Her comments come days after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought "serious" and "sincere" talks with his Indian counterpart for the resolution of the "burning" issues, including Kashmir.
Kashmir valley is in the grip of a cold wave following fresh snowfall. Mukhtar Ahmad reports
In the wilderness for a long time, former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has made an anti-India rant by saying Pakistan needs to 'incite' those 'fighting' in Kashmir.
Mufti has said that the peace process is now a golden chance that should not be squandered.
'The more harder India pushes its nationalism on to its population, the further away we send Kashmiris.' 'We should understand that the unrest in that state cannot be solved by demonetisation. There are much deeper causes,' says Aakar Patel.
Opposition and support greet Musharraf's latest plans for Kashmir.
Efforts to rake up the alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir by backbenchers in the United Kingdom Parliament virtually fell flat as the debate on the issue drew few takers, even as the government asserted that it was for India and Pakistan to resolve the problem bilaterally.
'Thackeray could organise, but lacked a vision and wisdom to take it further. The man who boasted that if he were prime minister for a day, he would solve the Kashmir problem permanently, could not halt Mumbai's slide into an urban nightmare despite his wielding supreme authority over the city government for decades,' says Shreekant Sambrani.
No major clash was reported on Thursday from anywhere in Kashmir.
Tragically, the Congress party is perhaps the only party with the credentials to resolve the Kashmir question. It could have done so in the decade it was in office, and when India was in a position of strength. Now, India seems to be headed for a period of political instability along with an economic downturn. New Delhi's clout is weakening, says Amberish K Diwanji.
'I'm very much against petrol and diesel....'' 'I travel in an electric car.' 'I have had a really good experience with it.'
President of the People's Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti said that the was disappointed with the report submitted by the three interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir to Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday.
Social activist Amit Koul, who was part of the delegation, said they have invited Gandhi to their Jagti township along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and that he is likely to visit the community on his way to Kashmir.
'It is not his doing, but Rahul Gandhi is forced by circumstances.' 'In taking political decisions, everything has to get his clearance.'
The Congress said the foot march, being led by party leader Rahul Gandhi, will proceed according to its schedule and reach Jammu on Monday afternoon.
Musharraf's proposals included demilitarisation, self rule and joint management of Kashmir.
"Curfew has been imposed in five police station areas of downtown (interior city) and Batamaloo and Maisuma areas in the uptown," a police official said, adding restrictions on assembly of people would remain in force in the rest of the Valley.
Sudhir Mishra's espionage-thriller Tanaav is a decent one-time watch, observes Namrata Thakker. Tanaav Review
Sharma will decide whom he wants to hold talks with, Singh said when asked whether he would have dialogue with the Hurriyat Conference.
'Just because a subject is uncomfortable for some and doesn't suit their political ideology, should a film not be made?'
As Manipur grapples with protracted ethnic strife, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and the state government to ensure uninterrupted supply of basic commodities like food and medicines to people facing economic blockade in certain areas of the border state.
'Kashmir is complex, conflicted and unpredictable.' 'Take the instance of Handwara and the killings there.' 'The need of the hour is more one of restraint in the violent reactions of the armed forces.' 'But restraint is wanting in Kashmir for a quarter of a century now.'
"Read my lips," said Richard Holbrooke, special US representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, "I am not working on that problem," when asked by a Pakistani journalist if the Obama administration was 'serious to appoint any adviser to resolve this issue,' since as the latter contended, "We all know that deep down, there is no solution of Afghanistan and the South Asia problem, without resolving the Kashmir issue that is controlled by Indian government."
The ruling People's Democratic Party on Tuesday welcomed the "historic peace accord" between the Centre and Nagaland's National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM, saying a similar approach was needed in Kashmir and suggested that the four-point formula propounded by former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf could be used as a 'launching pad'.
During his visit, Rajnath will review the situation and may hold talks with cross section of people.
The authorities also declared unsafe a mosque and a religious school for girls at Nai Basti village in Thathri, 35 kilometres from Doda town along the Kishtwar-Batote National Highway.
Curfew was imposed on Tuesday night in 10 police station areas of KashmirValley as a precautionary measure with the authorities apprehending law and order problem following the killing of a youth in firing allegedly by security forces in Baramulla district.
Here's looking at some popular Bollywood movies shot in Kashmir.
The conference was attended by envoys of Pakistan posted at Washington, Beijing, New Delhi, Afghanistan, UN New York, UN Geneva, Vienna, Brussels and Moscow among others.
Pakistan, as Security Council president, cannot impose any issue on the world body, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri V Fedotov said.
Mufti's political graph shows his fondness for courting unpopular, politically hazardous ventures in pursuit of his ultimate objective to vindicate his leadership. Towards the end of his life, Mufti's public profile had come to assume the dimensions of statesmanship. One reason being his willingness to learn from his experience, says Mohammad Sayeed Malik.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked banks and other financial institutions to ensure that their customers must update nominees to help resolve the problem of unclaimed money in future. "I want the banking system, the financial ecosystem including the mutual funds, stock markets to keep in mind that when someone deals with his (customer's) money, the organisations will have to think about the future and ensure that customers nominate their heirs, give the name and address," Sitharaman said speaking at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) in Mumbai. According to a report, the banking system alone has more than Rs 35,000 crore of unclaimed deposits, while the overall quantum of the unclaimed money is said to be more than Rs 1 lakh crore.
Sharpening his attack on the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described dynastic politics as a termite that eats away the foundations of democracy.
"Any agreement on Kashmir should be pursued with good intentions and sincerity keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of Kashmir to take this process forward," he said.
Shah said that the people of the country will decide about the principal opposition party to BJP in the 2024 polls and they have not given this label to any party.
'The Government of India should start a dialogue with the people of Ladakh, but the trouble is they are not willing to listen to our grievances.'
Talks will ensure the rise of Islamism in Kashmir and the death of the Idea of India, warns Vivek Gumaste.
On his first visit to Kashmir as President, Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said no problems are ever resolved by violence and the healing process must be nurtured with love, compassion and patience while important issues need speedy resolution.
