Category: Union Territory

Moscow won’t interfere in India-China tensions: Russian lawmaker

‘These bilateral disputes should be dealt with bilaterally’

Russia won’t “interfere” and wants India and China to resolve their border dispute bilaterally, a senior Russian lawmaker said, referring to the five-week-long military standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), drawing a contrast to the U.S. offer of mediation that India declined last week.

“Our official position is that these bilateral disputes should be dealt with bilaterally. We respect the sovereignty of India and the sovereignty of China. Russia should not interfere in these kinds of disputes… We would encourage dialogue and prevent the use of military force,” said Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council (Upper House of Parliament), speaking to Indian journalists at a press meet through videoconference ahead of Russia’s National Day.

Russian Ambassador to India Nikolai Kudashev had met Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla last week when the situation at the LAC was discussed. The meeting came the same day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump and reportedly conveyed India’s position that it didn’t require mediation offered by Mr. Trump.

During the conversation, Mr. Modi had also welcomed an invitation from Mr. Trump to an “extended” G-7 summit that would include India, Russia, Australia and South Korea. Unlike New Delhi, however, Mr. Kosachev said that Moscow has many misgivings about the invitation, which it sees as an attempt to build an “anti-China” front. Mr. Kosachev said the Russian government would take a final decision once its doubts had been cleared, including on whether India and Russia and other invitees would be accepted by G-7 nations as “equal members” of a new group, or whether they would simply be “special guests, with no power to influence outcomes”.

“The problem with this invitation to the G-7 format is that Mr. Trump is extending it, and he doesn’t have the right to expand the forum by himself,” said Mr. Kosachev. “Mr. Trump wants to get countries together to make a joint position on China. I don’t think given our specific relations with China, or India’s relations with China, that this [would work]… I am against building a bloc that is aimed at another country,” Mr. Kosachev added.

Asked about the U.S.-led efforts for an Afghanistan reconciliation process that Russia backs, which would bring the Afghanistan government’s representatives and the Taliban leadership to the table later this month, Mr. Kosachev said India should “contribute to the political dialogue” as well. Last month, India was a notable exception, as the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan from Russia, Pakistan, Iran and China. Mr. Kosachev said he was surprised by the decision and he supports India’s inclusion in the format as a “neighbour state”.

“India has a common border with Afghanistan, so I am in favour of having India as a participant of the formats. I am surprised if India is not invited… that is not a good move. I would recommend Russia to take steps to involve India as much as possible,” Mr. Kosachev said, adding that while he understood India’s decision not to engage with the Taliban, the reality was that the Taliban is an “influential player in Afghanistan”.

“In Russia, the Taliban is still classified as an extremist movement. But at the same time we are realists and we understand Taliban is an influential player in Afghanistan, so if you exclude them from political dialogue you will not reach a solution,” Mr. Kosachev said.

– Russian Law Maker

Won’t interfere in India- China border issue, says Australian envoy

‘It a matter for China and India to resolve it bilaterally’

Australia would not “interfere” in the ongoing situation between India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), said its High Commissioner to India, indicating a different line from the U.S. on the issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison are due to speak at a “virtual” bilateral summit on Thursday, where the two sides are expected to strengthen strategic cooperation and announce a Mutual Logistics Supply Agreement (MLSA) for the reciprocal use of each other’s bases and other military facilities.

“In relation to the border issues…that is a matter for China and India to resolve, not a matter for Australia to interfere with. What we have seen in the past week when others have sought to step in, it has been made clear that India and China will resolve it bilaterally,” said High Commissioner Barry O’Farrell, in a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate, as well as a U.S. official’s reference to the LAC situation as proof that China poses a “threat” to its neighbours.

Australia and China are currently are locked in tensions as well over a range of issues, from trade and the coronavirus pandemic to China’s moves in the South China Sea. However, the envoy made it clear that the issues would be kept separate from India’s current tensions over the Chinese army action on the LAC in Ladakh and Sikkim.

Speaking about the summit on Thursday, which has been scheduled six months after it was cancelled in January last because of forest fires in Australia and then put off due to the pandemic, Mr. O’Farrell said the relationship would reach a “historic high” after the Prime Ministers’ discussions.

