sumir kaul

journalist. views expressed are personal

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

He was only 22, suffocating under intense family pressure in Muzaffarabad in PoK and slipping into a deep depression, when a notification lit up his phone.
Her name was Irum Bano. They connected on Snapchat, and soon, a digital bond became his only lifeline. In an unbelievable twist of fate, they discovered that Zeeshan’s ancestors had actually migrated from the exact same border village where Irum lived—Tulwari, just across the Line of Control.
Finding solace in their shared roots, they hatched a desperate, heartbreakingly naive plan to be together. Irum told him to stop suffering. The plan? Cross the heavily fortified border, surrender directly to the Indian Army, serve the legal sentence for illegal entry, and upon release, legally claim his ancestral land to build a life with her.
On Saturday night, driven entirely by love and the promise of a fresh start, Zeeshan made the terrifying trek across the wire.
Alert Chinar Warriors intercepted him in the dark. Crucially, troops exercised maximum restraint, capturing him safely without firing a shot. Now, Irum is pleading with authorities for leniency, begging them to let him stay.
Security forces are doing their due diligence to rule out any hidden angles, but at its core, this is a raw, modern tragedy of a boy who risked everything to cross one of the world's most dangerous borders—all for a girl, a smartphone connection, and a piece of land his grandfather once called home. 🧵
#Kashmir
#HumanStory
#ModernLove
#LineOfControl
We write at @PTI_News

PoK youth crosses LoC after social media romance, apprehended by Army - The Economic Times https://t.co/0s5aoxek0G

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

Pakistan's #ISI is ordering its #JK Over Ground Worker (OGW) network to infiltrate #mainstream #national #political #parties to shield terror sympathisers from ongoing operations. Recent arrests by @SrinagarPolice confirm some OGWs had already joined these parties, say officials.

To mask direct involvement under intense #FATF scrutiny, #ISI is also attempting to revive dormant, locally-founded terror outfits from the early 1990s to give a fake "indigenous colour" to any terror violence in the Union Territory.
I write at @PTI_News

ISI asks J-K OGWs to infiltrate national parties to evade crackdown https://t.co/a4qFSFFBKp

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

Pak #telecom towers along the #LoC are deliberately pushing cellular signals deep into JK border districts and sensitive areas like #KotBalwal jail to assist #terror networks. Valley mountains block them, but Jammu's flat terrain lets rogue signals penetrate.
Officials say current prison jammers are struggling to choke these illicit signals, allowing smuggled mobile devices to function inside blanketed prison zones. Move violates international telecommunication norms.

A story on @PTI_News

Pak beaming rogue telecom signals to aid terror networks, penetrate jails in J-K: Officials https://t.co/uelieoDQOx via @theprintindia

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

Olympian judge @mir_bilquis files a contempt case against the #J&K Sports Dept at #CAT for withholding her salary for over 2.5 years despite a clear tribunal order in February to release it within 15 days.
The continued non-compliance has left her under extreme financial strain. The J&K High Court had previously quashed an ACB FIR against her, calling it a "witch-hunt" by vested interests and noting that authorities were "leaving no stone unturned in harassing such talented people".
Mir was India's sole female judge for kayaking and canoeing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A story on @PTI_News
https://t.co/4iOlow7bh1

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

The investigation into #baisaran attack takes an international turn. A high-tech @GoPro camera recovered from the #lashkarterrorists—used to film ambushes for propaganda—has been traced by the @NIA_India back to a #US shipment sent directly to a commercial distributor in #China. Officials are currently investigating the global supply chain to determine how this tactical gear, along with Chinese-origin AK-47s, was diverted to Pakistan-backed terror networks.
Probe on ground indicate that show that the three LeT terrorists may have escaped from the Baisaran massacre site by exploiting a 40-minute security window, by travelling to main #pahalgam city and later possibly using a vehicle with a Shopian registration number that slipped past malfunctioning CCTV cameras.

A story on @PTI_News
US GoPro shipped to China traced to Lashkar terrorists, NIA ascertaining supply chain: Officials https://t.co/WKlvEnW8K7 via @theprintindia

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

When I joined @PTI_News , a senior told us "This organisation is the heartbeat of every newspaper in the country." Decades later, we aren't just the pulse of traditional print, we are the heartbeat of social media feeds too.
A recent story on @PTI_News by me was as shocking as well as hilarious. A trained #Lashkar-e-Taiba operative pushed across the LoC by handlers in Pakistan/PoK to disrupt peace in the Valley. Instead of executing plots, he vanishes into the city to get... a cosmetic #hair transplant.
Investigating vanity over violence in an active conflict zone was a revelation. Behind this headline lies the silent grit of the @JmuKmrPolice especially the @SrinagarPolice , who burnt the midnight oil tracking his footprints before the case moved to the @NIA_India to unravel the wider network.
The response to this story has been overwhelming, with readers sharing brilliant digital artwork of the "vanity terrorist." We write the words, police and central security agencies protect the lines.

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

As Census 2027 self-enumeration begins in J&K, #PanunKashmir has raised major concerns over govt classification, warning that labelling displaced #Kashmiri #Pandits as "migrants" legally turns forced exile into voluntary movement.

