Retorting to the reports of Pakistan planning to declare the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region as the fifth province, the Centre on Wednesday said that it will study the matter and then give a response.

Pakistan&#39;s four provinces include Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.

The Gilgit-Baltistan area is Pakistan&#39;s northernmost administrative territory that borders the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

However, India claims the Gilgit-Baltistan area as an integral part of its territory. 
 
A committee headed by Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz recommended to grant the region a provincial status, Pakistani channel&nbsp;GeoNews had reported.

Minister of State for external affairs VK Singh told mediapersons, &quot;We will study it, our MEA spokesperson will give the response.&quot;

(ANI)

 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

India claims the Gilgit-Baltistan area as an integral part of its territory

Retorting to the reports of Pakistan planning to declare the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region as the fifth province, the Centre on Wednesday said that it will study the matter and then give a response. Pakistan's four provinces include Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh. The Gilgit-Baltistan area is Pakistan's northernmost administrative territory that borders the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. However, India claims the Gilgit-Baltistan area as an integral part of its territory. A committee headed by Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz recommended to grant the region a provincial status, Pakistani channel GeoNews had reported. Minister of State for external affairs VK Singh told mediapersons, "We will study it, our MEA spokesperson will give the response." (ANI)

Will study Pakistan's plan to declare Gilgit-Baltistan 'fifth province': India

The Pakistan Navy on Sunday apprehended 94 Indian fishermen off the Gujarat coast in the Arabian Sea since Saturday, an official said today (March 5).

An official of the National Fishworkers&#39; Forum told PTI that 94 Indian fishermen have been arrested and 17 boats seized near Jakhau port in the Arabian sea.

He said that fishermen in the area feared more arrests as &quot;the Pakistani agency&#39;s vessels are active&quot;. All of them have been taken to Karachi by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA).

&quot;Around 70 fishermen on board 13 boats were captured yesterday by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. 24 others on board four boats were held today in the high seas from near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off Jakhau coast,&quot; Manish Lodhari, National Fishworkers&#39; Forum said.

The incident comes after the PMSA apprehended 11 fishermen with two boats last week.

&quot;Last week, two boats with eleven fishermen were captured by the PMSA, we have been officially informed,&quot; Lodhari said.

In January, the PMSA had apprehended 36 fishermen and seized six boats off Gujarat coast.

In a related incident on February 2, the Border Security Force (BSF) had seized four abandoned Pakistani fishing boats near the Sir Creek in Kutch district on the Indo-Pak border during an extensive search operation.&nbsp;

Earlier on Sunday, 15 Indian fishermen were arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in the island nation&#39;s territorial waters, PTI reported.

&quot;Fifteen fishermen, who were fishing between Katchathivu and Talaimannar, were arrested and taken to Talaimannar,&quot; Assistant Director of Fisheries Kulanjinathan said.

Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location.

The fishermen often languish in jail, even after serving their terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two neighbours mean fulfilling bureaucratic requirements can take a long time.

In December, Pakistan had freed 220 Indian fishermen in a bid to ease the recent tensions between the two south Asian countries. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined

The Pakistan Navy on Sunday apprehended 94 Indian fishermen off the Gujarat coast in the Arabian Sea since Saturday, an official said today (March 5). An official of the National Fishworkers' Forum told PTI that 94 Indian fishermen have been arrested and 17 boats seized near Jakhau port in the Arabian sea. He said that fishermen in the area feared more arrests as "the Pakistani agency's vessels are active". All of them have been taken to Karachi by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA). "Around 70 fishermen on board 13 boats were captured yesterday by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. 24 others on board four boats were held today in the high seas from near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off Jakhau coast," Manish Lodhari, National Fishworkers' Forum said. The incident comes after the PMSA apprehended 11 fishermen with two boats last week. "Last week, two boats with eleven fishermen were captured by the PMSA, we have been officially informed," Lodhari said. In January, the PMSA had apprehended 36 fishermen and seized six boats off Gujarat coast. In a related incident on February 2, the Border Security Force (BSF) had seized four abandoned Pakistani fishing boats near the Sir Creek in Kutch district on the Indo-Pak border during an extensive search operation. Earlier on Sunday, 15 Indian fishermen were arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in the island nation's territorial waters, PTI reported. "Fifteen fishermen, who were fishing between Katchathivu and Talaimannar, were arrested and taken to Talaimannar," Assistant Director of Fisheries Kulanjinathan said. Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location. The fishermen often languish in jail, even after serving their terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two neighbours mean fulfilling bureaucratic requirements can take a long time. In December, Pakistan had freed 220 Indian fishermen in a bid to ease the recent tensions between the two south Asian countries. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan Navy apprehends 94 Indian fishermen off Gujarat coast

In an exclusive interview with WION, India&#39;s Home minister Rajnath Singh spoke about BJP&#39;s chances of winning the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He&nbsp;also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s demonetisation policy, and the allegation that he&nbsp;was responsible for the logjam in Parliament following the &#39;raincoat&#39; jibe against&nbsp;former PM Manmohan Singh. The Home minister called on Pakistan to take tougher measures against Jama&#39;at-ud-Da&#39;wah (JuD) terrorist Hafiz Saeed who is currently under house arrest in Pakistan.

Q: What is your political assessment of Uttar Pradesh? 
A: BJP will get full majority in Uttar Pradesh.

Q: It is believed that RLD did a good job in the first phase? 
A: I don&rsquo;t believe this. We will also get a substantial chunk of Jat votes.

Q: How come the BJP changed goalposts during the&nbsp;middle of the elections. From development to cremation ground. Why did this happen?

A: People should not misinterpret the statement of the prime minister. What prime minister meant was that there shouldn&rsquo;t be any discrimination on the basis of caste and creed at an individual basis. He was speaking against vote bank politics and implementation of policies on the basis of captive votes. You don&rsquo;t do politics to come to power.

Q: Do you believe that SP discriminated on the basis of religion on the issue of subsidy 
A: SP has always believed in the divide and rule policy. Even BSP does it. They say, this community votes for us but this is the language which we can never use.&nbsp;

Q: Opposition has accused you of polarising politics? 
A: I&rsquo;m opposed to polarisation. It is injurious to this country. I don&rsquo;t believe in such politics.

Q: PM has been attacked up, close and personal in these elections? Leaders are targeting each other at a personal level? 
A: People should be careful about the words they use. PM is an institution and the dignity of the institution should be respected and the system shouldn&rsquo;t be broken. The consequence of such politics can be grave...

Q: PM is being projected as an outsider in the SP-Congress campaign? 
A: The PM belongs to the country...

Q: Akhilesh Yadav has made certain personal remarks about the PM? 
A: It is very unfortunate. If I would have been in his place and if I would have said something like it, I would have withdrawn my statement...&nbsp;

Q: How&rsquo;s the SP-Congress alliance doing? 
A: Minus plus minus will be zero. Two weak elements have come together to fight. It will have no impact on the Uttar Pradesh elections.

Q: Parliament has stopped functioning. What is the reason? 
A: It has to be taken very seriously. We have made all the outreach. People should come together and talk. We have tried our best to get the Opposition to talk to us. We did our bit...

Q: What about the current logjam? 
A: This can only be explained by the opposition not us...

Q: Is it because of the fact that the Congress has failed to accept that BJP has a full majority? 
A: I think they have not been able to reconcile to our massive victory in the 2014 elections.

Q: The House ended on the raincoat controversy. Where does Parliament go from here? 
A: They should understand that PM actually praised Manmohan Singh but it should also not be forgotten that it was Manmohan Singh who called demonetisation the biggest organized loot. Was he referring to Prime Minister Modi? On the basis of same interpretation, we should have got very angry as he was calling our PM &quot;lootera&quot; (looter) and criminal. No one blamed Manmohan Singh for corruption....

Q: How do you assess Rahul Gandhi as a leader? Opposition leaders play an important role in democratic a set-up... 
A: I wish Rahul Gandhi best of luck that he emerges as a seasoned, dynamic, visionary and a mature leader. He has my &quot;aashirwaad&quot; (blessings).

Q: Who is your opponent in Uttar Pradesh? 
A: It is a mixed bag. There are areas in which the SP is fighting us and in some areas, the SP-Congress alliance is giving us a fight...

Q: What makes BJP a player after 15 years in UP? 
A: I know the reason but will not share it. What I can say is that BJP&rsquo;s credibility has increased. People believe that BJP commits itself to word and deed. They find no difference between the word and the deed. There are no corruption charges against leaders in this government. The economy is doing well. All of this has helped us...

