Widespread protests have erupted across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan&#39;s ill-treatment of the region and its people.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, people have come out onto the streets shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and rejecting the Pakistan Government&#39;s enforced taxation. Markets and business establishments remained shut and traders in large numbers gathered in major cities, including Gilgit and Skardu to express their anger against the imposition of &quot;illegal&quot;&nbsp;taxes by Islamabad.

They called on the government to withdraw all taxes imposed in Gilgit Baltistan under the GB Tax Adaptation Act 2012. The protest call was given by the Anjiman-i-Tajran and the Awami Action Committee (AAC), and backed by all political and religious parties in Baltistan.

Addressing a gathering in Skardu, Basharat, an advocate and member of Baltistan civil society, blamed Islamabad for its autocratic behaviour and for abusing the powers of the Gilgit Baltistan Council which is headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

He said, &quot;Gilgit-Baltistan Council is chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He definitely has no sympathy for Gilgit-Baltistan. If it was so, he would have taken decisions as per the convenience of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. He never attends any meeting. It is very sad.

The Prime Minister only endorses a plan designed by a section officer in Islamabad.The protests will continue till the government meets the demands, the organisers have announced.&quot;This is the height of barbarism. We don&#39;t have any party to express our concerns.

So, the people have no option but to block roads and go on strike. Now, the government will use force to demolish our campaign.

For the past 47 years, they have kept us confined by dividing us on sectarian lines&quot;, said a protester. In Rawalakot city, people came out onto the streets to protest against the discriminatory surge in load shedding hours.

The protest was organised by the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP), which claimed that the PoK produces some 5,000 megawatts of electricity from five dams and 4500 Megawatts of that electricity is diverted to the Islamabad grid leaving the local people with just 500 Megawatts.

Sardar Liaqat Hayat, President of JKNAP, said, &quot;We people are paying hefty bills despite having hours long load shedding. We all need to come onto the streets to protest for our right to free electricity. We need to give sacrifices as nothing comes free. Those who are getting everything free are the &#39;moulvis&#39;&nbsp;sitting in a mosque. Ordinary people have to fight for their rights&quot;.

The JKNAP has threatened to intensify its protest against Islamabad if their demands are not met. It also blames Pakistan for exploiting resources from PoK and being responsible for the poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

People came to streets raising anti-Pakistan slogans and rejecting the Pakistan Government's enforced taxation

Widespread protests have erupted across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan's ill-treatment of the region and its people. In Gilgit-Baltistan, people have come out onto the streets shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and rejecting the Pakistan Government's enforced taxation. Markets and business establishments remained shut and traders in large numbers gathered in major cities, including Gilgit and Skardu to express their anger against the imposition of "illegal" taxes by Islamabad. They called on the government to withdraw all taxes imposed in Gilgit Baltistan under the GB Tax Adaptation Act 2012. The protest call was given by the Anjiman-i-Tajran and the Awami Action Committee (AAC), and backed by all political and religious parties in Baltistan. Addressing a gathering in Skardu, Basharat, an advocate and member of Baltistan civil society, blamed Islamabad for its autocratic behaviour and for abusing the powers of the Gilgit Baltistan Council which is headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He said, "Gilgit-Baltistan Council is chaired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He definitely has no sympathy for Gilgit-Baltistan. If it was so, he would have taken decisions as per the convenience of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. He never attends any meeting. It is very sad. The Prime Minister only endorses a plan designed by a section officer in Islamabad.The protests will continue till the government meets the demands, the organisers have announced."This is the height of barbarism. We don't have any party to express our concerns. So, the people have no option but to block roads and go on strike. Now, the government will use force to demolish our campaign. For the past 47 years, they have kept us confined by dividing us on sectarian lines", said a protester. In Rawalakot city, people came out onto the streets to protest against the discriminatory surge in load shedding hours. The protest was organised by the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP), which claimed that the PoK produces some 5,000 megawatts of electricity from five dams and 4500 Megawatts of that electricity is diverted to the Islamabad grid leaving the local people with just 500 Megawatts. Sardar Liaqat Hayat, President of JKNAP, said, "We people are paying hefty bills despite having hours long load shedding. We all need to come onto the streets to protest for our right to free electricity. We need to give sacrifices as nothing comes free. Those who are getting everything free are the 'moulvis' sitting in a mosque. Ordinary people have to fight for their rights". The JKNAP has threatened to intensify its protest against Islamabad if their demands are not met. It also blames Pakistan for exploiting resources from PoK and being responsible for the poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

Widespread protests in PoK, Gilgit Baltistan against ill-treatment of locals by Pakistan

Days after visas were issued to jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s family, sources in Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) revealed that the meeting has been scheduled for December 25.

The MoFA sources further informed that the duration of the meeting will be between 45 minutes to an hour. 
&nbsp; 
Pakistan wants Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife to talk to the media, sources said, adding that Indian media too can be present, provided New Delhi gives them permission to do so. 
 
Sources told WION New Delhi is flying Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s family to Islamabad.

The Pakistani High Commission in India on Wednesday issued visas to Jadhav&#39;s family for three days -- December 24, 25 and 26.

The neighbouring nation accepted India&#39;s plea after rejecting over 30 requests for consular access to the jailed Indian national.&nbsp;

On April 10, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on alleged charges of espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities.

However, his execution was halted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 18.

The case is currently pending before the world court. &nbsp;

The MoFa sources informed that the duration of the meeting will be between 45 minutes to an hour

Days after visas were issued to jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's family, sources in Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) revealed that the meeting has been scheduled for December 25. The MoFA sources further informed that the duration of the meeting will be between 45 minutes to an hour. Pakistan wants Jadhav's mother and wife to talk to the media, sources said, adding that Indian media too can be present, provided New Delhi gives them permission to do so. Sources told WION New Delhi is flying Kulbhushan Jadhav's family to Islamabad. The Pakistani High Commission in India on Wednesday issued visas to Jadhav's family for three days -- December 24, 25 and 26. The neighbouring nation accepted India's plea after rejecting over 30 requests for consular access to the jailed Indian national. On April 10, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on alleged charges of espionage, terrorist and sabotage activities. However, his execution was halted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 18. The case is currently pending before the world court.

Kulbhushan Jadhav to meet mother, wife on December 25: Pakistan sources

Pakistan&#39;s Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that constant US threats against Pakistan can &quot;negatively affect&quot; the existing cooperation.

Ghafoor&#39;s statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice for providing &quot;safe haven&quot; to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil.

&quot;For too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over,&quot; Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.

However, Ghaffor had a different take on the subject, speaking to Dawn, he said: &quot;Allies and partners do not give notices to each other, neither do they indulge in a blame-game.&quot;

On the reported &quot;reimbursement&quot; by US for Pakistan&#39;s support on the war on terrorism, the ISPR chief said payments were made under the Coalition Support Fund which was &quot;reimbursement&quot; on the amount Pakistan had already spent on fighting terrorism &quot;under US coordination&quot;, adding that Pakistan has been cooperating with the US significantly.

&quot;If they demand us to fight for them because they paid us, Pakistan is not fighting for money,&quot; he said, elaborating that,&quot;We are not looking for any money, we are not for sale, a trust-based relationship is the only way forward,&quot; the Dawn quoted Ghafoor.

The ISPR chief said Pakistan has been cooperating with the US in Afghanistan although it wasn&#39;t easy to win in the region, stating that the war had entered its final phase and the US and its allies including the Afghan forces would have to fight together and win.

Pakistan has been under intense pressure by the US ever since President Trump unveiled his Afghanistan strategy and declared Pakistan was a &quot;safe haven&quot; for terrorists in the region, a &nbsp;statement which did not go down well with the Pakistan establishment.

Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that peace in Afghanistan can be achieved in two ways - Afghan refugees returning to Pakistan and cracking down on narco-trade in the region.

Ghafoor's statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice for providing "safe haven" to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil.

Pakistan's Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that constant US threats against Pakistan can "negatively affect" the existing cooperation. Ghafoor's statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice for providing "safe haven" to the Taliban and other terror organisations in its soil. "For too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organisations, but those days are over," Pence told American troops at the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan. However, Ghaffor had a different take on the subject, speaking to Dawn, he said: "Allies and partners do not give notices to each other, neither do they indulge in a blame-game." On the reported "reimbursement" by US for Pakistan's support on the war on terrorism, the ISPR chief said payments were made under the Coalition Support Fund which was "reimbursement" on the amount Pakistan had already spent on fighting terrorism "under US coordination", adding that Pakistan has been cooperating with the US significantly. "If they demand us to fight for them because they paid us, Pakistan is not fighting for money," he said, elaborating that,"We are not looking for any money, we are not for sale, a trust-based relationship is the only way forward," the Dawn quoted Ghafoor. The ISPR chief said Pakistan has been cooperating with the US in Afghanistan although it wasn't easy to win in the region, stating that the war had entered its final phase and the US and its allies including the Afghan forces would have to fight together and win. Pakistan has been under intense pressure by the US ever since President Trump unveiled his Afghanistan strategy and declared Pakistan was a "safe haven" for terrorists in the region, a statement which did not go down well with the Pakistan establishment. Ghafoor told the Dawn newspaper that peace in Afghanistan can be achieved in two ways - Afghan refugees returning to Pakistan and cracking down on narco-trade in the region.

US threats against Pakistan can 'negatively' affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor

Foreign ministers from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan are all set to hold talks in Beijing this Tuesday.

