Pakistan-based extremist Islamist group Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) has declared India as its number one enemy.

This declaration was made by Maulana Talha Siaf, the brother of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar at a rally in Larkana, Sindh, recently.

&quot;India is the number one enemy of the JeM. Modi (Indian Prime Minister) is the number one enemy of Maulana Masood Azhar. Al Qalam is being regularly read by Indian Muslims. Al Qalam has been published online on Tuesday/Wednesday, and while you may not be able to receive a copy of this paper, your relatives in India read Al Qalam of Maulana Masood Azhar regularly. Indian media has launched a campaign against Al Qalam, and by this way, our enemy is performing our duties in India,&quot; Maulana Talha Siaf said.

He also incited Muslims to follow the path of `Jihad` to achieve something great in life.

&quot;India is a mini super power of the region that has created problems for Pakistan for the past sixty years, but India`s six lakh forces are facing a tough time in the Kashmir Valley and are unable to announce their victory in Kashmir, said Siaf provocatively.

The JeM is responsible for carrying out several terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and other bordering states, including at the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016.

Maulana Saif said, &quot;Mothers and daughters of Kashmir are calling us and we slaves are unable to cross the borders of infidels, but today, free Mujahideen can cross borders.&quot;

He also raised the issue of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya city, saying, &quot;The Indian government is using its machinery to attempt to build the Ram Mandir in place of the Babri Mosque. Maulana Masood Azhar had announced that the Ram Mandir would not be allowed to be constructed at the place of the Babri Mosque. Now, every year, the government announces that on such and such date the Ram Mandir will be built, and again from this side, there is an announcement that they will not allow the construction of the Ram Mandir in place of the Babri Mosque, and still the Ram Mandir is not built.&quot;

'India is the number one enemy of the JeM,' Maulana Talha Siaf said

Pakistan-based extremist Islamist group Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) has declared India as its number one enemy. This declaration was made by Maulana Talha Siaf, the brother of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar at a rally in Larkana, Sindh, recently. "India is the number one enemy of the JeM. Modi (Indian Prime Minister) is the number one enemy of Maulana Masood Azhar. Al Qalam is being regularly read by Indian Muslims. Al Qalam has been published online on Tuesday/Wednesday, and while you may not be able to receive a copy of this paper, your relatives in India read Al Qalam of Maulana Masood Azhar regularly. Indian media has launched a campaign against Al Qalam, and by this way, our enemy is performing our duties in India," Maulana Talha Siaf said. He also incited Muslims to follow the path of `Jihad` to achieve something great in life. "India is a mini super power of the region that has created problems for Pakistan for the past sixty years, but India`s six lakh forces are facing a tough time in the Kashmir Valley and are unable to announce their victory in Kashmir, said Siaf provocatively. The JeM is responsible for carrying out several terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and other bordering states, including at the Pathankot Air Force base in January 2016. Maulana Saif said, "Mothers and daughters of Kashmir are calling us and we slaves are unable to cross the borders of infidels, but today, free Mujahideen can cross borders." He also raised the issue of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya city, saying, "The Indian government is using its machinery to attempt to build the Ram Mandir in place of the Babri Mosque. Maulana Masood Azhar had announced that the Ram Mandir would not be allowed to be constructed at the place of the Babri Mosque. Now, every year, the government announces that on such and such date the Ram Mandir will be built, and again from this side, there is an announcement that they will not allow the construction of the Ram Mandir in place of the Babri Mosque, and still the Ram Mandir is not built."

India is 'number one enemy', says Jaish-e-Mohammed

December 13, 2001 shook the very foundations of Indian democracy. A group of terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed sneaked past the security cordon around the Parliament of India. The attack killed six Delhi Police personnel and two Parliament Security Service personnel.

Five terrorists were killed.&nbsp;

The attack left a deep scar on the psyche of the nation. We felt vulnerable but, it also strengthened India&#39;s resolve to take the war to the heart of terrorism.&nbsp;

On the sixteenth anniversary of the attack, WION spoke with Radhey Sham Gupta, the&nbsp;then Special Police Commissioner in-charge of anti-terrorist operations, and Danvir Singh, editor of the Indian Defence Review.&nbsp;

WION: Why do you think an attack was launched on the Indian Parliament?

D Singh: When you look back, you realise the grand sinister design of Pakistan towards India that they have had, or rather they still have.

The attack on our Parliament was of a very high significance. It was designed to send a clear-cut message by Pakistanis to the Indians of their invincibility and ability to strike anywhere at free will with complete impunity.

The proxy war unleashed by them had already started to impact the psychology of the Indian state. Kandahar hijack and our response is the testimony to that argument. In quick succession, Pakistan had managed to seize and maintain the momentum of aggression on India after the Kargil defeat.

They had attacked the Kashmir assembly in November that year killing 38 innocent people. The intention of the enemy in carrying out such audacious attacks was to cripple the nervous system of the state. What could have been a better target other than Parliament which is the centre of gravity of Indian democracy and governance system?

WION: What were your first thoughts when you heard that Parliament has been attacked? What was the immediate action you took?

RS Gupta: I was the Special Police Commissioner in-charge of anti-terrorist&nbsp;operations at that time. My first reaction was to direct resources at the attack location and effectively deal with the terrorists -- arresting and neutralising them. Directions were very clear that in achieving our objective, no harm should be done to the MPs and VIPs at Parliament House at any cost. We were also asked to cause minimum damage on our side, both civilian and police.

Rest of the city was placed under full alert and security of all vital installations was reinforced. All Delhi Police units were placed on full emergency under senior officers. Delhi borders were put on full alert too.

WION: What was the scene at Parliament?

RS Gupta: Commissioner of Police Mr Ajay Raj Sharma had already reached Parliament House to lead the response. I too reached Parliament House shortly thereafter. Parliament House had been surrounded on all sides by police forces and units were involved in exchange of fire with terrorists. All five terrorists were neutralised before they could enter Parliament House and indulge in a&nbsp;shootout. A great role was played by Parliament staff in closing the wooden doors of the main Parliament building in time.&nbsp;Unfortunately, nine people were killed and 16 others injured in the attack by the terrorists.

Investigations were taken up immediately. Delhi Police cracked the case in 48 hours

WION: Can you tell us something about the attack that we came to know of only years later and was not evident then?

D Singh: Well!&nbsp;India realised that no matter how hard they battle with these terrorists and kill them in our own territory, we may continue with our losses in terms of precious human lives and seriously impair our psychology and in turn our will to fight. Thus, succumbing to Pakistani pressures and negotiating the Kashmir issue to their advantage.

We realised after the Parliament attack followed by Operation Parakram that the conventional option may not be a viable option. We had to prevent the attacker much before the LoC and preferably much beyond in Pakistani-held territory itself.

To that effect we did two things: firstly, we increased the pressure on the LoC by escalating artillery fire all across, making the proposition expensive to the Pakistanis both in terms of human and material resources. This forced General Musharraf to his knees literally begging for a ceasefire in 2003.

Secondly, we fenced our Line of Control. This was the game changer. Pakistan is still trying to grapple with this challenge. Today we have an upper hand and we have that initiative. Violence levels have reduced drastically in our favour. Also, the surgical strikes conducted have literally turned the tables. What Pakistan endeavoured by staging an attack on Parliament, we have achieved far much more. Pakistani establishment fears our response. India has changed, and they have realised that well.

WION: How do you think the terrorists managed to get in? What have we done to prevent such future attacks?

RS Gupta: The terrorists were able to enter the Parliament House complex by photocopying a Parliament car-parking label. They had recced the area and watched the entry procedure.

Parliament House security has since been reviewed, studied and strengthened.

WION: What is the most memorable image of that attack which has stayed with you from the event?

D Singh: Images of our CRPF jawans battling with these LeT / JeM terrorists with utmost bravery still linger on and remain totally clear in my memory. &nbsp;It was actually these images that conveyed a message that the terrorists sent by Pakistan who are religiously motivated under the ideology of Islam are in fact no-good fighters, rather they are cowards seen running petrified for cover once cornered. 
&nbsp;

On that day, the Parliament of India -- the very nerve centre of the country's democracy -- was attacked by terrorists from the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed

December 13, 2001 shook the very foundations of Indian democracy. A group of terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed sneaked past the security cordon around the Parliament of India. The attack killed six Delhi Police personnel and two Parliament Security Service personnel. Five terrorists were killed. The attack left a deep scar on the psyche of the nation. We felt vulnerable but, it also strengthened India's resolve to take the war to the heart of terrorism. On the sixteenth anniversary of the attack, WION spoke with Radhey Sham Gupta, the then Special Police Commissioner in-charge of anti-terrorist operations, and Danvir Singh, editor of the Indian Defence Review. WION: Why do you think an attack was launched on the Indian Parliament? D Singh: When you look back, you realise the grand sinister design of Pakistan towards India that they have had, or rather they still have. The attack on our Parliament was of a very high significance. It was designed to send a clear-cut message by Pakistanis to the Indians of their invincibility and ability to strike anywhere at free will with complete impunity. The proxy war unleashed by them had already started to impact the psychology of the Indian state. Kandahar hijack and our response is the testimony to that argument. In quick succession, Pakistan had managed to seize and maintain the momentum of aggression on India after the Kargil defeat. They had attacked the Kashmir assembly in November that year killing 38 innocent people. The intention of the enemy in carrying out such audacious attacks was to cripple the nervous system of the state. What could have been a better target other than Parliament which is the centre of gravity of Indian democracy and governance system? WION: What were your first thoughts when you heard that Parliament has been attacked? What was the immediate action you took? RS Gupta: I was the Special Police Commissioner in-charge of anti-terrorist operations at that time. My first reaction was to direct resources at the attack location and effectively deal with the terrorists -- arresting and neutralising them. Directions were very clear that in achieving our objective, no harm should be done to the MPs and VIPs at Parliament House at any cost. We were also asked to cause minimum damage on our side, both civilian and police. Rest of the city was placed under full alert and security of all vital installations was reinforced. All Delhi Police units were placed on full emergency under senior officers. Delhi borders were put on full alert too. WION: What was the scene at Parliament? RS Gupta: Commissioner of Police Mr Ajay Raj Sharma had already reached Parliament House to lead the response. I too reached Parliament House shortly thereafter. Parliament House had been surrounded on all sides by police forces and units were involved in exchange of fire with terrorists. All five terrorists were neutralised before they could enter Parliament House and indulge in a shootout. A great role was played by Parliament staff in closing the wooden doors of the main Parliament building in time. Unfortunately, nine people were killed and 16 others injured in the attack by the terrorists. Investigations were taken up immediately. Delhi Police cracked the case in 48 hours WION: Can you tell us something about the attack that we came to know of only years later and was not evident then? D Singh: Well! India realised that no matter how hard they battle with these terrorists and kill them in our own territory, we may continue with our losses in terms of precious human lives and seriously impair our psychology and in turn our will to fight. Thus, succumbing to Pakistani pressures and negotiating the Kashmir issue to their advantage. We realised after the Parliament attack followed by Operation Parakram that the conventional option may not be a viable option. We had to prevent the attacker much before the LoC and preferably much beyond in Pakistani-held territory itself. To that effect we did two things: firstly, we increased the pressure on the LoC by escalating artillery fire all across, making the proposition expensive to the Pakistanis both in terms of human and material resources. This forced General Musharraf to his knees literally begging for a ceasefire in 2003. Secondly, we fenced our Line of Control. This was the game changer. Pakistan is still trying to grapple with this challenge. Today we have an upper hand and we have that initiative. Violence levels have reduced drastically in our favour. Also, the surgical strikes conducted have literally turned the tables. What Pakistan endeavoured by staging an attack on Parliament, we have achieved far much more. Pakistani establishment fears our response. India has changed, and they have realised that well. WION: How do you think the terrorists managed to get in? What have we done to prevent such future attacks? RS Gupta: The terrorists were able to enter the Parliament House complex by photocopying a Parliament car-parking label. They had recced the area and watched the entry procedure. Parliament House security has since been reviewed, studied and strengthened. WION: What is the most memorable image of that attack which has stayed with you from the event? D Singh: Images of our CRPF jawans battling with these LeT / JeM terrorists with utmost bravery still linger on and remain totally clear in my memory. It was actually these images that conveyed a message that the terrorists sent by Pakistan who are religiously motivated under the ideology of Islam are in fact no-good fighters, rather they are cowards seen running petrified for cover once cornered.

