Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 29: A three-day global investors' summit, to be held in Jammu and Kashmir from October 12, has been postponed, multiple media houses reported on Thursday. The organisers have sought more time as restrictions, including communication blackout, continue three weeks after repealing of provisions under Article 370 which granted special status to the state. The global investors' summit would now be held in November. MEA Trashes Pakistan's Letter to UN Alleging Rights' Violation in Kashmir, Says 'Not Even Single Bullet Fired in Valley'.
Days after the central government scrapped the special status, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had announced the first global investors' summit in Srinagar from October 12 to 14. At that time, Principal Secretary (Industries), Naveen Choudhary had said the summit would help allay fears and apprehensions in the minds of trade and business community outside the state. Invest India, an organisation promoted by the DPIIT, had been asked to cooperate with the state government. Kashmir India's Internal Issue, Violence Because of Pakistan-Sponsored Terrorism: Rahul Gandhi.
Choudhary had exuded confidence that normalcy would soon prevail in Jammu and Kashmir. "If I did not believe in it, I would not have announced the dates," he had told reporters. However, nearly a month after the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, the state remains under an unprecedented security lockdown and a communications blackout. Several mainstream leaders, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been under house arrest.
Asserting that the Modi government decision to abrogate Article 370 is for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said the administration was "not hiding" the figures of "deaths" in the Kashmir Valley as no lives have been lost. He also said that about 50,000 new government jobs will be created in Jammu and Kashmir.
Malik said to prevent loss of life, it was necessary for the government to impose restrictions primarily to ensure that militants and terrorists do not succeed in creating fear and terror. "Rumours such as state police has been disarmed, hospitals have no medical supplies and deaths are being hidden were and are still being spread, with absolutely no basis," he said. |
