Srinagar, July 27 : An army soldier was killed in cross-border firing in Machil sector of frontier Kupwara district of north Kashmir on Saturday.

Official sources told that Pakistani forces attacked the army’s posts in Machil sectors today morning.

A police officer while confirming it said that the Pakistani army opened unprovoked fire upon the Indian Army posts in Machil.

In the incident, a soldier suffered critical injuries along the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector, he said.

The soldier was taken to nearby army’s health facility where he succumbed later, the officer said.

He identified the slain soldier as Lance Naik Rajender Singh of 57 RR.

The officer said that the soldiers manning the fence also responded strongly. (GNS)

Umar Rashid

Srinagar, July 27: After a lull in encounters finally encounter broke out between militants and government forces in Bonbazaar area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday.

Reports reaching said that a joint team of Army’s 23 Para and SOG Shopian launched a cordon and search operation in Bonbazaar.

A senior police officer told that it was specific information on which cordon and search operation was launched. As the joint team of forces zeroed the suspected spot the hiding militants fired upon the forces triggering an encounter, the officer said.

As per the sources two to three militants are believed to be trapped.

Till this report was being filed intermittent firing was going on.(GNS)

SRINAGAR, JULY 26 : Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice- president Omar Abdullah said if the people in Tral area boycoting the upcoming Assembly elections, then BJP would win the seat from where militants like Burhan Wani and Zakir Musa rose.

While addressing a public rally in Tral area of South Kashmir Omar Abdullah said “There is danger in boycotting polls. If there’s a boycott, then there’ll be a BJP MLA from Tral from where Burhan Wani & Zakir Musa belongs. They (BJP) have their eyes on some constituencies here”.

He added, “All 8 Assembly seats were won by the National Conference in the previous elections. But we have to be careful”.

He further added, “Imagine if the Assembly election results are similar to the parliamentary election results, then Tral’s MLA will be from BJP”.

“Their wish is that not even 1000 people vote from Mubarak Gul’s area, and distribute those votes too. They want no one to win more than 100 votes, just like in Panchayat elections,” he said.

Omar Abdullah Retaliates To J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik’s Appeal To Militants, Says ‘Should Find Out About His Own Reputation Before Sanctioning Unlawful Killings & Kangaroo Courts’

In contradiction, on Sunday, Abdullah had retaliated to Satya Pal Malik’s appeal to militants, saying that the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir should find out about his own reputation before sanctioning ‘unlawful killings and Kangaroo courts’.

He said, “This man, ostensibly a responsible man occupying a constitutional position, tells militants to kill politicians perceived to be corrupt. Perhaps the man should find out about his own reputation in Delhi these days before sanctioning unlawful killings & kangaroo courts.

Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said in the Lok Sabha, on June 28 that the Centre had started preparations and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir may be held by the end of this year.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha, Amit Shah said, “In the view of Ramzan and Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, preparations are underway to hold assembly elections by the end of this year.”

The parliament has extended the President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir for another six months. (PTK)

Srinagar, Jul 26 : J&K Bank, which is the convener SLBC, today conducted four back to back Block Level Banker’s Committee (BLBC) meetings for the blocks Harwan, Khonmoh, Qamarwari and Srinagar to review the progress achieved in flow of credit to priority sector, sponsored schemes, financial inclusion and digital penetration during the quarter ended June 2019.

Convened by the Lead Bank Office Srinagar, the meetings were held at J&K Bank’s Zonal Headquarters and were attended by the concerned BDOs Assabah Khan and Mohammad Akbar, Lead District Officer RBI Vikram Dhanda, senior officers of line departments and branch heads of banks operating in the respective blocks of the district.

Besides reviewing the branch-wise achievements of these blocks during the June quarter, the credit plan for Qamarwari, Srinagar, Khonmoh and Harwan with targets disbursement of Rs379 Cr, Rs542 Cr, Rs206 Cr and Rs 236 respectively for the current financial year across various sectors was also discussed at the meeting.

Chairing the meetings Lead District Manager (LDM) Mohammad Muzzafar Wani urged the Banks and line departments to establish an effective communication and co-ordination mechanism so that the operational bottlenecks are proactively removed to give relief to the beneficiaries availing credit under various government sponsored schemes and help in quick disposal of the cases.

The banks were advised to ensure that the CD ratio of all the branches was brought upto the benchmark of 60% during the current financial year and priority sector lending is maintained above the prescribed 40% level besides meeting the targets of all sponsored schemes. 

Srinagar, Jul 26 : Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President and Member of Parliament from Srinagar Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Friday expressed dismay over the distressing complains of the Hajis from Kashmir over the lack of transport facilities including proper accommodation at Mecca and Madina.

While decrying the lack of facilities being given to the pilgrims’ Party president said, “Haji Pilgrims are sending distressing messages to their kin back home about the scantiness of facilities being given to them at Mecca. The Hajis from Kashmir are complaining about the unavailability of transport including other basic facilities. The relatives of the Hajis from Kashmir are lamenting that the room arrangements for the Kashmiri Pilgrims are pathetic, overcrowded. The reports have it that the rooms which are suitable for just three persons are being allotted to Six and seven people,” adding, “Most of the Hajis are first-time travelers so they take things as they get without even complaining, what they are actually eligible for. The rooms are in shambles and the bathrooms facilities are grimly. The pilgrims are also complaining that the khadims designated for Kashmir based pilgrims are least cooperative.”

