Police-public clashes continue; Kashmir counts its missing

Gudwan Poshwan, a small hamlet near Pulwama town in southern Kashmir, wore a mournful look on Wednesday. Its residents had just returned from burying a young boy, whose body was fished out of the Jhelum from the Awantipora area a few kilometres away.

Locals said there were “torture marks” all over the body of the victim, identified as 18-year-old Zahoor Ahmad from the nearby Kisirgam Kakapora village. “His wrists were slashed, his legs bore cuts. It was difficult to even identify him,” said a resident.

Zahoor had reportedly left home to attend slain militant Burhan Wani’s funeral, but never returned. “Everybody was searching for him. Someone said he was picked up by security forces. Today, they found his body,” said J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti pays floral tributes during a Martyrs’ Day ceremony in Srinagar on Wednesday. another Gudwan Poshwan resident. The boy is survived by his mother, a differently-abled brother and four sisters. His father had died a few years ago.

The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Wednesday decided to cancel the registration of 191 political parties, including the All India Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) led by MP Asaduddin Owaisi, for failing to submit documents such as Income Tax (IT) returns. The Hyderabadbased party, will be able to contest polls in the state, but will not get a symbol of its choice. The symbol of the party is a kite. The AIMIM has now decided to challenge the decision.

The decision will only be in effect for local body elections in the state. There will be no limitations on these political parties for the state Assembly and the Lok Sabha polls because those are handled by the Election Commission of India and not the state election commission. Most parties that have lost their registration are small outfits, except AIMIM, the Republican Party of India (Democratic) and the Republican Party of India (Khobragade).

All the political parties concerned must now register themselves again with the commission, but will also have to pay a penalty of Rs1 lakh, said an election commission official.