REGIONAL

Shabir Ali In a poignant end to a five-decade-long companionship, Muhammad Shafi Khan and his wife, Mumtaza Khan, passed away within hours of each other on Sunday, leaving behind a story of devotion that endured through faith, illness, and age. Mumtaza, a former vice-principal at Caset Experimental School in Srinagar’s Karan Nagar, had been battling cancer for years. Her condition worsened last week after a stroke and haemorrhage, and despite intensive care at SMHS Hospital, she passed away early Sunday morning. As the family prepared for her funeral, Shafi Khan, a retired general manager affectionately known as “Papa Ji” in his Batamaloo neighbourhood, suddenly grew weak. He had been suffering from chronic kidney disease but had shown no signs of rapid decline. “When we were prep...

The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh at Srinagar has quashed the preventive detention order of a Pulwama youth after finding procedural lapses in the application of the Public Safety Act. The judgment, delivered by Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, came in response to Habeas Corpus Petition (HCP No. 183/2025) filed by Sajad Ahmad Bhat alias Baaber, son of Abdul Ahad Bhat and resident of Drabgam, Rajpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The petition, moved through his father-in-law Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, challenged the detention order No. 07/DMP/PSA/25 dated 30 April 2025, issued by the District Magistrate, Pulwama. The petitioner was represented by twin sons of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Advocates Zameer Abdullah and Zahir Abdullah, while the government was represented...

The Office of the District Information Officer, Baramulla, has issued a circular directing all media persons operating in the district to submit their personal and professional details for authentication within seven days. The move, according to the authorities, is aimed at protecting the sanctity of journalism and curbing what they described as the growing menace of fake journalists. The circular, dated November 3, 2025, of which a copy is available with The Kashmiriyat, was issued in compliance with directions from the Joint Director Information, Kashmir, under order number INF/K-Estt.2091-98/2025, dated October 31, 2025. It instructs journalists to furnish credentials and supporting documents as per Annexure “A” attached with the notice. The list includes Aadhaar, PAN or off...

The Meteorological Centre Srinagar on Monday predicted generally dry weather across Jammu Kashmir till November 3, with a brief spell of rain and light snowfall expected over higher reaches between November 4 and 5. As per news agency Kashmir News Corner, KNC, Director MET Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad said that weather will remain generally cloudy on November 4 and 5, with the possibility of light to moderate rain or snowfall (over higher reaches) at many places across Kashmir division and at scattered locations in Jammu division, particularly during the evening of November 4 to the early morning of November 5. The forecast indicates a return to dry weather conditions from November 6 to 15, offering respite after the brief wet spell, Mukhtar said. Meanwhile, MET in an advisory noted that, Th...

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has directed officials to take “strict action” against individuals posing as journalists in Jammu and Kashmir, instructing departments to recognise and engage only verified media professionals. According to officials familiar with the matter, the issue was discussed during a high-level review meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor in Srinagar on Monday. The discussion follows concerns raised during the recently concluded autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, where several legislators sought measures to curb the misuse of journalism credentials. “The LG was categorical that those misusing the name of journalism must face the law,” said a senior official present in the meeting. “He directed all Deputy Commissioners and SSPs to...

Syed Imran As the government offices reopened in Jammu on Monday, marking the official restoration of the century-old Darbar Move tradition, traders, hoteliers, and transporters across the region said they were witnessing the first signs of economic revival after years of stagnation. In Jammu’s Raghunath Bazar, shop shutters that had stayed half-closed in recent winters were lifted early. Tea stalls buzzed again. “For the past four years, we were barely surviving,” said Surinder Chowdhary, a shopkeeper in the old city. “When the Darbar stopped, business collapsed. Omar Sahib promised to bring it back and he did. For us, this is more than politics; it’s survival.” The Darbar Move — a biannual practice of shifting the Civil Secretariat and other government offices between Srinagar a...

What was promoted as Kashmir’s biggest-ever private cricket tournament, the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL), has collapsed amid mounting allegations of fraud and mismanagement, leaving fans, players, and hotel staff in shock and anger. The much-hyped league, which began at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar with promises of international cricket stars and high-end entertainment, turned chaotic after the organizers abruptly called off the remaining matches and disappeared without clearing their dues. Hundreds of sports lovers, who had bought tickets worth Rs 1,000 each to watch the matches, returned home disappointed. Many said they had traveled from far-off areas to witness the event and were left standing outside the stadium gates when the league suddenly shut down. “We waited for ho...

Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has set aside a preventive detention order issued under the Public Safety Act (PSA), holding that it was based on a five-year-old FIR and therefore lacked a “live and proximate link” between the alleged offence and the detention. Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, while hearing a petition filed by Sajad Ahmad Bhat, quashed the detention order dated April 30, 2025, passed by the District Magistrate. The order was based on an FIR registered in 2020 under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a case in which the petitioner had already been granted bail. The petitioner argued that the detention order was passed mechanically within two days of receiving the police dossier, without supplying the supporting documents, thereby vi...

Shabir Ali The Forest Department in Tangmarg has lodged an FIR against members of the Physics Wallah (PW) faculty after videos surfaced showing them driving SUVs through a protected forest zone in Buderkoot, one of north Kashmir’s most ecologically sensitive areas. Earlier on Saturday, The Kashmiriyat reported that a video — purportedly linked to a promotional shoot for PW’s Toofan— had drawn widespread outrage online. The clip, which showed a fleet of black vehicles moving across lush green pastures and leaving behind deep tyre marks, was described by social media users as an “assault on Kashmir’s fragile ecology.” According to the Forest Department, the incident occurred within the Buderkoot forest area, where off-roading is strictly prohibited. The department said the activity ...

Shah Basit A local court in Ganderbal has sentenced Abdul Majeed Khan, son of Abdul Ahad Khan of Gounchi Mohalla, Akhal Kangan, to life imprisonment for murdering his wife in 2020. Khan was convicted under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code in connection with FIR No. 50/2020 registered at Police Station Kangan. The investigation had established his direct involvement in the killing, which had sparked outrage in the area at the time. Officials said the verdict followed a thorough investigation and strong presentation of evidence by Ganderbal Police. They added that the conviction reaffirms the police’s commitment to ensuring justice and accountability in serious crime cases.