Srinagar, Jul 04: A post by a female Kashmiri doctor settled in the Bristol, England has triggered fresh concerns over alleged bureaucratic delays in the School Education Department (SED).

In a post on X, she alleged that her mother, a government teacher, was unable to travel to the UK during her pregnancy because her leave application remained pending for months.

Dr. Salfiya, who identifies herself on X (formerly Twitter) as a doctor settled in England, alleged that her mother had applied for station/country leave in December 2025 for the period from June to August 2026, but the application was yet to be processed despite the commencement of the sanctioned leave period.

She further claimed that an earlier leave application submitted during her pregnancy had also lapsed as the department failed to process it in time.

“Because of this administrative apathy, my mother couldn’t be with me during my pregnancy, my C-section or my postpartum recovery in the UK. This is not just a delayed file, it is a family that has suffered because of bureaucratic negligence,” she wrote on X.

The doctor also tagged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Education Minister Sakina Itoo, seeking their immediate intervention and demanding accountability from the concerned officials.

Talking to Greater Kashmir with regard to the post on X, Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK), Naseer Ahmad Wani, said the department follows a prescribed procedure before granting station or country leave.

“Granting permission requires vigilance clearance, following which the approval is accorded by the administrative department,” Wani told Greater Kashmir.

He, however, acknowledged having seen the social media post and said the matter would be looked into.

“I read the tweet, but why didn’t anyone follow the case in the department? I will check the status of the issue today,” DSEK told Greater Kashmir.

According to the Joint Police Control Room (JPCR), Base Camp Bhagwati Nagar, a total of 4,812 pilgrims departed in a convoy of 259 vehicles. The Baltal axis convoy left at 3:00 am, while the Pahalgam axis convoy departed at 3:24 am.

Official figures showed that 2,041 pilgrims opted for the shorter Baltal route, while 2,771 pilgrims chose the traditional Pahalgam route.

The batch comprised 3,434 male pilgrims, 966 female pilgrims, 11 children, 244 sadhus, and 157 sadhvis.

The convoy included 95 buses, 47 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 116 light motor vehicles (LMVs), and one two-wheeler.

The Yatra is proceeding under a multi-layer security cover provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and other security agencies. Medical teams, ambulances, and escort vehicles have also been deployed to ensure the safe movement of pilgrims along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

By Saturday morning, the Baltal-bound convoy had reached the Lambar Ground langar site in Banihal for a scheduled breakfast halt, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy reached the Chanderkote langar site in Ramban for breakfast. After the halt, the pilgrims will continue their journey to the twin base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal district and Nunwan in Anantnag district, from where they will commence the trek to the holy Amarnath cave shrine.

Authorities have advised motorists to follow traffic advisories issued during the movement of Yatra convoys to ensure smooth and safe passage on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulama Jammu & Kashmir (MMU) has expressed serious concern over restrictions imposed on its members and senior religious leaders, including Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari and Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi.

In a press statement, the MMU said Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari has reportedly been confined to his residence during the sacred month of Muharram, preventing him from addressing Friday congregation and other religious gatherings and carrying out his religious and institutional responsibilities.

It also expressed regret over reports that Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi was prevented from travelling to Iran to attend the national funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Khamenei, and that his passport and travel documents were allegedly confiscated at New Delhi Airport.

The MMU said peaceful religious scholars and clerics should not be obstructed from fulfilling their religious, social and community duties. Such actions, it stated, hurt religious sentiments, create unnecessary anxiety, and go against the spirit of religious freedom.

The MMU urged the authorities to review these restrictions immediately and allow all religious leaders to discharge their responsibilities without hindrance, in the larger interest of harmony, confidence and mutual trust.

Shopian, Jul 3: When Shuja Sultan set out with his children for a picnic to Peer Ki Gali last week, he expected nothing more than a pleasant day in the mountains. Instead, the return journey turned into an anxious ordeal after a cloudburst triggered landslides that blocked the historic Mughal Road.

Sultan, a resident of Pulwama , waited inside his vehicle for several hours as authorities worked to clear the debris. As darkness fell, his anxiety grew—not because of the road closure alone, but because he had no way to contact his family, who were worried about his whereabouts.

“There is no mobile connectivity along the road. Since I couldn’t inform my family, I decided to drive to Poonch and spend the night there until the road was reopened,” Sultan said.

He said that had there been mobile network coverage, he would have stayed near the blocked stretch and waited for the road to reopen instead of making the long detour.

“Driving to Poonch was difficult because my vehicle was running low on fuel,” he said.

The 84-km Mughal Road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu region, is increasingly being used by tourists and commuters, particularly during the summer months. However, long stretches of the road remain without mobile connectivity and other basic roadside facilities, posing challenges during emergencies.

Residents, traders and civil society members from Shopian say the lack of communication facilities is discouraging people from using the route and affecting local businesses that depend on tourist and commuter traffic.

“The absence of mobile connectivity is impacting the movement of people along the road. In emergencies, travellers cannot even call for help,” said Mitha Gatoo, a civil society member from Shopian.

Gatoo said the issue was raised during a recent review meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, where local representatives sought seamless mobile connectivity along the entire stretch.

“We have been assured that the matter will be addressed. We hope the road will soon have uninterrupted mobile connectivity,” he said.

A shopkeeper from Heerpora, the last habitation on the Shopian side of the road, said improving mobile coverage and developing basic wayside amenities such as fuel stations, emergency assistance centres and public conveniences would make travel safer and encourage more tourists to use the route.

“We appeal to the government to provide mobile connectivity and essential facilities along the Mughal Road so that travellers can travel safely and local businesses can benefit,” he said.