Ladakh-like incidents not in interest of India or China: MEA

19/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 18: India said today it will continue to engage with China to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Dokalam standoff, but underlined that incidents like one in Ladakh three days ago were not in the "interest of either side". "Today, I can confirm that there was an incident at Pangong Tso on August 15. This was subsequently discussed by the local army commanders of the two sides. Such incidents are not in the interest of either side. We should maintain peace and tranquillity...

TERROR FUNDING: Kashmiri bizman sent to NIA custody

19/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 18: Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, arrested by the NIA for allegedly collecting money from Pakistan-based terror outfits for Hurriyat leaders, was today sent to 10-day custodial interrogation by a city court. District Judge Poonam A Bamba allowed the agency's plea for custody after it said that the accused was required to be confronted with evidence in the case in which Altaf Ahmed Shah, the son-in-law of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and six others were earlier ar...

Killing of militants won’t help resolve Kashmir issue: Mirwaiz

19/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today claimed that killing of militants by the security forces will not help resolve the Kashmir issue. "Each day, young educated boys are being killed and there is a belief in some that once all of them are killed, the problem will be over. But they forget that these boys took to arms as a reaction to repression and for the resolution of the dispute," Mirwaiz said in his Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid here. The Hurriy...

Delhi HC sacks probationary judge

19/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 18: Four days before he was set to become a permanent judge of a trial court, the services of a judicial officer have been terminated by the Delhi High Court. The decision to terminate the service of the judicial officer, who was on probation since July 2016, was taken by a full court of the High Court on August 10, Registrar General (RG) Dinesh Kumar Sharma said today. He said since the officer was on probation, no reasons were required to be given for terminating his services...

Omar for special session of JK legislature on Article 35A

19/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today sought a special session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature before August 29 to frame an appropriate response to counter the narrative on Article 35A of the Constitution. The issue is of vital importance for the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh as abrogation of Article 35A will have serious ramifications, Omar said in a statement issued by the National Conference here. The former chief minister expressed grave co...

6 injured as part of under-construction tunnel collapses

19/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 18: Six labourers were injured when a part of an under-construction tunnel of Parnai Hydel Power project collapsed in Poonch district today. The 37.5 MW Parnai Hydel Power project is expected to be completed by January end next year Police said a part of the tunnel collapsed at Surankote belt and six labourers came under the debris. While two critically injured labourers were shifted to the Government Medical College hospital in Jammu, the rest have been admitted in hospital ther...

Boy, missing since 2015, traced to Delhi

19/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 18: A teenage boy, who had left home in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district in 2015, was traced by police to Delhi, where he was working in a hotel. Surjeet Kumar, a resident of Bhartund in Doda district, "had been working in the hotel at his own will since his disappearance in 2015", a senior Police officer said. On March 21, 2016, Kumar's father lodged a complaint at Doda police station alleging that his son had been kidnapped and killed. The matter was then highlighted in the loc...

Pathribal encounter: SC agrees to examine plea of victims’ kin

19/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 18: The Supreme Court on Friday said it would examine a plea filed by the family members of five civilians killed in an alleged fake encounter in Pathribal area of south Kashmir in 2000, seeking CBI trial against the army personnel purportedly involved. The matter reached the apex court after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had dismissed the plea of family members last year. “Issue notice. Let the matter be listed for final disposal after six weeks,” a bench comprising Justices...

Solution to Kashmir, terror will be found by 2022: Rajnath

19/08/2017
LUCKNOW, Aug 18: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today asserted that by 2022, a solution would be found to the Kashmir problem as also other problems like terrorism, naxalism and North East insurgency. "There are a lot of problems -- terrorism, naxalism, Kashmir problem. Much is not needed to be said about these problems. But I can assure you this much that by 2022, we have pledged to create a 'new India'...So a solution will be found to all these problems before 2022. We want to assure the ...

NHRC notice to Centre over plan to deport Rohingya immigrants

19/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: Former Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha today said that the Centre should immediately clear it’s stand on Article 35-A of the Constitution, which grants special status to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, four state ministers led by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu will go to New Delhi today to garner support of the BJP top brass, besides seeking legal support of the central government to defend Article 35-A in the Supreme...

Centre should immediately clear it’s stand on Article 35-A: Sinha

19/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: Former Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha today said that the Centre should immediately clear it’s stand on Article 35-A of the Constitution, which grants special status to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, four state ministers led by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu will go to New Delhi today to garner support of the BJP top brass, besides seeking legal support of the central government to defend Article 35-A in the Supreme...

