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


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

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

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

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


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

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

Opinion: Pollution and politics through Taj Mahal's gaze

<p>A former top Pakistani diplomat has said that because of India&#39;s influence and economic power, countries are unwilling to raise the issue of Kashmir at international level, including at the UN.</p>

<p>Masood Khan, former Pakistani Ambassador to the UN, who is now president of Pak-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), rued that India has a veto on the talks between the two South Asian neighbours.</p>

<p>Khan is currently in Washington, for what he described is part of his effort to appraise the international community about current situation in Kashmir.</p>

<p>&quot;India has strategic alliances with certain countries. Because of the lucrative deals that it offers to powerful countries in the West, it has practically imposed a gag order on Kashmir,&quot; Khan said yesterday in response to a question at the Atlantic Council, a top American think-tank.</p>

<p>Khan said that because of increasing Indian influence, &quot;people here (in Washington DC), in Brussels, in London or other world capitals don&#39;t talk about Kashmir, because this would have consequences? for these countries, like in terms of economic transactions, and strategic costs.?</p>

<p>Responding to questions at the thinly-attended Atlantic Council event, Khan alleged that the UN is not acting on its own resolution because of India.</p>

<p>&quot;The United Nations is not acting because of real politics,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;The Security Council, first because of cold war dynamics, and now because of number of other factors is not taking cognisance of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is regrettable because of mandate that is given to the Security Council by the UN charter under chapter six and chapter seven,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Khan argued that UN should be acting. &quot;It should be proactive. It&#39;s because of real politics. It is also because of two other factors,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;One was that in the past 30 to 40 years, India and Pakistan have invested a lot of energy and time in bilateral talks. But these bilateral talks or dialogue have proved to be mirage for Kashmiris because it has produced no results,&quot; he said, adding that these talks have been non-productive.</p>

<p>Because of these talks, India has &quot;acquired two vetoes&quot; he said.</p>

<p>One on the agenda whereby they have in fact reduced the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir to a fraction of their whole agenda. It is one of 10 agenda items, he added.</p>

<p>Secondly, India has veto over the timetable. &quot;They will start negotiations when it suites them and when they don&#39;t like it they will blame Pakistan for terrorism. And that has just got scuttled the dialogue process,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Khan claimed that there are no terrorist camps in PoK. &quot;None whatso ever,&quot; he said during the interaction.</p>

<p>&quot;This is in fact a propaganda against the Kashmiris intended to demonie them,&quot; he said, and claimed that there is no terrorism right now in Kashmir. Neither there is any cross-border activities.</p>

<p>&quot;This is not happening,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Right now, India has fenced the Line of Control. There are two layers of the fence. In between there are landmines. There are motion sensors. They also have electronic surveillance, thermal imaging. If any crossing takes place they would be detected,&quot; he added. PTI</p>


Masood Khan, former Pakistani Ambassador to the UN, now president of Pak-Occupied Kashmir, rued that India has a veto on talks between India and Pakistan

A former top Pakistani diplomat has said that because of India's influence and economic power, countries are unwilling to raise the issue of Kashmir at international level, including at the UN. Masood Khan, former Pakistani Ambassador to the UN, who is now president of Pak-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), rued that India has a veto on the talks between the two South Asian neighbours. Khan is currently in Washington, for what he described is part of his effort to appraise the international community about current situation in Kashmir. "India has strategic alliances with certain countries. Because of the lucrative deals that it offers to powerful countries in the West, it has practically imposed a gag order on Kashmir," Khan said yesterday in response to a question at the Atlantic Council, a top American think-tank. Khan said that because of increasing Indian influence, "people here (in Washington DC), in Brussels, in London or other world capitals don't talk about Kashmir, because this would have consequences? for these countries, like in terms of economic transactions, and strategic costs.? Responding to questions at the thinly-attended Atlantic Council event, Khan alleged that the UN is not acting on its own resolution because of India. "The United Nations is not acting because of real politics," he said. "The Security Council, first because of cold war dynamics, and now because of number of other factors is not taking cognisance of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is regrettable because of mandate that is given to the Security Council by the UN charter under chapter six and chapter seven," he said. Khan argued that UN should be acting. "It should be proactive. It's because of real politics. It is also because of two other factors," he said. "One was that in the past 30 to 40 years, India and Pakistan have invested a lot of energy and time in bilateral talks. But these bilateral talks or dialogue have proved to be mirage for Kashmiris because it has produced no results," he said, adding that these talks have been non-productive. Because of these talks, India has "acquired two vetoes" he said. One on the agenda whereby they have in fact reduced the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir to a fraction of their whole agenda. It is one of 10 agenda items, he added. Secondly, India has veto over the timetable. "They will start negotiations when it suites them and when they don't like it they will blame Pakistan for terrorism. And that has just got scuttled the dialogue process," he said. Khan claimed that there are no terrorist camps in PoK. "None whatso ever," he said during the interaction. "This is in fact a propaganda against the Kashmiris intended to demonie them," he said, and claimed that there is no terrorism right now in Kashmir. Neither there is any cross-border activities. "This is not happening," he said. "Right now, India has fenced the Line of Control. There are two layers of the fence. In between there are landmines. There are motion sensors. They also have electronic surveillance, thermal imaging. If any crossing takes place they would be detected," he added. PTI

Countries not willing to talk about Kashmir because of India's influence: Ex-Pak diplomat

<p>A roadside bomb killed at least six people and wounded eight others on Tuesday in Pakistan&#39;s restive northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said.</p>

<p>The blast took place in North Waziristan, one of the country&#39;s seven semi-autonomous tribal districts, where the army has been battling Taliban militants.</p>

<p>&quot;The casualties came from a bomb planted in a motorcycle parked on a roadside in Khadi market of Mir Ali town,&quot; Kamran Khan Afridi, a senior administration official in the area, told AFP.</p>

<p>&quot;The blast targeted two vehicles passing along the road. Six people who died and eight who were injured are believed to be the vehicles&#39;&nbsp;passengers,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Local government and security officials also confirmed the attack and casualties.</p>

<p>Mir Ali town and neighbouring Miranshah, North Waziristan&#39;s capital, have long been home to Taliban militants.</p>

<p>Although violence in Pakistan has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives against insurgents along the northwestern border, militant groups are still able to carry out bloody attacks.</p>

<p>In a number of assaults in recent weeks, militants have killed several people in the northwest as well as in southwestern Balochistan province.</p>

<p>Last week, gunmen wearing burkas boarded a rickshaw and killed nine people in an attack on an agriculture institute in the northwestern city of Peshawar.</p>

<p>This latest wave of attacks came as hundreds of people displaced from their homes during the offensives in North Waziristan prepared to return after the military declared the region safe.</p>


The blast took place in North Waziristan, one of the country's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts, where the army has been battling Taliban militants

A roadside bomb killed at least six people and wounded eight others on Tuesday in Pakistan's restive northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said. The blast took place in North Waziristan, one of the country's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts, where the army has been battling Taliban militants. "The casualties came from a bomb planted in a motorcycle parked on a roadside in Khadi market of Mir Ali town," Kamran Khan Afridi, a senior administration official in the area, told AFP. "The blast targeted two vehicles passing along the road. Six people who died and eight who were injured are believed to be the vehicles' passengers," he said. Local government and security officials also confirmed the attack and casualties. Mir Ali town and neighbouring Miranshah, North Waziristan's capital, have long been home to Taliban militants. Although violence in Pakistan has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives against insurgents along the northwestern border, militant groups are still able to carry out bloody attacks. In a number of assaults in recent weeks, militants have killed several people in the northwest as well as in southwestern Balochistan province. Last week, gunmen wearing burkas boarded a rickshaw and killed nine people in an attack on an agriculture institute in the northwestern city of Peshawar. This latest wave of attacks came as hundreds of people displaced from their homes during the offensives in North Waziristan prepared to return after the military declared the region safe.

Blast in Pakistan's north Waziristan, 6 dead

<p>U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday met Pakistan`s civilian and military leaders and urged them &quot;redouble&quot; their efforts to rein in militants accused of using the country as a base to carry out attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan.</p>

<p>Mattis, on a one-day visit to Pakistan, said the South Asian nation had made progress in the fight against militancy inside its borders but needed to make more.</p>

<p>More than 100 days since President Donald Trump announced a South Asia strategy that calls for a firmer line towards Islamabad, U.S. officials and analysts say there has been only limited success and it is not clear how progress will be made.</p>

<p>U.S. officials have long been frustrated by what they see as Pakistan&rsquo;s reluctance to act against groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network that they believe exploit safe haven on Pakistani soil to launch attacks in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>&quot;The Secretary reiterated that Pakistan must redouble its efforts to confront militants and terrorists operating within the country,&quot; the Pentagon said in a statement.</p>

<p>Mattis, who visited Pakistan for the first time as defence secretary, said before the trip that the goal for his meetings with Pakistani officials would be to find &quot;common ground&quot;.</p>

<p>In his discussion with Mattis, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the two allies shared objectives.</p>

<p>&quot;We`re committed (to) the war against terror,&quot; he said. &quot;Nobody wants peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan.&quot;</p>

<p>Mattis also met with high-ranking officials from Pakistan`s powerful military, including army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Lieutenant-General Naveed Mukhtar, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency that U.S. officials say has links with Haqqani and Taliban militants.</p>

<p>In August, Trump outlined a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, chastising Pakistan over its alleged support for Afghan militants. But beyond that, the Trump administration has done little to articulate its strategy, experts say.&nbsp;</p>

<p>U.S. officials say they have not seen a change in Pakistan`s support for militants, despite visits by senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. &quot;We have been very direct and very clear with the Pakistanis ... we have not seen those changes implemented yet,&quot; General John Nicholson, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, said this week. Pakistani officials have pushed back on the U.S. accusations and say they have done a great deal to help the United States in tracking down militants.</p>

<p><strong>Limited leverage</strong></p>

<p>U.S. official expressed hope relations could improve after a U.S.-Canadian couple kidnapped in Afghanistan were freed in Pakistan in October with their three children.</p>

<p>However, while the Trump administration has used tougher words with Pakistan, it is has yet to change Islamabad`s calculus. Some experts say the United States loses clout in Pakistan when it is seen as bullying.</p>

<p>While Mattis travelled to the region earlier this year, he did not stop in Pakistan, but visited its arch rival, India, a relationship that has grown under the Trump administration.</p>

<p>&quot;There is not an effective stick anymore because Pakistan doesn`t really care about U.S aid, it has been dwindling anyway and it is getting the money it needs elsewhere ... treat it with respect and actually reward it when it does do something good,&quot; said Madiha Afzal, with the Brookings Institution.</p>

<p>Mattis`s brief visit to Islamabad comes a week after a hardline Pakistani Islamist group called off nationwide protests after the government met its demand that a minister accused of blasphemy resign.</p>

<p>Separately, a Pakistani Islamist accused of masterminding a bloody 2008 assault in the Indian city of Mumbai was freed from house arrest. The White House said the release could have repercussions for U.S.-Pakistan relations.</p>

<p>&quot;I think for Pakistan, the timing is very bad. There is talk about progress being made against extremists and here you have a situation where religious hardliners have basically been handed everything they wanted on a silver platter,&quot; said Michael Kugelman, with the Woodrow Wilson think-tank in Washington.</p>


Mattis, on a one-day visit to Pakistan, said the South Asian nation had made progress in the fight against militancy inside its borders but needed to make more

U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday met Pakistan`s civilian and military leaders and urged them "redouble" their efforts to rein in militants accused of using the country as a base to carry out attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan. Mattis, on a one-day visit to Pakistan, said the South Asian nation had made progress in the fight against militancy inside its borders but needed to make more. More than 100 days since President Donald Trump announced a South Asia strategy that calls for a firmer line towards Islamabad, U.S. officials and analysts say there has been only limited success and it is not clear how progress will be made. U.S. officials have long been frustrated by what they see as Pakistan’s reluctance to act against groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network that they believe exploit safe haven on Pakistani soil to launch attacks in Afghanistan. "The Secretary reiterated that Pakistan must redouble its efforts to confront militants and terrorists operating within the country," the Pentagon said in a statement. Mattis, who visited Pakistan for the first time as defence secretary, said before the trip that the goal for his meetings with Pakistani officials would be to find "common ground". In his discussion with Mattis, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the two allies shared objectives. "We`re committed (to) the war against terror," he said. "Nobody wants peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan." Mattis also met with high-ranking officials from Pakistan`s powerful military, including army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Lieutenant-General Naveed Mukhtar, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency that U.S. officials say has links with Haqqani and Taliban militants. In August, Trump outlined a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, chastising Pakistan over its alleged support for Afghan militants. But beyond that, the Trump administration has done little to articulate its strategy, experts say. U.S. officials say they have not seen a change in Pakistan`s support for militants, despite visits by senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. "We have been very direct and very clear with the Pakistanis ... we have not seen those changes implemented yet," General John Nicholson, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan, said this week. Pakistani officials have pushed back on the U.S. accusations and say they have done a great deal to help the United States in tracking down militants. Limited leverage U.S. official expressed hope relations could improve after a U.S.-Canadian couple kidnapped in Afghanistan were freed in Pakistan in October with their three children. However, while the Trump administration has used tougher words with Pakistan, it is has yet to change Islamabad`s calculus. Some experts say the United States loses clout in Pakistan when it is seen as bullying. While Mattis travelled to the region earlier this year, he did not stop in Pakistan, but visited its arch rival, India, a relationship that has grown under the Trump administration. "There is not an effective stick anymore because Pakistan doesn`t really care about U.S aid, it has been dwindling anyway and it is getting the money it needs elsewhere ... treat it with respect and actually reward it when it does do something good," said Madiha Afzal, with the Brookings Institution. Mattis`s brief visit to Islamabad comes a week after a hardline Pakistani Islamist group called off nationwide protests after the government met its demand that a minister accused of blasphemy resign. Separately, a Pakistani Islamist accused of masterminding a bloody 2008 assault in the Indian city of Mumbai was freed from house arrest. The White House said the release could have repercussions for U.S.-Pakistan relations. "I think for Pakistan, the timing is very bad. There is talk about progress being made against extremists and here you have a situation where religious hardliners have basically been handed everything they wanted on a silver platter," said Michael Kugelman, with the Woodrow Wilson think-tank in Washington.

