REGIONAL

A Kashmiri cleric who was on Umrah at Saudi Arabia has been injured in a road accident, leading into critical injuries to him. A close associate of the cleric identified as Moulana Muzaffar Hussain Qasmi told The Kashmiriyat that the 45-year-old was on Umrah when he was hit by a vehicle resulting into critical injuries to him. He has been referred to the nearby hospital where his condition is stated to be critical, he said.

A woman and a girl were rescued alive after they were swept away by an avalanche that occurred in the Gurez area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district this morning, officials said. A police official told news agency GNS that a snow avalanche occurred at around 0940 hours near Mazgund Bala area of Tulail in Gurez and swept away a girl, Tabassum Banoo daughter of Mohammad Yousuf, and a woman, Shahnaz Begum wife of Zahoro Ahmad. Immediately locals launched a rescue operation and after strenuous efforts, he said, both of them were rescued alive. He said that people are advised not to go near avalanche prone areas. The Gurez Valley has seen several avalanches in the recent past and fortunately there has been no loss of life in them, the officials said. Today’s incident comes after two ...

Citing security of the High Court of Jammu Kashmir, the authorities on Friday ordered that no vehicle will be allowed to enter the court premises without a valid parking pass. In an order, copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Registrar Judicial Srinagar said that the security in charge High Court will also ensure parking of the vehicles in the designated parking slots in the premises. "In the interest of security of High Court and in order to regulate the entry of vehicles into the court premises, Srinagar, in charge security High Court, Srinagar, is hereby directed not to allow any vehicle to enter into the premises without holding a valid parking pass although valid upto 31.12.2022/authorized letter issued by the competent authority," reads the order...

Jammu Kashmir admin on Thursday sacked an Assistant Prosecuting Officer from service, three years after eight-gram contraband substance was recovered from his possession in Rajouri. An order issued in this regard, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads that Waseem Ahmed Qureshi, the then Assistant Public Prosecutor in the Court of Judicial Magistrate, Ukhral while on his way to Rajouri on 04-05-2020 was found to be in possession of 8 gms of Contraband substance by a Police party of Rajouri Police. “A case FIR No. 230/2020 u/s 8(a), 21/29 of NDPS Act, 1985 was registered in Police Station, Rajouri. The Officer has acted in a manner unbecoming of a public servant and has also failed to maintain absolute integrity thus violating Rule 3(1)(i) and (iii...

A day after several areas in north Kashmir reported snowfall that was slightly yellowish in colour creating panic among the local residents, the Meteorological Department of Jammu Kashmir has issued a clarification statement. Several residents of north Kashmir areas had confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that they witnessed a yellow-color snow for the first time in their lives. "It was strange to see at the least. The incident triggered panic in the area after which several teams of officials reached the area and monitored the area," they said. The MeT said that the change in the colour was a result of the dust carried out by winds from parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. In a statement, MeT center Srinagar said that analysis of the 2nd Generation Weather Satellite (Meteosat-9) of EUMETS...

Braving bone-chilling winter, the residents of Monabal area in Mawer Qalamabad in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Friday afternoon carried an elderly patient on the shoulders to a hospital. Locals told The Kashmiriyat that a 78-year-old man identified as Saya Bokira (78) fell sick on Friday afternoon in the snow-covered area after which the family, sought help from neighbors and relatives. The elderly man was ferried on their shoulders by the locals for a distance of over a kilometer to NTPHC in Monabal. Accusing the authorities of neglecting the area, the locals claimed that the road is impassable and snow-bound. Most villages in the higher reaches of Ramhall, Vilgam, Mawer, and Rajwar Handwara are still cut off as the roads are still covered in snow.

Special prayers were organized in all the major mosques, shrines, and imambarahs of the valley including the historic Central Jama Masjid Srinagar, for those who lost their lives in the devastating earthquake that hit Turkiye and Syria earlier this week in which the death toll crossed over 21,000 and injuries to innumerable people. At Jama Masjid Srinagar, the prayers were led by Imam Hai Moulana Ahmad Saeed Naqshbandi, who on behalf of the people of Kashmir, expressed sympathy and solidarity with the people of Turkiye and Syria and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls and speedy recovery to those injured. He also expressed strong resentment against the authorities for keeping the valley’s top religious leader Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq continuously un...

The JK admin on Friday ordered the transfer and posting of 15 officers, seven of them IAS, in the interest of administration with immediate effect. According to an order, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, IAS (AGMUT:2005) Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department, holding additional charge of Principal Resident Commissioner, J&K Government, New Delhi, has been transferred and posted as Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir. The order states Dheeraj Gupta, IAS (AGMUT: 1993), Principal Secretary to the Government, Housing and Urban Development Department, holding additional charge of smart Cities and proposed new Jammu/Srinagar Metropolitan Regional Development, has been transferred and posted as Principal Secr...

Parts of Kashmir Valley including Gulmarg received fresh snowfall while rains lashed plains in the last 24 hours. The weather has improved and is likely to stay mainly dry for next 24 hours even though there are chances of scattered rains and snow at isolated places. A meteorological department official quoted by news agency GNS said that Srinagar received 0.8mm of rain during the 24 hours till 0830 hours today, Qazigund 27.6mm, Kokernag 22.2mm while Pahalgam had 7.4cms of snow, Kupwara 32cm( over 1-ft) and Gulmarg 33 cms(over 1.1-ft). Rains also lashed the Jammu region with Jammu city receiving 1.1mm, Banihal 49.1mm, Batote 27.3mm, Katra 3.1mm, and Bhaderwah 31.4mm during the time, he said. Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 1.8°C against minus 0.8°C on the previous night and it w...

The Jammu Kashmir Police on Friday claimed to have recovered a 14-year-old girl within four hours in Bandipora stating that the accused was arrested. In a press release, Police said that on 09/02/2023, one Nazir Ahmad Dar son of Ali Mohammed Dar lodged a written complaint with Police Post Delina stating therein that his daughter (name withheld) aged about 14 years has been kidnapped by one Adil Ahmad Dar of Banyari Ajas, District Bandipora. To this effect, case FIR No. 22/ 2023 u/s 363 IPC was registered at Police Station Baramulla. On this information, Police Post Delina swung into action and recovered the abductee within 4 hours from Banyari Ajas, District Bandipora and the accused has also been arrested from the spot. After completing the legal formalities, the abductee was ...