In a major development, Pakistan-based deputy leader of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Abdul Rehman Makki has been designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations, subjecting him to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

The UN Security Council’s 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee added 68-year-old Makki, the brother-in-law of JUD/LeT Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, to its list of designated terrorists on Monday after China withdrew its hold on a joint proposal by India and the US.

Makki and other LeT/JUD operatives “have been involved in raising funds, recruiting and radicalising youth to violence and planning attacks in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K),” the sanctions committee said, providing a statement for the reasons of Makki’s listing.Makki, born in Bahawalpur, Punjab Province of Pakistan, is the deputy chief of LeT and head of the political affairs wing of JUD/LeT.

According to a press release issued here, Makki also served as head of LeT’s foreign relations department and member of Shura (governing body).

The UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee said Makki, “wanted by the Indian Government”, was listed as being associated with ISIL or Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of”, “recruiting for”, “otherwise supporting acts or activities of”, and “either owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by, or otherwise supporting” Lashkar-e-Taiba.” Makki is a US-designated terrorist and a member of JUD’s Markazi (Central) Team and Daawati (proselytisation) team.

“Makki was arrested on May 15, 2019 by the Pakistan Government and was under house arrest in Lahore. In 2020, a Pakistani court convicted Makki of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison,” the sanctions committee said.
China, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, has repeatedly placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists.

In June last year, China had put a hold, at the last moment, on a joint proposal by India and the US to list Makki, the brother-in-law of JUD/LeT Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, under the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

The sanctions committee said that while Makki has held his leadership positions within LeT and JUD, the LeT has been responsible for or had involvement in prominent attacks including the Red Fort Attack in which six LeT terrorists had stormed Red Fort on December 22, 2000 and had opened indiscriminate fire on the security forces guarding the Fort.

In the Rampur Attack, five LeT terrorists had attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Rampur on January 1, 2008 in which seven CRPF personnel and a rickshaw puller were killed.

Describing the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks as the “most audacious attack by LeT in India”, the committee said 10 LeT terrorists from Pakistan entered via Arabian Sea in Mumbai with pre-decided targets out of which Amir Ajmal Kasab was caught alive, rest were killed.

In the Karan Nagar, Srinagar attack of February 12-13, 2018, LeT Fidayeen (suicide squad) stormed into CRPF (23 Battalion) camp at Karan Nagar area of Srinagar in which one CRPF trooper was killed one Policeman was injured.

In the Khanpora, Baramulla attack of May 30, 2018, three civilians were shot dead by LeT militants while in the Srinagar attack of June 14, 2018, senior journalist & Editor in Chief of Rising Kashmir, Shujaat Bhukhari, and his two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) were shot by LeT terrorists, the committee said.

In the Gurez/ Bandipora attack of August 7, 2018, four Army soldiers including a Major were killed as Army foiled a major infiltration bid by heavily armed LeT militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez Sector of Bandipora District, Jammu and Kashmir.

In November 2010, the US Department of the Treasury had designated Makki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. As a result of this designation, among other consequences, all property, and interests in property, of Makki that are subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with Makki.

“In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to the FTO LeT,” the US said.

The US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice programme is offering a reward of up to USD 2 million for information on Makki, “also known as Abdulrahman Maki.Makki has occupied various leadership roles within Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). He has also played a role in raising funds for LeT operations.

Srinagar, Jan 17: The minimum temperatures hovered below freezing point at most places in Jammu and Kashmir as Pahalgam recorded the season’s coldest night at minus 11.8°C on Tuesday.

A meteorological department official told news agency GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 2.7°C against last night’s minus 1.9°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.1°C below normal for the summer capital, he said.

Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 5.4°C against minus 5.6°C on the previous night and it was 2.1°C below normal for the gateway town.

Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 11.8°C against minus 10.2°C on the previous night.

The temperature was 4.6°C below normal and the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said.

Kokernag recorded a low of minus 5.2°C against minus 6.6°C on the previous night and was 1.3°C below normal for the place, the officials said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11.5°C against minus 12.0°C on the previous night which was the coldest night so far recorded in the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said. Today’s minimum temperature was 3.8°C below normal there, he said.

In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at minus 4.3°C against minus 2.9°C on the previous night and it was 1.2°C below normal in the north Kashmir area.

Jammu recorded a low of 3.1°C against 4.1°C on the previous night. It was 4.0°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.

Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.5°C (below normal by 1.3°C), Batote minus 2.0°C (below normal by 3.8°C), Katra 3.6°C (2.6°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 2.6°C (1.7°C below normal).

Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 15.6°C and minus 20.9°C respectively, the official said.

He said till January 18, weather is likely to be mainly dry and partly cloudy.

“From January 19-21st, weather is likely to be cloudy with chances of light rain/snow over isolated to scattered places mainly over higher reaches,” he said, adding, “From 22nd to 24th, there is possibility of light to moderate rain and snow over plains and moderate snow over middle and higher reaches most likely during 23rd/24th January at most places of J&K.”

Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21.

JAMMU, Jan 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today released the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inspiring book ‘ExamWarriors’ in Hindi, Urdu and English at Jammu.
Pertinently, in this path-breaking, bestselling book ‘Exam Warriors’, the Hon’ble Prime Minister has outlined a refreshing approach to exams urging everyone to celebrate the exam like a festival with enthusiasm and gaiety.
Interacting virtually with students and teachers from across the districts, the Lt Governor said that the 34 mantras given by the Prime Minister in this book are not just to be read and memorized, but we all should try to imbibe them in our lives so that the exam becomes an occasion of celebration and not of stress.
“PM’s 34 Mantras for students, teachers and parents will beat the exam stress and help the exam warriors appearing for board exams to deal with anxiety & stress,” the Lt Governor said.
This book should be constant companion of young aspirants, the Lt Governor added.
The Lt Governor observed that Education is not merely about competition among children. Education teaches us the ways to develop compassion and joy towards life and other human beings, he added.
The Lt Governor also spoke about ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ an annual event held every year since 2018, in which the Prime Minister interacts with students, teachers and parents from across the country and shares valuable tips on how to take board and entrance exams in relaxed and stress free manner.
It is a movement that is driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to bring together students, parents, teachers and the society to foster an environment where the unique individuality of each child is celebrated, encouraged and allowed to express itself fully, the Lt Governor added.
The current generation is fortunate to have the National Education Policy-2020. It is the responsibility of us all to implement it in letter and spirit, the Lt Governor said to the officers of Education Department and the District Administrations.
The Lt Governor noted that School Education in J&K is going in the right direction with many breakthrough initiatives of the Department like reducing the dropout ratio, increasing the enrolment rate. We should continue to work for extending an ideal education to the students with innovative interventions, he said.
I believe that education is the medium of mental and spiritual development for any student. Throughout life, we keep learning something or the other and if seen in this direction, examination is just a stage, not the destination, he added
The children should also learn about the towering personalities who have contributed in building and nurturing the country,” said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor also stressed on promotion of vernacular languages in schools.
Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary to Government, School Education Department; Ravi Shanker Sharma, Director School Education Jammu; Tasaduq Mir, Director School Education Kashmir; Deep Raj Kanethia, Project Director, Samagra Shiksha, officers of District administration and school education department were present in person and through virtual mode.

The CPI(M) has objected to the recent direction by authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to remove encroachment from government land, claiming it will render thousands of people homeless and also divest many of cultivation rights.

The Left party demanded immediate withdrawal of the order and asked people to unitedly oppose it.

In a circular issued on January 9, Commissioner Secretary of the Revenue Department Vijay Kumar Bidhuri directed all deputy commissioners to ensure 100 per cent removal of encroachments from state land, including Roshni and Kahcharai, by the end of January.

“There is deep concern over the government*s move of divesting the people of the land registered under various titles in revenue records across Jammu and Kashmir. This is administration-sponsored land grabbing”, CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami told reporters here. He alleged that the administration is “totally blind towards the destruction of the livelihood of the rural poor”.

The CPI(M) leader said that it is unfortunate that the government has mobilised all its machinery to “dispossess the poor and excluded of the land registered as Kahchairi, Shamilat and so on”. “The people who are living off this land have found themselves in a bind after the governments recent order”, Tarigami said.

In the name of retrieving the “state land”, the government is making desperate attempts to pauperise the people by snatching their land and creating private land banks, he alleged.

“The move is not only bound to render thousands of people without a roof on their heads, but also divest many of cultivation rights, he said. The government, he alleged, is trying to divert attention from pressing issues like unemployment.

JAMMU: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said more leaders from Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Azad Party (DAP) will return to the Congress fold on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, 17 leaders of the DAP in Jammu and Kashmir, including former deputy chief minister Tara Chand and Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, had deserted former Congress veteran Azad and returned to the Congress fold.

The leaders were welcomed back by the Congress which said they had gone on ”leave for two months”.

”Tomorrow more leaders from DAP-Disappearing Azad Party will end their leave of absence and return to where they belong,” Ramesh said in a tweet.

Expect news from Jammu which is all set to welcome the Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 19, he said.