Shoot at sight orders in Gilgit

The authorities issued shoot-on-sight orders to the law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order situation after 17 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in sectarian violence in Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday.

The attacks led to an army deployment and imposition of curfew in the city, confining the inhabitants to their homes, as the situation turned violent.

The ISPR in a statement said the Army has been summoned to Gilgit to control the law and order situation.  The casualties occurred in two separate incidents in the northern towns of Gilgit and Chilas.

In Gilgit, gunmen opened fire during a strike called by Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) over the arrest of one of their leaders, Attaullah Saqib, for his alleged involvement in a sectarian attack in February that left 18 dead.

The rioters ran amok when police refused to release Attaullah Saqib. Angry protesters opened fire and pelted the anti-riot police with stones, leaving several officers injured. Some unknown men hurled hand grenades at Ittehad Chowk that injured two policemen and a passerby. “At least seven people were killed and 50 others were wounded,” said an official.

Senior local police official Ali Sher told AFP the gunmen opened fire on a group of Sunnis appealing to people to close their shops in response to the strike call. It is pertinent to mention here that a complete shutterdown strike was observed against the arrest of Attaullah Saqib, who is said to be chief of Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Gilgit chapter.

A curfew was imposed in the city after the incident to bring the situation under control, the official said. Soldiers were given orders to shoot at anyone who defied the curfew order, the local media reported.

A total of 14 people have reportedly been arrested in the city following the clashes. In the February incident, gunmen disguised in military fatigues hauled 18 Shias off buses and shot them dead in cold blood in the northern district of Kohistan, which neighbours the Swat valley.  A local intelligence official, who did not want to be identified, confirmed Tuesday’s death toll and also said a hand grenade had been used.

“But we still don’t know who the attackers were,” he said. He added that tensions had been mounting between the Shias and Sunnis in recent weeks.

In Bonar Das area of Chilas, a Sunni-dominated town about 100 kilometres south of Gilgit, a mob blocked the main Karakoram Highway and killed ten Shias, local police official Alam Jan said.

“The mob took out ten men from buses and shot them dead,” an official said.

Hundreds of people took to the streets in Chilas protesting the killings in Gilgit, he said, adding that the rioters set four buses on fire.

A local intelligence official confirmed the death toll.

Meanwhile, a police officer and his bodyguard were also injured while driving to a bus station in the city to provide security for the passengers from Rawalpindi.

The deteriorating situation in Chilas had prompted the local authorities to impose a curfew there.

Gilgit is the capital of Gilgit-Baltistan region and is popular with mountaineers as a gateway to the Karakoram and Himalayan mountain ranges.

Panchayat elections 14th phase

Tourism sector neglected in Jammu

520 Newspapers Published in jammu Kashmir

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who is also holding portfolio of Information Department today said that 520 newspapers were being published from various districts across the State.

In a written reply to the question raised by the MLA Prof Chaman Lal Gupta seeking details of daily, weekly, fortnightly and other papers being published in the State, Omar said that 520 papers, including approved and not approved are being published in Jammu and Kashmir.

On criteria fixed for circulation of advertisement, he said, "the newspapers are categorized mainly on the basis of their circulation, tune, content, tenor, size and life of newspaper", adding "the Government advertisements are issued in a judicious manner to all the newspapers approved by the Information Department without compromising the larger interests of the Government".

"No quota of advertisements has been fixed for any newspaper but efforts are being made to release the advertisement on merit to the newspapers falling in a particular category," he said.

Pampore wetlands abuzz with migratory birds

Jammu FCI to soon have own campus 

Jammu and kashmir budget 2012 13 on Mar 5

KTMF opposes FDI decision

The Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), apex body of the valley traders, today strongly opposed the decision to allow 51 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail.

President, KTMF, Mohammad Yasin Khan, told News Agency that come what may, “We will not allow FDI to open outlets in Kashmir.” The KTMF is in consultation with all the district members to chalk out a protest program in case the government didn’t rollback the FDI decision. Khan said, “We are thinking of coming out on the roads. We will come out with a strong program to oppose it tooth and nail.”