U.S. defence chief urges Pakistan to redouble efforts against militants

<p>On December 3, 2017, President of Iran Hassan Rouhani inaugurated the much-awaited Chabahar port. The inauguration follows the successful operationalisation of the port on October 29; which marked a major shift as to how Afghanistan trades with the world and vice versa.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India dispatched first of the six consignments of wheat (India&rsquo;s commitment to send 1.1 million tonnes of wheat) to Afghanistan via Chabahar, Iran bypassing Pakistan. Traditionally, Afghanistan due to its landlocked nature has been dependent upon Pakistan to receive international aid and conduct trade. With the opening of the route via Iran, Afghanistan&#39;s dependence on Pakistan will reduce significantly and it will get access to the seaport, increasing trade volume considerably.</p>

<p>The Chabahar, which is in Iran, is connected to Afghanistan via 635 km road connecting Chabahar to Zahedan and improved the 206 km to Zaranj on its side of the Iran-Afghan border. India as part of its Afghanistan development assistance initiative has constructed 218 km long Zaranj-Delaram highway in western Afghanistan that runs to the Iran border, thus providing much-required sea access.</p>

<p>The passage of India&#39;s first consignment of wheat through Iran&#39;s Chabahar port to Afghanistan recently is significant for several reasons. First, it helps in boosting trade ties between Afghanistan and India which have suffered due to transit issues for Indian goods via Pakistan. Afghanistan has the potential to become a major transit hub for Central Asian goods reaching South Asia and beyond via this port facility. The port access is also expected to encourage domestic trading communities in Afghanistan to utilise this facility.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Second, it alters regional geopolitical calibrations i.e. bringing Iran as a player in Afghanistan&#39;s reconstruction efforts as well as much needed developmental activity in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of southern Iran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Third, for Iran, the operationalisation comes at a time when the US has been changing its stance on the nuclear deal. The port is also key to INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor) which provides trade connectivity from Russia to the Persian Gulf via different trades routes.</p>

<p>India, Iran and Afghanistan may have overcome many challenges to make trade and transit through Chabahar port a reality. But challenges remain. First, the location of the port itself i.e. the port is located just 72km away from the Gwadar port of Pakistan which is part of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Second, the US policy with respect to Iran is changing again, the recent decision by the US to decertify Iran as per the Iran Nuclear Deal or JCPOA has renewed fear of economic sanctions on Iran. However, the US Secretary of State Tillerson on his recent visit to India has assured the Indian government that Chabahar port will be out of the purview of any such decision of the US government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the impact of the sanctions on the associated economic activity will have an adverse impact on the economic viability of the port. Third, the port would need more than India-Afghan trade to stay afloat. Several countries, including Japan and South Korea, have expressed interest in the port facility and should be roped in. The materialisation of the INSTC will bring much-needed trade traffic to the port facility and provide access to the Central Asian, East European markets for East Asian economic powerhouses.</p>

<p>In addition, the poor security situation in the Sistan-Baluchistan province where Chabahar is located may raise some concerns as the province has the restive Sunni population in Shia-dominated Iran. The deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, too, could undermine the region&#39;s capacity to tap Chabahar&#39;s full potential.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


With the opening of the route via Iran, Afghanistan's dependence on Pakistan will reduce significantly and it will get access to the seaport, increasing trade volume considerably.

On December 3, 2017, President of Iran Hassan Rouhani inaugurated the much-awaited Chabahar port. The inauguration follows the successful operationalisation of the port on October 29; which marked a major shift as to how Afghanistan trades with the world and vice versa. India dispatched first of the six consignments of wheat (India’s commitment to send 1.1 million tonnes of wheat) to Afghanistan via Chabahar, Iran bypassing Pakistan. Traditionally, Afghanistan due to its landlocked nature has been dependent upon Pakistan to receive international aid and conduct trade. With the opening of the route via Iran, Afghanistan's dependence on Pakistan will reduce significantly and it will get access to the seaport, increasing trade volume considerably. The Chabahar, which is in Iran, is connected to Afghanistan via 635 km road connecting Chabahar to Zahedan and improved the 206 km to Zaranj on its side of the Iran-Afghan border. India as part of its Afghanistan development assistance initiative has constructed 218 km long Zaranj-Delaram highway in western Afghanistan that runs to the Iran border, thus providing much-required sea access. The passage of India's first consignment of wheat through Iran's Chabahar port to Afghanistan recently is significant for several reasons. First, it helps in boosting trade ties between Afghanistan and India which have suffered due to transit issues for Indian goods via Pakistan. Afghanistan has the potential to become a major transit hub for Central Asian goods reaching South Asia and beyond via this port facility. The port access is also expected to encourage domestic trading communities in Afghanistan to utilise this facility. Second, it alters regional geopolitical calibrations i.e. bringing Iran as a player in Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts as well as much needed developmental activity in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of southern Iran. Third, for Iran, the operationalisation comes at a time when the US has been changing its stance on the nuclear deal. The port is also key to INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor) which provides trade connectivity from Russia to the Persian Gulf via different trades routes. India, Iran and Afghanistan may have overcome many challenges to make trade and transit through Chabahar port a reality. But challenges remain. First, the location of the port itself i.e. the port is located just 72km away from the Gwadar port of Pakistan which is part of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Second, the US policy with respect to Iran is changing again, the recent decision by the US to decertify Iran as per the Iran Nuclear Deal or JCPOA has renewed fear of economic sanctions on Iran. However, the US Secretary of State Tillerson on his recent visit to India has assured the Indian government that Chabahar port will be out of the purview of any such decision of the US government. But the impact of the sanctions on the associated economic activity will have an adverse impact on the economic viability of the port. Third, the port would need more than India-Afghan trade to stay afloat. Several countries, including Japan and South Korea, have expressed interest in the port facility and should be roped in. The materialisation of the INSTC will bring much-needed trade traffic to the port facility and provide access to the Central Asian, East European markets for East Asian economic powerhouses. In addition, the poor security situation in the Sistan-Baluchistan province where Chabahar is located may raise some concerns as the province has the restive Sunni population in Shia-dominated Iran. The deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, too, could undermine the region's capacity to tap Chabahar's full potential. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: With Chabahar India gains upper hand over Pakistan

<p>A security personnel succumbed to his injuries in a gun battle that erupted in Jammu and Kashmir today.</p>

<p>Two other terrorists were also killed in the encounter.</p>

<p>The incident happened in the Qazigund district of Jammu and Kashmir.</p>

<p>The two terrorists killed have been identified as Furkan and Abu Mavia.</p>

<p>Furkan was a Pakistani terrorist who took over as Divisional commander of LeT after the elimination of Ismail.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another security personnel suffered injuries in the encounter between Army and terrorists.</p>

<p>The encounter is underway.</p>

<p>The gun battle started after terrorists attacked an army convoy that was heading towards Srinagar.</p>

<p>The area has been reportedly cordoned off by the security forces.</p>

<p>Further details are awaited.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


One of the terrorists, Furkan, took over as Divisional commander of LeT after the elimination of Ismail

A security personnel succumbed to his injuries in a gun battle that erupted in Jammu and Kashmir today. Two other terrorists were also killed in the encounter. The incident happened in the Qazigund district of Jammu and Kashmir. The two terrorists killed have been identified as Furkan and Abu Mavia. Furkan was a Pakistani terrorist who took over as Divisional commander of LeT after the elimination of Ismail. Another security personnel suffered injuries in the encounter between Army and terrorists. The encounter is underway. The gun battle started after terrorists attacked an army convoy that was heading towards Srinagar. The area has been reportedly cordoned off by the security forces. Further details are awaited. (With inputs from ANI)

1 Soldier, 2 terrorists killed in J&K encounter

<p>The US is not satisfied with Pakistan&#39;s cooperation in the war against terror as it has not done &quot;anything significant&quot; to rein-in the Taliban and the Haqqani network and destroy their sanctuary on its territory as part of its promise, a senior White House official has said.</p>

<p>He also termed the release of Mumbai-terror attack accused Hafiz Saeed as &quot;a step backward&quot; in that direction.</p>

<p>The official said that the release of the Coleman family, held captive for five years by the Haqqani network, from inside Pakistan was &quot;not an indication&quot; of Islamabad&#39;s cooperation with the US in the war against terrorism.</p>

<p>Based on the intelligence shared by the US, in October, the Pakistan Army rescued Caitlan Coleman, her husband Joshua Boyle and their three children after five years of their abduction by terrorists having ties to the Afghan Taliban from the mountainous Kurram Valley region, bordering Afghanistan.</p>

<p>&quot;Our diplomatic pressure, as well as our own intelligence agencies diligent work led to the release of the Coleman family. So, I am not sure if that qualifies as step forward (by Pakistan as part of the South Asia Strategy announced by President Donald Trump in August),&quot; the official told PTI.</p>

<p>&quot;We are happy that the Colemans are free and that they have been released. But we are still waiting to see Pakistan take steps to rein in the Taliban and the Haqqani network. We are not satisfied that they have done anything significant on this front,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The US, the official said, has now a different approach to Pakistan. &quot;We expect, Pakistan to take steps against terror sanctuary on its territory&quot;.</p>

<p>Acknowledging that Pakistan has not taken steps it promised after the announcement of the South Asia Strategy, the senior administration official said that the White House is still hopeful that Pakistan sees that it is in its interest to co-operate on the US strategy in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>&quot;But we have not yet seen any significant changes. We still remain hopeful. And we recognise that some of these changes take a bit of time and wouldn&#39;t necessarily occur overnight.</p>

<p>&quot;But we will expect to see these changes within a certain time-frame. Our patience is not unlimited when it comes to the steps that we expect them to take,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Trump Administration has been very specific with Pakistan on the steps that it needs to take, we have laid out very specific steps that they need to take to degrade these groups activities and to facilitate a genuine dialogue, the official said.</p>

<p>&quot;But, I don&#39;t think we have seen any significant steps in that direction. So, we are still waiting and watching and monitoring (Pakistan) very closely. And we&#39;re still hopeful that we will see Pakistan take some of those steps to crack down on the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and ensure that there are no safe havens, for these groups to continue operating inside Pakistan,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The US, the official said, would be looking for very specific action from Pakistan within coming weeks and months.</p>

<p>He said that by spring, the Trump Administration would hope to see some real efforts on &quot;genuine&quot; peace process, as it is not interested in talks for talk&#39;s sake.</p>

<p>&quot;We would like to see a genuine peace dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We know that the Taliban has made gains for the last several years. So until they are convinced that they are not going to have sanctuary in Pakistan, we don&#39;t believe they&#39;ll be ready for talks.</p>

<p>&quot;They will continue to believe that they can advance on the battlefield rather than on the negotiating table,&quot; he said, adding &quot;so, we need to see Pakistan ensures that they don&#39;t have a sanctuary within Pakistan. And only at that time we assess that they&#39;ll really be ready for genuine negotiations with the Afghan government&quot;.</p>

<p>The White House official, however, refused to give any timeline for actions on Pakistan, saying he thinks that it would not be helpful.</p>

<p>&quot;But I just want to assure you that that we are thinking in terms of timelines and we are monitoring the progress and we do expect meaningful actions in a certain time-frame and we are prepared to implement new policies and take different steps if we don&#39;t see some progress,&quot; he said.</p>


The US is not satisfied with Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terror as it has not done "anything significant" to rein-in the Taliban and the Haqqani network and destroy their sanctuary on its territory as part of its promise, a senior White House official has said

