Owais Farooqi

Delhi ➡️ #Kashmir: 📝 📷 @TheParallelPost
@thequint @catchnews @Kashmir_Reader form 2015| Present @GreaterKashmir| [email protected].

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Found the Kid who inconsolably wept on 12-year-old #Aatif's funeral and his story is heartbreaking; wrote this while in tears ..."Something pinched my heart and I don’t know what happened, I started crying". #Hajin #Bandipora #Kashmir #Childrenofconflict https://t.co/JQqJ14pwiy

[Peter Girnus 🦅 @gothburz]

I am a diplomatic aide in the Sultanate of Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

My job is logistics. When two countries that cannot speak to each other need to speak to each other, I book the rooms. I prepare the briefing materials. I make sure the water glasses are the right distance apart. You would be surprised how much of diplomacy is water glasses. Too close and it feels informal. Too far and it feels like a tribunal. I have a chart.

We had a very good month.

Since January, Oman has been mediating indirect talks between the United States and Iran on Iran's nuclear program. The talks were held in Muscat and in Geneva. The Americans would sit in one room. The Iranians would sit in another room. I would walk between them. My Fitbit says I averaged fourteen thousand steps on negotiation days. The hallway between the two rooms at the Royal Opera House conference center is forty-seven meters. I walked it two hundred and twelve times in February. This is good for my cardiovascular health. It was less good for my knees. Both are in the service of peace.

By mid-February, we had something.

Iran agreed to zero stockpiling of enriched uranium. Not reduced stockpiling. Zero. They agreed to down-blend existing stockpiles to the lowest possible level. They agreed to convert them into irreversible fuel. They agreed to full IAEA verification with potential US inspector access. They agreed, in the Foreign Minister's phrase, to "never, ever" possess nuclear material for a bomb. I have worked in diplomacy for seven years. I have never seen a country agree to this many things this quickly. I made a spreadsheet of the concessions. It had fourteen rows. I color-coded it. Green for confirmed. Yellow for pending. By February 21 the spreadsheet was entirely green. I printed it. It is on my desk in Muscat. It is still green.

That phrase took eleven days. "Never, ever." The Iranians initially offered "not seek to." The Americans wanted "will not under any circumstances." We landed on "never, ever" at 2:14 AM on a Tuesday in Muscat. I typed the final version myself. I used Times New Roman because Geneva prefers it. The document was fourteen pages. I was proud of every comma.

Here is what they said, in the order they said it.

February 24: "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity." — The Foreign Minister, private briefing to Gulf Cooperation Council ambassadors. I prepared the slide deck. Slide 14 was the implementation timeline. Slide 15 was the signing ceremony logistics. I had reserved the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Room XX. It seats four hundred. We discussed pen brands for the signing. The Iranians preferred Montblanc. The Americans had no preference. I ordered twelve Montblanc Meisterstucks at six hundred and thirty dollars each. They arrive on Tuesday.

February 27, 8:30 AM EST: "The deal is within our reach." — The Foreign Minister, CBS Face the Nation. He sat across from Margaret Brennan. He said broad political terms could be agreed "tomorrow" with ninety days for technical implementation in Vienna. He said, and I wrote this line for the briefing card he carried in his breast pocket: "If we just allow diplomacy the space it needs." He praised the American envoys by name. Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushner. He said both had been constructive.

I watched from the Four Seasons Georgetown. The minibar had cashews. I ate the cashews. They were nineteen dollars. The most expensive cashew I have ever eaten. But it was a good morning and we were within our reach.

February 27, 2:00 PM EST: Meeting with Vice President Vance, Washington. The Foreign Minister presented our progress. Zero stockpiling. Full verification. Irreversible conversion. "Never, ever." The Vice President used the word "encouraging." His aide took notes on an iPad. The aide did not make eye contact for the last nine minutes of the meeting. I noticed this. Noticing things is the only part of my job that is not water glasses.

February 27, 4:00 PM EST: "Not happy with the pace." — President Trump, to reporters.

Not happy with the pace.

We had achieved zero stockpiling. Full IAEA verification. Irreversible fuel conversion. Inspector access. And the phrase "never, ever," which took eleven days and cost me two hundred and twelve trips down a forty-seven-meter hallway.

Every American president since Carter has failed to get Iran to agree to this. Forty-five years.

Not happy with the pace.

February 27, 9:47 PM EST: The Foreign Minister's flight departs Dulles for Muscat. I am in the seat behind him. He is reviewing Slide 14 on his laptop. The implementation timeline. Vienna technical sessions. The signing ceremony. The pens.

I fall asleep over the Atlantic. I dream about water glasses.

February 28, 6:00 AM GST: I wake up to push notifications.

February 28: "The United States has begun major combat operations in Iran." — President Trump.

Operation Epic Fury. Coordinated airstrikes. The United States and Israel. Tehran. Isfahan. Qom. Karaj. Kermanshah. Nuclear facilities. IRGC bases. Sites near the Supreme Leader's office. Israel called their half Operation Roaring Lion. Someone in both governments spent time choosing these names. Epic Fury. Roaring Lion. I spent eleven days on "never, ever." They spent it on branding. The President said Iran had "rejected American calls to halt its nuclear weapons production."

Rejected.