Q: How come not a single Muslim got a ticket from BJP. You earlier said that BJP believes in &quot;sabka saath sabka vikas&quot; (development for everyone)? 
A: This is right. People get tickets on the basis of strength. But we will remember this in future that Muslims should get tickets in Uttar Pradesh. MJ Akbar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are there in the Centre. There have been instances that people have been accommodated in the states from the Upper House&nbsp;but it would have been better if there would have been Muslim candidates...

Q: Even your critics are considered to be the inheritor of Atal Bihari Vajpaye&rsquo;s style of politics? Your comments... 
A: I can never ever forget Vajpayee. He influenced me. I would say that people like me cannot become Vajpayee. He was god gifted. Despite not being in active politics, people still clap for him...

Q: You worked with both Modi and Vajpaye. What is the difference between them? 
A: It would be unfair to compare Modi with Vajpaye. Both leaders have different qualities. They have different working styles. Each is unique and different so one cannot cross-evaluate?

Q: How do you define your relationship with the PM? Once you were compatriots? 
A: I have a very good relationship with the PM. Our relationship has not changed but now he is my Prime Minister. We have to work within the norms. He is our Prime Minister and I&rsquo;m mindful of it but our relationship remains the same.

Q: How will the results in Uttar Pradesh impact UP elections? 
A: It is a big state and that is the reason why it will have an impact. But issues are different. State-level elections are on local issues. National issues have a limited impact in the state...

Q: Is demonetisation an issue? 
A: I get feedback. It is a major achievement on part of our government. People suffered but did not question the intentions of the Prime Minister which in itself is important...

Q: Is MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) prepared for the summer&nbsp;in Valley? The situation last time was bad... 
A: Kashmir should normalise and we are trying our best to do so. I would add that this is not the first time the Valley has seen a situation like this, similar situation has been witnessed in the past where lot of people have been affected but It is unfortunate. We want political parties to cooperate.

Q: We have seen that security operations are being hampered in the Valley which is a new development. How do you see it? 
A: There are forces which are creating problems and we need to identity them and do something about it. We need to think about it.

Q: Yashwant Sinha, your former colleague and senior BJP leader has openly spoken about talks with Kashmiris. Your comment? 
A: I have gone to Kashmir thrice. I&rsquo;m open to talk within the Kashmiriyat, jhamoriyat and insaniyat. It is not the fault of the government that these people didn&rsquo;t come...

Q: Has surgical strike changed anything for you? 
A: Things have changed. It has raised the morale of the army. Terrorists are being killed on a daily basis which never happened before. The surgical strike has held us in good stead... &nbsp;

Q: Why are you raising the issue of Pakistan and surgical strikes during rallies? 
A: Every Indian has a sense of pride which is known as national pride. That is why people responded to me with the feeling that this government protects national interest.

Q: How can this be turned into an electoral issue when you are calling it a national issue? 
A: Governments are formed through elections and development is not the only goal. The responsibility of the government entails national pride and national security.

Q: You have taken a tough stand on Pakistan? 
A: I also mentioned that Pakistan is our neighbour. We called all countries for Modi&#39;s swearing-in ceremony.

Q: But you also said that you weren&#39;t keen to go to Pakistan? 
A: I thought that SAARC would be a formal affair and wanted the MOS (Minister of State) to go. Then I realised that there was a campaign organised against India and people were shouting anti-India slogans and those leading the crowd were terror leaders, I decided to go. I said what I wanted to. Blunt speak.

Q: Then why is the MHA shying away from declaring Pakistan a terrorist state? 
A: We don&rsquo;t want to take any decision in a hurry. We are a global village. Terrorism is a challenge for the world. We want other countries to cooperate with us. PM has taken many nations on board....

Q: You said the&nbsp;world is a global village but your biggest neighbour China is on Hafiz Saeed&#39;s side&nbsp;with Pakistan?

A: Even Pakistan&rsquo;s defence minister has spoken. It is a good signal. But a decisive step is required. House arrest will not do. When I say decisive step I mean that some action needs to be taken. Law must take its own course. House arrest is just a fake step. More needs to be done. Law must catch up and this eyewash cannot continue...&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/90MwPrVSGI4"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
In an interview with WION, Home minister Rajnath Singh said that Pakistans action on Hafiz Saeed was an eyewash and Pakistan needed to do more on terror. He also promised to punish those threatening J&amp;K security (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

(WION)

 
&nbsp;

India's Home minister Rajnath Singh said Pakistan needed to take tough action against the JuD terrorist

In an exclusive interview with WION, India's Home minister Rajnath Singh spoke about BJP's chances of winning the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. He also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation policy, and the allegation that he was responsible for the logjam in Parliament following the 'raincoat' jibe against former PM Manmohan Singh. The Home minister called on Pakistan to take tougher measures against Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JuD) terrorist Hafiz Saeed who is currently under house arrest in Pakistan. Q: What is your political assessment of Uttar Pradesh? A: BJP will get full majority in Uttar Pradesh. Q: It is believed that RLD did a good job in the first phase? A: I don’t believe this. We will also get a substantial chunk of Jat votes. Q: How come the BJP changed goalposts during the middle of the elections. From development to cremation ground. Why did this happen? A: People should not misinterpret the statement of the prime minister. What prime minister meant was that there shouldn’t be any discrimination on the basis of caste and creed at an individual basis. He was speaking against vote bank politics and implementation of policies on the basis of captive votes. You don’t do politics to come to power. Q: Do you believe that SP discriminated on the basis of religion on the issue of subsidy A: SP has always believed in the divide and rule policy. Even BSP does it. They say, this community votes for us but this is the language which we can never use. Q: Opposition has accused you of polarising politics? A: I’m opposed to polarisation. It is injurious to this country. I don’t believe in such politics. Q: PM has been attacked up, close and personal in these elections? Leaders are targeting each other at a personal level? A: People should be careful about the words they use. PM is an institution and the dignity of the institution should be respected and the system shouldn’t be broken. The consequence of such politics can be grave... Q: PM is being projected as an outsider in the SP-Congress campaign? A: The PM belongs to the country... Q: Akhilesh Yadav has made certain personal remarks about the PM? A: It is very unfortunate. If I would have been in his place and if I would have said something like it, I would have withdrawn my statement... Q: How’s the SP-Congress alliance doing? A: Minus plus minus will be zero. Two weak elements have come together to fight. It will have no impact on the Uttar Pradesh elections. Q: Parliament has stopped functioning. What is the reason? A: It has to be taken very seriously. We have made all the outreach. People should come together and talk. We have tried our best to get the Opposition to talk to us. We did our bit... Q: What about the current logjam? A: This can only be explained by the opposition not us... Q: Is it because of the fact that the Congress has failed to accept that BJP has a full majority? A: I think they have not been able to reconcile to our massive victory in the 2014 elections. Q: The House ended on the raincoat controversy. Where does Parliament go from here? A: They should understand that PM actually praised Manmohan Singh but it should also not be forgotten that it was Manmohan Singh who called demonetisation the biggest organized loot. Was he referring to Prime Minister Modi? On the basis of same interpretation, we should have got very angry as he was calling our PM "lootera" (looter) and criminal. No one blamed Manmohan Singh for corruption.... Q: How do you assess Rahul Gandhi as a leader? Opposition leaders play an important role in democratic a set-up... A: I wish Rahul Gandhi best of luck that he emerges as a seasoned, dynamic, visionary and a mature leader. He has my "aashirwaad" (blessings). Q: Who is your opponent in Uttar Pradesh? A: It is a mixed bag. There are areas in which the SP is fighting us and in some areas, the SP-Congress alliance is giving us a fight... Q: What makes BJP a player after 15 years in UP? A: I know the reason but will not share it. What I can say is that BJP’s credibility has increased. People believe that BJP commits itself to word and deed. They find no difference between the word and the deed. There are no corruption charges against leaders in this government. The economy is doing well. All of this has helped us... Q: How come not a single Muslim got a ticket from BJP. You earlier said that BJP believes in "sabka saath sabka vikas" (development for everyone)? A: This is right. People get tickets on the basis of strength. But we will remember this in future that Muslims should get tickets in Uttar Pradesh. MJ Akbar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are there in the Centre. There have been instances that people have been accommodated in the states from the Upper House but it would have been better if there would have been Muslim candidates... Q: Even your critics are considered to be the inheritor of Atal Bihari Vajpaye’s style of politics? Your comments... A: I can never ever forget Vajpayee. He influenced me. I would say that people like me cannot become Vajpayee. He was god gifted. Despite not being in active politics, people still clap for him... Q: You worked with both Modi and Vajpaye. What is the difference between them? A: It would be unfair to compare Modi with Vajpaye. Both leaders have different qualities. They have different working styles. Each is unique and different so one cannot cross-evaluate? Q: How do you define your relationship with the PM? Once you were compatriots? A: I have a very good relationship with the PM. Our relationship has not changed but now he is my Prime Minister. We have to work within the norms. He is our Prime Minister and I’m mindful of it but our relationship remains the same. Q: How will the results in Uttar Pradesh impact UP elections? A: It is a big state and that is the reason why it will have an impact. But issues are different. State-level elections are on local issues. National issues have a limited impact in the state... Q: Is demonetisation an issue? A: I get feedback. It is a major achievement on part of our government. People suffered but did not question the intentions of the Prime Minister which in itself is important... Q: Is MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) prepared for the summer in Valley? The situation last time was bad... A: Kashmir should normalise and we are trying our best to do so. I would add that this is not the first time the Valley has seen a situation like this, similar situation has been witnessed in the past where lot of people have been affected but It is unfortunate. We want political parties to cooperate. Q: We have seen that security operations are being hampered in the Valley which is a new development. How do you see it? A: There are forces which are creating problems and we need to identity them and do something about it. We need to think about it. Q: Yashwant Sinha, your former colleague and senior BJP leader has openly spoken about talks with Kashmiris. Your comment? A: I have gone to Kashmir thrice. I’m open to talk within the Kashmiriyat, jhamoriyat and insaniyat. It is not the fault of the government that these people didn’t come... Q: Has surgical strike changed anything for you? A: Things have changed. It has raised the morale of the army. Terrorists are being killed on a daily basis which never happened before. The surgical strike has held us in good stead... Q: Why are you raising the issue of Pakistan and surgical strikes during rallies? A: Every Indian has a sense of pride which is known as national pride. That is why people responded to me with the feeling that this government protects national interest. Q: How can this be turned into an electoral issue when you are calling it a national issue? A: Governments are formed through elections and development is not the only goal. The responsibility of the government entails national pride and national security. Q: You have taken a tough stand on Pakistan? A: I also mentioned that Pakistan is our neighbour. We called all countries for Modi's swearing-in ceremony. Q: But you also said that you weren't keen to go to Pakistan? A: I thought that SAARC would be a formal affair and wanted the MOS (Minister of State) to go. Then I realised that there was a campaign organised against India and people were shouting anti-India slogans and those leading the crowd were terror leaders, I decided to go. I said what I wanted to. Blunt speak. Q: Then why is the MHA shying away from declaring Pakistan a terrorist state? A: We don’t want to take any decision in a hurry. We are a global village. Terrorism is a challenge for the world. We want other countries to cooperate with us. PM has taken many nations on board.... Q: You said the world is a global village but your biggest neighbour China is on Hafiz Saeed's side with Pakistan? A: Even Pakistan’s defence minister has spoken. It is a good signal. But a decisive step is required. House arrest will not do. When I say decisive step I mean that some action needs to be taken. Law must take its own course. House arrest is just a fake step. More needs to be done. Law must catch up and this eyewash cannot continue... In an interview with WION, Home minister Rajnath Singh said that Pakistans action on Hafiz Saeed was an eyewash and Pakistan needed to do more on terror. He also promised to punish those threatening J&K security (WION) × (WION)

