Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: Government forces on Monday morning launched a Cordon and search Operation in Khimber village of Zakura area of district Srinagar.

Official Sources told news agency —Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that joint of forces including 5 RR, SOG Srinagar and Jammu kashmir police launched searches after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in Khimber village of Zakura district Srinagar.

Sources added that door to door search operation is underway and all the entry and exit points of the village have been sealed.

Local sources said that huge contingents of forces have been deployed in Kimber village and door-to-door searches are going on,however, no contact with militants has been established so for—(KNO)

PTI

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday extended the coronavirus lockdown until June 8 and said the Centre’s new guidelines on some relaxations require a fresh assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in the Union Territory.

The Union Home Ministry has said ‘Unlock-I’ will be initiated in the country from June 8 under which the nationwide lockdown imposed since March 25 will be relaxed to a greater extent, including opening of shopping malls, restaurants and religious places, even as strict restrictions will remain in place till June 30 in the worst-hit areas.

In an order, Chief Secretary and Chairperson, State Executive Committee, B V R Subrahmanyam said the guidelines or instructions issued on May 19 and 24 with regard to lockdown would continue until June 8.

Referring to the fresh guidelines issued by the Union Home Secretary on Saturday for containment zones (Red zones) till June 30 and reopening certain activities in a phased manner in areas outside containment zones, the order said it requires a fresh assessment.

Whereas these guidelines require State and UT governments to assess the current spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and based on this assessment, prohibit certain activities outside the containment zones or impose such restriction as deemed necessary, which will require a detailed assessment and consultations on the spread of COVID-19 in J&K, the order said.

Barring 11 districts, including eight in the Valley, which were categorized as red zones , life started limping back to normal in four districts of Jammu region declared green zones and five other districts spread across the two divisions and named as orange zones on May 20.

PTI

Srinagar: Security forces busted a militant hideout in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district and recovered a number of items including ammunition, police said here.

On receiving information regarding presence of militants in Akhal-Malwan forest belt of the south Kashmir district, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces, a police spokesperson said.

During the search, a hideout was busted in the forest area, he said.

The spokesperson said a magazine of AK series, 30 rounds of bullets, a gas cylinder with stove, some kitchen utensils, medicines, sleeping bags, rucksack bags and other items were seized from the hideout.

A case has been registered and investigation initiated to establish the full circumstances pertaining to the hideout, he said.

Srinagar: The district administration Srinagar on Sunday announced relaxations in prevailing COVID-19 lockdown for business activities in the district valid till June 8 or as may be revised by concerned authorities.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary tweeted this evening that the administration has allowed e-Commerce and courier services to operate in the district besides allowing ITES companies to operate with 33 percent staff.
The administration has also allowed industry with specific permissions for units. However it shall be mandatory for the allowed businesses to follow protocols of safety, hygiene and social distancing.

The businesses will also have to do testing of key staff in the prioritized service sector.

Handloom & Handicrafts sector has also been allowed to operate with a permissible limit of 5 workers for home workshops. Handloom and handicraft centres and units shall be allowed to operate as per proposal of departments.

The businesses have also been asked to provide Masks to the workers.
Agriculture, Horticulture and allied farm activities have also been permitted to operate.

Choudhary said that 30 percent essential grocery stores, vegetable and fruit shops shall be allowed to operate as per the pre-devised roster by market associations in consultation with zonal committees from 11 am till 5 pm except Red/Containment Zones.

Rural development and panchayat works will be carried out as per the standard operating procedure, he said.

He also asked to maintain proper hygiene at the grocery stores.

Choudhary said that machine repair workshops and will be allowed to operate with maximum 5 workers permissible limit.

Diagnostic labs will also be allowed to reopen with permitted staff strength, he said.

As for wedding ceremonies, the DC said only around 30 members will be allowed to assemble, but the mandatory precautions on social distancing will have to be followed and only after a proper permission from the district administration in this regard.

