Srinagar, Feb 20: Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today termed attacks on Kashmiri students and traders a collective shame for India.
In a tweet Mirwaiz said, “The attacks on Kashmiri students &traders in parts of India is shameful. Open threats of boycott & expulsion of students is condemnable. My prayers for the safety and well being of all. People of Kashmir will always uphold our tradition of ensuring safety of outsiders at all cost.” (KNS)
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Attack on Kashmiri students, traders a ‘collective shame’ for India: Mirwaiz
Curfew relaxed in entire Jammu city
Jammu, Feb 20: Authorities Wednesday relaxed curfew in the entire Jammu city for the first time since its imposition on Friday last as the situation improved.
However, prohibitory orders will remain in force to maintain law and order.
District Magistrate, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, initially ordered relaxation in the curfew in the entire city from 8 AM to 11 AM and later extended till 3 PM as no untoward incident was reported from anywhere.
Policemen were seen making rounds of the city early this morning to announce relaxation of the curfew and asked people to resume their normal activities.
Although most of the shops and business establishments remained closed and only private vehicles were mostly seen on the road, the easing of restrictions allowed the people to come out of their homes and buy essential commodities.
People in some areas complained of shortage of vegetables, milk and ration and demanded that ATMs be made operational immediately as they are running out of cash.
Kumar said prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC would remain in force in the entire city as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.
All wine shops and bars will also remained closed, he said.
All educational institutions remained closed in Jammu district on the orders of the government for the sixth consecutive day.
However, officials said the examination of 8th and 9th classes would be held as per schedule Thursday in all districts of jammu province.
“In case of restrictions in any area, the admit cards of students and identity cards of teachers will be treated as curfew passes,” the officials said.
They said barring Jammu district, mobile internet services (2G only) was restored.
Curfew was relaxed in a phased manner in the city on Tuesday and five police station areas falling in city’s south a day earlier.
Curfew was imposed in the entire Jammu city on Friday last following massive anti-Pakistan protests and sporadic incidents of violence over the terror attack in Pulwama district of south Kashmir which left 40 CRPF personnel dead. PTI
Release detained Jammu youths or face agitation : JPPF
Jammu, Feb 20: The Jammu Province People’s Forum (JPPF), an organisation advocating cause of Dogras, Wednesday threatened agitation if police do not immediately release over 100 boys allegedly detained in Jammu during protests against Pulwama terror attack.
“100 plus innocent (boys) are detained for none of their fault. We request the administration to release the detained innocent youths of Jammu otherwise situation will become bad to worse”, Working President of the Forum, M S Katoch said Wednesday here.
The JPPF, which supervised the agitation for the Central University Jammu (CUJ) and AIIMS and forced the central government to announce the two institutes for Jammu, has asked the government to release the detained youths immediately.
Lashing at the administration for “anti-Jammu” steps, Katoch said the city is under strict curfew for the last 5 days and people here are having a “tough time”.
He said the government “failed” to control the situation and alleged that no action was taken against those chanting “anti-India” slogans in Jammu.
“No action has been taken against them (who raised anti-national slogans). It is a matter of shame that even the people living in the government quarters in Sarwal and Janipur area are involved in this anti-national offence and no action has been taken by the government against the culprits”, Katoch said.
The JPPF paid rich tributes to the martyrs of Pulwama attack by the Jaish-e- Mohammed in which at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed. PTI
Saudi Arabia to extend all help to fight terror including intelligence sharing: Crown Prince
New Delhi, Feb 20: In its continued crusade to build up pressure on Pakistan and its fight against terror, India on Wednesday mustered crucial backing from Saudi Arabia with the visiting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud stating that his country will provide “all kinds of help to India including intelligence sharing”.
“On extremism and terrorism, we want to assure India that we will extend all kinds of cooperation including intelligence sharing,” the visiting Crown Prince said in a joint media briefing after bilateral talks with the Indian delegation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Extremism and terrorism are our common concerns. We would like to tell our friend India that we’ll cooperate on all fronts….We will also work with everyone to ensure a brighter future for our upcoming generations,” he said.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi said – “We agreed that there is a need to increase pressure on the countries which support terrorism”.
