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Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in J&K’s Poonch

Ceasefire
Representational image

Jammu (NVI): In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistan army today resorted to unprovoked firing in Balakore sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said.

“…at about 1945 hours, Pak initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with Small Arms & intense shelling with Mortars along LoC in Balakote sector, District Poonch (J&K),” defence officials said, adding that Indian Army is retaliating befittingly.

Yesterday also, Pakistan resorted to intense shelling in forward areas along LoC in Poonch.

(More details awaited)

Govt blocks 40 websites of banned group Sikhs for Justice

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology today banned 40 websites of banned pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) that had launched an online campaign for registering supporters for its cause.

The Ministry has issued an order in this regard under section 69 of IT Act, 2000 on the recommendation of MHA. Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) is an unlawful organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

“Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an unlawful organization under the UAPA, 1967, launched a campaign for registering supporters for its cause. On recommendation of MHA, MeitY has issued orders under sec. 69 A of the I.T. Act, 2000, for blocking 40 websites of SFJ,” the Home Ministry spokesperson tweeted.

The home ministry had banned SFJ for its alleged anti-national activities last year. The SFJ pushed for Sikh Referendum 2020 as part of its separatist agenda. The US-based organisation had declared July 4 as the inaugural day for registration of referendum on Khalistan.

The Centre has blocked a Russian portal which was used by SFJ for online voter registration for “Referendum 2020” to demand for Khalistan, which seeks a separate homeland for the Sikhs.

The MeitY order came four days after MHA declared nine individuals as designated terrorists under provisions of amended UAPA Act, for trying to revive militancy in Punjab.

According to the ministry, out of nine individuals, four belong to Pakistan-based terrorist organisations. They include Wadhawa Singh Babbar, chief of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI); Lakhbir Singh, who heads International Sikh Youth Federation; Ranjeet Singh, chief of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZB) and Paramjit Singh, who leads Khalistan Commando Force.

-ARK

WATCH | Foundation of Hindu temple vandalised in Islamabad


In this video, a person can be seen vandalising the boundary wall of an under-construction Hindu temple in Islamabad. The construction work of Krishna temple in the Pakistan capital has been halted by Hindu Panchayat following strong opposition from some religious and extremist groups. Read story

Construction of Hindu temple not allowed in Islamabad

The ceremony for the temple was performed recently by Parliamentary Secretary on Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi.

New Delhi (NVI): The construction of a temple in Islamabad has been reportedly stopped by Pakistan’s Capital Development Authority (CDA) amid protests by some religious groups who have said that building of a temple in the capital is against the country’s ideology, according to media reports.

The leaders of several religious parties held a joint press conference in Islamabad recently and said that building a temple on the taxes of Muslims can’t be tolerated in Pakistan, reported The Nation.

CDA has said that the construction was stopped for not having an approved building plan, according to media reports.

However, a video has gone viral on social media, showing a person vandalising the boundary wall of the structure. The video has claimed that this is the Krishna temple in Islamabad whose construction work has been halted by Hindu Panchayat.

In another tweet, Human Rights activist Kapil Dev has shared snapshots of Twitter posts by the person who has allegedly vandalised the temple structure. The person identified as Malik Shani Awan has proudly claimed to have demolished the foundation of the temple.


At the joint press conference by religious groups held on June 1, the Chief of Jamiat Ulema e Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Islamabad chapter Maulana Abdul Hameed Hazarvi said that they were going to raise the issue in the Shariat Court, The Nation reported.

He also targeted the Imran Khan-led government, saying that it has lost its way as they had spent billions on Kartarpur Corridor and now they were going to build a temple in the capital city of the country.

Also present on the occasion, Maulana Tanvir Alvi said that all the sects of Islam were agreed upon a point that no temple or church can be built in a Muslim country. Although he said that the old and existing temples and churches can be repaired when needed.

The religious affairs ministry of Pakistan has also echoed similar concern stating that it only helped renovate places of worship belonging to religious minorities and did not build new ones, reported The Dawn.

A joint team of the CDA’s enforcement and building control departments reached the site of the temple in H-9/2 area On Friday, and directed workers to stop constructing the boundary wall.

The Hindu Panchayat Islamabad stopped the work and has decided to approach the CDA tomorrow to seek permission for commencing the construction.

According to media reports, Pakistan PM Imran Khan has earlier approved grants of Rs100 million for the building of the temple in Islamabad. In 2017, the PML-N government had allotted almost 20,000 square feet land for the temple but the construction was delayed due to administrative issues, reported The Nation.

As per plans, the Krishna temple will come up in a 20,000 sq ft plot in Islamabad’s H-9 administrative division. The ceremony for the temple was performed recently by Parliamentary Secretary on Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi. Reportedly, this is the first Hindu temple in the Pakistan capital.

Islamabad has a Hindu population of around 3,000. A large number of doctors form this population, besides government and private sector employees and members of the business community.

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan but they are struggling to survive amid constant threats from certain religious and extremist groups.

