For two decades after his release in exchange for passengers of a hijacked Indian Airlines plane in 1999, Azhar has since been the darling of Pakistan's external snooping agency Inter-Services Intelligence.
'I think Allah gave me the strength to keep driving.' 'He gave me the foresight not to stop the bus.' 'The firing went on and on. It just did not stop.' 'And I kept driving.'
The highway was closed on Saturday due to heavy snowfall and landslides.
The cold conditions returned in Kashmir division as the night temperature in most places, including Leh, plunged further below the freezing point followed with clear skies and unusual sunny days.
"It's an unfortunate incident. The BSF convoy was attacked on the national highway by terrorists who fired at it from the by-lanes near Bijbehara," Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police K Rajendra said.
Rediff.com's Umar Ganie talked to some of the protesting students in Srinagar.
"There is no curfew anywhere in Kashmir today but curfew-like restrictions have been imposed in Batamaloo police station area of Srinagar as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order," a police official said.
Ravaging floods claimed 17 more lives in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday raising the toll to 37 even as evacuation of people to safer areas continued.
Ten incidents of stone pelting were reported from Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Awantipora and Sopore.
Rediff.com brings you monsoon images from across the country
Singh instructed officials to try their best to restore peace in the border state as early as possible.
Normal life remained paralysed for the 37th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday ordered a magisterial probe into the killing of three persons in army firing at Qazigund
Normal life remained crippled due to curfew and the shutdown call by separatists groups.
Body of Reyaz Ahmad, with a big perforation in the abdomen, was found outside Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital.
4 civilians were also killed and dozens of others injured in clashes that broke out between protestors and security forces following three separate encounters.
Investigations into the escape of dreaded Lashker-e-Tayiba terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jhatt from a busy hospital has brought to the fore lapses at different stages, especially the failure of the prosecution wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police as well as the state home department over hurriedly issuing orders for transfer of the accused to a central jail from Kathua in the Jammu region, it has emerged.
In a bid to control the damage over continuing protests, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said the security forces were not aware of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani's presence during the raid at his hideout in which he was killed.
Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday ordered immediate replacement of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force personnel with state armed police in the Gagran camp of curfew-hit Shopian district.
Basit Mukhtar was injured by a tear gas shell in clashes on September 5.
The mood was subdued with roads deserted across large swathes of the Valley, the silence broken only by police sirens and Indian Air Force helicopters hovering overhead.
It is often alleged that half the Indian Army is based in J&K. It is bewildering why there has been no rebuttal or clarification of this issue from the central or state governments, or from the army itself, wonders Ajai Shukla.
The encounter took place at Aribagh in Nowgam area on the outskirts of Srinagar, the official said.
The number is an all time high for the state with south Kashmir emerging as one of the main hubs, providing cadres to terrorist groups.
In a significant move, Kashmiri separatist leaders on Sunday decided to convene a meeting of all stakeholders on Tuesday to decide the future course of the nearly four-month-long shutdown in the Valley.
Kashmir remained on the edge with six more persons, including a cop getting killed in violence on Sunday.
There's a virtual blackout in the Valley with few workable mobile phones and internet connections and prohibitory orders in place.
'Local support is very important, without it the terror attack couldn't have taken place.' 'Explosives were secured, the IED was manufactured, the boy was brainwashed and converted into a suicide bomber... it takes a lot of planning and hard work.'
Normal life remained paralysed for the 45th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike following Wani's killing in an encounter with security forces.
Here is a timeline of the major attacks that have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir since 1999 till date
He made it clear that the issue of national security cannot be compromised.
Three other terrorists, believed to be severely injured during the gunfight, managed to escape.
From a trickle in 1990, when militancy erupted in the valley, the numbers have, however, gradually seen an upward trend.
With the flood threat continuing to loom large over the valley, the Army has started the evacuation process in Srinagar as the city experienced fresh rainfall on Tuesday.
Ahead of President Barack Obama's India visit, the US has asked Pakistan to ensure that there is no cross-border terror incident during the trip and subtly warned of "consequences" if any such attack is traced back to the country.
With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19.
The government imposed restrictions under Section 144 CrPC in Srinagar district.
Jammu and Kashmir government today declared a flood situation in Kashmir Valley as Jhelum river crossed the danger mark in Srinagar following incessant rains.
Seventy-one parliamentary constituencies spread across nine states voted in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections.
After sustained questioning for nearly eight days, alleged Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Naved Yakub was brought to New Delhi on Thursday amid tight security and will be subjected to a lie detection test.
