Srinagar, May 25: Reaffirming that the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status remains the foremost and unwavering objective of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah Monday said that the party will persist in its principled political struggle under all circumstances until this historic injustice is reversed.

Addressing a gathering, Dr Farooq asserted that the accession of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir to the Union of India was founded upon clearly defined constitutional guarantees and solemn commitments. However, through illegal, unconstitutional, and undemocratic measures, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were stripped off their fundamental political and constitutional rights. He emphasized that even after six years since the decisions of August 5, 2019, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have neither reconciled with these measures nor will they ever accept them in the future.

Dr Farooq stated that Article 370 constituted the constitutional bedrock and political framework governing the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and India. It was under this constitutional safeguard that Jammu and Kashmir retained its distinct identity and special autonomous position following the events of 1947. However, he said, New Delhi reneged on its promises, commitments and constitutional assurances by unilaterally abrogating J&Ks special status in 2019 without even deeming it necessary to consult the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Highlighting the historic role of the National Conference, Dr. Farooq said that throughout its political journey, the party has undertaken transformative and revolutionary measures to safeguard the political, social and economic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Under the towering leadership of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the National Conference dismantled the exploitative feudal order and introduced the landmark Land to the Tiller reforms, empowering millions of impoverished peasants by granting them ownership rights over land and fundamentally altering their socio-economic destiny. He further stated that it was the National Conference that laid the foundations of modern development in Jammu and Kashmir by strengthening vital sectors such as education, healthcare, road connectivity, electricity, drinking water supply and employment generation.

Criticising the “promises made by the Central Government at the time of the abrogation of Article 370,” Dr Farooq remarked that the claims of prosperity, peace, development and employment projected over the past six years have gradually been exposed as hollow and misleading. Calling upon the people to remain politically conscious and alert, Dr Farooq cautioned against forces attempting to mislead the masses through shifting narratives, hollow slogans, and calculated propaganda. He observed that certain political elements have built their entire existence on opposing the National Conference, while others routinely issue provocative statements against the party merely to remain politically relevant and capture public attention. Urging New Delhi to abandon what he termed its harsh and alienating policies towards Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Farooq demanded the immediate restoration of promised full-fledged statehood and the initiation of a credible political process aimed at restoring the constitutional and democratic rights of the people.

Srinagar, May 25: A day after the body of the raped and murdered Budgam child was found, the family is clamouring for answers, demanding exemplary punishment to the perpetrator of the crime.

The entire neighborhood of the brutally assaulted and killed child remained drowned in grief and anger, seeking speedy investigation and action.
The house of the victim was inundated by people visiting for condolences and mourning.

Her mother has been passing out from grief, and is barely conscious, the neighbors reported.
Her father has also been unable to speak, devastated by the tragic and shocking end to the life of his only daughter.
The grandfather of the murdered child victim of rape and murder, while speaking to a media outlet, asked what she had done to deserve being killed in such a manner.

“The killer went on to take an innocent life like this. She had gone for Quran, what had she done to him that he didn’t even let her reach her seminary?” the shaken grandfather asked.

The grandfather lamented that even at such a young age, the child prayed five times a day.
“She would wake up for Fajr too, was very religious minded, and then a tyrant assaulted her like this,” he cried.
The grandfather said that the entire clan was looking for her when she did not return home at her usual time.
He said he could not “fathom courage” to look at her dead body.

Media reports quoted the uncle of the murdered child as saying that the family searched for her the entire night.
“In morning we found her body,” he said. “It seems she was badly assaulted as her fists were clenched tight and there was grass in her hands.”
The uncle said he saw injury marks on the face of the child and signs of heartless criminal assault.
A mourner, who appeared to be of the age of the child said the victim used to say she wants to be a Hafiza (remember entire Quran by heart).
“Her dream was cut short, and the funeral of our collective dignity is underway,” she rued.

While the Police claimed that one person, who as per the Police also confessed to the crime, has been arrested, demands have been pouring in for fool-proof investigation and exemplary punishment to the criminal.

SSP Budgam, Hariprasad K K said the Police was working in the best possible manner to collect evidence and make the case strong in order to ensure that the guilty are punished.

Srinagar, May 25: The Gulmarg Gondola service in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district will remain closed on May 26 and 27 for technical maintenance following Monday’s major disruption that left hundreds of tourists stranded mid-air for several hours.

An officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that all tickets booked for May 25, 26 and 27 will be refunded in full. Authorities also expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to tourists and visitors.

The announcement came hours after a massive rescue operation involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, SDRF, NDRF and civil administration safely evacuated around 400 tourists after a technical fault halted the cable car service around 1:20 PM.

Officials said the maintenance work has been initiated as a precautionary measure to inspect and rectify the technical issue before operations resume.

The Gulmarg Gondola, one of Kashmir’s major tourist attractions, witnesses heavy tourist footfall during the summer season. Monday’s incident triggered panic among tourists, though all stranded passengers were rescued safely without injuries.

Authorities said the service will resume only after all safety checks and technical inspections are completed.

Srinagar, May 25: Around 300 tourists in 65 cabins of Gulmarg Gondola were stranded mid-air on Monday after the Asia’s highest ropeway developed technical problems, and were rescued after an arduous seven-hour operation.

No casualties were reported in the incident, officials said.

The major multi-agency rescue operation, which also involvedthe army, was launched soon after the system malfunctioned around noon. The officials said that evacuation from some cabins took longer as these were hovering at a height of nearly 500 ft above ground. Heavy rains in the area also hampered efforts.

“The rescue operation has concluded and all the stranded persons have been evacuated safely,” an official said this evening.

Operations of both phases of the Gulmarg cable car service, popularly known as the Gondola, were suspended following a malfunction, the officials said.

Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with police and the Army were involved in the rescue effort.

Trained teams used ropes and ladders to bring the tourists down safely.

Restoration work on the cable car system is currently underway, the officials said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government was “closely monitoring” the situation.

“All cabins are intact and rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground. The situation is completely under control and there is no cause for panic,” the chief minister said in a post on X.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said he had directed DGP Nalin Prabhat to proceed to Gulmarg to oversee the rescue operation.

“I’m monitoring the rescue operation for tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical fault in Gulmarg. I have directed the DGP to proceed to the site. Joint rescue teams of Police, Army & SDRF along with DC and SSP are conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists,” Sinha posted on X.

The Army said in a post on X that swift and coordinated rescue efforts were launched with the assistance of the Chinar Corps.

On June 25, 2017, the Gulmarg Gondola had witnessed an accident when seven people were killed after a tree uprooted by strong winds struck a cabin, causing it to crash to the ground.

The cable car had also been temporarily suspended in January last year because of technical issues.

Monday’s incident comes a day after a 16-year-old boy died in Agra after a zipline cable snapped at an amusement facility here, causing him to fall nearly 45 ft.

Baramulla, May 25: The General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the 19 Infantry Division Major General Manoj Joshi on Monday said that the rescue operation at Gulmarg Gondola will likely to continue till midnight.

He however said the situation was “totally under control” as more rescue teams were arriving to speed up the operation.

“All the stranded passengers would be evacuated by midnight,” he added