The Congress has decided to make a big deal of the insinuation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Congress leaders had discussed the Gujarat elections with former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and the Pakistani high commissioner to India at a dinner hosted by former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections</a>

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Congress wants the prime minister to express regret and clarify his statement in Parliament.

&ldquo;Prime minister should undo what he has done. He should take back his words,&rdquo; Sharma said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar in Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

In the case of a deadlock, Parliament is expected to see adjournments over the issue.&nbsp;

Highly-placed sources in the government told WION that the prime minister is not going to reply on the issue, nor is there an apology coming.&nbsp;

There is however a small possibility that&nbsp;Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may respond to the issue on the floor of the house.&nbsp;

The BJP is&nbsp;also&nbsp;expected to be aggressive on the issue, and may recall previous incidents of Narendra Modi being attacked by Congress leaders.

Sources in the Congress said the proposition has been suggested to the Centre and they are waiting for the government&rsquo;s response.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Modi had insinuated that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly elections in Pakistan.

Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s dinner&nbsp;was also attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, former army chief Deepak Kapoor and a number of retired Indian bureaucrats.

&nbsp;

The BJP wants Prime Minister Modi to apologise for insinuating that the Congress discussed the Gujarat elections with Pakistani leaders

The Congress has decided to make a big deal of the insinuation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Congress leaders had discussed the Gujarat elections with former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and the Pakistani high commissioner to India at a dinner hosted by former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. Also read: Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the Congress wants the prime minister to express regret and clarify his statement in Parliament. “Prime minister should undo what he has done. He should take back his words,” Sharma said. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar in Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the issue. In the case of a deadlock, Parliament is expected to see adjournments over the issue. Highly-placed sources in the government told WION that the prime minister is not going to reply on the issue, nor is there an apology coming. There is however a small possibility that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may respond to the issue on the floor of the house. The BJP is also expected to be aggressive on the issue, and may recall previous incidents of Narendra Modi being attacked by Congress leaders. Sources in the Congress said the proposition has been suggested to the Centre and they are waiting for the government’s response. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be in Lok Sabha on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Modi had insinuated that Pakistan was trying to influence the assembly elections in Pakistan. Mani Shankar Aiyar's dinner was also attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, former army chief Deepak Kapoor and a number of retired Indian bureaucrats.

Storm gathering, BJP & Congress to spar over 'Pakistani dinner' in winter session of Parliament

Niaz Ali is a deeply religious man: He prays five times a day and visits the mosque as frequently as possible. But he also loves to smoke hashish - lots of it.

Despite it being forbidden by his faith, the 50 year-old estimates he spends about 30 percent of his earnings as a cab driver on the habit.

His love affair with cannabis began as an occasional puff with friends when he was a teenager, but has since morphed into a full-blown addiction for the father-of-nine.

&quot;It is a sacred plant. A sacred intoxication,&quot; says Ali, who asked to use a pseudonym, after taking a fresh rip off a hookah packed with pungent hash in Pakistan`s bustling northwestern town of Peshawar.

&quot;It&#39;s like a second wife, this addiction,&quot; he sighs.

While Ali freely acknowledges using hash runs counter to the tenets of Islam, he insists it has its advantages.

&quot;We know that it is haram but it`s an intoxication that doesn`t harm anyone else,&quot; he explains.

In conservative Pakistan, an Islamic republic, the consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden for Muslims. Any semblance of a sybaritic nightlife takes place at home behind closed doors, where the country`s elite have been known to quaff booze.

But many Pakistanis are surprisingly open to using cannabis, with the spongy, black hash made from marijuana grown in the country&#39;s tribal belt and neighbouring Afghanistan the preferred variant of the drug.

Whereas alcohol is explicitly forbidden in Islamic scripture, hash seemingly straddles a theological gray zone, which could explain its popularity in the country.

Even if most observant Muslims in Pakistan scoff at the idea of drinking, a prod into their feelings on marijuana often triggers a wry smile followed by a trite maxim about how good it makes food taste or how restful sleep can be after a toke.

People have been smoking hash on the subcontinent for centuries.

It predates the arrival of Islam in the region, with reference to cannabis appearing in the sacred Hindu Atharva Veda text describing its medicinal and ritual uses.

According to a 2013 UN survey, cannabis was the most widely consumed drug in Pakistan with around four million users, representing 3.6 percent of the population -- a figure that has drawn scepticism in a country where reliable data can be hard to come by.

&quot;It&#39;s an underestimation,&quot; says Dr Parveen Azam Khan, president of the Dost Welfare Foundation, a nonprofit that treats drug addicts in Peshawar.

Despite its widespread consumption, not all are happy about hash`s prevalence in the so-called &quot;Land of the Pure&quot;.

&quot;There is no compromise with hashish,&quot; says Maulana Mohammad Tayyab Qureshi, the imam of the main Peshawar mosque. 
According to Qureshi, anything that causes intoxication or bodily harm is strictly forbidden in the faith. He chalks up marijuana&#39;s popularity in Pakistan as a law enforcement issue.

Public health experts also warn the ubiquitous availability of cheap hash in Pakistan`s northwest has been especially harmful to impoverished children, who increasingly use the drug to deal with the hardships of poverty and trauma from years of militant violence.

&quot;For children, it`s the drug of choice,&quot; says Dr. Khan, blaming the vicious nexus between the region`s narco-funded insurgencies and widespread drug use for the scourge.

Pakistan also remains wholly unequipped to handle the problem, with the UN survey saying a dearth of treatment clinics and prohibitive costs keeps users from seeking help.

But in Islamic shrines salted across the country others see cannabis as more benign.

At the Bari Badshah shrine in the heart of Peshawar, followers of the Sufi sect of Islam gather in a small courtyard nightly, where they smoke copious amounts of hash and listen to devotional music while draining tea by the kettle.

Conversations are fluid, only to be interrupted by hard drags off hash pipes with the occasional song performed by one of the devotees.

&quot;The basic work of hash... it wakes up new corners in your mind,&quot; says Mohammed Amin, 50.

According to Sayeed Asjid, 27, such shrines are welcome to members of any faith and in Peshawar are frequented by high-level bureaucrats, police officers and members of security agencies.

&quot;It&#39;s a deep relaxation,&quot; says Asjid of the cannabis high as he exhales clouds of marijuana smoke.

But Sufi shrines have been the frequent target over the years by Taliban militants and sectarian extremists like the Islamic State group, who view the mystical sect as heretical.

&quot;That was only to spread fear and havoc,&quot; says Asjid of the attacks, while expressing his faith in the power of the shrine to protect.

The herb is not only enjoyed by free-spirited Sufi mystics.

Mehwish, a single mother of three, says the occasional joint helps manage the stress that comes with the daily grind.

&quot;You can use hash when you are alone... then you can think in a relaxed way,&quot; says Mehwish, whose name has been changed on request.

Although she admits most of her family are unaware of her habit, the 26-year-old is a firm believer in its benefits.

She adds: &quot;When you feel good and you`re active and it puts a smile on your face then nobody minds.&quot;

In conservative Pakistan, an Islamic republic, the consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden for Muslims. Any semblance of a sybaritic nightlife takes place at home behind closed doors, where the country`s elite have been known to quaff booze.

Niaz Ali is a deeply religious man: He prays five times a day and visits the mosque as frequently as possible. But he also loves to smoke hashish - lots of it. Despite it being forbidden by his faith, the 50 year-old estimates he spends about 30 percent of his earnings as a cab driver on the habit. His love affair with cannabis began as an occasional puff with friends when he was a teenager, but has since morphed into a full-blown addiction for the father-of-nine. "It is a sacred plant. A sacred intoxication," says Ali, who asked to use a pseudonym, after taking a fresh rip off a hookah packed with pungent hash in Pakistan`s bustling northwestern town of Peshawar. "It's like a second wife, this addiction," he sighs. While Ali freely acknowledges using hash runs counter to the tenets of Islam, he insists it has its advantages. "We know that it is haram but it`s an intoxication that doesn`t harm anyone else," he explains. In conservative Pakistan, an Islamic republic, the consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden for Muslims. Any semblance of a sybaritic nightlife takes place at home behind closed doors, where the country`s elite have been known to quaff booze. But many Pakistanis are surprisingly open to using cannabis, with the spongy, black hash made from marijuana grown in the country's tribal belt and neighbouring Afghanistan the preferred variant of the drug. Whereas alcohol is explicitly forbidden in Islamic scripture, hash seemingly straddles a theological gray zone, which could explain its popularity in the country. Even if most observant Muslims in Pakistan scoff at the idea of drinking, a prod into their feelings on marijuana often triggers a wry smile followed by a trite maxim about how good it makes food taste or how restful sleep can be after a toke. People have been smoking hash on the subcontinent for centuries. It predates the arrival of Islam in the region, with reference to cannabis appearing in the sacred Hindu Atharva Veda text describing its medicinal and ritual uses. According to a 2013 UN survey, cannabis was the most widely consumed drug in Pakistan with around four million users, representing 3.6 percent of the population -- a figure that has drawn scepticism in a country where reliable data can be hard to come by. "It's an underestimation," says Dr Parveen Azam Khan, president of the Dost Welfare Foundation, a nonprofit that treats drug addicts in Peshawar. Despite its widespread consumption, not all are happy about hash`s prevalence in the so-called "Land of the Pure". "There is no compromise with hashish," says Maulana Mohammad Tayyab Qureshi, the imam of the main Peshawar mosque. According to Qureshi, anything that causes intoxication or bodily harm is strictly forbidden in the faith. He chalks up marijuana's popularity in Pakistan as a law enforcement issue. Public health experts also warn the ubiquitous availability of cheap hash in Pakistan`s northwest has been especially harmful to impoverished children, who increasingly use the drug to deal with the hardships of poverty and trauma from years of militant violence. "For children, it`s the drug of choice," says Dr. Khan, blaming the vicious nexus between the region`s narco-funded insurgencies and widespread drug use for the scourge. Pakistan also remains wholly unequipped to handle the problem, with the UN survey saying a dearth of treatment clinics and prohibitive costs keeps users from seeking help. But in Islamic shrines salted across the country others see cannabis as more benign. At the Bari Badshah shrine in the heart of Peshawar, followers of the Sufi sect of Islam gather in a small courtyard nightly, where they smoke copious amounts of hash and listen to devotional music while draining tea by the kettle. Conversations are fluid, only to be interrupted by hard drags off hash pipes with the occasional song performed by one of the devotees. "The basic work of hash... it wakes up new corners in your mind," says Mohammed Amin, 50. According to Sayeed Asjid, 27, such shrines are welcome to members of any faith and in Peshawar are frequented by high-level bureaucrats, police officers and members of security agencies. "It's a deep relaxation," says Asjid of the cannabis high as he exhales clouds of marijuana smoke. But Sufi shrines have been the frequent target over the years by Taliban militants and sectarian extremists like the Islamic State group, who view the mystical sect as heretical. "That was only to spread fear and havoc," says Asjid of the attacks, while expressing his faith in the power of the shrine to protect. The herb is not only enjoyed by free-spirited Sufi mystics. Mehwish, a single mother of three, says the occasional joint helps manage the stress that comes with the daily grind. "You can use hash when you are alone... then you can think in a relaxed way," says Mehwish, whose name has been changed on request. Although she admits most of her family are unaware of her habit, the 26-year-old is a firm believer in its benefits. She adds: "When you feel good and you`re active and it puts a smile on your face then nobody minds."

High and dry: Pakistan's penchant for hash

Pakistan&#39;s security czar today said that the stability of the South Asian region hangs in a delicate balance and the possibility of a nuclear war cannot be ruled out.

National Security Advisor Lt Gen (retd.) Nasser Khan Janjua also accused the US of conspiring against the multi- billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with India, The Express Tribune reported.

Addressing a seminar on issues of national security here, Janjua claimed that India has been stockpiling a range of dangerous weapons and it threatens Pakistan continuously of conventional warfare.

&quot;The stability of the South Asian region hangs in a delicate balance, and the possibility of nuclear war cannot be ruled out,&quot; he claimed.

The NSA stressed that supporting US forces in the region had given birth to the rise of terrorism inside the country.

&quot;As the Taliban grow stronger in Afghanistan, America has started to shift the blame for its failures in the country onto Pakistan,&quot; he said.

He also alleged that as part of its policy to counter Chinese influence in South Asia, the US is conspiring against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor along with India.

&quot;The US has given India role in Afghanistan&#39;s political process, giving New Delhi priority over Islamabad, and has opposed the CPEC,&quot; he said.

The nearly USD 50 billion CPEC, a flagship project of China&#39;s prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR), passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The CPEC links China&#39;s restive Xinjiang region with Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan province.

&quot;The US-India alliance has an identical stance on the Kashmir issue, and America frequently gives India preference over Pakistan,&quot; Janjua said.

He said Pakistan encountered the menace of terrorism only after it started supporting the operations of US-led forces in Afghanistan.

&quot;Pakistan has been battling with security problems for the past forty years. Peace in Afghanistan remains our top priority,&quot; he said.

Nasser Khan accused the US of conspiring against the multi-billion CPEC project with India

Pakistan's security czar today said that the stability of the South Asian region hangs in a delicate balance and the possibility of a nuclear war cannot be ruled out. National Security Advisor Lt Gen (retd.) Nasser Khan Janjua also accused the US of conspiring against the multi- billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with India, The Express Tribune reported. Addressing a seminar on issues of national security here, Janjua claimed that India has been stockpiling a range of dangerous weapons and it threatens Pakistan continuously of conventional warfare. "The stability of the South Asian region hangs in a delicate balance, and the possibility of nuclear war cannot be ruled out," he claimed. The NSA stressed that supporting US forces in the region had given birth to the rise of terrorism inside the country. "As the Taliban grow stronger in Afghanistan, America has started to shift the blame for its failures in the country onto Pakistan," he said. He also alleged that as part of its policy to counter Chinese influence in South Asia, the US is conspiring against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor along with India. "The US has given India role in Afghanistan's political process, giving New Delhi priority over Islamabad, and has opposed the CPEC," he said. The nearly USD 50 billion CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road (OBOR), passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The CPEC links China's restive Xinjiang region with Pakistan's Balochistan province. "The US-India alliance has an identical stance on the Kashmir issue, and America frequently gives India preference over Pakistan," Janjua said. He said Pakistan encountered the menace of terrorism only after it started supporting the operations of US-led forces in Afghanistan. "Pakistan has been battling with security problems for the past forty years. Peace in Afghanistan remains our top priority," he said.

Possibility of nuclear war in South Asia cannot be ruled out: Pakistan NSA

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, has been featured on The New York Times list of 11 powerful women in 2017.

Maryam was chosen for the article run under the NYT&rsquo;s Saturday Profile section. According to the NYT article written on her on October 27, Maryam Sharif has emerged as the right hand of her father.

The other ten powerful women on the NYT list are: Henda Ayari, Margot Wallstrom, Yu Xiuhua, Manal al-Sharif, Emma Morano, Olive Yang, Asli Erdogan, Letizia Battaglia, Sinta Nuriyah, and Alice Schwarzer.

The list also includes Henda Ayari, Margot Wallstrom, Yu Xiuhua, Manal al-Sharif, Emma Morano and others.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, has been featured on The New York Times list of 11 powerful women in 2017. Maryam was chosen for the article run under the NYT’s Saturday Profile section. According to the NYT article written on her on October 27, Maryam Sharif has emerged as the right hand of her father. The other ten powerful women on the NYT list are: Henda Ayari, Margot Wallstrom, Yu Xiuhua, Manal al-Sharif, Emma Morano, Olive Yang, Asli Erdogan, Letizia Battaglia, Sinta Nuriyah, and Alice Schwarzer.

Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam in New York Times' powerful women list

Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) tried to extract sensitive information from three Indian officials posted in the country by setting a honeytrap for them, media reports said Sunday.

The attempt however was foiled before any classified documents could be passed on, the reports added.&nbsp;

The three officials&nbsp;were recalled from Pakistan and questioned.

No wrongdoing is suspected on their parts and their identitites have not been revealed. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; 
The use of honeytraps to extract sensitive information has long been used by spy agencies around the world.

The media reports said the Indian officials realised early on what they were being led into, after which they decided to approach their seniors.

The senior officials immediately ordered the three men to return to Delhi.

The recalled officials worked in the language department of the Indian high commission in Islamabad and looked after the translation of official documents.