Hafiz Saeed's house arrest is just a fake step, says Rajnath Singh

Pakistan is wary of powerful countries pressurising smaller nations to&nbsp;exempt India in the admission process to the NSG and feels that strategic stability in South Asia&nbsp;would be undermined if Pakistan&#39;s application was not treated equally with that of India.

Pakistani officials suspect that powerful countries could force the smaller partners to support&nbsp;India&#39;s Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid despite a growing realisation for a criteria-based approach for joining the 48-member elite grouping.

&quot;We are pretty confident that NSG countries would not go down the exemption way, but if they&nbsp;ultimately do so and give exemption to India, there would be serious repercussions not just for&nbsp;Pakistan, but also for other non-nuclear weapon states that may feel being unjustly denied their&nbsp;right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy,&quot; said director general of disarmament at the foreign&nbsp;Office, Kamran Akhtar, while speaking at a workshop on &#39;Defence, Deterrence and Stability&#39; in South&nbsp;Asia.

At the same time, Pakistani officials feel encouraged by growing support in the Nuclear Suppliers&nbsp;Group (NSG) for establishing criteria for membership of non-NPT countries, Dawn reported.

&quot;There are a lot of countries that now recognise the need for a criteria-based approach rather than&nbsp;granting exemptions, but pressures are still being exerted on smaller countries,&quot; he said.

The workshop was jointly organised by Islamabad-based think-tank Centre for International Strategic&nbsp;Studies (CISS) and London&#39;s International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

Last month in Vienna, NSG members, for the second time in a year, failed to reach consensus on the&nbsp;admission of non-NPT countries. The NSG members have been divided between countries demanding strict&nbsp;adherence to the NPT criteria and the bloc wanting to embrace India immediately.

A growing support within NSG has been noted for developing criteria for non-NPT states and the&nbsp;Chinese proposal for a two-step approach for new admissions which involves developing criteria in&nbsp;the first stage and then inviting applications for the membership.

He said it was now up to NSG countries to decide if they wanted the group to be seen as being driven&nbsp;by political and commercial interests or else they would want non-proliferation goals to be&nbsp;strengthened.

The official warned that strategic stability in South Asia would be undermined if Pakistan&#39;s&nbsp;application was not treated equally with that of India.

Pakistan has been pushing for its membership in the group by adopting a uniform criteria for any new&nbsp;country to join NSG despite US backing for India to join through a selective waiver of conditions.

Tasneem Aslam, additional secretary in the Pakistan foreign Office said the issue of membership of&nbsp;non-NPT countries was deeply linked to strategic stability in South Asia.

&quot;Today, the NSG stands at crossroads, once again, as it considers membership for non-NPT states. An&nbsp;even-handed and non-discriminatory approach by the NSG at this juncture would be of far-reaching&nbsp;significance for strategic stability in South Asia and global non-proliferation efforts,&quot; she said. 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

NSG members have been divided between countries demanding strict adherence to NPT criteria and the bloc wanting to embrace India immediately

Pakistan is wary of powerful countries pressurising smaller nations to exempt India in the admission process to the NSG and feels that strategic stability in South Asia would be undermined if Pakistan's application was not treated equally with that of India. Pakistani officials suspect that powerful countries could force the smaller partners to support India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid despite a growing realisation for a criteria-based approach for joining the 48-member elite grouping. "We are pretty confident that NSG countries would not go down the exemption way, but if they ultimately do so and give exemption to India, there would be serious repercussions not just for Pakistan, but also for other non-nuclear weapon states that may feel being unjustly denied their right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy," said director general of disarmament at the foreign Office, Kamran Akhtar, while speaking at a workshop on 'Defence, Deterrence and Stability' in South Asia. At the same time, Pakistani officials feel encouraged by growing support in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for establishing criteria for membership of non-NPT countries, Dawn reported. "There are a lot of countries that now recognise the need for a criteria-based approach rather than granting exemptions, but pressures are still being exerted on smaller countries," he said. The workshop was jointly organised by Islamabad-based think-tank Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) and London's International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Last month in Vienna, NSG members, for the second time in a year, failed to reach consensus on the admission of non-NPT countries. The NSG members have been divided between countries demanding strict adherence to the NPT criteria and the bloc wanting to embrace India immediately. A growing support within NSG has been noted for developing criteria for non-NPT states and the Chinese proposal for a two-step approach for new admissions which involves developing criteria in the first stage and then inviting applications for the membership. He said it was now up to NSG countries to decide if they wanted the group to be seen as being driven by political and commercial interests or else they would want non-proliferation goals to be strengthened. The official warned that strategic stability in South Asia would be undermined if Pakistan's application was not treated equally with that of India. Pakistan has been pushing for its membership in the group by adopting a uniform criteria for any new country to join NSG despite US backing for India to join through a selective waiver of conditions. Tasneem Aslam, additional secretary in the Pakistan foreign Office said the issue of membership of non-NPT countries was deeply linked to strategic stability in South Asia. "Today, the NSG stands at crossroads, once again, as it considers membership for non-NPT states. An even-handed and non-discriminatory approach by the NSG at this juncture would be of far-reaching significance for strategic stability in South Asia and global non-proliferation efforts," she said. (PTI)

NSG exemptions for India could have serious repercussions: Pakistan

Politician Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party has urged the government to immediately sever trade ties with India over the death of 13 people including three soldiers in alleged Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC).

&quot;Indian forces are killing innocent civilians and our army personnel along the LoC but our prime minister is fondly eating bananas being imported from India. It is high time we sever trade ties with India and unite on one platform to pat the enemy in the same coin,&quot; the party&#39;s vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.

