Former union home minister P Chidambaram posted a total of nine tweets on Kashmir on Sunday -- the gist of his argument being that the government&#39;s &quot;hard, militaristic&quot; approach in the state was not working.&nbsp;

&quot;From time to time we are rudely reminded that there is an issue concerning the state of Jammu &amp; Kashmir,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;The last reminder,&quot; he said, &quot;came on the night of 30-31 December 2017, when militants attacked the CRPF Training Centre at Lethpora in Pulwama district killing five CRPF personnel and injuring three.&quot;

Chidambaram also referred to the appointment by the government of Dineshwar Sharma as interlocutor on Kashmir.

&quot;...but his (Sharma&#39;s) mandate was not clear,&quot; Chidambaram said.&nbsp;

Chidambaram finally went on to say that &quot;If you are one of those who had thought that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach of the government should be given a chance, please look at the table once again. You may change your view.&quot;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-and-a-difficult-out-of-south-kashmir-3206" target="_blank">In and a difficult out of South Kashmir</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
1.From time to time we are rudely reminded that there is an issue concerning the state of Jammu &amp; Kashmir.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846056367304704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
2. The last reminder came on the night of 30-31 December 2017, when militants attacked the CRPF Training Centre at Lethpora in Pulwama district killing five CRPF personnel and injuring three.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846105314836482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
3. On the eve of the election in Gujarat, the government appointed Mr Dineshwar Sharma as Special Representative (SR), but his mandate was not clear.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846165008236544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
4. Subsequently, it was indicated that the SR will talk to anyone who was willing to meet him, and therein lies the catch.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846215646003202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
5. It was claimed that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach will put an end to infiltration and militancy. Has it? <a href="https://t.co/AkT6ESrbJe">pic.twitter.com/AkT6ESrbJe</a>
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846277881085952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
6. Wisdom lies in actively working to find a political solution to the issue of J&amp;K. Both Mr A B Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh will be remembered for their diligent efforts to find a solution to the issue.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846331157180416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
7. The way forward is to invite all stakeholders for talks.Unfortunately, the stakeholders have perceived the appointment of the SR as a pre-election gimmick and have totally rebuffed the good fellow.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846397720805376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
8. Still, all is not lost. I support the idea of interlocutors, but that step has to be part of a set of measures.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846548313137152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
9. If you are one of those who had thought that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach of the government should be given a chance, please look at the table once again. You may change your view.
&mdash; P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/949846589933199361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The BJP was quick to react, with GVL Narasimha Rao saying Chidambaram&#39;s ideas were a &quot;recipe for disaster&quot;.&nbsp;

Rao added that &quot;our forces are doing a fantastic job.&quot; And that Chidambaram should &quot;support them&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Stop acting as a Pakistani poodle advancing it&#39;s anti-India agenda,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Thiru Chidambaram,Your ideas on Kashmir are a recipe for disaster. Our forces are doing a fantastic job. Support them. Stop acting as a Pakistani poodle advancing it&#39;s anti-India agenda. Seems you are jealous of Thiru MS Aiyer &amp; trying to challenge him as Pak&#39;s &quot;Apologist No. 1&quot;. <a href="https://t.co/bgA0vhNsJK">https://t.co/bgA0vhNsJK</a>
&mdash; GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GVLNRAO/status/949866640228798464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Do you ever see Cong leaders attack Pak for killing our soldiers? No.They dine with Pak, rejoice Hafiz Saeed&#39;s release, show &quot;fake&quot; concern for forces but abuse them &amp; their Twitter handles act as Poodles of Pakistan. Shame on <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCIndia</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficeOfRG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PChidambaram_IN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KapilSibal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KapilSibal</a>
&mdash; GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) <a href="https://twitter.com/GVLNRAO/status/949879396894105600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Chidambaram posted a total of nine tweets on Kashmir. 'It was claimed that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach will put an end to infiltration and militancy. Has it?' he asked

Former union home minister P Chidambaram posted a total of nine tweets on Kashmir on Sunday -- the gist of his argument being that the government's "hard, militaristic" approach in the state was not working. "From time to time we are rudely reminded that there is an issue concerning the state of Jammu & Kashmir," he said. "The last reminder," he said, "came on the night of 30-31 December 2017, when militants attacked the CRPF Training Centre at Lethpora in Pulwama district killing five CRPF personnel and injuring three." Chidambaram also referred to the appointment by the government of Dineshwar Sharma as interlocutor on Kashmir. "...but his (Sharma's) mandate was not clear," Chidambaram said. Chidambaram finally went on to say that "If you are one of those who had thought that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach of the government should be given a chance, please look at the table once again. You may change your view." Also read: In and a difficult out of South Kashmir 1.From time to time we are rudely reminded that there is an issue concerning the state of Jammu & Kashmir. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 2. The last reminder came on the night of 30-31 December 2017, when militants attacked the CRPF Training Centre at Lethpora in Pulwama district killing five CRPF personnel and injuring three. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 3. On the eve of the election in Gujarat, the government appointed Mr Dineshwar Sharma as Special Representative (SR), but his mandate was not clear. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 4. Subsequently, it was indicated that the SR will talk to anyone who was willing to meet him, and therein lies the catch. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 5. It was claimed that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach will put an end to infiltration and militancy. Has it? pic.twitter.com/AkT6ESrbJe — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 6. Wisdom lies in actively working to find a political solution to the issue of J&K. Both Mr A B Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh will be remembered for their diligent efforts to find a solution to the issue. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 7. The way forward is to invite all stakeholders for talks.Unfortunately, the stakeholders have perceived the appointment of the SR as a pre-election gimmick and have totally rebuffed the good fellow. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 8. Still, all is not lost. I support the idea of interlocutors, but that step has to be part of a set of measures. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × 9. If you are one of those who had thought that the hard, muscular, militaristic approach of the government should be given a chance, please look at the table once again. You may change your view. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 7, 2018 × The BJP was quick to react, with GVL Narasimha Rao saying Chidambaram's ideas were a "recipe for disaster". Rao added that "our forces are doing a fantastic job." And that Chidambaram should "support them". "Stop acting as a Pakistani poodle advancing it's anti-India agenda," he added. Thiru Chidambaram,Your ideas on Kashmir are a recipe for disaster. Our forces are doing a fantastic job. Support them. Stop acting as a Pakistani poodle advancing it's anti-India agenda. Seems you are jealous of Thiru MS Aiyer & trying to challenge him as Pak's "Apologist No. 1". https://t.co/bgA0vhNsJK — GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) January 7, 2018 × Do you ever see Cong leaders attack Pak for killing our soldiers? No.They dine with Pak, rejoice Hafiz Saeed's release, show "fake" concern for forces but abuse them & their Twitter handles act as Poodles of Pakistan. Shame on @INCIndia & @OfficeOfRG @PChidambaram_IN @KapilSibal — GVL Narasimha Rao (@GVLNRAO) January 7, 2018 ×

Government's 'hard' approach in Kashmir not working, Chidambaram tweets; BJP calls him 'Pakistani poodle'

United States Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster met the Foreign Secretary S&nbsp;Jaishankar on Friday to discuss the bilateral issues between two countries.

The discussion comes amid&nbsp;Trump&#39;s decision to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-blocks-usd-255-million-military-aid-to-pakistan-28291">block military aid</a> to Pakistan, saying that they have not taken the required steps to fight terrorism.&nbsp;

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday also said that the country has played a &quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-has-played-a-double-game-with-us-for-years-nikki-haley-28383">double game</a>&quot; with the United States for years.

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert on Thursday announced that this decision would not change unless Pakistan gears up and takes necessary action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

&quot;No country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan. They understand that, but they still haven&#39;t taken the necessary steps,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

The United States earlier suspended its $255 million military aid to Pakistan for now, the White House had&nbsp;confirmed, saying the fate of such assistance will depend on Islamabad&#39;s response to terrorism on its soil.

The confirmation comes on the same day when US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

However, the US is only stopping the security aid, the humanitarian assistance to Pakistan will continue.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

The discussion comes amid Trump's decision to block military aid to Pakistan, saying that they have not taken the required steps to fight terrorism

United States Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster met the Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Friday to discuss the bilateral issues between two countries. The discussion comes amid Trump's decision to block military aid to Pakistan, saying that they have not taken the required steps to fight terrorism. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Tuesday also said that the country has played a "double game" with the United States for years. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert on Thursday announced that this decision would not change unless Pakistan gears up and takes necessary action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. "No country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan. They understand that, but they still haven't taken the necessary steps," she said. The United States earlier suspended its $255 million military aid to Pakistan for now, the White House had confirmed, saying the fate of such assistance will depend on Islamabad's response to terrorism on its soil. The confirmation comes on the same day when US President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years. However, the US is only stopping the security aid, the humanitarian assistance to Pakistan will continue. (With inputs from ANI)

US, India discuss bilateral issues amid military aid cut-off to Pakistan

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 61 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis system in a rain-shortened first one-day international in Wellington on Saturday.

New Zealand made 315 for seven after being sent into bat in the opening one-day international Pakistan were 166 for six after 30.1 overs when rain forced the players from the field.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&ldquo;We knew it was important to start well against a quality Pakistan side who will continue to challenge us in this series.&rdquo; - Kane Williamson <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvPAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/foC2KYuoeb">pic.twitter.com/foC2KYuoeb</a>
&mdash; BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/BLACKCAPS/status/949517928084357121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

In the New Zealand innings, Kane Williamson made 115,&nbsp;Colin Munro 58, Henry Nicholls made 50 and Hasan Ali took three for 61.

Fakhar Zaman was not out 82 for Pakistan and bowling for New Zealand Tim Southee had three for 22.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
New Zealand go 1-0 up in the 1st ODI after rain curtails Pakistan&#39;s chase. The hosts win by 61 runs (DLS Method). 
 
SCORECARD: <a href="https://t.co/9cMMdePI71">https://t.co/9cMMdePI71</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvPAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/k15WXPqB7P">pic.twitter.com/k15WXPqB7P</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/949517480644489217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Scoreboard

New Zealand:

315 for 7 wickets (50 overs) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Fall of wickets: 1-83 (Munro), 2-156 (Guptill), 3-192 (Taylor), 4-198 (Latham), 5-288 (Williamson), 6-297 (Nicholls), 7-311 (Santner)

Bowling: Mohammad Amir 9-2-57-1 (1w), Rumman Raees 10-0-68-1 (2w), Hasan Ali 10-0-61-3, Shadab Khan 9-0-49-0 (1w), Faheem Ashraf 9-0-58-1 (2w), Fakhar Zaman 3-0-19-1

Pakistan:

166 for six wickets (30.1 overs) DLS method

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Azhar Ali), 2-7 (Babar Azam), 3-13 (Mohammad Hafeez), 4-37 (Shoaib Malik), 5-54 (Sarfraz Ahmed), 6-132 (Shadab Khan)

Bowling: Southee 6.1-0-22-3 (2w), Boult 6-1-35-2 (2w), Ferguson 7-0-40-0 (3w), Santner 6-1-39-0 (3w), Astle 5-0-29-1.

