India slammed the joint statement of Pak-China. Both countries mentioned J&K in the recent statement. This joint statement was given by both the countries when China's foreign minister recently visited Pakistan. WION Exclusively speaks to Mr. G Parthasarathy, Ex-Indian Envoy to Pak & Mr. Vivek Katju, Ex-Indian Envoy to Afghanistan over this news.

India clears out its stand again over J&K after Pak-China joint statement

India slammed the joint statement of Pak-China. Both countries mentioned J&K in the recent statement. This joint statement was given by both the countries when China's foreign minister recently visited Pakistan.

India slammed the joint statement of Pak-China, both mentioned J&K in the statement

There is a tyrannical alliance between totalitarian Pakistan and authoritarian China, which is based on a shared rejection of democracy and who are both determined to extinguish liberty and subjugate the individual, either to sharia or the state.

India, the world’s largest democracy, is at the forefront of that battle in the strategically critical region of northern India bordering Pakistan, China and Afghanistan.

Pakistan was created as an Islamic state out of the partition of the British Indian Empire in August 1947.

Islam is the societal “glue” that holds Pakistan together, an otherwise artificial state composed of ethnic groups that never interacted in any significant way.

Since the late 1970s, under President Zia ul-Haq, Pakistan has pursued a policy of aggressive “Islamization” with the proliferation of religious schools “madrasas” and religious political parties, resulting in a society that has become ever more extreme and intolerant.

Through Islamization, ethnic self-determination in Pakistan is being suppressed and Islamic fighters have been found to be useful proxies for the Pakistani military and its Inter-service Intelligence agency (ISI), particularly in the form of terrorist operations against India and Afghanistan.

The concept of Ummah or Islamic community, the basis for pan-Islamism, provides Islamabad with a convenient, if illegitimate, rationale for the selective interference in the affairs of other nations for the “protection” of fellow Muslims, an exception being China, Pakistan’s “all weather” ally and brutal oppressor of Muslim Uighurs.

China seeks global domination. One vehicle to achieve it is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a collection of infrastructure projects and a network of commercial agreements designed to link the entire world directly to the Chinese economy through inter-connected land-based and maritime routes.

The guarantor of China’s soft power approach to economic hegemony is the hard power of Chinese military expansion, which includes a plan to establish military bases in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province.

Those bases would control the vital maritime lanes of the Arabian Sea at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and provide a critical link between China’s military facilities in the South China Sea and its naval base in Djibouti at the entrance of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The flagship of BRI and also its weakest link is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a development project, the backbone of which is a transportation network connecting China to the Pakistani seaports of Gwadar and Karachi located on the Arabian Sea.

CPEC violates Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity because it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a section of undivided Jammu and Kashmir and an integral part of India.

China’s growing and ever more risky investment in Pakistan has forced Beijing to overlook and sometimes shield Islamabad's use of terror against India, especially attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

That situation persists despite the fact that China is obligated under the charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) agreement to condemn and oppose terrorism.

Nowhere has broader Pakistani-Chinese goals for regional domination been more clearly and publicly articulated than in a June 2018 China Daily article by former Pakistani diplomat, Zamir Ahmed Awan, who works for the Beijing-controlled Center for China and Globalization.

“Peace in Afghanistan will allow economic activity between Central Asia, Russia, China and the Arabian Sea…It can change the fate of the whole region. Chinese projects like the Belt and Road Initiative and the objectives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO] … At the recent SCO summit, the Afghanistan president was invited as a guest and observer. Hopefully, the country will soon join SCO. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor may also be extended to benefit Afghanistan in the near future if there is peace.”

With China’s growing geopolitical strength, Pakistan now has significant strategic and economic incentives to exclude India and Western countries from maintaining any influence in Afghanistan.

An extension of CPEC to Afghanistan would benefit both China and Pakistan, whose economic goals include exploiting the estimated $3 trillion in untapped Afghan mineral resources.

In addition, Chinese-Pakistani de facto control of Afghanistan would be a victory for authoritarianism and an affirmation of Pakistan’s use of terrorist proxies as a successful means to extend its influence with its aim to damage and isolate India.

The evolving situation in South Asia has now made Jammu and Kashmir, not just an international centre of attention, but a strategic centre of gravity to thwart the tyrannical ambitions of the Chinese-Pakistani alliance.

Support for the restoration of Indian sovereignty to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is not just in accordance with international law and diplomatic norms, but it is ultimately a battle for the survival of democracy.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There is a tyrannical alliance between totalitarian Pakistan and authoritarian China, which is based on a shared rejection of democracy and who are both determined to extinguish liberty and subjugate the individual, either to sharia or the state.

There is a tyrannical alliance between totalitarian Pakistan and authoritarian China, which is based on a shared rejection of democracy and who are both determined to extinguish liberty and subjugate the individual, either to sharia or the state. India, the world’s largest democracy, is at the forefront of that battle in the strategically critical region of northern India bordering Pakistan, China and Afghanistan. Pakistan was created as an Islamic state out of the partition of the British Indian Empire in August 1947. Islam is the societal “glue” that holds Pakistan together, an otherwise artificial state composed of ethnic groups that never interacted in any significant way. Since the late 1970s, under President Zia ul-Haq, Pakistan has pursued a policy of aggressive “Islamization” with the proliferation of religious schools “madrasas” and religious political parties, resulting in a society that has become ever more extreme and intolerant. Through Islamization, ethnic self-determination in Pakistan is being suppressed and Islamic fighters have been found to be useful proxies for the Pakistani military and its Inter-service Intelligence agency (ISI), particularly in the form of terrorist operations against India and Afghanistan. The concept of Ummah or Islamic community, the basis for pan-Islamism, provides Islamabad with a convenient, if illegitimate, rationale for the selective interference in the affairs of other nations for the “protection” of fellow Muslims, an exception being China, Pakistan’s “all weather” ally and brutal oppressor of Muslim Uighurs. China seeks global domination. One vehicle to achieve it is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a collection of infrastructure projects and a network of commercial agreements designed to link the entire world directly to the Chinese economy through inter-connected land-based and maritime routes. The guarantor of China’s soft power approach to economic hegemony is the hard power of Chinese military expansion, which includes a plan to establish military bases in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, Pakistan’s southwestern province. Those bases would control the vital maritime lanes of the Arabian Sea at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and provide a critical link between China’s military facilities in the South China Sea and its naval base in Djibouti at the entrance of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The flagship of BRI and also its weakest link is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a development project, the backbone of which is a transportation network connecting China to the Pakistani seaports of Gwadar and Karachi located on the Arabian Sea. CPEC violates Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity because it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a section of undivided Jammu and Kashmir and an integral part of India. China’s growing and ever more risky investment in Pakistan has forced Beijing to overlook and sometimes shield Islamabad's use of terror against India, especially attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. That situation persists despite the fact that China is obligated under the charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) agreement to condemn and oppose terrorism. Nowhere has broader Pakistani-Chinese goals for regional domination been more clearly and publicly articulated than in a June 2018 China Daily article by former Pakistani diplomat, Zamir Ahmed Awan, who works for the Beijing-controlled Center for China and Globalization. “Peace in Afghanistan will allow economic activity between Central Asia, Russia, China and the Arabian Sea…It can change the fate of the whole region. Chinese projects like the Belt and Road Initiative and the objectives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO] … At the recent SCO summit, the Afghanistan president was invited as a guest and observer. Hopefully, the country will soon join SCO. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor may also be extended to benefit Afghanistan in the near future if there is peace.” With China’s growing geopolitical strength, Pakistan now has significant strategic and economic incentives to exclude India and Western countries from maintaining any influence in Afghanistan. An extension of CPEC to Afghanistan would benefit both China and Pakistan, whose economic goals include exploiting the estimated $3 trillion in untapped Afghan mineral resources. In addition, Chinese-Pakistani de facto control of Afghanistan would be a victory for authoritarianism and an affirmation of Pakistan’s use of terrorist proxies as a successful means to extend its influence with its aim to damage and isolate India. The evolving situation in South Asia has now made Jammu and Kashmir, not just an international centre of attention, but a strategic centre of gravity to thwart the tyrannical ambitions of the Chinese-Pakistani alliance. Support for the restoration of Indian sovereignty to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is not just in accordance with international law and diplomatic norms, but it is ultimately a battle for the survival of democracy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A global battle for democracy is being fought in Jammu and Kashmir

During an interaction with the group of journalist, Doval said that restrictions have been lifted from J&K

NSA Doval on Army presence in J&K

This story must be told to make the point on how governments allowed a lobby supporting Pakistan in Kashmir to grow big at the cost of the common Kashmiri, who were betrayed and pushed to the wall.

In the 1990s, then MOS home, Rajesh Pilot, was projected as the proverbial carrot of the policy as against the stick of an administration led by Governor Girish Chandra Saxena in J&amp;K.&nbsp;

The illusion of the two being at loggerheads was deliberate. Saxena, whose soft-spoken persona bellied the image of a former RAW chief, was left to deal with terrorism, unrest and growing influence of the pro-Pakistanis in the Valley; Pilot, the politician, would listen to public, appease some, help others and carry a big bundle of applications — for jobs, phone connections and release of arrested men — back to Delhi.

During one of his visits, Pilot asked me and my husband George Joseph to meet him in the Guest House No 5 in uptown Srinagar. I worked for the Tribune while George reported for the Indian Express. We were happy at the possibility of getting a scoop!

Pilot ushered us into the bedroom, probably to create an informal setting. He straightaway asked us: What can I do for you? I found his question strange while George, who failed to get the nuances of Hindi language, replied, “Please make sure we get press notes from the (police) control room on time. Just because we are Indians does not mean we should be the last ones to get it.”&nbsp;

Pilot’s bright expression suddenly looked sullen; he probably expected us to value his authority more than just a supplier of police handout on killings and encounters in Kashmir. He promised to do the needful and after a small conversation, the meeting was over.

George’s demand reflected the level of frustration of ‘Indians’ in Kashmir. We were not the only ones to not believe in the supremacy of the Hizbuls, JKLFs and Pakistan. Many Kashmiri Muslims felt betrayed and abandoned by the System, which appeased the rebels and the ever-burgeoning ‘Pakistan lobby’.&nbsp;

People who were Indians by belief, temperament and through professions or by simply being normal, would face smirks, social ostracism and pressure to ‘raliv, galiv ya challiv’ (join, die or simply vanish).&nbsp;

The word Indian was an invective; it was blackened out from the boards of organisations, restaurants and shops in Kashmir; people who could not compromise on their identity were counseled to keep a low profile.&nbsp;

Hizbul Mujahideen issued a threat to George and me in 1992, asking us to leave Kashmir within 48 hours. Our crime was that as journalists we had reported the fact of Hizbul splitting due to financial dispute between its factions.

