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  • Schools, colleges to remain closed tomorrow in Kashmir capital Srinagar

    Srinagar: All schools and Collages Will Remain Closed Tommorow in Srinagar, said an official.

    He said the authorities have decided to close schools and colleges in the district as a “precautionary measure”.

    Earlier, authorities said that restrictions will be imposed in parts of the capital city to prevent Muharram processions which remain banned in the area since 1989.

    A police official said that restrictions will be imposed in areas falling under the jurisdiction of Shaheed Gunj, Batamaloo, Shergari, Kothibagh, Ram Munshi Bagh, Maisuma, and Kral Khud police stations.

    He said the restrictions will be imposed as a preventive measure in view of eighth day of Muharram to maintain law and order.

    The traditional Muharram procession used to pass through these areas, but have been banned since eruption of militancy in 1989.

  • Killing always pained me: Outgoing DGP

    Says violence level has gone down considerably

    Srinagar: Stating that being the local of Jammu and Kashmir state he always wanted to bring an end to the cycle of violence, the outgoing Director General of Police (DGP) Dr S P Vaid has said that the killings have always pained him.

    He added that he was working to stop the cycle of violence and has succeeded to a greater extent.
    He however regretted that the violence couldn’t be stopped completely but hoped that the police would soon be able to bring it to the zero level.
    Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Dr Vaid said that whenever there was a killing be that of a security personnel, a militant or a civilian, his family would come before his eyes and that would be painful for him.
    Vaid further said that he has been able to bring down the stone pelting incidents drastically that is why the CASOs are there. He hoped that the new team under new DGP would succeed to bring a complete normalcy.
    The former DGP thanked public, police, forces, Shrine board and others for the incident free Amarnath yatra. He said all have contributed in making the yatra incident free and urged national media not to make things sensational.

  • JKBOSE to hold class 10th, 12th annual regular exam in October

    SRINAGAR: The J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) to hold the class 10th and 12th annual regular examinations from second week of October.

    Sources told Press Trust of Kashmir that the Board is likely to release the class 12 and class 10 date sheet in the next week.

    When contacted Incharge Joint Secretary, Examinations Syed Abdul Rouf he told Press Trust of Kashmir that the class 12th and 10th examinations are scheduled from 2nd week of October. (PTK)

  • Govt Issues Wazwan Advisory, Asks Cooks To Get Registered

    SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir government has directed traditional ‘wazwaan cooks’ to get themselves registered with food safety authority of the state.

    Issuing an advisory, commissioner food safety has asked the cooks to declare their location premises and get registered.

    It also asked people to not allow cooks to use any artificial colorants in preparations.

    “Consumers are advised to encourage use of safe and natural colour extracts like Cocks comb, sundried red chillies both at home and functions and festivals by traditional cooks,” it added

  • ‘Hurriyat Must Mend Their Ways Or They Will Not be Pardoned’

    Ravinder Raina firebrand BJP President of Jammu and Kashmir is known for his controversial statements. He is known for his anti Pakistan and anti separatists stand. In an exclusive interview with The Legitimate he talks extensively why he venoms fire against Pakistan and separatists in Kashmir.

    In Jammu and Kashmir the PDP and BJP coalition government has failed to deliver in past three years of its rule, why your party is now mulling options to form the new government in state?

    It is true that we were in coalition with PDP for over three years. But you must be knowing that in coalition government the dominating force is the party which has its chief minister on chair and in our case the problem was same. We had lesser role in the government since the chief minister was from PDP.

    Even on insistence of former chief minster late Mufti Mohammad Sayed and Mehbooba Mufti we went to New Delhi repeatedly and sought mega developmental packages for the state since our government is in Delhi.

    Prime Minster Narender Modi himself came to Srinagar and announced Rs 80000 crore developmental packages to build up the state’s socioeconomic infrastructure. But we could not deliver the way it was expected.