&nbsp;

The three officials, who worked in the language department of the Indian high commission in Islamabad, have been recalled

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) tried to extract sensitive information from three Indian officials posted in the country by setting a honeytrap for them, media reports said Sunday. The attempt however was foiled before any classified documents could be passed on, the reports added. The three officials were recalled from Pakistan and questioned. No wrongdoing is suspected on their parts and their identitites have not been revealed. The use of honeytraps to extract sensitive information has long been used by spy agencies around the world. The media reports said the Indian officials realised early on what they were being led into, after which they decided to approach their seniors. The senior officials immediately ordered the three men to return to Delhi. The recalled officials worked in the language department of the Indian high commission in Islamabad and looked after the translation of official documents.

To extract sensitive information, Pakistan's ISI sets honeytrap for 3 Indian officials; attempt foiled

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-confirms-processing-visa-applications-of-jadhavs-wife-mother-26944" target="_blank">&nbsp;Pakistan confirms &#39;processing&#39; visa applications of Jadhav&#39;s wife, mother</a>

Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office (FO) has confirmed that the visa applications of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife were being processed. According to local media Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office had issued directives to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mudslide-in-southern-chile-kills-three-15-others-missing-26943" target="_blank">&nbsp;Mudslide in southern Chile kills three; 15 others missing</a>

&nbsp;A mudslide tore through a small village near a popular national park in southern Chile on Saturday (December 16), leaving three people dead and 15 missing after a night of torrential downpours, authorities said.&nbsp;Two Chilean women and a male tourist whose name and nationality have not been disclosed died in the accident, authorities said. Rescue workers were continuing to search through the debris for at least 15 other people.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-tax-overhaul-christmas-gift-for-middle-class-26951" target="_blank">Trump calls tax overhaul &#39;Christmas gift&#39; for middle class</a>

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the sweeping tax overhaul set to be adopted next week in Congress would be a &quot;great&quot; gift for the middle class. Passage of the measure would mark a massive win for a leader who has yet to notch any major legislative victory after nearly a year in office.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-lifts-ban-on-women-driving-26949" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia lifts ban on women driving</a>

Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world to impose a ban on women driving, has finally lifted the ban allowing women to drive cars, drive motorcycles and trucks.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-cabinet-sanctions-pension-scheme-for-transgenders-26948" target="_blank">Andhra Cabinet sanctions pension scheme for transgenders</a>

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1,500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state. The Andhra cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and was briefed by Information and Public Relations (I-PR) Minister Kaluva Srinivasulu and Municipal Administration minister P Narayana on Saturday.

Pakistan confirms 'processing' visa applications of Jadhav's wife, mother Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) has confirmed that the visa applications of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were being processed. According to local media Pakistan's Foreign Office had issued directives to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to Jadhav's wife and mother. Mudslide in southern Chile kills three; 15 others missing A mudslide tore through a small village near a popular national park in southern Chile on Saturday (December 16), leaving three people dead and 15 missing after a night of torrential downpours, authorities said. Two Chilean women and a male tourist whose name and nationality have not been disclosed died in the accident, authorities said. Rescue workers were continuing to search through the debris for at least 15 other people. Trump calls tax overhaul 'Christmas gift' for middle class President Donald Trump said Saturday that the sweeping tax overhaul set to be adopted next week in Congress would be a "great" gift for the middle class. Passage of the measure would mark a massive win for a leader who has yet to notch any major legislative victory after nearly a year in office. Saudi Arabia lifts ban on women driving Saudi Arabia, the only country in the world to impose a ban on women driving, has finally lifted the ban allowing women to drive cars, drive motorcycles and trucks. Andhra Cabinet sanctions pension scheme for transgenders The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1,500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state. The Andhra cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and was briefed by Information and Public Relations (I-PR) Minister Kaluva Srinivasulu and Municipal Administration minister P Narayana on Saturday.

WION morning news brief, December 17 2017

&nbsp;Former Pakistan president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said he was ready to enter into an alliance with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) for Islamabad&#39;s &#39;safety and security&#39;.

This statement has come almost a month after he claimed he was the biggest supporter of the two parties.

&quot;They (LeT and JuD men) are patriotic people, they have laid their lives for Pakistan, who can object if they form a political party,&quot; ARY News quoted Musharraf, as saying.

So far the two parties have not approached him but if they desire to enter into an alliance with his party, he has no objection, he added.

He further said, &quot;I am a liberal and a moderate but that doesn&#39;t mean that I detest religious elements, I am the biggest supporter of Lashkar-e-Taiba and I know that they too like me, the people from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).&quot;

Musharraf, a month back, had said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him.

The former president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state.

The US had strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.

Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.

Meanwhile, last month, Musharraf announced to lead a grand alliance of 23 political parties, including the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sunni Itehad Council, Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Muslim Conference (Kashmir), PML-Junejo, PML-Council, PML- National, Awami League, Millat Party, Jamiat Ulma Pakistan (Niazi Group), Aam Loug Party, Aam Admi Party, Pakistan Masawat Party, Pakistan Minority Party, and Social Justice Democratic Party.

Musharraf, a month back, had said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him

Former Pakistan president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said he was ready to enter into an alliance with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) for Islamabad's 'safety and security'. This statement has come almost a month after he claimed he was the biggest supporter of the two parties. "They (LeT and JuD men) are patriotic people, they have laid their lives for Pakistan, who can object if they form a political party," ARY News quoted Musharraf, as saying. So far the two parties have not approached him but if they desire to enter into an alliance with his party, he has no objection, he added. He further said, "I am a liberal and a moderate but that doesn't mean that I detest religious elements, I am the biggest supporter of Lashkar-e-Taiba and I know that they too like me, the people from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)." Musharraf, a month back, had said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him. The former president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state. The US had strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution. Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months. Meanwhile, last month, Musharraf announced to lead a grand alliance of 23 political parties, including the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Sunni Itehad Council, Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Muslim Conference (Kashmir), PML-Junejo, PML-Council, PML- National, Awami League, Millat Party, Jamiat Ulma Pakistan (Niazi Group), Aam Loug Party, Aam Admi Party, Pakistan Masawat Party, Pakistan Minority Party, and Social Justice Democratic Party.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa, LeT men are patriotic, says Musharraf

Eight people have been killed and over 30 injured injured in a suicide attack on a Catholic church in Quetta, Pakistan.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> 4 killed, 25 injured as terrorists storm Church in Balochistan&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quetta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quetta</a> : Pakistan media <a href="https://t.co/doqnogRnpj">pic.twitter.com/doqnogRnpj</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942306891127857157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Pakistan&#39;s Dawn News confirmed the attack on the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church on Zarghoon Road, Quetta this afternoon.

There were two suicide attackers.&nbsp;

News reports said security forces were able to shoot down the first.&nbsp;

But the second attacker got to the door where he blew himself up.&nbsp;

There were close to 400 people praying inside, Dawn News reported.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZofZzXYktf8" width="560"></iframe>

The wounded were moved to Quetta&#39;s Civil Hospital.

A number of people were thought to be critically injured.&nbsp;

Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, saying on Twitter that a massive tragedy had been successfully averted by police and others.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
By the grace of Almighty, 02 Suicide Bombers stopped on entrance of Church in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quetta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quetta</a>. LEAs took 16 mins to complete the op. CCPO &amp; DC <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quetta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quetta</a> along with IG Police <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Balochistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Balochistan</a> lead the operation from forefront.
&mdash; Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) <a href="https://twitter.com/PakSarfrazbugti/status/942311606310113280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Quetta is the provincial capital and the largest city of Balochistan, Pakistan.&nbsp;

The attack took place on the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church

Eight people have been killed and over 30 injured injured in a suicide attack on a Catholic church in Quetta, Pakistan. #UPDATE 4 killed, 25 injured as terrorists storm Church in Balochistan's #Quetta : Pakistan media pic.twitter.com/doqnogRnpj — ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2017 × Pakistan's Dawn News confirmed the attack on the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church on Zarghoon Road, Quetta this afternoon. There were two suicide attackers. News reports said security forces were able to shoot down the first. But the second attacker got to the door where he blew himself up. There were close to 400 people praying inside, Dawn News reported. The wounded were moved to Quetta's Civil Hospital. A number of people were thought to be critically injured. Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, saying on Twitter that a massive tragedy had been successfully averted by police and others. By the grace of Almighty, 02 Suicide Bombers stopped on entrance of Church in #Quetta. LEAs took 16 mins to complete the op. CCPO & DC #Quetta along with IG Police #Balochistan lead the operation from forefront. — Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) December 17, 2017 × Quetta is the provincial capital and the largest city of Balochistan, Pakistan.

Pakistan: 8 killed in suicide attack on Quetta church

Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office (FO) has confirmed that the visa applications of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife were being processed.

&quot;Visa applications of mother and wife of Commander Jadhav received for their visit on humanitarian grounds. Being processed,&quot; Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted on Saturday.

Pakistan Today has reported that the FO, on Thursday, issued directives to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother.

The Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan will also be allowed to accompany Jadhav&#39;s family during the meeting.

The Pakistan Government had decided to allow Jadhav to meet his wife and mother on December 25, Geo News reported citing Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal, as saying.

Jadhav was arrested in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan Province over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India&#39;s intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan this year in April.

However, the ICJ on May 18, 2017, stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence.

India has appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for Jadhav&#39;s execution to be suspended until the legal battle in Hague concludes, while also accusing Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law.

To this end, India&#39;s and Pakistan&#39;s written responses have been submitted to registrar Philippe Couvreur of the ICJ.

The Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan will also be allowed to accompany Jadhav's family during the meeting

Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) has confirmed that the visa applications of former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife were being processed. "Visa applications of mother and wife of Commander Jadhav received for their visit on humanitarian grounds. Being processed," Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted on Saturday. Pakistan Today has reported that the FO, on Thursday, issued directives to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to issue visas to Jadhav's wife and mother. The Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan will also be allowed to accompany Jadhav's family during the meeting. The Pakistan Government had decided to allow Jadhav to meet his wife and mother on December 25, Geo News reported citing Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal, as saying. Jadhav was arrested in Pakistan's Balochistan Province over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan this year in April. However, the ICJ on May 18, 2017, stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence. India has appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for Jadhav's execution to be suspended until the legal battle in Hague concludes, while also accusing Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law. To this end, India's and Pakistan's written responses have been submitted to registrar Philippe Couvreur of the ICJ.

Pakistan confirms 'processing' visa applications of Jadhav's wife, mother

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sindhu-settles-for-silver-as-she-loses-in-summit-clash-of-dubai-super-series-final-26993">Sindhu settles for silver as she loses in summit clash of Dubai Super Series Final</a>

Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu suffered another heart-wrenching defeat against World No. 2, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, to finish as runner-up at the Dubai Super Series Final here today. In the prestigious season-ending tournament finale, Sindhu played her heart&nbsp;out before going down fighting 21-15 12-21 19-21 to Yamaguchi in an energy-sapping summit clash that lasted an hour and 31 minutes.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistans-isi-tries-to-lure-indian-officials-with-women-to-extract-confidential-documents-attempt-foiled-26978">To extract sensitive information, Pakistan&#39;s ISI sets honeytrap for 3 Indian officials; attempt foiled</a>

Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) tried to extract sensitive information from three Indian officials posted in the country by setting a honeytrap for them, media reports said Sunday. The attempt, however, was foiled before any classified documents could be passed on, the reports added.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-two-women-harassed-every-day-at-workplace-in-2017-26969" target="_blank">India: Two women harassed every day at workplace in 2017</a>

Two women were harassed every day at their workplaces in India in 2017.&nbsp;News reports said Sunday that the National Commission for Women (NCW) received an average of 1.7 complaints a day in 2017.&nbsp; The reports said that in the 316 days between January 1 and December 12, the commission received 539 complaints.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-8-killed-in-bomb-attack-on-quetta-church-26975" target="_blank">Pakistan: 8 killed in bomb attack on Quetta church</a>

At least 8 people have reportedly been killed and 25 injured in a bomb and gun attack on a Catholic church in Quetta, Pakistan.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Dawn News confirmed the attack on the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church on Zarghoon Road, Quetta this afternoon.&nbsp;All casualties have been moved to Quetta&#39;s Civil Hospital.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-protests-after-civilian-killed-in-crossfire-between-army-terrorists-26991" target="_blank">J&amp;K: Protests after civilian killed in crossfire between army, terrorists&nbsp;</a>

Clashes broke out in Kashmir&#39;s Kupwara district on Sunday after a civilian was killed in an exchange of fire between army personnel and terrorists the day before. The Army said a man, Asif Iqbal Bhat, was killed in an exchange of fire between army soldiers and terrorists after the army received specific information about the presence of terrorists in Thindpura village and laid an ambush.

Sindhu settles for silver as she loses in summit clash of Dubai Super Series Final Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu suffered another heart-wrenching defeat against World No. 2, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, to finish as runner-up at the Dubai Super Series Final here today. In the prestigious season-ending tournament finale, Sindhu played her heart out before going down fighting 21-15 12-21 19-21 to Yamaguchi in an energy-sapping summit clash that lasted an hour and 31 minutes. To extract sensitive information, Pakistan's ISI sets honeytrap for 3 Indian officials; attempt foiled Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) tried to extract sensitive information from three Indian officials posted in the country by setting a honeytrap for them, media reports said Sunday. The attempt, however, was foiled before any classified documents could be passed on, the reports added. India: Two women harassed every day at workplace in 2017 Two women were harassed every day at their workplaces in India in 2017. News reports said Sunday that the National Commission for Women (NCW) received an average of 1.7 complaints a day in 2017. The reports said that in the 316 days between January 1 and December 12, the commission received 539 complaints. Pakistan: 8 killed in bomb attack on Quetta church At least 8 people have reportedly been killed and 25 injured in a bomb and gun attack on a Catholic church in Quetta, Pakistan. Pakistan's Dawn News confirmed the attack on the Bethel Memorial Methodist Church on Zarghoon Road, Quetta this afternoon. All casualties have been moved to Quetta's Civil Hospital. J&K: Protests after civilian killed in crossfire between army, terrorists Clashes broke out in Kashmir's Kupwara district on Sunday after a civilian was killed in an exchange of fire between army personnel and terrorists the day before. The Army said a man, Asif Iqbal Bhat, was killed in an exchange of fire between army soldiers and terrorists after the army received specific information about the presence of terrorists in Thindpura village and laid an ambush.

WION Evening News Brief, December 17 2017

When 16th December comes every year, fairly widespread commemoration almost in the form of celebration or jubilation can be observed in India.&nbsp;Some celebrate what they think was a decisive Indian military victory over their eternal adversary Pakistan. Some gleefully celebrate the dismemberment of Pakistan in the hands of India in that narrative of glory. 16th December 1971 offers Indians a sense of pride as a big and powerful nation of the East especially in the backdrop of military humiliation in the hands of Chinese and stalemate with Pakistan in the previous occasions. The former defense minister of the current BJP government Manohar Parikkar openly boasted that, the way India had dismembered Pakistan and created Bangladesh the same thing they may repeat with Pakistan in Baluchistan.

Bangladeshis, while acknowledging India&rsquo;s help, are utterly infuriated at how the nationalist narrative misses the unprecedented political mobilisation, leading up to the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. General Ayub Khan&rsquo;s rule in the sixties made East Bengal or East Pakistan literally a colony of its west wing with the much bigger chunk of the then national budgetary allotment going to the west wing which had the smaller chunk of the population. Most of the export earnings of Pakistan were from the east wing where 56% of pre-1971 Pakistan&rsquo;s population lived.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Awami League party, seeing this neo-colonisation and extraction of East Bengal, proposed a six-point loose confederation formula for Pakistan and that found incredible traction in the polity of East Bengal (East Pakistan). Awami League along with the parties in the west wing eventually brought down Ayub Khan&rsquo;s rule in 1969&rsquo;s through the mass uprising.

An election was held under the new military ruler from the west wing of Pakistan&nbsp;in late 1970, and the Awami League party of East Bengal not only swept the eastern wing but also achieved a majority in the national parliament on its own with all its seats from the east. The regime and the major political party of the West Pakistan, the People&rsquo;s Party (PPP) didn&rsquo;t anticipate such a widespread and overwhelming support for&nbsp;Awami League. They rather expected a fractured mandate.

Negotiation began in early 1971. By then the Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became a de facto leader with provincial officials and even judges taking orders, instructions and guidance from him alongside the general public. Chief justice of East Pakistan high court refused to swear in General Tikka Khan as governor and before that stories were making rounds in Dhaka that the cook of the governor&rsquo;s house refused to cook for the governor until Sheikh Mujib permitted him to do so.

