India&#39;s National Investigation Agency (NIA) &nbsp;on Friday filed a charge sheet against Pakistani national Bahadur Ali for allegedly planning terrorist attacks in India on behalf of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). 
 
The NIA alleges that as part of LeT&#39;s plan, Ali, along with his two associates, Abu Saad and Abu Darda, all trained terrorists, infiltrated into Indian territory equipped with arms and ammunition, navigation equipment, combat material and other articles. They entered India with&nbsp;the aim of carrying out terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and at different places of the country including capital New Delhi, as per the given instructions to them by their LeT handlers in&nbsp;Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

Ali&#39;s accomplices were later killed in an encounter, the charge sheet states.&nbsp;

Ali, alias Saifullah Mansoor, was constantly in touch with Alfa-3 &mdash; the LeT control station based in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, the NIA alleges in the charge sheet.

The charge sheet states that a GPS device and a pocket diary recovered from Ali established his links with the LeT and contained the names of several towns in Kashmir as well as&nbsp;Delhi. &nbsp;He was also allegedly instructed by the LeT to mix with the stone-pelting agitators and throw grenades at the Indian security forces after the death of militant Burhan Wani in July.

&quot;The data retrieved from the GPS device The pocket diary recovered from Ali, among other contained coordinates of the Mandakuli &#39;launching pad&#39; of LeT. The pocket diary contains the name of several towns in Jammu and Kashmir (J&amp;K), like Rafiabad, Kunzar, Tangmarg, Budgam, Poonch, Jammu and Udhampur, besides Delhi. Given the fact that Ali is a trained cadre of LeT, the inclusion of the names of these towns or cities in the diary indicates that he was tasked to carry outterror attacks at several places, including in Delhi,&quot; the charge sheet states.

It added that Ali, a school dropout and a resident of a village near Pakista&#39;s Lahore, was provided with a map depicting parts of J&amp;K and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).&nbsp;

He was provided with grid references (GRs) that had been recovered from his possession. Ali plotted these GRs on the map sheet which was sent for examination to the Surveyor General of India at Dehradun which affirmed that the terrorist had plotted them correctly, the charge sheet alleges.

&quot;This clearly establishes that Ali is well conversant with the use of the map sheet and that he has received training in the subject.&quot;

The charge sheet was filed before a district judge, Amar Nath, in capital New Delhi. The NIA had registered a case against Ali, who was arrested on July 24 last year from Yahama village in North Kashmir&#39;s border with Pakistan.

It states that a thorough probe found that LeT has set up a well-organised machinery for the recruitment of vulnerable young men from different provinces of Pakistan as part of a conspiracy to wage war against India by committing terrorist acts in various parts of the country.

&quot;Once recruited, these impressionable young men are put through various training regimes with the twin objectives of radicalising their worldview and providing them with &#39;military&#39; skills. Subsequent to their training, these trained cadres of LeT are illegally pushed into Indian Territory where they commit terrorist acts with the help of a network of their supporters and facilitators,&quot; the charge sheet said.

The charge sheet also highlighted the gaps along the Line of Control (LoC). It states that Ali, along with two other terrorists, walked undetected for seven days before they reached their destination. The trio had entered India between the intervening night to June 12 and 13 last year and reached their destination only around June 20.&nbsp;

NIA has slapped charges under Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosives Act, the Explosives Substances Act, Arms Act, the Foreigners Act and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act.&nbsp;

Ali has been in judicial custody since August. A special court had on December 19 extended the judicial custody of Ali till January 18. 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

The National Investigating Agency accuses Bahadur Ali for allegedly planning terrorist attacks in India on behalf of the LeT

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a charge sheet against Pakistani national Bahadur Ali for allegedly planning terrorist attacks in India on behalf of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). The NIA alleges that as part of LeT's plan, Ali, along with his two associates, Abu Saad and Abu Darda, all trained terrorists, infiltrated into Indian territory equipped with arms and ammunition, navigation equipment, combat material and other articles. They entered India with the aim of carrying out terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and at different places of the country including capital New Delhi, as per the given instructions to them by their LeT handlers in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Ali's accomplices were later killed in an encounter, the charge sheet states. Ali, alias Saifullah Mansoor, was constantly in touch with Alfa-3 — the LeT control station based in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, the NIA alleges in the charge sheet. The charge sheet states that a GPS device and a pocket diary recovered from Ali established his links with the LeT and contained the names of several towns in Kashmir as well as Delhi. He was also allegedly instructed by the LeT to mix with the stone-pelting agitators and throw grenades at the Indian security forces after the death of militant Burhan Wani in July. "The data retrieved from the GPS device The pocket diary recovered from Ali, among other contained coordinates of the Mandakuli 'launching pad' of LeT. The pocket diary contains the name of several towns in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), like Rafiabad, Kunzar, Tangmarg, Budgam, Poonch, Jammu and Udhampur, besides Delhi. Given the fact that Ali is a trained cadre of LeT, the inclusion of the names of these towns or cities in the diary indicates that he was tasked to carry outterror attacks at several places, including in Delhi," the charge sheet states. It added that Ali, a school dropout and a resident of a village near Pakista's Lahore, was provided with a map depicting parts of J&K and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). He was provided with grid references (GRs) that had been recovered from his possession. Ali plotted these GRs on the map sheet which was sent for examination to the Surveyor General of India at Dehradun which affirmed that the terrorist had plotted them correctly, the charge sheet alleges. "This clearly establishes that Ali is well conversant with the use of the map sheet and that he has received training in the subject." The charge sheet was filed before a district judge, Amar Nath, in capital New Delhi. The NIA had registered a case against Ali, who was arrested on July 24 last year from Yahama village in North Kashmir's border with Pakistan. It states that a thorough probe found that LeT has set up a well-organised machinery for the recruitment of vulnerable young men from different provinces of Pakistan as part of a conspiracy to wage war against India by committing terrorist acts in various parts of the country. "Once recruited, these impressionable young men are put through various training regimes with the twin objectives of radicalising their worldview and providing them with 'military' skills. Subsequent to their training, these trained cadres of LeT are illegally pushed into Indian Territory where they commit terrorist acts with the help of a network of their supporters and facilitators," the charge sheet said. The charge sheet also highlighted the gaps along the Line of Control (LoC). It states that Ali, along with two other terrorists, walked undetected for seven days before they reached their destination. The trio had entered India between the intervening night to June 12 and 13 last year and reached their destination only around June 20. NIA has slapped charges under Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosives Act, the Explosives Substances Act, Arms Act, the Foreigners Act and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act. Ali has been in judicial custody since August. A special court had on December 19 extended the judicial custody of Ali till January 18. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India's investigating agency files charge sheet against Pakistani national for links to LeT

Over 100 clerics were among 150 people arrested on Wednesday in Pakistan&#39;s Punjab province for trying to hold a rally to &#39;celebrate&#39; the killing of liberal governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011 over the controversial blasphemy issue.

Defying prohibitory orders, clerics gathered here to hold a rally on Main Boulevard in Gulberg area to &#39;celebrate&#39; Taseer&#39;s sixth death anniversary, local media reported.

Protesters belonging to religious parties like Sunni Tehreek, Tehreek-i-Khatme Nabuwat and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool (SAW) were among those who had planned to march from Kalma Chowk to Liberty Chowk in Lahore to eulogise Taseer&#39;s killer and express support for blasphemy laws.

Taseer was killed on January 4, 2011 in Islamabad by his bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri for allegedly criticising the blasphemy laws in the country - a hugely sensitive issue in the country.

A police official said that the clerics had planned two separate rallies in Gulberg and the Mall Road areas of the city. The government banned the Gulberg protest while allowing the clerics to hold a rally on the Mall Road.

Defying government decision, hundreds of supporters of the three religious groups gathered in Gulberg for a rally but police went into action, disrupting the protest and arresting around 150 of them, over 100 of whom were clerics, local media reported.

Protesters also put up dozens of banners in Lahore and other cities declaring Qadri as a hero.

Senior police officials said no one had permission to hold a rally in Lahore. They added that the Punjab government had not allowed the demonstrators to hold any rally in Lahore and police would block routes and make arrests if necessary.

Main area and arterial roads were blocked and police personnel were heavily deployed across the city. Due to the diversions, capital of Pakistan&#39;s most populous province also witnessed severe traffic jams along certain routes.

Qadri was apparently infuriated when the governor visited a Christian woman called Aasia Bibi, who was given death sentence for alleged blasphemy, and on the occasion he termed blasphemy regulations as &#39;black law&#39;.

Qadri, who was arrested and convicted of murder, was hanged in Rawalpindi&#39;s Adiala jail in 2016 and buried in Bhara Kau area of Islamabad where his supporters are constructing a shrine to honour him.

Blasphemy laws were enacted by former military ruler Ziaul Haq in 1980s and clerics have refused to allow any reforms in the laws despite concerns about their misuse.

(PTI)

Taseer was killed in 2011 by his bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri for allegedly criticising his country's blasphemy laws

Over 100 clerics were among 150 people arrested on Wednesday in Pakistan's Punjab province for trying to hold a rally to 'celebrate' the killing of liberal governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011 over the controversial blasphemy issue. Defying prohibitory orders, clerics gathered here to hold a rally on Main Boulevard in Gulberg area to 'celebrate' Taseer's sixth death anniversary, local media reported. Protesters belonging to religious parties like Sunni Tehreek, Tehreek-i-Khatme Nabuwat and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool (SAW) were among those who had planned to march from Kalma Chowk to Liberty Chowk in Lahore to eulogise Taseer's killer and express support for blasphemy laws. Taseer was killed on January 4, 2011 in Islamabad by his bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri for allegedly criticising the blasphemy laws in the country - a hugely sensitive issue in the country. A police official said that the clerics had planned two separate rallies in Gulberg and the Mall Road areas of the city. The government banned the Gulberg protest while allowing the clerics to hold a rally on the Mall Road. Defying government decision, hundreds of supporters of the three religious groups gathered in Gulberg for a rally but police went into action, disrupting the protest and arresting around 150 of them, over 100 of whom were clerics, local media reported. Protesters also put up dozens of banners in Lahore and other cities declaring Qadri as a hero. Senior police officials said no one had permission to hold a rally in Lahore. They added that the Punjab government had not allowed the demonstrators to hold any rally in Lahore and police would block routes and make arrests if necessary. Main area and arterial roads were blocked and police personnel were heavily deployed across the city. Due to the diversions, capital of Pakistan's most populous province also witnessed severe traffic jams along certain routes. Qadri was apparently infuriated when the governor visited a Christian woman called Aasia Bibi, who was given death sentence for alleged blasphemy, and on the occasion he termed blasphemy regulations as 'black law'. Qadri, who was arrested and convicted of murder, was hanged in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail in 2016 and buried in Bhara Kau area of Islamabad where his supporters are constructing a shrine to honour him. Blasphemy laws were enacted by former military ruler Ziaul Haq in 1980s and clerics have refused to allow any reforms in the laws despite concerns about their misuse. (PTI)

Pakistan: Over 100 clerics among 150 arrested for 'celebrating'  Salman Taseer's killing

Goods transportation is a male-dominated industry. In fact, even in the West, there are only a handful of women who can be seen driving trucks. Given that, one would scarcely expect a woman&nbsp;behind the wheel of a truck, ferrying goods in a conservative nation like Pakistan.

But that&rsquo;s exactly what Shamim Akhtar has been doing. She is Pakistan&#39;s first woman truck driver and she loves her job. The 53-year-old began working as a driver to support her five children after her husband&rsquo;s death. What started as a simple job for her, has now become an act that is breaking gender stereotypes and challenging the traditional perceptions of women in South Asia.
<twitterwidget class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" data-tweet-id="707130492244471808" id="twitter-widget-0" style="position: static; visibility: visible; display: block; transform: rotate(0deg); max-width: 100%; width: 500px; min-width: 220px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"></twitterwidget><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&quot;Nothing is too difficult.&quot; - Shamim Akhtar, Pakistan&#39;s 1st female truck driver.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWomensDay?src=hash">#InternationalWomensDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/wIuK8a0GjE">pic.twitter.com/wIuK8a0GjE</a>
&mdash; US Consulate Karachi (@usconsulatekhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/usconsulatekhi/status/707130492244471808">March 8, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

After her husband&rsquo;s death, Shamim started&nbsp;taking lessons to drive heavy vehicles. An inspiration for many, she was issued a public service vehicle license, a first for a Pakistani woman, allowing her to pull trailers, drive trucks and tractors.

