REGIONAL

Syed Suhail Bukhari, chief spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday resigned from the party ahead of the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. Bukhari, while speaking with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), confirmed that he has resigned from the party. A former media consultant for the Jammu and Kashmir government, Bukhari joined the PDP in 2019 and was appointed chief spokesperson in 2023. This development comes at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is all set to go polls in three phases, an election being held after a decade. The first phase will be held on September 18, second on September 25 and third phase on October 1. The results will be declared on October 4. Earlier, DDC member from Tral, Dr Harbaksh Singh also resigned from the PDP and joined ...

Shah Basit A newborn baby was found dumped in power canal in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. Official sources told The Kashmiriyat that on Tuesday afternoon locals spotted a newborn floating in the power canal at Urpesh area of Ganderbal. After spotting the body, the locals rescued it from the water and handed it over to the local Police, who have launched an investigation into the matter. Ab official said confirmed that the newborn foun by two boys while they were fishing has been taken to Sub district hospital in Ganderbal.

Majid Salam The People's Democratic Party (PDP) is set to receive a major boost, as Choudhary Haroon Rashid is likely to join the party led by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. Choudhary Haroon Rashid, a resident of Bidhar in the Kokernag assembly seat of Anantnag district—a seat now reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) following the recent delimitation exercise—has unexpectedly resigned from all his responsibilities within the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), including his basic membership. This surprising move has sent ripples through the political landscape, given Rashid’s prominent stature and considerable influence in the region, especially among the tribal voters. A highly respected and effective leader, Rashid has been instrumental in shaping the DPAP’s strate...

A Dalit nurse was allegedly raped by a doctor after being held hostage in a private hospital in Uttar Pradesh, according to police reports on Monday, August 19, 2024. The victim’s father reported that the assault occurred around midnight on Sunday, August 18. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sandeep Kumar Meena confirmed that three individuals have been arrested in connection with the case. The 20-year-old nurse, who had been employed at the hospital for seven months, was on duty at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 17. Later that evening, another nurse, Mehnaz, asked her to meet Dr. Shahnawaz in his room. When she refused, Mehnaz and a ward boy named Junaid forcibly escorted her to a room on the hospital’s top floor and locked her inside, according to Mr. Meena. Dr. Shahnawaz then en...

Ahead of the crucial assembly polls in Jammu Kashmir following a hiatus of ten years, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to visit Jammu and Kashmir for two days starting tomorrow to engage in important talks with the National Conference (NC) regarding a potential pre-poll alliance. The visit comes amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the much-delayed polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which have been postponed multiple times due to political and security concerns. Sources told The Kashmiriyat that another meeting between the local Congress leadership and the NC is expected to take place today, August 20, in Jammu and Kashmir, with discussions likely to focus on finalizing a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming elections. Omar Abdullah, Vice President of the National Conference...

A 35-year-old woman tragically lost her life due to an electric shock during an earthquake in the Odina area of Bandipora district early Tuesday morning. Officials speaking to The Kashmiriyat identified the woman as Rafiqa Begum, wife of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, a resident of Odina Sumbal stating  that she was immediately referred to Trauma Hospital Pattan after the incident. However, despite the doctors' efforts, she was declared dead upon arrival. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Police Station Pattan. Authorities are investigating the circumstances leading to the unfortunate death.

The BJP’s Jammu Kashmir unit on Monday rejected the manifesto released by the National Conference for the maiden assembly elections post abrogation of Article 370 as “misleading and heap of lies”. BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi claimed that the manifesto of the National Conference compiled only to mislead the voters of the Union Territory. Restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood as well as implementation of the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile assembly in 2000 are among the National Conference’s 12 guarantees announced in its manifesto for the upcoming polls. In June 2000, the National Conference government under Farooq Abdullah passed a resolution in the Assembly seeking to restore the pre-1953 constitutional pos...

Bhat Yasir Two moderate earthquakes struck Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday morning, sending waves of panic across the region. The first tremor, measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 6:45 AM IST, followed by a second, slightly stronger quake of 4.8 magnitude just minutes later at 6:52 AM. Both quakes were centered in Baramulla, with depths of 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers, respectively. As the ground shook, residents fled their homes in fear, with many frantically checking on the safety of their loved ones, locals told The Kashmiriyat. "In Baramulla, one man sustained injuries while attempting to escape during the tremors," they said. Additionally, several houses in the Qaziabad (Kralgund) and Mawer (Handwara) areas of Kupwara district were reported to have develo...

The first notification for Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir is set to be issued on August 20, coinciding with the publication of the final electoral rolls for the region. The number of registered voters is anticipated to be close to nine million. Currently, Jammu and Kashmir has 8.709 million voters, based on the last revision of the electoral rolls. Following the publication on August 20, the voter count is expected to range between 8.8 and 8.9 million. This marks the conclusion of the Special Summary Revision, and detailed voter lists for each Assembly segment will be made available to political parties and candidates. These voter lists are particularly significant this year due to the recent boundary changes in several Assembly constituencies, which were redrawn by...

A CRPF trooper was killed in a militant attack in the Cheel area of Ramnagar, Udhampur district. Official sources told The Kashmiriyat that on Monday suspected militants attacked a sub inspector of CRPF Identified as Kuldeep Singh, who was rushed to the nearby hospital. Kuldeep, however, succumbed to his injuries on the way. This incident highlights the worsening security situation in the Jammu region, which has recently seen a significant rise in militant activities. The recent escalation in violence has heightened concerns about security and stability in the area, posing challenges for maintaining peace and responding to the intensified militant threat.