The government and the opposition used the Kulbhusan Jadhav issue to work out their row, which had stalled Parliament for the last two weeks, but news reports said Thursday that another one was brewing over Karnataka BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-who-call-themselves-secular-dont-know-about-their-parentage-mp-ananth-kumar-hegde-27714" target="_blank">statements</a> on secular people not knowing their parentage and changing the constitution.&nbsp;

The impasse had begun over Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">statement</a> while campaigning for the Gujarat election that Congress leaders were conspiring with Pakistan to affect the outcome of the Gujarat election.&nbsp;

The impasse had hit the winter session of Parliament, with the Congress demanding an apology from the prime minister on the floor of the house.&nbsp;

The Congress had later -- after the BJP had said there was no apology coming -- watered down its demand for an apology to asking for a clarification.&nbsp;

In the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, &quot;did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president.&quot;

&quot;Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation,&quot; Jaitley said.

Responding to his statement, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: &quot;I want to thank the Leader of the House that he issued a clarification on the issue which was causing the deadlock.&quot;

&quot;If during the elections, any member of our party gave such a statement that was against the stature of the prime minister, then our party dissociates itself from any such statement and we would not want any word to be said against the stature of the prime minister,&quot; Azad said.

News reports said Thursday that it was a formal meeting between Jaitley and and Azad earlier and other informal meetings that helped break the deadlock.&nbsp;

Azad later said the Congress wanted to discuss the treatment meted out by Pakistan to Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother.&nbsp;

Azad was reported as saying that &quot;for us it is India first and opposition second&quot;.&nbsp;

He added that &quot;we want to raise our voice for a fellow citizen&quot;.&nbsp;

But the reports added that while the government and opposition had shut down one front, they had opened another.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the opposition forced the shutdown of the Lok Sabha a number of times.&nbsp;

Apart from taking offence to his comments on secularism, the opposition also accused Hegde -- he is a union minister -- of disrespecting the architect of the constitution BR Ambedkar by saying &quot;we are here to change it&quot;.&nbsp;

The government has since distanced itself from Hegde&#39;s comments but the opposition says he should either apologise or quit.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Congress had wanted to talk about Kulbhushan Jadhav which was proving impossible in a checkmated winter session of Parliament

The government and the opposition used the Kulbhusan Jadhav issue to work out their row, which had stalled Parliament for the last two weeks, but news reports said Thursday that another one was brewing over Karnataka BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde's statements on secular people not knowing their parentage and changing the constitution. The impasse had begun over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement while campaigning for the Gujarat election that Congress leaders were conspiring with Pakistan to affect the outcome of the Gujarat election. The impasse had hit the winter session of Parliament, with the Congress demanding an apology from the prime minister on the floor of the house. The Congress had later -- after the BJP had said there was no apology coming -- watered down its demand for an apology to asking for a clarification. In the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said Modi in his statements and speeches, "did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to this nation either by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister, or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president." "Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem, as also their commitment to this nation," Jaitley said. Responding to his statement, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: "I want to thank the Leader of the House that he issued a clarification on the issue which was causing the deadlock." "If during the elections, any member of our party gave such a statement that was against the stature of the prime minister, then our party dissociates itself from any such statement and we would not want any word to be said against the stature of the prime minister," Azad said. News reports said Thursday that it was a formal meeting between Jaitley and and Azad earlier and other informal meetings that helped break the deadlock. Azad later said the Congress wanted to discuss the treatment meted out by Pakistan to Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother. Azad was reported as saying that "for us it is India first and opposition second". He added that "we want to raise our voice for a fellow citizen". But the reports added that while the government and opposition had shut down one front, they had opened another. On Wednesday, the opposition forced the shutdown of the Lok Sabha a number of times. Apart from taking offence to his comments on secularism, the opposition also accused Hegde -- he is a union minister -- of disrespecting the architect of the constitution BR Ambedkar by saying "we are here to change it". The government has since distanced itself from Hegde's comments but the opposition says he should either apologise or quit. (With inputs from PTI)

Government, opposition use Jadhav issue to end deadlock, but another brews

The Pakistan Army today rejected claims that the Indian commandos selectively targeted a post across the Line of Control killing three Pakistani soldiers in a tit-for-tat action.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said the armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality.

&quot;India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan&#39;s territory and killed Pakistani soldiers,&quot; he said, adding this is all &quot;false propaganda&quot; for their domestic audience to take the focus off Kashmir.

Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Maj Gen Ghafoor also termed last year&#39;s &quot;surgical strike&quot; by India across LoC as &quot;false propaganda&quot;. &quot;You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings.&quot;

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier this week said a &quot;small group&quot; of &#39;Ghatak&#39; commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the

LoC in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district last week.

Maj Gen Ghafoor also rejected Indian concerns over treatment of Kulbushan Jadhav&#39;s family and said the Foreign Office had already given a detailed response to it.

&quot;India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter,&quot; he said.

&quot;Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will colour it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state,&quot; he added.

He also accused India of a record number of ceasefire violation in 2017, which he claimed was being done to divert attention of Pakistan from fighting terrorism on its western border.

The spokesman also reiterated Pakistan&#39;s &quot;moral, political, and diplomatic support&quot; to Kashmiris.

He rejected the US demand to do more and Washington&#39;s allegations about the presence of &quot;safe havens&quot; of terrorists.

Ghafoor said Pakistan had fought against militants without any discrimination and destroyed their infrastructure.

&quot;No organised infrastructure of any banned organisation is present in Pakistan. There are no facilitators [of terrorist groups] in Pakistan and we have gone a long way towards supporting peace in the region,&quot; he said.

The spokesman also rejected US Vice President Mike Pence&#39;s remarks in Afghanistan wherein he had said that US had put Pakistan on notice. &quot;What kind of friends are we that we are being given notices,&quot; Ghafoor said.

When asked about former military ruler Pervez Musharraf&#39;s recent statements regarding &quot;rogue elements&quot; being responsible for Benazir Bhutto&#39;s death, he said: &quot;I am the spokesperson for the sitting army chief and the media should ask Musharraf to defend his own statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army.&quot;

He also responded to a question that Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif were allegedly targeting armed forces.

&quot;We will maintain our silence on the matter as Pakistan&#39;s armed forces are well aware of the threats and challenges we are facing and our achievements against them; thus we will not be distracted,&quot; he said.

He said it was for the people to decide if there was a conspiracy against someone.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The spokesman also rejected US Vice President Mike Pence's remarks in Afghanistan wherein he had said that US had put Pakistan on notice

The Pakistan Army today rejected claims that the Indian commandos selectively targeted a post across the Line of Control killing three Pakistani soldiers in a tit-for-tat action. Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said the armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality. "India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan's territory and killed Pakistani soldiers," he said, adding this is all "false propaganda" for their domestic audience to take the focus off Kashmir. Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Maj Gen Ghafoor also termed last year's "surgical strike" by India across LoC as "false propaganda". "You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings." The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier this week said a "small group" of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured. The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district last week. Maj Gen Ghafoor also rejected Indian concerns over treatment of Kulbushan Jadhav's family and said the Foreign Office had already given a detailed response to it. "India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter," he said. "Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will colour it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state," he added. He also accused India of a record number of ceasefire violation in 2017, which he claimed was being done to divert attention of Pakistan from fighting terrorism on its western border. The spokesman also reiterated Pakistan's "moral, political, and diplomatic support" to Kashmiris. He rejected the US demand to do more and Washington's allegations about the presence of "safe havens" of terrorists. Ghafoor said Pakistan had fought against militants without any discrimination and destroyed their infrastructure. "No organised infrastructure of any banned organisation is present in Pakistan. There are no facilitators [of terrorist groups] in Pakistan and we have gone a long way towards supporting peace in the region," he said. The spokesman also rejected US Vice President Mike Pence's remarks in Afghanistan wherein he had said that US had put Pakistan on notice. "What kind of friends are we that we are being given notices," Ghafoor said. When asked about former military ruler Pervez Musharraf's recent statements regarding "rogue elements" being responsible for Benazir Bhutto's death, he said: "I am the spokesperson for the sitting army chief and the media should ask Musharraf to defend his own statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army." He also responded to a question that Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif were allegedly targeting armed forces. "We will maintain our silence on the matter as Pakistan's armed forces are well aware of the threats and challenges we are facing and our achievements against them; thus we will not be distracted," he said. He said it was for the people to decide if there was a conspiracy against someone.

Pak Army denies claim that Indian commandos carried out cross-border raids

Jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was shocked to see his mother without her &#39;mangal sutra&#39; and &#39;vermillion,&#39; compelling him to ask about his father first, during the 40 minutes meeting with his family in Islamabad on December 25.&nbsp;

Thinking of something unfortunate might have happened while he was not around, Jadhav asked &#39;baba kaise hai&#39; (How is father), as informed by Sushma Swaraj in Parliament today. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The External Affairs Minister described the meeting as a propaganda by Pakistan, adding that an environment of fear was created for Jadhav&#39;s kin and both were made to look like widows.

&quot;Jadhav Ji&#39;s mother, who only wears a saree, was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both women were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows,&quot; Sushma said.

&quot;Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly, and when she continued, the intercom was switched off,&quot; she added.

Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition of Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned Pakistan&#39;s misbehavior as one targeted towards Indians on the whole, and not just Jadhav and his family.

Jadhav thought something unfortunate might have happened while he was not around

Jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was shocked to see his mother without her 'mangal sutra' and 'vermillion,' compelling him to ask about his father first, during the 40 minutes meeting with his family in Islamabad on December 25. Thinking of something unfortunate might have happened while he was not around, Jadhav asked 'baba kaise hai' (How is father), as informed by Sushma Swaraj in Parliament today. The External Affairs Minister described the meeting as a propaganda by Pakistan, adding that an environment of fear was created for Jadhav's kin and both were made to look like widows. "Jadhav Ji's mother, who only wears a saree, was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both women were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows," Sushma said. "Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly, and when she continued, the intercom was switched off," she added. Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition of Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned Pakistan's misbehavior as one targeted towards Indians on the whole, and not just Jadhav and his family.