Issuing the threat to us was part of the plan to banish Indians from Kashmir.&nbsp;

Many Kashmiris were simply left at the mercy of new jihadi commanders and their suit-wearing embedded omnipresent supporters. They were in offices, hospitals, buses, schools, restaurants and places where media persons met informally. They were feared the most for they always behaved more loyal than the king.&nbsp;

A handful of leftists – poets, writers, thinkers and academicians – were targeted by the new defacto oligarchs in Kashmir. A couple of them were killed in cold blood and others subjected to the humiliation of seeking pardon for their lack of belief in Allah (La-deen) inside the local mosques. This made many others retract into silence while some fell in line.

Nothing in Kashmir was spontaneous; a well-organised plot to create chaos and undermine the State of India was unfolding without any resistance as the elected government had fled and small-time leaders had been silenced by the gun – many of them were killed in cold blood, often after Friday congregation as they come out of the mosques.

Today people in Kashmir are genuinely disturbed by the blockade of mobile and internet services. However, may I remind everyone that the Valley had remained incommunicado for six months in the 1991-92 after Hizbul Mujahidden blew up a transmission tower atop Peer Panjal at Banihal.&nbsp;

In comparison, the miseries of common people were manifold then. Journalists like me had to look for friends, acquaintances or even rely on a stranger flying to Jammu to carry our typed news stories to our local offices. The telegraph machine in the Central Telegraph Office was resting without connectivity.

Indians were treated as second-grade citizens often making them wonder why a State would appease those who were working against it. I remember the words of Rammohan Rao, media advisor to JK government and a seasoned bureaucrat, “Well, India is a soft state; can’t be seen as being harsh to those against us.”

A Jordanian envoy visiting Kashmir had rattled Governor `Gary’ Saxena when he said that ‘India is a soft State, you have no guts to take on the enemy within.’ &nbsp;

The envoy was a member of the diplomatic corps invited by the PV Narsimha Rao government to visit Kashmir. He had read local newspapers in his guest house and was aghast to see the anti-India coverage in Urdu and English newspapers. He had thrown the papers at Saxena’s desk and asked him how a government could allow it to happen?

An Israeli high-up on a secret visit to Kashmir in the mid-1990s also told the government that it can never crush terror as long as anti-India supporters were allowed a free run.

Contrary to expectations, the return of an elected government led by Farooq Abdullah was a boon to ‘Pakistanis’; they had turned into power brokers. The new dispensation was too keen to appease them with government bungalows and other largesse.

The man in the street got his clue – it was prudent to be seen on the side of ‘Pakistanis’ for survival. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-how-the-pak-lobby-prospered-2787706">original article</a>) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

This story must be told to make the point on how governments allowed a lobby supporting Pakistan in Kashmir to grow big at the cost of the common Kashmiri, who were betrayed and pushed to the wall.

This story must be told to make the point on how governments allowed a lobby supporting Pakistan in Kashmir to grow big at the cost of the common Kashmiri, who were betrayed and pushed to the wall. In the 1990s, then MOS home, Rajesh Pilot, was projected as the proverbial carrot of the policy as against the stick of an administration led by Governor Girish Chandra Saxena in J&K. The illusion of the two being at loggerheads was deliberate. Saxena, whose soft-spoken persona bellied the image of a former RAW chief, was left to deal with terrorism, unrest and growing influence of the pro-Pakistanis in the Valley; Pilot, the politician, would listen to public, appease some, help others and carry a big bundle of applications — for jobs, phone connections and release of arrested men — back to Delhi. During one of his visits, Pilot asked me and my husband George Joseph to meet him in the Guest House No 5 in uptown Srinagar. I worked for the Tribune while George reported for the Indian Express. We were happy at the possibility of getting a scoop! Pilot ushered us into the bedroom, probably to create an informal setting. He straightaway asked us: What can I do for you? I found his question strange while George, who failed to get the nuances of Hindi language, replied, “Please make sure we get press notes from the (police) control room on time. Just because we are Indians does not mean we should be the last ones to get it.” Pilot’s bright expression suddenly looked sullen; he probably expected us to value his authority more than just a supplier of police handout on killings and encounters in Kashmir. He promised to do the needful and after a small conversation, the meeting was over. George’s demand reflected the level of frustration of ‘Indians’ in Kashmir. We were not the only ones to not believe in the supremacy of the Hizbuls, JKLFs and Pakistan. Many Kashmiri Muslims felt betrayed and abandoned by the System, which appeased the rebels and the ever-burgeoning ‘Pakistan lobby’. People who were Indians by belief, temperament and through professions or by simply being normal, would face smirks, social ostracism and pressure to ‘raliv, galiv ya challiv’ (join, die or simply vanish). The word Indian was an invective; it was blackened out from the boards of organisations, restaurants and shops in Kashmir; people who could not compromise on their identity were counseled to keep a low profile. Hizbul Mujahideen issued a threat to George and me in 1992, asking us to leave Kashmir within 48 hours. Our crime was that as journalists we had reported the fact of Hizbul splitting due to financial dispute between its factions. Issuing the threat to us was part of the plan to banish Indians from Kashmir. Many Kashmiris were simply left at the mercy of new jihadi commanders and their suit-wearing embedded omnipresent supporters. They were in offices, hospitals, buses, schools, restaurants and places where media persons met informally. They were feared the most for they always behaved more loyal than the king. A handful of leftists – poets, writers, thinkers and academicians – were targeted by the new defacto oligarchs in Kashmir. A couple of them were killed in cold blood and others subjected to the humiliation of seeking pardon for their lack of belief in Allah (La-deen) inside the local mosques. This made many others retract into silence while some fell in line. Nothing in Kashmir was spontaneous; a well-organised plot to create chaos and undermine the State of India was unfolding without any resistance as the elected government had fled and small-time leaders had been silenced by the gun – many of them were killed in cold blood, often after Friday congregation as they come out of the mosques. Today people in Kashmir are genuinely disturbed by the blockade of mobile and internet services. However, may I remind everyone that the Valley had remained incommunicado for six months in the 1991-92 after Hizbul Mujahidden blew up a transmission tower atop Peer Panjal at Banihal. In comparison, the miseries of common people were manifold then. Journalists like me had to look for friends, acquaintances or even rely on a stranger flying to Jammu to carry our typed news stories to our local offices. The telegraph machine in the Central Telegraph Office was resting without connectivity. Indians were treated as second-grade citizens often making them wonder why a State would appease those who were working against it. I remember the words of Rammohan Rao, media advisor to JK government and a seasoned bureaucrat, “Well, India is a soft state; can’t be seen as being harsh to those against us.” A Jordanian envoy visiting Kashmir had rattled Governor `Gary’ Saxena when he said that ‘India is a soft State, you have no guts to take on the enemy within.’ The envoy was a member of the diplomatic corps invited by the PV Narsimha Rao government to visit Kashmir. He had read local newspapers in his guest house and was aghast to see the anti-India coverage in Urdu and English newspapers. He had thrown the papers at Saxena’s desk and asked him how a government could allow it to happen? An Israeli high-up on a secret visit to Kashmir in the mid-1990s also told the government that it can never crush terror as long as anti-India supporters were allowed a free run. Contrary to expectations, the return of an elected government led by Farooq Abdullah was a boon to ‘Pakistanis’; they had turned into power brokers. The new dispensation was too keen to appease them with government bungalows and other largesse. The man in the street got his clue – it was prudent to be seen on the side of ‘Pakistanis’ for survival. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How a lobby supporting Pakistan prospered in Jammu and Kashmir

Pakistan has been responding hysterically since the time Indian government scrapped Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir is all Pakistan talks about these days. First, Islamabad downgraded diplomatic ties with India, suspended trade, Samjhauta and Thar Express and then announced that there will be no talks with India till India withdraws its decision of abrogating Article 370 and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs).&nbsp;

Pakistan tried to portray a manipulated picture with false narratives, however, got no traction from global leaders. It stands isolated. US President Donald Trump, who had earlier offered mediation between the two countries, termed Kashmir a bilateral issue after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recently held G7 Summit.

Ignoring Khan's appeal, Islamic countries have also maintained that Kashmir is India's integral issue. In fact, UAE honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the 'Order of Zayed', country's highest civilian award.

Moreover, the Taliban has strongly criticised Pakistan for linking the Kashmir issue&nbsp;with the situation in Afghanistan

Pakistan is now&nbsp;making embarrassing statements, organising protests and fighting a war on social media, instead of accepting the reality. Deserted on the global platform, Pakistan Prime Minister even threatened India with a Nuclear war.

Several ministers in the Pakistan government have repeated the war rhetoric of their prime minister. The neighbours also tested nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile last week to spread the war hysteria.

It's high time Islamabad wake up and smell the coffee. They need to set their own house in order. &nbsp;

On the economic front, the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) of the global terror financing and money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has put Pakistan in the Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List for failing to comply with commitments.

The development makes it more difficult for the South Asian country to leave FATF's grey list and can expedite its process of blacklisting in October's FATF plenary.&nbsp;

Imran Khan is also facing the ire of Pakistan's opposition parties for failing to handle the Kasmir situation.

Other than the crippling economy, Pakistan also needs to focus on increasing cases of forced conversions and alleged atrocities on civilians in Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Islamabad must&nbsp;realise that irrational reactions and baseless statements won't get them attention. The global community has understood and supported India's decision and rightly so.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Pakistan has been responding hysterically since the time Indian government scrapped Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir is all Pakistan talks about these days.

Pakistan has been responding hysterically since the time Indian government scrapped Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir is all Pakistan talks about these days. First, Islamabad downgraded diplomatic ties with India, suspended trade, Samjhauta and Thar Express and then announced that there will be no talks with India till India withdraws its decision of abrogating Article 370 and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs). Pakistan tried to portray a manipulated picture with false narratives, however, got no traction from global leaders. It stands isolated. US President Donald Trump, who had earlier offered mediation between the two countries, termed Kashmir a bilateral issue after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recently held G7 Summit. Ignoring Khan's appeal, Islamic countries have also maintained that Kashmir is India's integral issue. In fact, UAE honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the 'Order of Zayed', country's highest civilian award. Moreover, the Taliban has strongly criticised Pakistan for linking the Kashmir issue with the situation in Afghanistan Pakistan is now making embarrassing statements, organising protests and fighting a war on social media, instead of accepting the reality. Deserted on the global platform, Pakistan Prime Minister even threatened India with a Nuclear war. Several ministers in the Pakistan government have repeated the war rhetoric of their prime minister. The neighbours also tested nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile last week to spread the war hysteria. It's high time Islamabad wake up and smell the coffee. They need to set their own house in order. On the economic front, the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) of the global terror financing and money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has put Pakistan in the Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List for failing to comply with commitments. The development makes it more difficult for the South Asian country to leave FATF's grey list and can expedite its process of blacklisting in October's FATF plenary. Imran Khan is also facing the ire of Pakistan's opposition parties for failing to handle the Kasmir situation. Other than the crippling economy, Pakistan also needs to focus on increasing cases of forced conversions and alleged atrocities on civilians in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Islamabad must realise that irrational reactions and baseless statements won't get them attention. The global community has understood and supported India's decision and rightly so. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Pakistan is left with no option on Jammu and Kashmir

The Counter Insurgency Force (Uniform) of Indian Army is organising the first Army recruitment rally in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.&nbsp;

The seven days recruitment rally through Army Recruitment Office, Jammu, commenced on September 3 at Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) of Jammu and Kashmir Police at Talwara, Reasi and will continue till September 9.