December 13, 2001: The day the heart of India's democracy was attacked

Two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) hideouts were today busted by security forces in Tral area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir.

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J&amp;K: Two Jaish e Mohammad hideouts busted by security forces in Tral. Search operation continues
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A police official said &quot;two major Jaish hideouts were busted by security forces at Naristan in Tral area,&quot; and that the search operations were still going on.

The official said that the details of the operation would be given once it is completed.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Jaish-e-Muhammad hideouts were busted in Tral area of Pulwama district

Two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) hideouts were today busted by security forces in Tral area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir. J&K: Two Jaish e Mohammad hideouts busted by security forces in Tral. Search operation continues — ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2017 × J&K: Two Jaish e Mohammad hideouts busted by security forces in Tral. Search operation continues pic.twitter.com/CPfYwcnlxt — ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2017 × A police official said "two major Jaish hideouts were busted by security forces at Naristan in Tral area," and that the search operations were still going on. The official said that the details of the operation would be given once it is completed.

J&K: 2 JeM hideouts busted by security forces in Pulwama

Indian security forces today killed Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists after a prolonged gunbattle in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Shopian district.

The security forces gunned down all three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists, reports said.&nbsp;

The terrorists were&nbsp;trapped in Shopian&#39;s&nbsp;Gatipora village. The security forces have launched a major combing operation in the area.

Earlier today, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-jem-chief-khalid-killed-in-encounter-with-security-forces-21156">Jaish-e-Mohammad(JeM) operational head Khalid</a> was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kashmir&#39;s Ladoora area in&nbsp;Baramulla district.&nbsp;

The terrorists attacked a patrol party of the security forces which turned into a gunbattle.&nbsp;

Khalid, a Pakistani national, was active in North Kashmir&#39;s Sopore area.

Earlier today, Jaish-e-Mohammad operational head Khalid was killed in an encounter

Indian security forces today killed Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists after a prolonged gunbattle in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. The security forces gunned down all three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists, reports said. The terrorists were trapped in Shopian's Gatipora village. The security forces have launched a major combing operation in the area. Earlier today, Jaish-e-Mohammad(JeM) operational head Khalid was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kashmir's Ladoora area in Baramulla district. The terrorists attacked a patrol party of the security forces which turned into a gunbattle. Khalid, a Pakistani national, was active in North Kashmir's Sopore area.

J&K: 3 Hizbul terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Shopian

The US&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;listed Pakistan among the nations and regions providing &quot;safe havens&quot; to terrorists, saying terror groups like the LeT and JeM continue to operate, train, organise and fundraise inside the country in 2016.

In its annual &quot;Country Report on Terrorism&quot;, as mandated by the Congress, the State Department said that Pakistani military and security forces undertook operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan such as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan.

&quot;Pakistan did not take substantial action against the Afghan Taliban or Haqqani, or substantially limit their ability to threaten US interests in Afghanistan, although Pakistan supported efforts to bring both groups into an Afghan-led peace process,&quot; the State Department said.

&quot;Pakistan did not take sufficient action against other externally focused groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in 2016, which continued to operate, train, organise, and fundraise in Pakistan,&quot; the report said.

India, it said continued to experience attacks, &quot;including by Maoist insurgents and Pakistan-based terrorists&quot;.

Indian authorities continued to blame Pakistan for cross-border attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, it said.

&quot;In January, India experienced a terrorist attack against an Indian military facility in Pathankot, Punjab, which was blamed by authorities on JeM. Over the course of 2016, the Government of India sought to deepen counterterrorism cooperation and information sharing with the United States,&quot; the State Department said.

The Indian government continued to closely monitor the domestic threat from transnational terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which made threats against India in their terrorist propaganda. A number of individuals were arrested for ISIS-affiliated recruitment and attack plotting within India, the report said.

In a separate chapter, the State Department listed Pakistan as one of the safe havens of terrorism. 
The State Department said that numerous terrorist groups, including the Haqqani Network (HQN), the LeT and JeM continued to operate from Pakistani soil in 2016.

&quot;Although LeT is banned in Pakistan, LeT&#39;s wings Jamaat- ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FiF) were able to openly engage in fundraising, including in the capital,&quot; it said.

&quot;LeT&#39;s chief Hafiz Saeed (a UN-designated terrorist) continued to address large rallies, although in February 2017, Pakistan proscribed him under relevant provisions of Schedule Four of the Anti-Terrorism Act, thus severely restricting his freedom of movement,&quot; it noted.

The 2015 ban on media coverage of Saeed, JuD, and FiF continued and was generally followed by broadcast and print media, it said.

According to the State Department, the Pakistani government did not publicly reverse its December 2015 declaration that neither JuD nor FiF is banned in Pakistan, despite their listing under UN sanctions regimes, although in January 2017, Pakistan placed both organisations &quot;under observation&quot; pursuant to Schedule Two of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

While not a ban, keeping the outfits under observation allows the government to closely scrutinise the activities of both organisations.

On November 11, Pakistan&#39;s National Counterterrorism Authority published its own list of banned organisations that placed JuD in a separate section for groups that are &quot;under observation&quot; but not banned.

Pakistan continued military operations to eradicate terrorist safe havens in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, although their impact on all terrorist groups was uneven, it said.

In its report to the Congress, the State Department said in 2016, India and the United States pledged to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups including al-Qaeda, the ISIS, JeM, LeT and D-Company (Dawood Ibrahim&#39;s group), including through greater collaboration on designations at the UN.

Indian and US leaders directed officials to identify new areas of collaboration through the July US-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group, applauded finalisation of a bilateral arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorism screening information, and called upon Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of terrorist attacks against India to justice, the report said.

The United States and India worked together to designate JeM leader Maulana Masood Azhar, although the listing was blocked in the UN 1267 Committee, the State Department said.

Other areas mentioned in the report as safe havens are Afghanistan, Somalia, the Trans-Sahara, Sulu/Sulawesi Seas Littoral, Southern Philippines, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Columbia and Venezuela.

A report by the State Department said India continues to experience attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists

The US Wednesday listed Pakistan among the nations and regions providing "safe havens" to terrorists, saying terror groups like the LeT and JeM continue to operate, train, organise and fundraise inside the country in 2016. In its annual "Country Report on Terrorism", as mandated by the Congress, the State Department said that Pakistani military and security forces undertook operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan such as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan. "Pakistan did not take substantial action against the Afghan Taliban or Haqqani, or substantially limit their ability to threaten US interests in Afghanistan, although Pakistan supported efforts to bring both groups into an Afghan-led peace process," the State Department said. "Pakistan did not take sufficient action against other externally focused groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in 2016, which continued to operate, train, organise, and fundraise in Pakistan," the report said. India, it said continued to experience attacks, "including by Maoist insurgents and Pakistan-based terrorists". Indian authorities continued to blame Pakistan for cross-border attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, it said. "In January, India experienced a terrorist attack against an Indian military facility in Pathankot, Punjab, which was blamed by authorities on JeM. Over the course of 2016, the Government of India sought to deepen counterterrorism cooperation and information sharing with the United States," the State Department said. The Indian government continued to closely monitor the domestic threat from transnational terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which made threats against India in their terrorist propaganda. A number of individuals were arrested for ISIS-affiliated recruitment and attack plotting within India, the report said. In a separate chapter, the State Department listed Pakistan as one of the safe havens of terrorism. The State Department said that numerous terrorist groups, including the Haqqani Network (HQN), the LeT and JeM continued to operate from Pakistani soil in 2016. "Although LeT is banned in Pakistan, LeT's wings Jamaat- ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FiF) were able to openly engage in fundraising, including in the capital," it said. "LeT's chief Hafiz Saeed (a UN-designated terrorist) continued to address large rallies, although in February 2017, Pakistan proscribed him under relevant provisions of Schedule Four of the Anti-Terrorism Act, thus severely restricting his freedom of movement," it noted. The 2015 ban on media coverage of Saeed, JuD, and FiF continued and was generally followed by broadcast and print media, it said. According to the State Department, the Pakistani government did not publicly reverse its December 2015 declaration that neither JuD nor FiF is banned in Pakistan, despite their listing under UN sanctions regimes, although in January 2017, Pakistan placed both organisations "under observation" pursuant to Schedule Two of the Anti-Terrorism Act. While not a ban, keeping the outfits under observation allows the government to closely scrutinise the activities of both organisations. On November 11, Pakistan's National Counterterrorism Authority published its own list of banned organisations that placed JuD in a separate section for groups that are "under observation" but not banned. Pakistan continued military operations to eradicate terrorist safe havens in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, although their impact on all terrorist groups was uneven, it said. In its report to the Congress, the State Department said in 2016, India and the United States pledged to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups including al-Qaeda, the ISIS, JeM, LeT and D-Company (Dawood Ibrahim's group), including through greater collaboration on designations at the UN. Indian and US leaders directed officials to identify new areas of collaboration through the July US-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group, applauded finalisation of a bilateral arrangement to facilitate the sharing of terrorism screening information, and called upon Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of terrorist attacks against India to justice, the report said. The United States and India worked together to designate JeM leader Maulana Masood Azhar, although the listing was blocked in the UN 1267 Committee, the State Department said. Other areas mentioned in the report as safe havens are Afghanistan, Somalia, the Trans-Sahara, Sulu/Sulawesi Seas Littoral, Southern Philippines, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Columbia and Venezuela.

