Year: 2017

Kashmir Chamber to Jammu Chamber, Reconsider Strike Call

Editor

The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Sunday urged its Jammu counterpart to reconsider its strike call for Monday. The JCCI on Saturday gave a Jammu bandh call to press for its various demands, including abolition of toll tax. “We would urge you to reconsider your call for a shutdown as we believe that being apex trade bodies we should seek to promote the resolution of problems through dialogue and not be seen as promoters of business interruptions,” KCCI president Javed Ahmed Tenga told reporters at a press…

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Center not showing intent to return two power projects to JK

Editor

The rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at New Delhi has not budged on returning two power projects to the state despite the demand of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party, but it has promised the State of pumping in huge funds for over eight power projects. After PDP assumed power in the state, it ensured that the issue of the return of the two major power projects, the 390 MW Dulhasti and 290 MW Uri-II to the State was in the Agenda of Alliance, the Common Minimum Programme of…

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Three leaders (Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti) and their ways in Kashmir valley

Editor

It is very difficult to write about the powerful people whom one has known for decades. It becomes more difficult when they happen to be political rivals, each nursing Himalayan ego. As a journalist, I have encountered many such occasions when the powerful appreciated and ridiculed my reporting alternatively depending which part suited them. One theme is common they have zero tolerance to even slightest of criticism. At the moment, there are three powerful leaders in Kashmir’s deemed mainstream. Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar — both former Chief Ministers, and…

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Woman killed, 5 injured in Pak shelling on International Border

Editor

A woman was killed and five others were injured in Pakistani shelling across the International Border that erupted on Saturday night and continued till Sunday morning. Ratno Devi (65) of Alla village in the Arnia sector received multiple injuries when a mortar shell landed on her house around 3 am on Sunday while she was sleeping. She was taken to Government Medical College, Jammu, where she succumbed to her injuries. Her husband Chuni Lal and daughter-in-law Rajni Devi also received injuries in the incident. The border town of Arnia was…

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Congress panel led by Manmohan Singh begins Kashmir visit

Editor

Congress panel is on a two-day visit to Kashmir to attend a series of meetings on the current situation in the Valley. A Congress panel headed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday asked the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government to keep the dialogue route with separatists open. The party delegation is on a two-day visit to Kashmir to attend a series of meetings on the current situation in the Valley. The Congress’ ‘Policy and Planning’ group was formed in April in the wake of widespread violence in…

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Time for Private players & Tourism Deptt to launch joint promotion campaign: Dir Tourism

Editor

TAAK elects Ashfaq as its new President Calling the tourism stakeholder to launch aggressive marketing campaigns, the Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah Saturday said the department is trying to counter negative perception and media publicity through a multi-pronged strategy He was speaking as a chief guest at 9th Annual General Meeting of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir here at Hotel New Park. In the AGM, TAAK elected Ashfaq Siddiq Dug as its new President. Director Tourism Kashmir while welcoming the new TAAK body appreciated the role of the…

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Split wide open within Hizbul Mujahideen & Al Qaeda Ranks

Editor

Did someone within Lashkar betray Abu Ismail by giving intel inputs to security forces? The Thursday encounter of Amarnath mastermind shows the deep divide between the terrorist organisations working in Kashmir. As security forces gunned down Abu Ismail, architect of the Amarnath terror attack, the conflict between Kashmir terror groups came out in open. The simmering tension between pro-Pakistan United Jihadi Council and pro-Islamic rule Al Qaeda has been going on since May when top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Zakir Musa was named Ameer (chief) of Al Qaeda-linked New Jihadist…

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Security forces wipe out LeT top brass, but militant outfit still enjoys vociferous support across Valley

Editor

Contrary to claims made by security forces, that a leadership vacuum has been created in the ranks of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) after the killing of its Kashmir chief Abu Ismail, the militant outfit still commands respect in the Valley and continues to draw local youth to its ranks. After the death of Ismail, police officials believed that two of his associates, Abu Furqan and Abu Mawya, who were also involved in the attack on Amarnath pilgrims in July that left seven dead, are capable of taking over as LeT commanders. Pakistan…

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Army takes note of video showing troops dishonouring militant’s bodies

Editor

The Army has taken cognisance of a video showing troops dishonouring the bodies of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants killed in an encounter, a spokesperson said on Saturday. LeT commander Abu Ismail and associate Abu Qasim were killed in Aribagh area of Nowgam on the outskirts of the city here on Thursday. A video in which soldiers can be seen trampling over the bodies went viral on social media. The video shows bodies being dragged from the site of the encounter into a lane. “Army has taken cognisance of the video…

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Advise you to not comment on India’s internal affairs: India tells OIC

Editor

At the UN yesterday, India firmly and unequivocally told the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that it would be better off not commenting on India’s internal affairs, reported ANI. India was replying to comments on Kashmir made by Pakistan, which was using the OIC to comment on the troubled state, as is its wont. Pakistan made its comments on behalf of the OIC, of which it is a member. India said this was out of line. “Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has no locus standi on India’s internal affairs, we strongly…

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