Month: May 2017

Curfew, Restrictions, Shutdown continue across Kashmir

Editor

Curfew and restrictions continued in Srinagar and other places in the Kashmir Valley on Monday as authorities said “these were necessary to maintain law and order”. “Curfew will continue in seven police station areas of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma”, Farooq Ahmad Lone, District Magistrate Srinagar said. Syed Abid Rashid, District Magistrate, Anantnag also imposed restrictions in Anantnag town to maintain calm. Similar preventive restrictions have been imposed in Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Badgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla districts. The Kashmir Valley has been on…

Read More

After Sabzar Bhat, Kashmir police sees tech-savvy Riyaz Naikoo as new face of Hizbul Mujahideen

Editor

Following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, police officials in Kashmir see another militant and tech-savvy Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo replacing Sabzar as the new commander in Kashmir. Top police sources said that Naikoo is the one of the oldest surviving militants and could be new commander after Sabzar. They said that the Hizbul Mujahideen could prefer Naikoo over the two other oldest surviving militants — Altaf Kachroo and Saddam Padder — as the outfit may bank on him to use the social networking sites to galvanise…

Read More

Ramadan begins amid sombre mood, markets deserted

Editor

The usual festivities that mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan in the Kashmir valley were missing today. Though mosques saw a huge rush of devotees from last night, most of the marketplaces wore a deserted look due to a shutdown call of the separatists and restrictions imposed by the government at several places following yesterday’s killings of Hizb commander Sabzar Bhat that had sparked protests. Normally, a festive atmosphere prevailed at marketplaces a day before Ramazan, but yesterday people were seen rushing home early, fearing deterioration in…

Read More

Impose Governor’s rule if Valley is to be saved: Farooq Abdullah

Editor

Farooq Abdullah said not just south Kashmir but the entire Valley was in the grip of “tragedies”. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday called for the immediate imposition of Governor’s rule in the state, stressing that it was the only way to control communal tension in the country. “We have never been promoters of Governor’s rule; we have always opposed it. But there is no other way,” Abdullah, the newly elected Member of Parliament from Srinagar, told PTI. The National Conference chief, who was recently called…

Read More

90% State students pass CBSE Class XII exams

Editor

Students of the state excelled with a pass percentage of 90 per cent in the Class XII examination-2017, the results of which were declared by the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) today. However, it witnessed a slight decline of 2 per cent in the pass percentage this year as compared to last year (92 per cent). The Jammu region also fared well in the board exams. Mustan Tyagi of Jodhamal Public School, Sainik Colony, topped the science stream (medical and non-medical) in the Jammu region with 98 per cent…

Read More

Dialogue only after stone-pelting ends in Kashmir: Amit Shah

Editor

The Agenda of Alliance sealed by the BJP and the PDP before they formed the government in the state talks about holding dialogue with all internal stakeholders. BJP president Amit Shah has ruled out dialogue on the Kashmir issue until stone-pelting ends, but insisted that the government will talk to everyone once violence ends. Asked if the government will speak to the Hurriyat (separatists) too as was done by the previous NDA government, he told PTI, “Once violence ends and an atmosphere of dialogue is created, we will talk to…

Read More

Moving forward with permanent solution for Kashmir: Rajnath Singh

Editor

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that the BJP-led NDA government has found a “permanent solution” to the vexed Kashmir issue but there would be no compromise on the territorial integrity of India. The Minister also ruled out inviting separatist groups for talks on Kashmir and said whoever wanted to talk “development and peace” was welcome. “We have come up with a permanent solution to solve Kashmir. The initiative has begun. We are moving forward,” Rajnath Singh said. He was replying to a question from IANS while talking…

Read More

Amid Curfew, Shutdown, Protests Kashmir mourns Sabzar’s killing

Editor

Tough curbs, shutdown paralyses life in Valley Geelani, Mirwaiz, Shah, others under house arrest, Malik detained Situation remained under control: Police Restrictions to continue in Srinagar, Anantnag: DCs Schools, colleges to remain closed KU, IUST postpone exams, to suspend class work today Admit cards to be treated as curfew passes The restrictions imposed by authorities and shutdown called by separatists to protest killing of Hizb commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his associate paralyzed life in Valley on Sunday. The authorities said restrictions will continue and schools and colleges will remain…

Read More

Dozens injured in Shopian clashes; Section 144 imposed in Ganderbal

Editor

At least sixteen persons were injured during clashes in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday, sources said. They said that clashes erupted in the district after the news of death of militant commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, in an encounter with government forces in Saimoh village of Tral in Pulwama district, reached there. “Sixteen persons were treated at the hospital,” said a source, adding that three among them – one with fracture and two with eye injuries – were referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment. Meanwhile, Section 144 of the Criminal…

Read More

Resistance camp calls ‘Tral chalo’ on May 30, Shutdown on May 28, 29

Editor

The joint resistance leadership has called for a state-wide shutdown on Sunday and Monday (May 28, 29) to protest the use of “unbridled force” on unarmed civilians after the killing of Sabzar Bhat and his aide in Tral village. The leadership, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik, has also called for a march to Tral on May 30 to pay tributes to Bhat and seven other militants killed in separate encounters on Saturday. “The leadership has appealed to the people to participate in hundreds of thousands…

Read More