J&K

New Delhi, May 21It is the dawn of a new era of development, peace and prosperity in Kashmir and the troops must remain vigilant to maintain the sanctity of the Line of Control (LoC), Army Chief General Manoj Pande said on Saturday.Pande, who is on his maiden visit to Kashmir after taking over as the Chief of the Indian Army on April 30, arrived in Srinagar on Saturday.The Army chief, accompanied by Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, Northern Army Commander, and Lieutenant General ADS Aujla, Chinar Corps Commander, proceeded to undertake a first-hand assessment of formations along the LoC in north Kashmir, the defence ministry's statement said.Pande, whose Kashmir visit will end on Sunday, was briefed on the security situation and operational preparedness, it mentioned.The formation comma...

Jammu, May 21The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Saturday announced a 47-day summer vacation for educational institutions, including recognised private schools up to class 12, in the summer zone of the Jammu division.According to an order issued by Ravi Shankar Sharma, the director of School Education department, Jammu, the decision on summer vacation was taken in view of the prevailing hot weather conditions.Government and recognised private schools up to Class 8 standard will get summer vacation from May 23 to July 9, while for Classes nine to 12, the vacation will be from May 30 to July 9.Schools in Kashmir and parts of Jammu under winter zone have a nearly three-month-long winter vacation and a 10-day summer break annually. The summer zone schools in Jammu usually go on a one-and-a-ha...

Arjun Sharma Jammu, May 21 Rescuers were able to retrieve all 10 bodies of the workers, who were trapped inside the tunnel that collapsed in Ramban district of Jamp;K late on Thursday. One body was recovered yesterday after which the rescue operation to save the other nine persons was stalled due to the landslide in the area. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), ITBP, Army and other emergency services resumed the rescue operation today at 5 am. It was stated by the administration that a total of 10 workers were trapped inside at the time of the incident. The police have also registered an FIR against the construction company for negligence. Mouth of the newly constructed tunnel collapsed when a landslide occurred in the area. Section 304-A (Causing death by negligence), 287 (Ne...

Srinagar, May 21Kashmiri Pandits took out a protest march on Saturday against the killing of Rahul Bhat and staged a sit-in in front of the famous clock tower at Lal Chowk demanding justice for the slain government employee.Rahul Bhat (35), who had got the job of a clerk under the special employment package for migrants in 20120-11, was gunned down by terrorists inside the Tehsil office in Chadoora town on May 12.Kashmiri Pandits assembled near Bund in the Lal Mandi area of the city and held a puja for Bhat on the banks of the Jhelum river, following which they began to march towards Lal Chowk.After reaching Lal Chowk, the protesters held a sit-in demanding justice for Bhat and strict action against the authorities in Budgam as well as the assailants.Raising slogans against the administrat...

Jammu, May 21 Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said the current tourism boom in Jammu and Kashmir is due to the rising temperature in the rest of the country and not because of any improved situation in the Union territory. Azad made the assertion, reiterating his stand on the Delimitation Commission report, saying that "the tailor-made report is in contradiction with the ground realities". Azad, the former Jamp;K chief minister, called for united efforts to finish militancy and also urged the government to accept the genuine demands of vulnerable sections of the society to ensure that they are not put in harm's way. "The government should not be happy over the increase in tourist arrivals (in Kashmir) and link it with the (improved) situation," he said. "I giv...

Srinagar, May 21 A bandh was observed in parts of Srinagar on Saturday to pay tributes to Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone on their death anniversary, officials said. The bandh was called by the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Most of the shops in the downtown areas of the city, including Nowhatta, Gojwara and Rajouri Kadal, were shut, the officials said. They, however, said public transport was plying in these areas as well as in the remaining parts of the city. Shops and other business establishments in other areas of Srinagar as well as in other districts remained open, the officials said. Security forces were deployed in the vulnerable areas to prevent any law-and-order problems, they added. The separatist amalgam had urged peop...

Jammu, May 21 Head priest at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine Amir Chand passed away at his residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Saturday, officials said. The 85-year-old 'Pratham Pujari' apparently died of a heart attack at his Katra residence, the officials said, adding that his cremation would take place at Balganga later in the day. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, expressed grief over the priest's death. In a tweet in Hindi, the Lt Governor said, "The news of the death of Shri Amir Chand Ji, the chief priest of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, is extremely sad. I pay my humble tributes to him. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and followers. Om Shanti."

Srinagar, May 20 Sticky bombs and drones could be a challenge for security forces in Kashmir for smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage to the holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. Kashmir IGP Vijay Kumar today reviewed security for the Amarnath pilgrimage where officials discussed the threat of sticky bombs and drones among other issues, an official told The Tribune. The meeting took place in Anantnag district. The Centre has sanctioned 50 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) for the security of the 43-day pilgrimage starting June 30. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is assisting Jamp;K to probe if militants used a sticky bomb on May 13 to target a bus carrying pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. The attack killed four pilgrims and inju...

New Delhi, May 20India has slammed Pakistan for dragging in Kashmir during the UN Security Council open debate on "Maintenance of International Peace amp; Security — Conflict and Food Security". "The Pakistan representative made unwarranted remarks, which symbolises nothing but a Pavlovian response aimed to misuse any forum and every topic, to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country," said Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Rajesh Parihar in terse, but hard hitting comments.InalienableJamp;K and Ladakh were, are and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. —Rajesh Parihar, Counsellor, India's permanent mission to UN"Jamp;K and Ladakh were, are and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes the areas th...

Samaan Lateef Srinagar, May 20 The Army today foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) by killing a foreign militant in Kupwara district. A group of militants tried to infiltrate in Tangdhar area in north Kashmir in the morning hours. The soldiers noticed some suspicious movement near the Darshan post and challenged the intruders. A police spokesman said arms, ammunition and narcotics were seized. Arms, ammunition, drugs seized An identity card was found with the militant's body, identifying him as Mohd Nazeer of Athmuqam, Pak-occupied Kashmir. Army seizes 10 heroin packets, 2 AK rifles with two magazines and 2 pistols. Search goes on for another militant. Govt employee caught with 10 kg heroin Security forces arrested an employee of the Rural Development...