Page 5 - Kashmir

At least 3 killed in firing by security forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

At least three people were killed and six others injured when security forces opened fire on protesters during clashes with paramilitary Rangers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad which has been rocked by protests against high prices of wheat flour and inflated electricity bills, a media report said on Tuesday. The paramilitary Rangers, which were called in to maintain law and order in the disputed region, came under attack while moving out of the region, the Dawn newspaper reported. Instead of exiting via Brarkot, the village bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the 19-vehicle convoy, including five trucks, chose to exit the region from Kohala, it said. As the convoy reached Muzaffarabad in a charged atmosphere, it was pelted with rocks near Shorran da Nakka village, to which they responded with teargas and firing, the report said. After entering the city through the Western Bypass, the Rangers were welcomed with rocks again, prompting them to use teargas and bullets. Th

Police officer killed, over 100 injured in clashes during protest in PoK

One police officer was killed and more than 100 people, mostly policemen, injured in violent clashes between security forces and protesters agitating against high prices of wheat flour and electricity in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, media reports said on Sunday. The disputed region witnessed clashes on Saturday between the police and activists of a rights movement amid a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across the territory, the Dawn newspaper reported. Mirpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kamran Ali told Dawn.com that sub-inspector Adnan Qureshi succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest in the town of Islamgarh, where he was deployed along with other police personnel to stop a rally for Muzaffarabad via Kotli and Poonch districts under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The JAAC, which has traders at the forefront in most parts of the state, has been seeking the provision of electricity as per hydropower generation cost in the region, ...

Voters will end domination of National Conference, PDP in Kashmir, says BJP

The BJP may not be contesting any of the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir but the party is confident that the elections in the Valley will end the domination of the National Conference and People's Democratic Party in the region. A day before Srinagar goes to the polls, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh claimed on Monday that the Narendra Modi government's development initiatives following the abrogation of Article 370 coupled with peace in the region have ensured that people are looking beyond family-run parties like the two regional outfits besides the Congress. "These parties are responsible for all the turmoil Jammu and Kashmir went through right from the 90s when terrorism erupted and lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits had to flee their homes. "People know that be it the PDP, NC or the Congress, their concerns are not the priority of these parties as they only want to perpetuate their family rule," said Chugh, who is overseeing his party's campaign in the region besides in Lada

Lok Sabha polls 2024: EC updates 'Form M' procedure for Kashmiri migrants

Kashmiri migrant voters in Jammu and Udhampur zones won't fill out Form M anymore; they'll be assigned 'special polling stations'

Assembly polls in J&K to be held after Lok Sabha election: CEC Rajiv Kumar

The Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the Lok Sabha polls as organising both simultaneously is not viable from the security point of view, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday as he announced the schedule of the general election and some Assembly and bypolls. The Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and the results will be announced on June 4. Asked why Assembly polls are not being held in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Lok Sabha election, the CEC said forces have to be provided to every candidate in the Union Territory, which is not possible at a time when elections are being held across the country. He also said the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was amended in December 2023 after a delimitation exercise and the clock had started ticking for the Election Commission (EC) since then. "The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed in 2019. There was a provision for 107 seats, 24 of which

NC to win 3 LS seats in Kashmir, 'INDIA' will grow: Farooq Abdullah

After PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti expressed unhappiness over the National Conference's decision to contest all three Lok Sabha constituencies in Kashmir, NC president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said both parties are part of the INDIA coalition and the NC will win the seats for the alliance. Mehbooba Mufti had on Friday said that the NC's decision was "disappointing" and a "setback to the hopes of the people of J&K". She also accused the NC of reducing their Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to a "joke". I do not know what she (Mufti) had said National Conference stands on its own feet and has won three seats (in the 2019 general elections). We are part of the alliance and she is also part of the alliance. If the National Conference wins (these seats) again, they will win it for the INDIA alliance and so what is the problem, Abdullah told reporters here. The NC leader said he is sure that the INDIA alliance will always grow because it is needed for the future of India ...

