Kashmir may face another Unrest post March: JK Legislators & Police

The veneer of peace in Kashmir may crumble again this spring with another bloodier uprising, hinted at by several legislators in the J&K Assembly and endorsed by an internal J&K police report. The J&K police has prepared a report, warning about the possibility of a ‘more dangerous repetition of 2016’ after March and highlighted the ‘lack of the preparedness to handle such crisis on part of the civil administration and police’. Director General of the J&K police SP Vaid confirmed that there were reports of ‘possible unrest after March’ but…

Read More

Traffic wont be allowed through rail tunnel : Railway Authority

The railway authorities have ruled out the idea of using Qazigund-Banihal railway tunnel for the vehicular traffic during inclement weather and snowfall. According to the highly-placed sources in the Northern Railways, the officials have informed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in a meeting on Monday that they cannot allow regular traffic inside the Qazigund-Banihal tunnel. However, they did not refuse to allow ambulance in case of ‘extreme emergency’. Source informed Kashmir Post that the CM had called a meeting with a team of the Northern Railways to discuss the possibility of using…

Read More

Kashmir Valley sees widest whiteout in 25 Years

With three spells of heavy snowfall of over 16.2cm in January alone, Kashmir Valley turned picture postcard beautiful receiving the thickest whiteout in 25 years. Meteorological department officials said a total of 23cm snowfall has been recorded so far in the Valley this year, and predictions have indicated more snow in the upcoming days. The last time the Valley saw so much snow was in 1992. In February 2006, it had snowed heavily too, but not comparable to this year with falling snowflakes coinciding with ‘chillai kalan’ – the term…

Read More

Strike Call on Afzal Guru, Maqbool Bhat Anniversaries: Joint Resistance Leaders

March to UN office on Feb 10: Resistance leaders Joint resistance leadership Tuesday reiterated its strike call for February 9 and February 11 while it has called for a march to UN office here on February 10. According to a statement issued by the joint resistance leaders – Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik – people have been urged to observe complete statewide shutdown on February 9 and February 11. “Shutdown must be observed on February 9 and February 11 as a tribute to Muhammad Afzal…

Read More

Axe falls on valley youth as govt pulls the plug on EDI

PDP-BJP alliance does what two militant attacks couldn’t Funds not stopped, institute’s performance being reviewed: Drabu The government itself is doing what two deadly militant attacks could not do to demolish the Jammu Kashmir Entrepreneur Development Institute (EDI) by drying up its funds to it. Though various schemes run by EDI were providing opportunities to the State’s unemployed youth by helping them carve out a better future and by giving wings to their dreams, the State government has decided to choke its funds and close down various schemes it offered…

Read More

200 Year old graveyard turned upside down for playfield in Samba

Nearly 40 graves displaced Work halted after objection by local Muslims In a shocking development, as many as 40 graves were turned up after the local administration ran bulldozers over a 200-year-old graveyard in Samba district to develop a playfield at the site. “They uprooted trees and then one by one human skeletons came out from the graves. They knew it is a graveyard, but the work was not stopped till local Gujjars rushed there and raised objection,” said a resident of Keso Manhasan in Ramgarh tehsil of Samba district.…

Read More

Geelani can pull Kashmir out of abyss if he thinks of it first

Of late the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq faction of the Hurriyat Conference has been quite vocal in asking for a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue on a permanent basis. This music to the ears is half of a drumbeat as other factions of the Hurriyat, the most important among them being the one led by veteran leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, have a different take on the dialogue process. After last year’s turmoil in Kashmir that devastated the Valley, its image all across the world cannot be repeated all the…

Read More

No plan to set up separate colonies for Pandits: Centre

Govt also denies proposal for setting up sainik colonies in J&K Putting all speculation to rest, the Central government today informed Parliament there was no proposal for setting up separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said this while replying to a written question from Ashwini Kumar of the Congress in the Lok Sabha. The minister made it clear that there was also no proposal for setting up sainik colonies in the state. This issue had become a political controversy…

Read More

Srinagar-Jammu Highway reopens after 4 days, 4 Killed, 5 Injured in accident near Ramban

The Srinagar-Jammu Highway was reopened for traffic today, four days after landslides due to rains and snow had forced its closure. “The Srinagar-Jammu Highway has been opened for traffic today as the road was cleared off the debris due to landslides at various places,” an official of the Traffic Control Room said. He said one-way traffic was allowed on the highway this morning after all the stranded vehicles were allowed to proceed yesterday. “Late yesterday, many stranded vehicles were allowed to proceed further, but only one-way traffic – from Srinagar…

Read More