Mufti’s family decides who gets what in Bijbehara

The state government is installing street lights in chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Say¬eed’s, home town at Bijbehara on political considerations with areas which are not been PDP bastions being ignored. Sources said that it was chief min¬ister’s family members who take the decisions and even interfere in the administrative matters. “The chief minister’s house has become a new power centre. From installa¬tion of street lights to any adminis¬trative matter decisions are taken at Chief Minister’s ancestral house, in Baba Mohalla locality of the town, where Mufti’s brother and his fam¬ily…

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‘Enforced disappearances in Kashmir date back to 1948’

Imroz seeks Commission of Inquiry to probe all cases The phenomenon of enforced disappearances in Kashmir is not new and dates back to 1948, according to noted writer and social activist, Zareef Ahmad Zareef. Zareef said his maternal uncle Gul Muhammad was taken into custody by the state forces from his home at Jamia Masjid, Nowhatta and subjected to enforced disappearance. Gul Mohammad was tortured and later sent to Central Jail, Srinagar. He was part of a student delegation that had met the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah during…

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18 jawans injured in explosion in Army camp in Kashmir’s Pulwama district

At least 18 army jawans were injured in an explosion at an army camp on Saturday in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. “As many as 18 army jawans have been injured in an explosion at army’s Corps Battle School (CBS) at Khrew in Awantipora area of Pulwama,” Defence spokesman Col NN Joshi told PTI. He said all the injured personnel have been airlifted to 92 Base Hospital at Badamibagh Cantonment here for specialised treatment. “The condition of all of them is stable as of now,” he said. The spokesman said it…

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ED sleuths in Jammu and Kashmir foil bid to smuggle banned forest products

Sleuths of the Jammu and Kashmir Excise Department on Friday foiled a bid to smuggle rare and highly-valuable banned forest products after a huge quantity of them were seized at the Lakhanpur toll post in Kathua district. A vehicle from Srinagar on its way to Batala belt in Punjab was stopped at the Lakhanpur toll post for assessment of the goods, Deputy Excise Commissioner Rajesh Sharma said. During checking of the vehicle, 31 bags of forest produce, comprising 22 bags of Koad-Kutki (Piccrorhiza Kurroa) (625 kgs), 9 bags of Muskbala…

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Three arrested for raping girl in Jammu

Three persons have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a girl of Poonch district, police said here on Saturday. Shavaiz Iqbal, Shakeel Ahmed, both drivers, and Zaffar Iqbal, an engineer, all belonging to Rajouri district, were arrested from Jammu yesterday, police said. The girl’s father had lodged a complaint at Surankote police station in Poonch district on July 27 that his daughter had gone missing. During investigation, it was found that the three persons had kidnapped the girl in a vehicle from Samote area of Surankote, police said. On…

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Protests, clashes in Srinagar leave one injured

A hunt by police to nab those displaying controversial flags on Saturday sparked protests and clashes between mobs and security personnel in some parts of old Srinagar, leaving one youth injured in firing. Police carried out night raids in various parts of the old city to nab those who displayed controversial flags and indulged in stone-pelting at security forces yesterday after Friday prayers. To protest these night raids, a major part of downtown Srinagar from Khanyar to Hawal including Jamia Masjid observed a shutdown today. Clashes were also witnessed at…

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Mehbooba urges people to take advantage of key welfare schemes

Ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the present government in Jammu and Kashmir has to make a fresh beginning to pull the state out of the “morass” and revive the process of political reconciliation, economic rejuvenation and social emancipation. “Unfortunately, during the past six years of NC-Congress rule, the state witnessed a virtual dismantling of all the institutions of governance with politico-contractor mafia ruling the roost and looting the exchequer during that dark era. The present Government has to make a fresh beginning to not…

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BJP-PDP alliance doesn’t augur well for J&K: Panun Kashmir

Panun Kashmir on Sunday said political alignment between BJP and PDP in Jammu and Kashmir does not seem to have augured well for the state, and accused the alliance of having failed to trigger any cohesion towards serving the nation. The speakers at a seminar organised by Panun Kashmir, an organisation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, made the observation that this “union of opposites” has failed to trigger any cohesion towards serving the nation. On the contrary, politics and governance in the state in the last six months have…

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Over 12,000 candidates appear in Combined Competitive Exam

Over 12,000 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir appeared in the Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination on Sunday which were held in two sessions at 26 centres across the state. “A total of 12208 candidates appeared in the examinations which were conducted smoothly,” Shakeel -ul-Rehman, Secretary Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) – which conducted the examination, told PTI. Rehman said a total of 20180 candidates had applied for the examination, out of which 460 were found to be ineligible. “19720 candidates were eligible to sit in the examinations which were…

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