&nbsp;

Pakistan were 166 for six after 30.1 overs when rain forced the players from the field

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 61 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis system in a rain-shortened first one-day international in Wellington on Saturday. New Zealand made 315 for seven after being sent into bat in the opening one-day international Pakistan were 166 for six after 30.1 overs when rain forced the players from the field. “We knew it was important to start well against a quality Pakistan side who will continue to challenge us in this series.” - Kane Williamson #NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/foC2KYuoeb — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) January 6, 2018 × In the New Zealand innings, Kane Williamson made 115, Colin Munro 58, Henry Nicholls made 50 and Hasan Ali took three for 61. Fakhar Zaman was not out 82 for Pakistan and bowling for New Zealand Tim Southee had three for 22. New Zealand go 1-0 up in the 1st ODI after rain curtails Pakistan's chase. The hosts win by 61 runs (DLS Method). SCORECARD: https://t.co/9cMMdePI71 #NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/k15WXPqB7P — ICC (@ICC) January 6, 2018 × Scoreboard New Zealand: 315 for 7 wickets (50 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-83 (Munro), 2-156 (Guptill), 3-192 (Taylor), 4-198 (Latham), 5-288 (Williamson), 6-297 (Nicholls), 7-311 (Santner) Bowling: Mohammad Amir 9-2-57-1 (1w), Rumman Raees 10-0-68-1 (2w), Hasan Ali 10-0-61-3, Shadab Khan 9-0-49-0 (1w), Faheem Ashraf 9-0-58-1 (2w), Fakhar Zaman 3-0-19-1 Pakistan: 166 for six wickets (30.1 overs) DLS method Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Azhar Ali), 2-7 (Babar Azam), 3-13 (Mohammad Hafeez), 4-37 (Shoaib Malik), 5-54 (Sarfraz Ahmed), 6-132 (Shadab Khan) Bowling: Southee 6.1-0-22-3 (2w), Boult 6-1-35-2 (2w), Ferguson 7-0-40-0 (3w), Santner 6-1-39-0 (3w), Astle 5-0-29-1.

New Zealand trounce Pakistan in 1st ODI

The Indian blind cricket team left for the United Arab Emirates Saturday to take part in the World Cup after failing to secure permission to play in neighbouring Pakistan.

India had been due to play archrivals Pakistan, who they beat in the 2014 Blind Cricket World Cup final, in Faisalabad on Monday.

But instead Pakistan has arranged for India&#39;s games to be played in Ajman and Sharjah in the UAE because of tense relations between the nuclear-armed countries.

The fifth edition of the tournament starts Sunday and ends on January 21, with Australia and the West Indies also to be based in UAE due to security concerns.

The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) told AFP it had to make the last-minute schedule change because the Indian government did not respond to its request for permission to go to Pakistan.

&quot;We are yet to receive any official communication from them. Till they write to us we are not allowed to go. So all our matches are shifted to Dubai (Ajman),&quot; CABI president G K Mahantesh said.

&quot;If we reach the final then it will be shifted from Lahore to Sharjah,&quot; he said late Friday before leaving with the team.

Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) expressed disappointment over the Indian foreign ministry&#39;s silence on the event.

India and Pakistan&#39;s senior cricket teams have not played a bilateral series since 2013 because of the tense political climate.

However Pakistan&#39;s blind cricket team travelled to India for last year&#39;s inaugural Twenty20 World Cup that was won by the host nation.

India won the 50-over World Cup for the Blind in 2014 in Cape Town, beating Pakistan in the final.

&nbsp;

The fifth edition of the World Cup starts from Sunday and will end on January 21

The Indian blind cricket team left for the United Arab Emirates Saturday to take part in the World Cup after failing to secure permission to play in neighbouring Pakistan. India had been due to play archrivals Pakistan, who they beat in the 2014 Blind Cricket World Cup final, in Faisalabad on Monday. But instead Pakistan has arranged for India's games to be played in Ajman and Sharjah in the UAE because of tense relations between the nuclear-armed countries. The fifth edition of the tournament starts Sunday and ends on January 21, with Australia and the West Indies also to be based in UAE due to security concerns. The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) told AFP it had to make the last-minute schedule change because the Indian government did not respond to its request for permission to go to Pakistan. "We are yet to receive any official communication from them. Till they write to us we are not allowed to go. So all our matches are shifted to Dubai (Ajman)," CABI president G K Mahantesh said. "If we reach the final then it will be shifted from Lahore to Sharjah," he said late Friday before leaving with the team. Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) expressed disappointment over the Indian foreign ministry's silence on the event. India and Pakistan's senior cricket teams have not played a bilateral series since 2013 because of the tense political climate. However Pakistan's blind cricket team travelled to India for last year's inaugural Twenty20 World Cup that was won by the host nation. India won the 50-over World Cup for the Blind in 2014 in Cape Town, beating Pakistan in the final.

Indian blind cricket team leaves for UAE owing to last-minute schedule change

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif today alleged that US President Donald Trump&#39;s recent remarks against his country showed that he was &quot;talking in the language of India&quot;.

Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security about the tension between Pakistan and the US following Trump&#39;s remarks, Asif said the US is making Islamabad a scapegoat for its failure in Afghanistan.

Trump had accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; in return for USD 33 billion aid.

Sources privy to the discussion in the meeting said Asif told lawmakers, &quot;Trump was speaking in the language of India.&quot;

&quot;The statements from the US leaders are contrary to the facts,&quot; Asif said.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who heads the body, told the media after the meeting that there should be &quot;balanced response&quot; to the statements from the US.

&quot;The country&#39;s dignity should be maintained while engaging with the US,&quot; he said.

He said the committee has decided to reconvene next week for a briefing by security agencies.

The closed-door meeting came on the heels of a high-level National Security Committee meet and the cabinet meeting earlier this week.

Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir was also present in the meeting.

Dastagir said when US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary James Mattis visited Pakistan, they presented their stance in accordance with diplomatic norms and the talks were not threatening and insulting, Geo TV reported.

&quot;(But) this was present in Trump&#39;s tweet and before that when US Vice President Mike Pence made the &#39;put Pakistan on notice&#39; statement from Afghanistan,&quot; the defence minister said, referring to the threatening tone of the US leaders.

&quot;We need to have a holistic review of the entire situation. We are conducting a complete analysis and coolly formulating our response,&quot; he said, adding that there should not be any doubts when it comes to the defence of Pakistan.

&quot;The question is will America create a situation which will harm Pakistan...We are ready for this but still want to engage the US,&quot; he shared.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and NSA Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua also briefed the participants.

Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security about the tension between Pakistan and the US following Trump's remarks, Pakistan Foreign minister Asif said the US is making Islamabad a scapegoat for its failure in Afghanistan

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif today alleged that US President Donald Trump's recent remarks against his country showed that he was "talking in the language of India". Briefing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security about the tension between Pakistan and the US following Trump's remarks, Asif said the US is making Islamabad a scapegoat for its failure in Afghanistan. Trump had accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" in return for USD 33 billion aid. Sources privy to the discussion in the meeting said Asif told lawmakers, "Trump was speaking in the language of India." "The statements from the US leaders are contrary to the facts," Asif said. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who heads the body, told the media after the meeting that there should be "balanced response" to the statements from the US. "The country's dignity should be maintained while engaging with the US," he said. He said the committee has decided to reconvene next week for a briefing by security agencies. The closed-door meeting came on the heels of a high-level National Security Committee meet and the cabinet meeting earlier this week. Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir was also present in the meeting. Dastagir said when US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary James Mattis visited Pakistan, they presented their stance in accordance with diplomatic norms and the talks were not threatening and insulting, Geo TV reported. "(But) this was present in Trump's tweet and before that when US Vice President Mike Pence made the 'put Pakistan on notice' statement from Afghanistan," the defence minister said, referring to the threatening tone of the US leaders. "We need to have a holistic review of the entire situation. We are conducting a complete analysis and coolly formulating our response," he said, adding that there should not be any doubts when it comes to the defence of Pakistan. "The question is will America create a situation which will harm Pakistan...We are ready for this but still want to engage the US," he shared. Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and NSA Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua also briefed the participants.

Trump 'talking in the language of India', Pakistan Foreign Minister

Two Hindu brothers were today shot dead outside their grain shop by bike-borne robbers in Tharparkar district of Pakistan&#39;s Sindh province, triggering protests from the minority community.

The victims, identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari were grain traders. They were opening their shop in the grain market in Mithi area of the district when the incident took place, a media reported.

According to police, in the first-ever robbery incident in the city, bike-borne dacoits tried to snatch the money from the brothers, but when they resisted, the robbers shot them.

Following the incident, traders shut their business in Hindu-dominated areas in the district in protest and people blocked main roads and staged sit-ins, leading to traffic jams.

Local people alleged that police reached late at the spot as most of the personnel have been deployed in Mirpurkhas for the security arrangement of a rally organised by the Pakistan Peoples&#39; Party (PPP), where former President Asif Ali Zardari is supposed to address, the report said.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal directed the Senior Superintendent of Police of Umerkot to probe the killing.

The victims, identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari were grain traders. They were opening their shop in the grain market in Mithi area of the district when the incident took place, a media reported

Two Hindu brothers were today shot dead outside their grain shop by bike-borne robbers in Tharparkar district of Pakistan's Sindh province, triggering protests from the minority community. The victims, identified as Dileep Kumar and Chandar Maheshwari were grain traders. They were opening their shop in the grain market in Mithi area of the district when the incident took place, a media reported. According to police, in the first-ever robbery incident in the city, bike-borne dacoits tried to snatch the money from the brothers, but when they resisted, the robbers shot them. Following the incident, traders shut their business in Hindu-dominated areas in the district in protest and people blocked main roads and staged sit-ins, leading to traffic jams. Local people alleged that police reached late at the spot as most of the personnel have been deployed in Mirpurkhas for the security arrangement of a rally organised by the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), where former President Asif Ali Zardari is supposed to address, the report said. Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal directed the Senior Superintendent of Police of Umerkot to probe the killing.

Two Pakistani Hindu businessmen shot dead in Sindh

As you move westwards from Gwadar Town on Makran Coastal Highway, after about 55 kilometres, a sign reads to the road leading to Jiwani, a small town with a population of about 22000, surrounded by lush mangroves and pristine beaches where endangered sea creatures like Green Turtles and Olive Ridley come for nesting.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The strategically located town is just 34 kilometres away from the Iranian border, and can significantly control all the movements through the Persian Gulf. The main business is fishing and, hence, there are many small export-oriented fish packaging plants operating here.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The town is located on a small peninsula projecting into the sea and, hence, has a dominating position in the area. This is the reason why Pakistan has created a small naval base, some observation and surveillance facilities with a small 1700-meter runway for the landing of aircrafts.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/jiwani%202-20180105072922.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
The pristine Jiwani beach (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Stories tell that it was a major airfield used by the Allied forces during WWII, the traces of which are still found on the coastal town in the form of broken airstrips, traces of broken barracks, a Victoria Hut made probably to host the Queen here. You can find a marvel of the engineering, in the form of an old water storage facility and purification system. These were used in WWII to not only collect rainwater and purify it in various stages but also pump it to the locations up to 5kms away, using a setup of pipelines and small water channels.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

18 December 2017 was just like an ordinary day for the people of Jiwani and the Coast Guard detachment stationed there when a large cavalcade of vehicles approached the place. Such sightings are not common so it piqued the interest of locals. The guests were unique too, 16 senior Chinese military officers and about 10 Pakistani military officers with their support staff. Over next few hours, the entire group visited the small peninsula, its coastline and inspected other infrastructure before returning to Gwadar late in the evening.