'Baba kaise hai', asked Kulbhushan Jadhav on seeing his mother without 'mangal sutra' in Islamabad

Enter Bohri Bazar through the middle street across the Nimco shop in Saddar and you will see a multitude of people trying to strike deals with shopkeepers for a reasonably priced and sized Christmas tree. In these shops, you will also find everything needed for decorating trees and homes ahead of Christmas day.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Over the years, Saddar became home to many Goan Catholic community members. In Saddar is situated the St. Patrick&rsquo;s Cathedral, other community affiliations, including the Karachi Goan Association, Goan Union Hall and the now lesser well-known Portuguese Club. The locality had some of the city&rsquo;s oldest and well-known Goan bakeries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

These days between December 10th -20th, many Christian families avail the free baking service offered by United Bakery. The freshly mixed batter is taken to the bakery and customers are informed about pick-up times. United Bakery and J.C. Misquita Bakery also sell a range of traditional Christmas sweets from almond and walnut toffees to marzipan and Goan traditional sweets, such as neuris (semonlina and coconut filled pastries) and kulkuls (curled and fried snacks). &nbsp;

&nbsp;

There is no doubt that these can ever be compared to those made in a Goan Catholic home where each participating family member are assigned roles. They cut bits of dried fruits for the rum-infused cake, kneading cheese straw dough or constantly stir toffee on the stove top to maintain its right consistency and never leaving the deep frying heated wok empty without the next round of rose de coque. Crispo and J.C. Misquita bakeries have crowds queuing to take home dozens of hot cross buns during the Holy Week. Likewise, the demand for Christmas cakes and sweets is placed ahead of time before orders close.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

For many Christian families in Karachi, Christmas begins with the season of the Advent, and preparation for the birth of Christ is encouraged spiritually. The season also kicks in with Christmas plays at local charities and churches along with parties for children and Carol nights for all.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Midnight mass services across the city these days have heightened security. In the past, very many Catholics would be spotted with their non-Christian friends at a bi-lingual midnight mass. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t keep out anyone, all we do is request ahead of time that everybody carry their CNICs. It just helps with identification and we already get people to pass through security checks,&rdquo; says one of the security personnel at a church located in Cantt. The uncertain security situation gives rise to different policies applied by different churches.

&nbsp;

A few others on Christmas Day can be seen at the Gora Qabaristan (Christian cemetery) to visit deceased loved-ones. However, traditional family lunches and dinners continue in homes, and many restaurants, upscale hotels and eateries offer Christmas specials. Agha&rsquo;s, a high-end store located in the Clifton area, annually sells uncooked turkey. While most families opt for cozy home-cooked meals, the Goan community members are often seen picking the best cuts from their butchers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A must-have at most Goan homes is sorpotel. This dish consisting usually of finely chopped beef along with liver and a selection of organ meats is cooked in a spicy gravy with vinegar. If you are lucky to have a Goan friend still around in Karachi then grab a bite of the divine vindalo. Cooked with cumin, ginger, garlic, and chillies as essential ingredients make for the scrumptious red masala (spiced curry) with pieces of any choice of meat and significant amounts of vinegar. In Konkani dialect spoken by the Goan community, &lsquo;vin&rsquo; means vinegar and &lsquo;alo&rsquo; means garlic.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But the real treat it to witness a Konkani theater play at the Karachi Goan Association or hear some of its actors sing hymns in Konkani.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In post-independent Karachi, a host of multiple apartments was purchased by Christian families where traditions of Christmas parties, dances, winter bonfires, and food fairs continued within their navigable compounds. To this date, some of these apartments including the cooperative housing societies in Saddar and Doli Khatta are beautifully decorated with Christmas festive lights, a huge star or two, and the nativity scene. The popularity of these buildings for their decorations through the 1980s until the mid-1990s was an open invite for just about anybody with a camera or a child when building security rules were loosened.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

For adolescent carol singers in the 1990s, these buildings felt like 777 winnings and a bonus feature for a cutely dressed Santa as they went knocking door to door. Even marginalised members of Karachi&rsquo;s transgender community were then spotted inside these buildings eager to celebrate Christmas cheer. They developed a taste for what they referred to as papri but were Goan Christmas treats of voras (deep fried savory flour crispies) and neuris (deep fried sweet coconut dumplings).

&nbsp;

Karachi is experiencing a dramatic transformation in the number of Goan Catholic families. Konkani is now rarely heard in the markets of Saddar among folks buying the catch of the day. This large loss of cultural diversity for Karachi is no hidden shame. It is well-known by the country&rsquo;s consistent shrinking space for minorities and, especially, that felt by the Christians after Governor Salmaan Taseer&rsquo;s murder. It now may seem strange that this vibrant community, driven by self-interest, opted to move to Karachi which was the greener pastures of the 1800s.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

I tried giving this deep thought by recalling why hope reigned even in the 1940s and 1950s for Goan Catholics migrating to the port city. But I failed, as Christian values and self-interest appear at odds. For I know that Goan Catholics will always cherish service and societal contributions even if their fellow countrymen have reaped gains in education, hospitals, music, and other avenues with only too few acknowledging it. However, it does leaves me wondering whether the present bits of existence will be able to revive the richness of Goan culture as I recall the voice of legendary musician and a dear friend of my parents, (late) Allan Goveas&rsquo; song, &ldquo;Pakistan Forever&rdquo;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

At the same time, I hope this reveals an opportunity for the government to work together in preserving the value and contributions of this once vibrant community. I wish a peaceful Christmas in Pakistan and that more of my non-Christian friends&rsquo; palates knew of Lawerence bakery&rsquo;s prawn patties, P.F. Pereira&rsquo;s hang out for bunking Sunday service, and dances on the floors of Paradise Hotel.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

Karachi is experiencing a dramatic transformation in the number of Goan Catholic families, but still the city dress-up and celebrates amidst tight security.

Enter Bohri Bazar through the middle street across the Nimco shop in Saddar and you will see a multitude of people trying to strike deals with shopkeepers for a reasonably priced and sized Christmas tree. In these shops, you will also find everything needed for decorating trees and homes ahead of Christmas day. Over the years, Saddar became home to many Goan Catholic community members. In Saddar is situated the St. Patrick’s Cathedral, other community affiliations, including the Karachi Goan Association, Goan Union Hall and the now lesser well-known Portuguese Club. The locality had some of the city’s oldest and well-known Goan bakeries. These days between December 10th -20th, many Christian families avail the free baking service offered by United Bakery. The freshly mixed batter is taken to the bakery and customers are informed about pick-up times. United Bakery and J.C. Misquita Bakery also sell a range of traditional Christmas sweets from almond and walnut toffees to marzipan and Goan traditional sweets, such as neuris (semonlina and coconut filled pastries) and kulkuls (curled and fried snacks). There is no doubt that these can ever be compared to those made in a Goan Catholic home where each participating family member are assigned roles. They cut bits of dried fruits for the rum-infused cake, kneading cheese straw dough or constantly stir toffee on the stove top to maintain its right consistency and never leaving the deep frying heated wok empty without the next round of rose de coque. Crispo and J.C. Misquita bakeries have crowds queuing to take home dozens of hot cross buns during the Holy Week. Likewise, the demand for Christmas cakes and sweets is placed ahead of time before orders close. For many Christian families in Karachi, Christmas begins with the season of the Advent, and preparation for the birth of Christ is encouraged spiritually. The season also kicks in with Christmas plays at local charities and churches along with parties for children and Carol nights for all. Midnight mass services across the city these days have heightened security. In the past, very many Catholics would be spotted with their non-Christian friends at a bi-lingual midnight mass. “We don’t keep out anyone, all we do is request ahead of time that everybody carry their CNICs. It just helps with identification and we already get people to pass through security checks,” says one of the security personnel at a church located in Cantt. The uncertain security situation gives rise to different policies applied by different churches. A few others on Christmas Day can be seen at the Gora Qabaristan (Christian cemetery) to visit deceased loved-ones. However, traditional family lunches and dinners continue in homes, and many restaurants, upscale hotels and eateries offer Christmas specials. Agha’s, a high-end store located in the Clifton area, annually sells uncooked turkey. While most families opt for cozy home-cooked meals, the Goan community members are often seen picking the best cuts from their butchers. A must-have at most Goan homes is sorpotel. This dish consisting usually of finely chopped beef along with liver and a selection of organ meats is cooked in a spicy gravy with vinegar. If you are lucky to have a Goan friend still around in Karachi then grab a bite of the divine vindalo. Cooked with cumin, ginger, garlic, and chillies as essential ingredients make for the scrumptious red masala (spiced curry) with pieces of any choice of meat and significant amounts of vinegar. In Konkani dialect spoken by the Goan community, ‘vin’ means vinegar and ‘alo’ means garlic. But the real treat it to witness a Konkani theater play at the Karachi Goan Association or hear some of its actors sing hymns in Konkani. In post-independent Karachi, a host of multiple apartments was purchased by Christian families where traditions of Christmas parties, dances, winter bonfires, and food fairs continued within their navigable compounds. To this date, some of these apartments including the cooperative housing societies in Saddar and Doli Khatta are beautifully decorated with Christmas festive lights, a huge star or two, and the nativity scene. The popularity of these buildings for their decorations through the 1980s until the mid-1990s was an open invite for just about anybody with a camera or a child when building security rules were loosened. For adolescent carol singers in the 1990s, these buildings felt like 777 winnings and a bonus feature for a cutely dressed Santa as they went knocking door to door. Even marginalised members of Karachi’s transgender community were then spotted inside these buildings eager to celebrate Christmas cheer. They developed a taste for what they referred to as papri but were Goan Christmas treats of voras (deep fried savory flour crispies) and neuris (deep fried sweet coconut dumplings). Karachi is experiencing a dramatic transformation in the number of Goan Catholic families. Konkani is now rarely heard in the markets of Saddar among folks buying the catch of the day. This large loss of cultural diversity for Karachi is no hidden shame. It is well-known by the country’s consistent shrinking space for minorities and, especially, that felt by the Christians after Governor Salmaan Taseer’s murder. It now may seem strange that this vibrant community, driven by self-interest, opted to move to Karachi which was the greener pastures of the 1800s. I tried giving this deep thought by recalling why hope reigned even in the 1940s and 1950s for Goan Catholics migrating to the port city. But I failed, as Christian values and self-interest appear at odds. For I know that Goan Catholics will always cherish service and societal contributions even if their fellow countrymen have reaped gains in education, hospitals, music, and other avenues with only too few acknowledging it. However, it does leaves me wondering whether the present bits of existence will be able to revive the richness of Goan culture as I recall the voice of legendary musician and a dear friend of my parents, (late) Allan Goveas’ song, “Pakistan Forever”. At the same time, I hope this reveals an opportunity for the government to work together in preserving the value and contributions of this once vibrant community. I wish a peaceful Christmas in Pakistan and that more of my non-Christian friends’ palates knew of Lawerence bakery’s prawn patties, P.F. Pereira’s hang out for bunking Sunday service, and dances on the floors of Paradise Hotel. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Christmas, Santa Claus and Goan Christians in Pakistan

