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

FRONT PAGE STORIES

Four I/C SEs placed as I/C CEs

5/25/2010 12:08:07 AM

EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, May 24: The State Cabinet also revised ration money allowance to non-gazetted personnel of Prisons and Fire and Emergency Departments to Rs 450 per month from April1, 2010 and subsequently to Rs 600 with effect from April 1, 2011. The cabinet also approved the placement of four I/C Superintending Engineers (R&B) as I/C Chief Engineers from the dates mentioned against them. These are Shadi Lal Bhat from December 9, 2009, Madan Mohan Gupta, Bimal Kumar Tickoo and Tehsin Mustafa from September 17, 2009. Subsequently, Shadi Lal Bhat has been confirmed as I/C Chief Engineer, PMGSY Jammu, a newly created post. Madan Mohan Gupta has been adjusted as I/C Chief Engi...

PM renews his peace offer for J&K

5/25/2010 12:07:52 AM

EARLY TIMES REPORT NEW DELHI, May 24: By renewing his offer for talks with all groups in Jammu and Kashmir at his Press conference held here today, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tried to set the tone for his two-day visit to the border State slated for early next month. Answering a question at the Press conference held at the completion of his Government's first year in office in its second term, Prime Minister expressed his willingness to talk to separatists and the militants supported by them in case they were ready to give up arms and abjure violence. Though there is nothing new in this since Manmohan Singh has made similar offer when he visited Kashmir last on 28 October 2009, it n...

Divided in factions, Cong men all set to present 'report' to Sonia

5/25/2010 12:07:39 AM

ET REPORT JAMMU, May 24: While Congressmen of all cadres in J&K are eagerly awaiting the forthcoming visit of party president Sonia Gandhi this weekend, the party leadership divided in factions is all set to present their 'disgruntlement and a sense of grouse' against each other before the party chief and other top leaders of AICC. Sonia Gandhi is arriving on a day long visit to Jammu first followed by Srinagar where she is scheduled to lay foundation stone of Dal dwellers colony. It would be naïve to say that Sonia Gandhi and other top leaders of AICC are not familiar with or aware of the dissensions which has virtually led to two wide warring factions with explicit loyality to ...

Geelani's Sopore shuts over NC leader's killing

Valley's 1st non-Hurriyat, non-militant shutdown in 20 years

5/25/2010 12:07:24 AM

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ EARLY TIMES REPORT SRINAGAR, May 24: Kashmir valley's first major shutdown against the killing of a mainstream political leader today happened in the hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's hometown of Sopore. Ironically, none other than the octogenarian Islamist leader has enjoyed monopoly in calling, supporting and enforcing over 1400 shutdowns since the eruption of armed insurgency and separatist movement in the Valley in 1989. Even as Traders Federation of Sopore had restricted its call to the apple town in Baramulla district, Kupwara and Handwara townships too observed total shutdown to register their protest against the assassination of senior National ...

Indian response during Kargil war was late: Gen Malik

5/25/2010 12:07:07 AM

AGENCIES SHILLONG, May 24: General (retd) VP Malik, who was army chief during Kargil war, today admitted to the fact that the Indian response during Kargil War was late initially. "The picture given by the intelligence agencies was that terrorists were behind the attack," he told reporters during a visit to the residence of late Captain S C Nongrum, who attained martyrdom in the Kargil war. "The picture was painted again and again. Even in the radio network Pakistani men spoke of presence of terrorists. Till we actually realised that it was Pakistan army that was behind the attack. It was about 15 days late," Malik added. "Once we were clear, we used the artillery, IAF and faced it wi...

India protests unprovoked Pak firing

5/25/2010 12:06:47 AM

EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, May 24: In a flag meeting held today at Chakan da Bagh in Poonch, Indian troops strongly protested yesterday's incident of unprovoked firing from across the Line of Control (LoC). The meeting started at about 2 pm and ended at 2.45 pm. The Indian side was represented by Brigadier Dushyiant Singh of KG Brigade while Brigadier Nadeem Khan represented the Pak side. Official sources said in the 45-minute meeting, India told Pakistan that its troops had violated the ceasefire by opening fire on Indian positions in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch yesterday. Brig Nadeem, however, denied Pak involvement in the firing and blamed India for ceasefire violation, the...

Schools to observe summer break a week in advance

Weathermen advise precautions from heat waves

5/25/2010 12:06:36 AM

ARTEEV SHARMA EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, May 24: With mercury hovering around 43 degrees Celsius in many parts of Jammu region for last one week, the Directorate of School Education Jammu has decided to close all schools (government as well as private) for summer break a week in advance. Though the formal announcement in this regard has not been made so far, the summer vacations in all schools of Jammu region are likely to be observed from June 1. The Early Times in its edition on April 20 had reported that the Directorate of School Education was planning to revisit its academic calendar and had made certain changes to protect children from the harsh sun. Confirming the news report, Z...

‘New Delhi is not capable of putting up a credible defence’

5/25/2010 12:06:15 AM

EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, May 24: A renowned defense analyst of India, Sudhi Ranjan Sen has said Kashmir is going to witness a hot summer. According to him, the situation in Kashmir was reminiscent of 1990 when militancy was at its peak. Ranjan discussed involvement of Pakistan in aiding and abetting terrorism and also the options available with New Delhi. The analysis appeared on NDTV website recently and must have forced the concerned to do some serious thinking. Sen goes to the extent of doubting the capability of New Delhi of putting up a `credible defence'. "According to estimates of the state police and security agencies, there are at least 2,000 terrorists of whom arou...

Gilani for ending India, Pak "distrust"

5/25/2010 12:06:02 AM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday sought an end to the "long legacy of hostility and distrust" between India and Pakistan so that the two countries could work towards the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. "There is an imperative need to end the long legacy of hostility and distrust and to work towards a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Gilani was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his media office. Pakistan remains committed to the peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue through negotiations and dialogue despite the country's own regional challenges, he said during a meeting w...

Amarnath pilgrimage to start from July 1

5/25/2010 12:05:51 AM

Early Times Report SRINAGAR: Even though the routes to holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir are still under snow, the annual two-month-long pilgrimage will commence from July 1. An official spokesman said here this afternoon that Governor NN Vohra, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), overflew the Chandanwari-Sheshnag-Panchtarni-Sangam-Baltal track to assess the level of snowfall. He also visited Pahalgam and took stock of the arrangements being put in place at the Nunwan Base Camp for the ensuing yatra to facilitate the pilgrims. He emphasised that as soon as weather clears, work on clearance of the track and at the camping sites would be taken up on a w...