Friday, July 11, 2008

Kashmir comes under direct Delhi rule

Kashmir comes under direct Delhi rule
Dawn, July 12, 2008

SRINAGAR, July 11: India imposed federal rule in occupied Kashmir on Friday after the regional government fell over a controversial transfer of land to a Hindu shrine trust that sparked days of rioting in the Muslim-dominated territory.

The government land move sparked some of the biggest protests from Muslims last month since a freedom movement broke out in the region in 1989. At least six people were killed in the protests and hundreds injured.

An official statement said the governor had dissolved the assembly.

It was a third time since a liberation movement against Indian occupation broke out in 1989 that federal rule has been imposed.

“N.N. Vohra (governor) sought the concurrence of the president of India for issuance of a proclamation to enforce governor’s rule,” an official statement read.

In the face of violent protests from Muslims, the government withdrew its decision of transferring land to build shelters for Hindu pilgrims visiting the Amarnath cave to pray by an ice stalagmite considered sacred.

But the People’s Democratic Party, a regional coalition party, still pulled out in protest and reduced the government to a minority.

Kashmiri leaders had said that by granting the land to a Hindu shrine trust, the government was trying to change the demography of Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority territory .

Direct rule is expected to last until next elections, due later this year.—Reuters

Also See:
Kashmir under direct federal rule - BBC
Kashmir turmoil and the Amarnath crisis - Praful Bidwai, The News

2 comments:

The Lost Pakistani Dream said...

Federal Rule = Martial Law = Dictatorship. What the hell difference does it make.

Anonymous said...

BBC Urdu Service, A Taliban Propaganda Network
Its amzing,organization like BBC can find and interview culprits like Mangal Bagh,Baitullah Mehsud, Hazrat Umar etc. and propagates thier filthy taliban propanganda on the BBC airwaves (Urdu services) than why the British and American authorities are unable to find these criminals? This conculdes that BBC Urdu is partlyt involved and partly shares the blame of terrorism in Pakistan and hence BBC is one of the terrorist network and extention of Taliban in Pakistan.
Perhaps CIA should get thier hand on the BBC Urdu network correspondents who knows the terrorists hideouts or else how the BBC Urdu can interview and propagate the terrorist agenda of talibans.