Qureshi said defence minister Khawaja Asif, who should have been at the border to defend the country, was defending Sharif in the Panamagate case in the apex court.

At a public meeting in Chhachhro town, Qureshi said the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N government &quot;had no courage to respond to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi&#39;s bluff and called for immediately severing trade ties with India&quot;, Pakistan daily Dawn reported.

In Umerkot, Qureshi told the press that despite Indian bombing along the LoC, the government had not broken trade ties with the &quot;belligerent neighbour&quot; and urged the UN to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented, the report in Dawn stated.

He lashed out at the government for the lack of a full-time foreign minister who could fight the Kashmir case in world fora. He also blamed the lack of a full-time foreign minister for the government&#39;s weak foreign policy.

He added that Pakistan had yet to respond to Indian aggression along the LoC.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

The party also slammed the government for the absence of a full-time foreign minister who could raise the issue of Kashmir in world fora

Politician Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party has urged the government to immediately sever trade ties with India over the death of 13 people including three soldiers in alleged Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC). "Indian forces are killing innocent civilians and our army personnel along the LoC but our prime minister is fondly eating bananas being imported from India. It is high time we sever trade ties with India and unite on one platform to pat the enemy in the same coin," the party's vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said. Qureshi said defence minister Khawaja Asif, who should have been at the border to defend the country, was defending Sharif in the Panamagate case in the apex court. At a public meeting in Chhachhro town, Qureshi said the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N government "had no courage to respond to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's bluff and called for immediately severing trade ties with India", Pakistan daily Dawn reported. In Umerkot, Qureshi told the press that despite Indian bombing along the LoC, the government had not broken trade ties with the "belligerent neighbour" and urged the UN to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented, the report in Dawn stated. He lashed out at the government for the lack of a full-time foreign minister who could fight the Kashmir case in world fora. He also blamed the lack of a full-time foreign minister for the government's weak foreign policy. He added that Pakistan had yet to respond to Indian aggression along the LoC. (PTI)

High time we sever trade ties with India, says Pakistan opposition party

India and Pakistan accused each other of ceasefire violations in several areas across the Line of Control (LoC) between the two countries.

A 60-year-old woman, Rasheeda Bi, and a soldier, Bimal Tamang,&nbsp;were killed in unprovoked shelling by Pakistani troops in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, international news agency Reuters and indian news agency PTI quoted the Indian Army as saying. Two other soldiers were also injured in the incident, the Indian Army said.

Rasheeda Bi&#39;s 22-year-old daughter, Najma, was injured in the shelling targeting Mendhar&#39;s Goulad village in Poonch district, police told PTI. Rasheeda Bi is the second woman from&nbsp;Goulad village in Balakote sector to die from&nbsp;Pakistani shelling. On October 28&nbsp;a 50-year-old woman, Usma Bi, was killed in shelling by Pakistani troops.

&quot;Today since 9 am, unprovoked ceasefire violation has been carried out by Pakistan in Balakote sector and it is very unfortunate that they have carried out this unprovoked ceasefire violation, and we responding to it befittingly and hitting them where it hits them the maximum,&quot;Colonel Manish Mehta, a Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO), in Jammu told Reuters.

&quot;Pakistani troops indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation from 9&nbsp;am in the Balakote sector, using 120 mm and 82 mm mortars, automatic and small arms,&quot; the officer told PTI.

PTI&nbsp;reports that there have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops across the border in Jammu and Kashmir since the Indian Army&#39;s &quot;surgical strikes&quot;&nbsp;against terrorist launchpads across the LoC on September 29.

Authorities in the state have already evacuated hundreds of people from villages along the frontier with Pakistan following frequent ceasefire violations, Reuters reports.

 
4 civilians killed in Indian ceasefire violations across LoC: Pakistan

Meanwhile, Pakistan daily Dawn reported that&nbsp;Pakistan claimed&nbsp;four people, including a woman, were killed and six injured in &quot;unprovoked firing&quot; by the Indian Army along the LoC.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Indian troops have yet again resorted to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control in Nakyal, Jandrot and Kel sectors,&rdquo; said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR statement added that Pakistani troops &ldquo;befittingly responded and targeted Indian posts&rdquo;.

A government official from Nakyal told Dawn that there had been intense shelling since 8 am, with Indian troops using both small and heavy arms.

Zeeshan Nisar, Naykal&#39;s assistant commissioner,&nbsp;also said that at least three men and a woman were killed by Indian fire. &ldquo;Since the shelling is continuing, we are unable to collect all details, I am afraid there might be more casualties,&rdquo; he said.

 
Over 30 injured in more clashes&nbsp;

In separate clashes&nbsp;between security forces and officials in a village in Kashmir&#39;s Pulwama district, over 30 people were injured on Monday, PTI reported.&nbsp;

Three security force officers were also injured, in clashes&nbsp;which erupted shortly after the police, the Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cordoned off Rohomu village for house-to-house searches, officials said. Residents took to the streets and started protesting, leading to confrontations.

Officials told PTI that security forces had to fire dozens of teargas shells and use pellet guns to restore normalcy, resulting in&nbsp;clashes.

The residents, however, alleged that the clashes erupted after security forces started roughing up locals and smashing window panes of the houses and windscreens of parked vehicles.

Clashes between security forces and the people in Kashmir have intensified after the kiling of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July.

(With inputs from PTI)

There have reportedly been more than 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in Kashmir since India's 'surgical strike' on September 29

India and Pakistan accused each other of ceasefire violations in several areas across the Line of Control (LoC) between the two countries. A 60-year-old woman, Rasheeda Bi, and a soldier, Bimal Tamang, were killed in unprovoked shelling by Pakistani troops in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, international news agency Reuters and indian news agency PTI quoted the Indian Army as saying. Two other soldiers were also injured in the incident, the Indian Army said. Rasheeda Bi's 22-year-old daughter, Najma, was injured in the shelling targeting Mendhar's Goulad village in Poonch district, police told PTI. Rasheeda Bi is the second woman from Goulad village in Balakote sector to die from Pakistani shelling. On October 28 a 50-year-old woman, Usma Bi, was killed in shelling by Pakistani troops. "Today since 9 am, unprovoked ceasefire violation has been carried out by Pakistan in Balakote sector and it is very unfortunate that they have carried out this unprovoked ceasefire violation, and we responding to it befittingly and hitting them where it hits them the maximum,"Colonel Manish Mehta, a Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO), in Jammu told Reuters. "Pakistani troops indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation from 9 am in the Balakote sector, using 120 mm and 82 mm mortars, automatic and small arms," the officer told PTI. PTI reports that there have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops across the border in Jammu and Kashmir since the Indian Army's "surgical strikes" against terrorist launchpads across the LoC on September 29. Authorities in the state have already evacuated hundreds of people from villages along the frontier with Pakistan following frequent ceasefire violations, Reuters reports. 4 civilians killed in Indian ceasefire violations across LoC: Pakistan Meanwhile, Pakistan daily Dawn reported that Pakistan claimed four people, including a woman, were killed and six injured in "unprovoked firing" by the Indian Army along the LoC. “Indian troops have yet again resorted to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control in Nakyal, Jandrot and Kel sectors,” said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR statement added that Pakistani troops “befittingly responded and targeted Indian posts”. A government official from Nakyal told Dawn that there had been intense shelling since 8 am, with Indian troops using both small and heavy arms. Zeeshan Nisar, Naykal's assistant commissioner, also said that at least three men and a woman were killed by Indian fire. “Since the shelling is continuing, we are unable to collect all details, I am afraid there might be more casualties,” he said. Over 30 injured in more clashes In separate clashes between security forces and officials in a village in Kashmir's Pulwama district, over 30 people were injured on Monday, PTI reported. Three security force officers were also injured, in clashes which erupted shortly after the police, the Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cordoned off Rohomu village for house-to-house searches, officials said. Residents took to the streets and started protesting, leading to confrontations. Officials told PTI that security forces had to fire dozens of teargas shells and use pellet guns to restore normalcy, resulting in clashes. The residents, however, alleged that the clashes erupted after security forces started roughing up locals and smashing window panes of the houses and windscreens of parked vehicles. Clashes between security forces and the people in Kashmir have intensified after the kiling of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July. (With inputs from PTI)

Indian soldier, one woman killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistan: Indian Army

Two civilians were killed in ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces across the Line of Control (LoC) in India&#39;s Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. A terrorist also mutilated the body of an Indian soldier after an encounter in the state&#39;s Kupwara district before fleeing to Pakistan-administered-Kashmir, the Indian Army said in a statement.

In Kupwara&#39;s Machhal sector, the terrorist killed an Indian soldier and mutilated his body &nbsp;before fleeing to Pakistan-administered Kashmir&nbsp;under the cover of fire from Pakistan Army posts, the Indian Army said.