India welcomes US designation of HM as foreign terrorist group

19/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 18: India today welcomed the US's decision to designate Kashmiri terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a foreign terrorist organisation and said it reflected the joint commitment of the two countries to firmly deal with terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. "We welcome the designation of the Hizbul Mujahideen that has been responsible for carrying out heinous acts of terrorism and taking innocent lives in the state of Jammu and Kashmir as a foreign terrorist organisation b...

Jaitley asks states to cut VAT on natural gas, other fuel

19/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 18: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has written to state chief ministers seeking a cut in sales tax or VAT on fuels like natural gas that have been kept out of the GST but are used as inputs for goods that come under the new indirect tax regime. Crude oil, petrol, diesel, natural gas and jet fuel (ATF) have been kept out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which kicked in from July, replacing over a dozen central and state levies like central excise, service tax and VAT with a sin...

People continue to suffer as rail service remain suspended on Srinagar- Banihal track

19/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 18: People continue to suffer as train service remained suspended for the second successive day today on Srinagar-Banihal track via south Kashmir for security reasons while trains will chug in north Kashmir as per schedule, a senior Railway official said. Meanwhile, hundreds of people arriving at different rail stations on Srinagar-Banihal track are returning with great disappointment after being informed about the suspension of the rail service. The train service on Srinagar-A...

14 dead in twin attacks as Spanish police launch manhunt

19/08/2017
BARCELONA, Aug 18: Spanish police hunted today for the driver who ploughed a van into crowds of pedestrians on a busy avenue in Barcelona, just hours before a second such assault hit a nearby resort, in twin attacks that left 14 dead and over 100 injured. Police said they killed five "suspected terrorists" during the night and three others were arrested as Spain reeled from the double tragedy in Barcelona and in Cambrils, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) south. But the driver responsible for th...

Jawan, father injured in ceasefire violation by Pak

18/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 17: An Army jawan and his father were injured along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district as the Pakistan Army violated ceasefire for the sixth consecutive day today. There was a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army in the Nowshera sector today in which two persons - a jawan and his father - sustained minor splinter injuries, Army officials said. There were also reports of brief small arms firing along the LoC in Poonch sector today, a police ...

3 OGWs of militants arrested

18/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 17: Security forces have arrested three overground workers (OWGs) of militants and recovered explosives and ammunition from their possession in Bandipora district of Kashmir, police said today. Acting on a tip off, police and Army launched cordon and search operation in the orchards of Wangipora in Bandipora last evening, a police official said. He said during the search operation, three persons — Altaf Ahmad Mir, Irshad Ahmad Mir and Waseem Ahmad Dar — were arrested. Two hand ...

GOVT SLEEPING: Locals hit streets over erratic power, water supply

18/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 17: Several protesters today blocked the Amphalla-Janipur road here against erratic power and water supply, as commuters struggled to reach their destinations due to a massive traffic jam. The residents of New Plot area took to the streets and blocked the roads near Talimorh to protest frequent and unscheduled power cuts, erratic water supply and bad condition of roads, officials said. According to officials, the protesters burnt tyres and had a brief confrontation with policem...

India can face China, Pak but threat is from within: Farooq

18/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: India can face China and Pakistan but the threat is from within the country as somebody is determined to spoil everything by dividing the people, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said today. The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, while addressing a gathering of opposition leaders hosted by rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav here, recited poetry and couplets to target the BJP in a veiled manner but took no names. "India can face China and Pakistan but unfortu...

India welcomes US move to designate HM as foreign terror organisation

18/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: India today welcomed the the US decision to designate Kashmiri militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a "foreign terrorist organisation", saying the move was "long overdue". The US yesterday designated the Hizbul Mujahideen as a foreign terrorist group, nearly two months after declaring its Pakistan-based chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist. The decision to designate Hizbul Mujahideen as a foreign terrorist organisation was long overdue, a Home Ministry spokesperson s...

4 detained for throwing stones at Samba MLA

18/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 17: The police have detained four persons for allegedly hurling stones at a BJP legislator while protesting the death of four persons in a road accident in Samba district yesterday. "We have registered a case in connection with the attack on Samba MLA Devinder Kumar Manyal and have detained four persons for questioning," Station House Officer of the Ghagwal police station Rajeshwar Singh Paul said. The BJP MLA was injured yesterday when some persons threw stones at his cavalcade in...