"This rally is being conducted to provide employment to youth from seven districts - Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Ramban and Reasi," Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said in a release.

"Over 29,000 aspiring youths from Jammu Region have registered and are likely to be screened for their physical and medical fitness during the week-long Army recruitment rally in Reasi. On the first day of the rally, more than 2,500 candidates from districts of Kishtwar and Ramban converged for the physical fitness tests," the release added.

The vacancies are open for six categories which are Soldier General Duty, Soldier Technical, Soldier Technical Nursing Assistance (AMC)/ Soldier Technical Nursing Assistance Veterinary, Soldier Clerk, Store Keeper Technical and Soldier Tradesman.&nbsp;

The recruitment process is divided into several categories and rounds which include physical fitness test, medical test and written test. Selected candidates will be inducted into the various arms and services of the Indian Army.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Counter Insurgency Force (Uniform) of Indian Army is organising the first Army recruitment rally in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. The seven days recruitment rally through Army Recruitment Office, Jammu, commenced on September 3 at Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) of Jammu and Kashmir Police at Talwara, Reasi and will continue till September 9.

The Counter Insurgency Force (Uniform) of Indian Army is organising the first Army recruitment rally in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. The seven days recruitment rally through Army Recruitment Office, Jammu, commenced on September 3 at Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) of Jammu and Kashmir Police at Talwara, Reasi and will continue till September 9. "This rally is being conducted to provide employment to youth from seven districts - Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Ramban and Reasi," Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said in a release. "Over 29,000 aspiring youths from Jammu Region have registered and are likely to be screened for their physical and medical fitness during the week-long Army recruitment rally in Reasi. On the first day of the rally, more than 2,500 candidates from districts of Kishtwar and Ramban converged for the physical fitness tests," the release added. The vacancies are open for six categories which are Soldier General Duty, Soldier Technical, Soldier Technical Nursing Assistance (AMC)/ Soldier Technical Nursing Assistance Veterinary, Soldier Clerk, Store Keeper Technical and Soldier Tradesman. The recruitment process is divided into several categories and rounds which include physical fitness test, medical test and written test. Selected candidates will be inducted into the various arms and services of the Indian Army.

First Army recruitment rally in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 commences at Reasi

In this segment of WION, watch the story of a changing Kashmir.

Watch: The story of a changing Kashmir

The challenges following the historic revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status straddle two broad categories. First, maintaining peace in the Valley in the immediate aftermath of the Parliament approving the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. That phase is now over.&nbsp;

The second, more difficult task, is to sustain peace in the Valley in the long term. There is a powerful confluence of vested interests arrayed against allowing peace to settle in the Valley.&nbsp;

Pakistan has used Kashmir to prosecute its 30-year-long proxy war with India. The end of J&amp;K’s special status has dealt Islamabad an existentialist blow.&nbsp;

At the meeting this week between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump at the G7 Summit in France, the bogey of US “mediation” in J&amp;K was buried.&nbsp;

By unleashing jihad in Kashmir three decades ago, the renegade Pakistani Army sought not only to make India bleed by a thousand cuts, but to stamp its centrality within Pakistan. Globally, it projected Pakistan as a victim of Indian aggression in a disputed territory. That narrative is now thoroughly discredited.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared publicly that the only topic of discussion henceforth with Pakistan — once it ceases sponsoring terrorism against India — will be Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). His statement that India’s no-first-use nuclear doctrine is no longer cast in stone has further unnerved Islamabad. By responding with nuclear jingoism, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has exposed Islamabad’s paranoia.&nbsp;

Low-intensity jihad is a lucrative business. It has helped boost Pakistan’s defence budget to nearly 4 per cent&nbsp;of GDP, among the highest ratios in the world. The Pakistani Army skims the cream off defence contracts into the foreign accounts of Rawalpindi’s Generals. The last 30 years have built the personal wealth of Pakistan’s senior military officers. Unlike armed forces officers in democracies, they suffer no oversight from the civilian government. That business model could be disrupted by India’s new policy on Pakistan and J&amp;K.&nbsp;

Hurriyat separatists are the other big losers in J&amp;K’s new status, liberated from the suffocating grip of Article 370. The Hurriyat reports to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, through the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. The separatists act as a conduit for the ISI’s terror funding. They also provide ready cash to stone pelters to hinder counter-terror operations by Indian security forces. That business model, too, is now broken.&nbsp;

What about mainstream political leaders “locked up” in palace hotels and guest houses? This week, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti declined the government’s offer of conditional release. Some argue that India has alienated these legitimate representatives of the Valley. That is debatable. The Valley’s feudal dynasts, who won rigged elections in the past and spoke with forked tongues in support of separatists, are part of J&amp;K’s discredited political ecosystem. &nbsp;Within this ecosystem flourishes corruption, nepotism and misgovernance. Elections in the new delimited J&amp;K Assembly will separate the wheat from the chaff.&nbsp;

Another key to returning Kashmir to normalcy will be the success of the global investors conference to be held in J&amp;K in October. Co-hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the conference is expected to attract companies ranging from Reliance Industries and Kotak-Mahindra Bank to multi-nationals in infrastructure, healthcare, hospitality and information technology.&nbsp;

For the first time in 70 years, non-Kashmiri employees of these companies will be able to enrol their children in government schools in J&amp;K.&nbsp;

Not everyone in India is happy with the liberation of Kashmir from the chains Article 370 bound it in for 70 years. In a democracy, dissent is both welcome and necessary. A plurality of voices helps provide nuance to every issue. Let’s examine two such voices.&nbsp;

The first is Pratap Bhanu Mehta, vice-chancellor of Ashoka University. Mehta wrote recently in a leading daily criticising the Supreme Court’s anodyne reaction to several petitions filed with it against the abrogation of Article 370:

“Our legal abdication on liberties is a sign that we are not ready to treat Kashmiris as ordinary Indians and that we are willing to debase ourselves in the face of an executive that is acting more colonially than a colonial power.” Mehta is wrong. Parliament reflects the collective will of the people, a point the Supreme Court, too, made during the brief hearing it gave the petitioners. To portray an empowering legislation on Article 370, approved by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as worse than the action of a colonial power, as Mehta does, exhibits prejudice, not reason.&nbsp;

The second example is equally telling. Ashok Varshney, a professor at Brown University, wrote in the same daily: “Only in one democratic sense — democracy as a system of electoral power — can the decision to change Kashmir’s status be called potentially legitimate. In all other democratic senses, we have witnessed severely anti-democratic conduct. It was electorally-enabled brute majoritarianism.”&nbsp;

The speciousness of this argument is obvious. Democracy is not a malleable concept. If majoritarianism is bad in the rest of India — and it is — it is bad in J&amp;K as well. Varshney can’t have it both ways: good in J&amp;K, bad in the rest of India.&nbsp;

The next few weeks will reveal how Kashmiris react to their new status — and how Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and the corrupt local political ecosystem come to terms with their own diminished status.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-kashmir-winning-the-peace-2785720">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The challenges following the historic revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status straddle two broad categories. First, maintaining peace in the Valley in the immediate aftermath of the Parliament approving the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

The challenges following the historic revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status straddle two broad categories. First, maintaining peace in the Valley in the immediate aftermath of the Parliament approving the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. That phase is now over. The second, more difficult task, is to sustain peace in the Valley in the long term. There is a powerful confluence of vested interests arrayed against allowing peace to settle in the Valley. Pakistan has used Kashmir to prosecute its 30-year-long proxy war with India. The end of J&K’s special status has dealt Islamabad an existentialist blow. At the meeting this week between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump at the G7 Summit in France, the bogey of US “mediation” in J&K was buried. By unleashing jihad in Kashmir three decades ago, the renegade Pakistani Army sought not only to make India bleed by a thousand cuts, but to stamp its centrality within Pakistan. Globally, it projected Pakistan as a victim of Indian aggression in a disputed territory. That narrative is now thoroughly discredited. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declared publicly that the only topic of discussion henceforth with Pakistan — once it ceases sponsoring terrorism against India — will be Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). His statement that India’s no-first-use nuclear doctrine is no longer cast in stone has further unnerved Islamabad. By responding with nuclear jingoism, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has exposed Islamabad’s paranoia. Low-intensity jihad is a lucrative business. It has helped boost Pakistan’s defence budget to nearly 4 per cent of GDP, among the highest ratios in the world. The Pakistani Army skims the cream off defence contracts into the foreign accounts of Rawalpindi’s Generals. The last 30 years have built the personal wealth of Pakistan’s senior military officers. Unlike armed forces officers in democracies, they suffer no oversight from the civilian government. That business model could be disrupted by India’s new policy on Pakistan and J&K. Hurriyat separatists are the other big losers in J&K’s new status, liberated from the suffocating grip of Article 370. The Hurriyat reports to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, through the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. The separatists act as a conduit for the ISI’s terror funding. They also provide ready cash to stone pelters to hinder counter-terror operations by Indian security forces. That business model, too, is now broken. What about mainstream political leaders “locked up” in palace hotels and guest houses? This week, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti declined the government’s offer of conditional release. Some argue that India has alienated these legitimate representatives of the Valley. That is debatable. The Valley’s feudal dynasts, who won rigged elections in the past and spoke with forked tongues in support of separatists, are part of J&K’s discredited political ecosystem. Within this ecosystem flourishes corruption, nepotism and misgovernance. Elections in the new delimited J&K Assembly will separate the wheat from the chaff. Another key to returning Kashmir to normalcy will be the success of the global investors conference to be held in J&K in October. Co-hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the conference is expected to attract companies ranging from Reliance Industries and Kotak-Mahindra Bank to multi-nationals in infrastructure, healthcare, hospitality and information technology. For the first time in 70 years, non-Kashmiri employees of these companies will be able to enrol their children in government schools in J&K. Not everyone in India is happy with the liberation of Kashmir from the chains Article 370 bound it in for 70 years. In a democracy, dissent is both welcome and necessary. A plurality of voices helps provide nuance to every issue. Let’s examine two such voices. The first is Pratap Bhanu Mehta, vice-chancellor of Ashoka University. Mehta wrote recently in a leading daily criticising the Supreme Court’s anodyne reaction to several petitions filed with it against the abrogation of Article 370: “Our legal abdication on liberties is a sign that we are not ready to treat Kashmiris as ordinary Indians and that we are willing to debase ourselves in the face of an executive that is acting more colonially than a colonial power.” Mehta is wrong. Parliament reflects the collective will of the people, a point the Supreme Court, too, made during the brief hearing it gave the petitioners. To portray an empowering legislation on Article 370, approved by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as worse than the action of a colonial power, as Mehta does, exhibits prejudice, not reason. The second example is equally telling. Ashok Varshney, a professor at Brown University, wrote in the same daily: “Only in one democratic sense — democracy as a system of electoral power — can the decision to change Kashmir’s status be called potentially legitimate. In all other democratic senses, we have witnessed severely anti-democratic conduct. It was electorally-enabled brute majoritarianism.” The speciousness of this argument is obvious. Democracy is not a malleable concept. If majoritarianism is bad in the rest of India — and it is — it is bad in J&K as well. Varshney can’t have it both ways: good in J&K, bad in the rest of India. The next few weeks will reveal how Kashmiris react to their new status — and how Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and the corrupt local political ecosystem come to terms with their own diminished status. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