&quot;This barbarism is a true reflection which pervades official and non-official organisation across the border. The incident will be responded to appropriately,&rdquo; the Army said.

Multiple incidents of unprovoked shelling have been reported by India for the third day in a row on Friday. Ceasefire violations by Pakistan were reported in the state&#39;s RS Pura, Nowshera, Balakot, Pallanwala, Hiranagar and &nbsp;Abdullian sectors.&nbsp;

India&#39;s Border Security Force (BSF), meanwhile, said on Friday least 15 Pakistan Rangers were killed in retaliatory firing by Indian forces in the past one week, PTI reported.

One civilian died in Khour belt of Pallanwala sector today,&quot; Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh told PTI.

A 50-year-old woman, Usma Bi, was killed in shelling by Pakistan in a village in Poonch district today, a defence spokesperson told PTI.

In RS Pura and Abdullian, a civilian each were injured in the ceasefire violation.

Terrorists also hurled a grenade at a police patrolling party in the Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Pulwama.&nbsp;

Heavy shelling by Pakistan began early morning and continued through the day&nbsp;in Nowshera. &nbsp;Local residents there told ANI about living in &quot;constant fear&quot; as the heavy shelling and ceasefire violations continue.

Security forces recovered arms and ammunition from Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in Baramulla on Friday.

A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was also arrested from the state&#39;s Kulgam district during search operations, Sridhar Patil, a senior government official from the district told ANI.

Pakistan Army backing Rangers: BSF

BSF Additional Director General Arun Kumar told PTI that an examination of the ammunition showed that the Pakistani Army was backing the Rangers and had taken over the posts of paramilitary force.

&quot;They (Pakistani side) are resorting to heavy firing and shelling and we are giving them befitting reply,&quot; Kumar said while paying his last respects to the BSF soldier, Jitendra Singh, who was martyred.

He said BSF had killed 15 Pakistan Rangers in the last week. &nbsp;

&quot;As far the number of casualities on other side is concerned, which our men have seen through our eyes and instruments, 15 Pakistani soldiers have been killed after the sniping incident of Constable Gurnam Singh (on October 21),&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;They (Pakistani side) have suffered damage but are hiding them in public domain and they do not accept it. Last night we have destroyed their OP (observation post) towers and some OP towers caught fire due to our firing,&quot; Kumar added.

On Thursday, a BSF jawan was killed and six civilians injured after heavy shelling by Pakistan in RS Pura sector.&nbsp;

BSF, which primarily guards the International Border with Pakistan, said it had also foiled two infiltration bids in Samba district two days back.&nbsp;

Unprovoked shelling by Pakistan has escalated after India carried out surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on September 29.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

India's Border Security Force says at least 15 Pakistan Rangers have been killed in retaliatory firing in a week

Two civilians were killed in ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces across the Line of Control (LoC) in India's Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. A terrorist also mutilated the body of an Indian soldier after an encounter in the state's Kupwara district before fleeing to Pakistan-administered-Kashmir, the Indian Army said in a statement. In Kupwara's Machhal sector, the terrorist killed an Indian soldier and mutilated his body before fleeing to Pakistan-administered Kashmir under the cover of fire from Pakistan Army posts, the Indian Army said. "This barbarism is a true reflection which pervades official and non-official organisation across the border. The incident will be responded to appropriately,” the Army said. Multiple incidents of unprovoked shelling have been reported by India for the third day in a row on Friday. Ceasefire violations by Pakistan were reported in the state's RS Pura, Nowshera, Balakot, Pallanwala, Hiranagar and Abdullian sectors. India's Border Security Force (BSF), meanwhile, said on Friday least 15 Pakistan Rangers were killed in retaliatory firing by Indian forces in the past one week, PTI reported. One civilian died in Khour belt of Pallanwala sector today," Jammu Deputy Commissioner Simrandeep Singh told PTI. A 50-year-old woman, Usma Bi, was killed in shelling by Pakistan in a village in Poonch district today, a defence spokesperson told PTI. In RS Pura and Abdullian, a civilian each were injured in the ceasefire violation. Terrorists also hurled a grenade at a police patrolling party in the Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama. Heavy shelling by Pakistan began early morning and continued through the day in Nowshera. Local residents there told ANI about living in "constant fear" as the heavy shelling and ceasefire violations continue. Security forces recovered arms and ammunition from Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in Baramulla on Friday. A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was also arrested from the state's Kulgam district during search operations, Sridhar Patil, a senior government official from the district told ANI. Pakistan Army backing Rangers: BSF BSF Additional Director General Arun Kumar told PTI that an examination of the ammunition showed that the Pakistani Army was backing the Rangers and had taken over the posts of paramilitary force. "They (Pakistani side) are resorting to heavy firing and shelling and we are giving them befitting reply," Kumar said while paying his last respects to the BSF soldier, Jitendra Singh, who was martyred. He said BSF had killed 15 Pakistan Rangers in the last week. "As far the number of casualities on other side is concerned, which our men have seen through our eyes and instruments, 15 Pakistani soldiers have been killed after the sniping incident of Constable Gurnam Singh (on October 21)," he said. "They (Pakistani side) have suffered damage but are hiding them in public domain and they do not accept it. Last night we have destroyed their OP (observation post) towers and some OP towers caught fire due to our firing," Kumar added. On Thursday, a BSF jawan was killed and six civilians injured after heavy shelling by Pakistan in RS Pura sector. BSF, which primarily guards the International Border with Pakistan, said it had also foiled two infiltration bids in Samba district two days back. Unprovoked shelling by Pakistan has escalated after India carried out surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on September 29. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistani terrorists mutilate body of Indian soldier after encounter; 2 Indian civilians killed in ceasefire violations across J&K

An Indian Army soldier was killed after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire across along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Rajouri district on Sunday, Indian news agency PTI reported.

&quot;There was ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along LoC in Rajouri sector resulting in death of a soldier today,&quot; a senior Army officer said about the incident which took place in the evening.

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice in the day. A defence spokesperson said that there was unprovoked firing by the Pakistani troops in the Naushera sector of the same district earlier in the day.

The ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place on a day when India hosted leaders of a number of countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, for BRICS and BIMSTEC Summits.

He said Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated but no one was injured in that exchange.

A senior army officer alleged that there have been over 25 ceasefire violations by Pakistan across the LoC after the Indian army&#39;s surgical strikes on September 29. The strikes were carried out in retaliation for the Uri attack by Pakistani militants in Kashmir that killed 19 soldiers.

Recent instances of ceasefire violations by Pakistan

Five civilians and four Indian soldiers were injured in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops in Poonch district. Nine Pakistani soldiers were injured after Indian troops retaliated, the army officer told PTI.

On October 8, Pakistani troops fired on Indian posts along the Mendhar-Krishnagati sector in Pooch district. One soldier was injured.

On October 5, Pakistan violated the ceasefire thrice in three sectors of Poonch and Rajouri, resorting to heavy firing and mortar shelling on several Indian posts and civilian areas.

On October 4, Pakistan violated the ceasefire five times, targeting Indian posts and civilian areas across the LoC in four areas of Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri.

On October 3, Pakistan violated the ceasefire four times and resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling in various sectors in Poonch.

On October 2, Pakistan resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC in forward areas in Pallanwala belt of Jammu.

On October 1, Pakistani troops had shelled Indian posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs, RPGS and HMGS amid small arms firing along LoC in Pallanwala of Jammu.

On September 30, Pakistani troops restored to small arms firing along the LoC in Pallanwala, Chaprial, Samnam areas of Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

There have been over 25 ceasefire violations along the LoC since the surgical strikes by India, a senior army officer said

An Indian Army soldier was killed after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire across along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Sunday, Indian news agency PTI reported. "There was ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along LoC in Rajouri sector resulting in death of a soldier today," a senior Army officer said about the incident which took place in the evening. Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice in the day. A defence spokesperson said that there was unprovoked firing by the Pakistani troops in the Naushera sector of the same district earlier in the day. The ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place on a day when India hosted leaders of a number of countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, for BRICS and BIMSTEC Summits. He said Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated but no one was injured in that exchange. A senior army officer alleged that there have been over 25 ceasefire violations by Pakistan across the LoC after the Indian army's surgical strikes on September 29. The strikes were carried out in retaliation for the Uri attack by Pakistani militants in Kashmir that killed 19 soldiers. Recent instances of ceasefire violations by Pakistan Five civilians and four Indian soldiers were injured in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops in Poonch district. Nine Pakistani soldiers were injured after Indian troops retaliated, the army officer told PTI. On October 8, Pakistani troops fired on Indian posts along the Mendhar-Krishnagati sector in Pooch district. One soldier was injured. On October 5, Pakistan violated the ceasefire thrice in three sectors of Poonch and Rajouri, resorting to heavy firing and mortar shelling on several Indian posts and civilian areas. On October 4, Pakistan violated the ceasefire five times, targeting Indian posts and civilian areas across the LoC in four areas of Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri. On October 3, Pakistan violated the ceasefire four times and resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling in various sectors in Poonch. On October 2, Pakistan resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC in forward areas in Pallanwala belt of Jammu. On October 1, Pakistani troops had shelled Indian posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs, RPGS and HMGS amid small arms firing along LoC in Pallanwala of Jammu. On September 30, Pakistani troops restored to small arms firing along the LoC in Pallanwala, Chaprial, Samnam areas of Akhnoor sector of Jammu district. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops kills Indian soldier in Jammu

&nbsp;

Amid rising hostility between India and Pakistan following September Uri attack in Kashmir &nbsp;and ensuing surgical strikes, Pakistan has asked the World Bank to arbitrate in its Kishanganga hydel dispute with India saying it will impact the flow of water into the country.

