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Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 2

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is not acceptable to him and he will always oppose it.

“Waqf Amendment Bill is not acceptable to me, and I will always oppose it,” said the Chief Minister while talking to media persons on the sidelines of an official function here after inaugurating the free bus service for women.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju informed that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 2 (Wednesday), soon after the Question Hour and will be followed by a comprehensive and detailed discussion extending up to eight hours.

Talking to media persons, the Minister for Minority Affairs said: “Some members wanted six hours, others wanted four hours. However, the Opposition demanded 12 hours for the discussion, but a broad consensus was reached for an eight-hour-long discussion on the bill. Depending on the sense of the House, the Speaker could take the decision to extend it as well.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister on Tuesday inaugurated the free bus services for women in Jammu & Kashmir at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.

He was accompanied by Minister for Social Welfare and Education, Sakina Itoo, Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA, Zadibal, Tanveer Sadiq and other functionaries.

Omar Abdullah described the free bus service for women as a great initiative of his government, adding that the free services will remain available from Tuesday onwards in all the districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

He said that his government will compensate the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) and Smart Bus Transport agencies for providing the free service.

In reply to a question, Omar Abdullah said that the forthcoming visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah is not connected with the Kathua encounter.

He said his government has high hopes from the Union Home Minister’s visit.

Amit Shah is arriving on a visit to J&K next week. The Home Minister’s visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on April 19. PM Modi will inaugurate the 272-kms-long Katra-Baramulla Vande Bharat train service.

The project includes the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River in Ramban district and the Anji Khad cable-stayed railway bridge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

This is India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge.

The bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.

The attack, which targeted tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, took place earlier on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar strongly condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and paid condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.

In a post on X, S Jaishankar said, “Condemn the cowardly terror attack in Pahalgam. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

The attack, which targeted tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, took place earlier on Tuesday.

However, the state government has not issued any official statement on casualties or injuries so far. Tourists injured in the terrorist attack have been moved to the local hospital in Pahalgam.

Following the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and directed him to take all necessary measures in response to the incident.

PM Modi has also asked the Home Minister to visit the site of the attack in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district to assess the situation personally.

PM Modi “strongly” condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and paid condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected,” PM Modi said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reacted to the terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and said the perpetrators would face the harshest consequences. He added that he would be visiting Srinagar to hold a security review meeting.

In a post on X, Amit Shah said, “Anguished by the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. My thoughts are with the family members of the deceased. Those involved in this dastardly act of terror will not be spared, and we will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences.”

He added, “Briefed PM Narendra Modi Ji about the incident and held a meeting with the concerned officials via video conferencing. Will shortly leave for Srinagar to hold an urgent security review meeting with all the agencies.”

Political leaders across parties have strongly condemned the firing incident reported in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmir, calling it an attack on peace and the region’s tourism sector.

As per the information till now, one tourist from Karnataka has been shot dead in front of his wife and son. The person who died has been identified as Manjunath Rao.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held an emergency meeting on Tuesday with senior officers in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir in which one tourist from Karnataka was killed.

Several other tourists were critically injured in the terror attack.

As per the information till now, one tourist from Karnataka has been shot dead in front of his wife and son. The person who died has been identified as Manjunath Rao, a realtor from Shivamogga district in Karnataka.

He had travelled to Kashmir with his wife Pallavi, a bank manager, and their 18-year-old son Abhi. Both Pallavi and Abhi are safe and currently under the care of the authorities. More information is awaited about other tourists from Karnataka.

A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said, “Upon receiving news that Kannadigas were targeted in a terrorist attack in Kashmir, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah immediately held a meeting with senior officials to gather information.”

After being briefed by the Chief Secretary and senior police officers, the Chief Minister instructed them to take swift action.

Following his directions, a team of officials has left for Kashmir, and police officers have also been dispatched. The Resident Commissioner in Delhi has been instructed to oversee the necessary follow-up actions, the CMO statement added.