“The mutual LSA makes it easier for defence forces of both countries to conduct exercises like AUSINDEX and to facilitate access to each other’s bases,” Mr. O’Farrell told journalists in Delhi. “It is the sort of a relationship we have with many of our allies,” he added.

Australia had submitted a draft of the MLSA soon after India signed a similar “foundational agreement” with the U.S. in 2016, and it has taken nearly four years to negotiate. India was likely to sign LSAs with Russia, Japan and the U.K. as well in the near future, said officials.

Amongst a number of other agreements due to be announced during Thursday’s summit are COVID19-related cooperation at regional and multilateral institutions, said the High Commissioner.

– Australian Envoy

With inputs from The Hindu

This is fourth consecutive day of firing and shelling by the Pakistan Army.

PTI

An Army personnel was killed and a civilian injured as the Pakistani Army heavily shelled villages and forward posts along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Thursday, officials said.

This is fourth consecutive day of firing and shelling by the Pakistan Army.

Officials said the Pakistan Army opened fire and shelled civilian areas and forward posts in Nowshera sector this morning, leaving an Army man dead and a villager injured.

Indian troops guarding the borderline retaliated resulting in heavy exchanges, they said.

Several houses were damaged as Pakistani troops on Wednesday night opened fire and shelled mortars.

Pakistan targeted over a dozen villages along the LoC in Nowshera and Balakote sectors late Wednesday night with heavy mortars and guided missiles, they said.

People living in border hamlets took shelter in bunkers, they said.

The heavy shelling has triggered panic among border dwellers, who have asked authorities to provide them with more bunkers.

PTI

The exchange of firing is on and further details are awaited, the official said.

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Thursday, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Pathanpora area of Budgam in central Kashmir after receiving specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding militants fired at the security forces.

The exchange of firing is on and further details are awaited, the official said.

China says positive consensus reached in talks last week.

China said on Wednesday it had “reached agreement” with India on the ongoing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a day after India announced troops from both sides had begun a “partial disengagement” from some of the stand-off points.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said both sides had agreed to handle the situation “properly” and “in line with the agreement” to ease the situation, but did not provide specific details on some of the stand-off points, such as Pangong Lake, where Chinese troops are still present on India’s side of the LAC.

Also on Wednesday, India and China held Major General-level talks to discuss further de-escalation at several standoff points in Eastern Ladakh including Patrolling Point (PP) 14, following a broad accord reached on Saturday in talks held at the Corps Commander-level. As per the agreement, a series of ground-level talks would be held over the next 10 days, with four other points of conflict identified at PP15, PP17, Chushul and the north bank of Pangong Lake.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not provide specifics on the sites of conflict. It only referred to the western section, which was the focus of Saturday’s talks, although a stand-off is also continuing at Naku La in Sikkim in the eastern section.

‘Taking action’

“Through diplomatic and military channels, China and India have recently had effective communication and reached agreement on properly handling the situation in the west section of the China-India boundary,” spokesperson Hua Chunying said. “At present, the two sides are taking actions in line with the agreement to ameliorate the border situation.”

Government officials said a partial disengagement had happened at some points in the Galwan area and at Hot Springs, but there was no change at Pangong Lake.

The Global Times, a Communist Party-run newspaper, reported on Tuesday that the ongoing dispute “will not escalate into a conflict” but added “due to the complexity of the situation, the military stand-off could continue for a little longer”.

The military-level talks showed “both sides do not want to escalate,” Qian Feng, director of the research department of the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing, was quoted as having said.

“It showed that China and India remain determined to peacefully resolve border issues,” Mr. Qian Feng said. “That being said, the ongoing stand-off is not likely to end immediately, as concrete issues must still be resolved.”

The Indian delegation at Wednesday’s military-level talks was led by the General Officer Commanding, 3 Corps based in Karu.

Last Saturday, the two sides held talks at the level of Corps Commanders on the Chinese side at Moldo opposite Chushul, where the two sides agreed to partial pullout of troops and equipment from some of the stand-off areas in Galwan.