Pakistan Army started their crackdown on 25th March night, but even before that many in the Bengali army, border guard and police&nbsp;units revolted against the Pakistan government. In the subsequent months about 10 million East Bengali refugees, one-seventh of the population, crossed over to India.&nbsp;

Exile government was formed in India. Under the leadership of the East Bengal Regiment, mass armed guerrilla warfare started against Pakistani forces and establishment in East Bengal. Some predicted a long Vietnam like struggle towards freedom, whereas others, including the majority members of the exile Bangladesh government in India, wanted Indian military intervention to make the independence faster. The later happened eventually. But the political momentum for freedom in East Bengal was so massive and overwhelming that even if the Indians didn&rsquo;t intervene militarily in December 1971 there was no going back for Bangladeshi people and leadership in the Pakistani fold. There would have been a protracted war of attrition between the Bangladeshi freedom fighters, supported by the masses, and the isolated Pakistani occupiers, resulting in another type of humiliating loss for the latter.

Most Bangladeshis, other than some anti-Indian quarters, wholeheartedly admit Indian help and sacrifice of Indian soldier&rsquo;s in liberating Bangladesh in late 1971 and the present government has honoured Indian war heroes. In 1971, the&nbsp;success of the Indian army in reaching Dhaka so fast and forcing Pakistan&#39;s eastern army to surrender is remarkable.

However, there are important details of it that many often tend to ignore, and which were critical factors in the success of Indian army&rsquo;s tactical manoeuvres and strategic advantages. These are support of the friendly and welcoming Bangladeshi masses and key information and logistic support of Bangladeshi freedom fighters.

Nizai adopted a border fortress military tactic to hold Indian army in the periphery rather than gradual withdrawal tactic to the&nbsp;center of gravity which is Dhaka basin, and fight the decisive battle there.

Indian army formations, initially, failed to make a breakthrough in the Pakistani defences in the borders and in some cases suffered heavy causalities. It was Bangladeshi freedom fighters and common people who showed them ways to go around the Pakistani positions to the enemy&rsquo;s rear. This led to the ultimate success of India-Bangladesh joint forces to reach Dhaka faster and forced Niazi to surrender, before the arrival of American and Chinese help. Speed was key which was only achieved by this tactic and it was not in the minds of Indian military planner when they issued campaign orders and operational plans.

&nbsp;People cheered Indian army and helped them in whatever way they could. In Tangail in north-central Bangladesh villagers prepared food for Indian paratroopers whose logistics was in disarray. In Raipura of Comilla local Awami League leaders, workers and villagers made big country rafts to ferry Indian tanks across mighty Meghna river towards Dhaka. These are just one or two examples of numerous such help of immense operational importance.

There is no doubt that India&nbsp;helped and, especially, the statesmanship of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was vital for the birth of Bangladesh in just nine months. But, in reality, it&rsquo;s Bangladesh that was the locus of affairs in its emergence as an independent nation-not India.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

There is no doubt that Indian help and especially the statesmanship of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were vital for the birth of Bangladesh in just nine months. But, in reality, it?s Bangladesh that was the locus of affairs in its emergence as an independent nation-not India.

When 16th December comes every year, fairly widespread commemoration almost in the form of celebration or jubilation can be observed in India. Some celebrate what they think was a decisive Indian military victory over their eternal adversary Pakistan. Some gleefully celebrate the dismemberment of Pakistan in the hands of India in that narrative of glory. 16th December 1971 offers Indians a sense of pride as a big and powerful nation of the East especially in the backdrop of military humiliation in the hands of Chinese and stalemate with Pakistan in the previous occasions. The former defense minister of the current BJP government Manohar Parikkar openly boasted that, the way India had dismembered Pakistan and created Bangladesh the same thing they may repeat with Pakistan in Baluchistan. Bangladeshis, while acknowledging India’s help, are utterly infuriated at how the nationalist narrative misses the unprecedented political mobilisation, leading up to the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. General Ayub Khan’s rule in the sixties made East Bengal or East Pakistan literally a colony of its west wing with the much bigger chunk of the then national budgetary allotment going to the west wing which had the smaller chunk of the population. Most of the export earnings of Pakistan were from the east wing where 56% of pre-1971 Pakistan’s population lived. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Awami League party, seeing this neo-colonisation and extraction of East Bengal, proposed a six-point loose confederation formula for Pakistan and that found incredible traction in the polity of East Bengal (East Pakistan). Awami League along with the parties in the west wing eventually brought down Ayub Khan’s rule in 1969’s through the mass uprising. An election was held under the new military ruler from the west wing of Pakistan in late 1970, and the Awami League party of East Bengal not only swept the eastern wing but also achieved a majority in the national parliament on its own with all its seats from the east. The regime and the major political party of the West Pakistan, the People’s Party (PPP) didn’t anticipate such a widespread and overwhelming support for Awami League. They rather expected a fractured mandate. Negotiation began in early 1971. By then the Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became a de facto leader with provincial officials and even judges taking orders, instructions and guidance from him alongside the general public. Chief justice of East Pakistan high court refused to swear in General Tikka Khan as governor and before that stories were making rounds in Dhaka that the cook of the governor’s house refused to cook for the governor until Sheikh Mujib permitted him to do so. Pakistan Army started their crackdown on 25th March night, but even before that many in the Bengali army, border guard and police units revolted against the Pakistan government. In the subsequent months about 10 million East Bengali refugees, one-seventh of the population, crossed over to India. Exile government was formed in India. Under the leadership of the East Bengal Regiment, mass armed guerrilla warfare started against Pakistani forces and establishment in East Bengal. Some predicted a long Vietnam like struggle towards freedom, whereas others, including the majority members of the exile Bangladesh government in India, wanted Indian military intervention to make the independence faster. The later happened eventually. But the political momentum for freedom in East Bengal was so massive and overwhelming that even if the Indians didn’t intervene militarily in December 1971 there was no going back for Bangladeshi people and leadership in the Pakistani fold. There would have been a protracted war of attrition between the Bangladeshi freedom fighters, supported by the masses, and the isolated Pakistani occupiers, resulting in another type of humiliating loss for the latter. Most Bangladeshis, other than some anti-Indian quarters, wholeheartedly admit Indian help and sacrifice of Indian soldier’s in liberating Bangladesh in late 1971 and the present government has honoured Indian war heroes. In 1971, the success of the Indian army in reaching Dhaka so fast and forcing Pakistan's eastern army to surrender is remarkable. However, there are important details of it that many often tend to ignore, and which were critical factors in the success of Indian army’s tactical manoeuvres and strategic advantages. These are support of the friendly and welcoming Bangladeshi masses and key information and logistic support of Bangladeshi freedom fighters. Nizai adopted a border fortress military tactic to hold Indian army in the periphery rather than gradual withdrawal tactic to the center of gravity which is Dhaka basin, and fight the decisive battle there. Indian army formations, initially, failed to make a breakthrough in the Pakistani defences in the borders and in some cases suffered heavy causalities. It was Bangladeshi freedom fighters and common people who showed them ways to go around the Pakistani positions to the enemy’s rear. This led to the ultimate success of India-Bangladesh joint forces to reach Dhaka faster and forced Niazi to surrender, before the arrival of American and Chinese help. Speed was key which was only achieved by this tactic and it was not in the minds of Indian military planner when they issued campaign orders and operational plans. People cheered Indian army and helped them in whatever way they could. In Tangail in north-central Bangladesh villagers prepared food for Indian paratroopers whose logistics was in disarray. In Raipura of Comilla local Awami League leaders, workers and villagers made big country rafts to ferry Indian tanks across mighty Meghna river towards Dhaka. These are just one or two examples of numerous such help of immense operational importance. There is no doubt that India helped and, especially, the statesmanship of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was vital for the birth of Bangladesh in just nine months. But, in reality, it’s Bangladesh that was the locus of affairs in its emergence as an independent nation-not India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Popular mobilisation that created Bangladesh in 1971

A state uses violence against another only as the last resort after all political and diplomatic means have failed &ndash; this is what Sun Tzu meant when he said that &lsquo;To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.&rsquo; War is a catastrophic event, which puts back development in a country, especially if its economy has not stabilised.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India, unfortunately, has had four wars inflicted on it by Pakistan and one by China. So, while the 1948 aggression in Jammu and Kashmir was a precursor of things to come from Pakistan, it was the 1962 debacle with China that shook Indian leadership out of its idealist leanings and belief; the harsh nature of geo-politics and the imperative requirement of having a strong military deterrent were driven home. This resulted in an upswing in military preparedness that showed partial results in the 1965 Indo-Pak war but was evident in full measure in the 1971 conflict, where India came out with flying colours and resulted in the birth of Bangladesh.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The most representative visual of the victory is the iconic photograph of the surrender ceremony at Dacca (as Dhaka was then spelled) on 16 December 1971 &ndash; which India celebrates as Vijay Diwas.

&nbsp;

After the influx of ten million refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, India could not afford to be a bystander to the violence unleashed by the Pakistani Army. So, even as a diplomatic offensive was undertaken by Mrs Indira Gandhi to bring home the horrors of the unfolding genocide, the military was given the quiet go-ahead to prepare for war.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The famous April 1971 cabinet meeting in which the Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw is reported to have told the PM that he needed time to prepare and that if he was pushed to war before the monsoons he could only guarantee a defeat, is the stuff of military folklore.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Another masterstroke, that brought to fore the strategic long-term thinking of the political establishment and their understanding of the intimate link between diplomacy and military affairs, was the signing of the treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union in August &lsquo;71, even as the countdown to resort to military action was underway; the Indo-Soviet treaty ensured that US and China could not intervene on behalf of Pakistan in case of a shooting war.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Thus, with the political, bureaucratic and military leadership gelling together as one cohesive unit it was up to our warriors - the jawan on land, the airman in a cockpit and a naval sailor on board a naval vessel &ndash; to deliver the results. And, did they deliver!

&nbsp;

While the surreptitious support to the Mukti Bahini has now been documented, the real shooting war commenced in November itself. It came into the open when the IAF shot down three Pakistani Sabres on 22 November who were strafing the Indian Army troops on the ground over Boyra in East Pakistan. And it became a full-fledged war on 03 December when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attempted an Israeli style pre-emptive strike on IAF bases in the West; it failed miserably.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Indian strategy was clear &ndash; holding action on the Western front and a full offensive in the East. While there is some controversy, in the absence of a written government directive to the Armed Forces, about the initial aim in the East (some writers say that capture of Dhaka was not the initial aim), the fact is that as the war progressed, the tactical brilliance of our Army&rsquo;s middle and junior level leadership came to the fore.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Towns and heavy fortifications were bypassed and the drive to Dacca speeded up before international pressure could call a halt to operations. IAF fighters gave close air support to Army formations while the Navy blockaded the ports of East Pakistan. All this while, the Mukti Bahini was a great help in terms of the accurate intelligence that only they could have provided. As Pakistani forces retreated, and their morale depleted, an airstrike by MIG-21s of the IAF on the Governor&rsquo;s house on 14 December (where a meeting called by the Governor was underway) hastened the decision of the Pakistanis to surrender. The rest, as they say, is history. The victory epitomised the decisive leadership exercised by the political, diplomatic and military establishments and the valour of the Indian armed forces.

&nbsp;

I was a Class XI kid, preparing for the entrance exam to the National Defence Academy during the &rsquo;71 war. While there are a multitude of memories of living through black outs and grabbing the morning paper to read reports of the Indian Army&rsquo;s advance and stories of heroism of our jawans, one particular remembrance is of the address of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi beamed live by All India Radio from Parliament; she announced to the world that, &ldquo;Dacca is now the free capital of a free country.&rdquo; It still brings a lump in my throat, as it did that day, 16 December 1971 &ndash; a day we celebrate as Vijay Diwas. Jai Hind!

As the Indian Army raced towards Dacca, the Mukti Bahini was a great help in terms of the accurate intelligence that only they could have provided.

A state uses violence against another only as the last resort after all political and diplomatic means have failed – this is what Sun Tzu meant when he said that ‘To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.’ War is a catastrophic event, which puts back development in a country, especially if its economy has not stabilised. India, unfortunately, has had four wars inflicted on it by Pakistan and one by China. So, while the 1948 aggression in Jammu and Kashmir was a precursor of things to come from Pakistan, it was the 1962 debacle with China that shook Indian leadership out of its idealist leanings and belief; the harsh nature of geo-politics and the imperative requirement of having a strong military deterrent were driven home. This resulted in an upswing in military preparedness that showed partial results in the 1965 Indo-Pak war but was evident in full measure in the 1971 conflict, where India came out with flying colours and resulted in the birth of Bangladesh. The most representative visual of the victory is the iconic photograph of the surrender ceremony at Dacca (as Dhaka was then spelled) on 16 December 1971 – which India celebrates as Vijay Diwas. After the influx of ten million refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, India could not afford to be a bystander to the violence unleashed by the Pakistani Army. So, even as a diplomatic offensive was undertaken by Mrs Indira Gandhi to bring home the horrors of the unfolding genocide, the military was given the quiet go-ahead to prepare for war. The famous April 1971 cabinet meeting in which the Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw is reported to have told the PM that he needed time to prepare and that if he was pushed to war before the monsoons he could only guarantee a defeat, is the stuff of military folklore. Another masterstroke, that brought to fore the strategic long-term thinking of the political establishment and their understanding of the intimate link between diplomacy and military affairs, was the signing of the treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union in August ‘71, even as the countdown to resort to military action was underway; the Indo-Soviet treaty ensured that US and China could not intervene on behalf of Pakistan in case of a shooting war. Thus, with the political, bureaucratic and military leadership gelling together as one cohesive unit it was up to our warriors - the jawan on land, the airman in a cockpit and a naval sailor on board a naval vessel – to deliver the results. And, did they deliver! While the surreptitious support to the Mukti Bahini has now been documented, the real shooting war commenced in November itself. It came into the open when the IAF shot down three Pakistani Sabres on 22 November who were strafing the Indian Army troops on the ground over Boyra in East Pakistan. And it became a full-fledged war on 03 December when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attempted an Israeli style pre-emptive strike on IAF bases in the West; it failed miserably. The Indian strategy was clear – holding action on the Western front and a full offensive in the East. While there is some controversy, in the absence of a written government directive to the Armed Forces, about the initial aim in the East (some writers say that capture of Dhaka was not the initial aim), the fact is that as the war progressed, the tactical brilliance of our Army’s middle and junior level leadership came to the fore. Towns and heavy fortifications were bypassed and the drive to Dacca speeded up before international pressure could call a halt to operations. IAF fighters gave close air support to Army formations while the Navy blockaded the ports of East Pakistan. All this while, the Mukti Bahini was a great help in terms of the accurate intelligence that only they could have provided. As Pakistani forces retreated, and their morale depleted, an airstrike by MIG-21s of the IAF on the Governor’s house on 14 December (where a meeting called by the Governor was underway) hastened the decision of the Pakistanis to surrender. The rest, as they say, is history. The victory epitomised the decisive leadership exercised by the political, diplomatic and military establishments and the valour of the Indian armed forces. I was a Class XI kid, preparing for the entrance exam to the National Defence Academy during the ’71 war. While there are a multitude of memories of living through black outs and grabbing the morning paper to read reports of the Indian Army’s advance and stories of heroism of our jawans, one particular remembrance is of the address of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi beamed live by All India Radio from Parliament; she announced to the world that, “Dacca is now the free capital of a free country.” It still brings a lump in my throat, as it did that day, 16 December 1971 – a day we celebrate as Vijay Diwas. Jai Hind!

Opinion: Vijay Diwas is glorious saga of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini

On Vijay Diwas, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid tributes to soldiers who lost their lives in 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Defence Minister along with &nbsp;Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa paid tributes at Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi on Saturday.

