07Greater Kashmir SRINAGAR | October 19, 2014, Sunday

Burn Hall School Gupkar Road, Srinagar

Attention Parents !The school shall reopen on Monday 20th October 2014 for Classes IV TO XII only. Timing: 9.00 AM to 3.00 PM as per Day One Time Table.Please note the following:1. Students who have lost their school uniform in the flood can come in civil

uniform till the further arrangement is made.2. The School Management will make alternative arrangement for students who

have lost their text books & note books in the flood.3. School buses will ply as usual (Routes will be combined).4. LKG to III classes will resume from Monday 3rd November 2014.5. LKG Interaction: Those students whose interaction is pending shall be held

on Sunday 26th October 2014 at 12.30 PM.

For any information/clarification kindly contact the school office between 10.00 AM to 1.00 PM on all the working days.

School Contact numbers: 9858105172/9858105192.Sd/- Principal

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Kunan-Poshpora Mass Rape Case

Compensate victims by Nov 11: HC to Govt

D A RASHID

Srinagar, Oct 18: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the gov-ernment to pay compensation to the rape victims of Kunan-Poshpora in north Kashmir and produce receipt of the amount before the court by the next date of hearing on November 11. The court has also sought status report with regard to investigation of the probe into the case.

At least 40 women were allegedly raped by person-nel of Army’s 4 Rajputana Rifles during the interven-ing night of February 23/24 in 1991 in the twin villages of Kunan and Poshpora in Kupwara district. The SHRC in 2012 recommended re-investigation, payment of Rs two lakh as ex-gra-tia to victims and action against then Director Pros-ecution for closing the case in 1991 as untraced.

A division bench of Chief

Justice M M Kumar and Jus-tice Ali Muhammad Magrey passed the direction after observing that the compen-sation as per the court direc-tions of August 12, 2014 has not been paid to the victims of crime and no status report regarding investigation was filed.

Additional Advocate Gen-eral R A Khan informed the court that the delay in filing the status report was caused due to devastating floods in Kashmir and pleaded that the government would file the report within four weeks.

On August 12, the state government informed the High Court that in principle it was not averse to compen-sation to the rape victims of Kunan-Poshpora in keeping with the recommendations of State Human Rights Commis-sion citing a decision taken at high level meeting.

In its earlier order while disapproving the contention of the state government that

a scheme for compensation of rape victims was not existing in 1991, the court had directed the government to explore possibility of giving relief to the victims as per the recom-mendations of SHRC.

The court said “When there was already an Act (Section 545 of Criminal pro-cedure Code of 1989) in place, why rules were framed in 2013 for compensation.”

Though the state Human rights in its recommenda-tions had asked the govern-ment to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to each victim, the government declined to pay the compensation to the victims.

With regard to reinvestiga-tion of the case by an officer not less than the rank of SSP, the High court had made it clear that the Kupwara revi-sion court (Sessions Court) in its order against the order of judicial magistrate Kupwara has not stayed the order of the magistrate.

People want LA polls on time: Soz ‘Waving of IS flags act of stupid elements’

Pak Army chief rakes up Kashmir issueSAJJAD HUSSAIN

Islamabad, Oct 18: After government and political leaders, it was the turn of Pakistan army chief Gen Raheel Sharif to rake up the issue of Kashmir and breathe fire saying their armed forces were fully capable of meeting any “external threat”.

He said that any aggression against Pakistan will get a “befitting response.” Addressing a passing-out parade at the Military Academy in Kakul, Gen Sharif said that the people of Kashmir should be allowed to decide their fate in the light of UN resolutions.

He said Pakistan desires regional stability and relationship based on equality and mutual respect.

Gen Sharif said the resolution of Kashmir issue was imperative for establishment of sustainable peace in the region.

“We persistently seek peace in the region and beyond. This quest for peace is our nation’s greatest strength. We desire regional stability and relationship based on equality and mutual respect,” he said.

The army chief said Pakistan’s armed forces were fully capable of meeting any external threat.

Maintain pressure on militants for peaceful polls: Army chief

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Jammu, Oct 18: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Prof Saifuddin Soz on Satur-day said that his party wants assembly elections in the state to be held on time.

Talking to reporters here Soz said, “My party would favor the decision of the Election Commission for holding Assembly elections in the state. We have con-veyed to the EC team that we would go with the deci-sion of the people and the people in the state want the elections to be held as per the schedule. The people here feel that only the new government can provide relief and rehabilitation to the flood-affected people.”

Asked to comment on the

waving of Islamic State (IS) flags in Kashmir, Soz said that media must not pay heed to the acts of “some stupid ele-ments.”

“When the media will stop highlighting the act of a few stupid individuals, they will themselves stop waving these flags,” he said.

Claiming that not much has been done to rehabilitate the victims in flood ravaged Kashmir, Soz said, “ What-ever was said (by Prime Min-

ister Narendra Modi) has not been implemented on ground, though various teams from the Central government vis-ited the valley, but implemen-tation is still awaited.”

Ruling out any pre-poll alli-ance with any political party in the state, Soz said, “We will not enter into any pre-poll alli-ance with any political party and the post-poll alliance can only be decided after the elec-tions are held and the results are declared”.

While lauding the recent cabinet decision of recom-mending a one-time resettle-ment package for the refugees of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK)

Soz said, “From the begin-ning we have maintained that integrity of Jammu and Kashmir was of utmost importance and from the

very beginning we have stood with the PaK refugees. Our party has always supported their demands,” Soz said. He said that his party was in favor of allotting a plot of 5 Marlas each to the resident of the border villages who fall victim to the cross border firing.

The JKPCC Chief said it would respect the verdict given by voters in the recent-ly-held Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana whose result will be declared on Sunday. “We believe in democracy and we are ready to accept whatever verdict the voters of these two states have given. Whatever the verdict is we will hold introspection after the results are declared,” he said commenting on the exit polls that predict a major-ity for BJP in Maharashtra.

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, O c t 1 8 : I n d i a n A r m y Chief Gen-eral Dalbir Singh Satur-day advised his com-manders to “maintain relentless pressu re” on militants to ensure the peace-ful conduct of assembly polls in Jammu and Kash-mir.

Speaking at the culmina-tion of the Army Command-er’s Conference, parts of which were made available to the media, he stressed on the need to “maintain relentless pressure on the militants in Jammu and Kashmir so they cannot disrupt the forthcoming elections”.

He also expressed satis-faction on the situation in the northeast and stressed on all stakeholders to be made part of the conflict-resolution mechanism.

On external security concerns, Dalbir Singh advised the commanders to “continuously assess the situation in the sub-continent with respect to the force and security transition taking place and its resultant effect on the national security”.

The army chief also com-plemented the Northern and Western Commands for their response to the Jammu and Kashmir flood disaster.

“He lauded the selfless commitment of the Indian soldiers involved in the relief and rescue efforts,” Army officials quoted the general as having said.

He also said that army’s modernisation programme is getting full support from the defence ministry.

PDP youth wing activists led by Waheed Para (not in picture) erect tents for flood victims Pic: Tassaduq Yasin

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