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  • China assures Pak of support in case of ‘aggression’

    Press Trust of India

    China has assured Pakistan of its support in the event of any foreign “aggression” and also supported the country’s stance on the Kashmir issue, a media report said. Beijing conveyed the message during a meeting of its top diplomat in the provincial capital with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the Dawn reported.

    “In case of any (foreign) aggression our country will extend its full support to Pakistan,” Consul General of China in Lahore, Yu Boren, said in a press release by the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office.

    “We are and will be siding with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. There is no justification for atrocities on unarmed Kashmiris in (India)-held Kashmir and the Kashmir dispute should be solved in accordance with aspirations of the Kashmiris,” the report quoted Yu as saying.

    Diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan have been rising after the September 18 attack on an army base in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 18 Indian soldiers.

    Yu, who called on Shahbaz Sharif yesterday to felicitate him on his 65th birthday, discussed with him the situation developing in Kashmir and the progress being made on various projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

    A portion of the USD 46 billion CPEC passes through a part of the disputed region because of which India has raised objections over the project.

  • Resolve differences through diplomacy: US to India, Pakistan

    “I”ve seen some of the public reports about this incident. You know, obviously, the United States strongly condemns acts of terrorism around the world,” he said.

    The US today asked India and Pakistan to resolve their differences through diplomacy and not through violence. “We have long urged India and Pakistan to find ways to resolve their differences, not through violence, but through diplomacy,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.

    He was responding to a question on the death of 18 Indian soldiers at an army camp in Uri.

    “I’ve seen some of the public reports about this incident. You know, obviously, the United States strongly condemns acts of terrorism around the world,” he said.

    Earnest said over the years, India and Pakistan made some important progress in that pursuit of resolving differences through diplomacy.

    “And you know, we’re hopeful that they’ll be able to continue to make the kind of progress that will bring greater stability to what is a rather volatile region of the world,” he said.

  • Sharif hopes all members will attend SAARC summit in Pak

    The 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit is scheduled to be held in Islamabad from November 9 to 10.

    Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said he hopes all SAARC members would attend the regional summit, amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not attend it after the terror attack in Uri.

    Pakistan was making preparations for the SAARC summit, Sharif, who arrived here after attending the UN General Assembly in the US, said as he hoped that all member states would attend the meet, the News International reported.

    The 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit is scheduled to be held in Islamabad from November 9 to 10.

    Diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan have been rising since the September 18 attack on an army base in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 18 Indian soldiers. Pakistan has rejected allegations of its involvement in the assault.

    Recent media reports said that India may boycott the SAARC summit after the Uri terror attack which led to tensions between the two neighbouring countries. There is, however, no official confirmation over India’s decision. (PTI)

  • Imad Wasim leads Pakistan’s rout of West Indies

    Wasim”s spin assault routed the West Indies for a low score of 115 in 19.5 overs which Pakistan surpassed in 14.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

    Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim took a career best five for 14 to help Pakistan defeat world Twenty20 champions West Indies by nine wickets in the first match in Dubai on Friday.
    Wasim’s spin assault routed the West Indies for a low score of 115 in 19.5 overs which Pakistan surpassed in 14.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

    Dwayne Bravo hit a gritty half-century to avoid a total disaster, adding a new world record Twenty20 stand of 66 runs for the ninth wicket with Jerome Taylor who made 21.
    Pakistan had lost opener Sharjeel Khan for 22 in the fourth over but Babar Azam (55 not out) and Khalid Latif (34 not out) ensured the target was chased down comfortably.
    Babar hit two consecutive fours to bring up the victory, hitting two sixes and six boundaries overall in his 37-ball knock.

    Earlier, Bravo scored a 54-ball 55 for his fourth half-century and lifted the world champions from a precarious 48-8 in 11.3 overs before being bowled off the penultimate ball.
    Wasim made his career milestone in his four destructive overs – the third best figures for Pakistan in all Twenty20 cricket – after Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and opted to bowl on a slow turner at Dubai stadium.
    Bravo smashed paceman Wahab Riaz for a six to reach his half-century and led the recovery from a poor start which saw the West Indies struggling at 46-5 in the first ten overs, in danger of falling for under a 100 total.
    Wasim chipped in with wickets of Andre Fletcher (two) and Marlon Samuels (four) in the third over to leave the world champions tottering at 15 for three.
    West Indies lost Johnson Charles (seven) and debutant Nicholas Pooran (five) in the next two overs make it 22 for five.
    Bravo and Kieron Pollard (nine) took the score to 47 before Wasim struck twice to improve his previous best of four for 11 he took against Zimbabwe at Harare last year.
    Bravo found Taylor as an able ally – the only two to cross the double figures – bettering the previous record of 63 for the ninth wicket between Saeed Ajmal and Sohail Tanvir against Sri Lanka at the same venue three years ago. Agencies

