A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries - <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-moves-motion-to-place-pakistan-on-a-global-terrorist-financing-watchlist-at-fatf-32787">China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey</a> blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the &nbsp;Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist.

WSJ in its report asserted that it was one of the &quot;rare disagreements&quot; between Saudi Arabia and the Trump administration. Saudi Arabia is America&#39;s principal ally in the Gulf, however, this time the newspaper said it &quot;acted on &nbsp;on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)&quot;.

Pakistan is currently in the process of finalising a&nbsp;free trade agreement(FTA) with GCC nations. The agreement if it goes through will allow Pakistan to find new markets in the Gulf for rice, meat, fruits etc.

The United States had put forward a motion to place Pakistan on the global terrorist financing watchlist at the Financial Action Task Force &nbsp;(FATF) meeting in Paris. FATF is an international inter-governmental body tasked with countering money laundering and terrorist financing.

&quot;The officials said the US effort, which included pressure on the Saudis, raised the possibility of a fresh vote on action against Pakistan as soon as Thursday. The Pakistanis were scrambling to shore up support,&quot; the WSJ report said.

Pakistan&#39;s economy would have been hit badly had it been placed in the terror financing list. The move would have led international lenders to back&nbsp;out of Pakistan.

China has invested heavily in various projects in Pakistan through the One Belt, One Road(OBOR) project and has been keen to protect Pakistan&#39;s interests, Turkey too&nbsp;is a long-time ally of Pakistan helped to tide over the FATF hurdle.

Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said after the meeting that Pakistan has been given a three-month reprieve by the global watchdog.

Pakistan was on the FATF watchlist from 2012 to 2015.&nbsp;

WSJ in its report asserted that it was one of the "rare disagreements" between Saudi Arabia and the Trump administration.

A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries - China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist. WSJ in its report asserted that it was one of the "rare disagreements" between Saudi Arabia and the Trump administration. Saudi Arabia is America's principal ally in the Gulf, however, this time the newspaper said it "acted on on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)". Pakistan is currently in the process of finalising a free trade agreement(FTA) with GCC nations. The agreement if it goes through will allow Pakistan to find new markets in the Gulf for rice, meat, fruits etc. The United States had put forward a motion to place Pakistan on the global terrorist financing watchlist at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting in Paris. FATF is an international inter-governmental body tasked with countering money laundering and terrorist financing. "The officials said the US effort, which included pressure on the Saudis, raised the possibility of a fresh vote on action against Pakistan as soon as Thursday. The Pakistanis were scrambling to shore up support," the WSJ report said. Pakistan's economy would have been hit badly had it been placed in the terror financing list. The move would have led international lenders to back out of Pakistan. China has invested heavily in various projects in Pakistan through the One Belt, One Road(OBOR) project and has been keen to protect Pakistan's interests, Turkey too is a long-time ally of Pakistan helped to tide over the FATF hurdle. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said after the meeting that Pakistan has been given a three-month reprieve by the global watchdog. Pakistan was on the FATF watchlist from 2012 to 2015.

China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked US move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report

A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court seeking renaming of Lahore&#39;s Shaadman Chowk where freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was hanged 86 years ago and installation of his statue there.

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Bhagat Singh was hanged along with his two comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev by British rulers on March 23, 1931 in the erstwhile Lahore Jail, which stood at the spot where the roundabout was built later.

During the hearing of the plea filed by Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Chairman Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi yesterday, the Lahore High Court was informed that a similar petition was pending with it.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan ordered clubbing of both petitions and fixed March 5 for hearing.

The petitioner stated that Bhagat Singh was a freedom fighter of the sub-continent and gave his life along with his companions for the cause of freedom.

He pointed out that founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had also paid tribute to him saying, &quot;There had never been any brave person in the subcontinent like Bhagat Singh.&quot;

He pleaded that it would be in the interest of justice to name Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh and also install his statue at the square so as to inspire the people of Pakistan and the world.

In the plea, Qureshi said that in India there were many roads and thoroughfares named after Muslim rulers like Akbar Road, Shah Jahan Road and Bahadar Shah Road.

He said India also published tickets with the image of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of Aligarh University, and his statue was also installed there.

He said an application was filed before the chief secretary and the deputy commissioner of Lahore to this effect but no action had been taken so far.

The foundation last month also demanded that Bhagat Singh should be accorded Pakistan&#39;s highest gallantry award &#39;Nishan-e-Haider&#39;.

Hafiz Saeed&#39;s Jammat-ud-Dawah is strongly opposing the proposal of renaming Shadman Chowk and even had threatened to the civil society members over this matter.

A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court seeking renaming of Lahore's Shaadman Chowk where freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was hanged 86 years ago and installation of his statue there

A petition has been filed in a Pakistani court seeking renaming of Lahore's Shaadman Chowk where freedom fighter Bhagat Singh was hanged 86 years ago and installation of his statue there. × Bhagat Singh was hanged along with his two comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev by British rulers on March 23, 1931 in the erstwhile Lahore Jail, which stood at the spot where the roundabout was built later. During the hearing of the plea filed by Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Chairman Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi yesterday, the Lahore High Court was informed that a similar petition was pending with it. Justice Shahid Jamil Khan ordered clubbing of both petitions and fixed March 5 for hearing. The petitioner stated that Bhagat Singh was a freedom fighter of the sub-continent and gave his life along with his companions for the cause of freedom. He pointed out that founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had also paid tribute to him saying, "There had never been any brave person in the subcontinent like Bhagat Singh." He pleaded that it would be in the interest of justice to name Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh and also install his statue at the square so as to inspire the people of Pakistan and the world. In the plea, Qureshi said that in India there were many roads and thoroughfares named after Muslim rulers like Akbar Road, Shah Jahan Road and Bahadar Shah Road. He said India also published tickets with the image of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of Aligarh University, and his statue was also installed there. He said an application was filed before the chief secretary and the deputy commissioner of Lahore to this effect but no action had been taken so far. The foundation last month also demanded that Bhagat Singh should be accorded Pakistan's highest gallantry award 'Nishan-e-Haider'. Hafiz Saeed's Jammat-ud-Dawah is strongly opposing the proposal of renaming Shadman Chowk and even had threatened to the civil society members over this matter.

Petition in Pak court to rename Lahore roundabout after Bhagat Singh

Pakistani troops on Thursday fired at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian soldiers to retaliate, an Army official said.

The Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing at Indian posts in the Hajipeer area of the Uri sector in Baramulla district this morning, the official said.

He said Indian soldiers are retaliating the aggression from across the LoC effectively and in equal measure.

No casualties have been reported in the incident so far, &nbsp;he added.

The area had earlier also witnessed ceasefire violation between India and Pakistan. In October 2012, three civilians including a woman were killed in the incident of ceasefire violation. Two months ago, a lady was injured at Kamalkote village in a similar incident of ceasefire violation.

(With inputs PTI)

No casualties have been reported in the incident so far

Pakistani troops on Thursday fired at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian soldiers to retaliate, an Army official said. The Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing at Indian posts in the Hajipeer area of the Uri sector in Baramulla district this morning, the official said. He said Indian soldiers are retaliating the aggression from across the LoC effectively and in equal measure. No casualties have been reported in the incident so far, he added. The area had earlier also witnessed ceasefire violation between India and Pakistan. In October 2012, three civilians including a woman were killed in the incident of ceasefire violation. Two months ago, a lady was injured at Kamalkote village in a similar incident of ceasefire violation. (With inputs PTI)

Pakistan violates ceasefire in J&K's Uri district

Migration from Bangladesh into India is &quot;plannned&quot;, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India&#39;s Northeast region on the boil.&nbsp;

&quot;Other issue is planned immigration taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try and ensure that this area is taken over. This proxy dimension of warfare is well played by our western neighbour and supported by our northern neighbour,&quot; Rawat said.&nbsp;

Rawat was speaking in Delhi at a conference on securing borders in India&#39;s Northeast region.

To back up his argument, Rawat said the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) has grown faster in Assam than the BJP over the years. The AIUDF is led by Badruddin Ajmal.&nbsp;

&quot;When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs and where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam,&quot; said Rawat.&nbsp;

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AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs &amp; where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat (21.02.18) <a href="https://t.co/XUIlBDhef6">pic.twitter.com/XUIlBDhef6</a>
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Rawat however did concede that migration from Bangladesh also takes place because of the pressure of population.&nbsp;

&quot;Migration from Bangladesh is due to two reasons. One, they are running out of space. Large areas get flooded during the monsoon and they have constricted area to stay,&quot; said Rawat.&nbsp;

Former National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon also spoke at the conference.&nbsp;

&quot;One reason why we saw that activity in Doklam last year was not because they (China) had a clear military option or superiority but because they had the political goal of splitting us from the Bhutanese,&quot; Menon said.&nbsp;

&quot;China wanted to show the Bhutanese that India could not defend their security and also to arouse Bhutanese opinion. I am glad we chose to react the way we did,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Rawat has made a number of comments of late, for some of which he has drawn flak with commentators saying he has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wont-allow-anti-india-activities-in-kashmir-army-chief-29627" target="_blank">overstepped his brief</a> as army chief.&nbsp;

 
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'Other issue is planned immigration taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try and ensure that this area is taken over. This proxy dimension of warfare is well played by our western neighbour and supported by our northern neighbour,' Rawat said

Migration from Bangladesh into India is "plannned", Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday. The migration, he added, is part of a proxy war by Pakistan and is supported by China, to keep India's Northeast region on the boil. "Other issue is planned immigration taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try and ensure that this area is taken over. This proxy dimension of warfare is well played by our western neighbour and supported by our northern neighbour," Rawat said. Rawat was speaking in Delhi at a conference on securing borders in India's Northeast region. To back up his argument, Rawat said the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) has grown faster in Assam than the BJP over the years. The AIUDF is led by Badruddin Ajmal. "When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs and where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam," said Rawat. AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs & where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat (21.02.18) pic.twitter.com/XUIlBDhef6 — ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2018 × Rawat however did concede that migration from Bangladesh also takes place because of the pressure of population. "Migration from Bangladesh is due to two reasons. One, they are running out of space. Large areas get flooded during the monsoon and they have constricted area to stay," said Rawat. Former National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon also spoke at the conference. "One reason why we saw that activity in Doklam last year was not because they (China) had a clear military option or superiority but because they had the political goal of splitting us from the Bhutanese," Menon said. "China wanted to show the Bhutanese that India could not defend their security and also to arouse Bhutanese opinion. I am glad we chose to react the way we did," he added. Rawat has made a number of comments of late, for some of which he has drawn flak with commentators saying he has overstepped his brief as army chief.

Migration from Bangladesh part of proxy war by Pakistan, supported by China: Army Chief

Kirshna Kumari Kolhi from Thar in Pakistan&#39;s Sindh province will become the first-ever Hindu woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, the ruling Pakistan People&#39;s Party said today.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has accepted the papers of 39-year-old Kolhi who was nominated by the ruling PPP for a Senate seat on minority from Sindh Assembly. The election will take place on March 3.

&quot;Kolhi will be the first-ever Dalit woman in Pakistan who becomes a Senator,&quot; a PPP spokesman said in a statement today.

Kolhi&#39;s caste is mentioned at number 23 in the Pakistani Schedule Castes Ordinance-1957.

Kohli expressed her happiness, saying that she&nbsp;had&nbsp;&quot;never dreamed&quot; that she would ever make it to the upper house of Pakistan&rsquo;s Parliament.

