Kashmir.Watch

Category: World

  • Nawaz Sharif should quit, says Imran Khan

    “But I want to ask how any politician with a moral compass can accept a PM who has been caught money laundering in Panama Papers.

    Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan on Wednesday said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must quit over charges of money laundering.
    The cricketer-turned-politician justified the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) decision to boycott a joint session of Parliament to discuss the Kashmir issue.
    “Nothing new will be achieved that was not achieved with PTI’s active participation” earlier, Khan tweeted.
    “But I want to ask how any politician with a moral compass can accept a PM who has been caught money laundering in Panama Papers.
    “Mian Panama Sharif has been caught money laundering, tax evading and hiding of assets, thereby losing all moral legitimacy to be Prime Minister,” he added.
    Khan said Sharif had only two options now: either to present himself for accountability or to resign like the Prime Minister of Iceland did.
    “He cannot seek shelter behind (the) Indian aggression in Kashmir/LoC, especially as he failed to respond firmly to it,” Khan said, referring to the Indian surgical strikes which Pakistan says never happened.

  • US refrains from commenting on India’s surgical strikes claim across LoC

    The US has refrained from commenting on the “surgical strikes” Indian army claimed to have carried out on aleged terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir last week while calling for calm and restraint.
    “We’re not going to speak to specific reports of incidents along the border,” Elizabeth Trudeau, Director of the US State Department Press Office, said at the daily press briefing here on Monday.
    “We urge calm and restraint on both sides,” she said, adding that the Indian and Pakistani armies were in touch with each other .
    “We believe that that continued communication is vital to reduce these tensions.”
    In her briefing, Trudeau said that “conflicts or issues or rising tension are not contained to any specific region”.
    “We are in favour of any reduction of tensions that both sides agree to in this particular instance,” she stated.
    “We have strong ties with both Pakistan and India, and we’ll engage on that basis.”
    Reiterating that the US position on Kashmir has not changed, Trudeau said, “I would remind you that we are having conversations with both (India and Pakistan) on the importance of reducing the tensions in the region.”

  • Pakistan gives ‘evidence’ to US on ‘human rights violations’ in Kashmir

     

    Pakistan has given evidence of “human rights violations” in Kashmir to the US, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
    Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani on Monday gave evidence of “human rights violations in Kashmir” to US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson, the Foreign Office said in a statement here.
    Jilani submitted a dossier containing evidence of Indian “atrocities” in Kashmir to Olson and called for the US to take action against “the human rights abuse” by Indian forces in the Kashmir Valley, Geo News reported.
    He urged the US to exercise its powers as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council to put an end to the “atrocities”.
    Jilani said Kashmiri people should be afforded their right to self-determination and further called on the international community to send human rights organisations to Kashmir to monitor the situation there.
    Recalling Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent statement that Kashmiris and Pakistanis were inseparable, Jilani reiterated that “Islamabad would continue to extend all possible moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir for realisation of their right to self-determination”.
    The meeting with Olson comes a day after Pakistani political leaders during an ‘All Parties Conference’ resolved to raise the Kashmir issue at various international fora and said they stood united against Indian “aggression” and violation of human rights in Kashmir.
    The tension between India and Pakistan has been high since July 9, a day after top militant Burhan Wani was killed in a gunfight with Indian security forces. Islamabad has described Wani as a “martyr”.
    Relations between the two neighbouring nations further deteriorated after the September 18 attack at an Indian Army camp in Uri town of north Kashmir, which left 19 soldiers dead. IANS

     

     

  • Pakistan, India NSAs agree to reduce tension along LoC: Aziz

    According to Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan”s NSA Nasser Janjua and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval talked to diffuse tension between the two countries.

    The National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan talked on Monday morning to reduce tension between the two neighbouring nations along the Line of Control.

