Day: May 23, 2017

Students wear Pakistan uniform, sing POK anthem, booked

Editor

A day after Kashmiri schoolkids played a cricket match in Pulwama district in south Kashmir in Pakistan’s national uniform amid rendition of POK anthem, the Jammu & Kashmir police lodged a case against the organisers of the cricket tournament. Police got cracking after a video clip of the school kids surfaced on social media on Monday showing them singing POK’s “anthem” before the match wearing Pakistan team’s national colours. SP, Pulwama, Choudhary Aslam said an FIR was lodged under relevant sections against the organisers of the event. “So far, no…

Read More

Media scare costs Kashmir tourism dearly

Editor

Valley witnesses over 50% dip in tourist arrivals Tourist arrivals to Kashmir have witnessed sharp decline, with stakeholders blaming mainstream electronic and print media for creating a perception of war-like situation in the valley. There has been a dip of 53 percent in the tourist footfall in the month of April as compared to last year, according to official figures of tourism department. A total of 67181 tourists visited valley in April 2017 compared to 142761 during the corresponding period last year. As per the official figures, 403442 tourists visited…

Read More

Hold referendum if you believe Kashmir is a problem of three districts: Geelani to Amit Shah

Editor

Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani today criticised Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and other BJP leaders for their statements on the Kashmir issue, alleging that their “narratives” reflect “negative and egoistic approach”. The separatist leader said the Kashmir issue is serious and cannot be resolved through rhetoric or provocative statements. “Their (BJP leaders) narratives about Jammu and Kashmir illustrate their negative and egoistic approach,” Geelani said, reacting to the statements of Singh, BJP president Amit Shah and the state’s deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh. Addressing the home minister, the…

Read More

Governor NN Vohra wants end to Student Protests

Editor

Directs IGP to ensure ‘close surveillance on all fronts’ J&K governor NN Vohra on Monday asked Kashmir Range inspector general of police Muneer Khan to ensure that policemen play a prompt and pro-active role in solving the problems faced by people. Advising “close surveillance on all fronts”, the Governor also asked the IGP to devote special attention to see that educational schedules of students are not disrupted under any circumstances and that they are immunized from influences which have the potential of vitiating their academic careers, a Raj Bhawan spokesman…

Read More

Kashmir Dispute, Religious Strife ‘Risks’ to investment in India: Foreign funds

Editor

Top foreign funds — including JP Morgan, HDFC Fund, Cognizant, Indian Fund and others — have flagged ‘persisting religious conflicts’ and the ‘Kashmir dispute’ as potential risks to their investments in India. Similar concerns have been flagged by a few funds regarding Pakistan also. A number of large foreign funds, managing trillions of dollars of investor assets globally, have flagged ‘persisting religious conflicts’ and ‘Kashmir dispute’ as potential risks to their investments in India, saying such “tensions” could destabilise the Indian economy. JPMorgan, one of the largest wealth managers in…

Read More

Admit Dal area has shrunk: High Court to Lake Authority

Editor

Asks it not to hoodwink people; rejects old maps presented by officials Rejecting the maps of Dal Lake, which were presented to it by an official of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), the High Court today told the lake authority that it should not hoodwink the public and admit shrinkage of the lake area due to encroachments and pollutants. These observations were made by a division bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, which is hearing a PIL about the lake conservation. The…

Read More

Major Leetul Gogoi, who tied Kashmir ‘Stone-Pelter’ to jeep, gets award from Army Chief

Editor

Gogoi shot to fame in social media after he tied a stone-pelter to a jeep in order to thwart violent protesters from targeting a security convoy. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has honoured Major Leetul Gogoi with a ‘Commendation Card’ for his “sustained efforts” in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Gogoi had grabbed the headlines after he tied a supposed stone-pelter to his jeep as a human shield to thwart the violent protesters from targeting his vehicle last April. Though the officer’s action helped save the lives of his…

Read More

Students clash with security forces, 4 held

Editor

Four students were arrested today after hundreds of them clashed with security forces as a part of the continuing protests in educational institutions in the Kashmir valley. Dozens of students came out onto the roads in the Baba-Demb locality of Srinagar, chanting anti-India slogans and threw stones at security personnel. Students of Gandhi Memorial College and MPML Higher Secondary School in the Baba-Demb area blocked the vehicular traffic and resortedto sloganeering. The security forces deployed in the area resorted to lathicharge to disperse the students. However, after intense stone-throwing by…

Read More