Jammu, Feb 19: Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, launched a scathing attack on the NC-led government, accusing it of complete failure and negligence towards the youth of the Union Territory. He asserted that while the government under Narendra Modi is relentlessly working to empower the youth across the nation, the administration led by Omar Abdullah has miserably failed to secure the future of J&K’s young generation.

Taking serious note of what he termed as the “utter apathy” of the Omar government, Sunil Sharma said that despite the Chief Minister overseeing as many as 18 crucial departments, review meetings are rarely conducted. “This inaction reflects misplaced priorities and administrative paralysis. Jammu & Kashmir deserves accountable governance, not hollow assurances,” he stated.

Highlighting the alarming unemployment scenario, Sharma said that during the tenure of the present government, merely 650 jobs have been created in various departments, making a mockery of the tall promise of providing one lakh jobs to the youth. “The promise of one lakh jobs now stands exposed as yet another political gimmick. Instead of ensuring transparent recruitment, the government is outsourcing jobs to private entities, crushing the aspirations of educated youth,” he said.

He further expressed grave concern over the continued neglect of daily wagers, ReK, ReT, and other temporary workers who have been waiting for years for regularization. These hardworking individuals have devoted the prime of their lives to public service, yet the NC government has abandoned them. Their plight reflects the anti-youth and anti-worker mindset of this regime, he added.

Contrasting the two governance models, Sharma emphasized that the Modi government has consistently prioritized youth welfare through expanded higher education opportunities, technical institutions, skill development missions, start-up support, and transparent recruitment processes. From start-up promotion to skill enhancement and employment generation, the BJP-led government at the Centre is laying a strong foundation for a self-reliant and empowered youth, he said.

Reiterating BJP’s commitment, Sunil Sharma affirmed that the party will continue to raise its voice against every injustice meted out to the youth, students, and marginalized sections under the oppressive and directionless governance of the NC-led government in Jammu & Kashmir.

Srinagar, Feb 19: The security forces on Thursday busted an inter-state weapon racket in Nowshera area of Rajouri district, with the arrest of one individual who according to officials was in direct contact with Pakistan-based terrorists and smugglers.

Based on specific and credible intelligence inputs, a joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CIF Romeo, under the aegis of White Knight Corps resulted in the swift arrest of an individual, identified as Sachin alias Pamma, resident of Nowshera, officials of White Knight Corps said.

They said the operation reflects seamless coordination and actionable intelligence leading to a decisive outcome.

During the operation, security forces recovered 01 TISAS Zigana 9mm (Turkey-made) pistol, 01 TT-30 (Norinco-China-made) pistol, 02 extended  50-round Zigana magazines, 02 standard pistol magazines, and 15 9mm live rounds.

Preliminary investigation indicates the arrested individual was in direct contact with Pakistan-based terrorists/smugglers and was operating a trans-border and inter-state weapons racket, official said.

With the arrest, intelligence agencies, J&K Police and Romeo Force have effectively busted and thwarted the nefarious designs aimed at destabilizing the peaceful atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir, official added.

Jammu, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the government will initiate the process of regularising daily-rated, ad hoc and other temporary employees in a legally and financially sustainable manner in 2026, even as it works to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts during the current year.

Replying to the discussion on grants of his departments and cut motions in the Assembly, Abdullah said the issue of daily wagers and temporary workers was raised by members across party lines and acknowledged that the problem had persisted for decades. “These employees have been struggling for 20, 30 and even 40 years. No government has been able to fully resolve the issue,” he said.

“During the discussion on the lieutenant governor’s address and later during the Budget session, I clearly stated that we would begin the process of regularisation of these employees in a legally and financially viable manner this year, God willing,” he said.

The chief minister informed that a committee, under the supervision of the chief secretary, had been constituted to examine the matter to ensure that any policy framed does not get stuck in courts or the finance department. “Once the committee submits its report and the groundwork is completed in a transparent manner, we will place everything before the people,” he added.

Rejecting any suggestion of a hurried decision, Abdullah said regularisation could not be done overnight. “I am not willing to mislead these employees by merely signing a paper without proper preparation,” he said, adding that the number of such workers — whether 70,000, 80,000 or one lakh — would be worked out through a proper timetable.

Over one lakh daily wagers and casual labourers are currently engaged across government departments in Jammu and Kashmir, the chief minister informed the Assembly on Tuesday, assuring that a legally sustainable approach is being adopted on the issue of their regularisation.

He highlighted that the registered workforce includes 69,696 casual labourers, 8,836 daily rated workers, 8,534 seasonal labourers, 5,757 food and civil supplies helpers, 2,153 part-time sweepers and 1,929 persons engaged through the hospital development fund.

On the matter of employment generation, the chief minister mentioned that there was a clear distinction between the creation of posts and appointments. “We have created posts, but filled far more — around 6,000 to 6,500 posts,” he said, reiterating that the government aims to fill nearly 30,000 vacant posts this year without creating new positions.

He also assured the House that all vacancies would be filled in a transparent and time-bound manner in coordination with the Selection Board and the Public Service Commission, to avoid legal challenges that had derailed recruitment processes in the past.

