Army chief General V K Singh arrived in Srinagar on Monday on a two day visit to the Kashmir Valley.
'It was an honour to spend the day with the pride of our nation #IndianArmy... I salute them for their selfless service & the hardships they go through for us. #jaihind.'
CRPF DG says the pellet guns are the 'least-lethal' option available with the force.
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.
The clip contains various scenes depicting the period of militancy, including women in mourning.
The change in weather normally brings cheers to the faces of the people associated with tourism but they have their fingers crossed in view of the prevailing situation in the valley in the wake of abrogation of Article 370.
Curfew like security arrangements continued in Srinagar to thwart any militant strike during the ongoing two-day round table conference on Kashmir convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The incident took place at the shop-cum-residence of BJP leader Wasim Bari, earlier district president of the party, where some motorcycle-borne terrorists attacked the three from a close range with a silencer-fitted revolver, they said.
Kashmiris across the region condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, with widespread protests and a shutdown in Srinagar and other parts of the valley. The attack was seen as an assault on the foundation of Kashmir's economy, with residents highlighting the importance of tourism to the region's livelihood. Protests were held in various districts, including Srinagar, Kulgam, Handwara, and Ramban, with residents united in their condemnation of the violence and calling for an end to terrorism.
The 53-second video, shot using a selfie stick, showed people running for their lives, with one of them falling, apparently after being gunned down by a terrorist.
The deployment of the troops and various orders gave rise to the speculations about some major decision in the offing regarding the Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
The People's Democratic Party and the National Conference -- the two Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners in Jammu and Kashmir -- will be taking on each other on the three Lok Sabha seats in the valley.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for maximum restraint between India and Pakistan following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Guterres' spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said that the UN chief is following the situation "very closely and with very great concern." Dujarric also stated that any issues between the two countries "can and should be resolved peacefully, through meaningful, mutual engagement." India has downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the terror attack.
The report said as many as 1901 incidents of demonstrations and processions were witnessed between January 1990 to February 15, 2007.
In the Kashmir Valley, we need to begin to make a distinction between an insurgent who fights the security forces and a terrorist who murders unarmed civilians, suggests Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Apprehending law and order problem in Anantnag where a youth was allegedly killed in firing by security forces on August 30, curfew remained in force in the town, official sources said.
"More than 85,000 domiciles have been issued to non-locals, creating a pathway for demographic change in Jammu & Kashmir. These non-locals arrive posing as tourists, obtain domiciles, and then begin to act as if they own the land. Consequently, violence will be directed toward those attempting to settle illegally," TRF said in a statement which could not be independently verified by Rediff.
The Indian Air Force played a major role for the quick repair of the snapped transmission lines following the recent snowfall, restoring power to the Kashmir valley.
This will be newest less lethal ammunition the force has introduced to tackle crowds.
Kashmir Valley on Saturday remained free from curfew and curfew-like-restrictions for the first time in the past two and a half months even as two youths were injured in police firing in Srinagar during protestor-security force clashes.
Manmohan Singh and Musharraf felt that what they were embarking upon, if successful, could lead to a future of boundless potential for the two countries and for the relationship that was hard to foresee from the prism of the existing situation and the historical position and orthodox ideas on both sides.
Curfew continued in Kashmir Valley for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday even as authorities blocked all roads leading to the hometown of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru to foil any attempts by people to assemble there on the fourth day ceremony of the deceased.
Curfew was lifted on Thursday from all parts of the Kashmir Valley on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has ordered a probe after a fashion show in the ski resort of Gulmarg during the holy month of Ramzan sparked widespread criticism. The event, which featured semi-nude models, was widely condemned by religious leaders and activists who accused the organizers of disregarding local sensitivities and disrespecting religious values. The Chief Minister has promised to take appropriate action once the report is submitted within 24 hours. The incident has sparked a debate about the balance between tourism promotion and the preservation of cultural and religious values in the region.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has neither accepted nor rejected the demand but the protest had to be suspended as stopping of salaries is 'choking us financially', protesters affiliated to the All Migrant (Displaced) Employees Association Kashmir (AMEAK) said.
'There's a lot of sense in what Prime Minister Modi did, but the Indian government has to be really prepared for a really sharp escalation spiral.'
While business establishments remained closed, work in government and semi-government offices, banks and other financial institutions as well as educational institutions were paralysed across the valley, official sources said, adding transport remained off the roads in various districts.
The Chinese see no need to fight directly. They have an able and willing proxy in Pakistan, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Pakistan military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 am that th Pakistan air force's Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases were targeted.
The areas of Srinagar placed under curfew include police station in the jurisdiction of Rainawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar, MR Gunj, Safakadal, Parimpora, and police division Qamarwari and Bemina, a police spokesman said. Curfew has also been imposed in Pampore town of Pulwama district in south Kashmir and Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara and Handwara towns in north Kashmir
Muharram processions were seen after 33 years in the Kashmir Valley.
'The Pakistan army feels it can inflict a similar defeat on India in Kashmir and make it "India's Bangladesh".' 'But comparing Bangladesh of 1971 with the Kashmir valley of 2017 is like equating chalk and cheese!'
Curfew remained in force in Kashmir Valley for the 11th day on Wednesday even as the death toll in the ongoing agitation rose to 104 after a youth succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reiterated his idea of setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to probe all the killings in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 21-years.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com tried to buy a house on his recent visit to Srinagar.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for de-escalation between India and Pakistan, expressing deep concern over rising tensions following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Guterres reiterated his condemnation of the attack and urged both sides to avoid a confrontation, which he described as catastrophic. The Secretary-General has also offered his good offices to support de-escalation efforts. The President of the UN General Assembly, Philemon Yang, has also expressed concern over the escalating violence and called for a resolution through diplomatic means. Meanwhile, Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack and reiterated its commitment to fighting terrorism.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday expressing shock and anguish over the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and resolved to fight resolutely to defeat the nefarious designs to disturb communal harmony and hinder progress.
'It is not about trusting the governor but the ground situation not matching with what he has said,' Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement chief Shah Faesal, who was one of the leaders to meet the governor tells Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore.
Roads wore a deserted look as both public and private transport kept off the roads. Business establishments, markets, government offices, educational institutions, banks and other semi-government organisations remained closed in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley, official sources said.
Targeted killings in Srinagar and in South Kashmir have inspired fear among migrant labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh plying their trade in the Kashmir Valley.
