Kashmir.Watch

Category: World

  • Democracy has not been tailored to Pak environment: Musharraf

    “Army has always had a role since our independence. It has played a very prominent role in the governance of Pakistan, mainly because of misgovernance by all the so-called democratically-elected governments,” Musharraf said in an interview at the Washington Ideas Forum here on Thursday.

    The army has often played a prominent role in the governance of Pakistan as democracy has not been tailored to its environment, the country’s former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf has said.
    “Army has always had a role since our independence. It has played a very prominent role in the governance of Pakistan, mainly because of misgovernance by all the so-called democratically-elected governments,” Musharraf said in an interview at the Washington Ideas Forum here on Thursday.

    He said the “inherent weakness” of Pakistan is that democracy in the country has not been tailored in accordance with the dictates of the environment. “There are no checks and balances within the system. The constitution doesn’t provide those checks and balances.”
    “Therefore, the military is forced and pulled, sucked into the political environment, especially when misgovernance is going on and Pakistan is going down in all socioeconomic indicators. The public and the people massively run towards the army chief, and that is how the army gets involved,” Musharraf said, justifying the frequent military coups in the country.
    He said this was the reason for Pakistan having military governments and the army enjoying high stature.

    “The people of Pakistan love the army and demand a lot from it. So I’m very proud of the fact that army has backed me because I’ve been with them for over 40 years. I fought wars with them, I’ve fought two wars and I’ve fought a number of actions with them. So I know they are my constituency,” he said in response to a question.
    “So, therefore, we have to maybe tailor the political structure in accordance with the dictates of Pakistan, introduce checks and balances so that misgovernance does not take place and the army does not have to come into politics,” Musharraf said.
    He also alleged that the United States has used his country at its convenience and ditched it.
    Musharraf said he has plans to return to his country. “I know that the trial is all politicised. One has to face it. And no risk, no gain, as they say,” he said, adding that he would not go back if the government in Pakistan was performing well. I have no such ambition of going back and ruling again. I just want people to run Pakistan well, because Pakistan is my passion,” he said.
    However, the former president put forth conditions for his return.
    “I’m not that foolhardy. So therefore, I would like to see the correct environment where a political change, the third political force is a possibility. I would like to see that the cases are to a degree at a level where my movements are not restricted, the cases can continue, I’ll face them,” he said.
    “I want my movement not to be restricted because I realise that unless I lead from the front, I wouldn’t be able to generate the public support that I would require to create the third front,” he argued.
    Claiming that he did not knew that Osama bin Laden was living in Pakistan, Musharraf objected to his hideout being called a palace.
    Constructing a wall outside one home, he said, is a “normal thing” in that part of his country, so bin Laden living in a house fenced with a high wall was nothing that could have been thought of as unusual.
    Musharraf said he had doubts whether bin Laden had indeed lived at his Abbottabad house for five years.
    “Maybe he was going and coming, I still believe that. And if he was there in one of the — in one of the public gatherings where I was being grilled on this aspect, I finally said that the man living for five years in one room with three wives and 18 children, I think he must have rang up CIA himself and declared that he’s there,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience. Musharraf also said that if he was in power, he would be “counter-threatening” India in the wake of the recent surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
    “…They are threatening us that they are going to strike us at the time and place of their choosing. Now, this has been said by nobody less than Prime Minister, defence minister and the director general of military operations. This is a very serious matter,” he said.
    “I think the war hysteria that is being created in India, I repeat, India, not in Pakistan, is an issue. They do that always. This is not the only time. Every time they do that,” Musharraf said.

  • China blocks India again on Jaish chief Masood Azhar

    The Chinese technical hold was set to lapse on Monday, and had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically. The hold has now been extended for another six months.

    Refusing to yield on its all-weather ally, China today announced the extension of its “technical hold” on India’s bid to get Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist by the UN, days before it was to expire.
    The Chinese technical hold was set to lapse on Monday, and had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically. The hold has now been extended for another six months.
    “The technical hold on India’s listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI here.
    “There are still different views on India’s listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations,” Geng said.
    On March 31 this year, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked India’s move to put a ban on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind under the Sanctions Committee of the Council.
    China was the only member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on India’s application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi’s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.
    Geng said the 1267 Committee of the UNSC “organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council.”
    “China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council,” he said in a written reply to a question.
    Following the decision, the hold now has been extended in the midst of Indo-Pak tensions over the Uri terrorist attack, which was blamed on the JeM group..
    China’s technical hold coupled with its move to block India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) cast a shadow on the Sino-India ties. Both the countries have held several rounds of talks on the issues in recent months.
    China’s move to extend the technical hold comes ahead of the expected meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the BRICS Summit on October 15-16.
    In June last year, China had blocked India’s demand for taking action under the Council’s anti-terrorism resolutions against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi.
    India had raised the issue of blocking by China of Azhar’s designation as a terrorist at various levels with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also taking up the matter with the Chinese leadership at different fora. PTI

  • As India mulls scrapping of Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, China blocks tributary of Brahmaputra in Tibet to build dam

    BEIJING: China has blocked a tributary of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet as part of the construction of its “most expensive” hydro project+ , which could cause concern in India as it may impact water flows into the lower riparian countries.