&nbsp;

Over the next few days, Pakistani officers were busy signing an agreement with Chinese PLA on constructing a strong Chinese military base at Jiwani where China will invest over $500 million in the form of grants to be given to locals towards their resettlement at some other location. Also, another $230 million will come from the Chinese towards the construction of a military base with an advanced airport to handle all types of cargo. As per the project report, all the residents of Jiwani will be shifted to other towns in Baluchistan after being paid due compensation for their losses.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The String of Pearls is a reality coming up very fast. As recent as last July, China started operating from its newly constructed military base at Djibouti, a strategic town located in the Horn of Africa. The base came up quite fast and, within a year, all the desired constructions and activation of the facilities were completed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/jiwani%20board-20180105073018.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Jiwani is just 34 kilometres away from the Iranian border. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Both Djibouti and Jiwani has a striking similarity.&nbsp; Both are located on two most important and strategic oil routes of the world. While Djibouti is located at the mouth of Red Sea and can control the entire movement through the Suez Canal, Jiwani has the potential to control the movement of the entire Persian Gulf. The current presence of a large number of PLA Soldiers and their warlike equipment in Gwadar Port suggests that they are going to operationalise the Jiwani base at the earliest.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Gwadar has a limitation of being the primary port of CPEC; there is a lot of commercial movement and, hence, stationing a large and dedicated military detachment there is not very advisable. That&rsquo;s why China selected the old and trusted base of Jiwani which has all the necessary facets to cater to PLA&rsquo;s interests.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Whether it is Hambantota, Djibouti or Jiwani, China is clever enough to safeguard its interests. It is establishing military bases at all strategic sea routes so that its supplies and exports are uninterrupted. Also, it creates a kind of security pressure on the neighbouring countries, especially India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

China is stuck up in many conflicts as of now. Whether it is South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea, Indo- China Border Dispute or Sino- America tug of war, China needs to have military bases located strategically on its supply routes so that it can sustain its export-based economy and ensure uninterrupted supply of oil. It already got some committed allies in Indian Peninsula, namely Pakistan and Sri Lanka who are suffering from a crippling economy and corrupt leadership and, hence, are compelled to dance to its tunes.&nbsp;

These bases also provide support to its One Belt One Road Initiative to ensure that its exports reach the destination safely.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India has a genuine concern in this scenario. While the establishment of these bases cannot be stopped, it is high time that being the leader of South Asia, India should make a robust plan to counter anything violating its interest.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

China is establishing military bases at all strategic sea routes, including Jiwani in Pakistan. It t creates a kind of security pressure on the neighbouring countries, especially India.

As you move westwards from Gwadar Town on Makran Coastal Highway, after about 55 kilometres, a sign reads to the road leading to Jiwani, a small town with a population of about 22000, surrounded by lush mangroves and pristine beaches where endangered sea creatures like Green Turtles and Olive Ridley come for nesting. The strategically located town is just 34 kilometres away from the Iranian border, and can significantly control all the movements through the Persian Gulf. The main business is fishing and, hence, there are many small export-oriented fish packaging plants operating here. The town is located on a small peninsula projecting into the sea and, hence, has a dominating position in the area. This is the reason why Pakistan has created a small naval base, some observation and surveillance facilities with a small 1700-meter runway for the landing of aircrafts. The pristine Jiwani beach (Others) × Stories tell that it was a major airfield used by the Allied forces during WWII, the traces of which are still found on the coastal town in the form of broken airstrips, traces of broken barracks, a Victoria Hut made probably to host the Queen here. You can find a marvel of the engineering, in the form of an old water storage facility and purification system. These were used in WWII to not only collect rainwater and purify it in various stages but also pump it to the locations up to 5kms away, using a setup of pipelines and small water channels. 18 December 2017 was just like an ordinary day for the people of Jiwani and the Coast Guard detachment stationed there when a large cavalcade of vehicles approached the place. Such sightings are not common so it piqued the interest of locals. The guests were unique too, 16 senior Chinese military officers and about 10 Pakistani military officers with their support staff. Over next few hours, the entire group visited the small peninsula, its coastline and inspected other infrastructure before returning to Gwadar late in the evening. Over the next few days, Pakistani officers were busy signing an agreement with Chinese PLA on constructing a strong Chinese military base at Jiwani where China will invest over $500 million in the form of grants to be given to locals towards their resettlement at some other location. Also, another $230 million will come from the Chinese towards the construction of a military base with an advanced airport to handle all types of cargo. As per the project report, all the residents of Jiwani will be shifted to other towns in Baluchistan after being paid due compensation for their losses. The String of Pearls is a reality coming up very fast. As recent as last July, China started operating from its newly constructed military base at Djibouti, a strategic town located in the Horn of Africa. The base came up quite fast and, within a year, all the desired constructions and activation of the facilities were completed. Jiwani is just 34 kilometres away from the Iranian border. (Others) × Both Djibouti and Jiwani has a striking similarity. Both are located on two most important and strategic oil routes of the world. While Djibouti is located at the mouth of Red Sea and can control the entire movement through the Suez Canal, Jiwani has the potential to control the movement of the entire Persian Gulf. The current presence of a large number of PLA Soldiers and their warlike equipment in Gwadar Port suggests that they are going to operationalise the Jiwani base at the earliest. Gwadar has a limitation of being the primary port of CPEC; there is a lot of commercial movement and, hence, stationing a large and dedicated military detachment there is not very advisable. That’s why China selected the old and trusted base of Jiwani which has all the necessary facets to cater to PLA’s interests. Whether it is Hambantota, Djibouti or Jiwani, China is clever enough to safeguard its interests. It is establishing military bases at all strategic sea routes so that its supplies and exports are uninterrupted. Also, it creates a kind of security pressure on the neighbouring countries, especially India. China is stuck up in many conflicts as of now. Whether it is South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea, Indo- China Border Dispute or Sino- America tug of war, China needs to have military bases located strategically on its supply routes so that it can sustain its export-based economy and ensure uninterrupted supply of oil. It already got some committed allies in Indian Peninsula, namely Pakistan and Sri Lanka who are suffering from a crippling economy and corrupt leadership and, hence, are compelled to dance to its tunes. These bases also provide support to its One Belt One Road Initiative to ensure that its exports reach the destination safely. India has a genuine concern in this scenario. While the establishment of these bases cannot be stopped, it is high time that being the leader of South Asia, India should make a robust plan to counter anything violating its interest. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: China's first military base in Pakistan is grave threat to India

Hafiz Saeed today sued <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistani-actor-praises-terrorist-hafiz-saeed-calls-him-promoter-of-religious-tolerance-humanity-28338">Pakistan defence minister Khurram</a> Dastgir Khan for $100 million in a defamation suit even as Pakistan refused to take action against Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief.

In a statement, Pakistan <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-opposes-hafiz-saeeds-mml-registration-as-political-party-27527">defence minister had said</a>&nbsp;earlier that &quot;actions&quot; taken against JuD was not due to US pressure but was part of an operation against the religious outfit Rad-ul-fasad.

The JuD chief has openly criticised the US ever since he was released from house arrest last month.

Last week Hafiz had called all Islamic states to launch a &#39;jihad&#39; against the United States and Israel after US President Bush decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

India accuses the JuD chief of being the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack.

In a controversial move last week, the Pakistani government defended Hafiz Saeed after Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan Walid Abu Ali participated in a rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi along with the Saeed.

During the rally Saeed, who was among the speakers, accused Israel and the Indian leadership of &quot;destroying world peace&quot;.

India was quick to criticise the move leading the Palestinian authority to recall Walid Abu Ali from Pakistan.

India accuses the JuD of being the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack

Hafiz Saeed today sued Pakistan defence minister Khurram Dastgir Khan for $100 million in a defamation suit even as Pakistan refused to take action against Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief. In a statement, Pakistan defence minister had said earlier that "actions" taken against JuD was not due to US pressure but was part of an operation against the religious outfit Rad-ul-fasad. The JuD chief has openly criticised the US ever since he was released from house arrest last month. Last week Hafiz had called all Islamic states to launch a 'jihad' against the United States and Israel after US President Bush decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. India accuses the JuD chief of being the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attack. In a controversial move last week, the Pakistani government defended Hafiz Saeed after Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan Walid Abu Ali participated in a rally in the garrison city of Rawalpindi along with the Saeed. During the rally Saeed, who was among the speakers, accused Israel and the Indian leadership of "destroying world peace". India was quick to criticise the move leading the Palestinian authority to recall Walid Abu Ali from Pakistan.

JuD chief Hafiz Saeed sues Pakistan defence minister for $100 million

The US has suspended more than US$1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take &quot;decisive actions&quot; against them.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for US$33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes US$255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the&nbsp;fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire US$900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017 (September 30).

&quot;Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law.

Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel.

Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to US$900 million for Pakistan in CSF.

Of these funds, US$400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network.

&quot;At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that&#39;s the entire amount of US$900 million,&quot; Andrews said.

During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan.

&quot;I prefer not to address that right now because it&#39;s obviously still being formulated as policy. But I&#39;ll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there,&quot; he said.

According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.

The deadline for that is September 30 this year.

Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said.

&quot;They may say it&#39;s a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan,&quot; Nauert said.

Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said.

&quot;Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps,&quot; she added.

&quot;People have long asked, why don&#39;t you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region,&quot; she said.

&quot;They understand that, but still they aren&#39;t taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism,&quot; she said.

In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups.

&quot;We have not done anything that&#39;s irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan if they undertake to take the measures that we&#39;ve asked of them,&quot; a senior administration official said in response to a question.

Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible.

&quot;Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don&#39;t care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani&#39;s is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal,&quot; the official said.

&quot;So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don&#39;t want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they&#39;re going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing,&quot; the official added. 
According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law.

&quot;Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they&#39;re determined to be critical for national security interests,&quot; the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time.

&quot;Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek,&quot; the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time.

This suspension includes FMF 2016 (US$255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered.

Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan.

However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan.

&quot;Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US,&quot; the official said.

The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance.

&quot;We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we&#39;re talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn&#39;t make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we&#39;re asking for,&quot; the official said.

The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media.

&quot;We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road,&quot; the official said.

&quot;Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration&#39;s immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing,&quot; the State Department Official said.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes US $255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the?fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

