Asma Nawab spent two decades in jail, wrongfully accused of murdering her family. Finally acquitted, she is seeking a new life, free from whispers and memories, as her plight draws fresh questions over Pakistan's woeful justice system.

Nawab was just 16 years old when someone slit the throats of her parents and only brother during an attempted robbery at their home in Pakistan's chaotic port city of Karachi in 1998.

With the killings dominating headlines, prosecutors pushed for swift justice in a 12-day trial that ended with a death sentence handed to Nawab and her then-fiance.&nbsp

The next 20 years were "very painful", Nawab, now 36, says tearfully.&nbsp

At first the other inmates were sceptical at her protests of innocence, but eventually, she formed a new "family" of women -- some convicted of kidnappings, others of murders.

They supported one another when progress on their cases was poor, or family neglected them.

"We would cry on Eid and other festivals... It was very painful. I would feel it intensely" when relatives failed to visit, she said through sobs. "Only once my uncle came to see me."

Though her trial was speedy, her appeal moved at a glacial speed through Pakistan's creaky justice system.

It was not until 2015 that her lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court, which -- after a three-year hearing -- ordered Nawab released due to lack of evidence last month.

"The verdict of this case was given in 12 days but it took 19 and a half years to dispose of the appeals," her lawyer Javed Chatari told AFP.

Nawab said the acquittal left her stunned. "I really couldn't believe it," she told AFP.

The verdict left her "perplexed", she said, and she struggled to understand what would come next. "How would I face the world after living so long in jail?"

Judicial woes

Stories like Nawab's are common in Pakistan, where the judiciary lacks the capacity to cope with the country's surging population and an expanding case load, resulting in a mammoth backlog.

In 2017 alone, there were more than than 38,000 cases pending in Pakistan's Supreme Court in addition to hundreds of thousands awaiting trial across the judiciary, according to a Human Rights Commission Pakistan report released in April. &nbsp

Rampant corruption in Pakistan's police force also means the wealthy are able to bypass the law, while deep-seated patriarchy means women in particular face an uneven playing field in the justice system.

"Unequal power structures allow for people with advantage -- money or power -- to rise above the law. For the poor, the system is sluggish and sometimes is so weak that it is safe to label it as almost non-existent," said lawyer Benazir Jaoti, who specialises in women's legal and political empowerment in Pakistan.&nbsp

"Within the system, women are one of the groups of people that are significantly disadvantaged, it being a patriarchal society and a patriarchal system."

Even when the system finally comes through, as it did with Nawab's acquittal, that is usually as far as it goes, leaving those whose lives have been dismantled to repair the damage with little or no support.&nbsp

Going home again

Nawab has had little to return to since leaving Karachi's central prison in early April.

With her loved ones dead, her family house was looted then fell into disrepair.

Any potential compensation from the state will take time to process, her lawyer admits, acknowledging there's a high chance she will receive nothing. In the meantime, she is unemployed.

During her first visit back to her humble family home she quietly wept as her lawyer broke the gate's lock with a hammer.

"(The police) left nothing behind," she said after walking through the dilapidated house covered in dust and cobwebs.

"I lost my parents and now I see none of their belongings."&nbsp

Nearly two decades after being convicted, Nawab still holds the media as much as the courts responsible for her treatment, saying she was unfairly portrayed as the culprit in the murders, including in a TV drama based on the case.

Although she has been exonerated, her release has done little to change the public narrative.

Persecution persists, Nawab says, with people in the streets frequently whispering cold remarks when she walks past.&nbsp

"Society will not accept the verdict," agreed Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Farooq, commenting on the case. "She cannot get rid of this stigma as far as society is concerned."

But Nawab says she must move on and has plans to finish her studies and find a job.

She has also vowed to raise awareness for other wrongly imprisoned women. Her lawyer says he will help her set up an NGO to give women like her the support she never had.

"I don't want any other woman to have to endure the ordeal that I lived through," says Nawab.&nbsp

"So I will raise their voices for them."

Nawab was just 16 years old when someone slit the throats of her parents and only brother during an attempted robbery at their home in Pakistan's chaotic port city of Karachi in 1998

Asma Nawab spent two decades in jail, wrongfully accused of murdering her family. Finally acquitted, she is seeking a new life, free from whispers and memories, as her plight draws fresh questions over Pakistan's woeful justice system. Nawab was just 16 years old when someone slit the throats of her parents and only brother during an attempted robbery at their home in Pakistan's chaotic port city of Karachi in 1998. With the killings dominating headlines, prosecutors pushed for swift justice in a 12-day trial that ended with a death sentence handed to Nawab and her then-fiance. The next 20 years were "very painful", Nawab, now 36, says tearfully. At first the other inmates were sceptical at her protests of innocence, but eventually, she formed a new "family" of women -- some convicted of kidnappings, others of murders. They supported one another when progress on their cases was poor, or family neglected them. "We would cry on Eid and other festivals... It was very painful. I would feel it intensely" when relatives failed to visit, she said through sobs. "Only once my uncle came to see me." Though her trial was speedy, her appeal moved at a glacial speed through Pakistan's creaky justice system. It was not until 2015 that her lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court, which -- after a three-year hearing -- ordered Nawab released due to lack of evidence last month. "The verdict of this case was given in 12 days but it took 19 and a half years to dispose of the appeals," her lawyer Javed Chatari told AFP. Nawab said the acquittal left her stunned. "I really couldn't believe it," she told AFP. The verdict left her "perplexed", she said, and she struggled to understand what would come next. "How would I face the world after living so long in jail?" Judicial woes Stories like Nawab's are common in Pakistan, where the judiciary lacks the capacity to cope with the country's surging population and an expanding case load, resulting in a mammoth backlog. In 2017 alone, there were more than than 38,000 cases pending in Pakistan's Supreme Court in addition to hundreds of thousands awaiting trial across the judiciary, according to a Human Rights Commission Pakistan report released in April. Rampant corruption in Pakistan's police force also means the wealthy are able to bypass the law, while deep-seated patriarchy means women in particular face an uneven playing field in the justice system. "Unequal power structures allow for people with advantage -- money or power -- to rise above the law. For the poor, the system is sluggish and sometimes is so weak that it is safe to label it as almost non-existent," said lawyer Benazir Jaoti, who specialises in women's legal and political empowerment in Pakistan. "Within the system, women are one of the groups of people that are significantly disadvantaged, it being a patriarchal society and a patriarchal system." Even when the system finally comes through, as it did with Nawab's acquittal, that is usually as far as it goes, leaving those whose lives have been dismantled to repair the damage with little or no support. Going home again Nawab has had little to return to since leaving Karachi's central prison in early April. With her loved ones dead, her family house was looted then fell into disrepair. Any potential compensation from the state will take time to process, her lawyer admits, acknowledging there's a high chance she will receive nothing. In the meantime, she is unemployed. During her first visit back to her humble family home she quietly wept as her lawyer broke the gate's lock with a hammer. "(The police) left nothing behind," she said after walking through the dilapidated house covered in dust and cobwebs. "I lost my parents and now I see none of their belongings." Nearly two decades after being convicted, Nawab still holds the media as much as the courts responsible for her treatment, saying she was unfairly portrayed as the culprit in the murders, including in a TV drama based on the case. Although she has been exonerated, her release has done little to change the public narrative. Persecution persists, Nawab says, with people in the streets frequently whispering cold remarks when she walks past. "Society will not accept the verdict," agreed Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Farooq, commenting on the case. "She cannot get rid of this stigma as far as society is concerned." But Nawab says she must move on and has plans to finish her studies and find a job. She has also vowed to raise awareness for other wrongly imprisoned women. Her lawyer says he will help her set up an NGO to give women like her the support she never had. "I don't want any other woman to have to endure the ordeal that I lived through," says Nawab. "So I will raise their voices for them."

Wrongful imprisonment sheds light on slow justice in Pakistan

Former diplomat Madhuri Gupta, who had served at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was on Saturday sentenced to three years in jail by a Delhi court which convicted her for passing on sensitive information to Pakistan's ISI.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma gave her the maximum sentence for the offences of spying and wrongful communication of information protected under the law.

Gupta, who was the Second Secretary (Press & Information) at the high commission, was held guilty yesterday under various provisions of the Official Secrets (OS) Act.

She has been granted bail by the court to allow to appeal against the conviction and the sentence.

While convicting her, the court had said that the e-mails "passed on by the accused were categorically sensitive information which could have been useful to the enemy country... And its secrecy was of utmost importance".

Gupta was convicted under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act which attracts a maximum sentence of three years and fine or both.

She was arrested on April 22, 2010, by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly passing on sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed.

She was arrested on April 22, 2010, by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly passing on sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed

Former diplomat Madhuri Gupta, who had served at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was on Saturday sentenced to three years in jail by a Delhi court which convicted her for passing on sensitive information to Pakistan's ISI. Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma gave her the maximum sentence for the offences of spying and wrongful communication of information protected under the law. Gupta, who was the Second Secretary (Press & Information) at the high commission, was held guilty yesterday under various provisions of the Official Secrets (OS) Act. She has been granted bail by the court to allow to appeal against the conviction and the sentence. While convicting her, the court had said that the e-mails "passed on by the accused were categorically sensitive information which could have been useful to the enemy country... And its secrecy was of utmost importance". Gupta was convicted under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act which attracts a maximum sentence of three years and fine or both. She was arrested on April 22, 2010, by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly passing on sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed.

Delhi court awards 3 years jail to ex-diplomat for spying for Pak ISI

At least five of a family, including two children, were killed and two others severely injured in a powerful explosion in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar city on Friday&nbspmorning, police said.

The blast occurred inside a hotel near Bilal Town area of Peshawar.

According to the police, the blast may have been caused by an explosive device or a gas leak.

The blast occurred on the fourth floor of the hotel and all victims belonged to Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Capital City Police (CCPO) Qazi Jamil ur Rehman said, adding that fire engulfed the entire floor after the blast.

He said security forces were looking for evidence to ascertain the cause of the blast.

The Bomb Disposal Squad have also reached the spot, the CCPO added.

The injured are rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital, where their condition was stated to be critical, he said.

The Bomb Disposal Squad have also reached the spot, the CCPO added.

At least five of a family, including two children, were killed and two others severely injured in a powerful explosion in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar city on Friday&nbspmorning, police said. The blast occurred inside a hotel near Bilal Town area of Peshawar. According to the police, the blast may have been caused by an explosive device or a gas leak. The blast occurred on the fourth floor of the hotel and all victims belonged to Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Capital City Police (CCPO) Qazi Jamil ur Rehman said, adding that fire engulfed the entire floor after the blast. He said security forces were looking for evidence to ascertain the cause of the blast. The Bomb Disposal Squad have also reached the spot, the CCPO added. The injured are rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital, where their condition was stated to be critical, he said.

5 killed in Pak blast, gas leak suspected

By: Manish Shukla

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is planning to free several Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists lodged in jails and train them to wage jihad in Jammu and Kashmir, according to intelligence agencies. 
 
The terrorists would be released on the condition that they wage 'holy war' in Kashmir valley, sources in the intelligence agencies said. 
 
As per the report, ISI has set up a new training camp in Nayali forest area in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and as many as 135 terrorists have been handed over to terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad for arms training; some of them are Pakistani Taliban. 
 
The latest intelligence input comes shortly after reports of terror threat on Amarnath Yatra in the Kashmir valley, the home ministry had called a high-level meeting to review security arrangements for the annual pilgrimage, which is scheduled to begin in the month of June. 
 
"We have foolproof security arrangements for Amarnath Yatra. Precise intel input on terror groups helped us eliminate many terrorists in the valley," CRPF director general Rajeev Bhatnagar said. 
 
According to intelligence inputs, Pakistan now trusts JeM and LeT more than Hizbul Mujaheedin. 
 
As per the report, Lashkar-e-Toiba is focussing on recruiting cadres for the terror outfit and to provide for their training. It was involved in setting up a new communication system, utilise safe infiltration routes and launched a monthly online magazine called Wyeth to attract youth. For the operational purpose, LeT has broadly divided Jammu Kashmir state into four zone.

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The terrorists would be released on the condition that they wage 'holy war' in Kashmir valley, according to intelligence inputs.

By: Manish Shukla Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is planning to free several Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists lodged in jails and train them to wage jihad in Jammu and Kashmir, according to intelligence agencies. The terrorists would be released on the condition that they wage 'holy war' in Kashmir valley, sources in the intelligence agencies said. As per the report, ISI has set up a new training camp in Nayali forest area in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and as many as 135 terrorists have been handed over to terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad for arms training; some of them are Pakistani Taliban. The latest intelligence input comes shortly after reports of terror threat on Amarnath Yatra in the Kashmir valley, the home ministry had called a high-level meeting to review security arrangements for the annual pilgrimage, which is scheduled to begin in the month of June. "We have foolproof security arrangements for Amarnath Yatra. Precise intel input on terror groups helped us eliminate many terrorists in the valley," CRPF director general Rajeev Bhatnagar said. According to intelligence inputs, Pakistan now trusts JeM and LeT more than Hizbul Mujaheedin. As per the report, Lashkar-e-Toiba is focussing on recruiting cadres for the terror outfit and to provide for their training. It was involved in setting up a new communication system, utilise safe infiltration routes and launched a monthly online magazine called Wyeth to attract youth. For the operational purpose, LeT has broadly divided Jammu Kashmir state into four zone.

Pakistan plans to free Taliban terrorists for jihad in Jammu and Kashmir: Report

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) South African delegation on Tuesday called on the party leaders of South African Communist Party (SACP) at Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) House here to discuss the persecution of Mohajirs by the armed forces in Pakistan.

The MQM South Africa delegation headed by Mohammed Saleem, member of Central Executive Committee MQM, Rashid Minai, Organiser MQM South Africa, and members of South Africa Central Organising Committee, Nasir Mohammad, Mohammad Khalid, Asad Sheikh and Nadir Mohammad met with, First Deputy General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, Second Deputy General Secretary Chris Matlhako and Ex-officio full-time Central Committee member, Geneva Fourie of SACP.

During the meeting, views were shared regarding the persecution, which had taken place with South African natives during the Apartheid era, and how under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, freedom was obtained.

Comrade Solly felt pained on hearing the news of the Mohajirs facing ongoing victimisation by the state forces of Pakistan, including the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), para-military rangers and police forces.

The MQM South Africa delegates explained the ongoing military-led crackdown which was launched in 2013 against the MQM and its workers, saying how the leader of MQM Altaf Hussain has been the subject of a media blackout, whereby his photos and voice cannot be used across any media throughout Pakistan and labeling Hussain as a traitor and terrorist.

Also, materials regarding the extra-judicial execution of members of MQM, including the party's deputy convener, Professor Dr Hassan Zafar Arif and details of enforced disappearances of MQM members were also handed over.

Comrade Solly was deeply concerned about the victimisation being faced in present times. He added that it reminded him of the Apartheid era, and being labelled a terrorist is nothing new to their movement as Nelson Mandela was also labelled a terrorist throughout his freedom movement.

He also referred to Hussain as "My Leader", and promised his unwavering solidarity and comradeship to Hussain and his millions of followers.

Comrade Solly also informed that the SACP will collectively seek clarification from the representatives of Pakistan based in Johannesburg in regards to the injustices being faced by Hussain, his followers and why till date an inquest has not been launched into the brutal murder of Professor Dr Arif and 22,000 workers and sympathisers of MQM, who have been brutally murdered since 1992.

Comrade Solly and his members had sent a message to Mr Hussain and his millions of followers, "We have fought oppressors under the leadership of our liberation movement headed by the Africa National Congress (ANC) and finally secured democratic victory under our beloved leader and our father President Nelson Mandela. We lost thousands of lives and eventually gained our freedom. Issues such as what the Mohajirs are facing in Pakistan are similar to what we have been through. We assure you of our commitment and will assist in gaining your freedom ".

He and his team assured MQM South Africa of future co-operation, and to ensure that we work together collectively for a common cause.

