Suhail Dar A seven-year-old girl from a Sikh family drowned in the Jhelum river at Batengoo area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday afternoon, prompting an outpouring of grief and compassion from local residents. Witnesses told The Kashmiriyat that 7-year old Simran Kour accidentally slipped into the river while walking near the banks. They said that a local boy jumped in and managed to pull her out, rushing her to the nearest hospital. Police also reached the spot and accompanied the family to the hospital. Despite the swift response, doctors could not save her. The victim had come from Hoshiarpur Punjab along with her father, who sells clothes seasonally in Kashmir. The tragedy left the family devastated. In a heartening show of solidarity, local residents i...

Danishwar Hameed Amid an intense heatwave sweeping across the Kashmir Valley, patients and attendants at District Hospital Kulgam are enduring severe discomfort due to the lack of cooling and drinking water facilities, this time in the old hospital building, where the centralized air conditioning system remains non-functional. The absence of fans, air conditioning, and proper ventilation has turned the hospital wards into stifling spaces, putting patients, especially the elderly and children, at greater health risk during the scorching temperatures. Senior BJP leader Zubair Ahmad Ganie visited the hospital on Monday and expressed concern over the deteriorating conditions. “The lack of basic facilities in a functioning hospital is deeply concerning. Treating patients in such an env...

In a significant push to revive and strengthen transparency and civic participation in Jammu Kashmir, the JK RTI Movement, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Uri Foundation, Kashmir Law Circle, and local civil society partners, held two impactful events — a two-day RTI capacity-building workshop in Srinagar (July 1–2) and a sensitization seminar in Kulgam (July 4). These engagements, attended by lawmakers, administrators, journalists, lawyers, students, and civil society members, focused on the use of the Right to Information Act, 2005 as a democratic tool to strengthen citizen; government relationships, promote transparency, and address governance challenges. Srinagar Workshop: RTI as a Tool of Empowerment The Srinagar workshop featured prominent v...

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama Jammu & Kashmir, a representative body comprising both Sunni and Shia religious organisations, has issued a strong appeal for restraint and responsibility in public discourse following a controversial remark made by a prominent public figure regarding the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). In a statement, the Majlis emphasized that respect for the Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt) and his Companions (Sahaba) is a core tenet of the Islamic faith. Any disparaging or disrespectful reference to these revered figures, it said, was deeply painful and unacceptable to the broader Muslim community. The organisation expressed regret over what it called an “inappropriate and disrespectful statement” made recently by a well-known individual who holds “an influentia...

Shabir Ali Rains began in parts of north Kashmir and Srinagar on Monday afternoon, bringing much-needed relief after weeks of dry spell and intense heat across Kashmir. The scattered showers broke a prolonged hot and dry stretch that had left farmlands parched and residents reeling under severe heatwave conditions. In Srinagar, the sudden rainfall was accompanied by gusty winds, leading to damage in some areas. A large tree was uprooted along the Batwara–Pandrethan road, crashing onto an e-rickshaw (bearing registration number JK01AV-1587), locals told The Kashmiriyat. The vehicle sustained significant damage, though no injuries were reported. The road remains blocked as of the time of filing this report, with commuters facing delays and authorities yet to begin clearance work....

Following a prolonged dry spell and intense heatwave, fresh rainfall was recorded in parts of north Kashmir and Srinagar on Monday afternoon, offering some respite from soaring temperatures. According to a 4:45 p.m. weather update by Kashmir Weather, cloud clusters have developed across several areas of Jammu and Kashmir in the past two hours. Thundershowers are expected in many parts over the next six hours, with brief heavy showers possible. The forecast also warns that flash floods cannot be ruled out in a few vulnerable spots. While the sudden spell has cooled temperatures and raised hopes among residents, the agricultural sector continues to reel under the effects of the heatwave. In the Nishat area of Srinagar, paddy fields are showing visible cracks due to weeks witho...

Meer Irfan The family of a 24-year-old woman from Armullah Litter, identified as Tahira Jan, staged a protest outside the District Hospital Pulwama on Sunday, alleging medical negligence that led to her death during childbirth. According to her husband, Tahira was brought to the hospital around 10:40 am on Sunday. “The doctors assured us it would be a normal delivery. She was taken into the labour room, but just two hours later, she was shifted to a ward,” Ayoub said. While he was about to give her tea, Tahira fell unconscious again. “Without any examination or tests, they told me she had a blood deficiency and asked me to arrange blood immediately,” he said. She was then rushed back to the ICU. “But by then, she was already gone. I checked the pulse monitor — it showed no sign...

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday accused Pakistan of attempting to derail the region's development journey and sow discord among communities. Speaking at a religious function in Aishmuqan, LG Sinha, per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) termed Pakistan a "terrorist country" determined to undo the hard-earned progress made in the last five years in Jammu Kashmir. "Pakistan wants to destroy the five-year-long development of Jammu Kashmir. It wants to break our unity. We must not allow its nefarious designs to succeed," he said. He stressed the only way to defeat the enemy's agenda is through unity and collective resistance. "We all must fight together against the ill designs of the terrorist country. Police and security forces are playing a crucial role in the fight a...

Jammu Kashmir National Conference leader and MLA Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq, has appealed to the public to come forward with information regarding alleged large-scale irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Jammu Kashmir. “The time for silence is over. This is an opportunity for the people of Jammu Kashmir to come forward and speak the truth. We owe it to future generations to ensure accountability and transparency,” Sadiq said, referring to the ongoing investigation into what has been described as one of the biggest public infrastructure scandals in the region. Following mounting concerns from legislators across party lines, the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly has constituted a House Committee to investigate serious allegations of corruption, including ...