Kumari began actively working for social change in 2005 after attending several youth leadership workshops. She started out by identifying cases of bonded labor and compiling case studies of women in bondage.

&quot;The honour to nominate first-ever non-Muslim Senator is also enjoyed by the PPP, which elected a Dalit, Dr Khatumal Jeewan, as Senator in 2009 on a general seat. Likewise, Engineer Gianchand is the second Dalit to be elected as Senator in 2015 by the PPP also on a general seat,&quot; the spokesman said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP also nominated and got elected Hariram Kishorilal as Senator on seat reserved for non-Muslims from Sindh in 2012.

&quot;With the election of Kirshna Kolhi and Anwar Laldean, a Christian worker of the party, the number of non-Muslims elected so far as Senators by the PPP would grow to six, an unmatched representation in the Upper House for minorities by any other political parties in the 70 years history of Pakistan,&quot; the spokesman added.

She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano.

Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas.

&nbsp;

The Election Commission of Pakistan has accepted the papers of 39-year-old Kolhi who was nominated by the ruling PPP for a Senate seat on minority from Sindh Assembly

Kirshna Kumari Kolhi from Thar in Pakistan's Sindh province will become the first-ever Hindu woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, the ruling Pakistan People's Party said today. The Election Commission of Pakistan has accepted the papers of 39-year-old Kolhi who was nominated by the ruling PPP for a Senate seat on minority from Sindh Assembly. The election will take place on March 3. "Kolhi will be the first-ever Dalit woman in Pakistan who becomes a Senator," a PPP spokesman said in a statement today. Kolhi's caste is mentioned at number 23 in the Pakistani Schedule Castes Ordinance-1957. Kohli expressed her happiness, saying that she had "never dreamed" that she would ever make it to the upper house of Pakistan’s Parliament. Kumari began actively working for social change in 2005 after attending several youth leadership workshops. She started out by identifying cases of bonded labor and compiling case studies of women in bondage. "The honour to nominate first-ever non-Muslim Senator is also enjoyed by the PPP, which elected a Dalit, Dr Khatumal Jeewan, as Senator in 2009 on a general seat. Likewise, Engineer Gianchand is the second Dalit to be elected as Senator in 2015 by the PPP also on a general seat," the spokesman said. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP also nominated and got elected Hariram Kishorilal as Senator on seat reserved for non-Muslims from Sindh in 2012. "With the election of Kirshna Kolhi and Anwar Laldean, a Christian worker of the party, the number of non-Muslims elected so far as Senators by the PPP would grow to six, an unmatched representation in the Upper House for minorities by any other political parties in the 70 years history of Pakistan," the spokesman added. She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano. Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas.

Pakistan to get its first-ever Dalit woman senator

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-get-its-first-ever-dalit-woman-senator-33628">Krishna Kumari Kohli</a>, 39, is set to become the first ever&nbsp;&nbsp;Hindu woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country&nbsp;Pakistan People&#39;s Party said on Wednesday.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district.&nbsp;She was a grade 3 student at the time when held captive.

&nbsp;

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Krishna Kumari Kohli with her father. (Twitter)
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Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province.&nbsp;

She is from the family of the valiant freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who had waged a war against the invading British colonialist forces when they had attacked Sindh from Nagarparkar side in 1857. Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the Britishers on August 22, 1858.

She was married to Lalchand, a student of the Sindh Agriculture University, at the age of 16, when she was studying in 9th grade. However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 she did masters in sociology from the Sindh University.

Krishna, now a mother of four, has become a symbol of hope in Thar and its nearby districts where she has been fighting for human rights of the underprivileged people.

She stressed that education, particularly for girls in Sindh and her home region of Thar, will remain her top priority for the next six years if she is elected as a senator.

She participated in case-studies, focusing on women in bondage, organised seminars on bonded labour, sexual harassment and other human rights issues. In her community, she also met and convinced many parents to send their girl child to school.

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Krishna Kumari Kohli (Twitter)
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If elected, Kohli would become just the second Hindu woman to be elected to Pakistan&rsquo;s senate &mdash; after Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla, who sat from 2006 to 2012 &mdash; but the first from the scheduled Hindu caste.

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Krishna Kumari Kohli (Twitter)
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Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province

Krishna Kumari Kohli, 39, is set to become the first ever Hindu woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country Pakistan People's Party said on Wednesday. Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time when held captive. Krishna Kumari Kohli with her father. (Twitter) × Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province. She is from the family of the valiant freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who had waged a war against the invading British colonialist forces when they had attacked Sindh from Nagarparkar side in 1857. Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the Britishers on August 22, 1858. She was married to Lalchand, a student of the Sindh Agriculture University, at the age of 16, when she was studying in 9th grade. However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 she did masters in sociology from the Sindh University. Krishna, now a mother of four, has become a symbol of hope in Thar and its nearby districts where she has been fighting for human rights of the underprivileged people. She stressed that education, particularly for girls in Sindh and her home region of Thar, will remain her top priority for the next six years if she is elected as a senator. She participated in case-studies, focusing on women in bondage, organised seminars on bonded labour, sexual harassment and other human rights issues. In her community, she also met and convinced many parents to send their girl child to school. Krishna Kumari Kohli (Twitter) × If elected, Kohli would become just the second Hindu woman to be elected to Pakistan’s senate — after Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla, who sat from 2006 to 2012 — but the first from the scheduled Hindu caste. Krishna Kumari Kohli (Twitter) ×

Krishna Kumari set to be first-ever Hindu woman senator in Pakistan

Pakistan is the most dangerous country for a baby to be born in, according to a new Unicef report.

The report on neonatal mortality, released on Tuesday, says global deaths of newborn babies remain alarmingly high, particularly among the world&#39;s poorest countries. While Pakistan tops this list, the other risky countries are Central African Republic and Afghanistan. Babies born in Japan, Iceland and Singapore have the best chance at survival.

India though performs better than Pakistan when it comes to deaths of newborn - it is ranked 12 - it performs poorly in comparison to its other &quot;low-income&quot; neighbours like Sri Lanka, which is at number 52 in the Unicef&#39;s &#39;Every Child Alive&#39; list.

While Pakistan has a newborn mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) of 45.6, India reports 25.4 newborn deaths, one of the highest in the world.

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Pakistan 
Central African Republic 
Afghanistan 
Somalia 
Lesotho 
Guinea-Bissau 
South Sudan 
C&ocirc;te d&#39;Ivoire 
Mali 
Chad 
 
The world&rsquo;s most dangerous countries to be born. But where are the safest? Find out &rarr; <a href="https://t.co/OI7qymfNcm">https://t.co/OI7qymfNcm</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryChildALIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryChildALIVE</a> <a href="https://t.co/PtVSpj33p3">pic.twitter.com/PtVSpj33p3</a>
&mdash; UNICEF (@UNICEF) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNICEF/status/965739047078563841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The differences are stark. A baby born in Pakistan faced a one in 22 chance of death, while a newborn in Japan had only a one in 1,111 risk of dying, the report said. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has a newborn mortality rate of 5.3, comparable to some of the high income countries.

&quot;Though infant mortality in the country has declined considerably, the number of newborns dying each year remains unacceptably high. India, with nearly 600,000 newborn deaths each year, accounts for a quarter of the global burden of neonatal deaths,&quot; said Unicef in report.

The report is based on a child&#39;s survival during the neonatal period - first 28 days of life - the most vulnerable time. Children face the highest risk of dying in their first month of life, at a global rate of 19 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Each year, some 2.6 million babies do not survive through their first month.

More than 80 per cent of newborn deaths can be prevented, the report says, &quot;with access to well-trained midwives, along with proven solutions like clean water, disinfectants, breast-feeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact and good nutrition.&quot;

But shortages of properly trained health workers and midwives are a major problem in poorer nations.

While a rich country like Norway has 18 doctors, nurses and midwives for every 10,000 people, impoverished Somalia has only one.

&quot;India is currently off-track to meet the SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) target for neonatal mortality of 12 by 2030,&quot; said the report. However, the country has made impressive progress in reduction of under-five mortality and with the current rate of decline &quot;is on track to meet the SDG target for the under-five mortality of 25 per 1000 live births by 2030.&quot;

India registered a reduction of 66 per cent in under-five deaths during 1990 to 2015, nearly meeting its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target. In comparison, the decline in under-five mortality for the world was 55 per cent.

The recent progress is even better, with 120,000 fewer deaths in 2016 as compared to 2015. The number of annual under-five deaths in India has gone below one million for the first time in 2016, said the agency.

The report is based on a child's survival during the neonatal period - first 28 days of life - the most vulnerable time.

Pakistan is the most dangerous country for a baby to be born in, according to a new Unicef report. The report on neonatal mortality, released on Tuesday, says global deaths of newborn babies remain alarmingly high, particularly among the world's poorest countries. While Pakistan tops this list, the other risky countries are Central African Republic and Afghanistan. Babies born in Japan, Iceland and Singapore have the best chance at survival. India though performs better than Pakistan when it comes to deaths of newborn - it is ranked 12 - it performs poorly in comparison to its other "low-income" neighbours like Sri Lanka, which is at number 52 in the Unicef's 'Every Child Alive' list. While Pakistan has a newborn mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) of 45.6, India reports 25.4 newborn deaths, one of the highest in the world. Pakistan Central African Republic Afghanistan Somalia Lesotho Guinea-Bissau South Sudan Côte d'Ivoire Mali Chad The world’s most dangerous countries to be born. But where are the safest? Find out → https://t.co/OI7qymfNcm#EveryChildALIVE pic.twitter.com/PtVSpj33p3 — UNICEF (@UNICEF) February 20, 2018 × The differences are stark. A baby born in Pakistan faced a one in 22 chance of death, while a newborn in Japan had only a one in 1,111 risk of dying, the report said. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has a newborn mortality rate of 5.3, comparable to some of the high income countries. "Though infant mortality in the country has declined considerably, the number of newborns dying each year remains unacceptably high. India, with nearly 600,000 newborn deaths each year, accounts for a quarter of the global burden of neonatal deaths," said Unicef in report. The report is based on a child's survival during the neonatal period - first 28 days of life - the most vulnerable time. Children face the highest risk of dying in their first month of life, at a global rate of 19 deaths per 1,000 live births. Each year, some 2.6 million babies do not survive through their first month. More than 80 per cent of newborn deaths can be prevented, the report says, "with access to well-trained midwives, along with proven solutions like clean water, disinfectants, breast-feeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact and good nutrition." But shortages of properly trained health workers and midwives are a major problem in poorer nations. While a rich country like Norway has 18 doctors, nurses and midwives for every 10,000 people, impoverished Somalia has only one. "India is currently off-track to meet the SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) target for neonatal mortality of 12 by 2030," said the report. However, the country has made impressive progress in reduction of under-five mortality and with the current rate of decline "is on track to meet the SDG target for the under-five mortality of 25 per 1000 live births by 2030." India registered a reduction of 66 per cent in under-five deaths during 1990 to 2015, nearly meeting its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target. In comparison, the decline in under-five mortality for the world was 55 per cent. The recent progress is even better, with 120,000 fewer deaths in 2016 as compared to 2015. The number of annual under-five deaths in India has gone below one million for the first time in 2016, said the agency.