The trilateral talks -- to be held on December 26 -- will aim to enhance ties and cooperation among the three states.&nbsp;

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif will hold in-depth discussions on mutual political trust and reconciliation, developing cooperation and connectivity, security cooperation and counter-terrorism.&nbsp;

The meeting would build consensus, enhance mutual trust and promote Afghanistan-Pakistan-China ties.&nbsp;

&quot;As a common neighbour and friend of Afghanistan and Pakistan, China always supports Afghanistan and Pakistan to live in friendship and achieve common development,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, noted.

The three countries agreed to establish the &#39;Foreign Ministers&#39; trilateral dialogue&#39; during the Chinese foreign minister&#39;s visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan earlier in June.

(With inputs from ANI)

Foreign ministers from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan are all set to hold talks in Beijing this Tuesday

Foreign ministers from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan are all set to hold talks in Beijing this Tuesday. The trilateral talks -- to be held on December 26 -- will aim to enhance ties and cooperation among the three states. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif will hold in-depth discussions on mutual political trust and reconciliation, developing cooperation and connectivity, security cooperation and counter-terrorism. The meeting would build consensus, enhance mutual trust and promote Afghanistan-Pakistan-China ties. "As a common neighbour and friend of Afghanistan and Pakistan, China always supports Afghanistan and Pakistan to live in friendship and achieve common development," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, noted. The three countries agreed to establish the 'Foreign Ministers' trilateral dialogue' during the Chinese foreign minister's visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan earlier in June. (With inputs from ANI)

China-Afghanistan-Pakistan to hold trilateral talks next week

The foreign policy of India has taken many leaps in the last couple of decades, especially in the case of Israel-Palestine conflict. As a responsible country, it is essential that India must keep its stand clear.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said during the Non-Alignment Movement&rsquo;s Ministerial meeting, &ldquo;The path to Israel-Jerusalem peace clearly lay in an early negotiated solution between Israel and Palestine based on mutual recognition and security arrangements&rdquo;

&nbsp;

The message is clear, we must steer clear out of this issue. And, thus, without making much fuss or openly criticising the US and Israel, India silently voted against the US proposal to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The move of the US was purely driven by the policy of forceful expansion and, in my view, had no merit either.

&nbsp;

First of all, we must understand, Jerusalem had been a Holy City of the Jews, Christians as well as Muslims. It is considered as one of the holiest cities in the world. Its appeal is spiritual, cultural and historical. Not necessarily political or administrative.

&nbsp;

However, making Jerusalem the capital would invariably shift all elements of state politics to a city considered sacred. This is something like shifting India&rsquo;s capital to Haridwar or Varanasi and Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s capital from Riyadh to Mecca or Medina. Such decisions don&rsquo;t have good implications in the long term.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Secondly, we already know that the town of Jerusalem had been a bone of contention between the three religious communities. Till date, we have a rather stable and acceptable solution to the Israel-Palestine problem, it is not advised to disturb the status-quo. The same is applicable in the case of the Kashmir problem, and the international community accepts that. Till date not a single country has said that the entire Kashmir belongs to India.

&nbsp;

Thirdly, we must understand that the US himself had been sidelined much before the resolution was tabled itself. The two countries which presented the resolution were Yemen and Turkey. The involvement of Turkey makes it clear the anguish that has been created by the decision of the US on the matter. Historically, Turkey had been a trusted ally of the US and a NATO member. It receives billions of US Dollars in aid every year.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan in his recent speech at Ankara said, &ldquo;Mr. Trump, you cannot buy Turkey&#39;s democratic will with your dollars&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Now that&rsquo;s quite a bit for the US ego.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Fourthly, the UN resolution has nothing to say about the US. It talks generally about the Jerusalem and says, &quot;Any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void&nbsp;and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council, and in this regard, calls upon all States to&nbsp;refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the holy city of Jerusalem pursuant to Security Council resolution 478 (1980); It also demands that&nbsp;all states comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem and not recognise any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions&rdquo;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

My first point is mentioned by UN in its statement, and that too very loud and clear. Maintain the sanctity of a Holy City. In the large gathering of states, India knew that this resolution will win and, hence, it was a right decision to support it.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While few of the people take it as India&rsquo;s support to Palestine, I think it is not the case. Being a responsible member of the UN, India must respect the sanctity of the UN resolution 478.

&nbsp;

India accepts Palestine as a country and the ties between the two countries have been old. In the times when the US was actively supporting Pakistan, Palestine was standing with India. We must respect this aspect too. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Moreover, India should act as a responsible leader of the world. Being a future superpower of the world, India must balance out its foreign relations and policies which is not possible by taking sides of one group or the another. India&rsquo;s views about Palestine have always been independent and consistent, and were not driven by the influence or pressure of any third country.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

At last, I would like to say that our relationship with the US and Israel has a different dimension which cannot be altered by such minor actions. India-Israel-US constitutes a bulwark against terrorism and, we shall continue to fight the menace till it is wiped off the face of this planet.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

India?s views about Palestine have always been independent and consistent, and were not driven by the influence or pressure of any third country.

The foreign policy of India has taken many leaps in the last couple of decades, especially in the case of Israel-Palestine conflict. As a responsible country, it is essential that India must keep its stand clear. As External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said during the Non-Alignment Movement’s Ministerial meeting, “The path to Israel-Jerusalem peace clearly lay in an early negotiated solution between Israel and Palestine based on mutual recognition and security arrangements” The message is clear, we must steer clear out of this issue. And, thus, without making much fuss or openly criticising the US and Israel, India silently voted against the US proposal to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The move of the US was purely driven by the policy of forceful expansion and, in my view, had no merit either. First of all, we must understand, Jerusalem had been a Holy City of the Jews, Christians as well as Muslims. It is considered as one of the holiest cities in the world. Its appeal is spiritual, cultural and historical. Not necessarily political or administrative. However, making Jerusalem the capital would invariably shift all elements of state politics to a city considered sacred. This is something like shifting India’s capital to Haridwar or Varanasi and Saudi Arabia’s capital from Riyadh to Mecca or Medina. Such decisions don’t have good implications in the long term. Secondly, we already know that the town of Jerusalem had been a bone of contention between the three religious communities. Till date, we have a rather stable and acceptable solution to the Israel-Palestine problem, it is not advised to disturb the status-quo. The same is applicable in the case of the Kashmir problem, and the international community accepts that. Till date not a single country has said that the entire Kashmir belongs to India. Thirdly, we must understand that the US himself had been sidelined much before the resolution was tabled itself. The two countries which presented the resolution were Yemen and Turkey. The involvement of Turkey makes it clear the anguish that has been created by the decision of the US on the matter. Historically, Turkey had been a trusted ally of the US and a NATO member. It receives billions of US Dollars in aid every year. The Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan in his recent speech at Ankara said, “Mr. Trump, you cannot buy Turkey's democratic will with your dollars". Now that’s quite a bit for the US ego. Fourthly, the UN resolution has nothing to say about the US. It talks generally about the Jerusalem and says, "Any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council, and in this regard, calls upon all States to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the holy city of Jerusalem pursuant to Security Council resolution 478 (1980); It also demands that all states comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem and not recognise any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions” My first point is mentioned by UN in its statement, and that too very loud and clear. Maintain the sanctity of a Holy City. In the large gathering of states, India knew that this resolution will win and, hence, it was a right decision to support it. While few of the people take it as India’s support to Palestine, I think it is not the case. Being a responsible member of the UN, India must respect the sanctity of the UN resolution 478. India accepts Palestine as a country and the ties between the two countries have been old. In the times when the US was actively supporting Pakistan, Palestine was standing with India. We must respect this aspect too. Moreover, India should act as a responsible leader of the world. Being a future superpower of the world, India must balance out its foreign relations and policies which is not possible by taking sides of one group or the another. India’s views about Palestine have always been independent and consistent, and were not driven by the influence or pressure of any third country. At last, I would like to say that our relationship with the US and Israel has a different dimension which cannot be altered by such minor actions. India-Israel-US constitutes a bulwark against terrorism and, we shall continue to fight the menace till it is wiped off the face of this planet. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: India and the curious case of the UN Resolution on Jerusalem

Shortly after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sushma-swaraj-to-take-up-sikhs-forced-conversion-with-pak-government-27239">reports of the forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam</a> in Hangu, Pakistan, Islamabad denied any such incident.&nbsp;

Swaraj had on December 19 shared an article by the Pakistani media on her Twitter handle.

The piece had reported on the &quot;forced&quot; conversion&nbsp;of Sikhs to Islam in Hangu, Pakistan.

&quot;We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan,&quot; the minister had tweeted.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainPakistan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainPakistan</a> 
Sikh community in Hangu &lsquo;being forced to convert&rsquo; <a href="https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj">https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/943040163319463942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

On Thursday, Pakistan denied any forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan, said it as an incident of &quot;misinformation&quot;.&nbsp;

Faisal also expressed Pakistan&#39;s commitment to the freedom of religion.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on December 19 shared an article on the issue by the Pakistani media on her Twitter handle

Shortly after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted to reports of the forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam in Hangu, Pakistan, Islamabad denied any such incident. Swaraj had on December 19 shared an article by the Pakistani media on her Twitter handle. The piece had reported on the "forced" conversion of Sikhs to Islam in Hangu, Pakistan. "We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan," the minister had tweeted. We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. @IndiainPakistan Sikh community in Hangu ‘being forced to convert’ https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 19, 2017 × On Thursday, Pakistan denied any forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan, said it as an incident of "misinformation". Faisal also expressed Pakistan's commitment to the freedom of religion.

