Category: Union Territory

SRINAGAR, JAN 28: Jammu and Kashmir former deputy chief Minister and senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said that BJP ready to talk to local militants and convey them to enter in mainstream.

While speaking to news Agency Press Trust of Kashmir Gupta said “BJP will talk to Hurriyat within Constitution. He said BJP is open to talks with separatists in Kashmir as part of efforts to resolve the problems in the state but discussions would need to be within the constitutional frame.

Gupta added Kashmir issue should be taken up with those who “accept the Constitution of India”. He added until Pakistan can’t stop insurgency activities no talk will be started with them.

Gupta added, “We are always ready for talks with Pakistan but with a caveat that militancy and talks cannot go together. There cannot be a comprehensive dialogue till Pakistan shuns terror”.

He further added, “Some people suggest that we should engage in dialogue with Pakistan. I would like to say that we are ready to talk to anyone. But Pakistan is unable to understand this thing, till Pakistan does not stop its attempts to destabilise and weaken India by encouraging cross-border terrorism, holdings talks with it has no meaning.”

Gupta added “Kashmir under fire because of Congress and national conference”. He said the Kashmir problem is the Congress’s legacy, adding “now instead of learning from its past mistakes, the Congress wants to precipitate a crisis for this country.” (PTK)

SRINAGAR: National Conference senior leader and former legislator Muhammad Akbar Lone today said that national conference will talk to Militants as well as Hurriyat and Pakistan, if comes to power.

While speaking to News agency Press Trust of Kashmir Lone said the both state and central Government are not taking Kashmir issue seriously until both the government can’t take issue seriously nothing can be achieved.

He added that National conference always focused to find a way to solve issues added both countries come together to resolve Kashmir issue.

Lone further added that National conference will talk to local militants as well to Hurriyat. He said that NC will highlight issue with central govt and try to talk with Pakistan and find out a solution of Kashmir issue.

Akbar Lone added till date national conference will fight alone and win election with majority. (PTK)

‘Farooq Abdullah encouraged elimination through “Chit System” during Ikhwan era’

Srinagar, Jan 28 : Peoples Conference on Monday said that Omar Abdullah was the first person from Kashmir to wear ‘RSS knickers’ when he was made a foreign minister of the BJP government at a time when human rights violations were at its peak in Kashmir.
In a statement issued , the PC spokesperson Adnan Mir said the sole motive of making him a junior foreign minister was to parade him across the world and show a Kashmiri face vouching that no human rights violations were taking place in Kashmir.
“And now he is the new BJP baiter in town. And he expects to walk off from his past with not even the remotest hint of remorse. Incidentally he walked off from the RSS camp- not because there were human rights violations in Kashmir or that the autonomy resolution was not accepted. He walked off because Papa was not made the vice- president of India by the then BJP government,” he said.
The spokesman said NC seems to have off late donned the ‘defenders of faith’ hat and are busy issuing diktats left and right.
“May we very humbly remind them that one needs to have a faith in order to defend the faith. In order to become the defender of Islamic faith one needs to strictly adhere to the Islamic tenets. Our humble advice is to not venture too far into the defender of faith space. It will open up a debate which will be very unpleasant for them. They issue diktats, they sing bhajans, they are the Ram Mandir walas. How many hats will they don’t?” the PC spokesman asked.
The spokesman said NC used Ikhwanis to kill Kashmiris during 1996 to 2002.
“Why is the NC not owning up its Ikhwan links? Is it not a fact that Farooq Abdullah addressed rallies organized by Ikhwan? Is not a fact that during the NC regime of 1996 to 2002, the Ikhwan was active and killed hundreds of people? Did NC not give mandate to Ikhwanis to fight elections? What was Farooq Abdullah’s role in all this? Are you telling us that he was sitting and did nothing while the Ikhwanis went on a rampage,” he said.
“Is he not the same person who was posing for photographs with the Ikhwan leaders, attending their rallies? Did he not encourage the “chit system” wherein a name was scribbled on a chit for elimination given to Ikhwan. Not just that, the NC later issued mandates to the same Ikhwanis, made them MLCs. We are ready to debate this with the National Conference; we have all the data. Let the people know what the National Conference has been up to. The records are not a figment of our imagination, it is the truth NC can’t wish away,” he said.
He said that it was Farooq Abdullah who recommended one of the country’s highest civilian award for a dreaded counter-insurgent (Ikhwani) responsible for hundreds of unimaginable atrocities on hapless, innocent Kashmiris.
“Ikhwan candidates, Ikhwan MLCs, Ikhwan photo-ops, Ikhwan rallies, Ikhwan killings and yet the NC wants us to believe that they are squeaky clean and got nothing to do with any of it,” he added.

Says WD affecting Kashmir from Feb 04

Srinagar, Jan 28: As the Valley experienced adequate snowfall this January, the local weatherman on Monday predicted fresh snowfall across the Valley in between Jan 30-31.
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Deputy Director Meteorological department (MeT), Mukhtar Ahmad said that there is possibility of light snowfall across the Valley from Jan 320 evening to Jan 31 evening.
He added that the higher reaches would also receive moderate snowfall from Jan 30 evening here.
Ahmad further informed that a Western Disturbance (WD) is affecting Kashmir from February 04 or 05, saying that intensity of WD could not be forecasted so far and would be made public soon.
He added that weather in coming days would remain mostly cloudy.
Earlier, the Valley received adequate snowfall this January as forecasted by MeT department here. The first snowfall was experienced in Kashmir on Jan 01, which continued intermittently.
The snowfall also led to the closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway several times in this month and reopened after six day long closure today. (KNS)

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir will be facing more rain and snow over the coming week, rainfall on Jan 30 and 31

The forecaster says the coming week will feature heavy rain and snowfall on January 30 and 31 at isolated places, although few days in the three divisions of the state are predicted to remain dry.

