19 January 2016

SRINAGAR | 19 January 2016 | 08 Rabi Al Thani 1437 AH Vol: 4 | Issue No: 16 | Pages: 08 | Rs 3/- 

TUESDAY 

4th 

PRECIOUS KASHMIR 

Journalism With A Human Heart 

C 

M 

Y 

K 

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

Mehbooba welcomes West’s rapprochement with Iran 

‘No alternative 

to engagement, 

reconciliation’ 

Precious Kashmir News 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Welcoming the 

rapprochement between Iran 

and the West, Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) President and 

Member Parliament, Mehbooba 

Mufti today said Tehran’s historic 

nuclear deal with the world powers 

has made it clear that there is 

no alternative to the process of 

engagement and reconciliation. 

“Fortunately the latest understanding 

between the world 

powers and Iran coincides with renewed 

engagement between New 

Delhi and Islamabad, and we hope 

that the rejuvenated reconciliation 

process would give a new direction 

to the efforts aimed at ensuring 

peace and stability in the region,” 

Mehbooba said in a statement. 

She expressed the hope that 

the new and hopeful geo-political 

scenario emerging in the region 

would expand the ambit of economic 

and trade cooperation 

between India, Pakistan, Afghanistan 

and Iran and allow these 

countries to exploit the wide array 

of opportunities available for 

boosting economic growth. “A 

cooperative relationship in the 

region could also lead to peaceful 

and ultimate settlement of the 

contentious issues plaguing their 

growth,” she said. 

Mehbooba said for the people 

of Jammu and Kashmir peace and 

stability in the region is of utmost 

importance as they have been 

the worst sufferers of the hostility. 

“Our enterprising young boys 

and girls have been deprived of 

the massive benefits of globalization 

and economic liberalization 

that swept the world during the 

past two decades when our state 

was embroiled in a bleeding conflict,” 

she said and added that the 

latest reconciliatory process has 

generated a new hope for peace 

and stability in the region which, 

if sustained, could throw up new 

economic opportunities for our 

people. 

Mehbooba said Jammu and 

Kashmir has a special relationship 

with Iran because of the great 

saint Amir Kabir Mir Sayed Ali 

Hamdani (RA) commonly known 

as Shah-e-Hamadan (RA) who 

travelled from Hamadan in Iran 

to Kashmir to not only spread Islam 

but also brought with him the 

unique craftsmanship for which 

Kashmir is known world-over. 

She said it has been the consistent 

opinion of PDP that security 

and stability in Jammu & Kashmir 

is possible only in a space 

provided by amity, friendship and 

cooperative relationship between 

India and Pakistan. “PDP’s vision 

of a peaceful, stable and prosperous 

Jammu & Kashmir outlined 

in its Self-Rule document is essentially 

about neutralizing the 

historical political and economic 

excesses with the State that 

were compounded by its natural 

and political geography,” she 

said and added reviving J&K’s 

traditional connectivity with 

outside world could pave the 

way for economic and social integration 

of the region through a 

common economic market. 

‘Agenda of Alliance’ can’t be 

achieved in 10 months: BJP 

‘Did not approach NC for Govt formation’ 


Aided by modern technology, 

rumour mill becomes more deadly 

Srinagar, Jan 17: Even as the 

authorities cried at the top of 

their voices that no child had 

died anywhere after being administered 

polio drops during 

Sunday’s anti-polio campaign 

in the Valley, hundreds of 

weeping and wailing parents 

stormed hospitals because 

the rumour mill said dozens 

had died after being “administered 

expired polio drops in 

south Kashmir”. 

The authorities will definitely 

have to do some hard 

explaining to justify why 

they acted late to counter 

the rumour mill, but there 

is no denying the fact that 

the power of the grapevine 

in Kashmir has always been 

“earthshaking”. 

Residents of cities, towns 

and villages where children 

had been administered polio 

drops were rushing in cars, 

load carriers, three-wheelers 

and motorcycles - and even 

on foot - in the extreme cold 

to seek medical attention to 

reverse the effects of the socalled 

expired vaccine. 

Pediatricians, hospital 

superintendents and paramedics 

pleaded with angry 

parents outside hospitals that 

their children were fine and 

no child had died anywhere 

after being administered polio 

drops. 

People simply refused 

to relent because the rumour 

mill was agog that dozens of 

children had died after being 

administered the vaccine. 

It was only around midnight 

that the situation was 

brought under control not 

because the people believed 

the authorities, but because 

children had started catching 

cold in the sub-zero winter 

temperatures. 

Police has now arrested 

one person who allegedly 

spread the rumour through 

social media about the 

“deaths of dozens of children 

in south Kashmir”. 

The arrested person has 

been booked under the relevant 

provisions of the IT act 

and other crime prevention 

laws, but the fact that just one 

person could set the Valley 

on fire has a historical background. 

People in the landlocked 

PDP to seek more financial 

assistance from Modi 


Srinagar, Jan 18: Peoples Democratic 

Party will seek more financial support 

from the Central government and 

would like “written assurance” on it 

from Prime Minister Narendra Modi 

before the party continues its alliance 

with BJP, sources have said. 

Reliable sources said that before 

taking oath as chief minister of the 

state will the former alliance partner 

BJP, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has 

said that “Centre government should 

give a written assurance that it will provide 

more financial support to Jammu 

and Kashmir in addition” to the PM’s Rs 

80000 crore package announced last 

year in November. 

Sources said the recent meeting of 

Union Finance Secretary RP Watal with 

Mehbooba was held in this backdrop. 

“The central government has 

agreed to the demand of the PDP leadership, 

and Prime Minister Narendra 

Modi is very likely to call Mehbooba 

Mufti for a meeting,” sources said. 

The demand of additional financial 

assistance has risen due to devastating 

floods in 2014, and development needs 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Days after Peoples 

Democratic Party said that it will review 

its achievements of the last 10 months, 

Bhartiya Janata Party Monday said that 

fulfilling ‘Agenda of Alliance’ could be accomplished 

in six years. 

“Agenda of Alliance between PDP 

and BJP is for six years when the government 

completes its term. The agenda 

cannot be achieved in 10 months. PDP is 

not right when it says that the ‘Agenda of 

Alliance’ with BJP was not fulfilled,” BJP 

General Secretary (organization) Ashok 

Koul told KNS correspondent. 

Asked whether BJP has approached 

NC for government formation, the BJP 

leader said “there is not truth in it.” 

Koul said that the return of power 

projects from NHPC cannot be done in a 

“hurry”. 

“Government of India cannot return 

power projects of the Jammu and Kashmir 

form NHPC in a hurried way. It will 

take place in a proper mechanism,” the 

BJP leader said. 

He said that PDP did not show the 

keenness in attending the Coordination 

Committee meeting of the two parties. 

“We had formed a Coordination 

Committee to see the progress of implementation 

of the government’s agenda. 

But PDP was not keen to take the committee 

seriously. In the four or three 

meeting which we held, only two of its 

members attended. Tariq Hameed Karra 

did not attend a single meeting. Muzaffar 

Hussain Baig attended only once or 

twice. Only Mehbooba Mufti attended 

the meetings. PDP made the committee 

ineffective,” he said. 

The committee was formed by the 

tow alliance partners to sort out controversial 

issues between them that would 

rise during their government. 

A 10-member coordination committee 

was formed by the PDP and BJP to 

ensure time-bound implementation of 

agenda of Alliance. 

Headed by former Deputy Chief Minister 

Dr Nirmal Singh, the committee had 

five members each from both the parties. 

Other members of the committee included 

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, 

Muzaffar Hussain Beig, Tariq Hameed 

Karra, Abdul Rehman Veeri and Naeem 

Akhter. While former BJP state president 

Jugal Kishore,Thusptan Chhewang and 

Shamsher Singh (all MPs) and Choudhary 

Lal Singh represented BJP. (KNS) 

Valley have always believed 

rumours more willingly than 

the official word. 

“There have been historical 

reasons for the power of 

the grapevine in Kashmir. You 

see, in 1947 Maharaja Hari 

Singh was attending an investiture 

at the palace without 

knowing that the tribals had 

invaded Kashmir. 

“The grapevine at 

Zainakadal in Srinagar city 

said in the morning the tribals 

had captured the Mohra 

power station near Uri town. 

The Maharaja’s administration 

came to know of this 

only when the lights inside 

the palace suddenly went off 

in the evening,” said Ghulam 

Nabi, 76, a resident of Ganderbal 

district. 

He also said the death of 

National Conference founder 

and the then chief minister, 

Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah 

on September 8, 1982 first 

came to Kashmiris as a ‘rumour’ 

till the authorities confirmed 

it only in the evening. 

More recently, when official 

health bulletins said the 

now deceased chief minister, 

of the state. 

Besides additional financial support, 

PDP will raise the demand of returning 

state’s hydel power projects 

from National Hydro Power Corporation. 

PDP held a crucial meeting on Sunday 

chaired by Mehbooba and was attended 

by core group members and top 

leaders of the party. 

Sources said that Mehbooba welcomed 

the thaw in Indo-Pak ties and 

the continuing of dialogue in the aftermath 

of Pathankot Airbase attack. 

“Dialogue between India and Pakistan 

has a positive impact on Kashmir. 

We welcome the dialogue. Our party’s 

policy is to be a harbinger of peace and 

prosperity of the state. We will insist 

that both India and Pakistan should 

take all issues on the dialogue table, including 

Jammu and Kashmir for peace 

and prosperity in the state,” sources 

quoted PDP president as saying during 

the meeting yesterday. 

Sources said that the PDP president 

vowed in the meeting that the party 

will take forward late Mufti Mohammad 

Sayeed’s agenda and vision for the 

Jammu and Kashmir state. (KNS) 

Karra soon 

meeting Mehbooba 

to ‘clear his stand’ 

Srinagar, Jan 18: 

Dismissing “contradictory 

reporting” 

about his maintaining 

silence during the high 

level party meeting on 

Sunday and “not opposing” 

alliance of PDP 

with BJP, senior PDP leader and MP Tariq 

See Karra on Pg 6 

Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, 

had been “showing signs of 

recovery and responding to 

the treatment of a team of expert 

doctors at AIIMS in New 

Delhi”, the rumour mill said 

he had been deteriorating. 

Ironically, the doctors at 

the hospital had not confirmed 

Sayeed’s death when people in 

the Valley said the chief minister 

had passed away in the 

morning of January 7. 

Despite giant strides in 

information technology, Sunday’s 

panic and desperation 

in Kashmir proved not much 

had changed here. 

The world might have become 

a global village thanks 

to the internet, television 

channels, radio stations and 

mobile phones, but the power 

of the grapevine in Kashmir 

remains unparalleled. 

Of course, there has been 

one difference, the spin 

doctors of the grapevine 

have learnt the art of using 

modern technology to 

spread wild rumours using 

the same gadgetry that 

should have thrown them out 

of business. 

Governor 

clears 

'important 

cases' 

Jammu, Jan 18: Jammu 

and Kashmir governor on 

Monday cleared a number of 

"important cases" after discussions 

with Chief Secretary, 

a Raj Bhavan spokesman said. 

”B.R. Sharma, Chief 

Secretary J&K, briefed the 

Governor about various important 

matters which would 

need attention in the coming 

days," he said. 

He said Sharma had 

called on N N Vohra at the Raj 

Bhavan today. 

"The Governor cleared 

a number of important 

cases after discussions 

with Chief Secretary," 

added the spokesman. 

Government of India 

One Polio death rumour monger 

arrested in Pampore: Police 


ISSUE OPEN UPTO 

22 JANUARY, 2016 

National toll free number 18001800000 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Day after 

Kashmir witnessed extraordinary 

panic over the polio 

death rumor, police today 

claimed to have arrested a rumour 

monger from Pampore 

area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama 

district. 

A police official told 

Srinagar-based news agency 

that the police arrested one of 

the mischief mongers identified 

as Parvez Ahmad Sheikh, 

resident of Chhatlam village 

of Pampore, for uploading 

and spreading fake and false 

news about the death of children 

due to polio vaccination. 

He said the accused has 

been formally booked by 

police and in this connection 

a case under FIR number 

12/2016 under sections 

505 (1) (b) 153 RPC stands 

registered in Pampore police 

station. Reports said police 

have also picked up several 

persons in connection with 

the spreading of false information. 

Pertinent to mention here 

that panic gripped entire Valley 

yesterday after unknown 

miscreants spread rumors of 

deaths of children via social 

A 

Golden 

Opportunity 

Unique Features 

networking sites including 

Facebook and Whatsapp. 

The parents of kids who 

were vaccinated in the day 

swarmed in and outside all 

the small and big hospitals 

of Valley, resulting in utmost 

panic and tension in the region. 

At many places the situation 

took an ugly turn and 

people resorted to violence 

and ransacking. The health 

See Police on Pg 6 

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Alternative communication system 

needed to meet exigencies: DGP 


Jammu, Jan 18: All weather 

communication network is 

necessary for Jammu and 

Kashmir Police to ensure 

quick response to exigencies. 

Besides conventional 

system of communication, 

a reliable and trusted alternate 

mechanism should be 

put in place to act swiftly in 

case of any calamity. 

This was stressed by 

Director General of Police 

(DGP), K. Rajendra Kumar, 

while inspecting the Hi- 

Tech Dial 100 System established 

in Police Control 

Room (PCR) Jammu here 

today. He said that with the 

introduction of the system, 

response time for redressal 

of grievances is reduced 

besides helping to minimise 

crime and provide security 

to the people. 

The DGP informed that 

40 PCR vans have been included 

in the advanced system 

for Jammu City and its 

adjoining areas for meeting 

any exigency and grievance 

of the people. Movement of 


Srinagar, Jan 18: Bharat Sanchar 

Nigam Limited (BSNL) 

Monday announced a reduction 

in call rates to its existing 

prepaid mobile customers 

on PAN India basis. As per 

the attest information BSNL 

is slashing the voice call rate 

upto 80% for all existing prepaid 

mobile customers in Per 

second and Pre Minute plan. 

The reduction in call 

rates will be effective from 

January 16, 2016 onwards 

across all telecom circles. 

Earlier BSNL reduced call 

rate upto 80 % for its new 

Prepaid mobile customers 

only and now the same has 

been extended for existing 

BSNL Prepaid users also. The 

reduced call rate is applicable 

on STV of Rs. 42/- (per 

second plan) and on STV of 

Rs. 88/- (per minute plan). 

In STV 88, with validity 

of 60 days call rate of all 

BSNL Calls (Local/ STD) is 

reduced to 10 paisa/ minute 

and all to other network calls 

vehicles is also monitored 

through new system and 

global positioning system 

(GPS) is also installed in the 

Hi-Tech Dial 100 System, the 

DGP added. 

During the inspection, 

Rajendra spent hours with 

the technical staff to get 

feedback about the new 

system. He interacted with 

them and discussed steps 

for improvement of the 

BSNL announces 

huge reduction 

in call rates 

ADC Budgam 

inspects offices 


Budgam, Jan 18: To ensure 

punctuality and effective 

work culture in government 

offices, Additional 

Deputy Commissioner 

Budgam accompanied by 

other officers of district 

administration Monday 

conducted a surprise visit 

of about 40 government 

offices including PHE, 

PDD workshop and health 

services. 

