Somali PM Sharmarke steps down
Somalias Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke resigned Tuesday after a month of disagreements with President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.
President Ahmed’s UN-backed government is battling Islamist group al-Shabab for control of the capital, Mogadishu. Sources said that his squabbling with the prime minister has hampered the fight against the insurgents. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has been under intense pressure to resign for some months. He said he had been unable to work with the president.Sharmarke and Sharif have clashed over a number of issues including a new constitution for Somalia. The resignation comes as violence continued in Mogadishu.In the latest incident, a lone gunman tried to force his way into the presidential palace Monday night, according to the director of communication of the president, Abdirashid Khalif.The gunman, who had a grenade and a rifle, was shot dead by security guards, Khalif said.
Manmohan links talks with Pakistan’s action against militants
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh linked resumption of talks with Pakistan to the latters crackdown on the militants.
Manmohan marked Indias Independence Day with a warning to Pakistan that a recent resumption of dialogue would go nowhere unless Islamabad cracks down on militancy. As far as Pakistan is concerned, we expect from them that they would not let their territory be used for acts of terrorism against India, Singh said in his address from Red Fort in Old Delhi. If this is not done, we cannot progress far in our dialogue with Pakistan, Singh maintained. India suspended a peace dialogue with Pakistan in the wake of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, which claimed 166 lives, and the two countries have only recently begun to explore a resumption of structured talks. India accuses Pakistan of failing to crack down sufficiently on militant groups that operate from bases on its territory, such as the Lashkar-i-Taiba, which New Delhi blames for the Mumbai carnage. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the division of the sub-continent in 1947 and their relationship has always been beset by mutual mistrust.
Sri Nagar:Shoe hurled at Omar Abdullah during I-Day function
A man Sunday hurled a shoe at India-controlled Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the Indian Independence Day function amid tight security arrangements, officials said.
The shoe was hurled at Abdullah in highly guarded Bakshi stadium, the venue for Indian Independence day celebrations in Srinagar, the summer capital of India-controlled Kashmir. As per sources, the shoe was hurled at Omar Abdullah from the third row of VVIP lounge at the time when he was unfurling the Indian flag at the ceremony and was about to take the salute. The man also waved a black flag and shouted ‘we want freedom’. However, the shoe thrower was immediately whisked away by policemen from the venue. Police officials said the shoe thrower has been identified as police officer of region’s police force. Local government in India-controlled Kashmir held the main Indian Independence Day function amid strict curfew across major towns including Srinagar city. Authorities had imposed severe restrictions around the Bhakshi stadium and deployed sharp shooters on the rooftops of houses around the venue to ward of any militant attack. Hundreds of police and paramilitary troopers were deployed in the Srinagar city to prevent the protest demonstrations. For the past two months, public protests are going across the region against New Delhi’s rule and killing of civilians. Two people were killed on Saturday in police and paramilitary firing on protesters, taking the death toll of civilians to 57 since June 11. The deaths have pushed the region back on the edge and are building pressure on the region’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Omar Abdullah meets Chidambaram
July 17, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
NEW DELHI: Held Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Indian union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in New Delhi to discuss “the way forward” to bring peace in the troubled state.
Talking to media, Omar Abdullah said held Kashmir situation came under discussion during the meeting. Replying to a question, Abdullah said the need of army is limited as it’s the role of army is to safeguard borders.
Curfew Imposed in Srinagar
Srinagar: A curfew was imposed in Srinagar on Wednesday, as protests continued for the third consecutive day over the alleged rape and killing of two women by security forces.
The protestors burnt effigies of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has ordered a judicial inquiry into the deaths.
Streets remained deserted, shops and businesses shut, as the strike called by separatists crippled activity.
Security personnel patrolled the roads, as movement was restricted in the city.
The strike called by the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, also closed schools, colleges and many government offices in Kashmir.
The shutdown strike left the residents harried and troubled.
Life was at a standstill as many were forced to remain indoors.
“We are facing a lot of problems. We are not allowed to go anywhere. Life has come to a standstill. There are many difficulties,” said Nisar Ahmed, a resident.
Residents alleged the two women, aged 17 and 22, were abducted, raped and killed by security forces in Shopian, 60 km from Srinagar.