&nbsp;

<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/there-was-something-in-her-shoes-says-pakistan-about-confiscating-footwear-of-jadhavs-wife/articleshow/62262587.cms~Pakistan-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan">Pakistan</a>&nbsp;today rejected as &quot;baseless&quot; India&#39;s contention&nbsp;that&nbsp;Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s family was harassed&nbsp;and claimed that his wife&#39;s shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was &quot;something&quot; in it.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Foreign-Office" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/there-was-something-in-her-shoes-says-pakistan-about-confiscating-footwear-of-jadhavs-wife/articleshow/62262587.cms~Foreign Office-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Foreign-Office">Foreign Office</a>&nbsp;in a statement said that Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a &quot;meaningless battle of words&quot; and categorically rejects India&#39;s baseless &quot;allegations and twists&quot; about attitude of authorities during Jadhav&#39;s meeting with his wife and mother.

&quot;The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hrs later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected,&quot; the statement said. 
 
&quot;If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC should have raised them during the visit, with the media, which was readily available, but at a safe distance, as requested by India,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words. Our openness and transparency belie these allegations,&quot; it said. 
 
Responding to India&#39;s contentions that Jadhav&#39;s wife&#39;s shoes were not returned to her after the meeting, Foreign Office spokesman&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Muhammad-Faisal" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/there-was-something-in-her-shoes-says-pakistan-about-confiscating-footwear-of-jadhavs-wife/articleshow/62262587.cms~Muhammad Faisal-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Muhammad-Faisal">Muhammad Faisal</a>&nbsp;told DawnNews that the shoes were confiscated on &quot;security grounds&quot;. 
 
&quot;There was something in the shoe (of Jadhav&#39;s wife),&quot; Faisal told the daily, adding that the shoe is being investigated. 
 
He said Jadhav&#39;s wife had been provided replacement shoes and all her jewellery was returned to her. 
 
The spokesman said that the fact is that Jadhav&#39;s mother &quot;publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian gesture, which was also recorded by the media.&quot; 
 
&quot;Nothing more needs to be said on the issue,&quot; he said. 
 
India today accused Pakistan of violating mutual understandings on Jadhav&#39;s meeting with his family and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction. 
 
India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. 
 
&quot;This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,&quot; it said.

During yesterday&#39;s meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

India said that &quot;for some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests&quot;, Jadhav&#39;s wife&#39;s shoes were not returned to her after the meeting.

Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted. 
 
New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Iran" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/there-was-something-in-her-shoes-says-pakistan-about-confiscating-footwear-of-jadhavs-wife/articleshow/62262587.cms~Iran-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Iran">Iran</a>where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the&nbsp;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/International-Court-of-Justice" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/there-was-something-in-her-shoes-says-pakistan-about-confiscating-footwear-of-jadhavs-wife/articleshow/62262587.cms~International Court of Justice-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/International-Court-of-Justice">International Court of Justice</a> ,&nbsp;which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

Pakistan claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was something in it

Pakistan today rejected as "baseless" India's contention that Kulbhushan Jadhav's family was harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it. The Foreign Office in a statement said that Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a "meaningless battle of words" and categorically rejects India's baseless "allegations and twists" about attitude of authorities during Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother. "The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hrs later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected," the statement said. "If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC should have raised them during the visit, with the media, which was readily available, but at a safe distance, as requested by India," it said. "We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words. Our openness and transparency belie these allegations," it said. Responding to India's contentions that Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Faisal told DawnNews that the shoes were confiscated on "security grounds". "There was something in the shoe (of Jadhav's wife)," Faisal told the daily, adding that the shoe is being investigated. He said Jadhav's wife had been provided replacement shoes and all her jewellery was returned to her. The spokesman said that the fact is that Jadhav's mother "publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian gesture, which was also recorded by the media." "Nothing more needs to be said on the issue," he said. India today accused Pakistan of violating mutual understandings on Jadhav's meeting with his family and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction. India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. "This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said. During yesterday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video. India said that "for some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests", Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting. Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted. New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iranwhere he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice , which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

Pakistan rejects India's contention that Kulbhushan Jadhav's family was harassed

Pakistani troops today targeted forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Noushera sector in Jammu and Kashmir for nearly an hour, police said.

The small arms firing from across the border targeting forward posts in Noushera sector started around 9 am.

Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of fire between the two sides continued till 10 am, a police official said.

There was no report of any casualty in the incident, the official said.

The latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan comes five days after Pakistani troops opened fire from across the border, leaving four Army personnel dead and another soldier injured in Keri sector of Rajouri on December 23.

Indian troops also killed three Pakistani troops and injured another in retaliatory action at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot on December 25.

On December 24, Pakistani troops had targeted forward posts and villages in Shahpur sector of Poonch district.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in the past seven years, along the LoC and the International Border, resulting in the death of 34 people.

According to officials, Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end.

In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel -- were killed.

The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

There was no report of any casualty in the incident

Pakistani troops today targeted forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Noushera sector in Jammu and Kashmir for nearly an hour, police said. The small arms firing from across the border targeting forward posts in Noushera sector started around 9 am. Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of fire between the two sides continued till 10 am, a police official said. There was no report of any casualty in the incident, the official said. The latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan comes five days after Pakistani troops opened fire from across the border, leaving four Army personnel dead and another soldier injured in Keri sector of Rajouri on December 23. Indian troops also killed three Pakistani troops and injured another in retaliatory action at Rukh Chakri sector in Rawlakot on December 25. On December 24, Pakistani troops had targeted forward posts and villages in Shahpur sector of Poonch district. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a total of 881 ceasefire violations this year, highest in the past seven years, along the LoC and the International Border, resulting in the death of 34 people. According to officials, Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end. In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel -- were killed. The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003. India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K: Pakistan targets forward posts in Noushera

Former Pakistani prime minister and the president of the Pakistani Muslim League (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif chose his brother who is the current Chief Minister of the Punjab province (Pakistan), Shahbaz Sharif as the (PML)-N&rsquo;s prime ministerial candidate for the 2018 elections. The decision was made during the course of a meeting with senior leaders of the PML-N at Nawaz&rsquo;s Jatti Umra residence on December 20, 2017.

&nbsp;

There will be those who argue that this was very much expected, given the nature of dynastic politics, in general, and the family-centered politics of the PML-N in particular. There is some truth in this, yet it would be important to bear a few facts in mind.

&nbsp;

First, Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s choice sends a clear message, that the reported strain between both brothers was caused, largely, by the ambitions of their respective children, Maryam Nawaz (daughter of Nawaz Sharif) and Hamza Shahbaz (son of Shahbaz Sharif). But much of the sources, Sharif claims, have been addressed at least for the time being. It would be pertinent to mention, that after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif was expected to be the natural choice as his successor &ndash; both as prime minister and president.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

After his disqualification to hold Public Office by the Pakistan Supreme Court, Nawaz did name Shahbaz Sharif as his successor. Straining relations between both sides, however, resulted in Nawaz choosing current incumbent Abbasi as the interim prime minister. While the reason cited for not appointing Shahbaz as the prime minister in July 2017 was that the party wanted him to remain in Punjab and take care of the implementation of some key projects. A number of analysts believed, that if Shahbaz took over as the prime minister, Hamza Shahbaz would have become the Chief Minister of Punjab.&nbsp; Another point cited to reiterate the strains between Nawaz and Shahbaz families was the point that Hamza was not made in charge of the bye-election of Kulsoom Nawaz which was vacated as a result of Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s resignation from Parliament

&nbsp;

During the meeting on December 20, Nawaz Sharif did allude to Shahbaz Sharif&rsquo;s differences with the party over certain issues. While of course, praising him for his commitment to the party.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He said: &lsquo;Shahbaz has always worked to further the party policies for public welfare and this unflagging attitude earned him the opportunity to be trusted for a higher office. We are a democratic political party where everyone is free to voice their mind. Shahbaz has had difference of opinion over some issues yet his commitment to the party overrules all else, which is why he has never violated the party discipline,&rdquo;

&nbsp;

By choosing Shahbaz, Nawaz has arrested any further deterioration in ties between both brothers, but also any sort of rebellion, since a number of senior leaders in the PNL-N,&nbsp; have been uncomfortable with the rise of Nawaz&rsquo; daughter, Maryam Nawaz. Apart from the fact, that she is inexperienced, Maryam is also one of the accused in the Panama Papers case.

&nbsp;

If one were to look beyond the politics of the Sharif family, and the dynamics of the PML-N, Shahbaz&rsquo; is important at a time when ties between the civilian government and military are at a low point. Shahbaz is more acceptable to the army, and has a better relationship than Nawaz.

&nbsp;

In the past, Nawaz Sharif would have gone the whole hog against the army, but a mellowed and mature Nawaz Sharif realises that any sort of clash will not help the country either politically or economically, and the military too would seek to cash in on the corruption cases against Nawaz.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The establishment (Army and ISI) has played a role, not just in the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, but it has also propped up the Milli Muslim League (a front of Lashkar-e-Taiba, LeT), yet publically it has been making the right noises. One of the important steps taken by the Army Chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, was his briefing to a parliamentary committee on December 19, 2017. The briefing included a discussion of important national security issues, ties with India, the outcome of Army Chief&rsquo;s foreign visits and the Saudi-led military alliance of Muslim countries. The army chief also stated that the Army would back the government&rsquo;s initiatives to improve ties with India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Pakistani army has always been good at PR exercises, and it realiSes that while there is disillusion with democratic forces, any sort of official take over, may not be taken to well by the Pakistani citizens. The recent moves by the army chief also seem to be in a similar direction.