    The Lalho project on the Xiabuqu river+ , a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra), in Xigaze in Tibet involves an investment of 4.95 billion yuan ($740 million), Zhang Yunbao, head of the project’s administration bureau was quoted as saying by Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency on Saturday.

    Xigaze also known as Shigatse is closely located to Sikkim. From Xigaze, the Brahmaputra flows into Arunachal Pradesh.

    Terming it as the “most expensive project”, the report said the project, whose construction began in June 2014, was scheduled to be completed in 2019.

    It is not clear yet what impact the blockade of the river+ will have on the flow of water from the Brahmaputra into the lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh as a result, it said.

    Last year, China had operationalised the $1.5 billion Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra river, which has raised concerns in India.

    But China has been maintaining that it has taken into consideration India’s concerns and allays apprehensions of restricting the flow of water, saying its dams are not designed to hold water.

    The outline of China’s 12th Five Year Plan indicates that three more hydropower projects on the mainstream of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet Autonomous Region have been approved for implementation.

    In March, Union minister of state for water resources Sanwar Lal Jat said in a statement that India had expressed its concerns to China about the likely impact of the dams.

    While there is no water treaty between the countries, India and China established an Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) on trans-border rivers and in October 2013 the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on trans-border rivers under which Beijing provides data to India on the water flows.

    The blockade of the Brahmaputra river tributary comes at a time when India’s reported decision to suspend talks with Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty as part of its efforts to hit back at Pakistan in the aftermath of the Uri attack.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang gave a guarded reply when asked on September 27 about India’s reported move
    “As a friendly neighbour to both India and Pakistan, China hopes that India and Pakistan can properly address disputes and improve relations through dialogue and consultation, maintain and enhance all-round cooperation and join hands to promote regional peace, stability and development,” Shuang told PTI.
    Some of the rivers under the Indus water treaty originate in China. PTI

  • UN chief asks Indo-Pak to resolve Kashmir, expresses concern on rising tensions

    Ban also urged both sides to exercise “maximum restraint” and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.

    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep concern over the “significant increase in tensions” between India and Pakistan and offered to mediate to resolve the tensions.
    “The Secretary General is deeply concerned over the significant increase in tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the recent developments, in particular the reported cease-fire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) following an attack on an Indian army base in Uri on 18 September,” said his spokesperson in a statement on Friday.
    Ban also urged both sides to exercise “maximum restraint” and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.
    He called on both the governments to “address their outstanding issues, including regarding Kashmir, peacefully through diplomacy and dialogue”.
    “His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides,” said the statement.
    The statement comes in the wake of India’s announcement on Thursday that its troops had conducted “surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.”
    The “surgical strikes” were in response to the September 18 attack on the Uri army camp that led to 19 deaths, and led to considerable anger in India.
    India has blamed the Uri attack as well as the January 2 Pathankot attack, which left seven Indian security personnel dead, on Pakistan-based militants.
    The attacks and Pakistan’s raking up the Kashmir issue have led to sharp deterioration in bilateral ties.
    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “India will not forget the sacrifices of the soldiers killed in the Uri attack and will isolate Pakistan.”
    India this week moved in the direction of diplomatically isolating Pakistan, by pulling out from the Saarc summit scheduled in Islamabad in November, citing increasing terrorism in the region and interference in affairs “by one country”.
    India’s move was followed by Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka – forcing Pakistan to cancel the summit.
    Pakistan has denied India’s statement of “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control, and said that instead there were firing incidents along the LoC in which two of its soldiers were killed. IANS

  • All Indian channels banned in Pakistan

    The step comes as tensions rise between the two neighbouring nations after India said that it conducted “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control at “terror launch pads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.”

    No Indian TV channel can be viewed in the country after October 15, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has said, a media report said on Saturday.
    According to The Nation, Pakistani people have demanded action be taken against “all Indian channels”.
    The step comes as tensions rise between the two neighbouring nations after India said that it conducted “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control at “terror launch pads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.”
    According to the reports, crackdown will be held against all cable operators in the country in case the orders are not followed.
    It also alleged that Pakistani programmes have been banned in India and Indian artistes have given negative messages against Islamabad which resulted in provoking the public to demand closure of Indian channels.

