Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hailed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the decision to stick to the scheduled meeting with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif, despite another attempt by militants to derail the talks through a fresh attack.
Echoing India's concerns over Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's move toward reconciliation and reintegration of segments of the Taliban into the Afghan government -- which has been endorsed by the Obama administration -- Dr Abdullah Abdullah, erstwhile Afghan foreign minister and Karzai's nemesis, who was a candidate in the controversial 2009 presidential elections, said pursuing such a policy would be a futile exercise.
National Conference patron and former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah will contest the forthcoming assembly election from the Hazratbal constituency, according to the list of candidates released by the party on Thursday.The party has repeated almost all its earlier candidates. There are very few new names in the electoral list.
'Look at the contributions India has made and how it has helped improve the life of the Afghan people,' says former Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.
Dr Abdullah Abdullah, erstwhile foreign minister of Afghanistan and a candidate in the 2009 Presidential election, has lauded India's role in Afghanistan in terms of infrastructure development and institutional capacity building as significant and dismissed Pakistan's paranoia and deep suspicions about New Delhi's involvement in his country as totally misplaced.
Visuals of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah scaling the gate of the Naqshband Sahib graveyard and jostling with securitymen deployed there have gone viral.
In January 2006, King Abdullah became the first Saudi monarch in 51 years to visit India.
The Union minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah on Monday favoured reopening of cinemas and liquor shops in Kashmir Valley for expanding recreational facilities for visiting tourists.
In its chargesheet filed in a special court in Srinagar, the CBI alleged that Abdullah as the association president at that time had connived with the treasurer of JKCA and others for undue siphoning off and misappropriation of funds, a CBI spokesperson said in New Delhi.
Al-Falah University in Haryana is under investigation following the arrest of three doctors connected to the institution in connection with a terror module and a high-intensity explosion near Delhi's Red Fort. Investigators are examining how the university may have become a haven for individuals allegedly acting at the behest of Pakistan-backed handlers.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday flayed Dr Farooq Abdullah, who claimed that the media had distorted his son Omar Abdullah's comments on the Amarnath yatra issue.
New Delhi looks to be testing Omar's endurance with unconcealed glee, never feeling shy to bite whenever a moment comes its way. After all, ruling the country's only Muslim-majority UT/state has been the BJP's burning desire, points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
'We don't want to see our relations with one country undermining our relations with another, says Afghanistan Foreign Minister Dr Abdullah Abdullah.
'Age is not an issue if you are chasing your dream. If you have support from your family, you can achieve anything.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expanded his cabinet by inducting 13 new ministers. This has taken the total strength of the National Conference-Congress coalition ministry from 11 to 22.The coalition government headed by Omar Abdullah was formed in January this year after the state elections were held in December 2008.
According to the returning officer, former chief minister and NC president, Dr Farooq Abdullah polled 27 votes while as Mohammad Shafi Uri got 25 votes in the third and final round of elections, held through Single Transferable Vote System.
A close aide of Imam Bukhari, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan recollects the role played by him for Muslims.
'My request to Amit Shah would be "Please do not use archaic laws and muscle power against voices that have always stood by India.".'
The administration of the union territory as directed by the Jammu and Kashmir high court to make public land given under the controversial Roshni land scheme, since scrapped by a court, came out with the list of beneficiaries.
National Conference (NC) patron and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has decided to contest the state assembly polls from two constituencies in summer capital Srinagar.
A chance meeting between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union minister Kiren Rijiju at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar has sparked a political storm, with opposition parties accusing the National Conference of laying out a red carpet for the BJP leader in the aftermath of the Waqf Amendment Act. While NC sources termed the interaction as a purely coincidental encounter, opposition parties like the PDP and Peoples' Conference condemned the meeting, accusing the NC of surrendering to the BJP. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, passed by Parliament last week, aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare.
The opposition Peoples' Democratic Party and Peoples' Conference targeted the ruling National Conference over the meeting, and accused it of surrendering to the Bharatiya Janata Party without even a pretence over the passage of the Waqf act.
'Often people outside paint a wrong picture of us of Kashmiris. We are not like that. We are cool and bindaas,' said the lady, a teacher, caressing my cheeks in the pressing crowds.
'Somewhere down the line, Omar lost the plot, and in some ways, his troubles have stemmed from a lack of political maturity which has been evident in his decisions.'
'Kashmir needs to be divided and we need the land of Panun Kashmir in Kashmir.'
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has called on Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) to defend the multilateral trading system amid increasing protectionism and tariff volatility during a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.
'Right now, we have no relationship with Pakistan. And the relationship with China is not great.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that India and Pakistan came closer to resolving the Kashmir issue during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. He added that he does not expect a return to that situation in his lifetime. Abdullah lauded Singh's efforts on Kashmir, including the setting up of working groups on the issue, and said he practically initiated measures for the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits. The chief minister also praised Singh's contribution to India's economic development.
The future can only get better if we continue to break silos and work as integrated teams focussed on promoting national interests, recommends Sanjeev Nayyar.
Chief minister-designate Omar Abdullah met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to present letters of support from coalition partners, shortly after the Congress officially extended its backing to the party.
'Both my father and brother are very strong. Their spirit is unbroken,' says Dr Farooq Abdullah's daughter and Omar's sister, Safiya Abdullah Khan.
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
On Thursday, April 7, 2022, the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die. MPs from the Treasury and Opposition benches met thereafter in the Speaker's chambers for an exercise in enforced bon homie.
'We called him Sher-e-Kashmir but we realised he was no lion but a pussycat who surrendered.'
Bookstore owners were cautioned against keeping or distributing the books. Police personnel briefed the bookstore owners about the legal consequences of violating the ban.
Heavy rains battered Jammu and Kashmir, triggering floods, damaging infrastructure, and disrupting normal life. Authorities issued advisories and rescue operations were conducted.
On November 18, 1962, 114 soldiers of the 13th Kumaon fought till the last man, and last bullet, in sub-zero temperatures, to beat back the huge Chinese army. We salute the Heroes of Rezang La.
'The Indian embassy did send a bus to evacuate us along with an Indian embassy official, but Urmia University is not giving us permission to leave.'