Army Chief to visit Ladakh; to review border security

18/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat will pay a three-day visit to Ladakh beginning Sunday during which he will take stock of the security preparedness along the border with China besides discussing key operational matters with top commanders, official sources said today. The Army Chief's visit to Ladakh comes days after Indian border guards foiled an attempt by Chinese soldiers to enter Indian territory along the banks of Pangong lake in Ladakh. The Chief of Army Staff will pay a t...

Rail service suspended again on Srinagar-Banihal track

18/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 17: Train service has again been suspended on Srinagar-Banihal track via south Kashmir for security reasons while trains will chug in north Kashmir as per schedule, a senior Railway official said. There will be no train service on Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region track today for security reasons, Chief Controller Northern Railway said. He said the decision to suspend all train runs on this track has been taken for the security of passengers...

Govt transfers Srinagar, Anantnag DCs

18/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 17: The government today ordered transfer of deputy commissioners of Srinagar and Anantnag districts. Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone was transferred and posted as Officer on Special Duty in Tourism Department, Civil Secretariat, officials said. They said Lone was replaced by Abid Rashers, who was earlier posted as Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag district. Mohammad Younis Malik, who was additional deputy commissioner, Anantnag, will now take over as deputy commis...

Chief Justice visits Baramulla, takes stock of functioning of courts

18/08/2017
BARAMULLA, Aug 17: Chief Justice, Jammu and Kashmir, Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed today visited Baramulla and inaugurated Conference Hall and Lawyers Chambers at the District Court Complex here as well as new complex of Munsiff Court at Boniyar. Minister for Law and Justice Abdul Haq and Administrative Judge for District Baramulla Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey accompanied the Chief Justice. Principal District and Sessions Judge Baramulla Rajesh Sekhri, Ist Additional District & Sessions Judge...

PM wants ‘Swachch Bharat’, we want ‘Sach Bharat’: Rahul

18/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today hit out at the government for not being able to keep its promises and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to create a 'Swachch Bharat' but people wanted a 'sach Bharat'. Addressing a meeting of opposition leaders, hosted by rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, Gandhi also took a dig at the government's flagship programme Make in India , saying most products available in the country were made in China. The Congress leader accused t...

Govt taking steps to uproot corruption: Modi

18/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said steps are afoot to uproot corruption that had become institutionalised, even as he promised more measures to ease the common man's problems. Addressing over 200 start-up entrepreneurs at 'Champions of Change' programme here, he said the government has already ended the system of interviews for group-III and -IV employees in the government, ending the role of middlemen who used to promise jobs for money. "It is unfortunate that corrupt...

Guardian nod not needed for abortion of a retarded woman: SC

18/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: There is no need for the consent of guardians for medical termination of pregnancy of a mentally retarded woman as the concept of "sovereignty over her body" has to be respected, the Supreme Court today said. The apex court has held that the fundamental concept relating to a woman's "bodily integrity" and "personal autonomy" have to be given due respect. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra awarded additional Rs 10 lakh compensation to a mildly mentally retarded destitute ...

Oppn to unitedly fight BJP, RSS, preserve ‘composite culture’

18/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: Over a dozen opposition parties today launched a scathing attack on the RSS and accused the Modi government of not fulfilling its promises, as Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi demanded a 'sach Bharat' or a true India instead of 'Swachch Bharat'.

Lal Chand appointed as Acting Chairman JKPSC

18/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 17: In exercise of his powers under the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, Governor N.N. Vohra has approved appointment of Lal Chand, Member, as Acting Chairman of J&K Public Service Commission with effect from 28-08-2917 till Sh. Latief-u-Zaman Deva, the present incumbent, resumes duty.

Sawhney condoles demise of Adv Puri

18/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 17: Mr. A.K. Sawhney Advocate, former Bar President and President Jammu Newspaper Guild has condoled the demise of Mr. S K Puri Advocate. Sawhney conveyed his heartfelt condolences to members of bereaved family and expressed their sympathies with the family members and prayed for peace to the departed soul.

Govt extends tax break for industry in J&K till 2027

17/08/2017
NEW DELHI/ SRINAGAR, Aug 16: Industries in the north eastern and Himalayan states will continue to get tax exemption till March 2027, albeit as refund, under the current GST regime which was rolled out on July 1, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today. "Within the framework of the GST Act each industry will be entitled to its own refund mechanism during this particular period (March 31, 2027)," he said. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ...