Comrade Solly was deeply concerned about the victimisation being faced in present times.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) South African delegation on Tuesday called on the party leaders of South African Communist Party (SACP) at Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU) House here to discuss the persecution of Mohajirs by the armed forces in Pakistan. The MQM South Africa delegation headed by Mohammed Saleem, member of Central Executive Committee MQM, Rashid Minai, Organiser MQM South Africa, and members of South Africa Central Organising Committee, Nasir Mohammad, Mohammad Khalid, Asad Sheikh and Nadir Mohammad met with, First Deputy General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, Second Deputy General Secretary Chris Matlhako and Ex-officio full-time Central Committee member, Geneva Fourie of SACP. During the meeting, views were shared regarding the persecution, which had taken place with South African natives during the Apartheid era, and how under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, freedom was obtained. Comrade Solly felt pained on hearing the news of the Mohajirs facing ongoing victimisation by the state forces of Pakistan, including the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), para-military rangers and police forces. The MQM South Africa delegates explained the ongoing military-led crackdown which was launched in 2013 against the MQM and its workers, saying how the leader of MQM Altaf Hussain has been the subject of a media blackout, whereby his photos and voice cannot be used across any media throughout Pakistan and labeling Hussain as a traitor and terrorist. Also, materials regarding the extra-judicial execution of members of MQM, including the party's deputy convener, Professor Dr Hassan Zafar Arif and details of enforced disappearances of MQM members were also handed over. Comrade Solly was deeply concerned about the victimisation being faced in present times. He added that it reminded him of the Apartheid era, and being labelled a terrorist is nothing new to their movement as Nelson Mandela was also labelled a terrorist throughout his freedom movement. He also referred to Hussain as "My Leader", and promised his unwavering solidarity and comradeship to Hussain and his millions of followers. Comrade Solly also informed that the SACP will collectively seek clarification from the representatives of Pakistan based in Johannesburg in regards to the injustices being faced by Hussain, his followers and why till date an inquest has not been launched into the brutal murder of Professor Dr Arif and 22,000 workers and sympathisers of MQM, who have been brutally murdered since 1992. Comrade Solly and his members had sent a message to Mr Hussain and his millions of followers, "We have fought oppressors under the leadership of our liberation movement headed by the Africa National Congress (ANC) and finally secured democratic victory under our beloved leader and our father President Nelson Mandela. We lost thousands of lives and eventually gained our freedom. Issues such as what the Mohajirs are facing in Pakistan are similar to what we have been through. We assure you of our commitment and will assist in gaining your freedom ". He and his team assured MQM South Africa of future co-operation, and to ensure that we work together collectively for a common cause.

MQM delegation meets South African party leaders, discusses Mohajirs' persecution

The new consolidated United Nations Security Council(UNSC) list has 139 entries from Pakistan, a Pak-based daily said.

The list includes Indian national Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, who the report said held "several passports" issued in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

The UN report says Dawood owns a "palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad, Karachi", Pakistan's daily the Dawn reported.

India's another most wanted criminal LeT chief Hafiz Saeed has also been mentioned in the list for terrorist activities.

&nbsp;Haji Mohammed Yahya Mujahid, LeT’s media contact, and Hafiz Saeed’s deputies, Abdul Salaam and Zafar Iqbal, have also been listed, Pakistan daily claimed.

The Dawn said LeT used several aliases including al-Mansoorian, Paasban-i-Kashmir, Paasban-i-Ahle Hadith, Jamaatud Dawa and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation.

The UNSC also has list of "trusts, humanitarian organization and foundations" linked to Pakistani individuals involved in terror, Dawn said, adding that some organizations are based in the restive Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The Dawn said the first person on list is current al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's successor who was killed in a US operation in 2011 at Abbottabad, Pakistan.

According to the UNSC report, Zawahiri is still hiding in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The second on the list is &nbsp;Ramzi Mohammad bin al-Sheibah, a Yemeni national arrested in Pakistan who was later handed over to the US.

India's another most wanted criminal LeT chief Hafiz Saeed has also been mentioned in the list for terrorist activities.

The new consolidated United Nations Security Council(UNSC) list has 139 entries from Pakistan, a Pak-based daily said. The list includes Indian national Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, who the report said held "several passports" issued in Rawalpindi and Karachi. The UN report says Dawood owns a "palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad, Karachi", Pakistan's daily the Dawn reported. India's another most wanted criminal LeT chief Hafiz Saeed has also been mentioned in the list for terrorist activities. Haji Mohammed Yahya Mujahid, LeT’s media contact, and Hafiz Saeed’s deputies, Abdul Salaam and Zafar Iqbal, have also been listed, Pakistan daily claimed. The Dawn said LeT used several aliases including al-Mansoorian, Paasban-i-Kashmir, Paasban-i-Ahle Hadith, Jamaatud Dawa and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation. The UNSC also has list of "trusts, humanitarian organization and foundations" linked to Pakistani individuals involved in terror, Dawn said, adding that some organizations are based in the restive Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Dawn said the first person on list is current al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's successor who was killed in a US operation in 2011 at Abbottabad, Pakistan. According to the UNSC report, Zawahiri is still hiding in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The second on the list is Ramzi Mohammad bin al-Sheibah, a Yemeni national arrested in Pakistan who was later handed over to the US.

UNSC terror list has 139 Pakistan entries: Report

Punjab's counter-intelligence service arrested four people working with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on Tuesday. According to reports, the youths were radicalised by ISI agents on social media and were also involved in pro-Khalistani campaigns on social media.&nbsp;

Punjab Police's intelligence wing made the arrest while the agents were on their way to vandalise a liquor shop.

According to reports, ISI-led youths aimed at propagating a pro-Khalistani Facebook page, ‘Referendum -2020’, during the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.&nbsp;

Reports suggest that 'Referendum 2020' was being popularised in the state by pro-Khalistani elements based in Pakistan and Europe.

According to reports, ISI-led youths aimed at propagating a pro-Khalistani Facebook page ‘Referendum -2020’

Punjab's counter-intelligence service arrested four people working with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on Tuesday. According to reports, the youths were radicalised by ISI agents on social media and were also involved in pro-Khalistani campaigns on social media. Punjab Police's intelligence wing made the arrest while the agents were on their way to vandalise a liquor shop. According to reports, ISI-led youths aimed at propagating a pro-Khalistani Facebook page, ‘Referendum -2020’, during the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. Reports suggest that 'Referendum 2020' was being popularised in the state by pro-Khalistani elements based in Pakistan and Europe.

Punjab Police foils ISI-backed agents' attempt to disrupt IPL: Intelligence sources

Pakistan successfully test-fired indigenously developed Babur submarine-launched Cruise Missile(SLCM), Pakistan's Inter-Services Major General Asif Ghafoor declared.

Babur is capable of "delivering all kinds of payloads", Ghafoor informed on Twitter.

SLCM Babur provides Pakistan "credible second strike capability", augmenting the existing deterrence regime, Ghafoor informed.

"Development of this capability also reflects Pakistan's response to provocative nuclear strategies and posture being pursued in the neighbourhood through induction of nuclear submarines and ship-borne nuclear missiles," the ISPR said.

The test launched was witnessed by director general Strategic Plans Division(SPD), Chairman National Engineered and Scientific Commission(NESCOM) and Commander Naval Strategic Force Command(NFSC)

The missile was successfully fired from an underwater dynamic platform engaging its "target precisely".

Babur is capable of "delivering all kinds of payloads", Ghafoor informed.

Pakistan successfully test-fired indigenously developed Babur submarine-launched Cruise Missile(SLCM), Pakistan's Inter-Services Major General Asif Ghafoor declared. Babur is capable of "delivering all kinds of payloads", Ghafoor informed on Twitter. SLCM Babur provides Pakistan "credible second strike capability", augmenting the existing deterrence regime, Ghafoor informed. "Development of this capability also reflects Pakistan's response to provocative nuclear strategies and posture being pursued in the neighbourhood through induction of nuclear submarines and ship-borne nuclear missiles," the ISPR said. The test launched was witnessed by director general Strategic Plans Division(SPD), Chairman National Engineered and Scientific Commission(NESCOM) and Commander Naval Strategic Force Command(NFSC) The missile was successfully fired from an underwater dynamic platform engaging its "target precisely".

Pakistan successfully test-fires submarine-based cruise missile Babur

Pakistan is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for activists and reporters.

The country's powerful and secretive security establishment, which includes the much feared Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the military, has long used abductions to silence anyone who dares to question or expose their actions, claims Kiran Nazish, an independent journalist covering South Asia and the Middle East, adding that she is of the view that the army is now waging what she calls "a quiet war on journalists".

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, nearly 10,000 people have gone missing in the country since 2001, with nearly 3,000 still unaccounted for. In 2016 alone, there were 728 disappearances.

The HRCP and human rights activists say these numbers are significantly under-reported.

This matters, of course, for ordinary Pakistanis, who can't speak freely about their government. It also affects Pakistani lawmakers, whose ability to craft legislation is hampered by the lack of information, Nazish says in an article that she has written for the website www.vox.com.

According to Nazish, these enforced disappearances have real consequences for the rest of the world as well and recalls US President Donald Trump's first tweet of 2018, when he directly exposed Pakistan's failure to assist Washington in its global war on terror.

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit," he tweeted.

"They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help," he added.

According to Nazish, Trump's tweet speaks of a larger issue i.e. that Pakistan is battling its own war on terror.

"Many parts of the country, including Waziristan, on its porous border with Afghanistan, have turned into safe havens for militants and terror groups. The Pakistani military has been accused of working closely with and even aiding terrorists there. To many, Pakistan is a black hole of information due to the lack of reporting and independent voices on the ground. Not knowing what actually is taking place not only complicates global efforts to counter terrorism but also puts the region and the world at large at risk," she says.

She further asks how will Washington verify Pakistan's cracking down on terrorist groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network before agreeing to revoke the suspension of USD 900 million in security aid to Islamabad.

Nazish opines that Pakistan's intelligence agencies operate like an independent arm of the state

"It's important to note that Pakistan's government, although democratically elected, does not have the power to control or influence the far-reaching and powerful military establishment. Pakistan's intelligence agencies hold so much power that even the police can't touch them. And despite criticism and warnings from international groups and pledges by the government of Pakistan, disappearances seem to be getting worse," she adds.

Pakistan's Commission on Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances received nearly 300 cases of alleged enforced disappearances from August to October 2017, by far the largest number in a three month period in recent years.

And in early 2017, three Pakistani bloggers who were critical of the government disappeared for weeks, without a trace. When they were released, all three described torture and sexual abuse at the hands of Pakistani security personnel.

"Anyone who reports on Balochistan, or terrorism in Pakistan, knows that the military agencies will come after them," Khushal Khan, a research officer at the HRCP, told Nazish.

Waziristan, the restive region on the Western border with Afghanistan, is one of the most under-reported places in the country. There's almost no information that hasn't been vetted or censored by the military going in or out.

The Pakistani military has claimed several times that they have defeated terrorism in this area and forced out the terrorists - but the military refuses to let journalists or NGOs visit the area to verify their claims.

The fact is that anyone who attempts to report on what's happening in Pakistan now runs the risk of disappearing.

"When I was investigating abductions of civilians from Waziristan in 2015, my sources were threatened and told that they "should not speak to journalists," Nazish, a former senior fellow at New America, says.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, nearly 10,000 people have gone missing in the country since 2001, with nearly 3,000 still unaccounted for.

Pakistan is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for activists and reporters. The country's powerful and secretive security establishment, which includes the much feared Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the military, has long used abductions to silence anyone who dares to question or expose their actions, claims Kiran Nazish, an independent journalist covering South Asia and the Middle East, adding that she is of the view that the army is now waging what she calls "a quiet war on journalists". According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, nearly 10,000 people have gone missing in the country since 2001, with nearly 3,000 still unaccounted for. In 2016 alone, there were 728 disappearances. The HRCP and human rights activists say these numbers are significantly under-reported. This matters, of course, for ordinary Pakistanis, who can't speak freely about their government. It also affects Pakistani lawmakers, whose ability to craft legislation is hampered by the lack of information, Nazish says in an article that she has written for the website www.vox.com. According to Nazish, these enforced disappearances have real consequences for the rest of the world as well and recalls US President Donald Trump's first tweet of 2018, when he directly exposed Pakistan's failure to assist Washington in its global war on terror. "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit," he tweeted. "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help," he added. According to Nazish, Trump's tweet speaks of a larger issue i.e. that Pakistan is battling its own war on terror. "Many parts of the country, including Waziristan, on its porous border with Afghanistan, have turned into safe havens for militants and terror groups. The Pakistani military has been accused of working closely with and even aiding terrorists there. To many, Pakistan is a black hole of information due to the lack of reporting and independent voices on the ground. Not knowing what actually is taking place not only complicates global efforts to counter terrorism but also puts the region and the world at large at risk," she says. She further asks how will Washington verify Pakistan's cracking down on terrorist groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network before agreeing to revoke the suspension of USD 900 million in security aid to Islamabad. Nazish opines that Pakistan's intelligence agencies operate like an independent arm of the state "It's important to note that Pakistan's government, although democratically elected, does not have the power to control or influence the far-reaching and powerful military establishment. Pakistan's intelligence agencies hold so much power that even the police can't touch them. And despite criticism and warnings from international groups and pledges by the government of Pakistan, disappearances seem to be getting worse," she adds. Pakistan's Commission on Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances received nearly 300 cases of alleged enforced disappearances from August to October 2017, by far the largest number in a three month period in recent years. And in early 2017, three Pakistani bloggers who were critical of the government disappeared for weeks, without a trace. When they were released, all three described torture and sexual abuse at the hands of Pakistani security personnel. "Anyone who reports on Balochistan, or terrorism in Pakistan, knows that the military agencies will come after them," Khushal Khan, a research officer at the HRCP, told Nazish. Waziristan, the restive region on the Western border with Afghanistan, is one of the most under-reported places in the country. There's almost no information that hasn't been vetted or censored by the military going in or out. The Pakistani military has claimed several times that they have defeated terrorism in this area and forced out the terrorists - but the military refuses to let journalists or NGOs visit the area to verify their claims. The fact is that anyone who attempts to report on what's happening in Pakistan now runs the risk of disappearing. "When I was investigating abductions of civilians from Waziristan in 2015, my sources were threatened and told that they "should not speak to journalists," Nazish, a former senior fellow at New America, says.

Pakistan's military, ISI waging 'quiet war' against journalists, activists: Expert 

Pakistan Army said today that Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was not against the 18th amendment but simply wants to ensure the provinces are capable of making the decisions as it clarified that if a 'Bajwa doctrine' exists its scope is limited to security measures only.

The landmark 18th amendment that has lent greater autonomy to the provinces was passed unanimously by parliament with all major political parties on board.

"Every army chief has their own perspective and General Bajwa's is to promote peace which existed in the past. That is what the Bajwa doctrine is," Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said while addressing a press conference.

Gen Bajwa recently met a group of journalists and explained his doctrine which was being seen as a template for bringing peace and security to Pakistan and the region.

Ghafoor said the army chief's views in his informal meeting with journalists may have been misrepresented by some.

"There was a lot of talk about the 18th Amendment," he said. "The army chief never said that as a whole 18th Amendment is not good amendments are brought because the Constitution remained incomplete in certain aspects."

Ghafoor said that the army supports empowerment of provinces and rejected the idea that Gen Bajwa expressed desire to undo delegation of powers to province by the previous government.

He also said that Pakistan was committed to complete multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which will benefit the entire region.

"We wish for CPEC to be successful. It will bring prosperity to the whole region. If India sees it as a threat, it (such thinking) will negatively affect the region. If our contributions are seen as negative, this will affect the region's stability," he said.

Ghafoor said Pakistan was sending troops to Saudi Arabia under the bilateral security agreement of 1982 to help in "training and advise" the Saudi government to maintain internal stability.

Ghafoor said that the army supports empowerment of provinces and rejected the idea that Gen Bajwa expressed desire to undo delegation of powers to province by the previous government.