During the visit the 

officers expressed their 

satisfaction over the attendance 

of employees 

and urged them to keep 

up the tempo of serving 

people and ensure timely 

disposal of public issues 

besides efficient public 

delivery system. 


Kulgam, Jan 18: District Development 

Commissioner 

Kulgam today chaired a 

meeting to finalize the arrangements 

for Republic 

Day Celebrations . 

It was given out in the 

meeting that the celebrations 

will begin with Shehnai 

Wadan followed by 

unfurling of tricolor by the 

Chief Guest . 

Contingents from various 

wings of J&K Police, 

IRP, CRPF, Fire & Emergency, 

(Local /STD) is reduced to 30 

paisa/minute. 

Similarly in STV-42, with 

validity of 21 days call rate of 

all call rate of all BSNL Calls 

(Local/ STD) is reduced to 

01 paisa/ 3 seconds and all 

other network calls (Local / 

STD) is reduced to 2 paisa /3 

seconds. 

This was informed in 

the Press conference by 

Muhammad Saleem Beg 

GMTD Srinagar. He further 

informed that about 125 

new state of art technology 

BTSs will be added by the 

end of March-2016 which 

will strengthen the network 

to a large extent besides Data 

services will get improved. 

While requesting the 

privileged customer of BSNL, 

GMTD sought cooperation 

from the customers in submitting 

their documents 

(2 recent photographs and 

Valid Proof of address and 

identity) for reconstruction 

of new CAF which the 

department has lost in the 

Sept-14 floods. (CNS) 


Srinagar, Jan 18: Stressing 

on the need to chalk out 

effective parking management 

mechanism to ease 

traffic congestion the Divisional 

Commissioner, Kashmir, 

Asgar Hassan Samoon 

today said that adopting the 

concept of vertical parking 

and paid parking will help 

in smooth movement of 

traffic on the roads by taking 

scores of cars off from 

road sides. 

The Divisional commissioner 

said this while 

chairing a meeting of officers 

from State Development 

Authority, Srinagar Municipal 

Corporation, Road and 

Building ,police ,Government 

Press, ERA Kashmir 

and JKPCC Ltd. 

system. He also interacted 

with the officers in different 

police stations and police 

posts, besides monitoring 

the traffic movement in various 

parts of the city. 

Later, the DGP convened 

a meeting of officers and 

discussed the important issues 

regarding improving 

communication networking 

in the Zone. He said that in 

view of the recent terrorist 


Jammu, Jan 18: The 18th 

meeting of the Governing 

body of Jammu and Kashmir 

Entrepreneurship Development 

Institute (JKEDI) was 

held here today under the 

Chairmanship of Chief Secretary, 

B R Sharma. 

While reviewing the 

progress of the Institute, 

the Chief Secretary said that 

JKEDI has been created to increase 

employability and enhance 

entrepreneurial skills 

among youth of the state. He 

added that focus on skill development 

is also required to 

be increased so that futuristic 

need of skilled manpower 

could also be met. 

Director JKEDI, Dr. M.I. 

Parray briefed the meeting 

attacks at Udhampur and 

Pathankot, strong communication 

system has become 

more imperative to tackle 

the situations more efficiently 

and ensure security 

of the people. He said it has 

been experienced that during 

exigencies particularly 

in calamities, conventional 

network does not work 

properly, disrupting the 

communication system and 

about the progress and performance 

of the Institute. 

He said during the financial 

years 2014-15 and 2015-16 

(till 31.12.2015), the institute 

has organised 866 Entrepreneurship 

Awareness Programmes 

(EAPs), 175 Entrepreneurship 

Development 

Programmes (EDPs) and 12 

Entrepreneurship Orientation 

Programmes (EOPs). 

He said under Seed 

Capital Fund Scheme the 

institute has been able to 

facilitate the establishment 

of 4036 units till ending December 

2015 covering 4189 

beneficiaries. 

Under the Youth Startup 

Loan Scheme, the Institute 

has, since June 2012 till 

December 31, 2015 facilitated 

the establishment of 653 

News 

Tuesday 

2 

19.01.2016 

creating panic among the 

masses. In such situation alternate 

system of communication 

should be put in place 

to ensure quick response 

towards the public calls for 

their help. 

Rajendra said that the 

new Hi-Tech System has 

been introduced to cater to 

the demands of the force 

to provide better services 

to the people and detect 

crimes within minimum 

possible time. He asked 

the officers to monitor 

working of the system and 

ensure improvements by 

introducing new technologies. 

He assured that all assistance 

would be provided 

by PHQ to make it result 

oriented. 

Among others, the 

meeting was attended by 

IGP, Jammu Zone, Danish 

Rana, IGP Telecom, M. A. 

Ganai, DIG Jammu, Ashkoor 

Ahmed Wani, DPT, Hilal 

Ahmed, SSP Jammu, Uttam 

Chand, SSP PCR, Ashok 

Sharma, SP Telecom Jammu, 

Devander Singh and other 

police officers. 

Chief Secretary chairs 18 th 

Governing Body meeting of JKEDI 

Div Com for developing vertical 

parking to ease traffic congestion 

DDC Kulgam finalizes 

R-Day arrangements 

Homeguard, NCC, besides 

students from various educational 

institutions of the 

district will take part in the 

march past. 

The DDC took detailed 

review of the arrangements 

with regard to security , water 

and power supply, illumination 

around the venue, 

sanitation etc. He stressed 

for coordination among the 

concerned departments for 

the National event. 

DDC directed Chief 

Medical Officer, Kulgam 

to deploy an ambulance 

with doctors and paramedics 

and life saving 

drugs at the venue on the 

Republic Day. 

Regarding cleanliness 

and sanitation in and 

around the venue, DDC 

directed the officers of 

Municipality Kulgam to 

deploy the required man 

power during the rehearsal 

and main function. 

It was also informed 

that similar functions will 

be held at Sub Divisional 

level and Tehsil headquarters 

across the district. 

Samoon said with limited 

free space available 

in Srinagar city, the stress 

should be on the construction 

of vertical car parking, 

so that more cars could be 

accommodated in lesser 

space. He stressed on proper 

planning for developing 

new car parking and other 

government structures. 

He also emphasized the 

need to develop a mechanism 

to check idle parking 

and for providing paid parking 

facilities to the people. 

He said that this will also 

help to generate employment 

avenues for many. 

The Divisional Commissioner 

directed the concerned 

to ensure shifting of 

government press to newly 

constructed building in 

Sempore, Pampore within 

next three months. 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Press Information 

Bureau (PIB) Srinagar organised a 

day long workshop for the working 

journalists of Pulwama and Shopian 

districts at District Administration 

Centre Pulwama on Saturday. 

The workshop, titled as Vartalap, 

is aimed to act as a direct interface 

between PIB’s Regional/Branch offices 

and the journalists working at district 

and sub-district levels. The workshop 

is part of PIB’s media outreach strategy 

with the aim of establishing direct 

contact with working journalists. 

The proceedings of the workshop 

were chaired by Shri Ghulam 

Abbas, Assistant Director (Media and 

enterprises. 

The Governing Body 

meeting also reviewed the 

progress under Term Loan 

and Education Loan Schemes 

of NMDFC, Himayat Self-Employment 

Scheme, progress 

under 10 Handicraft based 

clusters in and around Srinagar, 

Conduct of Vocational 

Training Programmes (VTPs) 

under NMDFC and institution 

of Annual Awards to the 

Entrepreneurs. 

Other issues including 

establishment of EDI campus 

in Jammu, augmentation 

of training facilities at JKEDI, 

Pampore and establishment 

of Centre for Incubation and 

Business Acceleration (CIBA) 

at JKEDI, Pampore were also 

examined in the governing 

body meeting. 

Jammu, Jan 18: Nineteen 

districts of the state have 

been able to make NFSA data 

compatible for ensuring the 

proper implementation of 

the act in the state. 

The information was 

given during a review meeting 

convened by Secretary 

CA&PD Saurabh Bhagat on 

the directions of the Chief 

Secretary, B R Sharma to 

discuss the modalities for 

implementation of the Act 

in the state . 

The meeting was attended 

through videoconferencing 

by all the Deputy 

Commissioner’s, Directors 

CA&PD Jammu, Kashmir besides 

the senior officers of 

the CA&PD department and 

National Informatics Centre 

(NIC). 

The meeting was told 

Communication) PIB Srinagar who 

stressed upon the need to give preference 

to proactive development journalism 

in the state so that people at 

grassroots can be made aware about 

the schemes being run by central and 

state governments for the welfare of 

the people. He urged the participating 

journalists to play a positive role 

in highlighting development issues 

and be a mirror to the government 

in the implementation of the welfare 

schemes. 

The main objective of the workshop 

was to ensure effective communication 

and dissemination of 

information regarding government 

Hizb pays tribute to 

slain commander, 

prays for Geelani’s 

well being 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Militant 

outfit Hizbul Mujahideen 

Monday paid rich tribute 

to one of its commanders 

Ghulam Rasool Dar alias Ghazi 

Naseeruddin on his 12th death 

anniversary. Ghazi was killed 

in 2004 during a gunfight 

with government troopers in 

Srinagar. As per a statement, 

Hizb Chief Syed Salahuddin 

while addressing a meeting 

said that the slain militant 

was a religious figure and an 

“ardent supporter of Kashmir 

Freedom Struggle”. “Ghazi 

was well-educated who spent 

most of his time in prayers. He 

was possessing unique leadership 

qualities.” 

Syed Salahuddin said that 

the death of Ghazi “produced 

motivated large number of 

youth and his drops of blood 

have continuously been 

inspiring the freedom lovers 

in Kashmir.” The meeting was 

also addressed by Deputy 

Commander Saifullah Khalid. 

“The martyrs of Kashmir 

were also prayed rich tribute 

in the meeting and prayers 

were held for the wellbeing of 

the Hurriyat leader Syed Ali 

Geelani,” said the statement. 

Action Taken Report on 

the decisions taken in the 

17th Governing Body Meeting 

was also reviewed in the 

meeting. 

Commissioner Secretary 

Finance, Navin Kumar 

Choudhary, Commissioner 

Secretary Industries and 

Commerce, Shailendra Kumar, 

Commissioner Secretary, 

Technical Education, 

Youth Services & Sports, 

Hirdesh Kumar, Commissioner 

Secretary Agriculture 

Production, M.A. Bukhari, 

Secretary Rural Development 

& Panchayati Raj, 

Khurshid Ahmad besides 

representatives of JK Bank 

and National Science & Technology 

Entrepreneurship 

Development Board were 

also present in the meeting. 

www.preciouskashmir.com 

DDC Kupwara reviews 

developmental projects 


Kupwara, Jan 18: District Development Commissioner 

Kupwara today convened a meeting to review the progress 

of ongoing developmental projects under R&B, JK- 

PCC, PMGSY in the district . 

The meeting also discussed the progress of ongoing 

works of different government degree colleges under 

higher education sector and technical education 

sector. 

It was informed that JKPCC is executing various projects 

to the tune of Rs. 7514.37 lakh in the district while 

under PMGSY works on 96 roads, 9 bridges were carried 

out of which 97 projects have been completed upto 

December 2015 and 63 habitations have been provided 

road connectivity. 

The DDC sought detailed project reports from the departments 

for releases of funds. He exhorted upon the 

concerned agencies to complete the ongoing projects 

within a stipulated time frame. 

SIE organizes workshops 

to acquaint teachers with 

latest teaching techniques 

Srinagar, Jan 18: To improve the quality of teaching 

learning process at elementary as well as secondary level, 

the State Institute of Education (SIE) organized three 

workshops of five days duration on mathematics, science 

and education technology at SIE complex Bemina. 

A five day workshop on capacity building of elementary 

level mathematics teachers on the theme 

“Development of Mathematics Lab” was conducted 

by the mathematics wing of SIE in which 27 teachers 

participated. 

Another workshop was held on basics of computer 

for elementary level teachers conducted by the educational 

technology wing in which as many as 28 teachers 

participated. The aim of the workshop was to acquaint 

the teachers with the basic skill and knowledge about 

the operations of the computers. Similarly 26 teachers 

participated in the orientation course on “Module making 

for secondary level”. 

Joint Director Trainings/Principal SIE during her valedictory 

address stressed upon all participants to take 

benefit of the orientation programme use the skills and 

techniques for making teaching learning process more 

interesting and effective. 

Inspecting team makes 

surprise visit to various 

govt offices 


Srinagar, Jan 18: On the instructions of Divisional Commissioner, 

Kashmir Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon, Addl. 

Commissioner, Kashmir and Deputy Director conducted 

surprise check of various government offices today. 

The inspecting teams visited the offices of State 

Editor Gazetteer, Srinagar, Custodian Evacuees Property, 

Kashmir, Deputy Director, Archives, Archaeology and 

Museums Srinagar, Director Rural Development Department, 

Kashmir, State Board of School Education, 

Composite Regional Centre, Housing Board and Director, 

Urban Local Bodies in order to check the presence of 

Employees well. 

During the inspection of various offices it was enjoined 

upon all the officers to ensure submission of attendance 

of their employees regularly by 10:45 am as 

per revised format devised by General Administration 

Department in order to provide general public hassle free 

disposal of their grievances related to day to day issues. 

Secretary CA&PD reviews status of 

implementation of NFSA 

that the aadhaar seeding 

has been completed upto 

56% from the existing 3% and 

considerable progress has 

been made for data basing 

the categories to be covered 

under the Act. It was also 

given out that the process 

would be completed very 

soon so that the Act would 

be implemented in the state 

in a stipulated time frame. 

The Secretary directed 

all the Deputy Commissioners 

to complete the left over 

data updation about the prospective 

beneficiaries under 

the Act by 25th of this month 

by coordinating their efforts 

with all the departments and 

NIC. He also directed them to 

give certificates including 

the number of all deserving 

beneficiaries/ souls as per 

the inclusion criteria which 

have been uploaded on the 

PIB holds one-day workshop for 

journalists of Pulwama, Shopian 

policies, programmes and schemes 

to the masses. Journalists serve as a 

vital link in the chain of information, 

and play a significant role in the process 

of establishing a direct two-way 

communication process between the 

administration and the citizens. The 

workshop aimed at deepening the 

level of communication and interaction 

between the journalists and the 

administration for the overall benefit 

of the citizens. 

Over 60 working journalists from 

the twin districts of Pulwama and 

Shopian participated in the one day 

event. The journalists were sensitized 

about their role in highlighting local 

national portal, the beneficiaries 

already uploaded on 

the portal who have been 

issued ration cards under 

NFSA category wise and the 

certificate regarding fidelity 

of the information done by 

the concerned Deputy Commissioner. 

