Category: Today

Jhelum waters go alarmingly low ‘Lowest in 60 Years’ due to dry spell across Kashmir

Editor

The water level of the Jhelum river in the Kashmir valley has receded to an unprecedented and alarmingly low point as the region faces one of the severest dry spells in recent years. The river water level on Sunday morning touched a low of minus 0.55 foot at Sangam in south Kashmir, according to officials of the flood and irrigation department, Kashmir. The officials said it was the lowest measure of the river’s water level since the department began maintaining the record in 1955. “The water level has gone down…

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Shutdown, Protests over West Pakistan refugees, Resistance extends protest program till Jan 15

Editor

Protests were held at different places after Friday prayers in Kashmir, leading to clashes between protesters and the police while normal life was paralysed across the Valley today on the separatists’ bandh call against identity certificates to West Pakistan refugees (WPRs). Protests that sparked clashes between the protesters and the police took place after the congregational Friday prayers in the Nowhatta area of downtown Srinagar, where the Jamia Masjid is located. Youths agitating against the grant of identity certificates to WPRs indulged in stone-throwing on the police and CRPF men…

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Political turmoil, Killings, Controversies mark Kashmir in 2016

Editor

The year began on a tragic note for the PDP and the coalition government as then Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who had paved way for the first BJP government in the state in alliance with his party, lost battle for life at AIIMS on January 7 following brief illness. If political uncertainty and controversies over Sainik colonies and Pandit townships marked the first half of 2016 in J&K, the civilians killings and longest ever shutdown were the dominating discourses as the curtains fell on the year which saw PDP…

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Centre must talk to all stakeholders including hurriyat to resolve Kashmir Issue: Farooq Abdullah

Editor

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today sought meaningful dialogue for ending political uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir. “Alongside opening the channels of dialogue with Pakistan, the Centre must talk to all stakeholders, including the Hurriyat Conference,” Farooq said while addressing a public rally at Ragooda in the Nagrota Assembly constituency. He came down heavily on those criticising him for advocating dialogue with the Hurriyat Conference, asking why a finger was not being raised against the PDP-BJP combine. He blamed the coalition for bringing the state to unprecedented crisis and unleashing…

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Farooq Abdullah opposes Domicile Certificate for West Pak refugees

Editor

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today said the idea of issuing ‘domicile certificates’ to the West Pakistan refugees was unacceptable and that the party won’t be a mute spectator to such extra-constitutional misadventures that aim at circumventing the state’s special constitutional status and character. Speaking to reporters after an event here, Farooq said there was a clear effort to exploit the West Pakistan refugee issue to further a traditional agenda of weakening the state’s special status and eroding the state subject law. “These belated sympathisers of the West Pakistan refugees…

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Kashmir Shivers at -5.1, Water bodies frozen, Power Scenario worsens

Editor

No respite from dry, cold weather conditions; Power scenario worsens, winter sports hit Temperatures plummeted further in Kashmir last night, resulting in freezing of the Dal Lake and other water bodies. Srinagar froze at minus 5.1 degree Celsius during the night while on Monday the maximum temperature was recorded 11.5 degree Celsius, said a Meteorological Department official. He said that light to moderate rainfall in plains and snowfall on higher reaches could occur on December 29 and December 30 at isolated places across the state. Leh in Ladakh region experienced…

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Will make up for the lost time due to unrest: Mehbooba Mufti

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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today regretted that a number of youth were affected by the turmoil in the past five months during which not only the government but every section of society suffered and now people have started realising the quantum of loss. The Chief Minister said her resolve had been to get the people of the state out of the time of uncertainty so that the youth have a joyful, happy and smiling future. Mehbooba also regretted the loss of time during the current working season and said instructions…

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Fresh Protests across Kashmir over West Pakistan refugees, ROW stares govt in the face

Editor

Protests and clashes broke out in various parts of Kashmir on Friday against issuance of “domicile certificates” to non-state subject West Pakistani Refugees residing in Jammu areas, even as Valley’s top separatist leaders strongly reacted to the government’s move and threatened state-wide agitation “if it is not rolled back forthwith.” The joint resistance leadership—Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik—had urged people to stage protests against “settlement” of WPRs in Jammu and Kashmir through issuance of domicile certificates, on Friday. The leaders had also called for a…

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Pakistan refugees not given domicile certificates but only identity cards: Govt

Editor

After an uproar by separatists and the opposition, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday clarified that refugees who migrated here from Pakistan since after Independence were not given domicile certificates but only identity cards. These refugees, mostly Hindus who migrated into the state during and after the 1947, 1965 and 1971 wars, have no citizenship rights in the state. They can vote in parliamentary elections but have no right to vote in the assembly polls. They cannot apply for jobs with the state government because of they are not…

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‘Chillai-Kalan’ 40-days harsh period of winter begins in Kashmir

Editor

Chilai Kalan begins with coldest night in 6 years ‘Chillai-Kalan’ – the harshest 40-day period of winter in Kashmir – marked its beginning Wednesday with mercury dipping to the season’s record low at several places including Srinagar which experienced a six-year-low night temperature in the month of December. Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region have been it by severe cold as the night temperature across the division, except Pahalgam and Gulmarg, dropped to the season’s lowest, an official of the MET Department here said. He said the mercury in Srinagar plunged…

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