Taking to X, CM Siddaramaiah said, “I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Kannadigas are among the victims of this shocking incident.

“Upon receiving the news, I convened an emergency meeting and reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretary and senior police officials. I have also spoken to the Resident Commissioner in Delhi.

“Following my directions, two teams – one consisting of senior officers and another of police personnel – have been dispatched to Jammu and Kashmir. An adventure team from the Sports Department, led by Commissioner Chetan, is also en route.”

“We are closely monitoring developments. All necessary support will be extended. Please be assured, the Government of Karnataka stands firmly with those affected,” he added.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism, H.K. Patil, commenting on the incident, stated that he had spoken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

“We have received preliminary information that 12 people from Karnataka were present at the location. We are verifying the details. We have also received information that one person has died in the terrorist attack,” he said.

“We will do everything possible to support them,” he added.

BJP MP B.Y. Raghavendra, who represents the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency, confirmed that the surviving woman and her son are at a safe location.

“The information has been communicated to the Delhi Resident Commissioner. Our current focus is on bringing Manjunath’s body back to Shivamogga,” he stated.

SSP Handwara, Mushtaq Ahmad Choudhary said that the operation was launched early in the morning based on specific intelligence inputs.

A Pakistani terrorist was killed in an operation against terrorists by a joint security forces team in J&K’s Kupwara district on Monday, officials said.

SSP Handwara, Mushtaq Ahmad Choudhary said that the operation was launched early in the morning based on specific intelligence inputs.

“During the operation, contact was established with the terrorist leading to the neutralisation of the terrorist. The terrorist was identified as Safiullah, a resident of Pakistan, who was active for a long time.

He said that security forces, which comprised the Handwara police, 21 Rashtriya Rifles, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), recovered an AK-47 rifle, four magazines, a grenade, and other incriminating materials from the site.

“The area has been secured, and further investigations are underway,” the SSP said.

The encounter had broken out between security forces and the hiding terrorist in Kupwara earlier in the day.

Officials said that following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Krumbhoora (Zachaldara) village in the Rajwar area of the district, security forces started a CASO (Cordon and Search Operation).

“As the security forces closed on the hiding terrorist, he fired at the surrounding security forces triggering an encounter,” an official said.

Authorities had sealed off the area and additional reinforcements had been deployed to ensure a successful operation.

Civilians in the area were advised to stay indoors and avoid movement near the encounter site for their safety.

Terrorists, under the orders of their handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), have stepped up their activities. Intelligence agencies believe that the peaceful, people-participative Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections in 2024 have frustrated terror handlers in Pakistan.

Recently, terrorists killed three innocent civilians in the Kathua district, including a 14-year-old boy.

The bodies of two civilians out of three who went missing from the Qazigund area of the Kulgam district on February 14 have been recovered.

These civilians, belonging to the Rajouri district of the Jammu division, were working as labourers in the Valley to earn their livelihood.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has chaired three security review meetings on J&K since the beginning of 2025. He has given clear orders to the security forces to ensure zero infiltration and zero tolerance for terrorists and their sympathisers in the Union Territory.

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has also chaired two back-to-back security review meetings, one in Srinagar and the other in Jammu, directing police and security forces to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terror sustained by terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers.

He said that funds generated from drug smuggling, drug trafficking and hawala rackets are ultimately used to sustain terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and the war against terror cannot be fought in isolation unless its support channels dry up.

Khan, 62, shot himself inside the Tulsibagh government quarters here, they said.

BJP leader and former Independent MLA from Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez Faqir Mohammad Khan on Thursday allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself, party officials said.

Mr Khan, 62, shot himself inside the Tulsibagh government quarters here, they said.

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur, while confirming the incident, said the former MLA has died due to suicide.

It was not immediately known as to why Mr Khan took the extreme step.

Mr Khan, who was elected to Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 1996 as an Independent candidate, had joined BJP in 2020 and unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls on the party ticket last year.