With many shibboleths shattered, big challenge for India now is to maintain peace in Jammu and Kashmir

Ever since the Union government decided to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and to divide the state into two Union territories – Jammu &amp; Kashmir and Ladakh, all efforts have been made to restore full normalcy in Kashmir.&nbsp;

In turn, no major incident of mass protest or loss of life and property has so far been reported in the Valley. However, China and Pakistan have unsuccessfully tried to internationalise the issue.

True, Kashmir has been a major bone of contention between India and Pakistan since the Partition. But it is also a fact that the erstwhile state, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has been an undisputed part of India since 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, following the attack by Pakistan-sponsored tribesman.&nbsp;

Subsequently, the purpose of inserting temporary Articles 370 and 35 (A) was to expedite the process of integration of the state with the rest of India.&nbsp;

Sadly, over the last 70 years, these provisions, coupled with vested interests of regional political parties and separatist groups, the era of coalition politics and the Congress party’s half-hearted approach to address the Kashmir problem, have chocked developmental activities in Jammu &amp; Kashmir.&nbsp;

While the Modi government’s decision has received overwhelming support in Parliament and outside, Pakistan is trying hard to project an alarming picture of Kashmir before the international community.&nbsp;

In doing so, the Imran Khan government has downgraded diplomatic ties with India by expelling Ajay Bisaria, India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan. Islamabad has also stopped bilateral trade and the Samjhauta Express, among other unilateral steps. &nbsp;

However, the fact remains that the international community’s reaction to the recent changes concerning Jammu &amp; Kashmir has largely been in India’s favour.&nbsp;

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, refused to intervene in the Kashmir matter, invoking the Shimla Agreement of 1972 that does not allow third-party mediation in this issue.&nbsp;

Russia has also endorsed the Modi government’s move, saying the abrogation of Article 370 is an internal affair of India. The US has said that both India and Pakistan should maintain restraint and hold direct talks to resolve the Kashmir issue while South Asian countries, including Bangladesh and Maldives, have backed India.&nbsp;

In a surprise development, the Taliban strongly criticised Pakistan for linking the increased tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi with the situation in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahed said, “The issue of Afghanistan is not related to Kashmir,” and urged India and Pakistan not to turn Afghanistan into the “theatre of competition between other countries.”&nbsp;

The Taliban’s statement is very important for India: First, it shows the outfit’s desire to hold talks with New Delhi and second, the Taliban does not want to be seen as a puppet of Pakistan.&nbsp;

This, in turn, will help India protect its interests in Afghanistan, given the fact that over the years, New Delhi has invested over $3 billion in development activities in this country.&nbsp;

China is the only major country that has criticised India’s recent decision concerning Jammu &amp; Kashmir. The reason for China’s criticism emerges from the fact that it enjoys a close relationship with Pakistan. Additionally, the Union territory of Ladakh also includes Aksai Chin, which is currently under China’s control.&nbsp;

In turn, India has re-emphasised its claim over this area. New Delhi would also be in a better position to effectively deal with any Pakistani and Chinese design, especially since the CPEC passes through this region.&nbsp;

With the Security Council refusing to interfere in the Kashmir issue, efforts towards accelerating development activities and strengthening democratic institutions should be a major priority for the government.

It will ensure that the people of Kashmir do not again fall into the trap of separatist groups and other vested interests in the Valley.&nbsp; 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-time-to-open-line-with-taliban-to-safeguard-afghan-interests-2785722">original article</a>) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Ever since the Union government decided to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and to divide the state into two Union territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, all efforts have been made to restore full normalcy in Kashmir.

Ever since the Union government decided to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and to divide the state into two Union territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, all efforts have been made to restore full normalcy in Kashmir. In turn, no major incident of mass protest or loss of life and property has so far been reported in the Valley. However, China and Pakistan have unsuccessfully tried to internationalise the issue. True, Kashmir has been a major bone of contention between India and Pakistan since the Partition. But it is also a fact that the erstwhile state, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has been an undisputed part of India since 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, following the attack by Pakistan-sponsored tribesman. Subsequently, the purpose of inserting temporary Articles 370 and 35 (A) was to expedite the process of integration of the state with the rest of India. Sadly, over the last 70 years, these provisions, coupled with vested interests of regional political parties and separatist groups, the era of coalition politics and the Congress party’s half-hearted approach to address the Kashmir problem, have chocked developmental activities in Jammu & Kashmir. While the Modi government’s decision has received overwhelming support in Parliament and outside, Pakistan is trying hard to project an alarming picture of Kashmir before the international community. In doing so, the Imran Khan government has downgraded diplomatic ties with India by expelling Ajay Bisaria, India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan. Islamabad has also stopped bilateral trade and the Samjhauta Express, among other unilateral steps. However, the fact remains that the international community’s reaction to the recent changes concerning Jammu & Kashmir has largely been in India’s favour. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, refused to intervene in the Kashmir matter, invoking the Shimla Agreement of 1972 that does not allow third-party mediation in this issue. Russia has also endorsed the Modi government’s move, saying the abrogation of Article 370 is an internal affair of India. The US has said that both India and Pakistan should maintain restraint and hold direct talks to resolve the Kashmir issue while South Asian countries, including Bangladesh and Maldives, have backed India. In a surprise development, the Taliban strongly criticised Pakistan for linking the increased tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi with the situation in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahed said, “The issue of Afghanistan is not related to Kashmir,” and urged India and Pakistan not to turn Afghanistan into the “theatre of competition between other countries.” The Taliban’s statement is very important for India: First, it shows the outfit’s desire to hold talks with New Delhi and second, the Taliban does not want to be seen as a puppet of Pakistan. This, in turn, will help India protect its interests in Afghanistan, given the fact that over the years, New Delhi has invested over $3 billion in development activities in this country. China is the only major country that has criticised India’s recent decision concerning Jammu & Kashmir. The reason for China’s criticism emerges from the fact that it enjoys a close relationship with Pakistan. Additionally, the Union territory of Ladakh also includes Aksai Chin, which is currently under China’s control. In turn, India has re-emphasised its claim over this area. New Delhi would also be in a better position to effectively deal with any Pakistani and Chinese design, especially since the CPEC passes through this region. With the Security Council refusing to interfere in the Kashmir issue, efforts towards accelerating development activities and strengthening democratic institutions should be a major priority for the government. It will ensure that the people of Kashmir do not again fall into the trap of separatist groups and other vested interests in the Valley. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Taliban’s statement on Jammu and Kashmir is very important for India

Major Focus on Education in J&K, 5 new medical colleges to be opened.

Economic Agenda for J&K announced

From the time the government&nbsp;revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&amp;K) and split the state into two Union Territories (UTs), opposition leaders have used the move to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;Although the decision was taken to improve the security situation and facilitate smooth integration of J&amp;K with India.

Rahul Gandhi, who ran 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' campaign against the Prime Minister (targetting the PM as a corrupt leader) during Lok Sabha elections, this time too used the decision on Jammu and Kashmir to slam the government.

Several Congress leaders including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora supported the abrogation of Article 370, however, Rahul Gandhi tried to steal the limelight by criticising the government and PM Modi.

Furthermore, a section of Congress's senior leadership came out in support of the decision, saying that demonising Prime Minister Narendra Modi won't help Congress. Jairam Ramesh said that&nbsp;Modi's governance model was not a "complete negative story". Echoing Ramesh's views, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said by demonising Modi all the time Congress was, in a way, is helping him.

Shashi Tharoor also joined the two&nbsp;leaders, saying that praising Modi for the right things he does would lend credibility to Congress's criticism of him.

It's worth noting here that after Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections, political&nbsp;pundits and a few Congress leaders had alerted Rahul Gandhi to refrain from launching negative campaigns against Narendra Modi.

Some even questioned Rahul's leadership skills and blamed him for keeping self above the party. But Rahul paid no heed to them.

The worry and concern of party leaders actually proved to be correct when Pakistan on Tuesday quoted Rahul Gandhi in its petition to the United Nations over India's decision to scrap Article 370.

Issuing a clarification, Rahul Gandhi asserted that J&amp;K is India's internal matter and Pakistan has no right to interfere in it. He further said that the terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan.

Rahul, once again, came under the fire for giving Pakistan a reason to showcase India in a bad light in front of the international community. Like his senior party colleagues, Rahul should have supported the government's decision on Kashmir because it&nbsp;serves India's national security interests.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi had to step down as Congress President following his party's poor performance in Lok Sabha elections and now with Pakistan using his name to score points on the international front, he has met another blow. 
 
