The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra on Sunday accused BJP leaders of attempting to communalise the situation in Kishtwar and challenged the local MLA to substantiate her allegations that announcements had been made from mosques in Warwan calling for the killing of Hindus.

Reacting to the MLA's reported remarks, Karra said such allegations were serious and must be supported by evidence.

"The local MLA has given a statement in which she has said that announcements were made from mosques in Warwan to kill Hindus. This is highly condemnable," Karra said while speaking to reporters.

He said he had asked the Congress district president in Kishtwar to challenge the allegations if he was satisfied that no such announcements had been made.

"Our district president in Kishtwar is a Hindu. I told him that if he is satisfied that nothing like this happened there, and no such announcement was made from any mosque, he should challenge the MLA," Karra said.

The Congress leader said the MLA should be asked to resign if she failed to establish the allegations. "If such a thing is not proven, then she should resign from her chair," he said.

Karra also questioned the presence and statements of BJP leaders in the area, alleging that their actions were aimed at giving a communal colour to the situation. "Even if the entire battery of BJP leaders is sitting there, I think they are trying to communalise the situation," he said.

He further alleged that the BJP leaders appeared to have motives beyond their stated concerns. "I think they have other designs behind their statements and their continued presence there. We cannot ignore the way they have handled all this," Karra said.

The JKPCC president also raised questions over the Centre's repeated claims about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. "One more question arises, which I have been raising again and again. It is a question of the credibility of the Government of India, which repeatedly claims that the situation is normal," he said.

SRINAGAR — Former Army commander Lieutenant General D P Pandey has said it is difficult for security agencies to predict the exact location of a terrorist attack even with comprehensive intelligence inputs, amid questions over recent security incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a video message shared on social media, the former Army General, as per the news agency KNS, said intelligence inputs could help security agencies assess threats but could not guarantee precise prediction of where terrorists might strike.

"With all my experience, and you can see it all over the world, you have 100 per cent intelligence, but it is very difficult to know at what exact location a terrorist will attack or fire on you," he said.

His remarks come amid criticism over the recent Kulgam attack and questions about possible intelligence lapses.

The former Army officer maintained that the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved and credited the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces for containing terrorist activities.

"Do appreciate that the situation in J&K today is very good. If you look at the operations happening around the world, the contingency operations, we are doing extremely great," he said.

He also claimed that terrorist recruitment had declined and their activities were largely under control, while describing recent attacks as an indication of desperation among terrorist groups.

"Recruitment is down, and the actions of the terrorists are under a lot of control. They have a desperation to do something," he said.

Calling for public support for security personnel, he said the forces were working to safeguard people and the country. "Let's appreciate their hard work and be with them, support them. They are there for you, and they are for your country," he said.

The remarks come against the backdrop of the November 11 attack on a CRPF checkpoint in the Akhran area near Mir Bazar in south Kashmir's Kulgam district, in which three CRPF personnel were injured after suspected terrorists opened fire.

Security forces subsequently launched extensive cordon-and-search operations to track down the attackers, who escaped towards a nearby forested area.

The search operation entered its fifth consecutive day on Sunday, with security agencies also probing possible links of local terror networks and support elements to the attack.

Security arrangements have also been strengthened across Kashmir, with additional checkpoints and intensified vehicle checking and frisking at several locations.

SRINAGAR — Mirwaiz Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq has once again featured among the world’s 500 most influential Muslim personalities in the 2027 edition of ‘The Muslim 500’, marking his 13th consecutive inclusion in the annual publication.

According to a statement issued to the news agency KNO, the publication, brought out by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC), Jordan, has featured Mirwaiz in the Political category, identifying him as the 14th Mirwaiz of Kashmir, who assumed religious leadership in 1990 at the age of 17 following his father’s assassination.

The publication acknowledges his longstanding advocacy of dialogue and peaceful engagement to address the Kashmir issue, noting that he has repeatedly called for dialogue between India and Pakistan as the only sustainable path to peace while advocating non-violent engagement on regional issues.

It also takes note of Mirwaiz's prolonged house detention from August 2019 to September 2023, observing that he continues to face sudden and intermittent detentions by authorities.

Referring to his religious and public role, the publication describes him as the chief cleric of Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, who bridges traditional religious leadership with human rights advocacy.

For over three decades, Mirwaiz has maintained that dialogue, rather than confrontation, offers the most viable path towards resolving the Kashmir issue.