Year: 2016

Kashmir-based militant coalition claims Pathankot attack

Editor

A Kashmir-based militant coalition has said it carried out the deadly attack on an Indian air force base. The United Jihad Council – a coalition of militant groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir – claimed its “national highway squad” was responsible. The attack on the Pathankot airbase near the border with Pakistan is seen as an attempt to derail recent peace moves by Pakistan and India. Indian PM Narendra Modi has held a meeting to discuss the raid. Five militants and seven Indian soldiers have so far been killed during…

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Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy

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JK faced another humiliating defeat in the ongoing  Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy event as they were thrashed by Punjab by eight wickets at Nehru Stadium, Kochi on Sunday. Star studded Punjab side overhauled JK target in 14.3 overs after bundling out JK for 105 runs in the first inning. The spinner duo of Harbhajan Singh and Baltej Singh took six wickets among them on their way to bundle out JK for paltry total. In reply Punjab achieved the required target in 14.3 overs for the loss of only two wickets.…

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Cantonment Board stakes claim over stretch of Jhelum

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The desiltation of river Jhelum at Shivpora here has come to a halt as the Cantonment Board is staking claim over water expanse and embankments there. Shivpora locality was one of the worst hit areas in September 2014 floods as it remained submerged for more than 20 days. The Cantonment Board’s claim has shocked the locals. “We have never heard of any such claim in past. Everyone knows that only Irrigation and Flood Control department has jurisdiction on Jhelum,” said Farooq Ahmad, a member of Mohalla Behbood Committee at Shivpora.…

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‘Cyber crimes, land frauds galore in J&K’

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Cyber crimes and land frauds have been on rise in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Crime, Muneer Ahmed Khan. “There has been an alarming rise in cyber crimes, land and property frauds. People are being deceived by luring them online. Land and property fraud has also been on rise in the state which is a big concern,” Khan told. Police is worries about this “new face” of crime. “Land brokers have resorted to frauds due to two main reasons- one is Jammu and Srinagar cities…

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JK Police wants ‘silent burial’ of non-local militants who die in Kashmir gunfights

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The J&K police have now decided to do away with the “practice” of handing over bodies of non-local militants—killed in gunfights with forces in Kashmir—to locals for burial, citing massive participation of people in their funerals and the resultant pro-freedom protests. A senior police officer, who wished not to be named, said the huge participation of people in the funeral of slain Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Abu Qasim in 2015 “became a major concern” for security agencies in the Valley. “This trend of mass participation of people in funerals of militants was…

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Fresh firing at Pathankot IAF base

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Explosions and firing continued intermittently on Sunday night as security forces killed one of the at least two militants holed up at Pathankot air base on the second day of the attack in which military casualties including a Lieutenant Colonel of the NSG mounted to seven. Defence sources in Delhi said one militant was killed while another injured in the encounter that was on for nearly 43 hours, a day after four militants were gunned down after they struck yesterday. “The operation is still continuing and engagement with the militants…

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Power losses more in Jammu than Kashmir, reveals PDD audit

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Energy losses are more in Jammu as compared to Kashmir, an audit by the Power Development Department has revealed. The audit conducted for the first quarter of the last year by the PDD’s Commercial and Survey (C&S) wing has revealed that the Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses were 77 percent in Jammu region as compared to 73 percent in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir has 12 and 19 power divisions respectively. A senior official said the audit was ordered by the Government to cross-check the losses communicated by the PDD’s…

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Hoteliers boycott pre-budget meet with Finance Minister

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Say govt not serious about promoting Jammu The All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association (AJHLA) boycotted today’s pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, blaming the BJP-PDP Government of step motherly treatment. The association said despite assurances, not even a single benefit had been given to Jammu hotels since they was declared an industry under the Industrial Policy 1995. Inderjeet Khajuria, president of AJHLA, said the hotel industry was fed up of the hollow promises made by the government, which allegedly had no intentions to bring Jammu region on the…

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Valley gears up for year’s first snow

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The Kashmir region is likely to receive the season’s first snow tomorrow, according to a forecast issued by the Meteorological Department. The department said widespread downpour was expected on Monday, fairly widespread downpour on Tuesday and isolated downpour on Wednesday in the Kashmir region. It, however, warned of scattered but heavy snowfall on Monday in the region, which will be the first this season. The state government, in the past week, had reviewed the winter preparedness and had asked the administration to gear up to provide essential services on uninterrupted…

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