The usual suspects, including Indian and western mainstream media, have been vociferous in alleging Indian human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani and the subsequent rioting and stone-throwing. There were theatrical exaggerations on the use of pellet guns (without considering what would happen if real bullets were used instead). In general, they succeeded in embarrassing the Indian government. But that […]

It’s 4am in the morning, and minus-4 degrees outside. We open the door to the balcony just an inch, and peep out of our hotel room. We want to see the view one last time. The carpet of snow stretched for miles; and the pine trees — dark, ancient green — in the distance, defiant of the cold, moving only to brush the snow off their shoulders now and then. […]

Battling to safeguard the country from terrorists, Col Santosh Mahadik suffered fatal injuries following a fierce gun battle with terrorists on Tuesday (17th Nov’15). The colonel who fought the infiltrators till the wounds started to force shut his eyes probably saw the phosphenes, forming a blurry image of a proud Indian flag, while breathing his last. Here’s what happened on 17th Nov 2015: Having led a lot of successful operations, […]

In what is likely to put the scheduled India-Pakistan NSA level talks in jeopardy, Islamabad on Friday said that it will not accept any ‘pre-condition’ of cancelling the meeting between its NSA Sartaj Aziz and the Kashmiri separatist leaders. According to media reports, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaj Sharif this morning conducted a meeting with his council of ministers, Army and ISI chief over the issue. During the meeting, it was […]

Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed has said his organisation supports the efforts of the Pakistan government and army to “help the people of Kashmir”, calling it ‘jihad’. “Jihad is the duty of an Islamic government… there is a government in Pakistan and it has always taken the stand that it is the right of Kashmiris to attain freedom. I say what our army will do to secure the […]

SRINAGAR: One person died and three skiers were trapped when an avalanche hit the Affarwath heights of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. They were rescued later by the authorities. Police sources said they were checking with hotels in Gulmarg to see if anyone else was missing. The man who died was a local skiing guide, said a police officer. This is the second death this season at the famous ski […]

Karachi: In a fresh rant against India, Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto vowed to wrest Kashmir from India. “When I raise Kashmir, the entire Hindustan screams. They know when a Bhutto speaks, they (Indians) have no answer,” the 26-year-old Bhutto scion said during his first public rally here yesterday. “We will take back Kashmir from India,” he said amidst thundering applause by thousands of supporters at mausoleum of Pakistan’s […]

I will raise 500,000 mujahids to liberate Kashmir…” – Masood Azhar Founder of Jaish-e-Muhammad, Masood Azhar became a legend after he came back to Pakistan. One of my close relatives, who later headed an intelligence agency, was thrilled over the hijacking of Indian Airliner IC 814 in 1999, not knowing that the people who were released would one day turn against Pakistan. The Frankenstein that Pakistan thus created, had turned […]

Srinagar: There is curfew in 10 districts of Kashmir since last night amid tension after the death of a 24-year-old man allegedly in Army firing during a protest in Baramulla in north Kashmir yesterday. The police have registered an FIR against the Army and have named a Colonel. The Army says the young man was some distance away from the site of the protest and was not killed in firing. There […]

Q&A Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar, 46, Commander-In-Chief, Al-Umar Mujahideen MUSHTAQ ZARGAR is the chief of pro-Pakistan Al-Umar Mujahideen, which had 700 militants when the Kashmiri insurgency was at its peak in the 1990s. Zargar, who comes from a copper polishing family, crossed the LoC in 1988, and rose to lead Al-Umar after breaking away from pro-azaadi JKLF in 1990. Al-Umar’s key men were killed in gunfights and Zargar was arrested from his hideout […]