Month: January 2016

PDP, BJP should play constructive role in govt, says Congress

Editor

Inderwal legislator and vice-president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Ghulam Mohammad Saroori today said the Congress was committed to satiating the political and economic aspirations of all segments of society. Saroori urged people to come forward and play a crucial role in decision-making at the grass-roots level. The Inderwal MLA was addressing a function at his residence in Kishtwar, where several BJP and PDP workers joined the Congress. He said the BJP and the PDP should play a constructive role in their government and not play vote-bank…

Read More

Bad omen for Kashmir : Arun Joshi

Editor

IT was coming. The moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Lahore, Pakistan, a unique visit of its kind, there had been apprehensions that there might be a spectacular attack on the Indian soil which may attempt to kill the prospects of future meetings and talks between the two countries. The attack on the Pathankot Indian Air Force base on Saturday fitted into that line of anxieties that govern the relationship between Delhi and Islamabad. Terrorists have started their work post Christmas Modi visit to Pakistan. This is a bad…

Read More

Tension mounts in state as Shias protest Saudi cleric’s execution

Editor

Protests broke out at several places in the Kashmir valley and Kargil district today as Shia Muslims demonstrated against the execution of a cleric in Saudi Arabia. The Superintendent of Police (SP), North City, Srinagar, was injured in a clash between Shia protesters and the police in the Rainawari locality of the city here. Shias held protests at several places in the region, including the city, today against the execution of cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The Shia cleric was executed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, which triggered protests in the Shia-dominated…

Read More

Adventure activities will attract high-spending tourists: AKTO

Editor

Association of Kashmir Tour Operators (AKTO) has hailed tourism department for conducting adventure sports activities during winter months. In a statement, Chairman AKTO Nazir Ahmad Mir said national ice-skating held at Gulmarg and ice-climbing event at Pahalgam would help promote Kashmir among the adventure lovers and bring good adventure enthusiasts to Valley. “Adventure tourism has lot of potential in the State and organizing events would promote Kashmir for adventure tourism also. Adventure tourists are high-spending tourists who needs to be attracted to Kashmir in large numbers,” said AKTO Chairman AKTO…

Read More

New trains, business opportunities for J&K: Prabhu

Editor

Interacts with Ministers, MPs, Legislators Centre liberal in schemes, funds for State: Dy CM Union Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhu today said that Indian Railways is taking steps to connect Jammu and Kashmir State with rest of the country through railway line starting from the northern district of Baramulla. He said in this regard the project which was left in limbo has been fast paced by holding regular periodical meetings about its implementation besides providing the requisite funds for it. The Union Minister was addressing a meeting here today. It…

Read More

Army owes rent of 37 years to a Jammu village

Editor

Army has not paid rent for around 224 kanals of land it occupies in village Chatha of Satwari tehsil in Jammu district for the past 37 years. The agricultural land at Chatha village, located 6 kms south of the district headquarters Jammu, was occupied by army in 1978. According to the government, army has never been paid the rent for the land despite repeated reminders. Officials said the matter has been taken up with army “and they have been asked to pay the dues as soon as possible”. “The army…

Read More

In digital era, Srinagarities without Aadhaar cards

Editor

Signifying messy state of affairs in preparation of Aadhaar cards, majority of people in Srinagar are yet to receive the biometric identity. The Aaadhar card, which is mandatory for transferring direct cash subsidies to beneficiaries, is still a distant dream for people in Srinagar. While in other districts of Kashmir, the issuance of these cards has already been completed. Sources said only few percent of populace in Srinagar has received Aaadhar cards while remaining majority are yet to have biometric cards. While other districts of Kashmir has completed issuance of…

Read More

Clashes erupt in Pulwama over ‘memorial’ for slain militants

Editor

Protests erupted after the Friday prayers as a group of youth took out a protest march and shouted slogans in favour of two militants killed in an encounter Several youths were injured in south Kashmir on Friday as security forces broke up a group of youths who tried to raise a memorial for the slain militants, including Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Abu Qasim. Eyewitnesses told that some youths gathered in Pulwama district after Friday prayers and started marching towards the city centre to erect a memorial for the militants killed in 2015.…

Read More

Militants attack Air Force Base Pathankot, 2 killed so far

Editor

At least four militants launched an attack on the Indian Air Force base in Punjab’s Pathankot on Saturday morning, reports said. As per TV reports two of the attackers have been killed. The gunfire started at around 3:30 am, reports quoting authorities said, adding that an official car was used to launch the attack. The incident is being seen as connected to the hijacking of a police car a day ago. Gunfire is being heard from inside the air base and reports suggest the attackers have been contained in a…

Read More

Govt not to hand over bodies of foreign militants to locals

Editor

To prevent people from attending funerals of foreign militants, the state government has changed the policy of handing over their bodies to locals and is instead burying them in secrecy in a sparsely populated town near the Line of Control. Two foreign militants killed in December in south Kashmir were buried at a faraway graveyard in a thinly populated frontier Uri town of north Kashmir as the police feared breakdown of “law and order” at the funerals of the militants if their bodies were handed over to locals. A police…

Read More