Connect with us

Latest News

Kashmir growers fear for their fruit in pilgrimage traffic jams

Published

2 years ago

on

  • Hundreds of thousands of people come through IOJK to visit shrine in Himalayan cave for Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage.
  • Security is tighter after Indian police claimed last week they had uncovered plot to attack pilgrims.
  • Fruit-laden trucks were stranded as security forces held up traffic to check for threats.

SRINAGAR: Fruit growers in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) said on Monday they were facing huge losses as truck-loads of apples, pears and other produce got caught up in traffic jams caused by a security crackdown during an annual Hindu pilgrimage.

Hundreds of thousands of people come through the region to visit a shrine in a Himalayan cave for the Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage.

Numbers are even higher this year, as the event was shut down in 2021 during the pandemic — and security is tighter after police claimed last week they had uncovered a plot to attack pilgrims.

Fruit-laden trucks were stranded as security forces held up traffic to check for threats, Bashir Ahmad Basheer, from the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Union, told Reuters.

“Freshly harvested plums, peaches, pears and apples need to be transported outside Kashmir or else they may rot in this heat and we will face heavy losses,” he said.

An Indian forces official Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, acknowledged there was a problem and said the Indian government was working on plans to ease traffic.

“Trucks will only be stopped when pilgrims travel on the highway and trucks loaded with perishables won’t face any inconvenience,” he told reporters.

Indian soldiers carrying automatic assault rifles and wearing flak jackets have been out guarding roads since the Hindu pilgrimage began in the Muslim-majority region in June.

“Pilgrims are our guests but our trucks should not be stopped,” orchard owner Ghulam Mohammad Malik told Reuters.

He said farmers and traders would together face losses of 30 million Indian rupees ($380,000) per day if congestion did not ease.

Fruit cultivation is the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, and gives work to about 3 million people, according to the growers union.

During the pilgrimage, Hindus cross glaciers and waterlogged trails to reach the mountain cave which contains an ice stalagmite that is considered a physical manifestation of a Hindu god, Lord Shiva.

The cave is covered in snow for most of the year, but authorities let pilgrims visit it for 45 days over the summer as rising temperatures clear the passes.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Minutes after taking off from Lahore airport, a private airline plane was “hit by a bird.”

Published

11 hours ago

on

By

Details show that an aircraft from Lahore to Karachi took off from the airport in Lahore, but it made a problematic landing a few seconds later.

The aircraft carrying 180 passengers was successfully landed at the Lahore airport by the pilot. They have moved the passengers of the impacted flight to the airport lounge.

Bird strikes on aircraft have been documented occasionally at the nation’s airports, yet the problem persists in spite of the CAA’s assertions.

In the first 11 months of 2022, birds struck at least 57 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft.

Details indicate that PIA published a report on aircraft struck by birds in 2022.

53 bird-hit instances were documented between January and October, and four incidents were logged in November, the study states. The airport in Lahore International was the site of most of the incidents.

According to the research, five of the 57 PIA aircraft were damaged in 2022 due to bird collisions, but the aircraft were spared significant damage in 59 instances.

In addition, the birds struck twelve PIA planes during approach, eight during takeoff, and 21 after landing.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Deputy Prime Minister to Represent Pakistan at CHOGM in Samoa in 2024

Published

11 hours ago

on

By

Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, the deputy prime minister and foreign minister, will lead Pakistan’s delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa.

Pakistan’s views on major global issues and concerns will be discussed at the conference by the Deputy Prime Minister, who will concentrate on climate change, economic growth, and enhancing international collaboration within the Commonwealth.

His keynote speech at the Commonwealth Business Forum on “Transforming Our Workforce” will focus on Pakistan’s focus on digital transformation, skill development, and youth empowerment.

He will converse with the heads of delegation from other Commonwealth nations as well.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, said in a statement that Pakistan’s attendance at CHOGM 2024 is a reflection of its ongoing dedication to the Commonwealth and its ties with tiny island pacific nations.

Continue Reading

Business

China Contributes 43 New Foreign Firms to the 6% Growth in SECP Registrations

Published

11 hours ago

on

By

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has registered 2,617 new firms this year, a 6% increase from 2023, with assistance from the Special Investment Facilitation Council. This increases the overall number of businesses that are registered to 231,111.

Non-profits, trade associations, and public unlisted firms make up 4% of these, while private limited corporations make up 55% and single-member companies 41%. It is noteworthy that 99.8% of the registrations were done online, demonstrating SECP’s attempts to digitise.

Real estate has 237 new businesses, services has 306, and trade has 377 new businesses. These are the main sectors exhibiting growth. While the healthcare and textile industries each had 49 new businesses, the education sector saw 101.

China contributed the most, adding 43 new companies, out of the 61 new companies that were registered as a result of foreign investment.

These recently registered businesses are anticipated to decrease imports, increase domestic production, and contribute to closing the trade deficit.

Continue Reading

Trending