FEATURED

A disturbing case of misinformation has surfaced following the tragic Pahalgam attack, as a video falsely claiming that a Navy officer and his wife were killed while dancing in the meadows has gone viral across social media platforms. The couple shown in the video has now come forward, confirming they are alive and calling the claims utterly baseless. The woman featured in the video, visibly distressed, has appealed to the public to help curb the spread of the false narrative. “We are alive. My husband is not a Navy officer, and we were not present at the site of the Pahalgam attack,” she clarified in a video message released today. Slamming those responsible for spreading the fake news, she questioned the source of the misinformation and how it found its way into media coverag...

In 'The Chief Minister and the Spy,' former RAW chief A.S. Dulat revisits the controversial 1987 Jammu Kashmir Assembly elections—a moment widely seen as a turning point in the region’s political trajectory, one that ultimately sowed the seeds of insurgency. The book sheds fresh light on how the Congress-led central government allegedly manipulated the electoral process to retain "Delhi’s control over Kashmir." Held on March 23, 1987—just four months after Farooq Abdullah’s return as Chief Minister through a Congress-NC alliance—the elections featured a formidable challenge from the newly formed Muslim United Front (MUF), a coalition of various socio-religious groups. Turnout across the Valley was massive, reflecting a rare moment of electoral enthusiasm. Dulat, in his book, point...

Torrential rainfall lashed Jammu Kashmir's Ramban district early Sunday morning, triggering flash floods and landslides that claimed the lives of three residents and left over a hundred people stranded.

Firdous Qadri A troubling reality has emerged from Kashmir’s growing unemployment crisis: among the 700 overseas recruitment agencies operating in the region, only six are registered with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and possess the licenses required to recruit workers abroad. Despite repeated government warnings, unregistered consultancies continue to thrive—luring desperate Kashmiri youth into exploitative and often illegal employment abroad. In recent years, social media platforms have been flooded with testimonies of young Kashmiris who were promised legitimate work visas, only to find themselves trafficked or working for meagre wages in foreign countries. These stories, often shared through tearful videos, paint a stark picture of a broken system, however, nothin...

A.S. Dulat, the former chief of India’s external intelligence agency RAW, has once again found himself at the center of a political storm — this time over a claim in his latest book The Chief Minister and the Spy, which was reported to suggest that veteran Kashmiri leader Dr. Farooq Abdullah had “privately supported” the abrogation of Article 370. The report, published in the Hindustan Times, sparked immediate uproar in Kashmir’s political circles. Leaders across party lines lashed out, accusing the national media of twisting facts and “mischievously” attributing support to Abdullah for the controversial 2019 decision to revoke Jammu Kashmir’s special status. A.S. Dulat has made a name for himself not just as a top intelligence officer but as an unusually outspoken figure in India’s ...

The newly launched free bus service for women has witnessed a massive surge in ridership in Jammu Kashmir with over 3.5 lakh women availing the facility within just a week of its launch on April 01. The initiative, which aims to enhance women’s mobility and ease of access to public transport, has received widespread appreciation. The female passengers from both urban and rural areas are using the service to travel to schools, colleges, offices and marketplaces. As per the details obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), bus stops now witness large turnouts, especially during peak hours—8 to 10 AM, midday, and 4 to 6 PM. According to Smart City data, accessed by a KNO Correspondent, the daily ridership on electric buses has doubled since the scheme began. “Where ...

Once the pride of Kashmir, Dal Lake today is a shadow of its former self—its waters choked with weeds, its shores consumed by encroachments, and its future hanging in the balance. The lake, long romanticized in poetry and tourism brochures, is now a floating symbol of official apathy and systemic rot. Despite hundreds of crores spent under various conservation projects, the lake continues to deteriorate. The Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), formerly LAWDA, remains the agency tasked with its revival, but its track record is marred by inaction, inefficiency, and serious allegations of corruption. Each new Chief Executive Officer arrives with promises of rejuvenation and leaves behind a more degraded lake, bolstered only by press releases and photo-ops. Weeds now d...

Bhat Yasir In 1951, in a village on the outskirts of Budgam, a Sufi preacher stood was requested in a small village, to lead prayers, and to help tend to the spiritual fabric of a community recovering from the tremors of Partition. In return for his presence, the community offered him a modest piece of land—a waqf property—adjacent to the graveyard. The offer wasn’t sealed with ink but with intent: a handshake, a word, a silent agreement that the land would remain for religious use, under the preacher’s care. Years passed, the preacher built a small Khanqah, taught the Qur’an, led janazas. But decades later, when his descendants tried to formalize the claim, the paperwork didn’t exist. The property had no formal deed, no registration—only memories and oral testimony. In today’s legal reg...

Suhail Dar Forest fires in South Kashmir have destroyed approximately 60 hectares of land in the past week, officials said. Authorities have deployed teams to contain the blazes and are urging the public to report any fire incidents promptly. Dr. Arashdeep Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests (South), told The Kashmiriyat that the fires have been widespread and require urgent intervention. "We have recorded 20 fire incidents in Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama over the last seven days, affecting around 60 hectares (1200 Kanal) of forest. Our teams are on the ground, working tirelessly to douse the flames and prevent further damage," he said. While the exact causes of the fires are still being investigated, officials suspect dry weather, rising temperatures, and human neglig...

Meer Irfan The final Friday of Ramadan, Jumat-ul-Vida, was observed with deep devotion across Kashmir, as thousands gathered in mosques and Khanqahs to offer special prayers. The day, marked by gratitude and reflection, saw worshippers seeking divine mercy and praying for another opportunity to witness the holy month in the coming year. In Srinagar, however, authorities barred congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid Nowhatta. The mosque remained locked, leaving many devotees disappointed. "It is painful to see this mosque closed on such an important day," said Abdul Rashid, a local resident. Despite this, large gatherings took place at Hazratbal, Khanqah-e-Moula, and Dastgeer Sahib, where sermons emphasized repentance, charity, and the blessings of Ramadan. District-wise Report of ...