The US is not satisfied with Pakistan's cooperation in the war against terror as it has not done "anything significant" to rein-in the Taliban and the Haqqani network and destroy their sanctuary on its territory as part of its promise, a senior White House official has said. He also termed the release of Mumbai-terror attack accused Hafiz Saeed as "a step backward" in that direction. The official said that the release of the Coleman family, held captive for five years by the Haqqani network, from inside Pakistan was "not an indication" of Islamabad's cooperation with the US in the war against terrorism. Based on the intelligence shared by the US, in October, the Pakistan Army rescued Caitlan Coleman, her husband Joshua Boyle and their three children after five years of their abduction by terrorists having ties to the Afghan Taliban from the mountainous Kurram Valley region, bordering Afghanistan. "Our diplomatic pressure, as well as our own intelligence agencies diligent work led to the release of the Coleman family. So, I am not sure if that qualifies as step forward (by Pakistan as part of the South Asia Strategy announced by President Donald Trump in August)," the official told PTI. "We are happy that the Colemans are free and that they have been released. But we are still waiting to see Pakistan take steps to rein in the Taliban and the Haqqani network. We are not satisfied that they have done anything significant on this front," he said. The US, the official said, has now a different approach to Pakistan. "We expect, Pakistan to take steps against terror sanctuary on its territory". Acknowledging that Pakistan has not taken steps it promised after the announcement of the South Asia Strategy, the senior administration official said that the White House is still hopeful that Pakistan sees that it is in its interest to co-operate on the US strategy in Afghanistan. "But we have not yet seen any significant changes. We still remain hopeful. And we recognise that some of these changes take a bit of time and wouldn't necessarily occur overnight. "But we will expect to see these changes within a certain time-frame. Our patience is not unlimited when it comes to the steps that we expect them to take," he said. The Trump Administration has been very specific with Pakistan on the steps that it needs to take, we have laid out very specific steps that they need to take to degrade these groups activities and to facilitate a genuine dialogue, the official said. "But, I don't think we have seen any significant steps in that direction. So, we are still waiting and watching and monitoring (Pakistan) very closely. And we're still hopeful that we will see Pakistan take some of those steps to crack down on the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and ensure that there are no safe havens, for these groups to continue operating inside Pakistan," he added. The US, the official said, would be looking for very specific action from Pakistan within coming weeks and months. He said that by spring, the Trump Administration would hope to see some real efforts on "genuine" peace process, as it is not interested in talks for talk's sake. "We would like to see a genuine peace dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We know that the Taliban has made gains for the last several years. So until they are convinced that they are not going to have sanctuary in Pakistan, we don't believe they'll be ready for talks. "They will continue to believe that they can advance on the battlefield rather than on the negotiating table," he said, adding "so, we need to see Pakistan ensures that they don't have a sanctuary within Pakistan. And only at that time we assess that they'll really be ready for genuine negotiations with the Afghan government". The White House official, however, refused to give any timeline for actions on Pakistan, saying he thinks that it would not be helpful. "But I just want to assure you that that we are thinking in terms of timelines and we are monitoring the progress and we do expect meaningful actions in a certain time-frame and we are prepared to implement new policies and take different steps if we don't see some progress," he said.

Pakistan hasn't done anything significant in war against terror: US

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-condemns-release-of-hafiz-saeed-calls-for-immediate-re-arrest-25136" target="_blank">Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed </a>has announced that he would contest the general elections in 2018.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JD(U) chief has reportedly told he would contest on a national assembly seat from the Milli Muslim League (MML), according to Pakistani media reports.</p>

<p>Hafiz Saeed launched MML in August 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The league claims to work to make Pakistan a real Islamic and welfare state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Saeed, accused of masterminding the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nine-years-since-mumbai-terror-attacks-victims-await-for-justice-25145" target="_blank">2008 attacks in Mumbai</a>, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.</p>

<p>After his release from the house arrest, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed had filed a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-files-petition-in-un-to-remove-terrorist-tag-25302" target="_blank">petition in the United Nations </a>asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist.</p>

<p>Saeed was put on the UN terror list on&nbsp;December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-in-releasing-hafiz-saeed-pakistan-challenges-india-and-us-25420" target="_blank"> US </a>has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


According to a Pakistan media, JD(U) chief has said that he would contest on a National Assembly seat from the Milli Muslim League (MML)

Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has announced that he would contest the general elections in 2018. JD(U) chief has reportedly told he would contest on a national assembly seat from the Milli Muslim League (MML), according to Pakistani media reports. Hafiz Saeed launched MML in August 2017. The league claims to work to make Pakistan a real Islamic and welfare state. Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months. After his release from the house arrest, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed had filed a petition in the United Nations asking that he be dropped from the list of designated terrorist. Saeed was put on the UN terror list on December 10, 2008, a few days after the November 26 attacks on Mumbai which claimed 166 lives. The US has also designated Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on his head.

Hafiz Saeed to contest Pakistan general elections in 2018

<p>The first phase of the Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman was inaugurated on Sunday by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The port will open&nbsp;a new strategic route connecting Iran, India and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan, and reflecting growing convergence of interests among the three countries.</p>

<p>The port in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nation&#39;s southern coast is easily accessible from India&#39;s western coast and is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan&#39;s Gwadar Port, which is being developed with Chinese investment and is located at distance of around 80 kms from Chabahar.</p>

<p>An India-Iran-Afghanistan ministerial-level trilateral meeting on Chabahar also took place on the sidelines of the event where the three countries resolved to work towards integrated development of connectivity infrastructure including ports, road and rail networks to open up greater opportunities for regional market access and integration of their economies.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Minister of State (Shipping) Pon Radhakrishnan represented India at the inauguration of the Phase 1 of the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar in Iran <a href="https://t.co/LdR5eFpMfv">pic.twitter.com/LdR5eFpMfv</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937290760440999936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 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>

<p>The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries besides ramping up trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi.</p>

<p>&quot;The routes of the region should be connected by land, sea and air,&quot; Rouhani said at the inauguration ceremony, according to his office.</p>

<p>India has been closely working with Afghanistan and Iran to create an alternative, reliable access routes for trade.</p>

<p>Under the agreement signed between India and Iran in May last year, India is to equip and operate two berths in Chabahar Port Phase-I with the capital investment of USD 85.21 million and annual revenue expenditure of USD 22.95 million on a 10-year lease.</p>

<p>The MEA, in a statement, said Radhakrishnan also represented India in the second India-Iran-Afghanistan ministerial-level trilateral meeting on Chabahar port in Chabahar today. Iran was represented by its Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi and Afghanistan by its Trade and Commerce Minister Humayoon Rasaw.</p>

<p>In the meeting, the three countries assessed the progress in the development of the port and reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalise it at the earliest, which they felt would provide alternative access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets.</p>

<p>A joint statement issued after the meeting said the ministers also deliberated on trilateral pact relating to the mega connectivity project and expressed satisfaction on the completion of the ratification procedures by Afghanistan and India. They welcomed the steps taken by Iran to complete the ratification process.</p>

<p>In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a pact which entailed establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi- modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations.</p>

<p>&quot;The ministers discussed the next steps for full implementation of the agreement and moving towards its operationalisation. Towards this endeavour, it was decided to finalise protocols related to transport and transit, ports, customs procedures and consular affairs. It was also decided to convene an expert-level meeting of senior officials of the three countries at the earliest,&quot; the joint statement said.</p>

<p>Reiterating the importance of Chabahar as a hub for regional economic connectivity and their commitment to work towards this objective, the ministers also commended the joint efforts of the three countries in the recent successful transit of wheat from India to Afghanistan through Chabahar.</p>

<p>Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Rouhani noted that transit is the best communication tool for nations, adding &quot;the routes of the region should be connected on land, sea and air,&quot; according to his office.</p>

<p><em>(With PTI inputs)&nbsp;</em></p>


The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries

The first phase of the Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman was inaugurated on Sunday by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The port will open a new strategic route connecting Iran, India and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan, and reflecting growing convergence of interests among the three countries. The port in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nation's southern coast is easily accessible from India's western coast and is increasingly seen as a counter to Pakistan's Gwadar Port, which is being developed with Chinese investment and is located at distance of around 80 kms from Chabahar. An India-Iran-Afghanistan ministerial-level trilateral meeting on Chabahar also took place on the sidelines of the event where the three countries resolved to work towards integrated development of connectivity infrastructure including ports, road and rail networks to open up greater opportunities for regional market access and integration of their economies. Minister of State (Shipping) Pon Radhakrishnan represented India at the inauguration of the Phase 1 of the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar in Iran pic.twitter.com/LdR5eFpMfv — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries besides ramping up trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to New Delhi. "The routes of the region should be connected by land, sea and air," Rouhani said at the inauguration ceremony, according to his office. India has been closely working with Afghanistan and Iran to create an alternative, reliable access routes for trade. Under the agreement signed between India and Iran in May last year, India is to equip and operate two berths in Chabahar Port Phase-I with the capital investment of USD 85.21 million and annual revenue expenditure of USD 22.95 million on a 10-year lease. The MEA, in a statement, said Radhakrishnan also represented India in the second India-Iran-Afghanistan ministerial-level trilateral meeting on Chabahar port in Chabahar today. Iran was represented by its Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi and Afghanistan by its Trade and Commerce Minister Humayoon Rasaw. In the meeting, the three countries assessed the progress in the development of the port and reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalise it at the earliest, which they felt would provide alternative access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets. A joint statement issued after the meeting said the ministers also deliberated on trilateral pact relating to the mega connectivity project and expressed satisfaction on the completion of the ratification procedures by Afghanistan and India. They welcomed the steps taken by Iran to complete the ratification process. In May 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a pact which entailed establishment of Transit and Transport Corridor among the three countries using Chabahar Port as one of the regional hubs for sea transportation in Iran, besides multi- modal transport of goods and passengers across the three nations. "The ministers discussed the next steps for full implementation of the agreement and moving towards its operationalisation. Towards this endeavour, it was decided to finalise protocols related to transport and transit, ports, customs procedures and consular affairs. It was also decided to convene an expert-level meeting of senior officials of the three countries at the earliest," the joint statement said. Reiterating the importance of Chabahar as a hub for regional economic connectivity and their commitment to work towards this objective, the ministers also commended the joint efforts of the three countries in the recent successful transit of wheat from India to Afghanistan through Chabahar. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Rouhani noted that transit is the best communication tool for nations, adding "the routes of the region should be connected on land, sea and air," according to his office. (With PTI inputs)

Chabahar port inaugurated, allows India to bypass Pakistan on trade route to Afghanistan

<p><br />
The law enforcement agencies of Pakistan have arrested at least nine suspects in connection with the terrorist attack that killed 11 people at a hostel inside the Directorate of Agriculture Extension on University Road in Peshawar on Friday.</p>

<p>The Dawn quoted police sources as saying that the police has begun investigating yesterday&#39;s attack on the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and a first investigation report (FIR) was registered against unknown persons.</p>

<p>The suspects were arrested during a pre-dawn search operation carried out on the outskirts of Peshawar. A team comprised of large number of police and other security forces conducted raids in Badhber, Telaband and other areas outside the provincial capital.</p>

<p>Reportedly, different kind of weapons were recovered from the suspects. Yesterday, all the terrorists were neutralized by the security forces after launching an operation.</p>

<p>The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to reports, a police official said that the attackers&#39;&nbsp;first target was the security guard of the premises, following which they made their way inside towards the students&#39;&nbsp;hostel.</p>

<p>&quot;They could have wreaked havoc but the police and army successfully neutralised the threat,&quot; he added. University Road, the major artery of the city, was closed down for traffic after the attack.</p>

<p>The injured were shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), located next to the directorate.</p>

<p>Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan condemned the terrorist attack in a tweet.&quot;Saddened by condemnable terrorist attack in Peshawar this morning. My prayers to the victims and their families. Commend the rapid response of KP police and army that helped in containing damage and concluding the operation,&quot; Imran tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Saddened by condemnable terrorist attack in Peshawar this morning. My prayers to to the victims and their families. Commend the rapid response of KP police and army that helped in containing damage and concluding the operation.</p>
&mdash; Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/936481694655418368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He also lauded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police for its timely action against the terrorists.</p>

<p>&quot;The reformed professional KP police force with its special rapid response unit has made a difference in dealing with acts of terrorism in a timely, holistic and coordinated manner,&quot; he said in a tweet.&nbsp;</p>


The suspects were arrested during a pre-dawn search operation carried out on the outskirts of Peshawar

The law enforcement agencies of Pakistan have arrested at least nine suspects in connection with the terrorist attack that killed 11 people at a hostel inside the Directorate of Agriculture Extension on University Road in Peshawar on Friday. The Dawn quoted police sources as saying that the police has begun investigating yesterday's attack on the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and a first investigation report (FIR) was registered against unknown persons. The suspects were arrested during a pre-dawn search operation carried out on the outskirts of Peshawar. A team comprised of large number of police and other security forces conducted raids in Badhber, Telaband and other areas outside the provincial capital. Reportedly, different kind of weapons were recovered from the suspects. Yesterday, all the terrorists were neutralized by the security forces after launching an operation. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack. According to reports, a police official said that the attackers' first target was the security guard of the premises, following which they made their way inside towards the students' hostel. "They could have wreaked havoc but the police and army successfully neutralised the threat," he added. University Road, the major artery of the city, was closed down for traffic after the attack. The injured were shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), located next to the directorate. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan condemned the terrorist attack in a tweet."Saddened by condemnable terrorist attack in Peshawar this morning. My prayers to the victims and their families. Commend the rapid response of KP police and army that helped in containing damage and concluding the operation," Imran tweeted. Saddened by condemnable terrorist attack in Peshawar this morning. My prayers to to the victims and their families. Commend the rapid response of KP police and army that helped in containing damage and concluding the operation. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 1, 2017 × He also lauded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police for its timely action against the terrorists. "The reformed professional KP police force with its special rapid response unit has made a difference in dealing with acts of terrorism in a timely, holistic and coordinated manner," he said in a tweet.

