Year: 2015

Facebook, Twitter make LoC irrelevant for users in two parts of Kashmir

Editor

Thousands of users from PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan region are friends with each other on Facebook Internet particularly social networking sites have made the Line of Control which is known as ‘khooni lakeer’ or bloody line to many people living on the two sides of the de facto border irrelevant in many ways. Thousands of Facebook users in Jammu and Kashmir are in the friend list of those from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan region of the State which Pakistan claims to be its ‘Northern Areas’. They interact through the website and exchange…

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Private practice responsible for high mortality among patients: DAK

Editor

Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Wednesday said, private practice by government doctors is unethical and is taking heavy toll on poor patients. President DAK Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan in a statement today said, “Private practice by doctors in tertiary care hospitals is responsible for high mortality among patients.” During emergency hours when the services of senior doctors are needed most, patients are left to the mercy of trainees thus jeopardizing the lives of critically ill patients, statement said. Patients in Accident and Emergency departments are seen by students who are at learning stage…

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Geelani praises Sharif for his pro-Kashmir statement

Editor

‘Appeals Pak rulers to be consistent, firm on recent stand’ Terming the statement of Pakistan Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif after the cancellation of NSA level talks as very encouraging in which he had termed the Kashmiris as basic party instead of third party to the Kashmir dispute, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani Wednesday showered praises on him. Appealing the Government of Pakistan to maintain the consistency and firmness over their recently adopted stand regarding Kashmir, Geelani said the case of the Kashmiri nation is very strong…

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Experts rue ‘distortion’ of league football in JK

Editor

While football leagues world-over are played in a particular format with every team getting chance to have a go at every other side, JK’s football governing authorities have ‘distorted’ the format by dividing the league into groups. Experts say J&K Football Association (JKFA) has converted the football league into a two group event “which kills the very idea of league format of the game” “JKFA, without checking into pros and cons of the decision, a few years back, changed the format of its annual league football events which include Super…

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Authorities sit on encroachment of roads, footpaths; City-centre areas worst affected

Editor

Failure of authorities to remove encroachment from roads and footpaths is taking a heavy toll on vehicular and pedestrian movement. The entire stretch of footpaths and roadsides at city centre areas including Regal Chowk, Ghanta Ghar, Amira Kadal, Hari Singh High Street, LD Crossing and Batamaloo has been encroached upon by street vendors and shopkeepers who place their goods there—hampering pedestrian and vehicular movement. At city centre Lal Chowk, street vendors have encroachment upon footpaths causing immense inconvenience to pedestrians. “Due to encroachment of footpaths near Biscoe School and Ghanta…

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KPs throng Nagbal Shopian to participate in annual Kapal Mochan Shradh

Editor

Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir State thronged Nagbal Shopian Wednesday to participate in annual Kapal Mochan Shradh- a festival observed “to seek liberation of souls of deceased, especially for those who die young”. Scores of Pandit families including migrants KPs took part in a Havan at Shiva Temple Nagbal. The village is around one and a half kilometers from Shopian district situated on the banks of nallah Rambiara. A Havan was organized on the eve of the main Puja that is celebrated each…

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Onion brings tears to consumers’ eyes

Editor

Ban on imports from PaK leads to crises in market  The ban on imports of onions from across Line of Control (LoC) the prices of onion in Kashmir have reached to Rs 70 -75 per kg in retail. In wholesale the rates are in between Rs 50 to 60 kg while Kashmir grown onions are being sold at Rs 45 to 50 per kg. It’s getting harder for middle class people to cope with the increasing rates of the onions. “If the situation remains the same, I think the common people…

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‘Increasing number of Kashmiri youth taking to militancy’

Editor

Increasing number of Kashmiri youth joining militancy is a matter of concern, a top army commander said on Wednesday while talking about the strategy of Pakistan-based terror groups to focus on recruiting locals after their “failure” to push in terrorists. Outgoing Commander of Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt. Gen. Subrata Saha said “several motives” are being exploited by recruiters, including religious radicalisation, discontent due to personal or academic failures, links with terrorists and over-ground workers and desire for recognition or status. “Any youth joining terrorists’ ranks is a cause of concern,”…

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Police highhandedness in Kulgam, Pulama denounced

Editor

Hurriyet leaders have condemned the highhandedness and reign of terror unleashed by Indian police against people of Khadwani, Kulgam and Pulwama areas of south Kashmir. The leaders including Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Zafar Akbar Butt, Maulana Abdullah Tari, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo and others in their separate statements asserted that the resistance leadership could not maintain silence over the atrocities being inflicted upon the people. They condemned the highhandedness of police in Khudwani and Pulwama and said that police were unnecessarily harassing and arresting youth. Police have waged an undeclared war…

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Labourers’ strike enters 24th day at Qazigund-Banihal Tunnel Project

Editor

The strike by local labourers working on 8.5-km Qazigund-Banihal tunnel—undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)—against “disparity in wages” entered its 24th day Wednesday, hampering work on the project that has already been marred by delays. The Qazigund-Banihal portion of the highway expansion project is undertaken by the NHAI’s Srinagar-based Project Implementing Unit and has already missed several deadlines. A fresh deadline of the project is May, 2016. On May 27 this year, Minister for Roads & Buildings Syed Altaf Bukhari expressed concern over the slow pace of…

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