Mehbooba calls all-party meeting To discuss situation in the Valley

Srinagar : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called an all party meeting of the political parties to discuss the situation in the Kashmir valley.

“Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is convening an all party meeting in Srinagar on Wednesday to discuss the prevailing situation with political parties across the board”, an official spokesperson said.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) at 2 pm Wednesday, he said. on Monday, a 22-year-old Chennai resident S Thirumani, who was holidaying in the Valley with his family, died after his vehicle was attacked by stone pelters. Upset over the incident, Mufti had termed it as “murder of humanity”, something she said was unheard of in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanshile, Mufti called on Governor NN Vohra on Tuesday and discussed with him the situation in the state, particularly counter-terrorism operations and stone-pelting incidents, including one in which the Chennai tourist was killed.

 “The Governor also spoke to Mehbooba about certain issues relating to the prime minister’s forthcoming visits to Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu regions,” the spokesman said.

Last nail in J&K tourism coffin: Industry

SRINAGAR: The fragile tourism industry in Kashmir has taken another blow with the death of a tourist hit by stones, and the sector fears that the incident may further affect the already falling footfall in the troubled Valley. The killing of the Chennai youth could be the proverbial final nail in the coffin of tourism in Kashmir, Ashfaq Siddiq, president Travel Agents Association Kashmir (TAAK),  said on Tuesday. The tourist. 22-year-old R Thirumani, was critically injured in a stone pelting incident at Narbal on Monday and died later in the day of head injuries, triggering outrage and concern.

Quit PDP-BJP alliance: Chidu to Mufti

NEW DELHI: With violence and unrest continuing in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday asked Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to quit the PDP-BJP coalition government saying the “unholy” alliance was the gravest provocation to the people of the Valley. In a series of tweets, the former Home and Finance Minister claimed the “muscular and militaristic” approach of the central government has driven the state towards the present “catastrophic” situation. “Mehbooba Mufti should break her party’s unholy and opportunistic coalition with the BJP. And go back to the philosophy of her father.