The United Nation&#39;s highest court -- the International Court of Justice -- will decide today whether it will hear a case filed by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the UK for failing to stop the nuclear arms race.

Between 1946 and 1958, the islands were subjected to a string of nuclear tests conducted by the US. And so the country understands the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, AFP reported.&nbsp;

The tiny country -- it has a population of 55,000 -- accuses the India, Pakistan, and Britain&nbsp;of failing to abide by the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.&nbsp;(India and Pakistan have not signed the treaty.)&nbsp;

The Marshall Islands had in 2014&nbsp;filed the cases against&nbsp;nine countries but 6 of them -- China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia, and the US --&nbsp;do not accept the ICJ&#39;s jurisdiction.&nbsp;

That leaves the court to decide whether it will&nbsp;hear the case against the other three.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Pacific island nation aims to bring the issue of nuclear arms to the forefront so that talks on nuclear disarmament can be started again, AFP reported. &nbsp;

The country argues that as per the NPT, all nuclear powers need &quot;to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament&quot;.

Critics however argue the hearing is only a ruse to divert the islander&#39;s fight with the US which&nbsp;carried out the tests, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&#39;Several islands in my country were vapourised&#39;

At a March hearing, the islanders described the after-effects of 67 nuclear tests carried out on Bikini and Enewetak atolls, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Former foreign minister, Tony deBrum said, &quot;Several islands in my country were vapourised and others are estimated to remain uninhabitable for thousands of years.&quot;

&quot;The entire sky turned blood-red,&quot; he told the court.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The tiny Pacific island nation of 55,000 accuses the three countries of failing to halt the nuclear arms race

The United Nation's highest court -- the International Court of Justice -- will decide today whether it will hear a case filed by the Marshall Islands against India, Pakistan and the UK for failing to stop the nuclear arms race. Between 1946 and 1958, the islands were subjected to a string of nuclear tests conducted by the US. And so the country understands the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, AFP reported. The tiny country -- it has a population of 55,000 -- accuses the India, Pakistan, and Britain of failing to abide by the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty. (India and Pakistan have not signed the treaty.) The Marshall Islands had in 2014 filed the cases against nine countries but 6 of them -- China, France, Israel, North Korea, Russia, and the US -- do not accept the ICJ's jurisdiction. That leaves the court to decide whether it will hear the case against the other three. The Pacific island nation aims to bring the issue of nuclear arms to the forefront so that talks on nuclear disarmament can be started again, AFP reported. The country argues that as per the NPT, all nuclear powers need "to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament". Critics however argue the hearing is only a ruse to divert the islander's fight with the US which carried out the tests, AFP reported. 'Several islands in my country were vapourised' At a March hearing, the islanders described the after-effects of 67 nuclear tests carried out on Bikini and Enewetak atolls, AFP reported. Former foreign minister, Tony deBrum said, "Several islands in my country were vapourised and others are estimated to remain uninhabitable for thousands of years." "The entire sky turned blood-red," he told the court. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Top UN court to decide if it will hear Marshall Islands nuclear case against India, Pak & Britain

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi on Wednesday ahead of bilateral discussions.&nbsp;Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted about the meeting at Hyderabad House in India&#39;s capital.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Furthering partnerships with a valued neighbour. PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> meets Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe <a href="https://twitter.com/RW_UNP">@RW_UNP</a> at Hyderabad House <a href="https://t.co/MJ25yWUedX">pic.twitter.com/MJ25yWUedX</a>
&mdash; Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/783577356430553088">October 5, 2016</a></blockquote>

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is in India on a three-day bilateral visit. He will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee while he&#39;s in India.

On Tuesday, India&#39;s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had met Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka became the fifth country to pull out of the regional SAARC summit on September 30. India was the first country to pull out of the SAARC summit, a move made in response to the&nbsp;attack&nbsp;of an Army camp in&nbsp;Kashmir, near the town of&nbsp;Uri, by&nbsp;terrorists from&nbsp;Pakistan. It was a step to diplomatically isolate Islamabad.

As the New Indian Express reports,&nbsp;Sri Lanka&nbsp;encouraged&nbsp;India and Pakistan to work towards peace, saying&nbsp;the future of the regional grouping SAARC may hang in the balance. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Cross-border terrorism is on the table. SAARC has to look at it and discuss what has happened (cancellation of the SAARC meet). How we are going to handle it...SAARC has to decide on two issues:&nbsp;cross-border terrorism and areas in which we can work together.&nbsp;If we don&#39;t do it, there is no future for SAARC,&quot; Wickremesinghe said following his&nbsp;meeting with the Indian Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also agreed that the India-Pakistan rivalry had already impacted the functioning of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

After India pulled out of&nbsp;this year&#39;s&nbsp;SAARC summit, so too did&nbsp;Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan, leaving only the current SAARC chair Nepal, and the host country Pakistan and the Maldives.&nbsp;The 19th SAARC summit was scheduled to be held from 9th to 10th November 2016 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

(WION)

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is in India on a three-day visit, where he spoke of the impact of the recent terrorist strikes from Pakistan

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi on Wednesday ahead of bilateral discussions. Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted about the meeting at Hyderabad House in India's capital. Furthering partnerships with a valued neighbour. PM @narendramodi meets Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe @RW_UNP at Hyderabad House pic.twitter.com/MJ25yWUedX — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) October 5, 2016 Prime Minister Wickremesinghe is in India on a three-day bilateral visit. He will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee while he's in India. On Tuesday, India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had met Wickremesinghe. Sri Lanka became the fifth country to pull out of the regional SAARC summit on September 30. India was the first country to pull out of the SAARC summit, a move made in response to the attack of an Army camp in Kashmir, near the town of Uri, by terrorists from Pakistan. It was a step to diplomatically isolate Islamabad. As the New Indian Express reports, Sri Lanka encouraged India and Pakistan to work towards peace, saying the future of the regional grouping SAARC may hang in the balance. "Cross-border terrorism is on the table. SAARC has to look at it and discuss what has happened (cancellation of the SAARC meet). How we are going to handle it...SAARC has to decide on two issues: cross-border terrorism and areas in which we can work together. If we don't do it, there is no future for SAARC," Wickremesinghe said following his meeting with the Indian Prime Minister. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also agreed that the India-Pakistan rivalry had already impacted the functioning of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. After India pulled out of this year's SAARC summit, so too did Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan, leaving only the current SAARC chair Nepal, and the host country Pakistan and the Maldives. The 19th SAARC summit was scheduled to be held from 9th to 10th November 2016 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (WION)

Indian PM Modi meets Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe

Mohammad Anwar arrived in Pakistan as a child more than 35 years ago but is leaving as a father, his family among the thousands of uprooted Afghan refugees &quot;returning&quot; to a war-torn homeland many of them have never seen.&nbsp;Anwar, disbelieving and grief-stricken, has packed the bric-a-brac of a lifetime onto a truck wildly painted in baroque colours but says he is leaving his heart and soul in Peshawar, the city that sheltered him for decades.