Pakistan denies 'forced' conversion of Sikhs to Islam

India has issued demarches to both <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/protest-in-pok-against-pakistan-government-for-diverting-resources-26599">Pakistan and China conveying its position</a> on the construction of dams on the Indus river in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by the Pakistani government with assistance committed to these projects by China, the government said today.&nbsp;

Replying to a written question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said India has a clear and consistent position that these territories are illegally occupied by Pakistan and that these territories are illegally occupied by Pakistan and that any collaborative activity there is in violation of India&#39;s sovereignty and territorial integrity.&nbsp;

&quot;Accordingly, we have made demarches to both Pakistan and China conveying the position. The government continues to maintain this position,&quot; Singh said.&nbsp;

Replying to a separate question on China&#39;s &#39;One Belt One Road&#39; (OBOR) initiative, Singh said the government has clearly articulated its firm belief that connectivity initiatives must be &quot;based on universally recognised international norms, good governance, rule of law...and must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity&quot;.&nbsp;

He also asserted that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC), which is being projected as a flagship project of OBOR initiative, passes through parts of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir which has been in illegal occupation of Pakistan since 1947.&nbsp;

&quot;The government has conveyed to the Chinese side, including at the highest level, its concerns about China&#39;s activities in PoK and asked them to cease these activities,&quot; the minister added.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Minister of state for external affairs V K Singh said India has a clear and consistent position that these territories are illegally occupied by Pakistan

India has issued demarches to both Pakistan and China conveying its position on the construction of dams on the Indus river in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by the Pakistani government with assistance committed to these projects by China, the government said today. Replying to a written question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said India has a clear and consistent position that these territories are illegally occupied by Pakistan and that these territories are illegally occupied by Pakistan and that any collaborative activity there is in violation of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Accordingly, we have made demarches to both Pakistan and China conveying the position. The government continues to maintain this position," Singh said. Replying to a separate question on China's 'One Belt One Road' (OBOR) initiative, Singh said the government has clearly articulated its firm belief that connectivity initiatives must be "based on universally recognised international norms, good governance, rule of law...and must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity". He also asserted that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC), which is being projected as a flagship project of OBOR initiative, passes through parts of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir which has been in illegal occupation of Pakistan since 1947. "The government has conveyed to the Chinese side, including at the highest level, its concerns about China's activities in PoK and asked them to cease these activities," the minister added.

India issued demarches to Pakistan, China on dams in PoK: MoS VK Singh

United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as &#39;active&#39; to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan.

This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD).

Bajwa, speaking at an &#39;in-camera session&#39; of the Senate Committee of the Whole in Islamabad, deliberated on a wide range of topics from politics to counter-terrorism operations and foreign policy.

When asked about Hafiz Saeed&#39;s role in fighting for the country, especially the Kashmir issue, Bajwa said, &quot;Like every other Pakistani, Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause.&quot;

Bajwa&#39;s statement has come close on the heels of former Pakistan president General Parvez Musharraf declaring support for the terror outfits - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD.

At the event, Bajwa further said if the Army&#39;s role was proved in the recent Faizabad sit-in, he would resign from his post.

About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and its allied groups staged protests and sit-ins on highway and railway lines in several cities of

Pakistan for nearly three weeks in November. The protests paralysed the life in Islamabad by occupying the Faizabad interchange, linking the Pakistani capital with Rawalpindi.

Bajwa was responding to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan&#39;s question. (ANI)

'Like every other Pakistani, Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause,' General Qamar Bajwa said

United Nations-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed has found a new supporter in Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has hailed the Mumbai attack mastermind as 'active' to resolve the Kashmir issue, as every other citizen of Pakistan. This statement is being viewed as Bajwa comparing every Pakistani citizen with the chief of banned terror outfit - Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). Bajwa, speaking at an 'in-camera session' of the Senate Committee of the Whole in Islamabad, deliberated on a wide range of topics from politics to counter-terrorism operations and foreign policy. When asked about Hafiz Saeed's role in fighting for the country, especially the Kashmir issue, Bajwa said, "Like every other Pakistani, Saeed can also take up the Kashmir cause." Bajwa's statement has come close on the heels of former Pakistan president General Parvez Musharraf declaring support for the terror outfits - Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JuD. At the event, Bajwa further said if the Army's role was proved in the recent Faizabad sit-in, he would resign from his post. About 2,000 activists of Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and its allied groups staged protests and sit-ins on highway and railway lines in several cities of Pakistan for nearly three weeks in November. The protests paralysed the life in Islamabad by occupying the Faizabad interchange, linking the Pakistani capital with Rawalpindi. Bajwa was responding to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan's question. (ANI)

Hafiz Saeed finds new supporter in Pakistan Army chief

The US has said it is concerned about JuD chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan despite the &quot;guy&quot; carrying a $10 million bounty on his head for terror activities.

Saeed, also the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, had earlier confirmed that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) will contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Milli Muslim League, which is yet to be registered with the Election Commission.

&quot;Saeed, who was released by Pakistan from house arrest last November resulting in angry reaction from the US, was the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks and is a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba,&quot; State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

&quot;It&#39;s a group that the US government considers to be a terror organisation. We have many conversations with the government of Pakistan. One of the things that happened recently was that this guy was held on house arrest. Pakistan released him from house arrest, and now there&#39;s word that he may be running for some sort of office,&quot; she said reporters here.

Saeed, who has a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan on November 24.

The UN has also designated him as a global terrorist.

&quot;I want to remind folks, we have a USD 10 million Reward for Justice programme that would reward for information that would bring him to justice. So I want to make that clear, so that everybody knows -- USD 10 million, out for this guy. And we would certainly have concerns about him running for office,&quot; Nauert said.

The US had also strongly condemned the release of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader from house arrest and had called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.

However, top Pakistani diplomats based in the US have said that there is no evidence against Saeed.

&quot;I can tell you his organisation that was responsible for those attacks is considered a foreign terror organisation. It&#39;s considered a foreign terror organisation by the US government for a reason, and for a good reason,&quot; Nauert said.

&quot;I would imagine that, if we had any intelligence, and that&#39;s not an area that I can discuss anyway, but we would certainly share it with the Pakistanis on that front. I hope they&#39;ll do the right thing,&quot; Nauert said.

She expressed hope that the Pakistan government would do the right thing and remind the people across the country that he was carrying a US bounty on his head.

The banned JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.&nbsp;

The UN has also designated him as a global terrorist.

The US has said it is concerned about JuD chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan despite the "guy" carrying a $10 million bounty on his head for terror activities. Saeed, also the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, had earlier confirmed that the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) will contest the 2018 general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Milli Muslim League, which is yet to be registered with the Election Commission. "Saeed, who was released by Pakistan from house arrest last November resulting in angry reaction from the US, was the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attacks and is a leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said. "It's a group that the US government considers to be a terror organisation. We have many conversations with the government of Pakistan. One of the things that happened recently was that this guy was held on house arrest. Pakistan released him from house arrest, and now there's word that he may be running for some sort of office," she said reporters here. Saeed, who has a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan on November 24. The UN has also designated him as a global terrorist. "I want to remind folks, we have a USD 10 million Reward for Justice programme that would reward for information that would bring him to justice. So I want to make that clear, so that everybody knows -- USD 10 million, out for this guy. And we would certainly have concerns about him running for office," Nauert said. The US had also strongly condemned the release of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader from house arrest and had called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution. However, top Pakistani diplomats based in the US have said that there is no evidence against Saeed. "I can tell you his organisation that was responsible for those attacks is considered a foreign terror organisation. It's considered a foreign terror organisation by the US government for a reason, and for a good reason," Nauert said. "I would imagine that, if we had any intelligence, and that's not an area that I can discuss anyway, but we would certainly share it with the Pakistanis on that front. I hope they'll do the right thing," Nauert said. She expressed hope that the Pakistan government would do the right thing and remind the people across the country that he was carrying a US bounty on his head. The banned JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attack in which 166 people, including six Americans, were killed.

Concerned about Hafiz Saeed running for office in Pakistan, says US

&ldquo;The year 2017 will be one of peace and love,&rdquo; Naheed Naz told me. &ldquo;There is nothing in the scriptures about it, but Jesus puts feelings in your heart about what is going to happen. It is a matter of faith and we believe in it.&rdquo;

I met Naz, in her 40s, and a nursing teacher with a Masters degree in Public Health, at the All Saints Church in the heart of Peshawar&rsquo;s old city. She sounded optimistic despite the last days of 2016 bringing more turmoil in Pakistan for Christians.

Christmas messages were received with death threats and a Christian man was arrested on December 30 for allegedly desecrating the Koran. He currently faces the death penalty.

I could feel this tense atmosphere as I approached the All Saints Church on Christmas Day. The 19th-century building of Islamic Saracenic style reflecting in the brilliantly sunny day outside.

As I entered the the church&rsquo;s hall, the faithful were taking seats in anticipation of the Christmas mass. I had to come in through heavy security. The street where the church stands was blocked at both ends by sand barriers and guarded by security personal. On 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bomb attack during a Sunday mass at the church killed 127 people.