The talks on Wednesday is the first of several at the rank of Colonel, Brigadier and Major General.

Finger 4 area in Pangong Lake remains a major area of contention where Chinese troops had taken position in Indian territory and that is expected to be discussed at the Corps Commander level at a later stage, officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

With inputs from The Hindu

PTI

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir recorded 161 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total number of infections in the union territory to 4,507, as two fresh deaths pushed the toll to 51, officials said.

“As many as 161 new positive cases of coronavirus were detected in the union territory Wednesday,” the officials said.

They said while 46 of these cases are from Jammu, 117 are from the Kashmir region.

The officials said the Wednesday’s cases included 29 people who had returned to the union territory recently.

Shopian and Kulgam districts witnessed a sudden surge in number of COVID cases as 37 and 28 people tested positive in the two districts respectively, the officials said.

Udhampur and Kupwara also recorded higher numbers of 19 and 18 positive cases respectively.

There were no fresh cases in four districts — Ganderbal, Reasi, Rajouri and Kishtwar, they added.

Two COVID positive patients — both male — died during the day. The deceased hailed from Kulgam and Baramulla districts.

With Wednesday’s fresh cases, the total number of infected people in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 4,507.

“Of these, 3,522 are in Kashmir, while 985 are in the Jammu region,” the officials said.

There are 2,785 active cases in the union territory 2,073 in Kashmir and 712 in Jammu — while 1,671 patients have recovered, they said.

The Union Territory has witnessed 51 COVID-19 related deaths.

Srinagar: As many as 51 corporators of Srinagar Muncipal Corporation are set to move a no-confidence motion against the Mayor Junaid Azim Matoo.

Sources told KNS that 51 corporators who would move no- confidence motion had a meetiing called by ex Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran in Grand Mahal Shalimar.

“The late night meeting lasted for four hours and discussed various issues regarding the functioning of SMC under Matoo as Mayor,” sources said.

Sources added that they will submit the no- confidence motion to SMC Commissioner against the Mayor most likely in coming days.

The meeting was attended by coporators irrespective of their party affiliations. Interestingly the corporators of BJP and Congress are on same page to challenge the Mayor.

Sources alos told KNS that the disgruntled coporators have decided to support former Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran for Mayor’s post.
With 17 corporators , congress party is eyeing the top post and can prove important for any making or breaking of any coalition in the SMC.

The Mayor had once faced no confidence motion but he managed to sail through with support of majority of the Corporators.

It is important to mention that Imran was shown the door as Deputy Mayor when he was under police custody post abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)

PTI

Srinagar: As many as 28 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel posted in Kashmir tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, officials said.

They said the personnel were found infected during a contact-tracing exercise after the death of a 44-year-old constable on June 6 when he succumbed to the disease.

Twenty-eight personnel in Kashmir have tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, the officials said, adding they belong to the 90th battalion of the force where the deceased constable, a nursing assistant, was posted.

All the affected personnel have been isolated and some results are awaited, they said.

The troops have been asked to immediately report if they feel any illness of COVID-19 like symptoms, a senior official said.

There have been four deaths in the country’s largest paramilitary force having 3.25 lakh personnel.

It has 516 coronavirus cases till now out of which 353 personnel have recovered, as per latest data.

Seven other positive coronavirus cases were also reported from various other units of the force on Wednesday.

Diplomatic experts say China may also be opening up a front in Sikkim due to ambiguous official position of boundary.

The skirmishes and the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at Naku La in Sikkim last month, in an area of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that is considered settled, may be Beijing’s way of attempting a new claim, said defence sources, highlighting the historical Sikkim-Tibet Convention of 1890 as proof of India’s ownership of the territory.

Referring to a major scuffle that took place at Naku La on May 9, the sources said it was unusual for Chinese troops to open up a part of the LAC that has not been in contention before.

According to the Convention, the boundary in the area is based on the watershed principles. Its Article 1 states, “The boundary of Sikkim and Tibet shall be the crest of the mountain range separating the waters flowing into the Sikkim Teesta and its affluents from waters flowing into the Tibetan Mochu and northwards into other rivers of Tibet. …follows the above mentioned water-parting to the point where it meets Nipal Territory”.

