REGIONAL

Suhail Dar Several areas across south Kashmir have reported alarming cases of soil sinking and bund breaches after the sudden fluctuation in water levels of the Jhelum and Arpat rivers earlier this week. The phenomenon, which residents say began after Wednesday’s flood-like swell receded, has damaged houses, extensions, and public facilities across multiple districts. At Katriteng, Bijbehara, a massive bund breach has put a local mosque at grave risk, with its bathrooms already collapsed into the sinking earth. “The water came up suddenly and then went down just as fast. Now the bund is sliding into the river, and even the masjid is unsafe,” said Abdul Hamid, a resident of Katriteng. Former MLA Bijbehara, Dr. Bashir Ahmad Veeri, visited the spot on Saturday to assess the damage...

The Paramedical students of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar have expressed deep anguish over what they termed as “injustice and negligence” by the authorities after being barred from appearing in their second-year regular examinations due to pending first-year backlogs, despite no supplementary exams having been conducted. Students told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that they were informed just two days before the commencement of their examinations that they would not be allowed to sit in the second-year papers. They alleged that this sudden decision has created chaos and mental distress among hundreds of aspirants. “Our first paper was scheduled on 2 September. After we raised our voices on social media, it was postponed with an assurance that the matter would be reso...

Authorities on Sunday seized 340 kilograms of unlabeled meat that had arrived at the Air Cargo terminal in Srinagar. The seizure was made after the enforcement team of the Deputy Commissioner, State Sales Tax Department, shared information about the consignment. Acting swiftly on the input, an auto-rickshaw carrying the meat consignment was intercepted outside the air cargo facility in coordination with the State Sales Tax Department. Officials confirmed that the seized meat was found without any mandatory label declaration. Further legal proceedings have been initiated, and the matter is under investigation. Authorities have reiterated that such checks will continue to ensure compliance with food safety and taxation norms. [KNT]

Jammu Kashmir Police on Saturday detained 26 people after the national emblem installed on a renovation plaque at the Hazratbal Dargah in Srinagar was vandalised, India Today reported. Officials said CCTV footage from the site showed several individuals involved in defacing the emblem. Based on the evidence, police identified and took them into custody for questioning. The installation of the emblem on the Dargah's plaque had triggered strong resentment among local leaders and worshippers, which ultimately led to the act of vandalism. The incident has sparked a wider debate on the appropriateness of placing the national symbol at a religious site. Police said the investigation is ongoing.

Torrential rains and widespread flooding have devastated Kashmir’s apple industry, inflicting losses estimated at over Rs 200 crore at the peak of the harvest season. In Pulwama and Kulgam, once-brimming orchards now lie submerged under knee-deep water. Farmers report that in some areas nearly 70 percent of the crop has been destroyed, with many fully grown trees uprooted, threatening long-term productivity. The crisis has been worsened by the repeated closure of the Srinagar–Jammu national highway due to landslides. Hundreds of trucks carrying apples remain stranded, while delays have forced traders to discard rotting produce by the roadside. The Mughal Road, the only alternative route, can accommodate only smaller vehicles, limiting supplies to outside markets. What was hailed as the ...

Suhail Dar Police in Anantnag have launched a district-wide crackdown on violations of food safety and public health norms, registering 14 FIRs against restaurants and shopkeepers found flouting regulations. A senior police official told The Kashmiriyat that the enforcement drive is aimed at safeguarding public health and ensuring that food sold to consumers meets the required standards of hygiene. “During the inspections, multiple establishments were found operating in violation of food safety and public health guidelines. We have registered cases under the relevant provisions of law, and strict action will follow,” the official said. According to police, the cases were spread across several areas of the district. Four FIRs each were lodged in Bijbehara and Kokernag, while Achabal, An...

Jammu Kashmir Police have registered an FIR in connection with the breaking of the Ashoka emblem inside the Hazratbal shrine in summer capital Srinagar. Reliable sources told news agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) that a case under FIR No. 76 of 2025 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) stands registered at police station Nigeen. Earlier on Friday, locals damaged an Ashoka emblem on the inaugural stone inside the Hazratbal Dargah after objecting to its installation, saying the emblem was against Islamic principles and should not be placed in a shrine. Following the damage, J&K Waqf Board Chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi termed the act a grave insult to the shrine and called it “nothing less than terrorism.” She appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Mi...

A search operation was launched after a suspected Pakistani drone was spotted hovering over vital installations in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday. The drone was noticed at an altitude of over 700 metres moving from west to east over a military garrison in the Bari Brahmana area around 9.35 pm on Friday, they said. An alert was immediately sounded and quick reaction teams of the Army were activated. Police were also informed and a joint search operation was launched to ensure that there was no airdropping of weapons or narcotics, the officials said.–(PTI)

The installation of the Ashoka emblem inside the Hazratbal Dargah has sparked a fresh row, with National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq asserting that the move runs contrary to the Islamic principle of Tawheed. (oneness of God) In a post on X, Sadiq clarified that though he is not a religious scholar, Islam prohibits any form of idol worship. “Im not a religious scholar but in Islam, idol worship is strictly forbidden—the gravest of sins. The foundation of our faith is Tawheed. Placing a sculpted figure, at the revered Hazratbal Dargah goes against this very belief. Sacred spaces must reflect only the purity of Tawheed, nothing else,” he wrote. Sadiq argued that the emblem, being a sculpted figure, contradicts the sanctity of the shrine. The interior of Hazratbal was recently reno...

Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) has expressed deep concern and outrage over revelations made by incarcerated Member of Parliament from Baramulla Engineer Rashid during his recent legal meeting with his counsel Adv. Javeed Hubbi. Adv. Hubbi said that Er Rashid disclosed how “Tihar Jail authorities have devised new methods to harass Kashmiri prisoners by deliberately lodging male eunuchs with them inside barracks, who are encouraged to provoke, attack and create a hostile environment.” He further revealed that Er Rashid had a narrow escape when a group of these male eunuch inmates together pushed and threw a gate on him. “It was a miraculous escape. Had it hit directly, it could have been fatal. This is nothing short of a deliberate attempt to physically harm him,” Hubbi stated. According...