Latest news with #Kashmiris
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Kashmiri students relieved to be back home; praise for MEA for swift evacuation from Iran
Saba, who went to Iran in 2021 to pursue MBBS, is among the 110 students that returned India as part of Operation Sindhu SRINAGAR: For Saba Rasool, a medical student at Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Iran, the journey back home to Safakadal in Srinagar was long and fraught with anxiety. Relieved to be back home from war-torn Iran, she is also worried about the future. The conflict erupted with little warning, said Saba. 'Initially, we thought it would settle down in a few days. But, as the situation worsened and the war intensified, we began to worry,' she added. There are around 100 Indian students at her university, 90 of them from Kashmir. Since the 1990s, Kashmiri students have been pursuing medical education abroad, particularly in Central Asian countries, Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Iran. In recent years, Eastern Europe and Bangladesh have also emerged as preferred destinations for medical studies for Kashmiris. Since degrees obtained in Pakistan — whether MBBS, BDS, engineering or others — by students who enrolled after 2018 are not recognised in India, according to two separate orders issued in 2022 by the National Medical Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education, students are usually not opting for Pakistan now. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo G N Var, a prominent educationist from J&K, said medical education in Iran is quite affordable due to the lower value of Iranian rial against the dollar, and that's why, the country has become a preferred destination for Kashmiris. 'Studying medicine in Iran costs around Rs 8 to Rs 10 lakh, whereas in Bangladesh it can go up to Rs 40 lakh,' Var said. Saba, who went to Iran in 2021 to pursue MBBS, is now in fourth year. Sensing an imminent internet shutdown after the Israeli airstrikes, she quickly called her family to let them know she was safe. 'As the bombings increased, we realised things were going out of control,' she said. It started with drone attacks, and then attacks on Tabriz and Mashhad airports. Then the MEA stepped in, evacuating students from Urmia University of Medical Sciences to neighbouring Armenia. From there, with assistance from the Indian Embassy, they were flown back to Delhi. The university assured the students it would remain closed only for a month, but Saba is not optimistic. 'It doesn't look like this will end in a month,' she said. While the students were full of praise for MEA's swift response, and the support of the university and people in Iran, many were critical of J&K administration for what they called an inadequate reception back home. 'At Delhi airport, we felt the J&K govt did not step up the way it should have,' Saba said. 'We were told buses had been arranged for us, but they were in poor condition. So, I arranged for my own travel, and many other students did the same. ' Following complaints from students, chief minister Omar Abdullah directed officials to arrange deluxe buses for them. Nasir Khuehamai, national convenor, Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), said around 600 Indian students, including 500 from Kashmir, had safely reached Mashhad from Qom. 'This is the second group of students who were earlier relocated to Qom, where they stayed for three days. Their evacuation process is currently underway,' he said. Mashhad, a border city in Iran, is located around 1,000 km from Qom, a journey that takes around 15 hours by road. 'The students are from Islamic Azad University, Iran University of Medical University, Shahed Beheshti University, and other institutions. 'From Mashhad, they are expected to be taken to Turkmenistan, from where they will likely board flights to Delhi tomorrow (Friday),' Nasir said. However, students from Tehran Medical University took to social media and said they had been relocated by the university administration to Gilan Province of Iran, but after their relocation, the Indian Embassy had not contacted them.
The Wire
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Worried Parents of Kashmiri Students in Iran Urge Indian Govt to Explore Evacuation Methods
Srinagar: Moments after a missile struck a sports ground near his apartment in downtown Tehran where he often played cricket, Sabir Bin Ayub, a final-year MBBS student at the Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), dialled his father.'Since the war broke out, he had been hearing faraway sounds of explosions, but now it had reached their neighbourhood,' said Mohammad Ayub, a contractor from Srinagar's Rainawari district while recalling that his son sounded terrified during the phone call on Saturday (June 14).Ayub, whose son was enrolled at IUMS in 2020, said that the area struck by Israel in downtown Tehran was home to dozens of Kashmiris pursuing professional degrees who live in apartment buildings there.'I am concerned about my son. The government should ensure his safety and security and bring him home,' he of anguished Kashmiri parents staged a demonstration in Srinagar's Lal Chowk on Sunday to demand evacuation of their children who study in Iran in the aftermath of the country's military conflict with read: As Israeli Missiles Hit Iran, Indian Students in Tehran Are Being Relocated to Safer AreasAccording to unofficial estimates, about 1,500 Kashmiri students are enrolled in different medical and other professional colleges and universities of Iran while a similar number of Kashmiris were visiting the country for trade and other purposes when the conflict broke National Conference leader and Lok Sabha parliamentarian from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah said that Hujat Dost Ali hostel in Tehran which is home to many Kashmiri students pursuing MBBS and other degrees was hit by an Israeli strike on Sunday.'Some students have sustained minor injuries. We have urged the government of India to relocate these students to safer places and evacuate them,' he rises up from an oil facility after a Saturday explosion in southern Tehran on