KUNZAR
A self-styled peer in Waripora Kunzar, Baramulla, built a replica of the Kaaba, falsely claiming that those unable to afford travel to Mecca could perform Umrah at his site. His actions sparked public outrage, leading to the structure’s demolition and his arrest. Religious leaders, including the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, condemned the act, urging authorities to prevent further deception. The Grand Mufti wrote to the SSP Baramulla, describing the man as mentally unwell and in need of psychiatric care. Officials confirmed that legal action had been taken, and the individual was placed under medical supervision for evaluation. The controversy gained traction after a video of the man surfaced online, prompting concerns about religious exploitation. Identified as Abdul Razzak Lone, the mentally unfit person has been handed over to an NGO for treatment and rehabilitation.
In 2024, militant recruitment fell to 8 from a five-year average of 113. Civilian deaths dropped to 16 from 34, and security force casualties declined to 34 from 50. Stone pelting and hartals linked to separatist groups have ceased entirely. Authorities dismissed 72 government employees linked to militancy, banned 10 unlawful associations and 13 factions under UAPA, and designated 22 individuals as terrorists.
SRINAGAR
Jammu and Kashmir Police is considering restoring security for Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq following his recent visit to Delhi, where he engaged with the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 and reached out to migrant Kashmiri Pandits. His two-week stay triggered strong reactions from various quarters, prompting a security review. Authorities are assessing online threats he received after the visit, and given the threat perception, his security, withdrawn in 2019, may soon be reinstated.
In 2024, major hospitals in Jammu Kashmir recorded thousands of new cancer registrations, with SKIMS registering 5,200 cases, GMC Jammu 1,700, GMC Anantnag 500, GMC Baramulla 100, GMC Kathua 80, American Oncology Jammu nearly 2,000, and around 500 patients at GMC Rajouri, Doda, and other hospitals.
TRAL
The long-awaited reshoot of Muzaffar Ali’s Zooni, originally halted in 1988 due to insurgency, financial constraints, and other challenges, has begun in Kashmir. The film, inspired by 16th-century poet Habba Khatoon, was partially shot in Tral, Pampore, and Srinagar before being shelved. Now revived as a web series, Ali and his son, Shaad Ali, have returned to recreate their cinematic vision. Filming has resumed in Tral’s scenic Shikargah and Panner areas, followed by Charar-e-Sharif in Budgam. Shaad, who was 15 when the original Zooni was filmed, has played a pivotal role in its revival. He considers the project a deeply personal journey, given its abrupt suspension in 1989. The team plans to revisit all original locations, integrating past footage with newly filmed sequences. Ali, now 80, recalls how Kashmir’s beauty inspired him to make Zooni, hoping to place the region on the global cinematic map. The Film Heritage Foundation is working to restore surviving footage. Ali, who had preserved reels, photographs, and scripts, entrusted them to archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. He hopes the restoration will capture the film’s essence, if not its full form.
Dimple Kapadia is set to feature in a modern narrative that blends past and present. Inspired by The Last Emperor, Ali envisioned Zooni as a grand cinematic tribute to the last queen of Kashmir. The reshoot is blending old and new footage and the new sequences will feature a dialogue between Dimple Kapadia and Muzaffar Ali, offering a fresh perspective.
Jammu and Kashmir accounted for just 0.3 per cent of India’s USD 80.18 billion inward remittances in 2020-21, amounting to less than Rs 2,000 crore.
BANDIPORE
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Kifayatullah Malik, a 25-year-old social worker, youth leader, and mountaineer from Bandipora, has dedicated his service to education and social service in Kashmir. The first in his family to attend school, he resolved to ensure no child was deprived of education. He motivates children in remote areas to join school and sports, using crowdfunding to support dropouts. His initiatives include collecting and distributing books, organising awareness camps, and working with REACHA to bridge the digital divide. He also addresses women’s empowerment, environmental sustainability, and drug abuse awareness. His efforts have earned him several accolades, including the President’s Award for NSS.
Ministry of Labour and Employment revealed that as per the Census 2011, Jammu and Kashmir has 1,22,587 inter-state migrant workers.
DACCHAN
Unidentified masked thieves broke into the Suid Branch of Jammu Kashmir Bank in Dachchan, Kishtwar, and stole approximately Rs 19 lakh. The burglary was discovered when bank officials arrived in the morning to find the main door open and locks missing. CCTV footage captured two masked individuals inside the bank, though more may be involved. Police have registered a case and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. Authorities are also examining a possible militant angle and investigating security lapses, as the bank lacked proper safeguards, including security personnel.
Jammu Kashmir has seen the conversion of 336 government-funded vacant houses into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) under the Government of India’s initiative to provide dignified housing for urban migrants and economically weaker sections.