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNowThisNews%2Fvideos%2F1185621838194605%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe>

Akhtar not only drives in cities, but also ventures out on lengthy journeys, covering distances as far as 200 kilometres to transport goods. She says that she is proud to be challenging traditional mind-sets wherever she goes. Never the one to accept defeat, she carries with herself an enterprising attitude. While she drives, the truck and the road, all belong to her.&nbsp;

She hopes her story inspires many like her and that they follow their heart.&nbsp;

(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Breaking gender stereotypes, Shamim Akhtar took to the wheel to support her family

Goods transportation is a male-dominated industry. In fact, even in the West, there are only a handful of women who can be seen driving trucks. Given that, one would scarcely expect a woman behind the wheel of a truck, ferrying goods in a conservative nation like Pakistan. But that’s exactly what Shamim Akhtar has been doing. She is Pakistan's first woman truck driver and she loves her job. The 53-year-old began working as a driver to support her five children after her husband’s death. What started as a simple job for her, has now become an act that is breaking gender stereotypes and challenging the traditional perceptions of women in South Asia. "Nothing is too difficult." - Shamim Akhtar, Pakistan's 1st female truck driver.#InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/wIuK8a0GjE — US Consulate Karachi (@usconsulatekhi) March 8, 2016 After her husband’s death, Shamim started taking lessons to drive heavy vehicles. An inspiration for many, she was issued a public service vehicle license, a first for a Pakistani woman, allowing her to pull trailers, drive trucks and tractors. Akhtar not only drives in cities, but also ventures out on lengthy journeys, covering distances as far as 200 kilometres to transport goods. She says that she is proud to be challenging traditional mind-sets wherever she goes. Never the one to accept defeat, she carries with herself an enterprising attitude. While she drives, the truck and the road, all belong to her. She hopes her story inspires many like her and that they follow their heart. (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

#BeTheChange: The woman who drives a truck in Pakistan, like a boss

India&#39;s minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar on Wednesday said that India expects China to &#39;hear the voice of the world on terrorism&#39;.

Akbar said he hoped China will realise the &#39;depth and evil&#39; of terrorism as they deal with terror in their own country.

&quot;We do expect China to hear the voice of the world on terrorism, not just the voice of India,&quot; he said at a joint press conference with his ministerial colleague Gen (retd) VK Singh.

&quot;We hope China, as a matured and responsible nation will understand that double standards are simple self-defeating, even suicidal. China has its own terrorist problems. China recognises them, addresses them in bilateral agreements. We hope and we are sure that China can be persuaded to see the depth and evil of this menace. 14 out of 15 members perhaps agree on this.&quot;

On China&#39;s opposition to India&#39;s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers&nbsp;Group, Gen (retd) VK Singh said the&nbsp;government was engaging with all concerned to make them understand its &quot;concerns&quot; and &quot;credentials&quot;, hoping that Beijing will end its resistance.

On Tuesday, interior minister Rajnath Singh said that India was pursuing China to declare Azhar an international terrorist, PTI reported.

&quot;We are pursuing China to declare JeM chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist,&quot; Singh said.

Commenting on China&nbsp;blocking India&#39;s move to list Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a United Nations designated terrorist, Akbar said he hoped &#39;Pakistan will see the path of reason&#39;.

&quot;The engagement with Pakistan needs to continue as has been said and was first stated by Vajpayee ji. We have to deal with them. We deal with them eyes open, but we don&#39;t deal with them with minds closed. In that respect, the talk of inflammation doesn&#39;t necessarily help. We hope that Pakistan will see the path of reason. We hope Pakistan&#39;s friends will persuade it to see the path of reason,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI and DNA)

Akbar said he hoped China 'will understand that double standards are self-defeating' as they deal with terror in their own country

India's minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar on Wednesday said that India expects China to 'hear the voice of the world on terrorism'. Akbar said he hoped China will realise the 'depth and evil' of terrorism as they deal with terror in their own country. "We do expect China to hear the voice of the world on terrorism, not just the voice of India," he said at a joint press conference with his ministerial colleague Gen (retd) VK Singh. "We hope China, as a matured and responsible nation will understand that double standards are simple self-defeating, even suicidal. China has its own terrorist problems. China recognises them, addresses them in bilateral agreements. We hope and we are sure that China can be persuaded to see the depth and evil of this menace. 14 out of 15 members perhaps agree on this." On China's opposition to India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Gen (retd) VK Singh said the government was engaging with all concerned to make them understand its "concerns" and "credentials", hoping that Beijing will end its resistance. On Tuesday, interior minister Rajnath Singh said that India was pursuing China to declare Azhar an international terrorist, PTI reported. "We are pursuing China to declare JeM chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist," Singh said. Commenting on China blocking India's move to list Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a United Nations designated terrorist, Akbar said he hoped 'Pakistan will see the path of reason'. "The engagement with Pakistan needs to continue as has been said and was first stated by Vajpayee ji. We have to deal with them. We deal with them eyes open, but we don't deal with them with minds closed. In that respect, the talk of inflammation doesn't necessarily help. We hope that Pakistan will see the path of reason. We hope Pakistan's friends will persuade it to see the path of reason," he said. (With inputs from PTI and DNA)

China must realise 'depth and evil' of terrorism: India's junior foreign minister

Amid a chill in India-Pakistan ties, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today called a high-level meeting and reviewed the current status of the country&#39;s ties with its neighbours and strategic partners, according to an official statement.

Sharif said Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence with all countries of the region and looks forward to establish with them strong and mutually beneficial relations.

&quot;Peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and economically integrated region must be our shared objective and we must strive for realising this objective. This could be possible only when we demonstrate a commitment to our aspirations of peace, progress and prosperity,&quot; Sharif said during the meeting.

His remarks come amid severe low&nbsp;in Indo-Pak ties after Pakistan-based terrorists attacked an Indian army base in Uri in September. 
Sharif added that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor&nbsp;was a &quot;cornerstone of our own quest for regional connectivity and shared prosperity&quot;.

The meeting evaluated various policy options in response to different challenges in regard to foreign relations. It focused on issues pertaining to regional, external and internal security situation.

It also reviewed bilateral and multi-lateral relations with neighbouring countries, future roadmap for regional stability and maintenance of mutually beneficial relations with all countries in the region and beyond.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, ISI chief Lt. Gen&nbsp;Naveed Mukhtar, Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, National Security Advisor Lt&nbsp;Gen&nbsp;(R) Nasser Khan Janjua and other senior officials attended the meeting.

(PTI)

'Peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and economically integrated region must be our shared objective...' said the Pakistani prime minister

Amid a chill in India-Pakistan ties, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today called a high-level meeting and reviewed the current status of the country's ties with its neighbours and strategic partners, according to an official statement. Sharif said Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence with all countries of the region and looks forward to establish with them strong and mutually beneficial relations. "Peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and economically integrated region must be our shared objective and we must strive for realising this objective. This could be possible only when we demonstrate a commitment to our aspirations of peace, progress and prosperity," Sharif said during the meeting. His remarks come amid severe low in Indo-Pak ties after Pakistan-based terrorists attacked an Indian army base in Uri in September. Sharif added that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was a "cornerstone of our own quest for regional connectivity and shared prosperity". The meeting evaluated various policy options in response to different challenges in regard to foreign relations. It focused on issues pertaining to regional, external and internal security situation. It also reviewed bilateral and multi-lateral relations with neighbouring countries, future roadmap for regional stability and maintenance of mutually beneficial relations with all countries in the region and beyond. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, ISI chief Lt. Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, National Security Advisor Lt Gen (R) Nasser Khan Janjua and other senior officials attended the meeting. (PTI)

Pakistan seeks peaceful ties with neighbours: Sharif

India&#39;s elite counter-terror and counter-hijack force National Security Guards&#39; (NSG) website was hacked and defaced with anti-India content by suspected Pakistan-affiliated operatives, PTI reported.

The hackers also posted a derogatory message against the India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the website.

The website was blocked by the officials after noticing that it has been hacked, reported PTI.

Official sources pointed that it could be the work of Pakistan-affiliated hackers. The hackers identified themselves as &quot;Alone Injector&quot;.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been informed about the hacking event and &quot;remedial action&quot; is in process, a report in the PTI stated.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The commando force was raised in 1984 to undertake counter-terror and counter-hijack operations

India's elite counter-terror and counter-hijack force National Security Guards' (NSG) website was hacked and defaced with anti-India content by suspected Pakistan-affiliated operatives, PTI reported. The hackers also posted a derogatory message against the India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the website. The website was blocked by the officials after noticing that it has been hacked, reported PTI. Official sources pointed that it could be the work of Pakistan-affiliated hackers. The hackers identified themselves as "Alone Injector". The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been informed about the hacking event and "remedial action" is in process, a report in the PTI stated. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Hackers deface National Security Guard website with anti-India content

Pakistan has sought support of the US on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with India, as Secretary of State John Kerry called for an amicable settlement of the issue by New Delhi and Islamabad, media reported today.

The development came after Pakistan was irked by the World Bank pause in mediation to resolve differences over construction of two water projects by India.

The Express Tribune reported that Kerry made a phone call to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday night and discussed the row over the IWT implementation and the role of the World Bank (WB), which had brokered the treaty in 1960.

After Kerry&#39;s call, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale also met Dar in Islamabad at the Finance Ministry. 
The back-to-back contacts highlight the importance of the water issue, which can potentially endanger regional stability if the situation slips out of control, according to sources at Finance Ministry.

&quot;The US would like to see an amicable solution to this (water) issue,&quot; a Finance Ministry statement quoted Kerry as saying.

Kerry told Dar that the WB president had informed him about Pakistan&#39;s complaint against India on the IWT. 
The water dispute has catapulted the US back into Pakistan&#39;s economic picture.

The American civilian and military assistance to Pakistan has drastically come down in recent months and its implications on Pakistan&#39;s fiscal situation have started emerging in the shape of a larger-than-anticipated budget deficit.

Independent analysts argue that Washington may not play an effective role in resolving the water dispute, as the Obama administration is preparing to hand over the White House to Donald Trump next month.

&quot;Senator Dar indicated that the US support on the principles and legal position of Pakistan will be greatly appreciated,&quot; stated the Finance Ministry.

Early this month, the WB had announced a pause in playing its legally binding role of mediator in the IWT implementation.

In October, Pakistan had approached the WB seeking appointment of the Chairman of Court of Arbitration to resolve a dispute over construction of two mega hydropower projects by India in violation of the IWT.

The Finance Minister told Kerry that the IWT was an international commitment and it was the WB&#39;s responsibility to make sure India honoured the treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of Pakistani people were protected, said the finance ministry.

(PTI)

The US would like an amicable resolution, but this administration may not have a chance to be effective before Trump takes office

Pakistan has sought support of the US on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with India, as Secretary of State John Kerry called for an amicable settlement of the issue by New Delhi and Islamabad, media reported today. The development came after Pakistan was irked by the World Bank pause in mediation to resolve differences over construction of two water projects by India. The Express Tribune reported that Kerry made a phone call to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday night and discussed the row over the IWT implementation and the role of the World Bank (WB), which had brokered the treaty in 1960. After Kerry's call, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale also met Dar in Islamabad at the Finance Ministry. The back-to-back contacts highlight the importance of the water issue, which can potentially endanger regional stability if the situation slips out of control, according to sources at Finance Ministry. "The US would like to see an amicable solution to this (water) issue," a Finance Ministry statement quoted Kerry as saying. Kerry told Dar that the WB president had informed him about Pakistan's complaint against India on the IWT. The water dispute has catapulted the US back into Pakistan's economic picture. The American civilian and military assistance to Pakistan has drastically come down in recent months and its implications on Pakistan's fiscal situation have started emerging in the shape of a larger-than-anticipated budget deficit. Independent analysts argue that Washington may not play an effective role in resolving the water dispute, as the Obama administration is preparing to hand over the White House to Donald Trump next month. "Senator Dar indicated that the US support on the principles and legal position of Pakistan will be greatly appreciated," stated the Finance Ministry. Early this month, the WB had announced a pause in playing its legally binding role of mediator in the IWT implementation. In October, Pakistan had approached the WB seeking appointment of the Chairman of Court of Arbitration to resolve a dispute over construction of two mega hydropower projects by India in violation of the IWT. The Finance Minister told Kerry that the IWT was an international commitment and it was the WB's responsibility to make sure India honoured the treaty and the water rights of hundreds of millions of Pakistani people were protected, said the finance ministry. (PTI)

Pakistan seeks US support in water dispute with India

A toxic homemade Christmas liquor killed at least 23 people, mostly from Pakistan&#39;s Christian minority community, and made dozens sick, police said on Tuesday.

At least 45 people were treated for poisoning after drinking the moonshine in the town of Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province, about 315 km (195 miles) south of Islamabad.

