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  • Body of J&K youth who died in Kuwait reaches home after 8 days

    Srinagar: Body of a Jammu and Kashmir youth, who died eight days before in Kuwait, reached his home in Poonch district on Tuesday.

    This is for the first time when a dead body from any J&K resident has been brought to his home from abroad during the COVID-19 lockdown.

    Zahoor Ahmad, 28, son of Maqbool Hussain resident of Kandi Gulthain Mendhar area of Poonch district died in Kuwait eight days before due to cardiac arrest.

    “He was working there in a private company. Eight days before, he died due to cardiac arrest. After which the family approached the authorities to bring his body home for last rites from Kuwait,” one of the relatives of deceased told news agency KINS.

    He said his body had been packed in a coffin by a courier company in Kuwait and was dispatched for New Delhi in a plane. “Divisional Commissioner Jammu had issued movement passes to two family members of the deceased who went to Delhi and received his dead body. Tuesday morning, they along with the dead body reached Mendhar in an ambulance where authorities collected their samples for COVID-19 testing. The family members have been sent to home quarantine as their reports are awaited,” he said. He said the ambulance has charged over Rs 43,000 to the family.

    Government has allowed various courier companies to resume their services and deliver service for Indians living abroad.

    The repatriation process in various countries like in Kuwait is a long process involving various departments with multiple documentations.

    There are some people and NGOs who are helping grieving families of the deceased to get their loved ones back from there.

    Block Medical Officer Mendhar Dr Parvaiz Ahmed Khan confirmed to news agency KINS that they collected samples of all three for COVID-19 testing.

    “After dead body reached here, samples were taken for all including two persons who carried the body from Delhi Airport. Both persons have been kept under home quarantine,” he added.(KINS)

  • Covid-19 | CMO Bandipora loses ‘cool’, rebukes cops on duty

    Srinagar: Chief Medical Officer Bandipora Dr Tajamul Hussain lost his cool when he was stopped by police near Nusoo village while on way to visit quarantine centres in the district.

    Watch Video:

    Sources told news agency KNT that Chief Medical Officer was in his official vehicle to visit the quarantine centres when in Nusoo area his vehicle was stopped. CMO alighted from the vehicle and rebuked the cops.

    “Don’t you know we are playing with our lives for you people and you are stopping us from performing our duties. Yesterday too, you manhandled a doctor in Srinagar city,” CMO while arguing with cops told them.

    In a video that is viral as well, CMO can be seen telling the cops can’t they see the vehicle belongs to Health Department.

    Eyewitnesses told KNT that CMO called Deputy Commissioner Bandipora and some top cops who resolved the matter amicably.
    Yesterday as well, a cardiologist accused SHO Zadibal of harassment. Police Chief Dilbagh Singh has already ordered inquiry into the incident.

    The Srinagar incident sparked a protest at Government Supper specialty hospital Shereen Bagh today. Doctors and Para-medical staff staged a silent peaceful protest, carrying placards seeking end to harassment on roads.

    With regard to today’s incident, Chief Medical Officer Bandipora, Dr Tajamul said that it was a sheer harassment. “Due to intervention of DC Bandipora, and DSP Headquarters Bandipora, I was allowed to go,” he said.

    When contacted SSP Badnipora, Rahul Malik told KNT that District Development Commissioner in a meeting had directed to contain traffic from Nowpora to Nusu and police was only following directions. “It was a routine check, but unfortunately, CMO got agitated. He was however pacified and matter was resolved amicably,” SSP said. (KNT)

  • China To Repatriate Its Citizens From India Amid Surge In Coronavirus Cases

    The Chinese embassy put out a notice on its website on Monday, asking those wanting to return home to book tickets on special flights.

    PTI

    New Delhi: China has decided to repatriate its citizens, including students, tourists and businessmen, from India who are facing “difficulties” in the country and want to return home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
    The Chinese embassy put out a notice on its website on Monday, asking those wanting to return home to book tickets on special flights.