The Secretary also reviewed 

the status/ position 

with regard to issuance 

of forms for AAY, Priority 

households, Non- priority 

and exclusion category 

besides the number of the 

declaration forms received 

under these categories. The 

status of position of scrutiny/ 

segregation and fidelity 

check of forms, number 

of complaints received, disposed 

and number of data 

digitized with Aadhaar seedings 

were also discussed. 

issues and making people aware in 

rural areas about benefits of centrally 

sponsored welfare schemes. 

Special sessions about various 

nuances of development journalism 

and role of a local journalist viz-aviz 

development in rural areas were 

also held in the workshop, which 

was addressed by a number of senior 

and experienced working journalists 

besides other trainers. Shafiq 

Ahmad Qureshi, Deputy Director 

(News) Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar 

was among the experts who 

spoke at the workshop. 

The journalists were also awarded 

certificates of participation by PIB.

Precious Kashmir 

Delhi police 'arrest' 

Kashmiri youth; family 

seeks whereabouts 

Srinagar, Jan 18: A 28- 

year old youth, who hails 

from Sumbal area of north 

Kashmir Bandipora district, 

has been 'arrested' by police 

in Delhi while his family has 

sought his whereabouts. 

The youth, Yasir Zahoor 

Malla of Shilvat village of 

Sumbal, has been working 

in private telecom company, 

Vodafone from last five to 

six years in Delhi, his father 

Zahoor Ahmad Malla told 

Srinagar-based news agency 

Global News Service. 

"Until January 1, he was 

in regular touch with us 

but then we didn't receive 

any call from him. We had 

no information about his 

condition and last Friday on 

January 16, I received a call 

from Police Station Sumbal 

who informed me that my 

son has been arrested by 

police in Delhi. But gave 

no further details," visibly 

worried Zahoor said. 

He said that his son had 

last year in April returned 

home and was mentally 

disturbed due to his mother's 

death. "He was upset 

and disturbed but then he 

returned back to Delhi onDecember 

15 last year," he said. 

Zahoor, who is a labourer 

by profession, said that he 

has no information about 

his son. 

"I appeal administration 

and police of Kashmir to 

kindly let me know where 

my son is lodged. Though I 

am a poor man but I will do 

something to reach out to 

my son in Delhi. All I want 

to know his whereabouts," 

Zahoor pleaded. 

He said that the Kashmiri 

youth are not safe in any part 

of India and they are arrested 

without any justification and 

then framed in false cases. 

"You have seen many cases 

particular after beef controversy 

how Kashmiris were 

targeted outside Valley," he 

said. 

However when contacted, 

a police inspector 

at Sumbal police station 

said they received no such 

call from Delhi and have no 

information about any local 

youth's arrest. 

Inspector General of Police 

Kashmir Range, SJM Gillani 

also feigned ignorance 

about the arrest and urged to 

contact SP Bandipora. 

When contacted SP 

Bandipora, Shabir Ahmad, 

he said that they didn't 

receive any call from Delhi 

Police and have no such 

information about youth’s 

arrest. (GNS) 

NEWS 

Shantmanu designated 

as chief electoral officer 

Srinagar, Jan 18: The government 

today designated Shantmanu 

as Chief Electoral Officer 

J&K while as it ordered transfer 

of three other IAS officers. 

According to two separate 

government orders, government 

accorded sanction to the 

promotion of Shantmanu (IAS) 

to the Higher Administrative 

Grade of Rs 67000-79000with 

annual increment of 3% with 

effect from 01-01-2016. 

“Consequent upon his 

promotion, Shantmanu shall 

be designated as Chief Electoral 

Officer, J&K / Principal 

Secretary to the Government, 

Election Department,” reads 

the order. 

According to GNS, the 

government also ordered promotion 

Mrs. Vineeta Gupta 

(IAS) and Shahid Anayatullah 

(IAS) to the Super Time Scale 

of Rs.37400-67000 with Grade 

Pay of Rs. 10,000/- with effect 

from 01-01-2016:- 

Ajeet Kumar Sahu (IAS) 

has also been promoted to the 

Selection Grade of Rs. 37400- 

67000 with Grade Pay of Rs. 

87001- with effect from 01- 

01-2016; and 

Besides, it ordered promotion 

to the Senior Time 

Scale of Rs. 15,600-39,100 

with Grade Pay of Rs. 66001- 

with effect from 01-01-2016 

of four other officers including 

Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Ravinder 

Kumar, Piyush Singla and 

Mohd. Aijaz. 

Meanwhile, as per a separate 

order, the government 

also ordered transfer and positing 

of Pramod Kumar Jain 

(IAS) as Chairman J&K Special 

Tribunal, relieving Rakesh 

Kumar Gupta (IAS), Principal 

Secretary Environment and 

Ecology Department of the 

additional charge. 

Bharat Bhushan Vyas (IAS) 

has been posted as Financial 

Commissioner, Information, 

Hospitality and Protocol and 

Civil Aviation Departments. 

He shall also hold additional 

charge of the Administrative 

Secretary for the Estates Department, 

the government 

said. 

Nirmal Sharma (IAS), 

awaiting orders of adjustment, 

has been posted as 


Labour and Employment Department, 

reliving Shailendra 

Kumar (IAS), Commissioner 


Industries & Commerce Department 

of the additional 

charge. (GNS) 

Srinagar,Tuesday 


No trace of Kupwara trio 

Kupwara, Jan 18: The family 

members of three missing 

persons from border district 

Kupwara Monday alleged 

that police have ‘miserably 

failed’ to trace Ghulam Jeelani 

Khatana, Mir Hussain 

Khatana and Ali Muhammad 

Sheikh of Dardpora Kralgund 

who are missing since November 

17, 2015 after they 

were taken along by Manzoor 

Ahmad Khoja of 160 Battalion 

Territorial Army. 

The accused Army soldier 

Manzoor Ahmad is in 

police remand till January 

24. Since November 2014 

police have sought multiple 

remands from the local court. 

“The Army soldier Manzoor 

took away my husband, 

our lone bread earner. Why 

can’t police make him speak 

truth,” Jana Begum the wife 

of one of the missing person 

Ghulam Jeelani Khatana said. 

Last year in November, 

Manzoor Ahmed Khawaja, 

soldier of 160 Battalion 

of the Territorial Army met 

with three men- Ghulam 

Jeelani Khatana, Mir Hussain 

Khatana and Ali Muhammad 

Sheikh in Kupwara. The trio 

were known to him. Khawaja 

according to family members 

had promised to come with 

a job offer for them. When 

they didn’t return home that 

evening, anguished families 

tried to reach them on 

mobile phones, but in vain. 

After a week-long wait, the 

families grew suspicious and 

approached the Army unit of 

the accused soldier to know 

the whereabouts of their 

family heads. However, the 

Army washed off its hands 

from the incident. 

On November 28 last 

year, they approached police 

a filed a case. Khawaja was 

soon arrested and investigation 

were started which has 

brought no good news for the 

families so far with Khawaj 

behind bars in Srinagar central 

Jail. 

Khurshid Ahmed the 

3 

brother of another missing 

person said that they have 

lost all hopes and they don’t 

know whether they do exist 

on planet or not. “We had 

lot of expectations from the 

police but they didn’t take 

the case seriously,” he alleged 

but added that they 

are counting on Court now. 

“Three heads of families 

have vanished. Two months 

have expired and yet the 

police have failed to trace 

them,” he said and alleged 

that the guilty soldier was 

not interrogated at all in police 

station. 

SSP Kupwara Ajaz 

Ahmed said that there is no 

breakthrough the case. “The 

investigation is going on and 

we are on it,” he said. (CNS) 

Budgam 

youth gets 

caught in rice 

huller, dies 


Budgam: A 26-year old rice 

husking unit owner died on 

spot after he got trapped in 

a strap of the machine accidently 

on Sunday night in 

Central Kashmir’s Budgam 

district. 

Police sources said that 

Reyaz Ahmad Khan, son of 

Abdul Rashid, a resident of 

Gunde-e-Panah Budgam 

was busy in husking rice 

when he accidently got 

trapped in rice huller. He 

was rushed to hospital however 

doctors declared him 

brought dead. The deceased 

was 26 years old. (CNS) 

Severe cold 

in Valley, 

bright 

sunshine in 

Jammu 


Srinagar, Jan 18: Severe cold 

continued in Kashmir Valley 

as bright sunshine greeted 

people in Jammu city on 

Monday, a day after cloudy 

and cold weather. 

“The minimum temperature 

in Srinagar was 

minus 4.2 degrees Celsius 

today (Monday). Due to 

cloud cover, the maximum 

temperature is likely to 

hover around eight degrees 

in the city,” an official of the 

local Met department said. 

The minimum temperature 

was recorded at 


in Pahalgam and minus five 

degrees Celsius in Gulmarg, 

the weather office said. 

“Leh town recorded 


while Kargil town recorded 


in the Ladakh region.” 

The official said the minimum 

temperature was recorded 

at 3.6 degrees Celsius 

in Jammu city on Monday 

while the maximum is likely 

to hover around 18 degrees 

Celsius. 

“Bright sunshine during 

the day is likely to push up 

the maximum temperature 

in Jammu city today (Monday),” 

the official said. 

The minimum temperature 

was recorded 

at 5.3 degrees Celsius in 

Mata Vaishno Devi base 

camp town of Katra and it 

was 2.5 degrees Celsius in 

Batote, minus 0.5 degrees 

Celsius in Bannihal and minus 

0.4 degrees Celsius in 

Bhaderwah town of Jammu 

region. 

Dry weather will 

continue in Jammu and 

Kashmir during the night 

for two days. 

Why people are being 

deprived govt? Omar asks PDP 


Srinagar, Jan 18: Taking a dig 

at the Peoples Democratic 

Party (PDP) for not forming 

government in Jammu and 

Kashmir despite declaring 

that alliance with BJP stands, 

working president of the National 

Conference (NC) Omar 

Abdullah said this is being 

done to salvage some bare 

minimum credibility for the 

PDP and to create a smokescreen 

of stiff morality. 

“From the statement issued 

to the media at the conclusion 

of core group meeting 

of PDP, it has become evident 

that the PDP-BJP Alliance 

stands, no conditions have 

been set by the PDP, no negotiations 

are being conducted 

and the formation of the 

new PDP-BJP Government is 

a foregone conclusion,” the 

former Chief Minister wrote 

on Facebook. 

He said while the PDP 

has declared that the PDP-BJP 

‘Agenda of the Alliance’ is a 

“sacred document” and that 

PDP continues to be in awe 


Srinagar, Jan 18: Paying 

glowing tributes to people 

killed in Gaw Kadal massacre 

on their 26th anniversary, 

a spokesman of Hurriyat 

(M) Monday said Gaw Kadal 

(Srinagar) was the first major 

massacre during Kashmir’s 

ongoing resistance movement 

when the government 

forces opened fire at unarmed 

civilian protestors, 

killing 52 among them. 

Hurriyat (M) spokesman 

said that it is imperative 

upon the people of Kashmir 

to show commitment and 

steadfastness towards the 

movement. He said that 26 

years had passed since the 

massacre, but neither had 

any probe been ordered into 

it nor the guilty nabbed and 

punished. 

Supporting the shutdown 

call in Gaw Kadal and 

its adjoining areas given by 

Peoples Political Party (PPP) 

headed by Engineer Hilal 

Ahmad War, a constituent of 

Hurriyat (M), on January 21, 

of the BJP and Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi, there is an 

inexplicable delay in Government 

formation. 

“The people of the state 

continue to be deprived of an 

elected Government while 

two political parties with a 

combined majority continue 

to be in an alliance – which is 

bizarre and unprecedented. 

This posturing and political 

drama comes at the cost of 

uncertainty, instability and 

chaos in the State.” Abdullah 

further wrote that Mehbooba 

Mufti (or PDP for that matter) 

has two options – to either 

deliver on the promises 

made to the people of J&K or 

to break the alliance with the 

BJP. 

“To hang on to this alliance 

with the BJP for dear life 

while pretending to be the 

unwavering example of high 

morality is akin to aspiring to 

have the cake and eat it too,” 

Omar said. 

”If Ms Mufti can’t rise to 

the occasion, she should end 

PDP’s alliance with the BJP 

based on former’s alleged 

reservations and regrets over 

the previous ten months and 

we can go back to the people 

again for fresh elections,” the 

working president of NC said. 

“The longer Ms Mufti delays 

the imminent government 

formation with the BJP, the 

more people will expect her 

to extract concessions from 

the Centre,” he added. 

”I wish her the best of 

luck in her political games 

with the genuine disappointment 

that these political 

games and theatrics come at 

a grave cost to the common 

man in J&K who continues 

to be surrounded by an eerie 

political uncertainty,” he said 

The people of the state continue to be deprived of an 

elected Government while two political parties with a 

combined majority continue to be in an alliance – which is 

bizarre and unprecedented. This posturing and political 

drama comes at the cost of uncertainty, instability and 

chaos in the State. 

Hurriyat (M) 

pays tributes to 

Gaw Kadal 

massacre victims 

2016, on the 26th anniversary 

of the Gaw Kadal massacre, 

the spokesman said 

the call of PPP was justified 

because this would serve as 

a mark of tribute and as a 

mark of protest against the 

government forces besides 

sending a message to the 

international community to 

use their good offices for the 

resolution of Kashmir issue. 

He urged the people to 

make the call a success by 

keeping a complete shutdown 

in the areas of the 

strike call. 

OGW apprehended 

in Handwara; 

says police 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Police on 

Monday claimed to have arrested 

an over ground worker 

(OGW) of Al-Badar militant 

outfit in Handwara area of 

north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. 

“Acting on tip off, Handwara 

police along with 27RR 

Army laid a Naka at Sagipora 

Crossing. During checking 

one suspect who tried to 

hide himself and give slip to 

the Naka party was apprehended 

and later identified 

as Bashir Ahmad Dar resident 

of Pohru Peth, an over 

ground worker of Al-Badar 

militant Outfit”, a police 

spokesman in a statement 

issued to GNS said. 

Don’t take 

decision in 

haste: Rashid 

tells Mehbooba 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Independent Legislator 

Er Rasheed Monday suggested PDP 

president Mehbooba Mufti “not to take 

a decision in haste” over government 

formation. 

Addressing party workers at various 

places in Langate today, he said, “though 

people deserve a popular government 

New Delhi, Jan 18: The two committees, 

formed to investigate the crash of a BSF 

plane and helicopter in Katra, have been 

given six months to submit their reports. 

A four-member Committee of Inquiry 

will investigate and determine the causes 

and contributory factors leading to the crash 

of a Border Security Force (BSF) Super King 

Air B200 aircraft after taking off from Palam 

airport here last month, official sources said. 

All 10 people on board the plane, 

which was to go to Ranchi, were killed 

in the accident that took place shortly 

after it take-off on December 22, 2015. 

The Committee will be headed by by R S 

Passi, Deputy Director of Aircraft Accident 

APDP demands probe into 

killing of Pulwama barber 


Pulwama: While strongly 

condemning abduction and 

murder of a barber Ghulam 

Mohammad Hajam, Association 

of Parents of Disappeared 

Persons (APDP) 

Monday demanded that 

there must be an impartial 

enquiry into the matter and 

the perpetrators behind the 

disappearance and subsequent 

killing of Hajam be 

brought to book. 

