KashmirLife

by Dr Iqra Shafi Across Asia, Gen Z is reshaping political activism through digital mobilisation, issue-based movements and demands for accountability, opportunity, transparency and institutional reform From the streets of New Delhi to Kathmandu and Jakarta, we are witnessing a striking pattern emerge. The faces leading contemporary protests are not seasoned activists or veteran politicians []

Kashmirs drug crackdown shows impressive numbers, but lasting change demands community ownership and supply-chain reform. The Narcotics Control Roadmap 2026-29 marks a serious escalation in Jammu and Kashmirs fight against narcotics, and the figures justify the seriousness. NDPS cases have quadrupled, arrests have tripled, and property attachments have risen nearly nineteen-fold in a single year. []

SRINAGAR : Police have arrested two persons and recovered 53 stolen copper utensils in connection with a house theft case in Chandoosa area of north Kashmirs Baramulla district. A case was registered at Police Station Chandoosa on August 9 after a complaint was received regarding the theft of copper utensils from a house in Nilsar. []

SRINAGAR: The 80th Independence Day was celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir with patriotic fervour and enthusiasm on Saturday, with the Tricolour unfurled at major functions in Srinagar and Jammu as well as district, sub-divisional, tehsil, block and panchayat headquarters across the Union Territory. Ceremonial parades, march-pasts, cultural programmes, patriotic songs and tableaux marked the celebrations, []

SRINAGAR: Fairly widespread light to moderate rain and thunderstorms are likely across Jammu and Kashmir over the next 24 hours, with the weather remaining unsettled over the region for the following two days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The forecast issued by the Meteorological Centre, Srinagar, on Saturday said Kashmir is likely to []

SRINAGAR: The Traffic Police on Saturday issued an advisory regulating the movement of Buddha Amarnath Yatra-2026 convoys between Jammu and Poonch, in view of the forthcoming pilgrimage and to ensure smooth traffic movement along the route. The advisory, issued by the J&K Traffic Police Headquarters, will remain valid from August 17 to August 28, 2026, []

Iran says Strait of Hormuz remains under its control as Israels latest strikes in southern Lebanon kill 11 and leave 19 injured

SRINAGAR: At least 40 people were killed and dozens injured after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesias Flores island early Saturday, collapsing buildings, triggering landslides and sending residents fleeing to safer areas. The shallow earthquake struck at around 5:58 am local time, with the epicentre located about 68 kilometres north-northwest of Ende in East []

SRINAGAR : A residential house was completely gutted in a fire incident in the Jamadar Bijhama area of Boniyar in north Kashmirs Baramulla district on Saturday. The house belonged to Bashir Ahmad Badan and Nazir Ahmad Badar, sons of Matwali Badar, residents of Bijhama. Locals said the fire was suspected to have been caused by []

SRINAGAR: Army, police and CRPF personnel on Saturday recovered a cache of explosives and ammunition after busting a hideout in the Draba area of Surankote in Poonch district, officials said. Officials said a joint operation was launched by the Armys 16 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operations Group (SOG) Bufliaz and 38 Battalion of the CRPF following []

SRINAGAR: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday renewed his demand for withdrawal of cases registered against youth in Jammu and Kashmir, saying their reintegration into society was crucial for lasting peace and stability in the Union Territory. Bukhari made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the partys Independence []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday hoisted the National Flag at the historic Polo Ground in Leh and took the salute of marching contingents as Ladakh celebrated the 80th Independence Day with patriotic fervour. Addressing the gathering, Saxena paid tribute to the freedom fighters whose sacrifices secured Indias Independence and laid the foundation []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday expressed grief over the death of five people in a road accident in the Dachhan area of Kishtwar district. Pained by the loss of five lives in a tragic road accident in Dachhan, Kishtwar. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, Sinha said in a []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has announced the Chief Ministers Award for Honesty, Integrity and Meritorious Public Service for five officials on the occasion of Independence Day 2026. According to a General Administration Department order issued on Friday, the awardees are Kuldeep Krishan Sidha, JKAS, Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums; Anil Sharma, JKAS, Additional []

Mehbooba Mufti Calls for Meaningful Freedom, Constitutional Rights on Independence Day

