Kashmir Reader

Srinagar: Peoples Conference (PC) president Sajad Gani Lone on Friday said Jammu and Kashmirs political struggle should focus on restoring the pre-August 5, 2019 constitutional position rather than statehood alone, alleging that the National Conference (NC) was attempting to bury Articles 370 and 35A by restricting its campaign to statehood. Addressing a press conference, Lone,, []

Pahalgam: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday said that over 3.50 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy Amarnath cave shrine during the first 15 days of the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, attributing the smooth and peaceful conduct of the pilgrimage to the blessings of Lord Shiva and the coordinated efforts of all []

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Secretariat has sought comments from the Deputy Chief Minister over an alleged breach of privilege filed by MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania. In a notice, the Assembly Secretariat has written to officer on special duty to the Deputy CM to furnish his comments over the matter within seven days. []

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra on Friday welcomed the National Conferences decision to join the campaign for restoration of statehood, saying the movement was initiated by the Congress nearly two years ago and was always meant to represent the aspirations of all 1.4 crore people of Jammu and []

Srinagar: An 18-year-old labourer died after accidentally coming into contact with a high-tension (HT) power line while installing a smart electricity meter in the Khimber-Zakura area of Srinagar on Friday, officials said. An official said that the labourer sustained an electric shock after coming into contact with an HT line while installing a smart meter. []

Srinagar: Srinagar Police on Thursday attached four immovable properties valued at 3.34 crore in connection with NDPS cases, as part of the ongoing _Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan 100 Days Campaign. In a handout, the police said that the properties were attached by Police Station Safakadal under Section 68F of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances []

New Delhi: Educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday asserted that he would stay alive till July 20 at any cost, even as his indefinite hunger strike entered its 20th day amid a warning from doctors that his prolonged fast has reached a critical stage. The Cockroach Janta Partys (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar []

Srinagar: In shocking remarks, National Conference Member of Parliament Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan on Thursday said, If they want to bury anybody in the earth, nobody can save him. The NC MP made these remarks during a condolence meeting called by the National Conference in Handwara over the death of party leader Dr. Mustafa Kamal. They []

Budgam: A Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel was killed and another injured in a road accident at the Bailey Bridge in Chadoora area of central Kashmirs Budgam district on Friday, officials said. An official said that the two SOG personnel were travelling in an official vehicle when it hit the steel girder of the Bailey []

Doda: A civilian was killed and three police personnel were injured in a firing incident during a police operation in the Jai Valley area of Bhaderwah in Jammu and Kashmirs Doda district on Friday, with police ruling out any terror angle. A senior police officer said that the incident occurred after a police team detected []

NEW YORK: President Donald Trumps media company is planning to charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own affecting national security and financial markets. The move announced Thursday would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from Truth Social contributors in milliseconds so they could profit []

Kulgam: The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Soybean, Dryland Agriculture Research Station (DARS), Rangreth, SKUAST-Kashmir, organized a Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) Programme at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kulgam. The programme was attended by more than 40 tribal farmers along with subject matter specialists of the Kendra. During the programme, essential agricultural inputs including []

Says party wont hold protest in hiding; will raise voice in national capital Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday asserted that the proposed protest plan of his party in Delhi on July 20 over the alleged delay in the restoration of statehood would not change, but said there can be changes []

Statehood peoples issue, not party matter: Mir Srinagar: AICC General Secretary and Jammu & Kashmir Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Thursday said the Congress will participate in the National Conferences proposed protest at Jantar Mantar, asserting that the restoration of Jammu and Kashmirs statehood is a peoples issue and not confined to any political []

Srinagar: The School Education Department and the Higher Education Department have issued comprehensive circulars prescribing a structured institutional framework for the academic evaluation, content verification and periodic review of books and other educational resources across schools, colleges, universities and public libraries in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative has been taken in []

Reviews donations management, transparency protocols Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting with the Members of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and senior officials, and reviewed the Offerings and Donations Management System at the holy Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji Shrine. The meeting was attended by the Members of the []

All pilgrims safe Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed the situation after a Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra pilgrim bus from Rajasthan caught fire at Karol in Ramban due to tyre burst while returning from the holy cave. The LG spoke with the Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Shri Mohammad Alyas Khan and senior officials, and directed them []

Srinagar: The 57-day long Amarnath Yatra continued to witness an overwhelming response from devotees as 19,357 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine on Thursday, taking the total number of yatris who have performed darshan during the first 14 days of the pilgrimage to 3,43,882. According to official figures, those who performed darshan on []

Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting attended by the former IAS Officer, P.W.C. Davidar, to deliberate over the roadmap for simplifying government processes across departments with the objective of ensuring greater Ease of Living for citizens and creating a more efficient, transparent and technology-driven governance framework in the Union Territory. []

Srinagar: In a significant development in the fight against narco-terrorism and cross-border terrorism, a Special NIA Court has ordered the framing of charges in FIR No. 19/2022 of Police Station SIA Kashmir. This decision paves the way for the commencement of trial against members of a Pakistan-backed narco-terror syndicate that financed terrorist activities in Jammu []

Budgam: National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Thursday defended the remarks he made during a condolence visit at the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after the demise of his uncle, Mustafa Kamal, saying he would continue to raise the issues of the people of Jammu and Kashmir despite criticism over []

Srinagar: The Peoples Conference (PC) on Thursday said it will take a final decision on Friday on whether to join the National Conferences proposed protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Speaking to reporters, Peoples Conference President Sajad Gani Lone said the National Conference has invited his party to participate in the protest. The decision []

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the National Conferences programme to travel to New Delhi on July 20 will go ahead as planned, saying that the venue and mode of the proposed protest may change, but the party will not alter its decision. Speaking to reporters, CM Omar, said the venue and the []

Srinagar: Advisor to the Chief Minister and senior National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani on Thursday said the party would go ahead with its proposed programme at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, irrespective of whether permission is granted. He asserted that those who genuinely care about Jammu and Kashmir and stand with []

Qazigund: Kulgam Police claimed to have solved a hit-and-run case linked to the death of an 11-year-old girl by arresting the accused from Uttar Pradeshs Lucknow area following an extensive investigation. Officials said that the vehicle involved in the incident was also traced and seized from Bareilly, around 250 kilometres from where the accused had []

WASHINGTON: Vice President J D Vance says the Trump administration absolutely mishandled the communications surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files. During a lengthy podcast interview with Joe Rogan released Wednesday, Vance pointed largely to former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who infamously stated that an alleged client list of Epsteins was sitting on my desk right now. []

ATLANTA: Lionel Messi sent in the cross that sent Argentina to the World Cup final after another improbable comeback. Trailing 1-0 going into the last five minutes of regulation time, Messi fed a pinpoint ball to substitute Lautaro Martinez in the second minute of injury time to give the defending champions a 2-1 victory over []

Says uncles death wont stop Jul 20 programme NC leaders to leave for Delhi on Jul 19; alternate plan ready Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that the National Conference will proceed with its plan to protest the delay in restoring statehood in Delhi, despite the recent death of his []

Srinagar: Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Wednesday said the National Conference should not confine its protest to Jantar Mantar for only the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir but also raise the demand for the reinstatement of special status under Article 370 for the erstwhile state. Soz, who was a member of the Lok []

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday termed Saifuddin Sozs suggestion for raising demand for restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir as anti-national, and asked the Congress to either clarify if its leaders remark was the official line of the party or take action against him. The BJPs response came after Soz said the []

Srinagar may touch 36-37C over next 3-days Srinagar: A prolonged spell of hot, dry weather is expected to grip Kashmir over the next three days, with Srinagar likely to record the seasons highest temperature of 36-37 degrees Celsius. An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the heat wave will be followed by widespread []

Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday visited the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu and reviewed the facilities and services in place for the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. He interacted with the officials from J&K Police, Army, Security Forces, Shrine Board, and Civil Administration, and took stock of the measures taken to facilitate []

Srinagar: The annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra continued to witness an overwhelming response, with 22,599 pilgrims performing darshan at the holy cave shrine on Wednesday, taking the total number of devotees who have completed the pilgrimage to 3,24,525 in the first 13 days of the Yatra. According to official figures, those who performed darshan on []

Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday delivered a keynote address on AI: Effects and Side Effects at a commemorative event organised by Dr. Suresh Awasthi Smriti Nyas in Varanasi to observe his 20th Punya Smriti Diwas. The Lieutenant Governor paid his heartfelt tribute to Dr. Awasthi, a remarkable personality who embodied knowledge and humility. []