    The move to repatriate its citizens comes in the wake of India emerging as the 10th worst-hit country by the deadly virus, which has infected nearly 1.4 lakh people in India.

    The coronavirus, which was first reported in Wuhan in December, has spread to over 190 countries, infecting over 54 lakh people and killing around 3.4 lakh. India had repatriated around 700 Indians from Wuhan in February.

    The notice by the Chinese embassy said the people opting to return home will have to accept all quarantine and epidemic prevention arrangements during the flight as well as upon entering China.

    The notice in Mandarin said people treated for coronavirus infection or having symptom of the infection like fever and cough in the last 14 days should not board the special flights.

    “Through the unified arrangement of the ministry of foreign affairs and relevant departments, the Chinese diplomatic and consular missions in India will assist international students in India, tourists, temporary business visitors who have difficulties and are in urgent need to take a flight back home to China,” the notice read.

    It suggested that people from certain other countries may also be repatriated. The notice said the cost of flight ticket and quarantine in China will have to be borne by the evacuees.

    “If your body temperature exceeds 37.3 degrees (inclusive) before boarding or if you have suspected symptoms, you will be refused boarding by the airline,” the notice said.

    China’s decision to repatriate its citizens from India also comes at a time when troops of both the countries are locked in a tense standoff in the areas of Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh for over two weeks.

  • Cracks Appear Within NC As Leader’s First Reconciliation Overtures Face Opposition

    National Conference is waiting for the release of its political leaders to take a stand on the evolving political situation in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370.

    On a day when National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah flew to Delhi, a write-up by his political secretary Tanveer Sadiq, which calls for reconciliation without mentioning Article 370, has created rumblings within the party. Party’s chief spokesperson and senior leader, Ruhullah Mehdi, has objected to such overtures from the party leader.

    “Revisit domicile law? Lift curbs on Internet? “LET” political process be run? Is that all what you are looking for in this reconciliation? If I am not reading wrong, you are basically asking for 4G and THEIR ‘PERMISSION’ to let us start the political process? & then all is well,” Mehdi tweeted in response to Sadiq’s suggestion, who called for release of political prisoners arrested on and after August 5, 2019, revisiting domicile law and lifting of curbs on internet.

    On August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was removed and J&K was downgraded and bifurcated into two Union Territories, the government imposed communication blockade in J&K and arrested thousands of people. Since then, the government has released a number of political leaders including former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah and gradually restored other communication services. However, it continues with restrictions on high-speed 4G internet and has come up with a new domicile law.

    Responding to Sadiq’s column for a local newspaper, Mehdi took to twitter to express his anguish, saying, “I am honestly ready to be taken to a prison after what I say. But I would never ask them to “LET” us. When you ask them to “let” us, it will naturally be on their terms.”

    Talking to Outlook, Mehdi said it would be injustice to attribute Sadiq’s views as that of the party’s. “I think he expressed his personal views and I responded to that. It will be premature to say that his views are those of the party’s,” he said.

    He added that he did not believe that NC’s working committee needs to sit and think whether it has to take a stand on Article 370 or not. “National Conference is all about Article 370, restoration of autonomy and constitutional guarantees to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. I personally think that we don’t need to wait for the working committee of the party to sit and decide that what happened on August 5 was right or wrong. It was wrong. The working committee only needs to sit and think about party’s future course and lay out the roadmap on how to go about it. The working committee has to talk about methodology.”

    “This is my personal stand and I hope it is also the party’s stand,” he said.

    National Conference is waiting for the release of its political leaders to take a stand on the evolving political situation in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370.

    On April 1, when the government issued a midnight order spelling out new domicile law and eligibility for employment, Mehdi had strongly protested. “I have not forgotten the humiliation I felt as a citizen of a proud STATE on the day of Aug 5. How sinisterly you acted and how sinister you looked. I have not forgotten how you tossed every book of constitution out of the window while you were drunk in arrogance and power.” said Mehdi, who is in detention since abbrogation Article 370. “I have not forgotten how a coup was mounted against population of an entire state and all their democratic and constitutional rights were murdered.”