I asked Naz how the Christmas of her childhood differed from now. She recounted memories of her childhood and her sister&rsquo;s: the letter to Santa, her mother and father who used to make their life loving and rich, and the moral values of love and peace Christmas used to bring. Naz lost her mother in the 2013 bombing.

A little later, as I sat in the church, I met Shafi Maseeh, 75, who also lost his son in the same terror attack. He had little to say. Shafi is the real prototype of a Christian in Pakistan. A janitor by trade, he had no good memories to share of anything.

Most Christians I talked to felt a loss of identity, isolation and a deep sense of alienation. There was no nostalgia for the past, nor any enthusiasm for the present.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/image-20170106-18668-p0ir7z-20171220072112.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Pakistan is roughly 1.6% Christian. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

In the All Saints Church, I was not alone at the Christmas ceremony. The local media had come too. Father Patrick Naeem was happy to see them and thanked the government, the media and the chief of the Pakistani army, while also asking journalists to respect the parishioners as they took photos of the ceremony.

One reporter asked me what I was doing there. When I told her I was going to do a story on Christmas and would like to interview her too she angrily replied, &ldquo;I am not a Christian, do I look like one?&rdquo; I was shocked for a moment. &ldquo;There is nothing wrong with being a Christian,&rdquo; I said.

Another reporter warned me as I was leaving the place: &ldquo;Be careful, liberals are on the hitlist.&rdquo; I just kept quiet.

Pakistan&rsquo;s Christian minority

There is no definitive figure, but Christians make up roughly 1.6% of the population of Pakistan, as many as Hindus, according to the latest official statistics.

Christians mostly converted from Hinduism to escape the caste-dominated Indian society before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. But changing religion didn&rsquo;t help: the roots of discrimination based on caste run deep in both Indian and Pakistani society.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/image-20170106-18641-evq0f0-20171220071946.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
The Christmas ceremony is an event on its own as media gathered to film. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The plight of Christians has persisted for decades, but there has also been a rise of hatred against Christians since the late 1980s, when the dictator Zia ul Haq introduced Pakistan&rsquo;s blasphemy law, particularly used to persecute Christians.

A double oppression

Pakistani society is still marred by racism and questions of caste, even among Muslims, despite the Qur&rsquo;an setting out radical equality for all.

Across South Asia, Muslims remain divided up by various hierarchical systems. This long trail of caste-related injustice goes back to the beginnings of subcontinental societies and seems impervious to the intrusion of other sources of identity such as the nation-state or religion.

So the Christian community reels under a double oppression of racism, based on the low castes many Christians come from, and religious intolerance towards their belief system.

But even among minorities, Christians are particularly singled out, for a number of reasons. They are visible: they live mostly in urban areas and are often employed in low-wage jobs. They are also the poorest of the community.

In December 2015, the Capital Development Authority of Islamabad submitted a report suggesting that the Christian &ldquo;ugly slums&rdquo; of the capital be destroyed to keep the city clean. The CDA, in this unprecedentedly stupid move (&ldquo;their Trump Moment&rdquo; as the English daily Dawn put it), argued that the campaign of destruction would preserve Islamabad&rsquo;s aesthetics and maintain its Muslim-majority demographic balance.

The proposal was rightly contested by political parties, activists, and NGOs and thwarted by the Supreme Court, but it was a worrying sign of just how poorly Christians are thought of by the Pakistani elite.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/image-20170106-18650-s47tpw-20171220072034.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
The street outside All Saints Church. Poor Christians live in this quarter of the city. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Adding insult to injury, Christians in Pakistan are also seen as representatives of the US and other Western powers who are often held to be responsible for the plight of Muslims around the globe.

Christianity in politics

The plight of Christians is linked to the political foundation of Pakistan and the much criticised Two Nation Theory which became the basis of Partition in 1947. Partition aimed to create a state for Hindus (India) and one for Muslims (Pakistan).

Christians are historically considered to have positively contributed to Pakistani statehood, thus helping the development of the Pakistani society, but today they, along with other non-Muslims, are forbidden from holding high office.

The Christian vote in Pakistan is around 1.3 million, second to the Hindu vote, which is around 1.5 million. While the Hindu vote is mostly concentrated in the Sindh and Punjab regions, Christian voters are more scattered. Since the minority vote is restricted to a few electorates, political parties are not generally interested in serving them, though there is a lot of lip service to minority issues.

Minority representatives protest the problem of segregation from mainstream politics. There is no doubt that the electoral system adds to the problems of already frustrated minority communities in Pakistan. Minorities don&rsquo;t have the right to place their own candidates in elections. They can vote for any Muslim candidate in their constituency from within the general seats, and they also have the right to vote for a minority candidate, but they don&rsquo;t have the right to choose these. They are instead given minority seats for which tickets are allotted by mainstream political parties.

Fractured communities

While talking to various Christians, I observed very little sense of community. All identity revolves around the personal and in Pakistan, that is steeped in the psychology of status.

Christians in Pakistan are faced with both victim-blaming from without and the self-loathing it generates within the individual.

Continuous repression as a community within social and political life in Pakistan has led some to blame themselves for their problems. Self-incrimination, a shallow sense of belonging to the mainstream and the loss of the social self-were often apparent in my conversations for this article.

&ldquo;Our people are not serious about their studies; they don&rsquo;t save money,&rdquo; a priest who works as a waiter at my university&rsquo;s student accommodation told me. &ldquo;I do save, though I am usually in debt, while keeping my needs to the minimum.&rdquo; When I asked if it is because of the loss of hope that some Christians struggle in school and work, he replied, &ldquo;No, I have made it from a janitor to a waiter. My boys are going to school. Isn&rsquo;t it an environment conducive to success?&rdquo;

Living with contradiction

Christians are often the recipient of local charities. &ldquo;Yes, we like them, because they grew up with us,&rdquo; a high-level political activist in Peshawar told me. &ldquo;They clean our homes and we give them our used clothes, and also food. They are good people. We also offer them gifts for Christmas. We just did this year, too.&rdquo; The activist was also a trader in the market in front of the All Saints Church.

Christians often feel the same way. &ldquo;The political parties don&rsquo;t care for us,&rdquo; the priest at Peshawar University said. &ldquo;Some politicians do, though. They offer us gifts for Christmas. I also got my package. They change the carpets of our church every now and then. This is good.&rdquo;

In the present environment of hopelessness and fear, the only option left for Christians is to learn to live with Pakistan&rsquo;s deep contradictions &ndash; discrimination from the state, but charity from politicians.

Centuries of continuous repression have left many without any sense of identity within their home country. Many Christians here just want to breathe &ndash; being able to truly live is a distant dream.

This article was originally published on&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/au" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/breathing-without-living-the-plight-of-christians-in-pakistan-70892" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Images credit: Altaf Khan (Author)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Christians' plight in Pakistan reflects the confused identity and ideologies of the country they live in