    You have seen the disturbance in the valley. Lots of stone pelting incidents and protests were happening. So we decided to pull out of the coalition. However, I attribute the chaos and the uncertainty in the valley to the failure of government which could not deliver upto the expectations of people and that is evident in the present times as the situation is absolutely normal after the governor rule is imposed.

    You can see the speed of developmental works have been expedited in all the three regions now. I believe that people irrespective of their regional and religious belief are our own people in all the three regions and our mandate is to work for them rising above the political preferences.

    If you are so satisfied with the governor rule why are you running to form the new government in state and break your old ally-PDP?

    Wrong. We are not breaking any party. Had that been the case you have seen in Bihar after the differences cropped up between Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar a new government backed by BJP was in place in just 24 hours. Had that been the case in Jammu and Kashmir if not in 24 hours but at least in a week we could have easily formed the government. But that is not our primary objective. We are focussing on the developmental projects in state, be it Ladakh, Jammu or Kashmir.

    The developmental works are going on a fast track mode. We allow governor’s rule to prevail despite the fact in democratic countries elected government is preferred. But we realized that Governor rule is proving pro people and beneficial to the state and we continue to support it.

    Can I say that you will not form the government in state as of now?

    See, our first priority was to contain the worsening situation in Kashmir and that we did successfully after pulling out of the coalition. The stone pelting has stopped dramatically, developmental works are going on.

    But there are still 2 and a half years left for us. It is not easy to become an MLA. It is the hard work of decades and people who voted us to power have hopes and expectations attached to us. But our first priority is to conduct the Panchayat and local body polls in state and after that we have Lok Sabha elections. So we want a government in place that shall work for the welfare and prosperity of people.

    You are talking too much about developmental works. But I think in coalition your party ministers ignored Kashmir?

    You are wrong. I have been myself visiting the places in Kashmir along with our party ministers to hear the public grievances and set up developmental projects. Our then PHE minster Sham Chowdary inaugurated many projects in Ganderbal. Our deputy Chief minister Nirmal Singh went to Pattan along with local MLA and heard the public grievances.

    I will tell you that for BJP people of Kashmir are equally important like the people of Jammu. We can’t ignore the people of Kashmir who are as good Indians as any others. When someone in Kashmir is killed or injured by Pakistan backed militants I feel pain in my heart. I go to their homes to express my solidarity and sympathy. The victim is like my brother or sister notwithstanding his/her political belief. They are our own people.

    But there is a different perception among Muslims and generally among Kashmiris that you and your party is anti Muslim and anti Kashmiri?

    The perception among the Kashmiris has been generated by our political opponents. They always project us same way but I tell you that I love Kashmiris with the core of my heart. I hate Pakistan and if I could I want to destroy it.

    It is Pakistan that is an enemy of Kashmiris. We ruled the state for three years and you tell me where we harassed the Muslim brethren. In New Delhi BJP is in rule for over four years and the biggest Confidence building Measures were launched by Modi led BJP.

    He announced ceasefire in the holy month of Ramadhan to ensure that the Muslims in valley observe the month of fasting peacefully though he might have faced the severe criticism in country. But it was Pakistan which continued to fire upon borders and inciting the local militants to fail our ceasefire initiative in Kashmir.

    So you can say who is enemy and who is friend of Kashmiris. I travel to nooks and corners of the valley and people hear me, greet me because they understood right and wrong now. I may tell you that 99 per cent people in Kashmir are Indians and it is one percent that hijacks the situation since they are funded and sponsored by Pakistan.

    Lest talks about separatists. It is a well known fact that they have amassed huge wealth in all these years since they looted both Indian and Pakistan in the name of Kashmir issue. Their children are well settled in India and abroad but they always incite the children of common people to resort to stone pelting and pick guns and play the politics over that.

    When the children of Syed Salahudin have right of government jobs and Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s children can work in India and elsewhere why shouldn’t they encourage the children of common people in same way.

    Their fortunes have changed in last over few decades. They have villas. Bungalows, hotels and every comfort of life but nothing has changed for the common man except death and destruction in Kashmir.

