Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will raise the Kashmir issue and alleged Indian interference in the country at the UN General Assembly’s upcoming session later this month, a top official said today. “Pakistan will highlight the Kashmir issue at the UN and other fora as bilateralism envisaged in Shimla Agreement failed to achieve any progress,” Prime Minister’s Advisor on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said today. He briefed the Senate about the issues to be raised during Sharif’s visit to New York to attend the annual session of…
Read MoreYear: 2015
Mehbooba first Indian woman to head Haj team
PDP president and Member of Parliament Mehbooba Mufti will head a two-member delegation representing the country at Haj. Mehbooba Mufti, whose Kashmir-centric party shares power in J&K with the right-wing BJP, is the first woman to lead the Haj delegation of the country. The other member of the delegation is a senior BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh, Anwar Mohammad Khan. The two-member delegation left New Delhi for Jeddah today. “Mehbooba left Srinagar yesterday. She is heading the delegation,” said Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, political adviser to Mehbooba. A official in the…
Read MoreMirwaiz to launch agitation against liquor sale
Liquor should be completely banned in the Muslim majority state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mirwaiz said after a resolution demanding ban on liquor was passed in the MMU session here. Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) and head of Muttaheda Majlis-e-Ulema Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Thursday said he would launch an agitation against sale of liquor in Kashmir. “We will ensure that sale of liquor is banned in Kashmir. It is our religious duty to disallow any activity which is against Islam. Liquor should be completely banned in the Muslim majority state…
Read MoreArrangements for 13th “Tour de Kashmir” cycling event reviewed
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon today convened a meeting of officers of divisional administration in connection with conduct of 6 day National Level 13th “Tour de Kashmir” cycling event. The event is being organized by J&K Sports Development Association in-collaboration with Tourism department Kashmir. The event would start from October 3 and will conclude on October 09, 2015. It was informed in the meeting that the “Tour de Kashmir” which is a regular feature for past 12 years is scheduled to cover a distance of 350 Kms. in…
Read MoreKashmir in turmoil again
Ashok Bhan The recent developments in Kashmir are certainly alarming and have added fuel to fire not only owing to non-fulfillment of the promises made to people but also showing no signs of improvement in socio-economic conditions of people. The alienation among the people, particularly the youth, has increased so much that an atmosphere is created to encourage militancy, on the scale and intensity that was witnessed in the early nineties. Who is responsible for this – the alliance government or the people of the state? Unfulfilled Promises The BJP…
Read MoreJ&K to get additional power from Baglihar-II project
The energy-deficient state will be generating additional 300 MW power as the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) is commissioning two turbines of the Baglihar-II hydroelectric project with power generation capacity of 150 MW each,. Senior officials of the JKPDC said they had begun the generation of 150-MW additional power by commissioning the first turbine of Phase-II of the Baglihar hydroelectric project in the Chanderkote area of Ramban district, while the second turbine of Phase-II would be commissioned by the end of this month. They, however, remained tightlipped over…
Read MoreTrain Services in to Remain Suspended For 2 Days During Eid
Train services in Kashmir Valley will remain suspended for two days- September 26 and 27- on the occasion of Eid as part of precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incident. In a meeting with government officials on July 25, Railways had decided to “temporarily suspend train services between Banihal and Baramulla apprehending untoward incidents on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha on September 26 and 27”, a Railways spokesman said. He said that on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr in July, “incidents of vandalism and obstruction to train crew” had affected train…
Read MoreIntrusion inputs keep Army on toes
Schools in Samba closed as precautionary measure; Pak targets Poonch again Following intelligence inputs of possible infiltration by a group of heavily armed Pakistani militants from across the international border in theSamba sector, the Army has been put on high alert in the garrison town on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway. As a precautionary measure to pre-empt a possible terror strike, the Army today closed a Kendriya Vidyalaya and an Army school in Samba, said a top Army source. Searches were still on and they were on high alert, he said.…
Read More‘CM’s Grievance Cell disposes off 80% complaints’
New SOP to suggest 10-day deadline for addressing grievance Nearly 80 percent of the pending grievances with the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell were resolved in the fourth review meeting at the CM’s private office on Wednesday. The grievances were pending with 18 government departments including Relief and Rehabilitation, Srinagar Development Authority, Divisional Commissioner’s office, district headquarters and Srinagar Municipal Corporation. During the meeting, cases pending since 2013 were discussed and forwarded to the concerned departments. Project Director, Grievance Cell, Saadut Hussain chaired the review meeting in which 18 nodal officers…
Read MoreCentre, State failed on rehabilitation: Altaf Bukhari
Minister for Roads and Building, Syed Altaf Bukhari admitted that the state and the centre governments have “failed to live up to the expectations” of people in Kashmir who faced devastating losses during last year deluge. “Let me admit that state and central governments so far have failed to provide rehabilitation to flood affected people in the state,” he said after inaugurating Ethnic Wazwan Restaurant at Hotel Heemal of JK Tourism Development Corporation here. Bukhari however hailed the resilience of people of Kashmir for braving the odds. “It is the…
Read More