“The year 2017 will be one of peace and love,” Naheed Naz told me. “There is nothing in the scriptures about it, but Jesus puts feelings in your heart about what is going to happen. It is a matter of faith and we believe in it.” I met Naz, in her 40s, and a nursing teacher with a Masters degree in Public Health, at the All Saints Church in the heart of Peshawar’s old city. She sounded optimistic despite the last days of 2016 bringing more turmoil in Pakistan for Christians. Christmas messages were received with death threats and a Christian man was arrested on December 30 for allegedly desecrating the Koran. He currently faces the death penalty. I could feel this tense atmosphere as I approached the All Saints Church on Christmas Day. The 19th-century building of Islamic Saracenic style reflecting in the brilliantly sunny day outside. As I entered the the church’s hall, the faithful were taking seats in anticipation of the Christmas mass. I had to come in through heavy security. The street where the church stands was blocked at both ends by sand barriers and guarded by security personal. On 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bomb attack during a Sunday mass at the church killed 127 people. I asked Naz how the Christmas of her childhood differed from now. She recounted memories of her childhood and her sister’s: the letter to Santa, her mother and father who used to make their life loving and rich, and the moral values of love and peace Christmas used to bring. Naz lost her mother in the 2013 bombing. A little later, as I sat in the church, I met Shafi Maseeh, 75, who also lost his son in the same terror attack. He had little to say. Shafi is the real prototype of a Christian in Pakistan. A janitor by trade, he had no good memories to share of anything. Most Christians I talked to felt a loss of identity, isolation and a deep sense of alienation. There was no nostalgia for the past, nor any enthusiasm for the present. Pakistan is roughly 1.6% Christian. (Others) × In the All Saints Church, I was not alone at the Christmas ceremony. The local media had come too. Father Patrick Naeem was happy to see them and thanked the government, the media and the chief of the Pakistani army, while also asking journalists to respect the parishioners as they took photos of the ceremony. One reporter asked me what I was doing there. When I told her I was going to do a story on Christmas and would like to interview her too she angrily replied, “I am not a Christian, do I look like one?” I was shocked for a moment. “There is nothing wrong with being a Christian,” I said. Another reporter warned me as I was leaving the place: “Be careful, liberals are on the hitlist.” I just kept quiet. Pakistan’s Christian minority There is no definitive figure, but Christians make up roughly 1.6% of the population of Pakistan, as many as Hindus, according to the latest official statistics. Christians mostly converted from Hinduism to escape the caste-dominated Indian society before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. But changing religion didn’t help: the roots of discrimination based on caste run deep in both Indian and Pakistani society. The Christmas ceremony is an event on its own as media gathered to film. (Others) × The plight of Christians has persisted for decades, but there has also been a rise of hatred against Christians since the late 1980s, when the dictator Zia ul Haq introduced Pakistan’s blasphemy law, particularly used to persecute Christians. A double oppression Pakistani society is still marred by racism and questions of caste, even among Muslims, despite the Qur’an setting out radical equality for all. Across South Asia, Muslims remain divided up by various hierarchical systems. This long trail of caste-related injustice goes back to the beginnings of subcontinental societies and seems impervious to the intrusion of other sources of identity such as the nation-state or religion. So the Christian community reels under a double oppression of racism, based on the low castes many Christians come from, and religious intolerance towards their belief system. But even among minorities, Christians are particularly singled out, for a number of reasons. They are visible: they live mostly in urban areas and are often employed in low-wage jobs. They are also the poorest of the community. In December 2015, the Capital Development Authority of Islamabad submitted a report suggesting that the Christian “ugly slums” of the capital be destroyed to keep the city clean. The CDA, in this unprecedentedly stupid move (“their Trump Moment” as the English daily Dawn put it), argued that the campaign of destruction would preserve Islamabad’s aesthetics and maintain its Muslim-majority demographic balance. The proposal was rightly contested by political parties, activists, and NGOs and thwarted by the Supreme Court, but it was a worrying sign of just how poorly Christians are thought of by the Pakistani elite. The street outside All Saints Church. Poor Christians live in this quarter of the city. (Others) × Adding insult to injury, Christians in Pakistan are also seen as representatives of the US and other Western powers who are often held to be responsible for the plight of Muslims around the globe. Christianity in politics The plight of Christians is linked to the political foundation of Pakistan and the much criticised Two Nation Theory which became the basis of Partition in 1947. Partition aimed to create a state for Hindus (India) and one for Muslims (Pakistan). Christians are historically considered to have positively contributed to Pakistani statehood, thus helping the development of the Pakistani society, but today they, along with other non-Muslims, are forbidden from holding high office. The Christian vote in Pakistan is around 1.3 million, second to the Hindu vote, which is around 1.5 million. While the Hindu vote is mostly concentrated in the Sindh and Punjab regions, Christian voters are more scattered. Since the minority vote is restricted to a few electorates, political parties are not generally interested in serving them, though there is a lot of lip service to minority issues. Minority representatives protest the problem of segregation from mainstream politics. There is no doubt that the electoral system adds to the problems of already frustrated minority communities in Pakistan. Minorities don’t have the right to place their own candidates in elections. They can vote for any Muslim candidate in their constituency from within the general seats, and they also have the right to vote for a minority candidate, but they don’t have the right to choose these. They are instead given minority seats for which tickets are allotted by mainstream political parties. Fractured communities While talking to various Christians, I observed very little sense of community. All identity revolves around the personal and in Pakistan, that is steeped in the psychology of status. Christians in Pakistan are faced with both victim-blaming from without and the self-loathing it generates within the individual. Continuous repression as a community within social and political life in Pakistan has led some to blame themselves for their problems. Self-incrimination, a shallow sense of belonging to the mainstream and the loss of the social self-were often apparent in my conversations for this article. “Our people are not serious about their studies; they don’t save money,” a priest who works as a waiter at my university’s student accommodation told me. “I do save, though I am usually in debt, while keeping my needs to the minimum.” When I asked if it is because of the loss of hope that some Christians struggle in school and work, he replied, “No, I have made it from a janitor to a waiter. My boys are going to school. Isn’t it an environment conducive to success?” Living with contradiction Christians are often the recipient of local charities. “Yes, we like them, because they grew up with us,” a high-level political activist in Peshawar told me. “They clean our homes and we give them our used clothes, and also food. They are good people. We also offer them gifts for Christmas. We just did this year, too.” The activist was also a trader in the market in front of the All Saints Church. Christians often feel the same way. “The political parties don’t care for us,” the priest at Peshawar University said. “Some politicians do, though. They offer us gifts for Christmas. I also got my package. They change the carpets of our church every now and then. This is good.” In the present environment of hopelessness and fear, the only option left for Christians is to learn to live with Pakistan’s deep contradictions – discrimination from the state, but charity from politicians. Centuries of continuous repression have left many without any sense of identity within their home country. Many Christians here just want to breathe – being able to truly live is a distant dream. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Images credit: Altaf Khan (Author) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Christmas and the plight of Christians in Pakistan

Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office said today the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-make-massive-payments-to-pakistan-they-have-to-help-fight-terror-groups-trump-27234">US National Security Strategy has made</a> &quot;unsubstantiated&quot; allegations and &quot;trivialised&quot; Pakistan&#39;s efforts on fighting terrorism.

&quot;It is because of Pakistan&#39;s cooperation <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-talks-about-america-first-national-strategy-welcomes-indias-emergence-as-leading-global-power-27128">with the international community, </a>acknowledged and appreciated by the US leadership, that the al-Qaeda&#39;s core was decimated from the region,&quot; Pakistan&#39;s foreign office said in a statement.

The foreign office said that Pakistan continues to suffer at the hands of &quot;state-sponsored terrorism, funded and abetted by our neighbours through proxies.&quot;

Pointing at India, the foreign office said: &quot;South Asia&#39;s strategic stability is being undermined by India&#39;s unchecked brutalization of the people of &quot;Indian Occupied Kashmir&quot; and incessant ceasefire violations targeting innocent civilians.&quot;

Referring further to India, it said, &quot;Ironically, a country with a record of defiance of UNSC resolutions, introduction of nuclear weapons in South Asia and use of terrorism as a state policy is being projected as a regional leader.&quot;

On Afghanistan, which the US has repeatedly referred to during its terror strategy, Pakistan said despite substantial US presence, it was being &quot;constantly used by elements hostile to Pakistan&#39;s stability.&quot;

&quot;Pakistan&#39;s efforts and sincere proposals for effective border management to prevent cross-border movement of militants and return of Afghan refugees are yet to make any headway,&quot; it said, adding that a &quot;malicious campaign&quot; is underway to undo Pakistan&#39;s achievements in the war against terrorism.&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan&#39;s security forces have undertaken indiscriminate and effective counter-terrorism operations against terrorism and extremism,&quot; the statement said.

&quot;Pakistan is a more stable, peaceful and secure country,&quot; the Pakistan foreign office stated.

"Pakistan is a more stable, peaceful and secure country," the Pakistan foreign office stated.

Pakistan's Foreign Office said today the US National Security Strategy has made "unsubstantiated" allegations and "trivialised" Pakistan's efforts on fighting terrorism. "It is because of Pakistan's cooperation with the international community, acknowledged and appreciated by the US leadership, that the al-Qaeda's core was decimated from the region," Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement. The foreign office said that Pakistan continues to suffer at the hands of "state-sponsored terrorism, funded and abetted by our neighbours through proxies." Pointing at India, the foreign office said: "South Asia's strategic stability is being undermined by India's unchecked brutalization of the people of "Indian Occupied Kashmir" and incessant ceasefire violations targeting innocent civilians." Referring further to India, it said, "Ironically, a country with a record of defiance of UNSC resolutions, introduction of nuclear weapons in South Asia and use of terrorism as a state policy is being projected as a regional leader." On Afghanistan, which the US has repeatedly referred to during its terror strategy, Pakistan said despite substantial US presence, it was being "constantly used by elements hostile to Pakistan's stability." "Pakistan's efforts and sincere proposals for effective border management to prevent cross-border movement of militants and return of Afghan refugees are yet to make any headway," it said, adding that a "malicious campaign" is underway to undo Pakistan's achievements in the war against terrorism. "Pakistan's security forces have undertaken indiscriminate and effective counter-terrorism operations against terrorism and extremism," the statement said. "Pakistan is a more stable, peaceful and secure country," the Pakistan foreign office stated.

US National Security Strategy made unsubstantiated allegations: Pakistan

The Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Constitution and the dignity of his office by not acting against those behind &quot;conspiracy with Pakistan&quot;, a charge he made against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign.

It said Modi should at least clarify his remark which he allegedly used to &quot;win&quot; the Gujarat election, saying had it been Atal Behari Vajpayee as prime minister, he could have apologised 10 times.

The party also alleged that Modi was trying to break the country and blemish the image of his predecessor. It earlier demanded an apology from the prime minister.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>If you had proof, you should have lodged an FIR against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and arrested him. You are tarnishing his image and questioning his nationalism&#39;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=If you had proof, you should have lodged an FIR against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and arrested him. You are tarnishing his image and questioning his nationalism'" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

The Congress earlier created an uproar in both the Houses of Parliament and disrupted proceedings. While the day&#39;s work in the Rajya Sabha was washed out, its members in the Lok Sabha staged a walkout and boycotted the lower house post- lunch.

&quot;The prime minister is trying to break the country and blemish the image of good peple,&quot; senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters outside Parliament.

He said if the prime minister had information about a &quot;secret meeting&quot; between senior Congress leaders and the Pakistan envoy and its ex- foreign minister which was &quot;anti- national&quot;, then why did he not use the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies at his disposal.

&quot;If the prime minister had proof, why did he not take the services of intelligence agencies if there was something anti-national. He has thereby violated the oath of secrecy he has taken...If it was not in the nation&#39;s interest and was anti-national, then you have violated the Constitution and the &#39;maryada&#39; (dignity) of office,&quot; he alleged.

