NEWS
DIGEST, Afternoon
16 Feb. 2019: 10 Jamadiul-II 1440:Vol:11,
No:129
INDIA
Jamaat-e-Islami expresses grief over loss of
lives in Pulwama attack
New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has
severely criticized the terrorist attack in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir. In a
statement to the media on Friday, JIH President Maulana Syed Jalaluddin
Umarisaid: “the path of violence and killing can cause death and destruction
but will not lead to solution of problems’’.Maulana Umari continued: ‘It is
very painful to hear that 44 CRPF soldiers had to lay down their lives
yesterday. Instead of vitiating the atmosphere, efforts should be made to
restore peace and security in the area and this is possible only through
negotiation and dialogue. This will lead to the solution of the grievances of
the Kashmiri people and help create a climate of peace and stability.’’ He said:
“we appreciate the move by the government of India to carry out a thorough
investigation into the reasons for the attack. This may uncover the truth
behind the incident. We may be able to find the motive behind the attack,
whether it was meant to spoil the atmosphere in Kashmir or to wreckthe
relations between India and Pakistan or whether it was a big conspiracy to
damage the climate of peace and coexistence in our country just before the general
polls. We express our deepest condolences for the soldiers and pray for the
speedy recovery of the injured’’.newsdigestdaily.in
"Entire Nation Speaks In One Voice":
All-Party Resolution On Pulwama
New Delhi: Putting up a strong bipartisan
front, political parties in the opposition and the government said India was
determined to fight terrorism in a resolution adopted at the end of an
all-party meeting this morning to discuss the Pulwama attack that left 40
security personnel dead.Underscoring their solidarity with security forces for
defending the country's unity and integrity, the parties, including the BJP and
the Congress, passed a resolution condemning the terror attack and support
being given to it from across the border.The resolution did not name Pakistan
but asserted that India has been facing the menace of the cross-border
terrorism which of late, it added, is being actively encouraged by forces from
the neighbouring country.NDTV
Differences persist at all-party meet:
"Think of strategy beyond Surgical strike", says Sena
New Delhi:Notwithstanding a united face
displayed by political parties and also the government after the all-party meet
here on Saturday, certain differences did surface during the deliberations.
Parties like Trinamool Congress and NC reportedly 'watered down' all-party
resolution while Sena MP Sanjay Raut told journalists that "Surgical
strike is a thing of past and perhaps inadequate"."If surgical strike
was good enough deterrent for Pakistan than Pulwama would not have
happened," he remarked.At the meeting convened by Home Minister Rajnath
Singh, several opposition parties maintained that PM Narendra Modi should have
chaired the all-party meeting. In fact, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha
Ghulam Nabi Azad of Congress later said, 'We have requested the Home Minister
to request PM to meet party presidents of all national and regional parties for
a meeting. This was supported by other parties too".This stance was
endorsed by D Raja of CPI, who said Prime Minister should meet all parties
including regional and smaller parties. Shiv Sena nominee at the meet Sanjay
Raut upped the ante against Pakistan "in specific sense and and more ways
than one" and said it is high time PM 'walks the talk'.D Raja also said
that issues concerning 'communal tension' in Jammu region and in some other
places - especially against Muslims - also figured at the
deliberations."Home Minister Rajnath Singhji assured that communal harmony
should be maintained in all places," Raja said.There were also reports
that NC and Trinamool Congress suggested at the meeting that there should be a
'watered down' version of the official resolution.BJP sources have, however,
insisted that the purpose of the meeting was to adopt an unanimous resolution.
"We achieved that mission," another source said.UNI
Pulwama: Omar Abdullah shares disappointment
after all-party meet did not include call for calm
National Conference vice-president Omar
Abdullah on Saturday expressed disappointment over a resolution passed in an
all-party meeting in Delhi for not including in it an appeal to maintain calm
in the wake of violence in Jammu and tension in other states over the Pulwama
terror attack."Disappointed the resolution did not include a call for calm
despite reports of violence in Jammu & tension in university/college
campuses in some states. I would have expected an appeal for calm to have gone
with the condemnation & condolences," Omar Abdullah wrote on
Twitter.DNA india
Pulwama: Ensure security of students, residents
belonging to J&K, MHA tells states
New Delhi:In the wake of Pulwama terror
attack, the Union Home Ministry Saturday issued an advisory to States and Union
territories to ensure safety and security of students and people from Jammu and
Kashmir residing in their area after reports of threats to them in some parts
of the country.The advisory came hours after Home Minister Rajnath Singh
assured an all-party meeting of doing the needful for the protection of the
Kashmiri students and people.indianexpress
Pulwama attack: Curfew imposed in Jammu after
rightwingers attack Muslim colonies, properties
Following the dastardly attack in which 49
CRPF Jawans were killed in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, communal tensions ran
high in Jammu following which a curfew has been imposed and internet services
have been stopped in the region.On Friday, members of certain Hindu right-wing
parties went on a rampage and damaged property and burning vehicles belonging
to the Muslims in the region. What was even more worrying is that the mobs
managed to do so even though there was a curfew imposed in the region as the
security forces preferred to look the other way, say the residents. Reports
suggested that there were mob attacks in Gujjar Nagar area where several
vehicles were damaged by stone pelters who burnt tyres and put up barricades in
various parts of Jammu. Various news reports claimed a dozen people had been
left injured. 2 army columns have been sent to stage flag march and maintain
peace, according to officials. According to information provided by TCN
correspondents, such incidents seem to be happening in different pockets of Jammu
city inhabited by Muslims. He added that the Muslims are terrorised and feeling
helpless as the police are doing nothing to stop them. “The right-wingers are
using the tragic incident of CRPF convoy bombing as an opportunity to set the
stage for the coming parliamentary and assembly elections by polarising the
communities as was done in 2008 in Amarnath land row agitation,” said correspondent.TCN
Curfew in Jammu After Mob Violence Over Pulwama,
Army Called in Amid Fears of Communal Backlash
Concern in Valley over ''threats'' to Kashmiri
students, traders outside State
Terror attack should not be an excuse to
persecute or harass people from J-K: Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar :Ex-J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti has cautioned
that mischievous elements must not be allowed to use Pulwama attack as “an
excuse to persecute or harass people” from the state, saying the pain of the
killings of CRPF personnel must not fuel “such diabolical plans”. “Understand
the pain & (and) anguish. But we musnt (must not) allow such mischievous
elements to use this as an excuse to persecute / harass people from J&K.