Unicef report says Pakistan riskiest country for a baby to be born in, India at number 12

The vast network of Islamist charities taken over last week by Pakistan&#39;s government includes a horse-breeding stable, a fleet of 4x4 trucks, a swimming academy, martial arts classes and tens of thousands of staff and volunteers.

Islamabad hopes that by seizing control of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) charities, which the United States says are terrorist fronts, it can stave off being included this week on a global watchlist of country&#39;s deemed to be doing too little to curb militant financing.

But the sheer scale and diversity of the charities founded by Hafiz Saeed, who is designated a terrorist by the United Nations, shows how difficult it will be for the government to even run the network, let alone track and take control of all their sources of income and funding.

Reuters visited three of JuD&#39;s main facilities - protected by close-circuit TV cameras, huge iron gates and stout-built, bearded guards - including a sprawling 200-acre headquarters in Muridke just outside the eastern city of Lahore.&nbsp;

A few government representatives were on site and new signs hung to rename the facilities, but little else appeared to have changed since the government announced it was banning the charities on February 14.

Officials said they have not yet drawn up plans on how to run the network, which includes more than 300 seminaries, schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services.

&quot;We&#39;re still collecting details about the JuD&#39;s facilities which have been taken over,&quot; a spokesman for the Punjab provincial government, Malik Mohammad Ahmad Khan, told Reuters. &quot;Our financial strategists are in consultation with the federal government to prepare a plan to run these facilities.&quot;

$10 million bounty

Hafiz Saeed is one of the founders of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or Army of the Pure, which Washington and India blame for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for evidence leading to his conviction.

The LeT has been banned in Pakistan since 2002 but Saeed, who denies involvement in violence or funding militants, was freed by a Pakistani court from house arrest last year and his charity wings had been allowed to remain in operation.

Those charities are the focus of a motion co-sponsored by the United States and European allies calling for Pakistan to be placed on the terrorist financing watchlist maintained by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Member states of the FATF, an intergovernmental body that sets global standards for fighting illicit finance, were discussing the motion at a meeting in Paris this week.&nbsp;

The move is part of a broader US&nbsp;strategy to pressure Pakistan to cut its alleged links to Islamist militants.&nbsp;

Pakistan was on the FATF &quot;grey list&quot; from 2012 to 2015. Islamabad has recently been scrambling to avert being put back on the list, a measure officials fear could hurt its economy, by taking a series of measures such as amending an anti-terrorism law and banning JuD and FIF.

Saeed denounced the latter move in a fiery sermon on Friday, accusing Islamabad of caving into U.S. and Indian pressure.

&quot;It is regrettable that rulers have been bowing to external powers&quot; he said, adding that Islamabad was making the nuclear-armed nation an &quot;American colony&quot;.&nbsp;

No change&nbsp;

At JuD&#39;s Muridke headquarters, Reuters found the day-to-day management of the charity running largely as before.

Only an administrator, two school principals and a doctor had been added by the government to the facility - previously known as Markaz-e-Taiba, now renamed Government Health and Education Complex Sheikhupura - where nearly 1,000 students take classes, a JuD official, Mohammad Athar, told Reuters.&nbsp;

Five policemen had been added to the squad of 100 JuD security guards, while the rest of the staff were still working, he said, adding: &quot;We know nothing about the government`s future plans.&quot;

Besides some 500 visitors daily, Athar said, nearly 3,000 students and employees live on the site, which boasts manicured lawns, rice fields, sports grounds, hostels, residential colonies, a swimming pool and a horse stud farm.

&quot;Schoolboys swim in the pool during summer season,&quot; Athar said. &quot;There are 35 horses for their riding classes.&quot; The students play soccer, gymnastics and martial arts, he said. Cricket is prohibited, said Athar, who believes the game is &quot;a waste of time&quot;.

At JuD&#39;s Hudabya Madrassa in Chakra, on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, which caters for nearly 160 students, 22 teachers and a dozen more of staff, just a caretaker had been appointed since the government takeover.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m drawing 20,000 rupees ($200) salary a month,&quot; said a teacher, Tariq Husain. Monthly expenses for the facility could amount to 1-1.5 million rupees ($10,000-$15,000) a month, according to Reuters` estimate, based on the salaries staff reported and likely overheads of a facility that size.

&quot;People come and donate,&quot; said another teacher, Mohammad Musab. &quot;Our group mainly bear the expenses,&quot; he added, while handing out sweet milk tea and cookies to Reuters journalists.

He said a government official came and took office records on Thursday.

At a third facility, in the heart of Rawalpindi, a grand mosque was under construction, adorned with banners appealing for donations for the Muslims in Kashmir, Palestine and Syria.&nbsp;

Double game&nbsp;

Pakistan has long denied accusations from Washington, New Delhi and others that it supports Islamist militants operating in Afghanistan and disputed Kashmir.

Arif Jamal, the author of Call For Transitional Jihad: Lashkar-e-Taiba 1985-2014, said patience had run out with Pakistan&#39;s &quot;double game&quot;, and doubted the takeover of JuD and FIF would succeed in heading off further action.

&quot;My sense is that they&#39;re not likely to believe Pakistan for a long time even if Pakistan starts to take serious steps to dismantle terrorist parties,&quot; Jamal wrote from Washington in a WhatsApp reply to Reuters.

But Pakistan&#39;s former counterterrorism chief, Khawaja Khalid Farooq, said there were insufficient grounds for the country to be put back on the FATF watchlist.

&quot;I don&#39;t&nbsp;think there is any strong justification,&quot; Farooq said by phone from Dubai. &quot;There may be loopholes in our system which could be pointed out.&quot;

Pakistan&#39;s foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal told local 92 TV that Islamabad was lobbying to block the FATF motion, which he called US&nbsp;&quot;pressure tactics&quot;. 
&nbsp;

Islamabad hopes that by seizing control of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) charities it can stave off being included this week on a global watchlist of country's deemed to be doing too little to curb militant financing

The vast network of Islamist charities taken over last week by Pakistan's government includes a horse-breeding stable, a fleet of 4x4 trucks, a swimming academy, martial arts classes and tens of thousands of staff and volunteers. Islamabad hopes that by seizing control of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) charities, which the United States says are terrorist fronts, it can stave off being included this week on a global watchlist of country's deemed to be doing too little to curb militant financing. But the sheer scale and diversity of the charities founded by Hafiz Saeed, who is designated a terrorist by the United Nations, shows how difficult it will be for the government to even run the network, let alone track and take control of all their sources of income and funding. Reuters visited three of JuD's main facilities - protected by close-circuit TV cameras, huge iron gates and stout-built, bearded guards - including a sprawling 200-acre headquarters in Muridke just outside the eastern city of Lahore. A few government representatives were on site and new signs hung to rename the facilities, but little else appeared to have changed since the government announced it was banning the charities on February 14. Officials said they have not yet drawn up plans on how to run the network, which includes more than 300 seminaries, schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services. "We're still collecting details about the JuD's facilities which have been taken over," a spokesman for the Punjab provincial government, Malik Mohammad Ahmad Khan, told Reuters. "Our financial strategists are in consultation with the federal government to prepare a plan to run these facilities." $10 million bounty Hafiz Saeed is one of the founders of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or Army of the Pure, which Washington and India blame for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for evidence leading to his conviction. The LeT has been banned in Pakistan since 2002 but Saeed, who denies involvement in violence or funding militants, was freed by a Pakistani court from house arrest last year and his charity wings had been allowed to remain in operation. Those charities are the focus of a motion co-sponsored by the United States and European allies calling for Pakistan to be placed on the terrorist financing watchlist maintained by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Member states of the FATF, an intergovernmental body that sets global standards for fighting illicit finance, were discussing the motion at a meeting in Paris this week. The move is part of a broader US strategy to pressure Pakistan to cut its alleged links to Islamist militants. Pakistan was on the FATF "grey list" from 2012 to 2015. Islamabad has recently been scrambling to avert being put back on the list, a measure officials fear could hurt its economy, by taking a series of measures such as amending an anti-terrorism law and banning JuD and FIF. Saeed denounced the latter move in a fiery sermon on Friday, accusing Islamabad of caving into U.S. and Indian pressure. "It is regrettable that rulers have been bowing to external powers" he said, adding that Islamabad was making the nuclear-armed nation an "American colony". No change At JuD's Muridke headquarters, Reuters found the day-to-day management of the charity running largely as before. Only an administrator, two school principals and a doctor had been added by the government to the facility - previously known as Markaz-e-Taiba, now renamed Government Health and Education Complex Sheikhupura - where nearly 1,000 students take classes, a JuD official, Mohammad Athar, told Reuters. Five policemen had been added to the squad of 100 JuD security guards, while the rest of the staff were still working, he said, adding: "We know nothing about the government`s future plans." Besides some 500 visitors daily, Athar said, nearly 3,000 students and employees live on the site, which boasts manicured lawns, rice fields, sports grounds, hostels, residential colonies, a swimming pool and a horse stud farm. "Schoolboys swim in the pool during summer season," Athar said. "There are 35 horses for their riding classes." The students play soccer, gymnastics and martial arts, he said. Cricket is prohibited, said Athar, who believes the game is "a waste of time". At JuD's Hudabya Madrassa in Chakra, on the outskirts of Rawalpindi, which caters for nearly 160 students, 22 teachers and a dozen more of staff, just a caretaker had been appointed since the government takeover. "I'm drawing 20,000 rupees ($200) salary a month," said a teacher, Tariq Husain. Monthly expenses for the facility could amount to 1-1.5 million rupees ($10,000-$15,000) a month, according to Reuters` estimate, based on the salaries staff reported and likely overheads of a facility that size. "People come and donate," said another teacher, Mohammad Musab. "Our group mainly bear the expenses," he added, while handing out sweet milk tea and cookies to Reuters journalists. He said a government official came and took office records on Thursday. At a third facility, in the heart of Rawalpindi, a grand mosque was under construction, adorned with banners appealing for donations for the Muslims in Kashmir, Palestine and Syria. Double game Pakistan has long denied accusations from Washington, New Delhi and others that it supports Islamist militants operating in Afghanistan and disputed Kashmir. Arif Jamal, the author of Call For Transitional Jihad: Lashkar-e-Taiba 1985-2014, said patience had run out with Pakistan's "double game", and doubted the takeover of JuD and FIF would succeed in heading off further action. "My sense is that they're not likely to believe Pakistan for a long time even if Pakistan starts to take serious steps to dismantle terrorist parties," Jamal wrote from Washington in a WhatsApp reply to Reuters. But Pakistan's former counterterrorism chief, Khawaja Khalid Farooq, said there were insufficient grounds for the country to be put back on the FATF watchlist. "I don't think there is any strong justification," Farooq said by phone from Dubai. "There may be loopholes in our system which could be pointed out." Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal told local 92 TV that Islamabad was lobbying to block the FATF motion, which he called US "pressure tactics".

Seized, but not ceased: Banned charities pose challenge for Pakistan

Singer-turned-Union minister Babul Supriyo has demanded that Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan`s voice be removed and dubbed from a song that features in Bollywood film Welcome To New York.&nbsp;Supriyo wants another singer to re-record the song that has been sung by Khan.

Actor Salman Khan apparently got Arijit Singh`s voice replaced in Sultan, and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-salman-khan-has-still-not-forgiven-arijit-singh-replaces-his-song-in-welcome-to-new-york-33331">he is said to have done it again for Welcome To New York.</a>

When Supriyo learnt about the incident, he said he was not able to comprehend the need or desire to cross the border for entertainment content at a time when tensions on the India-Pakistan border had escalated.

