The Varmul PostVolume: 01 | Issue: 08 | 26th Dec - 2nd Jan 2015 | Pages: 08 | English Weekly | Rs. 3/-

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Baram

ulla

SUSPENSECONTINUES

NO MORE‘BOOM-BOOM’

PAGE 8

UNKNOWNGUNMEN

OF KASHMIRPAGE 7

NC-PDP ALLIANCE A NON-ISSUE FOR US:

GEELANIPAGE 5

‘MY WIN IS THE ANSWER TO MY

CRITICS’PAGE 3

The Varmul Post Dec 26 - 02 Jan 2015 P/2WEEKLY SNIPPETS

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Hakim Yasin refutes news reports

Refuting the news reports re-garding his un-conditional offer of support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which appeared in a section of press on Thurs-day, Peoples

Democratic Front president and MLA Khansa-hib Hakim Mohammad Yasin said he has been quoted out of context.

In a statement, Yasin said that he has been misquoted in the report. “The bigger parties have a role to play and it is up to them to form the government. But the role of smaller parties is also important like 2002 and we will play our role.”

“I am ready to serve people of Kashmir and particularly people of Khansahib con-stituency in whatever capacity I am asked to. I will support any party which is for the bet-terment and development of Kashmir.”

On the media reports about his offer of support to the BJP, the MLA Khansahib said, “Deliberations and discussions over the issue are on and final call is yet to be taken. I’m ready to offer support to any government which is for the interests of Kashmiris. I won’t com-promise on the interests of Kashmiris at any cost.”

However, he said, that it was in the best interests of Kashmiris that the elected govern-ment takes over without any delay.

“People have high hopes with their repre-sentatives and it is high time that new govern-ment is formed which can alleviate the suffer-ings and miseries of people,” said Yasin.

Two held for acid attack on Kashmir

college girl

Two people have been arrested on charges of throwing corrosive liquid on a college girl who suffered horrific injuries in her face in Kashmir’s summer capital, Srinagar, police say.

The 21-year-old girl was outside her law college in Soura when unknown car-borne persons sprinkled acid on her face leading to serious injuries on December 11.

The police chief in Kashmir, AG Mir in a press brief told that they arrested Irshad Ahmad Wani and Mohammad Omar Noor after a spe-cial investigation team headed by a top police from officer Hazratbal got vital clues.

Mir says the attack was a result of Noor being spurned by the girl. Noor, the police say, planned the attack along with his business partner Wani and at least recceed seven times before carrying the attack. Both the accused had been stalking the girl.

The accused run a auto spare parts shop in Batmaloo.

“We first arrested Wani, who hails from Wazir Bagh and during his sustained inter-rogation we found some vital clues which led to arrest of Noor who lives in Bemina,” Mir said.

He say the accused bought the sulfuric acid

from a shop in Batmaloo. On the day of attack, police say, Noor bor-

rowed a car from his uncle, who didn’t have a clue about his plan. “They both drove the car to the college and sprinkled the acid on the girl. In the attack, some acid spilled over his hand and he was hurt,” he added.

The girl was recently operated in a hospi-tal Chennai. She had injuries in her face and left eye

Sarpanch shot dead in Sopore

An elderly village headman (Sarpanch) who escaped bid on life last year was shot dead

by suspected militants in Bomai area of Sopore in this north Kash-mir’s Baramulla district on Satur-day.

Police sources said sarpanch Gh-ulam Ahmad Bhat, 65, affili-ated with Con-gress was fired

from point blank range by militants near main chowk Bomai, Sopore.

He sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Immediately after the incident, large num-ber of police and para military personnel laid siege around the area and launched a search operation to track down the attackers.

Officials said the deceased sarpanch was a close associate of independent candidate from Sopore Irshad Ahmad Kar, son of former State Congress president Ghulam Rasool Kar.

Pall of gloom descended the Bomai village when body of the Sarpanch was brought to his home. Amid sobs and tears, the body was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Bomai and large number of people attended the funeral prayers.

Police has registered a case and has launched a manhunt to nab the killers.

“FIR number 93/ 2014 has been registered in this regard,” a police spokesman said.

Bhat had survived assassination attempt by militants in April 2013.

He is the second Sarpanch killed in Baram-ulla district after conclusion of Assembly polls in the North Kashmir district on December 9.

A week ago, a Sarpanch was killed in Hai-gam village in Sopore after being abducted by unidentified gunmen.

Omar Abdullah ‘postpones’ UK visit, returns to Srinagar

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah has reportedly postponed his UK visit and returned to Srinagar after meeting Bharatiya Janta Party leadership in New Delhi.

“All the camera crews outside my home are going to be very disappointed when I leave Srinagar tomorrow having met no one “inter-esting” here,” Omar wrote on his twitter.

Omar earlier met BJP top brass to discuss the possibilities of coalition in the wake of hung assembly in the region but the reports of any meeting were denied by BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav.Omar Abdul-lah was scheduled to meet his ailing father and patron of National Conference, Farooq Abdul-lah, who underwent a kidney transplant in UK last week.

Reports said that Omar discussed various probabilities of coalition with BJP chief Amit Shah and Ram Madhav in New Delhi.

Hurriyet leaders pay tributes to Quaid-e-Azam

Chairperson of Muslim Khawateen Markaz, Raja Yasmeen, and Hurriyet leader, Muham-mad Yousuf Naqash, have paid glowing tributes to the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on his birth anniver-sary.

Raja Yasmeen addressing a function held at the party office in Srinagar to mark the an-niversary of Quaid-e-Azam said that it was because of his dynamic personality that the Muslims in South Asia were able to get an independent homeland for themselves. She prayed for the prosperity and stability of Pak-istan. She also felicitated the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, on his birthday, today.

Muhammad Yousuf Naqash in a statement in Srinagar said that Qaid-e-Azam carved out Pakistan and laid its foundation on the Islam-ic principles of justice, nobility and brotherhood irrespective of religion, race and region. “He honoured the sentiments of the Muslims of the subcontinent and worked rigorously for the cause of Muslim Ummah of the world. We hope that Pakistan will grow as a powerful, peaceful and strong country as the savior of the Muslim world and the friend of all countries of the world,” he added.

Shabir Shah calls for unity among

separatists

Reiterating his call for unity among the separatist, Hurriyat Conference (JK) leader and chairman Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Ahmad Shah today said the unity among re-sistance groups is ‘inevitable’, keeping in view the recent election drama here and changing political scenario in the world.

“When these power thirsty (pro-India) par-ties can extend hands to each other in achiev-ing their objectives (power), what prevents us from becoming one when our objective and mission is same,” Shah in a statement issued to press said, adding, “We are the guardians to the sacrifices of our martyrs and have to discharge our responsibilities seriously with regards to taking their mission to the logical conclusion.”

He said that the pro-India politicians dur-ing elections crossed all limits of morality and descended to extreme despicable position while accusing each other. “Now, when the time for sharing power came, they all extend hands to each other to form the government and are ready to compromise. When these power lusty parties can unite and compromise in achieving the material gains, why can’t we exhibit unity among ourselves which is genuine and sincere,” he said.