It's high time he realises that negative politics and his strategy to attack BJP and PM Modi all the time, would only harm his credibility.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

From the time the government revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and split the state into two Union Territories (UTs), opposition leaders have used the move to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

From the time the government revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and split the state into two Union Territories (UTs), opposition leaders have used the move to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Although the decision was taken to improve the security situation and facilitate smooth integration of J&K with India. Rahul Gandhi, who ran 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' campaign against the Prime Minister (targetting the PM as a corrupt leader) during Lok Sabha elections, this time too used the decision on Jammu and Kashmir to slam the government. Several Congress leaders including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora supported the abrogation of Article 370, however, Rahul Gandhi tried to steal the limelight by criticising the government and PM Modi. Furthermore, a section of Congress's senior leadership came out in support of the decision, saying that demonising Prime Minister Narendra Modi won't help Congress. Jairam Ramesh said that Modi's governance model was not a "complete negative story". Echoing Ramesh's views, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said by demonising Modi all the time Congress was, in a way, is helping him. Shashi Tharoor also joined the two leaders, saying that praising Modi for the right things he does would lend credibility to Congress's criticism of him. It's worth noting here that after Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections, political pundits and a few Congress leaders had alerted Rahul Gandhi to refrain from launching negative campaigns against Narendra Modi. Some even questioned Rahul's leadership skills and blamed him for keeping self above the party. But Rahul paid no heed to them. The worry and concern of party leaders actually proved to be correct when Pakistan on Tuesday quoted Rahul Gandhi in its petition to the United Nations over India's decision to scrap Article 370. Issuing a clarification, Rahul Gandhi asserted that J&K is India's internal matter and Pakistan has no right to interfere in it. He further said that the terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is sponsored by Pakistan. Rahul, once again, came under the fire for giving Pakistan a reason to showcase India in a bad light in front of the international community. Like his senior party colleagues, Rahul should have supported the government's decision on Kashmir because it serves India's national security interests. Rahul Gandhi had to step down as Congress President following his party's poor performance in Lok Sabha elections and now with Pakistan using his name to score points on the international front, he has met another blow. It's high time he realises that negative politics and his strategy to attack BJP and PM Modi all the time, would only harm his credibility. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Article 370 abrogation: Rahul Gandhi should listen to his 'constructive critics'

50,000 Jobs Announced for J&K

Jammu and Kashmir(J&amp;K) Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday announced 50,000 jobs were available in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-to-provide-75-subsidy-for-setting-mega-food-parks-in-jammu-and-kashmir-mos-rameshwar-teli-246050">J&amp;K administration</a> as he appealed to the youth to get involved.

"We appeal to the youth to get involved with full vigor, in the coming two or three months we will fill these positions," Governor&nbsp;Satya Pal Malik declared.

The governor said mobiles will go live in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/20-nri-businessmen-keen-to-participate-in-jammu-and-kashmir-investment-meet-india-245388">ten districts in J&amp;K</a> while it will be made available in two districts in Ladakh.

"The medium of phone and Internet is used less by us and mostly by terrorists and Pakistanis as well as for mobilisation and indoctrination. It is a kind of weapon used against us so we have stopped it. The services will be resumed gradually," the governor maintained.

"We are opening mobile phone connectivity in Kupwara and Handwara districts(of Kashmir), soon we will open connectivity in other districts as well," Governor Satya Pal Malik said.&nbsp;

The governor while outlining his economic agenda&nbsp;added that five new medical colleges will be opened in J&amp;K.

The governor said: "Every Kashmiri life is valuable to us, we don't want loss of even a single life. There have&nbsp;been no civilian casualties, only a&nbsp;few who turned violent were&nbsp;injured." &nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday announced 50,000 jobs were available in the J&K administration as he appealed to the youth to get involved.

Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday announced 50,000 jobs were available in the J&K administration as he appealed to the youth to get involved. "We appeal to the youth to get involved with full vigor, in the coming two or three months we will fill these positions," Governor Satya Pal Malik declared. The governor said mobiles will go live in ten districts in J&K while it will be made available in two districts in Ladakh. "The medium of phone and Internet is used less by us and mostly by terrorists and Pakistanis as well as for mobilisation and indoctrination. It is a kind of weapon used against us so we have stopped it. The services will be resumed gradually," the governor maintained. "We are opening mobile phone connectivity in Kupwara and Handwara districts(of Kashmir), soon we will open connectivity in other districts as well," Governor Satya Pal Malik said. The governor while outlining his economic agenda added that five new medical colleges will be opened in J&K. The governor said: "Every Kashmiri life is valuable to us, we don't want loss of even a single life. There have been no civilian casualties, only a few who turned violent were injured."

Governor Satya Pal Malik outlines J&K's economic plan; announces 50,000 government jobs for youth

<div class="content" itemprop="articleBody">
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday called for redrawing the Indian map which shows not only <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-has-been-changing-demography-of-pok-gilgit-baltistan-activists-240014">Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK)</a> as its territory but also <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gilgit-baltistan-in-open-letter-says-pakistan-only-an-assumed-supervisor-236089">Gilgit-Baltistan</a>.

"When we speak of our boundaries, they are not our boundaries. We have boundaries far beyond them. I say when we redraw Indian map, we should include not just PoK but also Gilgit-Baltistan," he said during an event in Delhi.

Listing out schemes and infrastructure projects implemented by the Centre in the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said that he would want to bring in people of 'opposite ideology' and debate with them.

"It is a matter of research why these people curse the Army that protects them. Today, we are in a position to question them... Why should we waste our resources on protection of those who are enemies of the nation," asked Singh.

Giving a blueprint of how to ensure that local residents of the border areas who are considered the first line of defence stay intact, RSS Sah Sarkaryavah Krishna Gopal said the onus of this lies on those living in the cities.

"The onus to ensure that the first line of defence of boundaries -- the locals -- remain intact lies on the rest of India. You need to ensure you visit them and provide your services. The government cannot do it alone," said the senior RSS functionary.

The RSS is rooting for a strong bond with the bordering regions of the country, asking citizens to visit these areas regularly and be vigilant as the government alone cannot be tasked with protecting national sovereignty.

Gopal said the people from the rest of the country need to provide their services to them even if they do not ask for. "Treat these 11,000 villages as pilgrimages, donate and serve, they will be yours," he said.
</div>

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday called for redrawing the Indian map which shows not only Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as its territory but also Gilgit-Baltistan.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday called for redrawing the Indian map which shows not only Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as its territory but also Gilgit-Baltistan. "When we speak of our boundaries, they are not our boundaries. We have boundaries far beyond them. I say when we redraw Indian map, we should include not just PoK but also Gilgit-Baltistan," he said during an event in Delhi. Listing out schemes and infrastructure projects implemented by the Centre in the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said that he would want to bring in people of 'opposite ideology' and debate with them. "It is a matter of research why these people curse the Army that protects them. Today, we are in a position to question them... Why should we waste our resources on protection of those who are enemies of the nation," asked Singh. Giving a blueprint of how to ensure that local residents of the border areas who are considered the first line of defence stay intact, RSS Sah Sarkaryavah Krishna Gopal said the onus of this lies on those living in the cities. "The onus to ensure that the first line of defence of boundaries -- the locals -- remain intact lies on the rest of India. You need to ensure you visit them and provide your services. The government cannot do it alone," said the senior RSS functionary. The RSS is rooting for a strong bond with the bordering regions of the country, asking citizens to visit these areas regularly and be vigilant as the government alone cannot be tasked with protecting national sovereignty. Gopal said the people from the rest of the country need to provide their services to them even if they do not ask for. "Treat these 11,000 villages as pilgrimages, donate and serve, they will be yours," he said.

Redraw Indian map with PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided that a Constitution Bench will hear the pleas on the issue of abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge Constitution Bench will hear the pleas and the hearing will commence in the first week of October.

Supreme Court: J&K matter to be heard in October

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to reopen high schools from Wednesday in the areas of Kashmir where restrictions have already been lifted, an official release said.

At a joint press briefing here by Director Information and Public Relations, Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, Director School Education Kashmir, Muhammad Younis Malik and Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal said that the government has decided to reopen high schools in the areas where restrictions have been removed.

Several restrictions were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir as a "precautionary measure" earlier this month when the Centre scrapped the state`s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into two union territories.

The government said that day time restrictions have been lifted from 81 police station areas and it would be eased out in ten more police station areas by Thursday.

"The police stations where restrictions were lifted include north Kashmir`s Hajin, Kreeri, Dangiwacha and Vilgam. In south Kashmir, the police stations include Anantnag, Kulgam, Tral and Shopian. Similarly, in central Kashmir, the police stations where restrictions have been removed include Nishat, Shergari, Beerwah and Chrar-e-Sharief," read the statement."

No major law and order incident was reported from anywhere across the Valley," it said.

The government said that the landlines are being restored in the areas where restrictions have been lifted with 15 more exchanges having been operationalised across the Valley.&nbsp;

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to reopen high schools from Wednesday in the areas of Kashmir where restrictions have already been lifted, an official release said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to reopen high schools from Wednesday in the areas of Kashmir where restrictions have already been lifted, an official release said. At a joint press briefing here by Director Information and Public Relations, Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, Director School Education Kashmir, Muhammad Younis Malik and Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal said that the government has decided to reopen high schools in the areas where restrictions have been removed. Several restrictions were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir as a "precautionary measure" earlier this month when the Centre scrapped the state`s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into two union territories. The government said that day time restrictions have been lifted from 81 police station areas and it would be eased out in ten more police station areas by Thursday. "The police stations where restrictions were lifted include north Kashmir`s Hajin, Kreeri, Dangiwacha and Vilgam. In south Kashmir, the police stations include Anantnag, Kulgam, Tral and Shopian. Similarly, in central Kashmir, the police stations where restrictions have been removed include Nishat, Shergari, Beerwah and Chrar-e-Sharief," read the statement." No major law and order incident was reported from anywhere across the Valley," it said. The government said that the landlines are being restored in the areas where restrictions have been lifted with 15 more exchanges having been operationalised across the Valley.

High schools to reopen in areas where restrictions have been lifted: J&K administration

Rameshwar Teli, minister of state (MoS) for food processing and industries on Tuesday said that government will provide 75 per cent subsidy to the those interested in setting up Mega Food Park in Jammu and Kashmir.

Outlining that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-abrogation-of-article-370-key-implications-240936">abrogation of Article 370 </a>has paved way for establishment of food parks in Jammu and Kashmir, Teli said that companies will now look forward to setting up big food industries in the valley.

"Our budget is of Rs 1,400 Crore and our department will provide maximum aid to set up a mega food park in Jammu and Kashmir. The government will provide 75 per cent subsidy if any state government or entrepreneur sets up a mega food park in the region. We hope that farmers will also take advantage of the schemes of our department. We also want no food produced in Jammu and Kashmir should be wasted," said Teli while addressing the reporters.

Teli further announced that his department will be holding a roadshow in the state to spread awareness about government schemes.

"Similarly, we will be conducting a roadshow in Nagaland tomorrow in order to promote our schemes and spread awareness among the farmers over there. This show would also spread awareness about wastage of food there," Teli added.