US lists Pakistan among nations providing 'safe havens' to terrorists

China today defended its decision to block the US&#39; proposal in the UN Security Council to designate the chief of the terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar a global 
terrorist, saying the &quot;conditions&quot; have not yet been met for Beijing to back the move.

Asked about the significance of US pushing for a ban against Azhar, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang clarified that &quot;the committee has its own set of discussion rules&quot;.

Lu Kang told the press that Beijing had put a technical hold for the third time on the attempt to designate Azhar a terrorist since it wanted to allow &quot;relevant parties&quot; to reach a consensus.

Lu also claimed that the decision to put a technical hold on India&#39;s applications to designate Masood Azhar a terrorist was done after &quot;several rounds of consultations with India&quot;.

&quot;We put out technical hold after we had several rounds of consultations with India. We hope relevant parties have enough time to consult with each other to make sure that the decision made 
by the Committee will be based on consensus representing the broad international community,&quot; he said.

&quot;Last year 1,267 Committee of the UN Security Council discussed the issue regarding listing Masood (Azhar) in the sanctions list. There were different views with no consensus reached,&quot; Lu 
said.

&quot;As for the submission once again by relevant countries to list him in the sanctions list, I would say the conditions are not yet been met for the Committee to reach a decision,&quot; he said.

&quot;China has put the request on technical hold, to allow the relevant parties more time to consult with each other. This is also in line with rules of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council 
and the rules of the discussion of the Committee,&quot; he said.

&quot;So, whoever submitted the request we believe all the members of the committee will act in line with regulations of the Security Council and its affiliations,&quot; he said. 
&nbsp;

<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xlfsP3yzZJk" width="560"></iframe></center>

 
 
Asked about whether China&#39;s relations with India would be impacted, he said, Beijing and New Delhi &quot;have exchanged views&quot; on the issue. &quot;We don&#39;t hope it will have a negative impact on our 
relationship.&quot;

The foreign ministry spokesperson also defended the criticism that his country was continuously blocking the move at the behest of Pakistan.

&quot;China&#39;s action in the Security Council and its affiliations are in line with the regulations and procedures,&quot; Lu said.

China has put a &quot;hold&quot; on the US-initiated proposal, which comes barely weeks after India&#39;s bid to get Azhar banned by the UN were scuttled by Beijing last December. This has prompted India to take up the matter with the Chinese government.

On whether the issue on the ban on Azhar can be resolved this year since it has dragged into the second year, Lu said, &quot;It is not the length of time.&quot;

&quot;It is a matter of time whether a consensus can be reached on the basis of full consultations.&quot; Asked to identify specific reasons for blocking Azhar&#39;s ban, Lu said, &quot;Consultations in the 
Security Council and internal discussions of its affiliations has its own set of discussion rules.&quot;

The US, supported by two other permanent members of UN Security Council -- UK and France- moved the proposal at the UN&#39;s Sanctions Committee 1267 to proscribe Azhar last month.

The proposal, which was finalised after &quot;consultations&quot; between Washington and New Delhi, said since JeM is a designated terror outfit, its leaders cannot go scot-free.&nbsp;It was submitted just a day before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;The JeM was designated a terrorist outfit by the UN in 2001.&nbsp;

India wrote to the UN last year in February calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, after the attack on the IAF base at Pathankot in January 2016.

It met with stiff opposition from China which twice put a &quot;technical hold&quot; on India&#39;s efforts in March and October last year before blocking India&#39;s request in December 2016.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

China's foreign ministry spokesperson said it was waiting for 'relevant parties' to reach a consensus on the matter

China today defended its decision to block the US' proposal in the UN Security Council to designate the chief of the terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist, saying the "conditions" have not yet been met for Beijing to back the move. Asked about the significance of US pushing for a ban against Azhar, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang clarified that "the committee has its own set of discussion rules". Lu Kang told the press that Beijing had put a technical hold for the third time on the attempt to designate Azhar a terrorist since it wanted to allow "relevant parties" to reach a consensus. Lu also claimed that the decision to put a technical hold on India's applications to designate Masood Azhar a terrorist was done after "several rounds of consultations with India". "We put out technical hold after we had several rounds of consultations with India. We hope relevant parties have enough time to consult with each other to make sure that the decision made by the Committee will be based on consensus representing the broad international community," he said. "Last year 1,267 Committee of the UN Security Council discussed the issue regarding listing Masood (Azhar) in the sanctions list. There were different views with no consensus reached," Lu said. "As for the submission once again by relevant countries to list him in the sanctions list, I would say the conditions are not yet been met for the Committee to reach a decision," he said. "China has put the request on technical hold, to allow the relevant parties more time to consult with each other. This is also in line with rules of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the rules of the discussion of the Committee," he said. "So, whoever submitted the request we believe all the members of the committee will act in line with regulations of the Security Council and its affiliations," he said. Asked about whether China's relations with India would be impacted, he said, Beijing and New Delhi "have exchanged views" on the issue. "We don't hope it will have a negative impact on our relationship." The foreign ministry spokesperson also defended the criticism that his country was continuously blocking the move at the behest of Pakistan. "China's action in the Security Council and its affiliations are in line with the regulations and procedures," Lu said. China has put a "hold" on the US-initiated proposal, which comes barely weeks after India's bid to get Azhar banned by the UN were scuttled by Beijing last December. This has prompted India to take up the matter with the Chinese government. On whether the issue on the ban on Azhar can be resolved this year since it has dragged into the second year, Lu said, "It is not the length of time." "It is a matter of time whether a consensus can be reached on the basis of full consultations." Asked to identify specific reasons for blocking Azhar's ban, Lu said, "Consultations in the Security Council and internal discussions of its affiliations has its own set of discussion rules." The US, supported by two other permanent members of UN Security Council -- UK and France- moved the proposal at the UN's Sanctions Committee 1267 to proscribe Azhar last month. The proposal, which was finalised after "consultations" between Washington and New Delhi, said since JeM is a designated terror outfit, its leaders cannot go scot-free. It was submitted just a day before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. The JeM was designated a terrorist outfit by the UN in 2001. India wrote to the UN last year in February calling for immediate action to list Azhar under the al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, after the attack on the IAF base at Pathankot in January 2016. It met with stiff opposition from China which twice put a "technical hold" on India's efforts in March and October last year before blocking India's request in December 2016. (WION with inputs from PTI)

'Technical hold' on Masood ban done after consultations with India: China

Terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the 2016 attacks in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir and not Jaish-e-Muhammad as was previously believed, India&#39;s anti-terror agency said.&nbsp; 
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Investigation reveals that LeT was behind Uri and Handwara(J&amp;K) attacks and not JeM: NIA sources
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India&#39;s National Investigation Agency&#39;s preliminary investigation had indicated that Jaish-e-Muhammad orchestrated a deadly attack on an Indian army installation in September 2016, killing 19 soldiers, which eventually exacerbated relations between India and Pakistan.&nbsp; 
 
Nearly three weeks later, three militants engaged in a fierce gunbattle with India troops in Handwara. The gunmen were eventually gunned down by Indian soldiers and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from them.&nbsp;

But the volte-face in NIA&#39;s findings suggest that Hafiz Saeed-led Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has been blamed for several fidayeen attacks including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, were responsible for the attacks in restive Kashmir.

Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba has routinely attacked India over the years as it attempts to &quot;liberate&quot; Kashmir from India. LeT has been recognised as a terrorist organisation by India, the United States, Russia and the European Union.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the NIA&#39;s initial report believes JeM to be responsible for November&#39;s Nagrota attack that claimed the loss of seven Indian soldiers.

Kashmir was a crucible of lethal fidayeen attacks last year, especially after a commander of pro-Kashmir freedom organisation Burhan Wani was killed by Indian security forces in an encounter and India allegedly carried out surgical strikes to neutralise terror camps based in Pakistan.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from ANI) 
&nbsp;

The findings buttress India's claim that Pakistan is supporting terror groups wage lethal attacks on India

Terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the 2016 attacks in Uri and Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir and not Jaish-e-Muhammad as was previously believed, India's anti-terror agency said. Investigation reveals that LeT was behind Uri and Handwara(J&K) attacks and not JeM: NIA sources — ANI (@ANI_news) January 19, 2017 × India's National Investigation Agency's preliminary investigation had indicated that Jaish-e-Muhammad orchestrated a deadly attack on an Indian army installation in September 2016, killing 19 soldiers, which eventually exacerbated relations between India and Pakistan. Nearly three weeks later, three militants engaged in a fierce gunbattle with India troops in Handwara. The gunmen were eventually gunned down by Indian soldiers and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from them. But the volte-face in NIA's findings suggest that Hafiz Saeed-led Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has been blamed for several fidayeen attacks including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, were responsible for the attacks in restive Kashmir. Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba has routinely attacked India over the years as it attempts to "liberate" Kashmir from India. LeT has been recognised as a terrorist organisation by India, the United States, Russia and the European Union. Meanwhile, the NIA's initial report believes JeM to be responsible for November's Nagrota attack that claimed the loss of seven Indian soldiers. Kashmir was a crucible of lethal fidayeen attacks last year, especially after a commander of pro-Kashmir freedom organisation Burhan Wani was killed by Indian security forces in an encounter and India allegedly carried out surgical strikes to neutralise terror camps based in Pakistan. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Lashkar behind Uri, Handwara attacks in Kashmir, not Jaish: India's anti-terror agency

UN Security Council (UNSC) member France has backed India&#39;s proposal to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, days after China blocked India&#39;s move.

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that since Masood Azhar&#39;s JeM had already been designated a terrorist organisation, there were &quot;very strong arguments in favour&quot; of such a move.

&nbsp;&quot;Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the (Sanctions) Committee&#39;s list of terrorist organisations, therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested,&quot; the French foreign minister, who is on a four-day visit to India said.

Without naming China directly, he said: &quot;The international community&#39;s determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat.&quot;

&quot;That&#39;s why&quot;, he said, France not only supported but also co-sponsored the Indian request at the UNSC.

In February 2015, India submitted a proposal to the 15-member 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UNSC to list Azhar as an international terrorist for allegedly masterminding the attack on an airbase in Pathankot in 2015.

China imposed a &quot;technical hold&quot; on the Indian proposal twice before blocking it on December 30, the only country to do so.

&quot;We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached,&quot; said Ayrault, whose country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

He said France will now discuss with India what should be done. &quot;India knows it can count on our support,&quot; he added.