New Chairman @titoganju criticised the Centre's "flexible" policies for normalising their displacement, declaring the demand for a separate homeland in the valley as "non-negotiable" to secure genuine constitutional safeguards.
#KashmiriPandits
#Census2027
#JammuKashmir
A story on @PTI_News
https://t.co/B8jn9ucegW

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

“Invest in your hair. It’s the crown you never take off,” said #Beyonce

Taken seriously by #Lashkar terrorist who after infiltrating #JammuKashmir to execute terror acts paused his operations to fulfil a personal dream - getting a hair transplant

Mohammed Usman Jatt after arrest told probe agencies he faced self esteem issues due to hair loss

“Life in Kashmir completely different than what was tutored to us across border,” Jatt said
@NIA_India
@JmuKmrPolice
@KashmirPolice
@SrinagarPolice
Read on to find out more @PTI_News
https://t.co/bIAMWaBWgV

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

From the treacherous heights of the Shamshabari Range to a symbol of national pride.

At 10,269 ft, the historic Sadhana Pass—once a key route for cross-border infiltration—now houses a state-of-the-art Integrated Transit Facility and the "Shaurya Gatha" war museum.

A fitting tribute to the heroes guarding our borders between Kupwara and Karnah by @ChinarcorpsIA @NorthernComd_IA @kupwarasentinel

A story on @PTI_News

Infiltration to inspiring tales: Museum, checkpoint open at historic war site along LoC https://t.co/7PtnZgY8SB

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

Jammu and Kashmir @OmarAbdullah takes a sharp stand on J&K’s status:
Calls current setup the "worst form of government"

Demands full statehood; says J&K (90 MLAs) shouldn't be treated like Puducherry (30 MLAs)

Restoring 'Darbar Move' to bridge the Jammu-Srinagar divide has frustrated those who wanted to divide the region

How long will BJP use Kashmiri Pandits for votes
@CM_JnK
A story on @PTI_News reproduced by @EconomicTimes
Omar Abdullah says J&K’s dual power structure a ‘recipe for disaster’ - The Economic Times https://t.co/iQJFMpsRge via @economictimes

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

The busting of interstate Terror module by @SrinagarPolice show how banned #Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist were using a mix of banned and encrypted apps—including #BBM, #Element, #Threema, and #Dust—to coordinate activities.
The @NIA_India has taken over the case due to global ramifications after probe by @JmuKmrPolice indicated of the same.
A story on @PTI_News

From BBM to Threema: How messaging apps fuel JK terror networks https://t.co/ocxtHgeXye via @theprintindia

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

Light Camera and action

Come to Kashmir, Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah encourages not just #Bollywood but also #Kollywood and #Tollywood to explore shooting opportunities in the scenic valley.

The CM has promised a streamlined “single-window” clearance system and significant reductions in production overheads.
@CM_JnK

My story at @PTI_News

https://t.co/fLhkV95Ydh

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

"Security isn't just a law and order issue; it’s a societal one."

J&K CM @OmarAbdullah warns against working in "silos," telling @PTI_News that disconnecting the elected government from the security apparatus hampers vital information flow. He asserts that security challenges cannot be resolved through a purely military lens alone.

"When the elected government and representatives are kept totally disconnected... you end up with this situation."
@JKNC_
@ChinarcorpsIA
@JmuKmrPolice
A story on @PTI_News
https://t.co/DzzNrgsC8C

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

Simari, a picturesque hamlet in the Kashmir valley surrounded by high mountains, was the place from where Army fired shells signalling the start of #OpSindoor

A year after India’s retaliation to the #Pahalgam terror attacks, while silence seems to have settled in Simari, villagers still reel under the brunt of the echoes of the heavy artillery fire sounds.

What do residents of this village feel. Read my story on @PTI_News

https://t.co/man9A2eiGu

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

In a scathing critique, J&K CM @OmarAbdullah tells @PTI_News that the withholding of statehood is a "punishment" for the people's mandate. He demands transparency from the Centre on the timeline for restoration, calling the current status a "deceitful" breach of the three-step promise (Delimitation-Elections-Statehood).
@JKNC_
A story on @PTI_News
https://t.co/zwsnUm43No

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah attributes BJP’s West Bengal win to the @ECISVEEP role" and a "fractured minority mandate."
Speaking to @PTI_News , he questioned the EC’s neutrality over voter deletions and also called on the #INDIABloc to define its role beyond Parliament.
Complete story
https://t.co/adxyLs4azx
@JKNC_

[Press Trust of India @PTI_News]

VIDEO | Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) in an exclusive interview to PTI, says, "The role of Election Commission in West Bengal has come under scrutiny; the way they went about the process of delimitation and finalisation of electoral rolls raises questions."

#WestBengalResults2026 #Results2026WithPTI #AssemblyElectionResults2026

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTeOLF)

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

In an interview with @PTI_News , @JKNC_ president Farooq Abdullah expressed deep disappointment over the #INDIA bloc’s "lack of a robust, unified approach" toward Jammu and Kashmir. He specifically called out the @INCIndia for not supporting the restoration of statehood with the expected energy, calling the major party's performance "really very sad."
While the NC remains a committed member #INDIA bloc, Abdullah warned that the alliance has fallen short of its true potential.
A story @PTI_News

https://t.co/jPEZfFvLXA

[sumir kaul @sumirkaul]

"Do I have to teach her more?": JK CM @OmarAbdullah slams @IltijaMufti_ over the #Urdu row, accusing the @jkpdp of peddling "lies" to mask a "political alliance" with the BJP.

He clarified that the file to drop the #Urdu remains unapproved on his table and the exercise was to seek public opinion.
story on @PTI_News
https://t.co/JS0gQOUkLK