The body of the disappeared 

barber was recovered 

from a river side in 

Pulwama district on Sunday 

night. 

Ghulam Mohammad 

Hajam (55) son of Ghulam 

Qadir Hajam, a barber from 

Tengpuna village of Pulwama 

went missing on January 

3, 2016 and the family 

alleged that he was arrested 

by police during their action 

against the agitating people 

who have been demanding 

to erect a memorial, in 

memory of slain militants / 

civilians killed by the armed 

forces. 

“Ghulam Mohammad 

disappeared from his shop. 

One of Hajam’s neighbouring 

shopkeepers, a baker, 

told the family that he had 

seen Hajam in the morning 

but addressing their political aspirations 

and protecting their rights is far more 

important than other all issues.” 

“It should not be the primary question 

whether a civilian government runs 

the show or someone else, as in any case 

the government machinery has to be the 

same, but the elected government has 

to project and resolve the aspirations of 

the people and if sincere can force New 

Delhi for an honourable solution to the 

dispute. Any well-wisher of Kashmiris 

should not force or compel Mehbooba to 

form the govt. in hast under current circumstances. 

However, BJP is leaving no 

stone unturned to bury the Kashmir issue 

and has forced PDP to go defensive,” 

Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and will have 

Captain Anant Sethi, Chief Pilot of Madhya 

Pradesh government, K Ramachandra, Air 

Safety of AAIB and Raje Bhatnagar of AAIB 

as its members. 

Three-member Committee, headed by 

Yash Pall, former Deputy General Manager 

(Maintenance) of Pawan Hans Helicopters 

Limited, will investigate the chopper crash 

in Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra in November 

last year. 

Seven people, including a woman 

pilot and a newly-wed couple, were killed 

when a chopper ferrying them to base 

camp of over 700-year-old Vaishnodevi 

shrine on November 23. The Ecureuil 

of January 3 working in his 

shop. Thereafter, his family 

received information from 

some reliable source that 

Hajam was taken to Police 

Line Pulwama. On contacting 

the police, the family 

was told that few boys were 

taken into custody and later 

released. However, Police 

denied arresting Hajam,” 

APDP said in a statement. 

“On January 17, 2016, 

the dead body of the disappeared 

Ghulam Mohammad 

Hajam has been recovered 

from the banks of 

river Jehlum at Charoosa 

Awantipora, in Pulwama 

district. (CNS) 

he told his party workers. 

Rasheed added, “the act of time being 

consumed by Mehbooba Mufti for 

government formation will be appreciable 

if she uses the opportunity to say 

‘bye-bye’ to BJP.” 

BSF plane, Katra chopper crash probe in 6 months 

Rahul Bhat to shoot film ‘To hell 

with heaven’ in Kashmir in Feb 

Jammu, Jan 18: Model-actor Rahul Bhat of 

“Ugly” fame Monday said he will be shooting his 

new film “To hell with the Heaven” in Kashmir 

from next month. 

“I am shooting a film from February 15 in 

Kashmir Valley and the story line of the film is 

about a Kashmiri Pandit child”, Bhat said. 

It is a short film with maximum shooting 

based in the Valley, from where the Kashmiri 

Pandits migrated due to fear and terror following 

emergence of Militancy in 1989-1990. 

“It is the film which is my own story of my 

childhood. I am also a migrant. I am not from 

those who have never been to Kashmir, never 

seen migration from Kashmir to Jammu and suddenly 

found new love for Kashmir,” Bhat said. 

“I have migrated from Kashmir Valley, remained 

in a camp in Jammu and struggled to 

reach to the place of an actor. That pain, which 

I have experienced, is the focus of my film. I will 

take maximum Kashmiri Pandit actors in the 

film. I will try to get people from Jammu,” he 

added. 

The first sequence of the film is a broad shot 

from Shankeracharya temple hill. 

Bhat is excited about his three films — “Fitoor”, 

“Jai Gangaajal” and “Aur Devdas” — which 

are set to release this year. 

“My three films are being released this year. 

In ‘Fitoor’, I have a special appearance, The second 

is ‘Jai Gangaajal’ is being released on March 4 

and ‘Aur Devdas’ is coming by April end”, he said. 

AS350 B3 helicopter was being operated 

by Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd to ferry 

pilgrims between Katra’s base camp and 

‘Sanjhi Chhat’ helipad at the shrine. 

Both the Committees will make recommendations 

to avoid recurrence of such 

accidents in future, the sources said. 

The Committees can also take the 

assistance of other experts or agencies 

whenever required. 

They will complete its inquiry and 

submit its report to the central government 

preferably within six months, they said. 

The panels, formed late last month, 

will submit their report in June, the 

sources said. 

RASM-E- CHAHARUM 

With profound grief, it is to inform everyone 

that wife of late Abdul Razaq Bhat R/O 

Path Pora Kawadara Srinagar, left for her 

heavenly abode on Monday January 18. May 

Allah grant her Jannat-ul-Firdous (Aameen). 

The Rasm-e-Chaharum will be conducted 

on 21st of Jan 2016 at 11 AM at the ancestral 

graveyard Syed Sahib Rajouri Kadal 

Near Gani Memorial Stadium Rajouri Kadal 

Srinagar. 

Bereaved 

Noor Mohammad Bhat, Bashir Ahmad Bhat 

Contact: 9796505166, 9858777759

Precious Kashmir 

Rich really 

getting richer 

Just 62 individuals had the same wealth as 

3.5 billion people — the bottom half of humanity—in 

2015, according to a new report, 

An Economy For The 1%, by global advocacy 

Oxfam. This figure is down from 388 individuals 

as recently as 2010. The wealth of the 

richest 62 people has risen 44 percent in the 

five years since 2010, an increase of $542 

billion (Rs.24,66,100 crore) to $1.76 trillion 

(Rs.1,07,36,000 crore), which is 86 percent 

($2.05 trillion) of India’s GDP in 2014. The 

wealth of the bottom half fell by just over $1 

trillion in the same period, a drop of 41 percent. 

This scenario is a reminder of aphorism 

“the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”, 

a commonly used socialist criticism of capitalism. 

The findings provide some context 

to the forthcoming January 20 World Economic 

Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos with 

the theme: Mastering The Fourth Industrial 

Revolution. The latest figures on household 

incomes show that over the past two years 

income inequality has increased. However, 

income is only part of the issue. The figures 

also show that wealth inequality has increased 

such that (in terms of wealth) Australia 

is now less equal than ever before.As a 

general rule, wealth is less equally distributed 

across households than is income. This is not 

surprising when you consider that income is 

subject to taxes and can be apportioned via 

government benefits. Wealth, on the other 

hand, is rather less flexible, and it also accumulates. 

While having a high income one 

year will give you are pretty good chance 

of having a high income the next year, the 

odds are much better that wealth this year 

will lead to more wealth next year. When 

we look at the split of income and wealth 

across households, the difference in equality 

is quite stark. The poorest 20% of households 

by income hold 7.5% of total household income, 

but the poorest 20% of households by 

net worth (or wealth) hold just 1.1% of total 

household wealth: 

I 

Edit 

Srinagar,Tuesday 

18.01.2016 4 

Just how bright is Iran’s 

new dawn? 

Belen Fernandez 

magine that 10 Iranian soldiers aboard Iranian 

military vessels had turned up off the coast of the 

United States. 

It’s safe to assume that, whatever course of 

action was selected by US officials in response to 

the incursion, it would not have involved briefly detaining 

the visitors and then sending them on their 

merry way without a disproportionate amount of 

bellicose rhetoric and conspiracy theories launched 

by the sectors of US and international society that 

specialise in such things. 

In recent years, Iran has hardly needed to raise 

a finger to get neoconservative and other parties 

united. Back in 2011, for example, a congressional 

subcommittee heard testimony regarding the 

alleged threat to US homeland security posed by 

Iranian actions in Latin America. 

Among these actions was a reported request 

from the Iranian embassy in Bolivia for more than 

two dozen spaces at the international school in 

La Paz for the offspring of diplomatic personnel. 

Frightening stuff. 

La Paz, mind you, is no fewer than 6,225 kilometres 

from Washington, DC - in other words, a 

much longer distance than that between the Iranian 

homeland and the US military boats which 

appeared last week in Iranian territorial waters. 

And while Iran released the 10 detained US 

soldiers in expedited fashion, various Western 

politicians and media couldn’t help but exploit 

the opportunity to cast the Islamic Republic as 

the aggressor in this case. 

Out with the old, in with the new 

The incident took place just days before the 

lifting of many sanctions against Iran as part of 

the nuclear deal, widely hailed as the dawn of a 

new era in relations between the maligned country 

and the so-called international community. 

But just how bright is that dawn? 

For starters, the US’ imposition of entirely 

new ballistic missile sanctions against Iran even 

as the other sanctions were being lifted would 

seem to indicate that, as far as the “international 

community” is concerned, the Islamic Republic is 

still persona non grata. 

The United States’ imposition of entirely new 

ballistic missile sanctions against Iran, even as the 

other sanctions were being lifted, would seem to 

indicate that, as far as the ‘international community’ 

is concerned, the Islamic Republic is still 

persona non grata. 

Perennial squawking by the US political 

establishment about Iran’s “destabilising activities” 

in the Middle East is another indicator of 

the prevailing notion that, whatever superficial 

improvements the country might undertake, it 

is fundamentally and inescapably Axis of Evil 

material. 

Never mind that Israel, America’s partner in 

crime in the Middle East, would appear to occupy 

the position of regional destabiliser-in-chief - and 

not only because it regularly massacres civilians. 

A non-signatory to the Treaty on the Non- 

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (a document for 

ever invoked to demonise Iran), Israel happens 

to possess a sizeable covert arsenal of nuclear 

weapons threatening the entire area, as such 

weapons tend to do. 

And what do you know: Israel is now 

requesting an increase in US military aid to 

possibly $5bn annually, up from the astronomical 

sum it already receives, to counter Iran and 

related nemeses. 

A new dawn, indeed. 

Collective punishment 

Barack Obama & Co can blather all they like 

about the nuclear deal and attendant prisoner 

swap as constituting a victory for “diplomacy”. 

But the fact is that self-appointed “diplomats” 

have been waging war by other means on Iran for 

years. 

A key pillar of this war involves economic 

sanctions, with the first US sanctions on Iran dating 

back to 1979. American independent scholar 

Sayres Rudy recently discussed more contemporary 

incarnations of the sanctions regime at a 

conference titled “Fragments of Empire After the 

American Century” - fittingly held at one such 

fragment, the American University of Beirut. 

Joking that he develops a rash any time he 

hears the phrase “international community”, 

Rudy observed that said grouping “proudly 

and visibly collectively punished the Iranian 


population to achieve selective disarmament of 

the nuclear-unarmed Iranian state, although it 

remains targeted and threatened continually by 

nuclear powers”. 

The beauty of sanctions for those who deploy 

them, Rudy noted, resides in their “seemingly 

bureaucratic, lawful, objective, transparent, and 

non-violent” nature, which provides a civilised 

veneer for what can amount to the decimation of 

populations. 

A short 2013 dispatch on the New York Times 

website describes the “devastating” effects of 

sanctions on Iran, where “the health of millions 

of Iranians has been compromised due to the 

shortage of western medical drugs and supplies”. 

In Iraq, as we all know, sanctions dispensed 

with some half a million children - an outcome 

endorsed by former US Secretary of State Madeleine 

Albright as follows: “We think the price is 

worth it.” 

Writing in the online magazine Warscapes in 

October of last year, meanwhile, Max Ajl pointed 

out that an “eas[ing of] Iran into an accommodation 

with the US-dominated global system” 

would require Iran to “become a very different 

country than it is now - one that does not contest 

Israeli interests [and] one that does not use its 

oil riches for human-centred development” but 

rather for purchases from Lockheed Martin and 

other such goodies. 

Until that happens, Iran will effectively maintain 

its position as international bullseye. Maybe we 

should hold off on the “new dawn” celebrations. 

Belen Fernandez is the author of The Imperial 

Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work, published 

by Verso. She is a contributing editor at Jacobin 

magazine. 

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 

Make Kohli ODI 

skipper 

T 

here’s a lot more to cricket than batting, a lesson 

Team India often learns when overseas. At home, 

Test pitches are tweaked to benefit spinners, so India 

can sustain its effectiveness. A third straight ODI defeat 

in Australia means Team India has surrendered 

the five-match series. However, it’s not all doom and 

gloom as India last week became the top-ranked Test 

team with South Africa dethroned. Purists must be 

delighted Virat Kohli’s squad have brought India back 

to the top in Tests after six years. They bucked the 

trend to win a series in Sri Lanka and beat South Africa 

3-0 at home, albeit on doctored pitches, to stage 

a smart comeback in the longer version. New-generation 

fans, more fixated on limited-overs cricket, 

might not be too thrilled with the M.S. Dhoni-led 

limited-overs side as the tiring captain hasn’t won an 

ODI series since October 2014. 

A long run of ineffective cricket, at home and abroad 

in ODIs and T-20s, means something is seriously 

wrong with Dhoni’s team. Batsmen do keep pounding 

runs and in individual landmarks like centuries 

India is far ahead even of Australia, with Rohit Sharma 

hitting two centuries and Virat Kohli one in the 

three ODIs. But such feats aren’t backed up with consistently 

incisive bowling, sharp fielding and quick 

running between wickets. There’s a lot to do, though 

the Indian team is ranked the world’s second best. 

It’s time Dhoni handed charge to Kohli in the short 

formats too to bring about a radical change in attitude. 

Email: preciouskashmir@gmail.com 

Website: www.preciouskashmir.com 

Mogamma: Egypt’s other 

great pyramid 

Khaled Diab 

Like the pyramids of Giza, it is a colossal 

structure known to Egyptians and 

foreigners alike. Unlike the pyramids, 

it is the object of almost universal contempt 

and frustration. 

Yes, of course, I am talking about the Mogamma 

on Tahrir Square, the high temple of 

the Egyptian bureaucracy, as anyone familiar 

with Egypt will have realised. Egypt’s “most 

hated” building, as one news site put it, is 

scheduled to close in 2017, which is bound to 

result in millions of collective sighs of relief. 

And the dimensions of this monolith 

are truly imposing. The 14-storey complex 

houses some 30,000 government employees 

in 1,350 rooms, while some 100,000 citizens 

navigate its labyrinth of corridors in an often 

futile quest for the magical sequence of 

stamps required to legitimise their paperwork. 

Despite popular belief, the building was 

not a socialist edifice built by Gamal Abdel 

Nasser but was constructed during the era 

of King Farouq as a symbol of Egypt’s march 

towards the mid-20th century as Britain 

vacated its barracks there. Today, that seems 

like a pipe dream. 

Mogammaesque 

Kafkaesque does not even begin to 

capture the dust-laden, claustrophobic, yet 

boisterous and loud, alienation felt when 

one enters this bureaucratic maze. 