Party president said that the pilgrims are already going through duress in wake of doing away with Hajj Subsidies. “For most of the pilgrims, it is going to be an experience for life time. The state and the central government is duty bound to make the trip comfortable for pilgrims. However the reports coming from the Kashmiri pilgrims are not satisfactory. I have been receiving complains from the kin of those who are on the pilgrimage. I take this opportunity to urge the ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kindom of Saudi Arabia to address the issues concerning the Hajj Pilgrims from Kashmir.”

Meanwhile party president had a telephonic conversation with union minister for minority affairs Syed Muktar Abbas Naqvi in this connection. Party president urged him to address the problems concerning the Hajjis hailing from Kashmir. Party president said that he will take up the issue at all appropriate forums.

Meanwhile a delegation from Brandpathri, Tral called on party’s provincial secretary and political secretary to party president Advocate Showkat Mir here at party head quarters. The visiting delegation apprised the provincial secretary how they have been told to vacate their land holding and dwelling in the area. The delegation was led by party in charge Muhammad Ashraf Bhat.

Srinagar, July 25 :  National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who according to sources was camping in Kashmir for four days, during his stay in Srinagar, he held meetings with top security and intelligence officials.

 He arrived here on Wednesday, but if reliable sources are to be believed, he was here in capital city Srinagar, quite prior to that.

According to the sources, Doval interacted with top police and intelligence officials at an undisclosed location in the outskirts of Srinagar.

During the meeting, apart from security situation, many other sensitive issues also came under discussion.

  Sources said the National Security Advisor also convened a separate meeting with top security officials on Thursday.

 “In this meeting matters related security were thoroughly discussed threadbare.” they said.

    Atop police official, when asked about the purpose of the said meeting pleaded his ignorance about holding of any such meeting. (CNS)

Srinagar, July 26, : Hajj 2019 pilgrims from Kashmir are facing serious inconvenience on account of inadequate transport facilities to ferry them from their place of stay to Haram Sharif.

Giving details of the trouble, Kashmiri pilgrims are faced with, a pilgrim from Puhu Pulwama, Abdul Aziz Wagay called news agency office from Mekka and said that they are putting up at Azizia, which is around 10 Kilometers away from Haram Sharif and against the tradition, there is no transport facility made available to ferry them to Haram Sharif.

“We are unable to perform the Manasikhs of Hajj, since it is virtually impossible to walk a distance of 10 Kms to Haram sharif in scorching heat, to perform the Mnasikhs of Hajj and offer prayers at Kabba Sharif.” He said.

He added that previously a fleet of 10 to 15 buses used to be deputed to ferry the Hajj pilgrims, under Azizia Category to Kabba Sharif, but this year there are only two buses kept for the purpose.

“How is it possible to ferry 400 hundred Hujjaj from such a huge distance”, he said.

Another Hajji Nazir Ahmed Parra from Larki Pora , Tangmarg complained that despite paying four to five lacs each for the pilgrimage charges, they have been neglected and no one from the state government is available to help address their problems.

Nazir Ahmed Parra said, “There is no one visible among the Khudams, who we could approach to seek help from. Today is Friday and we are deprived of the opportunity to offer our prayers in the limits of Kabba”.

“All our lives a Muslim craves to perform Hajj and spend as much as time around Haram Sharif, but despite being present in the sacred city, we are unable to be blessed to stay near Kabba”. He said.

“Blessed are the Hajjis, who enroll themselves under green category, for whom Kabba Sharif is at a walking distance, but in absence of transport facality, we are deprived of this opportunity”, said another Hajji Nazir Ahmed Parra from Kakkapora.

They appealed to state government authorities to take up the matter with relevant authorities to bail them out from the inconvenience and trouble they are facing. (CNS)

In view of providing hassle free travel to the pilgrims, Central Reserve Police Force on Friday took an initiative of fitting Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in the vehicles ferrying them to Shri Amarnath Cave Shrine in South of Himalayas from Yatri Niwas Base Camp here.

”We have made an optimum use of technology and RFID is also part of it”, Sector PRO CRPF, Commandant, Ashish Kumar Jha, here told reporters at the Yatri Niwas.

Mr Jha said that no vehicle accompanying the Amarnath Yatra convoy, would be allowed to head towards the cave shrine without RFID tagging, adding, ”the vehicles having RFID, will have complete details like name of the driver, registration number, mobile numbers and other required initials”.

”The benefit of fitting the RFID is that in case any vehicle moves out of the way during the convoy, halts in between, meet any road mishap, will be tracked by our teams monitoring the movements in the control room,” Sector PRO said.

The vehicles not coming to Yatri Niwas, could get RFID tags fitted at Lakhanpur, Jammu Tawi Railway Station, Bus Stand, Airport, Ban Toll Plaza, Udhampur and Nashri Tunnel, he said adding that they were being pasted free of cost.
”Any vehicle ferrying Amarnath pilgrims if found moving without RFID tag, will have to get it pasted if nearby any of the locations”, Officer said.(UNI)