Year: 2019

Review highway ban: HC to Govt

Editor

The J&K High Court today granted one week more to the state government to file its response to petitions challenging the highway ban order. The court observed that the government would have to defend its ban after it was pointed out by a senior lawyer that the state Home Secretary has no power to pass such an order directing restrictions on the movement of civilian traffic on the national highway for two days a week. The directions were issued by a Division Bench, headed by Justice Ali Mohammed Magrey, in…

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Earthquake of 8.5 magnitude long overdue in Himalayan region: Scientists

Editor

A mega earthquake of magnitude 8.5 or more is long overdue in the Himalayan region but India has not learnt from past mistakes and is far from being prepared for such an eventuality with no strategy to minimise loss of life and property, scientists say. The government must ensure seismic safety, scientists from all over the country who gathered here last week for a global workshop said.The April 18-20 International Workshop on Climate Change and Extreme Events in Himalayan Region, hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, was…

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Highway Ban: No civilian traffic on highway today

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir Traffic police department on Tuesday said that no civilian traffic would be allowed to ply on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Wednesday. They issued an advisory and said that Wednesday is convoy and no civilian traffic will be allowed on highway. “No movement of any kind of public vehicle shall be allowed from Udhampur towards Srinagar and vice versa,” said the advisory. In April the government has banned the movement of civilian traffic on highway for two days. It has said keeping in view the large movement of…

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Anantnag records 13.63% voter turnout, Bijbehara lowest, Pahalgam highest, 40 booths with zero voting

Editor

The first of three-phase polling for Lok Sabha polls in Anantnag constituency was held on Tuesday amidst tight security measures and witnessed 13.63 voter turnout.The polling was held at 714 polling stations across the Anantnag district, which has six Assembly segments. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) J&K, Shailendra Kumar said overall poll percentage in the district was recorded 13.63 with highest 20.37 per cent in Pahalgam segment.He said for smooth polling, ECI had setup 714 polling stations including 21 model polling stations, 12 all women model polling stations in the district.…

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After zero turnout in Anantnag, Omar Abdullah appeals ‘Give anger a Voice’

Editor

In the first two hours of voting in phase three of Lok Sabha polls, not a single vote was cast in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ananatnag Lok Sabha constituency, a hotbed of militant activities, while former chief minister Omar Abdullah urged people to ‘vote to give anger a voice’. “To the voters of Anantnag, please don’t reward the death, destruction & deceit of the last 4 years by staying home & boycotting the election. Come out & vote to give your anger a voice. Vote for the best candidate in the…

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1.55% Voter turnout in Anantnag district till 9 AM, 0.27% in Bijbehara, 2.5% in Kokernag

Editor

1.55 percent votes have been polled till 9 am on Tuesday in Anantnag Lok Sabha seat, an official said. Polling began at 7 a.m. and will end at 4 pm for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. Heavy deployment of The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and state police has been made to secure the polling stations and provide safety to the voters. There are around 714 polling stations set up for 5,23,566 voters in six polling segments of Bijbehara, Pahalgam, Shangus, Anantnag, Kokernag and Dooru. Poll authorities have set up…

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Cross-LoC trade to resume after plugging of loopholes: MHA

Editor

The cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade, which was suspended by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) because of its misuse for terror funneling purposes, will resume soon after the mechanisms to check the loopholes are put in place. Sources said the work had started on installing truck scanners at both the trade centres — Salamabad in the Kashmir valley and Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch in Jammu — to enable the customs department and other agencies to see what is being imported from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A senior officer, on the…

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Alliance with BJP, Poor Infrastructure may cost PDP on home turf

Editor

Of the six Assembly segments in Anantnag district going to polls in the first leg of the three-phased Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, Bijbehara, the hometown of the Muftis, may not bring the desired results for them this time. The situation has arisen for the party for the first time when it completes two decades of its existence, thanks to the neglect in developing the area and its “unholy alliance” with the BJP. The parliamentary elections have pitted the PDP against its traditional friends and rivals, the Congress and National…

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Amid tight security, Polling begins for Anantnag LS seat

Editor

Amid unprecedented security, polling started on Tuesday for the first phase of the three-phased Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, election officials said. Polling began at 7 a.m. and will end at 4 p.m. Heavy deployment of THE Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and state police has been made to secure the polling stations and provide safety to the voters. Security forces are also deployed along roads and hillside areas overlooking the polling stations to prevent militants from disrupting the poll process. Mobile Internet facility and train services…

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Shutdown on Tuesday against ‘ill-treatment’ to Yasin Malik: Joint Resistance Leadership

Editor

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called a protest shutdown in Kashmir on Tuesday against “ill-treatment meted-out to the ailing and incarcerated JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik by NIA at Delhi”. In a statement, the JRL said the shutdown would also be observed against the “ongoing aggression of NIA and ED against Kashmiri resistance leaders, activists, senior businessmen, trade union leaders, kith and kin of resistance leaders and other people from different walks of like.” The JRL said that the “highhandedness” of the NIA has “forced” Malik to go on a…

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