Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' -- the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region
Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather's record run in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly ended on Tuesday when he lost from Charar-e-Sharief while his National Conference colleague Ali Mohammad Sagar equalled his feat of sixth consecutive victories by winning Khanyar seat.
A group of envoys including those from several Europe Union countries and a few Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) member states began a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to take a first-hand account of the situation in newly-carved union territory, especially after the recently-concluded local body elections.
A total of 3,372 nominations have been filed for 1,145 wards. The next phases take place on 10th, 13th and 16th October.
Ganderbal was once the bastion of the Abdullah family but this time around, the electoral battle in this north Kashmir assembly constituency is being fought sans the Abdullah's.
Abdullah said if the gap between the communities is to be bridged, the hateful campaigns like The Kashmir Files film and incessant Hindu-Muslim debates on the media have to be stopped.
Poonch district of Jammu region recorded the highest turnout at 75.42 per cent. Ganderbal district recorded the highest polling in Kashmir valley at 56.28 per cent.
Reasi district of Jammu region recorded 75.20 per cent voting, the highest in the union territory, State Election Commissioner (SEC) K K Sharma said, adding that 50.53 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the third phase of the maiden DDC polls in J-K.
Several measure have been taken to beef up security for the pilgrimage.
The clashes led to disruption in normal activities in various places including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, the officials said.
These photographs show India in various colours and moods in 2015.
According to a police official, an altercation broke out at a hotel where he allegedly wanted to enter with an 18-year-old woman.
'They keep issuing statements to win a few rounds of applause.'
Nearly 300 Whatsapp groups were being used to mobilise stone-pelters in Kashmir to disrupt security forces' operations at encounter sites, of which 90 per cent have been shut down, a police official said.
Condemning the alleged incidents of harassment of Kashmiris, the home minister said they are like any other Indian and an advisory is being sent by the home ministry to all states to ensure the safety and security of people from the Valley.
A bullet does not whom it will hit. My appeal to all the young boys is that they should remain in their homes and not come to encounter sites, he said.
Six government employees, including two policemen, were on Wednesday dismissed from service for their alleged links with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of employees sacked in last nearly six months to 25, officials said.
Outgoing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah categorically said on Thursday night that there was "no deal" or any "discussion" going on between his National Conference and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue of government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the slain terrorists has been identified as Shahbaz Safi Wani alias Rayees Kachru, who was active in the area since June, 2016.
Farooq Ahmed Dar said he was yet to be called by the police or the army -- which has instituted a court of inquiry into the incident of April 9 -- for his side of the story.
Of these, 6,221 were injured due to pellets, 368 due to bullets, four due to pava shells and 2,449 suffered other injuries, the J-K CM said.
With the results of the Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections out, hectic lobbying among the political parties has started, with a visible sign of the People's Democratic Party and the Congress warming-up to form the government.
This is not the first time when she has been assigned such a tough task, earlier also, she had worked as IG, the Bihar sector in CRPF and has dealt with Naxals.
The enhanced allowance will be applicable to all paramilitary personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-hit areas.
A round-up of our favourite photographs from the week gone by
A total of 146 militancy-related incidents took place between January 15, 2015 to January 15, 2016, leaving 169 people -- 108 militants, 39 security personnel and 22 civilians -- dead. A total of 181 incidents of border firing were reported during the same period in the state which left 22 persons including eight security personnel dead and 75 others, including 13 security men injured
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yaseen Malik and social activist Swami Agnivesh were on Saturday detained when they tried to lead a march towards Narbal in central Kashmir's Budgam district where a youth was killed in firing by security forces during a protest.
The death toll in the unrest in Kashmir rose to 44.
Four of gunned down terrorists belonged to JeM.
Syed Ahmad Shakeel and Shahid Yousuf, who are sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief and one of the most wanted terrorists, Salahuddin, were also dismissed from service for allegedly being involved in terror funding, the officials said.
In order to consider giving mobile Internet connectivity on such SIM cards, the telecom service providers will have to verify the credentials of the subscribers.
Out of the 280 constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, 43 are going to polls in the second phase with 25 in Kashmir and 18 in Jammu division.
Kashmir observed a shutdown for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday even as authorities continued curfew in several parts of the valley to prevent deterioration of law and order in the wake of killing of a youth allegedly in Army firing in Baramulla.
The decision on redeployment was taken after intelligence reports said South Kashmir had turned into a militant hub.
'The people of Jammu and Kashmir are your own people. Do not use them as cannon fodder in your laboratory.'
A truck was intercepted at 8 am on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway and during checking six AK-47 rifles were seized, Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Makesh Singh told PTI.
As a spate of targeted killings of minorities rock Kashmir, a Kashmiri Pandits' organisation on Friday said some employees from the community, who were provided government jobs under a rehabilitation package in 2010-11, have started moving to Jammu quietly fearing for their life, alleging the administration was unable to provide then a secure environment.
During questioning it emerged that Singh had taken them to Jammu in 2019 also, the officials said.
A government middle school in Shopian's Padarpora was set ablaze by unidentified people and on Sunday. The government high school in Pulwama was razed to the ground in a similar manner.
There will be eight more phases of Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
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