Shah further said, “When our mission and objective is same, what do our individual dif-ferences stand for? Does keeping such gap among ourselves behove us after rendering innumerous sacrifices for freedom? I appeal all the pro-freedom leadership to chart out a unanimous strategy with regards to freedom struggle as we are indebted to the sacrifices of our martyrs and have to take their mission to

its logical end.”Urging people not to fall prey to machina-

tions of mainstream parties, Hurriyat (JK) leader said these parties are responsible for our subjugation and slavery and they can never be our well-wishers. “During elections, these parties kept mum over the killings and arbitrary arrests as they were only concerned of getting the blessings of New Delhi.”

Mufti Syed hails Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee, Malviya

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Wednesday hailed the Centre’s decision to confer Bharat Ratna on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpay-ee.

“Vajpayee deserved country’s highest hon-our not only for his contribution in India’s political arena but for his historic peace and reconciliation initiatives in and around Jammu & Kashmir,” Sayeed said in a statement here.

“The political sagacity, maturity and vision of Vajpayee and extension of friendship to Pakistan in the aftermath of the Parliament attack and the ceasefire announced by him are some of the historic confidence building mea-sures which dawned a new era of peace and tranquility in the state and the region,” he said.

The PDP leader expressed hope that the gov-ernment headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pursue the policies of Vajpayee on Jammu & Kashmir as a tribute to the great poli-tician and statesman.

Sayeed also welcomed the government’s decision to confer Bharat Ratna on the freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya.

The Varmul Post Dec 26 - 02 Jan 2015 P/3INTERVIEW

Javed Hassan Beigh, who defeated NC stalwart Ghulam Hassan Rahi and Congress’ new face Salman Anees Soz besides various other candidates from Baramulla constituency. A social activ-ist and nephew of senior PDP leader and Parliament member Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, in an exclusive interview with The Varmul Post thanks Almighty Al-lah for this great win besides the sacri-fices of his supporters.

What is the main reason behind this great win in which you de-feated high caliber politician Rahi and young and energetic Salman Soz?

There are many a reasons. The main reason behind my win is the great sacri-fice of workers. I am not any leader but a simple political worker who is joined at a grass route level with the party. So my workers who worked effortlessly dur-ing these days are a reason for my success. It is basically their win.

Was there any ‘PDP wave’ ef-

fect in your win?

Besides that the People’s Democratic Party is a name in itself. In the history of Kashmir and in democratic set up people of Kashmir see our party with a certain respect. They have certain trust on this party. It is also a main factor. People’s Democratic Party has a certain manifesto, which is for peace, honor and integrity of Kashmir. We value the senti-ments of our people, so do people of this state. They trust us. They have their faiths joined with us.

Can we say that there was a

due effect of Muzaffar Hussain

Beigh for a first timer Javed Has-

san Beigh?

Muzaffar Hussain Beigh remained as MLA Baramulla for 12 years. As an MLA Beigh sahab carried out a lot of develop-mental activities in this constituency. So there was a definite edge for me due to Beigh Sb. But overall I must admit that it was nothing but help from Almighty Allah and the effortless sacrifices of my workers. Without Allah’s help I couldn’t have secured this much votes.

What are you priorities for the

development of this Baramulla

Constituency?

See my constituency is divided into urban and rural. My first priority in Baram-ulla district headquarters is to address the health sector. Our district hospital has many a problems related to it. Lack of infra-structure is a big issue which needs to addressed. Lack of staff both medical and Para-medical needs to tack-led as soon as possible. Patients are at

the receiving end. It is our duty to look after this. And I have a certain plan for this.

Next, people of this constituency lack facility of safe drinking water. The short comings in the PHE department need to be addressed. Providing safe drinking water to people is also my priority. Traf-fic regulation is in my priority list. Our education system needs reforms. Small scale industries like Handicrafts, Hand-looms, entrepreneurial initiatives like medicinal plants, sheep farming, dairy farming have to be promoted. This will not only generate revenue but will help a lot of unemployed youth to get jobs.

Since Baramulla witnesses huge

traffic jams these days at peak

hours, so what are your plans for

regulating traffic mess here? Apart from vision Greater Baram-

ulla I have some plans for traffic regula-tion which is a long term process. I will definitely work towards its implementa-tion. We lack parking lots here. Traffic jam is a routine in Baramulla Town; we have to find parking lots. There is no such entry and exit timings for heavy load vehicles. I have plans for arrangement of parking lots for the people, the commut-ers and a certain timing for the entry and exit of the heavy load vehicles. I want to do something extra ordinary for the people of my constituency with regards to traffic regulations. It is not only a plan but my dream also. It is a big issue here, so to address this is my priority.

Nowadays we see various il-

legal Sumo stands on the roadsides.

Are there any plans to check the

illegal parking in the town?

We need specified Sumo stands as there are no such stands for the drivers, who unwillingly park their vehicles on the roadside. It is not the fault of the driv-ers but the incompetency of the govern-ment which is not providing them the stands. We need to accommodate them, give them specified stands. There is no industrial sector here, so it is their job through which they earn. We shouldn’t dislocate them but provide them with an alternative, a stand here or there. We need to educate the drivers, train them, em-power them so that people will feel safe while walking.

I am of the opinion that transport sector should be in the priority list of all governments. Transport Ministry is not any mean job, if given a chance I will address this problem with due effect. I will raise this issue in assembly also.

Are you going to take some bold

steps in order to tackle the menace

of corruption in various govern-

ment departments?

It must be in the government policy to tackle the menace of corruption. As a social worker I will ensure to tackle this

problem atleast in my constituency. I must say corruption has many levels. If a poor man is made to visit any government department again and again, in my opin-ion that is also corruption at lower level. Isn’t it corruption when you waste im-portant days of a poor man for some of-ficial work which you can do in few min-utes? Why should anybody suffer due to absence or inexperience of staff? As an MLA it is my duty to make employees of a certain department responsible and honest towards their job. I have a plan for tackling the menace of corruption which I will discuss with my party heads but let me clarify it to you that at na-tional level I as Javed Beigh is a small personality to tackle it. Rest I am always here to help the people of my constitu-ency.

People as well as political par-

ties accuse you of arrogance and

hooliganism. Is there any truth

in it or just an allegation?

Political parties got their answer through ballot. They accused me of arrogance but they couldn’t accuse me of corruption, drugs, bad character or so. Nowhere they pointed finger towards me that Javed Beigh is corrupt. But why should few people accuse me of arrogance if I am making

them responsible towards the social is-sues, towards people of my constituency. If any government employee is creating problems for people of my constituency then I find it my moral obligation to help the needy. If that is what they call arro-gancy, then let it be.

People of this constituency put

their all their trusts in you by elect-

ing you as an MLA. Now can we

hope that you will be available for

them all the times?

People of Baramulla constituency elected me as their MLA for next six years. We live in a democratic set up. If I will not work for them then the choice is open to choose any other who can work. But I must assure you that why I won in my constituency or why PDP is still a household name in this constituency is that our party feels the pain and work effortlessly for the development of our constituency. People understand this thing. And if I can’t work honestly for my con-stituency, for my people then there is no use of being an MLA.