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said opposition parties have demanded that the prime minister clarifies the serious allegation he made during the Gujarat election about a &quot;secret&quot; meeting between the Pakistan envoy and an ex-foreign minister and Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari and an ex-Indian Army chief.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/its-a-cock-and-bull-story-former-pakistan-minister-on-pm-modis-colluding-claims-26660" target="_blank">Kasuri rejects PM Modi&#39;s claim of Pakistan meddling in Gujarat elections</a>

&quot;When the country?s prime minister publicly accuses Manmohan Singh of conspiring with Pakistan then it is a very serious allegation and he should clarify.

&quot;If he has a problem in seeking an apology, then the prime minister should say that to win the Gujarat election he threw a stunt, a &quot;gola&quot; (ball). It is acceptable to us,&quot; he said.

Azad said had Vajpayee been there (as prime minister), &quot;he would have apologised 10 times. It depends on who is the prime minister&quot;.

&quot;If the prime minister is taking his words back, we will accept that too. Then he need not apologise. He should only say that he said it to win the Gujarat election,&quot; he said.

Azad said Modi should state in Parliament that the BJP was losing in Gujarat and it had no other option but to &quot;concoct&quot; the story of &quot;conspiracy with Pakistan&quot;, seek public sympathy and portray Congress leaders as anti-national.

&quot;Let the prime minister say and admit that his job is done and now the BJP has won the election, hence I take back my words. We will accept that. The one who has levelled allegations, should explain. If there is truth in his allegations, the people concerned be punished. We are ready for it,&quot; he said.

&quot;It is the culture of the BJP to abuse, call people anti-national, beat them, fire bullets at them. This has become an order of the day,&quot; he alleged.

&quot;There is only one way in a democracy and that is Parliament. The prime minister and the former prime minister, who is facing the allegation, both are members of Parliament,&quot; he said, adding that Modi should clarify in Parliament.&nbsp;

The conspiracy charge had been made against former prime minister Manmohan Singh

The Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Constitution and the dignity of his office by not acting against those behind "conspiracy with Pakistan", a charge he made against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign. It said Modi should at least clarify his remark which he allegedly used to "win" the Gujarat election, saying had it been Atal Behari Vajpayee as prime minister, he could have apologised 10 times. The party also alleged that Modi was trying to break the country and blemish the image of his predecessor. It earlier demanded an apology from the prime minister. If you had proof, you should have lodged an FIR against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and arrested him. You are tarnishing his image and questioning his nationalism' × The Congress earlier created an uproar in both the Houses of Parliament and disrupted proceedings. While the day's work in the Rajya Sabha was washed out, its members in the Lok Sabha staged a walkout and boycotted the lower house post- lunch. "The prime minister is trying to break the country and blemish the image of good peple," senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters outside Parliament. He said if the prime minister had information about a "secret meeting" between senior Congress leaders and the Pakistan envoy and its ex- foreign minister which was "anti- national", then why did he not use the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies at his disposal. "If the prime minister had proof, why did he not take the services of intelligence agencies if there was something anti-national. He has thereby violated the oath of secrecy he has taken...If it was not in the nation's interest and was anti-national, then you have violated the Constitution and the 'maryada' (dignity) of office," he alleged. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said opposition parties have demanded that the prime minister clarifies the serious allegation he made during the Gujarat election about a "secret" meeting between the Pakistan envoy and an ex-foreign minister and Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari and an ex-Indian Army chief. Also read: Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections Also read: Kasuri rejects PM Modi's claim of Pakistan meddling in Gujarat elections "When the country?s prime minister publicly accuses Manmohan Singh of conspiring with Pakistan then it is a very serious allegation and he should clarify. "If he has a problem in seeking an apology, then the prime minister should say that to win the Gujarat election he threw a stunt, a "gola" (ball). It is acceptable to us," he said. Azad said had Vajpayee been there (as prime minister), "he would have apologised 10 times. It depends on who is the prime minister". "If the prime minister is taking his words back, we will accept that too. Then he need not apologise. He should only say that he said it to win the Gujarat election," he said. Azad said Modi should state in Parliament that the BJP was losing in Gujarat and it had no other option but to "concoct" the story of "conspiracy with Pakistan", seek public sympathy and portray Congress leaders as anti-national. "Let the prime minister say and admit that his job is done and now the BJP has won the election, hence I take back my words. We will accept that. The one who has levelled allegations, should explain. If there is truth in his allegations, the people concerned be punished. We are ready for it," he said. "It is the culture of the BJP to abuse, call people anti-national, beat them, fire bullets at them. This has become an order of the day," he alleged. "There is only one way in a democracy and that is Parliament. The prime minister and the former prime minister, who is facing the allegation, both are members of Parliament," he said, adding that Modi should clarify in Parliament.

PM violated Constitution by not acting against those behind 'conspiracy with Pak': Congress

Shortly after reports of Sikhs&#39; forced-conversion to Islam made headlines in Pakistan, Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj claimed that her team will take the highest action on the issue.&nbsp;

Swaraj shared an article from Pakistan media on her Twitter handle that reported on &quot;forced&quot; conversion of Sikh community in Hangu, Pakistan.

&quot;We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan,&quot; the minister tweeted.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainPakistan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainPakistan</a> 
Sikh community in Hangu &lsquo;being forced to convert&rsquo; <a href="https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj">https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/943040163319463942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

She also tagged the High Commission of India, Islamabad in her tweet.&nbsp;

Swaraj shared an article from Pakistan media on her Twitter handle that reported on 'forced' conversion of Sikh community in Hangu, Pakistan

Shortly after reports of Sikhs' forced-conversion to Islam made headlines in Pakistan, Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj claimed that her team will take the highest action on the issue. Swaraj shared an article from Pakistan media on her Twitter handle that reported on "forced" conversion of Sikh community in Hangu, Pakistan. "We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan," the minister tweeted. We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. @IndiainPakistan Sikh community in Hangu ‘being forced to convert’ https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 19, 2017 × She also tagged the High Commission of India, Islamabad in her tweet.

Sushma Swaraj to take up Sikhs' 'forced conversion' with Pak government

Former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan&nbsp;made a major blunder on Twitter on Monday, posting a rather bizarre information on what seemed to be about late CM of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa.&nbsp;

The Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman also mixed up the names - addressing the late CM as &#39;Shashikala&#39;, the correct name, of course, is Sasikala, currently lodged&nbsp;in a Karnataka prison in the disproportionate&nbsp;assets case.&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s former World Cup-winning captain said on his Twitter: &quot;Shashikala, a famous South Indian actress turned politician in India&#39;s Tamil Nadu died recently &amp; below her house were discovered gold reserves, jewels &amp; an illegal stash of money! A msg to all &nbsp;corrupt ldrs: the hoarded bns stolen from our impoverished masses will be left behind.&quot;

Former chief minister&nbsp;of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa died on 5 December in 2016 due to cardiac arrest.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/tweet-20171219094342.png" />
<div class="media-description">
Imran Khan&#39;s tweet which he later deleted. (Twitter)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Imran mistakenly named&nbsp;&quot;Jayalalithaa&quot;&nbsp;for &quot;storing gold reserves, jewels, and an illegal stash of money&quot;&nbsp;and also provided &quot;pictures&quot;&nbsp;of the scene.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/drzfplvwkaafqft-20171219094427.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
One of the pictures posted by Imran Khan showing large stack of gold reserves. (Twitter)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/drzfpegwsaacnz4-20171219094530.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
The other picture shows &#39;illegal stash of money&#39; which Khan claimed was found in the late CM&#39;s house. (Twitter)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/drzftmqxuaa47qf-20171219094637.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
He also posted this picture of heavy gold jewellery which Khan claims belonged to Jayalalithaa. (Twitter)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The pictures show massive amounts of gold bricks and jewellery stacked in what seems to be a shop or a basement. However, no proof of any &quot;discovery&quot; has ever been&nbsp;made of gold being stashed away either at Sasikala or Jayalalithaa&#39;s residence. &nbsp;

He further went on to call out &#39;all corrupt leaders&#39; claiming that all this large amount of money &quot;stolen&quot;&nbsp;from the impoverished masses will be left behind.&nbsp;

Imran, however, discovered his mistake after&nbsp;over 30 minutes after which he removed the controversial tweet.

Apart from the questionable information he posted, he also mixed up the names - Addressing the late CM as 'Shashikala' - who is actually a Bollywood actress.?

Former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan made a major blunder on Twitter on Monday, posting a rather bizarre information on what seemed to be about late CM of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa. The Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman also mixed up the names - addressing the late CM as 'Shashikala', the correct name, of course, is Sasikala, currently lodged in a Karnataka prison in the disproportionate assets case. Pakistan's former World Cup-winning captain said on his Twitter: "Shashikala, a famous South Indian actress turned politician in India's Tamil Nadu died recently & below her house were discovered gold reserves, jewels & an illegal stash of money! A msg to all corrupt ldrs: the hoarded bns stolen from our impoverished masses will be left behind." Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa died on 5 December in 2016 due to cardiac arrest. Imran Khan's tweet which he later deleted. (Twitter) × Imran mistakenly named "Jayalalithaa" for "storing gold reserves, jewels, and an illegal stash of money" and also provided "pictures" of the scene. One of the pictures posted by Imran Khan showing large stack of gold reserves. (Twitter) × The other picture shows 'illegal stash of money' which Khan claimed was found in the late CM's house. (Twitter) × He also posted this picture of heavy gold jewellery which Khan claims belonged to Jayalalithaa. (Twitter) × The pictures show massive amounts of gold bricks and jewellery stacked in what seems to be a shop or a basement. However, no proof of any "discovery" has ever been made of gold being stashed away either at Sasikala or Jayalalithaa's residence. He further went on to call out 'all corrupt leaders' claiming that all this large amount of money "stolen" from the impoverished masses will be left behind. Imran, however, discovered his mistake after over 30 minutes after which he removed the controversial tweet.