The US has suspended more than US$1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them. The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for US$33 billion aid over the last 15 years. Prominent among the suspended amount includes US$255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress. In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire US$900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017 (September 30). "Today we can confirm that we are suspending national security assistance only, to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. We consider them to be destabilising the region and also targeting US personnel. The US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters. The US, she said, will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law. Referring to the new South Asia Policy announced by Trump in August, Nauert said despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilise Afghanistan and also attack the US and allied personnel. Department of Defense Spokesperson Lt Col Mike Andrews told that National Defense Authorisation Act 2017 provides up to US$900 million for Pakistan in CSF. Of these funds, US$400 million can only be released if the Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis certifies that the Pakistan government has taken specific actions against the Haqqani Network. "At this stage all Fiscal Year 17 CSF have been suspended, so that's the entire amount of US$900 million," Andrews said. During an interaction with Pentagon reporters, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis did not respond to question if he was in favour of cutting off the aid to Pakistan. "I prefer not to address that right now because it's obviously still being formulated as policy. But I'll give my advice on it to the president. I also agree on some confidentiality there," he said. According to a senior State Department official, no decision has been taken on the fate of USD 255 million security assistance to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017. The deadline for that is September 30 this year. Mattis along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have travelled to Pakistan in recent months to deliver a tough message to their leadership. So, this action should not come as a surprise to them, Nauert said. "They may say it's a surprise, but what is no surprise is that the President has expressed his concerns, Secretary Tillerson has expressed his concerns, as has Secretary Mattis, and I imagine many other government officials having those conversations with Pakistan," Nauert said. Now, the money that has been suspended at this time does not mean that it will be suspended forever, she said. "Pakistan has the ability to get this money back, in the future, but they have to take decisive action. They have to take decisive steps," she added. "People have long asked, why don't you do more about Pakistan, and I think this sort of answers that question. Obviously, Pakistan is important, an important relationship to the US, because together we can work hard to combat terrorism. Perhaps no other country has suffered more from terrorism than Pakistan and many other countries in that part of the region," she said. "They understand that, but still they aren't taking the steps that they need to take in order to fight terrorism," she said. In an interaction with reporters, two senior state department officials asserted that such a move is not a punishment, but to provide an incentive to Pakistan to take more action against terrorist groups. "We have not done anything that's irreversible here. All this funding is available to Pakistan if they undertake to take the measures that we've asked of them," a senior administration official said in response to a question. Noting that a country is going to react very differently to an irreversible step, the official hoped Pakistan would react differently that they would react to something which is reversible. "Pakistanis have repeatedly said we don't care about this money. What matters I think to the Pakistani's is that it is the symbolism of doing this that it represents a deterioration of our relationship that they care about a great deal," the official said. "So we were hoping that this is an incentive that they don't want to see this relationship deteriorate any further and that they're going to commit to working with us to try to find a way to put it on a more solid footing," the official added. According to another senior administration official, as part of the latest decision, the US will now not deliver military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless required by law. "Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis if they're determined to be critical for national security interests," the official said, adding that this suspension is not a permanent cut off at this time. "Security assistance funding and pending deliveries will be frozen but not cancelled as we continue to hope Pakistan will take the decisive action against terrorists the militant groups that we seek," the official said, adding that the US does not intend to reprogram any funds at this time. This suspension includes FMF 2016 (US$255 million) as well as prior year FMF that has not yet been spent or delivered. Final figures are still being calculated, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The suspension also includes coalition support funds for Pakistan. However, the suspension does not include US civilian assistance programs in Pakistan. "Pakistan remains an important country in the region and in the world and has historically been a vital partner for the US," the official said. The State Department official defended the decision not to suspend civilian assistance. "We all have no reason to believe that civilian assistance represents any form of leverage. The elements of the Pakistani government that needs to take the steps that we're talking about are not touched by civilian assistance. So, it wouldn't make any sense to tie civilian assistance to those steps that we're asking for," the official said. The US has been holding regular talks with Pakistan, the official said, adding that they do not believe that talks are an impasse as reported in some section of the media. "We are having conversations on a weekly basis at senior levels with the Pakistanis. Our hope is not that they will see this as the end of the road," the official said. "Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration's immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we asked in order to put it on a more solid footing," the State Department Official said.

US suspends over $1.1 billion security assistance to Pakistan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-targets-book-threatens-ex-ally-bannon-with-legal-action-28582" target="_blank">Explosive book on Trump&#39;s White House to be released early after Trump&#39;s lawyers try to block it</a>

President Donald Trump&#39;s lawyer said on Thursday he would try to stop publication of a book that portrays an inept president in a fumbling White House and threatened legal action against former top aide Steve Bannon over &quot;defamatory&quot; comments in the book. &quot;Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House&quot; by author Michael Wolff set off a political firestorm with its portrayal of Trump as not particularly wanting to win the U.S. presidency in 2016 and unprepared for the job.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-kabul-suicide-attack-28581" target="_blank">Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul suicide attack</a>

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Thursday in Afghanistan&#39;s capital Kabul, the militant group&rsquo;s Amaq news agency said. Officials in the capital said the attacker blew himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-suspends-security-assistance-to-pakistan-28587" target="_blank">Watch: </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-suspends-security-assistance-to-pakistan-28587" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-suspends-security-assistance-to-pakistan-28587" target="_blank"> suspends security assistance to Pakistan</a>

The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. &quot;Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan,&quot; &nbsp;said Heather Nauert.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/a-failed-north-korean-missile-launch-crashed-into-its-own-city-last-year-reports-28586" target="_blank">A failed North Korean missile launch crashed into its own city last year: Reports</a>

North Korea reportedly tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) called Hwasong-12 in April last year, which came crashing down in a North Korean city. The failed launch of Hwasong-12 crashed in Tokchon just a few seconds after being in the air, media reports said.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/apple-to-issue-fix-for-iphones-macs-at-risk-from-spectre-chip-flaw-28585" target="_blank">Apple to issue fix for iPhones, Macs at risk from &#39;Spectre&#39; chip flaw</a>

Apple Inc will release a patch for the Safari web browser on its iPhones, iPads and Macs within days, it said on Thursday after major chipmakers disclosed flaws that leave nearly every modern computing device vulnerable to hackers. On Wednesday, Alphabet Inc&#39;s &nbsp;Google and other security researchers disclosed two major chip flaws, one called Meltdown affecting only Intel Corp chips and one called Spectre affecting nearly all computer chips made in the last decade. The news sparked a sell-off in Intel&#39;s stock as investors tried to gauge the costs to the chipmaker.

Explosive book on Trump's White House to be released early after Trump's lawyers try to block it President Donald Trump's lawyer said on Thursday he would try to stop publication of a book that portrays an inept president in a fumbling White House and threatened legal action against former top aide Steve Bannon over "defamatory" comments in the book. "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by author Michael Wolff set off a political firestorm with its portrayal of Trump as not particularly wanting to win the U.S. presidency in 2016 and unprepared for the job. Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul suicide attack Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on Thursday in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, the militant group’s Amaq news agency said. Officials in the capital said the attacker blew himself up close to a group of security personnel who were carrying out an operation against illegal drugs and alcohol dealing. Watch: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. "Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," said Heather Nauert. A failed North Korean missile launch crashed into its own city last year: Reports North Korea reportedly tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) called Hwasong-12 in April last year, which came crashing down in a North Korean city. The failed launch of Hwasong-12 crashed in Tokchon just a few seconds after being in the air, media reports said. Apple to issue fix for iPhones, Macs at risk from 'Spectre' chip flaw Apple Inc will release a patch for the Safari web browser on its iPhones, iPads and Macs within days, it said on Thursday after major chipmakers disclosed flaws that leave nearly every modern computing device vulnerable to hackers. On Wednesday, Alphabet Inc's Google and other security researchers disclosed two major chip flaws, one called Meltdown affecting only Intel Corp chips and one called Spectre affecting nearly all computer chips made in the last decade. The news sparked a sell-off in Intel's stock as investors tried to gauge the costs to the chipmaker.

WION Morning News Brief, January 5, 2018

The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert <a href="https://t.co/IZYqxboEVU">pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949096879924527104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan,&quot; &nbsp;said Heather Nauert.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;Until the Pak Govt takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan&quot; says Heather Nauert <a href="https://t.co/3wMKmXMAwL">pic.twitter.com/3wMKmXMAwL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949097435686617088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The White House on Wednesday said Pakistan needs to step up its fight against terrorism as it defended President Donald Trump over his accusation that Islamabad deceived the US by sheltering terrorists in return for $33 billion aid.

&quot;We know that Pakistan can do more to fight and stop terrorism and we want them to step up and do that. That seems pretty simple,&quot; White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as &quot;fools&quot;

The Trump administration has already decided to withhold $225 million military aid to Pakistan.&nbsp;

Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as "fools"

The United States has suspended security assistance to Pakistan, revealed State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert. #WATCH: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan, says State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/IZYqxboEVU — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × "Until the Pakistan government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan," said Heather Nauert. "Until the Pak Govt takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel, US will suspend that kind of security assistance to Pakistan" says Heather Nauert pic.twitter.com/3wMKmXMAwL — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × The White House on Wednesday said Pakistan needs to step up its fight against terrorism as it defended President Donald Trump over his accusation that Islamabad deceived the US by sheltering terrorists in return for $33 billion aid. "We know that Pakistan can do more to fight and stop terrorism and we want them to step up and do that. That seems pretty simple," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference. Trump, on Monday, tore into Pakistan accusing it of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for aid over the last 15 years thinking of American leaders as "fools" The Trump administration has already decided to withhold $225 million military aid to Pakistan.

Watch: US suspends security assistance to Pakistan

It had to happen one day. Pakistan&rsquo;s predicament reminds one of the famous statement of Abraham Lincoln: &ldquo;You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.&rdquo;

And it took 15 years for a US President to realise that his country was being taken for a royal ride by none other than its strategic ally in the name of the so-called fight against terrorism.

&#39;&#39;The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies &amp; deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!,&#39;&#39; President Donald Trump tweeted, rattling Pakistan on the New Year day.&nbsp;

The tweet sent shivers down the spine of Pakistan&rsquo;s civilian and military leadership as they huddled to grasp its impact. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was forced to advance a meeting of the National Security Committee by a day which was attended by top cabinet ministers and military chiefs. In all likelihood, the National Security Committee met at the instance of the army chief as army generals had met separately before the all-powerful meeting. At the end of the three-hour-long meeting, the committee came out with a terse statement shying away from commenting on Trump&rsquo;s tweet. The statement released by the prime minister&rsquo;s office expressed &ldquo;deep disappointment&rdquo; at comments made by US officials over the past few months.

&ldquo;Recent statements and articulation by the American leadership were completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation,&rdquo; it said.

Earlier, Pakistan foreign office summoned U.S. ambassador David Hale and sought his explanation behind Trump&rsquo;s angry tweet.

Pakistan has been on the boil since the storm caused by Trump tweet battered the country. Anti-Trump protests have engulfed almost the entire Pakistan with several political religious groups taking out rallies. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan too joined the issue by saying that Pakistan lost 70,000 lives and $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror. Khan, who once tormented the best of the batsmen in the world during his playing days, seems pretty weak on mathematics as the figure of monetary loss quoted by him is beyond the realms of possibility.

The US put the screws on Pakistan by announcing the next day of Trump tweet that it would continue to withhold military aid worth $255 million to its former strategic ally. The statement from the National Security Council spokesman was equally lethal. &quot;The President has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan&#39;s actions in support of the South Asia strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance.&quot;

It appears that the Trump tweet storm is unlikely to die down soon and more is in the offing for Pakistan. The statements from US officials are self-explanatory.&nbsp; Following up on Trump&rsquo;s tweet, the White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Pakistan of playing a &ldquo;double game&rdquo; on fighting terrorism and said: &ldquo;They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that.&rdquo; Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at the United Nations that &ldquo;They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan.&rdquo; At the State Department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Pakistan knew what it needed to do, including taking action against the Haqqani network and other militants. Pakistan needs to &ldquo;earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance,&rdquo; she said.

The writing on the wall was clear since Trump assumed the presidency of the United States in January last. Even before becoming the president, Trump had been dropping enough hints, but Pakistan failed to read the messages which were not only explosive by explicit as well. The rhetoric was soon replaced with stern warnings after Trump assumed power. But Pakistan continued to live in a fool&rsquo;s paradise that the US could not bypass it as long as its forces remained engaged in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Afghanistan is proving to be a political liability for the US. If it stays longer, it faces strong backlash back home and if it withdraws, the country will fall to the Taliban.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a classical case of entering a blind alley but not knowing how to come out of it. Whatever may be its political designs, the US has been sucked badly into a country where exit routes are not easy and not too many. Already the US has lost 2,300 of its men. And it has cost the US more than 110 billion dollars since its forces first landed in Afghanistan in October 2001. The US has been fuming over Pakistan&rsquo;s alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan has time and again resented the presence of Afghan Taliban fighters in Pakistan who carry out deadly attacks in the war-torn country and return to the safe sanctuaries there. Whatever may be the political compulsions in the past, the new administration has realized that the Afghanistan war can&rsquo;t be won as long as Pakistan continues with its support to the Taliban and Haqqani groups.

In fact, the US patience had started thinning since it found that the most-wanted terrorist and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan in the garrison town of Abbottabad. Pakistan should have smelt a rat when the US special commandos smoked out Laden in 2011 in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government.&nbsp; To add insult to injury, the then-Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike inside Pakistan five years later. No self-respecting nation can allow its territory to be breached in a manner as the US did. But Pakistan was forced to digest this humiliation, not once, but twice. But the lure of dollars far outweighed the heap of ignominy.

