Page 19 - Jammu And Kashmir

Civil defence mock drills across India today: All you need to know

The Centre has called the mock drills necessary due to "new and complex threats". The exercises will take place in 244 designated civil defence districts nationwide

PM Modi scrapped Kashmir visit after intel on terror threat, says Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cancelled his Kashmir visit after "receiving an intelligence report three days before" the Pahalgam terror attack last month. Noting that during an all-party meeting, the Centre accepted "intelligence failure" in the Pahalgam carnage, Kharge said the union government should be held accountable for "not reinforcing" security arrangements in Kashmir to protect people, even after such inputs. Responding to Kharge's allegation, the BJP claimed that the Congress president's criticism of PM Modi over alleged intelligence failure in the Pahalgam terror attack was intended to "lower the morale of security forces" and amounted to "treason". Addressing a 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally in Ranchi, Kharge claimed he "got information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Modi ji, and that is why Modi ji cancelled his visit to Kashmir". When an intelligence report said that it

India slams OIC's statement on Kashmir, says 'absurd, at Pakistan's behest'

OIC's statement called for restraint between India and Pakistan, and urged peaceful resolution of differences through dialogue in line with UN resolutions and international law

Owaisi seeks effective response to Pahalgam terror attack, demands probe

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said India should give an effective response to last month's Pahalgam attack and termed the incident as barbaric and cowardly. Speaking to reporters here, the Lok Sabha MP sought an inquiry into the death of a man from Kulgam who was allegedly picked up by security forces for questioning in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. "It was a terror attack, a cowardly attack. The more we condemn it, the less it is. We have seen how terrorists from Pakistan killed 26 people," Owaisi told reporters. The way people were killed by separating kids and women, and asking males about their religion, was disheartening and inhumane. "Those who couldn't recite the Kalma were fired upon. This is barbaric," he said. Owaisi said the local residents of Kashmir are bearing the brunt of the attack as the tourism sector has taken a hit. "The tourists have gone from here in huge numbers. We want our government to give an effective response to it. We have said the s

Authorities in Jammu review plan to enhance facilities for Amarnath Yatra

Authorities in Jammu have reviewed a development plan to enhance civic amenities for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Tuesday. The review focused on improving infrastructure and sanitation to ensure a smooth experience for thousands of devotees expected to participate in the annual pilgrimage to the revered 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, they said. The 38-day yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3 from the twin routes -- the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The first batch of pilgrims will leave the Jammu base camp on July 2. Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, chaired a meeting to review the development plan for augmentation of civic amenities and renovation work for the yatra en route Jammu division, an official spokesperson said. He said the meeting, attended by senior officers of various departments here on Monday, discuss

Civil defence mock drill: What it is and what to expect during May 7

A civil defence mock drill is conducted to evaluate the preparedness of civilians and government agencies in responding to emergencies. Its primary goal is to minimise confusion and save lives

J&K Bank aims to cross ₹5,000 cr profit mark by 2030: MD & CEO Chatterjee

Jammu and Kashmir Bank, which crossed the Rs 2,000-crore profit mark in fiscal year 2024-25, aims to cross the Rs 5,000 crore profit milestone by 2030, its Managing Director and CEO Amitava Chatterjee has said. Chatterjee emphasized on the need for the bank to focus more on supporting the agriculture sector, while expanding its footprints in the rest of the country as part of its diversification plan. "The vision or aspiration of the bank is to cross Rs 5,000 crore profit by 2030. So that will be our way forward. Yes, we have increased the net profit by Rs 300-400 crore in the last fiscal. Obviously we would like to increase it by Rs 500 crore next year, but the ultimate vision is to cross Rs 5,000 crore by 2030," Chatterjee told PTI. He said the bank has been raising the bar each passing year by posting record profits for the past three financial years. For the full 2024-25 fiscal, the bank reported nearly an 18 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 2,082.46 crore, compared to Rs ...