CHINORE MURDER CASE: 2nd Addl. Sessions Judge frames murder charge against four accused

17/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 16: The 2nd Addl. Sessions Judge, Jammu Mr. Pawan Dev Kotwal framed charge under section 302 RPC (Murder) against four accused in the Chinore Murder Case i.e. three male accused and one women for murdering a woman Geeta Devi at Chinore. Mr. Pawan Dev Kotwal 2nd Addl. Sessions Judge Jammu after hearing both sides at length and examining the file framed murder charge under Section 302/452/498 A/43 RPC. Mr K A Qazi APP appeared for the State and Mr. A.K. Sawhney Advocate appear...

Modi govt’s J&K policy has created space for Pak to misbehave: Rahul

17/08/2017
BENGALURU, Aug 16: In a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government's Jammu and Kashmir policy, Rahul Gandhi today alleged that it has created a space in the troubled state for Pakistan to 'misbehave'. His tirade at a Congress rally here comes a day after Modi, in his Independence Day address, reached out to Kashmiris, saying abuses and bullets would not resolve their problems but embracing them would. "He (Modi) has created an environment in Jammu and Kashmir of hatred and anger, and the...

Personal liberty can’t be compromised: SC

17/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Personal liberty cannot be compromised at the altar of what the State may perceive as justice, the Supreme Court today said while granting bail to former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul in a case of alleged corruption. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur, in a majority ruling of 2:1, said that Paul was entitled to 'default bail' and the trial judge should release him on such terms and conditions as may be reasonable. In the ...

LeT commander killed in encounter at Pulwama

17/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 16: A self-styled district commander of militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed in a brief encounter with security forces in Pulwama district, police said. The security forces had launched an anti-militancy operation in Kakapora area of Pulwama district following information about presence of militants there, they said. "Ayub Lelhari, district commander LeT, was killed in the encounter with security forces in Pulwama," a police spokesman said. "Lelhari's death is ye...

Pakistan violates ceasefire, shells areas in Poonch

17/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 16: Pakistan today violated the ceasefire by shelling forward posts and civilian areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, even as an Army jawan wounded in an earlier incident in Uri sector succumbed to injuries. This is the fifth consecutive day that Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire along the LoC. "One Havaldar Narendra Singh, who was injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistani army on August 7, died today," an Army officer said. The ...

TERROR FUNDING CASE: NIA conducts searches in Kashmir

17/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 16: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted searches at about a dozen locations in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the terror funding case against separatists and others which included the residence of a relative of a ruling PDP MLC. Officials in the central probe agency said the searches were carried out at 12 locations in Srinagar, Baramulla Kupwara, Pulwama and Handwara. They said the premises belonging to advocate Shafi Reshi, an relative of a PDP Me...

US designates Hizbul Mujahideen as foreign terrorist group

17/08/2017
WASHINGTON, Aug 16: The US today designated Kashmiri militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a "foreign terrorist organisation", nearly two months after declaring the group's Pakistan-based chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist. The designation, which slaps a series of US sanctions on the outfit, came against the backdrop of upsurge in the terror activities of the militant group in Kashmir in recent months. "These designations seek to deny Hizbul Mujahideen the resources it needs to carry ...

Four killed in Samba bus accident

17/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 16: Four persons, including two students, were killed and 18 others injured today when a passenger bus overturned on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Samba district here, police said. The accident triggered protest by locals as the injured claimed that it was a result of "rash driving" and "overloading". However, the police said they are investigating to ascertain the cause. The mini-bus was going to Samba town from the border village of Checkwal when the accident took p...

BJP MLA injured in stone-pelting by protesters in Samba

17/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 16: A BJP MLA was injured when some angry persons pelted his cavalcade with stones in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district when he went to take part in the cremation of two persons, who were among four who died in an accident today. "As the cavalcade of Samba MLA Devinder Kumar Manyal reached the cremation ground, some angry people resorted to stone-pelting," a senior police officer said. One of the stones hit him in the head resulting in injuries, he said. The MLA was immediate...

Day after skirmishes, Army officers of India, China meet in Leh

17/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Army officers of India and China met today in Leh's Chusul sector, a day after border guards foiled an attempt by Chinese soldiers to enter Indian territory along the banks of Pangong lake in Ladakh. Official sources said yesterday's incident at Pangong and ways to maintain peace and tranquility along the Sino-India border in Ladakh were discussed at length at the border personnel meeting (BPM). Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) tried to enter the Indian side i...