It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, as things stand today, the honeymoon between the US and Pakistan seems all over and it is a matter of time when the divorce will be formalised.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, divorce is imminent.

It had to happen one day. Pakistan’s predicament reminds one of the famous statement of Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” And it took 15 years for a US President to realise that his country was being taken for a royal ride by none other than its strategic ally in the name of the so-called fight against terrorism. ''The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!,'' President Donald Trump tweeted, rattling Pakistan on the New Year day. The tweet sent shivers down the spine of Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership as they huddled to grasp its impact. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was forced to advance a meeting of the National Security Committee by a day which was attended by top cabinet ministers and military chiefs. In all likelihood, the National Security Committee met at the instance of the army chief as army generals had met separately before the all-powerful meeting. At the end of the three-hour-long meeting, the committee came out with a terse statement shying away from commenting on Trump’s tweet. The statement released by the prime minister’s office expressed “deep disappointment” at comments made by US officials over the past few months. “Recent statements and articulation by the American leadership were completely incomprehensible as they contradicted facts manifestly, struck with great insensitivity at the trust between two nations built over generations, and negated the decades of sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation,” it said. Earlier, Pakistan foreign office summoned U.S. ambassador David Hale and sought his explanation behind Trump’s angry tweet. Pakistan has been on the boil since the storm caused by Trump tweet battered the country. Anti-Trump protests have engulfed almost the entire Pakistan with several political religious groups taking out rallies. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan too joined the issue by saying that Pakistan lost 70,000 lives and $100,000 billion due to the US war on terror. Khan, who once tormented the best of the batsmen in the world during his playing days, seems pretty weak on mathematics as the figure of monetary loss quoted by him is beyond the realms of possibility. The US put the screws on Pakistan by announcing the next day of Trump tweet that it would continue to withhold military aid worth $255 million to its former strategic ally. The statement from the National Security Council spokesman was equally lethal. "The President has made clear that the United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on its soil, and that Pakistan's actions in support of the South Asia strategy will ultimately determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance." It appears that the Trump tweet storm is unlikely to die down soon and more is in the offing for Pakistan. The statements from US officials are self-explanatory. Following up on Trump’s tweet, the White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accused Pakistan of playing a “double game” on fighting terrorism and said: “They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that.” Earlier, the U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said at the United Nations that “They work with us at times, and they also harbor the terrorists that attack our troops in Afghanistan.” At the State Department on Tuesday, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Pakistan knew what it needed to do, including taking action against the Haqqani network and other militants. Pakistan needs to “earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance,” she said. The writing on the wall was clear since Trump assumed the presidency of the United States in January last. Even before becoming the president, Trump had been dropping enough hints, but Pakistan failed to read the messages which were not only explosive by explicit as well. The rhetoric was soon replaced with stern warnings after Trump assumed power. But Pakistan continued to live in a fool’s paradise that the US could not bypass it as long as its forces remained engaged in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is proving to be a political liability for the US. If it stays longer, it faces strong backlash back home and if it withdraws, the country will fall to the Taliban. It’s a classical case of entering a blind alley but not knowing how to come out of it. Whatever may be its political designs, the US has been sucked badly into a country where exit routes are not easy and not too many. Already the US has lost 2,300 of its men. And it has cost the US more than 110 billion dollars since its forces first landed in Afghanistan in October 2001. The US has been fuming over Pakistan’s alleged support for Haqqani network militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan has time and again resented the presence of Afghan Taliban fighters in Pakistan who carry out deadly attacks in the war-torn country and return to the safe sanctuaries there. Whatever may be the political compulsions in the past, the new administration has realized that the Afghanistan war can’t be won as long as Pakistan continues with its support to the Taliban and Haqqani groups. In fact, the US patience had started thinning since it found that the most-wanted terrorist and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was being provided a safe sanctuary by Pakistan in the garrison town of Abbottabad. Pakistan should have smelt a rat when the US special commandos smoked out Laden in 2011 in an operation kept secret from the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif government. To add insult to injury, the then-Taliban leader Mullah Mansour was killed by a U.S. drone strike inside Pakistan five years later. No self-respecting nation can allow its territory to be breached in a manner as the US did. But Pakistan was forced to digest this humiliation, not once, but twice. But the lure of dollars far outweighed the heap of ignominy. It remains to be seen whether the Trump tweet will bully Pakistan into changing its policy and withdraw support to the militant groups. Otherwise, as things stand today, the honeymoon between the US and Pakistan seems all over and it is a matter of time when the divorce will be formalised. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Is the honeymoon between Pakistan and the US coming to an end?

Pakistan released a second propaganda video of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Thursday.&nbsp;

In the video, Jadhav says his mother was happy to see him healthy.&nbsp;He adds though that he saw fear in the eyes of both his mother and wife.&nbsp;

Jadhav adds in the video that his mother was humiliated on the flight to Islamabad. That there was an Indian diplomat with her who shouted continuously at her.&nbsp;

It is unclear though how Jadhav, who is currently in custody in Pakistan, could have known that.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I said don&#39;t worry Mummy.They (Pakistan) are taking care of me, they have not touched me. She believed me once she saw me personally: Kulbhushan Jadhav in an apparent new video by Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/02Yj0tdene">pic.twitter.com/02Yj0tdene</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948834083466956800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
But I have to say one very important thing to the Indian public &amp; Indian govt, and for people in Navy that my Commission has not gone, I am a commissioned officer of Indian Navy: Kulbhushan Jadhav in an apparent new video by Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/4I6SONL2Xu">pic.twitter.com/4I6SONL2Xu</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948834085983600640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Jadhav adds in the video that Pakistan has taken care of him.&nbsp;

And that he is an officer of the Indian Navy.&nbsp;

There has been no reaction as yet to the video from India.&nbsp;

Pakistan had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-issues-new-video-of-kulbhushan-jadhav-27673" target="_blank">earlier released a video</a> and photographs of Jadhav&#39;s meeting with his wife and mother.&nbsp;

Jadhav&#39;s mother Avanti and wife Chetnakul had flown to Islamabad via Dubai on Christmas day to meet Jadhav.&nbsp;

Pakistan said the meeting between Jadhav -- Pakistan accuses him of spying for India and has sentenced him to death -- was a &quot;humanitarian gesture&quot;.&nbsp;

But all hell broke loose between the two countries after the meeting.&nbsp;

India accused Pakistan of mistreating Avanti and Chetnakul. It said the women were asked to remove their shoes, change their clothes, and remove their bindis and mangalsutras.&nbsp;

India&#39;s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj later said in Parliament that the women were made to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sushma-swaraj-speaks-on-jadhav-row-says-pakistani-claims-of-hidden-camera-absurd-27932" target="_blank">look like </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sushma-swaraj-speaks-on-jadhav-row-says-pakistani-claims-of-hidden-camera-absurd-27932" target="_blank">widows</a>. And that when Jadhav first saw his mother without her mangalsutra, the first thing he asked her was, &quot;Baba kaise hain&quot;.&nbsp;

India also accused Pakistan of allowing the media there to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/killer-son-played-holi-with-blood-of-pakistanis-jadhavs-wife-mother-heckled-by-media-in-islamabad-27829" target="_blank">heckle the two women</a>.&nbsp;

Chetnakul&#39;s shoes were never returned to her. Pakistan has since said there was a &quot;metal object&quot; in them and has sent them for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-sends-shoes-of-jadhavs-wife-for-forensic-testing-27860" target="_blank">forensic testing</a>.&nbsp;

Pakistan released a second propaganda video of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Thursday. In the video, Jadhav says his mother was happy to see him healthy. He adds though that he saw fear in the eyes of both his mother and wife. Jadhav adds in the video that his mother was humiliated on the flight to Islamabad. That there was an Indian diplomat with her who shouted continuously at her. It is unclear though how Jadhav, who is currently in custody in Pakistan, could have known that. I said don't worry Mummy.They (Pakistan) are taking care of me, they have not touched me. She believed me once she saw me personally: Kulbhushan Jadhav in an apparent new video by Pakistan pic.twitter.com/02Yj0tdene — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × But I have to say one very important thing to the Indian public & Indian govt, and for people in Navy that my Commission has not gone, I am a commissioned officer of Indian Navy: Kulbhushan Jadhav in an apparent new video by Pakistan pic.twitter.com/4I6SONL2Xu — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × Jadhav adds in the video that Pakistan has taken care of him. And that he is an officer of the Indian Navy. There has been no reaction as yet to the video from India. Pakistan had earlier released a video and photographs of Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother. Jadhav's mother Avanti and wife Chetnakul had flown to Islamabad via Dubai on Christmas day to meet Jadhav. Pakistan said the meeting between Jadhav -- Pakistan accuses him of spying for India and has sentenced him to death -- was a "humanitarian gesture". But all hell broke loose between the two countries after the meeting. India accused Pakistan of mistreating Avanti and Chetnakul. It said the women were asked to remove their shoes, change their clothes, and remove their bindis and mangalsutras. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj later said in Parliament that the women were made to look like widows. And that when Jadhav first saw his mother without her mangalsutra, the first thing he asked her was, "Baba kaise hain". India also accused Pakistan of allowing the media there to heckle the two women. Chetnakul's shoes were never returned to her. Pakistan has since said there was a "metal object" in them and has sent them for forensic testing.

Kulbhushan Jadhav speaks about mother's visit in new propaganda video released by Pakistan

At the State Department <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-announce-specific-actions-against-pakistan-28503">spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pakistan </a>needs to show that it is sincere in cracking down on terrorism even as the White House said it would announce new measures against Pakistan on terror-related issues.

The US administration <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-shifting-blame-for-own-mistakes-maleeha-lodhi-28422">in the past week has put Pakistan under </a>renewed pressure after US President Donald Trump in a tweet on New Year&#39;s eve said the Abbasi-led government, including past governments, were involved in &quot;deceit and lies&quot; in the war on terror.

Nauert said: &quot;I don&rsquo;t want to say that Pakistan can do more, but Pakistan knows what it needs to do.&quot;

&quot;They need to better earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance, they need to show that they are sincere in their efforts to crack down on terrorists,&rdquo; she said.

The Pakistan government has slammed the Trump administration over its remark last week, with the foreign minister Khawaja Asif denouncing Trump.&nbsp;

President&#39;s Trump&#39;s renewed attack on Pakistan has led to a debate within the Pak government and the Opposition with several leaders asserting that their country does not need assistance from the US.

According to the US Congressional Research Service Pakistan has spent 8,259 million in security-releated fund from&nbsp;the US, it has spent a further 11,095 million in economic related projects and 14,573 million in Coalition Support funds(CSF) which the US reimbursed to Pakistan in its fight against terrorism in the AF-Pak region.

The CSF reimbursement has however been declining over a period of time especially after 2013 with the US administration intent on squeezing aid assistance to Pakistan.

President Trump had on Thursday decided to block $255 million military aid to Pakistan even as US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said that the country has played a &quot;double game&quot; with the United States for years.

