Page 15 - Jammu And Kashmir

J&K progress won't stop; those who harm us will get a befitting reply: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted that the development of Jammu and Kashmir, which he said began in 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will not stop or slow down despite recent provocations, and warned that those attempting to harm India will face a "strong and decisive" response. Delivering a message of reassurance and resolve from the border district of Poonch, Shah said the pause in development caused by recent disturbances is only momentary, and the Union Territory's progress will soon regain its momentum. The home minister lauded the bravery and readiness of the armed forces and the civil administration, acknowledging the sacrifice of a senior official during the recent India-Pakistan military conflict. He also praised the administration's swift response in evacuating civilians to safer places during the shelling. The development of Jammu and Kashmir will neither stop nor slow down. The pace that began in 2014 will continue. Anyone who tries to harm us will

Kashmir's separation issue ended with Article 370 abrogation: Salman Khurshid

Khurshid's recent remarks mark a departure from his earlier position. In 2019, he had argued that Article 370 was not a barrier, but a bond that linked Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of India

Amit Shah directs security forces to maintain vigil during Amarnath Yatra

The government will leave no stone unturned to provide all required facilities to the Amarnath pilgrims, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, as he directed security forces to maintain utmost vigilance and ensure seamless completion of the annual pilgrimage. Shah said this after chairing a high-level meeting here on Thursday night to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the arrangements for the Amarnath Yatra. Chaired a review meeting for the Amarnath Pilgrimage and evaluated the security arrangements and preparedness meant for the pilgrims. Instructed to maintain utmost vigilance and ensure seamless completion of the sacred journey," Shah wrote on X. The Central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration will leave no stone unturned to provide the pilgrims with all necessary facilities, Shah said. The annual Amarnath pilgrimage will begin on July 3 and end on August 9. Shah arrived here on Thursday evening amid tight security, his first visit to the Unio

Pahalgam attack has not stalled the J-K statehood talks: Omar Abdullah

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the April 22 Pahalgam attack has not stalled the conversation around restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and that he had raised the issue at the recent meeting of NITI Aayog governing council. "No, not at all. If you were to take out the formal speech that circulated in the NITI Aayog meeting, you will find a categorical mention for return of statehood in that ... which was given to the Honourable Prime Minister and all the members of the governing council of the NITI Aayog," Abdullah told reporters in this tourist resort of north Kashmir, 52 kilometres from Srinagar. Abdullah was responding to a question whether the Pahalgam terror attack had affected the talk about restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. "So, the conversation around statehood has not stalled. The only thing I was unwilling to do was to use the special session of the (Jammu and Kashmir) Assembly to talk about statehood. But that does not mean the ...

Farmer suicides fell in J&K after 2019: What it says about mandi monopoly

States which have freed farmers from the hold of regulated markets report fewer suicides

After Pahalgam attack, Omar Abdullah to hold meeting in J-K's Gulmarg today

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will on Wednesday chair a meeting of his ministers and top officials in Jammu and Kashmir's ski resort Gulmarg as part of his government's efforts to bring back tourists to the union territory after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. The CM will chair the meeting in Gulmarg at 12 noon, a notice issued by the General Administration Department stated. Besides top civil administration officials, the meeting is expected to be attended by inspector general of police, Kashmir; deputy inspector general, North Kashmir; and senior superintendent of police, Baramulla. On Tuesday, Abdullah chaired a meeting of his council of ministers in south Kashmir's Pahalgam. The aim behind holding meetings outside the fortified Civil Secretariat is to alleviate fear and reinforce a sense of security and trust, the officials said. This would lead to a revival of tourism in Kashmir following the massive setback after the April 22 terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly touri

Omar Abdullah holds Cabinet meet in Pahalgam: 'Bloodshed won't stop J&K'

The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet met in Pahalgam today and plans another session in Gulmarg to help restore public confidence and revive tourism after the recent terror attack

Security forces launch anti-terror operation in J&K's Kathua district

Security forces on Tuesday launched search operations in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district following information about movement of suspected terrorists, officials said. The joint cordon and search operation by police, army and CRPF was underway in the upper reaches of Lowang and Sarthal in Bani area since this morning, they said. They said security forces received information about suspected movement of terrorists and immediately started the anti-terror operation to neutralise the threat. Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police, meanwhile, also conducted a thorough search operation Manohar Gopala and Shatala camp area in Samba district for several hours this morning. The operation was part of the area domination exercise and concluded peacefully, the officials said. The officials said a joint search operation is also continuing in the densely forested Singhpora area of Chatroo in Kishtwar district for the sixth day on Tuesday. The operation st

J-K CM urges PSU, parliament meets in Kashmir to boost tourism, trust

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday proposed a dual approach to resuscitate Jammu and Kashmir's tourism sector, severely impacted by the Pahalgam terror attack, urging the Centre to mandate PSUs to hold meetings in Kashmir and to convene parliamentary committee meetings there. Speaking at the Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abdullah also raised the issue of recent shelling from Pakistan that claimed 23 lives in Poonch, Rajouri and north Kashmir and underlined that the construction of individual bunkers for residents is necessary. Acknowledging the severe impact of the recent events on the vital tourism sector, Abdullah proposed that as an immediate step, the government should direct its public sector undertakings (PSUs) to hold their meetings in Kashmir. He also strongly pitched for holding of parliamentary consultative committee and parliamentary standing committee meetings in Jammu and Kashmir. These concert