The Gazetteer of Sikkim in 1894, while describing the physical features of Sikkim, also mentions the boundary that runs along Naku la – Chorten Nyima La. The sources said the geographic alignment of the features were so prominent that it could easily be identified and recognized. Even analysing the available Google images of the pass, the location of Naku La could be discerned by anyone as the watershed parting line in the area was very prominent. “There exists no ambiguity with respect to the location of the pass, since geographic realities cannot be altered,” the sources stressed.

‘Hidden agenda’

“The clearly orchestrated actions on an otherwise dormant area masks a hidden agenda, which is far removed from Naku La,” the sources noted referring to the Chinese push at several points along the LAC and also the ongoing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and Taiwan Straits.

Diplomatic experts point out that China may also be opening up a front in Sikkim due to the ambiguous official position of the boundary.

Although meetings between former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in 2003 and maps exchanged subsequently indicated that India recognised the Tibetan Autonomous Region as a part of China, and Beijing recognised Sikkim as a State of the Indian union, the boundary at Sikkim while undisputed, remains undemarcated on the ground.

Jaishankar’s statement

In 2017, after the Doklam stand-off near the India-Bhutan-China trijunction, then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee that “there are still steps to be covered before the boundary is finalised.”

Mr. Jaishankar said India accepted the 1890 treaty as “the basis for alignment”, but the treaty had only been “partially implemented on the ground”. “Certainly the segments India is talking about, the Batang La segment, etc. was not there and there is nothing to show that that was actually delineated or demarcated or agreed upon.”

Prior to Sikkim’s merger with India in 1975, the Chinese side accepted the Watershed based alignment of the International Border (IB), and in a Note dated December 26, 1959 stated, “The Sikkim – Tibet boundary has long formally been delimited and there is neither any discrepancy between the maps, nor any dispute in practice.”

The sources stated that India had been guarding the boundary and built defences in this remote area ever since the 60s while no PLA soldiers were seen in the area at that time.

With a perceptible shift in that stand, and incidents of more intrusive patrols by the PLA, experts surmise that not only will the two sides need to negotiate to resolve the stand-off at Naku La, but New Delhi should also have more diplomatic focus on laying down the line firmly to Beijing on the boundary in Sikkim.

With inputs from The Hindu

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday reserved orders on a plea challenging detention under Public Safety Act of Ali Muhammad Sagar, General Secretary of National Conference.

A bench of Justice Sindhu Sharma passed the orders after counsel from both the parties completed arguments. Earlier senior Additional Advocate General B. A. Dar produced the Sagar’s detention record.

The Senior AAG had already submitted counter affidavit. Sagar was represented by Advocate Shuja-ul-Haq.

Previously, the court had directed the Government to consider the bail plea of Sagar having regard to health grounds and submit the report. The court had made orders on an application filed by his son stating that Sagar is an old aged person and is suffering from hypertension and orthopaedic complications.

“The applicant (Sagar) has developed a severe cardio vascular ailment during his detention since August 6,” reads the application. (GNS)

Srinagar: Prominent lawyer Javed Iqbal Wani will take oath as a Judge of the Common High Court for the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Friday.

According to a notification issued by the Registrar General (officiating), Wani’s oath ceremony will take place on June 12 (Friday) at 11:00 AM in the Chief Justice’s Court Room at Srinagar wing of the High Court.

On Tuesday, President of India appointed Wani as the Judge of the High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.
His recommendation, made by the Supreme Court Collegium, was pending with the central government for the past few months.

After he takes the oath, the bench strength of the high court will increase to 13 against the total strengthen of 17 judges include the Chief Justice.

Advocate Iqbal Wani is the gold medallist in Law from Kashmir University and had started practice in 1990. He had been practising in Jammu and Srinagar Wings of High Court.

He had also served as Additional Advocate General from February 2019 to December 2019 and had also represented army in many cases including the Pathribal fake encounter case. (GNS)