The nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan on May 28, 1998, in Chagai mountains of Balochistan have resulted in devastating consequences for the region and its people, according to activists. The radiation emitted from the atomic explosions have caused serious health problems for the people, particularly the children. It has also seriously impacted the water bodies and flora of Balochistan. #nuclear #nucleartests #Chagai #balochistan #health #Pakistan #atomic What We Offer In-Depth Analysis and Exclusive Reports: Our team of experienced journalists and analysts delve deep into the complexities of regional and international issues, providing you with exclusive reports and thorough analysis. Whether it’s the intricate political dynamics of Balochistan, the ongoing developments in POK, or the security challenges in Kashmir, we bring you stories that matter. Timely and Accurate Updates: Stay informed with our timely updates on the latest events and trends. From breaking news to detailed feature stories, NVI ensures you are always ahead of the curve with accurate and reliable information.
Persecution of Hindus, Christians and other minorities in Pakistan
Minorities, like Hindus and Christians, have been suffering immense atrocities in Pakistan. Very frequently, some or the other member of a minority community, whether Hindu or Christian, is subjected to humiliation, tortrure and cruelty in various forms. While men are thrashed and even lynched, their girls are raped and forcibly converted to Islam to be married to a Muslim man against their choice. Most tragically, the victims of these victims get no support from the police, the government or even the judiciary. #pakistan #minorities #Hindus #christians
India’s neighbours participate in Modi’s grand oath-taking ceremony
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the visiting leaders who congratulated him for the historic third consecutive term in office.
New Delhi, June 9: Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time, in a grand ceremony on Sunday evening that saw the leaders of seven neighbouring countries invited as honoured guests.
Modi, clad in white kurta and churidar and donning a blue jacket, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashparati Bhawan here.
The 74 year old leader took the oath in the name of God to loud cheers from the large number of guests, which included leaders from India’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean Region.
The leaders who attended the ceremony included President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe; President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu; Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif; Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina; Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth accompanied by his spouse; Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’; and Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay. Leaders of Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan were accompanied by Ministers.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the visiting leaders who congratulated him for the historic third consecutive term in office. Thanking them for gracing the occasion, Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and ‘SAGAR Vision’.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that in his third term, India will continue to work for the peace, progress and prosperity of the region in close partnership with the countries, even as it pursues its goal of VIKSIT BHARAT by 2047, a statement said.
In this context, he called for deeper people-to-people ties and connectivity in the region. He further added that India would continue to amplify the voice of the Global South in the international arena.
The leaders also attended a Banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President while welcoming them and conveying her wishes to Prime Minister Modi in the service of the nation, stated that India’s democratic exercise was not only a moment of pride for its people, but an inspiration to millions around the world.
The participation of leaders from India’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region on the momentous occasion of swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, underlines India’s deep-rooted bonds of friendship and cooperation with the region, a statement said.
Journalists, opposition groups boycott controversial Punjab Defamation Bill
The central Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the media bodies announced a total boycott of coverage concerning all government affairs as a mark of protest.
Islamabad, June 9: The controversial Punjab Defamation Bill 2024 was officially brought into effect and became a full-fledged law in Pakistan after the province’s Acting Governor Malik Ahmed Khan signed it. Seen as a draconian bill which curbs press freedom in the country, the bill was boycotted by various organisations and opposition groups in the National Assembly.
Drawing great ire from journalist groups and civil society organisations, the central Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the media bodies announced a total boycott of coverage concerning all government affairs at both the provincial and federal proceedings in the National Assembly as a mark of protest.
The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), held an emergency meeting to discuss the development and decided to record their protest against the law.
Just hours after the bill was passed, a joint petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) by journalists Riaz Ahmad Raja and Jaffar Ahmad Yar challenging its legality. The petition asked the high court to strike down the defamation law, saying it violated the fundamental rights of citizens protected in the Constitution.
The plea lamented that journalists were not consulted before the passing and approval of the defamation law, arguing that it was ludicrous and unconstitutional to allow a person to bring a claim of defamation without any proof.