  • Pak capable of carrying surgical strikes across India: Nawaz

    Cabinet reiterates call for ‘probe into Kashmir rights violations’

    Terming “Indian aggression” as a threat to the entire region, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan is also capable of executing surgical strikes and will not allow anyone to “cast an evil eye” on it.

    Chairing a special Cabinet meeting to review the security situation in the country, Sharif said that Pakistan will take all necessary steps to protect its people and territorial integrity in case of any aggression or violation of the Line of Control (LoC).

    He said that Indian aggression constituted a threat to the entire region and Pakistan would take all measures to protect its territorial integrity.

    “No one will be allowed to cast an evil eye on Pakistan,” Sharif said, adding that Pakistan was fully capable of executing surgical strikes.

    “The nation is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the valiant armed forces to defend the motherland.”

    His comments came a day after India claimed to have conducted surgical strikes on seven militant launch pads across the LoC with the Army claiming to have inflicted “significant casualties” on militants “preparing to infiltrate from PaK.”

    Pakistan has dismissed as “fabrication of truth” India’s claim and termed it as a “quest” by India to create media hype by rebranding cross-border fire as surgical strike.

    Sharif said that all steps would be taken to prevent LoC violations or aggression and added that Pakistan’s resolve to establish peace remained strong.

    He said the leadership and people of Pakistan are united in their resolve to counter any aggressive Indian designs, adding that “Pakistan’s commitment for peace must not be construed as weakness”.

    Sharif also raised Kashmir issue said that it was the “unfinished agenda of the partition”.

    He said that atrocities in Kashmir could not crush Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. “Indian atrocities” there are “unacceptable”, he said.

    Calling for a probe into the September 18 Uri attack, Sharif said blaming Pakistan for orchestrating the attack was beyond comprehension.

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan does not want escalation of tension but is ready to meet any eventuality.

    The Cabinet also joined the Prime Minister in completely rejecting the Indian claims of carrying out “surgical strikes”.

    It condemned “Indian accusations in the wake of the Uri attack and pledged to expose India before the international community”.

    The Cabinet “reiterated Pakistan’s call for free, fair and impartial investigation into the killings of innocent civilians, under the UN auspices and called upon the international community to take notice of the massive human rights violations”.

    It also welcomed the decision of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to send a fact-finding mission to Kashmir.

    The Cabinet expressed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to provide political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

    It “rejected the provocative statements of Indian leadership alleging Pakistan for the Uri attack without any evidence”, terming it an attempt to deflect international community’s attention from the situation in Kashmir.

    It was noted that the “statements of the Indian Prime Minister had provided a fresh evidence of Indian involvement in subversive and terrorist activities in Pakistan, which was a clear contravention of the UN Charter and international law”.

    Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastgir said India is creating artificial tension in its attempt to divert attention of the world from its atrocities against Kashmiris. He said Pakistan’s defence is in strong hands and the country would continue to raise voice for rights of Kashmiris.

    Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Syed Riaz Hussain Pirzada regretted that instead of giving right of self-determination to Kashmiris, India is resorting to terrorism against Pakistan. He said the world community should take notice of India’s belligerence. PTI

  • Will show India what is a surgical strike: Hafiz Saeed

    “We will tell you what is a real surgical strike…And you will get the deserved response soon,” Saeed said in a public address in Faisalabad.

    JuD chief Hafiz Saeed today warned India of a “befitting response” for its military operation in PaK, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now know what is meant by “surgical strikes.”
    “We will tell you what is a real surgical strike…And you will get the deserved response soon,” Saeed said in a public address in Faisalabad.

    “I want to tell Indian media to see soon how Pakistani Jawans conduct surgical strikes. Let me tell you…The United States will not be able to help you,” he said, a day after India conducted surgical strikes on militant launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
    “Now it is Pakistan’s turn to give a befitting response to India. Narendra Modi will now know what is meant by surgical strikes,” Saeed said. PTI

  • United Nations Sec Gen Issues Statement on Kashmir, Offers ‘Good Offices’

    The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is deeply concerned over the significant increase in tensions between India and Pakistan.

    Moon expressed concern in the wake of the recent developments, in particular the reported cease-fire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) following an attack on an Indian army base in Uri on 18 September, said a statement issued by spokesperson of UN Sec Gen posted on its website.

    India and Pakistan are engaged in continuous exchange of gunfire along LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has said that two of army rangers were killed in cross border firing while as Indian army has said that it carried out “surgical strikes” across LoC.

    “The Secretary-General urges both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation,” the spokesperson said.