    With inputs from Naseer Ganai | Outlook

  • China’s silence on border, a contrast to Doklam

    In 2017, there was almost daily coverage on Doklam in what was a campaign by State-controlled media to whip up public sentiment

    China’s government and media have maintained a studied public silence on developments along the Indian border through much of the past week, in a marked contrast to Beijing’s almost daily public messaging through the 2017 Doklam stand-off.

    As of May 26, there has been little coverage on the border in Chinese media, another contrast from 2017 when there was almost daily coverage on Doklam in what was a campaign by State-controlled media to whip up public sentiment.

    That approach has been largely absent so far. The silence from both New Delhi and Beijing has been seen by observers as suggesting a desire to keep space for de-escalation, although that could change the longer the stand-off continues.

    In 2017, Chinese analysts had described the Doklam stand-off as being qualitatively different from other India-China border situations as it was not taking place on territory disputed between the two countries. China was emphasising in statements then that India had crossed the border into Bhutan, on land that is disputed between Bhutan and China and to which India had no claims.

    That is not the case in this instance, although analysts have said the current tensions are also unprecedented in their own way, given the heavy deployments, simultaneous stand-offs in at least four points, and aggressive behaviour that led to injuries.

    Deliberations between military commanders of the two sides have been on-going on a daily basis, in addition to other communication channels. Talks have so far failed to defuse the situation, with both sides digging in and adding to their deployments.

    The only two statements from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), on May 19 and May 22, were issued to the Indian media in responses to queries. Unlike in the past, these were neither published on its website nor circulated to the Chinese media. The MFA also answered a question in its daily briefing on May 21 on comments made by U.S. diplomat Alice Wells on the border situations, describing it as “nonsense”. The spokesperson repeated the May 19 statement and added it had “nothing to do with the U.S.”

    No questions on India or the border were taken up during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s annual press conference on May 24, an event that is usually carefully choreographed and questions are selected in advance.

    China’s charge

    On May 19, the MFA said India had “crossed” the LAC in the western section and Sikkim “to enter Chinese territory”. It accused India of blocking normal patrols and attempting to unilaterally change the status quo.

    Another statement on May 22 said that with the border never having been demarcated, problems occurred on occasion. It said China opposed infringements across the border. Diplomatic channels were open and it believed the issue could be properly resolved through negotiation.

    The English language Global Times on May 18 published the only article so far on the border situation, saying Chinese troops “have bolstered border control measures and made necessary moves in response to India’s recent, illegal construction of defence facilities across the border into Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley region”. It cited “a source close to Chinese military”. A Chinese version of the article, published on the Sina website’s military portal, referred to the Galwan Valley “as China’s territory”, although this was missing in the MFA’s statements.

    Another article on May 25 in Global Times said China’s “first domestically developed unmanned helicopter focused on plateau operations recently made its maiden flight” and “could help safeguard China’s southwestern borders with India.”

    The May 18 article said “the Chinese troops’ new move, believed to be the strongest military response to India’s illegal trespassing incident along the border since the Doklam stand-off, demonstrates the strong determination of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to defend its sovereign territory,” the article said.

    “But the latest border friction started by the Indian side won’t lead to another Doklam stand-off,” it added, “which brought serious tensions between China and India in 2017.”

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Pakistan Army shells Balakot sector along LoC in Poonch

    The cross-border shelling between the two sides was going on

    PTI

    Pakistan Army on Tuesday resorted to firing and shelling on forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, drawing befitting retaliation from Indian soldiers, a defence spokesperson said.

    “Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by small arm firing with mortar shelling along LoC in Balakote sector in Poonch district early Tuesday morning”, he said.

    He said the Indian Army retaliated befittingly.

    The cross-border shelling between the two sides was going on when last reports were received, the officials said.

    However, there was no immediate report of any casualty during the shelling.

  • J&K tops in COVID-19 testing, says UT govt.