Highway closure: Special Srinagar-Katra train introduced for stranded passengers
Srinagar, Jul 23 (NVI): Northern Railway on Thursday operated a special train between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to facilitate passengers stranded due to the continued closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway following heavy rain, landslides and shooting stones.
Officials said the special service was introduced in view of the heavy passenger rush caused by the highway closure and slow movement of traffic.
The train will depart Srinagar at 5 pm and reach Katra at 8.15 pm via Banihal. On its return journey on Friday, it will leave Katra at 8.45 am and arrive in Srinagar at 11.50 am.
The train will run non-stop between Banihal and Katra in both directions and will be operated with an eight-coach MEMU rake, the officials said.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has remained closed for the second consecutive day due to multiple landslides, shooting stones and road erosion at several locations, leaving hundreds of vehicles and passengers stranded, they added.—(NVI)
Mass Detentions, House Demolitions Won’t Restore Peace in J&K: CM
Srinagar, July 23 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said terrorism cannot be eradicated through house demolitions or mass detentions alone, asserting that lasting peace in the Union Territory can only be achieved by winning the confidence and support of the people.
Speaking to reporters here, Abdullah said security forces can deal with terrorism to a certain extent, but its complete elimination requires public participation.
“We will not improve the situation by demolishing houses or arresting thousands of people. Such measures will only worsen the situation. Terrorism cannot end without the support of the people,” he said.
Referring to the recent Anantnag terror attack in which a police head constable was killed, the chief minister said people across Jammu and Kashmir were outraged over the incident but cautioned against actions that could alienate the public.
“People are angry over the killing of the policeman, but when thousands of people are detained, that anger gets diverted. We must take the people along in this fight,” he said.
On the demolition of houses linked to alleged militants, Abdullah said such actions were not in line with the spirit of the Supreme Court’s directions. He recalled that similar demolitions were halted after the Pahalgam attack when investigations indicated the attackers had come from outside Jammu and Kashmir.
On alleged paper leak cases, the chief minister welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on addressing the concerns of youth and said the government should engage with young people instead of ignoring their issues. He added that investigations into the paper leak cases had already been conducted and the matter was before the CBI.
Abdullah also said the government was working to strengthen Jammu and Kashmir’s startup ecosystem through seed capital support, incubators and entrepreneurship programmes, with a focus on sectors such as agriculture, horticulture and renewable energy.
Highlighting the impact of recurring heavy rains and cloudbursts, he called for a comprehensive long-term disaster management plan to safeguard infrastructure, saying recent rainfall had caused damage in several areas, including Beerwah in central Kashmir.(NVI)
Balochistan: BLA claims killing 62 Pakistani soldiers in single operation
Quetta (Balochistan), July 23 (NVI) Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed to have killed 62 personnel of the occupying Pakistan Army, including 3 officers, and wounded a large number of others in a single operation in Balochistan.
“The coordinated, organized, and intense attacks” were carried out at three different locations in the Khad Koocha area of Mastung, targeting a large convoy of the occupying Pakistani army, its security escort, and subsequent military reinforcements that arrived at the scene, BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said.
This operation went on for two days and even as Pakistan used air force, “all units of BLA successfully achieved their objectives and returned safely to their bases”, he said.
“As a result of these operations, a total of 62 personnel of the occupying army, including 3 officers, were killed on the spot, and a large number were severely injured,” he said.
The operations started at around 12:00 PM on July 16, with BLA fighters ambushing a convoy of the occupying Pakistani army advancing from Quetta towards Panjgur.
The ambush was carried out following prior intelligence provided by “ZIRAB” (BLA’s intelligence wing).
The convoy comprised 18 buses and dozens of security vehicles, carrying over 550 armed personnel from various military wings, including the 91 Wing, 164 Wing, 59 Wing, Panjgur Rifles, Makran Scouts, and Dasht Scouts, the BLA spokesman said.
The BLA’s vanguard “Fateh Squad” launched a surprise attack with automatic and heavy weaponry on the front section of the convoy and its main escort vehicles at the location of “Guru” in Khad Koocha.