&quot;The maker and supplier of the toxic liquor is also included among the dead,&quot; senior police official Bilal Kamyana told Reuters. &quot;The maker prepared liquor at home and sold it in polythene bags for 500 rupees (about $5) each.&quot;

Deaths from tainted liquor, often home-brewed, occur periodically in Muslim-majority Pakistan, often around religious festivals. In March, at least 40 people, mostly Hindus, died after drinking toxic liquor days ahead of the festival of Holi.

It is illegal for Muslims to buy or consume alcohol in the country, and minorities need permits to buy it in restricted quantities.

Christians make up about 1.6 per cent of Pakistan&#39;s 190 million people, with most living in Punjab. 
 
(Reuters)

Residents in Mubarakabad Basti, a Christian colony, brewed liquor on Christmas eve and died late Monday night, police said

A toxic homemade Christmas liquor killed at least 23 people, mostly from Pakistan's Christian minority community, and made dozens sick, police said on Tuesday. At least 45 people were treated for poisoning after drinking the moonshine in the town of Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province, about 315 km (195 miles) south of Islamabad. "The maker and supplier of the toxic liquor is also included among the dead," senior police official Bilal Kamyana told Reuters. "The maker prepared liquor at home and sold it in polythene bags for 500 rupees (about $5) each." Deaths from tainted liquor, often home-brewed, occur periodically in Muslim-majority Pakistan, often around religious festivals. In March, at least 40 people, mostly Hindus, died after drinking toxic liquor days ahead of the festival of Holi. It is illegal for Muslims to buy or consume alcohol in the country, and minorities need permits to buy it in restricted quantities. Christians make up about 1.6 per cent of Pakistan's 190 million people, with most living in Punjab. (Reuters)

Pakistan: Toxic liquor kills 23, affects 40

Pakistan Minister for Railways Khuwaja Saad Rafique inaugurated the Christmas peace train on Thursday in a move to showcase minority outreach.

The train started its journey from Rawalpindi on Thursday and is scheduled to reach Karachi on December 31, 2016, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.

Christians in Pakistan make up for one of the two largest (non-Muslim) religious minorities along with Hindus.

The total number of Christians in Pakistan was estimated to be 1.6% of the population in 2005.

The minister, while addressing the inauguration ceremony, said Christians played a key role in the development and prosperity of Pakistan.

&quot;The white colour of our national flag denotes minority groups, and it is incomplete without them,&quot; he said, adding that this train would serve as a symbol of unity, tranquility and harmony wherever it would go.

Speaking of the shared religious principles and affinity that Muslims and Christians share, he said, &quot;We [Muslims] can never think of committing blasphemy against any of the Messengers sent by God.&quot;

He further added that the Constitution of Pakistan provides equal opportunities to everyone, and gives legal cover to each community living in this country.

Christians in Pakistan generally face discrimination from both the populace and the government.

Pakistan&#39;s Christian community developed a &quot;growing sense of concern&quot;, particularly over the strict blasphemy laws &ndash; which restricts any insults against the Islamic prophet Muhammad and makes the crime punishable by death.

Several hundred Christians, along with Muslims themselves, have been persecuted under Pakistan&#39;s blasphemy laws, and death sentences have been handed out to at least a dozen.

Minister for Human Rights, Kamran Michael, also shed light on the role and struggle of the Christian community as an equal partner in the development and solidarity of the country.

He even urged the people and Christian community, in particular to continue their commitment to strengthen the country.

(WION)

The train will run across the country to showcase unity and harmony with Christians on the eve of Christmas

Pakistan Minister for Railways Khuwaja Saad Rafique inaugurated the Christmas peace train on Thursday in a move to showcase minority outreach. The train started its journey from Rawalpindi on Thursday and is scheduled to reach Karachi on December 31, 2016, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. Christians in Pakistan make up for one of the two largest (non-Muslim) religious minorities along with Hindus. The total number of Christians in Pakistan was estimated to be 1.6% of the population in 2005. The minister, while addressing the inauguration ceremony, said Christians played a key role in the development and prosperity of Pakistan. "The white colour of our national flag denotes minority groups, and it is incomplete without them," he said, adding that this train would serve as a symbol of unity, tranquility and harmony wherever it would go. Speaking of the shared religious principles and affinity that Muslims and Christians share, he said, "We [Muslims] can never think of committing blasphemy against any of the Messengers sent by God." He further added that the Constitution of Pakistan provides equal opportunities to everyone, and gives legal cover to each community living in this country. Christians in Pakistan generally face discrimination from both the populace and the government. Pakistan's Christian community developed a "growing sense of concern", particularly over the strict blasphemy laws – which restricts any insults against the Islamic prophet Muhammad and makes the crime punishable by death. Several hundred Christians, along with Muslims themselves, have been persecuted under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, and death sentences have been handed out to at least a dozen. Minister for Human Rights, Kamran Michael, also shed light on the role and struggle of the Christian community as an equal partner in the development and solidarity of the country. He even urged the people and Christian community, in particular to continue their commitment to strengthen the country. (WION)

Christmas peace train inaugurated in Pakistan

Russia has taken serious objection to the &quot;leak&quot;&nbsp;by the Pakistani authorities, in their media, about the visit of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Russian External Intelligence service&nbsp;(FSB)&nbsp;to Pakistan between November 25 to 27.

The visit which was designed to garner Pakistani support for operations in Aleppo, Syria, was compromised by pro-Saudi factions within the Pakistani establishment, according to&nbsp;sources.

According to leaks in the Pakistani media, during this visit, Bortnikov besides discussing Aleppo&nbsp;held consultations with Pakistani military and intelligence agencies amd showed&nbsp;interest in Russia joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

The project proposed that Russia and Pakistan initiate bilateral cooperation vis-a-vis the Gwador port,&nbsp;especially with regard to transfer of goods and services, and also requested Russian access, to the port.

Russia sees CPEC as a major challenge to its area domination by China and is working on Pakistan to open avenues for Moscow to get involved in the Gwadar gateway, something which has been a Russian dream for decades and was the prime reason for the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 as a first step towards reaching Gwadar.

While some elements within the Pakistan Army are keen to get involved with Russia, the predominant mood is against Moscow, given its antagonistic relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Sources say that the Pakistan Army is against having a close relationship with Russia as Saudi Arabia is and has been a tried and tested friend.

It was this influential section of the establishment which reportedly leaked the highly secret visit to Pakistan by the head of Russia&#39;s&nbsp;premier intelligence service.&nbsp;

(ANI)

The visit aimed at Pakistani support for operations in Aleppo. Russian entry to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was also discussed

Russia has taken serious objection to the "leak" by the Pakistani authorities, in their media, about the visit of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Russian External Intelligence service (FSB) to Pakistan between November 25 to 27. The visit which was designed to garner Pakistani support for operations in Aleppo, Syria, was compromised by pro-Saudi factions within the Pakistani establishment, according to sources. According to leaks in the Pakistani media, during this visit, Bortnikov besides discussing Aleppo held consultations with Pakistani military and intelligence agencies amd showed interest in Russia joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. The project proposed that Russia and Pakistan initiate bilateral cooperation vis-a-vis the Gwador port, especially with regard to transfer of goods and services, and also requested Russian access, to the port. Russia sees CPEC as a major challenge to its area domination by China and is working on Pakistan to open avenues for Moscow to get involved in the Gwadar gateway, something which has been a Russian dream for decades and was the prime reason for the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 as a first step towards reaching Gwadar. While some elements within the Pakistan Army are keen to get involved with Russia, the predominant mood is against Moscow, given its antagonistic relationship with Saudi Arabia. Sources say that the Pakistan Army is against having a close relationship with Russia as Saudi Arabia is and has been a tried and tested friend. It was this influential section of the establishment which reportedly leaked the highly secret visit to Pakistan by the head of Russia's premier intelligence service. (ANI)

Pakistan authorities 'leak' Russian intelligence chief's November visit

A day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filled a charge sheet against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar in the Pathankot attack, India took on Pakistan at the United Nations and called on the hostile neighbour to leave behind its ways of terrorism, with the warning saying that, &quot;what you sow will bear fruit&quot;.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, India&#39;s permanent envoy to the UN&nbsp;Syed Akbaruddin in a veiled attack on Pakistan, said that safe havens being provided to terrorists must be dealt with in order to bring sustainable peace.

&quot;We need to address, as an imperative, the support that terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Daesh, Al- Qaeda and its designated affiliates such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed which operate entirely outside the fabric of international law draw from their shadowy supporters outside Afghanistan,&quot; he said.

Quoting poet Rumi, Akbaruddin said &quot;what you sow will bear fruit. If you&#39;ve any sense my friend, don&#39;t plant anything but peace,&quot; which seemed to be a clear message to Islamabad to refrain from stooping to terrorism.

The NIA on Monday filed a chargesheet in the NIA special court against senior commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammed including its Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, for their involvement in the terrorist attack at Pathankot Airbase on 2nd January, 2016.

(ANI)

India's UN envoy, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, said sustainable peace depends on not giving terrorists safe haven

A day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filled a charge sheet against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar in the Pathankot attack, India took on Pakistan at the United Nations and called on the hostile neighbour to leave behind its ways of terrorism, with the warning saying that, "what you sow will bear fruit". Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, India's permanent envoy to the UN Syed Akbaruddin in a veiled attack on Pakistan, said that safe havens being provided to terrorists must be dealt with in order to bring sustainable peace. "We need to address, as an imperative, the support that terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, Daesh, Al- Qaeda and its designated affiliates such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed which operate entirely outside the fabric of international law draw from their shadowy supporters outside Afghanistan," he said. Quoting poet Rumi, Akbaruddin said "what you sow will bear fruit. If you've any sense my friend, don't plant anything but peace," which seemed to be a clear message to Islamabad to refrain from stooping to terrorism. The NIA on Monday filed a chargesheet in the NIA special court against senior commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammed including its Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, for their involvement in the terrorist attack at Pathankot Airbase on 2nd January, 2016. (ANI)

India targets Pakistan on terror at UN: 'What you sow will bear fruit'

A Pakistani opposition party on Tuesday&nbsp;sought an emergency session of parliament after a senior judge slammed the country&#39;s top law enforcement official for holding meetings with leaders of banned militant groups.

The move by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan&#39;s Tehreek-i-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) party is set to put the government under added pressure as it fights a major corruption case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Last week a report by Supreme Court Justice Qazi Isa into a suicide bombing of a hospital in August that killed 73 people strongly criticised the government for failing to implement anti-terror policies.

It singled out interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for holding meetings with cleric Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi.

Ludhianvi heads the political wing of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, which claimed the hospital attack along with the Islamic State.

The two groups jointly also claimed an attack on a police academy in October that killed 61 people and one on a shrine that killed 52 in November. All three attacks were in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

&quot;The report has raised the issue of the Interior Ministry inviting and holding meetings with leaders of banned militant organisations,&quot; a statement by Imran Khan&#39;s party said.

The speaker of parliament will now decide whether to accept the request for a special meeting to debate the report. 
The interior minister has described the growing criticism as &quot;one-sided&quot;.

Overall levels of violence have decreased in Pakistan since the army stepped up operations in the border regions and major cities in the wake of a Taliban school massacre of more than 150 people, mostly students, in December 2014. But the judge&#39;s report said the government had a long way to go.

&quot;Proscribed organisations continue their illegal activities and new terrorist organisations are proscribed after long delays,&quot; it said.

The resurgence of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in the southwest, together with its links to the Islamic State group, are a major blow to long-running and partly successful efforts to quell a homegrown Islamist insurgency that sprang up in the aftermath of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.

(AFP)

Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan held meetings with Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the court said

A Pakistani opposition party on Tuesday sought an emergency session of parliament after a senior judge slammed the country's top law enforcement official for holding meetings with leaders of banned militant groups. The move by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Tehreek-i-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) party is set to put the government under added pressure as it fights a major corruption case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Last week a report by Supreme Court Justice Qazi Isa into a suicide bombing of a hospital in August that killed 73 people strongly criticised the government for failing to implement anti-terror policies. It singled out interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for holding meetings with cleric Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi. Ludhianvi heads the political wing of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant group, which claimed the hospital attack along with the Islamic State. The two groups jointly also claimed an attack on a police academy in October that killed 61 people and one on a shrine that killed 52 in November. All three attacks were in the southwestern province of Balochistan. "The report has raised the issue of the Interior Ministry inviting and holding meetings with leaders of banned militant organisations," a statement by Imran Khan's party said. The speaker of parliament will now decide whether to accept the request for a special meeting to debate the report. The interior minister has described the growing criticism as "one-sided". Overall levels of violence have decreased in Pakistan since the army stepped up operations in the border regions and major cities in the wake of a Taliban school massacre of more than 150 people, mostly students, in December 2014. But the judge's report said the government had a long way to go. "Proscribed organisations continue their illegal activities and new terrorist organisations are proscribed after long delays," it said. The resurgence of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in the southwest, together with its links to the Islamic State group, are a major blow to long-running and partly successful efforts to quell a homegrown Islamist insurgency that sprang up in the aftermath of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. (AFP)

Pakistan: Top court slams interior minister for meetings with militant group member

Almost 40 years after seeking sanctuary in Pakistan, Nusheen Bibi lives in fear of being expelled from the only country she has ever known.