    Moon called on the Governments of Pakistan and India to address their outstanding issues, including regarding Kashmir, peacefully through diplomacy and dialogue.

    “His good offices are available, if accepted by both sides,” the spokesperson added.

  • Shimla pact was a mistake: Shahbaz Sharif

    “The Shimla agreement was a big mistake (on the part of Islamabad) as it dampened the spirit of the Kashmiris fighting for their freedom and hurt their movement,” he told a conference here.

    Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday termed the Shimla Agreement signed by India and Pakistan after the 1971 war as a “big mistake” as it hurt the Kashmiri “freedom struggle”.
    “The Shimla agreement was a big mistake (on the part of Islamabad) as it dampened the spirit of the Kashmiris fighting for their freedom and hurt their movement,” he told a conference here.

    Shahbaz Sharif is the brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
    Sharif’s statement evoked sharp criticism from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), whose then Chairman and Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his Indian counterpart Indra Gandhi signed the pact in 1972.
    “Someone should teach the CM Punjab what foreign policy is. He can’t possibly think mimicking SZAB (Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) makes him a statesman,” tweeted PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

    The agreement resulted in the release of some 90,000 Pakistani soldiers imprisoned by India following the 1971 war that led to East Pakistan breaking away and emerging as an independent Bangladesh.
    Sharif also hit out at cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and said that instead of heading towards the Indian border, they were indulging in protests that were dividing the nation.
    He offered to hold a joint rally with Khan on the Indian border against what he said were “atrocities” in Jammu and Kashmri.(IANS)

  • Pakistani cinemas stop screening of Indian films

    The decision emerged on Thursday after the Indian Motion Picture Producers” Association (IMPPA) announced that it was imposing a ban on all Pakistani artistes working in India, reported The Express Tribune.

    Pakistan’s theatre owners have decided to withdraw and ban screening of Indian movies until bilateral tensions between the two countries subside. However, the Pakistani government has not yet issued an official directive in this regard.
    The decision emerged on Thursday after the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) announced that it was imposing a ban on all Pakistani artistes working in India, reported The Express Tribune.

    “We will suspend the exhibition of Indian films till normalcy. No Indian movies will play in my cinemas from Friday onwards for sure,” said Nadeem Mandviwalla, owner of Mandviwalla Entertainment which runs Atrium Cinemas in Karachi and Centaurus in Islamabad.
    In the past week, Bollywood films “Pink” and “Banjo” had released. And while this week “M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story” could have released, its distributor IMGC Global Entertainment withheld it as it was felt that the movie could have anti-Pakistan elements in its narrative about cricket, the company’s head Amjad Rasheed told IANS over phone from Dubai.
    Super Cinema owner Khorem Gultasab said he has already stopped screening any Indian films at his facilities.

    “We didn’t wait for an official declaration by exhibitors. From Friday onwards, no Bollywood film will be screened at Super Cinemas for at least two weeks to show solidarity with our actors and our military,” Gultasab said.
    Cinepax — Pakistan’s largest network of cinemas — had not yet banned any Indian movies, a senior official of the cinema chain said it would follow suit if film exhibitors take a mutual decision in this regard.
    “I have not heard anything confirmed as yet, but if exhibitors do ban Indian films, then of course we will go ahead with it,” said Cinepax General Manager Marketing Mohsin Yaseen.
    The ban is so far an initiative taken by cinema owners and not the government, clarified Mandviwalla, who added that “it is taking us some time to bring everyone on the same page”.
    “We were taking things lightly initially, since the so-called ban (on Pakistani artistes in India) was just a few mischief-mongers hurling anti-Pakistan slogans,” he said.
    “But things have gotten serious after the official (IMPPA) declaration,” added Mandviwalla. He said an official announcement of the ban on Indian films will be made soon.
    Meanwhile, Gultasab said he is also urging other exhibitors to ban Indian films so that the industry stands united.
    “A ban won’t be effective if confined to just cinemas. Going to a cinema is a choice, but television channels air content from India all the time,” he said.
    “We must completely black out Indian content. Remove it from TV channels and from DVD shops. Otherwise, there’s no point.”
    The cinema owner added that this ban should continue until the Indian government offers Pakistani films a level playing field and Pakistani artistes complete protection.
    Renowned Pakistani filmmaker Jami agreed with Gultasab, saying: “There are Indian drama serials playing on TV all the time and you have DVD shops selling Indian films. Why just target cinema? If you want a ban, just ban all Indian content.”
    On Thursday, Indian film producers passed a resolution banning anyone from Pakistan from working in films being made in India. The move was announced by IMPPA President T.P. Aggarwal. (IANS)