&quot;If that`s true, I would request the makers of the film to remove Rahat`s voice and get someone else to dub it! I am also not sure why Atif Aslam got to sing Dil diya gallan&nbsp;when for sure our very own Arijit could have done a much better job. The FM stations played the song galore while news channels announced the name of our soldiers martyred by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists,&quot; he was quoted as saying by news agency.

Supriyo, though mentioned that he had no problem with Atif Aslam or Rahat Fateh Ali Khan as individuals.

&quot;Atif as an artist sounds great in Dil diya gallan&nbsp;and Rahat is a great singer too. But it`s important to clarify that our problem is not with the artists Atif or Rahat, but with their Pakistani nationality. It`s not a political stand but probably the families who have lost their sons, brothers, fathers would feel a lot better should the entire country show solidarity in any manner possible.&quot;

Stating that the film industry had a national responsibility, he recalled that how Bollywood had made a promise to not work with Pakistani artists when Ae Dil Hai Mushkil had released. &quot;Bollywood is an integral part of that Indianism. It represents India worldwide, hence banning Pakistani artists in Indian films would have also taken the protest against organized terrorism by the rogue nation, worldwide. And, I very clearly recall that such a promise was made when Ae Dil Hai Mushkil&nbsp;had met protests due to Fawad Khan. And why is Pakistan&#39;s entertainment industry silent over cross-border terrorism,&quot; Supriyo wondered. 
 
&quot;It`s pertinent to note that one cannot recall a single Pakistani artist made famous by Bollywood, condemn terror acts by Pakistan. Enough is enough now, ban them for their only crime, that is being a Pakistani. Let we Indians wear our hearts on our sleeves and let our hearts beat in salutation of the sacrifice of our brave hearts,&quot; the singer further added. 
&nbsp;

Supriyo wants another singer to re-record the song that has been sung by Khan.

Singer-turned-Union minister Babul Supriyo has demanded that Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan`s voice be removed and dubbed from a song that features in Bollywood film Welcome To New York. Supriyo wants another singer to re-record the song that has been sung by Khan. Actor Salman Khan apparently got Arijit Singh`s voice replaced in Sultan, and he is said to have done it again for Welcome To New York. When Supriyo learnt about the incident, he said he was not able to comprehend the need or desire to cross the border for entertainment content at a time when tensions on the India-Pakistan border had escalated. "If that`s true, I would request the makers of the film to remove Rahat`s voice and get someone else to dub it! I am also not sure why Atif Aslam got to sing Dil diya gallan when for sure our very own Arijit could have done a much better job. The FM stations played the song galore while news channels announced the name of our soldiers martyred by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists," he was quoted as saying by news agency. Supriyo, though mentioned that he had no problem with Atif Aslam or Rahat Fateh Ali Khan as individuals. "Atif as an artist sounds great in Dil diya gallan and Rahat is a great singer too. But it`s important to clarify that our problem is not with the artists Atif or Rahat, but with their Pakistani nationality. It`s not a political stand but probably the families who have lost their sons, brothers, fathers would feel a lot better should the entire country show solidarity in any manner possible." Stating that the film industry had a national responsibility, he recalled that how Bollywood had made a promise to not work with Pakistani artists when Ae Dil Hai Mushkil had released. "Bollywood is an integral part of that Indianism. It represents India worldwide, hence banning Pakistani artists in Indian films would have also taken the protest against organized terrorism by the rogue nation, worldwide. And, I very clearly recall that such a promise was made when Ae Dil Hai Mushkil had met protests due to Fawad Khan. And why is Pakistan's entertainment industry silent over cross-border terrorism," Supriyo wondered. "It`s pertinent to note that one cannot recall a single Pakistani artist made famous by Bollywood, condemn terror acts by Pakistan. Enough is enough now, ban them for their only crime, that is being a Pakistani. Let we Indians wear our hearts on our sleeves and let our hearts beat in salutation of the sacrifice of our brave hearts," the singer further added.

Babul Supriyo wants Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice in Welcome to New York song replaced

Pakistan&rsquo;s Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani today threatened Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir with &#39;contempt of parliament&#39; proceedings after the minister refused to provide details of the &#39;unilateral decision&rsquo; to send Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia for deployment.

The minister gave a policy statement in Senate, the upper house, days after the powerful army announced the decision to send troops to the Gulf Kingdom.

&quot;Pakistani troops being dispatched to Saudi Arabia are only meant for imparting training to Saudi security personnel instead of entangling in Yemen war,&quot; he told the lawmakers.

He said that over 1,000 contingent will be dispatched shortly as part of the decision.

Currently, around 1,600 Pakistani troops are on deputation in Saudi Arabia under a bilateral agreement.

The minister said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has approved deputing additional Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia for training and advisory purposes, which is a continuation of the on-going support.

He rejected the impression that by sending troops the government had violated April 2015 resolution by parliament which had asked the government to stay away from Yemen war.

However, the Senate Chairman &#39;rejected&#39; Dastagir&#39;s briefing to the upper house after the minister said he could not divulge &quot;operational details&quot; of the deployment.

&quot;Why don&#39;t we proceed against you and the prime minister over &#39;contempt of parliament&#39;?&quot; Rabbani asked.

He asked why the parliament was not informed by the minister and the prime minister since they knew about the decision to deploy the troops.

&quot;The parliament found out (about the deployment) through a press release,&quot; Rabbani said. &quot;The executive has itself rubbed parliament&#39;s nose in the dirt.&quot;

Rabbani asked the minister to provide all details about the deployment and offered in-camera session for the purpose and urged him &quot;not to give us a lollipop&quot; as &quot;we are not children.&quot;

The minister refused to accept the offer and even refused to share the location where the troops will be deployed.

He told the Senate that the troops will not be deployed outside the Kingdom&#39;s territory, but Rabbani expressed a lack of confidence in his words, saying this information was already known.

Currently, around 1,600 Pakistani troops are on deputation in Saudi Arabia under a bilateral agreement

Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani today threatened Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir with 'contempt of parliament' proceedings after the minister refused to provide details of the 'unilateral decision’ to send Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia for deployment. The minister gave a policy statement in Senate, the upper house, days after the powerful army announced the decision to send troops to the Gulf Kingdom. "Pakistani troops being dispatched to Saudi Arabia are only meant for imparting training to Saudi security personnel instead of entangling in Yemen war," he told the lawmakers. He said that over 1,000 contingent will be dispatched shortly as part of the decision. Currently, around 1,600 Pakistani troops are on deputation in Saudi Arabia under a bilateral agreement. The minister said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has approved deputing additional Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia for training and advisory purposes, which is a continuation of the on-going support. He rejected the impression that by sending troops the government had violated April 2015 resolution by parliament which had asked the government to stay away from Yemen war. However, the Senate Chairman 'rejected' Dastagir's briefing to the upper house after the minister said he could not divulge "operational details" of the deployment. "Why don't we proceed against you and the prime minister over 'contempt of parliament'?" Rabbani asked. He asked why the parliament was not informed by the minister and the prime minister since they knew about the decision to deploy the troops. "The parliament found out (about the deployment) through a press release," Rabbani said. "The executive has itself rubbed parliament's nose in the dirt." Rabbani asked the minister to provide all details about the deployment and offered in-camera session for the purpose and urged him "not to give us a lollipop" as "we are not children." The minister refused to accept the offer and even refused to share the location where the troops will be deployed. He told the Senate that the troops will not be deployed outside the Kingdom's territory, but Rabbani expressed a lack of confidence in his words, saying this information was already known.

Pakistan refuses to disclose details of troops deployment in Saudi Arabia

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

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

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

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

Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent home for Indian Muslims. A huge exchange of population took place during the partition which was often bloody.

Today, Muslims constitute 14% of India&#39;s population, while in Pakistan, Hindus are said to be just over 2%. Pakistan had around 300 temples till 1947, but most of them were demolished after the destruction of Babri Mosque in India in 1992.

Many Hindu temples converted into mosques, hotels or libraries have been abandoned.Majority of the existing Hindu temples in Pakistan are in a dilapidated condition.Even after that, the Islamic country houses a few well revered Hindu temples.

Here is the list of five famous Hindu temples of Pakistan:&nbsp;

1: Hinglaj Mata Mandir

Hinglaj Mata temple is a famous &lsquo;shakti peetha&rsquo; of Goddess Sati. The cave temple is situated on the Hingol River Banks in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, Pakistan, and is the middle of the Hingol National Park.It is also known as &lsquo;Hinglaj Devi&lsquo;, &lsquo;Hingula Devi&lsquo; and &lsquo;Nani Mandir&lsquo;.

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Hinglaj Mata Mandir (Others)
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2: Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir in Karachi

The 1,500-year-old Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir is one of the oldest temples in Pakistan, the Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir has tucked away in Soldier Bazaar. The temple holds special significance for Hindus as it is the only shrine in the world which has a &ldquo;natural statue&rdquo; of Hanuman that is not man-made.

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Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir in Karachi. (Others)
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3: Katas Raj Temples

Katas Raj, also known as Qila Katas, is a Hindu pilgrimage site comprising several temples linked to one another by walkways.Hindus believe that Katas Raj pond was formed after Lord Shiva wept on the death of Sati, his wife.The name of the complex is a derivative of &lsquo;Kataksha&rsquo;, a Sanskrit word that translates as &lsquo;tearful eyes&rsquo;.&nbsp;The Katas site houses the Satgraha or seven temples, a gathering of seven old temples, remains of a Buddhist stupa, a couple of medieval sanctuaries, havelis and some as the newly built sanctuaries, scattered around a lake considered sacred by Hindus.

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Katas Raj Temples (Others)
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4:&nbsp;Multan Sun Temple

The 5000-year-old Sun Temple of Multan, also known as the Aditya Sun Temple, was an ancient temple that was the base of a solar-cult dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya (also known as Aditya).The original Sun Temple at Multan is said to have been built by Samba, son of Krishna, to gain relief from the symptoms of his leprosy more than 5000 years ago.The Sun Temple at Multan was perhaps one of the oldest, largest and richest of all temples. It no longer exists but is buried deep in the ground.

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Multan Sun Temple (Others)
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5:&nbsp;Varun Dev Temple

Varun Dev temple,&nbsp;&nbsp;located at Manora Island Karachi is dedicated to the Lord of the Seas, Varuna, and is located on Manora Island on the shores of Karachi. Experts believe that the temple was built due to enhanced maritime trade activity in the Indian Ocean from the fourth to tenth centuries AD. The current structure of the temple dates back to 1917-1918.

