Month: January 2016

Reckless police drivers on ‘VIP duty’ danger on roads

Editor

Even during Traffic Awareness Week some police drivers attached with bureaucrats and MLAs were found driving official vehicles recklessly while talking on their cell phones on the congested roads of the city. “While there have been ample instances of persons indulging in rash driving getting convicted under law and awarded imprisonment of two years and more, but it seems these police drivers are above the law,” said Akhilesh Sharma, whose car luckily missed a collision on a turn with one such rashly driven police vehicle on a foggy Tuesday morning…

Read More

After 15-yr wait, chemist’s family holds funeral prayers

Editor

Fifteen years after he disappeared, the family of a chemist from Rawalpora in Srinagar organised his funeral prayers today. The prayers were attended by hundreds of people, including separatist leaders. Manzoor Ahmad Dar of Rawalpora, on the outskirts of Srinagar, was arrested by the Army on January 19, 2002. His wife, Jana, who was also present today, has maintained in her testimonies before the courts that an Army contingent led by Kishore Malhotra, then a Major with 35 Rashtriya Rifles, had raided their house in the dead of the night.…

Read More

Take charge or make way for polls; Omar shoots off open letter to Mehbooba

Editor

Says the dilly-dallying biggest disservice to J&K, PDP tightlipped on govt formation Amid continuing suspense over government formation in the state, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today shot off an open letter to Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti asking her to either take over as Chief Minister or get the Assembly dissolved to make way for fresh elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP leadership, however, remained tightlipped over the impasse. “There is no further development (on government formation). We have authorised Mehboobaji to take a final call and…

Read More

Mehbooba keeps suspense On

Editor

A day after being authorised to decide on government formation, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti maintained suspense over it today, apparently as she was still seeking feedback from party functionaries on the performance of coalition government with BJP headed by her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The PDP core group, which met here yesterday, had authorised Mehbooba, who is tipped to be the next Chief Minister to succeed her later father Mufti Sayeed, to take the final call on alliance with the BJP. However, she has not revealed her cards so…

Read More

Div Comm stresses need for effective parking system

Editor

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Hassan Samoon today stressed the need to adopt the concept of vertical parking and paid parking to decongest the city roads. Samoon also stressed the need to chalk out effective parking management mechanism. The Divisional Commissioner was chairing a meeting of officers from the State Development Authority, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Roads and Buildings, Police, Government Press, Economic Reconstruction Agency and Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation. He said with limited free space available in Srinagar city, the stress should be laid on the construction of vertical…

Read More

Keeping silent doesn’t mean I endorse alliance with BJP: Karra

Editor

Senior PDP leader and MP Tariq Hameed Karra Monday said maintaining silence does not mean that he endorses party’s alliance with BJP. “Keeping silence does not mean I endorse the alliance with BJP. A section of media has reported that I did not speak during the meeting, and at the same time have reported I did not support or oppose the alliance with BJP,” Karra said. He was referring to media reports in which it was stated that Karra maintained silence during the PDP core group meeting called by party…

Read More

‘PDP not looking for other coalition options’ BJP heaves sigh of relief

Editor

BJP heaved a sigh of relief after PDP’s official meeting regarding government formation made it clear that the party was not exploring other coalition options as speculated earlier. Talking to us, senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh said: “After yesterday’s meeting we came to know that PDP is not looking other options. It was a hopeful hint from PDP although it was unofficial.” However, the saffron party is yet to receive any formal communiqué from PDP. Singh said since the period of official mourning following Mufti…

Read More

Agenda of Alliance can’t be implemented in 10 months: BJP

Editor

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ cannot be implemented within 10-months. “Agenda of Alliance between PDP and BJP is for six years when the government completes its term. The agenda cannot be achieved in 10 months. PDP is not right when it says that the Agenda of Alliance with BJP was not fulfilled,” the BJP General Secretary (organization) Ashok Koul told KNS. Asked whether BJP had approached NC for government formation, the BJP leader said “There is not truth in it.” Koul said that the…

Read More

Illegal confinement taking heavy toll on my health: Geelani

Editor

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is not feeling well for past several days, on Monday said continuous confinement to house is taking heavy toll on his health. The octogenarian pro-freedom leader is suffering with chest congestion and is undergoing treatment at his Hyderpora residence. After complaining of breathlessness, Geelani was administered oxygen on Sunday morning. “By Almighty Allah’s blessings, I am gradually recovering and feeling a bit better now,” Geelani said sitting in his drawing room. Pointing towards medicines and injection vials on his side…

Read More

Deliver on promises or break alliance: Omar to Mehbooba

Editor

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to either deliver on the promises made to people of Jammu and Kashmir or break the alliance with the BJP. “Mehbooba Mufti, or the PDP for that matter, has two options — to either deliver on the promises made to people of J&K or break the alliance with the BJP. To hang on to this alliance with the BJP for dear life while pretending to be the unwavering example of high morality is akin to aspiring to have the…

Read More