CHATTABAL
Almost after three months Srinagar once against witnessed an encounter, this time in densely populated Chattabal. The day-long gunfight left three militants dead. Two of them were later identified as Fayaz Ahmad Hamal, a resident of Khanqah-e-Moula and Showkat Ahmad Tak, Pangam Pulwama. As the gunfight intensified hundreds of boys took to streets and clashed with police near the encounter site. In Noor Bagh area, a youth named Adil Ahmad Yatoo was crushed to death by a police vehicle.
NARBAL
It pained one and all in Kashmir after a tourist from Chennai named R Thirumani, 22, died after being hit by a stone near Narbal crossing. He had a severe head injury. After Thirumani’s body was flown back home, his father praised locals for extending a helping hand in his hour of grief.
SRINAGAR
Despite internet ban in Srinagar and south Kashmir over the killings in two encounters, one video went viral on social networking sites that was shot in an event at SKICC, the place usually used for government functions, where the Kashmir’s own national song was played. It was an emotional scene for most of the attendants, who stood straight in honour for the song. It was probably for the first time that this song was played at SKICC. Even if the song was removed from various pages initially but by then netizens had downloaded it and they shared it again. Reportedly the State has started an investigation when the song was played.
BHADERWAH
After 33-years of wait, Bollywood has returned to Bhaderwah, where the shooting for ‘Ghalib’ directed by Manoj Giri has begun. The film is based on a young Kashmiri teenage student and his mother with troubled past. The director of the film has said that 50 percent of the film will be shot in Bhaderwah and the remaining part will be shot in other states.
NEW DELHI
Apparently the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been always been prompt on social media in handling distress calls for Indians but it turned to stall for a bit when a Kashmiri, Sheikh Ateeq, a student from Jammu and Kashmir with “Indian occupied Kashmir”, who is currently residing in the Philippines and goes by the Twitter handle @SAteEQ019, requested the minister to assist him with his passport as he wanted to go back to his “home” citing health issues. But the minister while ‘schooling’ him over political geography, later reminded him that his profile’s location says that he is from “Indian occupied Kashmir,” and no such place exists. After this response, Ateeq quickly changed his location and only then the minister forwarded his request for help.
UAE
Irfan Ahmad Zargar, 36, a resident of Chattabal in Srinagar, who was working in Dubai has reportedly gone missing since April 28. He was working for Fast Link, a consultancy firm in Dubai outsourced by Du telecom. He disappeared after he had entered the UAE in his car from Oman, his relatives and colleagues had informed Gulf News. Reportedly he had taken one month’s leave in early April to go home. But instead, he had gone to Muscat and parked his car over there before flying back home. He apparently, went back to Muscat, took his car and drove to the UAE. He entered [the UAE], but did not reach his room.
