Latest news with #Muslim-majority
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Boy, 10, 'beaten to death' by headmaster in front of school during assembly
A ten-year-old schoolboy was beaten to death in front of his entire school over what witnesses called a 'minor issue'. Khyalmat Khan was hit repeatedly with a rod by headmaster Waar Ahmed in a private school in northern Pakistan on Friday. During a school assembly, Khyalmat was singled out and hit on the neck, head, face and back, local police said. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died. The headmaster has been arrested, and the situation is being investigated. Khyber District Police Officer Rai Mazhar Iqbal said: 'Violence against children and women will not be tolerated under any circumstances. 'No one has the right to misuse the noble role of a teacher to commit such brutality. A teacher is a spiritual guardian, but this man has dishonoured the sanctity of the profession.' Pakistan has seen a number of violent incidents involving children, prompting a bill to be passed banning violence against children. Violence in schools has also been reported among older age groups in the country. In 2017, a mob of university students beat a fellow pupil to death after he was accused of sharing blasphemous content on social media. The group is said to have attacked Mashal Khan at the Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, Pakistan, while shouting 'Allahu Akbar'. The mass communication student was allegedly stripped naked and beaten with planks until his skull caved in. More Trending Blasphemy is a highly sensitive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where insulting the Prophet Mohammed is a crime that leads to prison time. In the US, eight high school students were charged with murder after a 17-year-old was beaten to death over a pair of stolen headphones in 2023. Graphic footage of the brawl was spread widely on social media and appeared to show at least 10 individuals swarming the victim. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lt Jason Johansson called the footage 'very graphic, and in my opinion very void of humanity.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Multiple explosions heard hours after India and Pakistan agree ceasefire MORE: England cricket stars scrambling to escape India after IPL suspends league MORE: Why are India and Pakistan at war? History of conflict explained
News18
3 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
'Bridge Of Friendship, Not Theatre Of War': Mehbooba Mufti On J&K's Role In India-Pakistan Ties
Last Updated: Mehbooba Mufti said that Jammu and Kashmir has consistently suffered the consequences of war and violence People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday that Jammu and Kashmir should serve as a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan, rather than becoming a battleground for conflict. While addressing party workers in Srinagar, Mufti said that Jammu and Kashmir has consistently suffered the consequences of war and violence, comparing the region to 'grass trampled under the feet of two fighting elephants." 'The PDP will continue to raise its voice for peace and channel the sentiments of people. We must end the spectre of war so that people can plan their lives and revive the economy. Jammu and Kashmir should be a bridge of understanding, friendship and cooperation, not a theatre of war," she said. Reacting strongly to recent remarks made by the National Conference (NC) leadership, including party president Farooq Abdullah's call for intensified military action against Pakistan, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said such statements reflect a dangerous mindset. 'When the Indus Waters Treaty was put in abeyance by the government of India, it was (Jammu and Kashmir) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who hailed the move and even advocated for an immediate halt to water supplies to Pakistan. 'We may have political differences with the government of Pakistan, but not with its people. It is saddening that such remarks are being made by the leader of the only Muslim-majority state in the country," she added. 'These leaders want more war and more dead bodies. It is, however, only the PDP that has consistently advocated for an end to hostilities and spoken for the people's right to live a life of dignity," she said. First Published: May 31, 2025, 23:09 IST
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘J&K should be a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan': Mehbooba Mufti
People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir should be a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan and not a theatre of war. Addressing party workers in Srinagar, Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir has always borne the brunt of war and violence, according to PTI news agency. 'The PDP will continue to raise its voice for peace and channel the sentiments of people. We must end the spectre of war so that people can plan their lives and revive the economy,' Mufit was quoted as saying by PTI. 'Jammu and Kashmir should be a bridge of understanding, friendship and cooperation, not a theatre of war.' She also reacted to calls for intensified military action against Pakistan from Kashmiri leaders, saying that such statements reflect a dangerous mindset. Also Read | Counter intelligence wing of J&K Police conduct raids across Valley 'When the Indus Waters Treaty was put in abeyance by the government of India, it was (Jammu and Kashmir) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who hailed the move and even advocated for an immediate halt to water supplies to Pakistan,' she said. "We may have political differences with the government of Pakistan, but not with its people. It is saddening that such remarks are being made by the leader of the only Muslim-majority state in the country," she added, according to PTI. Also Read | J&K's development won't stop, terror will get stronger reply: Amit Shah in Poonch Mufti also warned against the "rising tide of war rhetoric" that, according to her, continues to impact the people of the region. "These leaders want more war and more dead bodies. It is, however, only the PDP that has consistently advocated for an end to hostilities and spoken for the people's right to live a life of dignity," she said. Operation Sindoor was India's direct military response to the April 22 terror strike at Pahalgam in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians in what was the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai strikes. India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The pre-dawn strikes – which killed at least 100 terrorists – sparked a series of attacks and counter attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery and rocket duels. In one such counterattack on the night of May 9-10, the air force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 as the two nations reached an understanding.