Candidate Party Votes

Javid Hassan Beigh Peoples Democratic Party 14418

Gh. Hassan Rahi National Conference 7401

Salman Anees Soz Congress 6805

Mohd Yousf Dar People Conference 1164

Gulam u Din Gulshan Independent 850

Mohd Maqbool Mir Independent 570

Mohd Aslam Deedar Independent 381

Altaf Jameel Lone Independent 209

Gulshan Sanhotra National Panthers Party 176

Ashiq Husain Ganaie Independent 134

Mohd Afsar Khan JK Kisan Majdoor Party 88

NOTA 758

VOTE SHARE FOR BARAMULLA CONSTITUENCY

‘My Win Is the Answer to My Critics’

The Varmul Post Dec 26 - 02 Jan 2015 P/4COVER STORY

National Conference’s Sopore MLA Mohammad Ashraf Ganie and former MP Abdul Rashid Shaheen (Pattan) were among 602 candidates who had to forfeit their security de-posit after failing to get the minimum 1/6th of total votes polled.

Shabir Ahmad Mir (Gulmarg) and Congress leader and son of Kuka Parray(a dreaded Ikhwan Command-er), Imtiyaz Ahmad Parray (Sonawari) also lost their deposit despite scoring over 10,000 votes from respective constituencies.

Dr Mustafa Kamal and former PDP minister Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sofi have also lost their deposit after failing to get the required vote share. Dr. Kamal, NC’s additional general secretary, scored 9275 among 67,905 votes polled secured fourth position from Gulmarg constituency where independent Shabir Ahmad Mir man-aged 11,083 votes but also fell short of 11,317 needed to secure the de-posit.

Similarly, Imtiyaz Ahmad Parray with 12065 votes fell short of 13393-

mark needed to salvage pride from Sonawari which was claimed by NC’s Mohammad Akhbar Lone (32567) with a thin margin of 406 votes over PDP’s Yasir Reshi who got 32161 of the total 80359 votes polled from as-sembly segment in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.

According to the Election Com-mission of India rules, a security deposit has to be made by the candi-date at the time of filing the nomina-tion. If the candidate fails to get a minimum of one-sixth of the total valid votes polled, the deposit goes to the treasury.

821 candidates, second highest number of contestants to have com-peted in any assembly polls, were in fray in 2014 elections, and as natural to any battle, 734 candidates lost it.

According to Section 34(1)(a) of Representation of People’s Act 1951, every candidate is required to make a security deposit of Rs 10,000 for the Assembly elections.

However, candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Tribe are

required to make a deposit of Rs 5,000.In the elections prior to 1996, the

security deposit for general and re-served category candidates was Rs 500 and Rs 250 respectively. In August 1996, the security deposit was raised for the Parliamentary and Assembly elections.

The forfeited deposits have swelled the coffers of the Election Commission of India by Rs 602,000, to give it some support as conduct of polls puts quite a strain on the treasury.

In 2008 elections, 1155 candidates among the 1277 losers, had to forfeit the security deposit which was almost three times higher than the preceding 2002 polls. There were record 1364 candidates in fray in 2008.

In Bandipora eleven candidates, all managing less than 1000 votes forfeited deposit, in Baramulla the number of such contestants is 8, Gul-marg (6), Gurez (2), Handwara (10), Kupwara (8), Langate (8), Lolab (7), Pattan(10), Rafiabad (9), Sangrama (6), Sopore (13), Uri (2).

SRINAGAR: The 12th Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir will have nearly 65 per cent new faces as only 31 of the 87 newly-elected MLAs have previously been member the House.

As many as 56 winners have been elected to the Lower House of the state legislature for first time, while 26 MLAs managed to retain their membership. Five others have made a comeback to the House after staying out for six to 12 years.

Two National Conference MLAs have managed to win the Assembly polls for a sixth time.

The BJP, which won 25 seats, has the highest number of first-timers. Twenty-two BJP MLAs will experi-ence their stint in the Assembly for the first time, while Peoples Demo-cratic Party (PDP) which emerged as the single largest party with 28 MLAs, have 19 new faces.

Six new faces will be part of the 12-member Congress Legislature Party in the new Assembly which will also have five new faces from NC and two from Peoples Conference includ-ing separatist-turned politician Saj-jad Ghani Lone.

Two Independent members – Pawan Kumar Gupta and Syed Bakir Rizvi – are also first-timers in the Assembly.

Prominent among the first-time MLAs included banker- turned-PDP leader Haseeb Drabu (Rajpora), his businessman colleague Altaf Bukhari (Amirakadal), outgoing Chief Min-ister Omar Abdullah’s close confidant Devender Singh Rana (Nagrota), Yawar Mir son of ex General Secretary of PDP Mohd Dilawar Mir (Rafiabad), Javed Hassan Beigh, nephew of Mu-zaffar Hussain Beigh (Baramulla).

Four legislators — Abdul Haq Khan, Basharat Bukhari, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah and Zulfikar Ali — re-tained their seats for PDP, while three each from Congress and National Conference won for a second time.

They are Abdul Rashid, Usman Majid and Vikar Rasool Wani of Con-gress and National Conference’s Sha-meema Firdous, Javid Rana and Omar.

Sukhnandan Kumar and Sham Lal Choudhary retained their seats for BJP while Independent MLA from Langate Sheikh Abdul Rashid also contested successfully.

Ten legislators — three each from National Conference, PDP and Con-gress and one from BJP — won a third term in the Assembly.

Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi, Mo-hammad Akbar Lone and Aga Ruhul-la won it for National Conference, Mohammad Khalil Band, Zahoor

Ahmad Mir and Javid Mustafa Mir retained their seats for a third time for PDP.

G A Saroori, Aijaz Khan and Nawang Rigzin Jora won their seats for third time in a row for Congress, while Lal Singh who parted ways with Congress and joined BJP prior to the Assembly polls, registered his third win.

The lone CPI(M) legislator, M Y Tarigami, staved off a stiff resistance and scripted his fourth straight win from the Kulgam constituency of south Kashmir.

PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Abdul Rehman Veeri, also from PDP, are the other two lead-ers who will be in the Assembly for a fourth term.

National Conference leaders – former Speaker Mubarak Gul and former forest minister Mian Altaf – along with Peoples Democratic Front leader Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen are the three legislators who recorded their fifth win in the Assembly polls.

National Conference heavyweights – Mohammad Shafi Uri and Ali Mo-hammad Sagar – are the only two legislators who have won for the sixth time, equalling the record held by their party colleague Ab Rahim Rather.

56 ‘inexperienced’ first timers in J&K AssemblyYawar Mir:

The Youngest CandidatePeoples Democrat-

ic Party’s youngest candidate Yawar Mir Tuesday defeated his close rival and Congress candidate Abdul Gani Vakil by a margin of 2309 votes in Rafiabad assembly constituency.

In the last round of counting Yawar got 17,881 votes out of 55,378 total votes counted while Congress’s Vakil got 15,572 votes and stood runner up. Ex-MLA Javid Ahmad Dar of National Conference who defeated Yawar’s father Mohammad Di-lawar Mir in 2008 as-sembly elections stood at number three position securing 14,960 votes. 556 votes were polled NOTA in Rafiabad constituency where 12 candidates were in fray.

