Kashmiri pickle sells like hot cake during Ramadan

September 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Sep 2 (ANI): Pickle business picks up in Kashmir during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan.

The markets in the valley are flooded with fresh fruits as well as dry fruits, dates and pickles during the entire month of the fasting.

Hundreds types of pickles are available in the market and people buy a new variety of pickle everyday.

The chicken pickle sell for Rupees 300 per kilogram, fish pickle for Rupees 250 per kilogram and other varieties of pickle for Rupees 100 per kilogram.

“The demand of the pickles increases manifold because this Kashmiri item is very old and it has been consumed for years and every one in Kashmir likes it,” said Mohammed Yaqoob, a customer. Gulam Qadir Sunoo, a pickle whole seller said that during the month Ramadan their business increased. We have all kinds of pickles with us like the one’s made out of fish, chicken and we have more than 100 kinds of pickles with us.”

Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims must abstain from all eatables including water from dawn to dusk — a discipline believed to better their souls. By Parvez Butt (ANI)

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Held Kashmir PM Yaqoob Khan manages to hold ‘disgruntled’ allies together

August 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Aug.26 (ANI): With the ten-point charter of demands forwarded by the Jammu Kashmir Muslim League being accepted by the Pakistan held Kashmir government, Prime Minister Sardar Yaqoob Khan seems to have avoided a further fall out in the ruling coalition, but temporarily.

The two main allies of the held Kashmir government, the Muslim Conference (MC) forward bloc led by Sardar Farooq Haider and People’s Muslim League led by former prime minister Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry had threatened to walk out of the alliance over the appointment of senior PPP leader Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin as adviser on local government.

Both the parties were of the view that a non-elected person should not be appointed as an adviser with the status of a minister having executive powers, The Dawn reports.

According to sources some federal ministers were trying to build a new alliance in the region under which the PPP’s held Kashmir chief Chaudhry Majeed was tipped to be appointed as new Prime Minister throwing out Yaqoob.

Sources said that a close-door meeting was held at the residence of Barrister Sultan Mehmood in Islamabad in which it was Chaudhry Yasin would remain adviser on local government but without any executive authority.

It was also decided that Sardar Naeem Khan, an MLA and brother of senior MC leader Sardar Sikendar Hayat Khan would be given cabinet berth as Minister for Rural Development.

Prime Minister Yaqoob Khan has also assured the displeased allies that he would not accept federal government’s interference beyond rules laid down under the Interim Constitution of 1974. (ANI)

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Kashmir dispute to be resolved within next two years: POK PM

August 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, Aug. 13 (ANI): Pakistan occupied Kashmir’s (POK) Prime Minister Sardar Yaqoob Khan has said India is not in a position to prolong the Kashmir dispute, and that the issue would be resolved within two years.

Addressing the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Khan said the Kashmir issue could not resolved until India withdraws its troops from the region.

“India can not become an ‘Asian Tiger’ until it withdraws its 800,000-strong army from Kashmir,” The Daily Times quoted Khan, as saying.

He said the dispute should be resolved according to the will of people of the region and the international community, and warned that India could disintegrate into ‘six different states’ if its fails to arrive at a solution.

Commenting on the rising need for electricity in the country, Khan said the POK has the potential to generate over 14,000 megawatts of electricity through hydro-power projects.

There is a tremendous scope for expansion in the handicraft, woodcraft and handloom industries in the region, Khan said.

He stressed on the need for luring private entrepreneurs and foreign investors to tap the immense potential of establishing small and medium industries in the region. (ANI)

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J and K HC orders exhumation of Shopian rape victims bodies

July 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Srinagar July 4 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed state police to exhume the bodies of the victims of rape and murder in Shopian for fresh post mortem.

The court also ordered that no person, including security personnel could leave Shopian without special permission. The order is binding on personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Jammu and Kashmir State Police.

A two-judge division bench of the J and K High Court, comprising Chief Justice Barin Gosh and Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, issued the orders after hearing a PIL filed by the Kashmir Bar Association.

However, the court said the consent of the victims’ family is required before the bodies could be exhumed.

The Kashmir Valley has witnessed protests following discovery of the bodies of 17-year-old Asiya and her pregnant 22-year-old sister-in-law Nelofar in a stream on May 30 after they went missing from their orchard on the previous day. Amid massive demonstrations across the Valley, police registered a case of rape and murder. They have not named any suspects.

The same bench of the J and K high Court on Friday ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Inspector General of Police Farooq Ahmed, to interrogate all suspended officials and if necessary to conduct a narco analyses test of these officials.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government suspended the then district police chief of Shopian Javed Iqbal Mattoo, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rohit Baskotra, Station House Officer (SHO) Shafeeq Ahmad, Sub-Inspector Qazi Abdul Karim and Javed Iqbal Hafiz, scientific officer forensic science laboratory following recommendations made by the Justice Muzaffar Jan Commission. (ANI)

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Nawaz holds Musharraf responsible for current Pak crisis

March 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Mardan (Pakistan), Mar. 28 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif has held former President Pervez Musharraf responsible for the current crisis being faced by the nation.

He squarely blamed Musharraf for taking unconstitutional steps and making wrong policies.
“There is no doubt that none, except Pervez Musharraf, is responsible for the current crisis because of his wrong polices, especially in the backdrop of NWFP. It was Musharraf, the ex-general, who had not only bulldozed all the democratic institutions of the country, but also placed the serving Chief Justice under house arrest along with his other colleagues for the first time in the country’s history,” The Nation quoted Nawaz, as saying.

The former Pakistan premier said that only the implementation of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) is the solution of all challenges being faced by the country.

“For democratic revolution in the country, it is need of the hour that we should implement CoD. If this document is followed in letter and spirit, I guarantee that the country will come out of the crises smoothly,” he said.

Addressing the Provincial Executive Council meeting in Mardan, Nawaz said that the judiciary was restored because of the people of NWFP’s commitment to have a free and independent judiciary.

“Either it was the struggle of Pakistan’s independence or the movement for the restoration of the deposed judges, the people of the NWFP always played a vital role which is evident from the fact that they participated in large numbers in the Long March.

Former federal minister Haji Yaqoob Khan also announced to join the PML-N on this occasion. (ANI)

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