&nbsp;

Third, Shahbaz is known for his stellar governance record in Punjab, and is a trusted face with the voters in a PML-N vs. PPP. Nawaz Sharif made mention of this during the meeting with senior PPP leaders. Shahbaz Sharif has been able to not just bring in some big infrastructural projects but has also been successful in implementing welfare schemes as well as citizen-friendly initiatives.

&nbsp;

Fourth, Shahbaz has close ties with a number of key countries. This includes China, GCC countries and Turkey. China has repeatedly praised Shahbaz Sharif for his administrative skills. With some dexterity, he may also be able to do some damage control in the context of ties with the US, which have witnessed a downward spiral.&nbsp; In the past, Shahbaz, as chief minister of Punjab, has tried to play a positive role in Indo-Pak peace efforts.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;In conclusion, PML-N Nawaz Sharif needs to be commended for making the correct decision. At this point, Shahbaz Sharif is the best bet for the PML-N as well as of Pakistan. Yet, PML-N would do well to become more consultative, and also address some of the genuine misgivings of the party. Shahbaz Sharif too will have to be more democratic in his functioning. While even his rivals confess that Sharif is a sound administrator, his style of functioning has been dubbed as abrasive at times.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Former Pakistani prime minister and the president of the Pakistani Muslim League (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif chose his brother who is the current Chief Minister of the Punjab province (Pakistan), Shahbaz Sharif as the (PML)-N?s prime ministerial candidate for the 2018 elections.

Former Pakistani prime minister and the president of the Pakistani Muslim League (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif chose his brother who is the current Chief Minister of the Punjab province (Pakistan), Shahbaz Sharif as the (PML)-N’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2018 elections. The decision was made during the course of a meeting with senior leaders of the PML-N at Nawaz’s Jatti Umra residence on December 20, 2017. There will be those who argue that this was very much expected, given the nature of dynastic politics, in general, and the family-centered politics of the PML-N in particular. There is some truth in this, yet it would be important to bear a few facts in mind. First, Nawaz Sharif’s choice sends a clear message, that the reported strain between both brothers was caused, largely, by the ambitions of their respective children, Maryam Nawaz (daughter of Nawaz Sharif) and Hamza Shahbaz (son of Shahbaz Sharif). But much of the sources, Sharif claims, have been addressed at least for the time being. It would be pertinent to mention, that after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif was expected to be the natural choice as his successor – both as prime minister and president. After his disqualification to hold Public Office by the Pakistan Supreme Court, Nawaz did name Shahbaz Sharif as his successor. Straining relations between both sides, however, resulted in Nawaz choosing current incumbent Abbasi as the interim prime minister. While the reason cited for not appointing Shahbaz as the prime minister in July 2017 was that the party wanted him to remain in Punjab and take care of the implementation of some key projects. A number of analysts believed, that if Shahbaz took over as the prime minister, Hamza Shahbaz would have become the Chief Minister of Punjab. Another point cited to reiterate the strains between Nawaz and Shahbaz families was the point that Hamza was not made in charge of the bye-election of Kulsoom Nawaz which was vacated as a result of Nawaz Sharif’s resignation from Parliament During the meeting on December 20, Nawaz Sharif did allude to Shahbaz Sharif’s differences with the party over certain issues. While of course, praising him for his commitment to the party. He said: ‘Shahbaz has always worked to further the party policies for public welfare and this unflagging attitude earned him the opportunity to be trusted for a higher office. We are a democratic political party where everyone is free to voice their mind. Shahbaz has had difference of opinion over some issues yet his commitment to the party overrules all else, which is why he has never violated the party discipline,” By choosing Shahbaz, Nawaz has arrested any further deterioration in ties between both brothers, but also any sort of rebellion, since a number of senior leaders in the PNL-N, have been uncomfortable with the rise of Nawaz’ daughter, Maryam Nawaz. Apart from the fact, that she is inexperienced, Maryam is also one of the accused in the Panama Papers case. If one were to look beyond the politics of the Sharif family, and the dynamics of the PML-N, Shahbaz’ is important at a time when ties between the civilian government and military are at a low point. Shahbaz is more acceptable to the army, and has a better relationship than Nawaz. In the past, Nawaz Sharif would have gone the whole hog against the army, but a mellowed and mature Nawaz Sharif realises that any sort of clash will not help the country either politically or economically, and the military too would seek to cash in on the corruption cases against Nawaz. The establishment (Army and ISI) has played a role, not just in the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif, but it has also propped up the Milli Muslim League (a front of Lashkar-e-Taiba, LeT), yet publically it has been making the right noises. One of the important steps taken by the Army Chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, was his briefing to a parliamentary committee on December 19, 2017. The briefing included a discussion of important national security issues, ties with India, the outcome of Army Chief’s foreign visits and the Saudi-led military alliance of Muslim countries. The army chief also stated that the Army would back the government’s initiatives to improve ties with India. The Pakistani army has always been good at PR exercises, and it realiSes that while there is disillusion with democratic forces, any sort of official take over, may not be taken to well by the Pakistani citizens. The recent moves by the army chief also seem to be in a similar direction. Third, Shahbaz is known for his stellar governance record in Punjab, and is a trusted face with the voters in a PML-N vs. PPP. Nawaz Sharif made mention of this during the meeting with senior PPP leaders. Shahbaz Sharif has been able to not just bring in some big infrastructural projects but has also been successful in implementing welfare schemes as well as citizen-friendly initiatives. Fourth, Shahbaz has close ties with a number of key countries. This includes China, GCC countries and Turkey. China has repeatedly praised Shahbaz Sharif for his administrative skills. With some dexterity, he may also be able to do some damage control in the context of ties with the US, which have witnessed a downward spiral. In the past, Shahbaz, as chief minister of Punjab, has tried to play a positive role in Indo-Pak peace efforts. In conclusion, PML-N Nawaz Sharif needs to be commended for making the correct decision. At this point, Shahbaz Sharif is the best bet for the PML-N as well as of Pakistan. Yet, PML-N would do well to become more consultative, and also address some of the genuine misgivings of the party. Shahbaz Sharif too will have to be more democratic in his functioning. While even his rivals confess that Sharif is a sound administrator, his style of functioning has been dubbed as abrasive at times. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: What can India, Pakistan and US expect from Shahbaz Sharif?

Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother were heckled by the Pakisktani media on Monday when they went to Islamabad to meet him.&nbsp;

As they saw Jadhav&#39;s wife Chetankul, Pakistani journalists shouted what would you say about your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis? (`aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?)&nbsp;

They asked his mother what are your feelings after meeting your killer son? (aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?).&nbsp;

In video footage of the incident, India&#39;s deputy high commissioner is seen throwing up his hands in exasperation at the line of questioning.&nbsp;

Watch video below:&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Islamabad: Pakistani journalists heckle &amp; harass <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a>&#39;s mother &amp; wife after their meeting with him, shout, &#39;aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?&#39; &amp; &#39;aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?&#39; <a href="https://t.co/MUYjPmHY6F">pic.twitter.com/MUYjPmHY6F</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945701606623817728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother met him at Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under strong guard.&nbsp;

The area was declared out of bounds for everybody apart from media and security personnel, and sharpshooters were placed on the roofs surrounding the ministry.&nbsp;

Jadhav was finally allowed to meet his wife and mother but was separated from them by a glass panel.&nbsp;

He was able to speak to them only via an intercom.&nbsp;

India has taken strong note of the meeting, saying Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother were asked to take off their shoes and change their clothes.&nbsp;

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the &quot;cultural and religious sensibilities of family&nbsp;members were disregarded&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included the removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,&quot; Kumar said.&nbsp;

&quot;For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Kumar said the Pakistani press, despite prior agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, was allowed on multiple occasions to approach the family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav.&nbsp;

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting.&nbsp;

It buttressed its stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as &quot;the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan.&quot;&nbsp;

In addition to this, the MoFA released another &quot;confessional&quot; video of Jadhav`s, in which the convicted alleged spy was seen confessing that he did cross from Iran to Pakistan two years back.&nbsp;

Jadhav is a former Indian naval officer.&nbsp;

Pakistan says he is a spy. He was arrested two years ago&nbsp;from Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan province.&nbsp;

On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan.&nbsp;

On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

What would you say about your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis, the Pakistani media asked Jadhav's wife Chetankul

Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother were heckled by the Pakisktani media on Monday when they went to Islamabad to meet him. As they saw Jadhav's wife Chetankul, Pakistani journalists shouted what would you say about your husband killing thousands of innocent Pakistanis? (`aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?) They asked his mother what are your feelings after meeting your killer son? (aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?). In video footage of the incident, India's deputy high commissioner is seen throwing up his hands in exasperation at the line of questioning. Watch video below: #WATCH Islamabad: Pakistani journalists heckle & harass #KulbhushanJadhav's mother & wife after their meeting with him, shout, 'aapke patidev ne hazaron begunah Pakistaniyo ke khoon se Holi kheli ispar kya kahengi?' & 'aapke kya jazbaat hain apne kaatil bete se milne ke baad?' pic.twitter.com/MUYjPmHY6F — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × Jadhav's wife and mother met him at Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs under strong guard. The area was declared out of bounds for everybody apart from media and security personnel, and sharpshooters were placed on the roofs surrounding the ministry. Jadhav was finally allowed to meet his wife and mother but was separated from them by a glass panel. He was able to speak to them only via an intercom. India has taken strong note of the meeting, saying Jadhav's wife and mother were asked to take off their shoes and change their clothes. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the "cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded". "Under the pretext of security precautions, the cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. This included the removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," Kumar said. "For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, the shoes of the wife of Jadhav were not returned to her after the meeting. We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard," he added. Kumar said the Pakistani press, despite prior agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, was allowed on multiple occasions to approach the family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations about Jadhav. The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) clarified that the screen was placed due to security reasons and that Jadhav already knew this would be the setting. It buttressed its stance by adding that Islamabad considered Jadhav as "the face of Indian terrorism, especially in Pakistan." In addition to this, the MoFA released another "confessional" video of Jadhav`s, in which the convicted alleged spy was seen confessing that he did cross from Iran to Pakistan two years back. Jadhav is a former Indian naval officer. Pakistan says he is a spy. He was arrested two years ago from Pakistan's restive Balochistan province. On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan. On May 18, 2017, the International Court of Justice stayed the hanging, after India approached it against the death sentence. (With inputs from ANI)

Killer son... played Holi with blood: Jadhav's wife, mother heckled by Pakistan media

Former Indian naval officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, who faces espionage charges and has been sentenced to death by Pakistan, met his family at Pakistan&#39;s foreign office in Islamabad yesterday.