Imran Khan's blooper on Twitter: Shashikala, famous south Indian actress, died recently

US President Donald Trump has asked Pakistan to take &quot;decisive action&quot; against terror groups operating on its soil, as he unveiled America&#39;s new National Security Strategy.

The US will also encourage Pakistan to continue demonstrating that it is a responsible steward of its nuclear assets, the National Security Strategy (NSS) said.

Mandated by the Congress, Trump yesterday released his first NSS, according to which the US has asked Pakistan to intensify its counterterrorism efforts.

&quot;We have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory. And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help,&quot; Trump said in his remarks as he announced the NSS.

Pakistan has received more than USD 33 billion from the US since the 9/11 terror attacks.

&quot;We will press Pakistan to intensify its counterterrorism efforts, since no partnership can survive a country&#39;s support for militants and terrorists who target a partner&#39;s own service members and officials,&quot; it said.

The NSS links its efforts to build trade and investment ties with Pakistan with improvement in security.

The Trump administration has been talking tough with Pakistan after it came to power, but has stopped short of taking any action against it even though the Pakistani leadership have shown reluctance in taking decisive actions against terrorist groups.

On November 25, the White House asked Pakistan to immediately re-arrest and prosecute Hafiz Saeed, leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

&quot;If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan?s global reputation,&quot; the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had said.

On Afghanistan, the US will continue to partner with it to promote peace and security in the region, it said.

&quot;We will continue to promote anti-corruption reform in Afghanistan to increase the legitimacy of its government and reduce the appeal of violent extremist organisations,&quot; it added.

In his South Asia speech on August 21, Trump became the first US president to publicly point out for its support to terrorist outfits and leaders.

&quot;For its part, Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror,&quot; he said and asked Pakistan to &quot;demonstrate&quot; its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace.

The US, Trump then said, can no longer be silent about Pakistan&#39;s safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond.

Since then top US leadership, including the Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, have visited Pakistan to press the latter.

Mattis has refused to give necessary certification to Pakistan that it is taking action against Haqqani network, as a result of which blocking several hundred million coalition support funds to Islamabad.&nbsp;

Trump asked Pakistan to intensify its efforts as he unveiled America's new National Security Strategy

US President Donald Trump has asked Pakistan to take "decisive action" against terror groups operating on its soil, as he unveiled America's new National Security Strategy. The US will also encourage Pakistan to continue demonstrating that it is a responsible steward of its nuclear assets, the National Security Strategy (NSS) said. Mandated by the Congress, Trump yesterday released his first NSS, according to which the US has asked Pakistan to intensify its counterterrorism efforts. "We have made clear to Pakistan that while we desire continued partnership, we must see decisive action against terrorist groups operating on their territory. And we make massive payments every year to Pakistan. They have to help," Trump said in his remarks as he announced the NSS. Pakistan has received more than USD 33 billion from the US since the 9/11 terror attacks. "We will press Pakistan to intensify its counterterrorism efforts, since no partnership can survive a country's support for militants and terrorists who target a partner's own service members and officials," it said. The NSS links its efforts to build trade and investment ties with Pakistan with improvement in security. The Trump administration has been talking tough with Pakistan after it came to power, but has stopped short of taking any action against it even though the Pakistani leadership have shown reluctance in taking decisive actions against terrorist groups. On November 25, the White House asked Pakistan to immediately re-arrest and prosecute Hafiz Saeed, leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba. "If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan?s global reputation," the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had said. On Afghanistan, the US will continue to partner with it to promote peace and security in the region, it said. "We will continue to promote anti-corruption reform in Afghanistan to increase the legitimacy of its government and reduce the appeal of violent extremist organisations," it added. In his South Asia speech on August 21, Trump became the first US president to publicly point out for its support to terrorist outfits and leaders. "For its part, Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror," he said and asked Pakistan to "demonstrate" its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace. The US, Trump then said, can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Since then top US leadership, including the Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, have visited Pakistan to press the latter. Mattis has refused to give necessary certification to Pakistan that it is taking action against Haqqani network, as a result of which blocking several hundred million coalition support funds to Islamabad.

US asks Pakistan to take 'decisive action' against terror groups

The ceasefire along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir was violated 881 times this year.&nbsp;

Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir told the Lok Sabha Tuesday that Pakistan had violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end.

He added that the firing from across the border had led to the deaths of 30 people -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians, and four BSF personnel.

He added that there had been no cross-border firing in any other state bordering Pakistan.&nbsp;

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.

In 2016, there had been 449 ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 security personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel injured.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir told the Lok Sabha Tuesday that the firing from across the border had led to the deaths of 30 people

The ceasefire along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir was violated 881 times this year. Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir told the Lok Sabha Tuesday that Pakistan had violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771 times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end. He added that the firing from across the border had led to the deaths of 30 people -- 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians, and four BSF personnel. He added that there had been no cross-border firing in any other state bordering Pakistan. 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. In 2016, there had been 449 ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 security personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel injured. (With inputs from PTI)

J&K: Ceasefire along India-Pakistan border violated 881 times this year

Taking a dig at Mani Shankar Aiyar without naming him, Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said &#39;&#39;if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat.&#39;&#39; &nbsp;

&#39;&#39;Not taking names but if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat, they managed a good show there,&#39;&#39; said former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah.&nbsp;

On Himachal Pradesh, he said that one party unseats the other every five year which is not new.

&#39;&#39;In Himachal Pradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new,&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a>, they managed a good show there: Former J&amp;K CM Farooq Abdullah <a href="https://t.co/T3jllcc9ae">pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942993132462915584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

On being asked if a conspiracy to defeat PM Modi in elections was made in Pakistan, Farooq Abdullah says, &#39;&#39;he himself went to Pakistan,&#39;&#39; and added taht, &#39;Pakistan koi saazish nahi karta.&#39;

In the run-up to elections, Aiyar had called PM Modi &quot;neech kisam ka insaan&quot;.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn&#39;t have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a>, they managed a good show there: Former J&amp;K CM Farooq Abdullah <a href="https://t.co/T3jllcc9ae">pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942993132462915584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;Whatever Ambedkar wished, one person- Nehru made it come true. If a person is talking bad things about a such a family, and that too in at a time when a big memorial is being inaugurated in remembrance of Ambedkar, I feel, this person is lowly and has no decency. On such an occasion, why do we need dirty politics?&quot; he had said.

The BJP was quick to claim that Aiyar was calling the PM as a low-born individual. What added to the controversy is Aiyar&#39;s historic remarks against the PM wherein he had called PM Modi a chaiwallah.&nbsp;

While Aiyar rushed to correcting the remarks saying he meant &quot;low level and not low-born&quot;, the damage was done as Congress asked Aiyar to apologize and later expelled him from the party.&nbsp;

In the run-up to elections, Aiyar had called PM Modi "neech kisam ka insaan".

Taking a dig at Mani Shankar Aiyar without naming him, Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said ''if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat.'' ''Not taking names but if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in Gujarat, they managed a good show there,'' said former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah. On Himachal Pradesh, he said that one party unseats the other every five year which is not new. ''In Himachal Pradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new,'' he said. In #HimachalPradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in #Gujarat, they managed a good show there: Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017 × On being asked if a conspiracy to defeat PM Modi in elections was made in Pakistan, Farooq Abdullah says, ''he himself went to Pakistan,'' and added taht, 'Pakistan koi saazish nahi karta.' In the run-up to elections, Aiyar had called PM Modi "neech kisam ka insaan". In #HimachalPradesh one party unseats the other every five years, its is nothing new. Not taking names but if some people wouldn't have said certain wrong things Congress would have won in #Gujarat, they managed a good show there: Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/T3jllcc9ae — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017 × "Whatever Ambedkar wished, one person- Nehru made it come true. If a person is talking bad things about a such a family, and that too in at a time when a big memorial is being inaugurated in remembrance of Ambedkar, I feel, this person is lowly and has no decency. On such an occasion, why do we need dirty politics?" he had said. The BJP was quick to claim that Aiyar was calling the PM as a low-born individual. What added to the controversy is Aiyar's historic remarks against the PM wherein he had called PM Modi a chaiwallah. While Aiyar rushed to correcting the remarks saying he meant "low level and not low-born", the damage was done as Congress asked Aiyar to apologize and later expelled him from the party.

Watch: If some people had not said certain wrong things, Cong would have won in Gujarat, says Farooq Abdullah

Few events in history have had such a telling effect on the history and trajectory of South Asian politics the way Bangladesh Liberation War has. Strategically and ideologically, it fundamentally redefined the calculations of the regional political players.