Vijay Diwas was also celebrated in Mumbai with Army officers and Jawans at Army Garrison Ground in Colaba&nbsp;paying tributes to soldiers who lost their lives in the battle.&nbsp;

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Army officers and soldiers at Army Garrison Ground in Colaba. (ANI)
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Army officers and soldiers at Army Garrison Ground in Colaba. (ANI)
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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pays tribute to the soldiers who died in the 1971 war against Pakistan. (ANI)
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Soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi. (ANI)
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The day is important not only for India but also Bangladesh. Both countries celebrate the victory of their soldiers as &quot;Vijay Diwas&quot; or Victory Day.&nbsp;

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Salute to indomitable courage of our soldiers on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayDiwas</a> <a href="https://t.co/toC0d4laZw">pic.twitter.com/toC0d4laZw</a>
&mdash; Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/941865668177096704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayDiwas</a>, I salute all the martyrs &amp; heroes who fought for the nation and let us to victory in 1971 war. <a href="https://t.co/yZd8pqCv58">pic.twitter.com/yZd8pqCv58</a>
&mdash; Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/rsprasad/status/941874014024167424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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16 Dec 1971, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayDiwas</a> 
This day India created a NEW <a href="https://t.co/ndoonlzUoR">https://t.co/ndoonlzUoR</a> we remember the sacrifices &amp; super success of our brothers in uniform. 
Tribute &amp; Salute????Jai Hind 
93000 Pakis surrendered in 1 go..biggest ever surrender in history of world????<a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adgpi</a> <a href="https://t.co/jNVca8PE9u">pic.twitter.com/jNVca8PE9u</a>
&mdash; Maj Surendra Poonia (@MajorPoonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MajorPoonia/status/941857624999395328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Remembering on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayDiwas</a> the valour, commitment and determination of our soldiers, who bravely fought for the liberation of Bangladesh in the 1971 War. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiHind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiHind</a> <a href="https://t.co/h70vquxuz0">pic.twitter.com/h70vquxuz0</a>
&mdash; Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VasundharaBJP/status/941863393077616641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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On <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayDiwas</a>, we salute the indomitable spirit and sacrifice of the martyrs of 1971 War. 
 
Let each one of us remember the unfathomable valour of our soldiers, who defend India&rsquo;s freedom every day.
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/941874996451852289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Salutations To Indian Armed Forces that forced Lt. Gen Niazi surrender unconditionally to Lt. Gen Aurora along with over 93,000 Pakistani troops in 1971. This is the largest surrender by an army since World War II. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayDiwas</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiHind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiHind</a> <a href="https://t.co/TDybwO0D7X">pic.twitter.com/TDybwO0D7X</a>
&mdash; Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) <a href="https://twitter.com/boxervijender/status/941874522243944448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayDiwas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayDiwas</a> is a day which marks a glorious chapter in India&#39;s history. My Salutations to Indian armed forces on this day n humble tributes to martyrs who laid down their lives during 1971 war between India n Pakistan.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIJAYDIWAS17?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIJAYDIWAS17</a> <a href="https://t.co/NCy03hBhtq">pic.twitter.com/NCy03hBhtq</a>
&mdash; Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashokgehlot51/status/941863573705302017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The country is celebrating, Vijay Diwas, the?victory of?Indian army?who fought the war against Pakistan in 1971 and liberated Bangladesh

On Vijay Diwas, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid tributes to soldiers who lost their lives in 1971 Indo-Pak war. Defence Minister along with Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa paid tributes at Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi on Saturday. Vijay Diwas was also celebrated in Mumbai with Army officers and Jawans at Army Garrison Ground in Colaba paying tributes to soldiers who lost their lives in the battle. Army officers and soldiers at Army Garrison Ground in Colaba. (ANI) × Army officers and soldiers at Army Garrison Ground in Colaba. (ANI) × Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pays tribute to the soldiers who died in the 1971 war against Pakistan. (ANI) × Soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi. (ANI) × The day is important not only for India but also Bangladesh. Both countries celebrate the victory of their soldiers as "Vijay Diwas" or Victory Day. Salute to indomitable courage of our soldiers on #VijayDiwas pic.twitter.com/toC0d4laZw — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) December 16, 2017 × On #VijayDiwas, I salute all the martyrs & heroes who fought for the nation and let us to victory in 1971 war. pic.twitter.com/yZd8pqCv58 — Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) December 16, 2017 × 16 Dec 1971, #VijayDiwas This day India created a NEW https://t.co/ndoonlzUoR we remember the sacrifices & super success of our brothers in uniform. Tribute & Salute????Jai Hind 93000 Pakis surrendered in 1 go..biggest ever surrender in history of world????@adgpi pic.twitter.com/jNVca8PE9u — Maj Surendra Poonia (@MajorPoonia) December 16, 2017 × Remembering on #VijayDiwas the valour, commitment and determination of our soldiers, who bravely fought for the liberation of Bangladesh in the 1971 War. #JaiHind pic.twitter.com/h70vquxuz0 — Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) December 16, 2017 × On #VijayDiwas, we salute the indomitable spirit and sacrifice of the martyrs of 1971 War. Let each one of us remember the unfathomable valour of our soldiers, who defend India’s freedom every day. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 16, 2017 × Salutations To Indian Armed Forces that forced Lt. Gen Niazi surrender unconditionally to Lt. Gen Aurora along with over 93,000 Pakistani troops in 1971. This is the largest surrender by an army since World War II. #VijayDiwas #JaiHind pic.twitter.com/TDybwO0D7X — Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) December 16, 2017 × #VijayDiwas is a day which marks a glorious chapter in India's history. My Salutations to Indian armed forces on this day n humble tributes to martyrs who laid down their lives during 1971 war between India n Pakistan.#VIJAYDIWAS17 pic.twitter.com/NCy03hBhtq — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 16, 2017 ×

Defence minister pays tribute to soldiers on Vijay Diwas

A second generation Defence Officer, Commander (later Commodore) Babru Bhan Yadav was from Utter Pradesh and was commissioned into Indian Navy in 1951. He attended training in UK and Russia over various equipment and ships.

During the 1971 War, he was commanding Indian Navy&rsquo;s 25th Missile Boat Squadron which consisted of three Vidyut Class Missile Boats (INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer), two Anti-Submarine Corvettes (INS Kiltan and INS Katchali) and a tanker ship called INS Poshak.

Since Karachi was the headquarters of Pakistan Navy and it was essential to target this to achieve a naval supremacy over our neighbour. The then Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral SM Nanda and the Western Fleet Commander Vice Admiral GK Hiranandani decided to give this task to Commander Babru Bhan Yadav whose missile ships were armed with SSN-2B Styx Missiles with a range of up to 40 Kms. Indian Navy launched two back to back operations called Operation Trident and Operation Python to destroy Karachi Naval Facilities.

Operation Trident

In the daytime of 4th December, the strike group reached 250 Nautical Miles away from Karachi port and stayed there to avoid any kind of surveillance by Pak Air Force. Since Pakistani Aircrafts did not have night attack capabilities, it was decided to launch the attack from dusk to dawn. On the Night of 4/5 December 1971, the strike group moved and fired its first missile from a close distance.

Commander of PNS Khaibar at Karachi port saw some light in the sky and thought of it as some flair fired from a boat in distress but as the fireball kept coming closer to him, he realised what it is. The first missile hit PNS Khaibar&rsquo;s boiler room and soon after the second missile also hit him, sinking the ship along with 222 sailors.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-indian-armys-out-of-the-box-thinking-won-1971-war-26805">Opinion: Indian Army&#39;s out of the box thinking won 1971 war</a>

Another minesweeper ship called PNS Muhafiz and a large cargo ship of US which was carrying ammunition for Pakistani Forces (MV Challenger) were also hit and sunk. The Operation was not over yet. Another Pakistani ship PNS Shah Jahan was also hit and was damaged beyond repair. Karachi part had a large oil storage and one missile from INS Veer hit this target too but could not damage this completely.

Operation Python

It was essential for India to destroy the oil storage facilities at Karachi port but the problem was that Pakistan Navy and Air Force had enhanced the security of the Karachi port and were totally waiting in pursuit of Indian Forces, anticipating that they will attack again. Commander BB Yadav decided to send a small and highly manoeuvrable force to target this. On the night of 8/9 December 1971, a small strike group with a single missile boat and two multipurpose ships with just 4 Styx missiles moved towards Karachi Port in rough seas.

Because of the increased surveillance of the Pak Navy, the group was detected by the radars at Karachi port and now it had very less time to react. Anticipating the situation, Commander BB Yadav ordered INS Vinash to fire all its missiles immediately and return to safety. Out of the four missiles fired by INS Vinash, one hit the oil storage facilities which burned with a loud explosion.

The explosion took the nearby ammunition depot in its coverage and a Diwali like situation started at Karachi port with explosions audible even at 10 Nautical Miles. The second missile hit a Panama based fuel tanker and sunk it. The third one hit another Pakistan Navy ship called PNS Dacca and damaged it beyond repair and fourth one hit and sank a merchant vessel, MV Harmattan which was carrying war stores for Pakistan forces.

Because of these two operations, nearly 50 per cent of the fuel reserves of Karachi Zone and 70&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of ammunition were destroyed. It caused a heavy blow on Pakistan Economy because the resultant loss was almost US $ 3 Billion.

Indian Navy Celebrates its Navy day on 4th December in the memory of Operation Trident and Python as well to commemorate the leader of the operation- Commander Babru Bhan Yadav, Mahavir Chakra. Because of him, 25th Missile Boat Squadron of Indian Navy is still called as &ldquo;The Killer Squadron&rdquo;.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Commander Babru Bhan Yadav, Mahavir Chakra led India's attack on the Karachi port, which destroyed nearly 50 per cent of the fuel reserves of Karachi Zone and 70?per cent?of ammunition.

A second generation Defence Officer, Commander (later Commodore) Babru Bhan Yadav was from Utter Pradesh and was commissioned into Indian Navy in 1951. He attended training in UK and Russia over various equipment and ships. During the 1971 War, he was commanding Indian Navy’s 25th Missile Boat Squadron which consisted of three Vidyut Class Missile Boats (INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer), two Anti-Submarine Corvettes (INS Kiltan and INS Katchali) and a tanker ship called INS Poshak. Since Karachi was the headquarters of Pakistan Navy and it was essential to target this to achieve a naval supremacy over our neighbour. The then Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral SM Nanda and the Western Fleet Commander Vice Admiral GK Hiranandani decided to give this task to Commander Babru Bhan Yadav whose missile ships were armed with SSN-2B Styx Missiles with a range of up to 40 Kms. Indian Navy launched two back to back operations called Operation Trident and Operation Python to destroy Karachi Naval Facilities. Operation Trident In the daytime of 4th December, the strike group reached 250 Nautical Miles away from Karachi port and stayed there to avoid any kind of surveillance by Pak Air Force. Since Pakistani Aircrafts did not have night attack capabilities, it was decided to launch the attack from dusk to dawn. On the Night of 4/5 December 1971, the strike group moved and fired its first missile from a close distance. Commander of PNS Khaibar at Karachi port saw some light in the sky and thought of it as some flair fired from a boat in distress but as the fireball kept coming closer to him, he realised what it is. The first missile hit PNS Khaibar’s boiler room and soon after the second missile also hit him, sinking the ship along with 222 sailors. Also read: Opinion: Indian Army's out of the box thinking won 1971 war Another minesweeper ship called PNS Muhafiz and a large cargo ship of US which was carrying ammunition for Pakistani Forces (MV Challenger) were also hit and sunk. The Operation was not over yet. Another Pakistani ship PNS Shah Jahan was also hit and was damaged beyond repair. Karachi part had a large oil storage and one missile from INS Veer hit this target too but could not damage this completely. Operation Python It was essential for India to destroy the oil storage facilities at Karachi port but the problem was that Pakistan Navy and Air Force had enhanced the security of the Karachi port and were totally waiting in pursuit of Indian Forces, anticipating that they will attack again. Commander BB Yadav decided to send a small and highly manoeuvrable force to target this. On the night of 8/9 December 1971, a small strike group with a single missile boat and two multipurpose ships with just 4 Styx missiles moved towards Karachi Port in rough seas. Because of the increased surveillance of the Pak Navy, the group was detected by the radars at Karachi port and now it had very less time to react. Anticipating the situation, Commander BB Yadav ordered INS Vinash to fire all its missiles immediately and return to safety. Out of the four missiles fired by INS Vinash, one hit the oil storage facilities which burned with a loud explosion. The explosion took the nearby ammunition depot in its coverage and a Diwali like situation started at Karachi port with explosions audible even at 10 Nautical Miles. The second missile hit a Panama based fuel tanker and sunk it. The third one hit another Pakistan Navy ship called PNS Dacca and damaged it beyond repair and fourth one hit and sank a merchant vessel, MV Harmattan which was carrying war stores for Pakistan forces. Because of these two operations, nearly 50 per cent of the fuel reserves of Karachi Zone and 70 per cent of ammunition were destroyed. It caused a heavy blow on Pakistan Economy because the resultant loss was almost US $ 3 Billion. Indian Navy Celebrates its Navy day on 4th December in the memory of Operation Trident and Python as well to commemorate the leader of the operation- Commander Babru Bhan Yadav, Mahavir Chakra. Because of him, 25th Missile Boat Squadron of Indian Navy is still called as “The Killer Squadron”. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: How the fall of Karachi port was brought by India's 'Killer Squadron' in 1971

The Pakistan<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/osama-bin-ladens-video-collection-included-cartoon-films-hollywood-movies-cia-23362"> government has ordered international </a>aid groups to shut operations in the country, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Pakistan <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bin-laden-raid-author-to-forfeit-close-to-7m-from-book-earnings-5247">daily said authorities decided to take</a> the step after several NGOs failed to re-register under tough regulations introduced two years ago.

However, the report said the reason for the Pakistan establishment to take this extreme step is mainly due to the fact that CIA had used a vaccination campaign as a front to track down Osama bin Laden in 2011, while ultimately killing him. The Osama campaign inside Pakistan was allegedly carried out by through a &quot;CIA front organization&quot;, the newspaper said.

The Pakistan government has been fearful of spies operating in the country since then and&nbsp;treats&nbsp;&quot;foreign-aid groups in the country with suspicion&quot;, the Pakistan daily said.

Pakistan has decided to clamp down on several international NGOs namely the ActionAid, Open Society Foundations among others and ordered them to close their offices and leave the country.

In 2015, the Pakistan government had ordered all NGOs in the country to register with the interior ministry and asked them to submit detailed accounts of their funding, the newspaper said.

Several foreign aid organizations work in Pakistan but now with new regulations in place and the government intent on striking them down, NGOs are trying to save their branches in the country by appealing to the government but are not sure about the process and the time it would take to settle with authorities.

Pakistan Humanitarian Forum says foreign aid groups directly benefit about 29 million people in Pakistan, contributing $285 million in funding for development and emergency relief in 2016 and employ over 5,000 local staff.

The Pakistan government has been fearful of spies operating since the Bin Laden episode and?treats?'foreign-aid groups in the country with suspicion'.

The Pakistan government has ordered international aid groups to shut operations in the country, the Dawn newspaper reported. The Pakistan daily said authorities decided to take the step after several NGOs failed to re-register under tough regulations introduced two years ago. However, the report said the reason for the Pakistan establishment to take this extreme step is mainly due to the fact that CIA had used a vaccination campaign as a front to track down Osama bin Laden in 2011, while ultimately killing him. The Osama campaign inside Pakistan was allegedly carried out by through a "CIA front organization", the newspaper said. The Pakistan government has been fearful of spies operating in the country since then and treats "foreign-aid groups in the country with suspicion", the Pakistan daily said. Pakistan has decided to clamp down on several international NGOs namely the ActionAid, Open Society Foundations among others and ordered them to close their offices and leave the country. In 2015, the Pakistan government had ordered all NGOs in the country to register with the interior ministry and asked them to submit detailed accounts of their funding, the newspaper said. Several foreign aid organizations work in Pakistan but now with new regulations in place and the government intent on striking them down, NGOs are trying to save their branches in the country by appealing to the government but are not sure about the process and the time it would take to settle with authorities. Pakistan Humanitarian Forum says foreign aid groups directly benefit about 29 million people in Pakistan, contributing $285 million in funding for development and emergency relief in 2016 and employ over 5,000 local staff.

Osama bin Laden effect: Pak government orders international NGOs to shut operations

A day after Pakistan rejected India&#39;s plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice, India on Thursday said that the charges against former Indian Naval officer and an alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav were &quot;concocted&quot; and the trial against him was &quot;farcical&quot;.

&quot;We have appealed at ICJ in May that was because we thought Vienna convention was being violated. We do reiterate our position that Jadhav remains in Pakistan and is facing death sentence awarded through farcical process and on concocted charges,&quot; Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a press briefing.

Pakistan alleged that Jadhav is not an ordinary person and had entered the country with an intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

Pakistan submitted its reply to the ICJ in Jadhav case on Wednesday after India had submitted its written response at the ICJ in the same case in September this year.