Pakistan Army said today that Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was not against the 18th amendment but simply wants to ensure the provinces are capable of making the decisions as it clarified that if a 'Bajwa doctrine' exists its scope is limited to security measures only. The landmark 18th amendment that has lent greater autonomy to the provinces was passed unanimously by parliament with all major political parties on board. "Every army chief has their own perspective and General Bajwa's is to promote peace which existed in the past. That is what the Bajwa doctrine is," Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said while addressing a press conference. Gen Bajwa recently met a group of journalists and explained his doctrine which was being seen as a template for bringing peace and security to Pakistan and the region. Ghafoor said the army chief's views in his informal meeting with journalists may have been misrepresented by some. "There was a lot of talk about the 18th Amendment," he said. "The army chief never said that as a whole 18th Amendment is not good amendments are brought because the Constitution remained incomplete in certain aspects." Ghafoor said that the army supports empowerment of provinces and rejected the idea that Gen Bajwa expressed desire to undo delegation of powers to province by the previous government. He also said that Pakistan was committed to complete multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which will benefit the entire region. "We wish for CPEC to be successful. It will bring prosperity to the whole region. If India sees it as a threat, it (such thinking) will negatively affect the region. If our contributions are seen as negative, this will affect the region's stability," he said. Ghafoor said Pakistan was sending troops to Saudi Arabia under the bilateral security agreement of 1982 to help in "training and advise" the Saudi government to maintain internal stability.

'Bajwa doctrine' exists for security measures only: Pak Army

Responding on the treason case registered against him in Karachi on Wednesday, former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani said that it was an attempt to &#39;harass&#39; and &#39;silence&#39; a dissident voice that questions wrong policies.

&quot;It seems to be Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)&#39;s Standard Operating Procedure to file multiple cases in multiple locations to generate local media activity. It is absurd to say that I have committed treason by expressing my opinions in TV interviews, as the latest case says. Outside the propaganda bubble in Pakistan, this will be seen for what it is: an attempt to harass and silence a dissident voice that questions questionable policies,&quot; Haqqani said, in a statement.

&quot;I thank the ISI and its various henchmen for making it obvious to the world that their authoritarian mind cannot countenance dissent and disagreement,&quot; he added.

An FIR was registered against Haqqani for allegedly causing harm to the national security in Karachi&#39;s Perredy Police Station on Wednesday on the complaint of advocate Molvi Iqbal Haider.

The FIR stated that the former envoy to the US made anti-state remarks during recent interviews with television talks shows in the US.

An FIR was registered against Haqqani for allegedly causing harm to the national security in Karachi's Perredy Police Station on Wednesday on the complaint of advocate Molvi Iqbal Haider

Responding on the treason case registered against him in Karachi on Wednesday, former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani said that it was an attempt to 'harass' and 'silence' a dissident voice that questions wrong policies. "It seems to be Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)'s Standard Operating Procedure to file multiple cases in multiple locations to generate local media activity. It is absurd to say that I have committed treason by expressing my opinions in TV interviews, as the latest case says. Outside the propaganda bubble in Pakistan, this will be seen for what it is: an attempt to harass and silence a dissident voice that questions questionable policies," Haqqani said, in a statement. "I thank the ISI and its various henchmen for making it obvious to the world that their authoritarian mind cannot countenance dissent and disagreement," he added. An FIR was registered against Haqqani for allegedly causing harm to the national security in Karachi's Perredy Police Station on Wednesday on the complaint of advocate Molvi Iqbal Haider. The FIR stated that the former envoy to the US made anti-state remarks during recent interviews with television talks shows in the US.

Former Pakistan Ambassador to US rubbishes reports of treason case registered against him

India stands vindicated.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference held from February 16 to 18, Pakistan&#39;s Army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa confirmed just what New Delhi has been pointing to all along&nbsp;that Pakistan trains, sponsors, arms and deploys terrorists against any country that qualifies as a - &quot;tyrant&#39;&#39; in its own rule-book. &nbsp;

The General began his speech with a disarming admission: that he was a military man and not a glib-tongued politician. But perhaps the blunt and direct army general could have done with a better speech-writer, for his own attempt to explain &#39;&#39;jihad&quot; - a mysterious concept to the most intrepid scholars of the Qu&#39;ran - had the audience gaping and viewers in India chortling.

General Bajwa tried to explain as far as Pakistan&#39;s government, its armed forces and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are concerned, there are two kinds of terrorists, good and bad. He painted his own country as the victim of the &#39;bad&#39;variety: terrrorism emanating from Afghanistan on its western border. &nbsp;He didn&#39;t name India but through his speech, General Bajwa made it amply clear that Islamabad supports the &quot;good&#39;&#39; variety of terrorism if it is against any country it considers oppressive.

&quot;Let me say at the outset that &#39;jehadism&#39; is a misnomer,&quot; the General declared. &quot;Jihad is a highly evolved concept that underlines myriad struggles against tyranny of all types. Muslims are taught that self-control is the most elevated form of jihad.&quot;&nbsp;

The General even invoked the Holy Prophet in his attempt to explain one of the most intriguing aspects of the holy book of Islam: &nbsp;&quot;There is also a saying by the holy Prophet - peace be upon him - that the best jihad is the word of truth in the face of a tyrant ruler.&quot;

Warming up to his subject, General Bajwa moved on to armed terrorism and ended up - inadvertently or not - justified its use by the &#39;state&#39;.

&quot;On the other hand, qataal &nbsp;(conflict in Arabic), an aspect of armed jihad, comes at the lowest end of the spectrum of actions and beliefs that comprise the concept of jihad, that can only be sanctioned by a state authority and nobody else.&quot;&nbsp;

Through his speech, General Bajwa effectively put the stamp of official approval on the deaths of hundreds&nbsp;of innocent civilians and armymen in India. Pakistani terror groups Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed both target India. &nbsp;They were behind the attacks on India&rsquo;s parliament and the 26/11 carnage in Mumbai in 2001 and 2008 respectively and - for dozens of strikes on both India&rsquo;s armed forces and civilians for decades.

General Bajwa practically admitted that his army, the ISI and the government of Pakistan have supported, armed, trained and sneaked terrorists into India and &ndash; continue to do so. When any Pakistani talks of a country it considers &quot;tyrannical&rsquo;&rsquo;,&nbsp;guessing its identity is a no-brainer.

There were some candid moments in the speech too: the admission that the Afghan jehadi was Pakistan&rsquo;s own doing too. &nbsp;The General admits that jihad was fed to the minds in an exercise undertaken primarily by the West and &ndash; that Pakistan was an accomplice.

&ldquo;This phenomenon (terrorism) is not a recent creation or (something that) started after 9/11,&rsquo;&rsquo; the General mused. &ldquo;The Frankenstein was actually created by the free world with willing but myopic cooperation on our side, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.&rdquo;

The Army Chief&rsquo;s regret at creating a monster in the laboratory of death may be genuine. But he was still bent on emphasizing that there is a difference &ndash; between terrorism and jihad. &nbsp;&ldquo;Large numbers of people are radicalized, armed and empowered politically and ideologically. They cannot be wished away just because we don&rsquo;t like them anymore.&rdquo;

He also prepared the ground by warning the world that it was not going to see the end of terrorism on Pakistani soil just yet.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Please note, we are harvesting what we sowed 40 years back. So, it will be a while before this scourge is eliminated from our territory. But first, let us stop calling it jihadism as it is nothing but terrorism.&rdquo;

The most startling admission came towards the end of General Bajwa&rsquo;s brief speech, when he described his country&rsquo;s &ldquo;National Action Plan&rdquo; to fight terrorism.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Most recently, 1854 eminent Pakistani religious scholars representing all schools of thought within Islam teamed up to issue a resounding &lsquo;fatwa&rsquo; against violence, extremism and terrorism in the name of religion,&rdquo; he disclosed.

But after outlining what the plan contains, he said the initiative is referred to in a special way. And what is that?

&ldquo;Called the &quot;key message of Pakistan&rsquo;&rsquo;, it (the plan) bans suicide bombing and jihad &nbsp;- other than the one sanctioned by the state,&rdquo; General Bajwa said.

There you have it. &nbsp;In the corollary, the Chief of Pakistan&rsquo;s army admits that his state, his army and his ISI do sanction terrorism - including sending young, drugged men wearing explosives to their deaths as fidayeen, or suicide bombers. &nbsp;

There can hardly be more damning evidence than General Bajwa&rsquo;s speech at the Munich Conference. Of the fact that when it comes to terrorism to suit its own goals and purposes, the &#39;state&#39;of Pakistan condones and &lsquo;sanctions&rsquo; killing &ndash; including and especially in India.

Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa said jihad is the "truth"

India stands vindicated. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference held from February 16 to 18, Pakistan's Army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa confirmed just what New Delhi has been pointing to all along that Pakistan trains, sponsors, arms and deploys terrorists against any country that qualifies as a - "tyrant'' in its own rule-book. The General began his speech with a disarming admission: that he was a military man and not a glib-tongued politician. But perhaps the blunt and direct army general could have done with a better speech-writer, for his own attempt to explain ''jihad" - a mysterious concept to the most intrepid scholars of the Qu'ran - had the audience gaping and viewers in India chortling. General Bajwa tried to explain as far as Pakistan's government, its armed forces and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are concerned, there are two kinds of terrorists, good and bad. He painted his own country as the victim of the 'bad'variety: terrrorism emanating from Afghanistan on its western border. He didn't name India but through his speech, General Bajwa made it amply clear that Islamabad supports the "good'' variety of terrorism if it is against any country it considers oppressive. "Let me say at the outset that 'jehadism' is a misnomer," the General declared. "Jihad is a highly evolved concept that underlines myriad struggles against tyranny of all types. Muslims are taught that self-control is the most elevated form of jihad." The General even invoked the Holy Prophet in his attempt to explain one of the most intriguing aspects of the holy book of Islam: "There is also a saying by the holy Prophet - peace be upon him - that the best jihad is the word of truth in the face of a tyrant ruler." Warming up to his subject, General Bajwa moved on to armed terrorism and ended up - inadvertently or not - justified its use by the 'state'. "On the other hand, qataal (conflict in Arabic), an aspect of armed jihad, comes at the lowest end of the spectrum of actions and beliefs that comprise the concept of jihad, that can only be sanctioned by a state authority and nobody else." Through his speech, General Bajwa effectively put the stamp of official approval on the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians and armymen in India. Pakistani terror groups Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed both target India. They were behind the attacks on India’s parliament and the 26/11 carnage in Mumbai in 2001 and 2008 respectively and - for dozens of strikes on both India’s armed forces and civilians for decades. General Bajwa practically admitted that his army, the ISI and the government of Pakistan have supported, armed, trained and sneaked terrorists into India and – continue to do so. When any Pakistani talks of a country it considers "tyrannical’’, guessing its identity is a no-brainer. There were some candid moments in the speech too: the admission that the Afghan jehadi was Pakistan’s own doing too. The General admits that jihad was fed to the minds in an exercise undertaken primarily by the West and – that Pakistan was an accomplice. “This phenomenon (terrorism) is not a recent creation or (something that) started after 9/11,’’ the General mused. “The Frankenstein was actually created by the free world with willing but myopic cooperation on our side, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.” The Army Chief’s regret at creating a monster in the laboratory of death may be genuine. But he was still bent on emphasizing that there is a difference – between terrorism and jihad. “Large numbers of people are radicalized, armed and empowered politically and ideologically. They cannot be wished away just because we don’t like them anymore.” He also prepared the ground by warning the world that it was not going to see the end of terrorism on Pakistani soil just yet. “Please note, we are harvesting what we sowed 40 years back. So, it will be a while before this scourge is eliminated from our territory. But first, let us stop calling it jihadism as it is nothing but terrorism.” The most startling admission came towards the end of General Bajwa’s brief speech, when he described his country’s “National Action Plan” to fight terrorism. “Most recently, 1854 eminent Pakistani religious scholars representing all schools of thought within Islam teamed up to issue a resounding ‘fatwa’ against violence, extremism and terrorism in the name of religion,” he disclosed. But after outlining what the plan contains, he said the initiative is referred to in a special way. And what is that? “Called the "key message of Pakistan’’, it (the plan) bans suicide bombing and jihad - other than the one sanctioned by the state,” General Bajwa said. There you have it. In the corollary, the Chief of Pakistan’s army admits that his state, his army and his ISI do sanction terrorism - including sending young, drugged men wearing explosives to their deaths as fidayeen, or suicide bombers. There can hardly be more damning evidence than General Bajwa’s speech at the Munich Conference. Of the fact that when it comes to terrorism to suit its own goals and purposes, the 'state'of Pakistan condones and ‘sanctions’ killing – including and especially in India.

There are two kinds of terrorists, good and bad, says Pakistan Army chief Bajwa at Munich conference

India&#39;s two-nuclear powered neighbours are in news again. General Bipin Rawat, the Indian Army Chief, gave a statement that India is capable of calling Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear bluff. The statement was a generalised one but was taken very seriously by not only the political leadership of Pakistan but also their Army.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan had been threatening India with its nukes all the time. Their leaders start giving statements that Pakistan is a nuclear-powered nation and India should not mess up with it. To understand the reality, we must know the truth and myths behind Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear capabilities.

&nbsp;

A nation does not become nuclear empowered just by testing a few warheads under standard testing conditions. It needs a robust Nuclear doctrine and reliable mechanism for the delivery of these warheads to the right place in the enemy&rsquo;s territory.&nbsp; Any nuclear-powered country would need land, sea or aerial means to deliver these weapons. This translates into possession of land and sea-based missiles, including aircrafts modified with suitable missile systems to launch the weapons and locating them at a place which cannot be detected easily.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It is well known that in any war, the locations of these strike capabilities are targeted first, creating decoys and preparing for contingencies is a critical factor. In the case of Pakistan, we can be sure that the country will take, at least, few days to assemble its nukes for an attack and that will be too late.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

At present, in addition to the ballistic missiles, the only second method of delivery Pakistan has is through its aircrafts, for instance, few F-16s and J-17 can deliver them through toss bombing. But for such daring operations, and that too in the absence of a nuclear-powered Air to Surface Missile, these aircrafts have to come closer to Indian targets. In the current scenario, that does not look possible. This is mainly due to the technical superiority of Indian Forces in terms of Radar surveillance and possible situation of air superiority in the initial phase of war itself.

&nbsp;

Further, if we take the examples of its missiles, there are serious doubts about the so-called nuclear deliverables of Pakistan. While Pakistan tested its various missiles over the last two decades, the operational status of them is still not very clear.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

If we take the medium and long-range missiles, Ghauri series of missiles are liquid fuel-based and their readiness time is very high, while Ababeel and Shaheen series are not yet operational. Abdali and Ghaznavi are only capable of carrying conventional warheads. Nasr as well as Babur are operational but has a payload capacity of lesser than 500 Kgs and it can carry only tactical warheads of 10-30 kilotons. Out of these, operational versions of Babur have a range of about 400-450Kms while Nasr is just 60-80Kms. While Nasr can be used in the initial stages of war due to its limited range, the operational number of Babur Missile is very less due to import of some of its critical components from China. All of these are land-based missiles and there is no operational missile with Pakistan, which can be launched from the sea or air-based platforms, leaving the country with very few options.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There are other things also which matter for a nuclear strike and these are pertaining to availability and readiness of nuclear warheads. These things include: safeguarding its triggers, devices and pits (Uranium or Plutonium fuel for the warhead) which any country keeps in partially dis-assembled storages at various locations across the country. How can they be made available in a ready form in minimum possible time is an important concern.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

So far, in case of Pakistan, important things are still in the hands of its scientists under Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA); very little is known about the operationalisation or availability with Defence forces in the form of ready to launch warheads.&nbsp;

Not only this, the country needs a robust communication mechanism which works on a diverse mechanism of Radio, Satellite and other communication links. These are required to pass the concerned nuclear code and directions from the top leaders to the missile launch sites. In case of Pakistan, these instructions will come from NCA (National Command Authority) and Strategic Planning Division (SPD).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the absence of any communication satellite of Pakistan, the country relies only on radio and line communications for the passage of this information which will be the first to be jammed or destroyed in the scenario of a war. Pakistan can claim that they can take help of Chinese satellites or their communication tools but relying on these satellites is like handing over the control of Nukes to China itself.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

When we talk about the safeguarding the nuclear assets, Pakistan is a unique nation where the differentiation between the country&rsquo;s loyal forces and terrorists is very negligible. This was evident from the active involvement of a large number of Pakistani Naval officers on PNS Zulfiqar in September 2014 which was later claimed by ISIS. Imagine any such vessel loaded with nuclear warheads comes under control of the terrorists, what would be the outcome?

