Frail Faktoo
The case of Dr Qasim Faktoo reveals that on May 31, 2012 he completed 20 years in prison, which as per the Jail Manual and Prison’s Act amounts to life imprisonment in the Central jail of Srinagar. He is serving a life imprisonment there but this year the High Court gave its ruling that life imprisonment means that one has to remain behind bars till his death.
While defending his petitioner in High Court, Mian Abdul Qayoom had argued that Dr Faktoo has earned remission for his good behavior in the jail and his cumulative period of detention comes out to be 20 years, which amounts to life imprisonment but his argument was not taken. His good behavior could not provide him any relief but now his eyesight and other health ailments are giving him a tougher time.
In these 20 years the health of Dr Faktoo has continuously deteriorated. His wife, Asiya Andrabi has stated that 60 per cent of his eyesight has been damaged due to the ‘negligence’ of authorities.
The family of Dr Faktoo has blamed the state for his present condition and claimed that it was only after the court interfered into the matter otherwise the police was in continuous denial of shifting Dr Faktoo to hospital.
His family and Huriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani has now warned authorities of the ‘dire’ consequences if negligence is shown in his treatment.
Matric EXECUTIVES
In yet another startling revelation, information sought under the Right to Information RTI Act revealed that for 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, there are only 6 Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVI) and all of them are lacking diploma or technical qualification.
And in addition to that the information further reveals that out of 19 in charge ARTO’s, 15 are matriculates!
According to a local news agency, a social activist Junaid Nazir from Shaheed Gung Srinagar had sought information under Right to Information Act, 2009 from Transport Department regarding the details of educational as well as technical qualification of Motor Vehicles Inspectors, Assistant Regional Transport Officer’s (ARTO’s) and In charge ARTO’s of Jammu and Kashmir Division.
The Office of the Transport Commissioner in its reply vide number TC/JK/RTI/72/9246 has revealed that in Jammu and Kashmir there are only 6 MVI’s who do not possess any diploma and their technical qualification is also nil. Except one Motor Vehicle Inspector who is a graduate, rest of them are matriculates.
Under revised Motor Vehicles Act 1988 of Jammu and Kashmir, a Motor Vehicles Inspector must possess a 3 years diploma in Automobile Engineering or a 3 years diploma in Mechanical Engineering awarded by the State Board of Technical Education.
But the information reveals that no Motor Vehicle Inspector has any technical qualification as laid down in Motor Vehicles Act.
Acting FIRM
Jammu and Kashmir assembly has decided to act against former army chief Gen VK Singh if he fails to answer the latest summons.
The summon was sent by J&K legislative council’s privileges committee over V K Singh’s remarks regarding alleged payoffs to the state’s politicians since 1947.
The fresh summon was sent via Haryana police chief asking the ex-Army chief to appear before the committee on January 27 in Jammu to explain his position on the issue.
Ruling National Conference MLC Devinder Singh Rana had moved a motion against Singh and sought his appearance before the panel.
The breach of privilege motion is pending against Singh with assembly speaker Mubarak Gul. Sources said that ex-army chief, did not appear before the committee on January 9.
Gul had earlier summoned Singh to appear before the house committee.
Singh had written to the speaker on November 19 and pleaded the privilege motion be dropped as “he had said what is already mentioned in different write ups.”
Threatening PASSES
The state and the central governments left no drum unbeaten that they are for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. If Kashmiris are continuously struggling for their basic rights, their travelling rights are also not free. They too are under scanner.
As per a Mumbai based daily newspaper DNA, “Some 75,000 families in J&K are indexed in a security risk list, which blocks their access to peaceful life, growth and travel plans without police permission.”
The revelation came at that time when a Kashmiri student was denied passport because his family has some militant links.
According to the newspaper due to this ‘security index’ a population of around four lakh cannot get government jobs, travel papers or any facility that requires police verification because of their links with the separatists or militants during the last 25 years. Majority in the ‘security list’ are the families whose relatives were at some stage involved in the separatist movement.
Police sources have said to the newspaper that ‘security index’ is based on inputs from various wings of the ‘security system’ maintaining separate records.
In Delhi, authorities in the home ministry on record have denied existence of any such list. But Intelligence sources have revealed to the newspaper that they have passed on a list to the J&K government, just advising them to inform the home ministry in case they decide to clear their travel papers or join any sensitive posts in the government.
