J&K

Jammu, Aug 29 (PTI) The administration on Thursday restored mobile phone services in five "sensitive" districts of Jammu region, an official said.

The mobile phone services have been restored in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma said.

The services were blocked across Jammu and Kashmir since August 5 following the abrogation of special status to the state under Article 370.

Srinagar, Aug 30 (PTI) Fresh restrictions were imposed in the city and other parts of the Kashmir Valley as a preventive measure ahead of Friday congregational prayers, officials said.

Restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPc were announced on public address system. People have been asked not to venture outside and barricades have been placed.

Normal life remained disrupted across the Kashmir Valley for the 26th consecutive day, with markets closed and public transport off the roads.

Srinagar, Aug 29 (PTI) Normal life remained disrupted across the Kashmir Valley for the 25th consecutive day on Thursday, with markets closed and public transport off the roads.

However, some private vehicles could be seen plying in many parts of the city while some roadside vendors also plied their trade, officials said.

The efforts of the state government to open schools up to high school level have not borne fruit as parents continued to keep the children at home due to apprehensions about their safety.

Jammu, Aug 28 (PTI) Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by restoring to mortar shelling and firing of small arms along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence spokesperson said.

The firing from across the border started around 8 am and continued for three-and-a-half hours, he said.

The spokesperson said the Indian Army retaliated befittingly.

There was no report of any casualty in the Pakistani firing and shelling, he said.

Srinagar, Aug 28 (PTI) High schools in the Kashmir Valley reopened on Wednesday in areas where restrictions have been lifted but students kept away.

Higher secondary schools in the valley have been shut for over three weeks due to restrictions imposed in the state after its special status was revoked.

Jammu, Aug 27 (PTI) Dogra Sadar Sabha president and former minister Gulchain Singh Charak was on Tuesday detained ahead of his scheduled press conference here.

Charak had reached his party headquarters at Dogra Hall in the city to address a press conference and was picked up by police without citing any reason, his son Gambhir Dev Singh Charak said.

Srinagar, Aug 26 (PTI) Normal life remained affected in Kashmir for the 22nd consecutive day on Monday as markets and schools were shut, but the movement of private vehicles in the city improved, officials said.

Restrictions were lifted in most areas of the valley, but the deployment of security forces continued to maintain law and order, they said.

Srinagar, Aug 25 (PTI) The flag of Jammu and Kashmir which used to fly along with the tricolour was removed from the Civil Secretariat here on Sunday, three weeks after the Centre revoked Article 370 provisions which granted special status to the state, officials said.

Under Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir was permitted to have its own flag, which was red in colour with three equidistant white vertical strips and a white plough.

SRINAGAR, Aug 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An Indian soldier was killed by Pakistani forces on the Kashmir border, the military said, as a tense lockdown in the region of seven million residents entered its third week.

The nuclear-armed neighbours regularly target each other with mortar shells and gunfire on the de facto border known as the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Himalayan territory which is claimed by both India and Pakistan.

NEW DELHI, August 24; GANASHAKTI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 11 leaders of other opposition parties who landed today at Srinagar airport were sent back to Delhi, news agency ANI reported. Restrictions have been imposed in Jammu and Kashmir since the centre withdrew special status from the state and divided it into two union territories earlier this month.