The US administration in the past week has put Pakistan under renewed pressure

At the State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pakistan needs to show that it is sincere in cracking down on terrorism even as the White House said it would announce new measures against Pakistan on terror-related issues. The US administration in the past week has put Pakistan under renewed pressure after US President Donald Trump in a tweet on New Year's eve said the Abbasi-led government, including past governments, were involved in "deceit and lies" in the war on terror. Nauert said: "I don’t want to say that Pakistan can do more, but Pakistan knows what it needs to do." "They need to better earn, essentially, the money that we have provided in the past in foreign military assistance, they need to show that they are sincere in their efforts to crack down on terrorists,” she said. The Pakistan government has slammed the Trump administration over its remark last week, with the foreign minister Khawaja Asif denouncing Trump. President's Trump's renewed attack on Pakistan has led to a debate within the Pak government and the Opposition with several leaders asserting that their country does not need assistance from the US. According to the US Congressional Research Service Pakistan has spent 8,259 million in security-releated fund from the US, it has spent a further 11,095 million in economic related projects and 14,573 million in Coalition Support funds(CSF) which the US reimbursed to Pakistan in its fight against terrorism in the AF-Pak region. The CSF reimbursement has however been declining over a period of time especially after 2013 with the US administration intent on squeezing aid assistance to Pakistan. President Trump had on Thursday decided to block $255 million military aid to Pakistan even as US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said that the country has played a "double game" with the United States for years.

Pakistan needs to earn the money provided to fight terror: US

&nbsp;

Reports are pouring in of the Indian force destroying two Pakistani posts in retaliation for the killing of its jawan in unprovoked firing. The BSF spokesperson said that two Pakistani mortar positions were &quot;located, targeted and destroyed by BSF troopers yesterday night only. The coordinated precision fire of BSF troopers silenced Pakistani guns.&quot;&nbsp;

Prior to this, only weeks ago, Indian security forces in retaliatory action against Pakistan, killed three Pakistani soldiers across the LoC and injured one as per media reports. The backdrop of this action was unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC on Saturday, wherein three jawans and one Major of India were martyred. It is obvious that to avoid embarrassment to the Pakistani Army, Pakistan would avoid commenting that the Indian soldiers crossed the LoC.

The ceasefire violations by Pakistan and retaliatory actions by India has been a common feature ever since the truce between both the neighbours along the International Border (IB), Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.&nbsp;

The violations are mainly concentrated in Jammu and Kashmir which accounts for 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC. The pattern of these violations has some serious strategic indicators.&nbsp;

Earlier, Pakistan used to start the firing along LoC to help the militants to infiltrate, which used to be responded appropriately by Indians. After innocent civilians suffered many casualties, they started preparing bunkers or redesigning their houses to minimise casualties along LoC, and the Indian security forces helped them to do so. Once Pakistanis realised the effect of firing across the LoC, they started firing along IB also, as the Indian population there was less used to firing in that area, the chances of getting casualties of innocent civilians were, therefore, higher.&nbsp;

Pakistan opts to target civilians to achieve greater impact because of sensitivities involved, and blames India to have started the firing first. It knows well that India will respond and the damages done due to response can be highlighted to the world. It will help to claim the status of a helpless country deterred by India, as Pakistan Prime Minister Abbasi, in New York, called India as &ldquo;Existential threat&rdquo;. Indians are not involved in a proxy war, hence, it cannot have any interest to start any cross-border firing. This pattern is continuing for many years now.

Having exhausted all kinds of peace initiatives in past, India tried some innovative ideas to send stronger messages to Pakistan. India decided and carried out surgical strikes on terrorist camps, well inside the Pakistani territory, to stop terrorist activities and proxy war. This was a daring act, which was required, but it has certain implications.&nbsp;

No defence analyst would expect that militancy will end by one such action, hence some militant attacks even after the surgical strikes were expected. It was, therefore, understandable that some more actions like this will be required at various intervals, whenever Pakistan hikes up its militant activities. The action of Indian Security Forces on Monday night needs to be read in that context.

In 2017, over 200 militants have been killed in Kashmir, which is an unprecedented number, indicating Pakistan that their proxy war may not work due to the synergised action of all Indian security forces, NIA, and the government agencies. The only option left for Pakistani Army now is to increase cross-border firing in softer areas (449 in 2016 to 881 in 2017), and increase Border Action Team ( BAT) actions along with militants to cause casualties to security forces and innocent civilians.&nbsp;

In future Indian security forces, as well as, civil population along IB/LoC have to be even more careful to beat Pakistan&rsquo;s design of proxy war and cross-border firing. India will have to be ready for all eventualities within its own comprehensive national power.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

In 2017, over 200 militants have been killed in Kashmir, which is an unprecedented number, indicating Pakistan that their proxy war may not work due to the synergised action of all Indian security forces, NIA, and the government agencies.

Reports are pouring in of the Indian force destroying two Pakistani posts in retaliation for the killing of its jawan in unprovoked firing. The BSF spokesperson said that two Pakistani mortar positions were "located, targeted and destroyed by BSF troopers yesterday night only. The coordinated precision fire of BSF troopers silenced Pakistani guns." Prior to this, only weeks ago, Indian security forces in retaliatory action against Pakistan, killed three Pakistani soldiers across the LoC and injured one as per media reports. The backdrop of this action was unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC on Saturday, wherein three jawans and one Major of India were martyred. It is obvious that to avoid embarrassment to the Pakistani Army, Pakistan would avoid commenting that the Indian soldiers crossed the LoC. The ceasefire violations by Pakistan and retaliatory actions by India has been a common feature ever since the truce between both the neighbours along the International Border (IB), Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003. The violations are mainly concentrated in Jammu and Kashmir which accounts for 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC. The pattern of these violations has some serious strategic indicators. Earlier, Pakistan used to start the firing along LoC to help the militants to infiltrate, which used to be responded appropriately by Indians. After innocent civilians suffered many casualties, they started preparing bunkers or redesigning their houses to minimise casualties along LoC, and the Indian security forces helped them to do so. Once Pakistanis realised the effect of firing across the LoC, they started firing along IB also, as the Indian population there was less used to firing in that area, the chances of getting casualties of innocent civilians were, therefore, higher. Pakistan opts to target civilians to achieve greater impact because of sensitivities involved, and blames India to have started the firing first. It knows well that India will respond and the damages done due to response can be highlighted to the world. It will help to claim the status of a helpless country deterred by India, as Pakistan Prime Minister Abbasi, in New York, called India as “Existential threat”. Indians are not involved in a proxy war, hence, it cannot have any interest to start any cross-border firing. This pattern is continuing for many years now. Having exhausted all kinds of peace initiatives in past, India tried some innovative ideas to send stronger messages to Pakistan. India decided and carried out surgical strikes on terrorist camps, well inside the Pakistani territory, to stop terrorist activities and proxy war. This was a daring act, which was required, but it has certain implications. No defence analyst would expect that militancy will end by one such action, hence some militant attacks even after the surgical strikes were expected. It was, therefore, understandable that some more actions like this will be required at various intervals, whenever Pakistan hikes up its militant activities. The action of Indian Security Forces on Monday night needs to be read in that context. In 2017, over 200 militants have been killed in Kashmir, which is an unprecedented number, indicating Pakistan that their proxy war may not work due to the synergised action of all Indian security forces, NIA, and the government agencies. The only option left for Pakistani Army now is to increase cross-border firing in softer areas (449 in 2016 to 881 in 2017), and increase Border Action Team ( BAT) actions along with militants to cause casualties to security forces and innocent civilians. In future Indian security forces, as well as, civil population along IB/LoC have to be even more careful to beat Pakistan’s design of proxy war and cross-border firing. India will have to be ready for all eventualities within its own comprehensive national power. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: India's tough strike against Pakistan continues

BSF troops today foiled an infiltration bid and killed an intruder along the International Border in Jammu district.

Troops observed movement of two-three persons along the IB near Nikowal Border Out Post (BoP) in Arnia sector around 0545 hours, IG BSF, Jammu frontier, Ram Awtar said.

They challenged them and opened fire resulting in the death of one intruder, he said adding, the deceased was in his thirties.

The other intruders managed to escape, he said.

The force also destroyed two Pakistani posts in retaliation to the killing of its jawan in unprovoked firing.

Two Pakistani mortar positions were &quot;located, targeted and destroyed by BSF troopers yesterday night only. The coordinated precision fire of BSF troopers silenced Pakistani guns,&quot; a BSF spokesman said.

Yesterday, a BSF jawan was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistan, the first this year, in Samba sector of Jammu and the force had since then launched retaliatory fire.

The BSF said there were two to three intruders; the others managed to escape

BSF troops today foiled an infiltration bid and killed an intruder along the International Border in Jammu district. Troops observed movement of two-three persons along the IB near Nikowal Border Out Post (BoP) in Arnia sector around 0545 hours, IG BSF, Jammu frontier, Ram Awtar said. They challenged them and opened fire resulting in the death of one intruder, he said adding, the deceased was in his thirties. The other intruders managed to escape, he said. The force also destroyed two Pakistani posts in retaliation to the killing of its jawan in unprovoked firing. Two Pakistani mortar positions were "located, targeted and destroyed by BSF troopers yesterday night only. The coordinated precision fire of BSF troopers silenced Pakistani guns," a BSF spokesman said. Yesterday, a BSF jawan was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistan, the first this year, in Samba sector of Jammu and the force had since then launched retaliatory fire.

BSF destroys 2 Pakistani posts, kills intruder along International Border

The White House has said it would announce specific actions against Pakistan this week to force it to crack down on terrorists on its soil, reflecting president Donald Trump&#39;s tough stance against the country over the issue.

The remarks by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders came after Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but &quot;lies and deceit&quot; and providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

&quot;They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that,&quot; Sanders said.

The White House said it would likely announce actions to pressure Pakistan within days.

&quot;We&#39;ll continue to keep you posted as those decisions are finalised,&quot; Sanders said.

&quot;In terms of specific actions, I think you will see some more details come out on that in the next 24 to 48 hours...&quot; Sanders told reporters on Tuesday during a news conference in which she asked Pakistan to step up its actions against terrorists and militant groups operating from its soil.

Fox News reported that the announcement in this regard is expected Thursday.

However, there was no response from the White House on the timing and nature of such an announcement.

On Monday, in his first tweet of the year, Trump said that the US has &quot;foolishly&quot; given Pakistan more than USD 33 billion in aid over the last 15 years.

A day later, the White House said that it was suspended USD 255 million financial security assistance to Pakistan as mandated by Congress in its 2016 budget.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley also accused Pakistan of playing a &quot;double game&quot; by claiming to support the US-led war against terrorism while providing a haven to terrorist groups.

Pakistan has expressed &quot;deep disappointment&quot; over the US statements, saying the accusations strike with &quot;great insensitivity&quot; at the trust between the two countries.

Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif in a tweet challenged President Trump&#39;s claim that the US has given Pakistan more than USD 33 billion dollars as aid over the last 15 years, saying verification by an audit firm would prove the US president wrong.&nbsp;

The remarks by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders came after Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit"

The White House has said it would announce specific actions against Pakistan this week to force it to crack down on terrorists on its soil, reflecting president Donald Trump's tough stance against the country over the issue. The remarks by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders came after Trump accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for USD 33 billion aid over the last 15 years. "They can do more to stop terrorism and we want them to do that," Sanders said. The White House said it would likely announce actions to pressure Pakistan within days. "We'll continue to keep you posted as those decisions are finalised," Sanders said. "In terms of specific actions, I think you will see some more details come out on that in the next 24 to 48 hours..." Sanders told reporters on Tuesday during a news conference in which she asked Pakistan to step up its actions against terrorists and militant groups operating from its soil. Fox News reported that the announcement in this regard is expected Thursday. However, there was no response from the White House on the timing and nature of such an announcement. On Monday, in his first tweet of the year, Trump said that the US has "foolishly" given Pakistan more than USD 33 billion in aid over the last 15 years. A day later, the White House said that it was suspended USD 255 million financial security assistance to Pakistan as mandated by Congress in its 2016 budget. US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley also accused Pakistan of playing a "double game" by claiming to support the US-led war against terrorism while providing a haven to terrorist groups. Pakistan has expressed "deep disappointment" over the US statements, saying the accusations strike with "great insensitivity" at the trust between the two countries. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif in a tweet challenged President Trump's claim that the US has given Pakistan more than USD 33 billion dollars as aid over the last 15 years, saying verification by an audit firm would prove the US president wrong.