&quot;We can&#39;t forget the time we passed here, we were treated like brothers,&quot; he tells AFP. &quot;Insha&#39;Allah, we will come here again, this time with passports.&quot;

Pakistan has provided safe haven for decades for millions like Anwar, who fled Afghanistan with his family when he was just seven&nbsp;years&nbsp;old, after the Soviet invasion of 1979.&nbsp;But as the fight against the Soviets morphed into civil war, Taliban rule, the US invasion and the grinding conflict in Afghanistan today, even Pakistan&#39;s famed hospitality has run out.

Pakistan hosts 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees, according to UNHCR, making it the third-largest refugee hosting nation in the world. A UNHCR official said the agency also estimates a further one million unregistered refugees are in the country.&nbsp;Since 2009, Islamabad has repeatedly pushed back a deadline for them to return, but fears are growing that the latest cutoff date in March 2017 will be final.&nbsp;Meanwhile, refugees are increasingly worried about their future in Pakistan amid a security crackdown against undocumented foreigners.&nbsp;

The anxiety, combined with a UN decision to double its cash grant for voluntary returnees from $200 to $400 per individual in June, has seen the flow of refugees over the border become a torrent.&nbsp;More than 200,000 have crossed this year, the vast majority since July,&nbsp;including nearly 98,000 in September alone, says UNHCR.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tears, trucks at Torkham

Anwar fills out documents at a UNHCR centre outside Peshawar crammed with men in Afghan caps and turbans. Children lie on the floor as mothers in veils fan themselves in the steamy heat.&nbsp;They face an uncertain future in an Afghanistan still at war and already overwhelmed by so many people fleeing fighting that officials warn of a humanitarian crisis.

But first they will pass the Torkham frontier, a mountainous outpost where,&nbsp;until this year&nbsp;border &quot;controls&quot; were more of a suggestion, and thousands crossed each day with impunity.

When AFP visited recently a gleaming new gate, constructed in June and reinforced by two kilometres of barbed wire,&nbsp;travellers funnelled&nbsp;through customs queues and scanning machines.

Pakistani pride in the new facilities contrasted with tearful Afghan refugees piling their trucks high, not just with household goods, but cattle, tree trunks and scraps that could help build even a mud hut once they reach Afghanistan.&nbsp;

&quot;We spent our best time here,&quot; 45-year-old Khair Muhammad, returning after 36 years with 21 members of his family, told AFP tearfully. His truck was loaded with beds, fans, wood, utensils, and a cow and her calf.&nbsp;&quot;We never thought, never even imagined that we would return in such circumstances,&quot; said 29-year-old Inamullah Khan.

&nbsp;

End of the road

With a resurgent Taliban in control of roughly one-third of Afghanistan&#39;s districts, many returning refugees will travel no further than Kabul.

Among them is Abdhur Rahman, who left for Pakistan 30 years ago, fleeing a province which is now buffeted by Taliban attacks.&nbsp;He returns aged 70, grey turbanned with his white beard curling over his chest, patriarch of a family of 25.&nbsp;

But the former peasant and anti-Soviet fighter from Paktia in the east will find little support in the overstretched capital. Kabul already has one of the highest population growth rates in the region: some 1,200 people every day, says European Union ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin.

The UN put the number of displaced people in the city last month at 265,000, and in 2013 the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) documented 53 informal settlements, little more than timber clinging to the side of mountains with neither water nor electricity.

Abdhur Rahman speaks soberly of his last days in Pakistan.&nbsp;&quot;The police harassed us, they cut the water and electricity in the camp... it was better to leave,&quot; he says.

But another returnee, Sayed Karim, has lived for months in Kabul &quot;without water, no school, no doctor&quot;.&nbsp;Trapped in limbo with the gates at Torkham closed and his home province of Baghlan roiled by fighting, he remembers his days as a teacher in the refugee camp in Pakistan.&nbsp;

&quot;In Pakistan we had good work. A good life,&quot; he says.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Pakistan was a safe haven for millions of Afghans who fled after the 1979 Soviet invasion. Now they're finding that returning home is hard

