REGIONAL

The annual tradition of Poshak Bandi, the changing the cloth draped over the holy grave of revered saint Syed Mohammad Aali Balkhi (RA), was Tuesday held at Budgam district’s Pakherpora with religious fervor. As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) thousands of people from various parts of the valley attended the ceremony. The Poshak Bandi was done in presence of Moulana Gulam Rasool Hami, the Karawan-e-Islami patron, in presence of a large number of people. The Poshak Bandi is done ahead of the annual urs of Syed Mohammad Aali Balkhi held (RA) at Pakherpora and every year on this day, the sacred cloth covering the tomb of Hazrat Syed Mohammad Aali Balkhi held (RA) is changed with great respect. An official said Moulana Ghulam Rasool Hami, Awqaf Administrator and other U...

Jammu Kashmir is one of the few places of India wherein the crime rate is very low, Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta said on Thursday. Speaking during the ‘Gen Next Democracy Network Programme’ under the Indian Council for Cultural Relation (ICCR) at SKUAST-K, Mehta said, “ Jammu and Kashmir is one of the important places of India wherein crime rate is lower than any other states.” According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Chief Secretary said, “Figuring at number two in e-governance services in the country, Jammu and Kashmir has 914 online services.” Talking about the hospitality of Kashmiri, Mehta said, “Till date, not a single tourist has been harmed here.” He said that people of Kashmir have saved many lives of tourists and during the action they have harme...

A seven-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in the Nesbal area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Tuesday. An official told a boy had gone missing on Monday evening following which a massive search operation was launched by Police, 13RR, CRPF, and locals to trace him According to them, bloodstains and the clothes of the boy were found near a field, leading them to suspect that a leopard, which had been sighted often in the area, had attacked the boy, officials said. After a search of over 10 hours, the boy’s mutilated body was found in a nearby hillock in Nesbal in the early morning on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Zaid Bashir son of Bashir Ahmad of Nesbal. After legal medical formalities, the body was handed over to his family members for last ri...

High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh ordered status quo on a matter related to the cessation of NMPH workers of Drug de-addiction center Srinagar. The court ordered that the present position of the workers in the Psychiatric Disease Hospital, Srinagar engaged under the NMHP Scheme shall not be disturbed till the next date of hearing. A court order reads, “The petitioners contend that they have been engaged as Data Entry Operators and Multi-Purpose Workers in the Psychiatric Disease Hospital, Srinagar, under the Scheme of NMHP and have been discharging their duties for the past several years.” “It is submitted that as per the terms of engagement, the petitioners are entitled to continue till the operation of the scheme which is coming to an end only in the year 2026. Therefore, t...

Three persons including a woman received injuries on Tuesday after they were attacked by a bear at the Nagam area of Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials said. An official told the news agency–Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a bear attacked and injured three people at Nagam, Damhal Hanjipora. “The trio was working in an orchard when the bear attacked them. They were taken to the District Hospital for treatment,” he said. He identified the injured as Muhammad Ramzan Malik, Muhammad Shafi Malik and Raja Begum—all from Nagam, D H Pora. He said the condition of all the three injured persons is stable and are being treated at the hospital—(KNO)

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has quashed the detention of a South Kashmir student under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA). Senior Advocate Bashir Ahmed Tak representing the incarcerated student told news agency Kashmir News Trust that the detention of Salman Ahmed Wani son of Muhammad Ahsan Wani, a resident of Dashtipora village of Shopian was quashed by the court nearly over a year after he was arrested on charges of allegedly providing logistics to militants in June 2022 and simultaneously booked under the PSA. The accused was put behind the bars without an FIR. He is a 2nd year student at Degree College Shopian and currently lodged at District Jail Yamuna Nagar Haryana. The court of Justice Sanjay Dhar after hearing the arguments of Advocate Bashir Ahmed Tak directe...

Following 725 human-animal conflict incidents in the past five years resulting in the loss of 10 lives and injuries to 19 others, demand for setting up of Wildlife Control Room (WCR) in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district is getting louder with each passing day. Official data from the Wildlife Department accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) suggests that Kulgam district has witnessed 725 human-animal conflict incidents in the past five years, resulting in the death of 10 people and injuries to 19 others. A wildlife official, wishing not to be named, said that the majority of these incidents have taken place in the Damhal Hanjipora area, which is home to a large number of wild animals, including leopards, bears, and wolves. He said that the lone wildlife control room in...

A 19-year-old boy was hospitalised after allegedly stabbed by a duo at Government Polytechnic College Bemina in central Kashmir’s Srinagar district this afternoon. Sources said that one Mehran Ahmad, son of Parvaiz Ahmad Khuroo of Sopore was stabbed and injured in his chest, lower back and head after an altercation broke out in the College premises. “The teenager boy was soon evacuated from the site and taken to JVC Hospital Bemina, where his overall condition is said to be stable”, they said. A police official said that they have registered a case into the matter and arrested the duo alleged of committing the crime. The official identified the alleged duo as Abrar Shabir, son of Shabir Ahmad Dar of Doniwari Chadoora and Rahil Ali son of Ali Mohammad Phaloo of Lal Chowk (at pre...

The Supreme Court of India, presently hearing a bunch of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 asked the Centre to indicate if there is a time frame to restore the statehood for Jammu Kashmir. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the Centre, has been asked to come back with instructions on this post the lunch break. On Tuesday, the hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu Kashmir resumed for day 12. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that any change in the constitution that "brings everyone at par can never be faulted". Quoting the petitioners' argument that article 370 is to be treated as permanent, SG Mehta said, "This argument came up first in the Madharao Scindia case after the govt...

Unknown gunmen fired upon a local inhabitant in Karnah of north Kashmir's Kupwara district on intervening Monday and Tuesday night, resulting in his death, officials said. They told GNS that one Mukhtar Ahmad Shah, son of Syed Akbar Shah, resident of Panjtaran Karnah was shot at by unknown gunmen at Pingla Haridal. "The body of slain was evacuated from the site and is currently lying at SDH Tangdhar for medical formalities", they said. Meanwhile a police official told GNS that they have taken up investigations into the matter to nab the culprits behind the man's killing. (GNS)