Month: August 2023

The cases of HIV AIDS are increasing with each passing year in Jammu & Kashmir as 6,158 patients have tested positive in the union territory till June 2023. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that so far 1,400 HIV-positive patients have died while 3,478 patients are living on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART). He said 547 patients have left follow-up. He said that 5,060 cases of HIV have been reported at GMC Jammu and among them, 1,228 have died, 503 have left follow-up and 2718 are living on ART. Similarly, in SKIMS Srinagar, the number of patients registered in HIV care is 746 while 148 have died, 32 have left follow-up and 448 are living on ART, he added. In ART Kuthua, the number of patients registered in HIV care is 352 while 24 have died, 12 have...

A person accused to be a militant associate has been booked under PSA in Bandipora district Identified as Maqsood Ahmad Malik a resident of Chitbanday in Aragam of Bandipora, the accused had been shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu. Police said that Maqsood was booked under the Public Safety Act for his "constant involvement in Anti National" activities. He has also been accused of being an associate of banned militant outfit Lashkar e Taiba.

The National Investigation Agency on Friday conducted raid at Bathindi Jammu and seized some documents. Reliable sources told the news agency Kashmir Scroll that at around 0530 hr a team of NIA raided the house of one Doctor Parvez Ahmad Naz son of Md Sharif Naz resident of Gandoh, District Doda & presently staying in Peer Bagh Colony, Bathindi, Jammu. It is suspected that the said doctor is using some banned apps in his mobile and is in touch with Pakistan based numbers,he said. They said that the team of NIA took some increment documents along with them from the house of said suspect. They added that Parvez Ahmad Naz was not at home when the said raid was carried out and it is said that he was shifted in District Doda where he is serving as a doctor.(KS)

For the first time in decades, Kashmir-made willow wicker items are gaining popularity all across the world after adopting a new look and modern designs. 58-year-old Bashir Ahmad Dar, who is running “Shaaksaz Willow Wicker Craft Producer Company Limited” at Peerpora in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal District started in 2020, claimed that wicker willow is presently yielding good revenue for the artisans. “Yes, after the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting held here in May 2023, we were one of the artisans who participated and displayed a number of newly designed items which were praised by the national as well as international delegates during the exhibition. They picked up some pieces with them and hopefully, we will get big orders in the near future," Bashir said. He said the G2...

The sleuths of the Excise Department of Jammu and Kashmir conducted raids at brick kilns in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday, according to officials. “Under the directions of Excise Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma and under the supervision of Deputy Excise Commissioner, Executive, Kashmir, Tazayun Mukhtar, raids were carried out at Brick Kilns in Nowbug, Chadoora, Budgam. These raids were led by the Excise and Taxation Officer of Central Kashmir, and they were accompanied by Range Inspectors from three districts and other field officials. This action was taken following complaints of the manufacture of illicit liquor in the area,” Officials said. During the raids, 150 liters of Lahan, 2 liters of illicit liquor, and 20 kgs of Gur were discovered in isolated areas, sourc...

The Jammu Kashmir admin has appointed Advocate Kanu Agrawal as Additional Advocate General (AAG) to represent the Jammu and Kashmir in the Supreme Court. “Sanction is hereby accorded to the appointment of Kanu Agrawal, Advocate as Additional Advocate General (AAG) to represent the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the Supreme Court of India on the terms and conditions as envisaged in Government Order No 3005-LD(A) of 2003 dated October 21, 2003 read with Government Order No 2062-LD(A) of 2017 dated June 8, 2017, or any order, circular or instructions issued by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir from time to time regarding fixation of terms and conditions of the Additional Advocate General,” read an order issued by Secretary JKK Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs...

The admin of Jammu and Kashmir has frozen the boundaries of Districts, Tehsils, Municipalities, Towns, Revenue Villages, and other Administrative units till the completion of Census 2021. A notification issued by Planning, Development, and Monitoring department in this regard reads, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (iv) of rule 8 of the Census Rules, 1990 and in supersession of earlier notifications issued on the subject, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby freezes the boundaries of Districts/Tehsils, Municipalities, Towns, Revenue Villages and other Administrative units in the whole Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir w.e.f 01.01.2024 till completion of Census, 2021”.(GNS)

Former Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday courted a major controversy after he said that all Indian Muslims were Hindus first. Addressing a gathering of workers the former Congress leader said, "All Indian Muslims were Hindus first who converted to Islam later." He said, Islam has come to our Hindustan only a few years back but Hinduism is very old. So 10-20 people must have come from outside in the army of Mughals and the rest are converted from Hindus." Pertinently Islam came to Kashmir long before the Mughals did. The first Mughal emperor to invade Kashmir was Akbar and Islam had arrived in the valley at least 300 years earlier at the hands of Abdul Rahman popularly known as Bulbul Shah e Kashmir. He further said, "In Kashmir, all Muslims were converte...