News - NEWS Of KASHMIR

After 2019, People are Proud of Indian democracy: Altaf Thakur

September 18, 2024 by NOK Desk

Amid the first phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Altaf Thakur said that J&K has changed and people want to get their voices heard through democracy. He further added that the people in J&K have now rejected terrorism and want to instead express themselves through the ballot paper.

“People are very excited and have been standing in long queues to cast their votes since 6 am. Jammu and Kashmir has changed. People want to get their voices heard through democracy. Kashmir has now rejected terrorism, separatism, bombs, grenades and bullets and has chosen the ballot paper and wants to express itself through the ballot paper,” said Altaf Thakur.

“After 2019, people are proud of Indian democracy and today people are coming out to exercise their democratic rights. It seems that PM Modi’s slogan of New Jammu and Kashmir has become successful now…” he added.

Notably, the first phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir saw a cumulative voter turnout of 11.11 per cent as of 9 am on Wednesday, as per the Election Commission of India.

According to the latest data issued by ECI, Kishtwar recorded a voter turnout of 14.83 per cent as of 9 am taking the lead while Pulwama recorded 9.18 per cent voter turnout.

Anantnag recorded 10.26 per cent, Doda 12.90 per cent, Kulgam 10.77 per cent, Ramban 11.91 per cent and Shopian 11.44 per cent voter turnout as of 9 am, as per the ECI.

District Election Officer, Doda Harvinder Singh said, “Voting has started in polling stations. We are getting to see a lot of enthusiasm from the people. I hope that this time we will be able to record the voter turnout well. A very good polling exercise is going on in a free and fair manner…Those who are sitting at home, should come out of their houses and exercise their voting rights…”

Polling for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections began at 7 am today amid tight security arrangements. The voting will conclude at 6 pm. Long queues of voters were seen at polling stations in the morning. In the first-phase, 24 assembly constituencies across the Union Territory are voting today, which includes 16 seats in the Kashmir region and 8 seats in the Jammu region.

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Owais Manzoor Kashmiri Youth Become First Pilot From Handwara

September 17, 2024 by NOK Desk

A young man from Handwara has successfully achieved his childhood dream of becoming a pilot, securing a job with Air India after years of dedication and training. The young pilot has a remarkable journey, which saw him transition from humble beginnings in Kashmir to the skies of India.

Owais Manzoor, 21, from Hanjishart village, began his early education at Welkin School in Sopore and studied there until the 8th grade before moving to Handwara Public School to complete his secondary education.“After finishing class 10, I joined Boys Higher Secondary School in Handwara for my class 12 studies,” he recalled.

Following his higher secondary education, the aspiring pilot opened up to his parents about his dream of pursuing aviation. “My parents were incredibly supportive of my goals. They understood my passion and immediately sent me to Delhi for my initial training, which included ground training,” he said.

After completing his TGC exams, he continued his training in Karnataka at the Redwood Flighting Academy. There, he underwent 200 hours of intensive flight training, specialising in Jet Engine A320 preparation, an essential component of his future airline career.“I applied for a vacancy with Air India, and fortunately, I cleared it,” the pilot revealed with pride.

His father, Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, an engineer, told reporters that though he wanted his son to pursue a particular path in his career he had decided for himself. “While I got him books, he silently got Mathematics books and took it as a subject,” he said. “Then he confided of his dream and reluctantly I agreed because I had no idea of this field.”

While the aviation industry is often perceived as unconventional in a region where most families traditionally push their children towards careers in medicine, engineering, or teaching, the young pilot’s story stands out. “It was my childhood dream to become a pilot,” he said. “I’ve always been drawn to careers that are a little out of the box, and my cousins have also pursued unconventional paths, which gave me the green light to go for it.”

With unwavering support from his family and a clear sense of direction, this Kashmiri youth is now living his dream, soaring above the clouds, and inspiring others in the valley to follow their unique ambitions.

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Omar Abdullah said that the Home Minister should focus on the rising terror incidents in Jammu Province

September 17, 2024 by NOK Desk

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that nothing is impossible and that the verdict given by the Supreme Court on Article 370 abrogation can be overruled by a large bench in future. He was referring to Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks about Article-370.