June 15, 2025. Photo: AP/ Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also said that the hostel was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Sunday in which some students are believed to have sustained minor injuries.'More than 1300+ Kashmiri students study there, who must be in great fear for their lives, while their parents are in great anguish here. We appeal to the Govt of India to take urgent steps to ensure their safety and well-being and possible return. May Allah ﷻprotect them all and grant relief to their anxious families. Let's all pray for their safety—and for the safety of all people living in Iran from Israeli aggression,' he said in a post on and housewife Afroza Jabeen, whose daughter is a second year MBBS student at Arak University of Medical Science, said that her family was in touch with the Indian embassy about the ongoing conflict.'There are some 150 Kashmiri students at the university and all of them want to return home. India has good relations with all the countries. Prime minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian and Ukrainian authorities following which Indian citizens were evacuated from the war zone. Why can't he speak with Israel and Iran, and bring our children home,' Jabeen, a resident of Bemina in Srinagar, urged the Indian government to explore options of evacuating Indian children through Iran's border countries of Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and borderIn a letter shared with The Wire by Jabeen's family, the Indian embassy in Tehran on Sunday (June 15) sought permission from the Iranian authorities to evacuate the Indian and Indian-origin students from Urmia to Armenia due to the 'recent combat-like developments' in Iran.'The Embassy has the honour to refer to the esteemed Ministry for permitting the Embassy to escort those students /Indian origin students to the Norduz border of Armenia via buses. The details of the fleet will be provided subsequently,' the letter in a statement early on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the embassy in Tehran was engaging Indian students for their safety and that 'in some cases' the students are 'being relocated with the embassy's facilitation to safer places within Iran'.'Other feasible options are also under examination,' the ministry said without elaborating, adding that it was separately in touch with 'community leaders regarding welfare and safety' of the students.J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said that he had discussed the issue of safety of Kashmiri students with the external affairs minister S Jaishankar, 'The Hon Minister assured me that @MEAIndia is in close contact with their counterparts in Iran & will take all necessary steps to safeguard all Indian students in Iran,' he posted on to QomAmid rising concerns, Srinagar-resident Ayub spoke with his son on Monday morning who informed him that a fleet of buses was taking foreign students to the historic city of Qom in Iran which is a prominent pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims.'He was in one of the buses and authorities have assured them that Qom was a safer place than Tehran. I wanted him to become a doctor and we chose Iran because we thought that being a Muslim country he would be safe there. He only has a year to finish his degree. It would be better if the government brings him back till the situation gets better,' Ayub said that her daughter, who lives in the college hostel, has been left terrified by the missiles which streak across the skies over the city of Arak in Iran every night since the conflict broke out. Arak city has been unaffected by the violence so far, she said.'Since Friday evening, all the students have been staying together on the first floor of their hostel and authorities ordered them not to come out. Today, the university resumed classwork and they were asked to attend. The government should not take any risk and instead bring them home,' she said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
90 students from Kashmir Valley among Indians evacuated from Iran: Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association
Representative Image SRINAGAR: Ninety students belonging to the Kashmir Valley are set to arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday night after being evacuated to Armenia from Iran amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran. The Union govt facilitated the evacuation of over 100 Indian students. Visuals showed the students boarding an IndiGo flight to India. Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association (JKSA), which is in touch with students in Iran, issued a statement expressing 'immense relief for Kashmiri students and their families as 90 students from the Kashmir Valley are set to arrive in New Delhi tonight amid the evacuation operation facilitated by the govt of India'. 'Grateful to Govt of India, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar, for launching this timely evacuation effort and for reassuring anxious families back home during this period of uncertainty. We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon,' the statement read. JKSA national convener Nasir Khuehami said 600 students, the majority of them Kashmiris, had reached Qom, a Shia holy city in north central Iran. He also said two Kashmiri students had been injured following the Israeli airstrike on Hujat Dost Ali Hostel in Tehran. 'Both students were wounded by shrapnel; one suffered a hand injury, while the other sustained injuries to both his hand and leg. Fortunately, both are currently in stable condition. The attack has left the students shaken, terrified, and traumatised. However, the(se) students have neither been relocated nor evacuated yet. ' he added.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Kashmir: Tourism limping back to normalcy in Pahalgam