Woman’s video raising patriotic slogans in Lal Chowk goes viral

17/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 16: A video of a woman raising "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram" slogans on Independence Day in Srinagar's Lal Chowk has gone viral on social media. In the 45-second video clip, Sunita Arora, is purportedly seen raising slogans in the heart of the city, where over 200 activists of BJP's youth wing, who wanted to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk, were detained yesterday as a precautionary measure. Arora, a Kashmiri Pandit, said she wanted to convey a message to the "misgu...

Jammu airport’s modernised terminal building to open today

17/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 16: Jammu airport’s upgraded and newly expanded state-of-the-art terminal building will open tomorrow, senior officials said. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Union Minister for Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju will inaugurate the new building in the presence of Union ministers of state Jitendra Singh and Jayant Sinha. “The Jammu Airport is set to offer a world-class experience to passengers with an expanded and modernised terminal. The inauguration will be held tomorrow,” Ja...

Life returns to normal in Kashmir after day-long strike

17/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 16: Life returned to normal today in Kashmir valley, including summer capital Srinagar, following a day-long strike called by separatists. However, a complete shutdown was being observed today in some areas in Beerwah in central Kashmir district of Budgam against the killing of four youth in security force firing on this day last year. Authorities also lifted restrictions in the downtown and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) after two days. Shops and business establishments reopened and ...

Kovind for people-govt partnership for India's growth with compassion & humanism

15/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: President Ram Nath Kovind today pitched for a partnership between citizens and the government to create a New India by 2022 that is a "compassionate society" and includes the "humanist component integral to the nation's DNA". In his maiden address to the Nation on the eve of 71st Independence Day, Kovind remembered the role of leaders of Independence struggle including Jawaharlal Nehru. He said the generation that brought us to freedom was diverse which included men and wom...

Vohra calls for collective effort to ensure stability in J&K

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today called for collective efforts from all mainstream political parties to counter the forces who are trying to destabilise the state. "The collective voice of the various mainstream political parties would assume much greater strength if all the civil society groups in J&K, of whatever kind, also join the cause to negate the agendas of those who seek to de-stabilise the state," Vohra said on the eve of Independence Day. He called f...

Our constitutional position sound basis of mutual trust, tolerance, cooperation: Mehbooba

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today asserted that the constitutional position enjoyed by the State provides a sound basis of cooperation, mutual trust and tolerance between the people of the State and rest of the country. In her message to the people of the State on the eve of Independence Day, the Chief Minister said this position was the result of reciprocity of the sentiments of the people of the State and rest of the country following the accession of 1947. "When the...

Restrictions imposed in parts of Srinagar

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Authorities today imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to maintain law and order in the wake of killing of two civilians in security forces’ action on stone-pelting protestors. Restrictions have been imposed in five police station areas of the city here, a police official said. He said the curbs have been enforced in the police station areas of Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar, M R Gunj and Safakadal. The official said the restrictions were imposed as a precautionary m...

Want concrete shape to PM’s assurance on Art 35A: Omar

15/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 14: National Conference chief Omar Abdullah today insisted that his party does not question the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India but wanted "concrete shape" to be given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance that there will be no fiddling with the Article 35A. He said the BJP was wrongly claiming that Jammu and Ladakh regions of the state would benefit by abrogation of Article 35A of the Indian Constitution which grants special privileges to the citizens of the sta...

5-judge Constitution bench may hear plea against Art 35A

15/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: The issue of Article 35A, which provides special rights to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, seems to be heading into a major controversy with the Supreme Court today saying a constitution bench may examine whether it is gender-biased and violative of the basic structure. Article 35A, which was added to the Constitution by a Presidential Order in 1954, accords special rights and privileges to J and K citizens and deny property right to a woman who marries a person from outs...

Grenade attack by militants injures 4 securitymen

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Four security personnel were injured today in a grenade attack by militants in central Kashmir's Budgam district, police said. Militants hurled a grenade at a road opening party of CRPF and police at Batpora in Magam area, 20 kilometres from here, a police official said. He said three CRPF personnel and one policeman were injured in the grenade blast. The injured personnel have been admitted to SKIMS Medical College hospital at Bemina here. The attack came amidst stringent...