Bibi was only three when her family fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - some of more than 6 million Afghan refugees who crossed into neighbouring Pakistan and Iran.&nbsp;

They soon made a new life in northern Pakistan where Bibi grew up, got married and eventually gave birth.

But growing animosity towards Afghan refugees combined with a push from the Pakistani government to repatriate thousands of Afghans has left the 40-year-old feeling vulnerable.

Under Pakistan&#39;s laws, a foreign woman can acquire Pakistani citizenship by marrying a local man, but Bibi has never done the paperwork to change her nationality.

&quot;I can&#39;t even think about leaving Pakistan,&quot; the mother of five told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in her home, a small mud house.

&quot;How can I leave my children, husband and entire family of in-laws?&quot; said Bibi, who asked that her real name not be used.

Pakistan has some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the UN&nbsp;refugee agency (UNHCR). More than a million others are estimated to live there unregistered.

Although repatriation is not compulsory, Islamabad has stepped up pressure to send people back and numbers have risen sharply in recent months as Afghan-Indian relations strengthened and those between India and Pakistan soured.

UNHCR said 67,057 refugees were permanently repatriated in August, up from 12,962 the month before.

In all, more than 380,000 registered Afghan refugees have returned home in 2016 so far, with more than 1.4 million still remaining in Pakistan, UNHCR said.

&quot;Still foreigners&quot;

In September, Pakistan extended Afghan refugees&#39;&nbsp;right to stay until March 2017, but restrictions and harassment have increased, refugees and the UNHCR say.&nbsp;

Many Afghans complain of discrimination when considered for jobs and university places.&nbsp;

Pakistani officials deny there has been systematic harassment of Afghans living in Pakistan and say their country has demonstrated great generosity to the refugee population, despite severe economic problems of its own.

Like Bibi, Dilshad Begum is also facing the threat of separation from her spouse.&nbsp;

Begum was born in Mardan, a district of Pakistan&#39;s northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2003, she married an Afghan man whose family migrated across the border.

But unlike foreign women, foreign men cannot acquire Pakistani citizenship through marriage.

The couple grew increasingly concerned about their future following brief clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the Torkham border crossing in June.

&quot;My husband sold his property in Afghanistan to establish his business in Pakistan,&quot; Begum said.

&quot;However, the government is now asking him to close down his business, withdraw all the money from his bank and move back to Afghanistan.&quot;

Sana, whose Afghan father moved to Pakistan at the age of eight, has tried but failed to gain a place at the University of Peshawar.

&quot;I finished college in Peshawar, where I was born. But the management tells me the quota for Afghan students is full already, so I can&#39;t get in,&quot; she said.

&quot;It is extremely disturbing for me to learn that after all these years, we are still being treated as foreigners.&quot;

Many who have returned to Afghanistan are struggling to reintegrate in a country they barely know.

Malala&#39;s family recently left for Afghanistan but the student, who declined to give her full name, decided to stay in Pakistan to complete her studies.

&quot;I&#39;m finding it difficult to continue because my dad is having a hard time establishing his business in Afghanistan,&quot; she said.

But the young woman says she bears no ill will towards Pakistan.

&quot;I was born here and love this soil. No matter where I go, Pakistan will always have a special place in my heart,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Pakistan has some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the UN refugee agency

Almost 40 years after seeking sanctuary in Pakistan, Nusheen Bibi lives in fear of being expelled from the only country she has ever known. Bibi was only three when her family fled the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan - some of more than 6 million Afghan refugees who crossed into neighbouring Pakistan and Iran. They soon made a new life in northern Pakistan where Bibi grew up, got married and eventually gave birth. But growing animosity towards Afghan refugees combined with a push from the Pakistani government to repatriate thousands of Afghans has left the 40-year-old feeling vulnerable. Under Pakistan's laws, a foreign woman can acquire Pakistani citizenship by marrying a local man, but Bibi has never done the paperwork to change her nationality. "I can't even think about leaving Pakistan," the mother of five told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in her home, a small mud house. "How can I leave my children, husband and entire family of in-laws?" said Bibi, who asked that her real name not be used. Pakistan has some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). More than a million others are estimated to live there unregistered. Although repatriation is not compulsory, Islamabad has stepped up pressure to send people back and numbers have risen sharply in recent months as Afghan-Indian relations strengthened and those between India and Pakistan soured. UNHCR said 67,057 refugees were permanently repatriated in August, up from 12,962 the month before. In all, more than 380,000 registered Afghan refugees have returned home in 2016 so far, with more than 1.4 million still remaining in Pakistan, UNHCR said. "Still foreigners" In September, Pakistan extended Afghan refugees' right to stay until March 2017, but restrictions and harassment have increased, refugees and the UNHCR say. Many Afghans complain of discrimination when considered for jobs and university places. Pakistani officials deny there has been systematic harassment of Afghans living in Pakistan and say their country has demonstrated great generosity to the refugee population, despite severe economic problems of its own. Like Bibi, Dilshad Begum is also facing the threat of separation from her spouse. Begum was born in Mardan, a district of Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2003, she married an Afghan man whose family migrated across the border. But unlike foreign women, foreign men cannot acquire Pakistani citizenship through marriage. The couple grew increasingly concerned about their future following brief clashes between Pakistani and Afghan security forces at the Torkham border crossing in June. "My husband sold his property in Afghanistan to establish his business in Pakistan," Begum said. "However, the government is now asking him to close down his business, withdraw all the money from his bank and move back to Afghanistan." Sana, whose Afghan father moved to Pakistan at the age of eight, has tried but failed to gain a place at the University of Peshawar. "I finished college in Peshawar, where I was born. But the management tells me the quota for Afghan students is full already, so I can't get in," she said. "It is extremely disturbing for me to learn that after all these years, we are still being treated as foreigners." Many who have returned to Afghanistan are struggling to reintegrate in a country they barely know. Malala's family recently left for Afghanistan but the student, who declined to give her full name, decided to stay in Pakistan to complete her studies. "I'm finding it difficult to continue because my dad is having a hard time establishing his business in Afghanistan," she said. But the young woman says she bears no ill will towards Pakistan. "I was born here and love this soil. No matter where I go, Pakistan will always have a special place in my heart," she said. (Reuters)

Repatriation push, rising hostility alarms Afghan refugees in Pakistan

Pakistan has said that it will not accept any changes to the Indus Waters Treaty.

&quot;Pakistan will not accept any modifications or changes to the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. Our position is based on the principles enshrined in the treaty. And the treaty must be honoured in...letter and spirit&quot;, Pakistan daily the Dawn quoted special assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Tariq Fatemi, as saying.

Pakistan&nbsp;said that India was buying time to complete its two disputed water projects and then insisting since the project was already complete it could not be modified.

Islamabad is raising its objection to the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants being built by India,saying that it violates the provisions of the treaty.

Tensions over the water dispute escalated last month when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi threatened to block the flow of water into Pakistan.

The World Bank had earlier asked the two &nbsp;countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements over the Indus Waters Treaty.

The World Bank had also said it was temporarily halting the appointment of a neutral expert as requested by India, and the Chairman of the Court of Arbitration, as requested by Pakistan, to resolve issues regarding the two hydroelectric power plants.

The treaty which was signed in 1960 gives India control over the three eastern rivers of the Indus basin, the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej while Pakistan has the three western rivers, the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum.

According to the provision of the treaty, India can use only 20 per cent of the total water carried by the Indus River.

The Indus Waters Treaty is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict.

(WION with inputs from ANI) 
&nbsp;

Islamabad is raising its objection to the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric plants India's building, saying that it violates the treaty

Pakistan has said that it will not accept any changes to the Indus Waters Treaty. "Pakistan will not accept any modifications or changes to the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. Our position is based on the principles enshrined in the treaty. And the treaty must be honoured in...letter and spirit", Pakistan daily the Dawn quoted special assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Tariq Fatemi, as saying. Pakistan said that India was buying time to complete its two disputed water projects and then insisting since the project was already complete it could not be modified. Islamabad is raising its objection to the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants being built by India,saying that it violates the provisions of the treaty. Tensions over the water dispute escalated last month when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi threatened to block the flow of water into Pakistan. The World Bank had earlier asked the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements over the Indus Waters Treaty. The World Bank had also said it was temporarily halting the appointment of a neutral expert as requested by India, and the Chairman of the Court of Arbitration, as requested by Pakistan, to resolve issues regarding the two hydroelectric power plants. The treaty which was signed in 1960 gives India control over the three eastern rivers of the Indus basin, the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej while Pakistan has the three western rivers, the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum. According to the provision of the treaty, India can use only 20 per cent of the total water carried by the Indus River. The Indus Waters Treaty is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Pakistan not to accept any changes to Indus Waters Treaty

A Pakistani school bus driver was killed and several children were wounded on Friday in Indian firing along the frontier in the disputed Kashmir region, Pakistan said.

&quot;A shell landed near a school bus in Mohra village of Nakyal sector, leaving the driver dead and eight children wounded,&quot; official Sardar Zeeshan Nisar told Reuters by telephone from the area.

The firing was a violation of a 2003 ceasefire, the Pakistani army&#39;s media wing said in a statement.

&quot;Pakistani troops effectively responded and targeted Indian posts from where fire was coming,&quot; it said.

The Indian army had no immediate comment on the Pakistani report but a spokesman said Pakistani forces had fired across the Line of Control - the de facto border - and the Indian side had given a &quot;befitting reply&quot;.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India and claimed in entirety by both. The longtime foes have fought two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 over Kashmir.

Tension has risen in the region since a Sept. 18 attack on an Indian army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 18 soldiers, an attack India blamed on Pakistan-based separatists.

Firing across the Line of Control by both sides has increased since then, with dozens killed and wounded and each side blaming the other.

An Indian crackdown on protests in its part of Kashmir has killed at least 80 civilians since the July killing of a popular separatist leader in an operation by Indian security forces.

(Reuters)

The firing was a violation of a 2003 ceasefire, the Pakistani army's media wing said in a statement

A Pakistani school bus driver was killed and several children were wounded on Friday in Indian firing along the frontier in the disputed Kashmir region, Pakistan said. "A shell landed near a school bus in Mohra village of Nakyal sector, leaving the driver dead and eight children wounded," official Sardar Zeeshan Nisar told Reuters by telephone from the area. The firing was a violation of a 2003 ceasefire, the Pakistani army's media wing said in a statement. "Pakistani troops effectively responded and targeted Indian posts from where fire was coming," it said. The Indian army had no immediate comment on the Pakistani report but a spokesman said Pakistani forces had fired across the Line of Control - the de facto border - and the Indian side had given a "befitting reply". The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India and claimed in entirety by both. The longtime foes have fought two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 over Kashmir. Tension has risen in the region since a Sept. 18 attack on an Indian army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 18 soldiers, an attack India blamed on Pakistan-based separatists. Firing across the Line of Control by both sides has increased since then, with dozens killed and wounded and each side blaming the other. An Indian crackdown on protests in its part of Kashmir has killed at least 80 civilians since the July killing of a popular separatist leader in an operation by Indian security forces. (Reuters)

Pakistan says children hurt, man killed in Indian firing in Kashmir

In a significant development, the World Bank has paused the separate processes initiated by India and Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements.

&quot;We are announcing this pause to protect the Indus Waters Treaty and to help India and Pakistan consider alternative approaches to resolving conflicting interests under the Treaty and its application to two hydroelectric power plants,&quot; World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim said.

The pause was announced by Kim in letters to the finance ministers of India and Pakistan. It was also emphasised that the Bank was acting to safeguard the Treaty.

Pausing the process, for now, the Bank would hold off from appointing the Chairman for the Court of Arbitration or the Neutral Expert, appointments that had been expected on December 12 as earlier communicated by the Bank.

India had taken strong exception last month to the World Bank&#39;s decision to set up a Court of Arbitration and appoint a Neutral Expert to go into Pakistan&#39;s complaint against it over Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

Surprised at the World Bank&#39;s decision to appoint a Neutral Expert, as sought by the Indian government and at the same time establish a Court of Arbitration as wanted by Pakistan, India had said proceeding with both the steps simultaneously was &quot;legally untenable&quot;.

Both processes initiated by the respective countries were advancing at the same time, creating a risk of contradictory outcomes that could potentially endanger the Treaty, the Bank noted.

