Srinagar, Oct 7: PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday visited Shehr-e-Khas in downtown Srinagar and paid tribute at the tomb of Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin, popularly known as Budshah.

Accompanied by senior party leader Naeem Akhtar, she walked through the old city’s narrow lanes to reach the 15th-century ruler’s resting place at Zaina Kadal, where she offered fateha and laid floral tributes.

Budshah (1420-1470) is remembered as one of Kashmir’s greatest rulers. He is credited with promoting religious tolerance and with bringing artisans from Persia and Central Asia, which strengthened crafts such as shawl weaving, woodcarving, and papier-mâché.

Srinagar, Oct 7: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has urged the J&K Government to ensure professional and need-based deployment of qualified wildlife personnel, particularly Assistant Conservators of Forests (Wildlife) and Grade-I Range Officers (Wildlife), to strengthen field-level wildlife and habitat conservation.

In a representation to the Commissioner/Secretary, Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, EPG Convenor Faiz Bakshi said the Wildlife Department has a valuable pool of professionally trained and experienced personnel whose expertise should be utilised for wildlife protection, habitat management, wetland conservation, enforcement and management of Protected Areas.

EPG said officers with qualifications such as a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Science or a Diploma in Wildlife Management, coupled with years of field experience, possess expertise in wildlife monitoring, biodiversity assessment, human-wildlife conflict management, wildlife rescue, anti-poaching operations, wildlife crime prevention, camera-trap, GPS and GIS-based monitoring, Protected Area management and conservation planning.

The group said wildlife conservation is inherently field-oriented and requires regular presence of experienced officers in Protected Areas, Wildlife Ranges, Conservation Reserves and ecologically sensitive areas.

It particularly stressed the need for stronger field-level protection of wetlands, which, it said, are increasingly coming under pressure from encroachments and other human activities. EPG said qualified wildlife personnel could play an important role in monitoring wetland boundaries, detecting encroachments, documenting ecological changes and coordinating timely action for protection and restoration.

EPG expressed concern over prolonged attachment of technically qualified wildlife personnel to offices, particularly against non-existent or temporary positions. It said such attachments had become more prevalent from January 2024, when a large number of professionals were allegedly attached or placed against positions in Directorate and Regional Offices.
The group urged the Government to review such attachments and, wherever there is no genuine continuing administrative requirement, consider field deployment based on officers’ qualifications, specialisation and experience.

Highlighting the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict, EPG said experienced field officers were required to verify incidents, identify conflict hotspots, coordinate with communities and local administration and formulate preventive and long-term mitigation measures.

It also stressed the importance of experienced personnel in preventing poaching, illegal hunting and wildlife trafficking through surveillance, intelligence gathering, patrolling and coordination with enforcement agencies.

EPG has sought a comprehensive review covering the present place and nature of posting, duration and justification of office attachments, status of positions against which officers are attached, duties being performed, professional qualifications and field experience, and staffing requirements of Wildlife Divisions, Ranges and Protected Areas.

The group also proposed a periodic review mechanism to ensure that qualified personnel are deployed effectively and transparently.

“Wildlife conservation requires professional expertise as well as sustained field presence. The department must ensure that qualified personnel are deployed where their knowledge and experience can directly contribute to protection, conservation and management of wildlife habitats and wetlands,” EPG said.

It urged the Government to take appropriate measures for rational deployment of ACFs (Wildlife), Grade-I Range Officers (Wildlife) and other qualified personnel, saying this would strengthen field conservation, improve protection of vulnerable habitats and wetlands and ensure better utilisation of public resources.

Srinagar, Oct 7: Mohammad Zaid Malik, a 2001-batch officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Police Service, has been posted as Superintendent of Police at the National Investigation Agency’s Branch Office in Jammu, adding a Kashmir field commander to the agency’s investigation set-up in the Union Territory.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government had relieved him on September 22 under Government Order No. 472-Home of 2026 to join the NIA as Superintendent of Police on deputation. He was then Commanding Officer of the 13th Battalion of the J&K Armed Police (KPS013477). The deputation is for an initial period of four years, extendable up to seven years, on terms laid down by the NIA and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The order, issued by Principal Secretary Home Chandraker Bharti on behalf of the Lieutenant Governor, followed an NIA communication of September 9 seeking his services.