Speaking about the visit of Jadhav&#39;s mother and his wife to Pakistan to meet him, Kumar said, &quot;We are now working on finalising the visit and we are also working on the modalities in consultations with the family members themselves.&quot;

Earlier this month, Pakistan agreed to facilitate the visit Jadhav&#39;s mother and his wife and also assured their safety, security and freedom of movement in the nation, India&#39;s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.

Jadhav was arrested in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan Province over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India&#39;s intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan this year in April.

However, the ICJ on May 18, 2017, stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence.

India has appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for Jadhav&#39;s execution to be suspended until the legal battle in Hague concludes, while also accusing Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law.&nbsp;

Pakistan alleged that Jadhav is not an ordinary person and had entered the country with an intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities.

A day after Pakistan rejected India's plea for consular access to Jadhav at the International Court of Justice, India on Thursday said that the charges against former Indian Naval officer and an alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav were "concocted" and the trial against him was "farcical". "We have appealed at ICJ in May that was because we thought Vienna convention was being violated. We do reiterate our position that Jadhav remains in Pakistan and is facing death sentence awarded through farcical process and on concocted charges," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a press briefing. Pakistan alleged that Jadhav is not an ordinary person and had entered the country with an intent of spying and carrying out sabotage activities. Pakistan submitted its reply to the ICJ in Jadhav case on Wednesday after India had submitted its written response at the ICJ in the same case in September this year. Speaking about the visit of Jadhav's mother and his wife to Pakistan to meet him, Kumar said, "We are now working on finalising the visit and we are also working on the modalities in consultations with the family members themselves." Earlier this month, Pakistan agreed to facilitate the visit Jadhav's mother and his wife and also assured their safety, security and freedom of movement in the nation, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said. Jadhav was arrested in Pakistan's Balochistan Province over charges of alleged involvement in espionage and subversive activities for India's intelligence agency - the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). India, however, maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan this year in April. However, the ICJ on May 18, 2017, stayed the hanging after India approached it against the death sentence. India has appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for Jadhav's execution to be suspended until the legal battle in Hague concludes, while also accusing Pakistan of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law.

Jadhav facing death sentence on 'concocted' charges: India

The history of Bangladesh&#39;s liberation from Pakistan is inextricably entwined with outstanding acts of bravery committed by Indian soldiers. Artificially separated by the British during the Partition, the brave warriors of India and Bangladesh&nbsp;fought shoulder to shoulder to wrest independence from an oppressive regime. The anecdotes of gallantry are endless. But, perhaps, some acts of heroism were more decisive than the others. For instance, without the out of box thinking of&nbsp;Lt Gen Sagat Singh that expedited the capture of Dacca, the capital of erstwhile East Pakistan,&nbsp; Lt General AAK Niazi would have held back surrendering to India.&nbsp;Lt Gen Sagat Singh&#39;s decisive action saved lives of many soldiers and made the birth of Bangladesh possible.

Lt Gen Sagat Singh was a paratrooper and General Officer Commanding of IV Corps of Indian Army. He also has the distinction to command the coveted 50 (independent) Parachute Brigade of Indian Army and liberate Goa in 1961.

When the war broke out, IV corps went into action in the Agartala sector. In the initial advances, Indian Army and Muktibahini secured all the routes to Meghna River. The only way across the river was over the Ashuganj Bridge.

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<h5>General Singh got this unique idea of airlifting his troops over Meghna River which proved to be a turning point in the liberation of Bangladesh.</h5>
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Ashuganj Bridge was the only bridge that spanned the huge Meghna River which at its narrowest point was more than 4000 yards wide. With his troops at Ashuganj, Singh, however, realised his formation would be joining the race to Dacca. Due to the resistance offered by the Pakistani army, 2 Corps which was supposed to reach and isolate Dacca was held up at Kushtia and did not make it to Dacca. So, General Sagat Singh decided that his forces should move to Dacca.

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However, the Pakistan Army had destroyed the entire bridge and it would require a significant amount of time for Army Engineers to build a new bridge. General Singh got this unique idea of airlifting his troops over Meghna River which proved to be a turning point in the liberation of Bangladesh.

Indian Air Force came into the action under the leadership of Group Captain Chandan Singh, using the Soviet-made Mi-4 helicopters to airlift troops in many waves. Through the night of 9 December, the IAF air-lifted the entire 311 Brigade. The first troops, numbering around six hundred were landed through the night of the 9th, immediately contacting Pakistani troops north of Raipura.

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Captain Chandan Singh used MI-4 Helicopters to airlift Indian troops in many waves. (Others)
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They, however, held their positions, with the IAF flying in reinforcements. Over the next 36 hours, over 110 sorties were flown. The Mi-4, which normally carried 14 troops, carried as many as 23 on board. Simultaneous to this operation, 73rd Brigade moved across Meghna on boats and riverine crafts.

After the first consolidation in Raipura, the forces were lifted again to Narshingdi, and after Capturing Narshingdi, brave Indian forces occupied towns of Daudkandi and Baider Bazar on 14th and 15th December 1971 respectively. It was an idea full of risks which paid rich dividends and by 15th of December, 1971 the entire garrison town of Dacca was surrounded by Indian Forces which compelled Lt General AAK Niazi to accept the surrender request.

It is this out of box thinking - the decision of using the airforce to uplift the Indian Army rather than trying to cross the mighty Meghana river proved to be the most decisive factor of the 1971 War.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Lt General Sagat Singh's decision of using the airforce to uplift the Indian Army rather than trying to cross the mighty Meghana river proved to be the most decisive factor of the 1971 War.

The history of Bangladesh's liberation from Pakistan is inextricably entwined with outstanding acts of bravery committed by Indian soldiers. Artificially separated by the British during the Partition, the brave warriors of India and Bangladesh fought shoulder to shoulder to wrest independence from an oppressive regime. The anecdotes of gallantry are endless. But, perhaps, some acts of heroism were more decisive than the others. For instance, without the out of box thinking of Lt Gen Sagat Singh that expedited the capture of Dacca, the capital of erstwhile East Pakistan, Lt General AAK Niazi would have held back surrendering to India. Lt Gen Sagat Singh's decisive action saved lives of many soldiers and made the birth of Bangladesh possible. Lt Gen Sagat Singh was a paratrooper and General Officer Commanding of IV Corps of Indian Army. He also has the distinction to command the coveted 50 (independent) Parachute Brigade of Indian Army and liberate Goa in 1961. When the war broke out, IV corps went into action in the Agartala sector. In the initial advances, Indian Army and Muktibahini secured all the routes to Meghna River. The only way across the river was over the Ashuganj Bridge. General Singh got this unique idea of airlifting his troops over Meghna River which proved to be a turning point in the liberation of Bangladesh. × Ashuganj Bridge was the only bridge that spanned the huge Meghna River which at its narrowest point was more than 4000 yards wide. With his troops at Ashuganj, Singh, however, realised his formation would be joining the race to Dacca. Due to the resistance offered by the Pakistani army, 2 Corps which was supposed to reach and isolate Dacca was held up at Kushtia and did not make it to Dacca. So, General Sagat Singh decided that his forces should move to Dacca. × However, the Pakistan Army had destroyed the entire bridge and it would require a significant amount of time for Army Engineers to build a new bridge. General Singh got this unique idea of airlifting his troops over Meghna River which proved to be a turning point in the liberation of Bangladesh. Indian Air Force came into the action under the leadership of Group Captain Chandan Singh, using the Soviet-made Mi-4 helicopters to airlift troops in many waves. Through the night of 9 December, the IAF air-lifted the entire 311 Brigade. The first troops, numbering around six hundred were landed through the night of the 9th, immediately contacting Pakistani troops north of Raipura. Captain Chandan Singh used MI-4 Helicopters to airlift Indian troops in many waves. (Others) × They, however, held their positions, with the IAF flying in reinforcements. Over the next 36 hours, over 110 sorties were flown. The Mi-4, which normally carried 14 troops, carried as many as 23 on board. Simultaneous to this operation, 73rd Brigade moved across Meghna on boats and riverine crafts. After the first consolidation in Raipura, the forces were lifted again to Narshingdi, and after Capturing Narshingdi, brave Indian forces occupied towns of Daudkandi and Baider Bazar on 14th and 15th December 1971 respectively. It was an idea full of risks which paid rich dividends and by 15th of December, 1971 the entire garrison town of Dacca was surrounded by Indian Forces which compelled Lt General AAK Niazi to accept the surrender request. It is this out of box thinking - the decision of using the airforce to uplift the Indian Army rather than trying to cross the mighty Meghana river proved to be the most decisive factor of the 1971 War. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Indian Army's out of the box thinking won 1971 war

Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP&rsquo;s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain &ldquo;Gujarat Model&rdquo; which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.

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<h5>This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.</h5>
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Angry Gujarat

No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis&rsquo;. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock&nbsp;after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati&rsquo;s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel&rsquo;s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, &ldquo;Gujarat Parivartan Party&rdquo; couldn&rsquo;t wean them away from the BJP.

In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP.

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Congress virtual strategy a me too

The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios.&nbsp;Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel&rsquo;s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat.

They didn&rsquo;t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda&rsquo;s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba&rsquo;s and above all, pronounced him as &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base.

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<h5>Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling.</h5>
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Modi&rsquo;s art of turning anger into sympathy

It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money.

During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours&rsquo; time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE&rsquo;s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring &ldquo;Hun Vikas chum&rdquo; meaning I am development.

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<h5>To the Congress charges of &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring &ldquo;Hun Vikas chum&rdquo; meaning I am development.</h5>
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</div>

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Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, &ldquo;What did I do to deserve this&rdquo; on Mani Shankar Iyer&rsquo;s &ldquo;Neech&rdquo; comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress&rsquo;s &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats.

Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront.

Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM.

One thing is clear, Modi&rsquo;s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe.

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Narendra Modi is the leader who knows the pulse of people. His magic and election winning spree is still intact.

Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP’s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain “Gujarat Model” which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. × Angry Gujarat No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis’. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati’s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel’s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, “Gujarat Parivartan Party” couldn’t wean them away from the BJP. In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. × Congress virtual strategy a me too The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios. Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel’s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat. They didn’t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda’s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba’s and above all, pronounced him as “Janeudhari Brahmin” by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. × Modi’s art of turning anger into sympathy It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money. During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours’ time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE’s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. × Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, “What did I do to deserve this” on Mani Shankar Iyer’s “Neech” comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress’s “Janeudhari Brahmin” tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats. Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront. Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM. One thing is clear, Modi’s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: 'Modi-fied' Gujarat Polls 'Trumps' all

If you were travelling via motorway from Islamabad to Lahore during November or December 2016, you might have felt like your head was in the clouds. That&rsquo;s thanks to the smog that engulfed large parts of Pakistan&rsquo;s Punjab and Sindh provinces in that period.

This was clearly &ldquo;not a natural phenomenon&rdquo;, as the Pakistani newspaper Dawn recently noted. Beyond causing acute ailments such as asthma, lung tissue damage, bronchial infections and heart problems, the smog also resulted in dozens of fatal road accidents due to poor visibility.

Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, former director general of Pakistan&rsquo;s meteorological office and now an international climate change specialist at the Asian Development Bank, attributed the smog primarily to toxic car emissions and atmospheric pollutants coming from coal-based industries in neighbouring Indian Punjab.

Imagine, then, what will happen to the environment when Pakistan begins mining billions of tonnes of coal, in part due to its plan to open at least five new coal power plants by 2018 under a new agreement with China.

Smog would spread across cities and rural areas, including in the Thar region, which spreads across Pakistan and parts of India. The poor indigenous people there might have to be relocated to other areas thanks to planned coal projects, losing their livelihoods, lands and villages to new mines.

A global challenge for climate change

Burning coal is not just a matter of local social and environmental concern. It is clear today that the coal that powered the developed world&rsquo;s industrial revolution has also triggered global climate changes.

According to Greenpeace International, coal is the single greatest threat to our climate. Emissions from burning coal fuel global warming and coal mining is also a source of climate-warming methane gas.

Pakistan is responsible for a mere 0.43 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is among the world&rsquo;s ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. Domestic climate change experts see the issue as a bigger threat than terrorism.

The country is grappling with many issues, including receding glaciers, floods, heatwaves, droughts, shifting weather patterns and declining groundwater levels &ndash; and the list goes on.

Agriculture, which comprises 21 per cent of Pakistan&rsquo;s GDP, 60 per cent of exports and employs 45&nbsp;per cent of the national labour force, is particularly vulnerable to climate change.

China reduces coal investments at home but not abroad

In the landmark December 2015 Paris Agreement, 195 countries agreed to curtail climate change by keeping global warming to &ldquo;well below 2&deg;C and &hellip; pursu[ing] efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5&deg;C above pre-industrial levels&rdquo;.

All told, 141 countries (including Pakistan and China), jointly responsible for over 82 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, have ratified the agreement.

China &ndash; world&rsquo;s second-biggest economy and largest coal consumer, which also has the world&rsquo;s highest coal-fired power plant capacity &ndash; is considered a crucial player in the success of the Paris Agreement.

Domestically, China has realised that its over-dependence on coal causes severe air pollution and other environmental impacts. The most recent data show reductions in coal use for the third year in a row.

Yet China also invested US$25 billion in coal projects worldwide between 2007 and 2015, according to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report criticises China and other G20 countries for such investments, which are in conflict with their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

It shows how some of the world&rsquo;s leading polluters have, on one hand, pledged to control climate-changing carbon emissions within their borders, and, on the other, continued to finance fossil fuel projects elsewhere.

That&rsquo;s precisely what happened with Pakistan. After most international financial institutions turned away from coal, China established itself as Pakistan&rsquo;s partner in developing the new coal power plants.

Under the 2015 China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, the Chinese government and banks have planned to finance companies to invest US$27.6 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan over the next six years, of which Pakistan is contributing US$18.1 billion. According to Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, coal-fired plants with a combined capacity of 7,560 mW will be established as CPEC-energy priority projects.

In the guise of bringing energy, this investment will harm the air, water, public health and environment of Pakistan. The costs and lifespans of such coal projects can stretch over decades, trapping developing nations in a system of carbon-intensive energy use.

Rapid utilisation of coal &ndash; the &ldquo;dirty&rdquo; energy-generation option &ndash; has given many Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, the world&rsquo;s worst air quality.

Pakistan&rsquo;s proposed Port Qasim Power Project, a 1320-mW coal plant in Sindh province, will be located near Karachi, a metropolis of 25 million. This could cause disastrous damage to air quality and environment.

Potential for clean energy

No country can be expected to compromise on development, and development requires energy. But, as the cases of Jordan, Peru and Mexico demonstrate, it doesn&rsquo;t require dirty energy. Instead of using coal, Pakistan could drive development with renewables, in particular solar energy.

Much of Pakistan&rsquo;s territory is arid or semi-arid, an ideal setting for harnessing solar energy with more than the necessary number of sunny days per year.

In addition to providing clean energy, solar solutions can produce energy in the same places it is consumed, making it useful in remote areas that may lack transmission infrastructure.

Recent research suggests that the deployment and maintenance of renewable energy projects are also likely to create better quality jobs than coal.

The costs of renewables are declining rapidly worldwide. Solar and wind now cost the same or less than new fossil fuel in more than 30 developing and developed countries.

India&rsquo;s energy minister noted last year that solar tariffs had become cheaper than coal-based electricity, and India is pushing ahead with its renewables plan.

China, too, has realised the economic potential of leading in renewable sources. By the end of 2016, its solar energy capacity hit 7,742 mW, double that of 2015, and this year it claimed the title of world&rsquo;s biggest solar power producer.

The investment bank Lazard reckons that, given proper infrastructures, prices will continue to decline in the near future.

Yet under the CPEC, there is only one sizeable solar project in Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park project, with a relatively skimpy total capacity of 1,000 mW. 
So why is China, a leader in renewable energy technologies, investing in coal-based projects abroad? It may be a way to provide overseas business opportunities for Chinese coal-plant equipment manufacturers, engineering and construction companies as a recent Bloomberg article pointed out.

Pakistan&rsquo;s domestic interests are otherwise. Instead of seeking foreign investment to fulfil its energy needs with fossil fuels, it can ride the renewables wave, developing its workforce and technical and institutional capacity to harness solar energy. Climate conditions suggest the country could produce enough power to both cover&nbsp;domestic needs and to export, along with associated equipment and technology.

