Heena Sharma Blog

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, police said. An unidentified militant has been killed in the Meej-Pampore encounter, the Kashmir Zone Police has informed according to ANI. A cordon-and-search operation was launched in the morning by the forces at Meej in the Pampori area of south Kashmir's Pulwama after receiving specific information about the presence of militants, a police official said. He said the operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon a search party of the forces. A gunfight is underway and further details are awaited, the official said.   Read More

An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir 's Kulgam district on Monday, police said. The militants fired on a patrol party at Lower Munda in the Qazigund area of the south Kashmir district, he said. The security forces retaliated and the gunfight is going on. The area has been cordoned off. Read More

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to the 40 CRPF jawans, who lost their lives in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama Attack on February 14 last year, and said that the country will never forget their martyrdom. Modi described the CRPF personnel as 'exceptional individuals' who devoted their lives by serving the country. "Tributes to the brave martyrs who lost their lives in the gruesome Pulwama attack last year. They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," the Prime Minister tweeted. It was around 3:00 pm on this day last year, when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist rammed a vehicle carrying explosives into the Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) convoy on Srinagar-Jammu national highway. Around 40 CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted by the suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pulwama dis...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will accord a warm welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping when he arrives in this coastal town on Friday for an informal summit during which the two leaders are expected to attempt a strategic re-balancing in bilateral ties, strained by a hardline approach on the Kashmir issue from both sides. The two leaders will hold talks at the 7th century Shore Temple complex overlooking the Bay of Bengal in an informal setting in the evening without aides or any agenda with a focus on charting a new roadmap for the overall expansion of ties. Modi, who landed in the Tamil Nadu capital of Chennai before proceeding to Mammallapuram, about 50 km away, by helicopter, expressed the wish that the summit will further strengthen ties between India and China. "Landed in Chennai. I am happy to be in the great land of Tamil Nadu, known for its wonderful culture and hospitality," he said in tweets in English, Tamil and Chinese. "It is gladdening that...

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday flagged off the Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express from the New Delhi Railway Station and said it was a "big gift" for Jammu and Kashmir's development. Shah also said that Article 370 was the "biggest roadblock" in the state's development and within 10 years, it will be one of the most developed regions of the country. "Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express is a big gift for Jammu and Kashmir's development and for promoting religious tourism," said Shah, who was accompanied by Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Ministers Dr Jitendra Singh and Dr Harsh Vardhan. Train number 22439 New Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express will depart from the New Delhi Railway Station at 6 am to reach Katra at 2 pm. En route, the train will halt at Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana and Jammu Tawi for two minutes each. On the return journey the same day, train number 22440 Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express will leave fr...

J&K Police Recruitment 2019: The Jammu and Kashmir Police has invited applications for 2700 Constable posts. Eligible candidates can visit www.jkpolice.gov.in to apply online. Of the total vacancies, 1350 posts are reserved for women. The last date to apply online for the constable posts is October 22, 2019. "The recruitment will be made for a total number of 1,350 vacancies in 2 women battalions distributed as per guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs, 60 per cent equally for border districts of Jammu and Kashmir and 40 per cent equally for other districts," J&K Police said in an advertisement notification for the vacancies. The same number of vacancies are for men. Click here to view Jammu And Kashmir 2019 Job Notification (for men) Click here to view Jammu And Kashmir 2019 Job Notification (for women) Direct links to apply Qualification requirements -- Candidates should not be below 18 years and above 28 years of age. -- Candidates sho...

President Ram Nath Kovind has declared abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The move came after both houses of Parliament passed a resolution in this regard. "In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of Article 370 read with clause (1) of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, the President, on the recommendation of Parliament, is pleased to declare that, as from the 6th August, 2019, all clauses of the said Article 370 shall cease to be operative...," an official notification said. Article Source -> Business Standard

"I say with all respect to our Constitution that it just does not matter what your Constitution says; if the people of Kashmir do not want it, it will not go there. Because what is the alternative? The alternative is compulsion and coercion...We have fought in good fight about Kashmir on the field of battle... (and) ...in many a chancellery of the world and in the United Nations, but, above all, we have fought this fight in the hearts and minds of men and women of that State of Jammu and Kashmir." - Nehru, speaking in the Lok Sabha in 1952 Nehru’s promise lies in tatters today; as does every other promise of autonomy made by the Government of India. Article 370 gives a ‘special status’ to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. On Monday, the Government effectively abolished that status. It did so without touching the provision. It also brought in a constitutional amendment, without amending the constitution. Crucially, it did all of this after zero consultation with the pe...