9 suspects arrested in Peshawar terrorist attack

<p>The US feels that the civilian government in Pakistan is &quot;weak&quot; and the Army&#39;s role in ending the recent protests by hardline religious parties in the country has &quot;emboldened&quot; the extremists, a senior Trump administration official has said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/islamist-leader-calls-off-pakistan-protests-after-minister-resigns-25286">Pakistan last month witnessed countrywide protests by hardline religious groups </a>after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath.</p>

<p>The protesters called off the demonstrations after Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigned, meeting one of their key demands. A top Pakistani court had criticised the Army&#39;s role to mediate the agreement to end the protests that claimed the lives of six people and injured over 100 others.</p>

<p>&quot;We have seen unhelpful relationships between the military and some of the hardline Islamist parties. We are observing...What happened and what role was played by the military. There is concern that the way these protests ended in a way has emboldened extremism and extremists in Pakistan,&quot; the official told PTI.</p>

<p>Observing that the &quot;civil-military tension&quot; in the country is &quot;not helpful&quot;, the official speaking on condition of anonymity said: &quot;The government, right now, is pretty weak. This was shown by the recent protest.&quot;</p>

<p>The official ruled that the handling of protests had made it easier in Pakistan for people to levy blasphemy charges which are very unhelpful.</p>

<p>There are dozens of Pakistanis on death row for alleged blasphemy in public.</p>

<p>&quot;They feel they can take the law into their own hands and continue to levy blasphemy charges, which is unhelpful,&quot; said the official.</p>

<p>The freedom of speech, religion, and human rights inside Pakistan is getting worse, the official added.</p>

<p>The White House official further warned that there would be &quot;repercussions&quot; for any military coup in Pakistan, which has a history of such dictatorship at frequent intervals.</p>

<p>&quot;I think the repercussions of military coup would be very great,&quot; the official said.</p>

<p>Not only the US-Pakistan relationship would be disrupted, all kinds of sanctions would come into play in case of a military coup.</p>

<p>&quot;It would be very unhelpful,&quot; the official said, but quickly added &quot;at this point of time I&#39;m not convinced that the military is seeking to overturn the government.&quot;</p>

<p>But, the military certainly seeks to retain the power that they have within the Pakistani system.</p>

<p>&quot;It would just be extremely unhelpful to see the military try and form the government again,&quot; the official said, hoping the upcoming general elections in Pakistan would be held on schedule next year.</p>

<p>The relations between Pakistan&#39;s civilian government and the powerful Army have long been fraught, with the military ruling the country for nearly half of its 70-year history.</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;re hopeful that there will be election in Pakistan as scheduled to be. And we recognise there may be some political uncertainties leading up to that election. But I think it&#39;s very important that that election is held and that Pakistan demonstrates to the world and to its own people that it continues to be a functioning democracy,&quot; the official said.</p>


Pakistan last month witnessed countrywide protests by hardline religious groups after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath

The US feels that the civilian government in Pakistan is "weak" and the Army's role in ending the recent protests by hardline religious parties in the country has "emboldened" the extremists, a senior Trump administration official has said. Pakistan last month witnessed countrywide protests by hardline religious groups after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath. The protesters called off the demonstrations after Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigned, meeting one of their key demands. A top Pakistani court had criticised the Army's role to mediate the agreement to end the protests that claimed the lives of six people and injured over 100 others. "We have seen unhelpful relationships between the military and some of the hardline Islamist parties. We are observing...What happened and what role was played by the military. There is concern that the way these protests ended in a way has emboldened extremism and extremists in Pakistan," the official told PTI. Observing that the "civil-military tension" in the country is "not helpful", the official speaking on condition of anonymity said: "The government, right now, is pretty weak. This was shown by the recent protest." The official ruled that the handling of protests had made it easier in Pakistan for people to levy blasphemy charges which are very unhelpful. There are dozens of Pakistanis on death row for alleged blasphemy in public. "They feel they can take the law into their own hands and continue to levy blasphemy charges, which is unhelpful," said the official. The freedom of speech, religion, and human rights inside Pakistan is getting worse, the official added. The White House official further warned that there would be "repercussions" for any military coup in Pakistan, which has a history of such dictatorship at frequent intervals. "I think the repercussions of military coup would be very great," the official said. Not only the US-Pakistan relationship would be disrupted, all kinds of sanctions would come into play in case of a military coup. "It would be very unhelpful," the official said, but quickly added "at this point of time I'm not convinced that the military is seeking to overturn the government." But, the military certainly seeks to retain the power that they have within the Pakistani system. "It would just be extremely unhelpful to see the military try and form the government again," the official said, hoping the upcoming general elections in Pakistan would be held on schedule next year. The relations between Pakistan's civilian government and the powerful Army have long been fraught, with the military ruling the country for nearly half of its 70-year history. "We're hopeful that there will be election in Pakistan as scheduled to be. And we recognise there may be some political uncertainties leading up to that election. But I think it's very important that that election is held and that Pakistan demonstrates to the world and to its own people that it continues to be a functioning democracy," the official said.

Pakistan government weak; recent protests have emboldened extremists: US

<p>Former US President Barack Obama on Friday said that India should cherish and nurture its large Muslim population that thinks of itself as Indian.</p>

<p>Addressing the&nbsp;HT Leadership Summit in Delhi, Obama said a counter-narrative was taking shape in Europe, US and sometimes in India where tribal impulses are asserting themselves.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To a question whether Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden&#39;s presence in Pakistan, Obama said &#39;&#39;We had no evidence that Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden&#39;s presence in Pakistan.&#39;&#39;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The former U.S. president, on his first visit to India after demitting office in January, will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarackObama</a>, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the <a href="https://twitter.com/ObamaFoundation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ObamaFoundation</a> and his perspectives on further strengthening India-US strategic partnership. <a href="https://t.co/fvoGgF6CZM">pic.twitter.com/fvoGgF6CZM</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/936535066250960897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Obama, who arrived here on Thursday, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Modi shared a picture of both on Twitter and said &#39;&#39;It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President Barack Obama, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the Obama Foundation.&#39;&#39;&nbsp;</p>


To a question whether Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan, Obama said ''We had no evidence that Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan.''?

Former US President Barack Obama on Friday said that India should cherish and nurture its large Muslim population that thinks of itself as Indian. Addressing the HT Leadership Summit in Delhi, Obama said a counter-narrative was taking shape in Europe, US and sometimes in India where tribal impulses are asserting themselves. To a question whether Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan, Obama said ''We had no evidence that Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan.'' The former U.S. president, on his first visit to India after demitting office in January, will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country. It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President @BarackObama, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the @ObamaFoundation and his perspectives on further strengthening India-US strategic partnership. pic.twitter.com/fvoGgF6CZM — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 1, 2017 × Obama, who arrived here on Thursday, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Modi shared a picture of both on Twitter and said ''It was a pleasure to meet, once again, former President Barack Obama, and learn about the new initiatives being taken forward under his leadership at the Obama Foundation.''

India should cherish and nurture its large Muslim population: Obama

<p>Can China be a trusted ally in the global war against terrorism? The question assumes significance as China continues&nbsp;giving steadfast protection to the chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad Masood Azhar. The country has gone so far as to prevent&nbsp;the United Nations Security Council from declaring Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.</p>

<p>India has accused the JeM and its top leader, Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in January last year. Six Indian soldiers, as well as five gunmen who stormed the Pathankot airbase, were killed.</p>

<p>China&rsquo;s opposition to proscribing Azhar is perplexing given that Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council of which China is one of the five permanent members. If China is party to the decision to outlaw JeM, then its decision not to let its leader bracket in the same category is beyond any logic.</p>

<p>It is high time the United Nations reconsider its original charter which gives veto power to five permanent members under which any one permanent nation can prevent the adoption of any substantive resolution. The rule of the majority of the five permanent members should follow. Otherwise, the international community will always be found wanting in its fight against terrorism due to double standards by some countries.</p>

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<p>This is the second time in as many years that China has blocked a combined bid by the United States, France and the United Kingdom to declare Azhar a global terrorist saying &ldquo;there is no consensus&rdquo; in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council. &nbsp;Where is the question of consensus if one country (read China) continues with its unwavering support for a dreaded terrorist like Azhar just only to please its ally Pakistan? Evidently, China is the lone wolf in the Security Council.</p>

<p>Last year also, it was the odd nation out in the 15-member Security Council to thwart India&rsquo;s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would have entailed his travel ban and freezing of assets. India&rsquo;s application had the approval of all the other 14 members of the Security Council. Needless to say, China is misusing its veto power.</p>

<p>China&rsquo;s support for Azhar, therefore, raises suspicion about its commitment to fight terrorism. Barely a few months ago, it was a signatory to the Xiamen Declaration which had called upon the international community to establish a &quot;genuinely broad&quot; international counter-terrorism coalition. Not only that, it was also a party to a decision of the five-member BRICS nations summit which called for decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan terming them as a security concern in the region.</p>

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<h5>Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.</h5>
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<p>The groups named in the declaration included Taliban, (Islamic State), Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir. Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.</p>

<p>India has accused LeT of carrying out the deadly terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 in which at least 166 people were killed. JeM is also accused of masterminding the audacious attack on Indian Parliament in 2001. Masood Azhar is undoubtedly the prized asset for Pakistan. Not only has he meticulously planned several terrorist attacks against India, he has succeeded in creating an army of jihadis who are ready to lay down their lives at his command.</p>

<p>His importance lies in the fact that&nbsp;Pakistan government along with its army and notorious Inter-Services Intelligence had made several attempts to get him released from a jail after he was arrested in Kashmir in 1994. Five years later, the Indian government was forced to release him and two others - Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Omar Sheikh -&nbsp;in exchange for the safe release of passengers of the Indian Airlines flight -814 which was hijacked and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan.</p>

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<p>If Azhar is declared a global terrorist, the government of Pakistan will be forced to arrest him and seize his assets. This is something the government does not want for two main reasons. Azhar has in the past threatened the government of violence if it made any such misadventure. Secondly, he enjoys the support of the Pakistani army.</p>

<p>Therefore, the Pakistani establishment is cagey while taking any action against him, because it does not have the spine to challenge its own army. China, too, understands the predicament of its all-weather ally. &nbsp;Therefore, it has been repeatedly blocking any attempt to outlaw Azhar even at the expense of its own image. For, China has in the past made several statements that there should be no double standards on counter-terrorism. China&rsquo;s action belies its alleged commitment against terrorism.</p>

<p>It should be understood that China has its own compulsions as far as protecting Azhar is concerned. It is more to do with returning favours to Pakistan. Pakistan has in the past come to the rescue of China in the powerful Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which was critical of the latter&rsquo;s repression of the Muslim Uighur community in Xinjiang province.</p>

<p>In the last two years, hundreds have died in unrest in Xinjiang. Activists have accused China of curtailing commercial as well as cultural activities of Uighur. In fact, a 2013 report of the Amnesty International was highly critical of China&rsquo;s handling of the situation in Xinjiang. It said authorities criminalised &ldquo;what they labelled &lsquo;illegal religious&rsquo; and &lsquo;separatist&rsquo; activities&rdquo; and clamped down on &ldquo;peaceful expressions of cultural identity.&rdquo;</p>

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<p>As far as terrorism is concerned, China&rsquo;s definition is completely at variant with the world. While the world recognises the exiled Dalai Lama as the Tibetan spiritual leader, China considers him as a &ldquo;dangerous separatist&rdquo;. The Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has repeatedly said that he is simply seeking genuine autonomy for his homeland.</p>

<p>China is accused of turning a blind eye to more than 150 Tibetans who have publicly immolated themselves over the years. Beijing is miffed with New Delhi for allowing Dalai Lama live in India. And that is also one of the reasons why it has been stonewalling New Delhi&rsquo;s attempts to sanction Azhar to get even with it.</p>