Mohammad Anwar arrived in Pakistan as a child more than 35 years ago but is leaving as a father, his family among the thousands of uprooted Afghan refugees "returning" to a war-torn homeland many of them have never seen. Anwar, disbelieving and grief-stricken, has packed the bric-a-brac of a lifetime onto a truck wildly painted in baroque colours but says he is leaving his heart and soul in Peshawar, the city that sheltered him for decades. "We can't forget the time we passed here, we were treated like brothers," he tells AFP. "Insha'Allah, we will come here again, this time with passports." Pakistan has provided safe haven for decades for millions like Anwar, who fled Afghanistan with his family when he was just seven years old, after the Soviet invasion of 1979. But as the fight against the Soviets morphed into civil war, Taliban rule, the US invasion and the grinding conflict in Afghanistan today, even Pakistan's famed hospitality has run out. Pakistan hosts 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees, according to UNHCR, making it the third-largest refugee hosting nation in the world. A UNHCR official said the agency also estimates a further one million unregistered refugees are in the country. Since 2009, Islamabad has repeatedly pushed back a deadline for them to return, but fears are growing that the latest cutoff date in March 2017 will be final. Meanwhile, refugees are increasingly worried about their future in Pakistan amid a security crackdown against undocumented foreigners. The anxiety, combined with a UN decision to double its cash grant for voluntary returnees from $200 to $400 per individual in June, has seen the flow of refugees over the border become a torrent. More than 200,000 have crossed this year, the vast majority since July, including nearly 98,000 in September alone, says UNHCR. Tears, trucks at Torkham Anwar fills out documents at a UNHCR centre outside Peshawar crammed with men in Afghan caps and turbans. Children lie on the floor as mothers in veils fan themselves in the steamy heat. They face an uncertain future in an Afghanistan still at war and already overwhelmed by so many people fleeing fighting that officials warn of a humanitarian crisis. But first they will pass the Torkham frontier, a mountainous outpost where, until this year border "controls" were more of a suggestion, and thousands crossed each day with impunity. When AFP visited recently a gleaming new gate, constructed in June and reinforced by two kilometres of barbed wire, travellers funnelled through customs queues and scanning machines. Pakistani pride in the new facilities contrasted with tearful Afghan refugees piling their trucks high, not just with household goods, but cattle, tree trunks and scraps that could help build even a mud hut once they reach Afghanistan. "We spent our best time here," 45-year-old Khair Muhammad, returning after 36 years with 21 members of his family, told AFP tearfully. His truck was loaded with beds, fans, wood, utensils, and a cow and her calf. "We never thought, never even imagined that we would return in such circumstances," said 29-year-old Inamullah Khan. End of the road With a resurgent Taliban in control of roughly one-third of Afghanistan's districts, many returning refugees will travel no further than Kabul. Among them is Abdhur Rahman, who left for Pakistan 30 years ago, fleeing a province which is now buffeted by Taliban attacks. He returns aged 70, grey turbanned with his white beard curling over his chest, patriarch of a family of 25. But the former peasant and anti-Soviet fighter from Paktia in the east will find little support in the overstretched capital. Kabul already has one of the highest population growth rates in the region: some 1,200 people every day, says European Union ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin. The UN put the number of displaced people in the city last month at 265,000, and in 2013 the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) documented 53 informal settlements, little more than timber clinging to the side of mountains with neither water nor electricity. Abdhur Rahman speaks soberly of his last days in Pakistan. "The police harassed us, they cut the water and electricity in the camp... it was better to leave," he says. But another returnee, Sayed Karim, has lived for months in Kabul "without water, no school, no doctor". Trapped in limbo with the gates at Torkham closed and his home province of Baghlan roiled by fighting, he remembers his days as a teacher in the refugee camp in Pakistan. "In Pakistan we had good work. A good life," he says. (AFP)

Afghan refugees return to uncertain future in alien homeland

Simmering tensions between India and Pakistan over the past few weeks have&nbsp;drawm the world&#39;s attention. Now, Moscow has backed New Delhi over the brewing controversy after India&#39;s surgical strikes conducted in Pak-administered Kashmir last week.&nbsp;

Today,&nbsp;Indian media claimed that Russia&nbsp;&quot;welcomes&quot; India&#39;s&nbsp;surgical strike. This comes days after Moscow&nbsp;asked lslamabad to take &quot;effective&quot; steps to stop the activities of terrorist groups on its territory.&nbsp;

&quot;Greatest human rights violations take place when terrorists attack military installations and attack peaceful civilians in India. We welcome the surgical strike. Every country has right to defend itself,&quot; Russian embassy quoted Russia&#39;s ambassador to New Delhi, Alexander M Kadakin, as having told a news channel.

He also said his country had always been with India in fighting cross-border terrorism.

With this, Russia became the first P-5 country to back India.&nbsp;

India and Pakistan, the two South Asian nations, have been at loggerheads with each other ever since&nbsp;19 Indian soldiers were killed in the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir. A war of words also ensued between the two countries at the United Nations General Assembly.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, according to local media reports, Kadakin has also assured India that it does not need to worry&nbsp;about Russia-Pakistan joint military exercises, saying it did not take place in &quot;Pakistan-administered Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir&quot;.

It may also be recalled that a Russian foreign ministry statement last week had said Russia stands for &quot;decisive struggle&quot; against terrorism in all its manifestations.

&quot;We are concerned with the aggravation lately of the situation along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan.&nbsp;We are calling on the parties not to allow any escalation of tension and to settle the existing problems by political and diplomatic means through negotiations. We stand for decisive struggle against terrorism in all its manifestations.&nbsp;We expect that the government of Pakistan should take effective steps in order to stop the activities of terrorist groups in the territory of the country,&quot; the statement said.

As per Indian media reports, border skirmishes continue along the Line of Control, the de&nbsp;facto border between India and Pakistan, as both the nations continue to accuse each other of ceasefire violations. Also, the recent militant&nbsp;attack at an Indian Army camp in Baramulla,&nbsp;Kashmir, that killed one security personnel, has further increased&nbsp;tensions.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from&nbsp;DNA)&nbsp;

Russia's ambassador to New Delhi said his country had always been with India in fighting cross-border terrorism

Simmering tensions between India and Pakistan over the past few weeks have drawm the world's attention. Now, Moscow has backed New Delhi over the brewing controversy after India's surgical strikes conducted in Pak-administered Kashmir last week. Today, Indian media claimed that Russia "welcomes" India's surgical strike. This comes days after Moscow asked lslamabad to take "effective" steps to stop the activities of terrorist groups on its territory. "Greatest human rights violations take place when terrorists attack military installations and attack peaceful civilians in India. We welcome the surgical strike. Every country has right to defend itself," Russian embassy quoted Russia's ambassador to New Delhi, Alexander M Kadakin, as having told a news channel. He also said his country had always been with India in fighting cross-border terrorism. With this, Russia became the first P-5 country to back India. India and Pakistan, the two South Asian nations, have been at loggerheads with each other ever since 19 Indian soldiers were killed in the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir. A war of words also ensued between the two countries at the United Nations General Assembly. Meanwhile, according to local media reports, Kadakin has also assured India that it does not need to worry about Russia-Pakistan joint military exercises, saying it did not take place in "Pakistan-administered Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir". It may also be recalled that a Russian foreign ministry statement last week had said Russia stands for "decisive struggle" against terrorism in all its manifestations. "We are concerned with the aggravation lately of the situation along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. We are calling on the parties not to allow any escalation of tension and to settle the existing problems by political and diplomatic means through negotiations. We stand for decisive struggle against terrorism in all its manifestations. We expect that the government of Pakistan should take effective steps in order to stop the activities of terrorist groups in the territory of the country," the statement said. As per Indian media reports, border skirmishes continue along the Line of Control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan, as both the nations continue to accuse each other of ceasefire violations. Also, the recent militant attack at an Indian Army camp in Baramulla, Kashmir, that killed one security personnel, has further increased tensions. (WION with inputs from DNA)

Every country has a right to defend itself: Russia backs India's surgical strikes in Pak-administered Kashmir

It&#39;s not just the&nbsp;India-Pakistan borders that are simmering amid the escalating tension between the two countries. One of the world&#39;s most diverse film industries,&nbsp;Bollywood,&nbsp;has also suffered drastically.

