Day: December 11, 2017

Articles 370, 35A contravene fundamental rights: Panun Kashmir

Editor

Demanding the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, an organisation representing displaced Kashmiri Pandits today alleged that they contravened fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution. “Panun Kashmir would like to make it very clear that Articles 370 and 35A exist in contravention of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 14 of the Indian Constitution,” the organisations national spokesperson Virender Raina told reporters here today. Article 370 grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, while Article 35A empowers the state legislature to define permanent citizens. “These need to be abrogated under…

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Have mantris taken kickbacks in the name of Muftis for allowing this illegal construction?

Editor

In brazen violation of High Court directives and Master Plan for Srinagar, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party led Govt has allowed construction of a mega commercial building on the virgin banks of river Jhelum near busy Abdullah Bridge in Srinagar. The construction started at the “disputed site” only after the ruling PDP came to power. Earlier, in 2006, the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had outrightly disallowed proposed construction and notified the site for construction of a public park. But the Dracula has returned from the grave. While the man…

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Don’t drag us into your electoral debate, win on own strength: Pak to Modi

Editor

Addressing an election rally in Gujarat, PM Narendra Modi had said Pakistan was meddling in the Gujarat assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegations that Pakistan was trying to influence the outcome of the assembly elections in Gujarat was “utterly baseless and irresponsible”, the neighbouring country has said. “India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible,” spokesperson of Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs Mohammad Faisal tweeted on Sunday. Modi on Sunday referred to…

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6 killed, 12 injured in road accident in Udhampur

Editor

Six persons have been killed and 12 injured in a road accident in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. The accident took place late on Sunday evening in Sarori village when the driver of the bus carrying a marriage party lost control over the vehicle and it plunged into a deep gorge in Chenani area, a police officer said. Five passengers died on the spot and another succumbed in the hospital.

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Motorists give rules the go-by, fine no deterrent

Editor

The strict advisory issued by the Traffic Department last year against the use of mobile phones while driving has failed to show results. People can often be seen using mobile phones and driving without a seat belt. The advisory issued on February 16, 2016, stated that those using mobile phones while driving would be booked under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, and their driving licences would be seized and sent to the RTO concerned for suspension for not less than three months. “We keep a check on…

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DAK warns, Swine flu increases risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

Editor

Swine flu patients are at an increased risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, Doctors Association Kashmir led by Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said on Saturday. Dr Nisar, in a statement issued here, said, “While people may think of the flu as nothing more than a fever, runny nose or body aches, the consequences could be grave.” He quoted researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, saying that the study found that the risk of heart attack and stroke rose sharply among the participating patients during the first…

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Kashmir boogies to winter’s warmth

Editor

A State initiative offers heritage walks, ethnic food festivals and music shows It’s chilly around the Dal lake on Saturday afternoon, but a cruise-houseboat with an open-air theatre sets off to generate warmth with live music and enthusiastic youngsters. In a bid to reclaim lost social spaces and nose-diving tourism, the Jammu & Kashmir tourism department has started ‘Valley Weekends’, an initiative to infuse new life into the otherwise dull weekends in the conflict-ridden Valley. “The open-air houseboat will be like an open-air theatre. People will perform every weekend. The…

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Baramulla takes lead, grants amnesty to 390 first time stone pelters

Editor

Baramulla in north Kashmir has become the first district in the state to withdraw cases against youth following Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s recent decision to grant amnesty to first-time stone throwers. The authorities today withdrew FIRs against 390 persons, mostly youth, who were not habitual offenders and were not involved in heinous crimes. The withdrawal of cases was announced at a function in the main Baramulla town by the district administration and the police authorities. The youth against whom the cases were withdrawn were also present along with their parents.…

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Tourism sector going from Bad to Worse

Editor

Stating that tourism sector is gone from bad to worse, Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club today said that there is less than 5 percent occupancy in Kashmir hotels which is a cause of concern for the hospitality sector. A press statement issued by the JKHC reads that the executive committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya in which all the members of J&K Hoteliers Club along with its Chapter Presidents and Secretaries from Sonmarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam were present. The members showed great concern over the…

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Kashmiri’s ‘Fed Up’ with India’s human rights abuses

Editor

As the world observes the UN-sponsored Human Rights Day, rights violations continue to be a major issue in Indian-administered Kashmir. Since 1989, nearly 70,000 people have been killed in violence that separatist leaders say the UN has done too little to prevent. For the past year, the remote, northern region was gripped by widespread protests, following the killing of a prominent rebel commander. In the crackdown that followed, more than 100 protesters were killed, thousands were arrested and hundreds were blinded by police who shot at civilians with iron pellets.

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