Srinagar, February 20
While the train continues to chug between Qazigund to Budgam, a decision about plying it up to north Kashmir would be taken by Saturday.

Sources said due to "security concerns", Railway officials had decided to operate the train partially for the next two days.

“We will be meeting on Saturday and decide as to when to ply the train up to Baramulla in north Kashmir,” said a Railway official.

“The rail upto Baramulla passes through many sensitive areas and that is the reason for operating the train service only up to central Kashmir,” he added.

The Saturday meeting is likely to be attended by senior Railway, police and civil administration officials.

The train services in Kashmir were partially resumed from Qazigund in south to Budgam in central Kashmir on February 18, almost nine days after it was suspended.

The train services were suspended on February 9, the day when Afzal Guru was hanged. The train services were suspended as the government feared damages to Railway property. Soon after the suspension of the train on February 9, the Railway security had sought three police companies (nearly 360 men) so as to ensure safety of rails in Kashmir.

In 2010, the train services had to be halted for almost five months due to security reasons and damage to the rail property in various parts of the Valley.

Police sources said after assessing the security of the train on Saturday, some more policemen might be deployed to ensure the safety of the Kashmir train upto north Kashmir.

Srinagar, February 20
Even as the summer capital recorded the warmest day of the winter season today, the weather department has predicted fresh spell of rain and snowfall in upper reaches of the state from coming Friday.

“Light to moderate rain or snowfall is likely on February 22 and 23 in the upper reaches. Some places in southwest of the state mostly in Jammu division too are likely to receive moderate to heavy rain or snow. Ladakh region may also receive light snowfall during these days,” said Sonum Lotus, Director, Meteorological Department.

As winter in the Valley is in its final stage, Srinagar city witnessed the warmest day of the season. An official of the Meteorological Department said the summer capital recorded the maximum temperature at 16.4 degrees Celsius.

Other parts of the Valley too witnessed a sunny day. Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded the maximum temperature at 14.5 degrees Celsius, while tourist resort Pahalgam in south Kashmir saw a high of 10.6 degrees Celsius.

Border town Kupwara and ski resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the maximum temperature at 16.0 and 6.0 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Night temperatures at several parts of the Valley too rose above the freezing point. Srinagar, Qazigund and Kupwara recorded the minimum temperature at 1.2, 0.2 and 0.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.

However, Pahalgam and Gulmarg saw a low of minus 0.8 and minus 6.7 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Day temperatures in Ladakh region too witnessed an increase. Leh and Kargil recorded 6.4 and 3.0 degrees Celsius maximum temperatures, respectively. Leh and Kargil saw a low of minus 10.8 and minus 13.0 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Meanwhile, one-way traffic continued to ply on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, Kashmir’s only surface link to the rest of the country.

While one-way traffic plied from Jammu to here today, a traffic police official said all kinds of vehicles would be allowed to travel from here towards Jammu tomorrow subject to fair weather conditions. 

Srinagar, February 20
A delegation of the People’s Democratic Party today visited the family of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru at Jageer Sopore to pay condolence to the family.

The delegation led by Nazir Ahmad Yatoo, youth general secretary, and accompanied by local leaders of Sopore visited the Guru family and expressed solidarity with them.

“On behalf of the PDP, the delegation conveyed solidarity of the party with the family in this moment of trial. They also offered prayers for the departed soul,” a spokesman of the PDP said.

The PDP is the first mainstream political party of the state that visited the Guru family after he was hanged on February 9.

The PDP has been demanding handing over of Afzal Guru’s body to his family members.

"While the hanging should not have been carried out, the return of the Afzal's body was the least the government could do to show its concern for humanitarian values," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had said in a recent statement.

Srinagar, February 20
In the wake of protests against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the authorities in Kashmir have rounded up several separatists leaders and put many under house arrest.

As the police crackdown on the protesting youth and stone pelters continues, the authorities have also intensified its efforts to check the separatists even as a three-day shutdown has started in Kashmir to press for the return of Afzal’s remains.

On Tuesday evening, the police arrested senior separatist leader and close aide of Geelani, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai from Rawalpora locality of Srinagar, said Ghulam Mohammad Ganai, a spokesman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (THK).

Ganai said another Hurriyat leader Peer Saifullah had also been arrested by the police despite the fact that he was recently underwent an operation in a hospital.

He said in other districts of the Valley, the police was after activists of the THK, adding that Bandipore district chief of Tehreek Hurriyat had also been arrested.

Ayaz Akbar, chief spokesman of the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference was already under detention.

In a separate statement, the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat faction condemned the detention and house arrest of its members.

“Senior Hurriyat leaders, Prof Abdul Bhat and Aga Syed, have been kept under house arrest, while Mukhtar Waza and Hakim Rasheed have been detained in their respective police stations, which clearly shows the nervousness of the government,” a Hurriyat spokesman said.

He also condemned the earlier arrest of Shabbir Shah and Nayeem Khan, adding that “Hurriyat won’t be cowed down” by these arrests and detentions.

Both Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar, who are camping in Delhi, have been put under house arrest there. 

Srinagar, February 20
Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Kashmir zone SM Sahai has ordered officers and constabulary in north Kashmir to maintain law and order at any cost and promoted 20 constables “out of turn” for their outstanding performances.

