Srinagar: Thursday morning saw much of the Valley, including the summer capital Srinagar, turn white as the much-anticipated snowfall covered the plains during the night.The upper reaches in the Valley have been receiving continuous light to moderate snowfall since Tuesday evening. The hill stations of Pahalgam and Gulmarg also continued to receive snowfall. According to a weather official, the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir received the highest snowfall with nearly a feet of fresh snow accumulated there.The fresh snowfall is expected to draw domestic and foreign tourists to Kashmir. Tourists have largely stayed away from the Valley after unrest broke in July last year, causing a huge loss to the state’s tourism industry.Srinagar recorded snowfall equivalent to a rainfall of 2.5 mm in the past 24 hours. Bad weather also hit air traffic and many flights were cancelled at Srinagar International Airport. An official said 12 flights were cancelled at the airport today. Meanwhile, reports from the frontier district of Kupwara said roads leading to border areas, including Karnah, Keran and Maachil in Kupwara district, had been blocked due to snowfall since Wednesday.“We have set up at least 89 dumping centres at high altitude areas to cater to the requirement of locals in these areas,” said Deputy Commissioner of Kupwara, Ghulam Mohammad Dar. The border areas remain cut off from the district headquarters for at least five months. — TNS
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PDP leader calls for talks with Pak, separatists
Srinagar: A senior leader of the ruling PDP in Jammu and Kashmir Thursday urged the New Delhi to address the issues troubling the state by resuming dialogue with “all the stakeholders” including separatists, and with Pakistan.
New Delhi must address issues concerning the state with a sense of urgency, sincerity and seriousness by resuming talks “not only with Pakistan, but with all the stakeholders, within the state as well, including the separatists,” PDP leader Peerzada Mansoor said at a party convention in south Kashmir.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rules Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party.
Mansoor said besides working through political means and implementing an economic development agenda, the central government must engage with the people of the state to find a lasting solution to the issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir. PTI -
Snow in Srinagar, wet weather in store over next few days
Srinagar: Srinagar received fresh snowfall on Thursday while rest of the Valley witnessed snow for the third consecutive day, with the Met department predicting more wet weather over the next few days.While the summer capital recorded fresh light snowfall on Thursday morning, many other areas, especially the higher reaches in the Valley, experienced continuous light to moderate snowfall for the third consecutive day, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.The plains also received rains during the past 24 hours.Srinagar recorded snow and rains equivalent to rainfall of 7.5 mm during the last 24 hours till 0830 hours, the official said.The city registered minimum temperature of minus 0.3 degree Celsius–slightly down from minus 0.1 degree Celsius on Wednesday.The official said the depth of snow recorded during the last 24 hours in Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, was two feet.There also were reports of snowfall in the peripheral areas of the resort, including in the areas of Khilanmarg, Kongdoori and Afferwath.The famous ski-resort registered a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night’s minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.Other areas which witnessed snow included Ganderbal, Keran, Machil, Karnah, Gurez, Shopian, Sonamarg and Amarnath along with surrounding areas.Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded depth of 8.2 cm snow, while the night temperature there settled at a low of minus 1.0 degree Celsius.The famous health resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, received 3.5 cm snow, the official said, adding that the resort recorded a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius.Kokernag town in south Kashmir registered a minimum of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius and recorded rains and snow equivalent to 1.9 mm of rainfall, the official said.Qazigund, the gateway town to the Kashmir Valley, recorded 3.8 mm of rainfall and snow and the night temperature there settled at a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius.Kargil in the frontier region of Ladakh was the coldest recorded place in the state with a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Leh town registered minimum temperature of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius.The Met Office has forecast widespread snow or rain over the next two days in the state and isolated rains or snow a day after that. PTI
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Locals in Kashmir joining militancy is not a happy situation: Army chief
Srinagar: Plans are on the anvil to bring in a shift in the counter-insurgency strategy in Kashmir in which “false” propaganda inspiring youth to take up arms will be targeted rather than individuals alone, says new Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat.
