Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday called on the people of Jammu Kashmir to safeguard the hard-earned peace in the Union Territory, emphasizing the role of citizens in upholding law, unity, and community values. Addressing the International Symposium on Peace, People and Possibilities at SKICC Srinagar, Sinha said, “Peace begins where people live with dignity, mutual respect, and open dialogue.” He noted that the symposium’s theme reflects a visionary path for the future of JK, where the “voice of Dal Lake and the whisper of Chinars together inspire peace.” LG highlighted the transformation of the Union Territory under PM Modi’s leadership, observing that “the sounds of guns have been replaced by the laughter of children and the hum of education.” He added, “In the past five ...

Danishwar Hameed Thieves broke into the Boys Higher Secondary School Arreh in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district during the night and stole 18 electric batteries, causing a major loss to the institution. According to officials who spoke to The Kashmiriyat, the incident came to light early in the morning when staff members reached the school and discovered the inverter batteries missing. The stolen batteries were reportedly used to power the school’s backup electricity system. Local residents expressed concern over the growing incidents of theft in the area and urged authorities to strengthen night patrols and take swift action to identify and arrest the culprits. Meanwhile, police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident.

An encounter has broken out between militants and security forces in the Chatroo forests area of Kishtwar district in Jammu Kashmir on Wednesday. A senior police official said that joint teams of the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a cordon and search operation in the area following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants. As the forces approached the suspected location, they came under fire, triggering a gunfight, the official said. Intermittent exchange of fire was ongoing when reports last came in, and two militants are believed to be trapped in the area.

Suhail Dar The Food Safety Department in Anantnag has prohibited the sale of “KK” brand Atta (batch no. A-22) after laboratory analysis confirmed the presence of insects in the flour sample, rendering it unsafe for consumption. According to an order accessed by The Kashmiriyat, the Food Safety Officer from Mattan procured a sample of the Atta manufactured by M/S K.K. Roller Flour Mills, located at the SIDCO Industrial Complex in Bari Brahmana, Jammu. The sample was later tested at the Food Laboratory, Kashmir, which in its report dated October 17, 2025, (No. FSSA/K/2025-26/MR-5551) found the product “unsafe on account of presence of insects.” The order states that consumption of such contaminated Atta could pose a threat to public health. Citing provisions of the Food Safety an...

Murtaza Bilal A young intern doctor, from Pulwama, has died at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, triggering widespread grief and debate over the working conditions faced by medical trainees in Jammu Kashmir’s leading hospital. Dr Tariq ul Islam, an intern doctor at SKIMS Hospital, who was from Pulwama, who had been suffering from flu for the past several days, reportedly continued to attend his duties despite illness. Doctors believe he may have succumbed to viral pericarditis. His sudden death has left colleagues and the wider medical community in shock, prompting conversations about the pressures and workload young doctors face during their internship. The incident came to light on November 2, 2025, when tributes and emotional posts began to ...

Government data tabled in the Jammu Kashmir Assembly shows that 631 non-residents have purchased 386 kanals of land across the Union Territory since 2019, amounting to nearly Rs 129 crore in value. Responding to a query by National Conference MLA Sheikh Ahsan Pardesi, the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed that 378 non-residents bought 212 kanals in Jammu, while 253 non-residents acquired 173 kanals in the Kashmir Valley. According to the data, most of the non-local buyers are from Ladakh, mainly Kargil, followed by smaller numbers from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Jharkhand, Delhi, Bihar, and a single buyer from West Bengal. Around 350 of the total buyers are said to be Ladakhis. The first non-local land purchase was recorded in 2020, when one...

Rain and snow are expected to make a brief return to Kashmir on Monday afternoon, marking the season’s first wet spell of November. According to the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, light to moderate rainfall is likely across most parts of Kashmir, with light snowfall confined to higher reaches between November 4 and 5. The precipitation is expected to begin over the plains of north Kashmir between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., in central Kashmir between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., and in the southern parts between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. The spell is expected to be short-lived, with snow over the plains considered unlikely. Occasional thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching up to 40 km/h are also possible during the evening. The weather office has advised residents and travelers, especially those...

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...