According to Teli, many local entrepreneurs had turned up at his office in order to set up a food park in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The major problem to set up a mega food park is that it requires at least 50 acres of land but in a region and terrain like this, it is difficult to get such a big piece of land. So, we are trying that we should start by setting up mini food parks in about 20-21 acres of land," said Teli.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Rameshwar Teli, minister of state (MoS) for food processing and industries on Tuesday said that government will provide 75 per cent subsidy to the those interested in setting up Mega Food Park in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rameshwar Teli, minister of state (MoS) for food processing and industries on Tuesday said that government will provide 75 per cent subsidy to the those interested in setting up Mega Food Park in Jammu and Kashmir. Outlining that abrogation of Article 370 has paved way for establishment of food parks in Jammu and Kashmir, Teli said that companies will now look forward to setting up big food industries in the valley. "Our budget is of Rs 1,400 Crore and our department will provide maximum aid to set up a mega food park in Jammu and Kashmir. The government will provide 75 per cent subsidy if any state government or entrepreneur sets up a mega food park in the region. We hope that farmers will also take advantage of the schemes of our department. We also want no food produced in Jammu and Kashmir should be wasted," said Teli while addressing the reporters. Teli further announced that his department will be holding a roadshow in the state to spread awareness about government schemes. "Similarly, we will be conducting a roadshow in Nagaland tomorrow in order to promote our schemes and spread awareness among the farmers over there. This show would also spread awareness about wastage of food there," Teli added. According to Teli, many local entrepreneurs had turned up at his office in order to set up a food park in Jammu and Kashmir. "The major problem to set up a mega food park is that it requires at least 50 acres of land but in a region and terrain like this, it is difficult to get such a big piece of land. So, we are trying that we should start by setting up mini food parks in about 20-21 acres of land," said Teli.

Government to provide 75% subsidy for setting mega food parks in Jammu and Kashmir: MoS Rameshwar Teli

A political activist has lambasted Pakistan for creating turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir for decades by using terrorism as a tool to set its agenda.

Sardar Saghir, a leader of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) told Tanveer Ahmad, a local journalist, that Pakistan has been using terrorists as proxies to create instability in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The indigenous movement of Kashmir`s liberation was sabotaged in 1947 (by Pakistan) by sending Pashtun tribal forces in the region. In the late 1980s, when the people of Jammu and Kashmir launched another movement, it was highjacked (by Pakistan) in 1989 by forming terror groups such as Hizbul Mujahideen and Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen," Saghir said.

"Later, Hafiz Saeed`s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) was also brought in. In 1992-93, we condemned these non-state actors, which were brought in by Pakistan`s spy agencies. It has sabotaged our peaceful struggle. The world community is now looking it as an act of terrorism," he added.

Saghir is one of the vocal activists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), where people are suffering from persecution and terrorism.

"After the 9/11 incident, strict measures were taken against terrorism and our peaceful struggle was backtracked. However, we continued to protest. When Pakistan was pressurised by the international community then besides LeT, they further started promoting Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) headed by Maulana Masood Azhar."

Recently, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan confessed that about 30,000-40,000 terrorists have been trained in some parts of Afghanistan and Kashmir.

The activist added that Pakistan has been using PoK`s territory as a launchpad for terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.

"Now, JeM terrorists are getting trained at a very large scale to infiltrate into India. The world attention was towards the Kashmir valley, but Pakistan`s intelligence agencies have diverted it deliberately. These militants are infiltrating, getting killed and will be killed in future," he said.&nbsp;

A political activist has lambasted Pakistan for creating turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir for decades by using terrorism as a tool to set its agenda. Sardar Saghir, a leader of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) told Tanveer Ahmad, a local journalist, that Pakistan has been using terrorists as proxies to create instability in Jammu and Kashmir.

A political activist has lambasted Pakistan for creating turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir for decades by using terrorism as a tool to set its agenda. Sardar Saghir, a leader of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) told Tanveer Ahmad, a local journalist, that Pakistan has been using terrorists as proxies to create instability in Jammu and Kashmir. "The indigenous movement of Kashmir`s liberation was sabotaged in 1947 (by Pakistan) by sending Pashtun tribal forces in the region. In the late 1980s, when the people of Jammu and Kashmir launched another movement, it was highjacked (by Pakistan) in 1989 by forming terror groups such as Hizbul Mujahideen and Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen," Saghir said. "Later, Hafiz Saeed`s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) was also brought in. In 1992-93, we condemned these non-state actors, which were brought in by Pakistan`s spy agencies. It has sabotaged our peaceful struggle. The world community is now looking it as an act of terrorism," he added. Saghir is one of the vocal activists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), where people are suffering from persecution and terrorism. "After the 9/11 incident, strict measures were taken against terrorism and our peaceful struggle was backtracked. However, we continued to protest. When Pakistan was pressurised by the international community then besides LeT, they further started promoting Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) headed by Maulana Masood Azhar." Recently, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan confessed that about 30,000-40,000 terrorists have been trained in some parts of Afghanistan and Kashmir. The activist added that Pakistan has been using PoK`s territory as a launchpad for terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir. "Now, JeM terrorists are getting trained at a very large scale to infiltrate into India. The world attention was towards the Kashmir valley, but Pakistan`s intelligence agencies have diverted it deliberately. These militants are infiltrating, getting killed and will be killed in future," he said.

Pakistan supports terrorism for creating turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir: PoK activist

Geopolitical situation contributed to the decision to scrap Article 370, but its abrogation has always been part of BJP’s agenda, said Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh.

Geopolitical situation contributed to the decision to scrap Article 370, but its abrogation has always been part of BJP’s agenda, said Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh. In a free-wheeling interview with WION's Kartikeya Sharma, Singh commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling Pakistan’s nuclear bluff. Pakistan has been exposed in the process as world view has come around India’s point of view on Kashmir. “The coming around of the international community is a result of massive foreign outreach by Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading to international isolation of Pakistan,” he said. “PM has created a different narrative that we can hit at the fountainhead of terror. It sends a strong message to Pakistan that any misadventure against India would be at its peril,” the minister said. Speaking about the current situation, he said things in the valley will soon become normal and terrorism would be finished in a year. “The way people did not imagine that terrorism in Punjab would come to an end, the same is happening in Kashmir. Militancy was a product of isolation and now Article 370 has been abrogated, things will become normal in the valley,” said Singh. He said that Article 370 could not be repealed earlier as BJP never had the numbers. He said that old separatist politics has come to an end in the state and new crop of leadership would emerge soon. The minister said that panchayat election will throw up new faces in the valley and we would ensure that they become part of the political process in the state. When asked as to why state leaders have been detained, Jitendra Singh said, "It is not the first time that detentions have happened in Kashmir. Earlier governments also detained people. Things will improve gradually." Singh said that regional imbalance would also be addressed. "Both Ladakh and Jammu had developed a sense of victimhood. We will correct it in terms of both developmental funds and representation. Though elections are still long away in Jammu and Kashmir, the process of delimitation can commence by end of the year,'' he said. Singh said BJP was not afraid that all Kashmiri political parties would gang up against them in the state. “Two former Chief Ministers could stay together in a guest house. How do you expect them to come together on any issue,” he said.

Geopolitical situation contributed to decision to scrap Article 370: Jitendra Singh to WION

An Indian Army soldier lost his life in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Naushera sector on Friday.

The deceased was a Gorkha Rifles soldier.

This is the third Indian casualty since August 17 in the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC.&nbsp;

On August 20, Naik Ravi Ranjan Kumar Singh had lost his life in the ceasefire violation in the Krishna Ghati sector.

On August 17, Lance Naik Sandeep Thapa had lost his life in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.&nbsp;

An Indian Army soldier lost his life in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Naushera sector on Friday. The deceased was a Gorkha Rifles soldier.

An Indian Army soldier lost his life in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Naushera sector on Friday. The deceased was a Gorkha Rifles soldier. This is the third Indian casualty since August 17 in the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC. On August 20, Naik Ravi Ranjan Kumar Singh had lost his life in the ceasefire violation in the Krishna Ghati sector. On August 17, Lance Naik Sandeep Thapa had lost his life in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

Jammu and Kashmir: Army soldier killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistan

Public outreach programmes conducted by the government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Public outreach programmes in Jammu and Kashmir

Bangladesh on Wednesday called the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir as&nbsp;an internal matter of India.

The country's Minister for Foreign Affairs said, "Bangladesh maintains that Article 370's abrogation by Indian Government is an internal issue of India. Bangladesh has always advocated, as matter of principle, that maintaining regional peace and stability, and development should be a priority for all countries."

So far, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/russia-backs-india-on-abrogation-of-article-370-in-jammu-and-kashmir-241948">Russia</a>, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, US, UN have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/article-370-after-uae-and-srilanka-now-maldives-back-indian-governments-move-241339">reacted to India's decision on Kashmir</a>.

The Maldives which is the member of the organisation of Islamic Cooperation was the first neighbouring country to back New Delhi.

While Maldives, UAE, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Thailand have called it an internal matter of India, Saudi and Malaysia have said that India and Pakistan should settle the issues peacefully.

Backing India's decision to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating into two Union Territories, Russia had said earlier, "Change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two union territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India".

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe also welcomed the creation of "Ladakh state" which he said will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority.&nbsp;

The UAE Ambassador Ahmad Al Banna said his country has taken note of the Indian government`s decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and added that it was India`s internal matter aimed at improving efficiency.

"We also took note of the introduction of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in the Indian Parliament aimed at replacing Article 370 with the creation of Ladakh region and the state of Jammu and Kashmir as India`s two new Union Territories," he said.

India abrogated Article 370 which accorded a special status to Jammu and Kashmir after a resolution regarding the same was passed in both houses of the Parliament.

The Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill 2019 was also passed. It strips Jammu and Kashmir's status of a state, converting it into two Union Territories — namely Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).

Bangladesh on Wednesday called the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir as an internal matter of India. The country's Minister for Foreign Affairs said, "Bangladesh maintains that Article 370's abrogation by Indian Government is an internal issue of India.