The meeting took place after multiple requests made by India for family access.

A day after the meeting, Jadhav&#39;s family met Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.&nbsp;

According to a statement issued today by the Ministry of External Affairs, &quot;the two Governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments.&quot;&nbsp;

The MEA statement stated Pakistan&nbsp;to have violated the conditions mentioned in the letter by conducting the meeting in a manner dissimilar to what was agreed upon.&nbsp;

The official press release gave a detailed account of incidents that violated the terms mutually agreed upon by both the countries.&nbsp;

The statement noted that Pakistani press&#39; multiple interactions with Jadhav&#39;s family members caused them harassment.

Member of the local press &quot;hurled false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav&quot;. &quot;This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access,&quot; the MEA statement said.

&quot;The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav&rsquo;s alleged activities,&quot; MEA stated.&nbsp;

&quot;The cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. &nbsp;

According to the release, Jadhav&#39;s kin was asked to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi and were also asked to change their attire.

&quot;For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, Shri Jadhav&#39;s wife was not given her shoes back after she was returning from the meeting.

The MEA release also revealed that Jadhav&#39;s&nbsp;mother was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, &quot;although this was clearly the natural medium of communication.&nbsp;She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him.

The meeting was started without the Deputy High Commissioner who could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. &quot;Even then, he (DHC) was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed,&quot; said the statement.&nbsp;

&quot;We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard,&quot; claimed MEA.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;It appeared that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions on his health and well being,&quot; MEA noted.&nbsp;

&quot;We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned.&nbsp;Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude,&quot; stated MEA.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The statement gave a detailed account of incidents that violated the terms mutually agreed upon by both the countries with respect to Jadhav's meeting with his family

Former Indian naval officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, who faces espionage charges and has been sentenced to death by Pakistan, met his family at Pakistan's foreign office in Islamabad yesterday. The meeting took place after multiple requests made by India for family access. A day after the meeting, Jadhav's family met Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. According to a statement issued today by the Ministry of External Affairs, "the two Governments were in touch through diplomatic channels to work out its modalities and format. There were clear understandings between the two sides and the Indian side scrupulously abided by all its commitments." The MEA statement stated Pakistan to have violated the conditions mentioned in the letter by conducting the meeting in a manner dissimilar to what was agreed upon. The official press release gave a detailed account of incidents that violated the terms mutually agreed upon by both the countries. The statement noted that Pakistani press' multiple interactions with Jadhav's family members caused them harassment. Member of the local press "hurled false and motivated accusations about Shri Jadhav". "This was despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access," the MEA statement said. "The manner in which the meeting was conducted and its aftermath was clearly an attempt to bolster a false and unsubstantiated narrative of Shri Jadhav’s alleged activities," MEA stated. "The cultural and religious sensibilities of family members were disregarded. According to the release, Jadhav's kin was asked to remove mangal sutra, bangles and bindi and were also asked to change their attire. "For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests, Shri Jadhav's wife was not given her shoes back after she was returning from the meeting. The MEA release also revealed that Jadhav's mother was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, "although this was clearly the natural medium of communication. She was repeatedly interrupted while doing so and eventually prevented from proceeding further in this regard." The Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) was initially separated from family members who were taken to the meeting without informing him. The meeting was started without the Deputy High Commissioner who could join only after pressing the matter with concerned officials. "Even then, he (DHC) was kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed," said the statement. "We would caution against any mischievous intent in this regard," claimed MEA. "It appeared that Shri Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion. Most of his remarks were clearly tutored and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan. His appearance also raises questions on his health and well being," MEA noted. "We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned. Family members, however, handled the situation with great courage and fortitude," stated MEA.

In a blistering attack, MEA says Pakistan heckled Kulbhushan Jadhav's family

The single-member Peshawar High Court bench has directed that DNA tests will now be mandatory on the suspect as well as the alleged victim in sexual assault cases.&nbsp;

Justice Roohul Amin Khan Chamkani ruled that under that Section 164-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which was inserted in the law by Criminal Law Act 2016, DNA samples of the rapist and the victim will be collected and sent for examination as soon as possible.&nbsp;

The bench further observed, &quot;It further provides that the DNA samples collected shall be sent at earliest for the purpose of the investigation to a Forensic Laboratory, where the same shall be properly examined and preserved.&quot;

The decision was passed in a comprehensive judgement of bail petition filed by Umar Taj, who was earlier charged with sexually abusing and raping a woman, local media reports said.&nbsp;

In the judgement, Justice Roohul Amin Khan talked about laws on Protection of Women (Criminal law Amendment) Act, 2006, and the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences Related to Rape) Act, 2016 - aimed at protecting women from sexual abuse, adultery and fornication.&nbsp;

As per reports, it was ruled that Section 164-B CrPC linked with carrying out DNA tests would be applicable under Section 376 (Punishment for Rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code.&nbsp;

The PPC Section 376 awards punishment of death or imprisonment for a term of 10 to 20 years and fine for an accused proved guilty of rape.&nbsp;

The judgement passed by the bench also observed that the offence of sexual intercourse between people not married to each other is non-cognisable and that a complaint has to be lodged in the concerned court in connection with the offence. 
&nbsp;

The bench further observed, 'It further provides that the DNA samples collected shall be sent at earliest for the purpose of the investigation to a Forensic Laboratory, where the same shall be properly examined and preserved'

The single-member Peshawar High Court bench has directed that DNA tests will now be mandatory on the suspect as well as the alleged victim in sexual assault cases. Justice Roohul Amin Khan Chamkani ruled that under that Section 164-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which was inserted in the law by Criminal Law Act 2016, DNA samples of the rapist and the victim will be collected and sent for examination as soon as possible. The bench further observed, "It further provides that the DNA samples collected shall be sent at earliest for the purpose of the investigation to a Forensic Laboratory, where the same shall be properly examined and preserved." The decision was passed in a comprehensive judgement of bail petition filed by Umar Taj, who was earlier charged with sexually abusing and raping a woman, local media reports said. In the judgement, Justice Roohul Amin Khan talked about laws on Protection of Women (Criminal law Amendment) Act, 2006, and the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences Related to Rape) Act, 2016 - aimed at protecting women from sexual abuse, adultery and fornication. As per reports, it was ruled that Section 164-B CrPC linked with carrying out DNA tests would be applicable under Section 376 (Punishment for Rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The PPC Section 376 awards punishment of death or imprisonment for a term of 10 to 20 years and fine for an accused proved guilty of rape. The judgement passed by the bench also observed that the offence of sexual intercourse between people not married to each other is non-cognisable and that a complaint has to be lodged in the concerned court in connection with the offence.

Pakistan high court: DNA test mandatory in sexual assault cases

The mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj at her residence in New Delhi.&nbsp;

The meeting took place a day after the two officially went to Pakistan to meet their son and husband respectively. &nbsp;

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Mother and wife of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a> leave from residence of EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/FFWIb4HcvJ">pic.twitter.com/FFWIb4HcvJ</a>
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Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also present at the meeting.

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Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar at the residence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/C5MCnuUz6Z">pic.twitter.com/C5MCnuUz6Z</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945544453837660160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Jadhav, the Indian national sentenced to death in Pakistan, was allowed to meet his family, from behind a glass barrier at the Pakistan foreign ministry in Islamabad.

It was Jadhav&#39;s first meeting with his family, more than a year after he was arrested by the Pakistani Army over alleged espionage and spying activities in March last year.

Mother Avanti and wife Chetankul Jadhav were accompanied to the ministry by Indian deputy high Commissioner JP Singh and three Indian foreign ministry officials.&nbsp;

Only Jadhav&rsquo;s family was allowed into the room where he was sitting, while Singh and other officials monitored the meeting from outside the room.

The meeting lasted for 40 minutes.

The meeting took place a day after the two officially went to Pakistan to meet Jadhav?

The mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj at her residence in New Delhi. The meeting took place a day after the two officially went to Pakistan to meet their son and husband respectively. Mother and wife of #KulbhushanJadhav leave from residence of EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/FFWIb4HcvJ — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also present at the meeting. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar at the residence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/C5MCnuUz6Z — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × Jadhav, the Indian national sentenced to death in Pakistan, was allowed to meet his family, from behind a glass barrier at the Pakistan foreign ministry in Islamabad. It was Jadhav's first meeting with his family, more than a year after he was arrested by the Pakistani Army over alleged espionage and spying activities in March last year. Mother Avanti and wife Chetankul Jadhav were accompanied to the ministry by Indian deputy high Commissioner JP Singh and three Indian foreign ministry officials. Only Jadhav’s family was allowed into the room where he was sitting, while Singh and other officials monitored the meeting from outside the room. The meeting lasted for 40 minutes.

Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife, mother meet Sushma Swaraj

The Pakistani media reported Monday that India had killed three Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control.