In this attack, 4 buses of the occupying army came under direct fire, one of which caught fire and was completely reduced to ashes, killing all personnel aboard on the spot.
The BLA fighters also targeted and completely destroyed a special vehicle carrying officers of the occupying army, resulting in the immediate death of 3 high-ranking officers inside, the spokesman said.
Other squads of BLA surrounded the remaining security vehicles of the convoy, completely paralyzing their advance and shattering the enemy’s defensive perimeter.
Immediately after the attack, when the occupying army attempted to dispatch reinforcements from nearby camps, BLA fighters, who had already taken up positions, intercepted their advance with ambushes at two additional locations, unleashing relentless attacks upon them, Jeeyand Baloch said.
Due to these successive attacks, the enemy forces found no opportunity to recover, and the entire area echoed with the sound of explosions for several hours, he said.
Following severe panic and heavy casualties on the ground front, the occupying Pakistani army deployed gunship helicopters, fighter jets, drones, and heavy air power, making a failed attempt to besiege the entire area, causing the battle to rage continuously for two consecutive days and nights.
“The enemy indiscriminately used modern aerial and ground technology alongside relentless bombardment, which affected public places, mosques, and religious schools.
“But, the BLA fighters, demonstrating superior strategy, guerrilla tactics, and geographical dominance, foiled all enemy counterattacks and inflicted further casualties and material losses upon them,” he said.
Despite this lethal battle, two days of intense clashes, and heavy aerial bombardment, all fighters BLA and other units remained completely safe and, after successfully achieving their operational goals, safely moved to their designated combat zones, the spokesman said.
“This victory sends a clear message to the security institutions of occupying Pakistan that their modern technology, aerial bombardment, and numerical superiority are completely powerless against the geographical knowledge and national resolve of the Baloch fighters,” he said.
“The Baloch Liberation Army reiterates its commitment that lethal, organized, and strategic attacks of this nature against the occupying forces will continue with even greater intensity until the ultimate goal of national liberation is achieved,” the spokesman declared. (NVI)
J&K LG chairs security meeting, reviews Amarnath Yatra arrangements
Srinagar, Jul 23 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level security review meeting here to assess the overall security situation and review arrangements for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, officials said.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, civil administration, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other security agencies.
Officials said the Lieutenant Governor reviewed the security scenario and took stock of logistics, safety measures and emergency preparedness for the annual pilgrimage in view of the recent spell of heavy rainfall and inclement weather across the Union Territory.
Sinha directed all departments and security agencies to maintain close coordination to ensure the safety, security and convenience of the pilgrims undertaking the yatra.
In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor said he had reviewed the logistics and safety arrangements for the ongoing pilgrimage and instructed all departments to work in close coordination to ensure the well-being of the devotees.
The annual Amarnath Yatra is proceeding under a multi-layered security cover, with authorities keeping a close watch on the situation amid heightened security measures across Jammu and Kashmir.(NVI)
West Asia War And Failure of Dubious Pakistan’s ‘Mediation’
Column
By Ajay Kaul
After a lull of about two months, West Asia is again in the grip of a massive war involving the United States, Iran, Israel and all the Gulf countries.
Over the last two weeks, the intensity of fighting has been increasing, with missiles and drones flying all over the region.
As a result, the entire world has again plunged into deep anxiety as global energy supplies, sourced from the West Asian region, have almost stopped in the wake of repeated attacks on vessels attempting to transit through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
The resumption of fighting with sustained intensity makes it evident enough that the so-called ‘mediation’ by Pakistan has utterly failed, or was a farcical exercise.
A lot of trumpeting was done by Pakistan regarding its ‘mediation’ and self-portrayal as a ‘peace-maker’.
Interestingly, US President Donald Trump participated in that chorus by repeatedly praising Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A so-called ‘peace deal’ was also signed by Trump with Iran’s leadership on June 17.
However, three weeks later, Trump threw that ‘deal’ into a dustbin and restarted attacks on Iran on July 7, using the pretext of two vessels being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
This action by Trump meant a huge loss of face for the ‘mediator’ Pakistan, which was still in the early phase of enjoying a sort of international relevance that it had lost since decades because of continued support to international terrorism.