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The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was thrown open to the public by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Nestled between the Dal Lake and the Zabarwan Hills, Asia’s largest tulip garden opened for the public on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a new tourism season in the Kashmir valley.

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was thrown open to the public by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The garden was set up by Ghulam Nabi Azad, the then chief minister of the erstwhile state in 2007 to advance J-K’s tourist season which was earlier limited to the summers and the winters.

Formerly known as Siraj Bagh, the garden was opened to the public as tulips of different colours have started to bloom, Floriculture Department officials said.

The department plants tulip bulbs in a phased manner so that the flowers remain in bloom for a month or more.

This year, the department has added two new varieties of tulips to the garden.

A new colour scheme has been introduced this year, and the total number of varieties of tulips and other flowers has risen to 74.

Other spring flowers including hyacinths, daffodils, muscari and cyclamens are also on display.

About 17 lakh tulip bulbs have been planted in the garden that spreads over 55 hectares, the officials said.

The extension of the garden has reached almost its full capacity, they said.

The garden started on a small scale with 50,000 tulip bulbs imported from The Netherlands. It instantly gained popularity among tourists and has been steadily growing each year, both in terms of the number of visitors and the tulips that bloom.

More than 4.65 lakh visitors, both domestic and foreign, visited the garden last year while the footfall in 2023 was 3.65 lakh.

These two, identified as Yasir Hussain Shah of Busgran village of Uri tehsil and Asiya Bano of Kundi Barjala village of the same tehsil, had drowned after jumping into the river on March 5

Bodies of two residents of J&K’s Baramulla district, missing after they reportedly jumped into the Jhelum River earlier this month, were handed over to Indian authorities by officials of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at the Kaman post on the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday.

These two, identified as Yasir Hussain Shah of Busgran village of Uri tehsil and Asiya Bano of Kundi Barjala village of the same tehsil, had drowned after jumping into the river on March 5, officials said, adding that an extensive search operation had failed to trace their bodies so far.

After a sustained search operation, the body of Shah was spotted floating near the Kaman post in Uri on March 20.

“Police and rescue teams attempted to retrieve the body, but it drifted to the other side of the LoC due to strong currents. The authorities from the Indian side took the matter up with officials of PoK across the LoC, who eventually retrieved both the bodies from the river,” an official said.

“A meeting was held at the Kaman post in Uri on Saturday, where officials from the Uri administration, including the SDPO, SHO, tehsildar, Indian Army and their counterparts from the other side as well as the parents of the deceased, in addition to a team of doctors were present. Indian authorities received the bodies after completion of formalities,” the official added.

The 776-km-long LoC in J&K is a natural defacto border made up of rivers, mountains, ridges, gorges, and ravines.

People on the two sides of the LoC sometimes inadvertently cross the border while grazing cattle etc. Such civilians are apprehended by the alert army troops guarding the LoC.

After verifying their credentials, such civilians are returned to their homes.

A 24X7 vigil is maintained on the LoC by the Indian Army to check the infiltration of terrorists into the Indian side. Such infiltration bids often end in gunfights between the army and the terrorists resulting in the death of intruding terrorists or their withdrawal back into the PoK.

On the relationship between India and Pakistan, Mr Akhtar said it feels like this is the worst phase because it is a fresh wound, but there have been others before.

Members of the opposition being part of the outreach delegations to various countries following Operation Sindoor is a welcome step because the Pahalgam terror attack was not carried out on the government, but India as a whole, noted lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar has said. 

In an over 30-minute discussion at NDTV’s Creators’ Manch on Friday, Mr Akhtar also spoke about where the real power centre in Pakistan lies and the row over the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Amir in Diljit Dosanjh’s film ‘Sardaar Ji 3’.

