Year: 2015

India-Pak must change customary attitude and resolve Kashmir issue: Geelani

Editor

Calling upon India and Pakistan to “shun the traditional way of talks”, the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani on Monday urged the leadership of both nations to “accept some change in customary attitudes” and resolve the Kashmir issue. “Time has come to address the root cause (of Kashmir) which is bigger than any other issue between the two neighbours and is stopping them to share the pleasant relationship,” Geelani said in a statement issued to GNS. He said time has come for India to shun its “rigidity and…

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In five months, over 55,000 challaned for using cell phone while driving

Editor

63,000 two-wheeler riders penalised for triple-riding, not wearing helmet The Jammu and Kashmir traffic police have challaned over 55,000 persons for using mobile phones while driving across the state in the past five months. For the period, around 63,000 two-wheeler riders were challaned for not wearing helmets and for triple-riding. This has been done under a special drive launched by the traffic police in an attempt to dissuade the driver from using mobile phone while driving. “At least 62,883 two-wheeler riders were challaned for not wearing helmets and for triple-riding.…

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Urs Makhdoom Sahib observed with fervour

Editor

A sea of devotees thronged the shrine of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom Sahib as the annual Urs of the revered saint was observed with traditional fervour here today. Devotees paid obeisance throughout the day at the shrine of the revered Sufi saint located at Hari Parbat, also known as Koh-e-Maraan. Traditionally, hardcore devotees cutting across religious lines visited the shrine for 12 consecutive days prior to the main Urs day (today) as per past practice. A caretaker of the shrine said the devotees usually pay obeisance at the shrine…

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Beig, Qarra hold closed door meeting in New Delhi

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Senior People’s Democratic Party leaders and MPs Muzaffar Hussain Beig and Tariq Hamid Qarra have held a closed door meeting on Saturday evening at Kashmir House in New Delhi. According to a Srinagar based news agency KNS, the two leaders met at 5.45 PM on Saturday at Kashmir House where they discussed political issues of the state and the internal situation of their party. “The two leaders met for nearly two hours and discussed political situation of the state after the PDP formed coalition government with BJP. The issues arising…

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6 Persons injured during militant attack on security convoy in Anantnag

Editor

Militants attacked a convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force or the CRPF in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir today, injuring six security personnel. The convoy was passing through the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in south Kashmir when terrorists, armed with AK47 rifles, opened fire. The attack happened near Green Tunnel at Samthan in Bijbehara, 50 kms from Srinagar. The injured have been shifted to a hospital in Srinagar. Condition of some jawans is said to be serious. The area has been cordoned off and a hunt is on to nab…

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Row over Sher-e-Kashmir title to Sheikh Abdullah

Editor

The political scuffle between the ruling People’s Democratic Party and the opposition National Conference took a curious turn on Sunday when the Jammu & Kashmir government’s general administration department declared there was nobody with the title of ‘Sher-e-Kashmir’ in reply to an RTI question, leaving the Abdullah family chaffing and the PDP perplexed. Sheikh Abdullah, the founder of the National Conference who thrice served as the head of government in Kashmir and is the progenitor of the first “political family” of the state, was referred to as Sher-e-Kashmir by his…

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NFSA to deprive over 6 lakh people of subsidized ration in JK

Editor

More than six lakh people will be deprived of subsidized ration after the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Jammu and Kashmir. As J&K government is going to implement NFSA from February 1, five percent of population would have to buy ration from the open market. Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali told that around six lakh people– including chief minister, ministers, MLAs and MLCs– would have to buy ration from the open market after the implementation of the NFSA in the state. “Gazetted…

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Stray dogs unleash terror around Kawdara, Nawakadal

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Residents of Kawdara and Grattabal on Sunday lashed out at Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for its alleged failure to curb dog menace in old city. A delegation of residents while talking to us said the stray dogs are on prowl at Kawadara, Grattabal and Nawadadal areas. These dogs have created fear among the pedestrians, motorcyclists particularly children and old aged people in the area. “Stray dogs till date have attacked and injured several persons.  Recently a pack of stray dogs attacked a motorcyclist near CRPF camp he somehow managed to escape…

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‘When they could not control Kashmir, they said: “here, it’s for you. It is getting out of our control”

Editor

We reproduces an old interview with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah published in the October 1980 issue of CARAVAN. The interview done by the publication’s Special Correspondent was headlined ‘The Sheikh’s life has been swinging between two extremes: from power to prison and back to power: Will he fall out of grace with Mrs Gandhi again?’ The place was Srinagar, and time 9.30 in the morning on 8th August 1980. The Personal Secretary of Sheikh Abdullah took me to the Chief-Minister’s residence. I saw the Sheikh walking out of his bedroom and advancing…

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Govt building apartments to house Kashmiri Pandits

Editor

As part of the process to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits, Jammu and Kashmir government is building apartments where the displaced people will be given 50 per cent of flats while the remaining would be offered to people from other communities. This was stated by ruling PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti during her interaction at the HT Leadership Summit function here in reply to a question by a Kashmiri pandit who wanted to spend his retired life in the valley. Mehbooba, daughter of Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed, said the PDP-BJP coalition government is serious…

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