, 

Rahil Sambyal was the most successful J&K 

bowler with figures of 2/43. In reply, opener 

Ian Dev Singh’s 67 was the lone noteworthy 

contribution as J&K were let down by 

their other batsmen. For Jharkhand, Vikash 

Singh, Sonu Singh and Shahbaz Nadeem 

Tournament’s 

‘best shooter’ 

Chandela wins 

another gold 

The 23-year-old Chandela 

shot 208.9 in the final 

to clinch the top prize 

in women’s 10-metre 

tri-series event.India’s 

Apurvi Chandela shot her 

way to a second successive 

gold medal and 

emerged as the ’Shooter 

of the Tournament’ in the 

Swedish Cup Grand Prix 

in Savsjo, Sweden. 

The 23-year-old Chandela 

shot 208.9 in the final 

to clinch the top prize 

in women’s 10-metre 

tri-series event.Chandela, 

who had secured a quota 

for the Rio Olympics, won 

picked up two wickets apiece to rip through 

the J&K line-up. 

Jharkhand 179 for 4 in 20 overs (Shasheem 

Rathor 50, Saurabh Tiwary 57*, Rahil 

Sambyal 2 for 43) beat Jammu & Kashmir 

103 for 7 in 20 overs (Ian Dev Singh 67, 

Sonu Singh 2 for 16) by 76 runs. 

her first gold medal of the 

tournament late Tuesday 

with a world record score 

of 211.2, to surpass the 

feat of Chinese Olympic 

gold medallist Yi Siling 

(211).For her outstanding 

performance in the 

tournament, the rising 

shooter was awarded a 

Walther rifle, besides 

being crowned 

the best shooter (men 

and women combined). 

After giving a tough fight 

to Chandela, Norway’s 

Malin Westerheim won 

the silver with a score of 

208.4, 

BCCI silent in public but starts internal response 

Three days after the Lodha Committee 

submitted its report, the BCCI is yet to make 

its first public move, with no official statement 

being issued by the board and senior 

officials preferring to speak off the record. 

While the general consensus in the board is 

to proceed slowly, it is wary of being seen 

to be dragging its feet.The BCCI took its 

first step towards acknowledging the report 

on Wednesday when Anurag Thakur, the 

board secretary, sent an e-mail to all BCCI 

members asking them to study the Lodha 

Committee recommendations, figure out 

how it would affect each member individually 

and report back the findings by January 

31. The letter, which has been published on 

the board’s website, asks the associations to 

seek expert advice as “some of the recommendations 

have far-reaching consequences.” 

The Cricket Association of Bihar, 

whose public-interest litigation triggered 

the Supreme Court’s intervention 

in the 2013 IPL corruption scandal, has 

decided to wait for a maximum of two 

weeks for the BCCI to make public its 

response. If the BCCI fails to act, the 

CAB could move the Supreme Court 

again. 

Despite the closed attitude adopted 

by the BCCI top brass, apprehensions 

within individual ranks are growing 

among the BCCI ranks. A president of a 

prominent state association, who is also 

part of one of the board’s top sub-committees, 

said that if the Lodha Committee 

took a year to compile its report the 

BCCI could afford to wait for some time, 

study the report and then make a decision 

whether to implement the recommendations 

or not. 

“Ultimately this report envisages 

the complete dismantling of the board. 

Assuming that we have to do it, first of 

all we don’t have to do it, it can be for 

reasons of academic nature and out of 

curiosity,” the member president said. 

He also believed that it was board 

president Shashank Manohar’s responsibility 

to make a public statement putting 

forward the BCCI’s opinion on the various 

recommendations considering the 

public, adding that the silence was not 

helping the board’s cause.

08 January 2016

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