Bangladesh on Wednesday called the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir as an internal matter of India. The country's Minister for Foreign Affairs said, "Bangladesh maintains that Article 370's abrogation by Indian Government is an internal issue of India. Bangladesh has always advocated, as matter of principle, that maintaining regional peace and stability, and development should be a priority for all countries." So far, Russia, Maldives, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, US, UN have reacted to India's decision on Kashmir. The Maldives which is the member of the organisation of Islamic Cooperation was the first neighbouring country to back New Delhi. While Maldives, UAE, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Thailand have called it an internal matter of India, Saudi and Malaysia have said that India and Pakistan should settle the issues peacefully. Backing India's decision to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating into two Union Territories, Russia had said earlier, "Change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two union territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India". Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe also welcomed the creation of "Ladakh state" which he said will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority. The UAE Ambassador Ahmad Al Banna said his country has taken note of the Indian government`s decision to abrogate Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and added that it was India`s internal matter aimed at improving efficiency. "We also took note of the introduction of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in the Indian Parliament aimed at replacing Article 370 with the creation of Ladakh region and the state of Jammu and Kashmir as India`s two new Union Territories," he said. India abrogated Article 370 which accorded a special status to Jammu and Kashmir after a resolution regarding the same was passed in both houses of the Parliament. The Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill 2019 was also passed. It strips Jammu and Kashmir's status of a state, converting it into two Union Territories — namely Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).

Abrogation of Article 370 is internal matter of India: Bangladesh

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday accorded sanction to the constitution of a committee to deal with the financial matters related to the proposed Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

According to the order, the committee shall be headed by Financial Commissioner, Finance Department.

The members of the Committee are Principal Secretary, Home Department, Commissioner Secretary, Power Development Department, Secretary, General Administration Department and Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

The order said that terms of reference of the committee shall be to realisation and distribution of funds and other related issues concerning the proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh under both Revenue and Capex components.

The administration also accorded sanction to the constitution of a committee to deal with the staff related issues in both the proposed Union Territories.

According to the order, the committee shall be headed by Principal Secretary, Home Department.

The members of the Committee are Commissioner Secretary, Ladakh Affairs Department, Secretary, General Administration Department, Secretary, Culture Department, Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Representative of the Finance Department.

The order said that terms of reference of the committee shall be to suggest measures to be taken for providing staff to the proposed Union Territory of Ladakh and any other issue(s) related to the staff of proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration also accorded sanction for the constitution of a committee for devising modalities for functioning of proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the order, the committee will be chaired by Advisor to Governor K K Sharma and its members will be Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Financial Commissioner with Governor, Principal Secretary, Home Department, Principal Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, Commissioner/Secretary, Public Works (R&amp;B) Department, Commissioner/Secretary, Ladakh Affairs Department, Secretary, General Administration Department, Secretary, Higher Education Department, Secretary Revenue Department and Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

The terms of reference of the committee shall be steps to be taken for the transition from state to proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by various departments and conduct of government business in the proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday accorded sanction to the constitution of a committee to deal with the financial matters related to the proposed Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday accorded sanction to the constitution of a committee to deal with the financial matters related to the proposed Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. According to the order, the committee shall be headed by Financial Commissioner, Finance Department. The members of the Committee are Principal Secretary, Home Department, Commissioner Secretary, Power Development Department, Secretary, General Administration Department and Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. The order said that terms of reference of the committee shall be to realisation and distribution of funds and other related issues concerning the proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh under both Revenue and Capex components. The administration also accorded sanction to the constitution of a committee to deal with the staff related issues in both the proposed Union Territories. According to the order, the committee shall be headed by Principal Secretary, Home Department. The members of the Committee are Commissioner Secretary, Ladakh Affairs Department, Secretary, General Administration Department, Secretary, Culture Department, Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Representative of the Finance Department. The order said that terms of reference of the committee shall be to suggest measures to be taken for providing staff to the proposed Union Territory of Ladakh and any other issue(s) related to the staff of proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration also accorded sanction for the constitution of a committee for devising modalities for functioning of proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the order, the committee will be chaired by Advisor to Governor K K Sharma and its members will be Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Financial Commissioner with Governor, Principal Secretary, Home Department, Principal Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, Commissioner/Secretary, Public Works (R&B) Department, Commissioner/Secretary, Ladakh Affairs Department, Secretary, General Administration Department, Secretary, Higher Education Department, Secretary Revenue Department and Secretary, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. The terms of reference of the committee shall be steps to be taken for the transition from state to proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by various departments and conduct of government business in the proposed Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Panels formed to deal with financial matters, staff issues in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh

A Special Police Officer (SPO) and a terrorist were killed in an encounter that broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Tuesday night.

The gun battle between security forces and armed militants, which had begun on Tuesday evening was concluded early Wednesday morning.

At 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir police tweeted that the encounter was over.

"Encounter is over. One terrorist killed. Identity being ascertained. Arms and ammunition recovered. Our colleague SPO Billal attained martyrdom. SI Amardeep Parihar injured in the incident is being treated at Army Hospital," stated the police in the tweet.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Baramulla update: Encounter is over. One terrorist killed. Identity being ascertained. Arms and ammunition recovered. Our colleague SPO Billal attained martyrdom. SI Amardeep Parihar injured in the incident is being treated at Army Hospital.<a href="https://twitter.com/JmuKmrPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JmuKmrPolice</a>
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/KashmirPolice/status/1163964580726374400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Baramulla update: 
We pay our tribute to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SPO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SPO</a> Billal for the supreme sacrifice made in the line of duty. Our prayers and best wishes for the speedy recovery of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SI</a> Amardeep.<a href="https://twitter.com/JmuKmrPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JmuKmrPolice</a>
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/KashmirPolice/status/1163966493924552704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;Also Sub-inspector, Amardeep Parihar who sustained injuries in the gun battle was admitted to hospital.

This was the first encounter between security forces and terrorists ever since the government abrogated special category status to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 by scraping Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

A Special Police Officer (SPO) and a terrorist were killed in an encounter that broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Tuesday night. The gun battle between security forces and armed militants, which had begun on Tuesday evening was concluded early Wednesday morning.

A Special Police Officer (SPO) and a terrorist were killed in an encounter that broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Tuesday night. The gun battle between security forces and armed militants, which had begun on Tuesday evening was concluded early Wednesday morning. At 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir police tweeted that the encounter was over. "Encounter is over. One terrorist killed. Identity being ascertained. Arms and ammunition recovered. Our colleague SPO Billal attained martyrdom. SI Amardeep Parihar injured in the incident is being treated at Army Hospital," stated the police in the tweet. Baramulla update: Encounter is over. One terrorist killed. Identity being ascertained. Arms and ammunition recovered. Our colleague SPO Billal attained martyrdom. SI Amardeep Parihar injured in the incident is being treated at Army Hospital.@JmuKmrPolice — Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) August 21, 2019 × Baramulla update: We pay our tribute to #SPO Billal for the supreme sacrifice made in the line of duty. Our prayers and best wishes for the speedy recovery of #SI Amardeep.@JmuKmrPolice — Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) August 21, 2019 × Also Sub-inspector, Amardeep Parihar who sustained injuries in the gun battle was admitted to hospital. This was the first encounter between security forces and terrorists ever since the government abrogated special category status to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 by scraping Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

SPO, terrorist killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla

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<div class="content" itemprop="articleBody">
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday issued notification regarding the schedule of hearing of public grievances by Advisors to Governor Satya Pal Malik.

The Directorate of Information, Jammu and Kashmir, stated that in Srinagar, Advisor to Governor, K Vijay Kumar shall now be hearing public grievances on Tuesday, KK Sharma on Friday, K Skandan on Monday and Farooq Khan on Thursday from 10 to 12 noon at Grievance Cell on Church Lane in Sonwar, every week.

Moreover, in Jammu, K Vijay Kumar would hear public grievances on every Thursday, KK Sharma on Tuesday, K Skandan on Friday and Advisor Farooq Khan on Monday from 10 to 12 noon at Banquet Hall on Canal Road, every week.

Earlier on Tuesday, the administration said that normal functioning of large parts of the region was reported on Tuesday with 12 out of 22 districts functioning normally.

Addressing the media, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, Rohit Kansal, who is also government's spokesperson, said that out of 197 police stations across Jammu and Kashmir, 136 police stations have no day time restrictions.

Commenting on the situation of Kashmir valley, Kansal said that middle-level schools would start functioning from Wednesday in the areas where primary schools resumed functioning from Monday.&nbsp;
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The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday issued notification regarding the schedule of hearing of public grievances by Advisors to Governor Satya Pal Malik.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday issued notification regarding the schedule of hearing of public grievances by Advisors to Governor Satya Pal Malik. The Directorate of Information, Jammu and Kashmir, stated that in Srinagar, Advisor to Governor, K Vijay Kumar shall now be hearing public grievances on Tuesday, KK Sharma on Friday, K Skandan on Monday and Farooq Khan on Thursday from 10 to 12 noon at Grievance Cell on Church Lane in Sonwar, every week. Moreover, in Jammu, K Vijay Kumar would hear public grievances on every Thursday, KK Sharma on Tuesday, K Skandan on Friday and Advisor Farooq Khan on Monday from 10 to 12 noon at Banquet Hall on Canal Road, every week. Earlier on Tuesday, the administration said that normal functioning of large parts of the region was reported on Tuesday with 12 out of 22 districts functioning normally. Addressing the media, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, Rohit Kansal, who is also government's spokesperson, said that out of 197 police stations across Jammu and Kashmir, 136 police stations have no day time restrictions. Commenting on the situation of Kashmir valley, Kansal said that middle-level schools would start functioning from Wednesday in the areas where primary schools resumed functioning from Monday.

Jammu and Kashmir administration notifies schedule of hearing of public grievances by advisors to Governor

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-once-again-offers-to-mediate-on-kashmir-244533">US President Donald Trump once again offers to mediate on Kashmir</a>

Speaking to US media, Trump said that he will do his best to meditate on 'the complicated situation'.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ex-vatican-treasurer-pell-loses-appeal-against-sex-abuse-convictions-to-stay-in-jail-244529">Ex-Vatican treasurer Pell loses appeal against sex abuse convictions, to stay in jail</a>

Former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell lost an appeal against his conviction for sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys and will remain in prison for at least another three years, a court ruled on Wednesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelas-maduro-says-there-has-been-contact-with-us-officials-for-months-244530">Venezuela's Maduro says there has been contact with US officials 'for months'</a>

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday he had authorised contact with the administration of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump "for months," in an effort to repair relations with Washington.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kashmir-is-a-bilateral-issue-between-india-and-pakistan-uk-pm-boris-johnson-244537">Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan: UK PM Boris Johnson</a>

British Government underlined the need for dialogue between India and Pakistan and added that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between the two neighbours.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/inx-media-case-cbi-asks-p-chidambaram-to-appear-within-2-hours-244532">INX media case: P Chidambaram goes missing after High Court denies anticipatory bail; CBI asks to appear within 2 hours</a>

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has put up a notice outside the residence of former Finance Minister and&nbsp;senior Congress leader P Chidambaram&nbsp;asking him to appear before them in the next two hours.

US President Donald Trump once again offers to mediate on Kashmir Speaking to US media, Trump said that he will do his best to meditate on 'the complicated situation'.