The former Chief Minister said that the decision of abrogation was made by the people in the Parliament and not by the God, news agency KNO reported.Yesterday, in a rally in Jammu, Amit Shah said that the Article 370 is history and will never be part of India’s constitution again.

“Three previous decisions taken by the Supreme Court have been changed by three-judge bench and it also can be changed by the seven-judge bench in future,” Omar said.He added that the Home Minister should focus on the situation in Jammu where terrorism is on rise.

“You can blame us for the reasons where we are responsible, but the Centre is directly ruling J&K for the last ten years, now who is responsible for the situation in Jammu,” he said.

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Jamaat-e-Islami & AIP form an alliance ahead of J&K Assembly elections

September 15, 2024 by NOK Desk

The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) have formed a strategic alliance for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, a statement by AIP said on Sunday.

A joint meeting of the two parties was held on Sunday, which was attended by AIP Supremo and Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, AIP Chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, among other members. JEI leader Ghulam Qadir Wani and other prominent leaders of the party were also present for the meeting.

“In a significant political development, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) have come together in a strategic alliance to champion the cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. AIP delegation was led by AIP Supremo and Member of Parliament Er Rashid, AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, while the JEI delegation was led by Ghulam Qadir Wani. Prominent JEI members also participated in the discussions,” said the statement.

The statement highlighted that both parties emphasised the need to work together in the interest of the people in the region and discussed the seat-sharing alliance for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

The statement said that AIP would be supporting JEI backed candidates in Kulgam and Pulwama districts, while JEI will be supporting AIP candidates across Kashmir.

Both parties have agreed to a ‘friendly contest’ in the constituencies of Langate, Devsar and Zainapora, while unified support is to be extended in other constituencies.

Both parties have called upon their cadres to spread the message of support across the region, the statement said, “The leadership of both AIP and JEI have called upon their cadres to spread the message of support for each other’s candidates, in line with the agreement. The goal is to secure a resounding victory for AIP and JEI candidates, ensuring that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have strong representatives who can articulate their sentiments and aspirations.”

“This collaboration marks a significant step towards achieving a united front in the pursuit of peace, justice, and political empowerment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement added.

Moreover, Congress and the National Conference are also fighting the assembly polls in an alliance. While NC will contest 51 of 90 seats, Congress will fight 32 with the two parties also agreeing to a friendly contest on some seats. A few seats have been left for smaller allies.

These are the first assembly polls to be held in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. There are a total number of 90 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs.

The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting will take place on October 8. (ANI)

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Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act projects bring relief to J&K residents

September 15, 2024 by NOK Desk

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) have brought significant relief to people of Dhangri block in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

People have received ‘Pucca’ houses under PMAY and frequent employment under MNREGA, bringing relief from issues like migration and frequent repairs required in ‘Kaccha’ houses

Shafiq Ahmad, a local resident from Dhagri block, speaking about the benefits of scheme, said, “Government has done good work. People have got houses under PMAJ, the road has also been built.”

Another local resident. Sushama Devi said, “Our house was earlier ‘Kaccha’ now its ‘Pucca’. Earlier water used to drip; now we have relief. Other houses are also getting built,”

Another local resident said that the implementation of MNREGA scheme has benefitted a lot of people. “, “Earlier there was a lot of unemployment; now people have work to do. Under MNREGA, people are getting work,” he said.

A Dhagri block resident expressed his joy on getting the ‘pucca’ house. “Government has given us house, earlier we had a ‘kaccha’ house, water used to drip, we are thankful of government, some houses are built and some are getting built, people are happy, “he said.

Gram Rojgar Sevak Mohd Rashid highlighted the success of the PMAY and MNREGA scheme.

“After 2018, houses have been sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. Around 80% of people have completed the construction of their houses sanctioned in our Panchayat. Every person is being directly benefitted. People are getting ‘pucca’ houses now. The local people are getting the benefit from the NREGA scheme, ” he said.

The main objective of the PMAY-G is to replace the ‘kaccha’ houses in villages with concrete ones. The scheme was launched in April 2016 and is part of government’s “Housing for All” initiative.

