Month: July 2024

On Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha presided over a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat to review preparations for Muharram. He emphasized the importance of ensuring smooth observance of the occasion. The Lt Governor instructed officials, including DCs and SSPs, to hold meetings with Shia community leaders to address their concerns promptly. He stressed the need for improved road connectivity to Imambaras, continuous power and water supply, and enhanced sanitation. Sinha also urged for the advance distribution of rations and other essentials. “All arrangements must be made well in advance for the smooth observance of Muharram,” said Sinha. He also emphasized the importance of regular market inspections to ensure the availability of essential commodities. Additional...

A court here on Tuesday granted two-hour custody parole to Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid to take oath as a Lok Sabha MP on July 5. Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, was elected from Baramulla seat as an independent candidate defeating National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He was arrested in a 2017 militancy- funding case. Rashid had moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh allowed custody parole for two hours on July 5 to enable him to take oath. A detailed order is awaited. On Monday, the NIA’s counsel did not oppose Rashid’s plea and said his oath taking should be subject to some conditions like...

The southwest monsoon has covered the entire country six days ahead of the normal date, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. “The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab today. Thus, it covered the entire country on 2nd July 2024, against the normal date of July 8 (six days before the normal date of covering the entire India),” the IMD said in a statement. The monsoon arrived in Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30, two and six days earlier than usual. It progressed normally up to Maharashtra but lost momentum, extending the wait for rains in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, and worsening the impact of a scorching heat wave in northwest India. ...

Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami, leader of the CPI(M), has stated that the new criminal laws violate people's democratic rights. In a press release issued to The Kashmiriyat, M Y Tarigami said, these measures were approved quickly, without debate, and in an openly dictatorial and anti-democratic way, while a considerable number of opposition MPs were suspended. These are very strict in character. "There are concerns that the new legislation may weaken citizens' liberties and legal protections by giving the state greater broad powers. The new laws need to be thoroughly reviewed. We demand that the implementation of the new laws be suspended," he said. He implored the administration to take all appropriate steps to facilitate traffic flow when yatra convoys are in transit.

On Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jammu extended the police remand of Mian Abdul Qayoom, the former president of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, by six days. Qayoom, a prominent figure in Kashmir associated with the All Party Hurriyat Conference, was arrested on June 25 for his alleged involvement in the murder conspiracy of fellow advocate Babar Qadri in 2020. The 76-year-old lawyer, taken into custody by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, was implicated in the death of Qadri, a noted human rights expert who was shot at his home in September 2020. The court, presided over by third additional district and sessions judge (TADA/POTA) Jatinder Singh Jamwal, noted that the investigation is still in its earl...

As many as ten residential houses and eight shops were gutted in a fire incident in South Kashmir's Anantnag on Tuesday night, sources said. Sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that fire broke out in one of the residential houses in the area last night and quickly spread to nearby houses, causing extensive damage to ten houses. "Eight shops were also gutted in the fire incident," they said. They said the cause of the fire is being ascertained. Meanwhile, officials have reached the spot to assess the damage—(KNO)