JKPCC leadership protested against rising Fuel Prices & Property Tax

J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G A Mir and 145 other party leaders and activists Thursday courted arrest, after a brief scuffle with the police which foiled their attempt to march towards Civil Secretariat from Satwari, in protest against soaring fuel prices and imposition of property tax. The police, later, freed all the detained leaders and activists. Led by JKPCC president GA Mir, the protesters assembled here at Satwari against property tax, toll plazas, hike in diesel, petrol and LPG prices and staged a dharna. While shouting slogans against…

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Would Saudi Arabia change its stance on Kashmir, as Imran Khan tries to mend ties with Riyadh?

The Imran Khan government in Pakistan is trying to mend its ties with Saudi Arabia, which had hit a low last year. Does this mean Riyadh will change its stance on Kashmir? While the Pakistan-Saudi relations hit a rough patch in 2020, both New Delhi and Riyadh strengthened their ties and pledged to work together in various sectors. All this while, Islamabad’s rhetoric on Kashmir has not found any takers among its allies, including Saudi Arabia. In August 2020, cracks had surfaced in the Pakistan-Saudi relations after Foreign Minister Shah…

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Noon Chai, Kashmir’s favorite salty beverage

Noon Chai or Sheer Chai—a pink-coloured salted tea with a mixture of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has been the traditional beverage of Kashmiris for centuries. People in Kashmir are known to be connoisseurs of making Noon Chai and usually consume it in the morning and the afternoon with Tchwoer or Girda (Oven-baked bread). What makes the tea pink? While preparing the tea, it develops a maroon hue through oxidation and aeration by mixing a certain amount of sodium bicarbonate. However, the origins of Noon Chai is not confirmed as to…

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Red Fort Violence: Delhi Police arrest farmer leaders from Jammu

The Delhi Police today said its crime branch sleuths, in association with the J&K Poilce, tracked down and apprehended two more accused for their alleged involvement in the Red Fort violence during the farmers’ tractor parade on January 26. Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal said Jammu and Kashmir United Kisan Front chairman Mohinder Singh (45), a resident of Chatha area of Jammu, and Mandeep Singh (23) of Gole Gujral, Jammu, were alleged to have been “active participants and key conspirators” in the violence. Farmers blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway here…

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Kashmir Situation likely to deteriorate in 2021: Report

Peace to remain elusive as India, Pakistan ‘resorting to militarized strategies’ By: Hilal Mir Violence along the de-facto border in Kashmir is likely to continue to increase and India and Pakistan are unlikely in the near future to make efforts to resolve the conflict bilaterally, according to a report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) Project.The grim prediction is based on ACLED’s analysis of the events of 2020, which it called the most violent since 2016 when Kashmir witnessed months-long protests against India triggered by the killing…

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Frisking, CASO, Crackdown returned to Srinagar City, Pheran wearing population on hit-list

Twenty-five-year-old Abid Lone grew up hearing horrifying stories from his father about crackdowns by the government forces in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. His father would be dragged out of the garments’ shop on Hari Singh High Street in the middle of the day for frisking. “It was normal for my father,” he recalled. However, it never happened with him until today. On Monday afternoon, the clocks turned back to the 1990s, when the insurgency was at its peak in Kashmir Valley and such random frisking was…

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Aharbal – Kashmir’s own Niagara Falls

About 70 kilometres distance from summer capital Srinagar, Aharbal waterfall comes under the jurisdiction of south Kashmir district Kulgam. This hill station in the south-western part of the valley has a mesmerizing beauty, having the potential to lure the visitor’s attention. The spot is suitable for trekking, vlogging, photography, fishing and expeditions as well. Those fond of fishing often visit this place on Sunday’s to enjoy the fish catching. Like other tourist destinations of Kashmir, Aharbal possesses the mesmerizing look of meadows, pine and fir tree forests, the abutting snow-clad…

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Tenon, Haryana based IS & FM Company bags J&K Bank contract deploys 1100 employees

Tenon- India’s leading Integrated Security & Facility Management Service Provider has secured a contract for facility management with Jammu & Kashmir Bank across the Kashmir region. In a statement to news agency, the company has been already operating the security services in the region of Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir. The statement said “Tenon has deployed more than 1100 highly trained housekeeping & FM staff in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir, who are known for their professional & tech oriented integrated facility management solutions.” Quoting Major Manjit Rajain,…

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Iran offers to mediate in bringing the Kashmir conflict to an end

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an interview to Press TV, Iran’s state television news channel has called for the need to respect the rights of the people of Kashmir in ‘determining their own destiny’ and offered to mediate and play a “constructive role” in bringing the conflict to an end. Responding to a question on “what has been the policy of president Rouhani” and what does he tell India about the situation, Zarif said, “our policy has been very clear. We emphasise the need to respect the rights…

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A two-day winter carnival in Pahalgam generates new hope within the industry

A two-day winter carnival to revive the tourism sector, hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, began at the famous resort of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, an official spokesman said.The popular tourist spot reverberated with colorful activities, including cultural programs, display of art and craft, live painting, and calligraphy both by amateurs and professionals, as the carnival organized by the Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir, began at the resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said. The festival was inaugurated by Director Tourism, Kashmir, G N Itoo. Traditional music performances…

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