     According to Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan’s NSA Nasser Janjua and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval talked to diffuse tension between the two countries.
    “Both the officials stressed on the need to establish contact to reduce tensions along the Line of Control,” said Aziz.
    According to Aziz, India was escalating tensions with Pakistan at the Line of Control “to deflect the attention of the world from Kashmir issue”.
    He said that Pakistan wanted to bring down tensions with India.
    “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had indicated quite clearly that till the issue of Kashmir was not resolved, tensions across the border would remain.”
    Tension escalated between India and Pakistan following the recent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and the “surgical strikes” carried out by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
    Pakistan has however challenged the Indian claim of surgical strikes and termed it as a “drama to fool Indian people”

  • Pak boy crosses IB, BSF returns him to Rangers

    They said he “inadvertently” crossed the International Border (IB) and came over to the Indian side in search of drinking water from a tube-well as he was thirsty.

    In a noble gesture amid heightened tension between the two countries, the BSF today handed back to Pakistan authorities a 12-year-old boy who had accidentally crossed over to the Indian side in search of drinking water.
    Officials said the the boy identified as Muhammad Tanveer was apprehended by the Border Security Force last evening at the Dona Telu Mal border post in Punjab.

    They said he “inadvertently” crossed the International Border (IB) and came over to the Indian side in search of drinking water from a tube-well as he was thirsty.
    The BSF, officials said, took care of Tanveer overnight and kept him at their camp and early today contacted their Pakistani counterparts so that he could be sent back to his village Dhari in the Kasur district of that country.
    “Tanveer was handed over to the Rangers at about 11:00 AM today as per the policy of handing back inadvertent crossers on humanitarian grounds,” they said.

    An Indian soldier, Chandu Babulal Chavan, is in Pakistan’s custody after he “inadvertently” crossed over last week.
    Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said a well-established mechanism through the DGMO has been activated to bring back Chavan.

  • Pak Parliamentarians issue joint statement: ‘We are united in face of external aggression’

    After offering Fateha for the personnel of Pakistan’s armed forces and the “martyrs of Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir,” it was unanimously resolved

    The Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday chaired a meeting of the Leaders of the Parliamentary parties including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (Chairman PPP), Syed Khurshid Ali Shah (Leader of Opposition), Aitzaz Ahsan (PPP), Qamar Zaman Kaif (PPP), Hina Rabbani Khar (PPP), Naveed Qarnar (PPP), Sherry Rehman (PPP), Farhatullah Baba (PPP), Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi (P1-1), Shireen Mazari (PTI), Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar (MQM), Dr. Khalil Maqhool (MOM), Siraj-ul-haq (Ameer JI), Sahibzada Tarig (JI), Sardar Kamal Khan Bangulzai (NP), Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo (NP) Usman Khan Tarakai (Ai-FP), Syed Essa Nori (BNP), Dr. Mr. Ghulab Jamal (FATA), Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri (BNP-AWAMI), Jehanzeb Jamaldini, BNP) Moulana Fazal ur Rehman, Mehmood Khan (JUI-F), Mehmood Khan Achakzai (PKMAP), Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi (President PML-F), Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi MNA (NPP), Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour (ANP) and Kantil Ali Agha (PML-Q).

    After offering Fateha for the personnel of Pakistan’s armed forces and the “martyrs of Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir,” it was unanimously resolved:

     That the people, the government, the political parties and the armed forces of Pakistan are firmly united in supporting the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, as guaranteed to them in the UNSC resolutions.
     That we condemn the continued killings of innocent Kashmiris, which are a grave violation of human rights and of international humanitarian laws.
     Recognising that Indian occupation forces have killed more than 110 innocent civilians, including women and children, and blinded over 700 people by use at-pellet guns in last 87 days.