Asked if including leaders like the Congress’ Shashi Tharoor and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the outreach delegations was a calculated move by the government, the lyricist said in Hindi, “The Pahalgam terror attack was not on the government, it was an attack on the country. So everyone in the country will go. Among the people (who were part of the delegations) are some who keep attacking the government. But when it comes to the country, we are all one… the other issues are internal ones and we will keep talking about them internally,” the lyricist said. 

Mr Akhtar said Mr Tharoor is very articulate and he was happy the Congress leader led one of the delegations, because he has diplomatic experience at the United Nations. “This is an issue that concerns the country, and that’s when everyone is one. That is how it should be. This is not about a political party,” he said.

On the relationship between India and Pakistan, Mr Akhtar said it feels like this is the worst phase because it is a fresh wound, but pointed out that the 1965 war and the Kargil war had also happened. 

“Each time, the government in Pakistan tries to wash its hands of what’s happening and claims it wasn’t involved. In 1948, they said tribals had entered Kashmir; during the Kargil war, they said they did not know who had gone there. Similarly, in Pahalgam, they said they did not know anything about the attack. This is nothing new, it’s what they do,” he said.

‘Not A Monolith’

The lyricist stressed, however, that no country is a monolith and crores of people in Pakistan want friendship with India, but this does not suit the country’s government, army and right wing. 

“It suits the common people there, and why won’t it? India is such a big market, it has great universities, a rich culture… so young people from there will want to come here and work… in the entertainment industry and the corporate sphere. Businessmen would also want to collaborate with Indian businesses, how are all of them benefiting from strained ties? They only lose because of this,” he said. 

Mr Akhtar said even the US knows where the real power centre in Pakistan lies and that democracy in the country is a sham. 

“Those who benefit are the right wing in Pakistan, because their existence depends on hatred for India and the country’s army, because it’ll have to stay in the barracks if there is no confrontation with India. Even when the American president wanted to talk to Pakistan, he could have spoken to the president or prime minister, but he knew where the real power lies, so he called their army chief Asim Munir. This made it clear that their democracy is a sham and the army rules the country. So, how will good relations with India suit them?” he pointed out.  

The lyricist repeated that it would not be in India’s interest to treat Pakistan as a monolith. Indians, he said, should encourage people in Pakistan who admire and love India. 

Diljit Row

On the row over the casting of Pakistani actor Hania Amir in Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Sardaar Ji 3’, Mr Akhtar said it was pointless because the movie had been shot earlier. “How was he to know? Pakistan will not lose money (because of this), our countryman will… Laws can’t be applied retrospectively… The Censor Board and the government should look at this sympathetically. They can say it shouldn’t happen again,” he suggested. 

One way of bettering the relationship between the countries when things weren’t as bad as they are now, the scriptwriter said, would have been for artistes from both sides to make movies with the involvement of the governments. 

The Amira Kadal wooden bridge — near the city centre of Lal Chowk — over the Jhelum river is being revived under the Srinagar Smart City project.

A historic bridge here is undergoing a major transformation as a tribute to the city of bridges’ rich architectural heritage, and is set to become a tourism landmark as well as improve the summer capital’s aesthetic appeal.

The Amira Kadal wooden bridge — near the city centre of Lal Chowk — over the Jhelum river is being revived under the Srinagar Smart City project. Officials said a wooden walkway on the existing piers of the old bridge is being constructed, The Rs 7.17-crore project includes retrofitting of the piers and carrying out all allied works, the officials said.

They exercise aims to revive the old Amira Kadal wood bridge, one of the oldest in the city, and transform it into a cultural and scenic landmark that would offer a vibrant view of the river and attract tourists.

The revamped bridge would be a modern recreational space, equipped with a walkway that would feature various kiosks and offer architectural and cultural experiences to the visitors, the officials said.

Originally constructed in 1774 Amir Khan Jawan Sher, the Afghan governor of Kashmir under the Durrani Empire, the bridge is undergoing a significant renovation as part of the Srinagar Smart City project, fusing modern architecture with its traditional wooden look.

