New Delhi, Apr 16: The Supreme Court has directed Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his estranged wife Payal Abdullah to sit together and make an effort to resolve their matrimonial disputes.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by the National Conference leader for divorce.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran was informed that the mediation process in their case had failed.
“Although the mediation in this case has failed, but purely in order to give another chance, the parties shall sit together and make an effort to resolve their disputes. Let the efforts be made within three weeks,” the bench said in an order passed on April 15.
The top court, which posted the hearing on May 7, previously sought a response from Payal on her husband’s plea.
The Delhi High Court on December 12, 2023 dismissed Omar’s plea for divorce, and said there was no merit in his appeal and upheld the 2016 family court order, which refused to grant a decree of divorce to Omar.
Editors, publishers appeal to J&K CM for equitable advertisement policy
Srinagar, Apr 16: A group of aggrieved newspaper printers, publishers, and Editors on Wednesday urged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to end ‘pick and choose’ advertisement policy.
In an open letter addressed to Omar Abdullah, the group alleged that the Information Department, has chosen to please a few media houses and ignored the majority for unknown reasons.
The statement, issued by Ghulam Hassan Kaloo, Editor-in-Chief of Mirror of Kashmir on behalf of the group, highlighted that small-scale newspapers are recognized as an industry under Government of India policy. These outlets, he said, employ thousands of skilled and unskilled youth and are therefore entitled to support, not discrimination.
“This establishes beyond any shadow of doubt that this category and class of newspapers need encouragement at all levels and not discrimination as prevailing at present,” Kaloo said.
Referring to a previous assurance by Omar Abdullah on the floor of the Assembly — where he pledged to end the “pick and choose” policy in advertisement distribution — the media professionals urged immediate implementation.