“The barbaric terrorist attack in Pulwama last week, is another cruel indicator about the challenge before the world and the humanity. To tackle this menace effectively, we agree that there is a need to increase all possible pressures on countries supporting terrorism in any way,” the Prime Minister said without naming Pakistan.
Mr Modi said it will be important for the global community to understand that there is need to destroy terror infrastructures and also to ensure that the perpetrators of such acts are punished.
“India and Saudi Arabia are on agreement that this terror menace should not misguide and mislead the younger generation,” Mr Modi said. UNI
Would be wonderful if India, Pakistan get along: Trump
WASHINGTON, Feb 20: United States President Donald Trump has said he was getting reports on last week’s suicide attack in Pulwama which killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary soldiers and his country will respond “an appropriate time”.
As Trump addressed the media during an Oval Office signing ceremony, he was asked about the attack. Responding to the question, the US president said, “I have watched; I have got a lot of reports on it. We will have comment [on it] at an appropriate time. It would be wonderful if they [India and Pakistan] get along.”
“That [the attack] was a horrible situation. We are getting reports. We will have a statement to put out,” Trump added.
The already sour relations between India and Pakistan have worsened over the past week as New Delhi piled blame on Islamabad for the Pulwama attack.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan responded to Indian allegations and offered to investigate the Pulwama attack if India shares “actionable intelligence with Pakistan”.
In a video message to the nation, PM Imran said, “Pakistan is ready to investigate the attack and act if India provides actionable intelligence. Not because we are under pressure but because it is our policy.” Geo TV
SC asks Ambani to pay Rs 453 crore to Ericsson within 4 weeks or face 3-month jail term
New Delhi, Feb 20: The Supreme Court found Reliance Communication chairman Anil Ambani and two directors guilty of contempt of court in a contempt petition filed by Ericsson India over not clearing its dues of Rs 550 crore after selling its assets to Reliance Jio.
The Apex Court asked Ambani and 2 directors to pay Rs 453 crore to Ericsson India within 4 weeks stating that if they fail to pay the amount, three months’ jail term will follow. The SC also imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore each on them. Court added that if the said amount is not deposited within a month then it will award a 1-month jail to them.
In its first contempt plea, Ericsson had sought action against Ambani and others for failing to pay Rs 550 crore towards settlement to the company by September-end last year.
Ericsson India, which had signed a seven-year deal in 2014 to operate and manage RCom’s nationwide telecom network, had alleged that it had not been paid the dues of over 1,500 crore and challenged the debt-ridden firm before National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).
The top court had perused the May 30 last year interim order of the NCLAT and noted that Ericsson India was willing to settle its debt of over Rs 1,500 crore for a sum of Rs 550 crore which was to be paid by RCom within 120 days.
It had on August 3 last year allowed RCom to sell assets covering spectrum, fibre, telecom towers and certain real estate assets for an aggregate value of approximately Rs 25,000 crore.
With Agency Inputs
Curfew relaxation extended till 1.pm in Jammu
Jammu, Feb 20: District magistrate Jammu has extended curfew relaxation in the city on Wednesday.
An official said that the magistrate announced relaxation in curfew for whole Jammu district from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm today on 20th Feb 2019.
However, restrictions under Section-144 of CrPC shall remain imposed throughout the district, he said.
“All wine shops and bars shall remain closed”.
Earlier, curfew was relaxed from 8 am to 12 noon.
However, all educational institutes will remain shut and the exams scheduled for Wednesday are postponed.
Internet services on mobile phones also remained suspended for the sixth consecutive day in the city.
On Tuesday, the curfew was relaxed in few parts of the city and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere during the relaxation period, said an official.
On last Friday curfew was imposed after mobs torched vehicles of Kashmiris following the February 14 Fidayeen attack on CRPF at Pulwama that killed 40 CRPF men. (Agencies)
UN urges India, Pakistan to take immediate steps to defuse tensions
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 20: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on India and Pakistan to take immediate steps to defuse tensions and offered to help broker a solution if both sides agree.
