Srinagar: High Court has issued notice to authorities amid contention that two candidates possess certificate of DDC election from Larnoo-8 seat in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

A bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar passed the orders on a petition filed by PDP candidate Khalid Bibi who actually lost the election to Sajida Begum (independent) on recounting of votes.

District Panchayat Election Officer, Anantnag, had notified recounting of votes for the 08-Larnoo DDC Constituency following directions by Additional Commissioner, Kashmir—the Appellate Authority before whom Sajida Begum had preferred an appeal as per the law.

Initially Sajida Begum had lost by seven votes but declared winner by 61 votes on recounting against Khalid Bibi on 5 February this year.

In his plea filed through senior counsel Z A Shah, Khalid Bibi has challenged the orders of recounting well as declaration of Sajida Begum as winner even without revoking the certificate ofelection issued in her (Kalid Bibi’s) favour.

Khalid Bib has challenged that election on the ground that even after the recounting of votes, there is “discrepancy in the number of votes polled and the number of votes counted.”

She has challenged the Appellate Authority’s order on recounting on the ground that same has been made without hearing her in violation of the principles of natural justice and, as such, the recounting of votes and the result of election declared on those basis is “illegal”.

She has also contended that authorities have without revoking the certificate of election issued in her favour declared Sajida as successful candidate thereby creating a situation where both, Khalid Bibi and Sajida are holding valid certificates of election.

“Issue notice to the respondents for filing counter affidavit by or before next date… In the meantime, petitioner (Khalid Bibi) as well (Sajida Begum) are restrained from holding the office of Member of District Development Council, Anantnag,” said the court.

The DDC Election for 08- Larnoo was conducted in Phase-1 on 28 November last year and then the Returning Officer had declared the Khalid Bibi as winner by a margin of 07 votes against her nearest rival Sajida Begum on 22 December last year when counting of the voting took place.  (GNS)

Srinagar: Welcoming the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, residents living near the Line of Control (LoC) and borders said that the move has brought a sigh of relief for them.

A huge number of people have died in the cross border shelling living close to the line of control in north Kashmir and Jammu region with damage to the livestock and property for the past 30 years.

“People have always faced immense challenges amid the cross border shelling. This joint statement has come as a breather for all of us,” Mohammad Rafiq a resident of Tangdhar said.

“Border firing has always worried the local populace with the labour class worst victim who couldn’t join the daily work and people forced to move to safer places but the recent joint statement of India and Pakistan has rejoiced all,” Shahnawaz Hussain a Karnah resident said.

Saying that the border residents have always been the victim of cross border shelling the residents of the Uri sector in Baramulla district said that the decision is a welcome step and people are very happy with it.

“We hope both the government find a permanent solution to a ceasefire violation and initiate concrete steps to end it once for all, so that people live without any fear of getting killed,” they said.

In Bandipora’s Gurez sector, the people from border areas echoed similar concerns saying that people have always lived in a state of worry whenever the two armies exchanged gunfire close to the LoC.

District Development Council (DDC) Member from remote Tulail in the Gurez sector while welcoming the decision to adhere to all the ceasefire agreements by the two armies said that over the year’s people have suffered significant damage with loss of life, damage to livestock and property.

“We want to see border areas developed as well and this is a welcome step. We wholeheartedly congratulate both nations since peace has always been our demand as commoners across the borders have suffered losses,” he said.

Echoing similar concerns the border residents in the Jammu division said that there can’t be anything larger than the adherence to the ceasefire agreement from both the ends.

Imran Khan District Development Council (DDC) Member Mehdar Mankote said that their area often witnessed war-like situation due to constant cross border shelling.

“We wholeheartedly welcome the joint statement of India and Pakistan and are hopeful that they would strictly observe all the agreements of the ceasefire,” Khan said.

SRINAGAR: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan, Friday inspected Quality Control Laboratory at Agriculture Complex Lalmandi, Srinagar.

Advisor visited various units of the laboratory including Fertilizer Quality Control Lab, Pesticide Quality Control Lab and Organic/Bio-Fertilizer Quality Control Lab.

Director Agriculture, Kashmir, Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, accompanied the Director.

During the inspection, Advisor exhorted upon the concerned officers and officials to strictly adhere to the quality standards of pesticides and fertilizers to facilitate the farming community boost their agriculture and horticulture cultivation. He asked for exploring possibilities to further increase the capacity of the laboratory with latest equipments besides strengthening other parts of this vital facility.

Advisor was informed that the Quality Control Laboratory has been augmented and its infrastructure has been upgraded after September 2014 deluge to provide quality products to the farmers and orchardists. He was further apprised that highly qualified staff and resource persons have been deployed in the Laboratory for attaining effective results. Besides, the Lab is now working in double shift and due to strengthening of the manpower the number of testing has increased by two times.

Agriculture Chemist, Tabasum Naz, who is also the incharge of the quality control laboratories, reiterated that the samples of fertilizers and pesticides, organic and bio-fertilizers and other related products are being received by the Laboratory through Enforcement Agency of the department and the products are tested with immense precision and accuracy.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has quashed the detention of a North Kashmir youth under Public Safety Act.

Omar Akbar Mir son of Ghulam Muhammad Mir, a resident of Brat Kalan Sopore had been arrested by police in Sopore a month after the abrogation of Special Status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 on charges of stone-pelting and was lodged at police station Bomai. He was shifted to Bhaderwah Jail after PSA was slapped upon him.

Last year in September, Court had allowed the detenue to appear in the examination under police custody.

Sources told news agency Kashmir News Trust that Justice Vinod Chatterji after hearing the arguments of Advocate Bashir Ahmed Tak, who represented the detenue quashed his detention under Public Safety Act and directed authorities to release him from Badharwa Jail. (KNT)