US to announce more specific actions against Pakistan

In one of the largest single fog episodes over any land area in the world, an unbroken layer of fog was formed across more than 2,000km along the Indian subcontinent. The fog started from central Pakistan in the west, running right through the Indo-Gangetic plains and ending around Tripura.&nbsp;

This blanket of fog is being called a &quot;superfog&quot;.&nbsp;

Reports said Wednesday&#39;s spread was certainly larger than other fog episodes in places such as central China, Italy or the California valley.&nbsp;

The fog started on Christmas covering east UP and Bihar on Christmas, it started covering more areas in its west, including Delhi, by December 31. By January 2, the fog spread to Punjab and was continuing to move west into Pakistan. It has severely affected aviation, rail and road transport, and caused a sharp drop in day temperatures across the region.&nbsp;

The daytime multi-channel fog detection scheme image captured by Insat 3D shows the fog covering at least four countries &mdash; Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The fog actually began on Christmas Day in east UP and Bihar. The only comparable fog episode of this scale will have been from this region itself in previous years.

According to the IMD website, at least 15 airports in the country reported moderate to severe fog between 6.30am and 9.30am on Wednesday. These include Agartala, Patna, Gaya, Guwahati, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Rae Bareli, Chandigarh, Jammu, Ludhiana and Pantnagar. The worst hit was Amritsar, which had visibility below 100m for 18 hours, from 6.30pm on Tuesday till 12.30pm on Wednesday. 
&nbsp;

In one of the largest single fog episodes over any land area in the world, an unbroken layer of fog was formed across more than 2,000km along the Indian subcontinent. The fog started from central Pakistan in the west, running right through the Indo-Gangetic plains and ending around Tripura. This blanket of fog is being called a "superfog". Reports said Wednesday's spread was certainly larger than other fog episodes in places such as central China, Italy or the California valley. The fog started on Christmas covering east UP and Bihar on Christmas, it started covering more areas in its west, including Delhi, by December 31. By January 2, the fog spread to Punjab and was continuing to move west into Pakistan. It has severely affected aviation, rail and road transport, and caused a sharp drop in day temperatures across the region. The daytime multi-channel fog detection scheme image captured by Insat 3D shows the fog covering at least four countries — Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The fog actually began on Christmas Day in east UP and Bihar. The only comparable fog episode of this scale will have been from this region itself in previous years. According to the IMD website, at least 15 airports in the country reported moderate to severe fog between 6.30am and 9.30am on Wednesday. These include Agartala, Patna, Gaya, Guwahati, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Rae Bareli, Chandigarh, Jammu, Ludhiana and Pantnagar. The worst hit was Amritsar, which had visibility below 100m for 18 hours, from 6.30pm on Tuesday till 12.30pm on Wednesday.

From central Pakistan to Tripura, 'superfog' stretches out over 2,000 km

The Trump administration has placed<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-earn-the-money-provided-to-fight-terror-us-28533"> Pakistan </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-earn-the-money-provided-to-fight-terror-us-28533">in</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-earn-the-money-provided-to-fight-terror-us-28533"> the special watch list </a>for &#39;severe violations of religious freedom&#39;, US State Department said in a statement.

The State Department also <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-is-the-honeymoon-between-pakistan-and-the-us-coming-to-an-end-28541">re-designated China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar</a>, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as countries of &nbsp;&quot;countries of particular concern&quot; under the International Religious Freedom Act.

The US said the 10 countries &quot;engaged in or tolerated egregious violations of religious freedom&quot;.

&quot;The protection of religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and prosperity,&quot; the State Department said in a statement, adding that the designations were aimed at improving respect for religious freedom in these countries.

US and Pakistan have been involved in a tit-for-tat diplomatic row over terrorism for the past week with President alleging Pakistan engaging in &quot;deceit and lies&quot; in America&#39;s war on terror.&nbsp;

Pakistani officials hit back at the Trump administration with foreign minister Khawaja Asif asserting that the US should conduct an independent audit to find out the money spent on it in fighting terrorism in the AF-Pak region after President Trump said it had given $33 billion in aid to the country.

US and Pakistan have been involved in a tit-for-tat diplomatic row over terrorism for the past week

The Trump administration has placed Pakistan in the special watch list for 'severe violations of religious freedom', US State Department said in a statement. The State Department also re-designated China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as countries of "countries of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act. The US said the 10 countries "engaged in or tolerated egregious violations of religious freedom". "The protection of religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and prosperity," the State Department said in a statement, adding that the designations were aimed at improving respect for religious freedom in these countries. US and Pakistan have been involved in a tit-for-tat diplomatic row over terrorism for the past week with President alleging Pakistan engaging in "deceit and lies" in America's war on terror. Pakistani officials hit back at the Trump administration with foreign minister Khawaja Asif asserting that the US should conduct an independent audit to find out the money spent on it in fighting terrorism in the AF-Pak region after President Trump said it had given $33 billion in aid to the country.

US places Pakistan in special watch list for 'severe violation' of religious freedom

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistans-propaganda-exercise-on-jadhav-carries-no-credibility-india-28543" target="_blank">Pakistan&#39;s propaganda exercise on Jadhav carries no credibility: India</a>

As Pakistan released a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-releases-another-video-of-kulbhushan-jadhav-28518">new video of Kulbhashan Jadhav</a>, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was not surprised by the new video asserting that Pakistan was simply continuing to put out &quot;coerced statements&quot; on the video.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-puts-tibetan-language-advocate-on-trial-for-inciting-separatism-28558" target="_blank">China puts Tibetan language advocate on trial for &#39;inciting separatism&#39;</a>

China today put a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-are-tibetan-refugees-doing-as-dalai-lama-celebrates-his-birthday-17626">Tibetan on trial for &quot;inciting separatism&quot;</a>&nbsp;even as rights group denounced the decision as a &quot;sham&quot; after appearing in a New York Times video documentary after he criticised policies related to Tibetan language education.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-earn-the-money-provided-to-fight-terror-us-28533" target="_blank">Pakistan needs to earn the money provided to fight terror: US</a>

At the State Department&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-announce-specific-actions-against-pakistan-28503">spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pakistan&nbsp;</a>needs to show that it is sincere in cracking down on terrorism even as the White House said it would announce new measures against Pakistan on terror-related issues.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fodder-scam-case-got-phone-calls-from-lalus-men-says-judge-28549" target="_blank">Fodder scam case: Got phone calls from Lalu&#39;s men, says judge</a>

As Lalu Prasad appeared in Ranchi court for sentencing in the fodder scam case, the judge told the RJD chief that &quot;he got phone calls from Lalu&#39;s men&quot;. &quot;I got many references for you but don&#39;t worry, I will follow only law&quot;, Special CBI court judge Shivpal Singh said in court on Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-mallya-declared-proclaimed-offender-by-delhi-court-28547" target="_blank">Vijay Mallya declared &#39;proclaimed offender&#39; by Delhi court</a>

A Delhi court today declared beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya a proclaimed offender for evading summons in a FERA violation case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Shehrawat passed the order after noting that Mallya failed to appear before it despite repeated summons.

&nbsp;

Pakistan's propaganda exercise on Jadhav carries no credibility: India As Pakistan released a new video of Kulbhashan Jadhav, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was not surprised by the new video asserting that Pakistan was simply continuing to put out "coerced statements" on the video. China puts Tibetan language advocate on trial for 'inciting separatism' China today put a Tibetan on trial for "inciting separatism" even as rights group denounced the decision as a "sham" after appearing in a New York Times video documentary after he criticised policies related to Tibetan language education. Pakistan needs to earn the money provided to fight terror: US At the State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pakistan needs to show that it is sincere in cracking down on terrorism even as the White House said it would announce new measures against Pakistan on terror-related issues. Fodder scam case: Got phone calls from Lalu's men, says judge As Lalu Prasad appeared in Ranchi court for sentencing in the fodder scam case, the judge told the RJD chief that "he got phone calls from Lalu's men". "I got many references for you but don't worry, I will follow only law", Special CBI court judge Shivpal Singh said in court on Thursday. Vijay Mallya declared 'proclaimed offender' by Delhi court A Delhi court today declared beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya a proclaimed offender for evading summons in a FERA violation case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Shehrawat passed the order after noting that Mallya failed to appear before it despite repeated summons.

WION Evening news brief, 4 January 2018

Just hours after Pakistan&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-shifting-blame-for-own-mistakes-maleeha-lodhi-28422">ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha</a> Lodhi slammed the US, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had made the biggest sacrifices in the war against terror.

On Tuesday, Pakistan foreign minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-do-more-to-fight-terrorism-white-house-28379">had hit out against Trump administration</a> challenging it to conduct an independent audit to find out whether the US had spent $33 billion after Trump accused Pakistan of taking the money over a 15-year period.

American officials have kept the pressure on Pakistan with the White House asserting that Pakistan needs to do more on terrorism. At the UN, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador said Pakistan has been engaging in a &quot;double game&quot;.

Pakistan prepared to go all out against the recent spate of accusation by the Trump administration with top Pakistani officials slamming the US administration over a range of terror-related issues.

&quot;The US president&#39;s recent remarks are akin to belittling our sacrifices. We are a dignified nation and no one has the right to attack our dignity,&quot; Ahsan Iqbal said.

&quot;I want to remind the US that these thorns are your inventions,&quot; the interior minister added.

&quot;As soon as the war against the Soviets ended, you withdrew and went home without thinking what your radicalizing of Afghanistan to create an anti-Soviet narrative would lead to. The seeds of the extremist views you used to win that war weren&#39;t going to suddenly start producing computer chips: they were going to breed terrorism and extremism,&quot; the minister said, adding that Pakistan was still &quot;paying&quot; for the seeds the US planted in the region.&nbsp;

On the Afghan refugee crisis, Pakistan&#39;s interior minister said the US hasn&#39;t allowed Syrian refugees into its territory but his country had allowed over three million into its country.

&quot;We have battled forces that are headquartered in Afghanistan. We have sacrificed our troops in Operation Raddul Fasad to rid this region of this menace,&quot; he said.

&quot;If President Trump and company want peace in Afghanistan, they should see it from their own perspective and not India&#39;s,&quot; he added.

American officials have kept the pressure on Pakistan with the White House asserting that Pakistan needs to do more on terrorism.

Just hours after Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi slammed the US, interior minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan had made the biggest sacrifices in the war against terror. On Tuesday, Pakistan foreign minister had hit out against Trump administration challenging it to conduct an independent audit to find out whether the US had spent $33 billion after Trump accused Pakistan of taking the money over a 15-year period. American officials have kept the pressure on Pakistan with the White House asserting that Pakistan needs to do more on terrorism. At the UN, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador said Pakistan has been engaging in a "double game". Pakistan prepared to go all out against the recent spate of accusation by the Trump administration with top Pakistani officials slamming the US administration over a range of terror-related issues. "The US president's recent remarks are akin to belittling our sacrifices. We are a dignified nation and no one has the right to attack our dignity," Ahsan Iqbal said. "I want to remind the US that these thorns are your inventions," the interior minister added. "As soon as the war against the Soviets ended, you withdrew and went home without thinking what your radicalizing of Afghanistan to create an anti-Soviet narrative would lead to. The seeds of the extremist views you used to win that war weren't going to suddenly start producing computer chips: they were going to breed terrorism and extremism," the minister said, adding that Pakistan was still "paying" for the seeds the US planted in the region. On the Afghan refugee crisis, Pakistan's interior minister said the US hasn't allowed Syrian refugees into its territory but his country had allowed over three million into its country. "We have battled forces that are headquartered in Afghanistan. We have sacrificed our troops in Operation Raddul Fasad to rid this region of this menace," he said. "If President Trump and company want peace in Afghanistan, they should see it from their own perspective and not India's," he added.

