Jaipur, Nov 17: In a momentous achievement for the medical fraternity of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Rafi Ahmed Jan has become the first doctor from the region to receive the esteemed Fellowship of the Indian Society of Chest Physicians.

The accolade was conferred upon him at this year’s National Conference on Pulmonary Diseases (NAPCON) held in Jaipur.

This historic recognition places both Dr Jan and the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, prominently on the national and global map of respiratory care.

With this feat, Dr Jan has not only elevated his own stature but also propelled his institution to the forefront of cutting-edge pulmonary medicine in India.

Known for his pioneering work, Dr Jan had already etched his name in medical history last year when he became Kashmir’s first Fellow of the Indian Association for Bronchology (IAB), a notable accomplishment in the growing field of interventional pulmonology.

Interventional pulmonology, a subspecialty that uses minimally invasive techniques to diagnose and treat lung and chest disorders, remains a rare expertise in South Asia.

Dr Jan’s command over this domain spans a wide array of advanced procedures from flexible and rigid bronchoscopy to airway stenting, pleural interventions, and complex bronchial therapies.

His clinical proficiency is matched only by his dedication to teaching, research, and medical innovation.

Currently serving as Professor of Respiratory Medicine at GMC Anantnag, Dr Jan has spent over two decades building a legacy of excellence in pulmonary health.

He previously held the position of Head of the Department of Internal and Pulmonary Medicine at SKIMS, Soura, a premier medical institute of the region.

A respected clinician-scholar, Dr Jan is an MD, FCCP, and FACP, whose contributions extend beyond the clinic.

His research has been published widely, and he has spearheaded major CME initiatives, symposia, and academic forums.

His leadership in forming and strengthening pulmonary societies in the region is well documented, as is his role in mentoring a generation of pulmonologists across North India.

Dr Jan’s latest recognition at NAPCON comes with a ripple effect that signals the rise of GMC Anantnag as a hub of excellence in respiratory care.

Under his stewardship, the institution is rapidly gaining national and international attention for its clinical standards, research output, and innovation in patient care.

“This is not just a personal milestone,” Dr Jan said after receiving the fellowship. “It represents a collective achievement for GMC Anantnag, Kashmir’s healthcare community, and all those committed to advancing pulmonary medicine in regional settings.”

In a region often beset by environmental and respiratory health challenges, Dr Jan’s contributions offer a beacon of progress and promise.

New Delhi, Nov 17: Iran has suspended the visa waiver facility for ordinary Indian passport holders in the wake of several reported incidents of Indians being lured to that country on false promises of employment or with assurances of onward transit to other countries, according to the MEA.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday said the government’s attention has been drawn to several incidents of Indian nationals being lured to Iran on false promises of employment or with assurances of onward transit to third countries.

The government of Iran has accordingly “suspended the visa waiver facility” available to ordinary Indian passport holders visiting Iran with effect from November 22. This measure is intended to prevent further misuse of the facility by criminal elements, the MEA said in a statement.

From this date, Indian nationals with ordinary passports would be required to obtain a visa to enter or transit through Iran, it said.

“The attention of government has been drawn to several incidents of Indian nationals being lured to Iran on false promises of employment or with assurances of onward transit to third countries.

“These individuals were tricked into journeying to Iran by taking advantage of the visa waiver facility available for ordinary Indian passport holders. On arrival in Iran, many of them were kidnapped for ransom,” the MEA said.

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has accordingly suspended the visa waiver facility available to ordinary Indian passport holders visiting Iran.

All Indian nationals intending to visit Iran are “strongly advised” to remain vigilant and avoid agents offering visa-free travel or onward transit to third countries via Iran, the MEA said.

New Delhi, Nov 17: Continuing with its probe in the Red Fort area car bomb blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another key associate of the terrorist involved in the blast.

Jasir Bilal Wani @ Danish, also a Kashmiri resident, was arrested from Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir by an NIA team that was in the Valley in the case RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI, a spokesman of NIA in a statement said.

He said the NIA investigations have revealed that Jasir had allegedly provided technical support for carrying out terror attacks by modifying drones and attempting to make rockets ahead of the deadly car bomb blast which killed 10 persons and left 32 persons injured.

The accused, a resident of Qazigund in Anantnag district of J&K, was an active co-conspirator behind the attack and had worked closely with the terrorist, Umar un Nabi, to plan the terror carnage.

NIA continues to explore various angles to unravel the conspiracy behind the bombing. Several teams of the anti-terror agency are pursuing multiple leads, and are conducting searches across states to identify every person involved in the terror attack, spokesman added.

New Delhi, Nov 17: Amir Rashid Ali, a key accused in the Red Fort area car bomb blast case that left 13 people dead, was on Monday remanded in 10 days’ NIA custody as the agency seeks to unravel the conspiracy behind the inter-state “white collar” terror module.

Ali, a resident of Pampore in South Kashmir, was brought to the court of Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna at the Patiala House courts complex amid tight security.

Media persons were barred from entering the court premises, which virtually turned the proceedings ‘in-camera’.

Later, sources in the courtroom said the judge allowed the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) plea seeking custodial interrogation of the accused for 10 days.

A heavy deployment of Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was seen outside the court premises, besides keeping personnel equipped with anti-riot gear on standby to maintain order.

Ali was likely the last person to have been in contact with Dr Umar Nabi, who was driving the explosive-laden car that detonated outside the Red Fort on November 10, killing 13 people.

The remand comes a day after the NIA announced Ali’s arrest for allegedly conspiring with “suicide bomber” Nabi to execute the terror attack.

The NIA investigation showed that the vehicle used in the blast was registered in Ali’s name, who had travelled to Delhi specifically to facilitate the purchase of the car. The vehicle was subsequently used as a “Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED)” to carry out the attack.

Nabi had known links with a “white-collar” terror module that was recently busted following the recovery of explosives, primarily from Faridabad in Haryana on November 10.

As reported by PTI earlier, Nabi, a 28-year-old doctor from Pulwama, emerged as the most radicalised and key operative in the network spanning Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Officials believe he was planning a powerful VBIED blast timed around the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary on December 6.

The plot, however, fell apart when a meticulous investigation by Srinagar police resulted in the arrest of Dr. Muzammil Ganaie from Al Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad and the seizure of a huge cache of explosives. The breakthrough is believed to have triggered panic in Umar, ultimately ending in the blast outside the Red Fort that left 13 people dead.

The intricate interstate terror network was exposed after a small but significant incident of JeM posters appearing on the walls in Bunpora, Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar, on October 19.

Srinagar police registered a case and reviewed CCTV camera footage, leading to the arrest of three locals — Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid, all with prior stone-pelting cases against them.

Their interrogation led to the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic-turned-Imam from Shopian, who allegedly supplied the posters and used his access to radicalise the doctors.

So far, eight people have been arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in connection with this case.

The NIA will now interrogate Ali to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy and his role in the fatal terror plot.