Separatist leaders are free to go anywhere as long as they don’t indulge in any anti-national activities: DGP Vaid

For close to two years, they have been forbidden to come out of their homes, and on occasions been put behind bars, but the police now say they are free to go anywhere they like. This freedom though will come for a price: they can’t make an “anti-national” speech or create “a law and order problem.” S. P. Vaid, the head of the state police, on Thursday told the Kashmir Post that Syed Ali Geelani, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the three leaders of Joint Resistance Leadership, are “free…

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40 Percent youth in 15-30 age-group jobless across J&K

Nearly 40 percent youth, in the age group of 15 to 30 years, are unemployed in Jammu and Kashmir, the government of India has revealed in reply to a question Lok Sabha, the number of unemployed youth in the state much higher than the national level. In Jammu and Kashmir, out of 1000 persons in the age group of 15-17 years, 555 persons are unemployed, while in the age group of 18-30 years, 228 persons are jobless out of 1000 persons, revealed the union minister of Labour and employment, Santosh…

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Which CRPF battalion was posted at Gaw Kadal on the day, asks SHRC after 28 years of massacre

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has asked its investigation wing to determine which battalion of Central Reserve Police Force was posted at Gaw Kadal here on 21st January 1990 when they fired on civilians, killing more than 50 people and injuring 250. In April 2012, a petition was filed before the SHRC by human rights activist and chairperson International Forum for Justice and Human Rights, Ahsan Untoo, seeking proper probe in the massacre. Paramilitary CRPF fired on a procession of people at Gaw Kadal, Srinagar, on 21st January 1990…

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Sehrai calls for openness to criticism at Bar Seminar, Malik says resist more forcefully

Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, the new leader of Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, on Tuesday called upon his colleagues in the separatist camp to be open to criticism and not let their ego come in the way when it came to listening to critics. Sehrai, who replaced Syed Ali Geelani as chairman of Tehreek-i-Hurriyat, a vital member of the Hurriyat Conference, was addressing a gathering of leaders and members of the general public at a seminar to mark the twenty-second martyrdom anniversary of Jalil Andrabi. “People must go and tell them (leaders) their mistakes. Leader…

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Undo negative perception about Kashmir: Tassaduq Mufti

The negative impression about Jammu and Kashmir needs to be changed so that tourism regains its old glory in the state, Tourism Minister Mufti Tassaduq Hussain said on Tuesday. Addressing the media after inaugurating the 64th convention of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), the Minister said tourism had to grow in Kashmir simultaneously with an awareness on environment and ecology. “We have been polluting our rivers and lakes. This trend has to be reversed immediately so that environmental awareness keeps pace with the development of the tourist industry in…

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48 Bank Holidays in J&K for year 2018

In the year 2018, there are total 48 bank holidays in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The list includes national holidays such as Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Christmas; regional holiday, Sunday, Second Saturday and fourth Saturday of every month. Here’s complete list of Bank Holidays in Jammu and Kashmir:  Jan-13 Saturday Second Saturday Bank Holiday Jan-26 Friday Republic Day Jan-27 Saturday Fourth Saturday Bank Holiday Feb-10 Saturday Second Saturday Bank Holiday Feb-13 Tuesday Maha Shivaratri Feb-24 Saturday Fourth Saturday Bank Holiday Mar-01 Thursday Holi (Jammu Province only)…

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Educated youth have infused new life into Kashmir struggle: Mahmood Shah

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Mahmood Shah has paid glowing tributes to the outfit commander Abu Al-Qasim Shafat Hussain, who was slain in a gunfight with the government forces in Arizal areas of Budgam district. “The educated youth have infused new life into Kashmir struggle. The youth have understood that there is no mightier answer to atrocities other than gun,” LeT spokesman Dr Abdullah Ghazanwi quoted the LeT chief Mahmood Shah as having said. “Abu Al-Qasim was an educated young man who opted to pick up gun after his graduation to seek…

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Situation ‘Worrisome’, says resistance camp after their first meet in three months

The Joint Resistance Leadership of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Monday cautioned the state government against pushing the Kashmir youth to the wall and called the prevailing situation as “worrisome”. The trio last evening held a two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting, their first in the past three months. What transpired during the closed-door meeting at Geelani’s residence couldn’t be known immediately, but a statement issued by the JRL today delved on “harassment of the youth, ill-treatment meted out to political prisoners, and iron-fisted policies of the state…

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Tulip Garden thrown open for tourists, draws large crowds

The new-look Tulip Garden located in the foothills of the Zabarwan range overlooking the Dal Lake was thrown open to visitors on Sunday. Even as the garden opened with added attractions, including a fountain channel and hyacinth terrace, the beauty of myriad tulip varieties was also streamed live through drone cameras on the social media. And as the garden bustled with visitors on the opening day, causing traffic jams in the vicinity, stakeholders remain hopeful that it will augur well for the tourism sector. “We had actively promoted the Tulip…

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IS flags seen at militant’s funeral in Kashmir but clerics, politicians deny group is gaining ground in Valley

A raging debate over whether Islamic State really exists in Kashmir has taken social media by storm over the last few weeks. The tipping point was the funeral of Eisa Fazli, a militant who was allegedly inspired to follow Islamic State’s ideology last year, and whose body draped with black flags was paraded near his Srinagar home for photographers in what looked like a carefully scripted act. But never before in recent times has the Valley’s intelligentsia, political leadership and citizenry come out in a single voice to denounce the…

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