What Pakistan needs now are forward-looking policies to foster renewable development, innovative business models, and strong leadership in obtaining financial and technical partnerships, both local and international. The World Bank&rsquo;s new solar maps of Pakistan can support these clean-energy efforts. Transparency in costs and production also need to be ensured.

One thing is certain: Winning the future will not be done with technologies of the past.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-china-and-pakistans-coal-romance-wheres-the-love-for-the-climate-74772" rel="nofollow">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Massive new coal plants planned for Pakistan will further harm the environment in a country already suffering the effects of climate change. Solar energy is a clear alternative

If you were travelling via motorway from Islamabad to Lahore during November or December 2016, you might have felt like your head was in the clouds. That’s thanks to the smog that engulfed large parts of Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces in that period. This was clearly “not a natural phenomenon”, as the Pakistani newspaper Dawn recently noted. Beyond causing acute ailments such as asthma, lung tissue damage, bronchial infections and heart problems, the smog also resulted in dozens of fatal road accidents due to poor visibility. Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, former director general of Pakistan’s meteorological office and now an international climate change specialist at the Asian Development Bank, attributed the smog primarily to toxic car emissions and atmospheric pollutants coming from coal-based industries in neighbouring Indian Punjab. Imagine, then, what will happen to the environment when Pakistan begins mining billions of tonnes of coal, in part due to its plan to open at least five new coal power plants by 2018 under a new agreement with China. Smog would spread across cities and rural areas, including in the Thar region, which spreads across Pakistan and parts of India. The poor indigenous people there might have to be relocated to other areas thanks to planned coal projects, losing their livelihoods, lands and villages to new mines. A global challenge for climate change Burning coal is not just a matter of local social and environmental concern. It is clear today that the coal that powered the developed world’s industrial revolution has also triggered global climate changes. According to Greenpeace International, coal is the single greatest threat to our climate. Emissions from burning coal fuel global warming and coal mining is also a source of climate-warming methane gas. Pakistan is responsible for a mere 0.43 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is among the world’s ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. Domestic climate change experts see the issue as a bigger threat than terrorism. The country is grappling with many issues, including receding glaciers, floods, heatwaves, droughts, shifting weather patterns and declining groundwater levels – and the list goes on. Agriculture, which comprises 21 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP, 60 per cent of exports and employs 45 per cent of the national labour force, is particularly vulnerable to climate change. China reduces coal investments at home but not abroad In the landmark December 2015 Paris Agreement, 195 countries agreed to curtail climate change by keeping global warming to “well below 2°C and … pursu[ing] efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”. All told, 141 countries (including Pakistan and China), jointly responsible for over 82 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, have ratified the agreement. China – world’s second-biggest economy and largest coal consumer, which also has the world’s highest coal-fired power plant capacity – is considered a crucial player in the success of the Paris Agreement. Domestically, China has realised that its over-dependence on coal causes severe air pollution and other environmental impacts. The most recent data show reductions in coal use for the third year in a row. Yet China also invested US$25 billion in coal projects worldwide between 2007 and 2015, according to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report criticises China and other G20 countries for such investments, which are in conflict with their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. It shows how some of the world’s leading polluters have, on one hand, pledged to control climate-changing carbon emissions within their borders, and, on the other, continued to finance fossil fuel projects elsewhere. That’s precisely what happened with Pakistan. After most international financial institutions turned away from coal, China established itself as Pakistan’s partner in developing the new coal power plants. Under the 2015 China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, the Chinese government and banks have planned to finance companies to invest US$27.6 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan over the next six years, of which Pakistan is contributing US$18.1 billion. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, coal-fired plants with a combined capacity of 7,560 mW will be established as CPEC-energy priority projects. In the guise of bringing energy, this investment will harm the air, water, public health and environment of Pakistan. The costs and lifespans of such coal projects can stretch over decades, trapping developing nations in a system of carbon-intensive energy use. Rapid utilisation of coal – the “dirty” energy-generation option – has given many Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, the world’s worst air quality. Pakistan’s proposed Port Qasim Power Project, a 1320-mW coal plant in Sindh province, will be located near Karachi, a metropolis of 25 million. This could cause disastrous damage to air quality and environment. Potential for clean energy No country can be expected to compromise on development, and development requires energy. But, as the cases of Jordan, Peru and Mexico demonstrate, it doesn’t require dirty energy. Instead of using coal, Pakistan could drive development with renewables, in particular solar energy. Much of Pakistan’s territory is arid or semi-arid, an ideal setting for harnessing solar energy with more than the necessary number of sunny days per year. In addition to providing clean energy, solar solutions can produce energy in the same places it is consumed, making it useful in remote areas that may lack transmission infrastructure. Recent research suggests that the deployment and maintenance of renewable energy projects are also likely to create better quality jobs than coal. The costs of renewables are declining rapidly worldwide. Solar and wind now cost the same or less than new fossil fuel in more than 30 developing and developed countries. India’s energy minister noted last year that solar tariffs had become cheaper than coal-based electricity, and India is pushing ahead with its renewables plan. China, too, has realised the economic potential of leading in renewable sources. By the end of 2016, its solar energy capacity hit 7,742 mW, double that of 2015, and this year it claimed the title of world’s biggest solar power producer. The investment bank Lazard reckons that, given proper infrastructures, prices will continue to decline in the near future. Yet under the CPEC, there is only one sizeable solar project in Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park project, with a relatively skimpy total capacity of 1,000 mW. So why is China, a leader in renewable energy technologies, investing in coal-based projects abroad? It may be a way to provide overseas business opportunities for Chinese coal-plant equipment manufacturers, engineering and construction companies as a recent Bloomberg article pointed out. Pakistan’s domestic interests are otherwise. Instead of seeking foreign investment to fulfil its energy needs with fossil fuels, it can ride the renewables wave, developing its workforce and technical and institutional capacity to harness solar energy. Climate conditions suggest the country could produce enough power to both cover domestic needs and to export, along with associated equipment and technology. What Pakistan needs now are forward-looking policies to foster renewable development, innovative business models, and strong leadership in obtaining financial and technical partnerships, both local and international. The World Bank’s new solar maps of Pakistan can support these clean-energy efforts. Transparency in costs and production also need to be ensured. One thing is certain: Winning the future will not be done with technologies of the past. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: China and Pakistan are dabbling with 'dirty' energy

President Trump signed the defense <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-congress-approves-bill-delinking-haqqani-network-from-let-25078">policy bill on Wednesday authorizing</a> $700 billion military spending for the coming fiscal which included reimbursement for Pakistan for its support to US troops involved in military operations in Afghanistan.

US Congress had passed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/freed-canadian-hostage-says-haqqani-network-raped-american-wife-murdered-baby-22456">the National Defence Authorisation Act(NDAA)&nbsp;early </a>last month, allowing up to $700m in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Pakistan, Dawn newspaper reported.

The Pakistan daily added that half the amount has been withheld and can only be released if the US secretary of defence James Mattis certifies that Pakistan is taking &quot;demonstrable steps to curb the Haqqani terrorist network.&quot;

Former defense secretary Ashton Carter including James Mattis had refused to certify&nbsp;Pakistan earlier over its progress to eliminate the Haqqani Network which the US says is actively involved in terror activities in Afganistan.

The defense law requires Pentagon to monitor Washington&rsquo;s security assistance to Pakistan and ensure that it does not use military aid to support militant groups, the report said.

In the earlier version of the bill, US authorities had included both the Haqqani terrorist network and Hafiz Saeed&#39;s Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) which India accuses is responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

However, in the final version of the bill, US authorities dropped LeT from the list.

The NDAA 2018 also expressed concern about the alleged persecution of various political or religious groups in Pakistan, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Sindhis, Hazaras and the Baloch, the Pakistan daily said, adding the bill urged Mattis to ensure that Pakistan does not use &quot;any assistance provided by the United States to persecute minority groups.&quot;&nbsp;

US Congress had passed the National Defence Authorisation Act(NDAA)?early last month, allowing up to $700m in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Pakistan, Dawn newspaper reported.

President Trump signed the defense policy bill on Wednesday authorizing $700 billion military spending for the coming fiscal which included reimbursement for Pakistan for its support to US troops involved in military operations in Afghanistan. US Congress had passed the National Defence Authorisation Act(NDAA) early last month, allowing up to $700m in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for Pakistan, Dawn newspaper reported. The Pakistan daily added that half the amount has been withheld and can only be released if the US secretary of defence James Mattis certifies that Pakistan is taking "demonstrable steps to curb the Haqqani terrorist network." Former defense secretary Ashton Carter including James Mattis had refused to certify Pakistan earlier over its progress to eliminate the Haqqani Network which the US says is actively involved in terror activities in Afganistan. The defense law requires Pentagon to monitor Washington’s security assistance to Pakistan and ensure that it does not use military aid to support militant groups, the report said. In the earlier version of the bill, US authorities had included both the Haqqani terrorist network and Hafiz Saeed's Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT) which India accuses is responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. However, in the final version of the bill, US authorities dropped LeT from the list. The NDAA 2018 also expressed concern about the alleged persecution of various political or religious groups in Pakistan, including Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Sindhis, Hazaras and the Baloch, the Pakistan daily said, adding the bill urged Mattis to ensure that Pakistan does not use "any assistance provided by the United States to persecute minority groups."

Trump's defense bill to reimburse $700 million to Pak for supporting Afghanistan operation: Report

In yet another protest by the locals of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (Pok), the people are strongly opposing the construction of dams and hydroelectricity&nbsp;projects in the region.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The locals held protest against the Pakistan government&#39;s &quot;plundering of resources&quot; from their region.&nbsp;

They have cited that the resources of the region are being plundered and they do not benefit from the project.

The leader of the United Kashmir People&#39;s National Party,I&nbsp;Mir has said that the Pakistan government is diverting the flow of rivers to Islamabad. He added that the Country&#39;s government did not even consider the regional government before taking such decisions.&nbsp;

He said &quot; Pakistan government with the help of other countries has been stopping the flow of the rivers and altering their routes to meet needs of the people of Islamabad. Regional government not even considered while taking such decisions, locals suffer. &quot;

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Muzaffarabad, PoK: Local people strongly oppose the construction of dams and hydro-electric projects in the region, say, resources of region being plundered and they do not benefit from the projects. <a href="https://t.co/prWT4n0rQr">pic.twitter.com/prWT4n0rQr</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940780977227550721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Pak govt with the help of other countries has been stopping the flow of the rivers &amp;altering their routes to meet needs of the people of Islamabad. Regional govt not even considered while taking such decisions, locals suffer: I Mir, Leader,United Kashmir People&rsquo;s National Party <a href="https://t.co/T0RswBYKZJ">pic.twitter.com/T0RswBYKZJ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940782021160222720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Recently, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/members-of-baloch-and-sindhi-community-protest-against-pakistan-in-london-26418" target="_blank">similar protests were staged by members of Baloch and Sindhi community</a> in London.&nbsp;

They protested against the CPEC citing that the inhabitants along&nbsp;the route have not been consulted in the construction of the corridor. Neither have they received any compensation for the exploitation of their land.&nbsp;

Pakistan has been witnessing<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-why-pakistan-supports-kashmirs-aazadi-and-not-that-of-pok-26042" target="_top">&nbsp;several protest from&nbsp;minorities</a>&nbsp;who revolt against the suppression being inflicted on them.

The locals have cited that the resources of the region are being plundered and they do not benefit from the project

In yet another protest by the locals of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (Pok), the people are strongly opposing the construction of dams and hydroelectricity projects in the region. The locals held protest against the Pakistan government's "plundering of resources" from their region. They have cited that the resources of the region are being plundered and they do not benefit from the project. The leader of the United Kashmir People's National Party,I Mir has said that the Pakistan government is diverting the flow of rivers to Islamabad. He added that the Country's government did not even consider the regional government before taking such decisions. He said " Pakistan government with the help of other countries has been stopping the flow of the rivers and altering their routes to meet needs of the people of Islamabad. Regional government not even considered while taking such decisions, locals suffer. " Muzaffarabad, PoK: Local people strongly oppose the construction of dams and hydro-electric projects in the region, say, resources of region being plundered and they do not benefit from the projects. pic.twitter.com/prWT4n0rQr — ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2017 × Pak govt with the help of other countries has been stopping the flow of the rivers &altering their routes to meet needs of the people of Islamabad. Regional govt not even considered while taking such decisions, locals suffer: I Mir, Leader,United Kashmir People’s National Party pic.twitter.com/T0RswBYKZJ — ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2017 × Recently, similar protests were staged by members of Baloch and Sindhi community in London. They protested against the CPEC citing that the inhabitants along the route have not been consulted in the construction of the corridor. Neither have they received any compensation for the exploitation of their land. Pakistan has been witnessing several protest from minorities who revolt against the suppression being inflicted on them.

Protest in PoK against Pakistan government for 'diverting resources'

US Secretary of State<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589"> speaking at a Town hall meeting</a> said he didn&#39;t enjoy dealing with Pakistan, adding that the two countries had &quot;drifted over the years&quot;.

The US Secretary of State <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hardline-groups-in-pakistan-protest-against-trumps-jerusalem-plan-26410">who has repeatedly told Pakistan to rein </a>in insurgents in public forum across the world, said: &quot;We&#39;re engaged in very frank discussions with Pakistan over the concerns we have about their own stability and their future, and the threat they&#39;re under by allowing terrorist organisations to operate in their territory.&quot;

Pakistan is under pressure to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-defence-secretary-mattis-asks-pakistan-to-redouble-efforts-to-confront-terrorists-25888">&quot;show results&quot; with US President Donald </a>Trump intent on implementing his new Afghanistan strategy which he spelled out openly in August while ordering Pakistan to stop providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists.

&quot;Dealing with Pakistan ? I don&#39;t enjoy that,&quot; Tillerson said during a town hall with the State Department employees, adding,&quot;Is it fair to ask and say do you enjoy your job as Secretary of State?&quot;.

&quot;Pakistan is still an important and valued partner of the United States. Over the last decade, the relationship has drifted, and we&#39;ve got to bring this relationship back to one of common interest,&quot; the US secretary of state said.

&quot;We&#39;ve got a great team working in that region as well. A lot of work left to do,&quot; Tillerson added.

On &nbsp;Afghanistan, the secretary of state sought to strike a conciliatory tone on Taliban, saying: &quot;When the Taliban are ready to come to that negotiating table, there will be a place for them to participate in a future Afghan government.&quot;

&quot;Our policy is to deny them the ability to have a safe haven where they can organise, recruit fighters, raise money; plan and carry out attacks against our allies, our own homeland, as they did in the past. So the entire policy in South Asia is to achieve that,&quot; Tillerson said.

Pakistan is under pressure to "show results" with US President Donald Trump intent on implementing his new Afghanistan strategy

US Secretary of State speaking at a Town hall meeting said he didn't enjoy dealing with Pakistan, adding that the two countries had "drifted over the years". The US Secretary of State who has repeatedly told Pakistan to rein in insurgents in public forum across the world, said: "We're engaged in very frank discussions with Pakistan over the concerns we have about their own stability and their future, and the threat they're under by allowing terrorist organisations to operate in their territory." Pakistan is under pressure to "show results" with US President Donald Trump intent on implementing his new Afghanistan strategy which he spelled out openly in August while ordering Pakistan to stop providing "safe haven" to terrorists. "Dealing with Pakistan ? I don't enjoy that," Tillerson said during a town hall with the State Department employees, adding,"Is it fair to ask and say do you enjoy your job as Secretary of State?". "Pakistan is still an important and valued partner of the United States. Over the last decade, the relationship has drifted, and we've got to bring this relationship back to one of common interest," the US secretary of state said. "We've got a great team working in that region as well. A lot of work left to do," Tillerson added. On Afghanistan, the secretary of state sought to strike a conciliatory tone on Taliban, saying: "When the Taliban are ready to come to that negotiating table, there will be a place for them to participate in a future Afghan government." "Our policy is to deny them the ability to have a safe haven where they can organise, recruit fighters, raise money; plan and carry out attacks against our allies, our own homeland, as they did in the past. So the entire policy in South Asia is to achieve that," Tillerson said.

Don't enjoy dealing with Pakistan, US-Pak relationship drifted over the years: Tillerson

The members of Baloch and Sindhi community&nbsp;staged a protest against Pakistan in London.

The people were agitating against the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The implications of the CPEC has increased the already existing enforced disappearances, killings and&nbsp;violence against them.