    You always talk against separatists and Pakistan?

    Pakistan is the biggest killer of Kashmiris. He killed over one lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir after supporting gun culture in valley of which 80000 are Muslims.

    He never let our Muslim brethren in valley and in Jammu border areas to live in peace and always back militants to foment trouble in state. They even support the separatists in Kashmir who looted both India and Pakistan. Whenever we extended our hand of friendship they back stabbed us.

    Even you see our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who tried every effort to ensure peace with Pakistan. Mark my words when the fear of gun will be over in Kashmir the people will drag those separatists to Lal Chowk and beat them in full public glare.

    When you talk about Vajpayee he is still respected in Kashmir for his outstanding initiatives with Pakistani and Kashmiris to resolve the Kashmir problem?

    You know he was our man. He belonged to BJP and he was the one who went to Pakistan in bus and in return we got Kargil from the country. He invited Musharaf to Agra for dialogue and on the back they attacked our parliament.

    Even Prime minster Narender Modi invited Nawaz Shareif to his oath taking ceremony and went to Pakistan but they attacked us in Pathankote.

    What is the solution to the problem?

    See, in Pakistan it is army and ISI ruling the roost. The elected government even the recent one led by Imran Khan are puppets.

    They dance on the tunes of ISI and Army. In Pakistan for common people situation is very tough though they are as good as Indians. As long the shops of terrorism run by people like Masood Azhar, Hafiz Sayeed are open and backed by army and ISI the situation will be same and poor people will continue to die.

    Even I warn the separatist in Kashmir who have looted both India and Pakistan to mend their ways or they will not be pardoned.

    Courtesy: The Legitimate.

  • Kashmiri BJP leader says Article 35A is gender bias

    Srinagar: BJP National Vice President youth and in charge West Bengal Engineer Aijaz Hussain Tuesday said there is need to modify Article 35A. He claimed that under this Article women are being discriminated.

    Hussain who hails from Balhama locality said more and more people from Kashmir are joining BJP as they feel this is the only party that is not run by any dynasty.

    He said BJP is not a party for Hindus only but Muslims are also part of it. He said a campaign is being run by Opposition parties claiming that Muslims have no role in BJP.

    He lamented that some sections of people are defaming people of Kashmir outside Jammu and Kashmir. “It is the result of vicious propaganda that youth of Kashmir outside Jammu and Kashmir are being labeled as terrorists and anti-national. There is dire need to portray Kashmir in a positive way,” Hussain said.

