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Farooq Ahmad Butt alias Prince. He was martyred when Indian troops opened indiscriminate fire on

peaceful protesters in Palhallan area of Baramulla on February 9, 2015.

2013May 23: In Oslo, the Norwegian P a r l i a m e n t c o n d u c t s a n important debate on the Kashmir dispute. Taking part in the debate, the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, the Chairman of the Norwegian P a r l i a m e n t a r y K a s h m i r Committee and Christ ian Democratic Party leader, Knut Arild Hareide, Svein Roald Hansen, Tom Sthl, Ine M Eriksen Sreide and other speakers say that the world community should ass is t Pakistan and India in resolving the Kashmir dispute.May 25: The Chairman of International Chamber for Peace and Concil iation Kashmir Concern, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, hands over a petition signed by over 4,000 constituents belonging to Slough constituency to British MP, Fiona Mactaggart, in her office. The petition is aimed at seeking a debate in the House of Commons on the human rights situation in occupied Kashmir.May 27: The members of a Kashmiri delegation, Altaf

Hussain Wani and Sardar Amjad Yousaf Khan, while taking part in the inaugural meeting of the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, urge the Council to provide justice to the victims of Indian state t e r r o r i s m i n o c c u p i e d Kashmir.M a y 2 8 : A K a s h m i r i d e l e g a t i o n c o m p r i s i n g Altaf Hussain Wani, Syed Faiz Naqashbandi, M r s S h a m i m S h a w l a n d Sardar Amjad Y o u s a f K h a n m e e t s t h e representatives of different international human rights organisations on the sidelines of the 23rd session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and briefs them about the plight of the people of the occupied territory.May 29: A report released by the Research Section of Kashmir M e d i a S e r v i c e o n t h e International Week of the

D i s a p p e a r e d (27th May to 3 1 s t M a y ) reveals that at l e a s t 8 , 0 0 0 persons have been subjected t o d i s -appearance in c u s t o d y b y Indian troops a n d p o l i c e personnel in

occupied Kashmir in the last 24 years. It says that during the period the youth have been the main victims of custodial disappearance for demanding their rights and their families are living in pain and grief.Speakers at the inaugural ceremony of the 8th Kashmir European Union Week in Brussels support the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people . They say tha t a

sustainable and just resolution of the Kashmir dispute can only be brought about by involving the people of Kashmir in the dialogue process between Pakistan and India. The event is organised by International Council for Human Rights-Kashmir Project in collaboration w i t h M e m b e r E u r o p e a n Parliament, Nikki Sinclaire, and the speakers inc lude the Chairman of ICHR-Kashmir Project, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, the Chairman of International Chamber for Peace and Concil iation Kashmir Concern, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, and MEPs including Nikki Sinclaire, Eija Riitta Korhola, Jean Lambert, Tunne Kelam and Krisztina Morvai.

A chronological account of developments on Kashmir (103)KMS Research Desk

Compiled by: Showkat AliTo be continued...

Chronology

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Charar-i-Sharief is a town and a notified area committee in Badgam district of occupied Kashmir. It is located at a height of 1,933 metres (6,345 feet) from above the sea level.As per the census 2001, Charar-i-Sharief had a population of 7,378; males constituted 53 percent of the population and females 47 percent. It had an average literacy rate of 48 percent with male literacy of 56 percent and female literacy of 39 percent. 12 percent of the population was under 6 years of age. The town is divided into 10 wards. Each ward has a municipal councilor.History:This historical town is famous for the tomb of Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, who preached Islam through his poetry. Every year, thousands of people from all faiths visit the shrine on the annual urs of the Sufi saint. This is the only town in the Kashmir Valley, which was to be devel-oped as a Model Town. The initiative was taken by the former Governor of the occupied territory, Jagmohan Malhotra, but this project remains unaccom-plished till date. The whole town of Charar-i-Sharief was set ablaze by Indian troops during a siege in

1995. An estimated 1,500 residen-tial houses were gutted in this devastating fire. The town has since been rehabili-tated. The 1995 fire episode had also d a m a g e d t h e s h r i n e a n d h i s t o r i c a l Khanqah.Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din WaliThe tomb of Sheikh N o o r - u d - D i n N o o r a n i ( R A ) , popularly known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir (flag-bearer of Kashmir), is situated 28-km in the southwest of Srinagar at Charar-i-Sharief. The land where the shrine is located belonged to Sangram Dar, a disciple of Alamdar-e-Kashmir, who had constructed a mosque there. It was here where Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (RA) would say his Friday prayers. According to a legend, following the death of Alamdar-e-Kashmir, his coffin, after flying some distance, descended at the site where the shrine lies and where the great Sufi saint has been laid to rest.Charar-i-Sharief is considered one of the most sacrosanct

Muslim shrines in t h e o c c u p i e d territory. The shrine of Charar-i-Sharief is around 600 years old and was built to c o m m e m o r a t e Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani. The life of the Sheikh was full of legends and tales. He was born as N u n d R i s h i o r

Sahazanand to Salar Sanz in 1377. It is said that he refused to drink milk till the third day after his birth when a Yogini (female saint) Lal Ded (Lal Ded is known as Lal Ishwari among Hindus and Lal Arifa among Muslims) fed him with her own milk. Later, she left

the house after saying that the child would be her spiritual heir.Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani or Nund Rishi was the first one to start Rishism in the Valley. The sa int preached communal harmony, non-violence and tolerance to the people. He gathered many followers who called him by different names. Some of the names conferred on him are Sheikh-ul-Aalam, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Alamdar-e-Kashmir, Sarkhel-e-Rishiya, etc. Apart from preaching, the Sheikh also made numerous contributions in philosophy in the form of verses and poetry.The saint led a very simple life. It is said that nine lac people had gathered at the shrine of Charar-i-Sharief within two days of his death, in 1438. The king, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, also took part in his funeral procession. Charar-i-Sharief serves as his final resting place, where his mortal remains are buried. The Charar-i-Sharief shrine has been destroyed twice, but despite that, it continues to be revered and respected by both Muslims and Hindus.

Beauty thy name is Beauty thy name is

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Charar-i-ShariefCharar-i-Sharief

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