The Uri attack has left Bollywood divided over the issue of Pakistani actors living&nbsp;in India. However, the issue was first fueled by Raj Thackery of Central India&#39;s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, but later actors and artists jumped into the fray with their opinions on the issue.&nbsp;

While some&nbsp;Bollywood actors and artists have actually backed the proposal to send&nbsp;Pakistani&nbsp;actors living in India to Pakistan, others have&nbsp;sided with their fellow actors from Pakistan.

The recent one being&nbsp;veteran Indian actor&nbsp;Om Puri, commenting that forms of art across the border should not suffer because of military tension between the two countries. And that actors from Pakistan do not come to the country illegally, they come here on valid Visas.

Other Bollywood&nbsp;artists to have opposed the ban on Pakistani artists were Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Mahesh Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Saif Ali khan, Rahul Agarwal, they all have reiterated that forms of art should work to ensure that peace prevails, and there is a need to draw a line of demarcation between what is happening at the border and that between people of the two countries, including Bollywood. However, all of them have expressed their resentment against the attack carried out by Pakistan-sponsored militants in Uri.

On the other hand, actors and artists like controversial singer Abhijeet , Nana Patekar, Madhur Bhandarkar, Randeep Hooda have asserted that nothing comes above the security of the country, and that all steps should be taken to isolate Pakistan at the international level.&nbsp;Seeking a ban on Pakistan-based artists in India is a step towards in that direction.&nbsp;

Amid&nbsp;all&nbsp;this, it is important to note that it is not just artists from Pakistan who have worked in India, but also vice versa. Among several Indian artists, a few of them&nbsp;who have worked in Pakistani dramas and movies are: Kirron Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Ally Khan, Shewta Tiwari, Deepti Gupta, Kim Sharma,&nbsp;Preeti Jhangiani and others.&nbsp;

(WION)

Known to be one of the most diverse film industries, Bollywood is now picking sides over the recent call for a ban on Pakistani actors

It's not just the India-Pakistan borders that are simmering amid the escalating tension between the two countries. One of the world's most diverse film industries, Bollywood, has also suffered drastically. The Uri attack has left Bollywood divided over the issue of Pakistani actors living in India. However, the issue was first fueled by Raj Thackery of Central India's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, but later actors and artists jumped into the fray with their opinions on the issue. While some Bollywood actors and artists have actually backed the proposal to send Pakistani actors living in India to Pakistan, others have sided with their fellow actors from Pakistan. The recent one being veteran Indian actor Om Puri, commenting that forms of art across the border should not suffer because of military tension between the two countries. And that actors from Pakistan do not come to the country illegally, they come here on valid Visas. Other Bollywood artists to have opposed the ban on Pakistani artists were Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Mahesh Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Saif Ali khan, Rahul Agarwal, they all have reiterated that forms of art should work to ensure that peace prevails, and there is a need to draw a line of demarcation between what is happening at the border and that between people of the two countries, including Bollywood. However, all of them have expressed their resentment against the attack carried out by Pakistan-sponsored militants in Uri. On the other hand, actors and artists like controversial singer Abhijeet , Nana Patekar, Madhur Bhandarkar, Randeep Hooda have asserted that nothing comes above the security of the country, and that all steps should be taken to isolate Pakistan at the international level. Seeking a ban on Pakistan-based artists in India is a step towards in that direction. Amid all this, it is important to note that it is not just artists from Pakistan who have worked in India, but also vice versa. Among several Indian artists, a few of them who have worked in Pakistani dramas and movies are: Kirron Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, Ally Khan, Shewta Tiwari, Deepti Gupta, Kim Sharma, Preeti Jhangiani and others. (WION)

Indo-Pak tension: Bollywood's anti-Pak segment is a distinct minority

&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Indian news channel Times Now&nbsp;reported a &quot;possible ceasefire violation by Pakistani Rangers&quot;&nbsp;in Gurdaspur, Punjab near the&nbsp;Indo-Pak border. It said the Pakistani paramilitary force&nbsp;had opened fire on a Border Security Force (BSF) post on the Indian side of the border.&nbsp;

The channel said the firing had taken place early in&nbsp;the morning.

ANI however quoted&nbsp;BSF inspector general&nbsp;Anil Paliwal as saying, &quot;BSF opened fire after suspected infiltration at Chakri post of Gurdaspur sector.&quot;

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BSF opened fire after suspected infiltration at Chakri post of Gurdaspur(Punjab) sector: Anil Paliwal,IG BSF
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/782773701666230273">October 3, 2016</a></blockquote>
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ANI added that combing operations are currently underwary.&nbsp;

This ceasefire&nbsp;violation comes hours&nbsp;after the terror attack in Baramulla, Kashmir in&nbsp;which six militants attacked an Indian army camp and a BSF camp.&nbsp;

One Indian paramilitary&nbsp;personnel was killed in that attack, while another was wounded. As were two terrorists, reported Reuters.&nbsp;

(WION)

India's Border Security Force says they opened fire to stop militants from sneaking over the border

The Indian news channel Times Now reported a "possible ceasefire violation by Pakistani Rangers" in Gurdaspur, Punjab near the Indo-Pak border. It said the Pakistani paramilitary force had opened fire on a Border Security Force (BSF) post on the Indian side of the border. The channel said the firing had taken place early in the morning. ANI however quoted BSF inspector general Anil Paliwal as saying, "BSF opened fire after suspected infiltration at Chakri post of Gurdaspur sector." BSF opened fire after suspected infiltration at Chakri post of Gurdaspur(Punjab) sector: Anil Paliwal,IG BSF — ANI (@ANI_news) October 3, 2016 × ANI added that combing operations are currently underwary. This ceasefire violation comes hours after the terror attack in Baramulla, Kashmir in which six militants attacked an Indian army camp and a BSF camp. One Indian paramilitary personnel was killed in that attack, while another was wounded. As were two terrorists, reported Reuters. (WION)

Pakistani Rangers open fire on BSF post in Indian Punjab: Report

Amid brewing tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan&#39;s top diplomat, Sartaj Aziz, today said that the two South Asian countries have decided to reduce tensions, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Referring to the first contact between the national security advisors &nbsp;(NSA) &nbsp;of the two countries following the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir that killed at least 19 Indian soldiers, the adviser to Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister on national security and foreign Affairs, Aziz, informed that India&#39;s NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua spoke over the&nbsp;phone and talked about diffusing tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two countries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan wants to reduce tensions on LoC and focus on Kashmir,&quot; Pakistani broadcaster Geo News quoted him as saying.