SAUDI ARABIA
Kashmiri engineer Abdul Rafi Baba, arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2022, has been sentenced to 31 years in prison on charges of cyber-related crimes linked to terror activities and circulating objectionable videos. Baba, from Soura (Srinagar), was initially sentenced to 11 years, but after an appeal, the term was extended. He is currently imprisoned in Dammam Intelligence Jail, with his case pending in the Supreme Court. His elderly father, Manzoor-ul-Haq Baba, claims he was falsely implicated in internal company disputes and has been denied proper legal representation. The family, struggling financially, has repeatedly appealed to the government of India for intervention but has received no response. Baba has been granted consular access multiple times and remains in contact with his family. His father, grieving the loss of his wife, pleads for his son’s release before his death, urging the Home and External Affairs Ministries to help secure justice.
Despite over 13,000 arrests under the NDPS Act in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, the Narcotics Control Bureau has secured only four convictions, with no convictions recorded in 2020 and 2023.
DELHI
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that commercial train operations to Kashmir will commence soon, with all railway tracks in Jammu and Kashmir now fully electrified. He confirmed that testing for the Katra-Srinagar railway line is complete and that Jammu Railway Station’s redevelopment will ensure direct connectivity with Srinagar. The Union Budget 2025 has allocated Rs 844 crore for J&K’s railway infrastructure, with 344 km of tracks electrified and 135 km of new tracks laid since 2014. Additionally, Budgam, Jammu Tawi, Katra, and Udhampur stations are being upgraded as ‘Amrit Stations’ for Rs 292.5 crore.
Gold coins weighing 10.092 kg and worth Rs 7.8 crore were seized at IGI Airport from two Jammu Kashmir residents arriving from Milan, with customs officials discovering the contraband hidden in specially designed waist belts.
ANANTNAG
Territorial Army jawan Abid Hussain Bhat, who went missing on Saturday while en route to his duty in Rangreth, has returned home in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. Bhat, on a one-month leave from the 162 TA unit, failed to report to his camp, prompting a missing persons report. He later returned and is being questioned by police, who have found no terror links so far. The incident raised concerns, as past cases of missing soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir have led to militant abductions and killings, including the October 2023 killing of TA soldier Hilal Ahmed in Kokernag.
Jammu and Kashmir ranked fourth in India for the police population ratio from 2019 to 2023, with 598.52 police personnel per lakh in 2023. Though the ratio declined from 656.62 in 2019 to 590.15 in 2022, it rebounded in 2023, reflecting sustained strength.
JAMMU
A jewellery store in Greater Kailash, Jammu, was robbed in broad daylight as armed robbers took the owner hostage and escaped with 1.5 kilograms of gold. The heist occurred around 1:15 pm when two helmeted, bike-borne assailants entered Anand Jewellery Store and threatened proprietor Prabha Anand with a sharp-edged weapon. One of the robbers smashed display cases and looted gold necklaces, rings, and other jewellery. The incident sparked outrage among shopkeepers, who protested against the police’s failure to maintain security. Authorities have launched an investigation, with SSP Jammu confirming that police teams are actively working to apprehend the culprits.
The 144-kilometre Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Greenfield Expressway stretch in Jammu and Kashmir will be fully completed by March 2026, with three packages ready by September this year. Of the five packages in the region, one (20.38 km) will be completed in September 2024, another (44.6 km) in July 2024, and a third (35.15 km) in September 2025. The fourth package (28.92 km) will be finished in February 2026, while the final one (15.3 km) will be completed in March 2026.
JAIPUR
Veteran theatre director and actor MK Raina walked out of a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival after voicing frustration over the way Kashmir is depicted in Bollywood. Raina was promoting his memoir Before I Forget alongside singer and actor Ila Arun, who was discussing her adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, set in Kashmir. Expressing disappointment, Raina said Kashmir is being misrepresented in “lousy films” by filmmakers who do not understand the region. As Arun performed a scene from her play, Raina abruptly left, leaving the audience puzzled. Arun later reacted with a reference to the 1980 film Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai. A graduate of the National School of Drama, Raina has directed over 100 plays and appeared in films such as Aisha, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. His memoir reflects on his personal and professional journey, including his experiences growing up in Kashmir.
KASHMIR
Online gambling has emerged as a major issue in Kashmir, pushing many families into financial ruin and emotional distress. The easy availability of betting platforms entices youth with promises of quick wealth but often results in heavy losses and debt. A young man from south Kashmir initially won Rs 10,000 but later lost lakhs and went missing, forcing his family to repay his debts. Another gambler lost Rs 5 lakh after an initial Rs 10 lakh win. Beyond financial devastation, online gambling leads to anxiety, depression, and strained relationships, with many families suffering in silence due to social stigma.
LADAKH
The Ladakh administration informed the National Green Tribunal that no significant tree loss has occurred since 2000, except for areas cleared under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for development. In 2024, 30 trees were felled for irrigation work, 415 for highway realignment, and 5,578 for road widening, with compensatory plantation efforts. Since 2019-20, nearly 1.4 million saplings have been planted over 500 hectares. Ladakh’s cold desert climate limits natural forests, but afforestation initiatives, agro-forestry practices, and strict monitoring have improved green cover. The region has 157 Revenue Baghs, 297 afforestation units, and 47 unclassified natural forests over 22,255 hectares.