The French foreign minister, whose country has faced a number of terror attacks over the last few years, pitched for a &quot;decisive action&quot; against &nbsp;Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are &quot;targeting&quot; India.

&quot;France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism,&quot; he said.

He emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism &quot;originating from their territory or territories under their control&quot;.

&quot;We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen,&quot; he said in an obvious reference to Pakistan from where these outfits are believed to have been operating.

The French minister also defended the Indian Army&#39;s &#39;&quot;surgical strikes&quot; against terrorist camps across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in September 2016.

&quot;Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the 
right to defend itself,&quot; he said.

Ayrault also spoke about the scope of cooperation between India and his country in combating terror. &quot;France and India are both victims of terrorism, and they are in full solidarity vis-a-vis this scourge,&quot; he said, adding that the fight against terrorism is one of the cornerstones of India and France&#39;s strategic partnership.

In concrete terms, he said, France and India hold &quot;constant and very operational exchanges&quot; on the terrorist threat.

&quot;We have a bilateral working group that brings together all the players concerned over counter-terrorism, and, among others, cooperation with regard to investigations and between our respective intervention units, the GIGN from the French side, and the National Security Guards from the Indian side. I welcome the development of all these cooperations,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Azhar, a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan, was one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange of 166 hostages of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 which was hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999.

At that time, Azhar was a member of the Harkat-ul Mujahideen, and soon after his release, he floated the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan which carried out several attacks in India, including on the Parliament in December 2001.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

Its foreign minister said there were 'very strong arguments' to blacklist Masood as his group is already considered a terrorist organisation

UN Security Council (UNSC) member France has backed India's proposal to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist, days after China blocked India's move. French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that since Masood Azhar's JeM had already been designated a terrorist organisation, there were "very strong arguments in favour" of such a move. "Jaish-e-Mohammad is already included in the (Sanctions) Committee's list of terrorist organisations, therefore, there are very strong arguments in favour of listing its chief, as India has requested," the French foreign minister, who is on a four-day visit to India said. Without naming China directly, he said: "The international community's determination to combat terrorism must be the same everywhere, regardless of the threat." "That's why", he said, France not only supported but also co-sponsored the Indian request at the UNSC. In February 2015, India submitted a proposal to the 15-member 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UNSC to list Azhar as an international terrorist for allegedly masterminding the attack on an airbase in Pathankot in 2015. China imposed a "technical hold" on the Indian proposal twice before blocking it on December 30, the only country to do so. "We regret that, despite our joint efforts and wide support from the Committee, unanimity could not be reached," said Ayrault, whose country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. He said France will now discuss with India what should be done. "India knows it can count on our support," he added. The French foreign minister, whose country has faced a number of terror attacks over the last few years, pitched for a "decisive action" against Pakistan-based terror groups like LeT, JeM and Hizbul Mujahideen which are "targeting" India. "France has very firmly condemned the terrorist attacks against India, including the recent one in Uri, and reiterated its full solidarity with India in its combat against terrorism," he said. He emphasised that all countries should fight effectively against terrorism "originating from their territory or territories under their control". "We particularly want to see decisive action taken, in keeping with international law, against terrorist groups targeting India, particularly the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen," he said in an obvious reference to Pakistan from where these outfits are believed to have been operating. The French minister also defended the Indian Army's '"surgical strikes" against terrorist camps across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in September 2016. "Nothing can justify terrorism, which must be fought everywhere with equal determination. When a country is faced with a terrorist threat of this nature, it has the right to defend itself," he said. Ayrault also spoke about the scope of cooperation between India and his country in combating terror. "France and India are both victims of terrorism, and they are in full solidarity vis-a-vis this scourge," he said, adding that the fight against terrorism is one of the cornerstones of India and France's strategic partnership. In concrete terms, he said, France and India hold "constant and very operational exchanges" on the terrorist threat. "We have a bilateral working group that brings together all the players concerned over counter-terrorism, and, among others, cooperation with regard to investigations and between our respective intervention units, the GIGN from the French side, and the National Security Guards from the Indian side. I welcome the development of all these cooperations," he said. Azhar, a resident of Bahawalpur in Pakistan, was one of the three terrorists freed by India in exchange of 166 hostages of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 which was hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999. At that time, Azhar was a member of the Harkat-ul Mujahideen, and soon after his release, he floated the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan which carried out several attacks in India, including on the Parliament in December 2001. (WION with inputs from PTI)

France backs India's bid to designate Masood Azhar as terrorist by UN

China has stonewalled India&#39;s request to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammad chief&nbsp;Maulana Masood Azhar, New Delhi said, in a move that could ratchet up tensions between the two countries.

India has been pushing to include the Jaish leader&#39;s name in the&nbsp;UN Security Council blacklist of groups linked to al Qaeda.

New Delhi believes Azhar orchestrated a deadly&nbsp;attack on an Indian air base in January.

China had previously put a &#39;technical hold&#39; on the move in April.

While Jaish-e-Mohammad has been blacklisted by the UN Security Council, its chief is yet to be red-flagged.

&quot;We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism,&quot; Indian foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup&nbsp;said in a statement.

Swarup added that the inability of the international community to take the step showed the &quot;prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism&quot;.

The spokesperson added that New Delhi was surprised by Beijing&#39;s decision.

China&#39;s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Friday evening.

China had two options in front of them -- either to prolong the &quot;hold&quot;, which would mean that Azhar would be banned due to activation of UNSC&#39;s resolution 1267, or &quot;block&quot; India&#39;s effort.&nbsp;

India has long accused its neighbour Pakistan of using Jaish-e-Mohammad as a front to mount attacks on Indian soil, including in the disputed Kashmir region.&nbsp;Pakistan, however, denies giving any aid to Kashmir-based militants.

If Azhar was blacklisted by the UN Security Council, he would face a global travel ban and asset freeze.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

China, which put a 'technical hold' on the move in April, has now blocked it, India's foreign ministry said

China has stonewalled India's request to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, New Delhi said, in a move that could ratchet up tensions between the two countries. India has been pushing to include the Jaish leader's name in the UN Security Council blacklist of groups linked to al Qaeda. New Delhi believes Azhar orchestrated a deadly attack on an Indian air base in January. China had previously put a 'technical hold' on the move in April. While Jaish-e-Mohammad has been blacklisted by the UN Security Council, its chief is yet to be red-flagged. "We had expected China would have been more understanding of the danger posed to all by terrorism," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said in a statement. Swarup added that the inability of the international community to take the step showed the "prevalence of double standards in the fight against terrorism". The spokesperson added that New Delhi was surprised by Beijing's decision. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Friday evening. China had two options in front of them -- either to prolong the "hold", which would mean that Azhar would be banned due to activation of UNSC's resolution 1267, or "block" India's effort. India has long accused its neighbour Pakistan of using Jaish-e-Mohammad as a front to mount attacks on Indian soil, including in the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan, however, denies giving any aid to Kashmir-based militants. If Azhar was blacklisted by the UN Security Council, he would face a global travel ban and asset freeze. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

China blocks India's request for UN to blacklist JeM chief Masood Azhar

Five people believed to be members of outlawed Islamist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), who were arrested on Tuesday, were planning to carry out attacks on New Year&#39;s Eve in Dhaka, Bangaldesh police&#39;s counter-terrorism unit said.

Police found 30 kilograms of explosives when they raided an apartment in capital Dhaka&#39;s Darus Salam.

&ldquo;In primary interrogation, the militants told us that they had planned to carry out attacks on the 31st night, during New Year celebrations,&rdquo; Dhaka Tribune reported&nbsp;counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam as saying.

The Bangladesh security has been on its toes ever since five militants stormed an upscale bakery in Gulshan Thana on July 1, 2016, killing 29 people including 20 hostages.

(WION)

Police say they recovered 30 kilograms of explosives when they raided their Dhaka apartment

Five people believed to be members of outlawed Islamist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), who were arrested on Tuesday, were planning to carry out attacks on New Year's Eve in Dhaka, Bangaldesh police's counter-terrorism unit said. Police found 30 kilograms of explosives when they raided an apartment in capital Dhaka's Darus Salam. “In primary interrogation, the militants told us that they had planned to carry out attacks on the 31st night, during New Year celebrations,” Dhaka Tribune reported counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam as saying. The Bangladesh security has been on its toes ever since five militants stormed an upscale bakery in Gulshan Thana on July 1, 2016, killing 29 people including 20 hostages. (WION)

Bangladesh: 5 'Islamist group' men planned Dec 31 attacks

Even as India names Jaish-e-Mohammad chief in the charge sheet for master-minding attack on an Indian Airforce base in Pathankot earlier this year, Maulana Masood Azhar continues to freely run the terror group&#39;s online publication and brazenly claim responsibility for last month&#39;s attack on another military camp in Nagrota from Pakistan.

Following an 11-month investigation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Azhar and his brother JeM&#39;s deputy chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar both resident of Bahawalpur, Pakistan along with six other members of the terrorist group for planning and carrying an attack in Pathankot on January 2. This is the first time India has charge-sheeted Azhar on terror offence, following his release in exchange of victims of Kandahar hijack.

Since the Pathankot attack, Pakistan Prime Minister&#39;s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz claimed that Azhar was under &#39;protective custody&#39; since January 2014. But this has not restricted the head of the proscribed terror group to propagate jihad against India or own credit for the attacks by its cadres. Earlier this month, writing in the December 6 issue of al Qalam weekly, an online media arm of the JeM, Azhar talks about significance of Babri Masjid demolition and hanging of Afzal Guru in the continuance of jihad, demonetisation not impacting funding of militancy and the Nagrota attack.

&quot;This week&#39;s publication was delayed as the attack in Nagrota was still in action at the time of writing and communication failure (on details of the attack) from Kashmir,&#39;&#39; Azhar wrote under his pen name Saadi. On November 29, three militants entered the army camp in Nagrota killing seven personnel. The militants left behind posters claiming the attack as a revenge for hanging of Afzal Guru.

Elaborating on the attack in the &#39;heart of the Northern Command of the Indian Army&#39;, Azhar says the attack was carried by the Afzal Guru squad involving five militants and two of them managed to escape to safety. &quot;There were three security cordons around the camp... it is not easy and inexpensive to gain entry and set the stage for the attack.&quot; He indicates that the squad was helped by people with close knowledge on the geography of the camp and who are its frequent visitors, as any strange man walking a few steps could be caught and killed by the Army.