    Testing capacity now stands at 8,100 samples per day

    With a testing rate of over 10,000 per million, Jammu & Kashmir has now become “number one in the country in testing”, the J&K government said on Monday.

    “The testing capacity in the Union Territory has gone up from just about 100 tests per day in March to 8,000 tests per day today. In the last one month alone, it has gone up from 1,800 tests per day to 8,100 per day, an increase of 350%,” Rohit Kansal, J&K government Spokesperson, and Principal Secretary, Power and Information, said in a press conference.

    He said the “aggressive and sustained testing” is the only effective weapon against the disease and the administration shall continue to pursue it effectively.

    J&K has detected 1,668 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak, with 1,374 cases reported from the Kashmir division and 294 cases from the Jammu division. So far, 23 deaths, including two deaths in the past 24 hours, have been reported.

    ‘Slew of measures’

    “For the last more than eight weeks, the government has taken a slew of measures on the health, economic and welfare fronts. J&K was probably one of the first States or UTs to take note of the emerging situation and initiate action, and many of our interventions have not only been been fast but effective, too,” said Mr. Kansal.

    Over 1.34 lakh persons have been enlisted for COVID-19 surveillance in the UT. “J&K has been able to achieve a low growth rate and a doubling rate [in infections] of over three weeks,” Mr. Kansal added.

    He said over 90,000 stranded persons had returned to J&K in the last four weeks alone. “J&K has smoothly completed more than 85% of its evacuation process. The government has consciously adopted a policy of testing 100% of all returnees. It has been successful in tracing 481 positive cases so far among the travellers,” he added.

    An official said 652 passengers, including students, arrived at the Srinagar International Airport on Monday under the Vande Bharat Mission by four COVID-19 special flights, while 170 persons arrived in five flights at the Jammu airport.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • 30-year-old man hangs himself to death in Sopore

    Sopore: A 30-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself inside his home in Mahrajpora area of north Kashmir’s Sopore town in intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

    Witnesses told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that a 30- year old-man Azad Ahmad of Mahrajpora, Sopore allegedly hanged himself inside his home during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

    However, Family members of the youth after spotting their son hanging inside his room, immediately rushed him to the Sub-District hospital Sopore where doctors declared him brought dead.

    A police officer while confirming the incident to—KNO said a case has been registered in police station Sopore .

    The official added that after post-mortem body will be handed over to family for last rites—(KNO)

  • Midnight CASO launched by Army in Kharwara village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district

    Midnight CASO launched by Army in Kharwara village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district is still in progress

    Forces have inputs of presence of militants in the area

  • Covid-19: 90-Year-Old Man From Kulgam Dies, Toll 24; Case Tally Crosses 1700-Mark

    Srinagar: A 90-year-old man from Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Tuesday became another victim of novel coronavirus, taking the overall death toll due to the disease to 24 in Jammu and Kashmir. Also 34 fresh cases of the virus were reported, taking the tally of patients to 1702.

    A resident of Khaloora Kulgam, the nonagenarian was referred to SKIMS Soura from GMC Anantnag yesterday and breathed his last around 5:45 a.m. today, officials said.

    “The patient was suffering from pneumonia with chief complaints of fever and breathlessness,” Professor Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent of the tertiary care hospital, told GNS.
    He said that his sampling was done at around 6:30 p.m. on Monday and it came out to be positive at 9:08 p.m. same day

    “The patient was then shifted to Isolation facility where he died this morning,” Professor Jan added.

    With the fatality, the death toll due to the virus has gone upto 4 in Kulgam and overall 24 in J&K. So far Srinagar district has highest number of the fatalities—6 followed by Anantnag, Baramulla and Kulgam with four deaths each while Budgam and Jammu have two each and one death each has been reported from Bandipora and Udhampur.

    Meanwhile, J&K reported 34 more positive cases and the results were confirmed at army’s command hospital in Udhampur, taking the overall count of the positive cases so far to 1702, official sources said.(GNS)