New Delhi, Sep 11: Mirwaiz Kashmir, Dr Mohammad Umar Farooq on Friday visited New Delhi where he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The Kashmir’s chief cleric left for New Delhi on the invitation of Iranian Ambassador to India Dr Mohammad Fathali, to participate in an interaction with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, who is currently in New Delhi to attend the BRICS Summit.

The interaction- of religious leaders, intellectuals and other dignitaries is being hosted by the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to India, Dr Mohammad Fathali. 

At the occasion, Mirwaiz Umar visited an exhibition commemorating the innocent children killed in Minab.

Srinagar, Sep 11: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday hit out at the Jammu and Kashmir administration over bureaucratic hurdles faced by international water sports coach Bilquis Mir, saying that having to fight in the Supreme Court to represent the country “exposes the rot in the system”.

The comments of the former chief minister came a day after the apex court set aside a Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court order and directed the Union territory’s administration to issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) and a relieving order to Mir on or before September 15 to travel abroad.

The ruling paved the way for Mir, a physical education teacher in the J&K Youth Services Department, to join the Indian National Kayaking and Canoeing Team as the chief coach for the Asian Games in Japan beginning September 19.

“When a sports icon like Bilquis Mir, who broke barriers for women in water sports, is forced to fight in the Supreme Court just to represent India, it exposes the rot in the system here,” Mehbooba said in a post on X.

She said an internationally acclaimed sportsperson should have received full institutional backing instead of being met with bureaucratic hurdles and obstruction.

“If a legend needs a judicial order to compete, what about the countless young athletes who don’t have the means, influence or resources to fight the bureaucracy? Sporting slogans ring hollow,” the PDP chief added.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi had allowed the appeal filed by the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association and Mir against the high court’s August 11 order.

The high court order had said that Mir continued to be a government employee and that merely because she had been selected by the Kayaking Association for a national sporting assignment, no enforceable right arose to compel the employer to issue an NOC, relieving order or foreign travel permission.

The top court also quashed the J&K government’s June 19 order denying Mir permission to travel, citing pending departmental inquiries and service conditions, and said that sports administration operates on strict timelines that cannot await ordinary administrative processes.

Mir, who was selected by the association in February to prepare the national team, had earlier missed an international assignment in Hungary due to procedural delays.

The top court’s decision came weeks after it dismissed a separate petition by the J&K administration challenging the quashing of an Anti-Corruption Bureau FIR against Mir, who also served as India’s first female judge for kayaking and canoeing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Srinagar, Sep 11: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday said it trapped and arrested a Patwari after he was allegedly caught red-handed while demanding and accepting Rs 10,000 bribe for issuing a revenue extract (Fard) in the Waterrehal area of Budgam district.

An official said that Anti-Corruption Bureau received a written complaint alleging that a Patwari, namely Bashir Ahmad, Patwari Halqa Gund Ali Nayak, Waterrehal, had demanded illegal gratification from the complainant for issuance of a Fard (Revenue Extract).

The complainant, a resident of Gund Ali Nayak, Waterrehal, Tehsil Khansahab, District Budgam, had applied online for issuance of the Fard on 21.07.2026 on behalf of his grandfather, who is old-aged and unable to pursue the matter himself. 

After submission of the application, the complainant approached the concerned Patwari to enquire about its status. The Patwari initially informed him that the online portal of the Revenue Department was not functioning and asked him to visit after some time. On subsequent visits to the Patwari Khana, the Patwari allegedly continued to delay the matter on one pretext or another and ultimately demanded Rs 12,000 as bribe for issuance of the Fard. After negotiations, the bribe amount was settled at Rs 10,000. As the complainant was unwilling to pay the bribe, he approached the ACB and lodged a written complaint. 

On receipt of the complaint, the ACB conducted verification of the allegations, which prima facie established the demand for illegal gratification. Accordingly, Case FIR No. 14/2026 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar and investigation was taken up.

The official said a trap team was constituted to lay a trap. During the trap proceedings, accused public servant namely Bashir Ahmad Dar Patwari Halqa Gund Ali Nayak, Waterrehal, Tehsil Khansahab, District Budgam was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe of Rs.10,000 from the complainant.

The bribe amount was recovered from the possession of the accused in the presence of independent witnesses and he was taken into custody in accordance with law. Further investigation of the case is going on, official added.

Baramulla, Sep 11: The 608th Urs Mubarak of the revered Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Muhammad Janbaz Wali (RA) was observed with religious fervour and devotion at Khanpora, Baramulla. Thousands of devotees from Baramulla and adjoining areas participated in the Urs Mubarak and paid their respects at the revered shrine.

The occasion witnessed the participation of people from different walks of life, who gathered to offer prayers and participate in various religious activities associated with the Urs.

Mutawalli Dargah, Khursheed Ahmad Shah, expressed his gratitude to the people of Baramulla for attending the Urs in large numbers and making the occasion peaceful and spiritually meaningful.

He also conveyed his appreciation to the J&K Waqf Board and the Baramulla administration for making proper arrangements and taking necessary measures for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the Urs Mubarak.

Khursheed Ahmad Shah said that the overwhelming participation of devotees reflects the deep spiritual and cultural significance of Hazrat Syed Muhammad Janbaz Wali (RA) among the people of the region. He prayed for peace, prosperity and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.