  • J&K Governor to ask Supreme Court to put off Article 35-A hearing

    Srinagar: Even as the Valley witnessed a total shutdown on Thursday over apprehensions that Article 35A of the Constitution may be tinkered with, Jammu & Kashmir’s new governor Satya Pal Malik said the state administration will file a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a deferral of the hearing into the contentious law.
    In an interview to Hindustan Times, Malik — who is the administrative head of the state which has been under Governor’s Rule since the fall of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in June — said the administration would tell the top court that the views of the state’s people can only be represented by an elected government.
    The state administration has twice, on August 3, and August 29, written to the Supreme Court seeking a deferral, on both occasions citing the preparations for the forthcoming local elections.
    “How can we take a decision? As we are not an elected government, we cannot speak on behalf of the people (in the court). Thus, we feel the decision should be deferred till there is an elected government here. Our stand is clear and we will soon make an appeal before the apex court (seeking a deferral),” Malik said in the interview.
    He was appointed on August 21 to replace NN Vohra, and as a former member of Parliament, is seen as the first political appointment to the post since Karan Singh between 1965 and 1967.
    Malik’s statement comes at a time when the state continues to be roiled by protests related to the court’s hearing of the article of the Constitution that restricts property ownership and government jobs to permanent residents of Jammu & Kashmir. The fear is that Article 35A could be scrapped after the legal challenge in the apex court.
    The Supreme Court is to hear the case on Friday. On Thursday, shops, businesses, and schools and colleges in the state were closed, and roads bore a deserted look with few venturing out. Even government offices saw thin attendance. The protest, called for by separatists, is to continue on Friday. This is the fourth day in August that the state has seen a complete shutdown on account of protests related to the court hearing.
    Malik said that even in the case of Article 370 of the Constitution which gives significant autonomy of the state “there are sentiments involved and I think a decision on such issues could be best deferred”.
    Since August 1, there have been intermittent protests in the state against any change in Article 35A and Article 370 with the state’s main regional mainstream parties such as the National Conference and the PDP also hitting the streets and warning of a deterioration of the situation in the state if any changes are made to either article. Senior Congress leaders in the state have also warned of a massive agitation if Article 35A is altered in any way.
    Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, who, under the banner of the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), gave the call for the two-day shutdown blaming the “Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh of attempts to change the demography” of the state through the legal route have warned of a “mass agitation of hitting and occupying streets” if any change is made in the act.
    “Despite curbs, curfews, house arrests complete strike across J&K as people express their strong resentment &protest against the nefarious design of tinkering with state subject laws. No amount of coercion will deter people from fighting this assault with all our might & conviction,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tweeted on Thursday.
    The Supreme Court will on August 31 hear a bunch of petitions against the Article 35A of the Constitution filed by NGOs and individuals.
    Jammu and Kashmir has been on the boil for the past couple of years due to a spurt in local militancy and mounting deaths in security operations — the latter being an issue that was seen as a factor behind the split between the BJP and the PDP. HT

  • Iram, first lady from Kashmir capital Srinagar to fly an aircraft

    Srinagar: When Iram Habib, who belongs to old Srinagar city, expressed her wish to join the aviation sector after Class XII, she met with a lot of discouragement. She was told that a Kashmiri girl can never become a pilot.
    It took her six years to convince her parents to allow her to join the aviation sector as they thought commercial flying wasn’t meant for women living in the conflict-torn Kashmir.

    Iram pursued her bachelors in forestry from Dehradun and postgraduation in forestry from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir. Though she studied forestry, she did not let her dream die.
    “Somehow, the dream to fly an aircraft was in me all through while I studied forestry,” says Iram (30), the daughter of a businessman.
    While Iram’s family wanted her to pursue PhD in forestry and get a government job, she kept looking for options to train as a pilot.
    “I pursued PhD for one and a half years but left it and went to a US flight school,” she says. “I looked for things on my own and kept my dream alive.”
    Iram completed her training from Miami in the US in 2016 and returned to India to get a commercial pilot licence, but the journey was not easy.
    “I had to study hard and pass exams. In the US, I had 260 hours of flying experience which is important for the licence. I got a commercial pilot licence in the US and Canada on the basis of my flying hours but I wanted to work in India,” she says.
    She says though her father supported her, her relatives and friends would always tell her that a girl from Kashmir would never get a job as a pilot.
    Iram says that it is difficult for her relatives even now to believe that she flies an aircraft. “They still can’t believe I chose this profession and got a job too,” Iram says, adding she had also trained in Bahrain and Dubai in Airbus 320.
    The 30-year-old has two job offers in India at the moment.
    “During my training and exams everyone would be surprised to see a woman from Kashmir as a pilot, but there was no discrimination. I worked hard and got a job offer from IndiGo and GoAir. I am set to join as a first officer in IndiGo next month,” says Iram.

    Not an easy journey

    Iram Habib, 30, who belongs to old Srinagar city, had expressed her wish to join the aviation sector after Class XII, but met with a lot of discouragement
    Iram completed her flight training from Miami in the US in 2016 and returned to India to get a commercial pilot licence, but the journey was not easy
    She has got a job offer from IndiGo and GoAir

    Reported The Tribune

  • Allen Weisselberg, Trump Organization Official, Was Granted Immunity

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  • Artificial Intelligence Is Now a Pentagon Priority. Will Silicon Valley Help?

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