Credit for cross-LoC pact goes to Sheikh Abdul AZIZ

Sheikh Aziz

“The people of Kashmir have sacrificed their lives in the past. The credit for the agreement reached over the cross LoC trade goes to them especially those who were martyred during the past three months, including Sheikh Abdul Aziz Sahab,” said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. Mehbooba referred to those killed during protests as martyrs.

She was addressing a press conference at her Gupkar residence  on Saturday.

More than 40 people were killed in firing by police and CRPF troopers during the pro-freedom rallies and attempted march to Muzaffarabad on August 11.

Mehbooba Mufti said people of Kashmir have heard good news (agreement over cross LoC trade between India and Pakistan) from the government after many years.

“The news should be celebrated by all. Many people were martyred during the recent economic blockade enforced by some extremist groups in Jammu,” Mehbooba said. 

Name Sgr-Muzaffarabad road as Shahrah-e-Aziz: 11th August Foundation

Srinagar : Various political parties cutting across ideological lines have hailed the commencement of cross LoC trade between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, describing it a welcome development.

The truck service for trade across the LoC on the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad road was started on Tuesday.Welcoming the opening of trade route, the  11th August Foundation stressed the need for taking other confidence building measures that would pave way for final settlement of Kashmir issue.

APHC, clarified that neither peace could be restored in the subcontinent nor there would be any progress in the trade unless and until meaningful and result-oriented steps were taken to resolve Kashmir issue.

“Hurriyat hopes that Pakistan will take this development as confidence building measure and there is a need for taking several other confidence building measures that will pave way for final resolution of Kashmir issue,” said a spokesman of the Hurriyat in a statement today.

Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) acting chairman Moulana Muhamamd Abdullah Tari, while hailing the restoration of trade, described it a welcome step towards resolving 60 year old Kashmir dispute.

11th August Foundation  demanded that the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road should be named as Shahrah-e-Aziz ( Aziz Highway) as an honour to and acknowledgement of the sacrifices of Shaheed Sheikh Abdul Aziz, noted pro-movement leader who was martyred in police firing on August 11, while leading a peaceful protest demonstration demanding opening of cross LoC trade at Chahal in Uri.

Expressing happiness over the commencement of trade, the National Conference general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad said,”It has lent this day, October 21, a historical significance.” He said it would have a positive impact on the economy of the people on both sides and would pave way for resolution of political issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

Cross LOC Trade in Kashmir

10 kg cocaine recovered from cross LOC trade truck

While claiming that the Rs. 10 crore worth cocaine consignment, seized from a truck across the LoC Hizbul Mujahideen, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested an alleged operative of the militant outfit from the capital city on Friday. in Baramulla district, had been smuggled in for

The North Kashmir Deputy Inspector General of Police J.P. Singh confirmed the Baramulla Police operation and told The Hindu that one Shehzad was picked up from Fruit Mandi area of Srinagar. “Driver of the seized truck Abdul Ahad of Mawar, Handwara, revealed during sustained questioning that the cocaine consignment was for Hizbul Mujahideen’s Shehzad. We got him to Srinagar to call Shehzad to Parimpora. As soon as Shehzad reached the given spot, we took him into custody”, DIG Singh said.

Mr. Singh claimed that Shehzad was an “overground militant operative closely linked to Hizbul Mujahideen’s top brass in Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir”. “He admitted to being the importer of the cocaine consignment but maintained during the preliminary questioning that the contraband was supposed to be delivered to another operative whose particulars would be communicated by the organisation from Pakistan”, Mr. Singh said.

More details: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/want-to-question-drug-racket-suspects-in-pakistan-jk-police-to-government-4950300/

Case FIR number 47 under section 6 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered at Police Station Sheri in Baramulla district. Shehzad’s antecedents and background could not be verified immediately from independent sources.

Nine packets of cocaine, each weighing one kilo and valued at Rs. 10 crore in international drug markets, had been seized from a cross-LoC trade truck earlier on Friday. Entire fleet of the trucks that had gone across the LoC to the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir’s Trade Facilitation Centre at Chakoti to deliver goods on Thursday, was intercepted and thoroughly checked at a barricade on Baramulla-Uri Road on Friday.

The DIG said police had received information about the possibility of smuggling of drugs and arms through three particular trucks. He said that the contraband was seized from a truck bearing registration number JK02F-0127. It had been concealed in a tyre in the tool box of the vehicle that had carried a load of bananas from Srinagar to Chakoti.

The barter trade of over two dozen listed items operates for four days a week through Uri in Baramulla district of Kashmir valley and Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district of Jammu. As a significant feature of the confidence building measures between India and Pakistan, the cross-LoC trade has been in operation since October 21, 2008. Cross-LoC travel had been resumed after 57 years in April 2005.

While as the PoK government has set up the TFC at Chakoti for delivery of the goods imported from Srinagar, the J&K government has a similar facility at Salambad, short of the Aman Sethu bridge, the zero-line on LoC in Uri. Goods imported from Muzaffarabad are delivered there for trans-shipment to Srinagar and Baramulla.

Even as some prohibited items, including rounds of ammunition and Pakistani SIM cards have been recovered from some vehicles and passengers in Jammu, it is for the first time in the last five years of the cross-LoC trade that a sizable quantity of cocaine has been allegedly smuggled in and seized. 

More details: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/jk-police-claim-seized-drug-was-meant-for-hizbul-militant/article4984854.ece