Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Omar Inaugurates National Ski Championship highlights JK potential for sports-tourism

    Gulmarag: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Sunday highlighted the vast potential of Jammu and Kashmir for sports, adventure and pilgrim tourism adding that this specialty is yet another sphere of attraction for tourists besides mesmerizing, enchanting and amazing natural resorts and wide-ranging fauna, flora and bio-diversity the State is blessed with.
    Inaugurating National Ski and Snowboarding Championship here this morning, the Chief Minister said that organizing sports events particularly winter games give considerable fillip to showcase the State as the ideal destination of different sports.
    Omar Abdullah said that winter sports in Gulmarag and other places need to be given further boost to provide opportunities to the participants particularly youth of the State to nurture their talent and develop as world class players. He said normally youth studying in different educational institutions find occasions and platform to participate and show their sports talent in different games. However, he said, the youth not obtaining education are mostly deprived of such occasions. “We should also enhance opportunities and avenues for them”, he said and added that Gulmarag Winter Games will be an effective steps in this direction.
    The Chief Minister said that there is need to promote winter sports particularly skiing in Gulmarag by upgrading ski slopes at Kongdoori and Mary Shoulder. “This would help in holding the National and International Ski events in Gulmarag”, he said and spelt out the possibilities of making Gulmarag an International winter sports resort.
    Omar Abdullah said that tourism has an important role in the State’s economy and generation of wide-ranging economic activities for the people. “Our efforts should be to develop and showcase the State for round the year destination for the tourists from all across the world”, he said and added that the Tourism Department and all other stakeholders in this industry need to work jointly to rope in high-end tourists alongwith others in great numbers.
    The Chief Minister said that the highest dividend of peace is the arrivals of tourists in great numbers particularly in the Valley. He said peace conditions will always boost the tourism activities and help rope in large number of tourists.
    Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir was also present on the occasion.
    The event has been organized by the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir. The event is aimed at promoting winter-sports and tourism in the State. (KNS)

  • One Billion Rising in Valley

    SRINAGAR: Kashmir joined the International campaign of One Billion Rising Sunday aimed at raising voice against discrimination and injustices suffered by women in all walks of life and strongly condemning the same.
    The campaign aims rise of one billion people across  the world to stand up against the violence suffered by women across the globe.
    To observe the event, a creative display of painting and writing was organised in the lawns of Pirzoo Island Srinagar.
    Khemlata Wokhlu, Chairperson Social Welfare Board visited the event and encouraged the participating youth and the organizers. She emphasized on the role of youth in catalyzing a positive change in the society — by raising their voice against discrimination and injustice — which women suffer, everyday.
    “We need to change in real sense and that is possible only when youth are emancipated and women empowered,” she says on the occasion.
    She also encouraged the girl participants by quoting anecdotes from her life and told them how to act when deviants would taunt and tease them.
    The campaign is set to mobilize hundreds of thousands of women, men and children across the world who are one with the struggle to uphold, respect and assert women’s rights.
    The event was joined by impressive number of  youth who expressed their concern about women’s issues by writing their stories of discrimination and injustice, by sketching on the theme of “violence against women”.
    Some participants also related their stories of struggle whereas few others  compiled and read their poetry dedicated to women. Ahmer Khan, a vocalist also presented his songs in the event.
    In the event various themes were discussed about breaking the silence in wake of discrimination–not associating taboos with dressing and attitude of women, not believing in heresay and discussing various forms of violence against women be it female foeticide, domestic violence, dowry, sexual harassment or acid attacks.

  • Encounter in Sopore, Militant killed

    SRINAGAR: A militant was killed on Sunday in a gunfight between security forces and militants in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, Police said on Sunday.

    Police said that security forces cordoned off a house in Seelu village near Sopore town, early Sunday following information about militants presence.

    Militants fired at the security forces triggering an encounter. Sources said that one militant has been killed so far.

    Police said that the search operation is still going on in the area.

  • Mehbooba calls Azad

    Jammu: Leader of Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and President Peoples Democratic Party, Mehbooba Mufti, Saturday telephoned Union Health Minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to thank him for his efforts to get four medical colleges sanctioned for J&K.
    PDP insiders said that Mehbooba called Azad this morning and expressed happiness over the decision of the Union Health Ministry to open four new medical colleges and two cancer hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir.
    The PDP president told the Union Minister that State was in dire need of such an initiative, which will go a long way in improving health scenario in J&K.

  • KU to hold interviews for various positions tomorrow

    Srinagar: Kashmir University’s recruitment cell is holding interviews for Lecture Assistant, Laboratory Assistant, and Pharmacist (North/South Campuses) tomorrow on February 17, 2014, a notification reads. 
    The notification issued by Deputy Registrar, Recruitment reads that based on the score obtained in the written test conducted on 13-02-2014, the candidates bearing roll numbers available on KU website have been shortlisted for appearing in the interview for the posts as per schedule mentioned against each. 
    “The shortlisted candidates are required to produce all the relevant qualification /experience certificates in original at the time of interview. The list of candidates along-with roll numbers is available on the University website www.kashmiruniversity.net. No individual call letter shall be sent to concerned candidates,” the notification read. 
    The interviews for Lecture Assistant, Laboratory Assistant and Pharmacist (North/South Campuses) will begin at 11 am , 12 noon and 2 pm respectively in the Committee Room of the Administrative Block, University Campus, a KU spokesman said. 

  • LA witnesses uproar over the use of Pellets in Shopian

    JAMMU: Opposition, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday morning walked out of the legislative Assembly after uproar against the use of Pellet guns in the south town of Shopian, some days back.

    Three protesters eyes were injured critically when hit by Pellets in Gugloro, Shopian after the killings of three militants during an encounter some three days back. The protesters were demanding the bodies of the slain militants when police used Pellets to disperse them.