The traders here are upset over the center government’s decision of opening up FDIs in the retail market segment. “This would ensure that the local traders are not allowed to prosper and are crippled to a larger extent,” Yasin Khan said. On the strategy to oppose the decision, Khan said, “We can go to any extent to stop this in the valley.”While reacting to the recent remarks the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah; President, KTMF appealed him not to support the move as it would hamper the local traders of the state. He also urged the state government not to become shareholders of New Delhi in its anti people decision on FDI, adding the coalition government in J&K should discourage such decisions in the interest of its people.

Many traders here believe that the move would leave them out of their businesses. “Big foreign brands would wipeout us from the local markets. The decision in no way would be beneficial to the local economy, it would do good to the foreign companies only,” said a local trader, Nissar Ahmad.

According to a banker here, Sajid Ahmad, the decision can destroy the livelihood of tens of thousands of small retailers in India, adding J&K is no exception to this and would also bear the brunt in view of its vast chain of retailers operating across its towns and villages. “Since the state is primarily consumer state, the FDI here will hit thousands of retailers, who have set up enterprises in the wake of growing joblessness squeezing job avenues in government sector”, Ahmad said. He said small retail has been virtually wiped out in the developed countries like the US and Europe, the fall out of which is quite visible in these countries in the shape of galloping unemployment and widening gap between the microscopic rich and vast poor. The unrest among the youth world over is largely due to such policies, he said and accused the UPA government of succumbing to the foreign pressures due to its own weaknesses.

KP of Jagati want elections

Various KP organizations of Jagati for elections in township 

Various organizations of Kashmiri Pandits at Jagati tenements today urged the Government to solve the problems of the displaced people which included enhancement of cash relief and overall development of the township and mitigating the sufferings of the inmates there.

The meeting also demanded that immediate attention be paid towards the problems of overaged youth and providing of immediate accommodation to left over families. The meeting in an appeal to the Government urged it hold elections so that a democratically elected body for the township could come into existence which could project the problems of the community before the Government in a democratic way and the role of self styled leaders could end once for all.

The meeting appealed the Chief Minister to frame a Town Area Committee for over all development of the township. The meeting was chaired by Moti Lal Dhar and attended by Ravi Pandita, Chuni Lal Bhat Kuldeep Chopra and others.

In another meeting of Displaced Coordination Committee which was chaired by B L Raina, who while expressing satisfaction over the steps taken by the Government and Relief organization in implementation of PMs employment package demanded that remaining posts should also be filled up soon. It also demanded that an overall Committee be constituted for the township in a democratic way.

Displaced Welfare Committee Muthi in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Ravinder Raina while discussing the problems of the displaced people after shifting of the camp to Jagati stressed on formation of a coordination of all camps to project the problems in a democratic way.

Yatra suspended due to heavy rain

Pilgrimage from both routes suspended due to heavy rain

Pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalyas from both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam routes was suspended temporarily following slippery conditions due to overnight rains.

An official of the Yatra Control Room (YCR) at Baltal said over phone that no fresh pilgrim was allowed to leave for the cave shrine as the track was slippery due to overnight rains. It is very risky to allow the yatris under these condition, he added.

He said decision to allow the yatris will be taken after receiving green signal from the officials posted at different places on this shortest route.

A yatra official at Nunwan-Pahalgam base camp also said no fresh pilgrim was allowed till 0930 hrs following reports that the track was slippery due to rains.

The yatris staying in different halting stations on this traditional track are safe and they will be allowed to move towards their respective destinations---Cave shrine and base camp---once the weather improves.

About 60,000 pilgrims, most of them unregistered, have darshan of the holy self made Ice-Shivlingam in the cave shrine since the commencement of the 46-day-long pilgrimage from June 29.

The pilgrimage will conclude on August 13, the Rakshabandan day.