Addressing an important aspect, on where did the money to buy equipment or prepare for the attack come from, Azhar says the demonetisation of high currency denomination has not deterred the Kashmiri mujaheeds nor has impacted the funding for militancy. The money changers and industrialists, Azhar says were aware of demonetisation before its public announcement by PM Narendra Modi. &quot;The Kashmiri Mujahideen, Maoists and Khalistan fighters will not suffer any financial hardship. We are able to get the small currency by exchanging dollars, pounds and euro easily. The Nagrota attack is an evidence for this.&quot;

Invoking the demolition of Babri Masjid and Afzal Guru&#39;s death, Azhar says these two events have shaped the narrative of `Ghazwa-e-Hind&#39; or the jihad against India. &quot;India could&#39;ve stopped the demolition of Babri Masjid, but it did not. It could have stopped the hanging of Guru, but it did not. There is now no power in India that can stop their revenge.&#39;&#39;

The Indian government is desperately trying to include Azhar on the UN Security Council&#39;s 1267 sanctions list and subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. JeM is already proscribed by the UNSC in 2001 for its terror activities and links to the al-Qaeda. China has so far vetoed India&#39;s appeal to that would declare him as an international terrorist.

&nbsp;

(This first appeared &nbsp;in &nbsp;DNA)

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Three militants had entered the Indian army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Nagrota killing seven personnel on November 29

Even as India names Jaish-e-Mohammad chief in the charge sheet for master-minding attack on an Indian Airforce base in Pathankot earlier this year, Maulana Masood Azhar continues to freely run the terror group's online publication and brazenly claim responsibility for last month's attack on another military camp in Nagrota from Pakistan. Following an 11-month investigation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Azhar and his brother JeM's deputy chief Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar both resident of Bahawalpur, Pakistan along with six other members of the terrorist group for planning and carrying an attack in Pathankot on January 2. This is the first time India has charge-sheeted Azhar on terror offence, following his release in exchange of victims of Kandahar hijack. Since the Pathankot attack, Pakistan Prime Minister's foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz claimed that Azhar was under 'protective custody' since January 2014. But this has not restricted the head of the proscribed terror group to propagate jihad against India or own credit for the attacks by its cadres. Earlier this month, writing in the December 6 issue of al Qalam weekly, an online media arm of the JeM, Azhar talks about significance of Babri Masjid demolition and hanging of Afzal Guru in the continuance of jihad, demonetisation not impacting funding of militancy and the Nagrota attack. "This week's publication was delayed as the attack in Nagrota was still in action at the time of writing and communication failure (on details of the attack) from Kashmir,'' Azhar wrote under his pen name Saadi. On November 29, three militants entered the army camp in Nagrota killing seven personnel. The militants left behind posters claiming the attack as a revenge for hanging of Afzal Guru. Elaborating on the attack in the 'heart of the Northern Command of the Indian Army', Azhar says the attack was carried by the Afzal Guru squad involving five militants and two of them managed to escape to safety. "There were three security cordons around the camp... it is not easy and inexpensive to gain entry and set the stage for the attack." He indicates that the squad was helped by people with close knowledge on the geography of the camp and who are its frequent visitors, as any strange man walking a few steps could be caught and killed by the Army. Addressing an important aspect, on where did the money to buy equipment or prepare for the attack come from, Azhar says the demonetisation of high currency denomination has not deterred the Kashmiri mujaheeds nor has impacted the funding for militancy. The money changers and industrialists, Azhar says were aware of demonetisation before its public announcement by PM Narendra Modi. "The Kashmiri Mujahideen, Maoists and Khalistan fighters will not suffer any financial hardship. We are able to get the small currency by exchanging dollars, pounds and euro easily. The Nagrota attack is an evidence for this." Invoking the demolition of Babri Masjid and Afzal Guru's death, Azhar says these two events have shaped the narrative of `Ghazwa-e-Hind' or the jihad against India. "India could've stopped the demolition of Babri Masjid, but it did not. It could have stopped the hanging of Guru, but it did not. There is now no power in India that can stop their revenge.'' The Indian government is desperately trying to include Azhar on the UN Security Council's 1267 sanctions list and subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. JeM is already proscribed by the UNSC in 2001 for its terror activities and links to the al-Qaeda. China has so far vetoed India's appeal to that would declare him as an international terrorist. (This first appeared in DNA)

India: JeM chief Masood Azhar claims Nagrota attack

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet in connection with the Pathankot airbase terror attack, and named Pakistan-based jihadi group? Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar.

Three other JeM terrorists have also been named in the chargesheet filed in Panchkula special court, reported PTI.

In a pre-dawn attack on January 2, a group of heavily- armed Pakistani terrorists, suspected to be belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit, struck at the Air Force base in Pathankot.

The evidence is said to include some voice recordings and the cellular phone numbers of the attackers&#39; handlers, which were traced to Pakistan.

The attack occurred just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a &quot;surprise&quot;&nbsp;visit to Sharif on his birthday on December 25 and the occasion of his granddaughter&#39;s wedding -- a move that appeared to bring the promise of better ties between the two countries in the future.

However, despite the Pathankot visit of the five-member Joint Investigation Team&nbsp;of Pak Punjab government headed by Counter Terrorist Department&#39;s&nbsp; Additional Inspector General of Police,&nbsp;Tahir Rai, no progress has been made in the investigation so far.

(This first appeared on DNA)

Three other JeM terrorists have also been named in the chargesheet filed in Panchkula special court

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet in connection with the Pathankot airbase terror attack, and named Pakistan-based jihadi group? Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar. Three other JeM terrorists have also been named in the chargesheet filed in Panchkula special court, reported PTI. In a pre-dawn attack on January 2, a group of heavily- armed Pakistani terrorists, suspected to be belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit, struck at the Air Force base in Pathankot. The evidence is said to include some voice recordings and the cellular phone numbers of the attackers' handlers, which were traced to Pakistan. The attack occurred just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a "surprise" visit to Sharif on his birthday on December 25 and the occasion of his granddaughter's wedding -- a move that appeared to bring the promise of better ties between the two countries in the future. However, despite the Pathankot visit of the five-member Joint Investigation Team of Pak Punjab government headed by Counter Terrorist Department's Additional Inspector General of Police, Tahir Rai, no progress has been made in the investigation so far. (This first appeared on DNA)

Pathankot airbase attack: NIA files chargesheet, names Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar

China today said it will remain in touch with India and &quot;relevant parties&quot; on Beijing blocking India&#39;s bid for a UN ban on Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar, as it mulled further options after its technical hold on the ban expires this month.

&quot;On the issue of listing in the UNSC 1267 Committee, I have already explained China&#39;s position many times,&quot; Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI.

&quot;China will continue to keep in touch with relevant parties including India on this issue,&quot; he said in a written response to minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar&#39;s comments that India has urged China to reverse its technical hold on New Delhi&#39;s request.

Akbar said in the Rajya Sabha yesterday that India&#39;s request on Azhar&#39;s ban is co-sponsored by several prominent countries.

Akbar said China has often repeated its concern on the spread of terrorism and its desire to cooperate with India on the issue.

Geng&#39;s response to Akbar&#39;s comments came as the second technical hold put by China in October following the Uri terrorist attack which was also blamed on the JeM, is due to expire later this month.

On March 31, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked India&#39;s move to impose a ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar under the Sanctions Committee of the Council.

China was the only member in the 15-nation UN body to put a hold on India&#39;s application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi&#39;s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban.

The two foreign ministries have been holding talks on this issue which was also discussed during the recent two meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.

The two leaders met at the G20 meeting in Hangzhou and BRICS summit in Goa.&nbsp;

(PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Beijing said it will keep in touch with India, in response to New Delhi's request to reverse its technical hold on UN ban on JeM chief Azhar

China today said it will remain in touch with India and "relevant parties" on Beijing blocking India's bid for a UN ban on Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar, as it mulled further options after its technical hold on the ban expires this month. "On the issue of listing in the UNSC 1267 Committee, I have already explained China's position many times," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI. "China will continue to keep in touch with relevant parties including India on this issue," he said in a written response to minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar's comments that India has urged China to reverse its technical hold on New Delhi's request. Akbar said in the Rajya Sabha yesterday that India's request on Azhar's ban is co-sponsored by several prominent countries. Akbar said China has often repeated its concern on the spread of terrorism and its desire to cooperate with India on the issue. Geng's response to Akbar's comments came as the second technical hold put by China in October following the Uri terrorist attack which was also blamed on the JeM, is due to expire later this month. On March 31, China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, had blocked India's move to impose a ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar under the Sanctions Committee of the Council. China was the only member in the 15-nation UN body to put a hold on India's application with all other 14 members of the Council supporting New Delhi's bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. The two foreign ministries have been holding talks on this issue which was also discussed during the recent two meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping. The two leaders met at the G20 meeting in Hangzhou and BRICS summit in Goa. (PTI)

China: Will be in touch with India on Masood Azhar ban

Former Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf has described Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a &quot;terrorist&quot;, saying he has been involved in bomb blasts even in his country. He, however, he did not give a clear reply as to why Pakistan has not been asking China to get Azhar declared as an international terrorist by the United Nations.

&quot;Why should China be involved when it has nothing to do with him (Azhar),&quot; Musharraf told News Nation, according to a release issued by the TV channel.

A proposal is pending before the UN Security Council for declaring Azhar as an international terrorist, but China has been blocking it, claiming that there is not enough evidence to prove that he is a terrorist. When asked about the espionage case busted on Thursday in Delhi involving an employee of the Pakistan High Commission, the former Pakistan Army Chief initially parried the issue saying, &quot;I am not aware of it&quot;. But then he added that &quot;if at all it has happened, (it) shouldn&#39;t be encouraged&quot;, the release said. It also quoted Musharraf as saying that the Nawaz Sharif government lacks aggression.

The channel said Musharraf accepted Pakistan government&#39;s diplomatic failure on international front. He, however, said it does not mean that Pakistan should be taken for granted.

To a question on whether a political leadership or Army is better suited for Pakistan s development, Musharraf said the country had witnessed growth when Army was in power. When asked about terror camps in PoK, he feigned ignorance saying &quot;I don&#39;t know&quot;. However, with a smile, he said, &quot;I will let you know only once I get the count of these camps which you are talking about&quot;.

On Pakistan&#39;s diminishing relations with United States, he said there are certain contentious issues which are being addressed by Pakistan Army. When referred to the &#39;surgical strike&#39; and military might of India, he said, Pakistan is a nuclear power with a strong army which can&#39;t be bullied.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s sudden visit to Pakistan and his meeting with Sharif, he said shaking hands is just an artificial move, but for a formal solution, something concrete needs to be done.