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London: Members of Baloch &amp; Sindhi community held a protest against Pakistan, they agitated against enforced disappearances, killings &amp; increase in violence against religious minorities due to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CPEC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CPEC</a> (10.12.2017) <a href="https://t.co/ZKAj2aAdbX">pic.twitter.com/ZKAj2aAdbX</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940047574689464320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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China Pakistan Economic Corridor which aims to develop stronger ties between Pakistan and China has become a menace for the locals.

The corridor goes through Pakistan&#39;s Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir&#39;s Gilgit-Baltistan.

The CPEC is being implemented against the will of the locals in Pakistan.

Although the project promises development and Jobs, it has received widespread opposition from the local people.

The people inhabiting along&nbsp;the route have not been consulted in the construction of the corridor. Neither have they received any compensation for the exploitation of their land.&nbsp;

Also, the increasing number of Chinese military occupation in Balochistan is worsening the already existing exploitation in the region.&nbsp;

Pakistan has been witnessing<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-why-pakistan-supports-kashmirs-aazadi-and-not-that-of-pok-26042" target="_top"> similar protest from&nbsp;minorities</a> who revolt against the suppression being inflicted on them.

&nbsp;

The implications of the CPEC has increased the already existing enforced disappearances, killings and?violence against them

The members of Baloch and Sindhi community staged a protest against Pakistan in London. The people were agitating against the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The implications of the CPEC has increased the already existing enforced disappearances, killings and violence against them. London: Members of Baloch & Sindhi community held a protest against Pakistan, they agitated against enforced disappearances, killings & increase in violence against religious minorities due to #CPEC (10.12.2017) pic.twitter.com/ZKAj2aAdbX — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × China Pakistan Economic Corridor which aims to develop stronger ties between Pakistan and China has become a menace for the locals. The corridor goes through Pakistan's Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan. The CPEC is being implemented against the will of the locals in Pakistan. Although the project promises development and Jobs, it has received widespread opposition from the local people. The people inhabiting along the route have not been consulted in the construction of the corridor. Neither have they received any compensation for the exploitation of their land. Also, the increasing number of Chinese military occupation in Balochistan is worsening the already existing exploitation in the region. Pakistan has been witnessing similar protest from minorities who revolt against the suppression being inflicted on them.

Members of Baloch and Sindhi community protest against Pakistan in London

&nbsp;While addressing a rally in Palanpur, Gujarat Prime Minister Modi has asked that why the military intelligence from Pakistan was putting forward the name of Ahmed Patel for chief minister.

He said &quot;why people who previously held high posts in military -intelligence establishment of Pakistan&nbsp;writing that we should help make Ahmed Patel the CM?&quot;

He said that the Mani Shankar Aiyar who insulted Gujarat held secret meetings with Pakistan High Commissioner.&nbsp;

Earlier PM Modi had said in at a rally said&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/poster-congratulating-rahul-gandhi-for-suspending-mani-shankar-aiyar-goes-viral-26213">Mani Shankar Aiyar</a>&nbsp;had told people when he visited Pakistan to &quot;remove Modi&quot;&nbsp;from the way and then see what happens to India-Pakistan peace.&nbsp;

Modi had then responded to him saying &quot;What did he mean by removing me from the way? And what is my crime? That I have blessings of the people?&quot;&nbsp;

Mani Shankar&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neech-row-both-congress-and-i-want-mani-shankar-aiyar-to-apologise-says-rahul-gandhi-26147">Aiyar was suspended&nbsp;</a>from primary membership of the Congress after his &quot;neech&quot; comment on PM Modi.&nbsp;

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had also demanded an apology from&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/neech-row-i-am-ready-to-accept-any-punishment-that-the-congress-wants-to-give-me-says-mani-shankar-aiyar-26240">Aiyar</a>&nbsp;to PM Modi.

The Prime Minister and several BJP leaders went on to target the Congress veteran in BJP rallies and official events.&nbsp;

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The same Mani Shankar Aiyar, who insulted Gujarat, held secret meetings with Pakistan High Commissioner. What was the reason? Why are people who previously held high posts in military-intelligence establishment of Pak writing that we should help make Ahmed Patel the CM?: PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/lc9G57NlKI">pic.twitter.com/lc9G57NlKI</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939754507952472064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

PM Modi said 'why people who previously held high posts in military -intelligence establishment of Pakistan?writing that we should help make Ahmed Patel the CM?'

While addressing a rally in Palanpur, Gujarat Prime Minister Modi has asked that why the military intelligence from Pakistan was putting forward the name of Ahmed Patel for chief minister. He said "why people who previously held high posts in military -intelligence establishment of Pakistan writing that we should help make Ahmed Patel the CM?" He said that the Mani Shankar Aiyar who insulted Gujarat held secret meetings with Pakistan High Commissioner. Earlier PM Modi had said in at a rally said that Mani Shankar Aiyar had told people when he visited Pakistan to "remove Modi" from the way and then see what happens to India-Pakistan peace. Modi had then responded to him saying "What did he mean by removing me from the way? And what is my crime? That I have blessings of the people?" Mani Shankar Aiyar was suspended from primary membership of the Congress after his "neech" comment on PM Modi. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had also demanded an apology from Aiyar to PM Modi. The Prime Minister and several BJP leaders went on to target the Congress veteran in BJP rallies and official events. The same Mani Shankar Aiyar, who insulted Gujarat, held secret meetings with Pakistan High Commissioner. What was the reason? Why are people who previously held high posts in military-intelligence establishment of Pak writing that we should help make Ahmed Patel the CM?: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/lc9G57NlKI — ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2017 ×

Why Pakistan military intelligence wants Ahmed Patel as Gujarat CM? asks Modi

Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history.&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at &quot;at least 12&quot; Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence.&nbsp;

A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed.

The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources.&nbsp;

In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history.

&quot;I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime,&quot; Guterres said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else.&quot;

Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack.

The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.&nbsp;

Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at "at least 12" Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence. A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources. In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history. "I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime," Guterres said in a statement. "I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else." Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack. The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.

WION Morning News Brief, 9 December, 2017

Pakistan has issued a warning to its citizens working in Afghanistan or willing to travel to the nation, regarding a likely abduction risk.

&quot;Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan are cautioned to exercise extreme vigilance as off-late senior professionals working in different fields have been kidnapped,&quot; reported Khaama Press, citing a travel advisory issued by the ministry of foreign affairs of Pakistan.

The statement adds that Pakistanis either considering employment positions or currently working in Afghanistan must take into consideration their personal safety.

Pakistanis residing in Afghanistan are also advised to register with the embassy online via embassy&#39;s website, the report said.

This comes in the backdrop of a Pakistani engineer allegedly being kidnapped from Afghan&#39;s Nangarhar province and reportedly being recovered by the Pakistani military.

Malik Faiz Ahmad, originally a resident of Rawalpindi, was abducted from Jalalabad-Torkham highway late in August.

'Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan are cautioned to exercise extreme vigilance as off-late senior professionals working in different fields have been kidnapped,' a travel advisory said

Pakistan has issued a warning to its citizens working in Afghanistan or willing to travel to the nation, regarding a likely abduction risk. "Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan are cautioned to exercise extreme vigilance as off-late senior professionals working in different fields have been kidnapped," reported Khaama Press, citing a travel advisory issued by the ministry of foreign affairs of Pakistan. The statement adds that Pakistanis either considering employment positions or currently working in Afghanistan must take into consideration their personal safety. Pakistanis residing in Afghanistan are also advised to register with the embassy online via embassy's website, the report said. This comes in the backdrop of a Pakistani engineer allegedly being kidnapped from Afghan's Nangarhar province and reportedly being recovered by the Pakistani military. Malik Faiz Ahmad, originally a resident of Rawalpindi, was abducted from Jalalabad-Torkham highway late in August.

Pakistan warns citizens of likely abductions in Afghanistan

The United States today advised its citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan, saying that foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a threat to them throughout the country.

The warning comes in the wake of increasing terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, in Pakistan.

In a travel warning issued after a gap of seven months, the State Department warned the US citizens against all non-essential travel to the South Asian country.

The fresh travel warning replaces earlier warning, issued on May 22.

Pakistan continues to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, the State Department said, adding that targeted attacks against government officials, humanitarian and non-governmental organisation (NGO) employees, tribal elders, and law enforcement personnel were common in the country.

It said foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a danger to US citizens throughout Pakistan.

Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past, and evidence suggests they continue to do so, the travel warning said, adding that terrorists and criminal groups have resorted to kidnapping for ransom.

Sectarian violence, the State Department said, remains a serious threat throughout the country, and the Pakistani government continues to enforce blasphemy laws.

Religious minority communities have been victims of targeted killings and accusations of blasphemy, it added.

The State Department said insurgent and terrorist groups conducted numerous suicide bombings, hand grenade attacks, and ambushes on Pakistani security forces and civilians over the past six months in Balochistan.

A suicide bomber in Quetta targeted senior police officers near Shuhada Chowk, killing 14 people and wounding 30. In Chaman, another suicide bomber attacked a police convoy, killing three police officials and injuring 20 others, it said while giving details of terrorist attacks in Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan and FATA.

Two hand grenade attacks in Gwadar and Mastung injured 41 people. In Quetta, a suicide bomber killed 21 people and wounded 45 in an attack on the Pishin bus terminal, the State Department said.

Similarly, a suicide bomber in Jhal Magsi attacked worshippers at the Sufi shrine of Pir Rakhyal Shah in the Fatehpur area, killing 19 and injuring 30. Another suicide bomber in Quetta attacked a police convoy on the Sibbi Road in the Saryab mill area, killing seven and wounding 23, it said.

In Punjab province, three suicide bombings targeting police and military officials in Lahore killed at least 47 and injured more than 100 others.

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal areas (FATA), there have been numerous recent attacks by insurgent and terrorist groups targeting government officials, NGO and aid workers, religious minorities, and civilians. Also 148 occurrences of small arms fire, over 67 improvised explosive devices (IED) explosions, 28 known assassination attempts, and 17 kidnappings were reported, the State Department said.

Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common throughout these areas, it added.

The Department said terrorist organisations operating in the area have not discriminated between government officials and civilians.

Since May 2017, the following significant attacks have occurred: in Parachinar, an IED targeting the Tori Market killed 67 civilians and injured 75; in Jamrud, an IED attack targeting peace committee workers killed at least five civilians; in Charsadda, at least five IEDs exploded, injuring 14 people; IEDs targeting Peshawar Hospital injured five people; and in Peshawar the detonation of a &quot;toy bomb&quot; killed one child and injured six persons, it said.&nbsp;

The warning comes in the wake of increasing terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, in Pakistan

The United States today advised its citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan, saying that foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a threat to them throughout the country. The warning comes in the wake of increasing terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, in Pakistan. In a travel warning issued after a gap of seven months, the State Department warned the US citizens against all non-essential travel to the South Asian country. The fresh travel warning replaces earlier warning, issued on May 22. Pakistan continues to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks, the State Department said, adding that targeted attacks against government officials, humanitarian and non-governmental organisation (NGO) employees, tribal elders, and law enforcement personnel were common in the country. It said foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a danger to US citizens throughout Pakistan. Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past, and evidence suggests they continue to do so, the travel warning said, adding that terrorists and criminal groups have resorted to kidnapping for ransom. Sectarian violence, the State Department said, remains a serious threat throughout the country, and the Pakistani government continues to enforce blasphemy laws. Religious minority communities have been victims of targeted killings and accusations of blasphemy, it added. The State Department said insurgent and terrorist groups conducted numerous suicide bombings, hand grenade attacks, and ambushes on Pakistani security forces and civilians over the past six months in Balochistan. A suicide bomber in Quetta targeted senior police officers near Shuhada Chowk, killing 14 people and wounding 30. In Chaman, another suicide bomber attacked a police convoy, killing three police officials and injuring 20 others, it said while giving details of terrorist attacks in Pakistan's restive Balochistan and FATA. Two hand grenade attacks in Gwadar and Mastung injured 41 people. In Quetta, a suicide bomber killed 21 people and wounded 45 in an attack on the Pishin bus terminal, the State Department said. Similarly, a suicide bomber in Jhal Magsi attacked worshippers at the Sufi shrine of Pir Rakhyal Shah in the Fatehpur area, killing 19 and injuring 30. Another suicide bomber in Quetta attacked a police convoy on the Sibbi Road in the Saryab mill area, killing seven and wounding 23, it said. In Punjab province, three suicide bombings targeting police and military officials in Lahore killed at least 47 and injured more than 100 others. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal areas (FATA), there have been numerous recent attacks by insurgent and terrorist groups targeting government officials, NGO and aid workers, religious minorities, and civilians. Also 148 occurrences of small arms fire, over 67 improvised explosive devices (IED) explosions, 28 known assassination attempts, and 17 kidnappings were reported, the State Department said. Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common throughout these areas, it added. The Department said terrorist organisations operating in the area have not discriminated between government officials and civilians. Since May 2017, the following significant attacks have occurred: in Parachinar, an IED targeting the Tori Market killed 67 civilians and injured 75; in Jamrud, an IED attack targeting peace committee workers killed at least five civilians; in Charsadda, at least five IEDs exploded, injuring 14 people; IEDs targeting Peshawar Hospital injured five people; and in Peshawar the detonation of a "toy bomb" killed one child and injured six persons, it said.

Defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan: US tells citizens

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-dangles-middle-east-peace-plan-to-limit-jerusalem-outcry-26170">Trump dangles Middle East peace plan to limit Jerusalem outcry</a>

When President Donald Trump told the Palestinian president of his intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&rsquo;s capital, he assured him a peace plan being put together would please the Palestinians, officials said, an apparent effort to limit fallout over his break with longtime U.S. policy.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/mattis-meeting-with-pakistan-leaders-was-to-find-common-ground-in-fight-against-terror-pentagon-chief-spokesperson-dana-white-26164">Mattis meeting with Pakistan leaders was to find common ground in fight against terror: Pentagon</a>

The meeting of US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis with the leaders of Pakistan during his visit to Islamabad early this week was to find common ground in the fight against terrorism, the Pentagon said today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/ronaldo-pips-messi-to-win-ballon-dor-for-joint-record-fifth-time-26168">Ronaldo pips Messi to win Ballon </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/ronaldo-pips-messi-to-win-ballon-dor-for-joint-record-fifth-time-26168">d&#39;&#39;Or</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/ronaldo-pips-messi-to-win-ballon-dor-for-joint-record-fifth-time-26168"> for joint-record fifth time</a>

Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d`Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/democratic-us-senator-franken-says-he-will-resign-over-sexual-misconduct-allegations-26174">The Democratic US Senator Franken says he will resign over sexual misconduct allegations</a>

Democratic US Senator Al Franken announced his resignation from office on Thursday, bowing to pressure from party colleagues after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/banks-failed-to-evaluate-credit-worthiness-of-kingfisher-airlines-mallyas-team-26172">Banks failed to evaluate credit-worthiness of Kingfisher Airlines: Mallya&#39;s team</a>

An expert witness called by Vijay Mallya&#39;s defence team on Thursday described as &quot;superficial&quot; the processes employed by banks to grant loans totalling more than Rs 2,000 crore to now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2009.

 
&nbsp;

Washington's major Western and Arab allies have warned that Trump's decision on Jerusalem could doom attempts to achieve what the U.S. president has called the ?ultimate deal? of Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Trump dangles Middle East peace plan to limit Jerusalem outcry When President Donald Trump told the Palestinian president of his intention to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he assured him a peace plan being put together would please the Palestinians, officials said, an apparent effort to limit fallout over his break with longtime U.S. policy. Mattis meeting with Pakistan leaders was to find common ground in fight against terror: Pentagon The meeting of US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis with the leaders of Pakistan during his visit to Islamabad early this week was to find common ground in the fight against terrorism, the Pentagon said today. Ronaldo pips Messi to win Ballon d''Or for joint-record fifth time Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d`Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times. The Democratic US Senator Franken says he will resign over sexual misconduct allegations Democratic US Senator Al Franken announced his resignation from office on Thursday, bowing to pressure from party colleagues after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him. Banks failed to evaluate credit-worthiness of Kingfisher Airlines: Mallya's team An expert witness called by Vijay Mallya's defence team on Thursday described as "superficial" the processes employed by banks to grant loans totalling more than Rs 2,000 crore to now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines in 2009.