India.com
7 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
Mehbooba Mufti Urges India-Pakistan Dialogue, Slams War Rhetoric in J&K
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and ex-Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday again made an appeal for peace and dialogue in the state, calling on India and Pakistan to convert Jammu and Kashmir from a "theatre of war" into a "bridge of friendship and cooperation." Speaking to party activists and the media, Mufti issued a warning against the risky implications of rising war talk, especially after recent comments by National Conference (NC) leaders for going to war with Pakistan. "Jammu and Kashmir has always had to suffer from animosity between the two countries. Grass under the feet of warring elephants, the people of this place get trampled the most," she stated. Mufti condemned NC patriarch Dr. Farooq Abdullah for reportedly condoning actions "more brutal than the Balakot strike" and reminding erstwhile Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's call for suspending the Indus Water Treaty at the time of increased tension with Pakistan. "We don't have any political differences with the Pakistani government, but not with its people. This war-talk is exceedingly irresponsible—particularly from India's sole Muslim-majority state," she said. Urging the resumption of dialogue and diplomacy, Mufti declared that the PDP would keep advocating peace and safeguarding the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "The PDP is not here for power. We are here to give dignity back and a peaceful future to our young people," she said, reminiscing about her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's move to enter a coalition government in 2014 as a "sacrifice for stability and reconciliation. Mufti also showed serious concern regarding what she described as an increasing clampdown in the Union Territory, including the abuse of the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the detention of local youth in prisons outside J&K. "Our youth are being incarcerated under totalitarian laws, and many families are not even able to visit them. If these stringent measures work, then incidents like the recent Pahalgam attack wouldn't occur," she said. The PDP leader also attacked the National Conference on its "opportunistic politics" and blamed it for compromising on important issues of the public for political mileage. She pointed out the NC's supposed backing of the Waqf Bill in the face of public opposition. "Even with 50 MLAs, the NC couldn't muster the resolution against the Waqf amendment in the assembly. At the same time, Mufti Sahab, while he was here, abolished black laws like POTA and removed the infamous Task Force," she added. Summing up her speech, Mufti reaffirmed the PDP's commitment to peace, justice, and reconciliation, adding, "We will continue to speak for the people, no matter how uncomfortable it is for the powers that be."