SRINAGAR: At least five people were killed after a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle skidded off the road and rolled into the Chenab River in the Dachhan area of Kishtwar district on Saturday, officials said. Quoting an official the news agency KNO reported that the accident occurred in the morning when the vehicle, bearing registration number HR29AG-0648, []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday hoisted the National Flag at Lok Bhavan here on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, with a ceremonial police contingent presenting the National Salute. Paying tribute to the freedom fighters and martyrs who made sacrifices for the countrys independence, Sinha also remembered civilians who []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday reiterated his governments commitment to the restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the administration would continue working to fulfil the aspirations of the people. Addressing the 80th Independence Day gathering in Srinagar, Omar said his government was committed to restoring []

by Sri Varshith Kumar Reddy E Tibetan Muslims in Kashmir, descendants of a centuries-old trans-Himalayan community, remain culturally integrated yet face unresolved questions The story of Tibetan Muslims in Kashmir begins not with exile, but with trade, theology, and centuries-old trans-Himalayan connectivity. Long before the Himalayas hardened into borders, pilgrims, pastoralists, and pashmina traders linked []

Numerically, Jammu and Kashmirs battle against the drug menace has reached an unprecedented scale, with property attachments accounting for nearly half of the total recorded across the country, writes Masood Hussain Years after battling the drug menace, the Jammu and Kashmir government is working on a Narcotics Control Roadmap 2026-29 that would guide the systemic []

Calls for transparent, secure and trustworthy public examination system

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday extended warm greetings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the nation on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day. In his message, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening democracy, unity, peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the spirit []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday extended his heartfelt greetings and best wishes to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion of Independence Day. In his message, Sinha greeted the people on the joyous occasion and called for celebrating the national festival with pride and a renewed commitment to []

SRINAGAR: India has transformed from being counted among the worlds Fragile Five economies to emerging as the fastest-growing major economy in the past 12 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Modi highlighted the economic and technological progress made []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Governments Home Department has promoted four Deputy Directors in the Prosecution Department to the post of Joint Director. The promotions were approved on the recommendation of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). The officers promoted as Joint Directors are Harminder Singh, Kamal Sharma, Suresh Kumar and Prashant Mahajan. []

SRINAGAR : Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg on Friday clarified that no order has been issued asking employees appointed under the Prime Ministers Package to work from home ahead of Independence Day. The clarification came amid reports that PM Package employees had been verbally directed to work from home in view of security concerns ahead []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved the inter-divisional mutual transfer of two teachers from Poonch and Baramulla districts on a reciprocal basis, according to an order issued by the School Education Department. Under the order, Sanjeev Kumar, Teacher at Middle School Dhan Dhana in Zone Mandi, Poonch, will be transferred to the post []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Bank has facilitated the settlement of life insurance claims worth Rs 2.55 crore in favour of the legal heirs of a deceased High Net Worth Individual (HNI) customer of its Residency Road branch in Srinagar. The settlement, covering multiple insurance policies, provides financial support to the bereaved family and underscores the []

SRINAGAR: Five IPS officers from the Delhi cadre have been relieved from the Delhi Government and Delhi Police for posting to Jammu and Kashmir as part of an inter-cadre/segment movement ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to an order issued by the Delhi Governments Home Department on Friday, the officers will be relieved []

SRINAGAR: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to protect Srinagars existing sports grounds and open spaces from encroachment, fragmentation and diversion, warning that the proposed SangarmalRajbagh bridge/flyover could adversely affect the historic Polo Ground. In a communication to Youth Services, Sports and Food & Supplies Minister Satish Sharma, the []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has dismissed a writ petition filed by the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association seeking permission for government employee and international sportsperson Bilquis Mir to serve as Chief Coach of the Indian national kayaking and canoeing team and undertake an international assignment in Hungary, holding that []

SRINAGAR: Hundreds of people from different walks of life on Friday joined congregational prayers and a condolence meeting held in memory of Er. Mohammad Anwar Ashai, noted engineer, social activist and a repository of Kashmirs institutional and social memory, who passed away on August 11. The congregational Fateha was held at the ancestral graveyard of []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has accorded stop-gap placement of 30 Section Officers as In-charge Administrative Officers in various departments, according to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on Thursday. Government Order No. 1405-JK(GAD) of 2026, dated August 14, stated that the officers have been placed in their own pay and []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government will constitute a departmental committee to review the rules governing the appointment of outstanding sportspersons, including S.O. 12 of 2022 and S.O. 412 of 2023, the Department of Youth Services and Sports said on Wednesday. The decision follows concerns and representations received from sportspersons regarding the existing appointment framework. []