WION Morning News Brief, December 8, 2017

With less than a week left for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kulbhushan-jadhav-case-icj-asks-india-to-make-submissions-by-september-13-16910">Pakistan to submit its response</a> before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s case,&nbsp;Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is expected to chair a meeting on Thursday to prepare a&nbsp;counter-memorial to India&#39;s response on the conviction of former Indian Navy officer.

After India&#39;s written response was submitted to registrar Philippe Couvreur, the world court had set December 13 as the last date for Islamabad to submit its pleas and counter-arguments.&nbsp;

&quot;The prime minister was expected to receive a briefing on the efforts made by the principal offices, including the attorney general office, the Foreign Office and other stakeholders in formalising a robust reply to be advanced by Islamabad refuting all allegations levelled by India,&quot; Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. &nbsp;&nbsp;

As Pakistan was adamant about giving death sentence to Jadhav, Indian approached ICJ and had appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for his execution to be suspended till the legal battle in The Hague concludes.

New Delhi further accused Islamabad of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law.

Earlier on May 18, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to put a stay on the Jadhav&#39;s execution.&nbsp;

Jadhav, who was arrested in Balochistan, on charges of alleged involvement in espionage activities, was sentenced to death this year in April by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) Pakistan in April this year.

Jadhav was arrested on charges of alleged involvement in espionage activities

With less than a week left for Pakistan to submit its response before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Kulbhushan Jadhav's case, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is expected to chair a meeting on Thursday to prepare a counter-memorial to India's response on the conviction of former Indian Navy officer. After India's written response was submitted to registrar Philippe Couvreur, the world court had set December 13 as the last date for Islamabad to submit its pleas and counter-arguments. "The prime minister was expected to receive a briefing on the efforts made by the principal offices, including the attorney general office, the Foreign Office and other stakeholders in formalising a robust reply to be advanced by Islamabad refuting all allegations levelled by India," Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. As Pakistan was adamant about giving death sentence to Jadhav, Indian approached ICJ and had appealed to the court to impose emergency measures for his execution to be suspended till the legal battle in The Hague concludes. New Delhi further accused Islamabad of violating the Vienna Convention by failing to provide him with consular access and for being in breach of international human rights law. Earlier on May 18, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Pakistan to put a stay on the Jadhav's execution. Jadhav, who was arrested in Balochistan, on charges of alleged involvement in espionage activities, was sentenced to death this year in April by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) Pakistan in April this year.

As ICJ deadline nears, PM Abbasi to finalise Pakistan's counter-argument in Jadhav's case today

&quot;At the stroke of the midnight hour when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom&hellip;. when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance&rdquo;.

The famous Tryst and Destiny speech was addressed by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru on the eve of Indian Independence when the country was stepping from the old to new.

The two hundred years of colonial power had left India poverty-stricken and disintegrated, and the partition inflicted severe pains of communal violence.

It was not easy to lay the foundation of a country, which had suffered two hundred years of exploitation. The struggle for Independence had already played a major role in unifying the country, but half of the battle was still to be won in laying the foundation for &ldquo;India&rdquo;.

The collective efforts of the first Prime Minister Nehru and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel succeeded in integrating the 567 princely states into the dominion of India. The Congress managed to add Junagarh, Kerala, Hyderabad, Kashmir and many other princely states to India.

It implemented many other policies to reform the social, economic and educational sector of the country. However, amidst the many progressive steps that were undertaken for the improvement of the country, the Congress led by Nehru was also held responsible for the existing ire on Kashmir as well as the enmity between India and Pakistan.

Jammu and Kashmir had voluntarily joined India after Indian army protected the state from the atrocities, loot, murder and rapes committed by Pakistani Kabalis. The then ruling Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh had sought help from India after the tribal invasion by Pakistan.

In return, he signed the Instrument of Accession and acceded to be a part of the dominion of India.

&nbsp;However, the issue of Kashmir still remains a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. Pakistan keeps on asking for UN involvement in resolving the matter between the two countries.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was also involved in a similar rhetoric recently. While asking for more autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, the former chief minister of the state emphasised on PoK being part of Pakistan. While readily accepting PoK as part of Pakistan, he said that India cannot claim its authority over it. He reminded that India should stick to the Instrument of Accession signed with Maharaja Hari Singh.

Evidently, off late, Farooq Abdullah has been speaking in the language of Pakistan.

He said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to Pakistan and &quot;this won&#39;t change&quot; no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight against each other.

&quot;You do not remember the Instrument of Accession and claim the other side of Kashmir is administered by Pakistan. If that side is ours, then you should talk about the accession as well. Why do you forget the conditions on which we have acceded?&quot; he said.

Separatists and leaders like him who willfully accept the occupation of Pakistan over PoK choose to avoid the constant revolt by the people against the human right violations.

PoK recently held anti-Pakistan protests across the region to mark 70 years of Pakistan occupation of the region. To mark the unfortunate seventy years of the &ldquo;Black Day&rdquo; invasion, Gilgit and Baltistan held protest across the region on October 22, 2017.

The protestors chanted anti-Pakistan slogans and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Pakistan Army from the occupied territory.

Another PoK leader Tauqeer Gilani hit out at the Pakistan occupation on Kashmir. While addressing a conference in Muzaffarabad, he questioned Pakistan&#39;s claim over Kashmir. Calling it propaganda by Muslim Conference and their paid stooges, he asked where is it written that Kashmir is Pakistan&#39;s?&nbsp;

He said, &quot;Where is it written that Kashmir is Pakistan&#39;s? No agreement says so. This is nonsense and is propaganda by Muslim Conference and their paid stooges. Even on our bathroom doors, they have written &#39;Kashmir banega Pakistan.&quot;

Recently, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have strengthened their voice against Pakistan&#39;s immoral imposition of taxes on them. The lawyers claim that the imposition of any tax in the region is illegal as people of the region do not have any representation in national assembly and senate.

Legal experts say that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan should not be taxed until they are granted constitutional rights. They also underlined that there are no taxes in Jammu and Kashmir despite it being part of the Constitution, also that the state provides them subsidies.

Pakistan and its organisations and leaders who constantly attack India over the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should not forget that the peaceful state was first attacked by Pakistan Kabalis. It was Pakistan which had created havoc in one of the most peaceful areas of South Asia.

The ones who talk about India conducting plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir must not forget that according to the UN resolution, Pakistan is first supposed to vacate the place.

&nbsp;Responding to P. Chidambaram&rsquo;s advice for granting greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Arun Jaitley had said its position regard to aazadi or greater autonomy for Kashmir was against the national interest.

P Chidambaram recently said when people of Jammu and Kashmir ask for aazadi, most of them mean they want greater autonomy.

On this Jaitley blamed Congress&rsquo;s flawed policy since 1947 for the Kashmir problem.

He asked what kind of &ldquo;aazadi or autonomy&rdquo; is Chidambaram asking which the state government or India&rsquo;s Constitution does not already provide.

Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley also said that the state assembly and the state government have all the necessary powers under the Constitution, and the only issues not covered by the state are defence, communication, foreign affairs and currency.

Recently, a Delhi-based NGO&nbsp; filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging Article 35A. Article 35(A) and Article 370 gives special rights to the permanent residents of Jammu &amp; Kashmir. It restricts people from the rest of the country to buy or own immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir, settle permanently, or avail themselves of state-sponsored scholarship schemes. The petition said that the article discriminates against the fellow citizens from the rest of the country.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

&nbsp;

PoK recently held anti-Pakistan protests across the region to mark 70 years of Pakistan occupation of the region.

"At the stroke of the midnight hour when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom…. when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance”. The famous Tryst and Destiny speech was addressed by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru on the eve of Indian Independence when the country was stepping from the old to new. The two hundred years of colonial power had left India poverty-stricken and disintegrated, and the partition inflicted severe pains of communal violence. It was not easy to lay the foundation of a country, which had suffered two hundred years of exploitation. The struggle for Independence had already played a major role in unifying the country, but half of the battle was still to be won in laying the foundation for “India”. The collective efforts of the first Prime Minister Nehru and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel succeeded in integrating the 567 princely states into the dominion of India. The Congress managed to add Junagarh, Kerala, Hyderabad, Kashmir and many other princely states to India. It implemented many other policies to reform the social, economic and educational sector of the country. However, amidst the many progressive steps that were undertaken for the improvement of the country, the Congress led by Nehru was also held responsible for the existing ire on Kashmir as well as the enmity between India and Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir had voluntarily joined India after Indian army protected the state from the atrocities, loot, murder and rapes committed by Pakistani Kabalis. The then ruling Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh had sought help from India after the tribal invasion by Pakistan. In return, he signed the Instrument of Accession and acceded to be a part of the dominion of India. However, the issue of Kashmir still remains a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. Pakistan keeps on asking for UN involvement in resolving the matter between the two countries. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was also involved in a similar rhetoric recently. While asking for more autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, the former chief minister of the state emphasised on PoK being part of Pakistan. While readily accepting PoK as part of Pakistan, he said that India cannot claim its authority over it. He reminded that India should stick to the Instrument of Accession signed with Maharaja Hari Singh. Evidently, off late, Farooq Abdullah has been speaking in the language of Pakistan. He said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to Pakistan and "this won't change" no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight against each other. "You do not remember the Instrument of Accession and claim the other side of Kashmir is administered by Pakistan. If that side is ours, then you should talk about the accession as well. Why do you forget the conditions on which we have acceded?" he said. Separatists and leaders like him who willfully accept the occupation of Pakistan over PoK choose to avoid the constant revolt by the people against the human right violations. PoK recently held anti-Pakistan protests across the region to mark 70 years of Pakistan occupation of the region. To mark the unfortunate seventy years of the “Black Day” invasion, Gilgit and Baltistan held protest across the region on October 22, 2017. The protestors chanted anti-Pakistan slogans and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Pakistan Army from the occupied territory. Another PoK leader Tauqeer Gilani hit out at the Pakistan occupation on Kashmir. While addressing a conference in Muzaffarabad, he questioned Pakistan's claim over Kashmir. Calling it propaganda by Muslim Conference and their paid stooges, he asked where is it written that Kashmir is Pakistan's? He said, "Where is it written that Kashmir is Pakistan's? No agreement says so. This is nonsense and is propaganda by Muslim Conference and their paid stooges. Even on our bathroom doors, they have written 'Kashmir banega Pakistan." Recently, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan have strengthened their voice against Pakistan's immoral imposition of taxes on them. The lawyers claim that the imposition of any tax in the region is illegal as people of the region do not have any representation in national assembly and senate. Legal experts say that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan should not be taxed until they are granted constitutional rights. They also underlined that there are no taxes in Jammu and Kashmir despite it being part of the Constitution, also that the state provides them subsidies. Pakistan and its organisations and leaders who constantly attack India over the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should not forget that the peaceful state was first attacked by Pakistan Kabalis. It was Pakistan which had created havoc in one of the most peaceful areas of South Asia. The ones who talk about India conducting plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir must not forget that according to the UN resolution, Pakistan is first supposed to vacate the place. Responding to P. Chidambaram’s advice for granting greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Arun Jaitley had said its position regard to aazadi or greater autonomy for Kashmir was against the national interest. P Chidambaram recently said when people of Jammu and Kashmir ask for aazadi, most of them mean they want greater autonomy. On this Jaitley blamed Congress’s flawed policy since 1947 for the Kashmir problem. He asked what kind of “aazadi or autonomy” is Chidambaram asking which the state government or India’s Constitution does not already provide. Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley also said that the state assembly and the state government have all the necessary powers under the Constitution, and the only issues not covered by the state are defence, communication, foreign affairs and currency. Recently, a Delhi-based NGO filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging Article 35A. Article 35(A) and Article 370 gives special rights to the permanent residents of Jammu & Kashmir. It restricts people from the rest of the country to buy or own immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir, settle permanently, or avail themselves of state-sponsored scholarship schemes. The petition said that the article discriminates against the fellow citizens from the rest of the country. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why Pakistan supports Kashmir's aazadi and not that of PoK

On the evening of 3 December 1971, at about&nbsp;5:40 pm, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched surprise per-emptive strikes on eleven airfields in north-western India, including Agra, which was 300 miles (480 km) from the border. At the time of this attack, the Taj Mahal was camouflaged with a forest of twigs and leaves and draped with burlap because its marble glowed like a white beacon in the moonlight.

The marble&#39;s shine is less provocative these days, not because the structure decided to protest against the disparaging debate of why it could not be part of the state&#39;s tourism booklet but because it suffocates from the poor quality of&nbsp;debates on issues of air pollution. The debate is seasonal and the yearly trend is almost a decade old.

Even In 1942, during the World War II, Taj Mahal was covered in bamboo scaffolding as the British thought that the Taj Mahal was vulnerable to bombing by the German Luftwaffe bombers (and also the Japanese).

Taj Mahal, as a monument has fought against more than security threats and air pollution, its burqa is more than the coverage of twigs and bamboo. In the smog of political tussle and changing ideologies, it has on many occasion tugged to its burqa.

It almost tugged to its burqa when fictional novels questioned its existence and, based on sketchy facts, presented an alternate image of a temple which was converted to make place for the Taj. People agreed, not all although.

The Archaeological department installed a lab to check whether the city pollution and other pollutants were degrading the marble and its shine. To protect it, a mudpack solution was suggested. Wherein, the marble is polished by a certain mud. Rubbing mud and making it shiny. The deal is still on.

There is no research released on the gradual effect of time on the health of the Taj Mahal.

One of the wonders of the world, Taj Mahal often gazes at its nearest companion, the Mosque and tries to identify if anyone else is clad in similar shadow. When people walk by and look at the monument, whether the sense of belonging is national or anti-national. Whether such thoughts will make it leftist or something else.&nbsp;

The worlds largest democracy is trying to strengthen its defences and forces chose to look the other way as there was bounty announced on the head of the leading artist of a film named Padmavati.&nbsp;

Talking of safety and security, Pakistan government was ordered by a judicial review board to release Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11. The US had announced a $10 million bounty for Saaed for his alleged role in the Mumbai terror attack.&nbsp;

The thunder and storm began as the air cleared a bit, the prediction says, the suffocation will subside.

Taj Mahal looked the other way towards Ayodhya now, its 06 Dec.

The burqa stays...

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

The Taj Mahal is falling victim to chronic pollution and politicisation.

On the evening of 3 December 1971, at about 5:40 pm, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched surprise per-emptive strikes on eleven airfields in north-western India, including Agra, which was 300 miles (480 km) from the border. At the time of this attack, the Taj Mahal was camouflaged with a forest of twigs and leaves and draped with burlap because its marble glowed like a white beacon in the moonlight. The marble's shine is less provocative these days, not because the structure decided to protest against the disparaging debate of why it could not be part of the state's tourism booklet but because it suffocates from the poor quality of debates on issues of air pollution. The debate is seasonal and the yearly trend is almost a decade old. Even In 1942, during the World War II, Taj Mahal was covered in bamboo scaffolding as the British thought that the Taj Mahal was vulnerable to bombing by the German Luftwaffe bombers (and also the Japanese). Taj Mahal, as a monument has fought against more than security threats and air pollution, its burqa is more than the coverage of twigs and bamboo. In the smog of political tussle and changing ideologies, it has on many occasion tugged to its burqa. It almost tugged to its burqa when fictional novels questioned its existence and, based on sketchy facts, presented an alternate image of a temple which was converted to make place for the Taj. People agreed, not all although. The Archaeological department installed a lab to check whether the city pollution and other pollutants were degrading the marble and its shine. To protect it, a mudpack solution was suggested. Wherein, the marble is polished by a certain mud. Rubbing mud and making it shiny. The deal is still on. There is no research released on the gradual effect of time on the health of the Taj Mahal. One of the wonders of the world, Taj Mahal often gazes at its nearest companion, the Mosque and tries to identify if anyone else is clad in similar shadow. When people walk by and look at the monument, whether the sense of belonging is national or anti-national. Whether such thoughts will make it leftist or something else. The worlds largest democracy is trying to strengthen its defences and forces chose to look the other way as there was bounty announced on the head of the leading artist of a film named Padmavati. Talking of safety and security, Pakistan government was ordered by a judicial review board to release Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11. The US had announced a $10 million bounty for Saaed for his alleged role in the Mumbai terror attack. The thunder and storm began as the air cleared a bit, the prediction says, the suffocation will subside. Taj Mahal looked the other way towards Ayodhya now, its 06 Dec. The burqa stays... (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Pollution and politics through Taj Mahal's gaze

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