2 Harkat-ul-Mujahideen militants arrested in Kupwara

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Two militants belonging to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen outfit were today arrested in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said. Acting on specific information about the movement of militants in the area, security forces set up a picket at Bakihaker crossing. During checking, two persons who were walking towards Bakihaker started running after seeing the security personnel from a distance, a police spokesman said. Security forces had deployed another team in civvies at a di...

Defend India’s borders with all your might: Jaitley to forces

15/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: In the backdrop of rising cross border terror activities in Kashmir and standoff with China in Dokalam, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today called upon the armed forces to defend the country's borders with "all its might". In a strong message to Pakistan, he asked it to refrain from continuing with "abhorrent acts" of terrorism against India and reminded Islamabad of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army on September 29 last year on terror launch pads. He said...

Govt initiates process for constitution of maiden Law Commission

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 12: The Government today accorded formal sanction to the establishment of Law Commission in the State for a period of three years. The Commission consists of a full-time chairperson, two full-time members and two part time members while Secretary Law will be the ex-officio member of the Commission. The headquarters of the Law Commission shall be the same as that of headquarters of the State Government. The Chairperson of the State Law Commission who shall be appointed by the Go...

Gorakhpur hospital tragedy continues, 6 more children die

15/08/2017
GORAKHPUR/BENGALURU, Aug 14: Six more children have died from encephalitis since Saturday at state-run BRD Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur where the death of nearly 70 of them, including infants, has set off a nation-wide outrage and political recrimination. Many of these deaths were alleged to have been caused by shortage of oxygen, a claim dismissed by the government. Even as the authorities grappled with the situation in the aftermath of the tragedy which continued to unfold, additio...

Pak troops target Indian posts along LoC

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Pakistani troops today targeted Indian posts at two places along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir but there were no casualties. "Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by firing towards our positions at Chath-Khadi Saidapora and Taad in Tangdhar sector at around 2.20 am," an army official said. He said the firing lasted for more than an hour but there were no casualties. This was the second ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops in north K...

Hizb names successor to slain ‘operational commander’

15/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 14: Hizbul Mujahideen today named Mohammad bin Qasim as its "field operational commander" in Kashmir in place of Yaseen Yattoo who was killed yesterday in a fierce gunbattle with security forces in Shopian district. Qasim was made the new commander of Hizb at a meeting of the outfit's command council chaired by Syed Salahuddin in Muzaffarabad (in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), a spokesman of the outfit said in a statement. Salahuddin said the high number of killings of militants in...

Aslam’s ED custody extended by 6 days

15/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: A Delhi court today extended by six days the ED custody of alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani, arrested in connection with a decade-old money laundering case involving Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah. Duty Magistrate Pankaj Sharma allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate Wani till August 20 after the agency’s special public prosecutor N K Matta sought 10 days custody. During the in-chamber proceedings, advocate M S Khan, appearing for Wani, opposed the...

SVO books then MD J&K Co-Operative Housing Corporation

15/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 14: Vigilance Organization registered a case against Brij Bhushan, then MD and other officers/officials of J&K Co-operative Housing Corporation, Revenue Department and Attorney holder Ashok Kumar on the basis of verification conducted into the complaint alleging therein that the officers/officials of J&K Co-Operative Housing Corporation in connivance and criminal conspiracy with officers and officials of revenue department and private beneficiaries, have made double payments in res...

I-day: CG police jawan gets lone PPMG; 990 policemen decorated

15/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 14: A Chhattisgarh Police jawan, who laid down his life fighting Naxals, has been named on the eve of the Independence Day today for the country's highest police gallantry medal, while 989 other central and state police forces personnel will get various service medals. The maximum number of personnel, 53 out of the total 190 named for the bravery medals, are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the lead force for anti-Naxal operations in the country. The country's larg...

Self-styled Hizb ops commander Ghaznavi killed in Shopian gunfight

14/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 13: In a jolt to Hizbul Mujahideen, its three militants, including self-styled chief operations commander Yasin Itoo alias 'Gaznavi', were killed in an encounter that began last night and also claimed the lives of two armymen in Shopian district of South Kashmir. Following a tip-off to the local police, a cordon was laid in Awnira village of Shopian last night by the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and the CRPF. Militants fired at the approachi...