    As the legislative assembly met in the winter capital on Sunday, after two days break, PDP members stood and protested against the using of Pellets in Kashmir.

    Independent lawmaker, Er Rashid also raised his voice against the usage of Pellets in Kashmir.

    The PDP members walked out as a mark of protest. The question hour witnessed uproar and sloganeering as Abdul Haq Khan even came into the well but the Speaker continued the proceedings despite noise, slogans and protests.

    However, the Speaker, Mubarak Gul later adjourned the house when many members  protested in favour of establishing medical colleges in their areas.

  • Hizb militant killed in Sopore encounter; says police

    Srinagar: Police on Sunday claimed to have killed a militant in an encounter at Sopore village in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
    Acting on a specific information about the presence of militants, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Police and army’s 22 RR launched a joint cordon at Bhat Mohalla area of Seeloo Sopore in early wee hours today, a police official told GNS.
    He said that during a search operation militants opened fire upon the joint team, the fire was retaliated ensuing a gunbattle.
    So far one Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mohammad Shafi Sheikh son of Mohammad Maqbool of Zaloora Sopore got killed, the official said, adding that the search operation in the area is still going on. (GNS)

  • Patwari dies of heart attack in city hotel

    Srinagar: A revenue official Saturday died of heart attack at a hotel here in Srinagar, official sources told GNS.
    Abdul Hamid Lone, a Patwari, hailing from Karnah sector of the frontier Kupwara district had checked in Hotel New York in the busy Lal Chowk on Thursday evening for night stay. This morning, the hotel staff found him in unconscious state. The hotel management informed the police, who reached the spot and took Lone to the hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead.
    “He had suffered massive heart attack. He had come to Srinagar to appear in departmental exams,” sources added.
    After legal formalities, the body of the revenue official was sent to his native village for burial. (GNS)

  • Shopian killing: CoI to hold sitting on Tuesday

    Srinagar: The one-man judicial commission, appointed to inquire into circumstances leading to the killing of four persons by paramilitary CRPF in Shopian district on September 7 last year, shall be conducting the further proceedings on Tuesday.
    According to GNS, the Inquiry Commission shall hold sitting at Circuit House Shopian on February 18.
    On 4 October last, the government issued as SRO (434) regarding appointment of the COI for inquiring into the circumstances that led to firing by paramilitary CRPF personnel, killing four persons at Gangran Shopian on September 7.
    He has been also tasked to ascertain identity of those killed and their involvement, if any, in militancy related besides fixing responsibility of the incident.  
    While four persons were killed on September 7, another youth was killed by the CRPF when a procession demanding withdrawal of the CRPF camp at Gagran was fired upon by the paramilitary forces on September 11.
    Justice Koul, who discharged his duties as judge J&K High court from October 14, 1991 to October 31, 1994, was initially asked to complete the investigation within a month.
    Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had on the second day of the Assembly’s autumn session announced the judicial probe into the Shopian killings.
    “The probe has become compulsory. The statements issued everyday have only damaged the matter and made it murky,” Omar had said.
    Omar had supported the police stand on the incident that one of the four persons killed in the firing was a “non-local militant” while antecedents of other three show that they had no militancy-related records in the books of police.
    The trio included Tauseef Ahmad Bhat, of Baba Mohalla Shopian, Muhammad Yousuf Sofi, of Durpora, Zainapora, Shopian, and Tariq Ahmad Mir, of Wukai, Kulgam.
    The judicial commission was announced after massive protests erupted in parts of Kashmir Valley particularly in Shopian. The south Kashmir district remained under curfew for fifteen consecutive days and later people observed strike for one more week before normalcy returned after 22 days. (GNS)

  • Mehbooba welcomes setting up of 4 Medical Colleges, 2 Cancer Institutions in J&K

    Jammu: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed the decision of the Union Health Ministry to open New Medical Institutions in the state. Addressing a function here today the party President In a statement issued to KNS, Mehbooba Mufti, president PDP has expressed her gratitude to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for sanctioning 2 Cancer Institutions and 4 Medical Colleges in the state which could drastically improve health facilities and opportunities of medical education in J&K.
    The function was organized to welcome into the party fold a prominent political worker from Noorabad constituency of South Kashmir into the party fold. Gulzar Ahmad Dar joined the party along with his supporters at the function which was attended by among the others senior party leaders and legislatures Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Nayeem Akhtar and Peerzada Mansoor Hussain and local leader of Noorabad Abdul Majeed Padroo.
    In her address Mehbooba said there was always need and scope for up gradation of advance medical facilities in the state, especially in the field of treatment of Cancer for which people have generally to go outside the state involving huge expenditure and inconvenience. Similarly, given the shortage of medical professionals in the country, the establishment of Medical Colleges will open new avenues for the talented youth of the state who want to pursue the profession, said Mehbooba.
    PDP President said it would have been appreciable if Rajouri and Poonch had been included for the establishment of Medical Colleges in the Pir Panchal region and PDP will pursue that project in future.  She said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Muzzafar Hussain Beigh have been constantly making efforts for the establishment of Medical Colleges at Baramulla, Anantnag and during the previous govt invested considerably for the establishment of 300 bedded hospital, a pre requisite for setting up of medical college. She said the medical college in Doda region will cater to the needs of that area which is at present lacking even basic health infrastructure.
    Mehbooba said the people of the state have made up their mind to get rid of the mis-governance and corruption that has been the hallmark of National Conference and its government, She said change in the state is inevitable and PDP has emerged as the instrument of that change as indicated by all recent opinion polls and that trend is endorsed by the entry into party by political workers like Gulzar and people from different sections of society in large number. (KNS)