It can only be described as “mogammaesque”: 

one measure Kafka, one part 

Orwell, with a liberal dose of Magritte’s surrealism 

and a dash of native wit. The Mogamma 

is real-life black comedy coloured by 

the irrepressible light-heartedness of Egypt. 

The indifferent, contemptuous gaze of the 

typical Mogamma civil-servant-cum-master 

causes the average visitor to metamorphose 

from a proud human into a shrinking, trembling, 

deferential insect. Ingratiating terms 

of respect - like “pasha”, even though Egypt 

abolished the gentry decades ago - are tossed 

around liberally to curry favour, in a variation 

of the old Egyptian adage: “If the dog has 

something you need, call him master.” 

One measure Kafka, one part Orwell, with 

a liberal dose of Magritte’s surrealism and a 

dash of native wit. The Mogamma is real-life 

black comedy coloured by the irrepressible 

light-heartedness of Egypt. 

Although bureaucracy is a global problem 

hobbling hundreds of millions of people 

around the world, the Egyptian version is 

especially convoluted, snail-paced, impenetrable 

and arbitrary, making it a haven for 

corruption and ineptitude. 

Despite the dominant and often traumatic 

role bureaucracy plays in Egyptian life, there 

is surprisingly no widely circulated local word 

for it, with Egyptians appropriating the English 

word “routine” to describe it. 

However, there is an abundance of words 

used to describe ways to circumvent it, 

including “wasta” (connections), “mahsoubiya” 

(favouritism) and “kousa” (courgette) to 

describe string pulling, or “halawa” (halva), 

“shai” (tea) or even bakshish (tip) to describe 

bribery. 

Given the outsized and tyrannical role 

played by bureaucracy in the lives of Egyptians 

and Egypt’s love of comedy, it is unsurprising 

that “al-routine” is a staple fare of 

street humour and popular satire. 

One Egyptian newspaper used to carry 

a memorable rogues’ parade of characters 

working in the civil service who frequented 

the “Civil Servant’s Teahouse”. 

Black comedy 

It also features in black comedy, such as in 

a film which explores the desperate attempts 

of a poor fisherman, who lives off the state’s 

radar on his Nile boat, to register his son’s 

birth retroactively so he can start school. 

The Mogamma itself is the star of a 1990s 

hit film, el-Irhab wal-Kabab (Terrorism and 

Kebab) in which a hard-pressed man who 

works at Cairo’s sewage treatment plant visits 

the high temple of bureaucracy in a bid to 

transfer his son to another school. 

An Egyptian protester flashes the sign of 

victory in front of the Mugamma in 2013 part 

of a growing campaign of civil disobedience 

around the country [AFP] 

The man in charge of transfers is never 

there and his colleagues are too busy talking 

on the telephone, preparing vegetables for 

dinner or constantly praying. When security 

try to eject him for attacking the bearded civil 

servant, he manages to grab one of their rifles 

and triggers a panic that a terrorist attack is in 

motion. 

When asked by the interior minister what 

his demands are, the hostage-taker and the 

hostages cannot decide and so decide to order 

kebabs. When they finally demand the resignation 

of the entire government, the minister 

is so incensed he orders a raid on the building. 

Two decades later, real citizens took over 

Tahrir Square and demanded more than the 

resignation of the government: the downfall 

of the entire regime. Although they managed 

to decapitate it, the body survived and grew a 

new head. 

In 2011, protesters managed to shut down 

temporarily the despised Mogamma and, 

instead of seeking stamps and signatures, 

revolutionary artists signed and tagged it. 

The diverse graffiti included one expressive 

image of a young activist chiselling away at a 

pyramid-shaped rendition of the word “corruption”. 

And herein lies the crux. The Mogamma 

in itself is not the main problem; it is simply a 

symptom. 

Closing it down may remove some of the 

congestion from downtown Cairo and free 

up prime real estate, but rebuilding it elsewhere, 

as has previously been suggested, will 

not only be a colossal undertaking but will, 

without reform, result in the same colossal 

problems downstream. 

And with Egypt’s new parliament investigating 

the state’s chief auditor for “defamation” 

over his claims of endemic corruption, 

deep reform, never a serious prospect, now 

seems an ever-more distant hope. 

What Egypt needs is to rationalise its bureaucracy, 

in both senses of the word, decentralise 

its highly centralised state architecture, 

pay civil servants a decent living wage and, 

above all, weed out the rampant corruption 

choking citizens. This may result in less comedy 

but it will put a smile on every Egyptian’s 

face. 

Khaled Diab is an award-winning Egyptian-Belgian 

journalist, writer and blogger. He 

is the author of Intimate Enemies: Living with 

Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land. He 

blogs at www.chronikler.com. 

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


Sensex Nifty Gold 

Business/ International 

Tuesday 

5 



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

266.67 

86.80 

52.00 

46.00 

0.08 

0.80 

7.70 

3.30 

1.35 

16.30 

24188.37 

7351.00 

26,060.00 

34,100.00 

67.68 

69.00 

656.00 

181.00 

223.10 

1,025.85 

Bears tighten grip on markets 

Mumbai, Jan 18: Indian equity 

indices ended lower for the third 

straight session amid rising concerns 

over world economic growth 

coupled with the relentless fall in 

international crude oil prices. 

Further, the data released by 

the government showed that India’s 

merchandise exports shrunk for the 

13th straight month in December 

thus further accentuating the woes. 

The S&P BSE Sensex ended 

down 267 points at 24,188 and the 

Nifty50 ended down 87 points to 

quote at 7,351. 

India’s exports fell in December 

due to tepid global demand and 

decline in international commodity 

prices. 

Exports fell to $22.29 billion 

against $26.15 billion a year ago in 

December 2014. The national trade 

deficit has narrowed to $99 billion 

cumulatively for months leading up 

to December in the current financial 

year. 

Brent crude prices fell on Monday 

to as low to $27.67/barrel early 

Implementation challenge for 

Indian economy: Rajan 

Melbourne, Jan 18: Implementation 

remains the 

major challenge for India’s 

economy and if it can deliver 

on its promises the country 

will be “the place to be”, RBI 

governor Raghuram Rajan 

has said. 

When asked to nominate 

the three things that most 

need to change to make 

a difference to the Indian 

economy Rajan said, “Implementation, 

implementation, 

and implementation”. 

“The gap in India has 

always been between the 

promise and the execution,” 

he said. 

“If anybody was to look 

towards a big source of demand 

in future it would be 

hard for them to miss India,” 

he said addingÂ “If our implementation 

matches our 

promise I have no doubt that 

in the next five or 10 years 

this will be the place to be so 

good to get in early”. 

Rajan told Australia’s 

Sydney Morning Herald 

that he believes the “implementation 

gap” which had 

plagued India in the past is 

narrowing. 

The central bank head 

said “I would argue that because 

of the common language 

different accents but 

common language I think 

there could be a lot going on 

there”. 

Rajan praised the role 

of Australia’s Productivity 

Commission in developing 

economic policy. 

“Clearly there is a lot to 

learn about how you have 

used the intellectual inputs, 

the economic inputs, from 

that kind of organisation,” 

he said. 

“There are so many places 

two large economies can 

learn from each other,” he 

added. 

When asked about Australian 

companies, like ANZ 

and Telstra, which have 

made promising investments 

in India in recent decades 

only to retreat at great 

cost, Rajan said “I’m not sure 

it’s anybody’s fault there 

have been periods of strong 

growth and there have been 

periods where people have 

thrown in the towel and said 

it is impossible doing business”. 

RBI Guv Raghuram Rajan 

said India needed to improve 

its infrastructure, human 

capital (knowledge base of 

the population), regulations 

and access to finance. 

in the day, its lowest since 2003 after 

international sanctions against 

Iran were lifted over the weekend, 

thus allowing Tehran to enter the oil 

market and flood the already flooded 

oil market with more oil. 

KEY STOCKS 

The fall in the markets is today 

attributed mainly to the oil and gas 

shares followed by rate sensitive 

stocks. 

The decline in the oil prices in 

the international markets has put 

pressure on the energy stocks. RIL, 

ONGC, Cairn (India) all cracked between 

2-8% each. Even the OMCs 

could not escape the heat. HPCL, 

BPCL, IOC slipped between 2-4% 

each. 

From the banking and financial 

pack, HDFC twins, ICICI bank, Axis 

Bank, SBI dropped between 0.5-1.5% 

each as they continue to feel the 

pressure on global slowdown. 

Wipro gained 0.5% after the Q3 

IT services revenues came marginally 

below the street estimates. Dollar 

revenues witnessed a flat sequential 

growth at $1,838 million. On the 

other hand, its peers TCS and Infosys 

Mumbai, Jan 18: Ahead of 

the commercial launch of Reliance 

Jio (RJio) in April, the 

Ambani brothers on Monday 

inked the spectrum trading 

and sharing agreements for 

800 Mhz spectrum, which 

will bolster RJIo’s spectrum 

holdings. 

Anil Ambani’s Reliance 

Communication (RCom) 

signed spectrum trading 

agreement with Mukesh 

Ambani’s Reliance JIo Infocomm 

for 800 Mhz licences 

in nine circles. The firms also 

agreed to spectrum sharing 

in 800 MHz band across 17 

circles. As part of the strategic 

collaboration, they also 

intend to enter into reciprocal 

intra-circle roaming (ICR) 

arrangements, RCom said in 

a statement. 

RJio holds 2300 Mhz in 

all circles, 1800 Mhz in 18 

circles and 850 Mhz in 10 

are trading higher by 0.5% each 

A decline in the steel prices has 

pushed Tata Steel to cut 1,050 jobs in 

Britian. The stock has lost nearly 2%. 

Among other shares, Reliance 

Communications and Reliance Jio 

on Monday announced agreements 

for trading and sharing of scarce airwaves, 

or radio frequency spectrum, 

in the 800 MHz band, covering 

virtually the entire country. However, 

owing to the weakness in the 

markets, Reliance Communications 

ended 3% lower. 

GLOBAL MARKETS 

Asian markets ended lower as 

volatility in Chinese economy and 

decline in global crude prices put 

pressure on Asia. Nikkei 225 ended 

1.1% down while Hang Seng finished 

1.5% lower. However, Shanghai 

Composite recovered and finished 

0.4% higher. 

The European markets opened 

in green, however, soon slipped in 

the negative terrain on global cues. 

All the major European indices are 

down between 0.2-1% each. 

circles. The 800 Mhz band 

offers good coverage indoors 

and provide seamless voice 

services through VoLTE, which 

is why the deal is critical for 

launch of full-fledged 4G 

services. Though the company 

did not divulge the deal size. 

For liberalisation of the 

spectrum, RCom has to pay 

around Rs 5,384 crore to the 

government by January 22. 

This is the second deal 

in this segment after Idea 

Cellular announced buying 

trading of spectrum from 

Videocon in two circles at Rs 

3,310 crore. 

“The spectrum arrangements 

between Jio and 

RCom will result in network 

synergies, enhanced network 

capacity and will optimise 

spectrum utilisation and 

capex efficiencies. Both 

operators anticipate considerable 

savings in operating 

Hillary Clinton embraces Obama 

policies, avoids mentioning Trump 

Washington, Jan 18: Democratic 

presidential front runner Hillary 

Clinton embraced the policies of the 

Obama administration from healthcare 

to economy and foreign policy 

in particular Iran during her party’s 

first presidential debate this year. 

At the same time, the former 

Secretary of State appeared to have 

deliberately avoided attacking or 

even mentioning Donald Trump, the 

Republican presidential front runner, 

in the debate in Iowa last night. 

While Clinton’s other two Democratic 

presidential rivals - Bernie 

Sanders and Martin O’Malley - did 

attack Trump, she appeared to have 

learnt lessons from the last debate in 

which she openly criticised Trump, 

following which she was strongly 

attacked by the real estate tycoon 

and his supporters. 

“If Donald Trump wants to start 

a registry in our country of people 

by faith, he can start with me, and 

I will sign up as one who is totally 

opposed to his fascist appeals that 

wants to vilify American Muslims. 

Peacekeepers concerned over 

new fighting in Sudan 

Khartoum, Jan 18: The U.N.-AU peacekeeping 

mission in Sudan’s Darfur said Sunday it 

is “deeply concerned” about a surge in fighting 

between government forces and rebels 

in the conflict-hit western region. 

The UNAMID mission said it was 

“deeply concerned about ongoing fighting 

between government forces and armed 

movements in the Jebel Marra area, central 

Darfur,” near one of its bases in the 

town of Nertiti. 

“UNAMID personnel in Nertiti also reported 

five bombs being dropped on an area 

northeast of their location. The impact of the 

bombs was felt at the team site,” it said in a 

statement. 

Businesses in the town of Nertiti 

have shut down for fear of attacks, the 

mission said. 

It gave no further details of the fighting 

and the Sudanese military did not immediately 

comment. 

There have been relatively few clashes 

between Darfuri rebels and troops in recent 

months, but the mountainous Jebel Marra 

area in central Darfur is where much of the 

fighting took place last year. 

Jebel Marra is seen as a stronghold for 

groups that rebelled against President Omar 

al-Bashir in the western region in 2003, 

complaining their region was being marginalized 

by his regime. 

In response to the rebellion, Bashir 

launched a campaign to crush the insurgents 

using ground troops, warplanes and 

allied militia. 

The International Criminal Court indicted 

Bashir over alleged war crimes in the 

region, and the U.N. says more than 300,000 

people have been killed in the conflict. 

RCom, Jio enter 800 Mhz spectrum 

sharing pact 

That can do more damage to our 

democracy than any,” O’Malley said. 

“It is beyond my comprehension 

how we can elect a president 

of the United States, somebody like 

Trump, who believes that climate 

change is a hoax invented by the 

Chinese,” Sanders said. 

Clinton on her part maintained 

her cool and preferred not to attack 

or even mention Trump during the 

entire debate. 

Even when she had an opportunity, 

she only mentioned the Republican 

candidates. 

“It is not only shameful, it is dangerous 

for the kinds of comments 

you’re hearing from the Republican 

side. We need to be reaching out and 

unifying our country against terrorist 

attacks and lone wolves, and 

working with Muslim Americans,” 

she said. 

Instead, Clinton appeared to 

have embraced the policies of President 

Barack Obama in whose first 

term she served as the Secretary of 

State. 

“I am absolutely committed 

to universal health care,” she said 

when asked about ‘Obamacare’. 

“The fact is, we have the Affordable 

Care Act. That is one of 

the greatest accomplishments of 

President Obama, of the Democratic 

Party, and of our country,” she said. 

“We have already seen 19 million 

Americans get insurance. We 

have seen the end of pre-existing 

conditions keeping people from 

getting insurance,” Clinton said and 

then defended Obama for taking on 

Wall Street. 

Clinton also defended Obama 

Riyadh, Jan 18: Saudi Arabia’s 

King Salman bin Abdulaziz 

met with Mexico’s 

President Enrique Pena Nieto 

in Riyadh where both 

counties signed cooperation 

pacts. Saudi Arabia and Mexico 

signed nine agreements, 

memoranda of understanding 

and technical cooperation 

programs during the 

meeting. 