<p>It is amply clear that China does not want to walk along with the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. It chooses to define terrorists according to its own understanding as has been the case with Pakistan. It is high time China realises the perils of differentiating between terrorists. Otherwise, it risks global isolation.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


China risks global isolation if it does not realises the perils of differentiating between the terrorists

Can China be a trusted ally in the global war against terrorism? The question assumes significance as China continues giving steadfast protection to the chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad Masood Azhar. The country has gone so far as to prevent the United Nations Security Council from declaring Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. India has accused the JeM and its top leader, Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in January last year. Six Indian soldiers, as well as five gunmen who stormed the Pathankot airbase, were killed. China’s opposition to proscribing Azhar is perplexing given that Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council of which China is one of the five permanent members. If China is party to the decision to outlaw JeM, then its decision not to let its leader bracket in the same category is beyond any logic. It is high time the United Nations reconsider its original charter which gives veto power to five permanent members under which any one permanent nation can prevent the adoption of any substantive resolution. The rule of the majority of the five permanent members should follow. Otherwise, the international community will always be found wanting in its fight against terrorism due to double standards by some countries. China is the lone wolf in the Security Council. × This is the second time in as many years that China has blocked a combined bid by the United States, France and the United Kingdom to declare Azhar a global terrorist saying “there is no consensus” in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council. Where is the question of consensus if one country (read China) continues with its unwavering support for a dreaded terrorist like Azhar just only to please its ally Pakistan? Evidently, China is the lone wolf in the Security Council. Last year also, it was the odd nation out in the 15-member Security Council to thwart India’s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would have entailed his travel ban and freezing of assets. India’s application had the approval of all the other 14 members of the Security Council. Needless to say, China is misusing its veto power. China’s support for Azhar, therefore, raises suspicion about its commitment to fight terrorism. Barely a few months ago, it was a signatory to the Xiamen Declaration which had called upon the international community to establish a "genuinely broad" international counter-terrorism coalition. Not only that, it was also a party to a decision of the five-member BRICS nations summit which called for decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan terming them as a security concern in the region. Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. × The groups named in the declaration included Taliban, (Islamic State), Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir. Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. India has accused LeT of carrying out the deadly terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 in which at least 166 people were killed. JeM is also accused of masterminding the audacious attack on Indian Parliament in 2001. Masood Azhar is undoubtedly the prized asset for Pakistan. Not only has he meticulously planned several terrorist attacks against India, he has succeeded in creating an army of jihadis who are ready to lay down their lives at his command. His importance lies in the fact that Pakistan government along with its army and notorious Inter-Services Intelligence had made several attempts to get him released from a jail after he was arrested in Kashmir in 1994. Five years later, the Indian government was forced to release him and two others - Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Omar Sheikh - in exchange for the safe release of passengers of the Indian Airlines flight -814 which was hijacked and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan. If Azhar is declared a global terrorist, the government of Pakistan will be forced to arrest him and seize his assets. × If Azhar is declared a global terrorist, the government of Pakistan will be forced to arrest him and seize his assets. This is something the government does not want for two main reasons. Azhar has in the past threatened the government of violence if it made any such misadventure. Secondly, he enjoys the support of the Pakistani army. Therefore, the Pakistani establishment is cagey while taking any action against him, because it does not have the spine to challenge its own army. China, too, understands the predicament of its all-weather ally. Therefore, it has been repeatedly blocking any attempt to outlaw Azhar even at the expense of its own image. For, China has in the past made several statements that there should be no double standards on counter-terrorism. China’s action belies its alleged commitment against terrorism. It should be understood that China has its own compulsions as far as protecting Azhar is concerned. It is more to do with returning favours to Pakistan. Pakistan has in the past come to the rescue of China in the powerful Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which was critical of the latter’s repression of the Muslim Uighur community in Xinjiang province. In the last two years, hundreds have died in unrest in Xinjiang. Activists have accused China of curtailing commercial as well as cultural activities of Uighur. In fact, a 2013 report of the Amnesty International was highly critical of China’s handling of the situation in Xinjiang. It said authorities criminalised “what they labelled ‘illegal religious’ and ‘separatist’ activities” and clamped down on “peaceful expressions of cultural identity.” China does not want to walk along with the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. × As far as terrorism is concerned, China’s definition is completely at variant with the world. While the world recognises the exiled Dalai Lama as the Tibetan spiritual leader, China considers him as a “dangerous separatist”. The Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has repeatedly said that he is simply seeking genuine autonomy for his homeland. China is accused of turning a blind eye to more than 150 Tibetans who have publicly immolated themselves over the years. Beijing is miffed with New Delhi for allowing Dalai Lama live in India. And that is also one of the reasons why it has been stonewalling New Delhi’s attempts to sanction Azhar to get even with it. It is amply clear that China does not want to walk along with the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. It chooses to define terrorists according to its own understanding as has been the case with Pakistan. It is high time China realises the perils of differentiating between terrorists. Otherwise, it risks global isolation. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: China drags its feet on fight against terror

<p>Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s (LeT) &quot;biggest supporter&quot; and that he is aware that they &quot;like&quot; him too.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In an interview with Pakistan&#39;s ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of&nbsp;LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the&nbsp;mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed.</p>

<p>Musharraf was quoted as saying <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-walks-free-vows-to-fight-for-kashmir-cause-24988" target="_blank">Saeed &quot;is involved in Kashmir&quot;</a> and that he &quot;supports&quot; that involvement.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hafiz-saeed-files-petition-in-un-to-remove-terrorist-tag-25302" target="_blank">Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to get terrorist tag removed</a></p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">Pakistan should ensure Hafiz Saeed is </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">arrestedl</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">, says </a><a class="gr-progress" href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-should-ensure-hafiz-saeed-is-arrested-us-25045" target="_blank">US</a></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am the biggest supporter of LeT and I know they like me &amp; JuD also likes me: Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan&#39;s ARY News, also said &#39;yes&#39; on being asked if he likes Hafiz Saeed, added that, &#39;I have met him (Hafiz Saeed)&#39; <a href="https://t.co/txxT58oPoU">pic.twitter.com/txxT58oPoU</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935710968058822656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Was always in favor of action in Kashmir &amp; of suppressing Indian Army in Kashmir &amp; they are the biggest force (LeT), India got them declared as terrorists by partnering with US. Yes they (LeT) are involved in Kashmir &amp; in Kashmir it is b/w we &amp; India: Musharraf to ARY News <a href="https://t.co/b1fOAyreKl">pic.twitter.com/b1fOAyreKl</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935712835278999557?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hafiz Saeed is a&nbsp;United Nations-designated terrorist who was freed from house arrest last week on an order of Lahore high court.</p>

<p>The US also branded Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on Saeed&#39;s head after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Musharraf claimed Saeed was not involved in the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 because Saeed &quot;himself denied the charges&quot; of being the attacks&#39; mastermind.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-if-pakistan-army-wants-nothing-can-stop-hafiz-saeed-from-being-a-free-man-24881" target="_blank">Opinion: If Pakistan Army wants, Hafiz Saeed will be a free man</a></p>

<p>Musharraf was declared a fugitive from justice by Pakistan in August this year.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Musharraf also said he was appreciative of the man thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks -- LeT co-founder Hafeez Saeed

Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) "biggest supporter" and that he is aware that they "like" him too. In an interview with Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed. Musharraf was quoted as saying Saeed "is involved in Kashmir" and that he "supports" that involvement. Also read: Hafiz Saeed files petition in UN to get terrorist tag removed Also read: Pakistan should ensure Hafiz Saeed is arrestedl, says US I am the biggest supporter of LeT and I know they like me & JuD also likes me: Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan's ARY News, also said 'yes' on being asked if he likes Hafiz Saeed, added that, 'I have met him (Hafiz Saeed)' pic.twitter.com/txxT58oPoU — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × Was always in favor of action in Kashmir & of suppressing Indian Army in Kashmir & they are the biggest force (LeT), India got them declared as terrorists by partnering with US. Yes they (LeT) are involved in Kashmir & in Kashmir it is b/w we & India: Musharraf to ARY News pic.twitter.com/b1fOAyreKl — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × Hafiz Saeed is a United Nations-designated terrorist who was freed from house arrest last week on an order of Lahore high court. The US also branded Saeed a terrorist and put a $10 million bounty on Saeed's head after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Musharraf claimed Saeed was not involved in the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 because Saeed "himself denied the charges" of being the attacks' mastermind. Opinion: If Pakistan Army wants, Hafiz Saeed will be a free man Musharraf was declared a fugitive from justice by Pakistan in August this year.

I am Lashkar's biggest supporter, I know they like me: Pervez Musharraf

<p>As Hafiz Saeed walked free on Wednesday,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pervez-musharraf-im-lashkars-biggest-supporter-they-like-me-too-25405"> a top US general John Nicholson said</a> he hadn&#39;t seen any &quot;changes implemented&quot; by Pakistan despite Trump administration&#39;s tough line on terror.</p>

<p>&quot;We have been very direct and very clear with the Pakistanis... we have not seen those changes implemented yet,&quot; commanded of US forces in Afghanistan said.</p>

<p>President Trump while unveiling the Afghanistan strategy in August had said Pakistan needed to do more to destroy terrorists haven&#39;s inside the country, declaring it harboured &ldquo;agents of chaos&rdquo;.</p>

<p>With US set to send&nbsp;3,000 additional troops as part of the new Afghanistan strategy, the US general summed the situation saying: &quot;we are on our way to a win.&quot;</p>

<p>The US administration has been especially tough on Pakistan clamping down on the Haqqani Network, but results have been difficult to come about on the ground.</p>

<p>&quot;We are hoping to see those changes, we are hoping to work together with the Pakistanis going forward to eliminate terrorists who are crossing&quot; the border, Nicholson said.</p>

<p>General Nicholson said he believed that senior Taliban leaders were based in Pakistan, while the lower-level leadership was based in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>The US general added that he had seen evidence of relations between Iran and the Taliban in western Afghanistan and was closely tracking it.</p>

<p>The US has tried to give logistic and technical support to the Afghan army, including supplying around 58 armed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as part of the $1 billion deal to provide 159 helicopters to the Afghan forces until 2024.</p>

<p>The Taliban though has continued its terror campaign in Afghanistan targeting Kabul with suicide attacks and bombing almost every week as the Afghan forces have struggled to maintain peace on the ground.</p>


President Trump while unveiling the Afghanistan strategy in August had said Pakistan needed to do more to destroy terrorists haven's inside the country

As Hafiz Saeed walked free on Wednesday, a top US general John Nicholson said he hadn't seen any "changes implemented" by Pakistan despite Trump administration's tough line on terror. "We have been very direct and very clear with the Pakistanis... we have not seen those changes implemented yet," commanded of US forces in Afghanistan said. President Trump while unveiling the Afghanistan strategy in August had said Pakistan needed to do more to destroy terrorists haven's inside the country, declaring it harboured “agents of chaos”. With US set to send 3,000 additional troops as part of the new Afghanistan strategy, the US general summed the situation saying: "we are on our way to a win." The US administration has been especially tough on Pakistan clamping down on the Haqqani Network, but results have been difficult to come about on the ground. "We are hoping to see those changes, we are hoping to work together with the Pakistanis going forward to eliminate terrorists who are crossing" the border, Nicholson said. General Nicholson said he believed that senior Taliban leaders were based in Pakistan, while the lower-level leadership was based in Afghanistan. The US general added that he had seen evidence of relations between Iran and the Taliban in western Afghanistan and was closely tracking it. The US has tried to give logistic and technical support to the Afghan army, including supplying around 58 armed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters as part of the $1 billion deal to provide 159 helicopters to the Afghan forces until 2024. The Taliban though has continued its terror campaign in Afghanistan targeting Kabul with suicide attacks and bombing almost every week as the Afghan forces have struggled to maintain peace on the ground.