This is not the first instance of a Hindu temple being vandalised in Pakistan. All idols of Hindu Gods were destroyed in a local temple at Golarchi area of Badin in Sindh-Pakistan last month, as 102 Hindu men, women and children were converted to Islam in Badin district.

In January this year, a Hindu temple was vandalised by miscreants in Pakistan’s Sindh. The attackers entered the Mata Rani Bhatiyani temple in Chachro, Tharparkar, and desecrated holy scriptures and idol. The mob also blackened the face of the goddess’ idol.

-ARK

In a first, 2 terrorists killed in J&K’s Kulgam test positive for Covid-19

Representational image

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir police today said that the samples of two militants killed at Areh village of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district yesterday were sent for Covid-19 testing, the results of which came as positive today. It said the burials of slain militants will need extra care and handling from now.

This is for the first time that two slain militants have been tested positive for Covid-19. In a statement issued here, a police spokesman said that while carrying out the medico-legal formalities, the samples of two slain militants were taken and sent for Covid-19 test.

“Today, the test reports were received from Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar and both the slain militants were confirmed as coronavirus positive,” the spokesman said.

Pertinently, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, to ensure the safety of people from the inherent risk of contracting the infection, the burial of all the slain militants is being carried out at designated places – Handwara in Kupwara district and Baramulla district.

The police spokesman said that medico-legal formalities are strictly followed in respect of such slain militants which include post-mortem, DNA and Covid-19 tests.

As part of the extra care to be maintained with the bodies of slain militants, they would be handled through protective care ambulances and would be buried strictly as per Covid-19 protocol at Baramulla and Handwara, he said.

Police sources said that an advisory has been issued to all the policemen especially the parties that take part in counter-insurgency operations to follow the proper Covid-19 guidelines while dealing with the slain militants. This year so far, 120 militants have been killed and since the outbreak of pandemic in March, 70 militants were killed, most of them locals.

After the outbreak of the pandemic, police decided not to hand over bodies of local militants killed in encounters to their family members and instead ensure their “silent burial” either at Handwara or in Baramulla districts in presence of a magistrate and a few close family members.

-ARK

J&K: Chhari-Mubarak rituals held at Pahalgam to formally start Amarnath Yatra

Mahant Deependra Giri

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Chhari-Mubarak rituals were held in Pahalgam today to mark the traditional commencement of annual Amarnath Yatra.

Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of the holy mace of Lord Shiva announced the schedule for the Chhari-Mubarak rituals for this year’s Amarnath Yatra on the occasion and said the pilgrimage will be “a low-key affair” in view of COVID-19 pandemic. He said that everybody including pilgrims and citizens of J&K must help the UT government to ensure smooth pilgrimage and effective following of Covi-19 rules.

Talking to reporters in Srinagar on the occasion of Chari-Mubark rituals, Mahant Deependra Giri said, “It would be a great challenge to manage social distancing amongst the pilgrims, who come from across the country, and workers in the langars even if yatra is curtailed to a period of two to three weeks from July 22.”

The Mahant said that he was sure that the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) and the state administration have been working collectively to devise a mechanism to conduct this year’s yatra that will be safe for everyone.

“In case we continue to witness spike in cases in the weeks to come, then performing rituals connected with annual pilgrimage at the holy cave or any other desired place would only be possible taking aerial route,” he said.

Giving details of the Chhari-Mubarak pooja, he said that as per traditions, ‘Bhoomi-Pujan’, ‘Navgrah Pujan’ and ‘Dhawajarohan’ rituals, that mark the commencement of the Amarnath Yatra, will be performed at Pahalgam on the auspicious occasion of ‘Ashad-Purnima’ on July 5 (today).

After performing the Chhari-Pujan at Dashnami Akhara Srinagar on the occasion of ‘Nag-Panchami’ on July 25, Mahant Giri will carry the holy mace to the holy shrine of Swami Amarnath to have ‘Darshan’ on ‘Shravan-Purnima’ on August 3.

Covid-19 vaccine development process as per global norms: ICMR

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New Delhi (NVI): The Indian Council of Medical Research has said that its process to develop indigenous Covid-19 vaccine is as per the globally accepted norms and that the August-15 deadline to launch the vaccine has been set to expedite the process in the wake of an emergency health crisis.

The ICMR in a press release yesterday said that it has kept the safety and interest of the people of India as topmost priority in the vaccine development process. The council said that an inactivated Covid-19 vaccine candidate has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR- National Institute of Virology, Pune.

“As the entire world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of an effective vaccine is a promising tool to save lives. Though a large number of vaccines are under various stages of development all across the world, it is also important to promote indigenous vaccine development while at the same time ensuring safety, quality, ethics and adherence to all regulatory requirements,” ICMR said in the release.

It said that after intense characterisation and review of all data from BBIL (Bharat Biotech International Ltd), it is supporting the clinical development as the vaccine candidate appears to be promising.

“Based on in-depth scrutiny of the available data from pre-clinical trials, the Drugs Controller General of India has accorded permission to conduct phase 1 and 2 clinical trial,” it said.