Sahai was addressing a ‘darbar’ of officers and constabulary in the volatile Sopore town, which was the hometown of 2001 Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru.

“The IGP, Kashmir, told police officers and jawans to maintain law and order at any cost while maintaining the due standards of policing behaviour,” a police spokesman said.

The spokesman said 20 constables were promoted “out of turn owing to their outstanding performance” as head constables and forty special police officers (SPOs) were converted into constables.

Sahai underlined the importance of maintaining peace and order. “Nobody shall be allowed to break the law and order of society. It should be maintained at any cost while maintaining the due standards of policing behaviour,” the IGP said.

Sahai later chaired a meeting of all district Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) of north Kashmir and advised them to “professionally tackle” minor stone throwers. CRPF IGP Nalin Prabhat and DIG police for north Kashmir Rajesh Kumar Range were also present on the occasion. 

Srinagar, February 20
Residents of Kargil today organised a protest rally against the recent Hazara killings in Queta in Pakistan.

The protest rally passed through many areas of the town.

“All groups of the society joined the demonstration and the protesters shouted slogans against those responsible for the killing,” said an eyewitness.

The protesters blamed the government of Pakistan for failing to provide security to the minorities.

Religious leader Sheikh Mohammad Muhaqiq said the target killings by the so called Islamic groups had to be stopped immediately.

“I condemn these killings in strong words. I request the Central Government on behalf of the people of Kargil that the government should use its international relations to stop such killings,” Muhaqiq said.

“In India, there are hundreds of communities and all the communities live in peace and prosperity which shows that India is a peace loving country which assures the security of its minority communities,” he added.

Srinagar, February 20
The enforcement wing of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation demolished an illegal two-storied building at the Gupkar area of the city today.

“The enforcement wing demolished an illegal two-storied building raised by Abdul Rahim Bhat at Gupkar. The demolition squad carried an operation under the supervision of Chief Enforcement Officer Hakeem Aijaz,” SMC spokesperson said in a statement.

“SMC Commissioner Dr GN Qasba has taken a serious note of massive illegal constructions that have come up recently in the area and has directed the competent authority to seek various rules and regulations and building by-laws from the cantonment board, besides the modus operandi through which they are disposing of the permissions under building activity,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Dr Qasba appealed locals to get proper permissions from the competent authority before starting construction works.

Srinagar, February 20
As many as 53 solar lights were distributed among the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families of Kandhi Jaddah of Tangdhar block in Kupwara district today, an official said here.

He said the solar lights were distributed by Sub Divisional Magistrate, Karnah, Zahoor Ahmad Mir during a function organised by the Science and Technology Department, Karnah.

Mir also convened a meeting of officers and engineers of different departments to review the works carried out under the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) in Tangdhar block.

“It was given out in the meeting that an amount of Rs 18.07 lakh was being extended under the BRGF and so far Rs 6 lakh has been spent in the current fiscal,” the official said.

Srinagar, February 20
A three-day workshop on creative writing is being held at the Central University of Kashmir.

The workshop has been organised by the Department of Convergent Journalism with an aim to explore new writing talent in Kashmir.

“The purpose of this workshop is to explore new writing talent in Kashmir and to create a kind of informal network of creative writers in the region in the long run,” said Shams Imran, Assistant Professor, Media Studies at the Central University of Kashmir, who is also the coordinator of the workshop.

“This is our first effort at the departmental level, but we plan to make it a regular feature depending upon the response we get for this workshop,” Shams said. He said the participants would be judged and evaluated for their creative writing in the prose only.

The two resource persons who will be guiding and evaluating the creative writers during the workshop are Shahnaz Bashir and Arif Ayaz Parrey.

Shahnaz is the coordinator and senior assistant professor of the Department of Convergent Journalism, Central University of Kashmir, whereas Arif Ayaz Parrey is a noted blogger, writer and researcher.

“The fundamental aim of the workshop is to identify the unknown creative prose writing talent in the valley of Kashmir. The major desire of the organisers is to foster a relationship of friendship among Kashmiri creative writers of tomorrow,” the press statement from the organisers read.

The 3-day workshop will be divided into several sessions, having several features, including memory, experience and writing; observation and imagination for writers; reality of fiction and fiction of reality; literary journalism, creative writing resource sharing in both fiction and non-fiction; avoiding common mistakes in creative prose, vocabulary building and reading and writing exercises.

Jammu, February 20
The Himachal Pradesh team today notched up an impressive 73-run win over the J&K team in a match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy played at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium, Nadaun, in Himachal Pradesh.

The J&K won the toss and opted to field. The bowlers managed to restrict the hosts to a modest total of 248 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the allotted 50 overs despite a brilliant 72-run knock from from skipper Akash Chopra, who opened the innings.

For the J&K, Zahoor Sofi remained the most successful bowler with four wickets while all-rounder Ram Dayal took three wickets. The J&K made 175 runs in 42 overs. Shubam Khajuria was the first man to go with the score board reading just three runs.

Bandy and skipper Ian Dev Singh went to the pavilion leaving the side tottering at 61 for three in 13.2 overs.

Ram Dayal and Waseem Raza added 70 runs to help the team reach a respectable total of 174/8. Ram Dayal made 35 runs in 45 balls while Raza made 52 runs.