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Varun Dev Temple (Others)
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The communal violence of the 1940s and the subsequent persecutions have resulted in the destruction of many Hindu temples in Pakistan

Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent home for Indian Muslims. A huge exchange of population took place during the partition which was often bloody. Today, Muslims constitute 14% of India's population, while in Pakistan, Hindus are said to be just over 2%. Pakistan had around 300 temples till 1947, but most of them were demolished after the destruction of Babri Mosque in India in 1992. Many Hindu temples converted into mosques, hotels or libraries have been abandoned.Majority of the existing Hindu temples in Pakistan are in a dilapidated condition.Even after that, the Islamic country houses a few well revered Hindu temples. Here is the list of five famous Hindu temples of Pakistan: 1: Hinglaj Mata Mandir Hinglaj Mata temple is a famous ‘shakti peetha’ of Goddess Sati. The cave temple is situated on the Hingol River Banks in Hinglaj, a town on the Makran coast in the Lasbela district of Balochistan, Pakistan, and is the middle of the Hingol National Park.It is also known as ‘Hinglaj Devi‘, ‘Hingula Devi‘ and ‘Nani Mandir‘. Hinglaj Mata Mandir (Others) × 2: Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir in Karachi The 1,500-year-old Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir is one of the oldest temples in Pakistan, the Shri Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir has tucked away in Soldier Bazaar. The temple holds special significance for Hindus as it is the only shrine in the world which has a “natural statue” of Hanuman that is not man-made. Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir in Karachi. (Others) × 3: Katas Raj Temples Katas Raj, also known as Qila Katas, is a Hindu pilgrimage site comprising several temples linked to one another by walkways.Hindus believe that Katas Raj pond was formed after Lord Shiva wept on the death of Sati, his wife.The name of the complex is a derivative of ‘Kataksha’, a Sanskrit word that translates as ‘tearful eyes’. The Katas site houses the Satgraha or seven temples, a gathering of seven old temples, remains of a Buddhist stupa, a couple of medieval sanctuaries, havelis and some as the newly built sanctuaries, scattered around a lake considered sacred by Hindus. Katas Raj Temples (Others) × 4: Multan Sun Temple The 5000-year-old Sun Temple of Multan, also known as the Aditya Sun Temple, was an ancient temple that was the base of a solar-cult dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya (also known as Aditya).The original Sun Temple at Multan is said to have been built by Samba, son of Krishna, to gain relief from the symptoms of his leprosy more than 5000 years ago.The Sun Temple at Multan was perhaps one of the oldest, largest and richest of all temples. It no longer exists but is buried deep in the ground. Multan Sun Temple (Others) × 5: Varun Dev Temple Varun Dev temple, located at Manora Island Karachi is dedicated to the Lord of the Seas, Varuna, and is located on Manora Island on the shores of Karachi. Experts believe that the temple was built due to enhanced maritime trade activity in the Indian Ocean from the fourth to tenth centuries AD. The current structure of the temple dates back to 1917-1918. Varun Dev Temple (Others) ×

Five historical Hindu temples of Pakistan

An Indian Army soldier was injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Poonch sector on Sunday evening.&nbsp;

The injured soldier has been shifted to Army hospital in Poonch.&nbsp;

The Pakistan army opened fire on the Indian side at around 5: 25 pm. In the firing that lasted for 15 minutes, villages and posts along the Karmarha sector in Poonch sector were the target.&nbsp;

The Indian forces also retaliated but there was no report of any casualties. &nbsp;

Since the beginning of 2018, the ceasefire violation claimed the lives of 20 people, including 11 security personnel and nine civilians.&nbsp;

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The Pakistan army opened fire on the Indian side at around 5: 25 pm and continued for 15 minutes attacking forward villages and posts along the Karmarha sector of Poonch

An Indian Army soldier was injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector on Sunday evening. The injured soldier has been shifted to Army hospital in Poonch. The Pakistan army opened fire on the Indian side at around 5: 25 pm. In the firing that lasted for 15 minutes, villages and posts along the Karmarha sector in Poonch sector were the target. The Indian forces also retaliated but there was no report of any casualties. Since the beginning of 2018, the ceasefire violation claimed the lives of 20 people, including 11 security personnel and nine civilians.

J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch sector, 1 soldier injured

Pakistan has billed India Rs 2.86 lakh as route navigation charges for Indian Air Force aircraft used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a stopover in Lahore and visits to Russia, Afghanistan, Iran and Qatar, an RTI response shows.

The data was gathered by activist Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra.

The RTI applications show that till June 2016, Indian Air Force aircraft were used for the Prime Minister&#39;s visits to 11 countries--Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Qatar, Australia, Pakistan, Russia, Iran, Fiji and Singapore.

Batra gave a copy of the RTI responses, received from August last year to January 30, 2018, to PTI.

During one such visit on December 25, 2015, Modi had a brief stopover in Lahore at the request of the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The stopover took place when Modi was returning from Russia and Afghanistan. For this, a bill of Rs 1.49 lakh has been issued as route navigation charges, records accessed under the RTI Act from the Indian High Commission in Pakistan show.

Modi was received by Sharif with a warm hug at the tarmac of the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore when he made the unexpected stopover on his way back home following a day-long trip to Afghanistan after concluding a two-day visit to Russia.

Modi was accorded a red carpet welcome as the PM&#39;s special Indian Air Force Boeing 737 plane touched down at 4.50 pm. He then took a helicopter to Sharif&#39;s Raiwind palatial residence on the outskirts of Lahore to attend Sharif&#39;s birthday celebrations. A bill of Rs 77,215 was imposed as route navigation charges by Pakistani authorities when Modi used an IAF aircraft to visit Iran on May 22-23, 2016, and Rs 59,215 when he visited Qatar on June 4-6, 2016, the RTI response shows. For both visits, he flew over Pakistan.

The records were part of a response collected from various missions of India on the expenditure incurred on the visits of Modi on IAF aircraft between 2014 and 2016.

According to the data collected, a total of about Rs 2 crore has been spent on foreign visits of the Prime Minister during the period for the use of IAF aircraft.

Generally, an Air India aircraft is hired for the foreign visits of the VVIPs &mdash; the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister -- for which the national carrier sends the bill.

The bills for the Prime Minister&#39;s visits are borne by the External Affairs Ministry. The bills submitted by Indian missions in these countries include charges for fuelling, ground handling, airport charges, dearness allowance paid to the staff, hotel stay, catering and mobile for the crew, transport hiring, captain&#39;s imprest and other charges.&nbsp;

Pakistan has billed India Rs 2.86 lakh as route navigation charges for Indian Air Force aircraft used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a stopover in Lahore and visits to Russia, Afghanistan, Iran and Qatar, an RTI response shows

Pakistan has billed India Rs 2.86 lakh as route navigation charges for Indian Air Force aircraft used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a stopover in Lahore and visits to Russia, Afghanistan, Iran and Qatar, an RTI response shows. The data was gathered by activist Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra. The RTI applications show that till June 2016, Indian Air Force aircraft were used for the Prime Minister's visits to 11 countries--Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Qatar, Australia, Pakistan, Russia, Iran, Fiji and Singapore. Batra gave a copy of the RTI responses, received from August last year to January 30, 2018, to PTI. During one such visit on December 25, 2015, Modi had a brief stopover in Lahore at the request of the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The stopover took place when Modi was returning from Russia and Afghanistan. For this, a bill of Rs 1.49 lakh has been issued as route navigation charges, records accessed under the RTI Act from the Indian High Commission in Pakistan show. Modi was received by Sharif with a warm hug at the tarmac of the Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore when he made the unexpected stopover on his way back home following a day-long trip to Afghanistan after concluding a two-day visit to Russia. Modi was accorded a red carpet welcome as the PM's special Indian Air Force Boeing 737 plane touched down at 4.50 pm. He then took a helicopter to Sharif's Raiwind palatial residence on the outskirts of Lahore to attend Sharif's birthday celebrations. A bill of Rs 77,215 was imposed as route navigation charges by Pakistani authorities when Modi used an IAF aircraft to visit Iran on May 22-23, 2016, and Rs 59,215 when he visited Qatar on June 4-6, 2016, the RTI response shows. For both visits, he flew over Pakistan. The records were part of a response collected from various missions of India on the expenditure incurred on the visits of Modi on IAF aircraft between 2014 and 2016. According to the data collected, a total of about Rs 2 crore has been spent on foreign visits of the Prime Minister during the period for the use of IAF aircraft. Generally, an Air India aircraft is hired for the foreign visits of the VVIPs — the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister -- for which the national carrier sends the bill. The bills for the Prime Minister's visits are borne by the External Affairs Ministry. The bills submitted by Indian missions in these countries include charges for fuelling, ground handling, airport charges, dearness allowance paid to the staff, hotel stay, catering and mobile for the crew, transport hiring, captain's imprest and other charges.

Pakistan charges Rs 2.86 lakh for route navigation charges on PM Modi's flights

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Bajwa has claimed that there are no safe havens for terrorists in his country and asked the US to stop blaming Islamabad for its failure in Afghanistan.

General Bajwa asked the American leadership to instead search for the reasons for its failures in the war-torn country.

Speaking at the three-day Munich Security Conference where military chiefs and civilian leaders have gathered to discuss the world&#39;s most pressing security issues, the army chief on Saturday categorically denied the existence of terrorist sanctuaries on the country&#39;s soil and recalled the steps taken to prevent unauthorised movements across the porous border, a media reported.

General Bajwa said Pakistan was being attacked from terrorist hideouts on Afghan soil. He also emphasised the need for repatriation of 2.7 million Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan.

Pointing to the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State safe havens, he said terrorists had established sanctuaries on the Afghan soil along the border with Pakistan.

General Bajwa said underscored the importance of international cooperation against terrorism.

Speaking about the operations launched in the country against terrorists, he said that besides kinetic operations, a lot of emphasis had been put on cutting off their financial sources.

He said Pakistan&rsquo;s counterterrorism operations were being carried out under a National Action Plan.

Last month, the Trump administration suspended nearly $ 2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan accusing the country of not doing enough in the fight against terrorism.

However, despite the US administration&#39;s tough stand against Islamabad, Pakistan has categorically denied the allegations of supporting terrorism.&nbsp;

Speaking at the three-day Munich Security Conference the army chief categorically denied the existence of terrorist sanctuaries on the country's soil and recalled the steps taken to prevent unauthorised movements across the porous border, a media reported

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Bajwa has claimed that there are no safe havens for terrorists in his country and asked the US to stop blaming Islamabad for its failure in Afghanistan. General Bajwa asked the American leadership to instead search for the reasons for its failures in the war-torn country. Speaking at the three-day Munich Security Conference where military chiefs and civilian leaders have gathered to discuss the world's most pressing security issues, the army chief on Saturday categorically denied the existence of terrorist sanctuaries on the country's soil and recalled the steps taken to prevent unauthorised movements across the porous border, a media reported. General Bajwa said Pakistan was being attacked from terrorist hideouts on Afghan soil. He also emphasised the need for repatriation of 2.7 million Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan. Pointing to the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State safe havens, he said terrorists had established sanctuaries on the Afghan soil along the border with Pakistan. General Bajwa said underscored the importance of international cooperation against terrorism. Speaking about the operations launched in the country against terrorists, he said that besides kinetic operations, a lot of emphasis had been put on cutting off their financial sources. He said Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations were being carried out under a National Action Plan. Last month, the Trump administration suspended nearly $ 2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan accusing the country of not doing enough in the fight against terrorism. However, despite the US administration's tough stand against Islamabad, Pakistan has categorically denied the allegations of supporting terrorism.

Stop blaming Pakistan for failures in Afghanistan: Gen Bajwa to US

Pakistan&#39;s ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday accused the country&#39;s judiciary and powerful military of &quot;conspiring&quot; against him and asserted that he was not &quot;afraid&quot; of them.

Speaking at a big rally in Punjab&#39;s Sheikhupura district, the 67-year-old Sharif said both the judiciary and military had become his enemies and want to take revenge against him.

&quot;They have become my enemies and they want to take revenge against me. But I want to tell them that I am not afraid of them and I will face their every conspiracy,&quot; Sharif said.