Srinagar: Former actress Zaira Wasim, who quit the Bollywood last year, has received support from renowned Islamic scholar Dr Zakir Naik who said she should not be “bothered about attacks on her by right-wing media”.

Zaira recently quoted a verse from the holy Quran about Allah’s punishment on people. Many media organizations and people claimed that she justifies the locust attacks in various Indian states, which led her to deactivate both her Twitter and Instagram accounts.

But on Saturday, she resumed her accounts.

Reacting to this Dr Zakir Naik said Zaira had posted a Quranic verse on social media. “She did not mention any thing about India. But the right-wing media supporting BJP-RSS government took some information and tried to malign her saying she is talking about India. They went to allege that she said Allah has sent punishment to India by sending locust. Locust attack is there in Africa, Pakistan and India,” he said in his video message as per news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

He claimed that media did same with him in 2016 when a terrorist attack took place in Dhaka. “One of the attackers had said he was Zakir Naik fan. What does that mean I have millions of followers,” he said.

He said Zaira Wasim post is relevant today. “Calamities take place and falling on both good and bad people. For bad people it is a punishment while for good people it is a test for them. She should continue to study Quran and not bothered about people who are problem to society and create Fitna. Successful people and those who speak the truth are bound to have enemies. Even Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) had highest number of enemies. We should not be disheartened when enemies are attacking us.”

He also congratulated and supported Zaira for leaving Bollywood. “Most part of Bollywood is not appropriate for a practicing Muslim. It takes a lot of courage for a person who is famous in the Bollywood to quit this industry. Allah will give her multiple rewards for leaving the Bollywood,” he added.(KINS)

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13 Coronavirus patients after their recovery were discharged today from Rainawari Hospital, Nodal Officer Dr Bilquees said adding that 11 patients are from Srinagar, one from Kupwara and one from Delhi.

Poonch: A civilian was injured and a few houses damaged in the Ceasefire violation at Poonch’s Mendhar and Balakote areas in the wee hours on Sunday.

Locals and official sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that after a brief spell of ceasefire violation in the area on Saturday evening at around 10 PM, that lasted for an hour, Pakistan army resorted to heavy firing on and along LoC in the area at around 03:15 AM in the morning.

“Firing by Pakistan with small arms as well as mortar shelling lasted till four hours and five villages in the area came under fire.” they added. Locals told KNO that a few houses have also got damaged in the shelling.

Block Medical Officer Mendhar, Dr. Parvez Khan said that a man identified as Mohammad Yaseen son of Mohammad Rashid resident of Gohlad village got injured in firing.

“He has a splinter injury in leg. Our team has evacuated him with the help of locals and he is being brought in hospital.” BMO said—(KNO)

Srinagar: Former actor Zaira Wasim’s post about floods and locust attacks was met with a huge backlash, forcing her to deactivate Twitter and Instagram accounts, but the “Dangal” star has now made a comeback on social media. Zaira had caused a social media storm after she tweeted a verse from the Quran that many people said justifies the locust attacks in various states across the country.

“So We sent upon them the flood and locusts and lice and frogs and blood: Signs openly self-explained: but they were steeped in arrogance- a people given to sin -Qur’an 7:133 (sic),” Zaira had said in a now-deleted post. The same post is, however, still visible on her Instagram page, where she had also shared a video. Zaira was criticised by social media users for her insensitivity towards those affected by the locust attacks, which led her to deactivate both her Twitter and Instagram accounts. But on Saturday, she resumed her accounts and in a post, explained why she had exited the social media platforms.

“Because I am just a human, like everyone else, who’s allowed to take a break from everything whenever the noise inside my head or around me reaches it peak,” Zaira, 19, said in response to a query by one of the users. However, she has since deleted the new post. Last year, the National Award-winning actor was in a centre of a debate after she announced her “disassociation” from acting, saying she was not happy with the line of work as it interfered with her faith and religion. She had said that it felt like she had struggled to become someone else for a very long time.