&nbsp;

The past terror incidents have been horrible when Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra was attacked not once but twice in 2007 and 2009. The General Headquarters at Rawalpindi was attacked in 2009 and was kept in seize for several hours. In May 2011, the Mehran Base at Karachi which is known to stock nuclear weapons in its vicinity was attacked too. In 2012, Peshawar airbase was attacked too.

&nbsp;

In the wake of ISIS looking for alternative territories for its operations, Pakistan is an ideal location and the possibilities of its nukes going into the hands of terrorists very high.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

While Pakistan tested its various missiles over the last two decades, the operational status of them is still not very clear.

India's two-nuclear powered neighbours are in news again. General Bipin Rawat, the Indian Army Chief, gave a statement that India is capable of calling Pakistan’s nuclear bluff. The statement was a generalised one but was taken very seriously by not only the political leadership of Pakistan but also their Army. Pakistan had been threatening India with its nukes all the time. Their leaders start giving statements that Pakistan is a nuclear-powered nation and India should not mess up with it. To understand the reality, we must know the truth and myths behind Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities. A nation does not become nuclear empowered just by testing a few warheads under standard testing conditions. It needs a robust Nuclear doctrine and reliable mechanism for the delivery of these warheads to the right place in the enemy’s territory. Any nuclear-powered country would need land, sea or aerial means to deliver these weapons. This translates into possession of land and sea-based missiles, including aircrafts modified with suitable missile systems to launch the weapons and locating them at a place which cannot be detected easily. It is well known that in any war, the locations of these strike capabilities are targeted first, creating decoys and preparing for contingencies is a critical factor. In the case of Pakistan, we can be sure that the country will take, at least, few days to assemble its nukes for an attack and that will be too late. At present, in addition to the ballistic missiles, the only second method of delivery Pakistan has is through its aircrafts, for instance, few F-16s and J-17 can deliver them through toss bombing. But for such daring operations, and that too in the absence of a nuclear-powered Air to Surface Missile, these aircrafts have to come closer to Indian targets. In the current scenario, that does not look possible. This is mainly due to the technical superiority of Indian Forces in terms of Radar surveillance and possible situation of air superiority in the initial phase of war itself. Further, if we take the examples of its missiles, there are serious doubts about the so-called nuclear deliverables of Pakistan. While Pakistan tested its various missiles over the last two decades, the operational status of them is still not very clear. If we take the medium and long-range missiles, Ghauri series of missiles are liquid fuel-based and their readiness time is very high, while Ababeel and Shaheen series are not yet operational. Abdali and Ghaznavi are only capable of carrying conventional warheads. Nasr as well as Babur are operational but has a payload capacity of lesser than 500 Kgs and it can carry only tactical warheads of 10-30 kilotons. Out of these, operational versions of Babur have a range of about 400-450Kms while Nasr is just 60-80Kms. While Nasr can be used in the initial stages of war due to its limited range, the operational number of Babur Missile is very less due to import of some of its critical components from China. All of these are land-based missiles and there is no operational missile with Pakistan, which can be launched from the sea or air-based platforms, leaving the country with very few options. There are other things also which matter for a nuclear strike and these are pertaining to availability and readiness of nuclear warheads. These things include: safeguarding its triggers, devices and pits (Uranium or Plutonium fuel for the warhead) which any country keeps in partially dis-assembled storages at various locations across the country. How can they be made available in a ready form in minimum possible time is an important concern. So far, in case of Pakistan, important things are still in the hands of its scientists under Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA); very little is known about the operationalisation or availability with Defence forces in the form of ready to launch warheads. Not only this, the country needs a robust communication mechanism which works on a diverse mechanism of Radio, Satellite and other communication links. These are required to pass the concerned nuclear code and directions from the top leaders to the missile launch sites. In case of Pakistan, these instructions will come from NCA (National Command Authority) and Strategic Planning Division (SPD). In the absence of any communication satellite of Pakistan, the country relies only on radio and line communications for the passage of this information which will be the first to be jammed or destroyed in the scenario of a war. Pakistan can claim that they can take help of Chinese satellites or their communication tools but relying on these satellites is like handing over the control of Nukes to China itself. When we talk about the safeguarding the nuclear assets, Pakistan is a unique nation where the differentiation between the country’s loyal forces and terrorists is very negligible. This was evident from the active involvement of a large number of Pakistani Naval officers on PNS Zulfiqar in September 2014 which was later claimed by ISIS. Imagine any such vessel loaded with nuclear warheads comes under control of the terrorists, what would be the outcome? The past terror incidents have been horrible when Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra was attacked not once but twice in 2007 and 2009. The General Headquarters at Rawalpindi was attacked in 2009 and was kept in seize for several hours. In May 2011, the Mehran Base at Karachi which is known to stock nuclear weapons in its vicinity was attacked too. In 2012, Peshawar airbase was attacked too. In the wake of ISIS looking for alternative territories for its operations, Pakistan is an ideal location and the possibilities of its nukes going into the hands of terrorists very high. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Is Pakistan telling the truth about its nuclear weapons?

&nbsp;I have been watching the news on WION, that their journalist Taha Siddiqui was attacked while travelling to the airport, by a group of 10-12 armed men, speaking in clipped English. Is there something newsy in this?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Being an avid Pak watcher, to my mind, none at all.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Let us see how &amp; why the Pakistan establishment is so malevolent to the media and more so to Indians.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pakistan was born in a hail of gunfire and extreme hatred. This set the trend for its animus relations with India, which have only deteriorated with each passing year. Four watersheds in the tumultuous Indo-Pak relationships have been the 1947 invasion of Kashmir, the 1965 conflict, the 1971 war and the Kargil fiasco. In each encounter with India, Pak has come out the worst, increasing its bitterness towards India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As far as the Pakistan media is concerned, it perhaps is the only organisation that is revealing the true state of affairs in the country, and putting their military on the mat.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;I vividly recall an incident at Bogra (East Pakistan) on 17 December 1971, where I witnessed the surrender of Pak troops; the Pakistani Colonel was in tears at the humiliation suffered by his military. Rather than introspect and see that this defeat was of their own making, they blamed India for splitting their country. &ldquo;Be prepared&rdquo;, the Colonel warned, &ldquo;we will avenge this humiliation. India will pay the penalty for this treachery in the years ahead&rdquo;. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Another incident which is etched in my memory happened in 1993 during my tenure as Defence Attache with our Embassy in Riyadh.&nbsp; At a social function where many Pakistani military officers were present, I casually remarked, &ldquo;there is no difference between our cultures &ndash; we have the same dresses, the same eating habits, and acquired the same training prior to independence&rdquo;. The vitriolic and vehement rejoinder by a Brigadier was, &ldquo;there is nothing common &ndash; we come from a different and militarily superior race, we profess an entirely different religious group, and culturally we are as different as tea &amp; milk.&quot;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Who attacked Taha? It could be any of the numerous agencies that work for the Pak establishment, but most likely the FSB (Filed Security Bureau) &ndash; this latter agency is notorious for intimidating foreigners, and certainly the Indians. Even visitors with a valid visa are regularly tailed and sometimes picked up, and jailed. Journalists, both local &amp; foreign, are fair game, and one may recall at least four instances in 2017 alone, where Human Right activists and journalists have vanished.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Then there was the case of the senior GEO TV journalist who was waylaid, and narrowly escaped being killed. Actually, the Pak State and the Military-ISI combine have given some sort of unspoken license to any agency be it the FSB, FIU (Field Intelligence Unit), the Police, and even average citizens to taunt and humiliate Indians, since the state is powerless to confront the Indian state. This is the coward&rsquo;s way of taking revenge. These &lsquo;deep state&rsquo; elements are now all powerful.

&nbsp;

First, there was the famous case of the American-Israeli journalist, Daniel Pearl, who was abducted in Karachi and later beheaded. Then in Lahore in January 2011, Raymond Allen Davis, a former United States Army soldier, and contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency was confronted by unidentified armed men in a busy market area. Davis fired, killing his assailants but was caught and jailed despite his professed diplomatic immunity. Davis was charged by Pakistani authorities with double murder and the illegal possession of a firearm. Because of American influence, Davis, managed to escape punishment for killing the two certainly Pak Government agents. Judges acquitted him on all charges and Davis immediately departed Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Several years earlier an Indian diplomat, Rajesh Mittal, was roughed up by unidentified people, leading to a deadlock in Indo-Pak relationships. Then there was a case of an Indian diplomat and his wife being subjected to a high-speed car chase by Pakistani &lsquo;deep state&rsquo; goons &ndash; a chase during which the diplomat&#39;s car was struck, repeatedly, from by behind. This blatant disregard of international provisions and norms of decent behavior, by euphemistically called &lsquo;unidentified men&rdquo;, is nothing but action by Pak government agents, supported and abetted by the ISI&rsquo;s &lsquo;deep state&rsquo; system.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;All this is happening despite the threat of &lsquo;quid pro quo&rsquo; retaliation that the Indian state could resort to. The only persons with whom these &lsquo;deep state&rsquo; actors do not mess with are the Defence officers posted in the Indian Embassy in Islamabad &ndash; even the ISI realises that this &lsquo;red line&rsquo; must never be crossed, lest their officials in the Pak High Commission New Delhi, are paid back in the same coin.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

We have to wait and see how sternly the Indian government views Taha Siddiqui&rsquo;s case &ndash; yet another protest lodged with the Pak Foreign Office will be meaningless, as have been hundreds of others. The Indian government too needs to step in &ndash; coming as it does on the heels of the humiliating treatment meted out to Kulbushan Yadav&rsquo;s family.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Taha Siddiqui episode clearly demonstrates the impunity with which these agencies are operating. Our soft approach will only embolden them further. An attack on India&rsquo;s Fifth Estate is a virtual attack on the state itself.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Filed Security Bureau and Field Intelligence Unit of Pakistan could possibly be responsible for the assault on Taha Siddiqui.

I have been watching the news on WION, that their journalist Taha Siddiqui was attacked while travelling to the airport, by a group of 10-12 armed men, speaking in clipped English. Is there something newsy in this? Being an avid Pak watcher, to my mind, none at all. Let us see how & why the Pakistan establishment is so malevolent to the media and more so to Indians. Pakistan was born in a hail of gunfire and extreme hatred. This set the trend for its animus relations with India, which have only deteriorated with each passing year. Four watersheds in the tumultuous Indo-Pak relationships have been the 1947 invasion of Kashmir, the 1965 conflict, the 1971 war and the Kargil fiasco. In each encounter with India, Pak has come out the worst, increasing its bitterness towards India. As far as the Pakistan media is concerned, it perhaps is the only organisation that is revealing the true state of affairs in the country, and putting their military on the mat. I vividly recall an incident at Bogra (East Pakistan) on 17 December 1971, where I witnessed the surrender of Pak troops; the Pakistani Colonel was in tears at the humiliation suffered by his military. Rather than introspect and see that this defeat was of their own making, they blamed India for splitting their country. “Be prepared”, the Colonel warned, “we will avenge this humiliation. India will pay the penalty for this treachery in the years ahead”. Another incident which is etched in my memory happened in 1993 during my tenure as Defence Attache with our Embassy in Riyadh. At a social function where many Pakistani military officers were present, I casually remarked, “there is no difference between our cultures – we have the same dresses, the same eating habits, and acquired the same training prior to independence”. The vitriolic and vehement rejoinder by a Brigadier was, “there is nothing common – we come from a different and militarily superior race, we profess an entirely different religious group, and culturally we are as different as tea & milk." Who attacked Taha? It could be any of the numerous agencies that work for the Pak establishment, but most likely the FSB (Filed Security Bureau) – this latter agency is notorious for intimidating foreigners, and certainly the Indians. Even visitors with a valid visa are regularly tailed and sometimes picked up, and jailed. Journalists, both local & foreign, are fair game, and one may recall at least four instances in 2017 alone, where Human Right activists and journalists have vanished. Then there was the case of the senior GEO TV journalist who was waylaid, and narrowly escaped being killed. Actually, the Pak State and the Military-ISI combine have given some sort of unspoken license to any agency be it the FSB, FIU (Field Intelligence Unit), the Police, and even average citizens to taunt and humiliate Indians, since the state is powerless to confront the Indian state. This is the coward’s way of taking revenge. These ‘deep state’ elements are now all powerful. First, there was the famous case of the American-Israeli journalist, Daniel Pearl, who was abducted in Karachi and later beheaded. Then in Lahore in January 2011, Raymond Allen Davis, a former United States Army soldier, and contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency was confronted by unidentified armed men in a busy market area. Davis fired, killing his assailants but was caught and jailed despite his professed diplomatic immunity. Davis was charged by Pakistani authorities with double murder and the illegal possession of a firearm. Because of American influence, Davis, managed to escape punishment for killing the two certainly Pak Government agents. Judges acquitted him on all charges and Davis immediately departed Pakistan. Several years earlier an Indian diplomat, Rajesh Mittal, was roughed up by unidentified people, leading to a deadlock in Indo-Pak relationships. Then there was a case of an Indian diplomat and his wife being subjected to a high-speed car chase by Pakistani ‘deep state’ goons – a chase during which the diplomat's car was struck, repeatedly, from by behind. This blatant disregard of international provisions and norms of decent behavior, by euphemistically called ‘unidentified men”, is nothing but action by Pak government agents, supported and abetted by the ISI’s ‘deep state’ system. All this is happening despite the threat of ‘quid pro quo’ retaliation that the Indian state could resort to. The only persons with whom these ‘deep state’ actors do not mess with are the Defence officers posted in the Indian Embassy in Islamabad – even the ISI realises that this ‘red line’ must never be crossed, lest their officials in the Pak High Commission New Delhi, are paid back in the same coin. We have to wait and see how sternly the Indian government views Taha Siddiqui’s case – yet another protest lodged with the Pak Foreign Office will be meaningless, as have been hundreds of others. The Indian government too needs to step in – coming as it does on the heels of the humiliating treatment meted out to Kulbushan Yadav’s family. Taha Siddiqui episode clearly demonstrates the impunity with which these agencies are operating. Our soft approach will only embolden them further. An attack on India’s Fifth Estate is a virtual attack on the state itself. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Attack on Taha Siddiqui is proof of Pak hatred for India

&nbsp;Soon after the start of the cold war, the US was looking for someone who can help him in Central Asia and, especially, in the mountainous country of Afghanistan which had become a playground for the mighty Soviet forces. India being the trusted ally of USSR was ruled out and, hence, the natural selection of an adversary of India was imminent. Pakistan became an ally and launch pad for US actions towards the USSR.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan to create a properly trained group of Mujahidin in Afghanistan started Operation Cyclone in 1978. Running under the Reagan Doctrine, this program recruited almost 100,000 highly trained Afghan guerrillas to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. As per unofficial inputs, Pakistan was paid aid, military equipment and cash worth almost 20 billion Dollars at that time.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Soon after the US started its intervention in Iraq, the Mujahidin aligned against it under the leadership of Osama bin Laden and declared war which resulted in 9/11. It was the money, training and military equipment, given by the US to these forces, which came to be used against America. Overnight, Osama Bin Laden and Jalaluddin Haqqani who were the trusted ally of CIA became enemies.

