Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked all stakeholders to make an effort for political resolution of the Kashmir issue while appealing to civil society to help restore peace i

Curfew was lifted from Sopore, Baramulla, Kulgam and Koimoh towns whereas relaxation of varied durations was allowed elsewhere in the restive Kashmir Valley except in central Srinagar on Saturday.

On day two of the annual Amarnath Yatra, as many as 11,209 devotees paid obeisance at the 12,729 ft. high cave-temple nestled in Kashmir Himalayas on Friday. Meanwhile, a third batch of 3,217 pilgrims left Jammu for Pahalgam and Baltal earlier during the day to embark on the otherwise ardous journey through rugged hills.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah who keeps blowing hot and cold ever since faced with Kashmiri unrest which often finds expression on the streets of the Valley has, once again, softened his position and tried to reach out the people by promising them the Kashmir imbroglio will be addressed politically.

Almost all major cities and towns of Kashmir Valley were placed under strict curfew overnight to hold back a “freedom rally” called by the separatists at Srinagar’s Idgah prayer grounds on Friday.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and patron of Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Muhammad Sayeed said on Thursday the response of the Central government to the current crisis in the state tantamount to an insult to people of Kashmir.

As the annual Amarnath yatra is picking up momentum in spite of the Valley being caught in turmoil, a helicopter service for pilgrims was launched on Thursday on both Baltal-Panjtarni-Baltal and Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam routes.

Various separatist leaders and parties have scoffed at Union home minister P. Chidambaram’s charge that terror group LeT is stoking fire in the Kashmir Valley. “They kill our innocent youth and when people protest they drag in Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Pakistan and accuse them of instigating trouble. They do it to hoodwink the world

It was the women’s turn to kick up a stink on the streets of Srinagar on Thursday. But as they began a march towards Pathat Masjid, a historic Muslim place of worship located deep inside what has been traditionally the most difficult turf to put up with for the law and order agencies, they were met by gun-flaunting policemen and their lathi-wielding women counterparts.

Army on Wednesday staged flag marches in curfew-bound Baramulla and was at standby in Anantnag, which with capital Srinagar and some other towns, witnessed widespread protests and violence in the aftermath of killing of 11 youth in police firings past fortnight.