US President Donald Trump once again offers to mediate on Kashmir Speaking to US media, Trump said that he will do his best to meditate on 'the complicated situation'. Ex-Vatican treasurer Pell loses appeal against sex abuse convictions, to stay in jail Former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell lost an appeal against his conviction for sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys and will remain in prison for at least another three years, a court ruled on Wednesday. Venezuela's Maduro says there has been contact with US officials 'for months' Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday he had authorised contact with the administration of US President Donald Trump "for months," in an effort to repair relations with Washington. Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan: UK PM Boris Johnson British Government underlined the need for dialogue between India and Pakistan and added that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between the two neighbours. INX media case: P Chidambaram goes missing after High Court denies anticipatory bail; CBI asks to appear within 2 hours The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has put up a notice outside the residence of former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram asking him to appear before them in the next two hours.

News brief: Big stories of the day

In the first major step towards normalcy, schools and other educational institutions reopened in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Watch this video to know more.

WION Dispatch: Jammu and Kashmir on path to normalcy

Now that Articles 370 and 35A have been revoked, certain short and long term initiatives from the central government need to be taken to put the Jammu and Kashmir (J&amp;K) house in order.&nbsp;

Law and order: The first pertains to law and order, which is sensitive at the moment in the 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley. As and when restrictions are relaxed, pro-Pakistani elements will hit the streets. Pakistan is certain to use its contacts in the Valley to stoke the separatist fire and create trouble.

The mainstream political parties of the valley like PDP and NC have all along opposed abrogation of Article 370. When their leaders come out in the open in the next few days, they, too, are expected to pander to their respective political constituencies to arouse sentiments.&nbsp;

The key to the establishment of peace and harmony lies in the steps that the Centre takes to communicate with the people and convince them that Articles 370 and 35 A were impediments to progress.&nbsp;

Security forces will have to show utmost restraint and handle situations with tact. The Abdulla duo and Mehbooba can play a historic role if they abandon their old stand and call upon the people to unite behind India.

Statements emanating from the Pakistani leadership make it clear that they are not going to be silent witnesses to J&amp;K’s full integration into India. The Pakistani PM has already said that there can be another Pulwama. Under the circumstances, our retaliation should be many times bigger, and deterrence stronger, should Pakistan attempt a misadventure.

India needs to take into confidence, marginalised groups within the Kashmir valley whose voices had been throttled by separatist elements as well as political parties. These include the Gujjars, Bakarwals and Pahadis, who will be more than happy to help the Indian cause.

Delimitation: The Union Territory of J&amp;K is going to have its own legislature. Before elections to the UT are called, delimitation process of the electoral constituencies should be initiated. At present, the Jammu division has a larger area and bigger population than the Kashmir division, but in the Assembly, the Kashmir division had more seats, creating electoral imbalance.

After the delimitation process, the Jammu division would have the advantage of numbers in the state Assembly. Till now, politicians from the Kashmir Valley had monopolised the chief minister’s chair.

Tourism: Because of law and order considerations, tourism in the Valley has suffered a huge setback. Even the Amarnath Yatra had to be aborted. Measures have to be devised to strengthen and revive Kashmir’s world-famous tourism. The message that people from the rest of India love Kashmir and its people and visited the state in large numbers — even at the height of militancy — needs to be delivered.&nbsp;

Tour operators, shikara and house boat owners, hoteliers, taxi drivers, restaurateurs and dealers in dry fruits and handicrafts, should all be taken on board.&nbsp;

Apart from the Kashmir Valley, there are beautiful locales in Jammu and Ladakh. In addition, spiritual tourism needs to be promoted. Holy Buddhist and Sikh places of worship should be showcased before the world.

Pandit rehabilitation: One of the most important tasks at hand is to rehabilitate the displaced Kashmiri Pandits at places from where they were expelled en masse in 1990. The second generation of Pandits might not be willing to go back to the state.&nbsp;

Theatrics notwithstanding, separatist elements in the Valley are not going to welcome them either.

The following measures are imperative. First, Kashmiri Hindus still living in camps in Jammu, should be sent back to their homes in the valley. Their security is the responsibility of the administration.

Second, all houses and properties owned by Hindus, but forcibly snatched, must be restored to the original owners.&nbsp;

Third, some areas must be earmarked in the Kashmir valley where safe colonies

for displaced Hindus are created. The government should allot residential quarters to even those, who at present, are not in a position to return.&nbsp;

Development: With the bifurcation of the state in two UTs, plans for both the areas need to be envisaged separately. The Kashmir Valley can be developed as the world’s best tourist destination. The initiative will act as a confidence-building measure among the masses and act as a potent antidote to the Pakistani propaganda.&nbsp;

Environment-friendly industries also need to be set up and many leading Indian industrialists have already expressed their desire to do so. Both the Union territories of J&amp;K and Ladakh are mountainous regions and conservation of their ecology is an important factor.

Countering Pakistani propaganda: The key to restoring normalcy in the Union Territory of J&amp;K in general, and the Kashmir Valley in particular, lies in countering Pakistani propaganda.&nbsp;

Islamabad indulges in a two-pronged strategy: On the one hand, it infuses jihadism among the masses and sends trained terrorists into Kashmir, on the other, it plays the victim card at international forums.&nbsp;

The following steps are needed. The world has to be told that the Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh with the Union of India is as legal and irrevocable as the other Instruments of Accession signed by 560 odd princely states with India.&nbsp;

The separatist movement instigated on behalf of Pakistan in the Kashmir Valley is nothing, but an arm of the global jihadi movement led and propagated by Al Qaeda and IS. The world community has to be warned about it and be told in no uncertain terms that if this jihadist philosophy is not countered effectively, the world would be an unhappy place.

To defeat Pakistani propaganda, representations of Kashmiri Hindu delegations should be taken to world capitals in general and to members of the UN Security Council in particular. &nbsp;Let the world know how India has suffered at the hands of jihadists.

 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-six-mandatory-steps-in-jammu-and-kashmir-2782629">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Now that Articles 370 and 35A have been revoked, certain short and long term initiatives from the central government need to be taken to put the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) house in order.

Now that Articles 370 and 35A have been revoked, certain short and long term initiatives from the central government need to be taken to put the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) house in order. Law and order: The first pertains to law and order, which is sensitive at the moment in the 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley. As and when restrictions are relaxed, pro-Pakistani elements will hit the streets. Pakistan is certain to use its contacts in the Valley to stoke the separatist fire and create trouble. The mainstream political parties of the valley like PDP and NC have all along opposed abrogation of Article 370. When their leaders come out in the open in the next few days, they, too, are expected to pander to their respective political constituencies to arouse sentiments. The key to the establishment of peace and harmony lies in the steps that the Centre takes to communicate with the people and convince them that Articles 370 and 35 A were impediments to progress. Security forces will have to show utmost restraint and handle situations with tact. The Abdulla duo and Mehbooba can play a historic role if they abandon their old stand and call upon the people to unite behind India. Statements emanating from the Pakistani leadership make it clear that they are not going to be silent witnesses to J&K’s full integration into India. The Pakistani PM has already said that there can be another Pulwama. Under the circumstances, our retaliation should be many times bigger, and deterrence stronger, should Pakistan attempt a misadventure. India needs to take into confidence, marginalised groups within the Kashmir valley whose voices had been throttled by separatist elements as well as political parties. These include the Gujjars, Bakarwals and Pahadis, who will be more than happy to help the Indian cause. Delimitation: The Union Territory of J&K is going to have its own legislature. Before elections to the UT are called, delimitation process of the electoral constituencies should be initiated. At present, the Jammu division has a larger area and bigger population than the Kashmir division, but in the Assembly, the Kashmir division had more seats, creating electoral imbalance. After the delimitation process, the Jammu division would have the advantage of numbers in the state Assembly. Till now, politicians from the Kashmir Valley had monopolised the chief minister’s chair. Tourism: Because of law and order considerations, tourism in the Valley has suffered a huge setback. Even the Amarnath Yatra had to be aborted. Measures have to be devised to strengthen and revive Kashmir’s world-famous tourism. The message that people from the rest of India love Kashmir and its people and visited the state in large numbers — even at the height of militancy — needs to be delivered. Tour operators, shikara and house boat owners, hoteliers, taxi drivers, restaurateurs and dealers in dry fruits and handicrafts, should all be taken on board. Apart from the Kashmir Valley, there are beautiful locales in Jammu and Ladakh. In addition, spiritual tourism needs to be promoted. Holy Buddhist and Sikh places of worship should be showcased before the world. Pandit rehabilitation: One of the most important tasks at hand is to rehabilitate the displaced Kashmiri Pandits at places from where they were expelled en masse in 1990. The second generation of Pandits might not be willing to go back to the state. Theatrics notwithstanding, separatist elements in the Valley are not going to welcome them either. The following measures are imperative. First, Kashmiri Hindus still living in camps in Jammu, should be sent back to their homes in the valley. Their security is the responsibility of the administration. Second, all houses and properties owned by Hindus, but forcibly snatched, must be restored to the original owners. Third, some areas must be earmarked in the Kashmir valley where safe colonies for displaced Hindus are created. The government should allot residential quarters to even those, who at present, are not in a position to return. Development: With the bifurcation of the state in two UTs, plans for both the areas need to be envisaged separately. The Kashmir Valley can be developed as the world’s best tourist destination. The initiative will act as a confidence-building measure among the masses and act as a potent antidote to the Pakistani propaganda. Environment-friendly industries also need to be set up and many leading Indian industrialists have already expressed their desire to do so. Both the Union territories of J&K and Ladakh are mountainous regions and conservation of their ecology is an important factor. Countering Pakistani propaganda: The key to restoring normalcy in the Union Territory of J&K in general, and the Kashmir Valley in particular, lies in countering Pakistani propaganda. Islamabad indulges in a two-pronged strategy: On the one hand, it infuses jihadism among the masses and sends trained terrorists into Kashmir, on the other, it plays the victim card at international forums. The following steps are needed. The world has to be told that the Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh with the Union of India is as legal and irrevocable as the other Instruments of Accession signed by 560 odd princely states with India. The separatist movement instigated on behalf of Pakistan in the Kashmir Valley is nothing, but an arm of the global jihadi movement led and propagated by Al Qaeda and IS. The world community has to be warned about it and be told in no uncertain terms that if this jihadist philosophy is not countered effectively, the world would be an unhappy place. To defeat Pakistani propaganda, representations of Kashmiri Hindu delegations should be taken to world capitals in general and to members of the UN Security Council in particular. Let the world know how India has suffered at the hands of jihadists. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Beyond Article 370, India now has to plan Jammu and Kashmir's thoroughgoing integration into the Union

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