&nbsp;

Once again, America needed an ally for war against so-called terror in Afghanistan, and there was none except Pakistan. In subsequent years till 2017, almost 33 billion US Dollars were given to Pakistan in direct or indirect aid. Since Pakistan, because of its hatred for India, is totally aligned in creating a frontier against India, most of this assistance was used in procurement of weapons and military equipment for its Army. Pakistani leaders, especially, General Parvez Musharraf encashed the relationship with the US and siphoned off billions of Dollars in terms of reimbursements to services which were never provided.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s ISI turned into a source for training and equipping Mujahidin, and a group of its officers became extremely close to the fighter leaders. In the name of so-called Islamic brotherhood, they started supporting them. With it the main problem started.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While America&rsquo;s &#39;No One&#39; enemy Osama bin Laden was absconding and the US forces were searching for him across the globe, he was enjoying the hospitality of ISI officials in a safe cantonment in Pakistan. Reports say that the house in which Osama bin Laden stayed for so many years was built as a safe house by the ISI only and later given to the Al-Qaeda supremo for his stay.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistani authorities thought they will be able to fool the United States the same way they had been doing for the last so many decades.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;Over 6 decades of corrupt politicians and with low GDP, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy and immediate funding was required to address some critical military concerns. So, while the aid continued to flow, the terrorists also kept enjoying the hospitality, training and funding of ISI discreetly. The creation of the Taliban, as well as the training and support to various Kashmiri terrorist groups, was no longer a secret. The United States cautioned Pakistan on several occasions but since the aid continued, Pakistan considered this as a mere verbal threat.

&nbsp;

America had no alternative to Pakistan and, hence, the funding continued but with a gradual reduction in aid over the last three years. War against the terror can be considered one of the main reason but the factors which led to a sudden change in US behaviour are different.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan&rsquo;s proximity to China played a vital role in straining its relationship with the US. It was under the influence of China that Pakistan started neglecting some of the key concerns of America. Not only this, the anti-US sentiments in Pakistan came out in open in the forms of rallies and protests which were supported by the government officials. Not only this, the senior leaders of the country, including Pak Army started criticising Drone attacks openly, and extremist leaders declared war against the US. Certainly, it has become a catch 22 situation for the US to handle an ally like Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The stopping of support funds for Pakistan is not something unexpected. Pakistan knew it and had been preparing for it for long. It created a close relationship with China who in turn is trying to influence the West by its OBOR initiative, the CPEC and the String of Pearls.

&nbsp;

China&rsquo;s actions are exactly similar to the way USSR started building its influence in Central Asia and the Middle East in the early 80s. Whether it is Pakistan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Latin America or the South China Sea, China is seemingly expanding everywhere. Chanakya once said that the right way to counter a potent enemy is to first cut down its weaker allies. The US is doing the same.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

President Donald Trump is getting a much more potential ally in India which can help him to counter both Pakistan and China. India itself had been the worst victims of terrorism and, hence, going to play a very vital role in South Asia in the coming decades.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Currently, Pakistan is going through political turmoil and there is no leadership left. The possibility of a military coup cannot be ruled out either. Hence, America must be extremely cautious in selecting Pakistan as its partner.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India and the US have many things in common. Indians residing in America contributes significantly to the US economy and the key people in the team of Mr Trump are India supporters. Mr Trump being a businessman understands well about profits and losses of any relationship and, understandably, can foresee a clear profit in a long term relationship in the potent leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

&nbsp;

In a nutshell, it is evident that there are multiple reasons for this topsy-turvy relationship between the US and Pakistan. Terrorism is one of the smaller concerns only but the bigger reason lies in the further east of Pakistan- China and its expanding influence in Asia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

<ul>
	<li>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Terrorism is one of the smaller concerns only but the bigger reason lies in the further east of Pakistan- China and its expanding influence in Asia.

Soon after the start of the cold war, the US was looking for someone who can help him in Central Asia and, especially, in the mountainous country of Afghanistan which had become a playground for the mighty Soviet forces. India being the trusted ally of USSR was ruled out and, hence, the natural selection of an adversary of India was imminent. Pakistan became an ally and launch pad for US actions towards the USSR. Pakistan to create a properly trained group of Mujahidin in Afghanistan started Operation Cyclone in 1978. Running under the Reagan Doctrine, this program recruited almost 100,000 highly trained Afghan guerrillas to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. As per unofficial inputs, Pakistan was paid aid, military equipment and cash worth almost 20 billion Dollars at that time. Soon after the US started its intervention in Iraq, the Mujahidin aligned against it under the leadership of Osama bin Laden and declared war which resulted in 9/11. It was the money, training and military equipment, given by the US to these forces, which came to be used against America. Overnight, Osama Bin Laden and Jalaluddin Haqqani who were the trusted ally of CIA became enemies. Once again, America needed an ally for war against so-called terror in Afghanistan, and there was none except Pakistan. In subsequent years till 2017, almost 33 billion US Dollars were given to Pakistan in direct or indirect aid. Since Pakistan, because of its hatred for India, is totally aligned in creating a frontier against India, most of this assistance was used in procurement of weapons and military equipment for its Army. Pakistani leaders, especially, General Parvez Musharraf encashed the relationship with the US and siphoned off billions of Dollars in terms of reimbursements to services which were never provided. Pakistan's ISI turned into a source for training and equipping Mujahidin, and a group of its officers became extremely close to the fighter leaders. In the name of so-called Islamic brotherhood, they started supporting them. With it the main problem started. While America’s 'No One' enemy Osama bin Laden was absconding and the US forces were searching for him across the globe, he was enjoying the hospitality of ISI officials in a safe cantonment in Pakistan. Reports say that the house in which Osama bin Laden stayed for so many years was built as a safe house by the ISI only and later given to the Al-Qaeda supremo for his stay. Pakistani authorities thought they will be able to fool the United States the same way they had been doing for the last so many decades. Over 6 decades of corrupt politicians and with low GDP, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy and immediate funding was required to address some critical military concerns. So, while the aid continued to flow, the terrorists also kept enjoying the hospitality, training and funding of ISI discreetly. The creation of the Taliban, as well as the training and support to various Kashmiri terrorist groups, was no longer a secret. The United States cautioned Pakistan on several occasions but since the aid continued, Pakistan considered this as a mere verbal threat. America had no alternative to Pakistan and, hence, the funding continued but with a gradual reduction in aid over the last three years. War against the terror can be considered one of the main reason but the factors which led to a sudden change in US behaviour are different. Pakistan’s proximity to China played a vital role in straining its relationship with the US. It was under the influence of China that Pakistan started neglecting some of the key concerns of America. Not only this, the anti-US sentiments in Pakistan came out in open in the forms of rallies and protests which were supported by the government officials. Not only this, the senior leaders of the country, including Pak Army started criticising Drone attacks openly, and extremist leaders declared war against the US. Certainly, it has become a catch 22 situation for the US to handle an ally like Pakistan. The stopping of support funds for Pakistan is not something unexpected. Pakistan knew it and had been preparing for it for long. It created a close relationship with China who in turn is trying to influence the West by its OBOR initiative, the CPEC and the String of Pearls. China’s actions are exactly similar to the way USSR started building its influence in Central Asia and the Middle East in the early 80s. Whether it is Pakistan, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Latin America or the South China Sea, China is seemingly expanding everywhere. Chanakya once said that the right way to counter a potent enemy is to first cut down its weaker allies. The US is doing the same. President Donald Trump is getting a much more potential ally in India which can help him to counter both Pakistan and China. India itself had been the worst victims of terrorism and, hence, going to play a very vital role in South Asia in the coming decades. Currently, Pakistan is going through political turmoil and there is no leadership left. The possibility of a military coup cannot be ruled out either. Hence, America must be extremely cautious in selecting Pakistan as its partner. India and the US have many things in common. Indians residing in America contributes significantly to the US economy and the key people in the team of Mr Trump are India supporters. Mr Trump being a businessman understands well about profits and losses of any relationship and, understandably, can foresee a clear profit in a long term relationship in the potent leadership of Prime Minister Modi. In a nutshell, it is evident that there are multiple reasons for this topsy-turvy relationship between the US and Pakistan. Terrorism is one of the smaller concerns only but the bigger reason lies in the further east of Pakistan- China and its expanding influence in Asia. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: China, not terrorism, is why US stopped aiding Pakistan

Pakistan&#39;s Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that constant US threats against Pakistan can &quot;negatively affect&quot; the existing cooperation.

Ghafoor&#39;s statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice for providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil.

&quot;For too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over,&quot; Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.

However, Ghaffor had a different take on the subject, speaking to Dawn, he said: &quot;Allies and partners do not give notices to each other, neither do they indulge in a blame-game.&quot;

On the reported &quot;reimbursement&quot; by US for Pakistan&#39;s support on the war on terrorism, the ISPR chief said payments were made under the Coalition Support Fund which was &quot;reimbursement&quot; on the amount Pakistan had already spent on fighting terrorism &quot;under US coordination&quot;, adding that Pakistan has been cooperating with the US significantly.

&quot;If they demand us to fight for them because they paid us, Pakistan is not fighting for money,&quot; he said, elaborating that,&quot;We are not looking for any money, we are not for sale, a trust-based relationship is the only way forward,&quot; the Dawn quoted Ghafoor.

The ISPR chief said Pakistan has been cooperating with the US in Afghanistan although it wasn&#39;t easy to win in the region, stating that the war had entered its final phase and the US and its allies including the Afghan forces would have to fight together and win.

Pakistan has been under intense pressure by the US ever since President Trump unveiled his Afghanistan strategy and declared Pakistan was a &quot;safe haven&quot; for terrorists in the region, a &nbsp;statement which did not go down well with the Pakistan establishment.

Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that peace in Afghanistan can be achieved in two ways - Afghan refugees returning to Pakistan and cracking down on narco-trade in the region.

Ghafoor's statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice for providing "safe haven" to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil.

Pakistan's Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that constant US threats against Pakistan can "negatively affect" the existing cooperation. Ghafoor's statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice for providing "safe haven" to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil. "For too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over," Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan. However, Ghaffor had a different take on the subject, speaking to Dawn, he said: "Allies and partners do not give notices to each other, neither do they indulge in a blame-game." On the reported "reimbursement" by US for Pakistan's support on the war on terrorism, the ISPR chief said payments were made under the Coalition Support Fund which was "reimbursement" on the amount Pakistan had already spent on fighting terrorism "under US coordination", adding that Pakistan has been cooperating with the US significantly. "If they demand us to fight for them because they paid us, Pakistan is not fighting for money," he said, elaborating that,"We are not looking for any money, we are not for sale, a trust-based relationship is the only way forward," the Dawn quoted Ghafoor. The ISPR chief said Pakistan has been cooperating with the US in Afghanistan although it wasn't easy to win in the region, stating that the war had entered its final phase and the US and its allies including the Afghan forces would have to fight together and win. Pakistan has been under intense pressure by the US ever since President Trump unveiled his Afghanistan strategy and declared Pakistan was a "safe haven" for terrorists in the region, a statement which did not go down well with the Pakistan establishment. Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that peace in Afghanistan can be achieved in two ways - Afghan refugees returning to Pakistan and cracking down on narco-trade in the region.

US threats against Pakistan can 'negatively' affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor

Newly-appointed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-pro-democracy-credentials-helped-bajwa-get-army-chief-post-9397">Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa </a>told the national assembly to &quot;mend&quot; ties with India, Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper reported.

&ldquo;The military is ready to back the political leadership&#39;s initiative for normalisation of relations with arch-rival India,&rdquo; General Bajwa told lawmakers at the Senate committee of Pakistan on Tuesday.

General Bajwa reportedly told the parliamentary forum that &quot;relations with all neighbours had to be normalised&quot;&nbsp;while urging political leaders &quot;to try to improve relations with India&quot;.

Bajwa, however, also added that a large part of Indian military deployments was mostly against Pakistan, even though it cited other threats, Dawn said, adding, that India was fomenting &quot;instability and terrorism in Pakistan&quot; and had developed a strong &quot;nexus with Afghan intelligence agency NDS&quot;, the report said.

India and Pakistan have been exchanging heavy fire along the border in the past two months even as both sides decided to not to engage in gunfire.

Bajwa, who was appointed by ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was an infantry officer and had commanded Pakistan army&#39;s 10 Corps which is&nbsp;responsible for guarding the area along the Line of Control (LoC) with India.

Bajwa is the fourth officer from the infantry&#39;s Baloch Regiment to become the army chief.

General Bajwa reportedly told the parliamentary forum that "relations with all neighbours had to be normalised"?

Newly-appointed Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa told the national assembly to "mend" ties with India, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported. “The military is ready to back the political leadership's initiative for normalisation of relations with arch-rival India,” General Bajwa told lawmakers at the Senate committee of Pakistan on Tuesday. General Bajwa reportedly told the parliamentary forum that "relations with all neighbours had to be normalised" while urging political leaders "to try to improve relations with India". Bajwa, however, also added that a large part of Indian military deployments was mostly against Pakistan, even though it cited other threats, Dawn said, adding, that India was fomenting "instability and terrorism in Pakistan" and had developed a strong "nexus with Afghan intelligence agency NDS", the report said. India and Pakistan have been exchanging heavy fire along the border in the past two months even as both sides decided to not to engage in gunfire. Bajwa, who was appointed by ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was an infantry officer and had commanded Pakistan army's 10 Corps which is responsible for guarding the area along the Line of Control (LoC) with India. Bajwa is the fourth officer from the infantry's Baloch Regiment to become the army chief.

'Mend ties with India,' Pakistan Army chief Bajwa to lawmakers

Pakistan&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gilgit-locals-continue-to-oppose-land-grabbing-by-pakistans-isi-19221">Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI) has formed a group</a> called &quot;Halal Dasta&quot;(killer squad) comprising of banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) to carry out strikes with its Border Action team(BAT) along the LoC, according to Indian intelligence sources.&nbsp;

Last week Pakistan&#39;s BAT intruders had attempted to enter Kupwara in Jammu &amp; Kashmir as Indian troops opened fire on them.

At least 7-8 armed BAT intruders attempted to cross over into Keran sector in J&amp;K&#39;s Kupwara.

As part of a &quot;new border strategy&quot; the Pakistan establishment intends to use the LeT terrorists in the BAT team to gain moral ascendancy along the Indian border by inflicting heavy causalities on Indian security forces while denying the terror organization&#39;s role behind the operation, intelligence sources said.

In fact, the ISI has held meetings with Syeed Salahudeen and representatives of Hizbul in Kotli in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir(POK) to extend jihadi terror operation in India&#39;s border areas.

The ISI has directed all terror groups in the Kashmir Valley to attack Indian positions along the border including isolated posts and army bridges, sources said.&nbsp;

Indian intelligence has noticed major terrorist activities along the border in Poonch, Uri, Rajouri, Nowshera and Rampur which has been targeted repeatedly&nbsp;by Pakistan troops across the&nbsp;border.

As part of a 'new border strategy' the Pakistan establishment intends to use the LeT terrorists in the BAT team to gain moral ascendancy along the Indian border

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI) has formed a group called "Halal Dasta"(killer squad) comprising of banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) to carry out strikes with its Border Action team(BAT) along the LoC, according to Indian intelligence sources. Last week Pakistan's BAT intruders had attempted to enter Kupwara in Jammu & Kashmir as Indian troops opened fire on them. At least 7-8 armed BAT intruders attempted to cross over into Keran sector in J&K's Kupwara. As part of a "new border strategy" the Pakistan establishment intends to use the LeT terrorists in the BAT team to gain moral ascendancy along the Indian border by inflicting heavy causalities on Indian security forces while denying the terror organization's role behind the operation, intelligence sources said. In fact, the ISI has held meetings with Syeed Salahudeen and representatives of Hizbul in Kotli in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir(POK) to extend jihadi terror operation in India's border areas. The ISI has directed all terror groups in the Kashmir Valley to attack Indian positions along the border including isolated posts and army bridges, sources said. Indian intelligence has noticed major terrorist activities along the border in Poonch, Uri, Rajouri, Nowshera and Rampur which has been targeted repeatedly by Pakistan troops across the border.