A memorandum of understanding 

for cooperation 

in the field of tourism was 

co-signed by Saudi Prince 

Sultan bin Salman, President 

of Saudi Commission for 

Tourism and National Heritage, 

and Mexican Secretary 

administration on his Iran and Syria 

policies. 

“I think that the President’s 

decision to go after the chemical 

weapons (in Syria) once there was 

a potential opportunity to build on 

when the Russians opened that door 

resulted in a very positive outcome. 

We were able to get the chemical 

weapons out,” she said. 

“I know from my own experience 

as secretary of state that we 

were deeply worried about Assad’s 

forces using chemical weapons because 

it would have had not only a 

horrific effect on people in Syria, but 

it could very well have affected the 

surrounding states Jordan, Israel, 

Lebanon, Turkey. So getting those 

chemical weapons out was a big 

deal,” she said. 

“I think, as commander in 

chief, you’ve got to constantly be 

evaluating the decisions you have 

to make. I know a little bit about 

this, having spent many hours in 

the situation room, advising President 

Obama,” Clinton said. 

Exports dip 14.75% 

in December, gold 

imports rise to $3.8 bn 

New Delhi, Jan 18: Exports 

contracted for 13th month 

in a row in December 2015 

as outward shipments 

shrank 14.75 per cent to 

$22.2 billion amid a global 

demand slowdown. 

Imports too plunged 

3.88 per cent to $33.9 billion 

in December over the same 

month previous year. Trade 

deficit during the month 

under review widened to 

$11.6 billion as against $9.17 

billion in December 2014. 

During April-December 

period of the current fiscal, 

exports dipped 18 per 

cent to $196.6 billion as 

compared to $239.9 billion 

in the same period of the 

previous fiscal, according to 

a data released by the Commerce 

Ministry. 

The main export sectors 

costs and future investment 

in networks,” RCom said. 

The subscribers of RCom 

will be able to access RJIL’s 

LTE network under the 

reciprocal sharing and ICR 

agreements. However, the 

arrangements are subject 

to liberalisation of RCom 

spectrum in the 800 MHz 

band and obtaining requisite 

approvals. These agreements 

further strengthen the 

comprehensive framework 

of business co-operation between 

RJIL and RCom group, 

following the nationwide 

Saudi king meets Mexican 

president, signs pacts 

long term IRU agreements 

for inter and intra city optical 

fibre networks, and for 

sharing of telecom tower 

infrastructure, the statement 

added. Besides, RCom and 

another telecom player Sistema 

Shyam Teleservices (offer 

services under MTS brand) 

have agreed for a merger, 

which will give the company 

access to MTS liberalized 800 

Mhz spectrum in 8 circles 

and un-liberalised in one circle. 

RCom is also in talks with 

Aircel for a possible merger 

of wireless business. 

Nuclear watchdog chief in 

Iran for talks after deal 

of Foreign Relations Claudia 

Ruiz Massieu. 

A security cooperation 

agreement to fight transnational 

organized crime in the 

two countries was co-signed 

by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad 

bin Salman, Second 

Deputy Premier and Minister 

of Defense, and Mexican 

Secretary of Foreign Relations 

Claudia Ruiz Massieu. 

A memorandum of 

understanding in the energy 

sector between the two 

countries was co-signed by 

Minister of Petroleum and 

Mineral Resources Ali al- 

including engineering, petroleum 

products and gems 

and jewellery have recorded 

negative growth in December, 

2015. 

Imports during the nine 

months period contracted 

15.87 per cent to $295.8 billion, 

leaving a trade deficit 

of $99.2 billion. 

As per the data, gold 

imports in December more 

than doubled to $3.80 billion 

as compared to $1.36 billion 

in the year-ago period. 

Oil imports too declined 

33.19 per cent to $6.65 billion 

in December. 

Tehran, Jan 18: International 

Atomic Energy Agency 

chief Yukiya Amano was 

due to hold talks in Tehran 

on ensuring Iran’s continued 

compliance with a nuclear 

deal the US and Iranian 

presidents hailed as a historic 

breakthrough. 

The UN’s atomic watchdog 

said Amano would 

meet with President Hassan 

Rouhani and Ali Akbar Salehi, 

the head of Iran’s Atomic 

Energy Organization, to discuss 

monitoring and verifying 

Iran’s commitments under 

the agreement. 

“A lot of work has gone 

into getting us here, and implementation 

of this agreement 

will require a similar 

effort,” IAEA chief Amano said 

in a statement after the deal. 

The IAEA confirmed on 

late Saturday that Tehran 

had complied with its obligations 

under last summer’s 

accord, leading the United 

States and the European Union 

to lift sanctions imposed 

over Iran’s disputed nuclear 

programme that crippled its 

economy for a decade. 

Rouhani, a moderate 

whose 2013 election victory 

helped launch a huge diplomatic 

effort toward the deal 

struck on July 14 in Vienna, 

said the implementation 

was a crucial moment for 

his country. 

“We Iranians have 

reached out to the world... 

have opened a new chapter in 

the relations of Iran with the 

world,” the official IRNA news 

agency quoted him as saying. 

In Washington, President 

Barack Obama said 

the breakthrough was vindication 

of his contentious 

policy of engagement. 

“We achieved this 

through diplomacy without 

resorting to another war in 

the Middle East,” he said in 

an address to the nation. 

But Obama also noted 

that “profound differences” 

Naimi and Mexican Secretary 

of Energy Pedro Joaquin 

Coldwell. 

An agreement to avoid 

double taxation and prevent 

tax evasion was co-signed by 

Minister of Finance Ibrahim 

al-Assaf and Mexican Secretary 

of Foreign Relations 

Claudia Ruiz Massieu. 

A memorandum of understanding 

between the 

Saudi Fund for Development 

and the Mexican National 

Bank for Foreign Trade was 

co-signed by Minister of 

Finance Ibrahim al-Assaf 

and Director General of the 

External Commercial Bank 

Alejandro Diaz. 

Lower oil prices 

unlikely to 

revive demand 

in Asia: HSBC 

New Delhi, Jan 18: A significant 

decline in crude oil prices 

is unlikely to result in a swift 

bounce in demand conditions 

in Asian economies including 

India, says an HSBC report. 

According to the global 

financial services major, tumbling 

crude prices are not going 

to be a “quick fix for Asia’s 

growth malaise”. 

Most Asian economies 

import crude oil and a lower 

purchase bill should therefore 

give a boost to the spending 

power of consumers, governments 

and companies, but “it 

ain’t as easy as that”, the HSBC 

Research report said. 

According to HSBC, falling 

prices for raw materials, 

including oil, partly reflects 

cooling demand in Asia, secondly, 

there is an income shift 

under way and its hurting Asia, 

at least in the short-term. 

Moreover, crude importers 

such as advanced economies 

are preferring to, save their 

savings, rather than splurge, 

leaving the world short of 

demand, it noted. 

The report said growth 

across the Asian region would 

be a “lot lower” if crude was 

still above USD 100 per barrel. 

“If underlying growth is 

even weaker than currently 

reported, we might see activity 

sag further once the cushion 

from the fall in oil prices fades,” 

HSBC Co-head of Asia Economics 

Research Frederic Neumann 

said. 

Lower crude oil prices 

should in principle be a boost 

to a region that for the most 

part imports oil, but that is not 

happening and growth has 

decelerated virtually everywhere 

alongside the decline in 

oil prices. 

“Tumbling crude prices 

are not going to be a quick 

fix for Asia’s growth malaise 

rather, they are part of the 

symptom,” Neumann said 

adding that a bounce in Asian 

demand thus appears unlikely 

on the account of oil. 

with Tehran remained over 

its “destabilising activities”. 

In a sign of those differences, 

Washington announced 

it had decided to 

target the Islamic republic’s 

ballistic missile programme 

with new measures. 

Five Iranian nationals 

and a network of companies 

based in the United 

Arab Emirates and China 

were added to an American 

blacklist, the US Treasury 

announced. 

The White House had 

threatened to impose the 

measures last month but 

withdrew them after Rouhani 

hit out at both their 

timing and intent. Missiles 

were not part of the nuclear 

agreement. 

Asked before the new 

sanctions were announced 

how Iran would react to 

fresh measures against it, 

Rouhani on Sunday had 

said: “Any action will be 

met by a reaction.” 

Kurdish militant 

bomb attack kills 

three police officers 

Diyarbakir, Jan 18: Kurdish 

militants detonated 

a roadside bomb in the 

southeastern province of 

Sirnak overnight, killing 

three police officers and 

wounding four others 

in an armoured vehicle, 

security sources said on 

Monday. 

Sources said the blast 

occurred around 11:30 

pm (2130 GMT) in the Idil 

district of Sirnak, near the 

border with Syria, and simultaneously 

PKK fighters 

attacked a security force 

base in the area with rifles. 

There were no casualties 

in that attack.


HEALTH 


Srinagar | Tuesday 


36 

Food allergies wrecking havoc 

with your plate? Understanding 

the enemy, is the first step to fighting 

him. 

We’ve all had a friend who 

goes red in the face, experiences 

itching, swelling, even choking 

when a certain food hits the table. 

It’s easy to put it down to a food allergy. 

But why certain allergies affect 

only some of us, why our body 

reacts the way it does and how a 

few of us manage to fight out of it, 

is hardly known. 

As we learned in school science 

class, our immune system 

protects us from infections. So, 

why are our soldiers failing us in 

this case? They haven’t turned 

rogue, assures Purwa Duggal, 

head nutritionist at Fortis Hospitals. 

Food allergies are an immune 

response that occurs on ingestion 

of certain food. This foreign substance 

is referred to as an allergen. 

“Our body produces antibodies 

to protect us against the allergen 

and the molecule that produces 

the reaction is called IgE. When an 

allergy-causing food is consumed, 

IgE attaches to the allergens, triggering 

a chemical reaction that 

is manifested as an allergic reaction,” 

she says. 

Tips to understand food allergy 

Allergens are found in food, 

drinks and our environment, but 

they aren’t harmful by themselves. 

When a person’s immune system 

reacts to the allergen, it treats it 

as a harmful bacteria, virus, fungus 

or toxin. “An allergy means 

that a person’s immune system 

has become oversensitive to that 

substance,” explains Bina Chheda, 

clinical dietician, Cumballa Hill 

Hospital. 

Establishing the allergy 

The first line of treatment is 

identifying the cause. According to 

Duggal, if one suspects that a certain 

food may be responsible, the 

best way to be certain is by maintaining 

a diary where you record 

symptoms. Once identified, foods 

containing the allergen may be 

minimised or eliminated in view 

of symptoms. “Begin by eliminating 

all suspected foods from your 

diet completely.Then, slowly bring 

them back, one at time, while 

tracking symptoms. This will help 

find the culprit,” explains Duggal. 

Once confirmed, all foods containing 

the allergen are best avoided. 

For example, if a peanut allergy 

is established, foods like peanut 

butter, peanut chikki, groundnut 

oil, mixed nuts, flavoured nuts, etc 

must be cut from your diet. 

Chemical locha 

While many chemicals present 

in food cause severe allergies, 

a popular culprit is histamine. “It 

is a chemical neurotransmitter 

that causes skin, nose, throat and 

lung irritation (itchiness, redness, 

swelling, rash, cough and phlegm, 

mucosa). These reac tions are part 

of the inflammatory response, 

which is an important part of the 

overall immune response,” explains 

Panjwani. 

Histamine is present in alco 

holic beverages like beer and wine, 

anchovies, avocados, fer mented 

Exercising through injury 

When you’ve finally got a good fitness 

routine going, and injury strikes just 

when you’re enjoying it, it can not only 

be an awful feeling but can also put a 

severe dent in all your best laid plans. 

Whether you enjoy your workouts, 

or whether you workout just to stay in 

shape, injury time is hard on everyone 

and bouncing out of it without losing 

your gusto is quite a challenge. What 

you don’t want is to recover 100%, and 

then realize that you can’t bring yourself 

to go back to the gym. Here are 

some ways to stay active and stick to 

your workout even while nursing injuries. 

1) Don’t change that routine: If it’s a 

knee injury thats troubling you and 

you can’t jog anymore for a while, then 

do something light. Walk, swim, cycle, 

anything that will make you get out 

of the house at 6:30 pm (your usual 

time for a run), and do something that 

makes you feel good about yourself. 

Many people after nursing an injury, 

run out of steam once they’ve recovered. 

However, always put safety first. 

If your doctor has completely forbidden 

you from doing any form of workout, 

don’t do any. Unless it’s that serious, try 

and do something that will keep the 

momentum going. 

2) Bodyweight exercises: If it’s the 

gym you’re addicted to, and you can’t 

lift weights, then try functional bodyweight 

exercises which utilize many 

muscle groups at a time. For example 

bodyweight squats, pushups, pull ups, 

etc. can be very effective for staying fit. 

Of course you have to tweak it to make 

it work around your injury. Here are 

some bodyweight exercises that you 

can choose from. Having an injury does 

not mean that you cannot do weights, 

all you have to do is reduce the weights 

by using your bodyweight which is far 

safer. 

3) Substitute smartly: If you’ve hurt 

your ankle, or shoulder, or injured your 

neck while working out, it will not be 

too difficult to find substitutes. Though 

you will not be able to lift as much as 

you were lifting before, you can easily 

maintain your strength by doing bodyweight 

exercises. The good thing about 

functional movements is that they use 

your entire body, and not just individual 

parts, and therefore put far less 

pressure on any individual part. You 

can also substitute cardio by using an 

elliptical machine instead of running 

on concrete or swimming, which is fabulous 

exercise for your whole body.4) 

Rest: If you are absolutely addicted to 

your workouts and can’t miss a single 

day so much so that you are heading 

toward body fatigue, which in turn is 

causing the injuries, it may be a good 

idea to take this time to rest. If you don’t 

rest your body enough you are going to 

injure yourself. Once you’re on the other 

side of the injury you know you are 

going to get back to your routine full 

throttle. So why not use this time to go 

for a movie, hang out with your kids, 

read a book, or just chill out in front 

of the Television? Your body obviously 

needs the rest and is trying to tell you 

that through the injury. 

The idea here is to accept your injury 

and not let it be an excuse for you 

to become a couch potato. Far too often 

people lose all the initiative when they 

get injured and are happier sitting on 

the bench, even after they have recovered. 

Injuries are very common in the 

life of anyone who is active, and therefore 

accept it and work with it. 

cheese, dried fruits such as apricots, 

dates, prunes, figs and raisins 

(you may be able to eat these 

fruits -without reaction if the fruit 

is thoroughly washed), eggplant, 

pickled or smoked meats, macker 

el, mushrooms, processed meats 

like sausage, salami, etc. 

Allergy vs intolerance 

While symptoms could overlap, 

food intolerance is an entirely 

differently ball game from food aller 

gies. “A food intolerance means 

your body cannot digest certain 

substances in foods. This is often 

caused due to an enzyme deficiency. 

