Srinagar, Sep 10: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday defended his party colleague and chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq over his remarks on poverty in Kashmir, while saying that the singing of the full version of Vande Mataram at government functions was now a statutory obligation.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah also said he hoped the festival would pave the way for more film shoots in the region and create new employment opportunities for local youth.

On the prospects of films being shot in Kashmir, Abdullah said the development would boost tourism while opening up jobs for young people.

“Hopefully, films will be shot here. It will certainly give a boost to tourism, but it can also start a new process of employment here,” he said.

Abdullah said the government wanted local youth to acquire skills that could help them find work in the film industry.

“I said on the very first day that our effort is that our local boys and girls should take courses in camera work, production and other such areas, so that when films are shot here, they get an opportunity to work in them,” he said.

The Chief Minister was also asked about a protest by Kashmiri Pandit employees over accommodation.

“Which Kashmiri Pandit is without accommodation?” Abdullah asked, asserting that “not a single one of them is homeless”.

“Wherever accommodation has been made available, it has been allotted to them. So which Kashmiri Pandit employee is without accommodation?” he said.

“If there is even one or two people who need accommodation, tell us. Everyone else has been allotted accommodation,” Abdullah added.

On the controversy over the singing of the complete version of Vande Mataram at the film festival, amid objections from Congress leaders, Abdullah said the government was bound by law.

“Either they should have stopped this in Parliament. But the law has been made,” he said.

He argued that the presence of the Lieutenant Governor, governors and the Acting Chief Justice at a government function meant that the national anthem would necessarily be played, and said the legal framework now also covered the national song.

“This is not just for Jammu and Kashmir; it is across the country. Wherever there are Congress governments, this will also happen at government functions,” Abdullah said.

“If it does not happen, those who do not stand can face legal action. So what does Congress want? That Kashmiris should be put in jail on this pretext?” he asked.

Abdullah, however, made it clear that the National Conference’s position on Vande Mataram as a party remained unchanged.

“As a party, we have never adopted Vande Mataram and we will not adopt it in the future either. But we have to fulfil our legal and statutory obligations,” he said.

He added that if the Congress disagreed with the law, it could repeal it if it returned to power at the Centre.

Turning to the controversy over remarks by Tanvir Sadiq on poverty among Kashmiris in the past, Abdullah rejected calls for an apology or clarification.

“What did Tanvir say that was historically incorrect? Walter Lawrence wrote about it in his book,” Abdullah said.

He said several historians had written about the poverty and exploitation prevalent in Kashmir under the old agrarian system.

“And this is not the first time Tanvir has said this. Hardly any senior National Conference leader, from our president to the general secretary and others, has not spoken about a time when Kashmiris were so poor that they had to borrow a pajama from the mosque to come into the city,” he said.

“This is not Tanvir’s own thinking. It is a historical fact,” Abdullah said.

He said Sadiq’s intention had been to highlight how Kashmir had emerged from that poverty and progressed to a point where families could educate their children and produce doctors and engineers.

“So the BJP and PDP are playing the same game together. They take up one common issue and run with it. They have a common agenda,” Abdullah alleged.

“Tanvir does not need to apologise for this. Nor does he need to give any clarification. There is no need for anyone in my party to apologise over this. Tanvir has said nothing wrong,” he said.

On the BRICS summit scheduled in Delhi, Abdullah said he would wait to see how the meeting develops, while noting the participation of countries including Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil.

On the J&K Cabinet meeting, Abdullah said the government would continue its regular business.

“We hold at least one Cabinet meeting every month. The governance agenda cannot stop,” he said, adding that there would be “nothing earth-shattering” in the meeting.

Srinagar, Sep 10: Intensifying its crackdown on drug trafficking and the financial networks of narcotics offenders, Srinagar Police has attached and frozen immovable assets worth Rs 6.22 crore acquired from the proceeds of illicit narcotics activities in six separate NDPS cases, officials said on Thursday.

In a press statement, an official spokesperson said that the properties, attached or frozen under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act, 1985, include residential houses and land located in different parts of Srinagar, police said.

In the latest action, Police Station Nigeen attached an immovable property comprising a double-storeyed residential house along with land, valued at approximately Rs 1.10 crore, at Danihama, Hazratbal, the statement said.