There are many tales that can be told about this dramatic historic event. For instance, the events running up to the war, the way the actual war was fought, its consequence for Indo-Pak relations or the trajectory of Indo-Bangladesh relations. However, the basic fulcrum for all these aspects remains the Bangladesh Liberation war which can only be understood properly in the larger context of South Asian history and politics. Even after decades, the War continues to shape South Asian diplomacy.

Pakistan viewed the event (and still does) as a betrayal of the idea of two-nation theory&nbsp;which, historically, acted as the foundation of the nation-state. Pakistan continues to see Bangladesh as a product of Indian intrigue and conspiracy against Pakistan.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, sees this event as a story of liberation from Pakistani atrocities with the central rallying point being an ethnic Bengali identity.

For India, it was a significant chapter in its relations with Pakistan and how it was heavily and decisively able to prevail upon it.

With the creation of Bangladesh, the balance of power&nbsp;in the subcontinent,&nbsp;compared to Pakistan, was tilted heavily in India&rsquo;s favour.

In India, this war was also seen as a clear mandate in favour of India&rsquo;s secular ideals in South Asia as opposed to Pakistan&rsquo;s idea of being a state based on Islamic ideals. For India, the Bangladeshi liberation movement showed that religion was not an adequate criterion for forging a national identity. Since independence, this was an ideological score that India subconsciously had been looking to settle.

Even though these regional reasons formed an important aspect of the Bangladesh Liberation War,&nbsp;there was a strong current of international politics too that heavily shaped the events of the subcontinent. Srinath Raghavan shows in his book, &#39;1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh&#39; that the birth of a new South Asian country in 1971 was part choice and part chance. He attributed such international influence to the process of decolonisation, Cold War politics and the beginnings of globalisation as a phenomenon. As is the case, generally, with all important historical events, the Bangladesh Liberation War had its roots in a multitude of causes.

The Liberation War left a profound impact on Kashmir.

The Simla Agreement, signed after the war, was crucial in defining the politics of the region for a long time, primarily in terms of the Line of Control in Kashmir and the conflict in the Siachen Glacier.

Pakistan which felt humiliated at such a crushing defeat significantly changed its strategy with respect to India. It now abandoned the strategy of direct warfare and, instead, started instigating and supporting the insurgency in India, most notably in Punjab and Kashmir.

Even though the issue in Punjab had been resolved, the issue of Kashmir still festers. Indian relation with Bangladesh has also been marred by political complications. After the initial euphoria had died down the complicated reality started to rear its head.

It was evident that even though Bengali ethnic identity had been the rallying point of the nationalist movement in Bangladesh, the complications of religious identity as a binding force had not left either the public discourse or the Bangladeshi political scene. Strategically speaking, an unstable and indifferent Bangladesh could be a fertile ground for other external powers to influence Bangladesh, a situation which is not palatable to New Delhi.

The collective memory of a nation effects politics in very subtle ways that are not always tangible enough for a rigorous academic study, however, its importance cannot be completely undermined either. 1971 holds that power on the collective conscious of South Asia. Whether directly or indirectly, the Bangladesh Liberation War set into motion a chain of events which have had massive implications for South Asian politics, the natural centre for which is India.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Having met defeat in 1971, Pakistan abandoned the strategy of direct warfare and, instead, started instigating and supporting the insurgency in India, most notably in Punjab and Kashmir.

Few events in history have had such a telling effect on the history and trajectory of South Asian politics the way Bangladesh Liberation War has. Strategically and ideologically, it fundamentally redefined the calculations of the regional political players. There are many tales that can be told about this dramatic historic event. For instance, the events running up to the war, the way the actual war was fought, its consequence for Indo-Pak relations or the trajectory of Indo-Bangladesh relations. However, the basic fulcrum for all these aspects remains the Bangladesh Liberation war which can only be understood properly in the larger context of South Asian history and politics. Even after decades, the War continues to shape South Asian diplomacy. Pakistan viewed the event (and still does) as a betrayal of the idea of two-nation theory which, historically, acted as the foundation of the nation-state. Pakistan continues to see Bangladesh as a product of Indian intrigue and conspiracy against Pakistan. Bangladesh, on the other hand, sees this event as a story of liberation from Pakistani atrocities with the central rallying point being an ethnic Bengali identity. For India, it was a significant chapter in its relations with Pakistan and how it was heavily and decisively able to prevail upon it. With the creation of Bangladesh, the balance of power in the subcontinent, compared to Pakistan, was tilted heavily in India’s favour. In India, this war was also seen as a clear mandate in favour of India’s secular ideals in South Asia as opposed to Pakistan’s idea of being a state based on Islamic ideals. For India, the Bangladeshi liberation movement showed that religion was not an adequate criterion for forging a national identity. Since independence, this was an ideological score that India subconsciously had been looking to settle. Even though these regional reasons formed an important aspect of the Bangladesh Liberation War, there was a strong current of international politics too that heavily shaped the events of the subcontinent. Srinath Raghavan shows in his book, '1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh' that the birth of a new South Asian country in 1971 was part choice and part chance. He attributed such international influence to the process of decolonisation, Cold War politics and the beginnings of globalisation as a phenomenon. As is the case, generally, with all important historical events, the Bangladesh Liberation War had its roots in a multitude of causes. The Liberation War left a profound impact on Kashmir. The Simla Agreement, signed after the war, was crucial in defining the politics of the region for a long time, primarily in terms of the Line of Control in Kashmir and the conflict in the Siachen Glacier. Pakistan which felt humiliated at such a crushing defeat significantly changed its strategy with respect to India. It now abandoned the strategy of direct warfare and, instead, started instigating and supporting the insurgency in India, most notably in Punjab and Kashmir. Even though the issue in Punjab had been resolved, the issue of Kashmir still festers. Indian relation with Bangladesh has also been marred by political complications. After the initial euphoria had died down the complicated reality started to rear its head. It was evident that even though Bengali ethnic identity had been the rallying point of the nationalist movement in Bangladesh, the complications of religious identity as a binding force had not left either the public discourse or the Bangladeshi political scene. Strategically speaking, an unstable and indifferent Bangladesh could be a fertile ground for other external powers to influence Bangladesh, a situation which is not palatable to New Delhi. The collective memory of a nation effects politics in very subtle ways that are not always tangible enough for a rigorous academic study, however, its importance cannot be completely undermined either. 1971 holds that power on the collective conscious of South Asia. Whether directly or indirectly, the Bangladesh Liberation War set into motion a chain of events which have had massive implications for South Asian politics, the natural centre for which is India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Pakistan can't let go Kashmir as it can't forget 1971

Pakistan&#39;s ousted premier Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday appeared before an Accountability Court in Islamabad to face the corruption charges filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau in the .

Sharif along with his daughter Maryam Sharif and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar directly went to the Accountability Court here after arriving from Lahore in a private jet.

Sharif, 67, came back from London on Sunday where he had gone with his daughter Maryam to see his ailing wife who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer there.

Judge Muhammad Bashir will conduct the trial proceedings and record testimonies of more prosecution witnesses.

NAB is expected to present three more witnesses in the court to have their statements recorded. So far, eight witnesses have testified against the Sharif family in three references.

The three references against the Sharif family are related to the Al-Azizia Company and Hill Metal Establishment, Flagship Investment Ltd and the Avenfield (London) properties.

Sharif and his sons, Hassan and Hussain, have been named in all three NAB references, while Maryam and husband Safdar have been named only in the Avenfield reference.

Last month, Sharif was indicted in all three cases while his daughter Maryam and her husband Muhammad Safdar, co-accused with Sharif in only one case, were also indicted along with Sharif.

Sharif&#39;s sons Hassan and Hussian have failed to appear in the court despite repeated summons. It promoted the court to separate their cases.

Heavy security arrangements were made around the court premises.

The cases are based on July 28 verdict by the Supreme Court which disqualified Sharif and ordered to launch three corruption cases against him and his family, and one case against finance minister Ishaq Dar.

On July 28, the SC disqualified Sharif and ordered to launch three corruption cases against him and his family

Pakistan's ousted premier Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday appeared before an Accountability Court in Islamabad to face the corruption charges filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau in the . Sharif along with his daughter Maryam Sharif and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar directly went to the Accountability Court here after arriving from Lahore in a private jet. Sharif, 67, came back from London on Sunday where he had gone with his daughter Maryam to see his ailing wife who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer there. Judge Muhammad Bashir will conduct the trial proceedings and record testimonies of more prosecution witnesses. NAB is expected to present three more witnesses in the court to have their statements recorded. So far, eight witnesses have testified against the Sharif family in three references. The three references against the Sharif family are related to the Al-Azizia Company and Hill Metal Establishment, Flagship Investment Ltd and the Avenfield (London) properties. Sharif and his sons, Hassan and Hussain, have been named in all three NAB references, while Maryam and husband Safdar have been named only in the Avenfield reference. Last month, Sharif was indicted in all three cases while his daughter Maryam and her husband Muhammad Safdar, co-accused with Sharif in only one case, were also indicted along with Sharif. Sharif's sons Hassan and Hussian have failed to appear in the court despite repeated summons. It promoted the court to separate their cases. Heavy security arrangements were made around the court premises. The cases are based on July 28 verdict by the Supreme Court which disqualified Sharif and ordered to launch three corruption cases against him and his family, and one case against finance minister Ishaq Dar.

Panama Papers scandal: Nawaz Sharif appears before accountability court in Pakistan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

High and dry: Pakistan's penchant for hash

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

pakistan-0

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

pakistan 0