Jammu: Protesting Kashmiri Pandits (KP) employed under the Prime Minister’s Package on Wednesday blocked the busy Tawi bridge against the targeted killing of Sunil Kumar Bhat in Shopian and demanded their relocation to Jammu till the situation improved in Kashmir.

Carrying placards in their hands, earlier the protesters held a sit-in at Dogra Chowk and then they marched towards the Tawi Bridge and blocked it for some time raising slogans in support of their demand for relocation.

The protesters were angry over the continuous targetted killings in Kashmir and alleged that they were not provided with a secure environment to work in the government offices.

“Therefore, we are demanding relocation to Jammu till the security situation improves,” one of the protesting PM package employees told Greater Kashmir.

While questioning the senseless killings of the minority community people by the terrorists, the protesting employees sought the attention of the government towards the situation, which they alleged, was “not conducive for the working of PM package employees.”

“We have also informed the government that we will return to our jobs in Kashmir till the situation improves there. At present, we are not willing to work there. There is no security. The KP employees are in deep stress due to continuous killings,” said one of the protesters.

“We have been protesting for the last 92 days in Jammu after the killing of Rahul Bhat and demanding our relocation to Jammu. Today we started our march from the Relief Commissioner’s office at Canal Road and then blocked the Tawi bridge,” Naveen Pandita, a PM Package employee told Greater Kashmir.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducts raids at multiple locations in Jammu

Jammu, August 18: Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered arms and ammunition dropped by a Pakistani drone in Toph village near the international border.
According to Police, a case was registered on February 24, 2022 at Arnia police station regarding recovery of arms and ammunition dropped by Pakistani drone. One accused, belonging to Jammu, made revelations that a Pakistani prisoner/handler Mohd Ali Hussain alias Qasim has been instrumental in drone droppings and is the main operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Al Badr.
He was then brought before the court on production from Jail and subsequently police remand was taken.
Police said during sustained questioning, the accused confessed to his role in the Arnia weapon drop case and also disclosed two locations where the arms and ammunition dropped by drone had been concealed.
In order to recover the weapons, a police team, along with the magistrate concerned went to the spot one after the another.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mukesh Singh said, “Though no recovery was made at the first place but at the second place in Toph village (near the International Border) in Phallian Mandal area, a packet of arms, ammunitions and explosives were recovered. When the packet was being opened, the accused attacked one of the police officials and snatched his service rifle. He fired at the police party and tried to flee from the spot.”
“In retaliation, the accused got injured and was shifted to Governmnet Medical College Jammu along with an injured police official. The injured terrorist later succumbed to his injuries,” said the official.
The dropped packet was then scrutinized with the help of the Bomb disposal squad. An AK rifle, magazines, 40 AK rounds, a star pistol, pistol rounds, and Chinese small grenades were recovered from the packet.
The investigation is underway. Further details are awaited. (Agencies)

Jammu August 17: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today chaired a high level meeting at Civil Secretariat, to review the sports activities across Jammu & Kashmir.
The Lt Governor took a detailed assessment of the efforts for engagement of 35 lakh youth in sports activities targeted for this year.
J&K Sports Council and Department of Youth Services & Sports were directed to use the power of sports to prevent crime and drug use among youth.
The Lt Governor further called for ensuring maximum participation of girls. Make sporting activities more inclusive; accelerate efforts to promote women athletes. We must promote equal participation of girls and it should be ensured they have ample opportunities to develop teamwork, self-reliance, resilience and confidence. Sport has the power to change the society and we must use its unmatched potential, the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor also directed the officials to develop facilities for yoga centers and explore the modalities to organize rallies in the districts to promote sports culture among the younger generation at grassroot level.
Analytic view must be taken to identify the employees engaged under sports quota who can contribute towards the development of sports in J&K, added the Lt Governor.
While taking stock of the calendar of activities under ‘My Youth My Pride’, the Lt Governor was informed that Phase-I of the programme has witnessed the participation of 8.76 lakh youth from across the UT, while 13.75 lakh youth will be engaged in Phase-II.
The chair was informed about the special activities under ‘My Youth My Pride’ to be organized to commemorate important International days with the targeted engagement of 25,000 youth.
The meeting also discussed the progress made in formulation of merit list for the appointment of outstanding sportspersons, the rewards as per the Sports Policy being extended to the sports persons who have brought laurels to the country and the UT.
The Lt Governor asked Sh Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department to encourage the youth at Higher Education level to participate in different sports disciplines.
On being informed about the ongoing projects under PMDP, JKIDFC, Capex and Khelo India, the Lt Governor asked the officials to identify the projects facing land or other issues so that appropriate action can be taken to resolve the same.
The Lt Governor instructed the Department of Youth Services & Sports to organize sports tournaments in multiple disciplines under LG’s Rolling Trophy including Cricket, Football, Volleyball and Hockey, and reward the outstanding players at UT level and District level.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Sarmad Hafeez, holding the charge of Secretary, Youth Services & Sports; Subash Chander Chhibber, Director Youth Services & Sports; Nuzhat Gul, Secretary, J&K Sports Council and other senior officials attended the meeting.

JAMMU, Aug 17: Security forces and police have intensified operation to track down terrorists, who managed to escape from the cordon after a bried gunfire encounter in Rajouri district, sources said.
Security forces had on Sunday located a group of 2-3 terrorists in Sojan forest area of Samote in Rajouri and laid a seige to neutralise them, they said.
Terrorists fired on the security forces during cordon and search operation (CASO) but managed to escape using heavy rains and bad weather conditions as cover, they said.
Forces have now intensified the operation to track down the terrorists, who may be trying to find new targets in the area, they said.
Security forces and police have been put on high alert in view of movement of two suspected persons around Rajouri city, particularly around security forces area on Tuesday, they said.
Agencies also spotted two suspected persons, including one carrying a bag, in CCTV footage, they said.
On August 11, two terrorists had attacked an Army camp in Rajouri, killing four soldiers in a pre-dawn suicide strike that marked the return of ‘fidayeen’ to Jammu and Kashmir after more than three years.
Both the terrorists, believed to be from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), were shot dead after an over four-hour gun battle.
On May 8, a terrorist was killed as the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Laam area of Rajouri district. There were several blasts in Rajouri district in April and May.
Police had busted two modules of the LeT instrumental in carrying out terror acts and ferrying drone-dropped weapons from Pakistan to the Kashmir valley. They arrested five members of two terror modules. (Agencies)