Why should they suffer for somebody else’s action? We need to be united instead
of letting people exploit our fears,” Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.Her remarks
came following violent protests in Jammu and reports of Kashmiri students being
targeted in colleges and universities at some places outside the state.PTI
Pulwama attack: Mehbooba appeals Rajnath to
provide security in backward area of J-K
Saffron Activists Storm Educational Institutes
in Dehradun Seeking "Ouster" of Kashmiri Students
Dehradun:Police was put on alert in Dehradun
after dozens of right-wing activists on Friday stormed several educational
institutes here and sought "ouster" of Kashmiri students in the wake
of the deadly Pulwama attack."We have deployed our police force around
certain educational institutes and put our police force on alert," said DGP
Law and Order.The activists belonging to Bajrang Dal and VHP stormed Rash
Behari Bose University and allegedly vandalized some furniture and broke window
panes after a Kashmiri student, who allegedly made offensive comments on the
social media. Similar protests were seen outside some other educational
colleges also. However, police denied any reports of vandalism.K Aysir Rashid,
who was perusing a medical course from Rash Behari Bose University in Dehradun,
was placed under suspension after he made some offensive comments on Pulwama
attack, university authorities said."We received a message on WhatsApp
which read 'Happy today, aaj to chicken dinner ho gaya'. This message has
already gone viral. It is natural that the message should be linked to the
Kashmir attack," University Registrar said in a note to Rashid.IANS
Pulwama: NIA submits primary report to MHA,
security forces launch manhunt to nab Ghazi
The security forces have begun a massive
manhunt for Abdul Rashid Ghazi who is a trained Afgan IED expert and a trusted
lieutenant of JeM chief Masood Azhar. Abdul Rashid Ghazi is said to be the main
conspirator in the Pulwama attack. Meanwhile, NIA has submitted its primary
report to MHA. The security forces have traced Ghazi’s location somewhere in
the jungles of Tral region in Kashmir. NSA began its probe on Friday along with
Jammu and Kashmir Police and detained seven people soon after it began its
investigation. Mobile net services have been suspended in valley,reports
said.NewsX
NDTV suspends editor for FB post on Pulwama
NDTV has suspended one of it editors for a
social media post on Thursday’s terror attack that killed 42 CRPF soldiers in
Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The editor in question is one Nidhi
Sethi, who had taken to her personal Facebook page to post about the Pulwama
attack using a hashtag #HowstheJaish, which was a spin off version of hashtag
#HowstheJosh, a popular dialogue from a recent hit Bollywood film Uri The
Surgical Strike. The film was based on India’s so-called response to Pakistan
in 2016 through a surgical strike targeting militants across LoC.Nidhi had
written, “Where a grisly 44 has been proven to be greater than mythical 56
#HowstheJaish.” The use of Jaish was in reference to Jaish-E-Mohammed. Condemning
her action, NDTV tweeted on Friday,“NDTV strongly condemns what a Deputy News
Editor of our website posted on her personal Facebook page about the tragic and
dastardly Pulwama attack. She has been suspended for 2 weeks, effective
immediately,while company’s Disciplinary Committee weighs further
action.”jantakareporter
Pak rejects link to Pulwama attack, calls it a
'matter of grave concern'
Pakistan has said the attack in Pulwama is
"a matter of grave concern" even as it strongly rejected Indian media
and govt's allegations of the country's link to the strike "without"
probe.Attack in Pulwama is "a matter of grave concern",Pakistan
Foreign Office said. Asserting that Pakistan has "always condemned acts of
violence" anywhere in the world, it said, "We strongly reject any
insinuation by elements in Indian media and govt that seek to link the attack
to Pak without investigations."PTI
Pulwama Attack: India Withdraws Pakistan's
Most-Favoured Nation Status
New Delhi: India withdrew the ‘most-favoured
nation’ status to Pakistan following the deadly Pulwama terror attack and said
it will take all steps to isolate the neighbouring country globally.In a media
briefing after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security(CCS), finance
minister Arun Jaitley said all efforts will be made to ensure that perpetrators
of the attack are brought to book.“The most favoured nation status to Pakistan
stands revoked,” he said after the CCS meeting at the Prime Minister’s
residence.Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status is given to a trade partner to
ensure non-discriminatory trade between two countries. India granted MFN status
to Pakistan in 1996.PTI
Why India Revoking Pak 'Most Favoured Nation'
Status is More Symbolic Than Economic:Anuj Srivas
Support India's Right To Self-Defence: US to Doval
US NSA John Bolton told his Indian counterpart
Ajit Doval that America supports India's right to self-defence after 2
officials discussed the Pulwama attack. Bolton telephoned Doval on Friday to
express his condolences for the terror attack and offered US' full support to
India in confronting terrorism."I told Ajit Doval that we support India's
right to self-defence. I have spoken to him twice, including this morning...and
expressed US' condolences over the terrorist attack," he said.PTI
China condemns Pulwama attack, says no to
calling Masood Azhar global terrorist
Beijing:China has condemned the Pulwama terror
attack carried out by a Jaish suicide bomber but once again declined to back
India's appeal to list the Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the
UN."We are deeply shocked by this attack. We express deep condolences and
sympathy to the injured and bereaved families," spokesman of Chinese
Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang told a media briefing here.When asked about
China's stand on the listing of Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security
Council, he said: "As for the issue of listing, I could tell you that the
1267 Committee of Security Council has a clear stipulation on the listing and
procedure of the terrorist organisations".PTI
AMU student booked for hailing Pulwama attack
A Kashmiri student of AMU, identified as Basim
Hilal, was booked by the district police for hailing the Pulwama attack, in a
tweet. He was also suspended from the university pending an inquiry. In a
tweet, Hilal, who is pursuing BSc in mathematics, wrote, “How’s the Jaish?
Great Sir” and used the hashtags ‘Kashmir’ and ‘Pulwama’. Hilal was apparently
referring to a dialogue from the recent Bollywood film Uri, which is based on
the Army’s 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan.The tweet was, however, not
available later as Hilal presumably deactivated his account.The student was
immediately suspended by AMU for committing acts of “indiscipline and misconduct”.
