Like the Zojila Tunnel, Train to Ladakh is another empty promise

Every national media house has carried recent news about the railways getting to Ladakh. The announcements read that the line would stretch to 465 kilometers and would be one of a kind, comparable only to the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Line in China. According to reports, the track would include 74 tunnels, 124 major bridges, and 396 minor bridges. As fascinating as this development may sound, the same cannot be accepted by the people of Ladakh without a pinch of salt. To many people, these announcements are a part of the usual…

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Dissident BJP MLA challenges dissolution of Assembly in Supreme Court

The BJP hailed Governor Satya Pal Malik’s decision to dissolve the Legislative Assembly recently, but a sulking leader of the party, who is the former MLA from RS Pura, Gagan Bhagat, has challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. “I filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on Thursday, challenging the decision of the Governor to dissolve the Assembly. My writ has been admitted in the court,” Bhagat told Kashmir Post. “In my writ, I have challenged the illegal action of the Governor,” he said. Bhagat hoped that the…

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There can’t be a military solution on Kashmir: Imran Khan ready for talks with Modi

Making peace overtures, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said he was ready to hold talks with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, as he conceded that it was not in Islamabad’s interest to allow the use of its territory for “terror activities” outside the country. Khan was apparently referring to India’s stance that terrorism and talks cannot go together and Pakistan must take effective and credible action to stop providing shelter and support to cross-border terrorism from territories under its control. “It is not in our interest to allow the…

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Army can carry out drone strikes in J&K if there is no backlash: General Bipin Rawat

The Indian Army is capable of using weaponized drones in Jammu and Kashmir and can deploy them if the country accepts the consequences of such actions, General Bipin Rawat has said, The Wire reported on Thursday. The Army chief made the comments during a question and answer session at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses after delivering the ninth YB Chavan Memorial Lecture in Delhi on Wednesday. “In our country, the way things are moving, it is very nice to say we need these drones,” he said when asked…

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November bloodiest month in Kashmir, 37 rebels including 9 top commanders killed

With 37 militants killed in encounters across Kashmir, November has been the bloodiest month of this year for the insurgents. Among the militants killed this month, nine were top commanders, including Lashkar-e-Taiba’s face Naveed Jatt, who was shot dead on Wednesday in Budgam district. As per official figures, 227 militants have been killed in different parts of Kashmir so far this year. While they belonged to different organizations, the Lashkar and Hizbul Mujahideen suffered major losses this month as both groups lost some of their top commanders, especially in south…

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UN urged to stop rights violations in Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir Socio-Economic Coordination Committee (JKSECC), an amalgam of several business organizations and civil society formations, on Thursday sought UN intervention to stop human rights violations in the Valley. “We appeal to the UN Secretary-General, and the conscientious powers of the world, who uphold international law, to prevail upon India to desist from trampling down on human rights, demilitarise Kashmir, revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and let people of Kashmir live a dignified peaceful life as guaranteed by international covenants and the constitution,” said Jammu and…

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J&K govt announces vacations for winter zone

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday announced winter vacations in Kashmir division and winter zone of Jammu division. According to an order issued today, winter vacations for classes up to eighth standard shall be observed from December 6, 2018 to 2nd March 2019. “Winter vacations for classes from 9th standard on wards shall be observed from 17 December 2018 to 23 February 2019,” said the order.

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Intense cold wave grips Kashmir & Ladakh, Jammu experiences cold mornings, evenings

Minimum temperatures across the Kashmir Valley remained below freezing point on Thursday as intense cold wave conditions continued in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, the Met department said. Weather will remain cloudy and dry during the next seven days, it added. Leh at minus 8.1 was the coldest, followed by Kargil at minus 7.4., the Met official said. Srinagar city recorded minus 0.9, while Pahalgam and Gulmarg both recorded minus 3 degrees Celsius. Jammu was at 10.9, Katra 10.4, Batote 5.3, Bannihal 1.7 and Bhaderwah was at 4.2…

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Won’t lose job but threat of transfer remains, it’s not in one’s hands: Satya Pal Malik

Amid a ranging controversy over his remarks on dissolving the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, Governor Satya Pal Malik has said the threat of transfer remains as it is not in one’s hands. At a function organised to pay tributes to Congress leader and former minister Girdhari Lal Dogra on his 31st death anniversary here on Tuesday, he mentioned about the threat of transfer. “Girdhari Lal ji dedicated his life to the cause of the poor. As long as I am here, I will definitely come to pay my tributes to…

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Jammu traders demand opening of old routes post Kartarpur

With the decision of the Indian and Pakistan governments to open the Kartarpur corridor, the demand for opening traditional trade routes on the International Border (IB), plugged after the Partition, has gained momentum. Traders and industrialists in the Jammu region have decided to intensify the stir for the opening of the historical Sialkot-Suchetgarh route to start business with Pakistan to boost the economy of the region. “The decision of the two governments to open the Kartarpur corridor is a welcome step and it has given a ray of hope to…

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