It added that one Pakistani soldier was wounded.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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India has killed three Pakistan Army soldiers along LOC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. One Pak soldier is injured: Pakistan media <a href="https://t.co/mgy2WkaGWy">pic.twitter.com/mgy2WkaGWy</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945339431434600449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) &amp; killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday? in ceasefire violation by Pakistan: Intelligence Sources
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945475527619391488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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ANI reported Tuesday, quoting intelligence sources, that Indian Army troops had crossed over the Line of Control and killed the three soldiers.&nbsp;

ANI added that the killings were in retaliation to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540" target="_blank">four Indian Army personnel killed</a> on Saturday in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan.&nbsp;

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said the killings had been caused by a ceasefire violation.&nbsp;

&ldquo;India initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. Three soldiers embraced shahadat (died). One injured,&rdquo; it said on its website.&nbsp;

The ISPR added that Pakistani troops had given a &quot;strong response&quot; to the attack.&nbsp;

Some media outlets&nbsp;however quoted the Indian Army as denying the reports, blaming Pakistan for the ceasefire violation, and saying the Pakistani&nbsp;soldiers may have died in return fire.&nbsp;

The three Pakistani soldiers killed, sources said, belonged to the 59 Baloch Regiment, 12 infantry division.&nbsp;

They were identified as Sepoy Sajjad, M Usma, and Abdul Rehman.&nbsp;

The injured Pakistani soldier was identified as Athzaz Hussain.&nbsp;

The sources added that the &quot;action&quot;&nbsp;took place in the Rakhchakri area of Rawalkot on the afternoon of December 25.&nbsp;

The ceasefire along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir has been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-violated-ceasefire-881-times-along-loc-ib-27216" target="_blank">violated </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-violated-ceasefire-881-times-along-loc-ib-27216">881 times this year.</a>&nbsp;

The four Indian soldiers killed on Saturday included a major, two lance naiks, and a sepoy.&nbsp;

Four Indian Army soldiers had been killed in the ceasefire violation in Keri on Saturday

The Pakistani media reported Monday that India had killed three Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control. It added that one Pakistani soldier was wounded. India has killed three Pakistan Army soldiers along LOC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. One Pak soldier is injured: Pakistan media pic.twitter.com/mgy2WkaGWy — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2017 × Indian Army troops crossed over the Line of Control (PoK) & killed three Pakistani army soldiers, one Pak soldier injured. This was in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday? in ceasefire violation by Pakistan: Intelligence Sources — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × ANI reported Tuesday, quoting intelligence sources, that Indian Army troops had crossed over the Line of Control and killed the three soldiers. ANI added that the killings were in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said the killings had been caused by a ceasefire violation. “India initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC at Rakhchikri, Rawlakot sector. Three soldiers embraced shahadat (died). One injured,” it said on its website. The ISPR added that Pakistani troops had given a "strong response" to the attack. Some media outlets however quoted the Indian Army as denying the reports, blaming Pakistan for the ceasefire violation, and saying the Pakistani soldiers may have died in return fire. The three Pakistani soldiers killed, sources said, belonged to the 59 Baloch Regiment, 12 infantry division. They were identified as Sepoy Sajjad, M Usma, and Abdul Rehman. The injured Pakistani soldier was identified as Athzaz Hussain. The sources added that the "action" took place in the Rakhchakri area of Rawalkot on the afternoon of December 25. The ceasefire along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir has been violated 881 times this year. The four Indian soldiers killed on Saturday included a major, two lance naiks, and a sepoy.

Indian Army crosses LoC, kills 3 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for Keri attack: Report

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Israel&#39;s Foreign Ministry is in contact with at least 10 countries around the world who have shown interest in following the US lead and moving their embassies to Jerusalem, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said on Monday. &quot;We are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe to discuss the move,&quot; Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told a public radio channel.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-three-soldiers-killed-in-unprovoked-firing-by-india-along-loc-27699">Indian Army crosses LoC, kills 3 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for Keri attack: Report</a>

The Pakistani media reported Monday that India had killed three Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control. It added that one Pakistani soldier was wounded.&nbsp;ANI added that the killings were in retaliation to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540" target="_blank">four Indian Army personnel killed</a>&nbsp;on Saturday in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/107-year-old-grandma-calls-rahul-handsome-he-calls-her-back-27701">107-year-old grandma calls Rahul handsome, he calls her back</a>

Congress president Rahul Gandhi seems to have found a new admirer -- a 107-year-old grandmother from Bangalore who finds him &quot;handsome&quot; and wishes to meet him. Gandhi, soon after, returned the wishes on Twitter -- and called her in the evening.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-rupani-to-be-sworn-in-as-gujarat-cm-today-pm-modi-amit-shah-to-attend-27702">Rupani to be sworn in as Gujarat CM today, PM Modi, Amit Shah to attend</a>

The new BJP government led by Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel will be sworn in in Gandhinagar today. The swearing in is expected to start at 11 am. Rupani and Patel will take their oaths as chief minister and deputy chief minister for the second consecutive term after having been elected on Friday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/almost-all-mcdonalds-in-east-india-shut-vikram-bakshi-27706">Almost all McDonald&#39;s in east India shut: Vikram Bakshi</a>

McDonald&#39;s estranged joint venture partner Vikram Bakshi today said nearly all outlets of the fast-food chain in east India had been shut and several others in the north are on the verge of closing down due to discontinuation of supplies by its logistics partner.

Israel in talks with '10 countries' about Jerusalem embassy moves Israel's Foreign Ministry is in contact with at least 10 countries around the world who have shown interest in following the US lead and moving their embassies to Jerusalem, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said on Monday. "We are in contact with at least ten countries, some of them in Europe to discuss the move," Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told a public radio channel. Indian Army crosses LoC, kills 3 Pakistani soldiers in retaliation for Keri attack: Report The Pakistani media reported Monday that India had killed three Pakistani soldiers along the Line of Control. It added that one Pakistani soldier was wounded. ANI added that the killings were in retaliation to the four Indian Army personnel killed on Saturday in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan. 107-year-old grandma calls Rahul handsome, he calls her back Congress president Rahul Gandhi seems to have found a new admirer -- a 107-year-old grandmother from Bangalore who finds him "handsome" and wishes to meet him. Gandhi, soon after, returned the wishes on Twitter -- and called her in the evening. Rupani to be sworn in as Gujarat CM today, PM Modi, Amit Shah to attend The new BJP government led by Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel will be sworn in in Gandhinagar today. The swearing in is expected to start at 11 am. Rupani and Patel will take their oaths as chief minister and deputy chief minister for the second consecutive term after having been elected on Friday. Almost all McDonald's in east India shut: Vikram Bakshi McDonald's estranged joint venture partner Vikram Bakshi today said nearly all outlets of the fast-food chain in east India had been shut and several others in the north are on the verge of closing down due to discontinuation of supplies by its logistics partner.

WION morning news brief, December 26, 2017

China and Pakistan will look at extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, part of China&#39;s ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond.

China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbours ever since Pakistan`s independence in 1947.

Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the US-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan.

Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development.

Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve people&#39;s lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations.

&quot;So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan,&quot; he added.

How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said, without giving details.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were &quot;iron brothers&quot;, but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the corridor.

&quot;The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia,&quot; he said.

India has looked askance at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory, though Wang said the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes.

China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of Islamist militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang.

As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the violence in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, to limited effect.

A tentative talks process collapsed in 2015.

Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide &quot;necessary facilitation&quot;.

The Belt and Road infrastructure drive aim to build a modern-day &quot;Silk Road&quot; connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.

China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan

China and Pakistan will look at extending their $57 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday, part of China's ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with Asia, Europe and beyond. China has tried to position itself as a helpful party to promote talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both uneasy neighbours ever since Pakistan`s independence in 1947. Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the US-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan. Speaking after the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Wang said China hoped the economic corridor could benefit the whole region and act as an impetus for development. Afghanistan has urgent need to develop and improve people's lives and hopes it can join inter-connectivity initiatives, Wang told reporters, as he announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to mend their strained relations. "So China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan," he added. How that could happen needs the three countries to reach a gradual consensus, tackling easier, smaller projects first, Wang said, without giving details. Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said his country and China were "iron brothers", but did not directly mention the prospect of Afghanistan joining the corridor. "The successful implementation of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) projects will serve as a model for enhancing connectivity and cooperation through similar projects with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan, Iran and with central and west Asia," he said. India has looked askance at the project as parts of it run through Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory, though Wang said the plan had nothing to do with territorial disputes. China has sought to bring Kabul and Islamabad together partly due to Chinese fears about the spread of Islamist militancy from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the unrest-prone far western Chinese region of Xinjiang. As such, China has pushed for Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their own ties so they can better tackle the violence in their respective countries, and has also tried to broker peace talks with Afghan Taliban militants, to limited effect. A tentative talks process collapsed in 2015. Wang said China fully supported peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and would continue to provide "necessary facilitation". The Belt and Road infrastructure drive aim to build a modern-day "Silk Road" connecting China to economies in Southeast and Central Asia by land and the Middle East and Europe by sea.

China, Pakistan to look at including Afghanistan in $57 billion economic corridor

In the latest meeting of an intra-provincial committee, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan should adopt a tracking system being used by the US and European countries to keep an eye on foreigners, the Urdu language Express-News reported.

There is a dire need of having such tracking system which will be helpful in monitoring the movement of foreigners, the minister said.

Asif made the remarks after the secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs raised the issue of Afghan students studying in various seminaries in Pakistan, it said.

The secretary briefed the committee on the links of these students with militancy in Pakistan on which the national security advisor said there should be surveillance of all such students and on expiry of their visit visas they should be sent back to their homeland.

The secretary said they are closely monitoring the situation and might change the visa regime very soon.

In April, then interior minister Nisar Ali Khan had ordered the immediate suspension of issuance of visas on arrival to foreigners to avoid any irregularities in the database.

He had also ordered the Ministry of Interior to revise and update visa rules.&nbsp;

In April, then interior minister Nisar Ali Khan had ordered the immediate suspension of issuance of visas on arrival to foreigners to avoid any irregularities in the database

In the latest meeting of an intra-provincial committee, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan should adopt a tracking system being used by the US and European countries to keep an eye on foreigners, the Urdu language Express-News reported. There is a dire need of having such tracking system which will be helpful in monitoring the movement of foreigners, the minister said. Asif made the remarks after the secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs raised the issue of Afghan students studying in various seminaries in Pakistan, it said. The secretary briefed the committee on the links of these students with militancy in Pakistan on which the national security advisor said there should be surveillance of all such students and on expiry of their visit visas they should be sent back to their homeland. The secretary said they are closely monitoring the situation and might change the visa regime very soon. In April, then interior minister Nisar Ali Khan had ordered the immediate suspension of issuance of visas on arrival to foreigners to avoid any irregularities in the database. He had also ordered the Ministry of Interior to revise and update visa rules.

Pakistan plans American-style surveillance for foreigners

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has called the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother as deeply unsatisfactory.&nbsp;

&quot;The way in which roll unfolded was deeply unsatisfactory,&quot; Shashi Tharoor said.