He was also barred from entering the campus. Varsity’s spokesperson Shafey
Kidwai said, “It’s highly objectionable that such a post was put on the social
media against our martyred soldiers.” TOI
Lucknow college student rusticated, arrested
for messages against slain troopers
Lucknow: UP police arrested a student of a
Lucknow college on Saturday shortly after he was rusticated for allegedly
posting messages on WhatsApp against CRPF troopers killed in Pulwama.Ahead of
the arrest, police had also registered a case against the student of Jai Narain
Post Graduate College under IT Act.“Rajab Khan, who was pursuing BA first year
was rusticated for his derogatory post,” said principal SD Sharma. Sharma said
Rajab, son of labourer Anis Khan, had posted WhatsApp messages against the
slain CRPF troopers and added that the college reported the matter to
police.Ahead of his arrest from the Krishnanagar locality, Rajab had switched
off his phone.HT
Muslim bodies condemn Pulwama suicide bombing
New Delhi: A number of Muslim organisations
and leaders on Friday condemned the suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu
and Kashmir and underlined that the entire nation was standing with the
security forces in this hour of grief.Delhi's Shahi Imam Maulana Ahmed Bukhari
in a statement extended his condolences to the families of the deceased.He also
raised questions over the security arrangements in the Kashmir Valley as well
as on the efficiency of intelligence agencies "which seemed to lack
coordination among themselves".Jamiat Ulama leader Maulana Mahmood Madani
too strongly condemned the attack and asserted that such terror strikes contradicted
the holy spirit of Islam. Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat President Naved Hamid said
"condemnation" would be a small word to denounce such a horrendous
attack.IANS
What was NSA, intelligence doing, asks Mamata
on Pulwama attack
Howrah:West Bengal chief minister Mamata
Banerjee has hit out at the intelligence department as she expressed her grief
over the demise of 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama attack.She said: “People are
asking what was NSA and intelligence doing? This is an intelligence failure.
Why were so many vans going together when there is a security threat?”“We
condemn any terror attack. I don’t want to discuss foreign affairs. But if
Pakistan has done something, strong action should be taken,” she added.ANI
Pulwama attack bomber’s funeral held sans
body:HT
Pulwama:The family and relatives of Adil Ahmad
Dar, suspected suicide bomber who rammed an explosive-laden SUV into a security
convoy, killing 40 CRPF personnel at Lethpora area in Pulwama, held a funeral
on Friday without any body.All the shops lining the road leading to Dar’s
village in Kakapora area of Pulwama were shut and security forces had laid a
blockade a few kilometres ahead of the village to stop vehicles from moving
towards the village. Despite the restrictions, hundreds of people managed to
reach the village and participate in the funeral that was held at a nearby
school ground.“We did not get any body or body parts. Police said there is
nothing to give. There is no grave,” he said.Adil’s father Ghulam Hassan Dar
said his son was a simple boy. “He was very religious and would often help his
mother in her work,” he said. He suspected an incident in his school days which
might have changed his mind.“Once he was returning from school when was
detained by the police and asked to rub his nose on the ground. It was
humiliating experience for him and he used to remember the incident every now
and then,” said Ghulam Hassan.HT
Delhi HC declines urgent hearing to plea
seeking use of ‘martyred’ instead of ‘killed’ for soldiers
Delhi High Court on Friday refused to urgently
hear a petition seeking orders that the media refer to deaths of security
personnel not as “killings” but in a way to show they were “martyrs”, PTI
reported.The petitioner mentioned the plea in the afternoon, but the bench
expressed anger over the demand for urgency. “It is already 2.30 pm and you
want us to burden a judge to hear it when there is no urgency in the matter,”
the court said. “This is not a plea seeking bail. Someone’s liberty is not at
stake. Not today. There is no urgency. It will be listed on Monday in normal
course.”IANS
"Can you blame entire nation?" Sidhu
on Pulwama
Navjot Singh Sidhu has condemned the terror
attack on soldiers in Pulwam. But the Punjab minister, a Congress leader,
landed in a huge controversy as he questioned, without naming Pakistan,"Can
an entire nation be blamed for a handful of people?""It (attack) is a
cowardly and dastardly act and I condemn it firmly. Violence is always
condemnable and those who did it must be punished," said Sidhu.However, Sidhu
followed that up by saying, "For a handful of people, can you blame the
entire nation and can you blame an individual?"Sidhu's comment on Friday
created a storm on social media, with dozens of people on Twitter.ndtv
Pulwama attack: What has this bloodshed got to
do with Kartarpur corridor, asks Sidhu
Pulwama attack: Prashant Bhushan says
important to understand why so many young in Kashmir are becoming militants: Times Now
Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan has said, “Pulwama
bomber Adil Ahmad Dar became terrorist after he was beaten by troops. It is
important to understand why so many young men in Kashmir are becoming militants
and willing to die." "Even US forces couldn’t hold Afghanistan and
Iraq after large-scale suicide attacks,” Bhushan posted on social media
platform Twitter.Times Now
First time since 2000, more local recruits
killed than foreign militants: J&K cops
For first time since 2000, the number of local
militants killed in Valley in 2018 was significantly higher than the number of
foreign militants shot dead by security forces.Of the 246 militants killed in
different encounters, 150 were local residents and 90 foreigners, according to
official figures available with J&K Police.indianexpress
Army Major Killed While Defusing Bomb In Jammu
And Kashmir's Rajouri
Jammu: A Major-rank
Army officer was killed and a soldier suffered injuries today while defusing an
improvised explosive device at Nowshera sector in J&K’s Rajouri. Officer is
from the Corps of Engineers. The explosive had been planted by intruders from
Pakistan about 1.5 kilometres inside the Line of Control. Today's incident
comes just 48 hours after more than 40 CRPF personnel were killed in the worst
terror attack on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Ndtv
CBI Probe Ordered Against Nitish in Shelter
Home Rape Cases
Patna: A special court on the Protection of
Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) on Saturday ordered a CBI probe against
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in connection with Bihar shelter home rape
cases. The court also ordered an inquiry against Muzzaffarpur district
magistrate Dharmendra Singh and principal secretary of Social Welfare Atul
Prasad. The court in Patna passed the
order on an application filed by an accused, Ashwani, a self-styled medical
practitioner who allegedly used to inject the home's inmates with sedatives
before they were subject to sexual abuse. Ashwani had alleged in his petition
that CBI was "suppressing facts" in course of the investigation which
would come to light if the roles of the above three were probed. POCSO judge
Manoj Kumar directed CBI to conduct an inquiry against 3.Earlier, rebuking the
Nitish Kumar government for not submitting details of shelter homes in Bihar,
the SC had on Feb.7 transferred the trial into the sexual abuse of inmates at
the Muzaffarpur home to the Saket court in New Delhi. News18
Rafale row: Bhushan moves SC, seeks
prosecution of officers for submission of false info
Prashant Bhushan, eminent lawyer activist,
here on Saturday said he had moved Supreme Court, seeking prosecution of
central government functionaries, who had furnished false information about
Rafale deal to the SC. Bhushan and ex ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha
are petitioners in the fresh applications filed before Supreme Court. Earlier,
the three renowned public figures had filed a review petition against Supreme
Court verdict on Rafale in Jan.last.“Centre has misled the Supreme Court by
furnishing concocted facts. The information provided in sealed cover has been
found to be untrue. It stated that government was in negotiation with Anil
Ambani in 2012, but actually talks were held with other Ambani – Mukesh Ambani.