He urged his supporters to help him defeat the forces (of military and judiciary), asserting that they had been playing havoc in the country for the last 70 years.

Sharif and some of his family members are facing charges relating to their ownership of posh properties in London.

He resigned as prime minister in July after the country&#39;s Supreme Court disqualified him over undeclared income in the Panama Papers case.

Three cases were registered by the NAB against Sharif, his children and son-in-law in the court on September 8.

&quot;You and I have become part of this cruel system during the last 70 years. But the time has come to take on this system and change it,&quot; he said, warning that the &quot;cruel&quot; system is posing a serious threat to the country.

Sharif also vowed to avenge his disqualification in this year&#39;s general election and make those accountable who ousted him.

&quot;I was sent to jail because I held nuclear tests. That was my crime. And this time I was ousted because I brought $ 56 billion investment to the country under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), overcoming load-shedding and eliminating terrorism from the country,&quot; he said.

Sharif said he would change the destiny of the country if his party wins the elections.

Sharif has held several rallies in different parts of Pakistan since his ouster.

He has targeted the judiciary for removing him from the office of the prime minister and also come up with &#39;give respect to the ballot&#39; slogan.&nbsp;

Speaking at a big rally in Punjab's Sheikhupura district, the 67-year-old Sharif said both the judiciary and military had become his enemies and want to take revenge against him

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday accused the country's judiciary and powerful military of "conspiring" against him and asserted that he was not "afraid" of them. Speaking at a big rally in Punjab's Sheikhupura district, the 67-year-old Sharif said both the judiciary and military had become his enemies and want to take revenge against him. "They have become my enemies and they want to take revenge against me. But I want to tell them that I am not afraid of them and I will face their every conspiracy," Sharif said. He urged his supporters to help him defeat the forces (of military and judiciary), asserting that they had been playing havoc in the country for the last 70 years. Sharif and some of his family members are facing charges relating to their ownership of posh properties in London. He resigned as prime minister in July after the country's Supreme Court disqualified him over undeclared income in the Panama Papers case. Three cases were registered by the NAB against Sharif, his children and son-in-law in the court on September 8. "You and I have become part of this cruel system during the last 70 years. But the time has come to take on this system and change it," he said, warning that the "cruel" system is posing a serious threat to the country. Sharif also vowed to avenge his disqualification in this year's general election and make those accountable who ousted him. "I was sent to jail because I held nuclear tests. That was my crime. And this time I was ousted because I brought $ 56 billion investment to the country under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), overcoming load-shedding and eliminating terrorism from the country," he said. Sharif said he would change the destiny of the country if his party wins the elections. Sharif has held several rallies in different parts of Pakistan since his ouster. He has targeted the judiciary for removing him from the office of the prime minister and also come up with 'give respect to the ballot' slogan.

Judiciary, military have become my enemies: Nawaz Sharif

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today spoke on the ongoing tension at the Indo-Pak border. She stated that dialogue can solve problems and not &quot;guns&quot;.

&quot;Conditions at the border are not good, both the countries should talk and there should be a ceasefire. Peace should be given an opportunity,&quot; Mufti noted at Kulgam, J&amp;K earlier today.

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Guns cannot solve any problems, only talks can solve problems. Conditions at the border are not good, Both the countries should talk &amp; there should be ceasefire. Peace should be given an opportunity: Jammu &amp; Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti at Kulgam earlier today. <a href="https://t.co/HhwlQFQCgu">pic.twitter.com/HhwlQFQCgu</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965200512520982528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah also commented on the &#39;worsening&#39; situation at the India Pakistan border.&nbsp;

The National Conference chief, last month, lauded J&amp;K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti after she asked the governments of India and Pakistan to resume talks and resolve their mutual issues.&nbsp;

&quot;I would like to congratulate Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Ji for realising that until we have talks with Pakistan, militancy will not end. I feel Modi Ji has the courage to initiate this and take it to a logical end,&quot; Abdullah noted.

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah also commented on the 'worsening' situation at the India Pakistan border

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today spoke on the ongoing tension at the Indo-Pak border. She stated that dialogue can solve problems and not "guns". "Conditions at the border are not good, both the countries should talk and there should be a ceasefire. Peace should be given an opportunity," Mufti noted at Kulgam, J&K earlier today. Guns cannot solve any problems, only talks can solve problems. Conditions at the border are not good, Both the countries should talk & there should be ceasefire. Peace should be given an opportunity: Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti at Kulgam earlier today. pic.twitter.com/HhwlQFQCgu — ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2018 × Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah also commented on the 'worsening' situation at the India Pakistan border. The National Conference chief, last month, lauded J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti after she asked the governments of India and Pakistan to resume talks and resolve their mutual issues. "I would like to congratulate Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Ji for realising that until we have talks with Pakistan, militancy will not end. I feel Modi Ji has the courage to initiate this and take it to a logical end," Abdullah noted.

Guns cannot solve any problems, only talks can: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti

The girl&rsquo;s murder ignited nationwide protests over allegations of government inaction, and a media campaign led to his arrest after years of him being on the loose.

Police found Zainab Ansari&rsquo;s body in a garbage dumpster in Kasur district near the eastern city of Lahore in mid-January, four days after she was reported missing.

Residents of the area have said the murder was the 12th such incident in a year. Police investigators said later that they had matched DNA from eight girls&rsquo; bodies, including Zainab&lsquo;s, with the convicted killer, Imran Ali, 24.

&ldquo;The court handed down death on four counts and life imprisonment to Imran Ali in the rape and murder of the little girl, Zainab,&rdquo; government prosecutor Ehtisham Qadir Shah told Reuters.

He said Ali will be tried for rest of the cases later.

Hundreds of residents protested after Zainab&rsquo;s body was found, and two were killed when police fired shots to disperse them.

Police identified Ali as one of Zainab&rsquo;s neighbours, and CCTV footage on the day she was abducted showed her walking off calmly with a man.

In the same district, Kasur, there have been complaints of a number of missing children since 2015 when authorities uncovered what they said was a paedophile ring linked to a prominent local family.

At least two people have been convicted in connection with that case, in which authorities say hundreds of children in the district were abused.

Nearly 10 cases of child abuse a day are reported in Pakistan, according to Sahil, an organization that works on child protection.

Zainab&rsquo;s case has triggered a debate in Pakistan over whether to teach children how to guard against sex abuse, which otherwise is a taboo subject in the Muslim majority nation.

The girl’s murder ignited nationwide protests over allegations of government inaction

The girl’s murder ignited nationwide protests over allegations of government inaction, and a media campaign led to his arrest after years of him being on the loose. Police found Zainab Ansari’s body in a garbage dumpster in Kasur district near the eastern city of Lahore in mid-January, four days after she was reported missing. Residents of the area have said the murder was the 12th such incident in a year. Police investigators said later that they had matched DNA from eight girls’ bodies, including Zainab‘s, with the convicted killer, Imran Ali, 24. “The court handed down death on four counts and life imprisonment to Imran Ali in the rape and murder of the little girl, Zainab,” government prosecutor Ehtisham Qadir Shah told Reuters. He said Ali will be tried for rest of the cases later. Hundreds of residents protested after Zainab’s body was found, and two were killed when police fired shots to disperse them. Police identified Ali as one of Zainab’s neighbours, and CCTV footage on the day she was abducted showed her walking off calmly with a man. In the same district, Kasur, there have been complaints of a number of missing children since 2015 when authorities uncovered what they said was a paedophile ring linked to a prominent local family. At least two people have been convicted in connection with that case, in which authorities say hundreds of children in the district were abused. Nearly 10 cases of child abuse a day are reported in Pakistan, according to Sahil, an organization that works on child protection. Zainab’s case has triggered a debate in Pakistan over whether to teach children how to guard against sex abuse, which otherwise is a taboo subject in the Muslim majority nation.

Pakistan court sentences child killer, rapist to death

Pakistan on Saturday said the decision to send its troops to Saudi Arabia was taken after clarifying the &quot;rules of engagement&quot; for which negotiations were ongoing for some time.

Defence Minister Khurram Dastigir Khan said the role of Pakistani troops was limited to advisory and training to Saudi forces.

&quot;Negotiations were ongoing regarding the rules of engagement and once we attained clarity on the issue that the troops will be on training and advisory mission to strengthen the ground defence of Saudi Arabia, the troops were sent,&quot; he told a News last night.

He ruled out any involvement in the Yemen civil war but said that Pakistan will not provide any air defence against missiles by Houthi rebels.

&quot;We only want to train their forces and better advise them. The areas bordering Yemen are mountainous, and as Pakistan&#39;s army is highly trained in mountain warfare, we will train and advise them,&quot; he said.

In a major policy shift, Pakistan decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia under an existing bilateral security cooperation agreement with its close ally which is involved in a civil war in neighbouring Yemen.

The Pakistan Army announced the decision to send troops on a training and advise mission to Saudi Arabia after a meeting between Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Separately, a media reported that the deployment of troops was sanctioned by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as part of a longstanding defence cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh.

Currently, there are 1,379 Pakistani troops deployed in Saudi Arabia, most of whom are from Pakistan Army, along with air force and navy officials, according to security sources.

The exact number of troops being sent is not known, but the fresh deployment is said to be slightly over 1,000 soldiers, according to the newspaper.

Security sources also clarified that there is nothing new about the deployment of Pakistani troop in the oil-rich kingdom, as defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia is based on a 1982 bilateral protocol for training and advisory roles.

The report said defence cooperation in the Persian Gulf is not limited to Riyadh, as there is currently a deployment of 627 Pakistani troops in Qatar, including 165 from the army and 462 from the navy and air force.

Islamabad also maintains a similar working relationship with Iran, which currently has 10 pilots in training with the Pakistan military.

The Iranians will be sending five more pilots &quot;sometime in April&quot; and even &quot;more in subsequent years,&quot; sources said.

Pakistan has stayed away from the conflict in Yemen where Iran strongly opposes the involvement of the Saudi-led military coalition.

In November last year, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Tehran where he met top Iranian civil and military leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani.

Bajwa has also visited Saudi Arabia five times in his first year in charge.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been involved in a number of joint training exercises in recent months, the most recent being a joint naval exercise in Karachi codenamed Affa Al-Sahil, which concluded on Friday.

The exercise has been performed annually since 2011 and aims to enhance interoperability and sharpen tactical proficiency in countering maritime human trafficking, piracy and terrorism.

Meanwhile, naval exercises are currently underway between Pakistan and Saudi Arabian marines in Saudi waters.

Saudi special services participated in the last Pakistan Day parade, while there are currently 200 Saudi cadets in the Pakistan Military Academy, PAF Academy, and Naval Academy.

A source said that last year, close to 1,500 Saudi officers and soldiers were trained in Pakistan, mostly by the interior ministry.

