KASHMIR

Saniya Lyappan

An actress, dancer, fashionista, diva, Saniya Lyappan, the ‘Queen’ actress, is enjoying snowfall in Kashmir. Recently she uploaded a few pictures on her Instagram page while playing with snow. The actress was exploring the ‘Paradise on Earth’ and clearly enjoying the snowfall. She has captioned her photo series as ‘Kashmir Dairies’. Reportedly she loves to travel and never misses a chance to pack her bags and jet off to exotic locations. Meanwhile, she is currently working on ‘Krishnankutty Panithudangi’ in which she is essaying the female lead opposite Vishnu Unnikrishnan. Directed by Sooraj Tom, the film is said to be a horror-thriller.

SRINAGAR

Misbah Reshi

Misbah Reshi, 24, becomes second Kashmiri to bag prestigious Rhodes scholarship. Hailing from the downtown area of Srinagar, she has studied in Delhi since her childhood. She is a Philosophy Hons graduate from St Stephen’s College in Delhi and is currently a final year law student at Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, The University of Delhi. She is also working as a researcher with JK Coalition for Civil Society where she worked extensively on the 125-page report on internet gag in Kashmir after the abrogation of article 370 which was released under the title ‘Kashmir’s Internet Siege’ in August 2020. The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, and most prestigious international scholarship programme, enabling ‘outstanding young people from around the world’ to study at the University of Oxford for two years.

PULWAMA

Waheed ur Rehamn Parra at the door of his gate as cops guard it on September 3, 2020. PiC PDP

Instrumental in reviving mainstream political activities in sensitive south Kashmir and a vocal PDP face, Waheed Parra was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and will be interrogated for the next fortnight. A resident of Pulwama’s Tahab, he is accused of helping Hizbul Mujahideen in connection with the militant Naveed Babu and suspended police officer Davinder Singh case. His arrest came a day after he filed his nomination as a DDC candidate from Pulwama.

Parra was also kept in detention post-August 5, 2019, and was released in February 2020, following which he was kept under house arrest. It was only a couple of months ago that curbs were lifted and he was allowed to move freely. Parra was a closer Mehbooba Mufti aide. The government restricted Mehbooba’s movement after she decided to visit Parra’s Pulwama home.

SRINAGAR

Former Peoples Conference leader Junaid Azam Maattu showing victory sign after being re-elected as Mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Wednesday, November 25, 2020. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur

Off late Srinagar Municipal Corporation has turned into a theatre of absurd. Every day there are issues and accusations. But this time it was a comeback. After being removed through a no-confidence motion, Junaid Mattu was re-elected as Mayor. His support came from BJP and Congress. NC and Mattu’s opponents said it was sham of a vote. Interestingly Mattu joined Apni Party within 24 hours after his re-election.

LONDON

Dr Nisar A Bakhshi

A Kashmiri born British citizen, Dr Nisar Bakhshi is no more. Nephew of Kashmir’s last prime minister Bakhshi Ghulam Mohammad, Dr Nisar was living in London from last over forty years and was laid to rest there. He was in his late seventies. Son of Ghulam Hussain Bakhshi, he was fighting with some cardiac issues and finally passed away on November 24. Owing to the pandemic situation, the Bakhshis in Srinagar did not hold any congregation and asked friends and relatives to pay for the departed soul at their own places. 

DELHI

Missing Kashmiri siblings

After being reported missing, two Kulgam siblings were finally found to be with Delhi police. The duo, Younis Ahmad Dar, 26, and his younger brother Faisal Hassan Dar, 18, from Muhammad Pora, Kulgam went missing when they were on the way from Jalandhar to Kanpur near Secundra Rao in Uttar Pradesh on November 18 while ferrying a truckload of animal hides.

As the families panicked, officials were involved. Later the family said they received a call with the caller identifying himself as a sleuth from Lodhi Colony Cyber Cell Delhi. As per the official, the duo has been located from Karnal.” SHO Kulgam said the identities were ascertained officially and families along with police officials went to meet them. After the legal formalities, they were set to reunite with their families

URI

Taj Mohiuddin

Ruffling feathers in the erstwhile state of J&K, recently annulled Roshni scheme is turning out to be a nightmare for once-powerful. The recent being Congress stalwart and former minister Taj Mohi ud Din. Alleged to be part of multi-crore Roshni land scam”, Taj has been booked by Central Bureau of Investigation, a charge he vehemently denies. Pegged at Rs 25000 crore, so far as per the officials, nine cases have been registered in the case.  Along with Taj, CBI has also booked Mohammaed Ramzan Thakur, former Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Mohammed Yousuf Zargar, the then Additional Deputy Commissioner, Hafizullah Shah, the then Assistant Commissioner Revenue and Ghulam Hassan Rather, the then Tehsildar. In 2018, the then governor Satya Pal Malik repealed the act and earlier this month, the J&K administration annulled all land dealing under the Act. The case has already reached the apex court as former chief secretary of J&K Mohammed Shafi Pandit and Amlas have filed separate cases challenging a high court verdict scrapping the Roshni Act. Interestingly, Taj was booked days after he decided to file his nomination papers for upcoming DDC polls from Uri, the constituency he once represented as a lawmaker. 

BARAMULLA

Police personnel stand guard near a spot of a militant attack in which two soldiers were killed at HMT Srinagar on Thursday, November 26, 2020.

Days after four militants were killed on Srinagar Jammu highway, militants struck in Kashmir. The fresh attack was reported on Srinagar-Baramulla highway near the HMT area on the outskirts of Srinagar. Part of an Army patrol’s quick reaction team deployed to secure roads for army convoys, two army personnel were killed after reportedly three militants attacked and fled in a car. Police later said two jawans were critically injured and reportedly died of injuries. Claimed to be affiliated with Jaish, police said two are probably Pakistani and one local. Immediately search operations were launched, however, no one has been arrested yet. 

NIGER

A group photograph of the heads of the states after the OIC’s Mekkah Summit.

Despite the statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office to announce foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s participation in the meeting of the OIC’s Council of foreign ministers, claiming the two-day session will discuss a range of issues facing the Muslim world, including Kashmir, it eventually turned out that Kashmir is not on the agenda of the meeting, Hindustan Times reported. The development was revealed by official statements issued by OIC in English and Arabic that make no mention of the Kashmir issue being on the agenda for the meeting. However, the theme of “United against terrorism for peace and development” has an agenda that includes “topics and issues of concern to the Muslim world.” This is being seen as a rebuff to Islamabad by Saudi Arabia.

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