DW
a day ago
- Sport
- DW
Despite India-Pakistan conflict, Real Kashmir FC endures – DW – 05/30/2025
Football team Real Kashmir FC was set up to help young people in the troubled region and has been successful on and off the pitch. The club wants to present a different view of Kashmir, especially after recent events. The tragic events of April 22, when 26 tourists were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir, were not only devastating for families and friends of the victims. They also pushed India and Pakistan into a dangerous confrontation and had consequences on the football field too. Real Kashmir FC (RKFC) has been working hard to present a different face of the region to the wider world, with some success, but now the area it represents was back in the news for all the wrong reasons. The immediate challenge is to ensure the events of April do not drive public interest and the private sector away from a club that is less than a decade old but has already made significant progress. "April 22 is the most unfortunate and tragic incident that could have happened," Arshad Shawl, the owner of RKFC, told DW. "It sets us back because when you have millions of tourists coming in, it becomes a bigger and better market for brands, products and services. When there is escalation between the two countries, it becomes an unattractive place for all." India and Pakistan both claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in its entirety, but each only controls a section of territory, as does China. The region has been a flashpoint for India and Pakistan since they became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. Long-term security issues and civil unrest ensured that even before the mass shooting in April, this beautiful part of the world often made international headlines for the wrong reasons. Kashmiris struggle to make their voices heard To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We were literally cut off from the whole world in many forms," Shawl said. "The youth were disillusioned as there were no investments into the region.' Out of misery After floods devastated Kashmir in 2014, two people came together to try and make a difference. Shamim Mehraj, a Muslim newspaper owner, and Hindu businessman Sandeep Chattoo, who died in 2023, decided that local youngsters needed something to keep them from drifting into violence. They distributed 100 footballs. It was simple but effective. "That was the idea,' said Shawl. "'Let's start allowing the Kashmir youth, feeling stress, anxiety and depression, to come and play.'" It all started from there and in 2016, Real Kashmir FC came into existence. "The club was formed with a motto: 'create, believe and inspire.' [Kashmir] was known for bullets and stones but every Real Kashmir win symbolises our collective effort." It has struck a chord with locals. South Asia may be a hotbed of cricket but this northwestern corner of the subcontinent is different. "We grow up with football and we have a passion for it," fan Amal Mirza told DW. "We have a different identity in Kashmir, and football gives us a chance to enjoy that for ourselves and show it to others." The club also says so in its official video, explaining that, "when you see Kashmir through the lens of football, you see the real Kashmir." Climbing the mountain Helped to get off the ground by local and national support, the club started out in the third tier of Indian football and was promoted to the I-League in 2018. The following year, it reached the semifinals of the Durand Cup, one of the oldest cup competitions in the world. Since then, the so-called "Snow Leopards" have been performing well in the second tier and in the 2024-25 season, finished third, just three points from the top spot and promotion. The breathtaking scenery with mountains, lakes and forest has actually helped the players too. "We are at a high altitude and with our oxygen capacity and diet, we are quite strong physically," said Shawl. Faisal Ashraf, cofounder of the Real Kashmir Fan Club, has been a supporter since the beginning. "There is a love for football in Kashmir, more than anywhere else in India and people come together to support the team, there is a real legacy here," Ashraf said. The club told DW that the average attendance for last season was over 6,000, over three times higher than the league average. "When the team plays, nobody cares about what else is going on, there is no thinking about violence or anything," Mirza said. "We just want our team to win. You see the crowds are not just men and boys but there are girls and women there too, and old people. It gives people something to talk about and support. I hope we can keep going and getting better." Real Kashmir have attendances that outstrip many top division sides Image: Adil Abass/ZUMA/picture alliance Decades of instability left what facilities there were in the state almost unusable but the club's growth as well as support from the government has helped to ensure that pitches are now in good condition and well-used. International and national sponsors — Adidas and Livpure, a drinking water provider — have also been involved. Next steps The challenge is to keep the momentum going and win a place in the Indian Super League (ISL), the country's top tier. To get there and face the giant clubs from Kolkata, Mumbai, Kerala and elsewhere could be a game-changer. "It would be the biggest thing that can happen, giving the chance to the youth to see the biggest ISL teams who would come and play here," said Shawl. "It would open up a new chapter and be the greatest thing that can happen to Real Kashmir and the entire Jammu and Kashmir [area] as well." But Real Kashmir has never just been about results on the pitch. "This club started with a mission, not purely to play football but to get the boys out and allow them to play with the mainland and integrate,'" said Shawl. "Our front pages were about youth turning to violence. We wanted to bring that change." And despite events of April, that is still the club's enduring mission. Edited by: Matt Pearson
