Tuesday, February 25News and updates from Kashmir

Month: March 2021

Delhi Court Issues Summon to Shabir Shah’s Wife

REGIONAL
A court in Delhi has taken cognizance of a supplementary charge sheet filed against the wife of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah in a money laundering case relating to terror funding in Jammu Kashmir. The Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana issued summons to Bilqees Shah. The Enforcement Directorate had filed a charge sheet against Bilqees in September 2020 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Bilqees has been made accused of her role in the commission of offence of money laundering for carrying out illegal activities. Earlier, the agency had attached properties of Shabir Shah, his wife and daughters in Srinagar’s upscale Effandi Bagh. According to ED, Shabir Shah has been found to be carrying out illicit activities along with his accomplice Mo...

Hindu Extremist Group Enters Church in Karnataka, Objects to Usage of Loudspeakers

INDIA
On Thursday night, a group of Hindutva extremists entered a church in Bangalore, disrupted the church services, and objected to the use of speakers there. The church authority said they allegedly shouted at them and threatened to break the speakers if they used them. Pastor Peter Benjamin said that “he tried to sort out the issue peacefully but they weren’t ready to do so”, reported Muslim Mirror. In a Facebook live, Benjamin said that “ they asked us do we have license to use speakers or not”. In response to that, we asked them why do you need a bell in the temple but they had no answer to that”. The Power of God Minorities India (PGMI) said in a social media post that, “other people have license to use speakers and mics in their worship places, to which we replied that we have t...

Pakistan PM Imran Khan Tests Positive for Coronavirus

INTERNATIONAL
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for coronavirus, two days after he got his first shot of vaccination. Imran Khan is "self isolating at home," Pakistan's health minister Faisal Sultan said in a tweet on Saturday. Khan received the first shot of vaccination against COVID-19 on Friday. He reportedly had shown symptoms of Covid-19 on the same day he was administered the first dose of the vaccine. The prime minister had urged the citizens of his country to ensure the full implementation of norms to prevent the surge in cases of coronavirus. He was vaccinated as part of the nationwide anti-coronavirus vaccination campaign which is underway in its first phase. In Pakistan, the COVID-19 vaccine is being provided to people 60 years of age and above and to front-li...

‘Not Afraid of Summons, Will Always Speak for my People’- Mehbooba Mufti Addresses Rally in Kulgam

REGIONAL
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that the way to peace passes through Jammu Kashmir and that there is a need to reciprocate over the peace offer by Pakistan. Speaking to media men on the sidelines of the function at Kulgam, Mehbooba said that peace can't prevail in Jammu and Kashmir until and unless the roads leading to Pakistan and the other side of Kashmir through J&K are not restored. Mehbooba said that the government is pushing the people to the wall, saying that the taxes being imposed on property and other things are the means through which people are being forced to face hardships. “At least 3500 youth from Kashmir, who are pursuing MBBS and Engineering in Pakistan are not being allowed to reach their...

One Killed, Another Injured in Road Accident in Mattan

ISLAMABAD
One person was killed, another injured in a road accident in the Nanil area of Mattan in South Kashmir's Islamabad (Anantnag) district. An official told The Kashmiriyat that on Saturday one person identified as Ghulam Mohammed Parray along with another person was injured after a bike they were traveling on was hit by a tipper in the Nanil area of the South Kashmir district. The duo was shifted to the hospital, however, Ghulam Mohammed son of Ghulam Nabi parray died on the way to the hospital, while the injured is being treated at the Government Medical College in Anantnag district.

More than 40,000 Earthquakes Hit Iceland in Past Four weeks

INTERNATIONAL
A volcano erupted near Iceland's capital Reykjavik on Friday, shooting lava high into the night sky after thousands of small earthquakes in recent weeks. The eruption occurred near Fagradalsfjall, a mountain on the Reykjanes Peninsula, around 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the capital. Some four hours after the initial eruption at 2045 GMT - the first on the peninsula since the 12th century - lava covered about one square kilometer or nearly 200 football fields. "I can see the glowing red sky from my window," said Rannveig Gudmundsdottir, resident in the town of Grindavik, only 8 km (5 miles) from the eruption. "Everyone here is getting into their cars to drive up there," she said. More than 40,000 earthquakes have occurred on the peninsula in the past four weeks, a huge jump fr...

No Ceasefire Violation, Zero Infiltration After Ceasefire Agreement, Says DGP Dilbagh Singh

INDIA
Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh Saturday said that so far there has been “zero infiltration” on the LoC across the UT while there is no fresh ceasefire violation after the recent peace agreement between Indo-Pak officials. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of Under -19 T20 Zonal level cricket tournament at SK Cricket Stadium Srinagar, the DGP Singh said that so far there is zero infiltration on the “LoC in both Kashmir and Jammu region.” “I would love to see zero infiltration throughout the year 2021. Year 2020 was best and I hope to see 2021 more better than the previous year,” the J&K police chief said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), while replying to queries of media men. He said that drugs is “a fresh gift” being sent from ...

Weatherman Issues Rainfall Warning in Jammu Kashmir from March 22

REGIONAL
The weatherman on Saturday issued a ‘yellow and amber’ warning from March 21 to 24 in Jammu Kashmir. “Another spell of widespread moderate rain /snowfall most likely during March 22-24th with main activity on 23rd,” Sonam Lotus, Director Meteorological department said in a statement. “Light rain /snowfall is likely to commence from March 21st from northwest Kashmir and increase gradually in intensity and distribution, affecting both Jammu and Kashmir,” he said as adding, “It may lead to waterlogging of low lying areas, a landslide on sloppy area, disruption of Zojila, Banihal-Ramban and damage to orchards etc.” Separately, in a daily statement about the forecast, the meteorological department issued a “yellow warning” for isolated thunder/hail/ gusty winds of 30-40 kmph in Kashmir...

‘Kidnapped in October, Raped her Repeatedly Since’- 4 Ganderbal Men Booked for Raping Rajouri Woman

INDIA
Mubashir Naik The Jammu Kashmir Police have arrested four persons for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman from her home in the Rajouri district of Jammu Kashmir. Officials told The Kashmiriyat said that a woman (name withheld) was kidnapped from her native in the Barnara area in Tehsil Sunderbani of District Rajouri in missing in October last year after which a missing report was lodged by her family members. The Police launched an Investigation and started a massive manhunt to trace the girl. The official told The Kashmiriyat that the woman was traced a few days ago and she in her statement said that four men from the Kangan area of Ganderbal kidnapped and repeatedly raped her for several months. A case under FIR number 27/2021 under sections 366, 376-D, 342, 34 IPC has...

‘Wait for Others to Come’- Muslim Man Thrashed After Entering Temple Premises in UP

INDIA
Days after a Muslim teenaged boy was thrashed in a Ghaziabad temple for trying to drink water from a temple, another such incident has been reported from the Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh. In this fresh incident, an 18-year-old boy Muslim man has said that he was thrashed at a temple in Etawah after the accused asked about his faith. The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested two persons in connection with the incident that allegedly took place at Pitambara Mata Mandir, according to a report in Indian Express. The two accused have been identified as Shailendra Singh Verma (44) and Akhil Verma (40). Identified as Danish, his video has gone viral on social media. In the video, the man claimed he was first asked about his community by the accused and then beaten up. Danish works as...