Yawar (27), who contested for the first time, became the youngest candidate being elected to the state Assembly. A law graduate from ILS Pune, Yawar did his LLM from Nottingham University, United Kingdom. He has worked with Khaitan and Company, a reputed law firm. He got PDP mandate after his father, Mohammad Dilwar Mir who repre-sented the constituency five times in past was sentenced by the CBI court for an fertilizer fraud case, barring him from contesting elections this time. On November 7, Mir was sentenced to three years by a trial court in New Delhi in a case related to wrongful release of Rs 30 lakh and contract for sale of urea to his firm by public sector National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), in 1993-1996. Though Mir got a bail and his sentence has been suspended till January 2, 2015.

After the victory, Yawar did not spoke to media for reasons unknown. Following the result, people across Rafiabad constituency took to roads to celebrate Yawar’s win. Pro PDP slogans, road marches and fire crackers bursting marked the celebrations.

602 candidates forfeit security deposit

50 thousand vot-ers chose NOTA

across KashmirAround 50 thousand voters

in Jammu and Kashmir used None of the Above Option (NOTA) in the recently held 2014 assembly elections.

In 87 assembly segments of Jammu Kashmir, NOTA has been pressed by around 50 thou-sand registered voters of the state during the recent five phased polls for state legislative assem-bly in Jammu and Kashmir. Pertinently, during the five phased 2014 state elections on 87 as-sembly segments 47 lakh, 27 thousand and 245 people have voted for 821 candidates in Jammu and Kashmir.

The highest number of NOTA option was pressed in Banihal by 2405 voters with the lowest at Nobra by 49 voters. In Ami-ra Kadal 208 have pressed NOTA, while as in Anantnag 308 Akhnoor 436, Bandipora 1641, Bani 302, Baramulla 758, Bosoli 462, Batamalo 86, Beerwah 710, Bhaderwah 339, Bejbehara 575 Bilawar 414, Bishna 490, Bud-

gam 360, Chadoora 339, Chenani 1185, Chamb 223,Chrar-e-Sharief 363, Derhal 475, Devsar 822, Doda 735, Dooru 997, Eidgah 66, Ganderbal 800,Gandhi Nagar 523, Gool Arnas 627,Gol Gulab Garh 539,Gulmarg 917,Gurez 66, Srinagar 422, Habba Kadal 118, Hira Nagar 434, Home-Shalibugh, 233, Inderwal 345, Jammu East 129, Jammu West 597, Kalakut 766, Kangan 731, Kargil 356, Karnah 244, Kuth-ua 272, Khansahib 574, Khani-yar 102, Kuthua 594, Kokernag 956, Kulgam 674, Kupwara 664, Langate 532, Leh 662, Lolab 1222, Mendhar 351, Nagroota 594, Noor-Abad 750, Nowshera 423, , Pahalgham 1054, Pamp-ore 625, Pattan 567, Poonch Haveli 661, Pulwama 289, Ra-fiaabad 556, Raipur 556, Rajoori 864, Rajpora 840, Ram Nagar 1048, RamBan 1047, RS Pora 336, Reiasi 597, Samba 524, Sangrama 456, Shangus 591, Shopian 819, Sonawar 305, Sonawari 1075, Sopore 333, Sucheet Garh 217, Saranhote 375, Tral 717, Udampur 653, Uri 729, Wachi 623, Zadibal 138 and Zananskar 157.

33 Out of 34 BJP’s Valley Can-didates Lose Deposits.BJP has suffered humiliating defeat in the Kashmir Valley with 33 of its 34 Assembly candidates losing their se-

curity deposit in the elections. The party had fielded 34 candidates out of the 46 constituencies in the Val-ley hoping to give a tough fight to rival candidates, but they failed to secure even their own deposits. Even the party ‘s Muslim face in the Valley, Dr Hina Shafi Bhat, who was given considerable publicity and im-portance by the BJP failed to save her security desposit.

Moti Koul, the BJP’s candidate from Habba Kadal in Srinagar district, was the only one who managed to save his security deposit. He was contesting from the constituency which recorded only 21 per cent voter turnout. Koul was also under the threat of losing his security deposit till the migrant votes were counted, which propelled him from seventh position to the runners-up.

The Varmul Post Dec 26 - 02 Jan 2015 P/5COVER STORY

SRINAGAR: With no party getting a clear majority in Jammu and Kashmir, the state is set to get a coalition government.The key players this time around are the PDP and the BJP after they bagged 28 and 25 seats respectively. The Congress with 12 seats and National Conference with 15 are also part of the various permutations and combinations being worked out. Out of the 87 constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP bagged 28 seats, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) 25, National Con-ference (NC) 15, Congress 12. Apart from the four major parties, “others” have got seven seats and could play a key role in government formation. BJP has kept all options available and has deputed a two-member team led by senior leader Arun Jaitley to hold talks with the party’s newly-elected MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir on possibility of forming government. As politics is a game of possibilities, here are the key probabilities/options of government formation.

PDP-BJP (28-25): This time BJP came with an agenda hoping to win 44 seats -- enough to take power on its own in Jammu and Kashmir. But that did not happen. But a PDP-BJP coalition would make them partners in a power-sharing arrangement. If the two join hands, the BJP likely to get Deputy Chief Minister’s post. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said that her party would take time to form a government to provide “good governance”. Her party spokesman Samir Kaul, however, said that “an alliance with the BJP is not ruled out”.

On Tuesday, outgoing Chief Minister Abdullah said the best possible combination would be one involving the BJP and PDP and chided the Congress for making over-tures to the PDP for the sake of tripping the BJP.

PDP-Congress (28-12): While Congress has offered unconditional support to PDP to form the new government, the regional party is playing a wait- and-watch game before entering into an alliance. Even if PDP and Congress join hands, they will fall short of the majority mark (44). Getting four more parties on board to reach the magic number will not be as easy as it sounds. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad called People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mufti Mohammad Say-eed a seasoned leader and added that the

former has to take the call on whether the government should be formed with secular or communal forces in Jammu and Kash-mir.

“The call has to be taken by the PDP and decide if they want to go with secular or communal forces. PDP and BJP have been opposing each other tooth and nail in this election. Now PDP has to take the call,” the Congress leader said.

“They have a very mature leadership; they know what is good and what is bad. I

am not going to dictate them what to do.

Mufti is a seasoned leader; he has to take the call in the interest of his own party and in the interest of secularism of the state,” he added. Per-tinently the Peoples Democratic Party and Congress are working together to form the next government in the region with the support of independent legislators and smaller regional parties.

Sources within the PDP said the party has agreed to form a coalition with the Congress. Both the parties together have

40 seats in the house of 87, which will leave

them four short of the magical figure of 44.The parties, sources said, have agreed to bring in two legislators each. Sources said Peoples Democratic Front supremo, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Engineer Rashid, MY Tarigami and an independent from Ladakh are likely to be the part of new arrangement.

Congress’s state chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz said on Thursday that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed should be allowed to lead a coalition government in the state with the support of other like-minded parties.