Kheerbhawani Festival in Tulmula Kashmir

Governor, CM pray for peace, prosperity Thousands pay obeisance at Kheerbhawani, other shrines in Valley

Emotional scenes were today witnessed as thousands of Kashmiri Pandits joined the annual ''Mela Kheerbhawani'', in Tulamulla where the holy spring associated with Goddess Ragnya Devi changes colours from time to time.

The annual mela provides an opportunity to Kashmiri Pandits, who had migrated to other parts of the country in early 90s and their local Muslim brethren to get reunited.

Governor, N N Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Revenue and Relief Minsiter Raman Bhalla , Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik and senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah were among others who visited the temple to greet the devotees, who had come from different parts of the country.

Mr Vohra who was accompanied by first lady, Usha Vohra, paid obeisance at sanctum sanctorum and prayed for peace, harmony, progress and prosperity in the State.

Mr Abdullah interacted with yatris and enquired about the arrangements. He paid obeisance at the shrine and prayed for the return of peace and tranquility in the trouble-torn State.

"We wait entire year for this occasion to meet our Pandit brethren," said Muslims, who provided them milk, flowers and other articles for Pooja.

The administration had put into service 40 passenger buses for ferrying the devotees from Jammu. Besides 20 private buses have also been granted permission for transport facilities of devotees from favoured destinations of the Valley.

The spring of the temple takes on various hues like red, pink, orange, green, blue and has often light green, red rosy and milky white shades.

The colour of the spring remained black in the year 1947 when the Pakistani raiders attacked the Kashmir valley.

Any shade of black colour is supposed to be inauspicious for the inhabitants of the Valley, Kashmir Pandit priests, associated with the shrine said.

Thousands of devotees from different parts of the country and within State visited the shrine today on the occasion of Jesht Ashtami.

Rising of bubbles has also been observed many times which form the mystic Chakra on the surface of the water.

Such a sacred and mysterious spring is found nowhere else in India. The people living round the holy spring have great veneration for the holy shrine as nobody enters the premises of the holy spring if he happens to have taken meat on that day.

The historic Temple of Kheer Bhiwani was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1912 and later renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh.

The diety of Godess Ragyna is decorated in a small white Marble Temple. The legend goes that Lord Rama worshipped Mother Ragyna during his exile & desired Hanuman to shift the seat of Mother after the expiry of exile period, who bought it to Shadipora and was later shifted to present site as per the wish of divine Mother Ragnya conveyed in dream to one Pandit Rugnath Gadroo.

Meanwhile, reopening of Mata Bhawani temple in south Kashmir after remaining closed for more than 22 years was more than just a religious affair as emotional scenes were witnessed when Pandit migrants were received by their Muslim neighbours.

"It was reunion with our Muslim brethren who encouraged us to return and reopen the Mata Bhawani temple at Lokti Pura (Aishmuqam) on Anantnag-Pahalgam road in South Kashmir yesterday," said the Kashmiri migrant Pandits who had come from different parts of the country.

A young girl said she had a very faint memory about the temple as she was visiting to pray alongwith her parents before migration to Jammu.

The Pandits, who were in tears after receiving overwhelming response from the local Muslims said ''We have wasted two decades as we were scare because of daily news reports on Kashmir situation''.

"We find totally different situation in the Kashmir Valley, where Kashmiriyat is still alive'', they said.

The local Muslims said the temple was closed after majority of Pandits migrated to other parts of the country in early 90s.

"We were looking after the temple and made sure no damage was done to it", they said, adding that they remained in touch with the Pandit brethren.

They said they succeeded in perusing them to return here and reopen the Mata Bhawani temple again.

"Our efforts had yielded results and we are again together today to join each others festivals", the Muslims said.

Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits paid obeisance at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple at Tikker in North Kashmir district of Kupwara where a Maha Yagya was also performed on the occasion.

The Mata Kheer Bhawani mela was also celebrated at the ancient shrine of Mata Kheer Bhawani at Manzgam in South Kahsmir district of Kulgam and at Tripur Sundri Khanbarnian today.