MNREGA aims to provide at least 100 days of paid work each year to rural household. It was passed in September 2005 and implemented in February 2006. (ANI)

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District Election Officer Anantnag SF Hamid Holds Interactive Session at Town Hall Anantnag with Sector and Zonal Magistrates

September 14, 2024September 14, 2024 by NOK Desk

To review election preparedness ahead of the Assembly elections, the District Election Officer (DEO) Anantnag, SF Hamid convened a review meeting with Sector and Zonal Magistrates and other officials today at the Town Hall, Anantnag.

The session aimed to ensure a robust election process and emphasized the critical role these officials play in upholding the integrity of the electoral process.

The DEO stressed the importance of strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct and instructed the magistrates to ensure impartiality in their duties. He highlighted the need to monitor and address any instances of electoral malpractice.

The DEO also called on the officers to remain vigilant and be in sync with the latest protocols and procedures mandated by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The review also included mock drills and simulation exercises to familiarize officials with the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) etc
Notably, the poll day in Anantnag is scheduled to be on 18th September.

Omar Abdullah Hits Back at PM Modi’s Criticism, Questions BJP’s Integrity Over Past Alliance with PDP

September 14, 2024September 14, 2024 by NOK Desk

Responding to criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a political rally in Doda, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said on Saturday that if the BJP secures fewer seats after the Assembly polls, the party will find no fault in the PDP to form a government in JK.

“If the BJP gets fewer numbers after the elections and if the PDP offers support, the BJP will find no fault in the PDP to form the government,” Omar told reporters in DK Marg, Kulgam district, on the sidelines of a rally.

He was responding to a question regarding PM Modi’s statement blaming the NC, PDP, and Congress for ruining JK for 70 years. He questioned why the PDP wasn’t seen as bad when the BJP formed a government with them after the 2014 polls.

Omar further noted that whenever the BJP needed the support of these three families in the past, none of them was considered bad. “Why weren’t we blamed for ruining JK when the BJP needed our support? When the late Vajpayee wanted me to become a minister, wasn’t I bad then?” he said, adding that the Prime Minister was blaming the NC because it was election time.

Omar also said the Prime Minister should have addressed the killing of two soldiers in Kishtwar yesterday and the ongoing encounter in the Tappar area of Baramulla. “We were told that after the rollback of Article 370, guns would vanish, but has that happened?” he asked. — (KNO)

Baramullah Encouter Update: 3 Militants Killed The search operation is ongoing, Militants were Trapped inside a school building

September 14, 2024 by NOK Desk

Three terrorists have been killed in an encounter at Chak Tappar area of Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said Saturday.

An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that two more unidentified terrorist have been killed at Chak Tappar encounter that started late night yesterday, the the number of total slain to three. Initially, one terrorist was killed.

Earlier officials told KNO, that a joint team of Army’s 29 RR, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police had laid a cordon and search operation in Chak Tappar village of Pattan in Baramulla district after having credible inputs about the presence of some terrorists in the area.

As the joint team approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired upon forces triggering off an encounter, they said.

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To Ensure Free and Fair Elections Srinagar police Holds individuals with Serious cases under preventive Custody

September 14, 2024 by NOK Desk

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Srinagar Police on Saturday said that only with having grievous cases have been put under preventive detention for having free and fair upcoming Assembly elections.

The police said that apropos some media reports regarding detentions made by police, it is stated that some mischevious elements having past conduct and proclivity of disrupting the electoral process and having criminal antecedents are being dealt and bound down under preventive sections of Law following due procedure of law.

According to police spokesman, the preventive sections of law provides law enforcement agencies security for keeping peace and good behavior.

Such elements have been Over Ground Workers ( OGWs) of terrorists, terror associates, part of terror modules, involved in law and order incidents and have criminal antecedent.

In order to ensure free and fair elections such measure under due procedure as envisaged in law are taken, reads the statement.(GNS)

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2 Dead ,Accident near Mahlori on Doda-Kishtwar

September 13, 2024 by NOK Desk

Two people including driver died when a truck skidded off the road and rolled down into around 300-ft gorge in Doda district on Friday.

Official sources told that the truck (JK06-8747) met with an accident near Mahlori on Doda-Kishtwar highway in which the driver and his helper died on the spot.

They identified the deceased as Asif Ahmed son of Afzal Hajam of Bhagwah, Bhata and Amir Ahmed of Saikhwan, Doda.

A police officer confirmed the accident to and said that a case has been registered in this regard. (GNS)