&nbsp;

Indian Army last week said that it had carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday across the terror launch pads. The surgical strikes were viewed as a retaliation to the militant attacks in Uri.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A&nbsp;militant attack was also reported at the headquarter of Baramulla area of Kashmir on Sunday night that killed one security personnel.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Aziz also referred to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s recent remarks at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and said that Sharif had explained to the world leaders that the incidents of border tensions would continue between both countries without the resolution of Kashmir dispute.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Indo-Pak border skirmishes&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, both the nations continue to accuse each other of violating ceasefire along the Indo-Pak border.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Indian Army today claimed that Pakistan targeted army posts and civilian post areas in the border town of Poonch, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Public relations officer of Indian defence ministry, Manish Mehta, was quoted as saying by the international news agency that Indian forces gave a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations.

&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan army carried out unprovoked ceasefire violations in Poonch sector in Shahpur area, using small arms, automatic (weapons) and mortar (shells). We have given them a befitting reply and ceasefire violation is still continuing,&quot; Mehta said in Jammu city.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Presently, we don&#39;t have any report of loss to civilians. However, we have not suffered any kind of causality or any kind of loss,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While on the other hand, AFP quoted a&nbsp;statement by Pakistan&#39;s military that read: &quot;Indian troops yet again resorted to unprovoked firing after midnight at the Line of Control (LoC) in Iftikharabad sector and Pakistani troops befittingly responded.&quot; &nbsp;According to the statement, the exchange ended in the morning.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

While diplomatic efforts are on to diffuse tensions, the two South Asian countries today accused each other of ceasefire violations

Amid brewing tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan's top diplomat, Sartaj Aziz, today said that the two South Asian countries have decided to reduce tensions, Indian news agency PTI reported. Referring to the first contact between the national security advisors (NSA) of the two countries following the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir that killed at least 19 Indian soldiers, the adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister on national security and foreign Affairs, Aziz, informed that India's NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua spoke over the phone and talked about diffusing tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two countries. "Pakistan wants to reduce tensions on LoC and focus on Kashmir," Pakistani broadcaster Geo News quoted him as saying. Indian Army last week said that it had carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday across the terror launch pads. The surgical strikes were viewed as a retaliation to the militant attacks in Uri. A militant attack was also reported at the headquarter of Baramulla area of Kashmir on Sunday night that killed one security personnel. Aziz also referred to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's recent remarks at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and said that Sharif had explained to the world leaders that the incidents of border tensions would continue between both countries without the resolution of Kashmir dispute. Indo-Pak border skirmishes Meanwhile, both the nations continue to accuse each other of violating ceasefire along the Indo-Pak border. Indian Army today claimed that Pakistan targeted army posts and civilian post areas in the border town of Poonch, Reuters reported. Public relations officer of Indian defence ministry, Manish Mehta, was quoted as saying by the international news agency that Indian forces gave a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations. "Pakistan army carried out unprovoked ceasefire violations in Poonch sector in Shahpur area, using small arms, automatic (weapons) and mortar (shells). We have given them a befitting reply and ceasefire violation is still continuing," Mehta said in Jammu city. "Presently, we don't have any report of loss to civilians. However, we have not suffered any kind of causality or any kind of loss," he added. While on the other hand, AFP quoted a statement by Pakistan's military that read: "Indian troops yet again resorted to unprovoked firing after midnight at the Line of Control (LoC) in Iftikharabad sector and Pakistani troops befittingly responded." According to the statement, the exchange ended in the morning. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan, India NSAs agree to reduce tensions across border: Sartaj Aziz

Amid growing Indo-Pak strain following the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir Valley and ensuing surgical strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has never coveted any territory or attacked another country.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The comments were made during an inauguration ceremony in the national capital, Delhi, when in an apparent dig at Pakistan Modi said: &quot;India has never coveted territory, never attacked another country, yet thousands of Indians gave their lives in the first World War.&quot;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;In the last two years, you have seen how the government rescued people from conflict situations, not just Indians but foreigners too,&quot; Modi was quoted as saying during an event. &nbsp;He inaugurated Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, a facility dedicated to the Indian community abroad, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

On September 18, militants infiltrated an Indian army base in Uri near the border in which at least 18&nbsp;soldiers were killed. India had&nbsp;hit back by conducting surgical strikes across Pakistan&#39;s side of the Line of Control at militant launchpads on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India&#39;s interior minister Rajnath Singh praised the soldiers for their bravery and said,&nbsp;&quot;The country as well as the whole world is aware of this (surgical strikes)..The way our jawans [soldiers] displayed valour and have made India proud.&quot;

&nbsp;

The minister also insisted to&nbsp;&quot;just wait and watch&quot; in reference to releasing the footage of the surgical strikes carried out.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pakistan is maintaining that its border is impenetrable and the strikes never happened.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Indian Army on Friday slammed Pakistani media for showing false videos depicting Indian casualties in one of the operations carried out by the neighbouring country amid escalating tensions. The Army labelled it as &quot;black propaganda&quot; for showing &quot;morphed images&quot;, Indian agency the Press Trust of India reported.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Indian Prime Minister's statement comes as tensions continue to fester between India, Pakistan after Uri attack and ensuing surgical strikes

