Early Times: Leading Newspaper Jammu Kashmir, Latest News about Jammu & Kashmir

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Ghost or lover: Panic strikes girls hostel at Parade College

1/14/2010 12:08:15 AM

Munish Gupta Early Times Report Jammu, Jan 13: A sequel to the ‘Nightmare on the Elm Street’-a superhit Hollywood movie-is being presuming enacted in the hostel of Government College for Women Parade from past few days as an informal complaint stands registered in the police about some one unseen reporting in the hostel at the fall of night every day. “It is only a vague apprehension. The girls might have feared of some shadow and have taken it other wise it being a thief or a ghost,” responded Meena Sharma, Warden of the college, who is holding the post for last fourteen years in the hostel. She added, “Nothing of this sort had been reported so far which does not needs any serious...

Pak Army, Rangers directly supporting militant infiltration

1/14/2010 12:07:45 AM

Early Times Report Jammu, Jan 13: Pakistani troops and the Rangers had in recent weeks started giving direct assistance to groups of militants in crossing into Jammu and Kashmir. This view is shared by senior Army functionaries who have been watching the developments on the LOC in Poonch and Rajouri sectors and on the 187 km long International Border in Jammu sector during the last one month. What is surprising is the way Pakistani troops have opened fire on the Indian border guards in Poonch and in Akhnoor sector in a bid to carve out a passage for the infiltrators to sneak into the Jammu sector. The way Pakistani troops aided militants, who have been brought on the launching pads acr...

Jammu Bar on warpath, Denounces Article 370

1/14/2010 12:07:26 AM

BY RUSTAM JAMMU, JAN 13: The Jammu Bar Association (JBA), a premier organization of lawyers and advocates, is on the warpath. What has provoked the BAJ to adopt a threatening posture is not only what it calls the “anti-Jammu, anti-Ladakh and anti-India” recommendations as made by Justice Sageer Ahmed, chairman of Working Group on Centre-State Relations, but also the demands put forth by the Kashmir-based leaders like Mehbooba Mufti, President of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. The extent of the anger of the BAJ against Justice Sageer Ahmed and Mehbooba Mufti could be gauged from the fact that while it has warned the Prime Minister o...

Slight respite from cold

1/14/2010 12:07:06 AM

EarLy Times Report Srinagar, Jan 13: People of Jammu and Kashmir got some respite from cold conditions today as mercury rose marginally in the state. Jammu, winter capital of the state, recorded a low of 5.6 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal. It had a low of 2.7 degrees Celsius yesterday. Batote recorded a minimum of 6 deg C, while Katra had a low of 4.6 deg C. Minimum temperatures also improved in Bhaderwah and Banihal which recorded 3.8 deg C and 2 deg C respectively. Frontier region of Ladakh also recorded an increase in mercury with Leh recording a low of minus 17 deg C. It recorded a minimum of minus 22 deg C yesterday. Similarly, Kargil recorded a minimum of minus 14 d...

Autonomy, for regions first please

1/14/2010 12:06:42 AM

SANT KUMAR SHARMA Jammu, Jan 13: The state of Jammu & Kashmir is a mosaic of diversities in its regions, groups and communities. Protection of minorities and regional interests is a prime duty. Mindful of this fact, the government of the state appointed, simultaneously with the State Autonomy Committee (SAC), a committee on regional autonomy. The above paragraph is an extract from the 253-page report of the SAC which it submitted to the state legislature in June 2000. This makes it clear that the need for granting autonomy to the disparate regions was admitted by the SAC itself. Despite this, the National Conference (NC), which has been demanding autonomy for the state, has done virtu...

Jobs @ JU: Reserved for Favourites

1/14/2010 12:06:14 AM

Early Times Report Jammu, Jan 13: If you are seeking a job in ISO certified University of Jammu, then think twice before applying because the openings here are ‘exclusively reserved’ for few ‘favourites’. Time and again wild allegations that nepotism and too much preferential treatment to ‘specials’ galore in this premier institution, authorities, however, out rightly reject the accusations claiming that the selection process for getting a job in the varsity is completely transparent. If we give a thorough look on the recent appointments made by the authorities for two posts of Liaison Officers under RBA and ST category, the charge that ‘favouritism’ playing its role is, somewhat, pro...

Cross-border infiltration into J&K on rise: Antony

1/14/2010 12:05:56 AM

NEW DELHI : Voicing serious concern over rise in infiltration from Pakistan, Defence Minister A K Antony today attributed it to forces across the border which are "jittery" over return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. "In 2009, violence (in Jammu and Kashmir) came down, compared to 2008. At the same time, compared to 2008, last year attempts to infiltrate has gone up. It is a matter of serious concern to us," Antony told reporters here. Giving his assessment of the situation in the border state, Antony said, "Inimical forces across the border are jittery" as they saw normalcy returning to Jammu and Kashmir. "If the situation continues like this, J&K will fast return to normalcy and pe...

No police please!

Proposed police take over scares Kashmiris

1/14/2010 12:05:36 AM

Early Times Report Srinagar, Jan 13: The police have been told to gear up for playing a leading role in restoration of peace in this conflict torn state. Normally, the people should have welcomed the move. But strangely enough the proposed move has been taken with a pinch of salt especially in the Valley. The police, according to a sarcastic Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh of Sopore, have played a significant role in containing militancy. “The police rarely perform (fight) in the battlefield. They fight militancy in a sophisticated way.” While elaborating, Zahoor narrated his own story. Zahoor happens to be the brother of a militant. Recently he was selected by the PSC but the police withheld his...

2 militants, soldier killed in Kulgam gunbattle

Hizb ‘Disttt Commdr’ Adil believed dead in second encounter in South Kashmir

1/14/2010 12:05:01 AM

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ SRINAGAR, Jan 13: In twenty four hours of the death of Hizbul Mujahideen “District Commander” Riyaz Deedar in an encounter in Kellar area of Pulwama-Shopian belt, Police and security forces have eliminated two more militants of the same organization while suffering the loss of one soldier in a fierce gunbattle at Tangmarg village in Kulgam-Shopian belt of South Kashmir. Yet another “District Commander” and a close associate of the dreaded militant Saquib, killed in 2009, Adil of Gool Gulabgarh area is believed to be among the dead even as none of the bodies had been recovered from the spot till late tonight. Authoritative sources in South Kashmir told Early Times that S...

Lalchowk attack SIM providers held

1/14/2010 12:02:00 AM

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ SRINAGAR, Jan 13: In a major breakthrough, Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu & Kashmir have apprehended two persons involved in providing SIM cards to the Lashkar-e-Toiba militants who died in a high drama gunbattle at the business hub of Lalchowk here last week. SOG sleuths are conducting a series of raids in Srinagar as well as in Sopore in search of two more persons who had allegedly facilitated the militant attack on Police. Informed sources revealed to Early Times that SOG Srinagar today achieved a major breakthrough in last week’s fidayeen attack at Lalchowk as two persons, allegedly in providing SIM cards of Aircel company, have been arrested. Sources ...

Centre shifts the blame for price rise to States

1/14/2010 12:01:03 AM

ABID SHAH NEW DELHI, JAN 13: Wittingly or unwittingly, the Central Government has got trapped in the quagmire created by spiraling prices of essential items led by sugar. No sooner than the Government has geared up to fight against rising prices of not just sugar but also wheat, rice and other cereals there are reports that its efforts on the price front could well either come to a naught or left with little effect in case petrol and diesel prices go up. On a day when the Cabinet Committee met here to review the price situation, newspapers reported that petrol prices could be revised within days in order to be upped by three rupees a litre as Petroleum Minister Murli Deora met P...