Rahul Gandhi meets Poonch shelling victims, vows to raise issue nationally

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met the victims of the cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and described the damage caused as a "big tragedy", pledging to highlight their plight at the national level. The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha visited Poonch town and interacted for over an hour with the affected population, including the families who lost their members in the shelling between May 7 and May 10. "It is a big tragedy. Many people lost their lives. They (Pakistan army) have hit civilian targets directly. I talked to the people and tried to understand their problems and they have asked me to raise their issue at the national level which I will do," Gandhi told reporters. Later, in a post on X, he said, "Today I met the families of those who lost their lives in shelling by Pakistani troops in Poonch. Damaged houses, scattered belongings, moist eyes and painful stories of losing loved ones -- these patriotic families bear the

Pak violated IWT spirit by inflicting 3 wars, terror attacks: India to UN

India ripped through Pakistan's disinformation at the UN on the Indus Waters Treaty, asserting that Islamabad violated its spirit by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India that seek to hold hostage lives of civilians, religious harmony and economic prosperity. We are constrained to respond to the disinformation being carried out by the delegation of Pakistan with regard to the Indus Waters Treaty. India has always acted in a responsible manner as an upper riparian state, India's Permanent Representative to UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said on Friday. Harish was addressing the UN Security Council Arria Formula meeting organised by the Permanent Mission of Slovenia on Protecting Water in Armed Conflict Protecting Civilian Lives.' Harish highlighted four aspects to expose the disinformation by Pakistan, which spoke about India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. In the wake of the horrific April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which

Rahul Gandhi to visit Poonch on May 24, set to meet families of victims

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Poonch in the Jammu region on Saturday to meet the families of those killed and affected by the recent Pakistani shelling, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. This will be the second visit of Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, to Jammu and Kashmir after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 tourists and one local were killed. "Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri @RahulGandhi will be visiting Poonch tomorrow May 24th to meet the families bereaved during the shelling by Pakistan very recently," Ramesh said in a post on X. "Earlier he had visited Srinagar on April 25th to meet with those injured during the brutal Pahalgam terror attack and many other stakeholders. He had also met with the LG and the CM then," he said. During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last month following the attack, Gandhi had said the idea behind the terror strike was to divide the people of the country and it was imperative that

SIA raids house linked to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch

One jawan lost his life in the line of duty during the ongoing operation, as per Army officials.

Encounter between security forces and terrorists enters day 2 in Kishtwar

Encounter between Security forces and terrorists in Singhpora area of Chatroo continued for the second day in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar.

J-K DGP visits Kishtwar encounter site, reviews anti-terror operation

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat on Thursday visited Kishtwar district to review the ongoing anti-terror operation, and assess the ground situation and operational strategy. He visited the Singhpora- Chatroo area, where a major anti-terror operation is underway, police spokesperson said. One soldier was killed during an exchange of fire, while four terrorists are believed to be still holed up in the area. The DGP was accompanied by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu Zone Bhim Sen Tuti and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shridhar Patil. During the visit held detailed discussions with senior officers from the police, Army and paramilitary forces leading the operation in the dense forested terrain, she said. The joint operation is being carried out by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), following a brief exchange of fire earlier in the day. A massive combing operat

With a stagnant economy, Pakistan needs to focus on citizens' welfare

In a low-income country, there will always be competing demands for resources

President Murmu awards 6 Kirti, 33 Shaurya Chakras for gallantry

President Droupadi Murmu conferred 6 Kirti Chakras and 33 Shaurya Chakras to brave personnel from the Army, Air Force, Navy, CRPF, and J&K Police for gallantry in anti-terror operations

Search on in J&K's Kishtwar after encounter with suspected terrorists

Security forces on Thursday launched a cordon and search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district after an exchange of fire with suspected terrorists, officials said. The firefight took place between the security forces and the suspected terrorists during a search operation following a tip-off about their presence in the Shingpora area of Chhatru, they said. "Contact has been established with terrorists during a joint operation with police at Chhatru in Kishtwar this morning," the White Knight Corps said in a post on X. Additional troops have been deployed, and the operation is ongoing to neutralise the terrorists, it added. According to reports, two to three terrorists are hiding in the area.

Travel bodies join hands to revive Kashmir tourism post-terror attack

Tourism associations express solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir after Pahalgam terror attack; hoteliers offer discounts as confidence-building begins

Mehbooba asks J-K CM to employ youths, not ex-servicemen in guard duties

Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to reconsider its decision to engage 4,000 ex-servicemen, instead of fresh recruits, for static guard duties at vital installations. In a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, she said this is in view of the rising unemployment in the Union Territory. "I am writing to express my deep misgivings and concern regarding your government's recent decision on deploying 4,000 ex-servicemen to guard critical infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir. While we value the service and discipline of our veterans, this move raises serious questions, especially because it comes at a time when lakhs of educated yet unemployed youth are struggling to find opportunities in J-K," Mufti said in the letter. "Static guard duties do not require military expertise and could very well be performed by trained local youth, for whom such employment could be a vital lifeline," the letter added. The former J-K chie