&quot;This is an opportunity for the two countries to begin to resolve the issue in an amicable manner and in line with the spirit of the treaty rather than pursuing concurrent processes that could make the treaty unworkable over time. I would hope that the two countries will come to an agreement by the end of January,&quot; Kim said.

The current processes under the treaty concern the Kishenganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants. The power plants are being built by India on, respectively, the Kishenganga and Chenab Rivers.

Neither of the two plants are being financed by the World Bank.

The bank said the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict.

In September, the World Bank, which had mediated the Indus Water Treaty, had said it was approached by India and Pakistan and it is &quot;responding in its limited, procedural role as set out in the treaty&quot;.

&quot;India and Pakistan have informed the World Bank that each has initiated proceedings pursuant to the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 and the World Bank Group is responding in its limited, procedural role as set out in the Treaty,&quot; it had said.

The Treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission which includes a commissioner from each of the two countries.

It also sets out a process for resolving so-called &quot;questions&quot;, &quot;differences&quot; and &quot;disputes&quot; that may arise between the parties.

(PTI)

World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim emphasised that the Bank was acting to safeguard the Treaty

In a significant development, the World Bank has paused the separate processes initiated by India and Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty to allow the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements. "We are announcing this pause to protect the Indus Waters Treaty and to help India and Pakistan consider alternative approaches to resolving conflicting interests under the Treaty and its application to two hydroelectric power plants," World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim said. The pause was announced by Kim in letters to the finance ministers of India and Pakistan. It was also emphasised that the Bank was acting to safeguard the Treaty. Pausing the process, for now, the Bank would hold off from appointing the Chairman for the Court of Arbitration or the Neutral Expert, appointments that had been expected on December 12 as earlier communicated by the Bank. India had taken strong exception last month to the World Bank's decision to set up a Court of Arbitration and appoint a Neutral Expert to go into Pakistan's complaint against it over Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir. Surprised at the World Bank's decision to appoint a Neutral Expert, as sought by the Indian government and at the same time establish a Court of Arbitration as wanted by Pakistan, India had said proceeding with both the steps simultaneously was "legally untenable". Both processes initiated by the respective countries were advancing at the same time, creating a risk of contradictory outcomes that could potentially endanger the Treaty, the Bank noted. "This is an opportunity for the two countries to begin to resolve the issue in an amicable manner and in line with the spirit of the treaty rather than pursuing concurrent processes that could make the treaty unworkable over time. I would hope that the two countries will come to an agreement by the end of January," Kim said. The current processes under the treaty concern the Kishenganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants. The power plants are being built by India on, respectively, the Kishenganga and Chenab Rivers. Neither of the two plants are being financed by the World Bank. The bank said the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict. In September, the World Bank, which had mediated the Indus Water Treaty, had said it was approached by India and Pakistan and it is "responding in its limited, procedural role as set out in the treaty". "India and Pakistan have informed the World Bank that each has initiated proceedings pursuant to the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 and the World Bank Group is responding in its limited, procedural role as set out in the Treaty," it had said. The Treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission which includes a commissioner from each of the two countries. It also sets out a process for resolving so-called "questions", "differences" and "disputes" that may arise between the parties. (PTI)

World Bank 'pauses' Indus treaty processes of India, Pakistan

When Pakistani shopkeeper Abdur Rahim&#39;s phone rang in mid-October, he was shocked to hear the voice of a senior militant commander demanding protection money from him and his fellow traders in the Swat Valley.

The menacing call was taken seriously in a northern pocket of the country where Pakistani Taliban insurgents took partial control in 2007, before being ousted two years later in a major military operation hailed as a telling blow against Islamist violence.

Locals fear that recent threats of extortion and a spate of targeted killings earlier this year mark an attempt by the Taliban to regain a foothold in the picturesque, mountainous area they once ruled with an iron fist.

Western powers, including the United States which has thousands of troops fighting other militant groups across the nearby border in Afghanistan, want to see jihadi networks along the frontier crushed.

During the Oct. 19 conversation, Mullah Akhtar, a commander close to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah, ordered Rahim to collect money from 15,000 members of the Swat Traders&#39; Federation, of which he is president.

But in a tense exchange, Rahim refused to cooperate, and told Akhtar militants were not welcome in Swat.

According to Rahim, Akhtar boiled over with rage: &quot;I will blow you up, so that even the doctors won&#39;t be able to find the pieces.&quot;

Since the call, Rahim&#39;s life has changed.

Speaking to Reuters in Swat&#39;s main town of Mingora, he stood flanked by two armed policemen, while plainclothed officers keep a watchful eye in the background. CCTV cameras monitor his home.

Motives unclear

Representatives of the militant movement could not be reached for comment on their tactics in Swat Valley; some residents believe demands for money and a rise in attacks in the first half of the year are signs of desperation.

Attacks have been a part of life there since 2010, including the attempted assassination of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012, but in recent months the murders have stopped after a series of arrests by police.

The Taliban have also struggled to build ideological support after their bloody two-year rule that saw them impose a harsh version of Islamic law on the valley&#39;s 2 million residents.

The group remains active elsewhere, however, particularly in southern Baluchistan province, where a faction of the Taliban and Islamic State have claimed responsibility for a series of bomb and gun attacks that have killed more than 180 people.

The Pakistani military will be desperate to keep the Taliban out of Swat, the first sizeable region outside lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall to the militants.

The army&#39;s publicity wing did not respond to requests for comment on the situation in the area.

The military has been on alert for signs of a Taliban resurgence as it seeks to rebuild civilian institutions and win over the local population as a bulwark against radical ideology.

A force of more than 4,000 Pakistani soldiers is stationed in Swat, and last month the army began constructing a permanent garrison.

&quot;It (Swat) was always shown as the example of a successful military operation,&quot; said Zahid Hussain, a security analyst. &quot;But the main challenge is to hold that area, and to now establish a civilian authority.&quot;

Neutralising support networks

While officials tout the recent drop in assassinations by the Taliban as progress, locals on the group&#39;s hit-list are less sanguine.

Powerful tribal leaders, especially those who worked with anti-Taliban peace committees, say they are in danger.

Fazal Wahab, for example, walks through Mingora&#39;s bustling market hiding a pistol under his coat and wearing a black anti-pollution face mask to hide his identity.

&quot;I have received no support of any kind from the army,&quot; said Wahab, who has faced Taliban death threats for years due to his work.

But local officials say security has improved.

More than 2,000 Taliban fighters from Swat have been driven into mountainous areas on the Afghan side of the border nearby, according to officials.

Police in Swat said TTP assassins used little-trodden mountain passes between Afghanistan&#39;s Nuristan and Pakistan&#39;s Chitral regions to sneak into the valley.

&quot;It&#39;s not difficult for one or two people to slip through,&quot; said Akhtar Hayat Khan, Swat&#39;s police chief.

Khan said several intelligence-led swoops on local facilitators had disrupted the Taliban&#39;s support network and limited the threat. In July, police arrested at least 12 people across the valley suspected of aiding attacks.

&quot;Dog eat dog&quot;

Local traders applauded Rahim&#39;s stand against the Taliban, but some were not sure if they would follow his example if faced with demands for protection money themselves.

&quot;If we get a call, then what can we do? We will bear the decision like a stone on our hearts, but we have no choice,&quot; said Nisar Ahmed.

Rahim is steadfast in his resistance. Recently he started breeding dogs, widely considered unclean in Islam, for his own protection.

&quot;I used to hate keeping dogs. But you need to keep a dog to fight a dog,&quot; he said. &quot;They (the Taliban) are hungry now. And like a dog bites a man out of hunger, they&#39;re biting, too.&quot;

(Reuters)

The Pakistani Taliban partially controlled Swat from 2007 to 2009, before being ousted by the military

When Pakistani shopkeeper Abdur Rahim's phone rang in mid-October, he was shocked to hear the voice of a senior militant commander demanding protection money from him and his fellow traders in the Swat Valley. The menacing call was taken seriously in a northern pocket of the country where Pakistani Taliban insurgents took partial control in 2007, before being ousted two years later in a major military operation hailed as a telling blow against Islamist violence. Locals fear that recent threats of extortion and a spate of targeted killings earlier this year mark an attempt by the Taliban to regain a foothold in the picturesque, mountainous area they once ruled with an iron fist. Western powers, including the United States which has thousands of troops fighting other militant groups across the nearby border in Afghanistan, want to see jihadi networks along the frontier crushed. During the Oct. 19 conversation, Mullah Akhtar, a commander close to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah, ordered Rahim to collect money from 15,000 members of the Swat Traders' Federation, of which he is president. But in a tense exchange, Rahim refused to cooperate, and told Akhtar militants were not welcome in Swat. According to Rahim, Akhtar boiled over with rage: "I will blow you up, so that even the doctors won't be able to find the pieces." Since the call, Rahim's life has changed. Speaking to Reuters in Swat's main town of Mingora, he stood flanked by two armed policemen, while plainclothed officers keep a watchful eye in the background. CCTV cameras monitor his home. Motives unclear Representatives of the militant movement could not be reached for comment on their tactics in Swat Valley; some residents believe demands for money and a rise in attacks in the first half of the year are signs of desperation. Attacks have been a part of life there since 2010, including the attempted assassination of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012, but in recent months the murders have stopped after a series of arrests by police. The Taliban have also struggled to build ideological support after their bloody two-year rule that saw them impose a harsh version of Islamic law on the valley's 2 million residents. The group remains active elsewhere, however, particularly in southern Baluchistan province, where a faction of the Taliban and Islamic State have claimed responsibility for a series of bomb and gun attacks that have killed more than 180 people. The Pakistani military will be desperate to keep the Taliban out of Swat, the first sizeable region outside lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall to the militants. The army's publicity wing did not respond to requests for comment on the situation in the area. The military has been on alert for signs of a Taliban resurgence as it seeks to rebuild civilian institutions and win over the local population as a bulwark against radical ideology. A force of more than 4,000 Pakistani soldiers is stationed in Swat, and last month the army began constructing a permanent garrison. "It (Swat) was always shown as the example of a successful military operation," said Zahid Hussain, a security analyst. "But the main challenge is to hold that area, and to now establish a civilian authority." Neutralising support networks While officials tout the recent drop in assassinations by the Taliban as progress, locals on the group's hit-list are less sanguine. Powerful tribal leaders, especially those who worked with anti-Taliban peace committees, say they are in danger. Fazal Wahab, for example, walks through Mingora's bustling market hiding a pistol under his coat and wearing a black anti-pollution face mask to hide his identity. "I have received no support of any kind from the army," said Wahab, who has faced Taliban death threats for years due to his work. But local officials say security has improved. More than 2,000 Taliban fighters from Swat have been driven into mountainous areas on the Afghan side of the border nearby, according to officials. Police in Swat said TTP assassins used little-trodden mountain passes between Afghanistan's Nuristan and Pakistan's Chitral regions to sneak into the valley. "It's not difficult for one or two people to slip through," said Akhtar Hayat Khan, Swat's police chief. Khan said several intelligence-led swoops on local facilitators had disrupted the Taliban's support network and limited the threat. In July, police arrested at least 12 people across the valley suspected of aiding attacks. "Dog eat dog" Local traders applauded Rahim's stand against the Taliban, but some were not sure if they would follow his example if faced with demands for protection money themselves. "If we get a call, then what can we do? We will bear the decision like a stone on our hearts, but we have no choice," said Nisar Ahmed. Rahim is steadfast in his resistance. Recently he started breeding dogs, widely considered unclean in Islam, for his own protection. "I used to hate keeping dogs. But you need to keep a dog to fight a dog," he said. "They (the Taliban) are hungry now. And like a dog bites a man out of hunger, they're biting, too." (Reuters)

Taliban demands for cash stir fears of comeback in Pakistan's Swat Valley

It doesn&#39;t get more direct than what President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan had to say at Amritsar on Sunday.

&quot;Pakistan,&quot; he told representatives of nearly 50 countries or organisations, including Pakistan foreign affairs and security adviser Sartaj Aziz, who had gathered in the northern Indian town for the sixth edition of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process on Afghanistan,&nbsp;&quot;has pledged 500 million dollars for Afghanistan&rsquo;s development. This amount, Mr Aziz, can be spent to fight terrorists and extremists in Pakistan.&quot;

TV cameras did not capture Aziz&#39;s expression but the sting in&nbsp;Ghani&#39;s words was not lost on anyone. The Afghan President did not stop at that. 
 
&ldquo;A key Taliban leader,&quot; the Afghan President said, &quot;has himself admitted to getting sanctuary in Pakistan. He said that without Pakistan support, we would have&nbsp;not lasted for more than a month.&rdquo; 
 
As if on cue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, who co-chaired the conference with Ghani, called for action &quot;against those who support, shelter, train and finance&quot; terrorists.&nbsp;

&quot;Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters,&quot; he continued in the same vein.