The apex body further stated that it is important to expedite the clinical trials with a promising indigenous vaccine. Defending its stand on the deadline, the body said, “Faced with the unprecedented nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the consequent dislocation of the normal life, all other vaccines across the globe have been similarly fast-tracked.”

It said phase 1 and 2 human trials are to be initiated as the preclinical trials have been completed successfully now. The council further stated in the release that the letter by DG-ICMR to investigators of the clinical trial sites was “meant to cut unnecessary red tape, without bypassing any necessary process, and speed up recruitment of participants.”

“Just as red tape was not allowed to become a hindrance in the fast track approval of new indigenous testing kits or for introducing in the Indian market potential COVID-19 related drugs, the indigenous vaccine development process has also been sought to be insulated from slow file movement. The aim is to complete these phases at the earliest, so that population-based trials for efficacy could be initiated without delay,” it added.

-ARK

J&K records 3 more Covid deaths, toll climbs to 130

Over 3,200 cops COVID positive in J&K and 15 succumbed to virus
File photo

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Three more people died due to the deadly Covid-19 virus in Jammu and Kashmir today, taking the total number of fatalities in the UT to 130, health officials said today.

The fresh victims of the virus include a 70-year-old man from Wantrag in Anantnag district of South Kashmir, a 60-year-old lady from Shadipora, Sumbal in Bandipora district and a 40-year-old male from Sangrama area in Baramulla.

Dr Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent at SKIMS hospital, Soura said that the elderly man from Anantnag, who was admitted on July 3, died at the hospital after his condition deteriorated last evening.

“Sample of the patient was taken on July 3 which came positive on July 4,” he said. “The patient was suffering from bilateral pneumonia.”

He further said that the 60-year-old female from Shadipora Bandipora, who had tested positive for COVID-19, died at SKIMS hospital at 9:15 am today due to cardiopulmonary arrest.

“Patient was known case of hypertension, diabetes and other medical conditions,” he said.

Dr Saleem Tak, Medical Superintendent at Chest Diseases hospital said that the 40-year-old man from Sangrama, Baramulla who tested positive for Covid-19 and referred from SMHS to CD hospital on June 27, died at the hospital today.

“The patient was suffering from bilateral pneumonia and died today morning,” he said.  With three fresh deaths, the death toll due to the pandemic in J&K has reached 130 that includes 116 from the Valley and 14 from the Jammu division.

Amid the surge in Covid-19 related deaths, Divisional Administration in Kashmir led by DC PK Pole has convened a meeting of experts and medicos to discuss the prevailing situation. Yesterday, in a review meeting chaired by the J&K Chief Secretary BVR Subramanyam, barring two districts of Kashmir– Bandipora and Ganderbal– entire Kashmir was declared as a red zone given the spurt of cases.

J&K: CRPF jawan injured in IED blast in Pulwama

2 LeT militants surrender after gunfight in J&K's Kulgam
(Representational/file image)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): A CRPF jawan was injured in a low-intensity improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Gangoo village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district this morning when a convoy of the paramilitary force was passing through the area, police said.

Police said that the militants had planted a low-intensity IED under a tree near Gangoo area of Pulwama district. “The IED exploded at a time when a CRPF convoy was passing through the area,” it said. The police said that the explosion was followed by firing that created panic in the area. “It was a low-intensity IED in which one CRPF man sustained minor injuries,” the police wrote on its official Twitter handle.

CRPF spokesman for operations in Kashmir, Junaid Khan said that the convoy was passing through the area at the time of the incident. “Search has been launched in the area,” he said. “There were no casualties and only one CRPF man sustained minor injuries in his hand.” Senior police and CRPF officers reached the spot to assess the situation.

Police said the entire area has been cordoned off and a massive manhunt launched to nab the militants behind the act.

-ARK

Continuous fresh Covid-19 cases in Australia’s Victoria, testing increased

New Delhi (NVI): Victoria in Australia has expanded its targeted coronavirus testing after witnessing continuous fresh cases. The state has recorded 74 new cases, with Premier Daniel Andrews announcing hardship payments for thousands of public housing tenants, reports The Age.

A record 21,500 Victorians were tested in a single day yesterday, with almost a million tests having taken place so far in the state, reports the newspaper.

Of the new cases, one is a returned traveller in hotel quarantine, four were from tests carried out at testing locations or GPS, and the rest are under investigation.

Australia has recorded 8,362 Covid-19 cases so far with 104 deaths and 7,355 recoveries.

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases globally have reached 11.2 million with 5,28,000 deaths and 6.03 million recoveries so far. According to WHO, more than 2,12,326 fresh coronavirus cases have been recorded across the world. 61% percent of these newly reported cases are from the US and Brazil. Apart from that, Mexico has become the fifth worst-hit country due to coronavirus as it recorded 30,366 deaths.

US, India, Russia, Mexico and Brazil continue to report a high number of cases. Cases are on a rise in Russia also, though there was a slight dip. Italy has also witnessed a rise in the number of new cases and deaths.

-ARK

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