Pak ISI has formed 'halal dasta' with LeT to target India's border posts: Intelligence report

As per some sources, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-iqbal-kaskar-his-close-aids-arrested-in-thane-20403" target="_blank">Iqbal Kaskar</a> has said that his brother Dawood Kaskar does not want to return to India.&nbsp;

The sources have revealed that after the initial round of interrogation, Kaskar has told the investigating agencies that Dawood cannot return to India. Even if he wishes to return to India, Pakistan&#39;s intelligence agency &quot;ISI&quot; would not let him do so.&nbsp;

Apparently, ISI fears that if Dawood gets arrested, he will disclose many secrets of the intelligence agency.&nbsp;

During the interrogation, Kaskar also said that Dawood Ibrahim does not trust Modi.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Dawood Ibrahim himself approached the government with an offer of coming back to India a few years ago.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/fugitive-dawood-ibrahims-brother-iqbal-kaskar-arrested-in-mumbai-5167" target="_blank">Dawood Ibrahim&#39;s brother Iqbal Kaskar was arrested on September 18</a> by the Mumbai police from Haseena Parkar&#39;s, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, house in Thane.&nbsp;

Kaskar and his two close aides were arrested on extortion charges. Maharastra police had said that demonetisation has helped in the arrest of Kaskar. &nbsp;

Sources have revealed that Dawood does not want to come to India

As per some sources, Iqbal Kaskar has said that his brother Dawood Kaskar does not want to return to India. The sources have revealed that after the initial round of interrogation, Kaskar has told the investigating agencies that Dawood cannot return to India. Even if he wishes to return to India, Pakistan's intelligence agency "ISI" would not let him do so. Apparently, ISI fears that if Dawood gets arrested, he will disclose many secrets of the intelligence agency. During the interrogation, Kaskar also said that Dawood Ibrahim does not trust Modi. Meanwhile, Dawood Ibrahim himself approached the government with an offer of coming back to India a few years ago. Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar was arrested on September 18 by the Mumbai police from Haseena Parkar's, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, house in Thane. Kaskar and his two close aides were arrested on extortion charges. Maharastra police had said that demonetisation has helped in the arrest of Kaskar.

ISI will not let Dawood come to India: Kaskar

Food prepared in Border Security Force (BSF) kitchens has always been good and one can check the quality by visiting any of its posts unannounced, says the paramilitary force&#39;s chief KK Sharma who blames Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI for using a jawan&#39;s allegation of poor meals being served to troops to demoralise them.

&quot;I joined the BSF in 2012 (as an additional DG). No one (jawans or officers) ever complained about food... There may be issues about transfer or posting. So, I was rudely shocked when this person (Tej Bahadur Yadav) uploaded a video (alleging bad food).

&quot;We already have very healthy systems in the force. We do constant checking of the food that is prepared in our kitchens. Food is not a problem at all,&quot; Mr Sharma said in an interview to news agency PTI.

He then threw up an open challenge: &quot;Anyone can go on any day and anytime to any border outpost of the BSF and ask for food...I guarantee that you will find good food. We have food that is homely. Food is plentiful in the BSF,&quot; the chief of the 2.65-lakh personnel strong force said.

He said he had made the same suggestion to parliamentarians when they grilled him on the issue early this year.

Tej Bahadur Yadav, in uniform and carrying his service rifle, had in January posted a video on Facebook, picked by other social media platforms, claiming poor quality food like watery &#39;dal&#39; and burnt &#39;chapatis&#39; were being served to the troops in inhospitable terrains along the border.

Mr Sharma said videos of Mr Yadav, who has been sacked from service recently after an inquiry found his allegations to be wrong, and were &quot;used&quot; by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) of Pakistan.

&quot;You may or may not be knowing that his (Tej Bahadur Yadav&#39;s) video was picked by our neighbour from 22 places and made to go viral (over the social media),&quot; he said.

The idea, he said, was to demoralise the personnel of the BSF and other Indian security forces. The BSF is tasked with guarding the India-Pakistan border.

Mr Sharma, a 1982-batch Rajasthan cadre IPS officer, added that the force also learnt its lessons saying he was &quot;thankful&quot; that this incident (Tej Bahadur Yadav&#39;s video) happened as it helped it to formulate a proper and better plan to tackle the challenges emerging from social media and to understand how the misuse of this online platform can harm an organisation.

&quot;Now, we know and we are better prepared when something appears in the social media and we have systems that can immediately present the correct picture with facts,&quot; he said.

When asked if the BSF, after this incident, has banned or curtailed the usage of mobile phones and social media by jawans during duty hours, Mr Sharma replied in the negative.

&quot;In fact, this is a good thing. We told our jawans that they should not simply believe in anything that comes to them via social media channels. This (Internet powered smartphones) helps to keep in touch with friends and family. These are things which I don&#39;t want to stop because this is technology and this should be used.

&quot;So, we have not at all curbed it. But, we have told them (jawans) that be very careful because someone may try to use you for their ends. We have told them that if something is wrong then don&#39;t just forward it but handle it responsibly and inform your superiors,&quot; he said.

The BSF boss added that after the &#39;bad food&#39; video was uploaded by constable Yadav, the force also had a re-look at the system of rations, cooking and allied management and subjects related to it has been made streamlined further.

He said there is a team of vigilance officers who keep a check on the quality of food and rations being provided to the personnel of the force, raised in 1965.

Constable Yadav had also alleged that while government procures essentials for the soldiers, the higher-ups &quot;sell them off&quot; in an &quot;illegal&quot; manner in the market making the lower level personnel in the force suffer. 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Paramilitary force chief KK Sharma said he could guarantee that anybody who visited a BSF border outpost would get good food any time of the day

Food prepared in Border Security Force (BSF) kitchens has always been good and one can check the quality by visiting any of its posts unannounced, says the paramilitary force's chief KK Sharma who blames Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI for using a jawan's allegation of poor meals being served to troops to demoralise them. "I joined the BSF in 2012 (as an additional DG). No one (jawans or officers) ever complained about food... There may be issues about transfer or posting. So, I was rudely shocked when this person (Tej Bahadur Yadav) uploaded a video (alleging bad food). "We already have very healthy systems in the force. We do constant checking of the food that is prepared in our kitchens. Food is not a problem at all," Mr Sharma said in an interview to news agency PTI. He then threw up an open challenge: "Anyone can go on any day and anytime to any border outpost of the BSF and ask for food...I guarantee that you will find good food. We have food that is homely. Food is plentiful in the BSF," the chief of the 2.65-lakh personnel strong force said. He said he had made the same suggestion to parliamentarians when they grilled him on the issue early this year. Tej Bahadur Yadav, in uniform and carrying his service rifle, had in January posted a video on Facebook, picked by other social media platforms, claiming poor quality food like watery 'dal' and burnt 'chapatis' were being served to the troops in inhospitable terrains along the border. Mr Sharma said videos of Mr Yadav, who has been sacked from service recently after an inquiry found his allegations to be wrong, and were "used" by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) of Pakistan. "You may or may not be knowing that his (Tej Bahadur Yadav's) video was picked by our neighbour from 22 places and made to go viral (over the social media)," he said. The idea, he said, was to demoralise the personnel of the BSF and other Indian security forces. The BSF is tasked with guarding the India-Pakistan border. Mr Sharma, a 1982-batch Rajasthan cadre IPS officer, added that the force also learnt its lessons saying he was "thankful" that this incident (Tej Bahadur Yadav's video) happened as it helped it to formulate a proper and better plan to tackle the challenges emerging from social media and to understand how the misuse of this online platform can harm an organisation. "Now, we know and we are better prepared when something appears in the social media and we have systems that can immediately present the correct picture with facts," he said. When asked if the BSF, after this incident, has banned or curtailed the usage of mobile phones and social media by jawans during duty hours, Mr Sharma replied in the negative. "In fact, this is a good thing. We told our jawans that they should not simply believe in anything that comes to them via social media channels. This (Internet powered smartphones) helps to keep in touch with friends and family. These are things which I don't want to stop because this is technology and this should be used. "So, we have not at all curbed it. But, we have told them (jawans) that be very careful because someone may try to use you for their ends. We have told them that if something is wrong then don't just forward it but handle it responsibly and inform your superiors," he said. The BSF boss added that after the 'bad food' video was uploaded by constable Yadav, the force also had a re-look at the system of rations, cooking and allied management and subjects related to it has been made streamlined further. He said there is a team of vigilance officers who keep a check on the quality of food and rations being provided to the personnel of the force, raised in 1965. Constable Yadav had also alleged that while government procures essentials for the soldiers, the higher-ups "sell them off" in an "illegal" manner in the market making the lower level personnel in the force suffer.

BSF jawan video used by ISI to demoralise Indian troops: Top police official

Residents of Gilgit in Pakistan Administered Kashmir, took to the streets to protest against thousands of acres of land worth billions being illegally acquired by the Pakistan army and the Pakistani government in their region.

&quot;Thousands of acres of land worth billions illegally allotted to Pakistan&#39;s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Force Command Northern Areas (FCNA) shows ample testimony to the fact that how state owned and non-state owned land is being sold to the Pakistan army at throwaway prices&quot;, Ghulan Shah, a local leader in Gilgit

He further said, &quot;This is not merely a paper of land allotment, but a document exposing the duplex and diabolical nature of the Pakistani establishment&quot;.

Shah said &quot;The state government has acquired 3,000 kanal of land. The other news I&#39;ve heard is that 20,000 kanal of land has been acquired in a nearby village and this all has been happening at the pretext of CPEC. A similar situation is prevailing in another village Minaaur too. Although 800-900 Kanal of land was already given by our village still 300 Kanal has been given for the firing range.&quot;

He also pointed out that the land has not been occupied by covert tricks, but by blatant hooliganism.

&quot;When China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was first announced in the region, then it was declared by Chief Minister Hafiz-ur-Rehman that special economic zones would bring employment in the region. However, the army diktat changed the tone and tenor of the leaders and subsequently all hopes of the people were quashed,&quot; he stated.

&quot;The government has allotted land for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) without taking permission of the local people and there is animosity among the people of Gilgit- Baltistan,&quot; Meraj, a Journalist in Gilgit said.

He further noted that various political parties of the region have also expressed their concern, and that the Pakistan People&#39;s Party (PPP) has initiated a movement under the name Haq Malikaan and has informed the residents that they should be given compensation from the government for acquiring their land.

Highlighting the fact that Pakistan is assisting Chinese for CPEC, he said, &quot;The proper fencing of the land acquired by the Pakistan military has been done .In order to appease the Chinese and assist them in completing their dream CPEC project, people were threatened, beaten and were forced to make a compromise with the Pakistan establishment.&quot;

Accusing the Pakistani government of violating the rules for changing the demography of the region, he added, &quot;The most significant factor is that the law stated that no one outside of Gilgit- Baltistan can purchase or sell the land in the region and Pakistan government has violated the rule by allotting the land for CPEC projects. Pakistan Army and Inter Services Intelligence has been constantly been planning to alter the demography of the region.&quot;

A local leadeer said thousands of acres of land worth billions is being illegally allotted to Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Force Command Northern Areas

Residents of Gilgit in Pakistan Administered Kashmir, took to the streets to protest against thousands of acres of land worth billions being illegally acquired by the Pakistan army and the Pakistani government in their region. "Thousands of acres of land worth billions illegally allotted to Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Force Command Northern Areas (FCNA) shows ample testimony to the fact that how state owned and non-state owned land is being sold to the Pakistan army at throwaway prices", Ghulan Shah, a local leader in Gilgit He further said, "This is not merely a paper of land allotment, but a document exposing the duplex and diabolical nature of the Pakistani establishment". Shah said "The state government has acquired 3,000 kanal of land. The other news I've heard is that 20,000 kanal of land has been acquired in a nearby village and this all has been happening at the pretext of CPEC. A similar situation is prevailing in another village Minaaur too. Although 800-900 Kanal of land was already given by our village still 300 Kanal has been given for the firing range." He also pointed out that the land has not been occupied by covert tricks, but by blatant hooliganism. "When China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was first announced in the region, then it was declared by Chief Minister Hafiz-ur-Rehman that special economic zones would bring employment in the region. However, the army diktat changed the tone and tenor of the leaders and subsequently all hopes of the people were quashed," he stated. "The government has allotted land for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) without taking permission of the local people and there is animosity among the people of Gilgit- Baltistan," Meraj, a Journalist in Gilgit said. He further noted that various political parties of the region have also expressed their concern, and that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has initiated a movement under the name Haq Malikaan and has informed the residents that they should be given compensation from the government for acquiring their land. Highlighting the fact that Pakistan is assisting Chinese for CPEC, he said, "The proper fencing of the land acquired by the Pakistan military has been done .In order to appease the Chinese and assist them in completing their dream CPEC project, people were threatened, beaten and were forced to make a compromise with the Pakistan establishment." Accusing the Pakistani government of violating the rules for changing the demography of the region, he added, "The most significant factor is that the law stated that no one outside of Gilgit- Baltistan can purchase or sell the land in the region and Pakistan government has violated the rule by allotting the land for CPEC projects. Pakistan Army and Inter Services Intelligence has been constantly been planning to alter the demography of the region."

Gilgit: Locals continue to oppose land grabbing by Pakistan's ISI

India marks June 29, the birth anniversary of Prasant Chandra Mahalanobis, as National Statistics Day. So how much do you know about Mahalanobis? Find out with this quiz

QUIZ: Who was Mahalanobis anyway?

Afghanistan has&nbsp;cancelled proposed home and away cricket fixtures with Pakistan after a deadly bomb attack blamed by the country&#39;s intelligence agency on militants allegedly backed by Islamabad.

Pakistan were set to play their first Twenty20 match in Kabul later this year in what was seen as an opportunity for the neighbours to ease tensions over border skirmishes and alleged proxy warfare.

The Kabul match, set for July or August, would have been followed by a fixture in Pakistan and a full series at an unspecified date.

But the Afghanistan Cricket Board issued a strongly worded statement late on Wednesday, cancelling the matches in light of a truck bombing in the city&#39;s diplomatic quarter that killed at least 90 people.

No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday&#39;s attack, although the Taliban has denied involvement.

&quot;The ACB hereby cancel all kinds of cricket matches and initial mutual relationship agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board,&quot; the Afghan board said on its Facebook page.

&quot;No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens.&quot;&nbsp;

Afghanistan&#39;s intelligence agency has blamed the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network for the attack, which has been linked to Pakistan&#39;s military in the past.

&nbsp;

Isolation:

The development leaves Pakistan&#39;s cricketers even more isolated in the region.&nbsp;

India has refused to play a full series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, while ties with fellow Test team Bangladesh have also soured after Pakistan pulled out of a planned series in July.

Pakistani officials said they were unhappy that Bangladesh were not willing to send their team to Pakistan.

Only minnows Zimbabwe have been willing to tour the insecurity-wracked country since a 2009 militant attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team.

Cricketing relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were not always so frosty. Afghans learned to play cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan after they were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the Soviet invasion in 1979.

The sport struggled to get a foothold in Afghanistan under the hardline Taliban, but has become hugely popular since the Islamist regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001.

While Pakistan has supported the Afghan team by supplying equipment and arranging fixtures with the fledgling side, rival India has also been keen to lend its support.

Last year, Afghanistan&#39;s national team shifted its base from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Noida, Delhi, while India&#39;s former batsman Lalchand Rajput replaced Pakistan&#39;s Inzamam-ul-Haq as their national team coach.

