Year: 2017

High Alert in Valley; Intelligence Warns of Fidayeen attack by Jaish-E-Mohammad

Editor

After years of lying low, the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad is has taken the centre stage now. The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have also intercepted communications indicating possibility of major fidayeen attacks in the Valley around Eid-ul-Azha festivities beginning on 2 September. A high alert have been sounded in the Valley. Jaish is believed to have no more than 40 terrorists in the valley and lags behind Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba in terms of manpower. However, Jaish is supposed to be more aggressive in strategy and audacious strikes. The Jaish,…

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Jammu airport awaits runway expansion, passengers at risk

Editor

Land acquisition: Airports Authority of India yet to get approval of Defence Ministry Putting the lives of hundreds of passengers on risk, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is waiting for the Defence Ministry’s approval to take over 17 acres since February, which is delaying the expansion of runway at the Jammu airport. The airport that requires at least 8,000-feet-long runway as per the aircraft landing in the winter capital has a 6,700-feet-long runway, which is posing a serious threat to passengers travelling to Jammu. Due to the short length…

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Omar Abdullah asks PM Modi to fulfil Independence Day resolve

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‘Let Centre come forward, help Jammu and Kashmir come out of its difficulties’ Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outreach to the people of the state on Independence Day, saying “a hope had been rekindled and time had come to translate his resolve into action by making a real difference on the ground”. Winding up his five-day visit to the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the National Conference working president, while referring to the Prime Minister’s statement that the persistent issue could be…

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Shoppers throng markets, but Overpricing, Traffic jams play spoilsport

Editor

While markets across Kashmir witnessed an increased hustle and bustle on Thursday ahead of Eid-ul-Adha or the festival of sacrifice on Saturday, massive traffic jams across the summer capital Srinagar, especially in the evening hours, caused a huge inconvenience to commuters. Massive traffic jams were witnessed at Pantha Chowk, Dalgate, Lal Chowk, Raj Bagh, Sonwar, MA Road and various other areas of the city on Thursday. While traffic in various parts of the city plied fairly smoothly till the afternoon, massive traffic jams were seen during the evening hours, much…

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Panun Kashmir hatching conspiracies against State’s interests: Er Rasheed

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‘Organization doesn’t represent Kashmiri Pandits’ Reacting sharply to what he called self styled Kashmiri Pandit Organization (Panun Kashmir) president Ashwani Kumar Chrangoo’s demand “to abrogate Article 370 and 35-A from Indian constitution”, AIP chief and MLA Langate Er Rasheed Thursday said organizations like Panun Kashmir do not represent the sentiments of Kashmiri Pandit community. In his statement, Rasheed said: “Chrangoo should apologize for his meaningless, irresponsible and anti-state remarks and he needs to read the history to understand the significance of Article 35-A or Article 370.” Rasheed said: “The claim…

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The endless wait for disappeared Kashmir’s to return

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Victims gather in a Srinagar park to remember their loved ones, some of whom have not been seen for decades. In a central park in Kashmir’s Srinagar, relatives of the disappeared gather for a day of remembrance and mourning. Some burst into tears as they hold photographs of their lost loved ones, some of whom have been missing for years and whose fate remains unknown. It is the International Day of the Disappeared and these families have one simple question: are their loved ones dead or alive? They have waited…

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Omar Abdullah ‘Creating Hype’ on Article 35A: J&K BJP

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Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Virender Gupta said that people of Jammu and Ladakh regions always opposed Article 35A and Article 370 right from the day of their inception in the Constitution. The BJP on Wednesday accused former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah of “creating hype” over Article 35A and trying to divide people on regional and religious basis. “There is nothing anti-national if any person is defending Article 35A. However Omar is creating hype on Article 35A, when the case of its legality…

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Police enter Handwara college beat Teachers, Students to pulps

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Government forces on Wednesday used teargas to disperse students of the Government Degree College, Handwara, who were protesting against the killing of their fellow student Shahid Bashir Mir by the forces a few days ago. The protesters accused the forces of entering the college premises and beating up several teachers and students after trying to subdue the protest by firing teargas canisters. Several girl students who fainted after inhaling tear gas were taken to the sub-district hospital Handwara for treatment, the protesters said. One of the teachers sustained minor injury,…

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Jammu Bar Association to oppose Article 35A

Editor

As their counterparts in the Kashmir Valley are openly defending Article 35A, the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu, is seriously considering participation in the ongoing legal battle in the apex court on this provision of the Constitution. The High Court Bar Association is likely to support those NGOs and individuals, who have challenged the constitutional validity of Article 35A. “Although no decision to become a part of Article 35A has been taken by the association, a majority of our members are of the opinion that we should not remain…

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Centre open to talks, but wants no preconditions: Home Secy

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Says Pakistan sponsoring terrorism, ensuring infiltration into Kashmir Talks with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir are a possibility but these have to take place without any pre-conditions, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said today. Mehrishi, who is demitting office tomorrow, also refused to blame the Haryana Government for its alleged failure in handling the law and order situation after the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, saying that it was not proper to judge any situation sitting in Delhi as law and order was a “live and dynamic situation”.…

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