We have been very direct with Pakistan but haven't seen changes implemented: US General Nicholson

<p>Pakistan has been a reluctant player in the global war against terrorism. This is not something which is not known to the world. But the frequent flip-flops by world powers have only emboldened Pakistan to carry out with its state policy of sponsoring terrorism with impunity.</p>

<p>With unflinching support from its all-weather ally China, which has often misused its position of veto power at the Security Council, Pakistan does not give two hoots to reported threats or warnings. Pakistan has, once again, thumbed its nose at India and the United States by releasing terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest.</p>

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<h5>Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government.</h5>
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<p>Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government. But it surely cannot escape blame for not presenting its case properly in the court, facilitating Saeed&rsquo;s release from house arrest. &nbsp;In fact, India has presented voluminous evidence to Pakistan for his role in the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan&rsquo;s feeble defence that Saeed&rsquo;s release could invite economic sanctions did not cut ice with the court.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Hafiz Saeed&rsquo;s release is no doubt a setback for India, but it also sets Pakistan on a collision course with the United States which has announced a $10 million bounty on his head over the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. It should be recalled that the United States Department of the Treasury had designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under executive order 13224 in May 2008 before the Mumbai attacks happened.</p>

<p>And a month later, November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks, Saeed was also individually designated by the United Nations under UNSCR 1267. Ironically, Saeed had been moving freely in Pakistan, ranting against India and the United States for more than eight years before his so-called house arrest in January this year. That Pakistan has allowed him to carry on with his anti-Kashmir agenda speaks volumes about its so-called seriousness as far as the war against terrorism is concerned.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Had the US been really serious about Saeed, it could have easily put pressure on Pakistan to act. But Saeed is a lesser threat to the US in comparison to India. That explains the reason why the US is not matching its words with action. The case in point is al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who was smoked out from his safe compound of Abbottabad in Pakistan&#39;s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May 2011 by the US elite forces. The US had named Laden as the chief conspirator of the deadly September 11, 2001, attacks.</p>

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<h5>Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed.</h5>
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<p>The US announced the bounty on Saeed in 2012 for information leading to his arrest and conviction four years after he was designated as a global terrorist. But the leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which has been a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, had been roaming free and giving hate speeches against India and the US.</p>

<p>While it took nearly 10 years for the United States to locate and kill Laden, Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed. Who is playing the joke as far as the bounty on Saeed is concerned? Pakistan or the United States, or both!</p>

<p>The US reacted to Saeed&rsquo;s release by making a supine statement. &ldquo;The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged with his crimes,&rdquo; U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
It was only after India launched a major diplomatic drive against Pakistan for allowing the release of Sayeed that the US tempered its language the next day. A White House statement warned of repercussions for US-Pakistan relations and for Pakistan&rsquo;s global reputation unless it took action to detain and charge Sayeed.</p>

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<h5>President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries.</h5>
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<p>Unlike the US State Department, the White House statement was very critical of Pakistan and warned that the relations between the two countries depended largely on the latter&rsquo;s conduct. The White House said Pakistan&rsquo;s failure to charge Saeed sent &ldquo;a deeply troubling message about Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to (combating) international terrorism,&rdquo; adding that it also was counter to Pakistan&rsquo;s claim that it did not provide sanctuary to militants.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries. &ldquo;We can no longer be silent about Pakistan&rsquo;s safe havens for terrorist organisations,&rdquo; Trump said while unveiling his administration&rsquo;s policy for South Asia in August, adding that Pakistan would have &ldquo;much to lose&rdquo; if it did not comply. But such warnings have had little effect on Pakistan.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
There is no doubt that Pakistan has, of late, fallen out of favour of the United States which accuses it of pocketing billions of dollars meant for anti-militant operations against Afghanistan. The US is fighting a war in Afghanistan against the very militants who have been trained and financed by Pakistan, and who continue to find safe sanctuary in Pakistan after carrying out attacks in Afghanistan.</p>

<p>The ties between the US and Pakistan have worsened further after the later moved closer to China in the last few years.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
If President Trump really wants to live up to his image and his words, then he should decide once and for all whether to continue ties with a country which has been playing a double game as far as the war against terrorism is concerned or to amend his administration&rsquo;s decades-long carrot and stick approach.</p>

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<h5>Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.</h5>
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<p>To begin with, Trump can revoke Pakistan&rsquo;s non-NATO ally status. Though symbolic, it will deal a big reputational blow to Pakistan. Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.</p>

<p>The then George Bush administration had designated the non-NATO ally status to Pakistan in 2004 for helping the US in its fight against al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan. If Pakistan is still unmoved by this action, then President Trump will have to take a final call what Mr Bush famously used the phrase after the 9/11 attacks that &ldquo;Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.&rdquo;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


Donald Trump should decide whether to continue ties with Pakistan or revoke Pakistan?s non-NATO ally status

Pakistan has been a reluctant player in the global war against terrorism. This is not something which is not known to the world. But the frequent flip-flops by world powers have only emboldened Pakistan to carry out with its state policy of sponsoring terrorism with impunity. With unflinching support from its all-weather ally China, which has often misused its position of veto power at the Security Council, Pakistan does not give two hoots to reported threats or warnings. Pakistan has, once again, thumbed its nose at India and the United States by releasing terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest. Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government. × Pakistan may fend off criticism by saying that it is the court which has decided to free him and not the government. But it surely cannot escape blame for not presenting its case properly in the court, facilitating Saeed’s release from house arrest. In fact, India has presented voluminous evidence to Pakistan for his role in the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan’s feeble defence that Saeed’s release could invite economic sanctions did not cut ice with the court. Hafiz Saeed’s release is no doubt a setback for India, but it also sets Pakistan on a collision course with the United States which has announced a $10 million bounty on his head over the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans. It should be recalled that the United States Department of the Treasury had designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under executive order 13224 in May 2008 before the Mumbai attacks happened. And a month later, November 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks, Saeed was also individually designated by the United Nations under UNSCR 1267. Ironically, Saeed had been moving freely in Pakistan, ranting against India and the United States for more than eight years before his so-called house arrest in January this year. That Pakistan has allowed him to carry on with his anti-Kashmir agenda speaks volumes about its so-called seriousness as far as the war against terrorism is concerned. Had the US been really serious about Saeed, it could have easily put pressure on Pakistan to act. But Saeed is a lesser threat to the US in comparison to India. That explains the reason why the US is not matching its words with action. The case in point is al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who was smoked out from his safe compound of Abbottabad in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in May 2011 by the US elite forces. The US had named Laden as the chief conspirator of the deadly September 11, 2001, attacks. Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed. × The US announced the bounty on Saeed in 2012 for information leading to his arrest and conviction four years after he was designated as a global terrorist. But the leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which has been a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, had been roaming free and giving hate speeches against India and the US. While it took nearly 10 years for the United States to locate and kill Laden, Saeed has presented himself before the media and the people of Pakistan several times. If the US wanted, it could have easily eliminated Saeed. Who is playing the joke as far as the bounty on Saeed is concerned? Pakistan or the United States, or both! The US reacted to Saeed’s release by making a supine statement. “The Pakistani government should make sure that he is arrested and charged with his crimes,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. It was only after India launched a major diplomatic drive against Pakistan for allowing the release of Sayeed that the US tempered its language the next day. A White House statement warned of repercussions for US-Pakistan relations and for Pakistan’s global reputation unless it took action to detain and charge Sayeed. President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries. × Unlike the US State Department, the White House statement was very critical of Pakistan and warned that the relations between the two countries depended largely on the latter’s conduct. The White House said Pakistan’s failure to charge Saeed sent “a deeply troubling message about Pakistan’s commitment to (combating) international terrorism,” adding that it also was counter to Pakistan’s claim that it did not provide sanctuary to militants. Unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, President Donald Trump has been vociferous in his criticism against Pakistan for its failure to take action against militants engineering attacks on Afghanistan and India from its safe sanctuaries. “We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations,” Trump said while unveiling his administration’s policy for South Asia in August, adding that Pakistan would have “much to lose” if it did not comply. But such warnings have had little effect on Pakistan. There is no doubt that Pakistan has, of late, fallen out of favour of the United States which accuses it of pocketing billions of dollars meant for anti-militant operations against Afghanistan. The US is fighting a war in Afghanistan against the very militants who have been trained and financed by Pakistan, and who continue to find safe sanctuary in Pakistan after carrying out attacks in Afghanistan. The ties between the US and Pakistan have worsened further after the later moved closer to China in the last few years. If President Trump really wants to live up to his image and his words, then he should decide once and for all whether to continue ties with a country which has been playing a double game as far as the war against terrorism is concerned or to amend his administration’s decades-long carrot and stick approach. Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. × To begin with, Trump can revoke Pakistan’s non-NATO ally status. Though symbolic, it will deal a big reputational blow to Pakistan. Non-NATO ally status is conferred on countries which have a strategic working relationship with US forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The then George Bush administration had designated the non-NATO ally status to Pakistan in 2004 for helping the US in its fight against al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Afghanistan. If Pakistan is still unmoved by this action, then President Trump will have to take a final call what Mr Bush famously used the phrase after the 9/11 attacks that “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: In releasing Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan challenges India and US

<p>Over 200 people were killed and many more injured in an attack on a Sufi mosque in Egypt&rsquo;s North Sinai region on Friday. The assault began with a bomb exploding as people were finishing their Friday prayers. As people fled and ambulances arrived, militants opened gunfire on them. It is the deadliest ever attack on civilians in Egypt&rsquo;s modern history.</p>

<p>This is not the first time a cherished Sufi site and Sufi worshipers have been the target of extremists. Earlier this year, in February, a bomb exploded at the tomb of a Sufi saint, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, in southeastern Pakistan. In 2016, combatants of the so-called Islamic State distributed images of the supposed execution of a Sufi teacher. The same year, the Pakistani Taliban murdered a popular Sufi singer of Pakistan, Amjad Sabri. In 2010 the tomb of another Sufi saint Data Ganj Bakhsh was bombed in Pakistan.</p>

<p>In the past, IS has claimed responsibility for some attacks against Sufis and their institutions, although no one so far has claimed responsibility for Friday&rsquo;s murderous assault.</p>

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<p>As a scholar of Muslim and Hindu traditions, I&rsquo;ve long appreciated the various and influential roles that Sufis and their tombs play in South Asian communities and many communities elsewhere in the world. From my perspective, the repercussions of the deplorable violence in Egypt and elsewhere go far beyond the scores of bodies strewn around the damaged shrine and the devastated families.</p>

<p>Many Muslims and non-Muslims around the globe celebrate Sufi saints and gather together for worship in their shrines. Such practices, however, do not conform to the Islamic ideologies of intolerant revivalist groups such as Islamic State. On the contrary, IS finds these practices threatening. Here&rsquo;s why.</p>

<p><strong>Who are the Sufis?</strong></p>

<p>The origins of the word &ldquo;Sufi&rdquo; come from an Arabic term for wool (suf). It references the unrefined wool clothes long worn by ancient west Asian ascetics and points to a common quality ascribed to Sufis &ndash; austerity.</p>

<p>Commonly Muslims viewed this austerity as stemming from a sincere religious devotion that compelled the Sufi into a close, personal relationship with God, modelled on aspects of the Prophet Muhammad&rsquo;s life. This often involved a more inward, contemplative focus than many other forms of Islamic practice.</p>

<p>In some instances, Sufis challenged contemporary norms in order to shock their Muslim neighbours into more religiously intentional lives. For example, an eighth-century female Sufi saint, known popularly as Rabia al-Adawiyya, is said to have walked through her hometown of Basra, in modern-day Iraq, with a lit torch in one hand and a bucket of water in another. When asked why she replied that she hoped to burn down heaven and douse hell&rsquo;s fire so people would &ndash; without concern for reward or punishment &ndash; love God.</p>

<p>Others used poetry in order to express their devotion. For example, the famous 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi leader Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi relied upon themes of love and desire to communicate the yearning for a heartfelt relationship with God. Yet others, such as such as Data Ganj Bakhsh, an 11th-century Sufi, wrote dense philosophical tracts that used complicated theological arguments to explain Sufi concepts to Islamic scholars.</p>

<p><strong>Sufi veneration</strong></p>

<p>Many Sufis are trained in &ldquo;tariqas&rdquo; (brotherhoods) in which teachers carefully shape students.</p>

<p>Rumi, for example, founded the famous &ldquo;Mevlevi&rdquo; order best known as &ldquo;whirling dervishes&rdquo; for their signature performance.</p>

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<p>This is a ritual in which practitioners deepen their relationship with God through a twirling dance intended to evoke a religious experience.</p>

<p>Some Sufis &ndash; men and, sometimes, women &ndash; came to gain such a reputation for their insight and miracles that they were seen to be guides and healers for the community. The miracles associated with them may have been performed in life or after death.</p>

<p>When some of these Sufis died, common folk came to view their tombs as places emanating &ldquo;baraka,&rdquo; a term connoting &ldquo;blessing,&rdquo; &ldquo;power&rdquo; and &ldquo;presence.&rdquo; Some devotees considered the baraka as boosting their prayers, while others considered it a miraculous energy that could be absorbed from proximity with the shrine.</p>

<p>For the devotees, the tombs-turned-shrines are places where God gives special attention to prayers. However, some devotees go so far as to pray for the deceased Sufi&rsquo;s personal intercession.</p>

<p><strong>A place of interfaith worship?</strong></p>

<p>So, why do some groups like the so-called Islamic State violently oppose them?</p>

<p>I argue, there are two reasons: First, some Sufis &ndash; as illustrated by Rabia, the Sufi from Basra &ndash; deliberately flout the Islamic conventions of their peers, which causes many in their communities to condemn their unorthodox views and practices.</p>

<p>Second, many Muslims, not just militants, consider shrine devotion as superstitious and idolatrous. The popularity among Muslims and non-Muslims of tomb veneration alarms many conservative Muslims.</p>