     That the recent unprovoked Indian aggression and repeated ceasefire violations pose a threat to regional peace and security.
     That we reject Indian efforts to shift the focus from its brutal atrocities to suppress the indigenous uprising of the Kashmiri people for liberation from Indian occupation, to false claims of cross-border terrorism.
     That we deplore the continued use of draconian laws against the Kashmiris and recurring curfews in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir which have aggravated the miseries of the local population, which are in clear violation of all international human rights conventions.
     That we reject the Indian government’s ridiculous claims that Kashmir is an integral pat-t of India, when India itself took the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the UNSC, thereby accepting it as an international dispute between two sovereign UN members.
     That we condemn India’s documented interference in Balochistan, a federating unit of sovereign Pakistan.
     That we condemn the attempts by India to destabilise Pakistan as substantiated by the capture and confession of serving Indian naval officer from RAW, Kulbashan Yadav.
     That we regret Indian designs to scuttle all diplomatic efforts for bilateral and multilateral dialogue, including the refusal to engage constructively at the SAARC forum.
     That we condemn the stated intent by India to use water as a weapon against the people, not only of Pakistan but of the region, in flagrant violation of its international treaty obligations. Any Indian attempts at unilateral revocation shall be taken as an act of aggression.
     That we reject ludicrous Indian claims of carrying out “surgical strikes” across the LoC, as blatantly false and brazen attempts at diverting international attention away from its atrocities in IOK.
     That we appreciate the courage, valour and commitment of successive generations of Kashmiri people for their ongoing struggle for self-determination as promised to them by the international community in UN Security Council resolutions.
     That we applaud the bravery and unwavering commitment of the armed forces of Pakistan for their befitting response to Indian aggression.
     We welcome the decision of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to send a fact-finding mission to Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and support a similar mission announced by the OIC.
     Recognizing the UN Security Council’s implementation of its resolutions on self-determination for East Timor and South Sudan, we urge the international community, especially the P5, to take concrete steps for implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
     We express Pakistan’s continued and unwavering support to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for self-determination.
     Recognising that Pakistan is engaged in an unprecedented war against terrorism and violent extremism, we reiterate our resolve to implement the NAP in letter and spirit as agreed to in the last APC.
     We call upon the PM to forge national unity to deal with external threats and in that spirit all current national issues be resolved so as to build democratic and parliamentary inclusion.
     We reiterate our commitment to standing resolute and united in the face of external aggression and all threats to regional peace and security.
    COURTESY DAWN

  • Islamic State chief ill after assassin ‘poisons’ food

    The IS terror group has reportedly launched a campaign of arrests to track down those responsible for poisoning the food.

    The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group ringleader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reportedly seriously ill after having his food poisoned by an assassin, a media report said.
    Meals prepared for Baghdadi and three other commanders of the militant organisation were allegedly poisoned in Nineveh’s Be’aaj district, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.
    It quoted an Iraqi news agency as saying that four militants, including Baghdadi, were suffering from “severe poisoning” and “have been transferred to an unknown location under strict measures”.
    The IS terror group has reportedly launched a campaign of arrests to track down those responsible for poisoning the food.
    The identities of the three other commanders is unknown.
    Baghdadi is credited with transforming the breakaway al-Qaeda group and turning it into the independent IS group that is arguably the most powerful and wealthiest jihadi organisation in the world.
    Al-Baghdadi’s movements are known only by his inner circle, and the Caliph, as he is known to his followers, is constantly on the move, changing locations in Iraq and Syria to avoid airstrikes.
    Under the leadership of Baghdadi, the group spearheaded a militant offensive that expanded into Syria in 2013 and overran much of Iraq’s Arab heartland.
    Baghdadi has been wounded multiple times in air strikes and been reported dead, but has re-surfaced each time.
    Earlier this year, there were reports he had been killed by US-led coalition air strikes, but they turned out to be inaccurate, the Daily Mail reported.
    Baghdadi — whose real name is Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim — is thought to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971.
    In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as “terrorist” and offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture or death.
    Under Baghdadi’s leadership, IS militants have shocked the world with their sadistic beheadings of captured foreign journalists and civilians.

  • Austerity measure: Saudi abandons Islamic calendar for govt pay

    Saudi Arabia, the world”s biggest oil exporter, is cutting government spending and re-orienting its economy after a collapse over the past two years of the global oil price which provided most of its revenue.

    Saudi government workers will be paid according to the Gregorian calendar instead of the Islamic Hijri calendar, making the working month longer as part of cost-cutting measures, newspapers reported today.
    The change, approved by cabinet last week, brings civil service pay in line with the government’s January-December fiscal year, the Arab News and Saudi Gazette reported.
    The reports said the latest austerity measure took effect on October 1.
    Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is cutting government spending and re-orienting its economy after a collapse over the past two years of the global oil price which provided most of its revenue.
    The Hijri calender consists of 12 months of 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the moon, meaning the Islamic year is several days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, which is widely used in the world.
    Last week, cabinet also cut by 20 per cent the salaries of ministers and froze the wages of lower-ranked civil servants.
    Almost twice as many Saudis are employed in the bloated public sector – where hours are shorter and leave longer – than in private firms.
    In April, the king’s son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, announced the wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy.
    Among its goals, Vision 2030 aims to boost private sector employment, cutting the government payroll to 40 per cent of the budget from 45 per cent by 2020.