The actor, who was in her early teens when she appeared in Dangal opposite Aamir Khan, also worked in his 2017 production venture Secret Superstar . Her last film was “The Sky Is Pink”, opposite Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar. (PTI)“`

Studies on past viruses show pandemics only subside not vanish fully, we will have to learn to live with Coronavirus for years to come even if a vaccine is found: Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s leading medico and an influenza expert Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan Saturday said that even if any country would succeed in making anti-Covid vaccine, the pandemic may only subside and not vanish completely or die down.

He, was quick to add that the people of J&K will have to learn to live with the pandemic for many years to come. In an exclusive interview with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the flu expert and the Associate Professor Medicines at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, said that COVID has to stay and it is going to be part of people’s life.

“We need to learn to live with it safely,” Dr Nisar said. “We have to embrace the virus as it is not going to go away. Even if a vaccine will come or a drug will be introduced, which seems far away, and even if both will come, the virus is still going to stay.

This is the 5th Coronavirus as earlier, there were already four pandemics J&K has witnessed in the past wherein we have seen that even when the pandemic went off or faded away, it existed in the society though with less impact.”

Dr Nisar said that swine flu of 2009 is a case in point. “Its epicentre was in Mexico. World Health Organisation (WHO) came up with a vaccine almost nine months after the pandemic. People got vaccine shots. But the virus continues to stay as H1N1 cases do report to hospitals in Kashmir in winter months,” he said.

“Cases of Swine Flu keep on coming to the hospitals despite the fact vaccine against it is available and people have got the shots. It’s called a seasonal flu now a days.”

Talking about the worst ever pandemic of 1918 also known as Spanish flu, which consumed over a 100 million people. “People believe 2009 (swine flu) was the dissident of the Spanish flu. Despite vaccines and medicines to cure it, the virus stayed

We saw re-emergence of Spanish flu into H2N2 also known as Hong Kong flu and even H3N2. These viruses are circulating among people of Kashmir in the form of common cold,” Dr Nisar said told KNO. “One of the epidemic called as small pox died down after a vaccine was found, but that’s an exception.”

The doctor said that Covid-19 has behaved different in different countries and regions. “In Kashmir, it has behaved very mildly so far as none died on roads and there is no mass deaths like we saw in Italy, US and China.

He said there are two ways when end of pandemic is announced—one is medically, scientifically and when cases start declining fast. “Past viruses took a few years to see decline. Similarly, in the present case, it will also take some to decline. Remember I am talking about decline not that the virus would die down,” Dr Nisar said

He, however, stressed that now that it is clear the virus will stay, people should not be kept indoors anymore. “There is an economic disaster due to the pandemic and there is a livelihood issue too,” he said.

“In 1918 pandemic, more people were killed with the primitive setup. There was lockdown that time too. But when cases declined, people came out of homes and mixed up with each and then there was a resurgence again and more people died than the phase one.”

Dr Nisar said J&K government is on a right track by doing aggressive testing, isolating people and asking people to maintain social distancing. “But at the same time people have to resume life. There will be a double edged sword for the people,” he said. “You can’t keep people indoors every time.”

He, however, made it clear that when the people would come out, they will catch the disease for sure. “They will get anti-bodies and get immune too,” he said. “The trend is that if 50 per cent of the people would get infected, they will recover too.

By easing out the restrictions, the virus will change a bit and can be more lethal as happened in 1918. There can be more fatalities that’s why I say people will see double edged sword hanging around their neck.”

The flu expert said in Kashmir, people are going to fields, shops are reopening and people are moving back to work in offices etc and civil secretariat is also functioning. “So cases may rise and that’s quite expected,” he told KNO

“Amid easing restrictions, we have to keep isolating the people. The behaviour of virus in Kashmir is very mild. That may be because of biology of Kashmiris. People of Kashmir have been living with large spells of common cold etc.” He stressed while moving ahead with the virus, mass testing, isolating people and maintain social distancing holds the key—(KNO)