Abdul Rashid Shah
(June 1948 –March 2026)
Senior Kashmiri editor Abdul Rashid Shah, founder of the Urdu daily Nidai Mashriq, passed away in Srinagar on March 7 after a prolonged pulmonary illness, bringing to a close a career that spanned decades of turbulent political and media history in Kashmir.
Shah began his professional life in the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Information and Public Relations, where he served as an Information Officer. During the early years of militancy in the 1990s, he resigned from government service and turned fully to journalism, a decision that shaped the rest of his life. Before founding his own newspaper, he worked with the Urdu daily Al-Safa News, then among the Valley’s widely read publications.
In the early 1990s, he launched Nidai Mashriq, initially operating from a modest rented office in Maisuma before shifting to the Press Colony near Pratap Park. The newspaper gradually carved out a niche among Srinagar’s Urdu dailies, driven largely by Shah’s personal dedication. In an era before computers and email, he often handled much of the editorial process himself, reading handwritten reports, editing them, supervising calligraphy and proofreading late into the night, surrounded by cups of tea and cigarette smoke.
Known for his blunt views and literary flair, Shah’s editorials and his regular column Namak Paaray earned a loyal readership. His life in journalism unfolded against the backdrop of conflict. In July 1995, he was among journalists abducted from Srinagar’s Press Enclave by members of the pro-government militia Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon led by Kukka Parray, an episode that underscored the risks faced by the press during the height of militancy. He was released after two days in captivity.
In 2001, Shah was part of the media contingent that accompanied Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on an official visit to Iran. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, a senior officer in the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service.
Tourist arrivals in Ladakh’s main destinations, Leh and Kargil, declined sharply in 2025. Domestic visitors to Leh fell 27.3 per cent from 2.92 lakh in 2024 to 2.12 lakh in 2025, while Kargil recorded a steeper 70.9 per cent drop, from 3.20 lakh to 93,389. Foreign tourist arrivals also declined in both districts.
KASHMIR
The ongoing conflict in West Asia is beginning to affect Kashmir’s fragile tourism recovery, with early signs visible in travel cancellations and disruptions in fuel and transport supplies. Tourism stakeholders say safety concerns linked to the war involving Iran, Israel and the United States have triggered a decline in travel inquiries and bookings.
Industry representatives report that nearly 30 per cent of bookings for March have already been cancelled, just as the spring tourism season begins with the opening of attractions such as the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden and the Badamwari almond garden in Srinagar. The sector was hoping for a recovery after last year’s slump, when tourist arrivals fell sharply to 11.16 lakh following the Pahalgam massacre 2025, which killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists.
The conflict has also created concerns about energy supplies. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping route for oil and gas, has contributed to shortages of commercial cooking gas across India, forcing many hotels and restaurants in Kashmir to operate at reduced capacity.
Tourism is a critical pillar of the region’s economy, contributing nearly 7 per cent to Jammu and Kashmir’s GSDP and supporting around five lakh livelihoods. However, the administration has sought to reassure residents and businesses. Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg said the government currently has fuel reserves for more than two weeks, while LPG stocks are expected to last around 13 days, urging the public to avoid panic buying.
Of the 6,000 transit accommodation flats planned for Kashmiri Pandit migrant employees in Kashmir, 4,128 have been completed, and the remaining 1,872 are slated for completion by September.
JAIPUR
The future of several Kashmiri students enrolled in the BSc Nursing programme at Mewar University in Rajasthan has become uncertain after it emerged that the course allegedly lacks mandatory recognition. The students say they were assured that the programme was valid and were even given written undertakings by the institution, but as they near completion of their studies, approvals from the Rajasthan Nursing Council and the Indian Nursing Council remain in doubt. Many of the students are pursuing the course under government scholarship schemes. Protests on the campus over the past 27 days escalated earlier last week, leading to a protest. Seventeen Kashmiri students were arrested on charges including obstructing government work, but were granted bail by a court in Chittorgarh district. While the university claims the recognition process is underway and pending before the High Court, students remain worried about the validity of their degrees and their academic future.
At least 510 beggars have been rescued and rehabilitated in Jammu and Kashmir under a Central scheme since October 2023.