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<p>Devotees light oil lamps at the shrine of Muslim saint Data Ganj Bakhsh in Lahore, Pakistan. (Reuters)</p>
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<p>When a Sufi tomb grows in reputation for its miraculous powers, then an increasing number of people begin to frequent it to seek blessings. The tombs often become a gathering place for Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and people from other faiths.</p>

<p>In South Asia, special songs of praise &ndash; &ldquo;qawwali&rdquo; &ndash; are sung at these shrines that express Islamic values using the imagery of love and devotion. In other regions, other traditions of devotion have emerged, while zikr (&ldquo;litany recitation&rdquo;) is widely popular.</p>

<p>However, despite the divergent ideologies and goals that differentiate them from one another, intolerant Islamist groups such as the Taliban and the so-called Islamic State reject shrine worship as well as dancing and singing as un-Islamic (hence the Pakistani Taliban&rsquo;s assassination of the world-famous qawwali singer Amjad Sabri). In their view, prayers to Sufis are idolatrous.</p>

<p><strong>Success of Sufi traditions</strong></p>

<p>Sufi customs reflect a vastly underreported quality about Islamic traditions in general. While some revivalist Muslim movements such as the Wahhabis and other Salafis see only one way of being Muslim, there are others who embrace the diversity of Islamic traditions.</p>

<p>Many Muslims proudly defend Sufi customs such as shrine devotions because they are so integral to Muslim and non-Muslim communities, not only in South Asia but in various regions of the world. Today, about 15 percent of Egypt&rsquo;s population belong to Sufi orders or practice Sufi traditions. They play crucial roles in their locale and region. For many, Sufi sites offer an Islamic expression of what it means to love God.</p>

<p>In fact, historically, in many regions of the world Sufis have been highly successful in adapting Islamic theologies and practices to local customs for non-Muslims. For this reason, Sufi traditions have been credited for the majority of conversions to Islam in South Asia.</p>

<p>It is only with the global expansion of Islamist revivalist groups in the last century that the urge to absolute conformity has become so strong and pervasive. Even so, a majority of Muslims continues to accept a diversity of Islamic practices.</p>

<p>Given the popularity of Sufis, it&rsquo;s no wonder the so-called Islamic State objects to such models of Islamic pluralism. The ferocity of the recent attack in Egypt and the possible involvement of a suicide bomber demonstrate not only the strength of beliefs in this regard but also how influential IS and other extremists judge both the prominence and the popularity of Sufi traditions.</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-are-the-sufis-and-why-does-is-see-them-as-threatening-73431" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


A new attack on a Sufi mosque in Egypt drives home the hatred of Islamic State and other some other Muslim groups for the Sufi traditions of inclusiveness and mystical worship

Over 200 people were killed and many more injured in an attack on a Sufi mosque in Egypt’s North Sinai region on Friday. The assault began with a bomb exploding as people were finishing their Friday prayers. As people fled and ambulances arrived, militants opened gunfire on them. It is the deadliest ever attack on civilians in Egypt’s modern history. This is not the first time a cherished Sufi site and Sufi worshipers have been the target of extremists. Earlier this year, in February, a bomb exploded at the tomb of a Sufi saint, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, in southeastern Pakistan. In 2016, combatants of the so-called Islamic State distributed images of the supposed execution of a Sufi teacher. The same year, the Pakistani Taliban murdered a popular Sufi singer of Pakistan, Amjad Sabri. In 2010 the tomb of another Sufi saint Data Ganj Bakhsh was bombed in Pakistan. In the past, IS has claimed responsibility for some attacks against Sufis and their institutions, although no one so far has claimed responsibility for Friday’s murderous assault. A devotee prays at the tomb of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Pakistan. (Reuters) × As a scholar of Muslim and Hindu traditions, I’ve long appreciated the various and influential roles that Sufis and their tombs play in South Asian communities and many communities elsewhere in the world. From my perspective, the repercussions of the deplorable violence in Egypt and elsewhere go far beyond the scores of bodies strewn around the damaged shrine and the devastated families. Many Muslims and non-Muslims around the globe celebrate Sufi saints and gather together for worship in their shrines. Such practices, however, do not conform to the Islamic ideologies of intolerant revivalist groups such as Islamic State. On the contrary, IS finds these practices threatening. Here’s why. Who are the Sufis? The origins of the word “Sufi” come from an Arabic term for wool (suf). It references the unrefined wool clothes long worn by ancient west Asian ascetics and points to a common quality ascribed to Sufis – austerity. Commonly Muslims viewed this austerity as stemming from a sincere religious devotion that compelled the Sufi into a close, personal relationship with God, modelled on aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s life. This often involved a more inward, contemplative focus than many other forms of Islamic practice. In some instances, Sufis challenged contemporary norms in order to shock their Muslim neighbours into more religiously intentional lives. For example, an eighth-century female Sufi saint, known popularly as Rabia al-Adawiyya, is said to have walked through her hometown of Basra, in modern-day Iraq, with a lit torch in one hand and a bucket of water in another. When asked why she replied that she hoped to burn down heaven and douse hell’s fire so people would – without concern for reward or punishment – love God. Others used poetry in order to express their devotion. For example, the famous 13th-century Persian poet and Sufi leader Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi relied upon themes of love and desire to communicate the yearning for a heartfelt relationship with God. Yet others, such as such as Data Ganj Bakhsh, an 11th-century Sufi, wrote dense philosophical tracts that used complicated theological arguments to explain Sufi concepts to Islamic scholars. Sufi veneration Many Sufis are trained in “tariqas” (brotherhoods) in which teachers carefully shape students. Rumi, for example, founded the famous “Mevlevi” order best known as “whirling dervishes” for their signature performance. × This is a ritual in which practitioners deepen their relationship with God through a twirling dance intended to evoke a religious experience. Some Sufis – men and, sometimes, women – came to gain such a reputation for their insight and miracles that they were seen to be guides and healers for the community. The miracles associated with them may have been performed in life or after death. When some of these Sufis died, common folk came to view their tombs as places emanating “baraka,” a term connoting “blessing,” “power” and “presence.” Some devotees considered the baraka as boosting their prayers, while others considered it a miraculous energy that could be absorbed from proximity with the shrine. For the devotees, the tombs-turned-shrines are places where God gives special attention to prayers. However, some devotees go so far as to pray for the deceased Sufi’s personal intercession. A place of interfaith worship? So, why do some groups like the so-called Islamic State violently oppose them? I argue, there are two reasons: First, some Sufis – as illustrated by Rabia, the Sufi from Basra – deliberately flout the Islamic conventions of their peers, which causes many in their communities to condemn their unorthodox views and practices. Second, many Muslims, not just militants, consider shrine devotion as superstitious and idolatrous. The popularity among Muslims and non-Muslims of tomb veneration alarms many conservative Muslims. Devotees light oil lamps at the shrine of Muslim saint Data Ganj Bakhsh in Lahore, Pakistan. (Reuters) × When a Sufi tomb grows in reputation for its miraculous powers, then an increasing number of people begin to frequent it to seek blessings. The tombs often become a gathering place for Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and people from other faiths. In South Asia, special songs of praise – “qawwali” – are sung at these shrines that express Islamic values using the imagery of love and devotion. In other regions, other traditions of devotion have emerged, while zikr (“litany recitation”) is widely popular. However, despite the divergent ideologies and goals that differentiate them from one another, intolerant Islamist groups such as the Taliban and the so-called Islamic State reject shrine worship as well as dancing and singing as un-Islamic (hence the Pakistani Taliban’s assassination of the world-famous qawwali singer Amjad Sabri). In their view, prayers to Sufis are idolatrous. Success of Sufi traditions Sufi customs reflect a vastly underreported quality about Islamic traditions in general. While some revivalist Muslim movements such as the Wahhabis and other Salafis see only one way of being Muslim, there are others who embrace the diversity of Islamic traditions. Many Muslims proudly defend Sufi customs such as shrine devotions because they are so integral to Muslim and non-Muslim communities, not only in South Asia but in various regions of the world. Today, about 15 percent of Egypt’s population belong to Sufi orders or practice Sufi traditions. They play crucial roles in their locale and region. For many, Sufi sites offer an Islamic expression of what it means to love God. In fact, historically, in many regions of the world Sufis have been highly successful in adapting Islamic theologies and practices to local customs for non-Muslims. For this reason, Sufi traditions have been credited for the majority of conversions to Islam in South Asia. It is only with the global expansion of Islamist revivalist groups in the last century that the urge to absolute conformity has become so strong and pervasive. Even so, a majority of Muslims continues to accept a diversity of Islamic practices. Given the popularity of Sufis, it’s no wonder the so-called Islamic State objects to such models of Islamic pluralism. The ferocity of the recent attack in Egypt and the possible involvement of a suicide bomber demonstrate not only the strength of beliefs in this regard but also how influential IS and other extremists judge both the prominence and the popularity of Sufi traditions. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Terrified of Sufis, the IS attacked mosque in Egypt

<p>National Conference President Farooq Abdullah waded into another controversy on Monday after he dared the Indian government to raise the tricolour in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Srinagar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;They are talking of raising flag at PoK. I ask them, first you go and raise the Tricolour at Lal Chawk in Srinagar. They can&rsquo;t even do that here and they are talking about PoK,&rdquo; Abdullah told Alert India News.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also mentioned the Kashmiri Pandits, saying that they had had to live away from home for 28 years and still nothing had been done for them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abdullah has run afoul of public opinion a number of times in recent weeks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He recently said that, after 70 years, we have to accept Pakistan-occupied Kashmir belongs to Pakistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also asked for how long will the blood of innocent people be shed.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/for-how-long-will-we-say-pok-is-ours-farooq-abdullah-24318" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;For how long will we say PoK is ours? Farooq Abdullah</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/the-ajit-doval-doctrine-has-failed-farooq-abdullah-22897" target="_blank">The Ajit Doval doctrine has failed: Farooq Abdullah</a></p>

<p>And on Sunday he expressed his concern over the &quot;worsening security situation&quot; in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abdullah was referring to the killing of a Territorial Army jawan by militants.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abdullah also termed the talks between the Centre&#39;s interlocutor on Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma and the Kashmiri people a &quot;formality&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-and-a-difficult-out-of-south-kashmir-3206" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;In and a difficult out of South Kashmir</a></p>


Abdullah had recently said that, after 70 years, we have to accept PoK is a part of Pakistan

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah waded into another controversy on Monday after he dared the Indian government to raise the tricolour in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar. “They are talking of raising flag at PoK. I ask them, first you go and raise the Tricolour at Lal Chawk in Srinagar. They can’t even do that here and they are talking about PoK,” Abdullah told Alert India News. He also mentioned the Kashmiri Pandits, saying that they had had to live away from home for 28 years and still nothing had been done for them. Abdullah has run afoul of public opinion a number of times in recent weeks. He recently said that, after 70 years, we have to accept Pakistan-occupied Kashmir belongs to Pakistan. He also asked for how long will the blood of innocent people be shed. Also read: For how long will we say PoK is ours? Farooq Abdullah The Ajit Doval doctrine has failed: Farooq Abdullah And on Sunday he expressed his concern over the "worsening security situation" in Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah was referring to the killing of a Territorial Army jawan by militants. Abdullah also termed the talks between the Centre's interlocutor on Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma and the Kashmiri people a "formality". Also read: In and a difficult out of South Kashmir

Watch: Never mind raising tricolour in PoK, first raise it in Srinagar, says Farooq Abdullah

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bali-raises-volcano-alert-to-highest-level-officials-25207"><strong>Eruption may be imminent, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level</strong></a></p>

<p>An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia&#39;s resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone. Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday.</p>

<p><strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/federal-law-minister-zahid-hamid-submits-resignation-25211">Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns, says hopes protests will end</a></strong></p>

<p>Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi late on Sunday, media reports said.&nbsp;Hamid said he hoped his resignation would bring the crisis to an end.&nbsp;There had been massive protests against Hamid in the capital Islamabad.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-heads-to-myanmar-as-rohingya-refugee-crisis-unfolds-25210"><strong>Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar &amp; Bangladesh</strong></a></p>

<p>&#39;&#39;My presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis.&nbsp;&quot;I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter&#39;s Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-australia-crush-england-by-10-wickets-in-1st-test-25214"><strong>Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test</strong></a></p>

<p>Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team&#39;s character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England&#39;s agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-hadiya-to-present-her-side-of-story-before-supreme-court-bench-today-25218"><strong>Kerala &#39;love jihad&#39; case: Hadiya to appear in Supreme Court today</strong></a></p>

<p>Kerala woman, Hadiya, who is in the midst of Love Jihad controversy, will depose before the Supreme Court on Monday to tell her side of the story.<br />
Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.</p>


Eruption may be imminent, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone. Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday. Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns, says hopes protests will end Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi late on Sunday, media reports said. Hamid said he hoped his resignation would bring the crisis to an end. There had been massive protests against Hamid in the capital Islamabad. Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar & Bangladesh ''My presence is a sign of affinity and hope," said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team's character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England's agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day. Kerala 'love jihad' case: Hadiya to appear in Supreme Court today Kerala woman, Hadiya, who is in the midst of Love Jihad controversy, will depose before the Supreme Court on Monday to tell her side of the story. Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.