  • ‘Kashmiri Students Enrol In Jammu Schools’

    Sheikh Zaffar Iqbal

    The NDTV

    The last time 17-year-old Suraya Gulzar was in a classroom was three months ago. Suraya had to stop going to school in South Kashmir’s Islamabad since clashes broke out in the Valley following the killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani.

    The fear of irreparable harm to her education has “forced” her to migrate to Jammu to take admission in a government school.

    “The time lost by the students can’t be made up. Students are suffering the most. There are no arrangements. My exams were going on, but now they have also got postponed, I don’t know when I will be able to sit for the exams again. That’s why I have come here,” said Suraya.

    Suraya is not alone. In the last three months, hundreds of students have moved out of the Valley to Jammu and to other places in the country.

    For the last three months, educational institutes in the Valley are shut. The state government’s efforts to open schools have not succeeded.

    At a government higher secondary school at Sunjawan in Jammu, 30 Kashmiri students have taken admission. Special classes are now being organised for the students who have taken admission mid semester.

    “For the last two weeks, we have been getting a lot of phone calls. People want to check whether children can get admission here. Education and security are their two major concerns,” said Prem Singh, Principal of the government higher secondary school in Sunjwan.

    While those can are finding alternatives, for scores more, for financial or other reasons, schools remain out of reach. For them, uncertainty looms large on not just their studies but more.

    (The news story first appeared in the NDTV.com)

  • Will not forget Uri, ready to fight 1,000-year war: Modi

    However, he mellowed down the rhetoric, saying both countries should “fight the war”, but against poverty, unemployment and illiteracy — and “let’s see who wins”.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday squarely targetted Pakistan, saying India will not forget the “sacrifices of 18 soldiers” killed in the Uri attack and will work to isolate Pakistan globally for exporting terror.

     Addressing the BJP National Council meet here, Modi said that the Pakistan government was “misleading” its people on Kashmir.
    He said Pakistani leaders had been talking of a “thousand years’ war” with India. “Let me tell you that there is a government in Delhi that accepts your challenge.”
    However, he mellowed down the rhetoric, saying both countries should “fight the war”, but against poverty, unemployment and illiteracy — and “let’s see who wins”.

  • Kashmir Unrest: ‘Kashmir tourism suffers Rs 3,000 crore loss’

    Arrivals dip, tourism infra takes big hit

    While tourist arrivals to Kashmir have witnessed sharp decline in the wake of ongoing crisis, development projects in the hospitality sector have taken a big hit with serious implications for the state economy.
    According to an official handout, several film crews who had planned their shooting in Kashmir during summers had to change their itineraries in view of the prevailing situation in the Valley.

    As per the data provided by the Tourism Department while around 3 lakh tourists had visited Kashmir between July 2015 and September 2015, there was quite little tourist footfall in the Valley for the corresponding period of the current year.
    “The tourism destinations and hotels both in private and government sector have been worst affected and most of the hotels are left with zero occupancy.
    “During the period between 1st and 12th August a total of 10,059 tourists visited Kashmir valley against 89,243 tourists during same period last year,” it said.

    Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC), Dr Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary said that most of the corporation’s properties in Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Yousmarg and other destinations “have 2-4 per cent occupancy which ought to have been 90-100 per cent around this time of the year.”
    Similarly, accommodations of Tourism Department and Tourism Development Authorities have also witnessed a shortfall of 90-95% compared to last year.
    Not only the tourist arrivals, most of the major infrastructure projects which were to be taken up in Kashmir under Prime Minister’s Development Plan (PMDP) have also come to a halt.
    According to the statement, Rs 400 crore were available with the tourism department under PMDP for infrastructure development at new and existing destinations. “Under this programme, the department had formulated projects for infrastructure development at Daksum, Doodhpathri, Kokernag, Verinag, Pahalgam and Salamabad (Uri). All these projects are now in limbo because of the prevailing situation.”
    According to preliminary estimates the tourism sector alone has suffered a loss of around Rs 3000 crore due to the unrest and the people associated with tourism trade apprehend that the prevailing situation could adversely affect the tourist arrivals during the next year as well with disastrous implications for the local economy.