Food allergies have nothing to 

do with this,” explains Panjwani. 

The difference is also visible in 

reaction times; allergies have an 

immediate (after consumption) 

reaction while intolerance can be 

delayed. 

“Food allergies can also have 

severe, life threatening allergic 

reactions (anaphylaxis) Reactions 

to food intolerance can be severe 

and extremely unpleasant, but are 

rarely life-threatening,” adds Panjwani. 

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So, those allergic to peanuts 

can’t tolerate even a handful of 

them, while those who are lactose 

intolerant can have buttermilk 

or yoghurt as it is a pre-digested 

form of lactose and gets easily assimilated 

in the gut. 

Protect yourself 

Since allergies are a result of 

a weak immune system, cranking 

up one’s immunity can help 

keep allergens in check. “Load 

up on Vitamin C as it acts as an 

antihistamine.Green tea has catechins 

which are anti-allergic. 

Doctors recommend having 1,000 

to 2,000 mg of the vitamin every 

day to avoid symptoms,” says 

Panjwani. Minerals are another 

important nutrition group that 

can help protect against allergies. 

Panjwani recommends snacking 

on flaxseeds. “One cup of flaxseeds 

provides more than 60 per 

cent of the recommended daily 

dosage. Ground flaxseeds, as well 

as flaxseed oil, are one of the best 

plant-based sources of Omega-3 

fatty acids associated with a decreased 

risk of allergies,” she says, 

adding, “Flavonoids like quercetin, 

found in apples, are also antiallergic 

as they protect cell membranes 

thereby inhibiting the release of 

excessive histamines.” 

Care or cure 

It has often been debated if 

allergies can be cured or if a lifetime 

of care by excluding them 

from the diet is in order. The 

lifespan of an allergen varies, 

Duggal explains, depending on 

the extent of exposure, severity 

and level of allergy symptoms. 

“Our body’s immune system is 

designed to protect us. Allergies 

to foods like fish, peanuts, etc 

usually persist for life. Children 

may grow out of a milk allergy 

by the time they are nine as their 

immune system becomes stronger. 

This, however, may not work 

for adults,” she says. 

Know why obesity ups 

colorectal cancer risk 

The risk of developing colorectal cancer 

in obese people is about 50 percent 

greater compared to the risk in lean 

people, says new research. 

“Our study suggests that colorectal 

cancer can be prevented in obese individuals 

with use of hormone replacement 

therapy,” said Scott Waldman, 

professor at Thomas Jefferson University 

in Philadelphia, US. 

The researchers have also discovered 

an approved drug -- linaclotide 

-- that might prevent the development 

of the cancer. 

“The findings position the use of 

the pill linaclotide (Linzess), which 

is structurally related to the lost hormone, 

as a therapeutic approach to 

preventing colorectal cancer in obese 

patients,” Waldman added. 

The team discovered that obesity 

is also linked with the loss of the hormone 

guanylin -- produced in the intestine’s 

epithelium. 

The hormone turns on its receptor, 

which regulates processes underlying 

regeneration of the intestinal epithelium, 

the researchers said. 

They found that the guanylin hormone 

receptor acts as a growth-controlling 

tumor suppressor, and without 

the hormone, the receptor is silenced. 

In the study, the research team 

used genetically engineered mice on 

different diets to conduct their investigation.A 

high-caloric diet turned off 

expression of a key hormone in the 

intestine, which led to deactivation of 

a tumor suppressor pathway, the findings 

revealed. 

Genetic replacement of that hormone 

turned the tumor suppressor 

back on and prevented cancer development 

-- even when mice continued 

to eat excess calories, the researchers 

said. 

“These findings suggest that a 

drug like linaclotide, which acts like 

guanylin, can activate tumor-suppressing 

receptors to prevent cancer in 

obese patients,” Waldman said. 

Bone marrow 

lesions can 

predict joint 

disease 

One marrow lesions (BMLs) 

are likely to help predict a 

swiftly progressing joint 

disease, says a study. 

The research shows 

lesions -- seen on MRI 

scans as regions of bone 

beneath the cartilage with 

ill-defined high signal -- 

can help identify individuals 

who are more likely 

to suffer from the rapidly 

progressing osteoarthritis. 

Osteoarthritis -- the 

most common type of 

arthritis in the UK -- can 

cause the joints to become 

painful and stiff. 

Almost any joint can 

be affected, but it most 

often causes problems in 

the knees, hips, and small 

joints of the hands. It can 

progress at varying speeds. 

"Osteoarthritis causes a 

significant burden to individuals 

and the healthcare 

system as a whole," said 

Mark Edwards, Clinical 

Lecturer at the University 

of Southampton in UK. 

Individuals with BMLs 

lose the space within 

the joint at a rate that is 

0.10 mm per year faster 

than those without BMLs, 

the findings showed.The 

SEKOIA study, a major 

international osteoarthritis 

disease-modifying trial, 

carried out MRI scanning 

on the knees of 176 men 

and women over 50 years 

old. 

They were then followed 

up for an average of 

three years with repeated 

knee x-rays. 

Individuals with bone 

marrow lesions (BMLs) on 

their MRI scan were found 

to have osteoarthritis that 

progressed more rapidly 

than those that did not. 

Whereas, individuals 

with abnormalities on the 

MRI scans at the first appointment 

were compared 

to those without to examine 

the effect on disease 

progression. 

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

Police........ 

officials however strongly issued clarifications in the media and 

after nearly four hours the situation returned to normal. (GNS) 

Karra....... 

Hameed Karra Monday said that “on hand that media has reported 

that he maintained silence and on the another hand reported 

that he did not oppose the alliance with BJP”. 

“It is not understandable that how could I do both the things 

simultaneously. When I did not speak a single word during the 

meeting, how did the reports infer that I either supported or 

opposed the alliance with BJP? It is a figment of imagination, 

and the reports are contradictory,” the senior PDP leader said. 

“Keeping silence does not mean I endorse the alliance with 

BJP. A section of media has reported that I did not speak during 

the meeting, and at the same time have reported I did not support 

or oppose the alliance with BJP,” he said.Tariq-Hamid-Karra 

Karra attended the top level meeting of the party for the first 

time as he had stayed away from all the party meetings, core group 

meetings, coordination committee meetings of PDP and BJP and all 

government functions after the PDP-BJP government was formed 

as he has vehemently opposed the alliance with BJP. 

While maintaining his fears and apprehensions for continuing 

relations with “RSS-backed BJP”, Karra said that he will 

very soon meet the party president, Mehbooba Mufti. 

“I have already said that I will very soon meet the party 

president one to one to apprise her of my concerns and fears 

about continuing alliance with BJP,” Karra said. 

Tantray conducts 

extensive tour of 

far-flung villages 

Poonch, Jan 18: To take stock of problems of people of far-flung 

villages, Member Legislative Assembly Haveli, Shah Mohammad 

Tantray conducted extensive tour of Arai, Salotri, Dara 

Dullian and several other villages of tehsil Haveli and Mandi. 

Various development and other issues of public importance 

were raised by the people in these two tehsils and the MLA got 

first hand information about the problems being faced by the 

people living in remote and border villages. Issue of ration cards 

and enrollment under NFSA, issues pertaining to PHE and PDD 

besides implementation of various development schemes were 

raised by the locals. 

The MLA assured the villagers to take up all the issues of farflung 

areas with the concerned authorities. He assured to take 

up with Revenue and CA&PD authorities the issue of discrepancies 

in issuance of ration cards. Tantray assured the villagers 

that no deserving household will be allowed to suffer unnecessarily 

and all deserving families will be covered under NFSA. 

Malik, Jamat-e-Islami 

Chief visit ailing Geelani 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) 

chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, Jamat-e-Islami Chief Ghulam 

Muhammad Bhat, senior separatist leader Javaid Ahmed 

Mir and others visited Geelani’s Hyderpora residence to enquire 

about his health. 

Geelani was, however, stable on Monday following complaints 

of breathless and chest congestion. 

Jamat-e-Islami Chief was the first to visit the ailing leader’s 

house in uptown Hyderpora here in Srinagar. Malik too visited 

his residence and enquired about his health. 

“Yasin Malik went to Geelani’s house. He sat with him for 

more than an hour. Both Geelani and Yasin Malik looked emotional 

during the meeting,” said a top JKLF leader, who was accompanying 

Malik. Reports said that many delegations arrived 

at ailing leader’s residence and inquired about his health. 

Meanwhile, spokesperson Hurriyat (G) said that Geelani is 

stable and doctors have advised him complete bed rest. 

“We appeal people not to bother to visit Geelani Sahab’s 

residence but always remember him in their prayers,” the 

spokesperson said. (CNS) 

PDP skips invite to 

MLA Zanskar, leaves his 

supporters angry 

Srinagar, Jan 18: When PDP core group met in Srinagar, it did 

not extended invite to MLA Zanskar, Syed Mohammad Baqir 

Rizvi, who was appointed by late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as 

Vice chairman of J&K Khadi & Village Industries Board. 

The exclusion of Rizvi from the meeting, which lasted more 

than four hours, has led to resentment among the supporters 

of the MLA who won from Zansker as independent and later 

merged with PDP. 

While Rizvi declined to comment when contacted, his supporters 

expressed anger over the decision of PDP leadership. 

They said that PDP’s decision not to invite Rizvi to participate 

in the core group has hurt them and “has clarified that 

Rizvi does not belong to the party.” 

“He (Rizvi) was promised by late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed 

(former Chief Minister) that he will be appointed as Minister 

of State but later he was appointed vice of KVIB to assure him 

that he belonged to the party but everything is clear now,” the 

supporters said. 

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti chaired the marathon 

meeting, first time after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s demise on 

January 7. MPs like Muzaffar Hussain Beig and Tariq Hamid Karra, 

who were critical of the coalition’s functioning in the past, 

also participated in the meeting. (GNS) 

DAK pitches for 

strict action against 

rumors mongers 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Monday 

said that the authorities should take strict action against the rumour 

mongers on polio vaccine due to which huge panic and 

apprehensions were created among the people on Sunday. 

President, G M Mir said authorities must take strict action 

against those persons who spread such terrible rumors. “DAK 

will monitor the progress of the case and will like to appeal the 

person/s involved in it must be dealt with strictly so that no one 

could dare again to spread rumors in future,” he said. 

Mir said the doctors in the Valley’s hospitals played exemplary 

role and tackled the huge rush of patients with professionalism. 

“I appreciate doctor’s work for doing tremendous 

job on Sunday evening when whole valley was panicked due to 

rumours of infant deaths due to polio immunization,” Mir said. 

Terming the polio vaccination as vital for infants to curb polio 

disease, the DAK president said parents should not stop their 

children from polio vaccination and should not pay heed to any 

rumors against the vaccine in future.” 

Condemning vandalisation of hospitals and thrashing of 

medicos by people on Sunday during the panic, Mir said, “As a 

society, we all should behave as responsible citizens and should 

keep patience during such situations and should listen and trust 

the doctors during these occasions,” he said. 

“We should never overreact in these situations,” he said. 

Geelani recovering: 

Hurriyat (G) 

Srinagar, Jan 18: Stating that Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali 

Geelani was recovering from his illness, Hurriyat (G) Monday 

appealed people to pray for the speedy recovery of Geelani. 

In a statement, Hurriyat (G) said that doctors have advised 

Geelani to take complete rest. “We appeal people to not to visit 

the Hyderpora residence to inquire about his health,” Hurriyat 

(G) said. 

Odd-even scheme 

likely to return in Delhi 

after March 

New Delhi, Jan 18: Delhi government is likely to implement the 

next phase of odd-even scheme after March as it seeks to first 

address two major concerns related to commuting by school 

children and the possibility of people going for another car to 

circumvent the restrictions. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, 

who on Monday chaired a review meeting on the next phase of 

odd-even, has asked all departments to look into these two major 

issues and submit their report in this regard at the earliest. 

A top source said that government is planning to introduce 

the second phase of the traffic-rationing scheme after the completion 

of CBSE Board exams in March-April, adding that twowheelers 

will, however, not come under the ambit of the next 

phase of the car-rationing scheme. 

Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai said concerned departments 

have to submit their report before the next meeting, for 

which the date is yet to be decided. 

Elaborating on the 15-day trial phase, Rai said that during 

the implementation of the car-rationing scheme, the average 

pollution level had come down significantly and it also decongested 

the city’s roads. “In today’s review meeting, all the 

departments including PWD, transport, environment as well 

as independent experts have expressed their views that the 

scheme should continue further to bring down pollution level 

and de-congest the capital’s roads. 

“During the meeting, the two major concerns came up for 

discussion. These two concerns are about picking of school children 

by their parents and the second that people will move to 

buy alternate car to evade the scheme,” the minister said.

7 

SRINAGAR, TUESDAY 

18.01.2016 19.01.2016 

S 

P 

O 

R 

T 

S 

Hampshire 

miss out on 

Watson 

Shane Watson has returned 

to Australia’s T20 

reckoning - but won’t be 

signing for Hampshire 

© Cricket Australia 

Shane Watson’s 

mooted return to 

Hampshire will not 

happen in 2016, the 

Australian allrounder 

has confirmed to ES- 

PNcricinfo. Watson held 

preliminary talks to 

join the county for the 

Natwest T20 Blast and 

Royal London Cup after 

his retirement from 

Test cricket following 

Australia’s 2015 Ashes 

defeat, but the move 

has not progressed 

further. 

Watson has been 

playing for Sydney 

Thunder in the Big 

Bash League and was 

on Monday called up to 

Australia’s T20 squad 

to face India, putting 

him in contention for a 

spot in the World T20 

squad. He will play for 

Islamabad United in the 

Pakistan Super League 

and enter the IPL auction 

next month (he 

previously played for 

Rajasthan Royals, who 

are banned from this 

year’s competition), as 

well take part in the Caribbean 

Premier League 

in July. 

The timing of the 

CPL in July, combined 

with the length of the 

English competition - 

the Blast runs mainly 

on Friday nights from 

May 15 to August 15, 

before Finals Day a 

fortnight later - meant 

Watson felt unable to 

commit to a return to 

Hampshire, especially 

as he would automatically 

miss the competition’s 

first two weeks 

if picked up in the IPL 

auction, as expected, 

and his team made the 

finals. The Royal London 

Cup runs through June, 

July and August before a 

final in September. 

Watson previously 

played for Hampshire in 

2004 and 2005, helping 

them to win the C&G 

Trophy in his second 

year at the club, and 

remains open to the 

possibility of playing 

again but believes the 

current format makes it 

too difficult this season. 

Hampshire have 

signed South African 

seamer Ryan McLaren 

as an overseas player 

across formats for 2016, 

although it is understood 

that he could yet 

become a Kolpak registration. 

Another target, 

Kyle Abbott, who played 

for the county in 2014, 

has joined Worcestershire, 

meaning they still 

have an overseas spot 

available in T20 cricket. 