Jammu, Feb 19: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced that all tourist destinations closed in the aftermath of the Baisaran Pahalgam terror incident will be reopened by May this year.

Winding up the discussion on grants for the departments under his charge, CM Omar Abdullah, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that all tourist destinations shut down after the Pahalgam attack will be reopened by May.

“I want to tell you all these destinations will reopen till May,” the CM said, adding that the Jammu & Kashmir Government has discussed the matter with the Union Government.

He said that they have no plan to privatise power distribution companies in Jammu & Kashmir.

The CM said that whenever action is taken against encroachers, they will target the “big fishes” first.

Jammu, Feb 19: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that return of Kashmiri Pandits with full dignity and security is the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Jammu Kashmir has been undergoing a profound transformation since 2019. Sinister plot of adversary to destroy the dreams and destiny of people of the UT has been decisively dismantled.

Through tireless effort, this land’s ancient glory has been restored, and development has been accelerated. Very soon, this soil will be completely freed from the scourge of terrorism,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He was speaking at the release of the book titled “Kashmir-Nativity Regained”, authored by Prof. Ashok Kaul.

“Kashmir-Nativity Regained” explores the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and captures the terror of those dark days and the lasting devastation of being wrenched from ancestral roots.

The Lieutenant Governor said that Prof Kaul’s book is not just a literary endeavour but laudable effort to shatter the silence that has shrouded our collective consciousness for decades.

“I salute the indomitable spirit of Kashmiri Pandit Community. Every displaced family carried within them a living ember of Kashmir. In the crucible of struggle and adversity, they preserved philosophy, spirituality, culture, language, and traditions. Even in agony, they unearthed possibilities and scaled new pinnacles of success,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor highlighted that in 2021, Kashmiri Migrant web portal was launched to recover house and lands of Kashmiri Pandit community, which were encroached upon by others.

“I firmly believe that among the world’s gravest sorrows is the agony of becoming a stranger on one’s own soil. This is precisely what had transpired in Jammu & Kashmir.

The anguish of the 1989-90 massacre of Kashmiri Pandits by terrorists runs so profoundly deep that even the balm of time has failed to soothe it. The torment of abandoning homes overnight, of being uprooted from one’s roots, lingers like thorns in the veins of displaced families even today,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor said that terror ecosystem in J&K tried to bury the truth but we can never forget and never forgive those terrorists and their support networks who sowed terror and struck at the souls of generations.

“The younger generation must never forget that Pakistan-backed terrorists have also spilled the blood of thousands of innocent Kashmiri Muslims. Many cases are so heartrending that words falter in their retelling. Justice has begun flowing to those families since last year, with efforts underway to fulfil their employment needs alongside other essentials,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor stated that in August 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi abolished Article 370 and fully integrated J&K, that day instilled the faith that the young generation of Kashmiri Pandit Community could reclaim those roots without fear.

“Prof Kaul’s book serves as a poignant reminder of Kashmiri Pandit Community’s resilience. This is an era of reconstruction. Through his words, Prof Kaul proclaims to the world that the Kashmiri Pandit community is at the very heart of J&K’s narrative,” the Lieutenant Governor further said.

Prof. Umesh Rai, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu; Rajiv Jha, Publisher, Readers Press; Prof. Neelu Rohmetra; Dean Research Studies; Dr Neeraj Sharma, Registrar, Jammu University; eminent literary personalities, people from different walks of life and students attended the book release ceremony.

Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu; Dr Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu and other senior officials were also present.

Jammu, Feb 19: The speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has admitted a private member’s resolution moved by PDP MLA Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra, strongly condemning hate crimes against minorities and calling for strict enforcement of law.

The PDP legislator from Pulwama moved the resolution amid growing incidents of targeted attacks and harassment of Kashmiri students and traders in different parts of the country.

According to an official communication issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the resolution has been admitted under Rule 179 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the J-K Legislative Assembly.

The resolution “strongly condemns all forms of hate crimes against minorities and calls upon the government of India and state governments to take immediate and effective measures to prevent, investigate and prosecute such offences with strict enforcement of the law”.

In recent weeks, incidents involving alleged attacks and intimidation of Kashmiri students and traders in various states have drawn political attention and concern, prompting calls from several quarters for stronger safeguards and accountability mechanisms.

Jammu, Feb 19: A border resident was arrested with two foreign-made pistols in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.

Sachin Kumar, a resident of Sair village near the Line of Control, was taken into custody by an Army patrolling party from Raipur village in the Nowshera sector late on Wednesday night, they said.

Two pistols — one made in Turkey and another in China — were recovered from his possession along with four magazines and 15 rounds of ammunition.

A case has been registered against Kumar and further investigation is underway, they said.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the accused had allegedly received the consignment from across the border and was tasked with delivering it to another person, when he was intercepted by the patrolling party, officials said.

Efforts are on to ascertain the intended recipient of the weapons and to determine other details of the cross-border network, they added.

The officials said that meanwhile, security forces have launched a search operation in Marlog and Lodra forests in Basantgarh area of Udhampur district after receiving information about the movement of three suspected terrorists.

A search operation was underway when last reports were received.