NEW DELHI

Mirwaiz-Umar-FarooqLast  Wednesday, Indian Home Ministry’s reply to a question of MP, GN Ratanpuri put some separatist leaders in tizzy when it said that New Delhi was holding regular dialogue with them. However, it took no time of moderate Hurriyat chief to negate the claims. MoS Home RPN Singh also said that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq held a meeting with former intelligence officers in the month of November last year. Though, he feigned ignorance about the ‘deliberations’ of the meeting. Adding, Singh said that they have no report to suggest that some separatist leaders are inclined to participate in the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

URI

Cross_LOC_trade17493Cross Line of Control (LoC) trade in Kashmir failed to resume Thursday as no goods of trucks arrived at the Kaman Post, crossing point from Pakistan-administered-Kashmir (PaK), but it re-opened in the Jammu region with nine vehicles crossing over from Chakanda Bagh. The cross-LoC trade, an important confidence building measure, had taken a hit on January 17 after J&K Police arrested a truck driver from PaK for allegedly carrying 114 packets of brown sugar, worth Rs 100 crore in the international market. At Kaman post, Uri in north Kashmir, state authorities were waiting for trucks to come from PaK but none reported at the crossing point. After deliberations following a stand-off over the seizure of drugs, cross-LoC trade was expected to resume on Thursday.

PaK

President-PaK--Sardar-QayoomThrowing ball in Indian court, Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan has hinted that Pakistan was ready to talk with India on the option of carving out an independent state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani media reports said that the option of an independent state of Jammu and Kashmir had always been a contentious issue amongst the Kashmiris themselves and in India and Pakistan. Sardar added that these things (discussing options) are only possible when India comes to the negotiating table and admits that Kashmir is a disputed territory. Khan took a dig at Indian National Congress accusing it of being non serious over the Kashmir dispute, however, he hoped of a resolution if BJP comes to power in New Delhi.

SRINAGAR

It is their struggle against permanent absorption these days at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Ever since J&K government engaged Kashmiri youth on contractual basis in different departments under National Youth Corps (NYC) banner post 2008 uprising, they are beating their chest. The aggrieved 8000 youth earlier demanded release of their monthly honorarium by sitting on a hunger strike in the Press Enclave and now they are on a hunger strike in New Delhi to press for their permanent adjusted in J&K government.

SHOPIAN

shiva_sculptureThe department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums in Kashmir has found a rare stone sculpture of Shiva, wearing three peaked crown, at Wachi Shopian. The sculpture was unearthed from the river bed of Nallah Rambiara at Malehora during an event of sand extraction of the site. The experts have described the find a big achievement in the field of Kashmir sculpture history. The sculpture has broken arms and legs depicting Shiva with a third eye on its forehead. The sculpture has been dated to the 9th century AD and has close resemblance with the Vishnu sculptures found earlier from Awantipur. A new destination means more charities, indeed!

The state government informed legislative assembly, which is in session these days, that 1733 cases have been registered against over 9000 youths since it took over the reins in the J&K.

Finance Minister while answering a question informed Legislative Assembly that the loans borrowed by state government from NCDC and GIC have swelled up from Rs 800 crore in 2008 to Rs 2293 crore in March 2013, while the borrowings from the open market have grown from Rs15510 in 2008 to Rs 5484 crore in 2013.

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