Sheikh Zaffar Iqbal And Neeta Sharma

Local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir will proceed according to schedule, even though the two key political parties in the state - Mehbooba Mufti's PDP and the National Conference - have pulled out of the election, officials said on Monday.

On Friday evening, terrorists in south Kashmir released three policemen and eight relatives of police personnel who they had kidnapped 24 hours earlier. The kidnappings were the fallout of security forces arresting some family members of terrorists in the valley.

Amidst a spike in terrorist violence in the valley, the top most army commander in Kashmir, Lt General AK Bhatt has said that launch pads across the Line of Control are full of terrorists waiting to infiltrate.

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been ordered not to launch operations during the holy month of Ramzan later this week, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

Less than 24 hours after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appealed to the centre to consider a ceasefire with terrorists during Ramzan, saying it was the view shared by all political parties in the state, her alliance partner BJP has refused to back the proposal.

A Pakistani terrorist in police custody escaped this morning as he was brought to a Srinagar hospital for a routine medical check-up. Police indicated that an accomplice of the prisoner, Naveed Jutt, opened fire just outside the hospital. One policeman has died, while another is injured, a senior officer said.

Local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir will proceed according to schedule, even though the two key political parties in the state - Mehbooba Mufti's PDP and the National Conference - have pulled out of the election, officials said on Monday.

On Friday evening, terrorists in south Kashmir released three policemen and eight relatives of police personnel who they had kidnapped 24 hours earlier. The kidnappings were the fallout of security forces arresting some family members of terrorists in the valley.

Amidst a spike in terrorist violence in the valley, the top most army commander in Kashmir, Lt General AK Bhatt has said that launch pads across the Line of Control are full of terrorists waiting to infiltrate.

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been ordered not to launch operations during the holy month of Ramzan later this week, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

Less than 24 hours after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appealed to the centre to consider a ceasefire with terrorists during Ramzan, saying it was the view shared by all political parties in the state, her alliance partner BJP has refused to back the proposal.

A Pakistani terrorist in police custody escaped this morning as he was brought to a Srinagar hospital for a routine medical check-up. Police indicated that an accomplice of the prisoner, Naveed Jutt, opened fire just outside the hospital. One policeman has died, while another is injured, a senior officer said.