Anil Ambani had nothing to do anything with negotiations in 2012,” said Bhushan
addressing a press conference. “Govt had said price negotiation was done by
price negotiating team. The recent expose, however, revealed that Prime
Minister’s Office was involved in the negotiation. It was also furnished that
the govt was able to secure best price for fighter jet. Now, what emerges now
is that the assertion was baseless,” he said.“Now, we have pleaded Supreme
Court to find out the government officer who had furnished false information
and he or she should be prosecuted under forgery charges. Incidentally Attorney
General had submitted the information in a sealed cover,” said the activist
lawyer. “The deal was not a mere case of corruption. The decision has broken
backbone of Indian Air Force. The IAF had sought seven to eight squadrons
consisting of 126 fighter planes. The government, however, brought it down to
36. It was meant to benefit industrialist Anil Ambani. The government has
tinkered with the national security,” alleged
Bhushan.thehindu
SC adds petition challenging Centre's 1993
acquisition of Ayodhya case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday tagged
to the Ayodhya case a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the 1993
law for acquisition of land, including the disputed site in Ayodhya.A bench of
CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said the petition will be heard on
the next date along with the main case.The petition was filed by 7 residents of
Lucknow, including two advocates, Shishir Chaturvedi, and Sanjay Mishra, who
said they were devotees of Lord Ram.The petition challenged the Constitutional
validity of The Acquisition of Certain Area At Ayodhya Act, 1993 on the ground
that Parliament has no legislative competence to take over/acquire the property
belonging to the State.State Legislature has exclusive power to make provision
relating to the management of the affairs of religious institutions working in
the State, the petition added.The petition has also sought direction "to
restrain the Central government and the Uttar Pradesh government from
interfering in Puja, Darshan and performance of rituals at the places of
worship situated within land admeasuring 67.703 acres acquired by Act
particularly at the land belonging to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, Manas Bhavan,
Sankat Mochan Mandir, Ram Janmasthan Temple,Janki Mahal and Katha
Mandap."ANI
SC Refuses to Withdraw Judicial Work From
Meghalaya HC Judge Over 'Hindu Rashtra' Remark
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to
withdraw judicial work from Meghalaya high court judge Justice Sudip Ranjan Sen
who had created controversy by his remarks that India should have been declared
a ‘Hindu rashtra’ at the time of the Partition in 1947.A bench comprising Chief
Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked the petitioner, who has
sought withdrawal of judicial work from Justice Sen, to amend the prayer and
seek expunction of the controversial remarks in the judgment.Justice Sen had
written in his judgement, “Pakistan declared themselves as an Islamic country
and India since was divided on the basis of religion should have also been
declared as a Hindu country but it remained as a secular country.“Even today,
in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists,
Christians, Parsis, Khasis, Jaintias and Garos are tortured and they have no
place to go and those Hindus who entered India during partition are still
considered as foreigners, which in my understanding is highly illogical,
illegal and against the principle of natural justice,” Justice Sen had said.PTI
Sedition row: Student bodies stand with AMU
Various student bodies expressed solidarity
with AMU and called for the revocation of sedition cases against 14 students of
AMU in a joint press conference held here on Friday. Uttar Pradesh police had
booked 14 AMU students for sedition on Tuesday following a complaint filed by a
local leader of BJP.Press conference was called by AMU Students Union, Students
Islamic Organisation (SIO) of India and students of Delhi University, JNU and
Jamia Millia Islamia(JMI). However, AMUSU office bearers who could not make it
to the event claimed that they were "not allowed" to attend the press
conference at Delhi. Hamza Sufyan, vice-president AMU Students' Union and
Ferdous Ahmed, cabinet member alleged that while they were on their way to
Delhi, they were stopped by UP Police at Tappal near Aligarh.Sufyan maintained
that the cops "forcibly" sent them back. Ex- AMUSU president Mashkoor
Usmani was also detained separately at Lodha for close to an hour.Meanwhile,
speaking at the press conference, the student leaders said the law of sedition
which is a draconian law can only be involved in cases where the sovereignty
and integrity of the Union of India are threatened by violent acts."It is,
however, unclear how the law of sedition was applied to a scuffle that happened
at AMU campus, and that too applied not against the culprits but against the
victims. It must be noted that among the 14 students against whom sedition case
was filed, some were not even present in Aligarh at the time," Syed
Azharuddin, general secretary, SIO said. The students also referred to recent
media reports in which Police have stated to have found no evidence of sedition
against AMU students. "The careless and casual manner in which sedition
law was invoked shows the best attitude of UP police, and leaves us to believe
that it was involved only to create a controversy and malign the image of the
university," Meeran Haidar of JMI said. "This is not the first time
that an unnecessary controversy is being created around AMU to polarise the
society along communal lines. We condemn this action of UP govt and demand that
the false case of sedition against 14 AMU students should immediately be
revoked. We also demand that strict action should be taken against the ABVP and
BJP youth wing activists who had created a right like the situation in the
campus," Azharuddinn said. dnaindia
14 students booked: Muslim leaders say AMU
being misused for polarisation
Sedition: Massive demonstration at AMU; AMUSU
office-bearers, students stopped from reaching Delhi
A massive demonstration was staged by students
at the Aligarh Muslim University on Friday to protest the sedition case slapped
against 14 of university’s students by UP Police.The protest saw large-scale
participation from both male and women students, amid a large presence of
paramilitary forces on the campus. On the same day, AMUSU office bearers bound
for New Delhi to address a press conference on the sedition charges slapped
against 14 of the university students by Uttar Pradesh Police were detained by
local cops as they were making their way to the Capital.nationalheraldindia
‘Calling AMU Anti-national Is an Easy Option
for Hindutva Forces:Teacher’s body
New Delhi: “Kabhi Jinnah, toh kabhi Mahender
Pratap, kabhi sedition, toh kabhi pro-Pakistan,” says the president of AMU
Teacher’s Association, Hamid Ali, on how the university is being targeted ahead
of 2019 elections. The teachers’ body passed a resolution in its emergent
meeting condemning the sedition charges slapped on 14 of its students and
requested the President of India, visitor of the university, to take note of
the situation that is demoralising the campus. news18
Appointment of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan as