Iran had agreed to zero stockpiling. Iran had agreed to full verification. Iran had agreed to "never, ever." Iran had agreed to everything in a fourteen-page document that I typed in Times New Roman.

The President said they rejected it.

I do not know which document the President was reading. I know which one I typed.

February 28, 18:45 UTC: Iran internet connectivity: four percent. — NetBlocks, confirmed by Cloudflare. Ninety-six percent of a country went dark. You cannot negotiate with a country at four percent connectivity. You cannot negotiate with a country that is being struck. You cannot negotiate. This is not a political opinion. This is a logistics assessment.

February 28: The governor of Minab reported forty girls killed at an elementary school.

I do not have logistics for that. There is no slide for that. The water glass chart does not cover that.

February 28: Lockheed Martin: up. Northrop Grumman: up. RTX: up. Dow futures: down six hundred and twenty-two points. Gold: five thousand two hundred and ninety-six dollars. An analyst at AInvest published a note titled "Iran Strikes: Tactical Plays." The note recommended positions in oil, defense stocks, and gold.

The most expensive cashew I have ever eaten was nineteen dollars. The most expensive pen I have ever ordered was six hundred and thirty dollars. The math suggests I have been working in the wrong industry. Defense stocks do not require water glasses. Defense stocks do not require eleven days. Defense stocks require one morning.

February 28: Israel closed its airspace and its schools. Iran launched retaliatory missiles toward US bases in the Gulf. The Supreme Leader promised a "crushing response." Israel's defense minister declared a permanent state of emergency. Everyone is using words I recognize in an order I do not. I recognize "permanent." I recognize "emergency." I do not recognize them next to each other. In diplomacy, nothing is permanent and everything is an emergency. In war it is the reverse.

February 28: The Foreign Minister has not made a public statement.

The briefing card is still in his breast pocket. It still says "within our reach."

[أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif @AnasAlSharif0]

This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.

I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls.

I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland. I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.

I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany through life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission.

I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path. I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards.

I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me for many long days and months. Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend—patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith.

I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty. If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting.

O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.

Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.

Anas Jamal Al-Sharif
06.04.2025

This is what our beloved Anas requested to be published upon his martyrdom.

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Dismal state of healthcare: #Bandipora district hospital without a cardiologist.

Lone cardiologist's transfer without replacement puts patients' lives at risk
@sakinaitoo
@OfficeOfLGJandK
https://t.co/1FR8FKwfMj

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

How patients of all ages are forced to walk to top floors of the #Bandipora district hospital in absence of lift system as government continues to look indifferent. While lift abandoned system houses, crows, and pigeons.
@OmarAbdullah
@sakinaitoo
https://t.co/Z9FXfBSpsB

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

@OmarAbdullah @sakinaitoo @nizamuddinbhat @OfficeOfLGJandK *lift* system

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Random picture of everyday scenes at district hospital #Bandipora. How long will it take for administration to make the abandoned line system functional?

@OmarAbdullah @sakinaitoo @nizamuddinbhat @OfficeOfLGJandK

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

https://t.co/Z9FXfBSXi9

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

The elevator system shafts have been covered by plywood, one opens near OT, and two outside OT are now breeding ground for infections as birds rule the roost.

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

@govt0f Yes, videos also clearly show it has crashed immediately after take off.

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

This could be big, seems the #AirIndia plane has overrun the runway. Rarest in Indias aviatiation history which otherwise holds impeccable record in aviation safety.

Prayers!!!

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Jets hovering, sound of explosions can be heard far off in north #Kashmir

#India #Pakistan

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Sad day!!! #Kashmir

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

@SajidRaina1 @dcbandipora @Traffic_hqrs Huge problem since decades, although we have done enough stories to bring it to the notice of the concerned, nothing has happened.
https://t.co/uC2q5pLEpr

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

‘Mama has passed away’ https://t.co/XnrKcGtYgP

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

@sakinaitoo @dcbandipora @CmoBandipora @DyCMOBandipora @DHSKashmir

[Greater Kashmir @GreaterKashmir]

Vitamin A shortage in Govt hospitals in Bandipora hits children’s immunisation

https://t.co/jGFp4Q4a0o

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Successive regimes have been accused of doing “little to nothing” to alleviate the traffic mess, even after relocating the bus stand to the Nusoo and Kaloosa areas. @nizamuddinbhat6 @BhatNizamuddin
@OmarAbdullah
https://t.co/uC2q5pLEpr

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Khurwan Sar Lake in Sumbal battles for survival
@dcbandipora
@HilalAkbarLone1
@JavedRanaa
https://t.co/NaSy8oVwWX

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

@NazirGurezi of NC wins from #Gurez, says 'people are not thankless' https://t.co/tbRu9rM956

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

Rotten rice supply in #Bandipora exposes rot in system

Deptt silent despite corruption allegations
@fcsca_bandipora
@dcbandipora
@foodsafetygov
@JK_FDA_Official
https://t.co/30HUX1l7A9

[Owais Farooqi @owaisfarooqi]

#Gurez battles worst drought in years

Exotic Black cumin, Rajma, potatoes wither up
"There has been nothing left to harvest.”

"It's a devastation"

@dcbandipora
@SdmGurez
@skuast_kashmir
@KVKGurez https://t.co/EqbUFyoKgv