Latest news with #Shameema
The Star
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Centuries-old Kashmiri carpet industry threatened by Trump's tariffs
Mohammad Yousuf Dar and his wife, Shameema, sit cross-legged before their loom, deftly tying consecutive knots to create the floral patterns of the famed Kashmiri carpets. Genuine hand-knotted Kashmiri carpets are typically made from pure silk, and sometimes pure wool, which is more challenging. Generations of artisans have for centuries handed down the craft to ensure its survival, and while the carpets are sold for quite a sum, most craftspeople can barely make ends meet. "I just help my husband so that we have a modicum of decent income to run our household,' Shameema, 43, said as she and Mohamad Yousuf rhythmically plucked at the colorful silk threads in their dimly lit workshop in Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city, Srinagar. Mohammad Iqbal Bakshi (left) and Mohammad Rafiq Shah inspect a Kashmiri hand-knotted silk carpet. They periodically glance at a yellowed scrap of paper, known as Taleem, or instructions, showcasing the pattern they are working on in an ancient shorthand of symbols and numbers and a cryptic color map. Both learned the craft at the ages of nine and 10, respectively. The industry has survived decades of conflict over the disputed region between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan and withstood the fickleness of fashion to stay in demand, adorning mansions and museums alike. Kashmiri workers wash hand-knotted carpets at a workshop. However, Kashmiri traders say that United States President Donald Trump's tariffs on American imports can deal a hard blow to an already threatened business that is vying to survive amid mass-produced carpets, which are less costly, and artisans abandoning the industry. Although the tariffs were primarily aimed at major exporters like China, they've inadvertently ensnared traditional handicraft industries from regions like Kashmir, which depend on US and European markets for survival. Ishfaq Ahmad Mir (left) and Altaf Ahmed shear Kashmiri hand-knotted carpets to remove protruding fibres at a workshop in Srinagar. — Photos: DAR YASIN/AP Carpet exports from India to the US alone are valued at approximately US$1.2bil (RM5.29bil), out of a total global export value of US$2bil (RM8.81bil), according to official data. Reduced orders Mohamad Yousuf, 50, said he is the only weaver left out of over 100 who shifted to other jobs some two decades back in his neighborhood in Srinagar city's old downtown. "I spend months knotting a single rug,' he said, "but if there is no demand, our skills feel worthless,' he added. Shameema and her husband Mohammad Yousuf weave a Kashmiri hand-knotted carpet at their home in Srinagar. Still, thousands of families in Kashmir rely on this craft for their livelihood and the steep 28% tariff imposed means the imported carpets will become significantly more expensive for American consumers and retailers. "If these carpets are going to be more expensive in America, does that mean our wages will rise too?" Mohamad Yousuf asked. Not likely. Knife-sharpening stones are used as paper weights for strips of paper with carpet weaving instructions. The increased cost to consumers in the US doesn't translate into higher wages for weavers, experts say, but rather often leads to reduced orders, lower incomes, and growing uncertainty for the artisans. This price hike could also push buyers toward cheaper, machine-made alternatives, leaving Kashmiri artisans in the lurch. Insiders say that unless international trade policies shift to protect traditional industries, Kashmir's hand-knotted legacy may continue to fray until it disappears. Mohammad Yousuf weaves a Kashmiri hand-knotted carpet at his home. Wilayat Ali, a Kashmiri carpet supplier, said his trading partner, who exports the carpets to the US, Germany and France, has already cancelled at least a dozen orders already in the making. "The exporter also returned some dozen carpets," he said. "It boils down to the hard arithmetic of profit and loss,' Wilayat explained. "They don't see thousands of knots in a carpet that takes months to make.' – AP
Mint
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee Mudasir Ahmad not being deported to Pakistan, Baramulla Police clarifies
Shameema Akhtar, the mother of Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh, who died in May 2022 while fighting terrorists, will not be deported to Pakistan, Baramulla Police has clarified. Days after the tragic Pahalgam attack, Jammu and Kashmir authorities have transported 59 Pakistani nationals to Punjab for their repatriation to their country of origin, Srinagar officials informed. Baramulla Police issued a clarification saying, 'Reports circulating on social media regarding the alleged repatriation of mother of martyr Constable Mudasir Ahmad @ Bindaas are false, baseless, and categorically denied' In a carefully worded clarification, Shameema's brother-in-law Mohammad Younus said martyr Mudasir's mother has returned home as she was not taken for deportation. "We are thankful to the Government of India," Younus said. Earlier, Mudasir's uncle had told reporters that his sister-in-law belonged to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and, as such, she should not have been deported. "My sister-in-law is from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is our territory. Only Pakistanis should have been deported," Younus said. After Mudasir's death, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the family, and so did the Lieutenant Governor, twice, he said. "My bhabhi was 20 years old when she came here and has been living here for 45 years now. My appeal to (PM Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah is that they should not do it," Younus said. Shameema had married Mohammad Maqsood, now a retired police officer, before the eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990. Shameema, accompanied by her husband, received the Shaurya Chakra from President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi in May 2023. The main Baramulla town square has been named Shaheed Mudasir Chowk in memory of the policeman. According to the citation for Sheikh, he was awarded the third-highest gallantry award posthumously in 2022 for his role in thwarting a major terrorist plot targeting the Amarnath Yatra. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last week, the Centre announced a slew of measures, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading diplomatic relations with Islamabad, and ordering all Pakistanis on short-term visas to leave India by April 27 or face action. The 59 deportees include the wives and children of ex-militants, who returned to the valley under the 2010 rehabilitation policy for former ultras. Of them, 36 had been living in Srinagar, nine each in Kupwara, eight in Baramulla, four in Budgam, and two in Shopian district, officials said. First Published: 29 Apr 2025, 11:00 PM IST
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Business Standard
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Mother of Shaurya awardee faces deportation as J&K deports 60 Pakistanis