However, he also said that that the meeting was a step forward as somebody was able to meet the &quot;poor&quot; man who was arrested 22 months back&nbsp;

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In one sense, it is a step forward because 22 months after they arrested this poor man, finally somebody is able to see him. On the other hand, the way in which roll unfolded was deeply unsatisfactory: Shashi Tharoor, Congress on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a>&#39;s meeting with his family <a href="https://t.co/4AotQ0fdFo">pic.twitter.com/4AotQ0fdFo</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945248489172119552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother and wife at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Islamabad today for&nbsp;45 minutes today.

Pakistan said it was permitting the meeting &quot;as a humanitarian gesture, on the birthday of the Father of the nation, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.&quot;

He said ' the way in which roll unfolded was deeply unsatisfactory'

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has called the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his wife and mother as deeply unsatisfactory. "The way in which roll unfolded was deeply unsatisfactory," Shashi Tharoor said. However, he also said that that the meeting was a step forward as somebody was able to meet the "poor" man who was arrested 22 months back In one sense, it is a step forward because 22 months after they arrested this poor man, finally somebody is able to see him. On the other hand, the way in which roll unfolded was deeply unsatisfactory: Shashi Tharoor, Congress on #KulbhushanJadhav's meeting with his family pic.twitter.com/4AotQ0fdFo — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2017 × Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav met his mother and wife at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Islamabad today for 45 minutes today. Pakistan said it was permitting the meeting "as a humanitarian gesture, on the birthday of the Father of the nation, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah."

Meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav, mother, wife is deeply unsatisfactory: Shashi Tharoor

Former Indian naval officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, who faces espionage charges and has been sentenced to death by Pakistan, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kulbhushan-jadhav-to-meet-mother-wife-on-december-25-pakistan-mofa-sources-27546">will be meeting his mother and his wife later today</a>.&nbsp;

The meeting is likely to take place at Pakistan&#39;s foreign office in Islamabad after visas were issued to Jadhav&#39;s family.&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had previously revealed that the meeting will take place for about 30 minutes to an hour.&nbsp;

Jadhav&#39;s family received &#39;three-day&#39; visas on Wednesday.

Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother are expected to reach Islamabad about 11 am, with the meeting likely to take place between 1 pm and 3 pm.&nbsp;

According to media reports, Pakistan accepted India&#39;s plea after rejecting over 30 requests.&nbsp;

A military court in Pakistan had sentenced Kulbhushan Jadhav to death on April 10 this year.

Jadhav faces alleged charges of espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) intervened and halted Jadhav&#39;s execution in May this year.&nbsp;

The case currently rests with the world court for further action.&nbsp;

Jadhav faces charges of espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities

Former Indian naval officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, who faces espionage charges and has been sentenced to death by Pakistan, will be meeting his mother and his wife later today. The meeting is likely to take place at Pakistan's foreign office in Islamabad after visas were issued to Jadhav's family. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had previously revealed that the meeting will take place for about 30 minutes to an hour. Jadhav's family received 'three-day' visas on Wednesday. Jadhav's wife and mother are expected to reach Islamabad about 11 am, with the meeting likely to take place between 1 pm and 3 pm. According to media reports, Pakistan accepted India's plea after rejecting over 30 requests. A military court in Pakistan had sentenced Kulbhushan Jadhav to death on April 10 this year. Jadhav faces alleged charges of espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) intervened and halted Jadhav's execution in May this year. The case currently rests with the world court for further action.

Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet wife, mother today?

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said the country has given India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, since an Indian High Commission official will be accompanying Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother when they <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kulbhushan-jadhav-to-meet-his-wife-mother-later-today-27627" target="_blank">meet him today</a>.&nbsp;

Asif made his comments to Pakistan&#39;s Geo News.&nbsp;

When he was asked whether the high commission official accompanying Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother constituted consular access, he answered with a categorical &quot;Yes&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Had India been in place of us, it would not have given us this concession,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

PTI however reported Indian officials as downplaying the statement.&nbsp;

They said the high commission official was only accompanying Jadhav&#39;s family and that that could not be construed as consular access.&nbsp;

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Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan J.P Singh, to accompany Kulbhushan Jhadav&#39;s wife and mother in their meeting with the Indian national, reports Pakistan media.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945174593790033920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Pakistan permits the meeting of wife and mother of Commander Jadhav with him, as a humanitarian gesture, on the birthday of the Father of the nation, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
&mdash; Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/945182829188657157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Jadhav is a former Indian naval officer who was arrested from Pakistan&#39;s restive Balochistan region on March 3 last year.&nbsp;

Pakistan accused him of being a spy for India&#39;s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and after a three and a half&nbsp;month trial, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death on April 10 this year.&nbsp;

India has asked for consular access to Jadhav as many as 22 times and copies of the charge sheet&nbsp;and judgement against him.

Pakistan has so far turned down the requests.&nbsp;

Jadhav&#39;s sentencing was put on hold by the International Court of Justice after India took the case to it earlier this year.&nbsp;

The statement was made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said the country has given India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, since an Indian High Commission official will be accompanying Jadhav's wife and mother when they meet him today. Asif made his comments to Pakistan's Geo News. When he was asked whether the high commission official accompanying Jadhav's wife and mother constituted consular access, he answered with a categorical "Yes". "Had India been in place of us, it would not have given us this concession," he added. PTI however reported Indian officials as downplaying the statement. They said the high commission official was only accompanying Jadhav's family and that that could not be construed as consular access. Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan J.P Singh, to accompany Kulbhushan Jhadav's wife and mother in their meeting with the Indian national, reports Pakistan media. — ANI (@ANI) December 25, 2017 × Pakistan permits the meeting of wife and mother of Commander Jadhav with him, as a humanitarian gesture, on the birthday of the Father of the nation, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. — Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) December 25, 2017 × Jadhav is a former Indian naval officer who was arrested from Pakistan's restive Balochistan region on March 3 last year. Pakistan accused him of being a spy for India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and after a three and a half month trial, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death on April 10 this year. India has asked for consular access to Jadhav as many as 22 times and copies of the charge sheet and judgement against him. Pakistan has so far turned down the requests. Jadhav's sentencing was put on hold by the International Court of Justice after India took the case to it earlier this year.

Pakistan says has granted India consular access to Jadhav, India disagrees

Indian Premier League Chairman, Rajiv Shukla, recently spoke on resuming cricketing ties with Pakistan stating that the situation in the neighbouring country is not befitting.

It looks unlikely for the two countries to play any matches in the near future, he noted at a press conference in Jhansi. &nbsp;

Shukla was in Jhansi for a meeting with the state cricket association.&nbsp;

He noted the safety and security of Indian cricketers of paramount importance.&nbsp;

His comments came in the wake of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540">recent ceasefire violation</a> which killed one Indian Army officer and three Indian soldiers.&nbsp;

Shukla noted the safety and security of Indian cricketers of paramount importance

Indian Premier League Chairman, Rajiv Shukla, recently spoke on resuming cricketing ties with Pakistan stating that the situation in the neighbouring country is not befitting. It looks unlikely for the two countries to play any matches in the near future, he noted at a press conference in Jhansi. Shukla was in Jhansi for a meeting with the state cricket association. He noted the safety and security of Indian cricketers of paramount importance. His comments came in the wake of the recent ceasefire violation which killed one Indian Army officer and three Indian soldiers.

Less likely to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan, Rajiv Shukla

A roadside bomb killed three soldiers Sunday in a remote part of northwest Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, officials said.

The bombing took place in the village of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan, one of the country&#39;s seven semi-autonomous tribal areas where the military has been battling Islamist militants, including the Pakistani Taliban.

The soldiers from the paramilitary Frontier Corps were searching for bombs to clear the area for the passage of a convoy, a senior Pakistani security official told AFP.

&quot;Three soldiers ... were martyred in an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast in Ghulam Khan,&quot; the official said.

Local intelligence officials confirmed the incident and casualties.

It was not possible to independently verify the account as the area is out of bounds for media.

A curfew has been imposed in the area as security forces search for the suspected militants who planted the bomb, the official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Taliban militants have carried out many similar attacks in the past.

Violence in Pakistan has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives against insurgents along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out bloody attacks.

There have been a number of deadly assaults in recent weeks in the northwest as well as in the southwestern Balochistan province.

This latest wave of attacks came as hundreds of people displaced from their homes during the offensives in North Waziristan prepared to return after the military declared the region safe.

A curfew has been imposed in the area as security forces search for the suspected militants who planted the bomb, the official said

A roadside bomb killed three soldiers Sunday in a remote part of northwest Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, officials said. The bombing took place in the village of Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan, one of the country's seven semi-autonomous tribal areas where the military has been battling Islamist militants, including the Pakistani Taliban. The soldiers from the paramilitary Frontier Corps were searching for bombs to clear the area for the passage of a convoy, a senior Pakistani security official told AFP. "Three soldiers ... were martyred in an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast in Ghulam Khan," the official said. Local intelligence officials confirmed the incident and casualties. It was not possible to independently verify the account as the area is out of bounds for media. A curfew has been imposed in the area as security forces search for the suspected militants who planted the bomb, the official said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Taliban militants have carried out many similar attacks in the past. Violence in Pakistan has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives against insurgents along the northwestern border with Afghanistan, but militant groups are still able to carry out bloody attacks. There have been a number of deadly assaults in recent weeks in the northwest as well as in the southwestern Balochistan province. This latest wave of attacks came as hundreds of people displaced from their homes during the offensives in North Waziristan prepared to return after the military declared the region safe.

Bomb kills three soldiers in northwest Pakistan: Officials

The Indian Army said Sunday that the bodies of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540" target="_blank">four soldiers killed</a> in the ceasefire violation yesterday were not mutilated.&nbsp;

News reports had said the bodies of the soldiers had been mutilated.&nbsp;

The army said Sunday that the injuries suffered had been &quot;due to splinters and gun shot wounds&quot;.&nbsp;

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Death of four army personnel in ceasefire violation by Pakistan, yesterday: Army clarifies &quot;there has been no mutilation of bodies, the injuries suffered are due to splinters and gun shot wounds sustained due to firing by the enemy on the patrol&quot;
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/944798344936792064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Three soldiers and one officer had been killed Saturday in a ceasefire violation blamed on Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Rajouri district.&nbsp;

The officer was identified as Major Prafulla Ambadas Moharkar.

The soldiers as Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh.&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation.

&quot;Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts. Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship,&quot; Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Major Ambadas&nbsp;hailed from Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by his wife Avoli.

