SRINAGAR, MARCH 04: In the wake of the prevailing situation in West Asia following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday held an interaction with religious scholars, civil society members and representatives of trade and business bodies at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).

The meeting was attended by Minister Sakina Itoo, Minister Javaid Ahmad Dar, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, several Members of the Legislative Assembly from across Kashmir, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg, IGP Kashmir V.K. Birdi, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Akshay Labroo and other senior officers of the divisional and district administration.

Prominent members of civil society, including religious leaders, social activists, retired bureaucrats, academics, educationists and representatives of trade bodies, participated in the interaction convened in the backdrop of the escalating war in West Asia and its possible aftermath in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Valley.

The Chief Minister listened attentively to the concerns and suggestions raised by the participants and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to maintaining peace and ensuring the smooth functioning of essential services.

Participants expressed deep concern over the developments in the West Asia region, which have engulfed several countries, and conveyed their sympathies to those who lost their loved ones, particularly the targeted assasination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several of his family members.

During the meeting, the attendees urged the administration to deal with the protestors & mourners with sympathy and understanding while allowing gatherings to express grief, ensuring that public order is maintained. They also called for the release of detainees held in recent days and to quash FIRs against youth who were out on the streets only to grieve the death of their spiritual leader.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed his grief and condolences over the loss of lives in Iran. He stated that the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “cannot be described in words.” He said that the late leader was a true sympathiser of the people of Kashmir and had always maintained cordial relations with India.

Recalling his visits to Iran twice, as Minister of State for External Affairs Government of India and as Special Envoy of PM Atal Behari Vajpayee, CM Omar Abdullah said that the ties of India with Iran have always been cordial. CM said that the late Iranian supreme leader was a friend of India and a true sympathiser of the people of Kashmir.

The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir while respecting the sentiments of the people and urged people to ensure that expressions of grief remain peaceful and responsible.

Highlighting the purpose of the interaction, he said it was intended to collectively express pain and sorrow over the recent developments and to make a joint appeal for peace. He called for collective condemnation, collective condolence and a joint commitment to maintaining calm during the mourning period.

He underscored the role of the administration and religious organisations in ensuring a peaceful atmosphere and stressed that no one should be harmed during condolence gatherings.

Regarding recent detentions and the filing of cases, the Chief Minister assured the participants that he would take up the matter at the highest level to adopt a soft and lenient approach. He said that he does not want that his people particularly youth should put themselves in harm’s way.

Responding to the issue of evacuation of Kashmiri students stranded in Iran, he said he has been in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs regarding their safety and safe return. He informed that the students are being shifted to safer locations for their onward journey through land route as flights stand cancelled in the region. He said that parents had met him for stranded students and in some cases students who are interns had refused to come back while some had been barred by medical colleges who have cautioned students that they shall lose one year and have to study academic session all over again in case they go back. CM assured that concerned college authorities in Iran would be requested through diplomatic channels to not to penalise students who want to return to India.

Some civil society members raised the issue of increase in prices of essentials, petrol and stressed the need for uninterrupted supply chains and proper functioning of key sectors such as health and power.

On essential supplies, the Chief Minister directed Deputy Commissioners to closely monitor stock and supply positions to prevent overpricing or hoarding and appealed to the public to bring any grievances to the notice of the administration.

Earlier, the meeting began with condolences over the demise of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, followed by Fateha prayers for the supreme leader of Iran, school girls and other who lost their lives in the strikes on Iran.

Several religious leaders & members of civil society spoke in the meeting to express their sentiments and concerns. Those who spoke included Molvi Imran Ansari, Aga Syed Mehmood, MLA Ali Muhammad Sagar, MLA Tanvir Sadiq, Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, Syed Shakeel Qalandar, M Yaseen Khan, Mushtaq Chaya, Aga Syed Mudasir Rizvi,, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Ms Tanvir Jehan, Dr Dechen Paljor, Jaspal Singh, G N War, MLA Mubarak Gul, Nasir Shah, Manzoor Pakhtoon, Shamim Ahmad Shah,Maulana Maqbool Hussain, Dr A G Ahangar,Iqram Shafie & others.

Srinagar, Mar 4, KNT: Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued a public advisory urging citizens to take preventive steps if someone threatens to share their private photos or videos online.

In a post shared on X, police advised individuals to create a digital hash of their private images or videos. The digital fingerprint, once generated, can be shared with participating social media platforms, enabling them to detect matching content if it is uploaded.

According to the advisory, platforms can automatically block or remove content once a match is identified, thereby preventing further circulation of intimate material.

The awareness message highlights the use of StopNCII.org, a platform that allows users to generate a digital fingerprint without uploading their actual photos or videos. The hash is then used by social media companies to identify and act against non-consensual intimate image sharing.

The advisory is part of a broader cyber safety initiative supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.

Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant online and use available tools to safeguard their privacy. [KNT]

Srinagar, Mar 4, KNT: The University of Kashmir has appointed Professor Aneesa Shafi of the Department of Sociology as the Dean, College Development Council (DCDC) for a period of three years.

According to an order issued by the University administration, Prof Shafi will assume charge of the post from March 6, 2026 (forenoon) and will hold the position for three years or until she attains the age of superannuation, whichever is earlier.

Consequent upon the appointment, Professor Khursheed Ahmad of the Department of Commerce will stand relieved of the charge of Dean, College Development Council with effect from the afternoon of March 5, 2026 after completion of his term.