He is also concerned at the rising number of Kashmiri youth joining militancy.
Gen Rawat, who has experience in handling the Kashmir militancy, said that unlike naxalism in which locals are joining due to feeling of deprivation, it is not the case in Kashmir which has been under the siege from “Pakistan-backed insurgency since late 1980s.”
In an interview to PTI, he emphasised that the “false propaganda” and developments in the Middle East has affected some of the local youth and that is why one finds “more and more educated youth” getting driven towards militancy.“When the local youth join insurgency and pick up gun it is a matter of concern because our own countrymen getting involved in insurgency is not a happy situation,” Gen Rawat said.Since the killing of Hizb-ul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 last year, 59 local youth have joined militant groups as per official figures though security experts say the figure is much higher.Gen Rawat questioned if the local youth in Kashmir are getting into insurgency because of feeling of deprivation, which he said was happening in other areas.“Is it similar to what is happening with naxalism? It is not. It has something to do with the false propaganda that is being propagated. I think we need to reach out to people.Rather than seeing them as targets, we need to sympathise with them and undo the kind of false propaganda that is being spread among the youth,” he said.
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Kashmir an integral part of Pakistan’s identity: Nawaz Sharif
Srinagar: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said that Kashmir is an integral part of Pakistan’s identity.
Sharif made the remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of two-day international parliamentary seminar on Kashmir in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported.
“Our hearts beat and sink with our Kashmiri brethren. We share each moment of their pain and pleasures. We rejoice in their happiness and grieve in their gloom,” Sharif said.
He saluted the spirit and determination of the Kashmiri people for “continuing inalienable right to self determination in the face of brutal repression.”
“The youth of Kashmiri people are writing a new chapter in Kashmir history,” he said, according to the report.
“The martyrdom of vibrant and Charismatic Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani has given a new turn to the Kashmiri movement,” he said.The report said that speaking on the occasion Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Jammu and Kashmir dispute is a stigma on the international process.
“Both Kashmir and Palestine are the two longest unresolved items on the UNSC agenda. The denial of right of self determination to the Kashmiri people promised by the international community as well as by the founding leaders of India has compounded the sufferings of the Kashmiri people,” Aziz was quoted as saying.
Addressing the seminar, Speaker of Pakistan National Assembly Sardar Ayyaz Sadiq said the lingering Kashmir dispute must be solved at the earliest to avert further instability in the whole region, it said.
“The unabated genocide of Kashmiris at the hands of Indian Occupied Forces over the last seven decades has led to decline in population from seventy nine to sixty eight percent currently,” it quoted Ayyaz Sadiq as saying.
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Parvez Rasool to inaugurate 2nd edition of KSL in Dubai
Srinagar: Non Resident Kashmiris are all set to hold the second the edition of the Kashmir Super League-Dubai in United Arab Emirates from January 6 at Ajman Cricket Council. The event would be inaugurated by International cricketer from Kashmir, Parvez Rasool.
The organizers have been promoting event in a big way on social media with morale boosting messages from some of the big guns of World cricket like, Shoaib Akhtar, Asad Shafiq, Suhail Tanveer among others.
Initially league involved 12 franchisee teams named after local areas of Kashmir. However, with number of players going unsold, organizers added two more franchisees this season. Apart from the Kashmiris settled in UAE, event would also see some of the Kashmiri players coming from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
This season organizers have gone one step ahead as far as promotion is concerned by roping in International cricketer of the State, Parvez Rasool for the inauguration ceremony. Parvez would inaugurate event on January 6 at Ajman Cricket Council.
“It is the event that has generated quite a buzz among Kashmiris in most parts of Middle East. Initially we never imagined that it would get such a support from Kashmiri corporate houses and we will see such a rush of cricketers for the bidding,” said member organizing committee Abrar Reshie.