A large number of Kashmiri Pandits participated in these functions and hawans were also solemnized at these shrines. The local Muslims welcomed the displaced Pandits.

A Maha yagya was also performed at Tirath Raj Mattan under the supervision of M K Yogi president of the Trust.

As a goodwill gesture Low Paid Employees Federation and Pensioners Association had installed stalls to offer soft drinks and lemon water to yatries at Tulamulla.

Lakhanpur toll post records 25,000 cr imports in 2010

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Lakhanpur Monday EVALUATION A first-hand for the completed modern toll plaza of the United Nations to add to the cost of R 32.20 crore  The Chief Minister was informed of the State Building Construction and Other aspects of a meeting of the Board to consider here presided progressive project, Press Officer this year.

 Omar, The State of Implementation in accordance with the stress of fast-tracking the project for use, comprehensive sex bad infection transmission. "The opening of the modern toll espanderebbe help prepare placed in operation for conduct that proper application of tolls and the Crusaders", said the project of a direct copy Concerned hundred to one hundred and initial implementation.

 Aides to Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul and Devender Singh Rana, MP, Lal Singh, legislatoris, Charanjit Singh, Subash Gupta, Secretary of Finance Commissioner, Sudhanshu Pandey, Vice Commissioner, Kathu, Zahida Khan, SSP Kathu, J. L. Toll architects Santiago, B. V. Karan Sharma And if Badiyal In today's meeting. Minister of State Finance Minister Abdul Rahim is key in good company.

 A PowerPoint presentation made during the meeting NEL, EL and work, and indicating exactly 90 percent and the State Office completely block major 240 parking spaces for trucks, building shelter weighs 9 scan driver reproductive Capannoli recreational complex construction of livestock facilities, storage, banks, coffee shops, and replace the water drainage systems and food hygiene.

 The Toll Plaza Nueva is SAPEV develops 156 Kanal E Kanal 108 A of the other land that should receive the plaque of Railways Add to Che is shingles. If downtime costs Rs 32.20 crore from Rs 28.48 crores years was estimated "in the project to the victims.

 Has your e Lakhanpur of Jammu and Kashmir and point to the main area of ​​access to transport. It sets Special Sale Online Post Vérifiez AM stabilized rate toll.

 Recorded at The dutiable imports Trade Post Lakhanpur increased cross 4,275 million Rs crore rupee to Rs 25,125 for 2000 to 01 in 2010 and raised Rs 904 crore export Duran LIVE at this period of Rs 13,777 crore. Similarly, the number of dealers with the United Nations recorder for increased sales Tax Department in 2004-05 22 58,426,417 in 2010-11.

 Income realization in the Courier State Account Lakhanpur toll Duran 2010-11 as "The Order of Rs 249.82 crore to Rs crore compared to 208.92" During the 2009-10 academic year growth Malthus ESIG 19:58 percent.

 Rather, he stressed the importance of United Nations Tax Lakhanpur toll ensure adequate and modern services for the application of marking and mark-up to the Plaza.

 Chief Minister inspected Nagri Kathu and that the number of Provincial Post varied. On the way back, "The Chief Minister visited Jammu Kathu Chenab Textile Complex TIA has inspected operation.
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Shree Hudh Mata Yatra from July 4

Hanuman Jayanti Celebrations

Lord Hanuman jayanti celebrations began today at Pracheen Mandir of Hanuman Ji at Moti Bazaar. The jayanti of Lord Hanuman ji falls on April 18.

Pt Dushyant Sharma, head priest of Pracheen Mandir of Lord Hanuman ji said that the celebrations began with Ramayan Path, which will end at 12 noon tomorrow. A `bhajan sandhya’ will be performed on Saturday night followed by a bhandara on Sunday.

Rajiv Gupta, spokesman, said Hanuman Jayanti celebrations would last three days and will conclude with bhandara on Sunday.

A large number of people visited Hanuman ji temple at Moti Bazaar and offered prayers. They sought blessings of the God.

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NHPC to invest Rs 2400 cr in J&K