  • Japanese report questions India’s claim of conducting surgical strike on Pakistan soil

    The article is written by Shawn Snow, who raised few questions about India”s capability to conduct any surgical strike on Pakistan soil.

    A Japanese magazine has questioned the Indian claim of conducting surgical strikes on Pakistani territory, maintaining India does not have capacity to do so.
    The Diplomat magazine has carried an article under the title: “Is India Capable of a Surgical Strike in Pakistan Controlled Kashmir?”

    The article is wrriten by Shawn Snow, who raised few questions about India’s capability to conduct any surgical strike on Pakistan soil.
    “A surgical strike operation by Indian forces begs the question of whether Indian forces have the capability to launch such a sophisticated and coordinated attack,” Snow wrote in the magazine.
    Giving information about the surgical strikes, it says, that the strikes can be conducted through airborne or artillery based precision guided strikes or ground force based assaults; both of which require sophisticated intelligence collection, platforms to conduct collections, and surveillance of target sites and objectives.

    It also raised doubts on India’s airborne, artillery based precision guided strikes, or ground force based assaults.
    “India is still on the cusp of building a sophisticated and modernized asymmetrical capability to conduct counterterror operations, while much of its forces are still organized and trained on Cold War models,” the report said.
    Commenting over the air defense system of Pakistan, the report said: “Furthermore, a cross border air raid by either heliborne assets or drones would still prove exceedingly difficult as Pakistan boasts an incredibly impressive air defense system.”
    “Pakistan controlled Kashmir is a high threat area for shoulder fired surface to air missiles, some of which have found their way into the hands of militant groups. Any air operation over the territory would be under threat from these weapon systems,” the report observed.
    Raising further doubts about the operation, it said India has released little detail on the operation; however if India in fact carried out a cross border surgical strike on terrorist facilities and not Pakistani military posts, it would be a paradigm shift in India’s war against terrorist and militant organizations.
    “It would also boast the perception that India’s asymmetrical warfare capability is further along than many may perceive,” it said.
    On 29 September (Thursday) India claimed it had conducted some “surgical strike” in Pakistan-administered Kashmir across the de-facto border of divided Kashmir called as Line of Control (LoC).
    The report said that in past decade India has spearheaded efforts to modernize her military to include domestic production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
    “Rostum I and Rostum II could provide India with an air platform capable of surgical strikes, long loiter times for target surveillance, and intelligence collection,” the report noted.
    However, it added, these platforms are still in development and Rostum II just began test trials this summer.
    “India’s drone development program is still in its infancy.”
    The announcement about the “surgical strike” was made by Army’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh at a prresser in New Delhi.

  • Don’t know why India is ‘hiding its losses’, says Pakistan

    The ISPR chief said the military responded “befittingly” to Indian firing across the Line of Control (LoC). He said however, that a “war is not in anybody”s interest”.

    The Pakistan Army is certain it caused casualties on the Indian side of the border in response to the cross-border firing by Indian troops which killed two Pakistani soldiers, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Asim Bajwa said on Saturday.

    Briefing journalists in Baghsar area of Azad Kashmir, Bajwa said it was not clear why India is “hiding its losses”, Radio Pakistan reported.

    The ISPR chief said the military responded “befittingly” to Indian firing across the Line of Control (LoC). He said however, that a “war is not in anybody’s interest”.
    “We have defended our homeland and we are committed to do so in the future.” Referring to reports of an Indian soldier having entered into Pakistani territory “inadvertently”, Bajwa said the military is “looking into the matter”.
    While the Indian side maintained its soldier “inadvertently crossed into Pakistan and should be returned as per existing mechanisms”, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi has said he was captured “while trying to enter into Pakistani territory”. (Dawn)