Rajya Sabha on Monday approved a resolution revoking the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and passed a Bill to split the state into two Union Territories, as Home Minister Amit Shah promised to restore full statehood after normalcy is restored in the militancy-hit region. Under Article 370 of the Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed complete autonomy and the state legislature was free to draft its own laws except in the areas of communications, defense, finance, and foreign affairs. Also, Indian citizens were prohibited from purchasing land in the state. So, what will exactly change in J&K if the Lok Sabha today passes the Reorganisation Bill? Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday moved a resolution revoking Article 370 that grants special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Rajya Sabha, amid a din as Opposition members protested the move. The government on Monday also moved a Bill proposing the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories -- the Jammu and Kashmir division and Ladakh. Home Minister Shah introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill. Making the announcement in the Rajya Sabha, Shah said that the UT in Ladakh would have no legislature, like Chandigarh, while the other UT of Jammu and Kashmir would have a legislature, like Delhi and Puducherry. There was an uproar in the Rajya Sabha after the resolution was moved by the Home Minister. Reactions poured in immediately, with former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti calling it "the darkest day in Indian democracy". Mufti tweeted that the "unilateral decision" of the Government of...

With speculation rife that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -led central government could abolish or try to amend Article 35A and article 370 , which give a special status to Jammu & Kashmir, there is a lot of confusion as to what these two statutes entail. Political parties on either side of the debate have voiced their opinion, with some calling tinkering with Article 35A “like setting powder keg on fire”, while others have supported the idea calling it a move to unify of the country. What is Article 35A? This provision of the Constitution allows the Jammu & Kashmir state Assembly to define who is and is not a “permanent resident” of the state. To further break it down, this provision of the Constitution gives the legislators from Jammu & Kashmir the exclusive power to determine as to which people in or outside the state will have special rights and privileges granted by the state. The provision, inserted through a special Presidential order in 1954, also gives...

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), among the four Indian states with the highest prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), recorded tobacco sales worth Rs 5,530 crore over seven years to 2017-18, according to state sales tax data exclusively accessed by IndiaSpend. This is the equivalent of the funds needed to construct four state-of-the-art hospitals along the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Jammu. COPD, typified by coughing, wheezing and breathlessness, is the second most frequent killer disease in India, responsible for the death of almost 1 million Indians in 2017, IndiaSpend reported in March 2018, citing the Global Burden of Disease study by the University of Washington, US. Caused by the inflammation of the lung’s airways, it destroys the air sacs that extract oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. Air pollution and smoking have been established as the primary reasons for COPD in India, according to a 2018 study published in The Lancet. ...

A court in Pathankot, Jammu, on Monday sentenced three men to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Kashmir state last year, said TV news channels. Three other men were given five-year jail terms, reported NDTV. The girl, from a nomadic Muslim community that roams the forests of Kashmir, was drugged, held captive in a temple and sexually assaulted for a week before being strangled and battered to death with a stone in January 2018. The abduction, rape and killing of the child was part of a plan to remove the minority nomadic community from the area, the 15-page charge sheet said. Among those accused were a Hindu priest and police officers, fanning communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims in the area. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

Curfew was imposed in parts of Kashmir on Friday, a day after Zakir Musa, the so-called chief of a group affiliated to the Al-Qaeda, was believed to have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral. Educational institutions have been closed and curfew was imposed in places in Kashmir as a precautionary measure, following the Thursday incident, officials said. Internet was also shutdown, they said. Musa, who is believed to have been killed in the gunfight with security forces, was the so-called head of the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. Two terrorists were killed in the encounter in a village south Kashmir's Tral area but there was no confirmation about their identities. However, Musa's family confirmed that he was present at the site. Spontaneous protests had broken out in Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora and downtown Srinagar, with people raising slogans in favour of Musa. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