&nbsp;

Pakistan on Saturday said the decision to send its troops to Saudi Arabia was taken after clarifying the 'rules of engagement' for which negotiations were ongoing for some time

Pakistan on Saturday said the decision to send its troops to Saudi Arabia was taken after clarifying the "rules of engagement" for which negotiations were ongoing for some time. Defence Minister Khurram Dastigir Khan said the role of Pakistani troops was limited to advisory and training to Saudi forces. "Negotiations were ongoing regarding the rules of engagement and once we attained clarity on the issue that the troops will be on training and advisory mission to strengthen the ground defence of Saudi Arabia, the troops were sent," he told a News last night. He ruled out any involvement in the Yemen civil war but said that Pakistan will not provide any air defence against missiles by Houthi rebels. "We only want to train their forces and better advise them. The areas bordering Yemen are mountainous, and as Pakistan's army is highly trained in mountain warfare, we will train and advise them," he said. In a major policy shift, Pakistan decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia under an existing bilateral security cooperation agreement with its close ally which is involved in a civil war in neighbouring Yemen. The Pakistan Army announced the decision to send troops on a training and advise mission to Saudi Arabia after a meeting between Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi on Thursday. Separately, a media reported that the deployment of troops was sanctioned by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as part of a longstanding defence cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh. Currently, there are 1,379 Pakistani troops deployed in Saudi Arabia, most of whom are from Pakistan Army, along with air force and navy officials, according to security sources. The exact number of troops being sent is not known, but the fresh deployment is said to be slightly over 1,000 soldiers, according to the newspaper. Security sources also clarified that there is nothing new about the deployment of Pakistani troop in the oil-rich kingdom, as defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia is based on a 1982 bilateral protocol for training and advisory roles. The report said defence cooperation in the Persian Gulf is not limited to Riyadh, as there is currently a deployment of 627 Pakistani troops in Qatar, including 165 from the army and 462 from the navy and air force. Islamabad also maintains a similar working relationship with Iran, which currently has 10 pilots in training with the Pakistan military. The Iranians will be sending five more pilots "sometime in April" and even "more in subsequent years," sources said. Pakistan has stayed away from the conflict in Yemen where Iran strongly opposes the involvement of the Saudi-led military coalition. In November last year, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Tehran where he met top Iranian civil and military leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani. Bajwa has also visited Saudi Arabia five times in his first year in charge. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been involved in a number of joint training exercises in recent months, the most recent being a joint naval exercise in Karachi codenamed Affa Al-Sahil, which concluded on Friday. The exercise has been performed annually since 2011 and aims to enhance interoperability and sharpen tactical proficiency in countering maritime human trafficking, piracy and terrorism. Meanwhile, naval exercises are currently underway between Pakistan and Saudi Arabian marines in Saudi waters. Saudi special services participated in the last Pakistan Day parade, while there are currently 200 Saudi cadets in the Pakistan Military Academy, PAF Academy, and Naval Academy. A source said that last year, close to 1,500 Saudi officers and soldiers were trained in Pakistan, mostly by the interior ministry.

'Pak troops sent to Saudi after defining rules of engagement'

Pakistan has contracted another foreign commercial loan of USD 500 million from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to shore up its depleting reserves.

The Express Tribune reported that the with new borrowing the Chinese financial institution&#39;s contribution to supporting a strong rupee against the US dollar increased to USD 1 billion in just three months.

It further reported quoting sources in the finance ministry that the government contracted the loan on January 15 at a rate in the range of 4.5 per cent.

In January, the country took a total of USD 704 million worth of new loans, taking foreign borrowings to USD 6.6 billion in just seven months of this fiscal year, sources said.

The foreign loans were equal to 86 per cent of the annual budgetary estimates that parliament had approved in June last year. This suggests that foreign loans for the second consecutive year may cross USD 10 billion.

China was the single largest lender that gave a total of USD 1.6 billion, which was equal to one-fourth of the total foreign loans Pakistan has received in the last seven months.

Beijing also gave roughly USD 610 million for project financing during the first seven months.

In terms of source, sovereign bonds were the single largest source after Islamabad raised USD 2.5 billion in November, which contributed roughly 38 per cent to total foreign loans.

It was the second loan that the ICBC has given to Pakistan to support its diminishing foreign currency reserves, which are largely used to defend a strong rupee and finance the trade deficit. The ICBC had also given USD 500 million in October last year.

Sources in the State Bank of Pakistan said that it was still intervening in the exchange market to keep the dollar-rupee parity at a current level.

In December, the central bank let the rupee depreciate by 5.2 per cent against the US dollar. But it was still far less than the International Monetary Fund&#39;s assessment of the real value of the rupee.

With fresh foreign loans, the total foreign commercial borrowings in the first seven months of this fiscal year have increased to USD 1.8 billion, said the sources. The finance ministry had informed parliament in June last year that it

would obtain USD 1 billion as commercial loans during 2017-18 that will end on June 30. However, it has already breached the limit with five months remaining.

So far, Citibank has given USD 267 million, Credit Suisse AG loaned USD 255 million, Standard Chartered Bank London USD 200 million and Dubai Bank USD 55.9 million. The share of foreign commercial banks in total loans stood at 27 per cent.

The loans are obtained to stop the downward slide of the official foreign currency reserves that currently stand at USD 12.8 billion even after issuing USD 2.5 billion worth of sovereign bonds in November.

The ministry is trying in vain to stop the reserves from slipping below the two-and-a-half-month import bill cover, which at current value of the import bill stands at USD 12.3 billion.

Official foreign currency reserves have depleted by USD 3.5 billion since July. The current account deficit during the first half of the fiscal year widened to over USD 7.5 billion.

Pakistan&#39;s total external debt and liabilities as of December 2017 stood at USD 88.9 billion, higher by USD 5.8 billion or 6.9 per cent over six months ago.

The main increase came by issuing sovereign bonds and taking expensive commercial loans. In the first half, debt obligated by issuing NSukuk and Eurobonds increased by 52 per cent to USD 7.3 billion.&nbsp;

The Express Tribune reported that the with new borrowing the Chinese financial institution's contribution to supporting a strong rupee against the US dollar increased to USD 1 billion in just three months

Pakistan has contracted another foreign commercial loan of USD 500 million from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to shore up its depleting reserves. The Express Tribune reported that the with new borrowing the Chinese financial institution's contribution to supporting a strong rupee against the US dollar increased to USD 1 billion in just three months. It further reported quoting sources in the finance ministry that the government contracted the loan on January 15 at a rate in the range of 4.5 per cent. In January, the country took a total of USD 704 million worth of new loans, taking foreign borrowings to USD 6.6 billion in just seven months of this fiscal year, sources said. The foreign loans were equal to 86 per cent of the annual budgetary estimates that parliament had approved in June last year. This suggests that foreign loans for the second consecutive year may cross USD 10 billion. China was the single largest lender that gave a total of USD 1.6 billion, which was equal to one-fourth of the total foreign loans Pakistan has received in the last seven months. Beijing also gave roughly USD 610 million for project financing during the first seven months. In terms of source, sovereign bonds were the single largest source after Islamabad raised USD 2.5 billion in November, which contributed roughly 38 per cent to total foreign loans. It was the second loan that the ICBC has given to Pakistan to support its diminishing foreign currency reserves, which are largely used to defend a strong rupee and finance the trade deficit. The ICBC had also given USD 500 million in October last year. Sources in the State Bank of Pakistan said that it was still intervening in the exchange market to keep the dollar-rupee parity at a current level. In December, the central bank let the rupee depreciate by 5.2 per cent against the US dollar. But it was still far less than the International Monetary Fund's assessment of the real value of the rupee. With fresh foreign loans, the total foreign commercial borrowings in the first seven months of this fiscal year have increased to USD 1.8 billion, said the sources. The finance ministry had informed parliament in June last year that it would obtain USD 1 billion as commercial loans during 2017-18 that will end on June 30. However, it has already breached the limit with five months remaining. So far, Citibank has given USD 267 million, Credit Suisse AG loaned USD 255 million, Standard Chartered Bank London USD 200 million and Dubai Bank USD 55.9 million. The share of foreign commercial banks in total loans stood at 27 per cent. The loans are obtained to stop the downward slide of the official foreign currency reserves that currently stand at USD 12.8 billion even after issuing USD 2.5 billion worth of sovereign bonds in November. The ministry is trying in vain to stop the reserves from slipping below the two-and-a-half-month import bill cover, which at current value of the import bill stands at USD 12.3 billion. Official foreign currency reserves have depleted by USD 3.5 billion since July. The current account deficit during the first half of the fiscal year widened to over USD 7.5 billion. Pakistan's total external debt and liabilities as of December 2017 stood at USD 88.9 billion, higher by USD 5.8 billion or 6.9 per cent over six months ago. The main increase came by issuing sovereign bonds and taking expensive commercial loans. In the first half, debt obligated by issuing NSukuk and Eurobonds increased by 52 per cent to USD 7.3 billion.

Pakistan borrows $ 500 million from China

India on Saturday said that some countries have proposed to put Pakistan in the &quot;grey list&quot; of an international task force mandated to combat terror funding and money laundering.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is meeting later this month in Paris, where it is expected to deliberate extensively on containing the spread of terrorism by choking the funding channels of terrorist groups.

&quot;There is a proposal by some countries, as a part of the FATF process, to put Pakistan in the grey list. The grey listing happens because the commitment which was given by Pakistan on actions it was supposed to take, that has not happened,&quot; External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He was responding to a question on whether India is going to make any specific case against 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed at the FATF meeting.

Kumar said India has shared its views with the countries and members of the FATF on this matter.

The US has also approached the FATF to put Pakistan on global terrorist-financing watch list, accusing Islamabad of not complying with the UN Security Council resolutions relating to terror groups, including al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

The FATF is an inter-governmental body, which maintains &quot;grey&quot; and &quot;black&quot; lists to identify countries with weak measures to combat money laundering and terror financing. Inclusion in the grey list can lead to sanctions.

Kumar said India believes that the UNSC Resolution 1267 sanctions pertaining to money laundering and terror financing must be implemented in letter and spirit by all nations.

&quot;...And those nationals and nations, who are found wanting in implementing in their obligations and freely allowing the UN-designated terrorists and individuals to operate and raise funds, and have access to assets for the nefarious activities must be held accountable and subjected to appropriate action,&quot; he said.

Responding to a question on reports of Pakistan amending its anti-terror laws to include Hafiz Saeed-linked Jamaat-ud-Dawa on the list of UN proscribed groups, Kumar said it needs to be seen whether Islamabad is willing to &quot;walk the talk&quot;.

He said it is &quot;quite surprising&quot; that it took 10 years for Pakistan to figure out that Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is a terrorist.

&quot;In any case, I think, the timing of such declaration of Hafiz Saeed as a terrorist is a very suspect. You will have to see if they are willing to walk the talk and take concrete measures against terrorists and terror outfits which have been operating from the soil of Pakistan,&quot; he said.

Earlier this week, Pakistan launched a crackdown on seminaries and health facilities run by Saeed.

In response to a question on the ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Kumar said India takes counter actions on such violations, wherever it is initiated.

