The Kashmir Pulse

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.

SRINAGAR — Officials have seized and destroyed nearly two tonnes of rotten meat at Budgam Railway Station over two days, with police registering an FIR over the first seizure and investigating to identify those responsible.

About 1,600 kg of meat was seized on Friday after Railway Police alerted the Food Safety Department to a foul smell coming from a consignment. A second consignment of about 380 kg was seized from a parcel train on Saturday, an official told the news agency KNO. Together, the seizures total roughly 1,980 kg.

SHO Railway Police Budgam Benazir Iqbal said the consignment was inspected on the spot by the Veterinary Department. “The doctor issued a certificate declaring the meat unfit for human consumption due to its highly deteriorated condition and potential health risks,” she said.

The meat was disposed of in the presence of the Tehsildar, the Executive Officer of Municipal Committee Budgam and Food Safety officials. FIR No. 05 has been registered under Section 271 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and police are investigating to identify those who transported and handled the consignment.

Benazir said the consignment was unmarked and not booked in the name of any identifiable person. Police are also questioning railway authorities over how it was accepted without proper documentation.

She said meat transport requires slaughterhouse, veterinary and FSSAI certificates, plus refrigeration at minus 18 degrees Celsius or below. The seized meat arrived in ordinary packaging without ice or refrigeration, she said.

Assistant Commissioner Food Safety Budgam Mufti Umar said the department received a call from Railway Police at around 3 pm on Friday. The meat was found in a highly deteriorated condition, with containers leaking blood and emitting a foul smell, he said.

The Veterinary Surgeon’s findings were verified by the Food Safety team, including the Food Analyst and the Mobile Food Testing Van. A Magistrate deputed by the district administration ordered its disposal to keep it out of the public distribution channel.

An official spokesman said the FDA, J&K, with Railway Police, railway authorities and the Budgam administration, destroyed approximately 1,600 kg of buffalo meat after detecting serious violations relating to its declaration, transportation and cold-chain maintenance. Preliminary testing through the Food Safety on Wheels facility indicated the meat was unfit for consumption, and it was destroyed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The spokesman noted that Food Safety authorities had earlier seized about 2,600 kg of meat in Srinagar.

The Assistant Commissioner urged people to report suspicious food consignments to the department.

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq told KNO on Saturday that those bringing and trading such meat in Kashmir should face strict punishment, and questioned how such incidents recur despite earlier action. “The government must take concrete steps, and police should take full action against those involved and book them under relevant laws at the earliest,” he said.

Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam Farooqi termed the trade and consumption of decomposed meat prohibited (“Haraam”) under Sharia and urged people to buy only from licensed shops.

He appreciated the Railway Police and Food Safety Department for the seizures, questioned how such meat was reaching Kashmir and for how long, and urged stronger inspections and restrictions on such consignments entering the Valley.

SRINAGAR — India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by one wicket in a thrilling last-ball finish to lift the ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup 2026 title at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Saturday, with Mohit Ulva producing a remarkable unbeaten knock of 49 off 26 balls to complete a dramatic chase of 338 runs.

Chasing Pakistan's imposing total of 337 for nine, India reached 339 for nine off the final delivery of their 50 overs, securing victory in a contest that remained undecided until the very last ball.

With three runs needed off the final delivery and Pakistan requiring just one wicket to win the title, Ulva held his nerve and struck a boundary off spinner Ahmed Hussain, triggering celebrations in the Indian camp.

The victory appeared unlikely when India were reduced to 313 for nine at the end of the 48th over, still requiring 25 runs from the final 12 deliveries with only one wicket remaining.

However, Ulva found support from Chigurupati Venkata as the pair launched a determined counterattack to keep India's hopes alive.

The duo collected 17 runs from the 49th over bowled by Mohammad Sayyam, bringing the equation down to eight runs from the final six balls.

With the pressure mounting on both sides, the Indian pair managed to take the contest to the final delivery before Ulva struck the winning boundary to complete one of the most dramatic finishes of the tournament.

Ulva remained unbeaten on 49 from 26 deliveries, while Venkata contributed 11 runs from eight balls in the crucial last-wicket partnership.

Earlier, Pakistan elected to bat first after winning the toss and posted a challenging 337 for nine in their allotted 50 overs.

Usman Khan led Pakistan's batting effort with a century, scoring 107 runs, while Abdul Qadir played an attacking innings of 80 off 54 balls.

Farhan Yousaf also made a valuable contribution of 63 runs as Pakistan built a formidable total in the title clash.

For India, Kavya Patel was the leading wicket-taker with four wickets for 68 runs, while Chigurupati Venkata claimed three wickets for 40 runs.

Despite Pakistan's strong batting performance and their success in reducing India to nine wickets down, the Indian lower order produced a remarkable recovery in the closing overs.

The final witnessed several shifts in momentum, with Pakistan appearing to have gained control before India's last-wicket pair turned the contest around.

The victory was particularly significant for India, who had earlier suffered a three-wicket defeat against Pakistan during the group stage of the tournament.

India had reached the final after defeating Afghanistan by eight wickets in the semifinal, while Pakistan advanced with a nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

The last-ball win brought the tournament to a dramatic conclusion, with Ulva's match-winning innings proving decisive in India's title triumph.