Delhi Wakf Board chairman challenged in SC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought
response from the Delhi government on a petition challenging the appointment of
Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan as chairperson of Delhi Wakf Board on the grounds of
alleged corruption and irregularities committed by him during his previous
tenure.The apex court was hearing an appeal filed against the Nov.16, 2018
order of the Delhi High Court which had said that any relief under the Delhi
Wakf Rules could be sought by approaching the Tribunal.A Bench comprising CJI
Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sasnjiv Khanna also issued notices to Khan and Delhi
Wakf Board to respond to the petition challenging the high court order and the
allegations raised in it.The petition filed by Mohd Irshad, a north Delhi
resident, alleged that during the previous tenure of Khan as the member and
Chairperson of the Delhi Wakf board, there were allegations of massive
corruption, irregularities and illegalities against him.Advocates Prashant
Bhushan and Pranav Sachdeva submitted that the AAP MLA was appointed as the
member and chairperson of Delhi Wakf Board in violation of the principle of
'impeccable integrity and institutional integrity' laid down by the apex
court.PTI
NCM forms new sub-committee to prepare report
defining ‘minority’, criteria for determining minority status
New Delhi:National Commission for Minorities
in a meeting of the full commission on Wednesday constituted a new sub-committee
to prepare a report providing a comprehensive definition of ‘minority’ and
deciding on the criteria for determining minority status of a community. In
keeping with the Supreme Court order, NCM will submit its report within three
months. NCM vice-chairman George Kurien will be leading this committee which
also has on board NCM's Muslim and Sikh member representatives Atif Rasheed and
Manjit Singh Rai. NCM head Ghayorul Hasan said that the commission on Wednesday
decided that this committee will take into account the work done by the
previous subcommittee that has been working on the same issue since Dec.2017.
Kurien was leading that committee too. It is learnt that a draft report is in
the works. Previous sub-committee was set-up by NCM in 2017 on the
representation of BJP’s Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. He approached the apex court
citing no response on the matter from NCM and the court direction on Monday
came on his petition that pointed to Hindus being minorities in several states
where other religious denominations were in greater numbers. The court ruled
that it was for NCM to first take a call on the issue and asked commission to
take a view on his representation. This
freshly constituted committee, with Kurien and Rai bringing to the table all
the work done by them in the previous sub-committee and the challenges that
they faced, will now firm up its position on issue. Besides Kurien and Rai,Sulekha
Kumbhare,NCM Buddhist member was part of the earlier sub-committee. TOI
Open Mosque Day’ in Pune seeks to promote peace
and harmony: Jamaat-E-Islami Hind, Pune
Pune:Pune chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
(JIH) has organised an ‘Open Mosque (Masjid) Day’ at Azam Campus, Camp, on
Feb.16 and 17 to promote peace and harmony and clear misconceptions and myths
related to Islam and Muslims in general. People from different faiths have been
invited to visit a ‘Masjid’ and see for themselves what a mosque is like and
understand worship in Islam. Questions from the people visiting mosques would
also be welcomed, said Karimuinddin Shaikh, head of Jamaat-E-Islami Hind, Pune
chapter. He spoke to HT about the Open Mosque Day which would be held at Azam
Campus on the weekend. Shaikh said, "This movement of keeping a mosque
open and allowing people from any faith to enter is not new. It was started by
Prophet Muhammad himself where he invited people to ask questions about Islam.
We are following His footsteps and in today’s world, where people’s views are
driven by viral messages doing the rounds on social media. It is now even more
important for us to clear the myths and present the facts. Hence, this
movement. This movement first began from South Africa in early 1950s and later
slowed down. Now, times are such that we have to reiterate the teachings of
Prophet and Islam and let people know that Muslims are peace loving
people."HT
Day after launch by PM Modi, Train 18 breaks
down 200 km outside Delhi
A day after it was flagged off by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, Train 18 broke down early on Saturday, leaving it
stranded around 200 kms outside Delhi.Vande Bharat Express was being brought
back to New Delhi from Varanasi for its first commercial run on Sunday when the
brakes jammed in one of the last coaches.Indian Express was on board the
train.The jammed brakes have been fixed and the train is on the way to Delhi at
100 kmph. Sources said that the train is supposed to reach the national capital
by Saturday noon and is now fit for the commercial run on Sunday.Much before
the train came to a dead halt, the last coaches of the Train 18 started making
a rattling sound. Suspicious loco pilots decreased the speed for some
time.Smoke was noticed and a foul smell was felt in the last four coaches.
Power went out in all the coaches and the engineers restarted the train at 10
kmph.indian express
Kerala local body bye-polls: CPI(M)-led LDF
wins 16 seats, BJP gets none
Ruling LDF in Kerala, led by CPI(M), on Friday
won 16 of 30 seats in the bye-elections conducted for local bodies across the
state, PTI reported. Congress-led UDF bagged 12 seats, while BJP failed to win
any seat.The saffron party had been at the forefront of the protests after the
Supreme Court’s verdict last year that allowed women of all ages to enter
Sabarimala temple. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on the other hand, had
declared that LDF government was constitutionally bound to implement the top
court’s orders. scroll.in
Kottiyoor rape case: Catholic priest gets 20
years in jail for raping minor
Thiruvananthapuram:A special court in
Thalassery (Kannur) has awarded 20-year rigorous imprisonment to Father Robin
Vadkumcherry (51),senior Catholic priest, for sexually assaulting a minor girl
for more than 4 years.However the court acquitted 6 others - 4 nuns, a priest,
and an employee of the orphanage - who faced charges of covering up the crime
for want of evidence. Pocso Court has also ordered criminal proceedings against
the victim’s parents who turned hostile later.Though the quantum of punishment
is more than 60 years, the priest can serve it concurrently but the court made
it clear it should not be less than 20 years. HT
Lucknow: Fire breaks out at mosque in Rampur,
probe begins
Lucknow:A fire broke out inside a mosque at
Ratanpura village under Azeemnagar police station area of Rampur. Azeemnagar
SHO Rajeev Chowdhary said locals spotted smoke emanating from the structure and
found that religious books and a floor mat were afire. Several people from the
village and neighbouring areas staged a protest. They demanded action against
culprits who allegedly set the place on fire. The protest was called off after
the police promised to take action after probe. An FIR was lodged against
unidentified persons on a complaint filed by a resident, Maulana Ashaf Hussain,said
Rajeev.Police were deployed at Ratanpura village. Rampur SP said a probe is on.