(PTI)

The former Pakistan president said Azhar has been involved in bomb blasts even in Pakistan

Former Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf has described Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a "terrorist", saying he has been involved in bomb blasts even in his country. He, however, he did not give a clear reply as to why Pakistan has not been asking China to get Azhar declared as an international terrorist by the United Nations. "Why should China be involved when it has nothing to do with him (Azhar)," Musharraf told News Nation, according to a release issued by the TV channel. A proposal is pending before the UN Security Council for declaring Azhar as an international terrorist, but China has been blocking it, claiming that there is not enough evidence to prove that he is a terrorist. When asked about the espionage case busted on Thursday in Delhi involving an employee of the Pakistan High Commission, the former Pakistan Army Chief initially parried the issue saying, "I am not aware of it". But then he added that "if at all it has happened, (it) shouldn't be encouraged", the release said. It also quoted Musharraf as saying that the Nawaz Sharif government lacks aggression. The channel said Musharraf accepted Pakistan government's diplomatic failure on international front. He, however, said it does not mean that Pakistan should be taken for granted. To a question on whether a political leadership or Army is better suited for Pakistan s development, Musharraf said the country had witnessed growth when Army was in power. When asked about terror camps in PoK, he feigned ignorance saying "I don't know". However, with a smile, he said, "I will let you know only once I get the count of these camps which you are talking about". On Pakistan's diminishing relations with United States, he said there are certain contentious issues which are being addressed by Pakistan Army. When referred to the 'surgical strike' and military might of India, he said, Pakistan is a nuclear power with a strong army which can't be bullied. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sudden visit to Pakistan and his meeting with Sharif, he said shaking hands is just an artificial move, but for a formal solution, something concrete needs to be done. (PTI)

JeM chief Masood Azhar is a 'terrorist': Pervez Musharraf

Security forces in India&#39;s Kashmir have recovered Chinese flags along with incriminating material during raids at suspected hideouts of militants in Baramulla and arrested 44 people for their alleged involvement in &quot;terror-related activities&quot;, for the first time ever.&nbsp;

&quot;Over 700 houses were searched in a span of 12 hours on October 17 in an extensive search operation in old town in Baramulla, during which 44 persons involved with terror-related activities have been apprehended,&quot; an army spokesman said.

The security forces sanitised the area and a number of hideouts were busted during the operation, the spokesman said.

&quot;A large quantity of incriminating material such as petrol bombs, Chinese and Pakistani flags, Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) letter head pads, unauthorized mobile phones and seditious anti-national publicity material were seized,&quot; he added.

He said the operation was jointly carried out by teams of army, police, Border Security Forces (the primary Border guarding force of India) and Central Reserve Police Force (largest of India&#39;s central armed police forces)in 10 sensitive localities including Qazi Hamam, Ganai Hamam, Taweed Gunj, Jamia and other mohallas reportedly being used as &quot;safe havens by the terrorists&quot;.

(PTI)

Petrol bombs, Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) letter-head pads, anti-national publicity material was seized in house raids

Security forces in India's Kashmir have recovered Chinese flags along with incriminating material during raids at suspected hideouts of militants in Baramulla and arrested 44 people for their alleged involvement in "terror-related activities", for the first time ever. "Over 700 houses were searched in a span of 12 hours on October 17 in an extensive search operation in old town in Baramulla, during which 44 persons involved with terror-related activities have been apprehended," an army spokesman said. The security forces sanitised the area and a number of hideouts were busted during the operation, the spokesman said. "A large quantity of incriminating material such as petrol bombs, Chinese and Pakistani flags, Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) letter head pads, unauthorized mobile phones and seditious anti-national publicity material were seized," he added. He said the operation was jointly carried out by teams of army, police, Border Security Forces (the primary Border guarding force of India) and Central Reserve Police Force (largest of India's central armed police forces)in 10 sensitive localities including Qazi Hamam, Ganai Hamam, Taweed Gunj, Jamia and other mohallas reportedly being used as "safe havens by the terrorists". (PTI)

India: Chinese flags, other 'incriminating' material recovered in Jammu and Kashmir, 44 arrested

A leading Pakistani daily on Wednesday asked the civilian and military establishment why action against JeM chief Masood Azhar and JuD&#39;s Hafiz Saeed was &quot;danger&quot; to the country&#39;s national security.

The strong editorial in The Nation, considered close to the government and military establishment, came as a prominent <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/senior-pakistani-journalist-barred-from-leaving-country-after-writing-isi-government-showdown-report-7341/">journalist Cyril Almeida&nbsp;</a>of Dawn was banned&nbsp;from leaving Pakistan because of his front-page report on a rift between the military and the civilian government over the military&#39;s covert support to militant groups like the Haqqani network, Taliban and the LeT.

The editorial titled &#39;How to Lose Friends And Alienate People&#39; said the government and the military instead of taking actions against Azhar and Saeed was lecturing the press.

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, roam freely in Pakistan and are believed to have the protection of the military.

The daily said in its editorial that it was a &quot;disturbing day when civilian and military top leadership meet to lecture the media on how to do their job.&quot;

&quot;Apparently a barrage of online abuse, and three official denials were not enough to assuage tempers riled after Almeida&#39;s exclusive story in Dawn, detailing an unusual exchange between the very same civilian and military top brass that yesterday issued forth a statement on the violation of &#39;universally acknowledged principles of reporting on national security issues&#39;, the editorial said.

&quot;The report by Almeida has been called &#39;fabricated&#39;, and &#39;speculative reporting&#39;. But the government and military top brass in yesterday&#39;s meeting delivered no explanation for why government MNA&#39;s are protesting the visible presence of banned outfits in Pakistan. Or why possible action against Masood Azhar, or Hafiz Saeed is a danger to &#39;national security&#39;. Or why Pakistan faces increasing isolation? We&#39;re all ears. &quot;

&quot;Instead, how dare the government and military top brass lecture the press on how to do their job. How dare they treat a feted reporter like a criminal. And how dare they imply that they have either the right or the ability or the monopoly to declare what Pakistan&#39;s &#39;national interest&#39; is,&quot; it said.

&quot;And for Almeida, nothing but solidarity. More power to you, and to your pen. The press stands with you,&quot; it added.

In an editorial, Dawn said it continues to stand-by Almeida&#39;s story and has rejected allegations of &quot;vested interest and false reporting&quot;.

The Karachi Press Club has also demanded that the travel ban on Almeida be lifted.

(PTI)

The editorial backed Cyril Almeda who recently reported about a government, army showdown over the latter's jihadi policies

A leading Pakistani daily on Wednesday asked the civilian and military establishment why action against JeM chief Masood Azhar and JuD's Hafiz Saeed was "danger" to the country's national security. The strong editorial in The Nation, considered close to the government and military establishment, came as a prominent journalist Cyril Almeida of Dawn was banned from leaving Pakistan because of his front-page report on a rift between the military and the civilian government over the military's covert support to militant groups like the Haqqani network, Taliban and the LeT. The editorial titled 'How to Lose Friends And Alienate People' said the government and the military instead of taking actions against Azhar and Saeed was lecturing the press. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Azhar and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, roam freely in Pakistan and are believed to have the protection of the military. The daily said in its editorial that it was a "disturbing day when civilian and military top leadership meet to lecture the media on how to do their job." "Apparently a barrage of online abuse, and three official denials were not enough to assuage tempers riled after Almeida's exclusive story in Dawn, detailing an unusual exchange between the very same civilian and military top brass that yesterday issued forth a statement on the violation of 'universally acknowledged principles of reporting on national security issues', the editorial said. "The report by Almeida has been called 'fabricated', and 'speculative reporting'. But the government and military top brass in yesterday's meeting delivered no explanation for why government MNA's are protesting the visible presence of banned outfits in Pakistan. Or why possible action against Masood Azhar, or Hafiz Saeed is a danger to 'national security'. Or why Pakistan faces increasing isolation? We're all ears. " "Instead, how dare the government and military top brass lecture the press on how to do their job. How dare they treat a feted reporter like a criminal. And how dare they imply that they have either the right or the ability or the monopoly to declare what Pakistan's 'national interest' is," it said. "And for Almeida, nothing but solidarity. More power to you, and to your pen. The press stands with you," it added. In an editorial, Dawn said it continues to stand-by Almeida's story and has rejected allegations of "vested interest and false reporting". The Karachi Press Club has also demanded that the travel ban on Almeida be lifted. (PTI)

Why is action against Azhar, Saeed a danger to national security, Pakistan daily asks government

Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar has urged Pakistan to show &quot;courage&quot; by allowing jihadi&nbsp;fighters to enter Kashmir and &quot;resolve the issue once and for all&quot;.

In a column published on the front page of the Jaish mouthpiece al-Qalam, Azhar wrote Islamabad&#39;s pro-jihad policy in Kashmir in the 1990s had weakened India&#39;s military capability, saying it had been reduced&nbsp;from a &quot;serpent to an earthworm&quot;.

Jaish-e-Mohammad, a jihadist organisation determined to liberate Kashmir from India, has been blamed by New Delhi for waging the deadly attack on an Indian Army installation in Uri, Kashmir, on September 18.&nbsp;

Azhar&nbsp;also slammed the Pakistani establishment for its recent dithering policies.

He said Pakistan, not India, should have &quot;cancelled the SAARC conference&quot;.

Azhar&#39;s exhortations come days after reports emerged about friction between the civilian government and the army over the latter&#39;s seemingly pro-jihadi policies.

According to a recent report penned by Dawn&#39;s Cyril Almeida, the civilian government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had asked the army to not protect Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi.

But Azhar in his column stressed that allowing jihadi groups to enter Kashmir would put India under pressure, saying the &quot;bitter memories of 1971&quot; would be &quot;dissolved into the triumphant emotions of 2016&quot;.&nbsp;

He said the Indian army was not particularly strong, as evidenced by the Pathankot and Uri attacks on Indian Army installations, which killed three and 18 security personnel respectively. &quot;What remained of its military prowess was exposed in Pathankot and Uri,&rdquo; he wrote.&nbsp;

(WION)

Masood Azhar slams Islamabad for going soft on India, days after the government reportedly asked the army to swoop on homegrown jihadis

Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar has urged Pakistan to show "courage" by allowing jihadi fighters to enter Kashmir and "resolve the issue once and for all". In a column published on the front page of the Jaish mouthpiece al-Qalam, Azhar wrote Islamabad's pro-jihad policy in Kashmir in the 1990s had weakened India's military capability, saying it had been reduced from a "serpent to an earthworm". Jaish-e-Mohammad, a jihadist organisation determined to liberate Kashmir from India, has been blamed by New Delhi for waging the deadly attack on an Indian Army installation in Uri, Kashmir, on September 18. Azhar also slammed the Pakistani establishment for its recent dithering policies. He said Pakistan, not India, should have "cancelled the SAARC conference". Azhar's exhortations come days after reports emerged about friction between the civilian government and the army over the latter's seemingly pro-jihadi policies. According to a recent report penned by Dawn's Cyril Almeida, the civilian government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had asked the army to not protect Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi. But Azhar in his column stressed that allowing jihadi groups to enter Kashmir would put India under pressure, saying the "bitter memories of 1971" would be "dissolved into the triumphant emotions of 2016". He said the Indian army was not particularly strong, as evidenced by the Pathankot and Uri attacks on Indian Army installations, which killed three and 18 security personnel respectively. "What remained of its military prowess was exposed in Pathankot and Uri,” he wrote. (WION)

Jaish chief tells Pakistan to let militants enter Kashmir and 'resolve issue'

The Pakistani government has told its army that it wishes to crack down on people thought by India and the United States to be terrorists, the&nbsp;Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported Thursday.&nbsp;The demand is&nbsp;unprecedented.

