J&K HC grants bail to separatist leader Masarat Alam

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today granted bail to hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam, who was arrested in April this year for allegedly hoisting Pakistani flag and chanting anti-national slogans. Alam was arrested on April 17 in connection with the raising of Pakistani flags and chanting of anti-national slogans during a rally organised by hardline Hurriyat Conference faction to welcome its leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani from New Delhi. Police had registered a case against several separatist leaders, including Alam and Hurriyat Conference hardline leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for provocative activities including…

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Kashmir shivers as mercury remains below zero

Kashmir Valley continued to shiver on Monday with the minimum temperature recorded below freezing point. Leh town was coldest at minus 12 degree Celsius. The Met office has forecast dry weather conditions across the state till Wednesday. The minimum temperature here was minus 2.7 degree Celsius, with the weather office forecasting a partly cloudy day ahead. The minimum temperatures recorded in tourist destinations of Gulmarg and Pahalgam were minus 5.0 and minus 2.9 degree Celsius respectively. The minimum temperature was minus 2.2 in Qazigund town, minus 1.5 in Kupwara, minus…

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Geelani, Andrabi oppose Gulmarg NY events as ‘cultural aggression’

scribing the New Year celebrations as an act of “cultural aggression” aimed to disconnect Kashmiris from religion, society and its rich heritage, Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani and another separatist Asiya Andrabi on Tuesday asked the Kashmiri people to stay away from year-end festivities. The separatists were reacting to Jammu & Kashmir tourism department’s programme of taking a musical event to Gulmarg on December 31st. A Bollywood musical fest ‘Rooh-e-Saaz’ is being organized to kick off the New Year 2016, with some popular voices from the film industry chipping…

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Vishva Hindu Parishad warns against disbanding of VDCs

VDC members, people protest against Hurriyat VHP Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) State patron Dr Rama Kant Dubey said the VDCs are working shoulder to shoulder with security forces in combating terrorism in the State and their services be properly utilized for this purpose and the VDCs be given all encouragement from the Government and also the regular grades as per police personnel. Talking to reporters, Dr Dubey said during last over two decades the VDCs have laid down their lives in the State and it was due to their efforts…

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Militancy on decline in J&K: Army

‘Army to undertake small-scale precision operations, focus on killing foreign militants, top commanders’ Stating that internal security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is “stable and peaceful”, a top Army official Monday said militancy indicators have shown a “declining trend” in the state, but cautioned against “radicalisation”. “The internal security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is stable and peaceful. The counter-militancy operations are effective and the potential of militants have significantly reduced,” a senior Army officer told PTI. “There is high level of synergy among all security forces and government agencies.…

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Political bickering, lack of match practice hit cricket

Team fail to win any Ranji game, lose all six Hazare matches Bickering within Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), recent political drama followed by poor selection and lack of activities on the domestic front have taken a toll on the performance of the state cricket team this season. Unlike 2014, when J&K created history by defeating formidable Mumbai, this year, the state team was in news for all the wrong reasons as they failed to win even a single Ranji Trophy game. The team also lost all the six…

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Poor power makes Kashmir’s manufacturing industry poorer

Stating that the industrial output in Kashmir has sharply declined by over 50 per cent due to erratic power supply, premier industrial body, Federation Chamber of Industry Kashmir, Monday threatened to close down their units “if the state government did not provide uninterrupted power supply”. Senior Vice President, FCIK Afaq Qadri while talking to us he said the government is “indifferent” towards the manufacturing industry in Kashmir which is facing huge problems due to wrong policies of the government. “Our production has dipped by over 50 per cent in last few…

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Mumbai Congress journal blames Nehru for Kashmir, Mirwaiz defends Nehru’s Kashmir policy

As the Congress celebrates its 131st Foundation Day on Saturday, two articles published by the party’s Mumbai unit have caused a stir as it blamed Jawaharlal Nehru for the state of affairs in Kashmir, China and Tibet. In another article, controversial remarks were made on party chief Sonia Gandhi. The unsigned articles were published in the December issue of ‘Congress Darshan’ Hindi edition. In one write-up, it was stated that Nehru should have listened to freedom fighter and former home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s views on international affairs. The content…

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Article 370 can’t be abrogated, repealed or amended, rules J&K HC

Replacing the post of ‘Sadar-e-Riyasat’ with Governor was against the basic structure of the Constitution Putting the debate on the state’s special status to rest, Jammu and Kashmir high court said Article 370 enshrined in the Constitution of India cannot be abrogated, repealed or even amended. The high court also noted that replacing the post of ‘Sadar-e-Riyasat’ with Governor was “not within the amending power of the state legislature” and called for hoisting of state flag on all government buildings and vehicles to adhere to the mandate and spirit of…

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Demand for dried vegetables soars during winter in Kashmir

The demand for dried vegetables increased in Jammu and Kashmir as the minimum temperatures across the Valley were recorded below the freezing point. The residents witnessed intense cold wave as 40-day long Chillai Kalan, believed to be the harshest winter period, began in the state. The demand and sale for dried vegetables increase as people in the valley relish dry vegetables, smoked fish and wild herbs to survive during the extreme winter. On Sunday, people thronged local markets to purchase vegetables like bottle gourd, brinjal, beetroot, pumpkin, tomatoes, turnips, and…

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