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Youth throw rocks at an armoured police vehicle at Kaimoh area of Home-Shalibugh constituency in south Kashmir on Tuesday.

Frail old man coming out of polling station. Having seen many past elections, the man told, ‘i braved odds to make my presence felt.’

Women queue up outside a polling booth to cast their votes in north Kashmir’s Bandipora on Tuesday.

A man carries his mother on shoulders to a hospital during a curfew in Srinagar on Sunday. Restrictions were imposed in various parts of the city to prevent Muharram processions. 

Kashmiri Shi’ite Muslims participate in a religious procession on the seventh of Muharram in Srinagar on Saturday.

Srinagar: Massive protests rock Aripal, Tral in Pulwama district of south Kashmir following killing of a militant in an encounter with forces on Saturday.

Official sources told GNS that protesters allegedly set ablaze two vehicles of police, even as government forces resorted to aerial firing and teargas shelling to control the angry demonstrators.

Eyewitnesses told GNS that uniform of several policemen were tored by women at Aripal soon after the conclusion of encounter.

A police official told GNS that after the death of a foreign militant in an encounter at Aripal-Patsuna Tral today some miscreants pelted stones on police.

“The miscreants set on fire two police vehicles. These vehicles suffered damage”, the official said, adding that dozens of policemen received injuries in stone pelting clashes.

He, however, said that Police exercised maximum restraint.

Says with proper planning it could be a real engine for economic growth

“Concretization of Kashmir needs to be reversed, constructions regulated”

Srinagar: Identifying tourism as a major thrust area for her party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti, Saturday said with proper planning it could be a real engine for economic growth of the state and provide enormous employment opportunities.

According to a statement issued to KNS, while addressing a number of meetings in Bijbehara Assembly segment of South Kashmir Lok Sabha constituency, which she won in last elections, she said optimum and sustainable utilization of our resources alone can offer economic self reliance and prosperity to the state. “Unfortunately implementation of the vision rolled out in 2002 by the PDP on tourism, like many other sectors, was not carried forward leading to swelling of the numbers of unemployed and frustrated youth” Mehbooba added.

Mehbooba said Jammu and Kashmir is a unique tourism product which could be leveraged to the benefit of every single individual living here but for achieving that it was necessary to drastically modernize the infrastructure. She said unless we upgrade the infrastructure tourism will remain confined mainly to low spending groups which would be a gross underutilization of our strength and potential.

Regretting that the present government had been unable even to put speed in projects launched a decade back Mehbooba said it was a sad commentary on our being a tourist state that the highway from Srinagar and Jammu remains jammed most of the time. The Srinagar-Qazigund sector that feeds most of the premier tourist destinations remains a challenge for commuters throwing tourists as well as the local population into great discomfort Mehbooba said adding that is no way of promoting tourism.

Mehbooba said new areas identified by the previous government and brought under Tourism Development Authorities have almost been abandoned with a free for all unregulated construction, turning some of them into virtual urban centres or even worse, slums. She said the concretization of Kashmir needs to be reversed, constructions regulated and green areas saved from urbanization.

Mehbooba said a proper land utilization plan will have to be devised and strictly implemented to prevent degeneration of our natural assets and balance the needs for development with requirements of ecology and environment. She said it was almost criminal to let a beautiful place like Kashmir convert into a concrete jungle only because no government has ever gone beyond a superficial approach to major concerns about sustainability of private and government development process. “Corruption at every level is being patronized at the cost of the future of this state and its people, especially the younger generation, which is destroying the scenic splendour of almost every place. That will have to be arrested,” said Mehbooba.

Mehbooba said the PDP has plans to promote eco friendly tourism projects and encourage high end tourism that would bring in much higher returns for same product that at present is virtually sold for peanuts. “Side by side with this human resource development in catering and hospitality sector will be launched in a mission mode so that our youngsters are fully equipped not only to help upgrade the sector within the state but open up opportunities for them outside the state”, she said and added the inherent personality advantages of our youth like their appealing appearance, language proficiency and hospitality tradition can with modern training go a long way in creating a professional pool so essential for reviving Brand Kashmir. Mehbooba said it will be policy of the PDP to encourage local entrepreneurs and investors to setup modern tourist facilities to give boost to the sector.

Mehbooba said one of the major achievements of the PDP led government in 2002 was the dramatic revival of tourism. She said the party had been able to convince the outside world that Kashmir was the same hospitable place, a tourist destination for centuries and our credibility worked even with the NDA government of the time which helped with special packages for hoteliers, house boat owners, boat men and pony owners. On infrastructure front some game changing measures were taken but they couldn’t be carried forward by the succeeding government and fell prey to inefficiency, corruption, political bias and favouritism, she said.

Mehbooba said it is saddening that the people all across the state are still suffering due to lack of basic amenities like quality health care, proper road connectivity, quality education, ration, power etc.   “People are suffering on account of shortage of ration items like-food grains, sugar, LPG, Kerosene etc.,” she said adding due to lack of ration at many places the landless families both in rural and urban areas have to suffer more because of the government’s callousness and insensitivity.

Referring to the dismal power scenario she said besides charging huge tariff from the people the government has failed in its duty to provide power to the people. She said all parts of the state are confronting with the bad power supply but the situation is worst in far-flung areas. She expressed concern over the bad condition of roads in entire Kashmir. Mehbooba said pitiable condition of roads present a sad commentary on the performance of this government. She said the government is brazenly sleeping over the matter and is not taking steps to mitigate the people’s problems.

Reiterating the resolve of her party to address the issues of the people Mehbooba said the PDP is committed to overall development of the state and equal share to all areas, regions, sub-regions especially far-flung areas. On the occasion senior party leader, Abdul Rehman Veeri, MLA, was also present.

Police exercised maximum restraint: IGP Kashmir

Two police vehicles set ablaze, six cops injured in stone pelting

Srinagar: One foreign militant of JeM outfit was killed while one soldier sustained injuries in an encounter at Aaripal-Pastuna Tral with police and Army this morning. On specific information a joint operation was launched by Awantipora police, Budgam police, 42 RR, 35 RR of Army and 185 Bn CRPF at village Aaripal of Tral.

The militants trapped in a house fired upon the joint team injuring one army man. The fire was retaliated. In the retaliatory fire one militant was injured who fled to the nearby Pastuna forest area. Later on his body was found in the jungle. The foreign militant was later identified as Adil Pathan alias Madni of JeM outfit. An AK rifle, 3 Magazines  were also recovered. Madni operated in coordination with HM cadres in the Tral area, said a police handout issued to KNS.

Meanwhile, according to a police statement issued to KNS, after the death of a foreign militant in the encounter some miscreants pelted stones on police. “The ‘miscreants’ set on fire two police vehicles. These vehicles suffered damage. Police exercised maximum restraint. There are no reports of injury to anyone,” added the police statement.

After the encounter was over, the locals observed complete shutdown and resorted to stone pelting till the body of slain militant was handover to them. He was laid to rest in Pastuna village. The IGP Kashmir A G Mir told KNS: “One militant was killed while one army soldier sustained injuries. However, police exercised maximum restraint even if there was heavy stone pelting on police and some five to six police personnel were hurt.”

PM Narinder Modi and CM Omar Abdullah sharing a laugh with each other in Katra.