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have begun deporting 60 Pakistani nationals, including the mother of a Shaurya Chakra awardee who died fighting terrorists, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The Pakistani nationals, drawn from multiple districts, was assembled and transported by buses to Punjab. They are set to be handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Wagah border, officials said. The move comes in the wake of last week's terror attack in Pahalgam, after which the Centre announced a series of tough measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the downgrading of diplomatic ties, and an order for all Pakistanis on short-term visas to leave India by April 27 or face legal action. Most of the deportees are family members of former militants who had returned under Jammu and Kashmir's 2010 rehabilitation policy. Of the 60, 36 were living in Srinagar, nine each in Baramulla and Kupwara, four in Budgam, and two in Shopian district. Among those being deported is Shameema Akhtar, the mother of Constable Mudasir Ahmad Shaikh, who was killed in May 2022 during an operation to intercept foreign terrorists. Part of an undercover team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Mudasir was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra. Shameema, accompanied by her husband, received the honour from President Droupadi Murmu in May 2023. Expressing dismay, Mudasir's uncle, Mohammad Younus, said, 'My sister-in-law is from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is our territory. Only Pakistanis should have been deported.' Younus also pointed out that following Mudasir's death, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Lieutenant Governor had personally visited the family. 'My sister-in-law was 20 years old when she came here and has been living here for 45 years now. My appeal to [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi and Amit Shah is that they should not do it,' he pleaded. Shameema had married Mohammad Maqsood, a retired police officer, well before militancy gripped the Valley in 1990. In tribute to Mudasir's sacrifice, the main town square in Baramulla has been renamed Shaheed Mudasir Chowk.
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee among Pakistanis being deported from Kashmir
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday have set the ball rolling for the deportation of 60 Pakistanis, one of them the mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee who was killed in a terror attack, officials said. They were all collected from various districts and taken in buses to Punjab, where they will be handed over to the Pakistani authorities at the Wagah border, they said. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last week, the Centre announced a slew of measures, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading diplomatic relations with Islamabad, and ordering all Pakistanis on short-term visas to leave India by April 27 or face action. The 60 deportees comprise wives and children of ex-militants, who returned to the valley under the 2010 rehabilitation policy for former ultras. Of them, 36 had been living in Srinagar, nine each in Baramulla and Kupwara, four in Budgam, and two in Shopian district, officials said. Shameema Akhtar, the mother of Constable Mudasir Ahmad Shaikh, who died in May 2022 while fighting terrorists, is one of the deportees. Mudasir was part of the team of undercover operatives of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which intercepted a group of foreign terrorists. Shaikh was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra. Shameema, accompanied by her husband, received the award from President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi in May 2023. 'My sister-in-law is from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is our territory. Only Pakistanis should have been deported,' an apparently not happy Mohammad Younus, Mudasir's uncle, told reporters. After Mudasir's death, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the family, and so did the Lieutenant Governor, twice, he said. 'My bhabhi was 20 years old when she came here and has been living here for 45 years now. My appeal to (PM Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah is that they should not do it,' Younus said. Shameema had married Mohammad Maqsood, a retired police officer, before the eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990. The main Baramulla town square has been named Shaheed Mudasir Chowk in memory of the policeman.
News18
29-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
Mother Of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Among Pakistanis Being Deported From J-K
Last Updated: The 60 deportees comprise wives and children of ex-militants, who returned to the valley under the 2010 rehabilitation policy for former ultras. Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday have set the ball rolling for the deportation of 60 Pakistanis, one of them the mother of a Shaurya Chakra awardee who was killed in a terror attack, officials said. They were all collected from various districts and taken in buses to Punjab, where they will be handed over to the Pakistani authorities at the Wagah border, they said. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last week, the Centre announced a slew of measures, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading diplomatic relations with Islamabad, and ordering all Pakistanis on short-term visas to leave India by April 27 or face action. The 60 deportees comprise wives and children of ex-militants, who returned to the valley under the 2010 rehabilitation policy for former ultras. Of them, 36 had been living in Srinagar, nine each in Baramulla and Kupwara, four in Budgam, and two in Shopian district, officials said. Shameema Akhtar, the mother of Constable Mudasir Ahmad Shaikh, who died in May 2022 while fighting terrorists, is one of the deportees. Mudasir was part of the team of undercover operatives of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which intercepted a group of foreign terrorists. Shaikh was posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra. Shameema, accompanied by her husband, received the award from President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi in May 2023. 'My sister-in-law is from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which is our territory. Only Pakistanis should have been deported," an apparently not happy Mohammad Younus, Mudasir's uncle, told reporters. After Mudasir's death, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the family, and so did the Lieutenant Governor, twice, he said. 'My bhabhi was 20 years old when she came here and has been living here for 45 years now. My appeal to (PM Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah is that they should not do it," Younus said. Shameema had married Mohammad Maqsood, a retired police officer, before the eruption of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1990. The main Baramulla town square has been named Shaheed Mudasir Chowk in memory of the policeman. First Published:
