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Srinagar: Paying rich tributes to the martyr of Kakpora Pulwama encounter Irfan Ahmad Rather, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani reiterated that the youth of Kashmir have opted gun as a reaction to the Indian military and forcible occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement , terming Kashmir as a bone of contention between the two nuclear powers of the sub-continent, Hurriyat chairman regretted that the stubborn attitude of India regarding this globally accepted political dispute and dealing with it only militarily has created death and destruction in whole state and peace and harmony of whole region is threatened. He said that with the resolution of this issue a new era of peace, stability and development will prevail not only in Jammu and Kashmir but in whole South Asia.

Srinagar: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday hit out at National conference leader Omar Abdullah after he had pitched for a single party government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mufti took to her Twitter handle to lash out at Omar Abdullah accusing the National conference of being sell out and bringing the notorious Ikhwan, Task force and POTA to the state,“Brute majority has had a history of sell outs in JK. With 60 members NC sold out power houses, brought Ikhwan, task force, POTA. Even earlier when NC had absolute majority and unqualified political mandate it only yielded powers, resources of state to centre.” She tweeted.

In a series of tweets the former chief minister of the state talked about the coalition governments and how they had benefited the state.

She said that her father’s coalition had established a high bar of achievements crediting him with opening of cross LOC roads,“To the contrary what Mufti saheb’s coalition established a high bar of achievements, opening of cross LOC roads the singular political achievement post independence.” She wrote.

Mehbooba further cited example of coalition governments at the centre crediting them with better deliverance,“Even at national level it seems post Indira Gandhi coalition governments have delivered better than majority party rule e.g. Vajpayee coalition, UPA 1 compared to present bjp single party rule.” The first female chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir wrote.

Adding that it was Narsima Rao’s government that brought India out of its worst economic crisis,“Recall Narisimarao minoritygovernment which brought the country out of it’s worst economic crisis and introduced economic liberalization.’

Earlier, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday strongly pitched for single-party government in Jammu and Kashmir as “coalition culture has failed in the state” (CNS)

Srinagar: A Pakistani militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit was killed in a brief shootout at Litter area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday, police said.
A police official said that the militants attacked an army patrolling party of 55 RR in Chowduribagh. The army retaliated the fire, he said, triggering an encounter which lasted for a brief time, leading to the killing of the militant.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said that incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant. “Notably no collateral damage took place during the incident amidst reports of some firing on the security forces for a nearby area was received when the encounter was in progress”.
Police has registered a case in the matter and investigation is being initiated, the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, sources identified the slain militant as Nasir Bhai of Pakistan. Nasir was affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit and was active in Pulwama district since last several years.
“The slain was involved in a number of militant attacks, grenade throwing incidents on forces,” a police source told GNS.
Following the killing of the militant, protests broke out as youth took to streets and pelted stones on government forces who in turn lobbed tear smoke shells and pellets triggering off clashes. The protesters also torched a Tata Mobile load carrier near the site of a shootout. (GNS)

Srinagar: The weatherman on Monday forecast widespread rain and snow on Friday and Saturday in Kashmir Valley even as night temperatures appreciated due to overnight cloud cover with Srinagar recording a low of minus 2 degrees Celsius.

“There is the possibility of widespread rain and snow on January 11 and 12,” a meteorological department official told GNS.

Meanwhile, he said the minimum temperature in this summer capital of the state appreciated from minus 4.0 degree Celsius on the previous night.

The night temperature in Pahalgam rose considerably from minus 12.5 degree Celsius on the previous night to settle at minus 4.9 Degrees Celsius last night, he said.

Qazigund, the gate-town of Kashmir, saw a low of minus 3.4 degree Celsius as against minus 5.3 degree Celsius on previous night while Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 3.2 degree Celsius against minus 4.7 degrees Celsius on last night.

The MeT official said that the mercury at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir settled at minus 9.0 degrees Celsius last night as against minus 11.0 degrees Celsius on the previous night.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 4.6 degree Celsius last night, up from the previous night’s 5.9 degrees Celsius, the official said.

The night temperature in Leh town settled at minus 8.9 degrees Celsius, up from minus 11.8 degrees Celsius on the previous night.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.

‘Chillai-Kalan’ ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir.

The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold). (GNS)

Srinagar: The rift in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still continuing as the disagreements in the party are still not coming to the conclusion.

After the spree of resigns in the party, the party has now publically objected the statement made by its senior leader and former finance minister, Syed Altaf Bukhari.
Altaf Bukhari in this morning seconded former chief minister and NC vice president Omar Abdullah regarding no coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. However, in the evening, the party issued a statement, saying that PDP disowns Altaf’s statement on coalition government.

Altaf’s disagreement with the party was visible since last month when he in his daily press statements didn’t mention him as a PDP leader. The happenings in the public clearly indicate that the disagreements in the party are still going on and have no end at present to find a way for the conclusion.

Notably, leaders including some top leaders who served as cabinet ministers in the erstwhile PDP-BJP bonhomie resigned from the basic membership of the party. These include former Finance Minister Haseeb A Drabu, former minister Imran Raza Ansari, former minister Javiad Mustafa Mir, former MLAs including Abid Raza Ansari an Abbas Wani.

Sources inside the party divulged to KNO that many of the members are at corner and are expected to resign from the party soon. Several former MLAs they said are in contact with each other and firm to come up with a new party, likely to be formed soon.

Reliable sources added that several meetings were convened in this regard during which several issues were discussed. “There will be a breakthrough soon in this regard as the elections in Jammu and Kashmir are coming closer,” they said.(KNO)

Jammu: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said he is not the same person as he was as a chief minister for six-year. Omar said he has changed a lot. He said NC is the only party that steer the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar, Jan 08: With seven deaths due to swine flu so far this season in Kashmir valley, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Tuesday called for early use of antiviral drugs for swine flu patients.
“Early antiviral medication prevents swine flu deaths,” said DAK President and flu expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a communiqué.
“A large meta-analysis of 78 studies conducted across 38 countries and involving more than 29,000 patients showed that early treatment with antiviral medication reduced the risk of death by 60 percent,” he said.
“Doctors should prescribe antiviral medication to flu patients as soon as possible and should not wait for the test results as delay could be fatal,” advised Dr Nisar.
“According to a panel report, 70 percent of swine flu deaths in 2017 at Pune were due to delay in treatment,” he said.
Dr Nisar said studies have shown that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 48 hours of onset of the illness. .
“However, starting them later can still be beneficial,” he added.
Dr Nisar said that antiviral treatment is recommended for any patient with confirmed or suspected flu who is hospitalized or has severe illness or is at higher risk of flu-related complications.
“Antivirals can also be considered on the basis of clinical judgment for those who do not have risk factors for severe illness,” he suggested.
“Currently, Oseltamivir is the most important and effective antiviral drug for treatment and prevention of flu. It has been removed from schedule drugs and made freely available across stores. The drug can be safely given to pregnant women and infants aged 2 weeks and older,” said Dr Nisar.
“Another new drug Baloxavir, approved by FDA for treatment of flu in patients 12 years and older has to be taken as a single oral dose,” he informed.
“Swine flu (H1N1) is the dominant strain circulating this year and it is turning out to be nastier. With increase in the number of cases and deaths due to swine flu, antivirals are an important weapon to fight this season’s flu which is shaping up to be harsh,” cautioned Dr Nisar.

Pulwama: A militant got killed in retaliation firing of army after they were attacked in Chowdribagh village of Litter tehsil in Pulwama district.

Officials told KNO that army patrolling party was going though the area for census process however suddenly militants opened fire on them which was retaliated in which one militant was killed.

Area is under cordon and search operation is on in the area. (KNO)

In an exclusive interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT World, Khan hit out at India, saying it was being “brutal” in Kashmir.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the struggle in Kashmir is indigenous, which “even the UN recognizes now”.
In an exclusive interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT World, Khan hit out at India, saying it was being “brutal” in Kashmir.

“Indian brutality in Kashmir in the last year has just been mind-boggling. They have been killing, shooting at boys, blinding them pellet guns. They have killed about 500 people in a year,” he said in the interview.
He said the “Indian brutality” was alienating the people of Kashmir, but India was trying to blame Pakistan for this hatred. “…and also this hatred against India because while they kill people there is a reaction so what India is doing is palming off this reaction on Pakistan,” he said.
Reiterating his call for dialogue to resolve all issues, Khan said that the struggle in Kashmir was indigenous.
“..whereas now everyone recognises, even the UN recognises, it (Kashmir) is an indigenous struggle and the solution doesn’t lie in brutality of your (Indian) security forces,” he said, adding that the solution lies in dialogue.

SRINAGAR: Another snow spell most likely during 11-13 Jan but of lower intensity than the previous spell is predicted in Kashmir valley, a MeT official said.

Director MeT Sonam Lotus told that “Today and tomorrow will be cloudy with occasional light snow at most places in Kashmir. Partly to generally cloudy in Jammu & Ladakh. Another snow spell most likely during 11-13 Jan but of lower intensity than the previous spell, Sonam said”.