Amid growing Indo-Pak strain following the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir Valley and ensuing surgical strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has never coveted any territory or attacked another country. The comments were made during an inauguration ceremony in the national capital, Delhi, when in an apparent dig at Pakistan Modi said: "India has never coveted territory, never attacked another country, yet thousands of Indians gave their lives in the first World War." "In the last two years, you have seen how the government rescued people from conflict situations, not just Indians but foreigners too," Modi was quoted as saying during an event. He inaugurated Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, a facility dedicated to the Indian community abroad, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. On September 18, militants infiltrated an Indian army base in Uri near the border in which at least 18 soldiers were killed. India had hit back by conducting surgical strikes across Pakistan's side of the Line of Control at militant launchpads on Wednesday night. India's interior minister Rajnath Singh praised the soldiers for their bravery and said, "The country as well as the whole world is aware of this (surgical strikes)..The way our jawans [soldiers] displayed valour and have made India proud." The minister also insisted to "just wait and watch" in reference to releasing the footage of the surgical strikes carried out. Pakistan is maintaining that its border is impenetrable and the strikes never happened. Meanwhile, the Indian Army on Friday slammed Pakistani media for showing false videos depicting Indian casualties in one of the operations carried out by the neighbouring country amid escalating tensions. The Army labelled it as "black propaganda" for showing "morphed images", Indian agency the Press Trust of India reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Modi: India never attacked another country, coveted territory

A judicial commission in Pakistan appointed by an anti-terrorism court will travel to Karachi next week to examine the boat used by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists to reach India for carrying out the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

Headed by an ATC judge, the commission will travel to Karachi on October 6 to examine the boat&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;Al Fouz &mdash;&nbsp;and also record the testimony of a witness who saw the boat being seized. &nbsp;

The commission includes officials from Pakistan&rsquo;s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the defence counsel and court officials. The body was&nbsp;constituted during a hearing into the Mumbai terror attacks case.

The Islamabad High Court had earlier set aside the ruling of a trial court of not allowing a probe committee to Karachi, terming it &quot;flawed and not in accordance with law&quot; and allowed examination of the boat in the port city.

The prosecution in May had challenged the trial court&rsquo;s decision to reject its plea to form a commission to examine the boat so that the vessel could be made a &quot;case property&quot;.

According to the FIA, the attackers used three boats to reach Mumbai from Karachi.

One of the boats, Al-Fauz, is in custody of Pakistani authorities in Karachi, the city&nbsp;from where the 10 LeT terrorists armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand-grenades had left for India.

En-route they hijacked another boat and&nbsp;killed four of its crew members.&nbsp;

LeT operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum are accused of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attacks, which claimed&nbsp;lives of 166 people.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

.

The boat called Al-Fouz was used by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists to reach India for carrying out the 2008 attacks in Mumbai

A judicial commission in Pakistan appointed by an anti-terrorism court will travel to Karachi next week to examine the boat used by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists to reach India for carrying out the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. Headed by an ATC judge, the commission will travel to Karachi on October 6 to examine the boat — Al Fouz — and also record the testimony of a witness who saw the boat being seized. The commission includes officials from Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the defence counsel and court officials. The body was constituted during a hearing into the Mumbai terror attacks case. The Islamabad High Court had earlier set aside the ruling of a trial court of not allowing a probe committee to Karachi, terming it "flawed and not in accordance with law" and allowed examination of the boat in the port city. The prosecution in May had challenged the trial court’s decision to reject its plea to form a commission to examine the boat so that the vessel could be made a "case property". According to the FIA, the attackers used three boats to reach Mumbai from Karachi. One of the boats, Al-Fauz, is in custody of Pakistani authorities in Karachi, the city from where the 10 LeT terrorists armed with AK-47 assault rifles and hand-grenades had left for India. En-route they hijacked another boat and killed four of its crew members. LeT operations commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum are accused of abetment to murder, attempted murder, planning and executing the Mumbai attacks, which claimed lives of 166 people. (WION with inputs from PTI) .

Pakistani judicial commission to examine boat used in 26/11 Mumbai attacks

&nbsp;

US state department deputy spokesman urged India and Pakistan to show restraint and said that Washington&nbsp;is closely monitoring the situation.&nbsp;

Mark Toner&nbsp;said communication is important between the two countries to reduce tensions.&nbsp;&quot;We certainly don&rsquo;t want to see any kind of escalation and any kind of break in that communication,&quot; he told reporters assembled at state department&#39;s daily news briefing.&nbsp;

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We&rsquo;re continuing to follow situation on ground closely.We urge calm &amp; restraint by both (India-Pak): US State Dept Dy Spox <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurgicalStrike?src=hash">#SurgicalStrike</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/782016702976446464">October 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&quot;We have repeatedly and consistently expressed our concerns regarding the danger that cross-border terrorism poses for the region, and that certainly includes the recent attacks&ndash;terrorist attacks in Uri. And we continue to urge actions to combat and de-escalate &ndash; and delegitimise, rather, terrorist groups like Lashkar-e Talaba &ndash; Tayyiba, rather &ndash; Haqqani Network, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Toner also said secretary of state, John Kerry&nbsp;was engaged in talks with&nbsp;India&#39;s senior leadership to de-escalate the tension.&nbsp;

In response to Pakistan&#39;s threats of using tactical nuclear weapons against India if the situation escalated further, Toner pointed that nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.

Pakistan has displayed a lack of &#39;no-first-use policy&#39; regarding nuclear weapons. US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also asserted that Islamabad is running at full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India, a threatening scenario for the entire region.&nbsp;

(WION)

 
&nbsp;

In response to Pakistan's nuke threats against India, Mark Toner cautioned nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint

US state department deputy spokesman urged India and Pakistan to show restraint and said that Washington is closely monitoring the situation. Mark Toner said communication is important between the two countries to reduce tensions. "We certainly don’t want to see any kind of escalation and any kind of break in that communication," he told reporters assembled at state department's daily news briefing. We’re continuing to follow situation on ground closely.We urge calm & restraint by both (India-Pak): US State Dept Dy Spox #SurgicalStrike — ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 × "We have repeatedly and consistently expressed our concerns regarding the danger that cross-border terrorism poses for the region, and that certainly includes the recent attacks–terrorist attacks in Uri. And we continue to urge actions to combat and de-escalate – and delegitimise, rather, terrorist groups like Lashkar-e Talaba – Tayyiba, rather – Haqqani Network, as well as Jaish-e-Mohammad," he added. Toner also said secretary of state, John Kerry was engaged in talks with India's senior leadership to de-escalate the tension. In response to Pakistan's threats of using tactical nuclear weapons against India if the situation escalated further, Toner pointed that nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. Pakistan has displayed a lack of 'no-first-use policy' regarding nuclear weapons. US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also asserted that Islamabad is running at full speed to develop tactical nukes in their continuing hostility with India, a threatening scenario for the entire region. (WION)