The property belongs to Mubashir Ashiq Teeli, son of Ashiq Hussain Teeli, a resident of Saderbal, Hazratbal, presently at Danihama, Hazratbal, and was attached under Section 68-F(1) of the NDPS Act in connection with FIR No. 24/2026 under Sections 8/21 of the NDPS Act registered at Police Station Nigeen, it said.

During investigation, the spokesperson said, the property was identified as illegally acquired and linked to proceeds of drug trafficking activities, following which the competent authority ordered its attachment in accordance with law.

In another action, Police Station Zakura attached an immovable property comprising a residential house and land, valued at approximately Rs 1.14 crore, at Mulphaq Abu Baker Colony, Hazratbal.

The property belongs to Zubair Ahmad Rather, son of Mohd Shaban Rather, a resident of Lariyal, Tral, presently residing at Abu Baker Colony, Mulphaq, and is linked to FIR No. 44/2026 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act registered at Police Station Zakura.

Police said the property was identified during investigation as illegally acquired and linked to proceeds of drug trafficking. The attachment was carried out under Section 68-F(1) of the NDPS Act, 1985.

Earlier, Police Station Shalteng froze an immovable property valued at approximately Rs 1 crore belonging to accused Mohd Altaf Dar, son of Ghulam Ahmad Dar, a resident of Dilawar Colony, Mujgund, Srinagar, during investigation of FIR No. 76/2025 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act.

The property comprises a single-storey residential house along with 11.5 marlas of land and was frozen under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act after being found to have been acquired from the proceeds of illicit drug trafficking.

In another major action, Police Station Ahmad Nagar attached an immovable property valued at approximately Rs 2.2 crore belonging to accused Owais Ahmad Mir, son of Ghulam Hassan Mir, a resident of Baghaat Shoora, Srinagar.

The property comprises a double-storey residential house, including a hall on the second floor, along with approximately 10 marlas of land at Baghaat Shoora. It was attached under Section 68-F(1) of the NDPS Act following confirmation by the Competent Authority, SAFEMA, Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, New Delhi.

Police said investigation established that the property had been acquired through proceeds of illicit narcotics trafficking.

Meanwhile, Police Station Lal Bazar attached a drug-linked immovable property comprising a double-storey residential house along with 3.5 marlas of land, having an estimated market value of more than Rs 35 lakh.

The property belongs to Waseem Ahmad Langoo, son of Farooq Ahmad Langoo, a resident of Sheikh Colony, Lal Bazar, and is linked to FIR No. 52/2023 under Sections 8/20 of the NDPS Act.

The property was attached under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act after investigation established that it was liable for attachment under the relevant provisions of law, police said.

Police Station Shalteng also froze another immovable property belonging to accused Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Panzinara, Srinagar, during investigation of FIR No. 87/2025 under Section 8/20 of the NDPS Act.

The property comprises a single-storey residential house along with six marlas of land, valued at approximately Rs 43 lakh. It was frozen under Section 68-F of the NDPS Act after being found to have been acquired from the proceeds of illicit drug trafficking.

Police said that the latest actions—carried out by Police Stations Nigeen and Zakura, along with earlier property attachment/freezing proceedings by Police Stations Shalteng, Ahmad Nagar and Lal Bazar— reaffirm Srinagar Police’s commitment to dismantling not only the operational networks of drug traffickers but also the financial infrastructure that sustains the illicit narcotics trade.

With these actions, Srinagar Police has attached or frozen immovable properties collectively valued at over Rs 6.22 crore in six separate NDPS cases.

“The sustained action reflects the zero-tolerance approach of Srinagar Police towards drug trafficking and its efforts to target the financial networks supporting narcotics activities”, police said.

Srinagar Police reiterated that stringent legal action will continue against drug peddlers, traffickers and their associates, including identification, attachment and freezing of movable and immovable properties acquired from the proceeds of illicit narcotics activities, strictly in accordance with law.

Magam, Sep 10: A 47-year-old bus driver was found dead inside his bus near Jamkash Vehicles in the Chichlora area of Magam in Budgam district on Thursday, officials said.

An official said that the driver was found unconscious inside his bus near Jamkash Vehicles at Chichlora along the Narbal-Tangmarg Road.

The official said he was soon shifted to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead on arrival.

The deceased was later identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh (47), a resident of Gamroo, Bandipora.

Meanwhile, an investigation has been initiated in the matter. —(KNO)