Asked about the government&#39;s plan to bring back industrialists involved in money laundering cases, an apparent reference to diamantaire Nirav Modi fleeing the country amid an alleged multi-million dollar scam, Kumar said: &quot;I dont think today every question has to be linked to what questions which have come up earlier.&quot;

The force is mandated to combat terror funding and money laundering

India on Saturday said that some countries have proposed to put Pakistan in the "grey list" of an international task force mandated to combat terror funding and money laundering. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is meeting later this month in Paris, where it is expected to deliberate extensively on containing the spread of terrorism by choking the funding channels of terrorist groups. "There is a proposal by some countries, as a part of the FATF process, to put Pakistan in the grey list. The grey listing happens because the commitment which was given by Pakistan on actions it was supposed to take, that has not happened," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. He was responding to a question on whether India is going to make any specific case against 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed at the FATF meeting. Kumar said India has shared its views with the countries and members of the FATF on this matter. The US has also approached the FATF to put Pakistan on global terrorist-financing watch list, accusing Islamabad of not complying with the UN Security Council resolutions relating to terror groups, including al-Qaeda and its affiliates. The FATF is an inter-governmental body, which maintains "grey" and "black" lists to identify countries with weak measures to combat money laundering and terror financing. Inclusion in the grey list can lead to sanctions. Kumar said India believes that the UNSC Resolution 1267 sanctions pertaining to money laundering and terror financing must be implemented in letter and spirit by all nations. "...And those nationals and nations, who are found wanting in implementing in their obligations and freely allowing the UN-designated terrorists and individuals to operate and raise funds, and have access to assets for the nefarious activities must be held accountable and subjected to appropriate action," he said. Responding to a question on reports of Pakistan amending its anti-terror laws to include Hafiz Saeed-linked Jamaat-ud-Dawa on the list of UN proscribed groups, Kumar said it needs to be seen whether Islamabad is willing to "walk the talk". He said it is "quite surprising" that it took 10 years for Pakistan to figure out that Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is a terrorist. "In any case, I think, the timing of such declaration of Hafiz Saeed as a terrorist is a very suspect. You will have to see if they are willing to walk the talk and take concrete measures against terrorists and terror outfits which have been operating from the soil of Pakistan," he said. Earlier this week, Pakistan launched a crackdown on seminaries and health facilities run by Saeed. In response to a question on the ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Kumar said India takes counter actions on such violations, wherever it is initiated. Asked about the government's plan to bring back industrialists involved in money laundering cases, an apparent reference to diamantaire Nirav Modi fleeing the country amid an alleged multi-million dollar scam, Kumar said: "I dont think today every question has to be linked to what questions which have come up earlier."

Some countries proposed to put Pakistan in FATF 'grey list': India

In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided to deploy troops in <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saudi-Arabia" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Saudi Arabia-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saudi-Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> under bilateral security cooperation with the kingdom which is involved in the ongoing civil war in neighbouring Yemen. 
The <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan-Army" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Pakistan Army-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan-Army">Pakistan Army</a> announced the decision after a meeting between Army Chief General <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Qamar-Javed-Bajwa" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Qamar Javed Bajwa-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Qamar-Javed-Bajwa">Qamar Javed Bajwa</a> and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saeed-Al-Maliki" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Saeed Al-Maliki-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saeed-Al-Maliki">Saeed Al-Maliki</a>, at army headquarters in Rawalpindi yesterday. 
 
&quot;In continuation of ongoing Pak-Saudi bilateral security cooperation, a Pakistan Army contingent is being sent to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on training and advise mission. These or troops already there will not be employed outside KSA,&quot; the army said. 
 
It also said the army &quot;maintains bilateral security cooperation with many other Gulf/regional countries&quot;. 
 
About the meeting of the ambassador with Bajwa, it said that matters of mutual interest including regional security situation were discussed during the meeting. 
 
Already around 1,000 Pakistani troops are deployed in Saudi Arabia in various advisory and training roles, according to officials 
 
There was no official word on the number of additional troops being sent to the kingdom but the Dawn newspaper quoted &quot;multiple sources&quot; hinting that it might be the size of a composite brigade. 
 
It also quoted army spokesman, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, that the new deployment would be much lesser than a division, and that he would give details later. 
 
Saudi Arabia has been pushing Pakistan to provide troops since 2015 when it joined Yemen&#39;s civil war but Pakistan steadily refused, saying it would not become the party to any regional conflict.

The war in Yemen stalemated and the situation has aggravated with the rebels firing missiles at regular intervals towards the kingdom. 
 
The alliance of Muslim nations set up by Saudi Arabia and led by former Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif is also still in an early stage to play any role in the conflict. 
 
Bajwa earlier this month visited Saudi Arabia for three days and met officials including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Commander of Ground Forces Lt Gen Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz. 
 
It was his second visit to the kingdom in two months and reportedly played a role in Pakistan&#39;s decision to deploy troops.

Pakistan is treading a fine line in maintaining relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Qatar and other regional players and the decision of deploying troops may annoy Saudi Arabia&#39;s rivals like Iran and Qatar. 
 
Bajwa has been playing a major role in addressing concerns of regional countries and met with ambassadors of Iran and Turkey earlier this week. He also recently visited Qatar and met its &#39;emir&#39;.

The decision may also create tension in Pakistan&#39;s internal politics as parliament had passed a resolution at the start of the Yemen crisis that said Pakistan would stay neutral in the conflict.

Saudi Arabia has been pushing Pakistan to provide troops since 2015 when it joined Yemen's civil war

In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia under bilateral security cooperation with the kingdom which is involved in the ongoing civil war in neighbouring Yemen. The Pakistan Army announced the decision after a meeting between Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki, at army headquarters in Rawalpindi yesterday. "In continuation of ongoing Pak-Saudi bilateral security cooperation, a Pakistan Army contingent is being sent to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on training and advise mission. These or troops already there will not be employed outside KSA," the army said. It also said the army "maintains bilateral security cooperation with many other Gulf/regional countries". About the meeting of the ambassador with Bajwa, it said that matters of mutual interest including regional security situation were discussed during the meeting. Already around 1,000 Pakistani troops are deployed in Saudi Arabia in various advisory and training roles, according to officials There was no official word on the number of additional troops being sent to the kingdom but the Dawn newspaper quoted "multiple sources" hinting that it might be the size of a composite brigade. It also quoted army spokesman, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, that the new deployment would be much lesser than a division, and that he would give details later. Saudi Arabia has been pushing Pakistan to provide troops since 2015 when it joined Yemen's civil war but Pakistan steadily refused, saying it would not become the party to any regional conflict. The war in Yemen stalemated and the situation has aggravated with the rebels firing missiles at regular intervals towards the kingdom. The alliance of Muslim nations set up by Saudi Arabia and led by former Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif is also still in an early stage to play any role in the conflict. Bajwa earlier this month visited Saudi Arabia for three days and met officials including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Commander of Ground Forces Lt Gen Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz. It was his second visit to the kingdom in two months and reportedly played a role in Pakistan's decision to deploy troops. Pakistan is treading a fine line in maintaining relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Qatar and other regional players and the decision of deploying troops may annoy Saudi Arabia's rivals like Iran and Qatar. Bajwa has been playing a major role in addressing concerns of regional countries and met with ambassadors of Iran and Turkey earlier this week. He also recently visited Qatar and met its 'emir'. The decision may also create tension in Pakistan's internal politics as parliament had passed a resolution at the start of the Yemen crisis that said Pakistan would stay neutral in the conflict.

Pakistan to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia

Hockey&#39;s governing body indicated Thursday that Pakistan will take part in the men&#39;s World Cup this year in India despite acute tensions between the two countries.

Pakistan has qualified for the World Cup to be held in the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar between November 18 and December 16. But fears have been raised that Pakistan could skip the 16-team event as sporting ties between the neighbours are frozen.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) told AFP however that no participating nation has indicated problems that could lead to a withdrawal, or India refusing to let any nation attend.

&quot;We are looking forward to welcoming all 16 qualified teams. We have not received concerns from any of the participating teams nor the host about this matter,&quot; an FIH official told AFP in an email statement.

&quot;FIH strongly believes that hockey is an inclusive sport, aimed at celebrating diversity and promoting friendship and respect.&quot;

India&#39;s blind cricket team did not go to Pakistan in January for the 50-over World Cup, forcing their matches to be switched to the United Arab Emirates.

India and Pakistan&#39;s senior cricket teams have not played a bilateral series since 2013 because of the tense political climate. India accuses its neighbour of supporting militant activities, particularly in the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan&#39;s kabaddi, squash and wrestling teams also did not travel to India for marquee tournaments last year.

Pakistan, who did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup, is the most successful team in the sport&#39;s showpiece event with title wins in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.

Pakistan has qualified for the World Cup to be held in India but might there were speculations that they might skip it due to political turmoil

Hockey's governing body indicated Thursday that Pakistan will take part in the men's World Cup this year in India despite acute tensions between the two countries. Pakistan has qualified for the World Cup to be held in the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar between November 18 and December 16. But fears have been raised that Pakistan could skip the 16-team event as sporting ties between the neighbours are frozen. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) told AFP however that no participating nation has indicated problems that could lead to a withdrawal, or India refusing to let any nation attend. "We are looking forward to welcoming all 16 qualified teams. We have not received concerns from any of the participating teams nor the host about this matter," an FIH official told AFP in an email statement. "FIH strongly believes that hockey is an inclusive sport, aimed at celebrating diversity and promoting friendship and respect." India's blind cricket team did not go to Pakistan in January for the 50-over World Cup, forcing their matches to be switched to the United Arab Emirates. India and Pakistan's senior cricket teams have not played a bilateral series since 2013 because of the tense political climate. India accuses its neighbour of supporting militant activities, particularly in the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan's kabaddi, squash and wrestling teams also did not travel to India for marquee tournaments last year. Pakistan, who did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup, is the most successful team in the sport's showpiece event with title wins in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.

Pakistan to play Hockey World Cup in rival India confirms FIH

The Indian Army has killed at lat 20 Pakistan Rangers and left around 7 wounded in cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) this year.&nbsp;

The information was brought to light on Thursday and added that Indian Army has been doing pro-active operations along LoC due to ongoing ceasefire violations and due to reports of 180 to 200 terrorists waiting to cross South of Pir Panjal ranges which includes areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar.

&ldquo;Similar number of terrorists (180-200) are ready to cross LoC in North of Pir Panjal Ranges. In the action by Indian Army Pakistan has suffered 20 casualties &amp; 7 more were injured in 2018. This number was 138 casualties in 2017 with 156 people getting injured,&rdquo; ANI quoted.

The area south of Pir Panjal ranges includes Poonch, Rajouri, and Mendhar.

The insiders further revealed that the army is very much active in the Valley and is involved in pro-active operations due to the ongoing ceasefire violations.

Also, the Indian Army had suffered 10 casualties during ceasefire violations along the LoC this year.

They have been ordered to go ahead with cross firing in case of any act of violence by Pakistani troops along the LoC.&nbsp;

In 2017, the number of causalities on Pakistan side was 138. &nbsp;

(With ANI inputs)

Also, the Indian Army had suffered 10 casualties during ceasefire violations along the LoC this year

The Indian Army has killed at lat 20 Pakistan Rangers and left around 7 wounded in cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) this year. The information was brought to light on Thursday and added that Indian Army has been doing pro-active operations along LoC due to ongoing ceasefire violations and due to reports of 180 to 200 terrorists waiting to cross South of Pir Panjal ranges which includes areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar. “Similar number of terrorists (180-200) are ready to cross LoC in North of Pir Panjal Ranges. In the action by Indian Army Pakistan has suffered 20 casualties & 7 more were injured in 2018. This number was 138 casualties in 2017 with 156 people getting injured,” ANI quoted. The area south of Pir Panjal ranges includes Poonch, Rajouri, and Mendhar. The insiders further revealed that the army is very much active in the Valley and is involved in pro-active operations due to the ongoing ceasefire violations. Also, the Indian Army had suffered 10 casualties during ceasefire violations along the LoC this year. They have been ordered to go ahead with cross firing in case of any act of violence by Pakistani troops along the LoC. In 2017, the number of causalities on Pakistan side was 138. (With ANI inputs)

Indian Army killed 20 Pakistan Rangers this year

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