Ahead of PM Modi's Srinagar visit, security forces put on alert: Officials

Security forces have been put on alert ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to address a public rally at the Bakshi Stadium here on Thursday, officials said on Sunday. The deployment of security personnel has been increased around the renovated Bakshi Stadium with barricades set up for checking the vehicles passing through the venue of PM Modi's rally, the officials said. Police and paramilitary forces are conducting random checking of vehicles at dozens of places in the city and elsewhere, the officials said. Special check points have been set up at various places in the city, including the entry and exit points as a precautionary measure, they said. The security forces have increased patrolling around the venue of the rally as part of area domination exercise to ensure a smooth and incident-free visit of the prime minister. This will be the prime minister's first visit to the Kashmir valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. This

PM Modi to address public rally in Kashmir in March in 1st visit to valley

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir next month and address a public rally in Anantnag district, BJP sources said here on Tuesday. This would be the prime minister's first visit to the Kashmir Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The public rally will be held as part of the BJP's election campaign for the forthcoming general polls, the sources said. "The prime minister's public rally is scheduled in Anantnag district next month," the BJP sources said. "While the exact date is yet to be finalised, the rally will take place any day between March 14 to 17," the sources said, adding the party was waiting for the final dates from the Prime Minister's Office. The BJP is focussing on the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat which comprises of the south Kashmir areas of Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag, and Rajouri-Poonch areas in Jammu. Before delimitation of the constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, Anantnag seat comprised only of the four south

Day not far when Kashmir will get connected with Kanyakumari by rail: PM

The day is not far when Kashmir will be connected with Kanyakumari by rail, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday as he commissioned a newly completed 48.1-km stretch of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. The 272-km USBRL is being commissioned in phases -- the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section was done in October 2009, the 18-km Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013 and the 25-km Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014. Development works are happening simultaneously, unlike in the past when work was done in the rest of India but its benefits were either not available to the people of Jammu and Kashmir or were made available very late, the prime minister said here while addressing a public rally. "Today new airports are being built across the country. Jammu and Kashmir is also not behind. Today the expansion work of the Jammu airport has started. The dream of connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari by rail has also moved forward today with the commissioning of th

KCCI wants PM to address unemployment, ease of doing biz during J-K visit

Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Jammu & Kashmir, the local industry on Monday said it expects the PM to address the key issue of unemployment and promote ease of doing business in the valley. "The Prime Minister's visit on Tuesday coincides with the inauguration of some prestigious projects which are destined to play an important part in the development of Jammu & Kashmir," the KCCI said in a statement. The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) highlighted that the lack of infrastructure and support to industry have been a key roadblock in the overall development of the union territory. The KCCI looks up on the Prime Minister to implement his favourite 'Ease Of Doing Business' scheme in the UT, it said. While thanking the Prime Minister for accepting many of its suggestions in the past, the KCCI said, "it looks up to the Prime Minister with hope for considering suggestions critical for all round development of Jammu & Kasmir, more so, .

Security stepped up in Kashmir ahead of PM's visit to newly formed UT

Security forces have been put on an alert in Kashmir ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu on Tuesday. Police and paramilitary forces are conducting random checking of vehicles at dozens of places in the city and elsewhere, officials said here on Sunday. Special checking points have been set up at various places entry and exit points in Srinagar as a precautionary measure, the officials said. Although the prime minister will be visiting Jammu region, security agencies in the valley have been put on an alert to ensure that terrorists do not carry out any subversive activities during the high profile visit to the Union territory, they said. This will be Modi's second visit to Jammu and Kashmir during his second term in office. The prime minister is expected to inaugurate various development projects during his visit to Jammu which include AIIMS hospital Jammu, world's highest railway bridge over Chenab river and Devika river project in Udhampur. Modi is likely

48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan section rail link to open on Feb 20

The Indian Railways will start train services on the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section, a 48.1-km-long significant segment of the country's most ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, on February 20. "We will get a step closure to realise our dream to connect Srinagar with Kanyakumari," a source in the railways told PTI. "The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is one of the most ambitious Himalayan railway projects post independence," he added. According to sources in the railways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the section by virtually flagging off a train from Sangaldan. However, an official confirmation in this regard is awaited. Talking about the project, a senior railway official said, "Spanning the challenging terrain of the Pir Panjal ranges, the USBRL aims at establishing an all-weather, comfortable and economically-feasible transportation network, connecting remote Himalayan areas with the rest of the

ED formally arrests Hurriyat leader Bhat, 2 others in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has formally arrested three people, including a Hurriyat leader, in a money laundering case for their alleged involvement in selling MBBS seats in Pakistan and funding terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Wednesday. Hurriyat leader Mohammad Akbar Bhat and Fatima Shah of Srinagar and Sabzzar Ahmad Sheikh of Anantnag are already in jail after their arrest more than five years ago by the Jammu and Kashmir Police's State Investigation Agency (SIA) in a terror funding case. Bhat, Shah and Sheikh were arrested on Tuesday under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) provisions for their involvement in terror financing and being hand in glove with Pakistani handlers Manzoor Ahmad Shah and Altaf Ahmad Bhat, who arranged admissions in MBBS and other courses in colleges in Pakistan for students from Jammu and Kashmir, a spokesperson of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said. The official said the accused have been remanded to the ED's custod

Apples to bats, Kashmir's startup scene gains momentum with foreign funding

Entrepreneurs are also tapping into JK Startup Policy and Shark Tank India

Snowfall in Kashmir valley disrupts flight operations at Srinagar airport

All flights to and from Srinagar airport in Kashmir were cancelled on Sunday due to snowfall in the valley, officials said here. "All the flights have been cancelled for the day due to bad weather at Srinagar," an official of the Airport Authority of India said. The official said the snowfall, which began late Saturday night, had stopped briefly early in the morning, allowing clearance of the runway. "However, the snowfall started again before any flights could operate," he added. The plains of Kashmir are witnessing moderate snowfall while heavy snowfall has been reported in the higher reaches of the valley. Snow clearance operations are being carried out since early hours to ensure that the roads are traffic worthy. Authorities have advised motorists to drive carefully in view of the slippery roads.

Road, air traffic affected by snowfall in Kashmir, avalanche warning issued

Snowfall across the Kashmir Valley affected normal life on Sunday with all flights cancelled at Srinagar airport, officials said. The plains of Kashmir saw moderate snowfall, while heavy snowfall has been reported in the higher reaches, they said. Authorities are clearing snow from roads so that vehicular movement is possible, they said. But traffic movement was slow as the roads are slippery. The snowfall has forced the cancellation of all inbound and outbound flights from Srinagar airport for the day. Authorities have issued avalanche warnings for hilly and mountainous areas of Kashmir, urging the residents to avoid unnecessary movement for the next 24 hours. The snowfall has resulted in a rise in the minimum temperatures but the day temperatures have fallen in most places of the valley. As per the MeT department forecast, the weather is expected to improve in Kashmir from Tuesday onwards. Qazigund town in south Kashmir was the warmest place on Saturday, recording a high of 3.

Centre lodges strong protest with Britain over visit of envoy to PoK

India has registered a strong protest with the UK over the visit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) by its High Commissioner to Islamabad along with another British official. The ministry of external affairs said such "infringement" of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is "unacceptable". "India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan occupied Kashmir on January 10," it said. "Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement," the MEA said. "The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India," it said in a statement.

Kashmir Valley endures unusual, severe dry spell amid harsh winter

Reduced snowfall and precipitation levels have prompted worries about potential water scarcity and its far-reaching impacts on the environment and daily life

Chhattisgarh: 3.3 magnitude earthquake hits Ambikapur; no injury reported

A low-intensity earthquake of 3.3 magnitude on the Richter Scale was recorded near Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district on Tuesday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) informed."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.3, Occurred on 26-12-2023, 14:50:45 IST, Lat: 24.19 & Long: 82.57, Depth: 4 km, Location: 132km NNW of Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh," the NCS said in a post on X.However, no injury was reported.

India's SC verdict on Art 370 would further complicate Kashmir issue: Imran

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has said that India's Supreme Court verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370 would "further complicate" the Kashmir issue. The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the Centre government's decision of August 2019 to abrogate Article 370, which bestowed a special status on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan, who has been incarcerated in the Adiala jail of Rawalpindi, in a message said that the Indian top court's ruling was a sheer violation of the UNSC resolutions, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said in a post on X. Khan made it clear that the controversial and unlawful decision of the Indian top court would further complicate the Kashmir issue instead of helping to solve the decades-long conflict, it added. He vowed that his party would continue to provide full diplomatic, moral and political support to the Kashmiri people.