Pakistan foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told the security establishment at the All Parties&#39; Conference on Monday&nbsp;that the government wished to take action against Masood Azhar and his outfit the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hafiz Saeed and his Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Haqqani network, the Dawn reported.

Islamabad also underlined its intention to speed up&nbsp;the investigation into the attack on the Pathankot air base (in India) in 2016 and to resume the currently-suspended 2008 Mumbai attacks-related trials.

The Dawn reported that the Pakistani military told the government in reply that it was free to arrest whomsoever it wished to; to which the government -- in the form of Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, he is also Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s younger brother&nbsp;&nbsp;--&nbsp;replied that each time it tried to take action against &quot;certain groups&quot;,&nbsp;the military &quot;has worked behind the scenes to set the arrested free&quot;.&nbsp;

The government then asked the military not to shield people who are perceived by the international community to be terrorists.

The Dawn reported the&nbsp;foreign secretary as saying it was important this was done because of Pakistan&#39;s&nbsp;growing international isolation.&nbsp;

The Dawn also quoted unnamed&nbsp;sources&nbsp;at the meeting&nbsp;as saying that&nbsp;the foreign secretary had said even China has privately expressed its concerns about Islamabad&#39;s policy on terrorism.

The foreign secretary was reported to have said that even&nbsp;China has asked Pakistan why it was&nbsp;protecting JeM leader Masood Azhar, who is wanted by India for a string of terrorist attacks in the&nbsp;country, the Dawn quoted its sources as saying.&nbsp;

New Delhi believes Azhar masterminded the Uri attack in Kashmir last month and the attack on the&nbsp;Indian Parliament in December 2001.

China&#39;s hesitancy in&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;Pakistan, coupled with intense international pressure, has compelled the civilian government to take a hard line against terrorism.

While India has long demanded action against Hafiz Saeed &mdash; he is believed to have orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai attacks &mdash;&nbsp;and Azhar and their militant groups, the US has wanted Pakistan to clamp down on the dreaded Haqqani network, an Afghaninsurgent group fighting NATO forces.

The high-stakes meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Sharif and included senior cabinet&nbsp;officials. The military was represented by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Rizwan Akhtar.

Both the military and the government, however, have refused to confirm the contents of the meeting.

The government&#39;s surprise decision to sharpen the rules of engagement with the army is fraught with risks&nbsp;for the latter is widely perceived to be stronger than the democratically- elected government of Pakistan.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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The move is unprecedented, for the military is widely perceived to be stronger than the democratically-elected government

The Pakistani government has told its army that it wishes to crack down on people thought by India and the United States to be terrorists, the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported Thursday. The demand is unprecedented. Pakistan foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry told the security establishment at the All Parties' Conference on Monday that the government wished to take action against Masood Azhar and his outfit the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hafiz Saeed and his Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Haqqani network, the Dawn reported. Islamabad also underlined its intention to speed up the investigation into the attack on the Pathankot air base (in India) in 2016 and to resume the currently-suspended 2008 Mumbai attacks-related trials. The Dawn reported that the Pakistani military told the government in reply that it was free to arrest whomsoever it wished to; to which the government -- in the form of Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, he is also Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's younger brother -- replied that each time it tried to take action against "certain groups", the military "has worked behind the scenes to set the arrested free". The government then asked the military not to shield people who are perceived by the international community to be terrorists. The Dawn reported the foreign secretary as saying it was important this was done because of Pakistan's growing international isolation. The Dawn also quoted unnamed sources at the meeting as saying that the foreign secretary had said even China has privately expressed its concerns about Islamabad's policy on terrorism. The foreign secretary was reported to have said that even China has asked Pakistan why it was protecting JeM leader Masood Azhar, who is wanted by India for a string of terrorist attacks in the country, the Dawn quoted its sources as saying. New Delhi believes Azhar masterminded the Uri attack in Kashmir last month and the attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001. China's hesitancy in supporting Pakistan, coupled with intense international pressure, has compelled the civilian government to take a hard line against terrorism. While India has long demanded action against Hafiz Saeed — he is believed to have orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai attacks — and Azhar and their militant groups, the US has wanted Pakistan to clamp down on the dreaded Haqqani network, an Afghaninsurgent group fighting NATO forces. The high-stakes meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Sharif and included senior cabinet officials. The military was represented by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Rizwan Akhtar. Both the military and the government, however, have refused to confirm the contents of the meeting. The government's surprise decision to sharpen the rules of engagement with the army is fraught with risks for the latter is widely perceived to be stronger than the democratically- elected government of Pakistan. (WION)

Pak government to army: Will take action against terrorists, please don't get in the way

China recently extended its ?technical hold? on India?s efforts for a UN ban against Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Azhar

India today criticised the United Nations Security Council for being “unresponsive” with regard to sanctioning leaders of terrorist organisations. This comes after China extended its “technical hold” on India’s efforts for a UN ban against Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. India’s permanent representative to the UN ambassador Syed Akbaruddin told the UN general assembly that that it had become “ineffective” to meeting the challenges it is confronted with. Akbaruddin was speaking in the general assembly debate on the report of the secretary general on the ‘Work of the Organisation’ here. China was the sole member in the 15-nation UN organ to put a hold on India's application. Azhar’s placement in the 1267 sanctions list would subject him to an assets freeze and travel ban. "At best, the UN sanctions committee is now a body that can be described as an interesting and random mix of ad-hocism, scrambling and political paralysis. This global governance architecture now calls for comprehensive reform," PTI reported the Indian envoy as saying. (WION)

India criticises UNSC for not sanctioning Masood Azhar

China has vetoed India&#39;s application to the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief a terrorist for the second time.&nbsp;

The country&#39;s six-month &#39;technical hold&#39; on India&#39;s application was to lapse&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;but has now been extended for another six months. Had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically.&nbsp;

India blames Azhar&#39;s JeM for the attack on an army base in Uri last month that killed 19 soldiers and also for the attack on an air force station in Pathankot in January.

New Delhi had submitted a detailed dossier on Azhar and moved the UNSC 1267 Committee following the attack in Pathankot.

&quot;The technical hold on India&#39;s listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended. There are still different views on India&#39;s listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations&quot; China&#39;s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI in Beijing.

&quot;The UNSC organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council,&quot; he said in a written reply to a question, PTI reported.

On&nbsp;March 31&nbsp;this year, China was the only member of the 15-member UNSC to freeze India&#39;s application seeking ban on Azhar under the Sanctions Committee.&nbsp;Being placed on the 1267 sanctions list would result in assets freeze and travel ban.&nbsp;

The 14 members supported New Delhi&#39;s bid to place the JeM leader and Pathankot attack mastermind on the sanctions list. But China put the application on &#39;technical hold&#39; at the last minute.&nbsp;

Besides India, the US, the UK and France had also &quot;co-sponsored&quot; the resolution seeking Azhar&#39;s listing as a terrorist.

India had back then criticised the UN sanctions committee for taking a &quot;selective approach&quot; in tackling terrorism and for its failure to designate terrorists.&nbsp;

It had said that it found it &quot;incomprehensible&quot; that while JeM was listed in the UNSC Committee as far back as 2001 for its terror activities and links with the al-Qaeda, the designation of the group&#39;s main leader, financier and motivator as a terrorist has been put on a technical hold.

In June last year, China, a key ally of Pakistan, had blocked India&#39;s demand under the Council&#39;s anti-terrorism resolutions&nbsp;for taking action against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi, mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

China&#39;s move to extend the technical hold are likely to cast a cloud over the expected meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the upcoming BRICS Summit on&nbsp;October 15-16.&nbsp;

The country has also opposed India&#39;s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

On Saturday, it announced a new hydroelectric project on a tributary of the Brahmaputra that may impact the flow of water into India, raising concerns that may use its control of river water as a leveraging tool over India in its disputes involving Pakistan.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

This is the second time Beijing has vetoed New Delhi's move to put sanctions on the alleged Uri attack mastermind

China has vetoed India's application to the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief a terrorist for the second time. The country's six-month 'technical hold' on India's application was to lapse on Monday but has now been extended for another six months. Had China not raised further objection, the resolution designating Azhar as a terrorist would have been passed automatically. India blames Azhar's JeM for the attack on an army base in Uri last month that killed 19 soldiers and also for the attack on an air force station in Pathankot in January. New Delhi had submitted a detailed dossier on Azhar and moved the UNSC 1267 Committee following the attack in Pathankot. "The technical hold on India's listing application submitted to the 1267 committee in March, 2016 has already been extended. There are still different views on India's listing application. The extended technical hold on it will allow more time for the Committee to deliberate on the matter and for relevant parties to have further consultations" China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told PTI in Beijing. "The UNSC organises its work as mandated by relevant resolutions of the Security Council. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee should stick to the main principles of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism, base its judgments on solid evidence and decide upon consensus among the members of the Security Council," he said in a written reply to a question, PTI reported. On March 31 this year, China was the only member of the 15-member UNSC to freeze India's application seeking ban on Azhar under the Sanctions Committee. Being placed on the 1267 sanctions list would result in assets freeze and travel ban. The 14 members supported New Delhi's bid to place the JeM leader and Pathankot attack mastermind on the sanctions list. But China put the application on 'technical hold' at the last minute. Besides India, the US, the UK and France had also "co-sponsored" the resolution seeking Azhar's listing as a terrorist. India had back then criticised the UN sanctions committee for taking a "selective approach" in tackling terrorism and for its failure to designate terrorists. It had said that it found it "incomprehensible" that while JeM was listed in the UNSC Committee as far back as 2001 for its terror activities and links with the al-Qaeda, the designation of the group's main leader, financier and motivator as a terrorist has been put on a technical hold. In June last year, China, a key ally of Pakistan, had blocked India's demand under the Council's anti-terrorism resolutions for taking action against Pakistan for releasing Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Lakhvi, mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. China's move to extend the technical hold are likely to cast a cloud over the expected meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Goa during the upcoming BRICS Summit on October 15-16. The country has also opposed India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). On Saturday, it announced a new hydroelectric project on a tributary of the Brahmaputra that may impact the flow of water into India, raising concerns that may use its control of river water as a leveraging tool over India in its disputes involving Pakistan. (WION with inputs from PTI)

China dampens India's attempt to tag Masood Azhar as terrorist

Jaish-e-Mohammed is responsible for the fidayeen (guerilla) attack&nbsp;on an army brigade headquarters in Uri, Kashmir, the Indian Army has said. 
 
Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh said the weapons recovered from the slain terrorists had Pakistan marking.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Four AK 47s, four Under Barrel Grenade Launchers and other war like stores were recovered from the four terrorists who were killed. All the weapons had Pakistan marking,&rdquo; Singh said in a press statement. 
 
The Army&#39;s statement means this will be JeM&#39;s second deadly attack on Indian forces in the last nine months. Indian intelligence agencies believed the group also had a hand in the attack on Pathankot Air Force Station on January 2, which had resulted in deaths of six soldiers. 
 
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is a Kashmir-based Islamist militant group. The group is viewed by the Indian intelligence agencies as the principal terrorist organisation in Jammu and Kashmir. 
 
The group, helmed by Maulana Masood Azhar, has been deemed as a terror outfit by India and United States.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the army brigade headquarters in Uri. 
 
He also promised to punish the perpetrators for the &quot;despicable&quot; and &quot;cowardly&quot; attack on the army base. 
&nbsp; 
Seventeen Indian soldiers were killed after four suicide gunmen attacked the army&#39;s battalion headquarters in Uri. The armed men were later neutralised, Indian authorities said. 
 
India&#39;s defence ministry said a total of 35 soldiers had been wounded in the attack which began at 4 am local time. 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished,&quot; Modi said in a tweet following the raid.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/777417302912430080">September 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
India&#39;s interior minister Rajnath Singh has accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attack. &quot;Pakistan is a terrorist state and it should be&nbsp;identified&nbsp;and isolated as such,&quot; the senior minister said, PTI reported. 
 
He also said the militants were &quot;highly trained&quot; and &quot;heavily armed&quot;.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
There are definite and conclusive indications that the perpetrators of Uri attack were highly trained, heavily armed and specially equipped.
&mdash; Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status/777430864200278016">September 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
Singh also chaired a crisis meeting in New Delhi to assess the situation in the state. He has cancelled his trips to Russia and the US.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I have apprised the PM Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> regarding the deliberations of the security review meeting held at my residence this afternoon
&mdash; Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajnathsingh/status/777433143259168768">September 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
India&#39;s defence minister Manohar Parrikar will travel to Kashmir to probe the attacks, the deadliest since 2014 which also took place in Uri. 
 
India&#39;s army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag rushed to Kashmir in the wake of the attack. 
 
A senior home ministry official said the attack was &quot;clearly a case of cross-border terror attack&quot;.
According to reports by Indian media, an alert was generated on September 15 by the Intelligence Bureau about a possible Fidayeen attack in Uri sector. 
 
The alert was sent to everyone in the &quot;crisis loop&quot; including all the Army command units in the state, media reports said.
Pakistan has reacted strongly to India&#39;s claims.&nbsp;&quot;India immediately puts the blame on Pakistan without doing any investigation. We reject this,&quot; Reuters quoted foreign ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria as saying. 
 
Meanwhile, Pakistan military&#39;s media wing issued a statement saying that Pakistan and Indian army&#39;s DGMO have established a hotline on India&#39;s request. 
 
The media wing refuted India&#39;s suggestion of the Uri attack being orchestrated from across the border. &quot;No infiltration is allowed from Pakistani soil because water tight arrangements are in place,&quot; it said. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s DGMO has asked his Indian counterpart to &quot;share any actionable intelligence&quot;, Pakistan military further said. 
 
In 2001, JeM terrorists had stormed in India&#39;s Parliament in New Delhi, killing 5 security personnel. 
 
Watch: Major JeM attacks in India since 2000 
 
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Timeline of Uri attack 
 
5:30 am: Four heavily armed men sneak into the army camp in Uri town before dawn and target soldiers 
 
8:00 am: The Army sends three choppers from Indian Army&rsquo;s 19 divisional headquarters in Baramulla to Uri 
 
8:10 am: Interior Minister Rajnath Singh postpones visit to Russia and the US&nbsp; 
 
8:50 am: Rajnath Singh calls for an emergency meeting of concerned officials over the ongoing encounter in Uri&nbsp; 
 
9:00 am: Rajnath Singh speaks to the governor and chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir 
 
9:57 am: High-level security meet to take place at Rajnath Singh&rsquo;s residence at 12:15pm. Senior home ministry and defence ministry officials to attend the meet 
 
10:15 am: All four terrorists gunned down by the Army. Search operation under way 
 
10:59 am: Army Chief General Dalbir Singh to visit Kashmir in the wake of the terror attack 
 
11:00 am: 17 soldiers killed in Uri terror attack: Indian Army 
 
11:01 am: Indian Defence Minister Parrikar to visit Srinagar 
 
11:36 am: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi condemns Uri attack 
 
11.54 am: Ministry of home affairs issues alert for all airports across the country 
 
12:04 pm: Interior Minister Rajnath Singh briefs Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Uri&nbsp; 
 
12:48 pm: Congress President Sonia Gandhi expresses shock and deep distress over the martyrdom of Indian soldiers&nbsp; 
 
12:52 pm: Rajnath Singh chairs high-level security meet&nbsp; 
 
1:19 pm: Army chief General Dalbir Singh reaches Srinagar, will meet soldiers injured in Uri attack 
 
1:30 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemns Uri attack 
 
1:50 pm: Home ministry and defence ministry officials leave home minister&rsquo;s residence after the high-level meeting 
 
2:25 pm: Interior minister Rajnath Singh calls Pakistan a terrorist state and says it should be identified and isolated as such 
 
2:45 pm: US strongly condemns Uri attack 
 
5:20 pm: Army indicates JeM responsible for the attack 
 
Watch: Uri attack as it unfolded 
 
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(WION with inputs from agencies)

The weapons recovered from the slain terrorists are from Pakistan, senior Army official Ranbir Singh said

Jaish-e-Mohammed is responsible for the fidayeen (guerilla) attack on an army brigade headquarters in Uri, Kashmir, the Indian Army has said. Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen Ranbir Singh said the weapons recovered from the slain terrorists had Pakistan marking. "Four AK 47s, four Under Barrel Grenade Launchers and other war like stores were recovered from the four terrorists who were killed. All the weapons had Pakistan marking,” Singh said in a press statement. The Army's statement means this will be JeM's second deadly attack on Indian forces in the last nine months. Indian intelligence agencies believed the group also had a hand in the attack on Pathankot Air Force Station on January 2, which had resulted in deaths of six soldiers. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is a Kashmir-based Islamist militant group. The group is viewed by the Indian intelligence agencies as the principal terrorist organisation in Jammu and Kashmir. The group, helmed by Maulana Masood Azhar, has been deemed as a terror outfit by India and United States. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the army brigade headquarters in Uri. He also promised to punish the perpetrators for the "despicable" and "cowardly" attack on the army base. Seventeen Indian soldiers were killed after four suicide gunmen attacked the army's battalion headquarters in Uri. The armed men were later neutralised, Indian authorities said. India's defence ministry said a total of 35 soldiers had been wounded in the attack which began at 4 am local time. "We strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished," Modi said in a tweet following the raid. We strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack in Uri. I assure the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 18, 2016 India's interior minister Rajnath Singh has accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attack. "Pakistan is a terrorist state and it should be identified and isolated as such," the senior minister said, PTI reported. He also said the militants were "highly trained" and "heavily armed". There are definite and conclusive indications that the perpetrators of Uri attack were highly trained, heavily armed and specially equipped. — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 18, 2016 Singh also chaired a crisis meeting in New Delhi to assess the situation in the state. He has cancelled his trips to Russia and the US. I have apprised the PM Shri @narendramodi regarding the deliberations of the security review meeting held at my residence this afternoon — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 18, 2016 India's defence minister Manohar Parrikar will travel to Kashmir to probe the attacks, the deadliest since 2014 which also took place in Uri. India's army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag rushed to Kashmir in the wake of the attack. A senior home ministry official said the attack was "clearly a case of cross-border terror attack". According to reports by Indian media, an alert was generated on September 15 by the Intelligence Bureau about a possible Fidayeen attack in Uri sector. The alert was sent to everyone in the "crisis loop" including all the Army command units in the state, media reports said. Pakistan has reacted strongly to India's claims. "India immediately puts the blame on Pakistan without doing any investigation. We reject this," Reuters quoted foreign ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria as saying. Meanwhile, Pakistan military's media wing issued a statement saying that Pakistan and Indian army's DGMO have established a hotline on India's request. The media wing refuted India's suggestion of the Uri attack being orchestrated from across the border. "No infiltration is allowed from Pakistani soil because water tight arrangements are in place," it said. Pakistan's DGMO has asked his Indian counterpart to "share any actionable intelligence", Pakistan military further said. In 2001, JeM terrorists had stormed in India's Parliament in New Delhi, killing 5 security personnel. Watch: Major JeM attacks in India since 2000 Timeline of Uri attack 5:30 am: Four heavily armed men sneak into the army camp in Uri town before dawn and target soldiers 8:00 am: The Army sends three choppers from Indian Army’s 19 divisional headquarters in Baramulla to Uri 8:10 am: Interior Minister Rajnath Singh postpones visit to Russia and the US 8:50 am: Rajnath Singh calls for an emergency meeting of concerned officials over the ongoing encounter in Uri 9:00 am: Rajnath Singh speaks to the governor and chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir 9:57 am: High-level security meet to take place at Rajnath Singh’s residence at 12:15pm. Senior home ministry and defence ministry officials to attend the meet 10:15 am: All four terrorists gunned down by the Army. Search operation under way 10:59 am: Army Chief General Dalbir Singh to visit Kashmir in the wake of the terror attack 11:00 am: 17 soldiers killed in Uri terror attack: Indian Army 11:01 am: Indian Defence Minister Parrikar to visit Srinagar 11:36 am: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi condemns Uri attack 11.54 am: Ministry of home affairs issues alert for all airports across the country 12:04 pm: Interior Minister Rajnath Singh briefs Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Uri 12:48 pm: Congress President Sonia Gandhi expresses shock and deep distress over the martyrdom of Indian soldiers 12:52 pm: Rajnath Singh chairs high-level security meet 1:19 pm: Army chief General Dalbir Singh reaches Srinagar, will meet soldiers injured in Uri attack 1:30 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemns Uri attack 1:50 pm: Home ministry and defence ministry officials leave home minister’s residence after the high-level meeting 2:25 pm: Interior minister Rajnath Singh calls Pakistan a terrorist state and says it should be identified and isolated as such 2:45 pm: US strongly condemns Uri attack 5:20 pm: Army indicates JeM responsible for the attack Watch: Uri attack as it unfolded (WION with inputs from agencies)

Jaish-e-Mohammed responsible for attack on Uri military base: Indian Army

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