This double-barrelled attack on Pakistan, by the Afghan and Indian leaders, was in keeping with India&#39;s attempts of late to shame their common neighbour and further isolate it diplomatically.&nbsp;The bonhomie between Kabul and New Delhi extended to the bilateral talks between Ghani and Modi on the margins of the conference.

Economic partnership via trade and connectivity, development assistance and security cooperation were among the bilateral, regional and global issues that came up for discussion in their meeting.

Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that Ghani and Modi agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation to combat especially the cross-border nature of the scourge which had caused immense suffering to the people of India and Afghanistan.

Both countries decided to operationalise the additional one billion meant as Indian development assistance for infrastructure and connectivity projects. They also plan to introduce an air transport corridor between India and Afghanistan&nbsp;to give India and Afghan consumers and producers unimpeded access to each other&#39;s products and services.

Modi was to amplify it later by saying that &quot;Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them. On our part, we see Afghanistan as the hub for strengthening links of connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;We,&quot; he said, &quot;cannot deny that the more connected Afghanistan is with the regional arteries of trade, capital and markets, the more assured would be its economic growth and progress. President Ghani and I have converged on the priority of strengthening trade and transport linkages with other partners in the region.&quot;

For his part, Ghani said that all the countries in Afghanistan&#39;s neighbourhood and beyond &quot;need to identify cross-border terrorism and a fund to combat terrorism&quot;. He lauded India&#39;s development role in his war-torn country by saying that Indian assistance is transparent and came without without strings attached. &quot;There are no hidden agreements [or] secret conditions...it is convergence of interests and values of two states inspired by the belief in cooperative advantage.&quot;

Aziz defended by saying in his intervention afterwards at the conference that &quot;it is simplistic to blame only one country for the recent upsurge in violence&quot; in Afghanistan. In an oblique reference to the continued India - Pakistan tensions, he said that peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes will further improve regional cooperation and connectivity in the region. (Pakistan does not allow India access through its territory for exporting goods to Afghanistan.) 
 
However, at a joint news conference with Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai of Afghanistan, Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (standing in for Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is indisposed) said that terrorism was at the very core of the deliberations and that the tone had been set by Ghani and Modi earlier in the day. 
 
Karzai, in turn, spoke about how Pakistan, without naming it, is nurturing and flirting with terrorism, which has consequences not only for Pakistan itself but also for the region. 
 
The participating countries, Jaitley added, recognised that terrorism was the biggest threat to peace and stability and the Amritsar Declaration (see below) adopted towards the end of the summit expressed concern over violence perpetrated by terrorist groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

If there were fears that India - Pakistan tensions would hijack the conference agenda, it was not to be. In the end, Aziz&#39;s engagements did not go beyond the customary handshake and photo-op with Modi. Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup maintained that there was no pull-aside or bilateral meeting between Aziz and Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval either.&nbsp;

An excerpt from the Amritsar Declaration:

&quot;We remain concerned by the gravity of the security situation in Afghanistan in particular and the region and the high level of violence caused by the Taliban, terrorist groups including ISIL / DAISHand its affiliates, the Haqqani Network, Al Qaida, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, East Turkistan Islamic Movement, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Jundullah and other foreign terrorist fighters. Acknowledging the support that terrorism derives in our region, we demand an immediate end to all forms of terrorism, as well as all support to it, including financing of terrorism. We recognize that terrorism is the biggest threat to peace, stability and cooperation in our region. We encourage the international community to continue to assist the Government of Afghanistan. We strongly call for concerted regional and international cooperation to ensure elimination of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, including dismantling of terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens in the Heart of Asia region, as well as disrupting all financial, tactical and logistical support for terrorism.&quot;

(WION)

Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters: Modi

It doesn't get more direct than what President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan had to say at Amritsar on Sunday. "Pakistan," he told representatives of nearly 50 countries or organisations, including Pakistan foreign affairs and security adviser Sartaj Aziz, who had gathered in the northern Indian town for the sixth edition of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, "has pledged 500 million dollars for Afghanistan’s development. This amount, Mr Aziz, can be spent to fight terrorists and extremists in Pakistan." TV cameras did not capture Aziz's expression but the sting in Ghani's words was not lost on anyone. The Afghan President did not stop at that. “A key Taliban leader," the Afghan President said, "has himself admitted to getting sanctuary in Pakistan. He said that without Pakistan support, we would have not lasted for more than a month.” As if on cue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, who co-chaired the conference with Ghani, called for action "against those who support, shelter, train and finance" terrorists. "Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters," he continued in the same vein. This double-barrelled attack on Pakistan, by the Afghan and Indian leaders, was in keeping with India's attempts of late to shame their common neighbour and further isolate it diplomatically. The bonhomie between Kabul and New Delhi extended to the bilateral talks between Ghani and Modi on the margins of the conference. Economic partnership via trade and connectivity, development assistance and security cooperation were among the bilateral, regional and global issues that came up for discussion in their meeting. Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that Ghani and Modi agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation to combat especially the cross-border nature of the scourge which had caused immense suffering to the people of India and Afghanistan. Both countries decided to operationalise the additional one billion meant as Indian development assistance for infrastructure and connectivity projects. They also plan to introduce an air transport corridor between India and Afghanistan to give India and Afghan consumers and producers unimpeded access to each other's products and services. Modi was to amplify it later by saying that "Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them. On our part, we see Afghanistan as the hub for strengthening links of connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia". "We," he said, "cannot deny that the more connected Afghanistan is with the regional arteries of trade, capital and markets, the more assured would be its economic growth and progress. President Ghani and I have converged on the priority of strengthening trade and transport linkages with other partners in the region." For his part, Ghani said that all the countries in Afghanistan's neighbourhood and beyond "need to identify cross-border terrorism and a fund to combat terrorism". He lauded India's development role in his war-torn country by saying that Indian assistance is transparent and came without without strings attached. "There are no hidden agreements [or] secret conditions...it is convergence of interests and values of two states inspired by the belief in cooperative advantage." Aziz defended by saying in his intervention afterwards at the conference that "it is simplistic to blame only one country for the recent upsurge in violence" in Afghanistan. In an oblique reference to the continued India - Pakistan tensions, he said that peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes will further improve regional cooperation and connectivity in the region. (Pakistan does not allow India access through its territory for exporting goods to Afghanistan.) However, at a joint news conference with Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai of Afghanistan, Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (standing in for Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is indisposed) said that terrorism was at the very core of the deliberations and that the tone had been set by Ghani and Modi earlier in the day. Karzai, in turn, spoke about how Pakistan, without naming it, is nurturing and flirting with terrorism, which has consequences not only for Pakistan itself but also for the region. The participating countries, Jaitley added, recognised that terrorism was the biggest threat to peace and stability and the Amritsar Declaration (see below) adopted towards the end of the summit expressed concern over violence perpetrated by terrorist groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. If there were fears that India - Pakistan tensions would hijack the conference agenda, it was not to be. In the end, Aziz's engagements did not go beyond the customary handshake and photo-op with Modi. Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup maintained that there was no pull-aside or bilateral meeting between Aziz and Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval either. An excerpt from the Amritsar Declaration: "We remain concerned by the gravity of the security situation in Afghanistan in particular and the region and the high level of violence caused by the Taliban, terrorist groups including ISIL / DAISHand its affiliates, the Haqqani Network, Al Qaida, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, East Turkistan Islamic Movement, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Jundullah and other foreign terrorist fighters. Acknowledging the support that terrorism derives in our region, we demand an immediate end to all forms of terrorism, as well as all support to it, including financing of terrorism. We recognize that terrorism is the biggest threat to peace, stability and cooperation in our region. We encourage the international community to continue to assist the Government of Afghanistan. We strongly call for concerted regional and international cooperation to ensure elimination of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, including dismantling of terrorist sanctuaries and safe havens in the Heart of Asia region, as well as disrupting all financial, tactical and logistical support for terrorism." (WION)

Heart of Asia: Modi, Ghani launch double-barrelled attack on Pakistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for &quot;resolute action&quot; against terrorism in the region.

In his address at the 6th conference of Heart of Asia, he also urged on the importance of taking strict action against those who support, shelter, train and finance them.

&quot;Terrorism and externally-induced instability pose the gravest threat to Afghanistan&#39;s peace, stability and prosperity. And, the growing arc of terrorist violence endangers our entire region. As such, support for voices of peace in Afghanistan alone is not enough.

&quot;It must be backed by resolute action. Not just against forces of terrorism, but also against those who support, shelter, train and finance them,&quot; the prime minister said.

He was speaking after jointly inaugurating the annual ministerial conference here along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani which is being attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz along with representatives of around 30 countries.

&quot;Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters. Third, our bilateral and regional commitments of material assistance for Afghanistan&#39;s development and humanitarian needs must continue and increase,&quot; Modi&nbsp;said.

Modi said there was a need to demonstrate strong and collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear.

Expressing India&#39;s strong commitment to Afghanistan&#39;s transition, Modi said, &quot;On India&#39;s part, our commitment to our brave Afghan brothers and sisters is absolute and unwavering. The welfare of Afghanistan and its people is close to our hearts and minds.&quot;

He also called for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process to bring stability to the country.&nbsp;

Calling for sustained and sincere global efforts to bring &quot;durable peace and lasting political stability&quot; to Afghanistan, Modi said securing its territory and citizens from external threats must be a focus area for the &quot;critical unfinished mission of our time&quot;.

&quot;We have no doubt about the scale of the challenge. But, we are equally determined to succeed,&quot; he said, adding the results of collective efforts thus far have been hard-won, but mixed.

Modi said there was a need to reflect with urgency on what more must be done and what must be avoided in Afghanistan so that its citizens can self-sustain peace and economic growth.

&quot;The question is of resolve and action. And, of putting Afghanistan and its people first. For this, First, an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process is key. It is the only guarantor of durability of solutions.

&quot;Second, we must demonstrate strong collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear,&quot; he said.

Noting that all those involved in Afghanistan&#39;s transition must build on the gains of the last 15 years, he said what was at stake is not just the future of Afghanistan that has invested in a vision of development, democracy, and pluralism but the the peace and stability of the entire region, and beyond.

Pitching for improving connectivity between Afghanistan and countries of the region, the prime minister said Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them.

&quot;On our part, we see Afghanistan as the hub for strengthening links of connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia.

&quot;We cannot deny that the more connected Afghanistan is with the regional arteries of trade, capital and markets, the more assured would be its economic growth and progress. President Ghani and I have converged on the priority of strengthening trade and transport linkages with other partners in the region,&quot; he said.

Talking about significance of hosting the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar, Modi said the flow of trade, people and ideas through the region has often intersected in the holy city on one of Asia&#39;s oldest and longest surface arteries, the Grand Trunk Road.

&quot;Amritsar reinforces the value of restoring connectivity which is so crucial for the overall growth, stability and economic prosperity of Afghanistan,&quot; he said, while describing the city as an embodiment of peace and humanism as well as a symbol of great valour and sacrifice.

Talking about Amritsar&#39;s link with Afghanistan, he said among the the earliest disciples of the first Guru of Sikhs, Baba Guru Nanak Dev ji, were Afghans he had preached in Kabul in the 15th century.