The two countries have been locked in a diplomatic clash following a suicide attack on February 14 in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian security personnel.
In this regard, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: “We are deeply concerned at the increasing tensions between the two countries.”
Guterres “stresses the importance of both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps” to de-escalate, while also offering to mediate “should both sides ask,” Dujarric said.
On the other hand, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi appealed to Guterres to step in to defuse tensions. “It is imperative to take steps for de-escalation.
“The United Nations must step in to defuse tensions,” he wrote in the letter sent Monday. However, Qureshi underscored that “attributing [the attack] to Pakistan even before investigations is absurd.”
The neighbouring countries have been locked in a diplomatic clash following a suicide attack on February 14 in Kashmir’s Pulwama area that killed 40 Indian security personnel, triggering counter-operations by Indian forces in the area.
India has long accused Pakistan of harbouring militants who launch attacks on its soil.
Separately, China, a neighbour to both the South Asian nations, has advised India to choose talks rather than to continue with the ongoing tensions.
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry commented that Pakistan and India were both important states in South Asia and peace between the two was crucial for regional stability.
China hoped that the countries show patience and opt for talks, the spokesperson added.
In addition, the United States condemned the Pulwama attack, State Department’s deputy spokesperson, Robert J. Palladino, said, adding that the Western nation was in contact with both the countries.
Palladino said Pakistan should offer complete assistance to India in the probe, and that if anyone was found responsible, they should be punished accordingly.
Palladino also expressed complete solidarity for India in face of the terrorism.
Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, also met with Guterres and the Security Council (UNSC) president to appeal for action, warning that a flare-up in Kashmir could undermine peace efforts in Afghanistan.
“The escalation in the subcontinent poses a threat to prospects for peace in Afghanistan,” Lodhi told AFP.
The United States is holding talks with the Taliban on ending 17 years of war. Geo Tv
Pakistan, India World Cup match to go ahead as scheduled: ICC chief
LONDON, Feb 20: Outgoing International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Dave Richardson on Tuesday said the cricket’s governing body has no reasons to make any changes to the proposed World Cup schedule and that all matches will be played as scheduled.
“No indications have been sent from either board about the World Cup clash not taking place,” Richardson told ESPNcricinfo in London, where he was present to mark the 100-day countdown to the tournament. “We haven’t written to the boards as yet.”
“Our thoughts are with the people that were impacted by the incident. And we are monitoring the situation with our members including the BCCI and PCB. Certainly, there are no indications any of the matches, including the Pakistan-India match, will not be played as planned at the World Cup. But as I say we will continue to monitor the situation.”
Richardson statement comes a day after Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had urged for the World Cup fixture between the countries to be called off.
The World Cup, which kicks off on May 30 in England and Wales, will see the high-profile match between sub-continent arch-rivals Pakistan and India played on June 16.
Echoing similar sentiments, World Cup tournament director Steve Elworthy said the Pakistan-India match will be the biggest attraction of the tournament.
“It is probably one of the biggest sporting events in the world,” Elworthy said. “You think of that match and you think of the passion, the support, the audience, the [number of] people who applied for tickets.”
Giving the example of the 2017 Champions Trophy final between Pakistan and India, Elworthy said, “That particular game, we had over 400,000 applications for tickets, which is an incredible number. The stadium only holds 25,000 people. So there are a number of disappointed people. That’s just locally, but [there is also] the audience globally.”
If either one of the teams does decide to forfeit the march, Richardson said the ICC would open the rule books to ascertain the repercussions. “There is justifiable non-compliance and unjustifiable,” he said. “That we will have to deal with under the playing regulations.”
Moreover, stadiums in India have been removing photographs of Pakistan cricketers following the attack in Pulwama. The Cricket Club of India covered the portrait of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan with more stadiums following suit.
The IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali pulled down 15 photos of Pakistani cricketers including Javed Miandad, Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram. Geo Tv