Australia’s record streak, Kohli fastest to 7000 runs 

The tickets for the World Twenty20 are likely 

to go up for sale by the end of this week, with 

the BCCI saying it doesn’t think it is too late 

for the tickets to be made available. 

The first qualifier starts on March 8, but 

the Indian board is happy to have the tickets 

up for grabs a little under two months from 

the first match of the “main” tournament 

on March 15. However, when the schedule 

of the World Twenty20 was announced, the 

ICC insisted that the qualifying part of the 

tournament be called the first round of the 

tournament. 

At any rate, India have set the record 

for putting the tickets up for sale with least 

amount of planning time available for the fans 

when it comes to world events. 

‘Virat is definitely India’s best’ - Dhoni 

17 Consecutive ODIs won by Australia at 

home, including this three-wicket win at the 

MCG - the longest streak for any team. They 

surpassed West Indies’ winning streak from 

1986 to 1990 and Sri Lanka’s from 1996 to 

1998 of 16 consecutive wins each. Australia’s 

last defeat at home was to South Africa at the 

WACA on November 16, 2014. 

8 Losses for India against Australia in their 

last nine ODIs at the MCG since February 

1986. Their only win was in 2007-08. Since 

1986, India have an even win-loss record at 

both MCG and SCG - 0.125 (won 1, lost 8). 

2010 The last time Australia lost a bilateral 

ODI series at home, 2-1 to Sri Lanka in 2010- 

11. Since then, they have played six series, 

including this, and have won five of those; 

they drew 2-2 against Sri Lanka in 2012-13. 

4 Consecutive ODI losses for India in Australia 

- three in this series and the semifinal of 

the 2015 World Cup. Last time they lost four 

or more consecutive ODIs there was more 

than 10 years ago, between January 2000 and 

January 2004. 

0 Totals higher than India’s 295 for 6 at the 

MCG against the hosts in the first innings. 

India overtook England’s 294 which they 

scored on January 16, 2011, though they lost 

that game by six wickets. This is the eighth 

total of 265 or more against Australia at the 

MCG and the hosts have chased them down 

successfully on six of those occasions. Australia 

have made the highest successful chase 

at MCG as well with this victory. 

161 Number of innings needed by Virat Kohli 

to complete 7000 runs in ODIs - the least 

by any batsman, beating AB de Villiers who 

achieved it in 166 innings in November 2014. 

Kohli is the 36th batsman to score 7000 ODI 

runs and eighth from India. Kohli’ 161 innings 

are also the fewest by any batsman to 

make 24 ODI centuries, and by a distance too; 

Sachin Tendulkar took 219 innings to score 

as many tons. Only four batsmen have scored 

more centuries than Kohli in ODIs. 

Fastest batsmen to milestones of 6000 to 

10,000 ODI runs. © ESPNcricinfo Ltd 

3 Kohli’s ODI centuries that have come in 

defeatsfor India, including this one. His 

previous two centuries in defeats were: 107 

against England in Cardiff in 2011 and 123 

against New Zealand in Napier in 2013-14. 

0 Times Australia conceded 275 or more in 

three consecutive ODIs against a team before 

this. India scored 309 for 3 and 308 for 8 in 

the first two ODIs of this series. This is only 

the second time Australia have given away 

275 or more runs in any three consecutive 

ODIs. First was in 2007 - 305 for 5 by New 

Zealand at the WACA, 292 for 7 by England at 

the SCG and 290 for 7 by New Zealand at the 

MCG in the CB series. 

4 Number of times Glenn Maxwell has got 

out in the nineties in his ODI career, including 

his 96 in this match. Since his debut, on 

August 25, 2012, only Kane Williamson has 

got more such scores- six 90s. The other Australia 

batsmen together have got only three 

nineties in this period. 

5 Man-of-the-Match awards for Maxwell 

in ODIs. Since his debut, only two Australia 

players have got more such awards - Steven 

Smith and Mitchell Starc, with six each. 

40.22 Kohli’s average against Australia in 

Australia in ODIs, after this innings of 117. It 

was just 15.83 before this in seven innings 

and has increased with his scores of 91, 

59 and 117 in the first three innings of the 

series. 

300 International matches captained by MS 

Dhoni; this match was his 300th. Only Ricky 

Ponting (324) and Stephen Fleming (303) 

Novak Djokovic reveals 

match-fixing approach 

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Djokovic said he was approached to 

fix a match earlier in his career. 

• BBC and BuzzFeed claimed 16 players 

who had reached the top 50 in the 

past decade. 

• Djokovic played down the report but 

he also said he was targeted in 2007 

to throw a first-round match at St 

Petersburg. 

MELBOURNE: World number one Novak 

Djokovic said he was approached 

to fix a match earlier in his career 

on Monday as allegations of corruption 

in tennis rocked the start of the 

Australian Open. 

The BBC and BuzzFeed claimed 16 

players who had reached the top 50 

in the past decade, including Grand 

Slam champions, had been repeatedly 

suspected of fixing matches for betting 

syndicates. 

The report prompted a swift denial 

from authorities that any evidence 

of match-fixing had been suppressed, 

as well as speculation over the identities 

of the players involved. 

Djokovic, after opening with a 

have captained in more times than Dhoni. 

He has led India in 60 Tests, 189 ODIs and 

51 T20Is - only player to lead his side in 50 

or more matches in all three formats of the 

game. 

1 India batsmen who made fifty-plus scores 

in three or more consecutive ODIs against 

Australia in Australia before Kohli in this 

series - Sunil Gavaskar scored 59, 92*, 77 and 

72 in the Bensen & Hedges World Series Cup 

of 1985-86. This is the sixth time Kohli has 

scored 50 or more in three or more consecutive 

ODI innings; it’s his first outside Asia, 

though. His best sequence is five 50-plus 

scores in five innings twice: 133*, 108, 66, 

183, 106 in 2012 and 68*, 61, 100*, 68, 115* 

in 2013. 

0 Instances of India having at least one 

centurion in three consecutive ODIs against 

Australia in Australia, before this series. Rohit 

Sharma scored 171 not out and 124 in the 

first two ODIs and Kohli did it in the third 

ODI with 117. There have been two previous 

occasions of at least a century in two consecutive 

ODIs in Australia against the hosts - in 

February 2008 and January 2004. This is only 

the second such instance against Australia in 

Australia. The first was at least a century in 

four consecutive innings between November 

2014 and January 2015. 

1 Previous occasions of India having a century 

partnership for the second-wicket in 

three or more consecutive ODI innings. Kohli 

put up 207 and 125 in the first two ODIs with 

Rohit Sharma and 119 in this ODI with Shikhar 

Dhawan. India had stands of 205, 148, 

133 and 173 in 2012; Kohli was also involved 

in all four of those stands. 

0 Fifty-plus opening partnerships between 

Dhawan and Rohit in the last 10 innings they 

Plunkett replaces Finn for ODI, T20 leg 

Liam Plunkett has been called into 

England’s limited-overs squad in 

South Africa after the ECB confirmed 

that the side strain picked 

up by Steven Finn during the 

Johannesburg Test has ended 

his tour. 

The news is a considerable setback 

for Finn, although England 

expect him to be available for 

the World T20 in March. Having 

originally been left out of the 

Test tour of South Africa due 

to a foot injury, he recovered 

quicker than anticipated and, 

after his late call-up, bowled 

beautifully - though without 

much reward - in the first three 

Tests. He will remain in South 

Africa to begin his rehab before 

returning to England after the 

final Test. 

Plunkett, currently with the 

England Lions in the UAE, was 

unfortunate to miss out on 

selection originally. He bowled 

with impressive pace and 

hostility in the two T20s he 

win over South Korea’s Chung Hyeon, 

played down the report but he also 

said he was targeted in 2007 to throw 

a first-round match at St Petersburg. 

“I was not approached directly. I 

was approached through people that 

were working with me at that time,” 

he told reporters in Melbourne. 

“Of course, we threw it away right 

away. It didn’t even get to me, the guy 

that was trying to talk to me, didn’t 

even get to me directly. There was 

nothing out of it. 

“Unfortunately in those times 

(there were) rumours, some talks, 

some people were going around. They 

were dealt with. 

“In the last six, seven years, I 

haven’t heard anything similar. I 

personally was never approached 

directly, so I have nothing more to say 

about that.” 

Djokovic was reportedly offered 

$200,000 to throw the match, in an incident 

which gives an insight into the 

murky world of match-fixing -- which 

the Serb called “a crime in sport”. 

“It (approach) made me feel 

terrible because I don’t want to be 

appeared in against Pakistan 

in the UAE - claiming three 

wickets in each of the games 

- at the end of November but 

missed out to the likes of Chris 

anyhow linked to this kind of thing,” 

he said. 

“Somebody may call it an opportunity. 

For me, that’s an act of 

unsportsmanship, a crime in sport, 

honestly. I don’t support it. 

“I think there is no room for it in 

any sport, especially in tennis. 

“I always have been taught and 

have been surrounded with people 

that had nurtured and respected the 

sport’s values. That’s the way I’ve 

grown up. 

“Fortunately for me, I didn’t need 

to get directly involved in these particular 

situations.” 

The 10-time Grand Slam champion 

added that it was “borderline” to 

have a betting company sponsoring 

this year’s Australian Open, a move 

which has caused disquiet in some 

quarters. 

“It’s a fine line. Honestly it’s on a 

borderline, I would say,” he said. 

“Whether you want to have betting 

companies involved in the big 

tournaments in our sport or not, it’s 

hard to say what’s right and what’s 

wrong,” he said. 

Jordan and Chris Woakes, who 

it appears are being groomed 

as England’s death bowlers. 

There was also a suggestion 

that Plunkett, for all his hostility 

when it most counted, had 

not always impressed as much 

as his team-mates in training 

sessions. Having spent a fair 

portion of 2015 on tour with 

England but rarely made in into 

the side, some frustration, even 

disillusionment, was probably 

inevitable. 

“I was disappointed not to be 

in the squad in the first place,” 

Plunkett said. “But I came back 

here with the Lions determined 

to play to my best and show 

I’m still ready if they need me. 

Then obviously I saw Finny 

was injured, so I did wonder, 

and I got the call from James 

Whitaker. 

“We’ve only played a warm-up 

game out here so far against 

the UAE but I felt in pretty 

good rhythm straight away and 

clicked it up to a decent pace. 

From the end of last season I’ve 

pretty much been bowling all 

the time, and I just had a few 

weeks off in December.” 

For the World Cup co-hosted by India, 

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in February-March 

2011, tickets went up for sale on June 1, 2010. 

In 2012, Sri Lanka offered World T0 tickets 

six months before the event. The West Indies 

provided a five-and-a-month notice for the 

World T20 in 2010. Bangladesh, who hosted 

the World T20 in March 2014, started the sale 

of tickets on November 7, 2013. Even South 

Africa, who hosted the first World T20, put up 

tickets for sale three months in advance. 

The ticketing process is always the host 

board’s responsibility. In an emailed response, 

the ICC has refused to be drawn into any 

criticism of the ticketing process. “It will be 

inappropriate to compare the ICC WT20 India 

2016 with any previous event as the preparation 

for every event is different,” the ICC said. 

However, a source in the ICC, closely 

involved with the organising part of the 

event, told ESPNcricinfo that everything 

from announcing venues to making tickets 

available has been handled in the usual 

ad-hoc manner. “The BCCI pays no heed 

or provides reasons for delays,” the source 

said. 

That the venues were announced 

only three months before the event were 

already a source of frustration for the 

travelling fan who usually looks for bargains 

by booking air tickets and accommodation 

well in advance. The fans looking 

to travel to India will be left even more 

frustrated because the tickets are not 

have opened together, with a highest of 42 

against South Africa in Nagpur. They had 

added more than 50 runs in four of the previous 

five ODIs. They averaged 49.43 till then 

and in the last 10 innings, they average only 

23.50. 

Chris Gayle smashes 12-ball 

fifty to equal world record 

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Gayle plundered 21-year-old Adelaide 

Strikers bowler Greg West for 27 runs in the 

first over. 

• Yuvraj achieved the feat against England at 

the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007. 

• Travis Head dismissed him for a 17-ball 56 

with Gayle caught by wicketkeeper from a 

top edge. 

MELBOURNE: West Indies batsman Chris 

Gayle smashed fifty from 12 balls for the 

Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash 

League on Monday to match India’s Yuvraj 

Singh’s record for the fastest half-century 

in Twenty20 cricket. 

Left-hander Yuvraj achieved the 

feat against England in a group match 

at the inaugural World Twenty20 in 

2007 in South Africa, smashing fast 

bowler Stuart Broad for six sixes in 

one over. 

Opening batsman Gayle plundered 

21-year-old Adelaide Strikers 

bowler Greg West, playing his 

second T20 match, for 27 runs in 

the first over and hit the last four 

deliveries for six. 

His seventh maximum took 

Gayle past his half-century as 

he deposited spinner Travis 

Maxwell wants respect 

and his Test spot back 

Glenn Maxwell hits out 

against India at the MCG 

on Sunday night 

With every mature knock 

that doubles as a step 

towards a Test recall, Glenn 

Maxwell grows more and 

more tired of his reputation. 

Maxwell has long wanted 

to shed ‘The Big Show’ tag. 

Increasingly there have 

been actions to back up the 

words. 

Take for example his 96 

against India at the MCG on 

Sunday night, which gave 

Australia an unassailable 

3-0 lead in the ongoing fivematch 

ODI series. 

There were audacious sixes 

and a couple of reversesweeps 

in the man-ofthe-match 

dig but loads of 

substance to back up the 

style. 

“Early on in my career I 

ICC WT20 tickets yet to go on sale 

Head over the long-on boundary. 

Head dismissed him five deliveries later 

for a 17-ball 56 with Gayle caught by wicketkeeper 

Tim Ludeman from a top edge. 

probably got a little bit 

too excited about trying 

to score at 150 strike-rate 

every game and trying to 

be the match-winner,” 

Maxwell said of his transition 

from funky slogger to 

formidable batsman. 

“I didn’t really finish the job 

a whole lot. 

“Over the last few months 

... it’s probably clicked a 

little bit. 

“It’s been a massive work in 

progress. 

“I’ve been doing some stuff 

off the field as well — more 

around the mental side of 

the game ... that’s probably 

been one of the key things 

I’ve changed.” 

Maxwell acknowledged 

that adding to the three 

Tests he played between 

2013 and 2014 is the end 

goal of the ongoing reinvention. 

readily available, especially for an event in 

India, and you ideally don’t want to make 

travel plans before securing tickets for the 

matches you wish to attend. 

The BCCI, though, doesn’t feel it is late. 

A BCCI official said the dynamics of hosting 

an event in India were different, and it 

shouldn’t even be compared with the 2011 

World Cup, which was co-hosted by three 

nations. “There is still two months to go,” 

he said, “The first match of the main tournament 

is on March 15. And it works differently 

in India anyway. The anticipation in the public 

only builds up closer to the event, but if the 

tickets are made available well in advance, 

those asking for complimentary passes make 

your life difficult.”

19 January 2016

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