Nearly two months after the deadly terror attack left 26 persons dead in Pahalgam, the tourism trade in this south Kashmir resort is limping back to normalcy as locals and a 'trickle' from Punjab have started visiting the Valley of shepherds after the Eid holidays. A significant number of Kashmiris from other parts of the Valley made their way to Pahalgam on the third day of the Eid, much to the delight of people associated with the tourist trade in this resort, which is 100 km from Srinagar. 'We have been visiting Pahalgam every year irrespective of whether there has been a rush of tourists or not. So, it was no different this year. However, we did feel pampered this time,' Nabeel Bhat, a youngster from Srinagar, said. Bhat was referring to 'special attention' showered on the tourists by the locals of Pahalgam and the rock bottom prices for most services. The tourism trade came to a standstill in most of Kashmir after the April 22 terror attack on tourists at Baisaran, a meadow six kilometres from here, in which 26 persons — 25 tourists and a local service provider — were killed. The incident led to air skirmishes between India and Pakistan while cross-border shelling took a toll of people along the Line of Control (LoC). 'The service providers this time are more affable towards locals. It was not the case in the previous years when a large number of tourists used to flock to this place,' said Aleena Jan, a resident of Srinagar's Civil Lines area. Most of the local tourists were happy that lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha had decided to open the parks at Pahalgam, saying it would attract more people to the place. 'There is no better advertisement than word of people from various parts of Kashmir started to visit soon after Eid, but the numbers did not increase much as they had no place to sit as all the parks were closed. We hope that it will change now as the LG on Saturday announced that the parks will be opened again,' said Mohammad Ishaq, a hut owner. Ishaq said that a few tourists from other states also returned to Pahalgam over the past 10 days. Mohammad Ramzan, a ponywalla, said his community was hoping that the trend of increasing tourists visiting Pahalgam will continue. 'Our peak season for earnings has we hope that more locals (Kashmiris) will visit us over the next few months before the onset of winter. That might offset some of the losses,' he added. Basheer Ahmad, another ponywalla, said they were also hopeful that a large number of pilgrims will come for the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to begin from July 3. A hotelier, who wished not to be identified, said the Amarnath Yatra usually does not impact his business. 'The pilgrims stay in the Nunwan base camp, they do not venture out much for shopping and eating out. So that way, I have not attached much hope for getting direct business from the yatra,' he said. The hotelier, however, added that a peaceful and successful yatra will immensely benefit the entire tourism sector of Kashmir as the pilgrims will be 'our ambassadors to the rest of India'.
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Kashmir dispute: JI advocates participation of Kashmiris in talks
LAHORE: A Jamaat-e-Islami's Central Majlis-e-Shura resolution while stressing immediate start of negotiations on Kashmir issue and including the real party Kashmiris in the dialogue process has demanded Pakistan to adopt a clear stance that no solution to Kashmir dispute is acceptable without the participation and will of the Kashmiri people. In result of the inclusion of the real party the dialogues will be more effective and result oriented, the resolution said, adding if this is not happened then the peace of South Asia will be destroyed due to the confrontation of the two nuclear armed powers and its effects will last for a long time. The resolution was presented by Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Jammu and Kashmir Dr Muhammad Mushtaq Khan. The three-day meeting of the newly elected Majlis-e-Shura chaired by Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman concluded on Sunday at Mansoorah. The Shura declared that India only understands the language of power and not negotiations. The resolution says that it has been proved in the recent war that India wanted to divert the world attention from Kashmir. It said India considered itself powerful but Pakistan's timely response not only resulted in its humiliation but also exposed its disgusting character at the international level. The resolution says that Pakistan in these circumstances instead of expressing any kind of weakness should speed up its efforts at diplomatic and armed front in favour of legitimate right of Kashmiris. It said that this is the opportunity for securing which the nations have to wait for years. It said that the Kashmiris expectations have been increased due to the excellent opportunity granted by Almighty Allah to Pakistan. At any level of negotiations the first and unwavering demand would be that India should restore prior 5th August 2019 (Article 370 and 35-A) position so that the Kashmir dispute should remain as dispute in front of the world. The Shura demanded that Pakistan should stress that if respect for the international peace, principles and justice is required then the Kashmiris should have to be given the right to self-determination, which has been guaranteed several times by United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The resolution says Pakistan and India temporarily agreed on ceasefire due to international pressure but India is an unpredictable country which has never fulfilled its promises. The resolution says that Pakistan while participating in any negotiation process should demand that India should end military siege of Jammu and Kashmir while considering it a basic issue. It said that India should end the human rights violations and allow entry of the human rights organizations and independent media in the state. The Kashmiri leadership incarcerated in detention centers from last many years should be released, India should quit efforts to construct damns to limit Pakistani share of water while respecting the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). The resolution says in the negotiations the international monitoring and mediation of IWT should be stressed. The resolution says that the meeting hopes that Pakistan will not let go in waste the best opportunity of freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