Rich tributes paid to Sheikh Mustafa Kamals political, social, public service SRINAGAR: Condolence meetings continued on Thursday following the demise of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference Additional General Secretary, former Minister, distinguished political leader and dedicated public servant, Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal. Delegations representing different sections of society from across Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh []

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a review meeting to assess the preparedness of the Labour & Employment Department for implementation of the Four Labour Codes enacted by the Government of India. The meeting besides Secretary, Labour & Employment was attended by the Commissioner Secretary, Law; DG, Codes; Labour Commissioner; and other senior officers. []

Kulgam: In a significant action under the ongoing 100 Days Campaign, Police in Kulgam, in coordination with the Revenue Department, have attached immovable properties with an estimated market value of approximately 1.50 crores in District Kulgam as part of sustained efforts to curb unlawful activities and dismantle the infrastructure supporting such offences. The action was []

BUDGAM: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), under the ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Poultry Breeding, organized an awareness-cum-distribution program for tribal farmers at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Budgam, under the DAPST (Tribal Sub-Plan). The initiative aimed to promote scientific backyard poultry farming as a sustainable livelihood option and []

BARAMULLA: As part of its sustained efforts to maintain peace, public order, and security in the district, Police in Baramulla conducted search operations at the residential houses of Jammu & Kashmir living in Pakistan (PoK), their family residences, and other closely associated premises in the village of Bagna Bijhama in Uri Sub-Division. The searches were []

SHOPIAN: On the directions of SSP Shopian, a crime review meeting was conducted at Police Station Shopian under the chairmanship of DySP Headquarters, Shopian. The meeting was attended by the Station House Officer and all Investigating Officers of Police Station Shopian. A comprehensive review of the crime scenario, progress of investigations, disposal of pending cases, []

Final troop withdrawal begins in September WASHINGTON: The United States will withdraw all its remaining troops from Iraq by the end of September, bringing to a close a military mission that began with the 2003 invasion of the country and later evolved into operations against the Islamic State (IS) group. The withdrawal, announced jointly by []

NEW DELHI: Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi has hit out at the Election Commission over the ongoing SIR exercise, saying the process is focussed more on exclusion and has played havoc with democracy with free and fair elections having been disturbed. The emphasis in the ongoing SIR process is on how many to []

Says both countries will continue working together for shared prosperity NEW DELHI: As the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has come into force, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described it as a significant moment in bilateral ties. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi stated that the landmark pacts Comprehensive Economic and []

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court said it will hear on Thursday a public interest litigation raising concern over the health of Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar demanding the sacking of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the public-exams mess, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has appealed to the []

MUMBAI: Dismissing speculations over NCP (SP) leaders meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, partys working president Supriya Sule on Wednesday clarified that there was no political strategy behind the interactions. While addressing a press conference, Sule noted that Jayant Patil had officially sought an appointment with Fadnavis for raising the issue of action taken []

DC Bandipora presents roadmap at first-ever EPR Convention BANDIPORA: In a landmark step towards environmental conservation and sustainable tourism, the District Administration Bandipora on Wednesday organised the first-ever Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Convention at the Auditorium, Government HSS Dawar, Gurez, bringing together senior functionaries of the Government of India, district administration, Indian Army, leading national []

BANDIPORA: On the directions of the Transport Commissioner, J&K, Vishesh Pal Mahajan, and the Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora, Indu Kanwal Chib, the ARTO Bandipora conducted an intensive enforcement drive on the BandiporaGurez route to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and to enhance road safety. During the drive, a total of 112 []

Srinagar: Director General of Police, J&K, Nalin Prabhat on Wednesday visited Cargo and interacted with Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel. Accompanied by V.K. Birdi, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, and other senior officers, the DGP took stock of the operational preparedness and working conditions of the force. During the interaction, the DGP appreciated the []

MUMBAI: NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Wednesday dismissed speculation over meetings between her party leaders and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying there was no political strategy behind the interactions. Addressing a press conference, Sule said senior party leader Jayant Patil had officially sought an appointment with Fadnavis to raise the issue of []

NEW DELHI: Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed that the BJP is wooing the NCP (SP) and the DMK to get their support for the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill which the government intends to bring in the Monsoon session of Parliament and urged the two regional parties to not support the Bill. Chidambaram also said any []