(AFP)

'No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed'

Afghanistan has cancelled proposed home and away cricket fixtures with Pakistan after a deadly bomb attack blamed by the country's intelligence agency on militants allegedly backed by Islamabad. Pakistan were set to play their first Twenty20 match in Kabul later this year in what was seen as an opportunity for the neighbours to ease tensions over border skirmishes and alleged proxy warfare. The Kabul match, set for July or August, would have been followed by a fixture in Pakistan and a full series at an unspecified date. But the Afghanistan Cricket Board issued a strongly worded statement late on Wednesday, cancelling the matches in light of a truck bombing in the city's diplomatic quarter that killed at least 90 people. No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, although the Taliban has denied involvement. "The ACB hereby cancel all kinds of cricket matches and initial mutual relationship agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board," the Afghan board said on its Facebook page. "No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens." Afghanistan's intelligence agency has blamed the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network for the attack, which has been linked to Pakistan's military in the past. Isolation: The development leaves Pakistan's cricketers even more isolated in the region. India has refused to play a full series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, while ties with fellow Test team Bangladesh have also soured after Pakistan pulled out of a planned series in July. Pakistani officials said they were unhappy that Bangladesh were not willing to send their team to Pakistan. Only minnows Zimbabwe have been willing to tour the insecurity-wracked country since a 2009 militant attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team. Cricketing relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were not always so frosty. Afghans learned to play cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan after they were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the Soviet invasion in 1979. The sport struggled to get a foothold in Afghanistan under the hardline Taliban, but has become hugely popular since the Islamist regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001. While Pakistan has supported the Afghan team by supplying equipment and arranging fixtures with the fledgling side, rival India has also been keen to lend its support. Last year, Afghanistan's national team shifted its base from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Noida, Delhi, while India's former batsman Lalchand Rajput replaced Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq as their national team coach. (AFP)

Cricket: Afghanistan cancels Pakistan games after Kabul attack

The Pakistan military today emphasised its commitment to democracy after it openly criticised the government&#39;s actions last month following investigations into a leaked newspaper story about a national security meeting.

Military&#39;s spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor at a press conference said, &quot;We will continue to work with all government institutions to do what is best for the country.&quot;

&quot;There&#39;s been a lot of talk about democracy in the past two weeks, but nowhere was there any mention that any actions should be taken against democracy,&quot; he added.

The latest row between the Army and government started after an article in the English-language Dawn newspaper in October, detailing high-level security talks, angered the army.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-nawaz-sharif-sacks-special-adviser-over-security-leak-pak-army-rejects-move-15063">Sharif fired his&nbsp;close ally at the time of the leak and last month sacked one of his senior adviser&nbsp;</a>special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi&nbsp;after an inquiry report.

But a tweet from Ghafoor rejected Sharif&#39;s actions as &quot;incomplete&quot;.

At the news conference, Ghafoor said the April 29 tweet was &quot;not against any government official or institution&quot;, adding that the investigation into the leaks had come to a satisfactory conclusion. 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-nawaz-sharif-sacks-special-adviser-over-security-leak-pak-army-rejects-move-15063">Also Read:&nbsp;Pak PM Nawaz Sharif sacks special adviser over security leak, Pak army &#39;rejects&#39; move</a>

(WION with Reuters input)

Military's spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor at a press conference said the military was "not against any government official or institution"

The Pakistan military today emphasised its commitment to democracy after it openly criticised the government's actions last month following investigations into a leaked newspaper story about a national security meeting. Military's spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor at a press conference said, "We will continue to work with all government institutions to do what is best for the country." "There's been a lot of talk about democracy in the past two weeks, but nowhere was there any mention that any actions should be taken against democracy," he added. The latest row between the Army and government started after an article in the English-language Dawn newspaper in October, detailing high-level security talks, angered the army. Sharif fired his close ally at the time of the leak and last month sacked one of his senior adviser special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi after an inquiry report. But a tweet from Ghafoor rejected Sharif's actions as "incomplete". At the news conference, Ghafoor said the April 29 tweet was "not against any government official or institution", adding that the investigation into the leaks had come to a satisfactory conclusion. Also Read: Pak PM Nawaz Sharif sacks special adviser over security leak, Pak army 'rejects' move (WION with Reuters input)

Will continue to work with all government institutions: Pak Army

A day after a suspected ISI agent was arrested in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Faizabad district by the Anti-Terrorist Squad(ATS), two more suspected agents of Pakistan&#39;s spy agency ISI were arrested in a joint operation by anti-terrorism squads of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra in Mumbai today.

The Uttar Pradesh ATS had arrested a man named Aftab Ali in Faizabad yesterday who is suspected to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Suspected IS agent Aftab Ali has been arrested in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh (ANI)
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Aftab, booked under the Official Secrets Act, had allegedly passed on information about Indian Army&#39;s movements to officers posted at Pakistan High Commission and also to ISI, Indian officials said.

He had allegedly provided information about the army&#39;s movements and units in Faizabad, Lucknow and Amritsar.

The Maharashtra ATS along with UP ATS carried out a raid in Masjid Bunder area in South Mumbai and identified a man named Altaf Qureshi, the second suspected ISI agent has been identified as Javed Iqbal who was arrested from Yusuf Manzil building at Agreepada on Wednesday morning.

Qureshi (37) is a hawala operator and also allegedly worked for ISI, PTI reported. Iqbal is an aide of Qureshi, the officials told PTI.

Qureshi had allegedly deposited money in the bank account of Aftab Ali who was arrested in Faizabad yesterday. &nbsp;Qureshi would deposit money in Aftab&#39;s Lucknow account to carry out espionage activities.

ATS officials seized a cellphone and Rs 71.57 lakh in cash from the house of Qureshi, who was in hawala business at the behest of a person named Jawed Naviwala.

(WION with PTI inputs)

A day after a suspected ISI agent was arrested in Uttar Pradesh, two more suspected ISI men were arrested in Maharashtra today

A day after a suspected ISI agent was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad district by the Anti-Terrorist Squad(ATS), two more suspected agents of Pakistan's spy agency ISI were arrested in a joint operation by anti-terrorism squads of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra in Mumbai today. The Uttar Pradesh ATS had arrested a man named Aftab Ali in Faizabad yesterday who is suspected to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission. Suspected IS agent Aftab Ali has been arrested in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh (ANI) × Aftab, booked under the Official Secrets Act, had allegedly passed on information about Indian Army's movements to officers posted at Pakistan High Commission and also to ISI, Indian officials said. He had allegedly provided information about the army's movements and units in Faizabad, Lucknow and Amritsar. The Maharashtra ATS along with UP ATS carried out a raid in Masjid Bunder area in South Mumbai and identified a man named Altaf Qureshi, the second suspected ISI agent has been identified as Javed Iqbal who was arrested from Yusuf Manzil building at Agreepada on Wednesday morning. Qureshi (37) is a hawala operator and also allegedly worked for ISI, PTI reported. Iqbal is an aide of Qureshi, the officials told PTI. Qureshi had allegedly deposited money in the bank account of Aftab Ali who was arrested in Faizabad yesterday. Qureshi would deposit money in Aftab's Lucknow account to carry out espionage activities. ATS officials seized a cellphone and Rs 71.57 lakh in cash from the house of Qureshi, who was in hawala business at the behest of a person named Jawed Naviwala. (WION with PTI inputs)

After Uttar Pradesh, two suspected ISI agents arrested in Mumbai

A suspected Pakistan&nbsp;intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI), agent Aftab Ali has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Anti-Terrorist Squad(ATS) in&nbsp;Faizabad today.

In a joint operation conducted by the UP ATS, Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad,&nbsp;IG ATS Aseem Arun said.

Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, the spokesman said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him.

Developing

(WION)

The man named Aftab Ali was arrested by Uttar Pradesh's anti-terror squad

A suspected Pakistan intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI), agent Aftab Ali has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorist Squad(ATS) in Faizabad today. In a joint operation conducted by the UP ATS, Military Intelligence and UP Intelligence, Aftab Ali was picked up from Faizabad, IG ATS Aseem Arun said. Aftab is believed to have received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in touch with officials in the Pakistan High Commission, the spokesman said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him. Developing (WION)

Suspected ISI agent arrested in Uttar Pradesh

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today sacked his special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi after an inquiry found him guilty of &quot;leaking&quot; vital information about a high-level security meet to a newspaper.

However, in an unusual move, Pakistan&#39;s army &quot;rejected&quot; Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s decision to sack his trusted aide saying his action is &quot;incomplete&quot;.

&quot;Notification on Dawn Leak is incomplete and not in line with recommendations by the Inquiry Board. Notification is rejected,&quot; military spokesman Major Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted.

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Notification on Dawn Leak is incomplete and not in line with recommendations by the Inquiry Board. Notification is rejected.
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The Pakistan prime minister had&nbsp;narrowly avoided being ousted&nbsp;after the country&#39;s top court this week directed a special team consisting of a judge and top&nbsp;military officers to investigate him and his family members accused of transferring assets in tax havens abroad which came to light as part of Panama Papers leaked by Wikileaks two years ago.

Fatemi considered to be a trusted aide of the prime minister is seen as a big setback for Nawaz Sharif already under pressure due to the Panama case verdict.

Sharif&#39;s approved an inquiry committee&#39;s recommendation to remove Fatemi from his post. The inquiry committee was set up last year to probe the controversy surrounding a controversial report by daily Dawn about a key meeting on national security.

Sharif also directed that the role of Dawn editor Zafar Abbas and reporter Cyril Almeida to&nbsp;be referred to All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) for necessary disciplinary action to be taken against them.

It said that the APNS, a representative body of print media, shall also be asked to develop a Code of Conduct for the print media especially when dealing with issues relating to the security of Pakistan and to ensure that stories on issues of national importance and security are published by abiding to basic journalistic and editorial norms.

Sharif also ordered action against Rao Tehsin Ali, Principal Information Officer of the Ministry of Information, under disciplinary rules for the charges based on findings in the report.

In October, a columnist for Dawn newspaper wrote a front-page story about a rift between civilian and military leaderships over militant groups that operate from Pakistan but engage in proxy war against India and Afghanistan.

The report had said that political leadership had accused army in the high-level meeting to stop creating hurdles in the way of crackdown on some militant entities.

The government denied its role but the army took a strong dislike to the story and relations between the army and the civil government deteriorated.

The PML-N government was forced to remove then information minister Pervaiz Rasheed but a probe was demanded by the army to fix responsibility. The report was submitted to the prime minister this week.

According to the inquiry report, Fatemi was primarily responsible for leaking the report of the key meeting, and Sharif took action against him.

(WION with PTI inputs)

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sacked his special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi after an inquiry found him guilty of leaking vital information

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today sacked his special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi after an inquiry found him guilty of "leaking" vital information about a high-level security meet to a newspaper. However, in an unusual move, Pakistan's army "rejected" Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's decision to sack his trusted aide saying his action is "incomplete". "Notification on Dawn Leak is incomplete and not in line with recommendations by the Inquiry Board. Notification is rejected," military spokesman Major Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted. Notification on Dawn Leak is incomplete and not in line with recommendations by the Inquiry Board. Notification is rejected. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) April 29, 2017 × The Pakistan prime minister had narrowly avoided being ousted after the country's top court this week directed a special team consisting of a judge and top military officers to investigate him and his family members accused of transferring assets in tax havens abroad which came to light as part of Panama Papers leaked by Wikileaks two years ago. Fatemi considered to be a trusted aide of the prime minister is seen as a big setback for Nawaz Sharif already under pressure due to the Panama case verdict. Sharif's approved an inquiry committee's recommendation to remove Fatemi from his post. The inquiry committee was set up last year to probe the controversy surrounding a controversial report by daily Dawn about a key meeting on national security. Sharif also directed that the role of Dawn editor Zafar Abbas and reporter Cyril Almeida to be referred to All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) for necessary disciplinary action to be taken against them. It said that the APNS, a representative body of print media, shall also be asked to develop a Code of Conduct for the print media especially when dealing with issues relating to the security of Pakistan and to ensure that stories on issues of national importance and security are published by abiding to basic journalistic and editorial norms. Sharif also ordered action against Rao Tehsin Ali, Principal Information Officer of the Ministry of Information, under disciplinary rules for the charges based on findings in the report. In October, a columnist for Dawn newspaper wrote a front-page story about a rift between civilian and military leaderships over militant groups that operate from Pakistan but engage in proxy war against India and Afghanistan. The report had said that political leadership had accused army in the high-level meeting to stop creating hurdles in the way of crackdown on some militant entities. The government denied its role but the army took a strong dislike to the story and relations between the army and the civil government deteriorated. The PML-N government was forced to remove then information minister Pervaiz Rasheed but a probe was demanded by the army to fix responsibility. The report was submitted to the prime minister this week. According to the inquiry report, Fatemi was primarily responsible for leaking the report of the key meeting, and Sharif took action against him. (WION with PTI inputs)

Pak PM Nawaz Sharif sacks special adviser over security leak, Pak army 'rejects' move

A key suspect in the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur&nbsp;was arrested from Nepal&#39;s Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday&nbsp;after he was deported from Dubai.&nbsp;

A special team comprising of Nepal police captured Samshul Hoda along with three others.&nbsp;

During interrogation, Brij Kishor Giri, Ashish Singh and Umesh Kumar Kurmi, provided leads about the Indore-Patna Express derailment which left 150 dead.&nbsp;

The three belong to Kalaiya district in southern Nepal.

Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Pashupati Upadhyaya said, &quot;We have heard that Hoda is wanted in a railway accident that took place in Kanpur last year killing 150 people.&quot;

&quot;Nepal Police will also work in close coordination with the Indian Police for Hoda&#39;s alleged involvement in criminal activities in India.&quot;

Hoda is believed to be an ISI agent after three people arrested by the Bihar police said they were working for the Pakistan intelligence agency to carry out attacks on Indian railways.&nbsp;

The Bihar police said&nbsp;the three were paid Rs three lakh (approx. $4,500) by a Nepali man who had links to Hoda.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Samshul Hoda was arrested from Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport after he was deported from Dubai

A key suspect in the Indore-Patna Express derailment in Kanpur was arrested from Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday after he was deported from Dubai. A special team comprising of Nepal police captured Samshul Hoda along with three others. During interrogation, Brij Kishor Giri, Ashish Singh and Umesh Kumar Kurmi, provided leads about the Indore-Patna Express derailment which left 150 dead. The three belong to Kalaiya district in southern Nepal. Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Pashupati Upadhyaya said, "We have heard that Hoda is wanted in a railway accident that took place in Kanpur last year killing 150 people." "Nepal Police will also work in close coordination with the Indian Police for Hoda's alleged involvement in criminal activities in India." Hoda is believed to be an ISI agent after three people arrested by the Bihar police said they were working for the Pakistan intelligence agency to carry out attacks on Indian railways. The Bihar police said the three were paid Rs three lakh (approx. $4,500) by a Nepali man who had links to Hoda. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Key suspect in Kanpur train derailment arrested in Nepal

Bihar Police are claiming that the two recent train accidents near Kanpur that left 151 people dead and injured close to 200 were caused by Pakistan&#39;s ISI. &nbsp;

A Times of India report on Wednesday said the ISI&#39;s alleged role in the accidents was unearthed after Bihar police arrested three men -- Umashankar Patel, Motilal Paswan, and Mukesh Yadav --&nbsp;from Motihari near the Indo-Nepal border. Bihar Police told the Times of India that the three men were arrested for their role in &quot;placing a cooker bomb on the railway tracks near Ghorasaran on October 1 last year&quot;.&nbsp;

Ghorasaran is in the state of Bihar -- the two train derailments near Kanpur occurred in the state of Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

The first, on November 20, left 151 people dead and more than 150 injured.&nbsp;

The second, on December 28 and again near Kanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, left more than 40 people injured. There were no deaths.&nbsp;

Bihar Police told the Times of India that the three men they had arrested were working on the orders of an ISI agent, a Nepalese citizen based in Dubai.

Bihar Police told the Times of India that the arrested trio had so far received Rs 3 lakh from Brij Kishore Giri, a Nepalese citizen, for &quot;engineering train accidents&quot;.