Bodies of Nelofer (22) and her sister-in-law Asiya (17) were recovered from a stream last Saturday after they went missing from their orchards in Shopian town, 52 km form here, the previous evening.
The authorities denied that the women had been drowned in a stream. A police statement said the post-mortem revealed no marks of violence.
Curfew Imposed in Srinagar was first posted on June 3, 2009 at 3:54 pm.
Violence Continues in Kashmir
Srinagar: At least 20 people were injured as violent clashes continued today in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir valley over Saturday’s mysterious death of two women in Shopian, 52 km from here, official sources said.
Piercing the tight security arrangements, angry residents clashed with police and paramilitary forces at nearly two dozen places here and parts of Baramulla, Bandipora and Pulwama districts, the sources said.
Though the government has ordered a judicial probe into the mysterious death of the two women, the locals were up in arms as the kin of the victims suspect involvement of security personnel in their rape and murder.
Chairman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani yesterday rejected the inquiry, extended the day-long strike by two more days and urged people to stage massive protests against the “brutal killing” of the two women.
Chairperson of Muslim Khawateen Markaz Zamrooada Habib along with 15 activists was detained by police when they took out a protest march from Sarai Bala to Lal chowk in the heart of the city this afternoon, the sources said.
The sources said they were stopped by police near Lal Chowk and lodged at Kothibagh police station.
Mehbooba Mufti, eight PDP MLAs detained
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and her eight party MLAs were on Tuesday detained when they took out a protest march, defying prohibitory orders, in connection with the issue.
Mehbooba along with her party MLAs Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Nizamuddin bhat, Syed Basharat Bukhari, Mohammad Khalil Band, Syed Bashir Ahmad, Sartaj Madani and Mohammad Rafi besides some party activists were detained while they were returning to the party headquarters after marching on the streets of the city, official sources said.
PDP leaders carrying placards with slogans like revoke armed forces special powers act (AFSPA), resolve Kashmir issue, punish the killers of two women of Shopian and we want justice, took out a procession from party headquarters near Emporium Garden and marched on the streets of Lal Chowk and Budshah Chowk.
However, at Koker Bazar and Maisuma, some youths pelted stones at the PDP leaders following which policemen chased the stone-pelting mobs.
Violence Continues in Kashmir was first posted on June 2, 2009 at 5:20 pm.
Protest against custodial killing of civilian in occupied Kashmir
SRINAGAR: People staged a protest demonstration against custodial killing of a civilian by Indian police in the occupied Kashmir.
According to local media, Manzoor Ahmed, 30, was subjected to brutal torture by Indian police in the custody of Special Operation Group.
As a result, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest the extrajudicial killing. The demonstrators pelted stones on the police too.
On the other hand, Indian police personnel subjected demonstrators to heavy lathi charge and excessive tear-gassing.
Protest against custodial killing of civilian in occupied Kashmir was first posted on May 19, 2009 at 10:15 pm.
President Zardari Statement Welcomes: Omar Abdullah
HANDWARA: Acknowledging Sajjad Lone as a potent force in Baramulla parliamentary constituency, Held Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he wished that Sajjad should have contested on NC ticket.
“I welcome Sajjad into the mainstream camp. I wish he would have talked to us before announcing his decision to join the election fray,” the Chief Minister told a gathering of around 5000 people at Chinar Park in Handwara on the last day of campaigning for the Baramulla parliamentary constituency.
Omar said had Sajjad taken the decision of contesting elections earlier, the lives of scores of people would have been saved. “Had he announced to contest polls 10 years ago, the number of graves in the graveyards of Kashmir would have been less,” he said.
The Chief Minister said he stands by the announcement of his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah that the assembly will be dissolved if all the pro-freedom leaders join the election fray. “I stand by what my father had said,” he said.
Omar welcomed Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent statement that India was not the enemy of the country. “I want the new government in New Delhi to offer a hand of friendship to Pakistan and resume the stalled dialogue process,” he said.
The chief minister said that vote for PDP will be vote for L K Advani and rightwing BJP. “I want a party in power at New Delhi that would strengthen Article 370, promote communal harmony and brotherhood. And I believe that party is Congress as BJP is hell-bent to scrap Article 370 and create a communal divide across India,” he said.
President Zardari Statement Welcomes: Omar Abdullah was first posted on May 12, 2009 at 3:02 pm.