BJP-NC (25-15): Reports quoted BJP sources saying that a section within the party was of the opinion that a tie-up be stitched with the National Conference – ensuring that the CM would be of the BJP. Party chief Amit Shah, did not rule out joining hands with either PDP or National Conference, saying “all options are open”. Outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s support for conferring the Bharat Ratna on former prime minister Atal Bihari Va-jpayee before counting of votes took place indicated that he might be eyeing a post-poll alliance with the BJP. Media reports today said that a BJP-National Conference alli-ance may be in the works after a fractured mandate was delivered in J&K.

Multiple reports, citing sources, said that outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdul-lah had met BJP President Amit Shah. Some even said Abdullah had met Arun Jaitley, who had been deputed by the BJP to oversee government formation in J&K.

BJP, however, denied reports that its leadership had held discussions with Na-tional Conference (NC). Party general secretary Ram Madhav tweeted, “News about BJP leaders meeting NC leadership in Delhi baseless”.

However not all leaders of Abdullah’s party seem to be on the same page. NC leader Aga Rohullah, a former legislator and minister, told that he has conveyed his strong opposition to the party leadership.

“People voted in large numbers to keep the BJP at bay. We can’t give backdoor entry to the BJP to form the government. The last thing the people want is a BJP Chief Minister,” Mr Rohullah said.

NC-PDP alliance a non-issue for us, says

Geelani

All Parties Hurriyat Conference chief Syed Ali Geelani on Thursday termed reports of NC-PDP alliance ‘a non- issue’, saying all pro-India parties ‘dance on the tunes’ of New Delhi.

As the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest honour, was conferred to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the octogenar-ian Kashmir resistance leader said: Vajpayee did nothing to resolve Kashmir issue. “He claimed to resolve Kashmir under the ambit of humanity. Did he? Aren’t we humans. We have rendered sacrifices for our birth right and continue to tread the resistance path. Vajpayee did nothing to address Kashmir. He had no Kashmir plan and those who eulogize his contributions vis-à-vis Kashmir actually mislead the people,” he said.

The senior APHC leader said it is not the state government which runs Jammu and Kashmir but it is the Indian army which is the lawmaker here. “There are eight lakh

troops, one lakh police forces, 28000 VDCs with arms. How can a civilian government claim to rule the state.”

While reacting over the reports wherein NC and PDP are being asked to join hands to keep BJP at bay in Jam-mu and Kashmir, he said such devel-opments carry no weight. “We have to understand that we are under the occupation and we

all must unite to fight against the oppression. Whether it is PDP- BJP, NC-BJP or NC-PDP, it means no difference to us. They all follow

the New Delhi dictations. How could these parties represent our aspirations?”

Substantiating his claims, Geelani said that already 28 lakh kannals of land are under the army and the state government didn’t even utter a word over the issue. “Did the forest minister talk a bit out the issue? No, he cannot because it is army which rules the state and not the civil administration.”

Over BJP’s triumph of 25 seats in Jammu during the 2014 state elections , Geelani said the saffron party used Hindu card in the state as it did during the parliament elections across India. “BJP used religion during elections and in Jammu it benefited but it couldn’t open account in Kashmir valley. Also it is unfor-tunate the Muslim candidates including some women contested on BJP ticket in valley.”

The 85-year-old claimed that the pro-freedom camp here is united and not frag-mented. “As far as the occupation is concerned, we are united. All called for boycott and all asked people to stay away from polls. We all say Kashmir is a dispute. Our stand is one and so is our approach,” Geelani said.

SUSPENSE CONTINUES

The Varmul Post Dec 26 - 02 Jan 2015 P/6OP-ED

By Abid R Baba

Come Spring, the rat race at Baramulla town escalates as the students from across the district throng to various schools and colleges located in the Township. The crowd adds charm to the main market which otherwise looks sleepy during winters. As people keep pouring in, they give it a festive look. Amid the din of this hustle and bustle; an edifice located in the main market wears a composed look. It is a six room building which houses numer-ous books catering to the choice of thou-sands of people. It is a library.Argentine writer and librarian, Jorge Luis Borges writes, “I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of a library”. Per-haps conquered with this thought, throughout the day, the cream or intel-lectual class and scores of students, scholars remain busy in healthy literary discussions and debates here. The other day I was feeling a bit weary so in the hindsight I thought to call it a day but it was not a cakewalk for me since my juggled schedule always keeps me on toes. A friend of mine called me up ask-ing me to come over his office for a cup of coffee. I was quite sure that a lot could happen over a cup of coffee so I readily agreed. To my utter displeasure my preparations for the rendezvous turned out to be a futile exercise since my editor rang me up and assigned an immediate interview with some lady who had some remarkable achievements to her credit.I used the word “displeasure” doesn’t mean I am lethargic kind of a guy, No way. Although people know me as a workaholic but the age old adage “All work and no play makes jack a dull boy” comes to your rescue. So entertainment plays a pivotal role to ease out our anxi-ety. In my case, classical songs by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi act as stress buster. Anyways now back to ba-sics, Cloudy weather and my ailing health status added salt to the wounds. Many a times my skinny stance makes me exclu-sive and uncomfortable in the gatherings.My other village folks were enjoying the holiday on pavements and shop fronts discussing the World cup football which was played in Brazil. “Few African teams like Ghana can do wonders as it pos-sesses some excellent footballers but German football is a treat to watch.” One lad told the other. Many others could be seen in bakers shop discussing Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Kashmir visit and Ra-madan 2014.I kept waiting for almost an hour at my village bus stop but I am told that mini-buses have been hired by locals, quiet obvious since tourist season is at its ze-

nith. Now there was no other option but to proceed towards National Highway (NH-1A) by foot where from I could board a bus to my destined spot. By now, you might have realized that ours is a remote hamlet and potholed and rough roads make the journey painful.After treading a treacherous path I reached District Library Baramulla which remains open on Sundays as Department of Libraries and Research in our State had last year decided to observe holiday on Thursdays. I am a bibliophile and a book is my first love. My joy knew no bounds when books call me for date every other day. I embrace them, kiss them and on departure a strange pain pierce my heart and I bid them a tearful goodbye like a loyal boyfriend. Meanwhile, I received a call from my “subject (Interviewee)” that it would be impossible for her to come over as it was raining cats and dogs.Reading room was abuzz and sense of ecstasy was palpable.Oops! I forgot to tell you that Librarian Mr.Mushtaq Kirmani had sent me a letter a day before. He had invited me for a book release function on the same day.The staff here is very cooperative .From last five years I am a regular visitor here and I am witness to the fact that number of students get benefitted. But the dying habit of book reading among youngsters continues to remain a concern for the staff here though they organize functions in schools and colleges in which they per-suade students about the advantages of book reading. “Youngsters remain glued to their computer screens or keep fiddling with the mobile phones but flipping the pages of a book has its own taste. Internet addiction has more drawbacks.” Qazi Lateef Shaheen, a poet and scholar who counsels me here tells me time and again.The Library Staff organize literary meet-ings, seminars, debates, Mushairas (Where poets assemble to showcase their talent) in collaboration with Baramulla Writers Forum (BWF), a local body com-prised of renowned educationists of Baramulla district. Moreover World Book day on April 23rd and World Literacy day on September 8th is observed with enthu-siasm and fervor. The decorum of the institution is its chief Mr. Mohammad Aslam, a down-to-earth persona who guides any of his borrowers like his own child. He wants us to change the library into a second home. One never feels any hindrance and the staff here try their level best to make you feel comfortable. The hall remains jam packed where the literature lovers keep engrossed in vari-ous books, references, magazines, jour-nals and newspapers.Library is a lifeline of bright future of hope. For children it was considered to be a magical place of learning, reading, discussions and having fun but the force-ful winds of technology snatched this custom from us. Library is a place to stay connected with ever-increasing amounts of data to find the core of knowledge in the ever-increasing deluge of data. A li-brary is but more than a building-a trea-