Farmers rush to wrap up harvest near J-K's IB amid rising tension with Pak

Farmers living along the nearly 200-km-long International Border in Jammu and Kashmir are racing against time to complete the harvest process amid heightened tension following the Pahalgam terror attack. In the three districts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua, about 1.25 lakh hectares of agricultural land falls within the shelling range of Pakistan. Villages like Treva, Mahashe-de-Kothe, Chandu Chak, Gharana, Bulla Chak, and Korotana Kalan are witnessing a flurry of activity, with families working day and night to finish harvesting, dry the grain, and pack it for delivery to mills. While over 90 percent of the wheat and other crops have been harvested, the process of harvesting the rest, packaging them and sending them to mills remains. We are racing against time to complete harvesting, Santosh Singh, a 50-year farmer from Treva village in the Arnia sector said, adding there is very little time left. Treva, located just 1.5 km from the border, is directly under threat from Pakistan ...

Northern Railway flags delay in tunnel communication for USBRL project

The communication system inside the escape tunnels between two sections of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link Project (USBRL) is incomplete and yet to be fine-tuned, the Northern Railway complained in a written communication to the Konkan Railway Communication Limited, its service provider. The final Katra-Sangaldan section of the 272-km USBRL project was to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 19 to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country. However, it was postponed due to bad weather predictions, and the new date has not been announced yet. The work to install and enable an integrated tunnel communication system in the USBRL project was awarded to Konkan Railway Communication Limited (KRCL) for train operational efficiency and safety. However, according to the Northern Railway's letter, despite various written instructions as well as repeated verbal discussions, the KRCL has not completed crucial work essential for communication inside the ...

UNSC holds closed-door talks on Indo-Pak tensions, urges restraint

The UN Security Council commenced closed-door consultations here on the situation between India and Pakistan, hours after Secretary General Antonio Guterres voiced concern over tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours being at their highest in years. Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council, had requested for closed consultations on the situation. Greece, president of the Council for the month of May, scheduled the meeting for May 5 in the afternoon. The closed-door meeting will not take place in the UNSC Chamber where Council members sit at the powerful horse-shoe table but in a consultations room next to the chamber. Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations Khaled Mohamed Khiari of Tunisia will brief the Council on behalf of both departments (DPPA and DPO). Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador As

Jammu & Kashmir Bank Q4 results: Net profit drops 8% to ₹584.54 crore

Jammu & Kashmir Bank on Monday reported over 8 per cent decline in net profit to Rs 584.54 crore for the January-March quarter of 2024-25 compared to Rs 638.67 crore in the year-ago period. On a sequential basis, net profit rose by 10 per cent compared to Rs 531.51 crore in the previous December quarter of FY 2024-25, according to an exchange filing by the bank. Total income of the bank rose by 15 per cent to Rs 3,616.16 crore in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal compared to Rs 3,134.74 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. The bank reported a total income of Rs 3,448.40 crore in the December quarter. Total expenses rose to Rs 2,816.14 crore in the March quarter from Rs 2,470.91 crore in the year-ago period due to high employee expenses. For the full 2024-25 fiscal, the bank reported a nearly 18 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 2,082.46 crore compared to Rs 1,767.27 crore reported for FY 2023-24. "The bank again for the third year in succession has posted very good

Kulgam man linked to Pahalgam attack drowns while fleeing security forces

Imtiaz Ahmad Magray from south Kashmir's Kulgam was interrogated by police on Saturday in relation to the Pahalgam terrorist attack

Wife of Navy officer killed in Pahalgam attack trolled, NCW voices support

While acknowledging the nation's grief and outrage over the terror attack, the National Commission for Women urged people to exercise restraint in their criticism of Himanshi Narwal

Security forces bust terror hideout in Poonch, recover 5 IEDs, radio sets

Poonch police released photos from the hideout, showing multiple radio sets and five IEDs that were recovered