Taking cues from the Rajbagh wooden bridge, Habba Kadal and Zero bridge, the refurbished Amira Kadal wood bridge aims to preserve Kashmir’s architectural heritage while meeting the city’s contemporary needs.

The new wooden bridge will only be accessible by foot, contrary to the adjacent Amira Kadal bridge which is used for vehicular traffic. For tourists to enjoy Srinagar’s history and natural beauty, it seeks to offer a cultural and recreational experience.

An official of the Srinagar Smart City said the bridge is being built on the lines of the old Amira Kadal bridge.

“Its style and design have been conceptualised accordingly. It will have a 52-metre long vending zone, gazebos, plazas with seating arrangements at both ends,” he said.

The official said as it is a foot bridge and it needs to have two levels of flooring – the rough flooring and the finished flooring.

“It will have amenities like drinking water. It would be illuminated to give it an aesthetically modern look,” he added.

The official said about 90 per cent of work on the bridge has been completed and the rest is being executed at a fast pace and it will soon be thrown open to the public.

The project is part of the heritage tourism revival under the Smart City initiative, he added.

The new bridge will have kiosks manned by authorised vendors, providing a venue for local food vendors, craftspeople, and artists. This will support the local economy, increase job opportunities, and preserve cultural heritage, the official said.

He said that in addition to improving pedestrian flow and increase urban mobility, the bridge would improve the city’s aesthetic appeal as well.

The locals have welcomed the transformation of the old bridge, saying it would not only provide a huge relief to the people, but attract tourists as well.

“It will provide a huge relief to the people, especially pedestrians. It will give a beautiful look to the city and attract tourists,” said Javed Ahmad, a local.

Another local, Faisal Ahmad said it would address the need for safe and efficient pedestrian connectivity in one of the city’s busiest areas.

“It is a very good step by the government. It will add to the tourism attractions in the city and increase the tourist footfall. It will also provide a safe passage to the pedestrians unlike the other bridge on which traffic plies,” he said.

The IB officer, posted in Hyderabad, was on a Leave Travel Concession (LTC) visit with his family.

An Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer from Hyderabad is among the tourists killed in the terror attack in Kashmir on Tuesday.

Manish Ranjan, a native of Bihar, was shot dead in front of his wife and children.

The IB officer, posted in Hyderabad, was on a Leave Travel Concession (LTC) visit with his family. Click here for Kashmir terror attack live updates

The family, along with many other tourists, was in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, known as ‘Mini Switzerland’, when the terrorists attacked them.

Manish Ranjan was posted in the ministerial section of the IB’s Hyderabad office.

Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Strongly condemning the heinous act, CM Revanth Reddy said that such cowardly strikes cannot shake the spirit and resilience of the Indian people.

He urged the Union government to take the strictest action against the terrorist groups involved.

CM Revanth Reddy prayed for the souls of the ones who lost their lives to rest in peace and extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has also condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Deeply anguished by the terrorist attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. I condemn this senseless act of violence in the strongest terms. My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” CM Naidu posted on X.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also condemned the terror attack.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic terrorist attack that took place today at Baisaran, Pahalgam, Anantnag region of Jammu and Kashmir, often known as “Mini Switzerland”.”

“The deaths of 27 innocent tourists and the injuries of 20 others are extremely horrible. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the Deputy CM said.

The Jana Sena leader said that despite continuous efforts by the Union government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to combat terrorism in all forms, such incidents remain a matter of grave concern.

He urged the Jammu and Kashmir government and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to ensure complete coordination with Central forces and take stringent measures to safeguard the lives of tourists and local citizens.

“Our Country and all its citizens will stand in full support of any decisive action taken by the Central government to eliminate terrorist threats and ensure national security,” he said.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao said he was deeply saddened and anguished by the tragic loss of lives in the horrific terrorist attack.

“My heartfelt condolences to the families of the tourists who lost their lives. I strongly condemn this cowardly act of violence and urge the Indian government to ensure justice for the victims’ families.”