&nbsp;

It has asked the international lender to appoint a neutral expert to settle the dispute, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The project aims to divert water from India&#39;s Kishanganga River to its power plant in the Jhelum river basin in northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan has objected to the design of the hydro-electric project saying it violates the parameters of the Indus Water Treaty between the two countries, PTI reported quoting sources.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India, however, asserts that the project design is &quot;well within parameters&quot; of the treaty and has urged the World Bank to appoint a neutral expert with technical expertise since in its opinion an engineer would be able to understand the issue better than a legal expert, a sources told PTI, adding that both India and Pakistan presented their facts separately to the World Bank on September 27 in Washington.

&nbsp;

&quot;They (Pakistan) have objected to the design of the project. Under the treaty, there are design criteria which say the design of the project should be like this. We firmly believe that our design is well within the parameters laid down in the treaty. But they think otherwise. They believe India&#39;s design of the project will affect flow of the river to Pakistan.

&nbsp;

Pakistan has requested the World Bank to set up a Court of Arbitration. India demands that the matter be looked into by a neutral expert as it is a technical matter. The treaty says the same,&quot; the source said.

&nbsp;

He also told PTI that India would be able to continue its work on project which is estimated to generate 360 MW electricity.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Unlike the popular perception, nowhere in the treaty is it written that the work has to be stopped when the dispute resolution process is going on. The work can go on,&quot; the source clarified.

&nbsp;

The sources also claimed that the Washington meeting had nothing do with India&#39;s surgical strikes&nbsp;was scheduled well before the terrorist attack in Uri.

&nbsp;

Pakistan, a lower riparian state, had first objected to the project in 2010 and approached the International Court of Arbitration. It had claimed that the project would affect the flow of Kishanganga, known as Neelum in Kashmir, &quot;adversely,&quot; and would also impact the power generation capacity of its Neelum-Jhelum hydel plant, located downstream of Kishanganga. Work on both the projects began in 2007.

&nbsp;

The matter was settled in favour of India in 2013.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Pakistan has objected to the hydroelectricity project design saying it will impact the flow of water into the country

Amid rising hostility between India and Pakistan following September Uri attack in Kashmir and ensuing surgical strikes, Pakistan has asked the World Bank to arbitrate in its Kishanganga hydel dispute with India saying it will impact the flow of water into the country. It has asked the international lender to appoint a neutral expert to settle the dispute, Indian news agency PTI reported. The project aims to divert water from India's Kishanganga River to its power plant in the Jhelum river basin in northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has objected to the design of the hydro-electric project saying it violates the parameters of the Indus Water Treaty between the two countries, PTI reported quoting sources. India, however, asserts that the project design is "well within parameters" of the treaty and has urged the World Bank to appoint a neutral expert with technical expertise since in its opinion an engineer would be able to understand the issue better than a legal expert, a sources told PTI, adding that both India and Pakistan presented their facts separately to the World Bank on September 27 in Washington. "They (Pakistan) have objected to the design of the project. Under the treaty, there are design criteria which say the design of the project should be like this. We firmly believe that our design is well within the parameters laid down in the treaty. But they think otherwise. They believe India's design of the project will affect flow of the river to Pakistan. Pakistan has requested the World Bank to set up a Court of Arbitration. India demands that the matter be looked into by a neutral expert as it is a technical matter. The treaty says the same," the source said. He also told PTI that India would be able to continue its work on project which is estimated to generate 360 MW electricity. "Unlike the popular perception, nowhere in the treaty is it written that the work has to be stopped when the dispute resolution process is going on. The work can go on," the source clarified. The sources also claimed that the Washington meeting had nothing do with India's surgical strikes was scheduled well before the terrorist attack in Uri. Pakistan, a lower riparian state, had first objected to the project in 2010 and approached the International Court of Arbitration. It had claimed that the project would affect the flow of Kishanganga, known as Neelum in Kashmir, "adversely," and would also impact the power generation capacity of its Neelum-Jhelum hydel plant, located downstream of Kishanganga. Work on both the projects began in 2007. The matter was settled in favour of India in 2013. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Pak asks World Bank to settle Kishanganga dispute with India by appointing neutral expert

As relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has decided to withdraw its participation from the upcoming Pakistan International Series scheduled to be held in Islamabad from October 18-21.

&nbsp;

BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta confirmed the news, stating that the decision was &quot;an act of solidarity&quot; with the Government of India, Indian news agency ANI reported.

&nbsp;

&quot;The announcement comes as an act of solidarity with the decisions of the Government of India in the wake of ongoing tensions between the two countries. On behalf of the council members of BAI and the entire badminton fraternity, we express strong concerns and support towards the sentiments of our fellow citizens of India,&quot; Akhilesh Gupta said.

&nbsp;

Indo-Pakistan relations have deteriorated after the attack by Pakistani militants on an army base in Uri on September 19 that claimed the lives of 18 soldiers. India retaliated by carrying out surgical strikes on five terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control. 38 terrorists were reportedly killed in the attack.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan has denied the surgical strikes, instead claiming that eight Indian soldiers have died and one captured during cross-border shelling across the LoC.

&nbsp;

Five member states, including India, recently pulled out of the regional SAARC summit that was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November, blaming Pakistan for the disruption of peace in the neighbourhood.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from ANI)

The Badminton Association of India has decided to withdraw its participation from the upcoming Pakistan International Series

As relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has decided to withdraw its participation from the upcoming Pakistan International Series scheduled to be held in Islamabad from October 18-21. BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta confirmed the news, stating that the decision was "an act of solidarity" with the Government of India, Indian news agency ANI reported. "The announcement comes as an act of solidarity with the decisions of the Government of India in the wake of ongoing tensions between the two countries. On behalf of the council members of BAI and the entire badminton fraternity, we express strong concerns and support towards the sentiments of our fellow citizens of India," Akhilesh Gupta said. Indo-Pakistan relations have deteriorated after the attack by Pakistani militants on an army base in Uri on September 19 that claimed the lives of 18 soldiers. India retaliated by carrying out surgical strikes on five terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control. 38 terrorists were reportedly killed in the attack. Pakistan has denied the surgical strikes, instead claiming that eight Indian soldiers have died and one captured during cross-border shelling across the LoC. Five member states, including India, recently pulled out of the regional SAARC summit that was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November, blaming Pakistan for the disruption of peace in the neighbourhood. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Indian badminton players to skip series in Pakistan as tensions rise

Pakistan&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;postponed the SAARC summit after five member states, including India, backed out of the regional meet originally scheduled for November.&nbsp;

A statement released by Pakistan&#39;s foreign office &quot;deplored&quot; India&#39;s decision to opt out of the meet, accusing it of &quot;violating&quot; the spirit of the SAARC Charter by raising bilateral problems on a multilateral forum.

Four other SAARC members&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;followed suit, blaming Pakistan for the hostile environment in the region and for disrupting peace and security.

&quot;Pakistan deplores India&#39;s decision to impede the SAARC process by not attending the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad on&nbsp;9-10 November 2016. The spirit of the SAARC Charter is violated when a member state casts the shadow of its bilateral problems on the multilateral forum for regional cooperation,&quot; the statement read.

India&#39;s foreign ministry had announced that it would opt out of the summit&nbsp;on Tuesday, blaming Pakistan for a deadly assault in the Uri sector of Kashmir that claimed the lives of 19 soldiers.