Before its un-requisitioned ‘mediation’ in the deadliest war of the 21st century, Pakistan was virtually a pariah globally.
It was an outcaste at the international stage, rightly so, for actively supporting terrorism and its dubious record in relation to acquisition of nuclear weapons through smuggling.
For years, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global watchdog for international terrorism, had kept Pakistan in the ‘Grey List’ (watch list) for its financing terrorism, a matter of absolute shame for any nation.
Host to the World’s most wanted terrorist:
While Trump repeatedly showered praise on the Pakistan Army chief, he forgot, or deliberately ignored, the fact that the same military had been exposed by the US itself just 15 years back for hosting the most wanted global terrorist Osama bin Laden.
That exposure came when the US, despite having strategic partnership with Pakistan, conducted a top-secret surgical military operation in Abbottabad, near Islamabad, in the dead of the night on May 3, 2011 to hunt down the Al Qaeda chief.
Such was the lack of trust in the Pakistani military leadership that the US had to keep it in the dark during the months-long operation to track, locate and then swoop down on Laden who was living in a carefree manner with his family in a 3-storey house, located nearby a cantonment of Pakistan Army.
In fact, the operation exposed how Pakistan had cheated its ally, the US, which was frantically searching for Osama bin Laden for 10 long years in Afghanistan.
All through, Pakistan pretended to be helping the US in its efforts to find bin Laden, but in reality it had provided a safe hideout to the globally most wanted terrorist.
Interestingly, Trump, during his first term as the US President, had publicly highlighted how Pakistan had been deceiving America for decades while giving “safe haven to terrorists”.
On January 1, 2018, Trump had tweeted: “The US has foolishly given Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
Surprise
Isn’t it surprising and intriguing that the same Trump trusted the same Pakistan when it came to ending hostilities between the US and Iran?
Or is it that Trump used Pakistan as a face-saving tool to take a break in the war after the US military faced unprecedented losses and ran short of missiles after using those in 40 days of war with Iran?
It has already been reported that after the US faced severe Iranian attacks on its military bases in the Gulf region from March 1 onwards, Trump had talked about the missile stocks running out and urged the country’s defence industry to scale up production on urgent basis.
Perhaps, it was to allow that replenishment that Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran and once that was done, the war was restarted.
Pakistan’s Lack of Credibility:
While Trump played blow-hot, blow-cold, there could be nothing more ironic than Pakistan projecting itself as a ‘peace maker’ considering its history of being a war-monger and destabilizing factor in the region.
Leave aside others, even within Pakistan, most common people are unable to digest that its Army chief is a peacenik as they see the brutal face of the Pakistani military day in and day out.
The Pakistani military and its intelligence agencies are notorious within the own country for human rights violations, oppression and atrocities through abductions, killings and other criminal acts.
While Munir and Shehbaz Sharif were projecting themselves as ‘peace makers’ before the world, the Pakistani military remained busy with abducting and killing innocent people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Balochistan and Sindh.
Just when Munir was playing the ‘mediation’ drama in the US-Iran fight, he was ordering his military to carry out airstrikes on the neighbouring Afghanistan, killing and injuring hundreds of civilians, including children and women, and destroying hospitals, residential houses and mosques.
In one such barbaric act, the Pakistani military bombed a drug rehabilitation centre in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul in March, killing 265 and injuring over 400 patients and medical staff.
Pakistan’s belligerence against Afghanistan increased so much that China, a common friend of the two countries, had to step in to ‘mediate’ between them.
Interestingly, the talks, mediated by China, were held between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Beijing only a few days before the first round of negotiations between the US and Iran in Islamabad on April 11, brokered by Pakistan.
So, at a time when Pakistan was projecting itself as a ‘peace maker’ in the war between the US and Iran, it itself was hosted as a ‘war monger’ by China to stop it from attacking Afghanistan.
Promoter of terrorism:
The credentials of Pakistan as a ‘peace maker’ are also questionable because of its sickening track record of using terrorism and other criminal acts against its neighbours India and Afghanistan with the objective of causing destabilization.