His posting to the Jammu branch places him at the agency’s office at Lower Majeen, Sidhra, which handles NIA work linked to terror financing, cross-border modules and scheduled offences in the Jammu region. The branch works alongside the State Investigation Agency, CID and district police on cases that have moved from local registration to central investigation.

Malik’s career has been built on operational and district commands. He has served as SP Operations in Baramulla, Anantnag and Bandipora, and as district SSP of Awantipora and Bandipora. He took over as SSP Baramulla in late August 2024, a Line of Control district where anti-infiltration, law and order and joint operations with the Army are routine. Colleagues describe that record as ground-level coordination rather than a headquarters stint, which is the profile the NIA has drawn on from the J&K Police for branch-level work.

The move is part of a wider pattern of deputing J&K officers with counter-terror exposure to the NIA, while the Home Department continues to fill the armed-battalion vacancy he has left.

Handwara, Oct 7: Security forces on Wednesday busted a terrorist hideout in Nadgana forest in north Kashmir’s Handwara and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition.

Officials said that based on a specific input, Handwara Police along with 21RR and 92Bn CRPF, today conducted a joint search operation in the forest area of NagdaNar, Handwara.

During the search operation, the joint party detected & destroyed an old hideout and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the hide out.

The recoveries included 01 AK-47 rifle, 03 grenades, 857 AK rounds, 192 PIKA rounds, 08 AK magazines, 01 silencer, 83 pistol rounds and other incriminating material.

In this connection, a case FIR No. 252/2026 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Handwara, and investigation has been taken up, officials added.

Srinagar, Oct 07: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said a decision on the expansion of his Council of Ministers would likely be taken after his return from Delhi and consultations with National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar, Omar said the government would take a call on the expansion after the GST Council meeting and consultations with the party president.

On recent administrative changes, he said some transfers had been ordered by the elected government while others were carried out by the Lieutenant Governor, adding that the government would work with the officers posted in various departments.

Regarding the pending recruitment rules for Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), the Chief Minister said the rules were almost ready and being given final shape.

“There were some contradictions between the rules that had been framed and those proposed. These contradictions are being removed,” he said, adding that the government did not want to rush the process and face difficulties during implementation.

He said the recruitment rules were expected to be notified soon.

On sports infrastructure, he said the government was simultaneously expanding facilities and appointing coaches to provide better training opportunities to young athletes across Jammu and Kashmir.

He said an Olympic-size swimming pool had been established in Kashmir, with arrangements being made for solar-powered heating to facilitate year-round training.

He also said an indoor gymnastics hall had been inaugurated, noting that children in Kashmir had shown interest in gymnastics but lacked adequate infrastructure.

“We are trying to move beyond traditional sports such as cricket, football, hockey and volleyball and provide our children with more options and alternatives,” he said.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 25 years in public life, Omar said it was not easy to win elections continuously for such a long period.

“I congratulate him on behalf of myself and my colleagues,” he said.

On protests related to the Chief Election Commissioner, Omar questioned the government’s failure to initiate defamation proceedings against The Indian Express if its reporting was fabricated.

“If it had not been correct, the government would have taken action against them, at least filed a defamation case,” he said.

He said the ongoing protests were part of the programme announced by INDIA bloc leaders following their recent meeting in Delhi.

On the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said the exercise could be used to interfere with elections.

Referring to the earlier delimitation exercise, he alleged that its purpose was to benefit the BJP.

“We have already been victims of such interference. We have not yet forgotten the delimitation,” he said.

Omar also expressed hope that the proceedings underway in the Supreme Court, particularly concerning Form 6, would make it more difficult to exclude people from the electoral rolls.—(KNO)