Pakistan accused India of trying to &quot;derail the summit&quot; and using the Uri incident to &quot;divert the attention of the world from the atrocities by India in Kashmir&quot;. It added that the decision contradicted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s call to fight against poverty in the region.&nbsp;

&quot;India&#39;s decision to abstain from the Summit on the basis of unfounded assumptions on the Uri incident is a futile effort to divert&nbsp;attention&nbsp;of the world from the atrocities by India in Kashmir,&quot; Pakistan Foreign Office said.

The country says it is committed to hosting the summit at the earliest and that the new dates for the summit in Islamabad would be announced soon through Nepal, which is currently the SAARC Chair.

&quot;Pakistan attaches great importance to regional cooperation under the umbrella of SAARC...Therefore, Pakistan remains committed to hosting the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad at the earliest so that the objectives of regional cooperation under the SAARC umbrella can be pursued more vigorously,&quot; the statement read.

Relations between India and Pakistan are at an all-time low following the Uri attack on September 18.

On September 29, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on seven terrorist&nbsp;launchpads&nbsp;across the LoC dividing India and Pakistan, killing&nbsp;thirty eight&nbsp;terrorists.&nbsp;

Pakistan has rejected India&#39;s claims of surgical strikes and maintains that India indulged in unprovoked firing from its side of the Kashmir border.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Islamabad postponed the meet after India's decision to 'derail the summit'

Pakistan on Friday postponed the SAARC summit after five member states, including India, backed out of the regional meet originally scheduled for November. A statement released by Pakistan's foreign office "deplored" India's decision to opt out of the meet, accusing it of "violating" the spirit of the SAARC Charter by raising bilateral problems on a multilateral forum. Four other SAARC members — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka — followed suit, blaming Pakistan for the hostile environment in the region and for disrupting peace and security. "Pakistan deplores India's decision to impede the SAARC process by not attending the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad on 9-10 November 2016. The spirit of the SAARC Charter is violated when a member state casts the shadow of its bilateral problems on the multilateral forum for regional cooperation," the statement read. India's foreign ministry had announced that it would opt out of the summit on Tuesday, blaming Pakistan for a deadly assault in the Uri sector of Kashmir that claimed the lives of 19 soldiers. Pakistan accused India of trying to "derail the summit" and using the Uri incident to "divert the attention of the world from the atrocities by India in Kashmir". It added that the decision contradicted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to fight against poverty in the region. "India's decision to abstain from the Summit on the basis of unfounded assumptions on the Uri incident is a futile effort to divert attention of the world from the atrocities by India in Kashmir," Pakistan Foreign Office said. The country says it is committed to hosting the summit at the earliest and that the new dates for the summit in Islamabad would be announced soon through Nepal, which is currently the SAARC Chair. "Pakistan attaches great importance to regional cooperation under the umbrella of SAARC...Therefore, Pakistan remains committed to hosting the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad at the earliest so that the objectives of regional cooperation under the SAARC umbrella can be pursued more vigorously," the statement read. Relations between India and Pakistan are at an all-time low following the Uri attack on September 18. On September 29, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on seven terrorist launchpads across the LoC dividing India and Pakistan, killing thirty eight terrorists. Pakistan has rejected India's claims of surgical strikes and maintains that India indulged in unprovoked firing from its side of the Kashmir border. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan defers SAARC summit, 'deplores' India's decision to skip meet

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, a vociferous critic of Indian Prime Minister Modi, has lauded him for the surgical strikes by the Army across the Line of Control (LoC), saying it is his &#39;first action worthy of PM&#39; in two-and-a-half years. &quot;When Prime Minister acts as the prime minister of the country then I too support him...I want to thank him that in the past two-and-a-half years, this is the first action which can be termed as worthy of prime minister,&quot; the Congress leader said at a roadshow in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Bulandshahr district. 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<center>
<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Rahul Gandhi: &quot;I thank PM for taking this action. My party &amp; I stand with him in this&quot; on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurgicalStrike?src=hash">#SurgicalStrike</a> conducted by Indian army <a href="https://t.co/L7kSlg0lEk">pic.twitter.com/L7kSlg0lEk</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/781755213908627457">September 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</center>

&nbsp;

 
He also extended his party&#39;s support to the PM in his actions against Pakistani terrorists, saying, &quot;He (Modi) has my full support and that of Congress. The entire nation is with him today.&quot;

Yesterday, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on seven terrorist launchpads across the LoC dividing India and Pakistan. 38 terrorists were killed in the under-an-hour long midnight incursion.

On September 18, eighteen Indian soldiers had died in a terror attack on an army camp in Uri, Kashmir. India had blamed the attack on terrorists from Pakistan. In the aftermath of the Uri attack, Rahul Gandhi had criticised Modi&#39;s &quot;short-sighted&quot; political alliance with PDP, saying it &quot;opened space&quot; for terrorism in Kashmir. He also blamed the NDA government for having &quot;no strategy&quot; vis-a-vis Kashmir.

&quot;I stand by our soldiers and I condemn what has been done to them by Pakistanis. However, space for that has been created by the politics the NDA has practised in Jammu and Kashmir,&quot; he had said in Mati (Kanpur Dehat) on September 20.

Targeting PM Modi, he had said, &quot;He goes from one event to another and this is no way of handling national security. National security cannot be handled like public meetings. This is a serious matter.&quot;

He had also tweeted: 
&nbsp;

<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
FYI Modiji: a Kashmir strategy cannot be developed using selfies and sound bites
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/778243848195612672">September 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>

 
Rahul Gandhi is currently on a month-long roadshow through Uttar Pradesh, where he has been focusing on door-to-door campaigns and one-to-one interactions with farmers. The roadshow is part of the Congress strategy to connect with people ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls next year.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi says his party Congress stands by PM Modi's decision to conduct the midnight operation in Pakistan

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, a vociferous critic of Indian Prime Minister Modi, has lauded him for the surgical strikes by the Army across the Line of Control (LoC), saying it is his 'first action worthy of PM' in two-and-a-half years. "When Prime Minister acts as the prime minister of the country then I too support him...I want to thank him that in the past two-and-a-half years, this is the first action which can be termed as worthy of prime minister," the Congress leader said at a roadshow in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district. #WATCH Rahul Gandhi: "I thank PM for taking this action. My party & I stand with him in this" on #SurgicalStrike conducted by Indian army pic.twitter.com/L7kSlg0lEk — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 30, 2016 × He also extended his party's support to the PM in his actions against Pakistani terrorists, saying, "He (Modi) has my full support and that of Congress. The entire nation is with him today." Yesterday, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on seven terrorist launchpads across the LoC dividing India and Pakistan. 38 terrorists were killed in the under-an-hour long midnight incursion. On September 18, eighteen Indian soldiers had died in a terror attack on an army camp in Uri, Kashmir. India had blamed the attack on terrorists from Pakistan. In the aftermath of the Uri attack, Rahul Gandhi had criticised Modi's "short-sighted" political alliance with PDP, saying it "opened space" for terrorism in Kashmir. He also blamed the NDA government for having "no strategy" vis-a-vis Kashmir. "I stand by our soldiers and I condemn what has been done to them by Pakistanis. However, space for that has been created by the politics the NDA has practised in Jammu and Kashmir," he had said in Mati (Kanpur Dehat) on September 20. Targeting PM Modi, he had said, "He goes from one event to another and this is no way of handling national security. National security cannot be handled like public meetings. This is a serious matter." He had also tweeted: FYI Modiji: a Kashmir strategy cannot be developed using selfies and sound bites — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) September 20, 2016 Rahul Gandhi is currently on a month-long roadshow through Uttar Pradesh, where he has been focusing on door-to-door campaigns and one-to-one interactions with farmers. The roadshow is part of the Congress strategy to connect with people ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls next year. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India's surgical strikes Modi's 'first action worthy of PM', says Rahul Gandhi

By Taha Siddiqui 
 
Heightened tensions after the Uri terror&nbsp;attack in Jammu and Kashmir state&nbsp;and fear-mongering about an impending &#39;nuclear war&#39;&nbsp;have brought the&nbsp;relationship between India and Pakistan to a new low. While the&nbsp;local&nbsp;media focuses&nbsp;only on the speech of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the United Nation&#39;s General Assembly, internationally,&nbsp;all eyes are back on Pakistan&#39;s role in supporting terrorism in the region&nbsp;following the Uri attack.&nbsp; 
 
On September 18, there was a terror attack on Indian Army brigadier headquarters in Uri, Jammu and&nbsp;Kashmir, which was&nbsp;dubbed by the Indian media as &quot;the deadliest attack on security forces in the state&nbsp;in two decades&quot;. Eighteen&nbsp;Indian Army soldiers were killed in the attack that&nbsp;New Delhi claimed was aided by jihadists from across the border. 
 