JAMMU
In a first such move by the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, three daily-wage workers of the Jal Shakti Department have been dismissed over alleged links with militancy. The disengagement orders were issued by Financial Commissioner Shaleen Kabra following a communication from the Home Department recommending action against the workers. Earlier, similar dismissals of government employees accused of terror links were ordered by the Lieutenant Governor under provisions of Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India. Over the past three years, more than 80 employees were terminated under this provision, a step criticised by regional parties, including the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, for bypassing due process. Jal Shakti Minister Javid Rana said the action followed a detailed investigation and police chargesheets filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The dismissed workers, Liyaqat Ali Bhagwan, Kousar Hussain Bhagwan and Showkat Ahmad Zargar, are accused of involvement in terrorism-related offences and are currently facing.
According to the 2011 Census, Jammu and Kashmir has 4,137 persons recorded under the “others” gender category.
ANANTNAG
A legal dispute involving a woman from Kashmir has reached two different High Courts after two men from separate states claimed to be her legally wedded husband. The woman, Shakeela Akhtar of Anantnag, has reportedly remained untraceable despite search efforts by police. One petitioner, Jitendra Singh from Rajasthan, has approached the Rajasthan High Court with a habeas corpus plea, claiming he married her in February 2025 in Firozpur, Punjab, and seeking directions to produce her before the court. In Kashmir, Shabbir Ahmed Khan has filed a separate petition before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, asserting that Shakeela is his wife and submitting a nikahnama indicating their marriage in June 2024. Police searches conducted in Jammu and Kashmir with assistance from the Central Reserve Police Force have so far failed to locate the woman. With both men asserting marital claims, the matter has now become a complex legal dispute under consideration before the two High Courts.
The average monthly income of an agricultural household in Jammu and Kashmir is Rs 18,918, while the average outstanding loan per household stands at Rs 30,435.
SRINAGAR
The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has expressed serious concern over a case in which a 19-year-old girl approached the court seeking protection for her intended marriage with a 46-year-old man who was later found to be already married. The court observed that timely judicial vigilance had prevented the young woman’s life from going astray. Initially, the girl was placed in a shelter home in Srinagar, but after reviewing a report submitted in a sealed cover, the court later handed her custody to her mother.
The court said the matter could not be treated as an isolated case and raised concerns that young women may be lured into marriage traps by older men. It also called for scrutiny of the role of a religious preacher linked to the alleged nikahnama.
A total of 25,160 rooftop solar systems have been installed in Jammu and Kashmir under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana since its launch in February 2024, with Rs 182.21 crore disbursed as Central Financial Assistance to beneficiaries in the Union Territory.
BANDIPORA
The success of Irfan Ahmad Lone, a visually impaired graduate from Jawaharlal Nehru University, has become a moment of pride in Jammu and Kashmir after he qualified for the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination-2025 with an All India Rank 957.
Lone, a resident of Manzpora in Bandipora’s Naidkhai area, lost his eyesight following two childhood accidents that severely damaged both eyes. Despite multiple surgeries at Sher‑i‑Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, his vision could not be restored. Determined to continue his education, his father, a daily-wage labourer, enrolled him at a specialised school for visually impaired students in Dehradun.
Lone later graduated from University of Delhi’s Hindu College and completed a master’s degree in political science from JNU. He currently works as an assistant administrative officer with the Life Insurance Corporation of India and cleared the civil services examination after several attempts.
Among other successful candidates was Towseef Ahmad Ganie, son of a labourer from Pulwama, who secured AIR 254, while serving Muneeb Afzal Parrah, already a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officer, achieved AIR 581. Overall, 16 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir qualified for the examination this year.
JAMMU
A man accused of murdering his 10-year-old daughter in Jammu in 2016 has been arrested from southeast Delhi after remaining absconding for nearly a decade. The accused, Ramesh Kumar, a native of Chhatarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, was wanted in a murder case registered at Gandhi Nagar Police Station. Police said Kumar, then working as a construction labourer in Jammu, allegedly struck the child on the head with a stick after suspecting she was not his biological daughter. The girl later died during treatment. After the crime, he fled and lived in Delhi under the false identity “Rajveer” until he was traced and arrested.