sure house of knowledge. Good books comfort and console us like a good friend in both times of elation and distress. Book reading develops creative and critical thinking rather than spoon feeding.Reading habits are declining and internet is a major distracter. No doubt there is a barrage of data accessible but these days majority of netizens opine that it is hard to limit internet for productive purposes because it wastes our time on fruitless surfing as it is inescapable. Reading books contribute towards the enrichment of our knowledge in terms of human ex-perience and information. Reading good book refreshes our ideas and thought process. We plan and prioritize things when we read quality stuff. While reading different genres of books I find myself exposed to new dreams. Hold on! If daily stress overshadows you, here is a remedy: “Book reading reduces stress but for this purpose you have to minimize net surfing as much as you can.”But the million dollar question remains what prompts the young brigade to stay away from once our ‘Lifeline’. Why it has turned lifeless and dejected. Is it because book reading requires patience which is extinct in today’s materialistic world where everyone paces towards nowhere. Internet is killing books and the Death of bookstores may have catastrophic conse-quences in near future.Right now, I am here in the reference sec-tion of this library. Discussions on wide range of hot topics have become order of the day here. Personally these delibera-tions are of immense importance for me as it helps me to refine my oratory and communication skills. But there are some grey shades as well. I have no qualms to complain about such lacunas after all it is called “constructive criticism.” First, the library is situated on the fifth story of a shopping complex owned by Auqaf Committee of the town, which results in a lot of inconvenience for some elderly persons. The other day I saw somebody struggling to climb the stairs of the library. As I neared him I saw that he was a retired teacher Mr.Abdul Majid Qureishi who is in his late 70’s. But it doesn’t dissuade him to pay a visit to the library on daily basis. Against all odds these elderly persons come to encourage youth to make a mark in the society. But what irks all the readers here is the noise. Yes, it is located in a crowded vegetable market where loud shouts of vendors and honking of vehicles irritates one to a great extent. It is said that tranquilized environ is the pre-requisite for book reading but it presents the contradictory picture here.Anyways when I entered the room, I greeted the gathering who gave me a warm welcome. Clock ticked 2:30 pm and by now the function was officially kicked -off. An alumnus of Government DegreeCol-lege Baramulla Perveiz Yusuf was the centre of attraction in the function.Pervez, who completed his post graduation in Urdu from Kashmir University in 2011, launched his debut book in Urdu. Entitled

“Mifta-e-Adab” (Key to Literature), the book is of great importance in Urdu lit-erature. Apart from journalism, I am a diehard fan of Urdu literature. It is a food for my reading appetite. I found the book very helpful for the students of Higher education. Though there is nothing new in the book but using the old mettle and shaping it afresh is an art, a magic which Pervez knows very well. Critical analysis of writings of various writers and brilliant commentary of prose by Ismat Chughtai, Altaf Hussain Haali and many others makes it a good read.On the occasion, Professor Nizamuddin emphasized the importance of a dignified character in a writer which he thinks is a pre-requisite for a good writer.Bashir Ahmad Kakroo, a high profile figure of Baramulla district who has served in US for nearly five decades was the chief guest on the occasion. Known as “Peace Promoter” Kakroo in his brief address emphasized on the style of writ-ing. “Our write-ups should directly in-volve our culture; we must work in unity so that we can promote peace.”On the sidelines of the function, Pervez told me that Urdu was his first love. He informed me that his first Ghazal was published in a local Urdu daily “Al-safa” way back in 2004 when he was a student of 10th standard only. He was all praise for Dr. Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, the then Head Urdu Department at GDC Baram-ulla. A shining star of Shaheen club in the said college Pervez was favorite student of his teachers. Born in June 1987 and brought up in a congested Qazi Hamam locality of Old Town Baramulla, Pervez has 15 Ghazals to his credit. He has also written obituaries of some forgotten poets of Kashmir. Visibly shy but graceful Pervez con-cluded that our approach towards Urdu language is not fine. He said that it is facing discrimination and step-motherly treatment by its own people. He added that its native speakers are hell-bent to cut its roots. Till 1889, our official language was Persian but Maharaja Pratap Singh gave it the status of an official language. Finally, cursory glance from the window-pane indicated that Sun was about to set as red horizon had enveloped the sur-roundings. I bode them goodbye in haste.On a parting note, somebody patted my back and said, “What is your name beta?”I quoted Shakespeare in return, “What lies there in the name?” He giggled.It was pitch dark when I reached home feeling dizzy. After a light supper, I per-formed ablution and straightaway went to bed but not before reading the last few pages of The Blazing Chinar–an autobi-ography of late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

Abid R Baba can be mailed at universalbaba99@gmail.com

My Love -District Library Baramulla

The Varmul Post Dec 26 - 02 Jan 2015 P/7

Three days after the assembly polls in North Kashmir’s Sopore, five unknown gunmen kidnapped a village headman in the Hygam area of the township. Next morning the bullet-ridden body of the village headman was recovered by the Kashmir police in the nearby apple orchards. The police registered a case and attributed the killing of the Sar-panch Ghulam Mohammad to ‘unknown gunmen’.We talked to some of the families whose family member(s) – who had also been Sarpanches – were killed by unknown gun-men and tried to decipher the identity of these unknown gunmen.On the evening of April 8, 2013, Ghulam Mohammad Lone, 50, was watering the bricks with his son in their under-construc-tion house in Kulpora Pulwama of South Kashmir. In the dark, someone appeared suddenly behind Lone and asked him, “Are you Ghulam Mohammad Lone, the Sar-panch?” When Lone replied yes, the dark figure grabbed him by the head and shot a bullet in his forehead. He died on the spot while the assassin disappeared in the dark. Lone’s only son, Aijaz Ahmad, is the sole witness of the whole incident. The killer was not a ghost who came and disappeared in the dark. But the truth is that the assassin is more mysterious than a ghost whose targets have been mainly Sarpanches, Panches and their families.The state of Jammu and Kashmir has 4,128 Panchayats spread across 22 districts and about 33,000 Panchayat members. It in-cludes about 29,000 Panches and 4,145 Sarpanches. The elections for the Pan-chayat’s were held in April 2011 in J&K, the first time since 1989 – the year when armed uprising began in the state. These elections were seen as the beginning of the new era of democracy, as people participated in large numbers in these elections.The Panchayat members were elected for the local issues and to serve people at the grassroot level. However, a year after the election, a systematic killings of Panches and Sarpanches in Kashmir began by the hands of unknown gunmen whose motives remain as complicated as their own identity.After the death of Ghulam Mohammad Lone, an FIR was lodged in the concerned police station. In the report, the police re-ported the assassin as a ‘unknown Gunman’ whose identity has not been revealed so far.Hajra Bano, the wife of Lone, says that the police did not take any further action after registering the FIR. It has been more than a year since the incident, yet the police are clueless about the killer. But at the same time Lone’s family does not dare follow the case. “We do not want to invite more trouble now. Following the case might enrage the killers, and they might harm my son. I do not want that to happen,” says Bano.Hajra Bano, 50, wife of Ghulam Muhammad