indian express
Meghalaya: 2 Lynched, Another Critically
Injured in Mob Attack
Shillong: Two persons were lynched by an angry
mob in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district and another was critically injured,
police said Friday.The incident took place at Chanangpara village after the
locals were alerted about the suspicious movement of the trio in their car,
they said.A mob of over a 1000 people stopped the car and when they found
weapons – a dagger and rods – inside the car trunk, the occupants of the car
were fatally attacked leaving two of them dead and one seriously wounded,
according to eyewitnesses.While the victims ran to take shelter in the house of
the nokma (village chief), the crowd barged into the house and dragged them out
before thrashing them.One Mokibul Akond died on the spot while Mikseng Marak
was declared brought dead at the hospital, said district superintendent of
police M.G.R. Kumar.PTI
Kargil's Mass Protest in Sub-Zero Temperatures
Over Leh's HQ Status Continues
Jammu: The decision to make Ladakh an
administrative division – on par with the two divisions of J&K – with its
headquarters in Leh, has sparked fury in other parts of the region.Protests
began in Kargil last week, the second district within Ladakh, to demand that
the HQ rotate between the two towns.The new division is to be established on
Feb.18.Kargil has experienced a complete shutdown for 6 consecutive days.
Hundreds of people took to the streets to demand a rotational divisional HQ.
Swagat Viswas,newly-appointed divisional commissioner of Ladakh, was not
allowed to enter Kargil.Chain protests continue on the streets despite
temperatures as low as -17 degree Celsius.thewire
80-90% of Child Labourers in Telangana Belong
to SC, ST Communities: Survey
New Delhi: A sample survey by Telangana labour
department has found between 80-90% of child labourers in the state belong to
Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.According to The News Minute,
the first phase of the survey across 10 districts in 56 mandals identified
9,724 child labourers. Most of these children do not go to school and are
predominantly from marginalised communities, the survey found.The pan-state
survey is being conducted in association with the Centre for Economic and
Social Studies. The labour department will release complete findings by the end
of April.A labour department official told The News Minute said the fact that
between 80-90% of the child labourers are from SC/ST communities is a “shocking
find”. “This is just a sample survey, the numbers would go up if this was a
comprehensive study. This also raises many questions on why only children from
SC/ST communities are involved in child labour, it’s not like upper castes
don’t have poor people but their children are not engaged in child labour,” the
official said.thewire
Jaipur councillors allege 500 cow deaths at
Hingonia centre, seek action
Jaipur :Hundreds of cows have allegedly died
in the past few days at the Hingonia Cow Rehabilitation Centre in Jaipur, with
the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) suspending two officials and a group of
councillors staging protests.The protesting councillors claimed that around 500
bovines have died of starvation at the centre in the past five days.“In the
past five days, 500 cows have died at the Hingonia Cow Rehabilitation Centre.
Akshay Patra Foundation, which manages the centre, didn’t feed the animals for
the past several days as they are saying they didn’t receive payments from the
JMC,” alleged BJP councillor Anil Kumar Sharma. Sharma said councillors have
demanded action and that cases of cow slaughter should be lodged against those
who were responsible for alleged deaths.indianexpress
7 Rohingya Muslims nabbed at BIAL
7 arrested persons are Salma Begum, Mohammed
Tahir, Omkar Farook, Mohammed Halek, Rehana Begum, Mohammed Mustaf and Rajat
Mandal. According to the police, the accused were refugees from Myanmar and had
been residing in Hyderabad for some time. Halek, one of the accused, had
created fake visas and passports for all of them. They were trying to travel to
Kuala Lampur, Malaysia but were nabbed at the Bengaluru International Airport.
A case against the accused has been lodged at the Airport Police Station. An
official of the Airport Police Station said it was the first time that Rohingya
muslims had been nabbed at BIAL. The official said the accused could not speak
either English or Hindi. The immigration officials at the airport detected that
their documents were fake and reported the same to the police. economic times
WORLD
After Pakistan, Saudi crown prince postpones
visits to Indonesia, Malaysia
Jakarta:Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed
Bin Salman is postponing his trips to Indonesia and Malaysia, according to
Indonesia’s foreign ministry.No reasons were given for the postponement of the
trip during which he was scheduled to sign several agreements in Indonesia.
Saudi Arabia and Indonesia will continue to communicate on a new schedule for a
visit and better outcomes, the ministry said on its website.The prince -- the
kingdom’s de facto ruler -- is also scheduled to visit China, India and
Pakistan as part of an Asian tour where he is expected to sign a slew of
bilateral investment agreements. Saudi Arabia is looking eastward after a
troubled year for its relationships with the U.S. and Europe as the alliances
were shaken by the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi
agents in Istanbul.Bloomberg
Saudi Crown Prince Postpones Pak Visit By A
Day, In India Next Week
Afghan Taliban representatives likely to meet
Saudi crown prince in Pakistan: SourcesWorld
Peshawar: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman is likely to meet Afghan Taliban representatives during his visit to
Pakistan starting on Sunday, Pakistani government sources said, part of efforts
to broker an end to Afghanistan's 17-year-old civil war. Pakistan has been
playing an increasingly vital role in the Afghanistan peace talks, which have
been gathering momentum in recent months amid a growing U.S. desire to pull out
its troops.Along with other Gulf countries, Saudi has been part of the peace
negotiations and is seen to have some sway over the Afghan Taliban militants
due to Riyadh's historical ties with the hardline Islamist group and the
kingdom's religious clout as the birthplace of Islam.Two senior Pakistani
officials said the crown prince was likely to meet Afghan Taliban
representatives in Islamabad, where the militants, fighting to restore strict
Islamic rule in Afghanistan after their 2001 ouster, say they are due to meet
US representatives and Pakistani PM Imran Khan."Though it is top secret so
far, there are strong indications representatives of the Afghan Taliban will
meet Prince Salman during their visit of Pakistan on February 18," one of
the Pakistani officials in Islamabad said.A senior Taliban leader in Qatar said
no decision had been made on whether they would meet the crown prince.