Lance Naik Gurmail Singh&nbsp;belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by his wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh belonged to Bhatinda, Punjab and is survived by his wife Jaspreet Kaur and two children.&nbsp;

Sepoy Pargat Singh&nbsp;belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by his wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the army said.

News reports had said the bodies of the soldiers had been mutilated

The Indian Army said Sunday that the bodies of the four soldiers killed in the ceasefire violation yesterday were not mutilated. News reports had said the bodies of the soldiers had been mutilated. The army said Sunday that the injuries suffered had been "due to splinters and gun shot wounds". Death of four army personnel in ceasefire violation by Pakistan, yesterday: Army clarifies "there has been no mutilation of bodies, the injuries suffered are due to splinters and gun shot wounds sustained due to firing by the enemy on the patrol" — ANI (@ANI) December 24, 2017 × Three soldiers and one officer had been killed Saturday in a ceasefire violation blamed on Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. The officer was identified as Major Prafulla Ambadas Moharkar. The soldiers as Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh and Sepoy Pargat Singh. Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation. "Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts. Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. Major Ambadas hailed from Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by his wife Avoli. Lance Naik Gurmail Singh belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by his wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter. Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh belonged to Bhatinda, Punjab and is survived by his wife Jaspreet Kaur and two children. Sepoy Pargat Singh belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by his wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the army said.

Soldiers' bodies were not mutilated, says army

At least four Indian soldiers, including a senior officer, were on Saturday killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan at the Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Battalion area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, 32, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, 34, and Sepoy Pargat Singh, 30,&nbsp; and Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries.&nbsp;

One soldier&nbsp;was injured in the firing and is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.&nbsp;

The Army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated &quot;strongly and effectively&quot;.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation further adding that Pakistan has got isolated at the global stage, especially on the issue of terrorism.

&quot;Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts. Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship,&quot; Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Major Ambadas&nbsp;belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh&nbsp;belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter.

Sepoy Pargat Singh&nbsp;belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said.

&quot;Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pargat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,&quot; the Army statement said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Deputy CM Nirmal Singh paid tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the violation

At least four Indian soldiers, including a senior officer, were on Saturday killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan at the Keri (120 Infantry Brigade) Battalion area of Jammu and Kashmir. Major Moharkar Prafulla Ambadas, 32, Lance Naik Gurmail Singh, 34, and Sepoy Pargat Singh, 30, and Lance Naik Kuldeep Singh were grievously injured during the ceasefire violation and succumbed to their injuries. One soldier was injured in the firing and is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital. The Army, in a statement, said that Indian troops retaliated "strongly and effectively". Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh paid rich tributes to the slain soldiers and condemned Pakistan for the ceasefire violation further adding that Pakistan has got isolated at the global stage, especially on the issue of terrorism. "Pakistan is indulging in such cowardly actions and is being given a befitting response, but it does not desist from such cowardly acts. Pakistan is a terrorist state and it will not be too long before the country is declared a terrorist state by the world. It does not only support terrorism but also provide state sponsorship," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. Major Ambadas belonged to Bhandara district in Maharashtra and is survived by wife Avoli Moharkar, while Lance Naik Gurmail Singh belonged to Amritsar district in Punjab and is survived by wife Kuljit Kaur and a daughter. Sepoy Pargat Singh belonged to Karnal district in Haryana and is survived by wife Ramanpreet Kaur and a son, the Army said. "Major Ambadas, Lance Naik Gurmail and Sepoy Pargat were brave and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," the Army statement said. (With inputs from PTI)

J&K: 4 soldiers killed in Pakistan ceasefire violation in Keri

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dhinakaran-wins-rk-nagar-bypoll-in-big-blow-for-aiadmk-27597">Dhinakaran wins RK Nagar </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dhinakaran-wins-rk-nagar-bypoll-in-big-blow-for-aiadmk-27597">bypoll</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dhinakaran-wins-rk-nagar-bypoll-in-big-blow-for-aiadmk-27597"> in big blow for ruling AIADMK</a>

Sidelined AIADMK leader and independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rk-nagar-bypoll-live-counting-of-votes-begins-early-trends-say-ttv-dinakaran-in-lead-27565">has won the RK Nagar&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rk-nagar-bypoll-live-counting-of-votes-begins-early-trends-say-ttv-dinakaran-in-lead-27565">bypoll</a>&nbsp;beating his rival, AIADMK&#39;s E Madhusudhanan by over 40,000 votes. Dhinakaran defeated his nearest rival E Madhusudhanan of the AIADMK by 40,707 votes, officials announced as the counting of votes ended.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ttv-dhinakaran-leads-rk-nagar-bypoll-says-aiadmk-government-will-go-in-three-months-27589">TTV Dhinakaran leads RK Nagar </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ttv-dhinakaran-leads-rk-nagar-bypoll-says-aiadmk-government-will-go-in-three-months-27589">bypoll</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ttv-dhinakaran-leads-rk-nagar-bypoll-says-aiadmk-government-will-go-in-three-months-27589">, says AIADMK government will go in three months</a>

While addressing the media after&nbsp;scoring thumping majority&nbsp;in the RK Nagar&nbsp;bypolls, AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran&nbsp;has said that the existing AIADMK government will go in three months.&nbsp;Dhinakaran was referring to&nbsp;the&nbsp;Edappadi K&nbsp;Palaniswami and O&nbsp;Panneerselvam government.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jairam-thakur-to-be-new-himachal-pradesh-chief-minister-27582">Jairam Thakur to be sworn in as Himachal Pradesh CM on December 27, PM Modi to attend</a>

All speculation over the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh came to rest Sunday with the BJP announcing&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/not-running-for-chief-minister-position-prem-kumar-dhumal-27550" target="_blank">five-time legislator Jairam Thakur as the party&#39;s next leader</a>&nbsp;in the legislative assembly The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aimplb-says-will-request-pm-to-withhold-withdraw-triple-talaq-bill-27594">Will request PM to withhold and withdraw Triple Talaq bill: AIMPLB President</a>

The president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Sajjad Nomani has said that he will request Prime Minister to intervene and withhold and withdraw the Triple Talaq bill.&nbsp;&quot;No procedure was followed in drafting this bill, neither any stakeholder was consulted,&quot; he said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-violates-ceasefire-in-jammu-and-kashmirs-poonch-27596">Pakistan violates ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Poonch</a>

A day after Pakistani forces killed<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-3-soldiers-killed-in-pakistan-ceasefire-violation-in-keri-27540">&nbsp;four Indian soldiers</a>&nbsp;in across the Line of Control (LoC) Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani soldiers again targeted Indian forward posts and villages in the states&#39;s Poonch district on Sunday afternoon. Firing between the two sides was going on when the last reports came. Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated effectively, a police official said.

Here are the top developments this evening

Dhinakaran wins RK Nagar bypoll in big blow for ruling AIADMK Sidelined AIADMK leader and independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran has won the RK Nagar bypoll beating his rival, AIADMK's E Madhusudhanan by over 40,000 votes. Dhinakaran defeated his nearest rival E Madhusudhanan of the AIADMK by 40,707 votes, officials announced as the counting of votes ended. TTV Dhinakaran leads RK Nagar bypoll, says AIADMK government will go in three months While addressing the media after scoring thumping majority in the RK Nagar bypolls, AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran has said that the existing AIADMK government will go in three months. Dhinakaran was referring to the Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam government. Jairam Thakur to be sworn in as Himachal Pradesh CM on December 27, PM Modi to attend All speculation over the next chief minister of Himachal Pradesh came to rest Sunday with the BJP announcing five-time legislator Jairam Thakur as the party's next leader in the legislative assembly The swearing-in ceremony for the BJP leader will take place on December 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the ceremony. Will request PM to withhold and withdraw Triple Talaq bill: AIMPLB President The president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Sajjad Nomani has said that he will request Prime Minister to intervene and withhold and withdraw the Triple Talaq bill. "No procedure was followed in drafting this bill, neither any stakeholder was consulted," he said. Pakistan violates ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch A day after Pakistani forces killed four Indian soldiers in across the Line of Control (LoC) Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani soldiers again targeted Indian forward posts and villages in the states's Poonch district on Sunday afternoon. Firing between the two sides was going on when the last reports came. Indian troops guarding the LoC retaliated effectively, a police official said.

WION evening news brief, December 24, 2017

Pakistan on Saturday opposed the registration of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed&#39;s Milli Muslim League (MML) as a political party with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The interior ministry termed the JuD chief&#39;s political wing as an &#39;offshoot of proscribed entities&#39;. It also said that MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).

According to a leading Pakistani daily, the ministry&#39;s opposition was&nbsp;based on a security report which said the registration of the MML as a political party would breed violence and extremism in politics.

In its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the ministry urged it to not consider MML&rsquo;s plea. &nbsp;

MML-backed candidate Yaqoob Sheikh had secured 5,822 votes and stood fourth in a by-election in Lahore&#39;s National Assembly constituency NA-120 despite the Election Commission of Pakistan not registering the party.

The by-election was held after the Supreme Court disqualified ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif over his alleged involvement in the Panama Papers case.&nbsp;

The MML filed a petition in Islamabad High Court against the ECP&#39;s order that declined its registration as a political party asserting that the interior ministry was &quot;interfering&quot;.

The Interior Ministry termed the JuD chief's political wing as an 'offshoot of proscribed entities'.

Pakistan on Saturday opposed the registration of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League (MML) as a political party with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The interior ministry termed the JuD chief's political wing as an 'offshoot of proscribed entities'. It also said that MML is the offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). According to a leading Pakistani daily, the ministry's opposition was based on a security report which said the registration of the MML as a political party would breed violence and extremism in politics. In its written reply submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the ministry urged it to not consider MML’s plea. MML-backed candidate Yaqoob Sheikh had secured 5,822 votes and stood fourth in a by-election in Lahore's National Assembly constituency NA-120 despite the Election Commission of Pakistan not registering the party. The by-election was held after the Supreme Court disqualified ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif over his alleged involvement in the Panama Papers case. The MML filed a petition in Islamabad High Court against the ECP's order that declined its registration as a political party asserting that the interior ministry was "interfering".

Pakistan government opposes Hafiz Saeed's MML registration as political party

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