lone says that they live in fear since her husband was killed by unknown gunman.The eye-witness of the incident and Lone’s only son, Aijaz Ahmad, 24, is in a dilemma

about the killers of his father. “My father was an honest and generous man. He did not have any personal rivalries with anyone. I do not understand who killed him and why!” Aijaz says.In the aftermath of the Sarpanch killings, pro-India political parties and the police blame the militants or the separatists for the killings while the separatists term it as a ‘grand conspiracy’ and un-Islamic and condemn it. The Panchayat elections were to be fought on non-party basis but most of the members recognised themselves with the major political parties of Kashmir, like the National Conference, the People’s Democratic Party or the Congress. Many times, these political parties also blame one another for the killings, calling it a tactic to win the favour of the victims.The killings became frequent during the Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly elec-tions held this year in J&K. Thus, the kill-ings were seen as an act of the militants to instil fear among the masses in order to hold them back from voting. But a section of people in Kashmir believe it is an act of the political parties to affect the polling results. “In areas where a certain party fears to lose, holding people back from voting in such areas may change the results. In such cases, political parties may resort to killing Sar-panches to instil fear among people,” says Zahid, a research scholar in the University of Kashmir.Two months after the death of Lone, two militants of Hizbul-Mujahideen were killed in South Kashmir during a long gun-battle with the Indian forces. After the encounter was over and the militants were identified, the-then DIG of South Kashmir issued a press statement wherein he claimed that the slain militants had been responsible for the killings of the Sarpanches in South Kash-

mir, which included Aijaz’s father also. Aijaz is skeptical about the press statement though. “After the mili-tants were killed, only then it was declared that they had been respon-sible for the killing of my father. Why did the police not say it before the encounter? They easily blamed the dead, for they know they cannot speak,” Aijaz says.Aijaz rules out the role of militants in the killing of his father, but then he is quick to add that he cannot be sure about anything. “Had it been the militants, they would have sent a warning or a letter in advance. But

we cannot rule out any possibility,” he says.On March 8 this year, Mohammad Shaban Dar, went to offer late evening prayers – Ishaa Nimaz – in a nearby mosque at his

village Dogripora Pulwama in South Kashmir. As a routine, his son, Gh-ulam Mohammad Dar, would follow him some minutes later. That eve-ning when his son went to the mosque, he did not find his father there. He searched for him around but did not find him anywhere. At last, Shaban’s dead body was found in the mosque lawn. He was shot in the head by unknown gunmen.“I was a Sarpanch then. I thought then that it was because of my des-ignation that my father was killed,” Ghulam Mohammad Dar, 50, says.Soon after the incident, Dar tendered his resignation in the local newspa-pers and asked for an apology in his village mosque on a Friday. He wanted to alienate himself and his

family from any political party.But his resignation did not do him any good. Things turned murky when Dar’s brother, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din was killed by four unknown gunmen in his home in the same village. Mohi-ud-Din was a carpenter.“On November 16 this year, 4 masked men came to my brother’s house in the evening and asked for him. When they found him, he was shot at and he died immediately,” Dar says.Dar is perplexed about the two killings in his family. “If my father’s killing was be-cause of my Sarpanch post, why was my brother killed then?” Even now, Dar and his family feel insecure and threatened by any stranger and live in acute fear.“In the early days, one would know about who killed whom and why. But now every-thing is obscure and mysterious,” Dar says. In both the killings, the police registered a FIR and attributed the killings to unknown gunmen. The investigation in both the cases has shown no progress ever since the incidents happened.Ever since they were elected in 2011, at least 11 Sarpanches and Panches have been as-sassinated and around 100 of them have been wounded in target attacks by unknown gunmen.Shafiq Mir, Chairman of the All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference says that, ever since the targeted attacks on the Sar-panches began, the whole institution of Panchayat has become dysfunctional. Around 1000 members of the Panchayat system have tendered their resignation and apologised to the public.On May 13 this year, few days ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in South Kashmir, 3 men in the Indian army uniform ac-companied by a local civilian knocked at the door of Moham-mad Amin Pandit, 43, the Sar-panch of Gulzarpora Pulwama. It was evening time and Pandit’s wife, Shameema, only noticed the army uniform. The three unknown men took the Sarpanch along with them on the pretext of getting to know the address of a house.“15 minutes later, we heard a few gunshots. We were terrified. I rushed out of the house and reached near the graveyard. I saw my husband lying there in a pool of blood,” Shameema says. The killers in this case also were not identified and in the FIR, the

police attributed the crime to unknown gun-men.Shafiq Mir says that the government has been clueless about the killers of Panchayat members and terms it as the failure of the Omar-led government. He adds that their association is in a dilemma about the killers. “We are puzzled about who kills them and why. Our doubt sometimes goes on the militant groups because of their press state-ments wherein they castigated our role, but when political parties blame one another for these killings, the whole story becomes even more murky and complicated. We are clue-less so we call them unknown gunmen,” he says.Without being clear about the identity of the killers, Inspector General of Police, Kash-mir division, Abdul Ghani Mir says that the police department has been investigating the cases and rebuts the claim of being clue-less. When contacted, DIG, South Kashmir, Alok Kumar, refused to talk on the subject. But these families of the Sarpanches as well as Shafiq Mir say that that either the police is clueless about the killers or it is trying to blanket the issue – something that makes these systematic killings a complicated case.In three years, the government has not been able to solve a single case of Sarpanch kill-ing. In such conditions, the unknown gun-men are still at large which poses a great threat to the lives of other Panchayat mem-bers. Will these unknown gunmen ever be identified? This mystery remains unsolved.

UNKNOWN GUNMEN OF KASHMIRIn light of the recent killing of the Sarpanch of a village in Sopore, Haziq Qadri and Qadri Inzamam

take a closer look at this recent phenomenon of unknown gunmen targeting members of the Panchayat in

Jammu and Kashmir.

Hajra Bano, 50, wife of Ghulam Muhammad lone says that they live in fear since her husband was killed by un-known gunman.

Aijaz Ahmed Lone, son of Ghulam Muhammad Lone blames the police for not investigating into the killing of his father.

FIR copy of Ghulam Muhammad Lone’s assassination which terms the killers as ‘namaloom’ (Unknown).

Shameema, saw the three men who came at evening to take away her husband but she couldn’t see their faces.