WION morning news brief, November 27, 2017

<p>The Islamist leader whose group clashed violently with Pakistani security forces and paralysed Islamabad for weeks said their sit-in was called off Monday after the law minister resigned, meeting their key demand.</p>

<p>&quot;On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in,&quot; Khadim Hussain Rizvi told the crowd of around 2,500 demonstrators from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY), who have occupied the main highway leading into the capital since November 6.</p>

<p>Also watch: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-government-lifts-media-ban-6971" target="_blank">Pakistan government lifts media ban</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Islamist leader whose group clashed violently with Pakistani security forces and paralysed Islamabad for weeks said their sit-in was called off Monday after the law minister resigned, meeting their key demand

The Islamist leader whose group clashed violently with Pakistani security forces and paralysed Islamabad for weeks said their sit-in was called off Monday after the law minister resigned, meeting their key demand. "On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in," Khadim Hussain Rizvi told the crowd of around 2,500 demonstrators from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY), who have occupied the main highway leading into the capital since November 6. Also watch: Pakistan government lifts media ban

Islamist leader calls off Pakistan protests after minister resigns

<p>&nbsp;As the media blockade continues in Pakistan, the country seems to have gone behind a virtual wall.</p>

<p>The series of events have left the country isolated and nobody seems to know what is happening there.</p>

<p>As per reports, even after the civilian government asking the Pakistan Army for help, the Commander 111 brigade, which generally takes minutes to enter the capital, has not been seen anywhere.</p>

<p>A number of protestors are still on the roads and have been raising slogans. The army&#39;s reluctance in showing competence, when the nation perhaps needs it the most, may be encouraging the hardliners more with the assurance of protection.</p>

<p>Earlier on Saturday, a number of reports claimed that the troops were called in Islamabad to restore peace after a police crackdown on protestors went violent, but it turned out the army wasn&#39;t deployed.</p>

<p>According to sources, the civilian government requested the Commander 111 Brigade directly, as per the mail that was leaked to the Pakistan media, violating the protocol. The proper channel would have been through the Chief of Army Staff General (COAS), Qamar Javed Bajwa.</p>

<p>Several hours later, there was no sign of any army movement in Islamabad or Rawalpindi.</p>

<p>A statement of Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Interior read, &quot;.....is pleased to authorise the deployment of sufficient number of troops of Pakistan Army to be determined by the Commander 111 Brigade, in aid of civil power, to control law and order situation in Islamabad Capital Territory with effect from November 25 till further orders.&quot;</p>

<p>Reportedly, major social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, have also been blocked in the country.</p>

<p>As per the reports, one security official died and over 200 people were injured after the law enforcement agencies clashed with a cleric&#39;s supporters, who have been camping at national highway leading to Rawalpindi.</p>

<p>The cleric, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and his followers were demanding the resignation of Pakistani law minister Zahid Hamid, as they saw the change in the words of an oath taken by the lawmakers as blasphemy.</p>

<p>Though the change has been reversed, the protestors continue to demand Hamid&#39;s resignation.</p>

<p>On Saturday, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) warned it would not cover Faizabad sit-in during a police crackdown on the protestors.</p>

<p>Following the PEMRA order, there was a media blackout in Islamabad, where almost all leading private TV channels went off air.</p>

<p>The PEMRA has also directed the law enforcement agencies to make strict security arrangements for the staff present in different media outlets across the country.</p>


As per reports, even after the civilian government asking the Pakistan Army for help, the Commander 111 brigade, which generally takes minutes to enter the capital, has not been seen anywhere

As the media blockade continues in Pakistan, the country seems to have gone behind a virtual wall. The series of events have left the country isolated and nobody seems to know what is happening there. As per reports, even after the civilian government asking the Pakistan Army for help, the Commander 111 brigade, which generally takes minutes to enter the capital, has not been seen anywhere. A number of protestors are still on the roads and have been raising slogans. The army's reluctance in showing competence, when the nation perhaps needs it the most, may be encouraging the hardliners more with the assurance of protection. Earlier on Saturday, a number of reports claimed that the troops were called in Islamabad to restore peace after a police crackdown on protestors went violent, but it turned out the army wasn't deployed. According to sources, the civilian government requested the Commander 111 Brigade directly, as per the mail that was leaked to the Pakistan media, violating the protocol. The proper channel would have been through the Chief of Army Staff General (COAS), Qamar Javed Bajwa. Several hours later, there was no sign of any army movement in Islamabad or Rawalpindi. A statement of Pakistan's Ministry of Interior read, ".....is pleased to authorise the deployment of sufficient number of troops of Pakistan Army to be determined by the Commander 111 Brigade, in aid of civil power, to control law and order situation in Islamabad Capital Territory with effect from November 25 till further orders." Reportedly, major social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, have also been blocked in the country. As per the reports, one security official died and over 200 people were injured after the law enforcement agencies clashed with a cleric's supporters, who have been camping at national highway leading to Rawalpindi. The cleric, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and his followers were demanding the resignation of Pakistani law minister Zahid Hamid, as they saw the change in the words of an oath taken by the lawmakers as blasphemy. Though the change has been reversed, the protestors continue to demand Hamid's resignation. On Saturday, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) warned it would not cover Faizabad sit-in during a police crackdown on the protestors. Following the PEMRA order, there was a media blackout in Islamabad, where almost all leading private TV channels went off air. The PEMRA has also directed the law enforcement agencies to make strict security arrangements for the staff present in different media outlets across the country.

Pakistan behind virtual wall as media blockade continues

<p>Pakistan&#39;s government has called in the army to restore order after clashes between police and protesters belonging to hardline religious groups killed six people and injured more than 200 others in the capital.</p>

<p>The police aided by paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Constabulary yesterday lunched a massive operation against activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan religious groups who had blocked a key highway to Islamabad for nearly three weeks.</p>

<p>Police and paramilitary forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters to disperse them. However, the security forces pulled back after the crackdown turned deadly.</p>

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<h5>The protesters have been laying siege to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for about three weeks demanding the removal of Law Minister Zahid Hamid, whom they accuse of blasphemy</h5>
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<p>At least six people were killed in clashes yesterday, Dawn reported. It also said that no security personnel was killed but at least nine senior police officers were injured including Rawalpindi city police chief Israr Abbasi.</p>

<p>According to health officials, more than 200 people, including at least 95 security personnel, were injured in the clashes and shifted to various hospitals.</p>

<p>The Interior Ministry last night issued a statutory regulatory order to authorize the deployment of the army to control the law and order situation in the capital.</p>

<p>Official sources said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa are expected to hold a meeting to discuss the situation after the government sought deployment of the army in the capital.</p>

<p>However, the army said it needed clarification on some points before moving in to control the situation.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-calls-on-army-to-restore-security-in-islamabad-after-violent-clashes-25132" target="_blank">Pakistan calls on army to restore security in Islamabad after violent clashes</a></p>

<p>General Bajwa was on a visit to the United Arab Emirates and cut short his trip to reach the country last night.</p>

<p>Earlier, he spoke to Abbasi over telephone and suggested to handle the protests peacefully &quot;avoiding violence from both sides as it is not in national interest and cohesion.&quot;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, all news channels have been off-air and access to popular social media blocked since yesterday.</p>

<p>Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) representing electronic media condemned the action against media.</p>

<p>The protesters have been laying siege to the capital for about three weeks demanding removal of Law Minister Zahid Hamid for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017.</p>

<p>They alleged the action undermined Islamic beliefs and linked it to blasphemy. The government has already amended the law and restored the original oath but the hardline clerics refused to call of the protests until the minister is sacked.</p>

<p>The unrest also spread to several cities where protesters have blocked major roads, resulting in clashes with police. Dozens of people were injured in Karachi and at other places.</p>

<p>Minister of Interior Ahsan Iqbal chaired a high-level security meeting&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;night but failed to reach at any decision about further operation as senior officials of Islamabad administration and police warned to loss of human lives, according to sources in the interior ministry.</p>

<p>The protesters emboldened by failure of government upped the ante and demanded resignation of the government, according to report on Geo TV website.</p>

<p>There are reports that ruling Pakistan Muslims Leauge- Nawaz was discussing the option of removing law minister to pacify the protests. But it may be too late now. The minister is already under immense pressure after an attack yesterday at his residence in Pasroor area of Sialkot district in Punjab.</p>

<p>Opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf have also increased pressure on government and its secretary general Jehangir Tareen demanded resignation of interior minister for mishandling the operation.&nbsp;</p>


The Pakistani government has called in the army to restore order

Pakistan's government has called in the army to restore order after clashes between police and protesters belonging to hardline religious groups killed six people and injured more than 200 others in the capital. The police aided by paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Constabulary yesterday lunched a massive operation against activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan religious groups who had blocked a key highway to Islamabad for nearly three weeks. Police and paramilitary forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters to disperse them. However, the security forces pulled back after the crackdown turned deadly. The protesters have been laying siege to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for about three weeks demanding the removal of Law Minister Zahid Hamid, whom they accuse of blasphemy × At least six people were killed in clashes yesterday, Dawn reported. It also said that no security personnel was killed but at least nine senior police officers were injured including Rawalpindi city police chief Israr Abbasi. According to health officials, more than 200 people, including at least 95 security personnel, were injured in the clashes and shifted to various hospitals. The Interior Ministry last night issued a statutory regulatory order to authorize the deployment of the army to control the law and order situation in the capital. Official sources said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa are expected to hold a meeting to discuss the situation after the government sought deployment of the army in the capital. However, the army said it needed clarification on some points before moving in to control the situation. Also read: Pakistan calls on army to restore security in Islamabad after violent clashes General Bajwa was on a visit to the United Arab Emirates and cut short his trip to reach the country last night. Earlier, he spoke to Abbasi over telephone and suggested to handle the protests peacefully "avoiding violence from both sides as it is not in national interest and cohesion." Meanwhile, all news channels have been off-air and access to popular social media blocked since yesterday. Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) representing electronic media condemned the action against media. The protesters have been laying siege to the capital for about three weeks demanding removal of Law Minister Zahid Hamid for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. They alleged the action undermined Islamic beliefs and linked it to blasphemy. The government has already amended the law and restored the original oath but the hardline clerics refused to call of the protests until the minister is sacked. The unrest also spread to several cities where protesters have blocked major roads, resulting in clashes with police. Dozens of people were injured in Karachi and at other places. Minister of Interior Ahsan Iqbal chaired a high-level security meeting on Friday night but failed to reach at any decision about further operation as senior officials of Islamabad administration and police warned to loss of human lives, according to sources in the interior ministry. The protesters emboldened by failure of government upped the ante and demanded resignation of the government, according to report on Geo TV website. There are reports that ruling Pakistan Muslims Leauge- Nawaz was discussing the option of removing law minister to pacify the protests. But it may be too late now. The minister is already under immense pressure after an attack yesterday at his residence in Pasroor area of Sialkot district in Punjab. Opposition Tehreek-e-Insaf have also increased pressure on government and its secretary general Jehangir Tareen demanded resignation of interior minister for mishandling the operation.

Islamabad: 6 dead, over 200 injured in clashes between Pakistan police, protesters

<p>A transgender was shot dead by unknown assailants in Peshawar&#39;s Cantonment area on Sunday.</p>

<p>According to the Dawn, a number of armed attackers opened fire at the transgender in Khyber Supermarket.</p>

<p>The victim, with three bullet wounds, was rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) for the treatment in critical condition; however, she succumbed to her injuries.</p>

<p>&quot;After receiving her, doctors shifted the injured to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and provided treatment,&quot; the LRH spokesperson Asim Khan said and added that the victim succumbed to her injuries in the ICU.</p>

<p>The transgender community has demanded the arrest of the killers.</p>

<p>The police have launched a search operation to nab the culprits.</p>

<p>However, initial reports have confirmed that one of the attackers was a friend of the victim.&nbsp;</p>


According to the Dawn, a number of armed attackers opened fire at the transgender in Khyber Supermarket.

A transgender was shot dead by unknown assailants in Peshawar's Cantonment area on Sunday. According to the Dawn, a number of armed attackers opened fire at the transgender in Khyber Supermarket. The victim, with three bullet wounds, was rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) for the treatment in critical condition; however, she succumbed to her injuries. "After receiving her, doctors shifted the injured to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and provided treatment," the LRH spokesperson Asim Khan said and added that the victim succumbed to her injuries in the ICU. The transgender community has demanded the arrest of the killers. The police have launched a search operation to nab the culprits. However, initial reports have confirmed that one of the attackers was a friend of the victim.

Transgender shot dead in Pakistan

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