If Rashid cannot be the king, he could be the kingmaker after October 8 when the results to the J&K assembly are declared.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday deplored the attacks on moderate Huriryat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq saying it was against the democratic traditions of the country.
Normal life was affected in Jammu on Saturday due to a three-hour 'chakka jam' called by Bharatiya Janata Party protesting the surrender policy for youths who went to PoK for arms training and demanding that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah withdraw his statement on accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that the Kashmir issue was a political problem that could not be resolved by administrative or security measures.Calling for good relations between India and Pakistan as they directly impact peace in the state, he said his people's primary focus remains on a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem through political means, with participation of all stakeholders.
Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday started the process of removing 16 security bunkers from Srinagar city as part of the Centre's peace initiatives to reach out to the people of the Valley.
The bodies of two village defence guards (VDG) killed by terrorists were found near a rivulet on Friday during a massive search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said.
"I am free... Hope others political leaders would be released soon. Thank all parliamentarians who fought for my freedom. Will be able to take decision on future only after other leaders are released," Abdullah, the Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, told reporters from the terrace of his residence in Srinagar.
David Devadas, journalist, and author of In Search of a Future, the Story of Kashmir, was beaten by the police in Srinagar on last Monday. Devadas says that he is worried about his life after the incident.
Breaking his silence on former army chief V K Singh's remarks that ministers in Jammu and Kashmir were given money by the Army, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the Centre should conduct a thorough probe as allegations made by Singh cannot be brushed aside.
'I am committing suicide because I was subject to torture and humiliation in the police station.'
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has written to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, urging him to recommend the name of Rukhsana, who shot into the limelight after killing a Lashker-e-Tayiba terrorist, for the National Bravery Award, officials said in Jammu on Thursday. Vohra had lauded the exemplary courage of the girl who, along with her brother, killed the LeT militant in Kalsian area of Shahdra Shrief on September 27.
Two years after the special status of Jammu And Kashmir was abrogated and he was detained for 234 days, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that after initially being 'deeply jaded' he had realised that as a politician he didn't have the right to 'mourn' for long and could not let down the people struggling for their basic constitutional rights.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said there was no increased threat perception to this year's Amarnath yatra compared to previous years and fears of attack as reported in the media were "gross exaggeration".
The Jammu and Kashmir government is likely to disallow the Bharatiya Janata Party yatra to Srinagar to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk on Republic Day. Highly placed sources here said that the state government has decided to halt the yatra by the youth wing of the BJP in Jammu and not to allow it to proceed to Srinagar.
Heavy Pakistani shelling in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir left nine people dead and 28 injured. The shelling, described by residents and officials as "barbaric and cowardly", started around 2 am, damaging dozens of residential houses, shops, vehicles, and heritage sites. The incident comes after India launched "Operation Sindoor" in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. India condemned the act, calling it a cowardly attack on civilians, and reaffirmed that civilian safety remains its top priority.
As thousands of civilians affected by the Pakistani shelling in the RS Pura sector thronged to shelter camps, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accompanied by his team went on to inspect the lodging facilities and quality of food provided to them.
The much-talked about surrender policy for youths who had exfiltrated from Jammu and Kashmir between 1989 and 2009 for arms training and have a change of heart now was cleared on Monday by the state cabinet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asserted that he would keep promises he had made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, a statement seen as an oblique reference to the demand for restoration of statehood voiced strongly by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Omar also said he would never prefer horse trading to end the stalemate.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday expressed his extreme disappointment over army's decision to close the Pathribhal fake encounter case and said the state law authorities will be asked to examine options to address this "serious" matter.
In an exclusive telephonic interview with rediff.com from Srinagar, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti accused the governments of Pakistan and India for the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
'Anybody who says one critical word can be branded as somebody who's glorifying terrorism.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that the situation in the state was not conducive for holding assembly elections in light of the recent floods.
Hitting out at Nawaz Sharif over the ceasefire violations, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday maintained that these incidents cannot be without the consent of the Pakistan prime minister.
Terming the flood situation in the flood-ravaged KashmirValley as "very serious", Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said he understood the anger of the people affected by the "unprecedented" catastrophe.
In the petition, Congress activist Tehseen Poonawalla ought withdrawal of 'curfew/restrictions' and release of leaders like former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
The National Conference leader suggested that the CM should take responsibility for the prevailing situation and lead the recovery process from the front.
Immediately after Modi delivered his speech, Omar merely tweeted "finally" but, in a subsequent tweet, voiced his disagreement with Modi's view.
More than 40 per cent of the 908 candidates contesting the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are Independents, leading to claims that a large number of them have been propped up by the Bharatiya Janata Party to divide votes.
Former Jammu and Kashmir CMs placed under arrest as they were considered a threat to the law-and-order situation in the state.
The chief minister, an avid cricket follower, had expressed disappointment that the Jammu and Kashmir cricketer was not given a chance to make his debut in international cricket even though India went into the final match with an unassailable 4-0 lead.
A new political party called the 'Jammu and Kashmir Apni (own) Party' (JKAP) will be launched on Sunday and will be led by former state finance minister Syed Altaf Bukhari, with the primary aim of proving "relief to people who have been facing uncertainty since August 5 last year". This will be the first political activity in Jammu and Kashmir after August 5 last year, when the Centre withdrew the special status of the erstwhile state and bifurcated it into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Terming frequent violations of the ceasefire as a "matter of serious concern", Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday expressed hope that the Centre would reconsider its decision of cancelling talks with Pakistan in order to end the border hostilities.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday warned that any move to abrogate Article 370, which defines relationship between the state and the Centre, will reopen the issue of the state's accession to India.
The Congress party suffered a crushing defeat in the Delhi elections, failing to secure a single seat in the 70-member assembly for the third consecutive time. Key candidates, including Sheila Dikshit's son, Sandeep Dikshit, lost their deposits. The only consolation for the party was a slight improvement in its vote share, which they attribute to a vigorous campaign and a renewed focus on contesting elections independently. However, the defeat raises questions about the party's ability to compete in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in light of its performance in other recent state elections.
Hours after, however, firing from the Pakistani side was reported in Akhnoor sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Drones were also seen in the Pir Panjal area.
Leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday said after attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's all-party meeting that they will 'continue to struggle' against the abrogation of Article 370 and urged the PM to restore the statehood of J-K at the earliest.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday clinched a stunning hat-trick win in Haryana overcoming anti-incumbency and dashing Congress' hopes of a comeback while the National Conference-Congress combine pulled off a spectacular victory in maiden elections in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Loud wails rent the air at the Police Lines area in Srinagar as soon as the tricolour-draped coffin of Inspector Masroor Ahmad Wani was brought for a wreath laying ceremony.
Faesal, who has been under detention after scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, was booked under the PSA on Friday night, according to the sources.