"Actually meeting Prince Salman is not in the plan so far but we can
discuss it when we are in Islamabad,"said Taliban representative.Reuters
Pak Jamaat chief welcomes visit of Saudi Crown
Prince
Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) Senator
Sirajul Haq while welcoming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s visit to
the country has expressed the hope that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will join
hands to pull the Muslim world out of the mire of problems.In a statement, he
said that Saudi and Pakistan were linked together in eternal bonds and the
relations between them were time old and unshakable. The two countries were
like two bodies with a single soul, he added.JI chief said that late King
Faisal Shaheed considered Pakistan as his second home and the grand Faisal
Mosque and the International Islamic University in Islamabad were the
manifestations of his love for this country. Sirajul Haq said both the countries
were centre of the Muslim Ummah’s hope. He said the Saudi Crown Prince’ visit
to this country was happy news for the entire Muslim world. He said that Saudi
being the custodian of the Haramain e Sharifain was the real leader of the
Muslim world. the news
Bangladesh Jamaat leader Barrister Abdur
Razzaq resigns; Jamaat expresses pain
Dhaka: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdur
Razzaq has resigned from his position citing his party’s failure to apologise
to the people of Bangladesh for its anti-independence role in 1971.“Yet, in
1971, our predecessors opposed the independence of Bangladesh and failed to
publicly protest against the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army,” Razzaq
said in a press statement.In a letter sent from the United Kingdom, he tendered
his resignation to Maqbul Ahmed, the Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat.In his
resignation letter, Razzaq observed that ‘over the last 3 decades he has been
trying relentlessly to persuade Jamaat to have a frank discussion of the events
of 1971, Jamaat’s role in those events and why it decided to support Pakistan
and apologise for that decision.’Razzaq further said all his efforts were
unsuccessful and that as a result, those who were born after 1971 and even many
unborn generations who may be associated with Jamaat in future will have to
bear this burden.Razzaq also stated that after joining Jamaat, one of his
objectives was to reform the party from within.Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat has
expressed pained over the resignation of Abdur Razzaq.He will always remain a
“beloved friend” to Jamaat, Secretary General Shafiqur Rahman said in a
statement.“We are pained and hurt at his resignation. We pray for his health
and wellbeing,” Shafiqur said. Razzaq headed legal battle to get top Jamaat
leaders cleared of war crimes charges. Remembering Razzaq’s contribution to the
party “with due respect”, Jamaat secretary general said, “We hope our friendly
relations with him will continue.”Prothom Alo/bdnews24.com
UN, partners appeal for $920 million to meet
dire needs of 900,000 Rohingyas
US aid agencies and partners have appealed for
USD 920 million to help meet the "dire needs" of more than 900,000
Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence in Myanmar's
restive Rakhine State, triggering one of the world's worst refugee crises.
According to UN estimates, over 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to
Bangladesh, where they joined roughly 200,000 others already sheltering there,
since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown.PTI
Myanmar sentences 2 to death for murder of
Muslim lawyer who advised Suu Kyi
Yangon:A Myanmar court has sentenced two men
to death for the murder of a prominent Muslim lawyer, Ko Ni, who was an adviser
to government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and an advocate for reforming a
military-drafted constitution.Ko Ni, 63, was shot dead at Yangon International
Airport just over two years ago. 2 men were also jailed for their involvement
in the murder, which raised concern about Myanmar’s transition to democracy
after decades of military rule.A panel of judges at Yangon’s northern district
court sentenced gunman Kyi Lin and a former military officer accused of hiring
him, Aung Win Zaw, to death for killing Ko Ni, said Judge Ye Lwin, who was not
directly involved in the case but announced the verdict to reporters.Judges
sentence convicts to death for crimes including murder, but no sentences have
been carried out for decades.Reuters
US joins Turkey in decrying plight of Chinese
Uighurs
Ankara:US Embassy in Ankara joined Turkey on
Friday in slamming China’s systematic assimilation policy towards Uighur Turks.
“#USA agrees w/ @MFATurkey's assessment,” the embassy in Turkey said on
Twitter, sharing a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement saying: “It is no longer
a secret that more than one million #Uighur Turks incurring arbitrary arrests
are subjected to torture & political brainwashing in internment camps and
prisons.”Last week, ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy called China’s assimilation
policy towards Uighur Turks “a great embarrassment for humanity.”China’s
Xinjiang region is home to around 10 million Uighurs. Anadolu
Mass Internment Camps for Muslims in China:
Daily Brief
Trump declares Emergency to fund border wall
on Mexican border
President Donald Trump declared a State of
Emergency on Friday to fund his campaign promise of building a wall on the
Mexican border after the Congress resolutely refused to give him the money he
wanted.Trump backed away from his threat to again shutdown the government if
the legislature did not vote $5.7 billion for the border wall and approved the
bipartisan funding bill without the allocation, and instead resorted to the
Emergency.He cited the drug-smuggling problems and the "15,000"
people who came to the border in convoys from Central America and are camped
there hoping to cross the frontier, as reasons for his Emergency.Unlike in
India, an Emergency of the type that Trump is planning does not bring sweeping
powers or allow suspension of civil rights and arbitrary arrests, but only
enables limited action in govt operations.IANS
Islamic State far from defeated: Top US
general
US commander who has been leading the war
against the Islamic State (IS) said on Friday that he disagreed with President
Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria and warned that the
terror group was far from being defeated.Joseph Votel, the Pentagon commander
in charge of American forces in the Middle East, told CNN from Oman that he
would only have declared that the IS had been defeated, as Trump did in
December, if he was sure they no longer posed a threat."When I say, 'we
have defeated them', I want to ensure that means they do not have the
capability to plot or direct attacks against the US or our allies," Votel
said. "They still have this very powerful ideology, so they can
inspire."The general added that the US-backed forces on the ground in
Syria were not ready to handle the threat of IS on their own.IANS
Israel is ‘Middle East country’: Oman
Oman considers Israel a “Middle East country”,
Omani Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi said Saturday."But I think
(Israel) may be worried about the consequences It will bear if it is recognized
as a Middle East country," he told Deutsche Welle television.Bin Alawi
said his country will continue to support mediation between the Palestinians
and Israel with a view to reaching a solution to their conflict, but without
giving any further details.On the Iranian issue, he said "Our relationship
with Iran will continue and our brothers in the Gulf know that." Bin Alawi