US: Nuclear-capable states must act responsibly

&nbsp;

United Nations secretary-general Ban ki-moon on Friday urged India and Pakistan resolve their differences through diplomacy and dialogue, and even offered to act as a mediator.&nbsp;

He asked both South Asian nations &quot;to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.&quot;

The UN chief&#39;s statement comes after Pakistan&#39;s envoy Maleeha Lodhi prompted Ban to personally mediate the situation.&nbsp;

Lodhi told AFP &quot;This is a dangerous moment for the region,&quot; referring to the recent &quot;surgical strikes&quot; by India on militant launchpads near the Line of Control (LoC), inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.&nbsp;

&quot;The time has come for bold intervention by him if we are to avoid a crisis, because we can see a crisis building up.&quot;

India&#39;s mission to the United Nations defended its actions saying &quot;our response was a measured counter-terrorist strike.&quot;

&quot;India has no desire to aggravate the situation,&quot; and that &quot;it is reflective of our desire to respond proportionately to clear and imminent threat posed by terrorists in that instance. With our objectives having been met that effort has since ceased.&quot;&nbsp;

Tensions have been rife between the two neighbours since India&#39;s surgical strike on Wednesday, which was in response to the Uri attack on September 18 in which four militants had infiltrated the Indian army base and killed 19 Indian soldiers.&nbsp;

Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman said the secretary-general &quot;would welcome all proposals&quot; or initiatives aimed at de-escalation.&quot;

He added that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which looks into ceasefire violations along the LoC, will report to the UN chief on the latest incidents of ceasefire violations.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

UN's observer mission to report on ceasefire violations in Kashmir as tension escalates between India and Pakistan

United Nations secretary-general Ban ki-moon on Friday urged India and Pakistan resolve their differences through diplomacy and dialogue, and even offered to act as a mediator. He asked both South Asian nations "to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation." The UN chief's statement comes after Pakistan's envoy Maleeha Lodhi prompted Ban to personally mediate the situation. Lodhi told AFP "This is a dangerous moment for the region," referring to the recent "surgical strikes" by India on militant launchpads near the Line of Control (LoC), inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. "The time has come for bold intervention by him if we are to avoid a crisis, because we can see a crisis building up." India's mission to the United Nations defended its actions saying "our response was a measured counter-terrorist strike." "India has no desire to aggravate the situation," and that "it is reflective of our desire to respond proportionately to clear and imminent threat posed by terrorists in that instance. With our objectives having been met that effort has since ceased." Tensions have been rife between the two neighbours since India's surgical strike on Wednesday, which was in response to the Uri attack on September 18 in which four militants had infiltrated the Indian army base and killed 19 Indian soldiers. Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman said the secretary-general "would welcome all proposals" or initiatives aimed at de-escalation." He added that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which looks into ceasefire violations along the LoC, will report to the UN chief on the latest incidents of ceasefire violations. (WION with inputs from AFP)

UN urges India, Pakistan to exercise restraint, offers to mediate over Kashmir issue

Pakistan rangers violated the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir&#39;s Akhnoor district in the early hours today, according to multiple media reports.

Heavy mortar shells were fired at 4 AM in the Pallanwala sector. There have been no casualties or injuries.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLASH?src=hash">#FLASH</a> Ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor (J&amp;K) started around 4 am, firing still going on.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/782033794735845376">October 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The Pakistani forces had opened fire at the Border Security Forces (BSF), the primary border guarding force of India, at 10 AM on Friday.&nbsp;

According to PTI, this is the fifth ceasefire violation in September 2016 and the third in the past 36 hours.&nbsp;

The spurt in ceasefire violations comes a day after the Indian Army carried out &ldquo;surgical strikes&rdquo; along the Line of Control (LoC) on militant launchpads, killing 38 terrorists.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Pakistan violated ceasefire in the Akhnoor sector in the early hours on Saturday, the third in last 36 hours

Pakistan rangers violated the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor district in the early hours today, according to multiple media reports. Heavy mortar shells were fired at 4 AM in the Pallanwala sector. There have been no casualties or injuries. #FLASH Ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor (J&K) started around 4 am, firing still going on. — ANI (@ANI_news) October 1, 2016 × The Pakistani forces had opened fire at the Border Security Forces (BSF), the primary border guarding force of India, at 10 AM on Friday. According to PTI, this is the fifth ceasefire violation in September 2016 and the third in the past 36 hours. The spurt in ceasefire violations comes a day after the Indian Army carried out “surgical strikes” along the Line of Control (LoC) on militant launchpads, killing 38 terrorists. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Pakistan violates ceasefire in J&K's Akhnoor district, firing still on

India&rsquo;s interior minister Rajnath Singh today assured that all attempts are being made to secure the release of an Indian soldier who inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan on Thursday.

&quot;All attempts are being made to secure his release,&quot; Singh told reporters.

Singh added that New Delhi will take up the matter with Islamabad for the soldier&rsquo;s early release.

Chandu Babulal Chohan, 22, crossed the Line of Control (LOC) when the Indian army carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan Administered Kashmir.

Indian Army sources had said yesterday that &quot;one soldier from 37 RR with weapon has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control. Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO on the hotline.&quot;

The sources later clarified that his crossing over was not related to the surgical strikes.

&quot;Such inadvertent crossing by Army and civilians are not unusual on either side. They are returned through existing mechanisms,&quot; they had said.

The Indian Army had yesterday rejected as &quot;false and baseless&quot; reports in a section of Pakistani media that eight Indian soldiers were killed and one captured by Pakistani military in retaliatory fire.

