The Kashmir Pulse

NEW DELHI — BRICS leaders on Friday strongly condemned the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 people and injured several others, while reaffirming their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

In the New Delhi Declaration adopted at the BRICS Summit, the grouping described acts of terrorism as "criminal and unjustifiable" regardless of their motivation and said such acts must be condemned wherever and by whomever they are committed, news agency KNO reported.

The leaders specifically denounced the Pahalgam attack and expressed solidarity with the victims and those affected by the incident.

Reaffirming their resolve to combat terrorism, BRICS countries stressed the need to tackle the cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing networks and the provision of safe havens to extremist groups.

The declaration said terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group and called for individuals and entities involved in terrorist activities or support networks to be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with national and international law.

The bloc also urged the international community to adopt a policy of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism and reject double standards in counter-terrorism efforts.

BRICS leaders emphasised that states bear the primary responsibility for preventing and combating terrorism, while stressing that global counter-terrorism measures must remain consistent with international law, including the UN Charter, international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law.

The grouping welcomed the work of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group and its five subgroups operating under the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Action Plan, and pledged to further deepen cooperation in the field.

The declaration also called for the early finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the United Nations framework.

It further urged concerted action against all terrorists and terrorist entities designated by the United Nations.

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

India assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2026, with this year’s summit being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from September 12-13.

SRINAGAR — The National Conference-led government in Jammu and Kashmir is unlikely to undertake an expansion-cum-reshuffle of the council of ministers for the time being, sources said.

Sources told news agency KNO that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would not immediately expand his cabinet.

“There are no chances of cabinet expansion this month. The exercise will not be taken up given that the autumn session of the J&K Assembly is now just 10 days away,” they said.

The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is scheduled to begin on September 21 and conclude on September 30.

According to the sources, the cabinet expansion could instead take place around the second anniversary of the NC-led government, which will complete two years in office on October 16.

An expansion-cum-reshuffle had been widely expected after August 15.

Omar Abdullah is also understood to have approached the Congress high command to ascertain whether the party would take up a ministerial position in the government.

The Congress high command subsequently discussed the offer from the NC-led government with its leaders based in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the sources.

The council of ministers currently has six members. It can have up to three more ministers, as the J&K Reorganisation Act limits the strength of the council of ministers to one-tenth of the total strength of MLAs.

SRINAGAR — The promised August 2026 deadline for commencement of Outpatient Department (OPD) services at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Awantipora has passed without the facility becoming operational, prompting residents across Kashmir to seek an immediate start of at least OPD services.

Residents told news agency KNO that repeated postponement of deadlines had caused disappointment among people who expected AIIMS Awantipora to provide advanced and affordable treatment within the region and reduce dependence on hospitals outside Jammu and Kashmir.

They said the government had earlier stated that OPD services would commence by August 2026, while MBBS courses were expected to start in July this year. With the August deadline now over, they said uncertainty remained over when patients would be able to access the institution.

Residents also questioned the pace of operationalisation of the two AIIMS projects sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 — one at Vijaypur in Jammu and the other at Awantipora in south Kashmir.

“Both projects were sanctioned at the same time, but AIIMS Jammu has been functioning for the last two years, while people in Kashmir are still waiting even for basic OPD services at AIIMS Awantipora. We want to know why Kashmir is being subjected to such stepmotherly treatment,” residents said.

They argued that the issue was not merely about infrastructure but also about access to specialised healthcare for people living across Kashmir.

“For a patient from Kashmir suffering from cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders or other serious illnesses, travelling outside J&K is not an easy option. It involves huge expenditure on transportation, accommodation and treatment and puts an additional burden on already distressed families,” they said.

The residents urged authorities to start OPD services in portions of the institute that are ready rather than waiting for every component of the project to be completed.

They also appealed to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to intervene and seek a time-bound status report on the operationalisation of AIIMS Awantipora.

The residents urged the J&K administration and Union Health Ministry to make public a clear timeline for starting OPD, inpatient and emergency services.

The AIIMS Awantipora project was sanctioned at an estimated cost of around ₹1,828 crore and envisages around 57 structures.

Once fully operational, the project is expected to add around 1,000 beds, including 300 super-speciality beds, along with a medical college with an annual intake of 100 MBBS students and a nursing college with capacity for 60 students annually.

The project was initially expected to be completed by January 2025, with the deadline subsequently revised to November 2025. However, according to the source material, it continued to face delays linked to land-related litigation, restrictions following the abrogation of Article 370, the COVID-19 pandemic, issues concerning a nearby Army establishment, adverse weather conditions and labour shortages.

Residents said operationalisation of AIIMS Awantipora would benefit not only Pulwama and adjoining districts of south Kashmir but the wider Kashmir Valley, particularly patients requiring specialised treatment.

“Kashmir has waited long enough. The Union Health Ministry must intervene and ensure that OPD services are started without any further delay,” they said.