  • Israel offers to assist India in fencing Pakistan border

    Carmon said Union home minister Rajnath Singh, during his last visit to Israel, was shown the country’s preparedness level at the borders.
    Israel on Friday offered to India its expertise for strengthening border fencing, stressing that the two countries share “similar challenges” on many fronts, including cross-border terrorism.
    The comments made by Israeli ambassador to India Daniel Carmon assume significance in the wake of last Sunday’s attack in Uri.
    The top Israeli diplomat said his country is following the development with concern and affirmed that cooperation on terrorism shall be a permanent feature of bilateral ties.
    Carmon said Union home minister Rajnath Singh, during his last visit to Israel, was shown the country’s preparedness level at the borders.
    “Our message is, yes, Israel has the expertise, because it has been under threat. We do share similar challenges. We have the solutions. We can work together on the solution. “We have shown in other areas that we can cooperate and this might and should be the case here as well,” Carmon said during a media briefing on the upcoming HLS and Cyber Conference in Tel Aviv.
    Asked about the Uri attacks, which claimed the lives of 18 soldiers, Carmon said Israel’s cooperation with India on a daily basis on anti-terrorism, defence and homeland security “is there, was there and will continue to be there”. “There is a need to confront terrorism. There is a tactical way to do this. There is an international, diplomatic way to do this and I am sure and confident that India knows exactly what it needs to do,” he said.
    Carmon said that Israel was willing to share conceptual and technological knowledge on how it was countering cyber threats, which he said can emanate from anywhere and not any particular country.
    The conference will be held between 14-17 November where a number of Indian companies are expected to participate.
    Press Trust of India

     

  • Pak warns India against giving asylum to Bugti

    “India granting asylum to Bugti will amount to harbouring a terrorist by a State…Thus (India) becoming official sponsor of terrorism,” Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif tweeted.

    Pakistan today warned India that by granting asylum to Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti, it will become an “official sponsor of terrorism.”
    “India granting asylum to Bugti will amount to harbouring a terrorist by a State…Thus (India) becoming official sponsor of terrorism,” Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif tweeted.

    Asif’s remarks came after it emerged that Bugti’s application seeking political asylum in India was yesterday received by the Home Ministry which is examining it.
    Bugti, who has been living in Switzerland, on Tuesday approached the Indian Embassy in Geneva seeking asylum in India and exuded confidence of a positive response from New Delhi.
    Bugti is the President and founder of Baloch Republican Party. The decision of seeking asylum was taken at a meeting of the Baloch Republican Party on Sunday in Geneva.

    He is the grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a Baloch nationalist leader killed by the Pakistani army in 2006.
    Pakistan government had blamed India for helping Bugti flee Pakistan to Geneva in 2010 via Afghanistan.

    Press Trust of India

  • Russian troops arrive in Pak for first-ever joint drills

    “A contingent of Russian ground forces arrived in Pakistan for first ever Pak-Russian joint exercise from September 24 to October 10,” army spokesman Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted along with some photographs of the Russian and Pakistan troops.

    A mechanised infantry unit of the Russian military Friday arrived in Pakistan to participate in the first-ever joint military drills dubbed ‘Friendship-2016’ starting from Saturday, reflecting growing military ties between the two former Cold War rivals.

    “A contingent of Russian ground forces arrived in Pakistan for first ever Pak-Russian joint exercise from September 24 to October 10,” army spokesman Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa tweeted along with some photographs of the Russian and Pakistan troops.

    A statement by Russia’s Southern Military Command said the drills will involve over 70 servicemen of the Southern Military Command, including the Mountain Mobile Brigade’s personnel deployed to the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic (North Caucasus), and also officers from the headquarters’ staff.

    “The joint military drills are aimed at bolstering and building up military cooperation between the two countries,” it said ahead of the opening ceremony Saturday which is scheduled to take place at Pakistan Army’s High Altitude School in Rattu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

    About 200 troops from the two countries will take part in the two-week long military drills which have been termed as a sign of growing military ties between the former rivals of Cold War era.

    The joint drill is seen as another step in growing military-to-military cooperation, indicating a steady growth in bilateral relationship between the two countries, whose ties had been marred by Cold War rivalry for decades.

    Press Trust of India