met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Warsaw on Thursday on the
sidelines of a conference on stability in the Middle East, co-organized by the
U.S. and the Polish government.Anadolu Agency
Warsaw conference: Gulf ministers slam Iran in
leaked video
PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office has leaked
video of Gulf Arab ministers slamming Iran during a closed-door session of a
Middle East conference in Warsaw, Israeli media reported on Friday.Saudi Arabia
and other Gulf Arab states that do not recognise Israel sent top diplomats to
attend this week's conference alongside Netanyahu, something the prime minister
and his US ally have talked up as a new regional axis against Iran.Israeli
correspondents who travelled with Netanyahu to the two-day conference said PM
had hinted to them during a briefing that his staff had footage of Gulf
ministers addressing a session on Iran on Wednesday. Israel's Maariv newspaper
reported the following day, "PMO posted [and shortly thereafter deleted] a
video from the closed introductory panel about Iran".aljazeera
Merkel, Pence clash on Iran deal at Munich
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended
the nuclear deal with Iran that severely limits its ability to produce enriched
uranium in the face of strong opposition from US.While there is agreement with
the US on the aim of putting Iran under pressure over its nuclear programme,
there is a difference of opinion on the means, the chancellor told the Munich
Security Conference on Saturday.The deal needed to be preserved to prevent Iran
building a nuclear weapon, and this "small anchor" should be used to
pressure Iran in other areas, Merkel said.aljazeera
Gunmen kill 66 in Nigeria ahead of vote
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/gunmen-kill-66-nigeria-kaduna-state-vote-190215192550760.html
Abuja:Gunmen have killed more than 60 people
during attacks on two communities in Nigeria's northwestern Kaduna state.A govt
statement, which confirmed the attacks, said security personnel had been
"deployed to the area and arrests have been made". "Security
agencies today reported the recovery of 66 bodies that were killed in attacks
by criminal elements on various dispersed hamlets in Maro Gida and Iri axis of
Kajuru," Kaduna governor's spokesperson Samuel Aruwan said."Among victims
were 22 children and 12 women. Four wounded persons rescued by the security
agencies are now receiving medical attention," he added.aljazeera
Nigeria: Opposition parties lambast delayed
presidential poll
Abuja, Nigeria - Hours before Nigerians were
due to head to the polls to choose their next president and parliamentary
representatives, the country's electoral commission pulled the plug, announcing
a one week delay.At a press conference on Saturday morning, the chairman of Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, announced that the
vote would be delayed until February 23 to resolve all logistics problems.The
move has left opposition supporters and members of civil society disillusioned.
"INEC's shocking announcement has far-reaching consequences on the
integrity of the elections, the confidence of citizens on its abilities and
could potentially dampen the enthusiasm of millions of Nigerians who have
eagerly waited and prepared to participate in today's elections," the
civil society group, Election Network, said.aljazeera
15 Egyptian troops killed, injured in Sinai
attack
CAIRO:At least 15 Egyptian troops were killed
and injured in a militant attack in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula, according
to the military on Saturday. In a statement, military spokesman Col. Tamer
Rifai said militants attacked a security checkpoint in the northern Sinai
Peninsula. 7 militants were killed in an
exchange of fire with Egyptian forces, during which 15 troops were killed and
injured, the spokesman said, without giving further details. Anadolu Agency
Amnesty slams Egypt 'ban' on families visiting
prisoners
Rights group Amnesty International has slammed
a "ban" it said Egyptian authorities have imposed on family visits to
scores of detainees.President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has regularly been accused
by rights groups of repressing opponents.At least 60,000 have been detained in
a crackdown since Sisi took power after leading the military ouster of
president Morsi in 2013, according to another campaign group, Human Rights
Watch.Amnesty said it had obtained "an official document which confirms
there is an open-ended ban on family visits in a number of sections at two
major prison complexes in Cairo and Alexandria"."These sections are
known to house people being held in pre-trial detention and prisoners convicted
for expressing their political opinions or otherwise exercising their right to
freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," Amnesty said in a
statement.The number of prisoners affected at the Tora prison in Cairo and the
Borg al-Arab in Alexandria was "not clear", it added."Egyptian
prison authorities must urgently lift the cruel and punitive restrictions on
family visits," said Najia Bounaim, Amnesty's campaign director for North
Africa.Amnesty said human rights lawyer Mohamed Ramadan, political activist
Shady al-Ghazali and satirist Shady Abu Zeid are among those recently denied
family visits. Former president Morsi "has only been allowed 3 visits
since he was first detained more than five years ago", it said.AFP
Egypt seizes assets of Brotherhood supporters
CAIRO:A Cairo court has ruled to confiscate
the assets of hundreds of people and companies suspected of supporting and
funding the banned Muslim Brotherhood group, Egypt’s flagship state daily
Al-Ahram reported. Although the court ruling was issued on Dec. 3 of last year,
it has not been reported by Egyptian media until now.The ruling calls for the
seizure of assets from 614 individuals, 268 financial entities and 30 hospitals
accused of “belonging to, supporting or funding the Muslim Brotherhood
group”.Seized assets, Al-Ahram reported, will be placed in the Public
Treasury.The ruling is not, however, final, and can still be appealed before a
higher court.Anadolu Agency
Former preacher of Aqsa Mosque Sheikh
Siam dies in Sudan
Gaza City:Former preacher of East Jerusalem's
Al Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Mohammed Siam, has died of a stroke in Sudan. "Seyam has passed away at a hospital in
Sudan," Palestinian resistance group Hamas said in a statement on
Saturday. "Sheikh Siam was a great
Palestinian leader, a great scholar, an Arab writer and a symbol of the Palestinian
people," it added. A former rector
of the Gaza-based Islamic University, Siam was deported by Israeli authorities
in 1988 to Sudan on claims of authoring Hamas statements and membership in the
group. In 1994, he left Sudan to Yemen,
where he served as president of the Palestine League and a representative of
Hamas. He also served as the dean of the Abdullah al-Ahmar Institute for
Jerusalem Studies in Yemen.Following the outbreak of the Yemeni conflict in
2014, Siam returned to Sudan where he remained until he passed away on Friday. Anadolu AgencY
flash: views & NEWS
Pakistan Is Ensuring Modi’s Victory By Using
JeM, Its ‘Sword Arm’: Christine Fairupdated
Fake Picture of Rahul Gandhi ‘Meeting’ Pulwama
Attacker Goes Viral
Remembering Shahid Azmi, the man who gave his
life for Muslims trapped in false terror cases
What Ayodhya needs now is healing, not
compromise:Rajmohan Gandhi
AMU sedition case shows Indians are quick to
get offended, makes compelling case for deletion of provision:Adit S Pujari
Covering Pulwama Attack, Has the India Media
Acted Responsibly?VIVEK KATJUUPDATED
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