With respect to India, the Pakistani military has been indulging in terrorism, drug peddling and circulation of fake currency for several decades.
Similarly, the Pakistani military has, for decades, sponsored and promoted terrorism in Afghanistan, which has badly impacted the US also.
When the US-led international forces were in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021, many attacks on them were engineered by the Pakistani intelligence agencies.
The US intelligence agencies, like the CIA, are quite aware of this fact.
Atrocities by Pakistani military in occupied territories:
While Pakistan claimed to be a ‘peace maker’, it remains illegal occupant of several territories, like those of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan.
These regions continue to witness extreme forms of atrocities and oppression by the Pakistani military and its notorious intelligence agency ISI.
In occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Pakistani military and its secret agencies suppress even the freedom to life, leave aside other basic necessities, and currently a mass uprising is underway there for over one-and-a-half month.
The Pakistani military and its secret agencies also carry out extreme atrocities against the Baloch people in occupied Balochistan on daily basis, including abductions, rapes and extra-judicial killings.
Thousands of youth, including girls, are abducted by the Pakistani military every year in Balochistan and most of them never see the light of the day again even as their loved ones keep waiting endlessly.
Some of them may be freed after years but the extreme torture leaves them in a vegetable state.
Similar abuses are carried out by the Pakistani military in Sindh too.
The military regime of Pakistan has also been carrying out brutal crimes and human rights abuses against its own people, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
On the pretext of targeting militants, the Pakistani military conducts aerial bombings and kills civilians and children.
Muslim religious scholars are also not spared, with State-sponsored personnel indulging in their killings in a recurrent manner.
Elsewhere also, anyone criticizing the military is silenced by threats or eliminations.
If all these aspects about Pakistan had been taken into account, it would have become clear in the beginning itself that peace-making efforts between the US and Iran would lead nowhere since the credentials of the ‘mediator’ were anything but impeccable.
By now, this must have become clear to all those who were praising Pakistan.
Ends
J&K: BJP says Omar govt rewarded main accused in 2012 MBBS paper leak case
Jammu, Jul 23 (NVI): Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma on Thursday alleged that the Omar Abdullah-led government had rewarded the main accused in the 2012 MBBS/Common Entrance Test (CET) paper leak case by granting him an extension and a post-retirement appointment.
In a statement, Sharma claimed that the Chief Minister should not lecture others on transparency and accountability, alleging that the then government had patronised the main accused in the paper leak case.
He alleged that Mushtaq Peer, whom he described as the main accused in the 2012 CET paper leak case, was given an extension and later appointed as a consultant for fast-track recruitment of Class IV posts.
Sharma also questioned why the government and the investigating agencies allegedly failed to act on complaints related to the case until the Jammu and Kashmir High Court intervened.
Referring to the court proceedings, he claimed that the High Court took note of the matter after the Amicus Curiae informed it about reports that question papers of the JKCET-2012 had allegedly been sold before the examination for monetary gains.
The BJP leader further alleged that paper leak allegations had also surfaced during the JE Electrical examination in 2025 and accused the Chief Minister of ignoring those issues.
There was no immediate response from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah or the government to Sharma’s allegations.(NVI)
Kashmir on high alert after Anantnag terror attack; security intensified across Valley
Srinagar, Jul 23 (NVI): Security has been tightened across Kashmir a day after a policeman was killed in a terrorist attack in Anantnag district, with security forces intensifying surveillance, strengthening checkpoints and launching search operations across the Valley, officials said on Thursday.
A senior official said security arrangements have been enhanced at vulnerable locations, while frisking of pedestrians, checking of vehicles and area domination exercises have been intensified in several districts to prevent any untoward incident.
Search operations are also underway in parts of south Kashmir as security forces continue efforts to track down the attackers, they said.
The officials urged people to remain vigilant, cooperate with security personnel during checking and report any suspicious movement or activity to the nearest police station.
Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was killed after terrorists opened fire at him at Lal Chowk in Anantnag on Wednesday while he was deployed for Amarnath Yatra security duty.
Following the attack, security forces launched a massive cordon and search operation in the area. Police have also intensified operations across the Valley as part of a wider anti-terror crackdown, with officials saying a large number of suspected overground workers (OGWs) have been detained for questioning.—(NVI)
Anantnag terror attack: J&K LG Sinha to Chair High-Level Security Review Meeting
Srinagar, July 23 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will chair a high-level security review meeting in Srinagar on Thursday to assess the overall security situation and review arrangements for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, official sources said.
The meeting, scheduled to be held at the Raj Bhavan’s Lok Bhavan at 11 a.m., comes a day after a police head constable was killed in a terrorist attack in Anantnag district.
Senior officials from the police, Army, Central Armed Police Forces and intelligence agencies are expected to attend the meeting and brief the Lieutenant Governor on the prevailing security scenario, particularly in the wake of the Anantnag attack, sources said.
The meeting will also review the security and logistical arrangements for the annual Amarnath Yatra, which has been temporarily suspended due to inclement weather in Jammu and Kashmir.
Head Constable Ashiq Hussain was shot dead at close range by terrorists in the Lal Chowk area of Anantnag on Wednesday, triggering intensified security measures and search operations in the district.
The attack has prompted security agencies to reassess the security situation, especially with the annual pilgrimage underway.(NVI)
J&K Rajouri DM bans public movement, construction in flood-hit Bela areas for 60 days
Shivam Bakshi
Rajouri, July 23 (NVI): The district administration in Rajouri has imposed a 60-day ban on public and vehicular movement besides suspending all construction activities in the flood-affected Bela Market and Bela Colony areas following the recent flash floods, officials said on Thursday.
An order issued by the District Magistrate and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Rajouri, said the restrictions were imposed after flash floods in the Rajouri Tawi River caused extensive damage to shops, commercial establishments, vehicles, public infrastructure and the local bus stand in the affected areas.
According to the order, technical inspections conducted by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and other engineering agencies found the affected zone to be highly vulnerable, posing an imminent threat to human life, public safety and property.
The administration has prohibited all public and vehicular movement in the identified flood-hit zone and suspended construction, excavation, dumping and related activities for 60 days pending a detailed hydrological assessment and final demarcation by the competent authorities.
The order also directed the authorities to barricade or close approach roads, link roads and pedestrian tracks leading to the affected stretches of Bela Market, Bela Colony and the Rajouri Tawi River. Concerned departments have been asked to jointly survey and demarcate the vulnerable area, stop any ongoing construction works and submit a compliance report within 24 hours.
Emergency services, including police, SDRF, NDRF, Fire and Emergency Services, medical teams, executive magistrates, revenue and municipal officials, and personnel engaged in authorised flood protection and restoration works have been exempted from the restrictions.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, has been directed to ensure strict enforcement of the order through police deployment, checkpoints and joint patrols to prevent unauthorised entry into the restricted zone.
The administration appealed to residents to stay away from the affected areas and cooperate with the authorities, warning that violations of the order would attract legal action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.—(NVI)
Four chargesheeted in Rs 2.5 crore shawl fraud case in Kashmir
Srinagar, July 23 (NVI): The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday filed a chargesheet against four persons in connection with an alleged Rs 2.5 crore shawl fraud case, officials said.
According to the EOW, the chargesheet was filed before the Court of Sub Judge (Small Causes), Srinagar, in connection with FIR No. 55/2022 registered under relevant provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
The accused have been charged with allegedly cheating a trader by inducing him to supply shawls worth over Rs 2.5 crore on the promise of profitable returns but failing to make the payment.
Officials said the investigation revealed that the accused had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy to obtain the shawls through fraudulent means.
During the course of the investigation, 338 shawls valued at around Rs 68 lakh were recovered and handed over to the complainant under court directions, they said.
The EOW said the investigation has been completed and the chargesheet has been filed before the competent court for trial.
The agency also urged people to remain vigilant against economic frauds and report suspicious financial activities to the authorities.(NVI)
