Khwaja Digar in Kashmir: The Centuries-Old Naqshbandi Tradition That Brings Srinagar Together

Khwaja Digar in Kashmir: The Centuries-Old Naqshbandi Tradition That Brings Srinagar Together

Khwaja Digar: When Centuries of Kashmir’s Sufi Heritage Come Alive in Srinagar By: Javid Amin | 16 Aug 2026 Srinagar: Every year, as devotees make their way towards Khwaja Bazar in Srinagar’s Nowhatta, the narrow lanes around the historic Naqshband Sahib shrine take on a distinctly spiritual character. Prayer mats appear outside the shrine. Devotees arrive from different parts of the Valley. Religious scholars speak about the life and teachings of Hazrat Khwaja Baha-ud-Din Naqshband. And, at the heart of the observance, thousands gather for the traditional congregational prayer known…

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Pakistan Envoy Raises Kashmir in Delhi, Cites UN Resolutions: What It Means

Pakistan Envoy Raises Kashmir in Delhi, Cites UN Resolutions: What It Means

Pakistan Envoy Raises Kashmir at Independence Day Event in Delhi, Citing UN Resolutions: What It Means for India-Pakistan Relations By: Javid Amin | 14 Aug 2026 Pakistan has once again put Kashmir at the centre of its diplomatic messaging toward India, with its Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi invoking United Nations resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiris during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations. The remarks by Saad Ahmad Warraich on August 14 were not simply another restatement of Islamabad’s long-standing position. They came at a particularly sensitive moment for India-Pakistan relations,…

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Mirwaiz House Arrest Ahead of Rabi-ul-Awwal: Kashmir’s Old Debate Over Faith, Freedom & Security Returns

Mirwaiz House Arrest Ahead of Rabi-ul-Awwal: Kashmir's Old Debate Over Faith, Freedom & Security Returns

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq House Arrest: Why the Latest Restriction Ahead of Rabi-ul-Awwal Matters in Kashmir By: News Desk | 14 Aug 2026 Srinagar: The reported restriction on Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief cleric and chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, has once again brought the sensitive intersection of religion, civil liberties and security policy into focus. According to the claim attributed to Mirwaiz and his supporters, authorities have restricted his movement at his Nigeen residence, preventing him from attending Friday prayers and carrying out his customary religious responsibilities at Srinagar’s historic…

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Kashmir Women Safety Crisis: Rape Cases Raise Questions on Justice & Society

Kashmir Women Safety Crisis: Rape Cases Raise Questions on Justice & Society

Kashmir’s Women Safety Crisis: Two Rape Cases Raise Hard Questions About Justice, Society and Youth By: Javid Amin | 13 Aug 2026 Srinagar: Two disturbing sexual-violence cases in Kashmir have once again forced a difficult question into public conversation: how effectively is society protecting women and children, and what happens after a crime is committed? The question is not only about the accused or the police investigation. It is also about the environment in which sexual violence occurs, the support available to survivors, the speed with which institutions respond, the…

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Kashmir’s Tourism Boom Looks Record-Breaking. So Why Are Locals Falling Behind?

Kashmir's Tourism Boom Looks Record-Breaking. So Why Are Locals Falling Behind?

Kashmir’s Tourism Rollercoaster: A Record Boom, a Devastating Crash, and a Recovery That Still Isn’t Reaching Locals By: Javid Amin | 12 Aug 2026 In 2024, Kashmir logged more tourists than ever before. In 2025, that number collapsed by nearly a quarter after the Pahalgam attack. In 2026, arrivals are slowly climbing back — but ask a houseboat owner or a local travel agent, and the boom-bust-rebound cycle looks less like a rollercoaster and more like proof of exactly who the system was never built to protect. Srinagar — Two…

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‘Political Orphans’: Kashmiri Pandits Demand Representation, Return Roadmap and an End to Electoral Neglect

‘Political Orphans’: Kashmiri Pandits Demand Representation, Return Roadmap and an End to Electoral Neglect

  ‘Used by Everyone, Represented by None’: Why Kashmiri Pandits Say They Have Become Political Orphans By: News Desk | 10 Aug 2026 Jammu: For a community that has spent more than three decades away from its ancestral homes, the question is no longer simply whether Kashmiri Pandits will return to the Valley. Increasingly, community leaders are asking a second, equally consequential question: Who speaks for them politically? At Jagti township and other migrant settlements, Kashmiri Pandit representatives have revived a familiar but increasingly pointed description of their political condition:…

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Manasbal Lake Pollution Crisis: Sewage, Faecal Contamination and a Growing Threat to Kashmir’s Wetland

Manasbal Lake Pollution Crisis: Sewage, Faecal Contamination and a Growing Threat to Kashmir’s Wetland

Manasbal Lake Pollution Crisis: Kashmir’s “Lake of Lotus” Faces a Troubling Future By: Javid Amin | 08 Aug 2026 Manasbal Lake, one of Kashmir’s most distinctive freshwater wetlands, is facing renewed scrutiny over sewage, waste and declining water quality. The concern has now reached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which in January 2026 directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Jammu & Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (J&KPCC) to assess the current condition of the Manasbal wetland and identify the sources of pollutants entering it. The tribunal’s intervention followed…

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Blinkit Faces Backlash in Kashmir Over Alleged Pork Listings: Why the Srinagar Controversy Matters

Blinkit Faces Backlash in Kashmir Over Alleged Pork Listings: Why the Srinagar Controversy Matters

Blinkit Faces Kashmir Backlash Over Alleged Pork Listings in Srinagar By News Desk | 06 Aug 2026 Blinkit Faces Backlash in Kashmir Over Alleged Pork Listings; Cultural Sensitivity Becomes New Test for Quick-Commerce Expansion The rapid expansion of quick-commerce platforms into new markets often comes with a deceptively difficult challenge: understanding the local market beyond its geography. That issue has come into focus in Srinagar, where online claims about alleged pork products appearing on Blinkit’s platform have triggered criticism on social media and renewed debate over how national e-commerce companies…

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PoK Election Violence Deepens Crisis: Over 30 Reportedly Killed as Protesters Allege Missing Bodies and Cover-Up

PoK Election Violence Deepens Crisis: Over 30 Reportedly Killed as Protesters Allege Missing Bodies and Cover-Up

PoK Election Violence: Over 30 Reportedly Killed, Missing Bodies Allegations Intensify Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir Unrest By: Javid Amin | 29 July 2026 PoK Election Violence Deepens Crisis: Over 30 Reportedly Killed as Protesters Allege Missing Bodies and Cover-Up Pakistan-administered Kashmir has entered one of its most turbulent political phases in recent years as election-related violence and anti-government protests continue to spread across the region. Reports from local activists, protest leaders and several media outlets indicate that more than 30 people have been killed during clashes linked to the ongoing legislative assembly…

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Anantnag Cop Killing Triggers Kashmir Crackdown: 3,500 Detained, Houses Demolished; Omar Abdullah Warns Against Collective Punishment

Anantnag Cop Killing Triggers Massive Kashmir Crackdown: Thousands Detained, Houses Demolished as Omar Abdullah Warns Against ‘Collective Punishment’ By: Javid Amin | 25 July 2026 Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi was killed in a targeted attack in Anantnag; security agencies launch sweeping operations while political leaders warn against alienating civilians The killing of a Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable in a targeted attack in Anantnag has triggered one of the most extensive security crackdowns in Kashmir in recent months, with thousands of people reportedly detained for questioning and the…

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