Kashmiri Leader Mirwaiz Omer Farooq Urges Unity to Safeguard Shared Identity

Kashmiri Leader Mirwaiz Omer Farooq Urges Unity to Safeguard Shared Identity

For the first time In almost five years since August 2019, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was allowed to lead a Friday sermon at the historic Jamia masjid Srinagar in the holy month of Ramzan. Addressing the faithful Mirwaiz appealed to all sects and organizations -religious, social, or political to rise above personal and sectarian interests and ensure unity and brotherhood among the people of Jammu and Kashmir to preserve and protect its collective identity. Mirwaiz said that the best way to ensure collectivism is by following basic human, moral, and religious…

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Mirwaiz Seeks Judicial Intervention over Restriction on Leading Prayers

Mirwaiz Seeks Judicial Intervention over Restriction on Leading Prayers

After his absence from Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid for nearly three months, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has approached the High Court of J&K and Ladakh challenging continued restrictions on his religious duties. Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal has given the J&K administration a “last and final opportunity” for the senior additional advocate general to respond to the concerns raised in his petition. Mirwaiz’s writ petition had sought directions from the court to the J&K Chief Secretary, Department of Home and the police chief in Kashmir “not to create any impediments in the day-to-day…

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Mirwaiz Prevented from Delivering Special Speech at Srinagar Mosque

Mirwaiz Prevented from Delivering Special Speech at Srinagar Mosque

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was expected to lead congregational prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid on Friday, was not allowed to leave his residence yet again. The management committee of the mosque had announced on February 7 that Mirwaiz would address people at the grand mosque on February 9. His special sermon was meant to mark Shab-e-Mehraj at Jamia Masjid, an auspicious occasion in the Islamic calendar. The Anjumam Auqaf Jama Masjid committee said that early Friday, a contingent of police vehicles was stationed outside his residence and he was detained.…

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Kashmir Shivers: Pahalgam Records Biting -11.9°C as Cold Returns, Dry Spell to Last Over a Week

Following the recent substantial snowfall, temperatures in Kashmir and most parts of Jammu division plummeted below freezing on Monday while the Meteorological Department predicted dry weather for about a week. The MeT officials here said that Srinagar experienced a low of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 0.7 degrees Celsius considered normal for this time of year. The ski-resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla witnessed a low of minus 10 degrees Celsius, compared to the previous night’s minus 7 degrees Celsius, registering a temperature of 3.3 degrees…

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Kashmir Shivers Under Record-Breaking Cold: Qazigund Freezes in 16-Year Low

Kashmir Shivers Under Record-Breaking Cold: Qazigund Freezes in 16-Year Low

Kashmir experienced bone-chilling temperatures on Thursday night, as several areas recorded the coldest night in the past 16 years while the Meteorological Department (MeT) officials predicted more precipitation during the next two days. The plummeting temperatures have been attributed to an ongoing cold wave, persisting even after the conclusion of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period earlier this week. Gulmarg ski resort in Baramulla district recorded a staggering drop in temperatures, reaching a low of minus 12 degrees Celsius. This marked a significant decrease of more than four degrees…

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Divine Plea for Powder: Snowless Kashmir Turns to Faith as Cold Tightens Grip

Divine Plea for Powder: Snowless Kashmir Turns to Faith as Cold Tightens Grip

Kashmir: A Parched Paradise Gripped by Cold and Hope for Snow Kashmir, usually blanketed in a pristine winter coat, shivers under an unusual harshness this year. The valley remains in a cold, dry freeze, while Jammu basks in pleasant sunshine, creating a stark contrast within the same state. This winter has been one of the worst, marked by virtually no rain or snow in the plains for three months, leaving residents desperate for relief. Srinagar, the summer capital, recorded a biting minus 4.9 degrees Celsius on Friday, with Gulmarg and…

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Kashmir to see longer power cuts: 2-2.5 hours added to existing schedule

Kashmir to see longer power cuts: 2-2.5 hours added to existing schedule

Kashmir Faces Deeper Darkness: Power Cuts Extended Amidst Conflicting Claims Residents of Kashmir Valley brace for longer periods of darkness as Kashmir Power Distribution Company Limited (KPDCL) announced a potential increase in electricity curtailment by 2-2.5 hours during peak hours. This comes as a blow to residents already grappling with frequent power outages, raising concerns about the true state of electricity supply in the region. The KPDCL attributed the decision to a “drastic reduction in power generation,” resulting in decreased availability. This explanation contradicts recent statements by Lieutenant Governor Manoj…

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Rain Gauge Running Dry: Kashmir Watches in Worry as Winter Turns Arid

Rain Gauge Running Dry: Kashmir Watches in Worry as Winter Turns Arid

Kashmir is experiencing a prolonged dry spell with no snowfall, causing concern for ecologists and tourism stakeholders who depend on snow for visitors. The lack of snow may impact skiing trips and winter sports, with the fear of cancellations and a decline in tourists. The dry spell is attributed to El Nino, which is expected to persist until next month. Other tourist resorts in the region, such as Pahalgam and Sonamarg, are also without winter allure. Although Kashmir is almost halfway through its harshest 40-day winter period, “Chilla-i-Kalan”, no snow…

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Mercury Dips, Hopes Fizzle: Kashmir Endures Harsh Cold Wave, Daily Life Disrupted

Mercury Dips, Hopes Fizzle: Kashmir Endures Harsh Cold Wave, Daily Life Disrupted

A thin layer of ice had formed over the surface of the Dal Lake as Srinagar city recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius for the second consecutive night, officials said. There was no relief from the intense dry and cold wave conditions in Kashmir on Wednesday as the minimum temperatures stayed several degrees below the freezing point, officials said. Anantnag town was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday night as the mercury plunged more than seven degrees below the freezing point, they said. A…

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No Respite From Winter’s Grip: Temperatures Dip, Valley Braces for More Cold Days

No Respite From Winter's Grip: Temperatures Dip, Valley Braces for More Cold Days

The summer capital Srinagar witnessed a freezing temperature of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, some 3.1 notches below normal on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday The surface of Dal Lake froze at various places in the interiors on Monday as the night temperatures continued to plunge below zero across the Valley. The summer capital Srinagar witnessed a freezing temperature of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, some 3.1 notches below normal on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Though there was improvement in foggy conditions, the residents said that the…

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