&quot;Pakistani security elite is in denial of what is happening globally. They are being isolated. And their interests even clash with the aspirations of the Pakistani public&nbsp;who want peace with India,&quot; says Marvi Sirmed, a political commentator who is part of Track II dialogue between India and Pakistan.&nbsp;Track II dialogues aim to bring together individuals from various professional backgrounds from both countries to foster peace. 
 
Sirmed feels that such aspirations do not&nbsp;make it to the mainstream media. &ldquo;The mainstream Pakistani media is overshadowed by those who are close to the military which does not want to have peace with India. They are from the middle and upper class backgrounds, and usually direct beneficiaries of the status quo, and therefore do not want such change,&rdquo; she adds, explaining that even on social media such proxies of the Pakistani security establishment have taken over the narrative and made the debate anti-India. 
&nbsp; 
At the same time, the hawks in the military and civilian domain having been talking about&nbsp;a nuclear war between the two nuclear-armed nations. &ldquo;Pakistan may be forced to use nuclear weapons if any region under its territory is threatened by any foreign force. We cannot let Bangladesh be repeated,&rdquo; says Brigadier Asad Munir, a retired military officer, who used to head an intelligence division in the Pakistani tribal belt. 
&nbsp; 
Certain sections of the media have also whipped up talks of a full-blown war with the neighbours. Messages such as &quot;Pakistan will be attacked by India soon&quot; are being circulated by a few mediapersons considered to be close to the military. 
 
The Pakistan Army has also upped its shields with its chief Raheel Sharif talking about &quot;thwarting any sinister design against integrity and sovereignty&quot; of the country. 
 
&quot;Armed forces of Pakistan are fully prepared to respond to an&nbsp;entire spectrum of direct and indirect threat,&quot; the military&#39;s media wing statement read. 
 
&quot;Taking note of a hostile narrative being propagated by India, COAS [Chief of Army Staff] said that we are fully cognizant and closely watching the latest happenings in the region and their impact on the security of Pakistan,&quot; the statement said. 
 
Some in Pakistan have pointed fingers at India for fomenting tension in the region.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;For all the investments in peace since 2002, and gains made after 2008, both following incidents of violence in India, the rollback to rock bottom is unfortunate but not unforeseen,&rdquo; says Salman Zaidi, an Indo-Pak expert and a research fellow at Jinnah Institute. 
 
According to Zaidi, recent statements made by Indian government officials about strikes inside Pakistan have activated the war machinery in the country. &ldquo;There are ample precedents in the past of rapid conflict escalation. One hopes that war,&nbsp;nuclear or conventional, does not break out, yet if it starts, the Indian side will initiate it. The possibility is not remote,&rdquo; he adds. 
&nbsp; 
But Sirmed says there is some hope given that Pakistani military for the first time used the term terrorists&nbsp;to describe&nbsp;the Uri attackers. &quot;This shows a change in approach. They are calling the perpetrators terrorists in the press statement issued by the military media wing. This gives me some hope that Pakistan Army may change its policy towards Kashmir jihadists. But such a huge network cannot be dismantled in a day, so it will take time,&quot; she adds.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Talks of war with India have intensified among the hawks in Pakistan, but internationally it is seen as supporting terror in the region

By Taha Siddiqui Heightened tensions after the Uri terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir state and fear-mongering about an impending 'nuclear war' have brought the relationship between India and Pakistan to a new low. While the local media focuses only on the speech of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the United Nation's General Assembly, internationally, all eyes are back on Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism in the region following the Uri attack. On September 18, there was a terror attack on Indian Army brigadier headquarters in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, which was dubbed by the Indian media as "the deadliest attack on security forces in the state in two decades". Eighteen Indian Army soldiers were killed in the attack that New Delhi claimed was aided by jihadists from across the border. "Pakistani security elite is in denial of what is happening globally. They are being isolated. And their interests even clash with the aspirations of the Pakistani public who want peace with India," says Marvi Sirmed, a political commentator who is part of Track II dialogue between India and Pakistan. Track II dialogues aim to bring together individuals from various professional backgrounds from both countries to foster peace. Sirmed feels that such aspirations do not make it to the mainstream media. “The mainstream Pakistani media is overshadowed by those who are close to the military which does not want to have peace with India. They are from the middle and upper class backgrounds, and usually direct beneficiaries of the status quo, and therefore do not want such change,” she adds, explaining that even on social media such proxies of the Pakistani security establishment have taken over the narrative and made the debate anti-India. At the same time, the hawks in the military and civilian domain having been talking about a nuclear war between the two nuclear-armed nations. “Pakistan may be forced to use nuclear weapons if any region under its territory is threatened by any foreign force. We cannot let Bangladesh be repeated,” says Brigadier Asad Munir, a retired military officer, who used to head an intelligence division in the Pakistani tribal belt. Certain sections of the media have also whipped up talks of a full-blown war with the neighbours. Messages such as "Pakistan will be attacked by India soon" are being circulated by a few mediapersons considered to be close to the military. The Pakistan Army has also upped its shields with its chief Raheel Sharif talking about "thwarting any sinister design against integrity and sovereignty" of the country. "Armed forces of Pakistan are fully prepared to respond to an entire spectrum of direct and indirect threat," the military's media wing statement read. "Taking note of a hostile narrative being propagated by India, COAS [Chief of Army Staff] said that we are fully cognizant and closely watching the latest happenings in the region and their impact on the security of Pakistan," the statement said. Some in Pakistan have pointed fingers at India for fomenting tension in the region. “For all the investments in peace since 2002, and gains made after 2008, both following incidents of violence in India, the rollback to rock bottom is unfortunate but not unforeseen,” says Salman Zaidi, an Indo-Pak expert and a research fellow at Jinnah Institute. According to Zaidi, recent statements made by Indian government officials about strikes inside Pakistan have activated the war machinery in the country. “There are ample precedents in the past of rapid conflict escalation. One hopes that war, nuclear or conventional, does not break out, yet if it starts, the Indian side will initiate it. The possibility is not remote,” he adds. But Sirmed says there is some hope given that Pakistani military for the first time used the term terrorists to describe the Uri attackers. "This shows a change in approach. They are calling the perpetrators terrorists in the press statement issued by the military media wing. This gives me some hope that Pakistan Army may change its policy towards Kashmir jihadists. But such a huge network cannot be dismantled in a day, so it will take time," she adds. (WION)

Uri attack aftermath: Fear-mongering about nuclear war in Pakistan

India today said it hoped that Pakistan will avail provisions of the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty to amicably resolve matters of mutual concern pertaining to hydro-electric projects and not violate it by rushing to a third forum. 
 
Noting that a Pakistan team led by Water and Power secretary visited India recently, Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the visit was in response to India pointing out that Pakistan was violating provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in rushing to a third forum without attempting to avail Treaty provisions for amicably resolving matters of mutual concern pertaining to two hydro- electric projects. 
&nbsp; 
The two projects are Kishenganga (330 MW on Jhelum tributary) and Ratle (850 MW on Chenab). 
 
&quot;During the talks, both sides stated their views at government level. We hope that the Pakistan side will see reason in our suggestions on the way forward,&quot; he added. 
 
The Indo-Pak meeting came amidst reports that Pakistan has decided to move the Court of Arbitration (CoA) against India for alleged breaches of IWT 1960 by erecting Kishanganga and Ratle Hydropower Projects with objectionable designs. 
 
According to reports, Pakistan fears that if completed, the projects will inflict damage to the water flow to the lower riparian country. 
 
(Reuters)

According to reports, Pakistan fears that if completed, the projects will inflict damage to the water flow to the lower riparian country

India today said it hoped that Pakistan will avail provisions of the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty to amicably resolve matters of mutual concern pertaining to hydro-electric projects and not violate it by rushing to a third forum. Noting that a Pakistan team led by Water and Power secretary visited India recently, Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the visit was in response to India pointing out that Pakistan was violating provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in rushing to a third forum without attempting to avail Treaty provisions for amicably resolving matters of mutual concern pertaining to two hydro- electric projects. The two projects are Kishenganga (330 MW on Jhelum tributary) and Ratle (850 MW on Chenab). "During the talks, both sides stated their views at government level. We hope that the Pakistan side will see reason in our suggestions on the way forward," he added. The Indo-Pak meeting came amidst reports that Pakistan has decided to move the Court of Arbitration (CoA) against India for alleged breaches of IWT 1960 by erecting Kishanganga and Ratle Hydropower Projects with objectionable designs. According to reports, Pakistan fears that if completed, the projects will inflict damage to the water flow to the lower riparian country. (Reuters)

Avail Indus Water Treaty norms to resolve hydro-electric project matter: India tells Pakistan