The order has been issued by the Deputy Registrar, Administration Teaching Section of the University. [KNT]

SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 28: Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar today bid an affectionate farewell to its six dedicated employees, including Professor Dr. Shakeel Ahmad, Department of Surgery; Shamshada Akhter, Principal AMT School; Mukhtar Jan, Lab Technician; Mohammad Shafi, Xerox Assistant; Tariq Ahmad, Senior X-Ray Technician; and Showkat Ahmad, ECG Technician.

The farewell function was attended by the Principal, Prof. Dr. Iffat Hassan, Administrator, Mohammad Ashraf Hakak and other medical, paramedical, and administrative staff.

As a token of affection, a memento, certificate of appreciation, and gift were presented to the retiring officers and officials.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dr. Iffat Hassan highlighted the contributions of the retiring employees, praising their dedication and commitment to providing quality healthcare services. “Their tireless efforts will always be remembered with deep respect and admiration. We wish them a joyful and fulfilling retirement,” she said.

Prof. Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Chalkoo, Department of Surgery, also spoke on the occasion, saying, “These retiring employees have been pillars of strength for our institution, and their dedication to healthcare will be an inspiration to us all. He wished them all the best in their future endeavors.

Administrator Mohammad Ashraf Hakak also expressed gratitude, acknowledging the professionalism and compassion each retiree brought to their roles.

ANTNAG, FEBRUARY 26: Dr. Bilal Mohiud Din Bhat(IAS) assumed charge as Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, succeeding SF Hamid, during a formal handover ceremony held today at the DC Office.

Senior officers of the district administration, including ADCs, CEO PDA, GM DIC, ACR, SDMs, ACD, Dy DEO, CPO, CAO, Dy Director Fisheries, Tehsildars, and other officers, were present on the occasion.

Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner was accorded a warm welcome by officers and officials, besides various delegations and social activists. He expressed his gratitude to the officers and the social delegations.

After assuming charge, Dr. Bhat inspected various sections of the DC Office establishment and took preliminary stock of their functioning. He also interacted with several applicants and issued necessary instructions to the concerned authorities regarding their concerns.

Srinagar, Feb 26, KDC: Apple growers from Anantnag district and adjoining areas have alleged that their payments remain pending with forwarding and commission agents at the Jablipora Fruit Mandi, even five months after the sale of their 2025 produce.

A delegation of orchardists while talking to Kashmir Dot Com said that their apple consignments were sold with assurances from the concerned agents that payments would be released within 15 days. However, they said the dues have not been cleared despite repeated follow-ups.

“We worked tirelessly in our orchards and supplied quality produce. We were promised timely payment, but even after five months, nothing has been credited to our accounts,” the growers said.

They alleged that some forwarding and commission agents, allotted FUDs at the mandi, are now avoiding calls and failing to respond to queries about the pending amounts.

The growers have appealed to the Department of Horticulture Planning and Marketing, Jammu and Kashmir, to intervene and protect the interests of the farming community. They demanded strict action against the erring agents, including blacklisting them to prevent further exploitation.

Stating that horticulture is the backbone of the Kashmir’s economy, the orchardists warned that continued delay in payments would severely impact their ability to prepare for the next season. They said they may stage peaceful protests if their dues are not released at the earliest. (KDC)

Pulwama, Feb 26, KNT: A joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police and 42 Rashtriya Rifles conducted a cordon and search operation in Kamla forest area of Pulwama district and recovered various items from a makeshift hide.

Officials said the operation was carried out in Kamla forest, located around three kilometres southeast of the 42 RR camp at Hardumir under Police Station Tral.

During the search, teams recovered food items, firewood, cooking utensils, a 15-litre water can, water bottles, medicines, syringes and torch batteries.

A temporary hide constructed with tarpaulin sheets supported by wooden sticks was also detected at the site.

Officials said further investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances under which the materials were kept in the forest area. [KNT]

Srinagar, Feb 23 Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, along with Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, Prof. Iffat Hassan Shah, on Monday inspected the commissioning of a 10 MVA Receiving Station established for Associated Hospitals under Government Medical College Srinagar.

Administrator GMC Srinagar Mohammad Ashraf Hakak, Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Mir Imtiyaz Ul Aziz, Chief Planning Officer Fayaz Ahmad Dar, Chief Engineer SSCL Ab Qayoom Kirmani, Executive Engineers from KPDCL and R&B, besides other senior officers of the District Administration and GMC Srinagar, were present during the inspection.

During the visit, the DC and the Principal lauded the concerned officers and engineers for the timely commissioning of the receiving station. The newly established 10 MVA facility is expected to significantly augment uninterrupted and seamless power supply to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, Super Speciality Hospital Shireen Bagh, as well as the Dental College and Nursing College functioning under GMC Srinagar, thereby ensuring improved healthcare services and operational efficiency.

On the occasion, the DC was apprised that three 11 KV outgoing feeders have been laid from the newly commissioned receiving station to ensure reliable, smooth and uninterrupted power supply to these major health facilities in Srinagar.

The DC and the Principal also inspected the Hostel Block of GMC Srinagar to review its ongoing development works, landscaping and improved lighting arrangements.

Assuring full support, the DC said the District Administration will extend all possible assistance to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve patient care and service delivery, particularly in matters requiring inter-departmental coordination at the district level, with the objective of enhancing the overall functionality of associated hospitals.