“The inaugural season was huge success and we are taking that forward this season by introducing some new features and attractions. Such is the excitement among players that cricketers who are coming from outside UAE have scheduled their travel plans according to the matches played. This season number of teams in league would be 14 instead of original 12,” he said.
About roping in Parvez, he said, “He is biggest cricket star that our State has ever produced. Though we had number of options that included some of known faces of international cricket but we believe there was no better option than our very own Parvez.
He readily accepted our invitation and is coming for the inauguration and then would head back to India quickly in order to lead JK side in T20 national event”.
The event would be sponsored by Power Solutions Industries owner Sajad Shawl while as each franchisee has its own sponsor.
Teams: Hokarsar Rangers, KhanQah Hamdans, Lal Bazar Lions, Lal Chowk Leopards, Nowhatta Rebels, Rajbagh Royals, RazayKadal Super Heroes, Safakadal Stars, Soura Qalanders, Srinagar Sultans, Pahalgam Panthers, Manasbal Mavericks, Buherkadal Badshah and Dachigam Hangul.
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WhatsApp no longer works on these iOS and Android phones
New Delhi: Popular social media application WhatsApp has stopped working in older iPhones and Android handsets to ensure that it could continue to introduce new features and stay secure, which relies on the app being used on newer operating systems.
Anyone using Android 2.1 or 2.2, an iPhone 3GS or iOS 6 will find the app has stopped working. The same will happen to anyone on Windows Phone 7, the Independent reported yesterday.
The company has advised that anyone with one of those older handsets who want to keep chatting with friends simply has to buy a newer phone.
WhatsApp had initially said that all BlackBerry models and some Nokia handsets would also find themselves unable to get onto the chat app. But it went back late last year, apparently in response to complaints.
“We are extending support for BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian S60 until June 30, 2017,” the company wrote in an update to its blog.
The changes are thought to be in large part to allow WhatsApp to more deeply integrate encryption and other privacy services. Such technology stops messages from being read, and has led to WhatsApp facing criticism from governments who believe that WhatsApp conversations should be made public, the report said.
It’s also likely to allow for more rapid introduction of new features. Rumoured updates scheduled in 2017 include a new feature that would allow people to edit or entirely delete messages after they have been sent. (PTI)
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Day1: Barkati slogans reverberate in legislative Assembly
Yeh pellet-bullet… na bhai na: shout Opposition MLAs
Srinagar: Religious leader Sarjan Barkati-popularly known as pied piper of south Kashmir, had rose to the fame for his unique way of sloganeering that would pull crowd in thousands during the 2016 uprising, might be in jail these days, but his slogans Monday reverberated in the J&K Legislative Assembly.
As soon the first session of the month long Budget session started, the Opposition members from NC, Congress, and other independent legislators stood up from their seats and shouted slogans against the government.
Carrying placards in hands that read “revoke PSA, release political prisoners, the Opposition members shouted slogans like “Yeh pellet-bullet… na bhai na…yeh PAVA, SHAVA na bai na…PSA Sarkar Na bhai na”, reminding the “never-forgettable” slogans of Barkati.
It is Barkati who coined these slogans during pro-freedom rallies at Pinjoora Shopian, Redwani Kulgam rally and other dozens of pro-freedom rallies.
Barkati was arrested near Wanpoh in Anantnag on October 1, and is presently lodged at Kot-Balwal jail in Jammu. (KNS) -
NC’s 60 years of blunders responsible for current mess in Kashmir: Mehbooba
Says people facing consequences of Sheikh Abdullah’s decision in 1947
Jammu: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are today facing the consequences of a decision taken by National Conference founder and former Chief Minister late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in the year 1947.
According to our KNS correspondent, Chief Minister was talking to reporters outside the State Assembly Complex in Jammu after the Governor N N Vohra was forced to cut short his address to the joint session of State legislature by the slogans shouting opposition.
In reply to a question Chief Minister Mehbooba said that people of Jammu and Kashmir are bearing the brunt of sixty years of blunders of National Conference. (KNS)