(PTI)

The Indian Prime Minister also pushed for stronger ties with Afghanistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for "resolute action" against terrorism in the region. In his address at the 6th conference of Heart of Asia, he also urged on the importance of taking strict action against those who support, shelter, train and finance them. "Terrorism and externally-induced instability pose the gravest threat to Afghanistan's peace, stability and prosperity. And, the growing arc of terrorist violence endangers our entire region. As such, support for voices of peace in Afghanistan alone is not enough. "It must be backed by resolute action. Not just against forces of terrorism, but also against those who support, shelter, train and finance them," the prime minister said. He was speaking after jointly inaugurating the annual ministerial conference here along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani which is being attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz along with representatives of around 30 countries. "Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters. Third, our bilateral and regional commitments of material assistance for Afghanistan's development and humanitarian needs must continue and increase," Modi said. Modi said there was a need to demonstrate strong and collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear. Expressing India's strong commitment to Afghanistan's transition, Modi said, "On India's part, our commitment to our brave Afghan brothers and sisters is absolute and unwavering. The welfare of Afghanistan and its people is close to our hearts and minds." He also called for an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace process to bring stability to the country. Calling for sustained and sincere global efforts to bring "durable peace and lasting political stability" to Afghanistan, Modi said securing its territory and citizens from external threats must be a focus area for the "critical unfinished mission of our time". "We have no doubt about the scale of the challenge. But, we are equally determined to succeed," he said, adding the results of collective efforts thus far have been hard-won, but mixed. Modi said there was a need to reflect with urgency on what more must be done and what must be avoided in Afghanistan so that its citizens can self-sustain peace and economic growth. "The question is of resolve and action. And, of putting Afghanistan and its people first. For this, First, an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled process is key. It is the only guarantor of durability of solutions. "Second, we must demonstrate strong collective will to defeat terror networks that cause bloodshed and spread fear," he said. Noting that all those involved in Afghanistan's transition must build on the gains of the last 15 years, he said what was at stake is not just the future of Afghanistan that has invested in a vision of development, democracy, and pluralism but the the peace and stability of the entire region, and beyond. Pitching for improving connectivity between Afghanistan and countries of the region, the prime minister said Afghanistan should be at the centre of our connectivity networks, not peripheral to them. "On our part, we see Afghanistan as the hub for strengthening links of connectivity between South Asia and Central Asia. "We cannot deny that the more connected Afghanistan is with the regional arteries of trade, capital and markets, the more assured would be its economic growth and progress. President Ghani and I have converged on the priority of strengthening trade and transport linkages with other partners in the region," he said. Talking about significance of hosting the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar, Modi said the flow of trade, people and ideas through the region has often intersected in the holy city on one of Asia's oldest and longest surface arteries, the Grand Trunk Road. "Amritsar reinforces the value of restoring connectivity which is so crucial for the overall growth, stability and economic prosperity of Afghanistan," he said, while describing the city as an embodiment of peace and humanism as well as a symbol of great valour and sacrifice. Talking about Amritsar's link with Afghanistan, he said among the the earliest disciples of the first Guru of Sikhs, Baba Guru Nanak Dev ji, were Afghans he had preached in Kabul in the 15th century. (PTI)

India: Resolute action needed against those sheltering terror forces, says Modi

Will India-Pakistan tensions hijack the agenda of an international conference on Afghanistan? That is the question agitating the minds of delegates who began arriving at the Indian holy city of Amritsar for the two-day Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process which began on Saturday.&nbsp;

The Indian government was scrambling to insulate the talks about rebuilding Afghanistan - economically via trade and connectivity; development assistance; and security cooperation - after Pakistan foreign affairs and security adviser Sartaj Aziz landed in the evening, ahead of his scheduled arrival on Sunday morning.&nbsp;

Whether Aziz&#39;s engagements before he returns home on Sunday will go beyond the customary handshakes and photo-ops to informal, unstructured contacts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India or his aides, is the subject of animated discussions on the margins of the Afghan conference.&nbsp;

The symbolism of Aziz&#39;s visit is not lost on key world capitals coming as it does soon after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army installation at Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, which was only the latest in a series of attacks which have rocked Jammu and Kashmir starting with the attack on the Pathankot air base in January this year, followed by the 18 September attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri, which claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers, among others.

For the third time in as many years, India is hosting world leaders or multilateral summits outside national capital Delhi. The choice of Amritsar as the venue of the Afghan conference is in keeping with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s desire to take summitry outside the cloistered confines of New Delhi. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received President Xi Jinping of China in the western Indian state of Gujarat. In October this year India hosted the BRICS Summit in the western Indian beach resort and popular tourist destination of Goa.

India&#39;s decision to host the Afghanistan conference is being interpreted by some around the world as a deliberate move by India to underscore how Pakistan has consistently blocked connectivity in this region. It is also about terrorism, and New Delhi and Kabul seem to have a plan to further embarrass Islamabad. Of late, India has not lost any opportunity to diplomatically isolate Pakistan, be it at the G-20 Summit in China, the East Asia Summit in Vietnam, the United Nations General Assembly or the now-cancelled SAARC Summit. Amritsar also has a historical significance to it; it is a key location on the Grand Trunk Road, one of the longest and oldest roads in Asia connecting Central Asia with South Asia. The GT Road was rebuilt and upgraded by a ruler of Delhi named Sher Shah Suri nearly 500 years ago. Suri was of Afghan origin. The road links Kabul via Lahore, Amritsar, Delhi to Kolkata in eastern India and all the way upto Chittagong on Bangladesh.&nbsp;

India and Afghanistan have given enough notice that they will try and corner their common neighbour for giving sanctuary and support to terrorist groups. The Amritsar conference can be expected to delve into specifics and identify ways to deal with terrorism and terror threats and also detail what steps should be taken against those who support and glorify terrorists.

Afghanistan may demand binding clauses to contain terror infrastructure. It is pushing for the early adoption of a Regional Counter-Terrorism Framework. New Delhi and Kabul are also toying with plans to firm up an air cargo agreement to boost their bilateral trade even as Pakistan continues to stall all possibility of signing up for promoting regional trade and connectivity. &nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Many have discussed whether Pakistan's foreign affairs adviser will hold unstructured contact with the Indian PM on the sidelines

Will India-Pakistan tensions hijack the agenda of an international conference on Afghanistan? That is the question agitating the minds of delegates who began arriving at the Indian holy city of Amritsar for the two-day Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process which began on Saturday. The Indian government was scrambling to insulate the talks about rebuilding Afghanistan - economically via trade and connectivity; development assistance; and security cooperation - after Pakistan foreign affairs and security adviser Sartaj Aziz landed in the evening, ahead of his scheduled arrival on Sunday morning. Whether Aziz's engagements before he returns home on Sunday will go beyond the customary handshakes and photo-ops to informal, unstructured contacts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India or his aides, is the subject of animated discussions on the margins of the Afghan conference. The symbolism of Aziz's visit is not lost on key world capitals coming as it does soon after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army installation at Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir, which was only the latest in a series of attacks which have rocked Jammu and Kashmir starting with the attack on the Pathankot air base in January this year, followed by the 18 September attack on an Indian Army camp at Uri, which claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers, among others. For the third time in as many years, India is hosting world leaders or multilateral summits outside national capital Delhi. The choice of Amritsar as the venue of the Afghan conference is in keeping with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's desire to take summitry outside the cloistered confines of New Delhi. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received President Xi Jinping of China in the western Indian state of Gujarat. In October this year India hosted the BRICS Summit in the western Indian beach resort and popular tourist destination of Goa. India's decision to host the Afghanistan conference is being interpreted by some around the world as a deliberate move by India to underscore how Pakistan has consistently blocked connectivity in this region. It is also about terrorism, and New Delhi and Kabul seem to have a plan to further embarrass Islamabad. Of late, India has not lost any opportunity to diplomatically isolate Pakistan, be it at the G-20 Summit in China, the East Asia Summit in Vietnam, the United Nations General Assembly or the now-cancelled SAARC Summit. Amritsar also has a historical significance to it; it is a key location on the Grand Trunk Road, one of the longest and oldest roads in Asia connecting Central Asia with South Asia. The GT Road was rebuilt and upgraded by a ruler of Delhi named Sher Shah Suri nearly 500 years ago. Suri was of Afghan origin. The road links Kabul via Lahore, Amritsar, Delhi to Kolkata in eastern India and all the way upto Chittagong on Bangladesh. India and Afghanistan have given enough notice that they will try and corner their common neighbour for giving sanctuary and support to terrorist groups. The Amritsar conference can be expected to delve into specifics and identify ways to deal with terrorism and terror threats and also detail what steps should be taken against those who support and glorify terrorists. Afghanistan may demand binding clauses to contain terror infrastructure. It is pushing for the early adoption of a Regional Counter-Terrorism Framework. New Delhi and Kabul are also toying with plans to firm up an air cargo agreement to boost their bilateral trade even as Pakistan continues to stall all possibility of signing up for promoting regional trade and connectivity. (WION)

Heart of Asia conference: Will India-Pakistan tensions divert from Afghan issues?

Representatives from nearly 40 countries and leading groupings like the European Union are in the Indian holy city of Amritsar in Punjab to attend the Heart of Asia - Istanbul process, aimed at exploring ways to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism in the region.&nbsp;

The annual conference is deliberating on various challenges facing Afghanistan, including the&nbsp;revival of a peace process in the country, which is facing the resurgence of Taliban.&nbsp;

The conference will be jointly inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday.&nbsp;

The ministerial conference begins amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India. Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz will travel to India tomorrow.&nbsp;

India had earlier ruled out any bilateral talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the conference, saying the &quot;atmosphere of continued terror&quot; proved to be a major hindrance.&nbsp;

Ahead of the conference, both India and Afghanistan had called terror emanating from Pakistan as the &quot;greatest threat&quot; to regional peace and stability. Both the countries are pressing hard for adopting the counter-terror framework at the conference.&nbsp;

Today, senior officials of all 14 countries, including India, China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan were deliberating on a vast range of issues facing the region, including its complex security scenario, and dealing with the&nbsp;threat of terrorism, radicalisation, and extremism.

Issues like enhancing Afghanistan&#39;s connectivity with South and Central Asian countries to boost trade were being discussed at the senior officials&#39; meeting which was co-chaired by India&#39;s foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hikmat Khaleel Karzai.

They will also finalise the text for tomorrow&#39;s ministerial conference and deliberate on its declaration which will have a&nbsp;substantial portion on terrorism.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

Pushing for a counter-terror framework, India & Afghanistan called terror emanating from Pakistan the 'greatest threat' to the region

Representatives from nearly 40 countries and leading groupings like the European Union are in the Indian holy city of Amritsar in Punjab to attend the Heart of Asia - Istanbul process, aimed at exploring ways to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism in the region. The annual conference is deliberating on various challenges facing Afghanistan, including the revival of a peace process in the country, which is facing the resurgence of Taliban. The conference will be jointly inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday. The ministerial conference begins amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India. Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz will travel to India tomorrow. India had earlier ruled out any bilateral talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the conference, saying the "atmosphere of continued terror" proved to be a major hindrance. Ahead of the conference, both India and Afghanistan had called terror emanating from Pakistan as the "greatest threat" to regional peace and stability. Both the countries are pressing hard for adopting the counter-terror framework at the conference. Today, senior officials of all 14 countries, including India, China, Russia, Iran and Pakistan were deliberating on a vast range of issues facing the region, including its complex security scenario, and dealing with the threat of terrorism, radicalisation, and extremism. Issues like enhancing Afghanistan's connectivity with South and Central Asian countries to boost trade were being discussed at the senior officials' meeting which was co-chaired by India's foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Hikmat Khaleel Karzai. They will also finalise the text for tomorrow's ministerial conference and deliberate on its declaration which will have a substantial portion on terrorism. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Heart of Asia conference begins with focus on tackling terror

India and Afghanistan are likely to announce an air cargo service on Saturday to help increase trade that both say is stymied because of their tense political relations with Pakistan that lies between them.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meeting in Amritsar, a short distance from the Pakistan border, for the Heart of Asia conference aimed at stabilising Afghanistan.

Officials say the focus of the air cargo service is to improve landlocked Afghanistan&#39;s connectivity to key markets abroad and boost the growth prospects of its fruit and carpet industries while it battles a deadly Taliban insurgency.

Afghanistan depends on the Pakistani port of Karachi for its foreign trade. It is allowed to send a limited amount of goods overland through Pakistan into India, but imports from India are not allowed along this route.

Afghan director general for macro fiscal policies Khalid Payenda said the potential for trade with India, the largest market in the region, was far greater than allowed by land and so the two countries had decided to use the air route.

&quot;That would be air cargo between Afghanistan and India. We have a lot of potential for trade on both sides. On our side, it&#39;s mostly fruit and dried fruit and potentially through India to other places for products like carpets and others.&quot;

He said that a joint venture involving an Afghan and an Indian cargo firm would be set up and that the two governments were working to set up infrastructure at Kabul and Delhi airports.

An Indian government source attending the meeting in Amritsar said air cargo route details were still being worked out and could include Kandahar as a point of origin for shipping fruit directly to India.&nbsp;

Indian foreign ministry official Gopal Baglay, who oversees Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, said several proposals were being discussed to improve Afghanistan&#39;s trade and transport links.

&quot;There have been very many ideas on how to enhance connectivity, overcome current challenges and also expand the trade basket,&quot; he said.

Pakistan&#39;s top foreign policy adviser, Sartaj Aziz, will be attending the conference on Sunday.

Ties with India have deteriorated further in recent months after a series of attacks on Indian military bases in the disputed region of Kashmir, which New Delhi says have either been carried out by militants sneaking in from Pakistan or orchestrated by groups based there.

Pakistan denies stoking violence in Kashmir and says India must open talks on the future of the revolt-torn Muslim majority region.&nbsp;

Indian officials said no talks with Pakistan were scheduled on the sidelines of the Amritsar conference.&nbsp;

Afghanistan&#39;s ties with Pakistan have also become strained after a series of violent attacks, several of them in the capital Kabul, that it said showed Pakistan had failed to rein in the militant groups operating from its soil.