SRINAGAR: A 65-year-old man died after being hit by an unidentified truck in the Wuyan-Khrew area of Pampore in south Kashmirs Pulwama district on Friday, officials said. The deceased, identified as Mushtaq Ahmed Bhat, son of Sana Ullah, a resident of Wuyan-Khrew, was critically injured after the truck hit him in the area, an official []

SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday paid tribute to the victims of the 1947 Partition, saying their suffering remains an unhealed wound in the collective consciousness of the country and called upon the youth to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated. Sinha was addressing a gathering at Tagore Hall, Srinagar, during an []

SRINAGAR: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in a joint operation with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Border Security Force (BSF), has arrested an alleged drug peddler and seized 603 grams of suspected heroin in Samba district, officials said on Friday. The accused, a resident of Vijaypur, was arrested from the Bari Brahmana area during []

SRINAGAR : Thirty-eight personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police have been awarded the Medal for Gallantry (GM) on the occasion of Independence Day 2026, according to the official list of awardees. The list includes personnel from different ranks, including Deputy Inspector General, Senior Superintendent of Police, Superintendent of Police, Inspector, Deputy Superintendent of Police, []

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has accorded quasi-permanent status to Prof. (Dr.) Majid Jahangir, Head of the Department of Radio Diagnosis and Imaging at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, who is currently holding the charge of Principal, GMC Baramulla. The decision was issued by the Health and Medical Education Department through Government Order No. []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police has secured 52 medals for gallantry, distinguished and meritorious service as part of the Independence Day 2026 honours announced by the Union government. According to the official list, J&K Police personnel have been awarded 38 Medals for Gallantry (GM), one Presidents Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) and 13 Medals for []

SRINAGAR: One person was killed and another critically injured after a Village Defence Committee (VDC) member allegedly opened fire at them in the Moungri area of Udhampur district on Friday, officials said. Quoting a senior police officer, the news agency KNO reported that the incident took place in the morning when the two men were []

SRINAGAR: A senior police officer from Jammu and Kashmir has been selected for the Presidents Medal for Distinguished Service as part of the Independence Day 2026 honours. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shoket Hussain Shah is the sole recipient from Jammu and Kashmir listed under the Police Service category in the official list of recipients. []

SRINAGAR : A year after a devastating cloudburst-triggered flash flood killed 93 people at Chasoti in Kishtwar district, the remains of 30 victims are yet to be recovered, leaving families trapped between grief and the absence of a final farewell. The tragedy struck on August 14 last year at Chasoti, the last motorable point on []

SRINAGAR:The SrinagarSonamargGumri (SSG) Road has been reopened to traffic after landslides at Zojila, Ranga Mod, Minamarg and other locations were cleared, officials said on Friday. The road had been blocked after an intense cloudburst hit the Ranga Morh and Sarbal areas of Sonamarg on the evening of Thursday, triggering a major mudslide and a sharp []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has directed all its officers and officials to register themselves with the Biometric Attendance System, regardless of whether they are posted for duty inside or outside court complexes. The direction was issued through Circular No. 27 of 2026/RG/NG-277 (1), dated August 13, by Registrar General M []

SRINAGAR: Security has been intensified along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway ahead of Independence Day celebrations on August 15, with multiple security agencies increasing surveillance and vehicle checks at sensitive locations. Personnel from the BSF, CRPF, JK Police and other security agencies are maintaining heightened vigilance along the highway, particularly at vulnerable and strategic points, officials []

SRINAGAR: Concern is growing among saffron growers in south Kashmir over the continued shortage of quality saffron corms, with farmers and local stakeholders urging the authorities to strengthen measures to prevent their illegal transportation outside Jammu and Kashmir and establish dedicated nurseries for multiplying quality planting material. The demand comes at a time when Kashmirs []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has dismissed a writ petition filed by a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) engineer challenging disciplinary proceedings against him over alleged financial transactions totalling Rs 4.5 lakh with a labourer under his official command, holding that there was no ground to interfere with the charges at []

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir is preparing to welcome the world of cinema for its maiden International Film Festival, with around 1,100 entries from nearly 80 countries and an elaborate four-day programme planned across Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg. At almost the same time, however, a section of the regions established film and television fraternity is asking []

SRINAGAR: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has upheld the conviction and 10-year rigorous imprisonment of an 84-year-old godman for repeatedly raping a minor girl who subsequently became pregnant and delivered a stillborn baby, holding that the prosecution case was supported by sufficient and credible evidence including the victims testimony, medical evidence []