According to India Meteorological Department.

The forecaster says the coming week will feature heavy rain and snowfall on January 30 and 31 at isolated places, although few days in the three divisions of the state are predicted to remain dry.

According to weatherman’s prediction from Jan 28 to Feb 3 in Kashmir valley weather from Jan 29 will begin to remain wet.

“Jan 28 will be dry and on Jan 29 there might be rain, snowfall at isolated places. On Jan 30, 31 a widespread snowfall, rainfall is expected at most places,” he said, adding that on Feb 1 and 2 there might be rain, snow on scattered areas and on Feb 3 there is a prediction of rain, snowfall at isolated places.

“Weather in Jammu, Ladakh will remain as of Kashmir,” he said. Weatherman asked people to stay updated and informed about the weather prediction for Jan 30 and 31 due to expectation of heavy snow, rainfall in valley.

Mercury on Monday dipped to lowest in Drass town of Jammu and Kashmir with minimum temperature plunging to minus 31.4 degrees Celsius.

Kashmir Meteorological Office said that the clear skies led to return of severe cold wave in the state particularly Kashmir valley.

The neighbouring town of Drass, Leh recorded a recorded a minimum temperature of minus 17.5.

Kashmir’s capital city Srinagar recorded minus 3.5 while tourist resorts Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 12.6 and 13.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

Baramulla, Jan 28: A police head constable shot himself dead with his service rifle in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Monday.

Reports reaching GNS said that a head constable Mohammad Shafi Mir (46) son of Mohammad Ismail Mir resident of Sadoora Anantnag who was posted at District Police Line (DPL) Budgam shot himself dead with his service rifle on Monday morning.

SP Budgam Amod Nagpure told that cop committed suicide by firing upon himself at DPL Budgam today early morning.
Reasons are being ascertained, officer said. (GNS)

Srinagar, Jan 27: Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has said it carried out an Under Barrel Launcher (UBL) grenade attack on Indian army camp at Aahgam in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday.

A JeM spokesperson Mohammad Hassan in a statement issued to GNS said that the outfit’s men also attacked the forces with automatic weapons, resulting in serious injuries to several personnel.

The spokesperson also said that JeM carried out an Under Barrel Launcher (UBL) grenade attack on CRPF 180 bn at Nodal, Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday.

He said the grenade blasted inside the camp resulting in serious injuries to several Indian forces.

“We will continue our fight till the last soldier leaves Kashmir,” he said. (GNS)

Srinagar, Jan 27: SSP National Highway Sanjeev Khujuria today said that all the stranded vehicles on Srinagar-Jammu highway will be allowed to move towards Srinagar.
Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Sanjeev said they have cleared around 2000 vehicles and if the climate remains clear, all the vehicles will be allowed to move towards Srinagar.
He, however said, they will try to clear the stranded vehicles given the weather remains fine.
The 270-km highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, was closed on January 21 following heavy snowfall in the Jawahar Tunnel area – the gateway to Kashmir – and multiple landslides triggered by the incessant rains between Banihal and Ramban over the past week. (KNS)

To organise Road Show in Mumbai.

Srinagar, Jan 27: To attract tourists to Kashmir, J&K Hoteliers Club is scheduled to organise road show at Mumbai to tap Maharashtra market and Bollywood.
Chairman Hoteliers Club Mushtaq Chaya said they been in Mumbai for past couple of days in connection with their road show in the city.
“We will be inviting leading tour operators and destination sellers during our show and showcase them our tourism products. We are also in touch with famous bollywood stars and also filmmakers who will attend our show. Bollywood shooting promotes Kashmir as a scenic destination at global level. Their participation is must for our show. During the shows, we also invite both regional and national media to cover the event and sensitize them how important it is for them to cover positive stories,” said Chaya while talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS).
Chaya visited Mumbai during Out Bound Travel Mart (OTM) and promoted J&K’s tourism potential. On the sidelines of the OTM, Hoteliers Club met various travel trade bodies from Mumbai and also set meetings for Bollywood filmmakers for the first week of February to invite them for road show.
Chaya said Road Show are important to create a buzz about Kashmir and send a positive message among travellers that they should not miss visiting Kashmir.
“Though, our state gets meager funding for tourism promotion, the hotel, travel and houseboat associations have been doing commendable job by organising road shows across many cities in India.”
Recently, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association conducted its Road Show in Pune wherein over 100 travel agents participated. The travel agents are the main sellers of the destination who we mostly target during these road shows. It benefits us a big deal. Our state needs more and aggressive promotions than other state as we are receiving lesser number of tourists.
The members who participate in these shows also get an opportunity to network with their potential clients and agents to promote their companies.
Chaya said they are organizing road shows in collaboration with the department of tourism.
“We are thankful to the department of tourism for taking tourism stakeholders on board for its publicity campaigns. Overall it is a joint effort, in which we need to collaborate with each other.”
Besides road shows, the Hoteliers Club will also engage PR company from Mumbai for maximum coverage to the road show and also create liaison with the company for tourism promotion.
“Kashmir is already in the hearts and minds of the travellers. They crave to visit JK especially Kashmir which is truly a paradise on Earth. However, we suffer from wrong perception that Kashmir is not safe for tourists, which hinders our growth.
We need to develop PR with regional media. During our show, we will be hiring PR agency, which will give mileage to our show and create a positive buzz in the city, he said.
Chaya expressed optimism that the year 2019 will be good for Kashmir tourism.
“During our campaigning in several cities, we are getting good response from the travellers and our principal agents across the country. Allah has also been benevolent with timely and plenty snowfall this season which brings cheers among travellers. We are hopeful of this year’s tourism will be good.”