Three terrorists, a civilian and a soldier were killed Thursday in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, army said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Delipora village of Pulwama following information about presence of terrorists there, a police official said. He said the hiding ultras opened firing on the search party, who retaliated, triggering off a gun battle. An army official said three militants were killed in the gun battle while one jawan also lost his life in the operation, which was going on till last reports came in. The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists was being ascertained. A police officer said two brothers were also injured during the exchange of firing between the two sides. One of them -- identified as Rayees Ahmad -- succumbed while his brother Mohammad Younus was taken to a hospital, the officer said. Meanwhile, authorities have snapped internet services in the district as a precautiona...

Pakistani troops Friday lobbed mortars and opened fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army. "At about 0830 hours, Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing with small arms along the LoC in Swajian sector of Poonch," PRO defence said. The Indian Army is effectively retaliating, he said. Pakistani troops last Friday resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC in forward area in Digwar sector, in which two people suffered injuries. On Tuesday last, the Indian Army destroyed seven Pakistani military posts across the Line of Control in retaliation to the continued ceasefire violations by them. With Pakistan using heavy weaponry and 120 mm mortar bombs targeting civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch, people have been advised to stay indoors, officials said. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference candidate Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi Wednesday filed nomination papers from Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP candidate for the south Kashmir seat Sofi Mohammad Yousuf has already filed his nomination papers. Two independent candidates have also filed their nominations since the Election Commission issued notification for the third phase of polls on March 28. "PDP candidate Mehbooba Mufti and NC candidate Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi filed their nomination papers in the office of the returning officer for Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency today," an election department official said. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir is scheduled to file nomination papers as Congress candidate later in the day. The last date for filing of nominations is April 4, while scrutiny of nominations will be held on April 5. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 8....

At least 18 people were injured on Thursday in a grenade attack by suspected terrorists at the crowded general bus stand in the heart of the city, a senior police officer said. This is the third grenade attack by terrorists in the bus stand area of the city since May last year. The scene of the blast along the B C Road was sealed off by police and a massive hunt has been launched to nab the grenade thrower, Inspector General of Police, Jammu, M K Sinha said. Sinha, who immediately rushed to the scene to take stock of the situation, said a preliminary investigation suggests that someone lobbed the grenade, causing injuries to 18 people who were evacuated to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital. Windscreens of a parked state road transport corporation (SRTC) bus were damaged in the blast, a police official said, adding the condition of one of the injured was stated to be "critical". Article Source -> Business Standard

The CRPF on Friday said it won't "forget and forgive" but will "avenge" the death of 40 of its personnel in one of the worst terror attacks on its troops in Jammu and Kashmir . The country's largest paramilitary force put out a tweet from its official handle saying, "We will not forget, we will not forgive." "We salute our martyrs of Pulwama attack and stand with the families of our martyr brothers. This heinous attack will be avenged," it said in the social media post. The force said that "in memory of the martyrs of the terrorist attack ", all formations of the Central Reserve Police Force observed two minutes of silence and the force flag will fly half mast on Friday. The toll in the attack has risen to 40 even as a full Court of Inquiry has been ordered by the CRPF headquarters in Delhi. The over 3-lakh personnel strong paramilitary force is deployed as the lead combat unit against terrorism and insurgency in...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday promised a strong response to a car bombing in Kashmir that killed 40 paramilitary that his government blamed on Pakistan, ratcheting up tensions with the nuclear-rival. The attack on a military convoy in Jammu and Kashmir where India has been battling an insurgency was the worst in decades and comes just months before Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalists face a tight general election. “ We will give a befitting reply, our neighbour will not be allowed to de-stabilise us,” Modi said in a speech soon after he called his security advisers to consider a response to the attack that has provoked an outpouring of anger on social media and demands for retribution. Paying tributes to around 40 CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama attack , he said, "Our security forces have been given full freedom (to carry out anti-terror operations). We have full faith in their bravery." The Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e...