FEATURE REPORT

The Varmul Post Dec 26 - 02 Jan 2015 P/8SPORTS

“History of cricket incomplete without

Afridi”Former Test cricketer and chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed Sallu showered lavish praise on all-rounder Shahid Afridi and said the game of cricket will never be the same without the dashing player once he bids farewell to one-day cricket after the World Cup 2015.Commenting on Afridi’s shock decision to quit ODI cricket after the extrava-ganza in Australia and New Zealand, Sallu said while the all-rounder will be available to the game till the 2016 T20 World Cup, his breath-taking style of hitting sixes and fours and his match-winning innings for Pakistan in the ODIs will remain etched in every Pakistani’s memory for as long as they live.“Shahid Afridi is a colossus of the game who has had tremendous impact on cricket over the last decade and a half,” said Sallu in an emotional tribute to the all-rounder. “He has, indeed, had his ups and downs which is part of the game, but no matter what anyone says, the history of the game will not be

complete without the mention of his name.”Sallu recalled how Afridi blossomed as a player from his early days and went on to become, perhaps, the greatest crowd puller wherever the game of cricket is played.“From a young spinner who arrived as a last-minute replacement in Kenya in 1996, Afridi transformed into an explo-sive all-rounder, breaking records left, right and center and providing the full money’s worth to the spectators across the cricketing world,” he said.“His presence was feared by many a team and still is, as he showed with his solid contribution against New Zealand in the UAE series recently.“He also possesses this rare quality to gel the team into a fighting unit as a captain which he showed time and again, especially in World Cup 2011 in India.”“His decision has come as a shock to me since I knew nothing about it before the press conference this afternoon, but I will say this much that Afridi is a phenomenon the like of which is un-likely to grace this game in a long, long time to come,” concluded Sallu.

KARACHI: Eighteen years of entertainment and frustration later, star all-rounder Shahid Afridi an-nounced his intention to retire from ODI cricket after the 2015 World Cup, which will be held in Austra-lia and New Zealand in two months’ time.

The decision, which left millions of Afridi’s followers baffled, was already known to the team manage-ment and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), according to the man himself.

“I’ve decided to retire from one-day cricket after the 2015 World Cup,” said Afridi while speaking to reporters here at a local hotel.

“I always wanted to retire at my peak form, and I feel this is that time. I’ve told the team management and [captain] Misbahul Haq about my decision, and now I can play the World Cup with less pressure and do my best at the mega event.”

The 389-ODI veteran, who has often been criticised for being in-consistent, remains a double-edged sword for both his team’s chances and opponents’ plans alike, as he possesses the contrasting abilities to turn the match on its head and to melt in the background without a trace.

Still, Afridi remains one of the most recognisable names not only in Pakistan but also world cricket, and an individual to be loved – and sometimes hated – by people of all ages. His charisma is such that someone even with the least inter-est in cricket would take out a mo-ment to see him batting.

“My journey has seen many ups

and down, but I’m satisfied to leave on my own terms,” said the talis-manic all-rounder.

“I want to thank all my seniors such as Wasim Akram, Inzama-mul Haq, Moin Khan, Saeed Anwar and Ramiz Raja for their support in the early days of my career. I also want to thank former Karachi Cricket Club Association President Sirajul Islam Bukhari and my de-partment HBL who supported me throughout.”

‘Wanted my fastest ODI ton record to remain unbroken’

The 34-year-old has managed to score 7,870 runs in his ODI career so far at an average of 23.49 and struck six centuries — the first of which remained the fastest ODI century – off 37 deliveries – for more than 17 years, which he scored against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996.

The record was eventually bro-ken by New Zealand’s Corey An-derson on the first day of 2014, as he completed a ton in 36 balls against the West Indies.

Afridi is also just nine wickets away from collecting 400 wickets in ODIs.

“The only regret I have is that I wanted to hold the record of the fastest ODI century till my retire-ment at least,” said Afridi. “Now I’ll try to complete landmarks of 8,000 runs and 400 wickets in the remaining one-dayers of my career.”

The former ODI skipper, who led Pakistan in three ODIs against New Zealand due to a hamstring injury to Misbah, vowed to con-tinue playing T20 cricket after the

World Cup.“I’ll continue playing T20

cricket after the World Cup and will gladly lead Pakistan in the T20 format if the PCB wants me to,” he concluded.

Interesting facts about Afridi

Second best

37 - is the number of balls Shahid Afridi took to score the record fastest ODI century which was later taken over by New Zea-land’s Corey Anderson off 36 de-liveries.

A Loud boom!

342 - Is the num-ber of sixes Shahid Afridi has hit throughout his ODI career, a record for the most by any batsmen.

Batsman or bowler?

391 - is the num-ber of wickets taken by Shahid Afridi in ODIs even after being well-known for his big bashing hits against bowlers.

NO MORE ‘BOOM BOOM’Shahid Afridi has decided to draw the curtain on his One-Day International (ODI) career

Yuvraj, Gambhir axed from BCCI central

contracts list;Par veez Rasool in

Grade CNEW DELHI: A few weeks after they were

left out of the 30-member preliminary squad for the 2015 World Cup, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh were on Monday dropped from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) contracts list while medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar was promoted to grade ‘A’ contract.

Pacer Mohammed Shami, Ambati Rayudu and Ajinkya Rahane have been promoted from grade ‘C’ to ‘B’, while Gambhir, Yuvraj, Dinesh Karthik and Jaydev Unadkat have been struck off the contracts list.

Both Yuvraj and Gambhir were part of grade ‘A’ contracts last season.

Several players who did not have a contract last season have been absorbed in grade ‘C’ this time around, including Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Pankaj Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, Parvez Rasool, Axar Patel, Robin Uthappa, Manoj Tiwari, Karn Sharma, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav and K.L. Rahul.

Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, M. Vijay, Shi-

khar Dhawan, Umesh Yadav, Cheteshwar Pu-jara, Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma have been kept back in grade ‘B’, while Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha, Vinay Kumar and Mohit Sharma remained in grade ‘C’.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a release that players who do not have contracts but fea-ture for India in any of the three formats would be given a grade ‘C’ contract once they debut.

Contracts list for 2014-15:

Grade ‘A’:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Grade ‘B’:

Pragyan Ojha, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Umesh Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami.

Grade ‘C’:

Amit Mishra, Varun Aaron, Wriddhiman Saha, Stuart Binny, Pankaj Singh, R. Vinay Ku-mar, Mohit Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Parveez Rasool, Axar Patel, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthap-pa, Karn Sharma, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, K.L. Rahul.

Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal’s Bowling Action to be Tested in ChennaiMohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal have opted to go to the ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory in Chennai within the next two days, confirmed Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan.

Islamabad: Suspended off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez will fly out to India later this week to have unofficial tests on their illegal bowling actions.Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Sha-haryar Khan says both players have opted to go to the ICC-accredited bio-mechanics laboratory in Chennai within the next two days.If Ajmal and Hafeez get favorable re-sults, Khan says the PCB will then ask

the International Cricket Council to conduct official tests on their bowling actions.Ajmal was suspended in September while Hafeez was banned from bowling in international cricket earlier this month after his action was found to be illegal during the first test against New Zealand.Khan hopes both players can still make Pakistan’s squad for the 2015 World Cup, starting Feb. 14.