4 ceasefire violations by Pak; 3 jawans injured

14/08/2017
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Aug 13: Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire four times along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, Rajouri and Baramulla districts today, injuring three Army jawans, officials said. According to Army sources, the Pakistani troops opened indiscriminate fire at Indian positions at Baaz Post in Uri in Baramulla district at around 4 pm. Three soldiers suffered bullet injuries in the firing and were admitted to the 92 Base Hospital of the Army in Srinagar, they said. Pakist...

Sterlite, Tata Power, other Contractors damage forests, wildlife sanctuary in J&K

14/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 13: Some of the Contractors engaged in laying power transmission lines have damaged and defaced the slopes of Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary Shopian. It may be mentioned that the said sanctuary is home to critically endangered Pir Panjal Markhor. The 341 square kilometer sanctuary, abode to hundreds of animal species like Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, leopard, Tibetan wolf, Himalayan palm civet and the Pir Panjal markhor, has already been under stress due to Mu...

Govt working on a ‘permanent solution’ to Kashmir issue: Rajnath

14/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 13: Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the incidents of stone pelting in Kashmir Valley had declined and that the Centre was working towards a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue. Singh also lauded the Jammu and Kashmir Police's efforts in curbing terrorism and added that the state government had not posed any obstruction in the fight against terrorism. "...whatever steps we are now taking in Kashmir is towards a permanent solution of the issue. I will not like to clari...

Terrorists in Kashmir now on the run: Jaitley

14/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 13: Terrorists in the Kashmir Valley are now on the run and they cannot continue to terrorise the people for decades, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said today, maintaining that the government’s priority was to clean up the Kashmir Valley of armed militants. He said the terrorists in Kashmir were “now under great pressure” and the financial crunch caused by demonetisation and the action taken by National Investigation Agency (NIA) on illegal foreign fundings have checked illegal ...

Army jawan, 2 cops injured as militants open fire in Bandipora

14/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 13: Two policemen and an Army jawan were injured when militants fired upon a search party of security forces in north Kashmir's Bandipora district today, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Wahab, Parray Mohalla in Hajin area of the district this morning after receiving specific intelligence about the presence of some militants there, a police spokesman said. He said as the forces were conducting the search operation when the militants fired up...

Security tightened ahead of Independence Day

14/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 13: Authorities have beefed up security around vital installations as various arrangements were final-ised to ensure peaceful celebration of Ind-ependence Day functions across Jammu region on Tuesday, officials said. The arrangements were finalised at a series of meetings chaired by senior civil and police officials over the past week, also taking into account the situation along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) where ceasefire violations from across have beco...

Israel fence systems, QRT troops at Pak,Bangla borders: BSF DG

14/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 13: India is deploying along its volatile border with Pakistan a smart Israel-developed fencing system having a 'quick response team' mechanism which strikes when the CCTV-powered control room detects an infiltration attempt. The BSF is implementing an ambitious project called the comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS) as part of the Narendra Modi government's plan to completely seal the Indo-Pak and India-Bangladesh borders in the next few years. The BSF is ...

Pak shelling keeps border dwellers away from homes

14/08/2017
RAJOURI/JAMMU, Aug 13: Forced to take shelter in camps in five schools in Nowshera sector, border dwellers are reluctant to go back to their homes even after three months due to repeated shelling and firing by Pakistani troops. The affected villagers rue lack of proper medical facilities and other amenities at the camps which have become their second homes. "We have been facing Pakistani aggression for decades but over the past two years, the situation along the LoC has become very grave....

70 youth join militant ranks in seven months

14/08/2017
JAMMU, Jul 13: Seventy young men have joined militancy in the past seven months this year with most of the recruits from three districts in south Kashmir, according to a senior official. The new recruits mostly belong to Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts in south Kashmir, which has become the hub of tech-savvy militants. "As many as 70 Kashmiri youths joined militancy in the Valley in seven months period this year," the senior security officer told PTI quoting official statistics. The of...

Woman, Army jawan killed in ceasefire violation by Pak army

13/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 12: A 40-year-old woman and an army jawan were killed in firing by the Pakistani army at border villages and Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district today, officials said. "The Pakistani army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 0515 hours in Poonch sector along the LoC," a defence spokesman said. Indian Army personnel guarding the border posts retaliated strongly and effectively. The exchange ...

2 army men killed, 3 injured in Shopian encounter

13/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 12: Two army men were killed and three others, including a captain, injured in an encounter with militants in Shopian district of south Kashmir, the police said tonight. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation today following information about presence of militants in Avneera village of Zainapora area of the district, a police official said. He said as the security forces were conducting searches, the militants opened firing on them which was retaliated by the law...