Pakistani troops violate ceasefire for 11th night, Indian Army retaliates

Pakistani troops opened unprovoked fire across multiple Jammu and Kashmir sectors including Kupwara, Poonch, and Akhnoor as ceasefire violations persist amid rising cross-border tensions

Army vehicle plunges into gorge in J&K, JCO among three soldiers killed

Three Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 500-metre deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district on Sunday, officials said. The Army truck was part of a convoy moving from Jammu to Srinagar along national highway-44. The accident occurred near Battery Chashma at around 11.30 am, the officials said. They said a joint rescue operation was launched immediately by Army, police, State Disaster Response Force and local volunteers. Three soldiers travelling in the vehicle were found dead on the spot. The deceased were identified as Naib-Subedar Sujeet Kumar, driver Amit Kumar and sepoy Man Bahadur, said officials, who added that their bodies were retrieved from the gorge after several hours of hectic efforts. The crash has reduced the vehicle into a mangled heap of metal, they said. Confirming the death of the JCO and two soldiers, Ramban Senior Superintendent of Police Kulbir Singh said ...

CM Sai praises Kashmiri guide for saving Chhattisgarh tourists in Pahalgam

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday expressed gratitude to Kashmiri tourist guide Nazakat Ahmad Shah who saved a group of tourists from Chhattisgarh during the Pahalgam terror attack, and pointed out that the Muslim community is getting a bad name because of some people. "All Muslims aren't bad and the community is becoming infamous due to some people," Sai said in an exclusive interview to PTI. Asked what India should do to retaliate against Pakistan for sponsoring the April 22 attack in the Kashmir vale, Sai said he thinks that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will take strong action. He did not elaborate but said the Central government is in control of the situation. "I strongly condemn the attack by terrorists in Pahalgam. They killed innocent and unarmed people who had gone for holidaying with their families after questioning their religion, which is a cowardly act. The nation has lost 26 people. Chhattisgarh has also lost its son," the chief minister said.

Youth's body found in J&K's Kulgam, Mehbooba calls for investigation

Residents of a village in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir recovered the body of a youth on Sunday amid allegations that the deceased was picked by security forces for questioning in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said there were serious allegations of foul play in the death of Imtiyaz Ahmad Magray whose body was fished out from the Adbal stream in the Aharbal area of Kulgam district this morning. Police have taken cognisance of the incident and started an investigation to ascertain the cause of death. In a post on X, Mehbooba said, "Yet another body has been recovered from a river in Kulgam raising serious allegations of foul play. Local residents allege that Imtiyaz Magray was picked up by the army two days ago and now mysteriously his body has surfaced in the river." The former chief minister said the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam appears to be a calculated attempt to derail the fragile peace, disrupt tourism in Kashmir and ..

Pakistani troops continue unprovoked firing along LoC in J-K for 10th day

Pakistani troops continued unprovoked small arms firing in different sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting effective retaliation by the Indian army, officials said on Sunday. The ceasefire violation by Pakistan was reported from eight places spread across five districts in the Union Territory during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday but there was no report of any casualty, the officials said. This was the 10th consecutive night of unprovoked firing from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir, amid heightened tensions following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead. During the night of May 3 and 4, Pakistan Army posts resorted to unprovoked small arms fire across the LoC in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor in J-K. Indian Army responded promptly and proportionately, a defence spokesperson said. The ceasefire violations along the LoC an

SC grants J&K more time to report on Pak nationals after flood data loss

The Supreme Court on Friday granted more time to the Jammu and Kashmir government to inform it about the number of Pakistani nationals detained under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan gave six more weeks after the authorities informed that data relating to such prisoners was lost during floods in the union territory. The top court then posted the matter for hearing on July 25. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by late Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party leader and senior advocate Bhim Singh who petitioned the court on Pakistani citizens detained under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978. His plea sought such persons to be freed and deported to Pakistan. The top court previously expressed concerns over the fate of those Pakistani nationals who were released from Indian jails after completing their terms and if the neighbouring country did not accept them as its ..