The report added that Girl, along with a Shambhu Giri and a&nbsp;Mujahir Ansari, was recently arrested by Nepalese police.&nbsp;

The pressure cooker bomb that had been placed on the tracks in Ghorsaran in Bihar on October 1 was found by villagers and defused by police.&nbsp;

The Times of India report said: &quot;Sources said Motilal told police he had planted explosives on the tracks near Kanpur for derailing the two trains.&quot;&nbsp;

And, &quot;quoting a police officer involved in the investigation&quot;, the report added&nbsp;that: &quot;Brij had promised flats, vehicles and finances to produce a Bhojpuri movie to the trio arrested from Motihari.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Times of India report added that the National Investigation Agency is following the Bihar Police investigation.&nbsp;

(WION)

The two derailments left 151 people dead and close to 200 injured

Bihar Police are claiming that the two recent train accidents near Kanpur that left 151 people dead and injured close to 200 were caused by Pakistan's ISI. A Times of India report on Wednesday said the ISI's alleged role in the accidents was unearthed after Bihar police arrested three men -- Umashankar Patel, Motilal Paswan, and Mukesh Yadav -- from Motihari near the Indo-Nepal border. Bihar Police told the Times of India that the three men were arrested for their role in "placing a cooker bomb on the railway tracks near Ghorasaran on October 1 last year". Ghorasaran is in the state of Bihar -- the two train derailments near Kanpur occurred in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The first, on November 20, left 151 people dead and more than 150 injured. The second, on December 28 and again near Kanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, left more than 40 people injured. There were no deaths. Bihar Police told the Times of India that the three men they had arrested were working on the orders of an ISI agent, a Nepalese citizen based in Dubai. Bihar Police told the Times of India that the arrested trio had so far received Rs 3 lakh from Brij Kishore Giri, a Nepalese citizen, for "engineering train accidents". The report added that Girl, along with a Shambhu Giri and a Mujahir Ansari, was recently arrested by Nepalese police. The pressure cooker bomb that had been placed on the tracks in Ghorsaran in Bihar on October 1 was found by villagers and defused by police. The Times of India report said: "Sources said Motilal told police he had planted explosives on the tracks near Kanpur for derailing the two trains." And, "quoting a police officer involved in the investigation", the report added that: "Brij had promised flats, vehicles and finances to produce a Bhojpuri movie to the trio arrested from Motihari." The Times of India report added that the National Investigation Agency is following the Bihar Police investigation. (WION)

India: Bihar Police claim recent train accidents near Kanpur caused by Pak's ISI

In a dramatic reshuffle, Pakistan replaced the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar with Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar.

The implications of the new appointment remain to be seen, but one can get a glimpse of Mukhtar&#39;s strategy and his views on the relationship between India and Afghanistan and the troubled neighbourhood, in general, from his thesis &#39;Afghanistan: Alternative Futures and their Implications&#39;, written at the US Army War College.

In his thesis, he speaks of taking &#39;aggressive measures&#39; to undermine India and prevent Afghanistan from becoming its proxy, and allowing the US to employ diplomatic measures between India and Pakistan to ease tensions, especially on Kashmir.

Intelligence sources here say that his role in the ISI had been drafted as early as in September by the then army chief General Raheel Sharif for his expertise in counter-terrorism and also for the role he played in Karachi, where he succeeded in manoeuvering the Mohajer political outfit Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM).

A fierce critic of the Pakistan army so far, the MQM was controlled from London by its exiled leader Altaf Hussain. During his former stint at the ISI and as then head of the Karachi Corps, Lt Gen Mukhtar is believed to have led secret missions against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

In sync with the trajectory upheld by the Pakistan military on handling the conflict-ridden Afghanistan, Mukhtar, in the thesis for his Masters in Strategic Studies, envisages the accommodation of the &#39;moderate Taliban&#39; in the governance of the country.

Mukhtar, who was elevated from his position as a corps commander in Karachi, had earlier served as the DG of the ISI&#39;s counter-terrorism wing. His strategic mindset vis-a-vis Pakistan&#39;s foreign policy on Afghanistan is reflected in his analyses on the future of the neighbouring country.

Analysing Afghanistan&#39;s transition when the US started withdrawing coalition forces in 2011, Mukhtar said that Pakistan needed to prevent the opening of another hostile front, should Afghanistan emerge as a proxy for India, and, to this effect, it &quot;will closely follow India&#39;s efforts to influence Afghanistan and may take aggressive measures to undermine India&#39;s efforts in this regard.&#39;&#39;

India has huge stakes in the development of Afghanistan and has made major strides in the reconstruction of public infrastructure in the war-ravaged country through visible symbols like the new parliament building, Salma friendship dam, Afghan National Agriculture Science &amp; Technology University, Kandahar, and many other projects in the health, power and education sectors.

Its close alliance with Afghanistan in the civil-military sphere has made India a target of Taliban. Pakistan, too, views India as working against its interest in Afghanistan. Mukhtar presents four plausible future scenarios for Afghanistan, all of which include a positive outcome: accommodation of moderate Taliban factions as part of the governance structure.

&quot;Although India&#39;s uncompromising anti-Taliban position has recently softened, India could still move to be a major destabilising force if it perceives that a return of a radicalised Taliban government is likely,&#39;&#39; he writes.

While acknowledging the indisputable power and role of the US in bringing long-term stability in Afghanistan, along with regional stakeholders, Mukhtar emphasises: &quot;The US must employ major diplomatic measures to ease regional tensions, especially between India and Pakistan, with a focus on Kashmir.&#39;&#39;

(This article was appeared in DNA)

Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar's thesis 'Afghanistan: Alternative Futures and their Implications' provides insight into the strategies he might adopt

In a dramatic reshuffle, Pakistan replaced the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar with Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar. The implications of the new appointment remain to be seen, but one can get a glimpse of Mukhtar's strategy and his views on the relationship between India and Afghanistan and the troubled neighbourhood, in general, from his thesis 'Afghanistan: Alternative Futures and their Implications', written at the US Army War College. In his thesis, he speaks of taking 'aggressive measures' to undermine India and prevent Afghanistan from becoming its proxy, and allowing the US to employ diplomatic measures between India and Pakistan to ease tensions, especially on Kashmir. Intelligence sources here say that his role in the ISI had been drafted as early as in September by the then army chief General Raheel Sharif for his expertise in counter-terrorism and also for the role he played in Karachi, where he succeeded in manoeuvering the Mohajer political outfit Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM). A fierce critic of the Pakistan army so far, the MQM was controlled from London by its exiled leader Altaf Hussain. During his former stint at the ISI and as then head of the Karachi Corps, Lt Gen Mukhtar is believed to have led secret missions against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). In sync with the trajectory upheld by the Pakistan military on handling the conflict-ridden Afghanistan, Mukhtar, in the thesis for his Masters in Strategic Studies, envisages the accommodation of the 'moderate Taliban' in the governance of the country. Mukhtar, who was elevated from his position as a corps commander in Karachi, had earlier served as the DG of the ISI's counter-terrorism wing. His strategic mindset vis-a-vis Pakistan's foreign policy on Afghanistan is reflected in his analyses on the future of the neighbouring country. Analysing Afghanistan's transition when the US started withdrawing coalition forces in 2011, Mukhtar said that Pakistan needed to prevent the opening of another hostile front, should Afghanistan emerge as a proxy for India, and, to this effect, it "will closely follow India's efforts to influence Afghanistan and may take aggressive measures to undermine India's efforts in this regard.'' India has huge stakes in the development of Afghanistan and has made major strides in the reconstruction of public infrastructure in the war-ravaged country through visible symbols like the new parliament building, Salma friendship dam, Afghan National Agriculture Science & Technology University, Kandahar, and many other projects in the health, power and education sectors. Its close alliance with Afghanistan in the civil-military sphere has made India a target of Taliban. Pakistan, too, views India as working against its interest in Afghanistan. Mukhtar presents four plausible future scenarios for Afghanistan, all of which include a positive outcome: accommodation of moderate Taliban factions as part of the governance structure. "Although India's uncompromising anti-Taliban position has recently softened, India could still move to be a major destabilising force if it perceives that a return of a radicalised Taliban government is likely,'' he writes. While acknowledging the indisputable power and role of the US in bringing long-term stability in Afghanistan, along with regional stakeholders, Mukhtar emphasises: "The US must employ major diplomatic measures to ease regional tensions, especially between India and Pakistan, with a focus on Kashmir.'' (This article was appeared in DNA)

New ISI chief's agenda? Scuttle India-Afghan ties

Before the creation of Bangladesh, the Bengalis were always treated as suspects. Though very much a part of the sovereign state of Pakistan, Bengalis were kept under the watchful eyes of the West Pakistan regime. This nefarious trend continued unabated following the emergence of Bangladesh as a free and independent nation.&nbsp;

To wean away Bangladesh from the so-called sway of India, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) remained covertly active. Broadly, its aims were: One, to destabilise Bangladesh through coups and counter- coups, ostensibly, to avenge Pakistan&#39;s humiliating defeat in 1971.&nbsp;Two, Pakistan always wanted to install a puppet regime in Bangladesh, which was to be friendly to Pakistan, anti-freedom fighters, bereft of intellectuals and progressives, and above all anti-Indian in nature. Lastly, it wanted to see an Islamised military in Bangladesh to woo the fanatics and rightists to achieve the first two goals.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Let&#39;s look back at history: Almost the entire family of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh, was killed in a bloody coup staged on August 15, 1975. There was one coup followed by another; all with immense bloodletting and killings even within&nbsp;the prison. The government was then headed by Khondokar Mushtaq who was a sworn friend and sympathiser of Pakistan with fundamentalist leanings. According to Bangladesh watchers, such as me, the plans for these acts were prepared by the ISI&nbsp;and executed with military precision.&nbsp;

Surveillance on Hindu minority was very aggressive as they were perceived to be India loyalists. Meanwhile, atrocities on Hindus, including usurping of property, forced conversions, and desecration of places of worship were intensified and it was always alleged that the dye&nbsp;of such acts was cast by the ISI who were pursuing a vindictive agenda.&nbsp;

Later, with President Ziaur Rahman at the helm, it was suspected that he was more inclined towards Pakistan, though he was believed to have been sheltered in India as a young major in the army, participating in the liberation struggle. His old mates, generally, thought that he was later won over by the ISI for a furtherance of its objectives. His cruel death, engineered in 1981 through yet another bloody military coup, brought an end to his rule. However, by now he had established a well run political party called BNP which was later to be headed by his wife Khaleda Zia (1991- 1996) and again (2001-2006). Those years saw the ISI flourishing in Bangladesh, particularly, in the second spell of Khaleda regime when the fundamentalist, anti-India, and openly pro-Pakistan political party Jamaat e Islami (JeI) remained a partner in the country&#39;s governance.&nbsp;

ISI now had a custom made patron in JeI - BNP combine.

However, there was some setback when Sheikh Hasina assumed power in 2009 and started acting tough with the elements leaning towards the ISI or the Pakistan. Local &#39;assets&#39; of the ISI were severely dealt with. Yet, desperate not to lose ground, ISI kept up its activities detrimental to Bangladesh&#39;s security interests.&nbsp;

Mohammad Mazhar Khan, an ISI agent, was working as an attach? in the Pakistan High Commission. Early 2015, he was withdrawn for his direct involvement in financing terror and for running a forged currency racket. His currency syndicate included Hizbut Tahrir, Ansarullah Bangla Team and JeI, all connected with anti-India designs. Mazhar also penetrated deep into ex-police and military officers, students and teachers, and officers of the Pakistan International Airlines among others. Such is the reach of the ISI, which intends to harm&nbsp;Bangladesh and India&#39;s security interests.&nbsp;

In an another important case, Farina Arshad, a Pakistani diplomat in Dhaka, was recalled to Islamabad on December 23, 2015, after it was alleged that she has&nbsp;financed a suspected extremist, accused of spying for Pakistan.&nbsp;

Pakistan had also been openly supporting the war criminals hanged by the Hasina government for collaborating with the occupation forces.

Expressing its solidarity with the war criminals, Pakistani Parliament passed a unanimous resolution on May 10, 2016, condemning the hanging of Motiur Rahman Nizami who was a JeI leader and friend of Pakistan. &nbsp;

After the most recent terror attacks in Dhaka, Bangladeshi ministers have come on record stating that the ISI is responsible for such acts of violence. To me, their arguments seem plausible and convincing.&nbsp;

Unless Bangladesh intelligence agencies keep up their human and technological surveillance on the ISI handlers and their agents, ISI will continue to wreak havoc through acts of terror and subversion.&nbsp;

Maximum vigil, therefore, is the need of the day.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bangladesh intelligence agencies need to keep up their human and technological surveillance on the ISI handlers

Before the creation of Bangladesh, the Bengalis were always treated as suspects. Though very much a part of the sovereign state of Pakistan, Bengalis were kept under the watchful eyes of the West Pakistan regime. This nefarious trend continued unabated following the emergence of Bangladesh as a free and independent nation. To wean away Bangladesh from the so-called sway of India, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) remained covertly active. Broadly, its aims were: One, to destabilise Bangladesh through coups and counter- coups, ostensibly, to avenge Pakistan's humiliating defeat in 1971. Two, Pakistan always wanted to install a puppet regime in Bangladesh, which was to be friendly to Pakistan, anti-freedom fighters, bereft of intellectuals and progressives, and above all anti-Indian in nature. Lastly, it wanted to see an Islamised military in Bangladesh to woo the fanatics and rightists to achieve the first two goals. Let's look back at history: Almost the entire family of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh, was killed in a bloody coup staged on August 15, 1975. There was one coup followed by another; all with immense bloodletting and killings even within the prison. The government was then headed by Khondokar Mushtaq who was a sworn friend and sympathiser of Pakistan with fundamentalist leanings. According to Bangladesh watchers, such as me, the plans for these acts were prepared by the ISI and executed with military precision. Surveillance on Hindu minority was very aggressive as they were perceived to be India loyalists. Meanwhile, atrocities on Hindus, including usurping of property, forced conversions, and desecration of places of worship were intensified and it was always alleged that the dye of such acts was cast by the ISI who were pursuing a vindictive agenda. Later, with President Ziaur Rahman at the helm, it was suspected that he was more inclined towards Pakistan, though he was believed to have been sheltered in India as a young major in the army, participating in the liberation struggle. His old mates, generally, thought that he was later won over by the ISI for a furtherance of its objectives. His cruel death, engineered in 1981 through yet another bloody military coup, brought an end to his rule. However, by now he had established a well run political party called BNP which was later to be headed by his wife Khaleda Zia (1991- 1996) and again (2001-2006). Those years saw the ISI flourishing in Bangladesh, particularly, in the second spell of Khaleda regime when the fundamentalist, anti-India, and openly pro-Pakistan political party Jamaat e Islami (JeI) remained a partner in the country's governance. ISI now had a custom made patron in JeI - BNP combine. However, there was some setback when Sheikh Hasina assumed power in 2009 and started acting tough with the elements leaning towards the ISI or the Pakistan. Local 'assets' of the ISI were severely dealt with. Yet, desperate not to lose ground, ISI kept up its activities detrimental to Bangladesh's security interests. Mohammad Mazhar Khan, an ISI agent, was working as an attach? in the Pakistan High Commission. Early 2015, he was withdrawn for his direct involvement in financing terror and for running a forged currency racket. His currency syndicate included Hizbut Tahrir, Ansarullah Bangla Team and JeI, all connected with anti-India designs. Mazhar also penetrated deep into ex-police and military officers, students and teachers, and officers of the Pakistan International Airlines among others. Such is the reach of the ISI, which intends to harm Bangladesh and India's security interests. In an another important case, Farina Arshad, a Pakistani diplomat in Dhaka, was recalled to Islamabad on December 23, 2015, after it was alleged that she has financed a suspected extremist, accused of spying for Pakistan. Pakistan had also been openly supporting the war criminals hanged by the Hasina government for collaborating with the occupation forces. Expressing its solidarity with the war criminals, Pakistani Parliament passed a unanimous resolution on May 10, 2016, condemning the hanging of Motiur Rahman Nizami who was a JeI leader and friend of Pakistan. After the most recent terror attacks in Dhaka, Bangladeshi ministers have come on record stating that the ISI is responsible for such acts of violence. To me, their arguments seem plausible and convincing. Unless Bangladesh intelligence agencies keep up their human and technological surveillance on the ISI handlers and their agents, ISI will continue to wreak havoc through acts of terror and subversion. Maximum vigil, therefore, is the need of the day.

Bangladesh security scenario: ISI activities go unabated

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