General News Archives | Page 340 of 363

‘Core issue’ of Kashmir will always top bilateral talks: Pakistan

October 3, 2015 Editor

The “core issue” of Kashmir will always top the agenda of any bilateral talks, Pakistan has said while responding to India’s assertion that dialogue can begin only when Islamabad stops backing terrorism. Pakistan outlined its stance while exercising its “right of reply” to respond to foreign minister Sushma Swaraj’s address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, when she said that Islamabad should focus on the issue of terrorism instead of the four-point peace initiative proposed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “The core issue of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be…

Mufti has no mandate to issue fatwa on Kashmir’s future: Geelani

October 3, 2015 Editor

Terming the statement of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that ‘future of Kashmir lies with India’ as lie and deception, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani Friday said it is totally contrary to the situation, events, ground realities and history of Kashmir and is very far from the truth. He said Jammu & Kashmir is the most militarized region of the world and these forces are controlling this land against the wishes of its people. Geelani who is continuously under house detention from last five months and was once again stopped…

Casual, daily wagers go on indefinite hunger strike

October 3, 2015 Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir Casual and Daily Wagers’ Forum (JKCDF) today started an indefinite hunger strike against the failure of the government to address their long-pending demands here. The protesters, led by JKCDF Chairman Sajad Parray, started the strike at Pratap Park in city centre and said they would continue with their stir till their demands were not met. “We were forced to sit on an indefinite strike as the successive governments have only given us false assurances. When the PDP was in the opposition, their leaders would express solidarity…

JK HC notice to Govt on criminalisation of bovine slaughter

October 3, 2015 Editor

Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday sought a response from the state government to a writ petition seeking striking down of the Constitutional provisions criminalising bovine slaughter in the state. The notice was issued by a Division Bench comprising Justices Mohammad Yaqoub Mir and Ali Mohammad Magray after hearing a writ petition filed by Afzal Qadri through his Advocate Syed Faisal Qadri seeking to strike down the relevant provisions of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) which criminalises the slaughter of bovines. Advocate General Jehangir Iqbal, appearing on behalf of the government,…

‘Wealth amassed by LAWDA officials needs to be looked into’

September 30, 2015 Editor

Vigilance Commissioners appointed by the J&K High Court to monitor illegal activities in and around Dal Lake in Srinagar have submitted their first report, suggesting therein that wealth amassed by officials of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) needs to be “looked into through proper functionaries.” Underling that encroachments do exist in and around Dal Lake, the report indicates that the Enforcement Wing of the LAWDA has “either remained dormant in the entire affair or seems to be in league with the violators.” As per the report, illegal constructions have…

Coalition’s poor performance matter of concern, says NC

September 30, 2015 Editor

National Conference provincial president Devender Singh Rana today expressed concern over “performance deficit” of the PDP-BJP government, saying development could not be held ransom by “competitive reactionary” politics. “Instead of settling down and solving problems of people, coalition partners are in the process of scoring points over one another, as a consequence of which development has suffered adversely,” Rana said. He was registering problems of people of Asrarabad, Ragoora and Sandoori Mawali during a day-long development awareness grievances camp in Nagrota Assembly segment. Rana alleged the state in general and…

Using children in hate videos a disturbing trend: Ex-Information Director

September 30, 2015 Editor

A campaign of hatred against the minority community is going on on social networking sites in Kashmir with several videos and pictures in circulation spreading venom being ignored by security agencies. The government is blocking the internet and using it as a tool to prevent communal clashes, but no effort is being taken to identify and act against people involved in orchestrating the campaign. Videos in circulation invoking communal hatred by both right-wing organisations and ‘jehadi’ sympathisers is a disturbing trend, but appearance of children is a matter of concern…

Army told to vacate state land

September 30, 2015 Editor

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today served notice to the Army for immediate vacating of land under its use in all the three regions of the state in the interest of the general public. The CM was chairing the Civil-Military Liaison conference at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre here. On the issue of vacation of Tattoo Ground in Batmaloo here, Mufti stressed expediting the vacating of the ground. This, he said, would enable the government to develop basic facilities at the site in the…

Pakistan’s proposal for plebiscite in Kashmir irks India

September 30, 2015 Editor

The Indian government has dismissed Pakistan’s suggestion for holding a plebiscite in Jammu Kashmir, saying the disputed territory was an ‘integral part’ of India, The Hindustan Times newspaper reported on Monday. “Kashmir is an ‘internal’ issue. It is an ‘integral part’ of India,” India’s State Minister for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told reporters. It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before his speech to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the United Nations on Sunday. According to the Pakistan mission, Nawaz…