&quot;Unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground for terrorism, the safe sanctuary, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region, including India,&quot; said Afghan ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali.

Pakistan says it is itself a victim of terrorism and says India is using its close ties with Afghanistan to stir trouble in its restive Baluchistan province.

(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The air cargo service will likely improve Afghanistan's connectivity to key markets abroad and boost growth prospects

India and Afghanistan are likely to announce an air cargo service on Saturday to help increase trade that both say is stymied because of their tense political relations with Pakistan that lies between them. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meeting in Amritsar, a short distance from the Pakistan border, for the Heart of Asia conference aimed at stabilising Afghanistan. Officials say the focus of the air cargo service is to improve landlocked Afghanistan's connectivity to key markets abroad and boost the growth prospects of its fruit and carpet industries while it battles a deadly Taliban insurgency. Afghanistan depends on the Pakistani port of Karachi for its foreign trade. It is allowed to send a limited amount of goods overland through Pakistan into India, but imports from India are not allowed along this route. Afghan director general for macro fiscal policies Khalid Payenda said the potential for trade with India, the largest market in the region, was far greater than allowed by land and so the two countries had decided to use the air route. "That would be air cargo between Afghanistan and India. We have a lot of potential for trade on both sides. On our side, it's mostly fruit and dried fruit and potentially through India to other places for products like carpets and others." He said that a joint venture involving an Afghan and an Indian cargo firm would be set up and that the two governments were working to set up infrastructure at Kabul and Delhi airports. An Indian government source attending the meeting in Amritsar said air cargo route details were still being worked out and could include Kandahar as a point of origin for shipping fruit directly to India. Indian foreign ministry official Gopal Baglay, who oversees Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, said several proposals were being discussed to improve Afghanistan's trade and transport links. "There have been very many ideas on how to enhance connectivity, overcome current challenges and also expand the trade basket," he said. Pakistan's top foreign policy adviser, Sartaj Aziz, will be attending the conference on Sunday. Ties with India have deteriorated further in recent months after a series of attacks on Indian military bases in the disputed region of Kashmir, which New Delhi says have either been carried out by militants sneaking in from Pakistan or orchestrated by groups based there. Pakistan denies stoking violence in Kashmir and says India must open talks on the future of the revolt-torn Muslim majority region. Indian officials said no talks with Pakistan were scheduled on the sidelines of the Amritsar conference. Afghanistan's ties with Pakistan have also become strained after a series of violent attacks, several of them in the capital Kabul, that it said showed Pakistan had failed to rein in the militant groups operating from its soil. "Unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground for terrorism, the safe sanctuary, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region, including India," said Afghan ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali. Pakistan says it is itself a victim of terrorism and says India is using its close ties with Afghanistan to stir trouble in its restive Baluchistan province. (Reuters)

India, Afghanistan plan air cargo link over Pakistan

A Pakistani man suspected of starting a devastating factory fire in Karachi four years ago that killed 255 people has been arrested in Bangkok, Thai police said Saturday.

Abdul Rehman, 46, was detained at a hotel in the red light district Nana area of the capital on Friday evening, said Thailand&#39;s Interpol chief.&nbsp;

&quot;Thai Interpol tracked this suspect following an arrest warrant sought by the Pakistani authorities,&quot; Major General Apichart Suriboonya told AFP.

&quot;He will be repatriated as soon as Pakistan is ready,&quot; he added.

Apichart said Rehman was suspected of being part of a criminal gang that was extorting the owners of a Karachi garment factory.&nbsp;

The gang burned down the factory when the owners refused to pay seven million baht ($200,000), he said.&nbsp;

The fire at the Ali Enterprises factory in September 2012 was one of Pakistan&#39;s worst industrial disasters.

A judicial probe into the blaze was damning, pointing to a lack of emergency exits, poor safety training for workers, the packing in of machinery and the failure of government inspectors to spot any of these faults.

Initially the fire was believed to be an accident.&nbsp;

A murder case was registered against the factory owners, but it never came to trial.

Earlier this year police said they now believed an extortion gang was behind the blaze, naming Abdul Rehman as the suspect who allegedly lit the fire.&nbsp;

Much of the factory&#39;s garment output went to the German company KIK, who have paid out nearly two million dollars in compensation to the victims&#39; families.

(AFP)

Abdul Rehman is suspected of starting a devastating factory fire in Karachi four years ago that killed 255 people.

A Pakistani man suspected of starting a devastating factory fire in Karachi four years ago that killed 255 people has been arrested in Bangkok, Thai police said Saturday. Abdul Rehman, 46, was detained at a hotel in the red light district Nana area of the capital on Friday evening, said Thailand's Interpol chief. "Thai Interpol tracked this suspect following an arrest warrant sought by the Pakistani authorities," Major General Apichart Suriboonya told AFP. "He will be repatriated as soon as Pakistan is ready," he added. Apichart said Rehman was suspected of being part of a criminal gang that was extorting the owners of a Karachi garment factory. The gang burned down the factory when the owners refused to pay seven million baht ($200,000), he said. The fire at the Ali Enterprises factory in September 2012 was one of Pakistan's worst industrial disasters. A judicial probe into the blaze was damning, pointing to a lack of emergency exits, poor safety training for workers, the packing in of machinery and the failure of government inspectors to spot any of these faults. Initially the fire was believed to be an accident. A murder case was registered against the factory owners, but it never came to trial. Earlier this year police said they now believed an extortion gang was behind the blaze, naming Abdul Rehman as the suspect who allegedly lit the fire. Much of the factory's garment output went to the German company KIK, who have paid out nearly two million dollars in compensation to the victims' families. (AFP)

Thai police arrest suspect in Pakistan factory fire that killed 255 people

The Indian city of &nbsp;Amritsar&nbsp;has been put under a thick security blanket in view of the sixth ministerial Heart of Asia conference - Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, beginning on Saturday.

Director general of police (DGP), Punjab, Suresh Arora took stock of the security arrangements of the city for the international conference, a senior officer said.

&quot;All security arrangements are in place to avoid any eventuality,&quot; he said.

Delegates from participating countries, supporting countries and organisations, including China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE, will visit Golden temple, an official said on Friday.

Besides two sessions, there will be bilateral meetings between the participating countries, officials said.

Amid heightened tension with Pakistan following yet another militant attack on an army base, India is likely to step up efforts to corner it diplomatically and mobilise support for concrete action against state-sponsored terrorism at the two-day Heart of Asia (HoA) conference.

Afghanistan, which has also been witnessing increased attacks from terror groups operating from Pakistani soil, is set to push hard for a regional counter-terror framework with binding commitment at the annual meeting of Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, a platform set up in 2011 to assist the war-battered country in its transition.

Top officials of the 14 member countries will meet on Saturday to discuss key challenges facing the region including from terror groups and explore ways to bring lasting peace and stability to Afghanistan.

On Sunday, the main conference will be jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani where both India and Afghanistan are likely to corner Pakistan on terror.

Pakistan Prime Minister&#39;s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz will represent Islamabad at the conference and all eyes will be on whether an Indo-Pak bilateral meeting takes place on the sidelines.

Ahead of Aziz&#39;s visit in Amritsar, India had on Thursday said it will never accept continuing cross border terrorism as the &quot;new normal&quot; in bilateral ties with Pakistan while making it clear that talks cannot take place in an atmosphere of &quot;continued terror&quot;.

India had called for isolating Pakistan diplomatically after the Uri attack on an army establishment and it is likely to continue efforts in that direction at the Heart of Asia conference.

At the BRICS summit in Goa in October, India had called Pakistan the &quot;mother ship&quot; of terrorism globally.

Aziz is scheduled to arrive in Amritsar on Sunday and is expected to return the same day.

The entire holy city, which is not far from Indo-Pak border, has been decked up, while multiple layers of security have been put in place.

Strong vigil is being kept along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab.

It was clear that dealing with terrorism will be a major focus at the conference as both India and Afghanistan earlier this week called terror emanating from Pakistan the &quot;greatest threat&quot; to regional peace and stability.

Afghanistan has been pushing for an effective counter- terror framework and the matter will be discussed at length at the conference being attended by representatives from over 30 countries including China, the US, Russia and Iran.

The Indian delegation will be led by finance minister Arun Jaitley in the absence of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who is ill.

&quot;Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it,&quot; said Afghan ambassador Shaida M Abdali.

A declaration will be issued at the conclusion of the conference and is expected to focus on ways to deal with terror.

The conference, whose theme is security and prosperity, will also deliberate on major connectivity initiatives including Chabahar project, a five nation railway project.

There may be deliberations on TAPI (Turkmenistan Afghanistan-Pakistan India) gas pipeline project.

Ghani is scheduled to arrive on Saturday and he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral meeting where the Afghan President is likely to push for supply of military hardware by India to his country.

India has already provided nearly US $2 billion to Afghanistan for reconstruction activities but has been adopting a cautious approach in providing weapons.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates. Swaraj had attended last year&#39;s conference in Islamabad.

The platform was floated to encourage security, political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours.

The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the US. Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guest nations.

(PTI)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Amid heightened cross-border tensions, India is likely to step up efforts to corner Pakistan diplomatically in the summit that begins today

The Indian city of Amritsar has been put under a thick security blanket in view of the sixth ministerial Heart of Asia conference - Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, beginning on Saturday. Director general of police (DGP), Punjab, Suresh Arora took stock of the security arrangements of the city for the international conference, a senior officer said. "All security arrangements are in place to avoid any eventuality," he said. Delegates from participating countries, supporting countries and organisations, including China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE, will visit Golden temple, an official said on Friday. Besides two sessions, there will be bilateral meetings between the participating countries, officials said. Amid heightened tension with Pakistan following yet another militant attack on an army base, India is likely to step up efforts to corner it diplomatically and mobilise support for concrete action against state-sponsored terrorism at the two-day Heart of Asia (HoA) conference. Afghanistan, which has also been witnessing increased attacks from terror groups operating from Pakistani soil, is set to push hard for a regional counter-terror framework with binding commitment at the annual meeting of Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, a platform set up in 2011 to assist the war-battered country in its transition. Top officials of the 14 member countries will meet on Saturday to discuss key challenges facing the region including from terror groups and explore ways to bring lasting peace and stability to Afghanistan. On Sunday, the main conference will be jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani where both India and Afghanistan are likely to corner Pakistan on terror. Pakistan Prime Minister's foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz will represent Islamabad at the conference and all eyes will be on whether an Indo-Pak bilateral meeting takes place on the sidelines. Ahead of Aziz's visit in Amritsar, India had on Thursday said it will never accept continuing cross border terrorism as the "new normal" in bilateral ties with Pakistan while making it clear that talks cannot take place in an atmosphere of "continued terror". India had called for isolating Pakistan diplomatically after the Uri attack on an army establishment and it is likely to continue efforts in that direction at the Heart of Asia conference. At the BRICS summit in Goa in October, India had called Pakistan the "mother ship" of terrorism globally. Aziz is scheduled to arrive in Amritsar on Sunday and is expected to return the same day. The entire holy city, which is not far from Indo-Pak border, has been decked up, while multiple layers of security have been put in place. Strong vigil is being kept along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab. It was clear that dealing with terrorism will be a major focus at the conference as both India and Afghanistan earlier this week called terror emanating from Pakistan the "greatest threat" to regional peace and stability. Afghanistan has been pushing for an effective counter- terror framework and the matter will be discussed at length at the conference being attended by representatives from over 30 countries including China, the US, Russia and Iran. The Indian delegation will be led by finance minister Arun Jaitley in the absence of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who is ill. "Terrorism is the greatest threat to the region and we expect the HoA to approve the regional counter terrorism framework that has been drafted by Afghanistan and circulated to HoA countries. We hope the conference will adopt it," said Afghan ambassador Shaida M Abdali. A declaration will be issued at the conclusion of the conference and is expected to focus on ways to deal with terror. The conference, whose theme is security and prosperity, will also deliberate on major connectivity initiatives including Chabahar project, a five nation railway project. There may be deliberations on TAPI (Turkmenistan Afghanistan-Pakistan India) gas pipeline project. Ghani is scheduled to arrive on Saturday and he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a bilateral meeting where the Afghan President is likely to push for supply of military hardware by India to his country. India has already provided nearly US $2 billion to Afghanistan for reconstruction activities but has been adopting a cautious approach in providing weapons. The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was launched in 2011 and the participating countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates. Swaraj had attended last year's conference in Islamabad. The platform was floated to encourage security, political and economic cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours. The countries which support the initiative are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Britain and the US. Four countries Uzbekistan, Latvia, Bulgaria and Austria are attending the conference as guest nations. (PTI)

Heart of Asia: Security tightened ahead of conference, all eyes on Indo-Pak tension

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