BIRMINGHAM
UK and Pakistan are toying with the idea of launching a bus between Mirpur (PaK) and Birmingham, a route that Kashmiri settlers took in 1970 to build a war-ravaged Britain. More than 8000 km long, the road will pass through 11 countries and would take 12 days but would cost ?130 as against nearly ?600 air fare. Initially, four luxury buses will ply once a fortnight. Birmingham hosts the world’s largest population of Mirpuri Kashmiris. The thrilling ride would enable travelers experience sightseeing, and camping while passing through Belgium, France, Germany, France, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Iran, before finally arriving in Pakistan. PaK is already having a daily bus service to Kashghar and Gilgit-Baltistan area is also linked with Beijing through Shahr-ie-Karokaram.
SRINAGAR
A Tribune reporter Azhar Qadri was publicly beaten and later dragged in a police jeep and detained for nearly an hour at Shaheedgunj. Qadri was covering a protest by nursing students when he was beaten by the guards of a young IPS officer. Journalists protested over the attack and chief minister said he would look into it. Qadri rejected allegations by some police officers that he was inciting young girls to violence. His colleagues witnessing the marshalling termed the attack unprovoked.
KISHTWAR
At a time when the Panchs are fighting a battle for powers, one of the Congress Sarpanchs, Mohammad Isaq Gujjar was booked for rape in Bhunzwah area. The victim, a divorcee told the court that she works as a cook in a government school and lives with her daughter in Patshala village. Isaq is alleged to have knocked her door at 10 pm saying he is carrying her permanent job letter. Once in, he raped her. During wee hours, he left only to return with two of his accomplices just to issue a threat to her to keep her mouth shut. Even police are alleged to have torn her clothes when she petitioned them. But the lady is determined to fight. She has told the court that Isaq has committed many similar crimes but managed to survive unscathed using political clout. The accused is still at large.
NIGHEEN
They would not like to seen together publicly but a Norwegian media group TV2 got them to sit talk and eat together in for their programme: Dining With the Enemy. The participants of the feature were M Yasin Malik, Nayeem Khan and NC MP Dr Mehboob Beig. Format of the film that is expected to be released early 2013 has a discussion on conflict while they dine together. The three put in their options for a way-out which were in tune with their party ideologies. Producer Fredrik Gr?svik was the moderator.
GERMANY
They have no experience of acting but they took a chance when Kashmiri American filmmaker Musa Sayeed offered them a role in ‘Valley of the Saints’. A romantic drama in a conflict area with emphasis over ecology, the film bagged two major awards – the Alfred P Sloan Feature Film Award and the World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic, soon after it triggered rave reviews at the Sundance Festival. Now the film is being screened at the 20th Hamburg International Film Festival in Germany and ‘actors’ Mohammad Afzal Sofi, a journalist and Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, a boatman will be part of the function.
JAMMU
In an interesting turn of events, a Jammu newspaper reported that Manohar Lal, an MoS for Cooperatives, has managed his wife’s deputation in the civil secretariat. Mrs Kalpana Sharma, a primary school teacher at Kishanpur Kandi, was initially deputed in the personal section of the R&B minister in August 2010. Later, the order was modified and she was shifted to the personal section of MoS Haj, Auqaf and Fisheries. Interestingly, however, she stays put at home. Great education in governance!