Militants fire at Army camp, jawan injured

13/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 12: Militants opened fire on an Army camp in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, injuring a jawan, police said today. The militants fired at the Army building in Kalaroos area during the night, a police official said. Sunil Randhawa of the 17 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) was injured in the incident. The injured was taken to an Army hospital in Drugmulla where doctors stated his condition to be stable. The Army and police have launched search operations in the are...

Separatists-sponsored strike affects normal life

13/08/2017
SRINAGAR, Aug 12: Normal life in Kashmir came to a halt today due to a separatists-sponsored strike against the legal challenge to Article 35A of the Constitution, which they termed as a move to change the demography of the Muslim- majority Jammu and Kashmir. Article 35A of the Constitution defines the residency laws in Jammu and Kashmir and bars outsiders from buying any immovable property or applying for jobs in the state government. Schools, colleges, shops, business establishments and...

BJP committed to Agenda of Alliance with PDP

13/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 12: The Indian Army is giving a befitting reply to Pakistan's ceasefire violations by firing 10 bullets for every Pakistani bullet across the LoC, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said today. A 40-year old woman killed in a ceasefire violation today, when the Pakistan Army resorted to shelling on forward villages and Indian posts along the Line of Control in Poonch district, prompting the Indian Army to retaliated strongly and effectively. "Pakistan is being given a befitting...

India fully equipped to face any challenge: Jitendra on Dokalam standoff

13/08/2017
JAMMU, Aug 12: Union minister Jitendra Singh today played down the heightened rhetoric by Beijing over the Dokalam standoff, stating that India was fully equipped to face any challenge. He said the government was confident about the steps it was taking in this regard. "We are well equipped to face any challenge whether externally or internally," Singh told reporters here. The MoS PMO was responding to a question about the recent 'threat' by China through its official media asking India to wi...

India to double nuclear power generation capacity: Goyal

13/08/2017
MUMBAI, Aug 12: India aims to double its nuclear power generation capacity to about 14,000 MW, said Union minister Piyush Goyal. He, however, ruled out nuclear power becoming the main source of energy for the country. At present, India generates about 6,800 MW of nuclear energy. "We have recently embarked on a plan to expand it by about 7,000 MW more and this will be through indigenously manufactured equipment. So, 10 units of 700 MW each we have proposed and we shall be investing in and we w...

Modi govt making ‘hollow’ and ‘false’ promises: Rahul

13/08/2017
RAICHUR, Aug 12: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today hit out at the Modi government over farmer and unemployment issues, accusing it of making "hollow" and "false" promises". "We don't make big promises; rather we will perform and show. When Modiji's government came, farmers were promised full help, but across the country farmers are committing suicide," Gandhi said. He said in Karnataka and Punjab, Congress governments had stood by the farmers. "Wherever there is Congress party gover...

UP CM should quit, hold SC probe into infant deaths: Azad

13/08/2017
NEW DELHI, Aug 12: The Congress today held the Uttar Pradesh government "responsible" for the death of 30 infants at a state-run hospital in Gorakhpur, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and a probe by a Supreme Court judge. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who visited Baba Raghav Das Medical College in eastern Uttar Pradesh, along with party colleagues, expressed deep anguish over the death of 30 children, allegedly due to shortage of supply of liquid oxygen,...

INFANT DEATHS: Gorakhpur medical college principal suspended

13/08/2017
GORAKHPUR (UP), Aug 12: The principal of Baba Raghav Das Medical College was today suspended with "immediate effect" even as the Uttar Pradesh government faced all-round flak for the death of 30 infants in the state-run hospital here within a span of 48 hours since August 10. UP Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon said Rajiv Mishra was suspended for his "irresponsible act" of allegedly delaying payment to the supplier of oxygen cylinders. He said a probe, led by the state chief secreta...

Powerful blast kills 17 people in Pakistan

13/08/2017
KARACHI, Aug 12: At least 17 people were killed and nearly 30 others injured today when a powerful blast targeting a vehicle of the security forces went off in Pakistan's Quetta city. The high intensity blast occurred in a parking lot near Pishin bus stop which is in a high security area. Baluchistan's Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti told media that a truck of the Frontier Corps was targeted in the blast. "The bomb disposal squad has reached the spot and we will be able to confirm soon whet...