Pulwama deadlock enters 15th day, crisis refuses to die down

PDP legislator blames administration Shutdown resumed in Pulwama on Thursday after the administration allegedly backtracked from its word with residents to release the arrested youth and allow installation of plaque for slain militants. The representatives of Pulwama town said they had called off the shutdown on Wednesday after the assurance of the administration that they will be allowed to erect a simple sign post here at a local graveyard. “The decision was taken after we were assured by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir that people here will be allowed to erect a…

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Protests in Budgam after missing man found dead, probe ordered

Protests erupted in Jammu and Kashmir’s central district of Budgam on Thursday after the mutilated body of a 22-year-old man was found near his home in Peerbagh. Owais Bashir Malik, a student of a polytechnic college, had left home on Tuesday. His family had filed a missing report in Humhama after he did not return home. Police said Malik’s body was found near a railway track on Thursday morning. “He had injury marks on his neck and chest. His arm was also dislocated,” a police official at Humhama police station…

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Centuries old house discovered at Maharaj Gunj

An old house believed to be constructed in 12th century was discovered after a road caved in at Maharaj Gunj in Shaher-e-Khaas on Wednesday. Panic gripped Sakhalpora Wazpora area of Maharaj Gunj after the road caved in and people discovered a house beneath it. Police rushed to the spot and restricted movement of people there.  The structure is made up of bricks and stones. Pertinently, the spot lies close to the tomb of 15th century king, Zain-ul-Abidin popularly known as Budshah. “House of a Kashmiri Pandit was built at the…

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No word on memorial, but admn says Pulwama standoff ends

Ultras’ memorial without photos may come up in the town The standoff between the administration and local residents in Pulwama district appears to be over as the traders in the town have agreed to end the strike and open the markets from Thursday. “The standoff is over. They (traders) have agreed to open the shops,” said Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon, who had a late evening meeting with local traders and Auqaf Committee members of Pulwama town. Samoon, however, did not specify what agreement had been reached with the local…

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`Kashmir on IS radar’

The three Islamic State (IS) sympathisers from the city , who were nabbed by Maharashtra ATS and Telangana police in Nagpur a couple of weeks ago, felt Kashmir could be the right place to carry out `jihad’ as they saw videos of some pro-separatist forces waving IS and Pakistan flags there. The youngsters Abdullah Basith, Maaz Hasan also saw videos of Dukhtarane-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi organising a meeting with the backdrop of Pakistan flags and other pro-separatist youths waiving IS flags.These events were playing on their mind and they felt…

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Protest after friday prayers against Pulwama ‘Martyrs Memorial’; Geelani

Strongly condemning the “violence, excesses” and arrests by police in Pulwama town, Chairperson All Parties Hurriyat Conference (g) Syed Ali Geelani Tuesday appealed for one hour peaceful protest demonstration after the Friday prayers on 15 January 2016 against the police actions in the district. Demanding immediate release of all the youth and roll back of all the cases registered against them, Geelani organised a high level committee to hold meetings with the respectable citizens and youth of Pulwama town today. “The delegation at the earliest will meet the Auqaf Committee…

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Rise in temperature brings relief to people

The night temperature across Kashmir division rose by a few notches due to overcast conditions, providing some relief to the people of the Valley and frontier Ladakh region from the bone chilling cold. The minimum temperature, however, continued to stay below the freezing point with Kargil in the Ladakh being the coldest recorded place at minus 14.8 degree Celsius, a Met official said here today. Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.8 degree Celsius, marking an improvement of almost three degrees compared to the previous night. The summer capital had…

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No relief in traffic congestion, commuters continue to suffer

There has been no let-up in traffic jams, particularly in the evening hours, in parts of Srinagar even as the Traffic Department has initiated various measures to decongest the city. Residents blamed the absence of traffic policemen at the prime locations for the existing mess. They said flyover construction had compounded the problem. “Traffic jams have become a regular feature in Jawahar Nagar. The authorities have failed to find a permanent solution to the problem. The roads remain crowded all the time and the traffic policemen are nowhere in sight…

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Shutdown continues in Pulwama for 13th Day

For the 13th straight day, the strike in southern Pulwama Town continued over the demand of installing a militant memorial at ‘Shaheed Park’ in the area. Eyewitnesses told Srinagar-based news agency GNS that all the markets of the Town and its adjoining localities were closed while the traffic also remained off the roads. Reports said that the shutdown was also observed in Kakapora hamlet of the Pulwama district. The situation in the Town remained peaceful throughout the day and there was no protest or stone-pelting incident. Meanwhile, reports said police…

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SVC recommends restoration of land worth crores to J&K Govt

The State Vigilance Commission (SVC) today recommended restoration of prime land worth crores of rupees to the state government after the land was ‘illegally sold’ off by some private persons to other people. During an enquiry into an alleged illegal transfer of land, it surfaced that Kulwant Singh and Bikarm Singh of Tral in Pulwama district have sold prime state land, vested in them by virtue of section 4 and section 8 of The J&K Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, SVC officials said. Kulwant Singh, while recording his statement during proceedings…

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