Category: General News

General News

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres reiterates concern over Kashmir Situation

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his concern over the situation in Kashmir and his call for protecting civilians. “The Secretary General has expressed and will continue to express his concern at the situation,” his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday in answer to a question about Kashmir at his daily briefing. “I think we spoke about the situation earlier in the week reminding all parties of the need to protect civilians.” He added that while he was not speaking specifically about Kashmir, “as a matter of principle, in any…

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J&K Govt wants to hike payouts to ex-terrorists to Rs 6 lakh

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The Centre will shortly examine the J&K government’s revised militant surrender-and-rehabilitation policy that proposes to raise the financial incentive for the surrendering militant to Rs 6 lakh payable after a 10-year lock-in period, from the current Rs 1.5 lakh payable after three years. Local BJP leaders in J&K had recently objected to the proposed policy, alleging that it stood to “incentivise militants’ and had the potential to sap the morale of troops engaged in fighting terrorism in the Valley state. Incidentally, it is at the request of the home ministry…

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Afridi, Gambhir in Twitter spat over Kashmir Issue

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Pakistani international cricketer Shahid Afridi’s tweet on the “worrisome situation” in “Indian-occupied Kashmir” earned him a caustic riposte from Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday. The Pakistani cricketer tweeted on Tuesday, “Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self-determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other int bodies & why aren’t they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?” Gambhir responded, “Media called me for reaction on @SAfridiOfficial tweet on OUR Kashmir & @UN. Afridi is only…

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Article 370 not a temporary provision: Supreme Court

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The Supreme Court Tuesday said that Article 370 of the Constitution which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir is not a temporary provision. The apex court said that in its earlier verdict of 2017 in the SARFESI case, it has been already held that Article 370 was “not a temporary provision”. “The issue concerned is covered by the judgement of this court in the 2017 SARFAESI matter, where we have held that despite the headnote of Article 370, it is not a temporary provision,” a bench of justices A…

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Killings of civilians in Kashmir ‘Needs to be Investigated’: UN Spokesperson

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The recent killings of civilians in Kashmir “needs to be investigated,” Stephane Dijarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday as protests swept the state. “Civilians have to be protected wherever they are, whether it is in Gaza, whether it is in Jammu and Kashmir, whether it is in Yemen; it is a basic principle,” he said in reply to a reporter’s question. “Any loss of civilians needs to be investigated wherever they occur.” Four civilians were killed in Shopian district during operations against militants on Sunday. Three soldiers…

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BJP rejects Mehbooba Mufti’s proposal of talks with Pak

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The BJP on Sunday vowed to aggressively pursue its agenda in the government following criticism from its supporters for “meekly surrendering before the PDP, its coalition partner, to remain in power”. The BJP’s aggressive posture was witnessed during its executive committee meet at Suchetgarh, where party leadership rejected the proposal of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to hold talks with Pakistan. Amid applaud by executive committee members, Avinash Rai Khanna, state J&K in charge, said there was no reason to hold talks with Pakistan in the present situation. He said as…

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Coalition’s Agenda lays stress on dialogue: PDP

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The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said the delay in the resumption of sustainable dialogue and revival of peace initiatives between India and Pakistan had the potential of undermining the Agenda of Alliance of the coalition government in the state. “The Agenda of Alliance, which became instrumental in forming the coalition government in J&K between the PDP and the BJP, is an express commitment to the people of the state on the resolution of the Kashmir problem through reconciliation and dialogue,” PDP vice-president Sartaj Madni said in a…

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Talks with Pak was precondition for ties with BJP: PDP

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The ruling PDP on Thursday said while forging an alliance with the BJP in J&K, their “first and last condition” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a dialogue process with Pakistan for a “peaceful resolution” of all outstanding issues. The PDP statement has come a day after the Centre stated it had received no proposal from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for a dialogue with Pakistan for bringing peace in the state. “I don’t think there is a need to send a fresh letter to the Union Government seeking initiation of…

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Everybody is a stakeholder in Kashmir: Dineshwar Sharma

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On his seventh visit to the state, Centre’s special representative for Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma continued his efforts to bring the separatists to the dialogue table. No separatist leader has, however, met him so far. “Why is everyone here after my meeting with separatists? Everybody is a stakeholder in Kashmir,” Sharma told Kashmir Post. Sharma’s four-day visit started on Tuesday when he visited north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. He met activists of mainstream political parties in Bandipora. However, prominent trade bodies and civil society members refused to meet Sharma. Sharma stayed overnight…

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Call records show State Minister, Ex-MP, MLAs, Police Officers in touch with Resistance Camp: NIA

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Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Gani Lone and other mainstream political leaders, including senior Congress leader and former MP Tariq Hameed Karra, were in touch with separatist leaders before they were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July in the Kashmir terror funding probe. As per call detail records (CDRs) of the separatist leaders, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Watali, one of the prime accused, was in touch with some PDP leaders as well as MLA Langate Er Rashid. Besides Watali, others who are in judicial custody include Altaf Ahmed Shah,…

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