Pakistan has made biggest sacrifices in war on terror: Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal

A day after Pakistan foreign<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-needs-to-do-more-to-fight-terrorism-white-house-28379"> minister Khawaja Asif challenged</a> the US administration, Pakistan&#39;s ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi went a step further saying &quot;Islamabad could review its cooperation if it is not appreciated&quot;.

&nbsp;Asif in a tweet on Tuesday had said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-has-played-a-double-game-with-us-for-years-nikki-haley-28383">the US administration can hire a firm</a> at Pakistan&#39;s expense to audit the money spent on fighting America&#39;s war on terror.&nbsp;

President Trump in a tweet on New Years Day had said the US has &quot;foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars&quot; in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US &quot;nothing but lies &amp; deceit.&quot;&nbsp;

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a &quot;double game&quot;.&nbsp;

Maleeha Lodhi hit back at Haley saying the US was &quot;shifting the blame for own mistakes and failures onto others&quot;.

&quot;We have contributed and sacrificed the most in fighting international terrorism and carried out the largest counter-terrorism operation anywhere in the world,&quot; Lodhi said.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s tweet against Pakistan created a firestorm in the country with several leaders including Prime Minister Abbasi condemning the statement by the US president.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said: &quot;We lost 70,000 lives in America&#39;s war, Trump&#39;s recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it.&quot;

Prime Minister Abassi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday and expressed &quot;deep disappointment&quot; at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a "double game".?

A day after Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif challenged the US administration, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi went a step further saying "Islamabad could review its cooperation if it is not appreciated". Asif in a tweet on Tuesday had said the US administration can hire a firm at Pakistan's expense to audit the money spent on fighting America's war on terror. President Trump in a tweet on New Years Day had said the US has "foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars" in aid over the last 15 years, and Pakistan had given the US "nothing but lies & deceit." US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley upped the pressure on Pakistan declaring that Pakistan was playing a "double game". Maleeha Lodhi hit back at Haley saying the US was "shifting the blame for own mistakes and failures onto others". "We have contributed and sacrificed the most in fighting international terrorism and carried out the largest counter-terrorism operation anywhere in the world," Lodhi said. Trump's tweet against Pakistan created a firestorm in the country with several leaders including Prime Minister Abbasi condemning the statement by the US president. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said: "We lost 70,000 lives in America's war, Trump's recent statement should serve as an example for all of us. Regardless of whatever aid a country offers, we should not go to war for it." Prime Minister Abassi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday and expressed "deep disappointment" at the allegations levelled against Pakistan by US President Donald Trump.

US shifting blame for own mistakes: Maleeha Lodhi

The State Bank of Pakistan has recently put Chinese Yuan as its main currency for trade within or outside Pakistan. They have put a framework within which all the investment transactions, Letter of Credits and other financial instruments can be dealt in Chinese Yuan. This was not unexpected.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the current scenario of strained relations with the United States and an extremely low forex reserve, Pakistan had to find an immediate alternative. It may be a temporary relief from the crisis but ultimately selecting Chinese Yuan is going to be a suicidal step for Pakistan&#39;s economy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

These are not just the assumptions and based on strong facts and figures. Currently, Pakistan is importing good worth US$ 48-50 billion annually out of which a sizeable 30% comes from China through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Whereas about 5% each comes from Indonesia, US and Japan and about 15% comes from UAE in the form of oil-related products.

&nbsp;

When it comes to the inflow of American dollars, Pakistan received about 45% of its 20 billion dollar export reimbursements in the form of US currency. Till date, the top consumer of Pakistani goods is the United States, which imports more than double the amount China does from Pakistan. So, if we mathematically assume the inflow and outflow of US dollars, Pakistan is expected to have an annual deficit of about 5-7 billion US dollars which is going to affect its economy.

&nbsp;

The second aspect is the stability of Chinese Yuan. Over last 20 years, the Yuan had been on a fall against the US dollars. The Chinese currency which was touching a figure of 8.74 in 1994 is now hovering around 6.5 per US dollars which is more than a 25% fall. This is likely to fall further because, in the current scenario of dwindling China exports, the Yuan is unlikely to recover and will continue to fall.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The third aspect is the acceptability of Chinese Yuan as a global currency. Though the IMF has already accepted Yuan as a global currency in November 2015, yet it is still the fourth most used currency in the world after US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. The People&rsquo;s Bank of China has been making efforts to stabilise the currency but still, it is likely to reduce China&rsquo;s competitive advantage as a leading exporter.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As such most American and European companies are looking for alternative manufacturing locations, such as in India and South-East Asia for their products, the adverse impact will be directly on the exports of China.

&nbsp;

The fourth and most important aspect is the faith in US dollar since it is a stable currency and is growing constantly. The strength of US economy instils trust in the investors and trading countries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the near future, Pakistan&#39;s forex reserves shall be constituted mostly by Chinese Yuan and there will be a deficiency of other global currencies like US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. Pakistan, which is still struggling to pay its dues with their depleting reserves, is likely to go further bankrupt and will not have any option except to devalue its currency. The Pakistani Rupee which is currently at 112 Rupee per US dollar is likely to go below 150 in the next two years. This will negatively impact its economy and devalue its export reimbursements.

&nbsp;

After the completion of CPEC, Pak has to repay its loans to China. As per the current agreement, the repayment has to be in Chinese Yuan. In order to pay China in Yuan, Pakistan has to increase its export to China at terms and conditions put by cunning Chinese traders. While China will use the Pakistani land to establish its manufacturing hub and export the goods through Gwadar, Pakistan is not going to get anything except employment to few thousands of its people as workers in these factories.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Chinese plans to enhance its imports in the country rapidly. It is already considering Pakistan as one of its main markets. The Dragon is going to sell everything to Pakistan. From goods to services and electricity made in its power plants, using Pakistani resources. It will also put an economic burden on our neighbour in the form of increasing loans and interest payoffs.

&nbsp;

This move is directly targeted to make Pakistan as an alternative territory to China and shift its manufacturing pivot to an alternative location. While this seems to be a calculative move by China to become closer to Europe, Middle East and Central Asian markets, this is suicidal for Pakistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

Top consumer of Pakistani goods is the United States, which imports more than double the amount China does from Pakistan. If we calculate the inflow and outflow of US dollars, Pakistan is expected to have an annual deficit of about 5-7 billion US dollars.

The State Bank of Pakistan has recently put Chinese Yuan as its main currency for trade within or outside Pakistan. They have put a framework within which all the investment transactions, Letter of Credits and other financial instruments can be dealt in Chinese Yuan. This was not unexpected. In the current scenario of strained relations with the United States and an extremely low forex reserve, Pakistan had to find an immediate alternative. It may be a temporary relief from the crisis but ultimately selecting Chinese Yuan is going to be a suicidal step for Pakistan's economy. These are not just the assumptions and based on strong facts and figures. Currently, Pakistan is importing good worth US$ 48-50 billion annually out of which a sizeable 30% comes from China through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Whereas about 5% each comes from Indonesia, US and Japan and about 15% comes from UAE in the form of oil-related products. When it comes to the inflow of American dollars, Pakistan received about 45% of its 20 billion dollar export reimbursements in the form of US currency. Till date, the top consumer of Pakistani goods is the United States, which imports more than double the amount China does from Pakistan. So, if we mathematically assume the inflow and outflow of US dollars, Pakistan is expected to have an annual deficit of about 5-7 billion US dollars which is going to affect its economy. The second aspect is the stability of Chinese Yuan. Over last 20 years, the Yuan had been on a fall against the US dollars. The Chinese currency which was touching a figure of 8.74 in 1994 is now hovering around 6.5 per US dollars which is more than a 25% fall. This is likely to fall further because, in the current scenario of dwindling China exports, the Yuan is unlikely to recover and will continue to fall. The third aspect is the acceptability of Chinese Yuan as a global currency. Though the IMF has already accepted Yuan as a global currency in November 2015, yet it is still the fourth most used currency in the world after US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. The People’s Bank of China has been making efforts to stabilise the currency but still, it is likely to reduce China’s competitive advantage as a leading exporter. As such most American and European companies are looking for alternative manufacturing locations, such as in India and South-East Asia for their products, the adverse impact will be directly on the exports of China. The fourth and most important aspect is the faith in US dollar since it is a stable currency and is growing constantly. The strength of US economy instils trust in the investors and trading countries. In the near future, Pakistan's forex reserves shall be constituted mostly by Chinese Yuan and there will be a deficiency of other global currencies like US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. Pakistan, which is still struggling to pay its dues with their depleting reserves, is likely to go further bankrupt and will not have any option except to devalue its currency. The Pakistani Rupee which is currently at 112 Rupee per US dollar is likely to go below 150 in the next two years. This will negatively impact its economy and devalue its export reimbursements. After the completion of CPEC, Pak has to repay its loans to China. As per the current agreement, the repayment has to be in Chinese Yuan. In order to pay China in Yuan, Pakistan has to increase its export to China at terms and conditions put by cunning Chinese traders. While China will use the Pakistani land to establish its manufacturing hub and export the goods through Gwadar, Pakistan is not going to get anything except employment to few thousands of its people as workers in these factories. The Chinese plans to enhance its imports in the country rapidly. It is already considering Pakistan as one of its main markets. The Dragon is going to sell everything to Pakistan. From goods to services and electricity made in its power plants, using Pakistani resources. It will also put an economic burden on our neighbour in the form of increasing loans and interest payoffs. This move is directly targeted to make Pakistan as an alternative territory to China and shift its manufacturing pivot to an alternative location. While this seems to be a calculative move by China to become closer to Europe, Middle East and Central Asian markets, this is suicidal for Pakistan. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Pakistan makes a suicidal move. Chinese Yuan its main trade currency

A Pakistani national was caught in Rajasthan with an Indian Aadhaar Card.

The foreign national was caught from the Air Force Station after he trespassed into the premise.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Rajasthan: A Pakistani national was caught trespassing into Jaisalmer Air Force station, also had Indian Aadhaar Card; Interrogation underway
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948580602969665547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The man is being interrogated by the Air Force officials.&nbsp;

The authorities doubt that he might be spying for Pakistan.&nbsp;

A media report said that during the interrogation the man revealed that his name was Purkho Ram and he had been living in the Vijaynagar area in Sri Ganganagar district for the past 18 years.&nbsp;

The foreign national was caught from the Air Force Station after he trespassed into the premise

A Pakistani national was caught in Rajasthan with an Indian Aadhaar Card. The foreign national was caught from the Air Force Station after he trespassed into the premise. Rajasthan: A Pakistani national was caught trespassing into Jaisalmer Air Force station, also had Indian Aadhaar Card; Interrogation underway — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The man is being interrogated by the Air Force officials. The authorities doubt that he might be spying for Pakistan. A media report said that during the interrogation the man revealed that his name was Purkho Ram and he had been living in the Vijaynagar area in Sri Ganganagar district for the past 18 years.

Pakistan national caught with Indian Aadhaar card in Rajasthan

pakistan-0

Pakistan, News on Pakistan, stories on Pakistan, articles on Pakistan, Pakistan stories at Wion, Pakistan news, Pakistan latest news

pakistan 0