Indian Army sources said, &quot;As regard (to the) report of killing of eight Indian Army personnel reported in sections of Pakistan media, the report is completely false and baseless.&quot;

India had carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting &quot;significant casualties&quot; on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan Administered Kashmir.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

India claims the soldier 'inadvertently' crossed the Line of Control while Pakistan says he was captured after India's surgical strikes

India’s interior minister Rajnath Singh today assured that all attempts are being made to secure the release of an Indian soldier who inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan on Thursday. "All attempts are being made to secure his release," Singh told reporters. Singh added that New Delhi will take up the matter with Islamabad for the soldier’s early release. Chandu Babulal Chohan, 22, crossed the Line of Control (LOC) when the Indian army carried out surgical strikes inside Pakistan Administered Kashmir. Indian Army sources had said yesterday that "one soldier from 37 RR with weapon has inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the Line of Control. Pakistan has been informed by the DGMO on the hotline." The sources later clarified that his crossing over was not related to the surgical strikes. "Such inadvertent crossing by Army and civilians are not unusual on either side. They are returned through existing mechanisms," they had said. The Indian Army had yesterday rejected as "false and baseless" reports in a section of Pakistani media that eight Indian soldiers were killed and one captured by Pakistani military in retaliatory fire. Indian Army sources said, "As regard (to the) report of killing of eight Indian Army personnel reported in sections of Pakistan media, the report is completely false and baseless." India had carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC with the Army inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan Administered Kashmir. (WION with inputs from PTI)

All attempts being made to secure release of Indian soldier: Interior minister

The upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)&nbsp;Summit to be held in Islamabad in November could be postponed, Pakistan hinted on Wednesday after India and three other members pullet out of the summit.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan indirectly blamed Pakistan for creating an environment which is not conducive for holding the meet, &nbsp;a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided not to attend the SAARC summit citing &quot;the prevailing circumstances&quot;, according to Indian news agency PTI.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;As per SAARC rules, the summit will not be held if any member-country refused to attend,&quot; Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, was quoted as saying by PTI.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He, however, said this was not the first time that India was not attending the regional summit and that it had earlier also caused the summit to be postponed four times.

&nbsp;

Aziz added that although it is possible to postpone the summit, the SAARC secretariat has not officially informed the government so far.

&nbsp;

A formal announcement to this effect will be made by Nepal, the current chair of the SAARC, &nbsp;Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said earlier.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The four SAARC members, including India, informed the SAARC Chair their unwillingness to attend the summit that was scheduled for November 9-10.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Founded in 1985, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) currently has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members.

&nbsp;

Under the SAARC charter, the summit is automatically postponed or cancelled even if one member country skips the event. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Amid brewing tensions between &nbsp;India and Pakistan following September 18 Uri attack that killed 18 Indian soldiers, cancellation of SAARC summit is likely to draw the world attention yet again after the two countries engaged into a war of words at UN General Assembly.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The development comes a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided not to attend the summit citing 'prevailing circumstances'

The upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit to be held in Islamabad in November could be postponed, Pakistan hinted on Wednesday after India and three other members pullet out of the summit. Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan indirectly blamed Pakistan for creating an environment which is not conducive for holding the meet, a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided not to attend the SAARC summit citing "the prevailing circumstances", according to Indian news agency PTI. "As per SAARC rules, the summit will not be held if any member-country refused to attend," Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, was quoted as saying by PTI. He, however, said this was not the first time that India was not attending the regional summit and that it had earlier also caused the summit to be postponed four times. Aziz added that although it is possible to postpone the summit, the SAARC secretariat has not officially informed the government so far. A formal announcement to this effect will be made by Nepal, the current chair of the SAARC, Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said earlier. The four SAARC members, including India, informed the SAARC Chair their unwillingness to attend the summit that was scheduled for November 9-10. Founded in 1985, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) currently has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members. Under the SAARC charter, the summit is automatically postponed or cancelled even if one member country skips the event. Amid brewing tensions between India and Pakistan following September 18 Uri attack that killed 18 Indian soldiers, cancellation of SAARC summit is likely to draw the world attention yet again after the two countries engaged into a war of words at UN General Assembly. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Pakistan hints SAARC may be postponed after India and three other members pull out

At a joint press briefing organised by the Indian defence and foreign ministries, the director general of military operations (DGMO) and the spokesperson for the Indian foreign ministry said today that the Indian army conducted a &quot;surgical strike&quot; last night on &quot;five terrorist launchpads&quot; across the line of control dividing India and Pakistan.&nbsp;

The DGMO, Lt General Ranbir Singh, said the strike had caused &quot;significant&quot; casualties, that he had called his Pakistani counterpart &mdash;&nbsp;as is protocol &mdash; to inform him of the operation, and that the operation was no longer active.&nbsp;

But sources told WION the strikes were carried out on eight different terrorist hideouts across five launchpads (used to cross over to the Indian side), that 38 terrorists were killed in under one hour, and that Indian army special forces had been paradropped onto the hideouts which were between 500 mts to 2 kms across the LoC.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianArmy?src=hash">#IndianArmy</a> conducted surgical strikes y&#39;day, to foil infiltration attempts; resulting in significant casualties to terrorists: DGMO <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi">@adgpi</a> <a href="https://t.co/mkv6FmdhMY">pic.twitter.com/mkv6FmdhMY</a>
&mdash; PIB India (@PIB_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/781400640954126336">September 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
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ANI reported that the operation lasted from 12.30 am to 4.30 am.&nbsp;

On the Pakistani side, the Dawn newspaper said the Pakistani army &quot;rubbishes reports&quot; of an Indian surgical strike. The Pakistani army said instead that there had &quot;cross-border fire initiated and conducted by India&quot;, and that two Pakistani army men had died in the firing.&nbsp;

ANI quoted the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as saying, &quot;We condemn this attack, our desire for peace should not be interpreted as our weakness.&quot;&nbsp;

And that &quot;we are ready for the safety and defence of our country&quot;.&nbsp;

The Pakistan Army also dismissed India&#39;s statements, saying it is a &quot;lie&quot;.&nbsp;

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Indian claim that terrorist launching pad in Pakistan were targeted is lie: Pakistan Army.
&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/781475274579779585">September 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s&nbsp;Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also refuted India&#39;s claim, saying &quot;the notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by India&nbsp;to create false effects&quot;.

&quot;This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross-border fire as surgical strike is fabrication of truth. Pakistan has made it clear that if there is a surgical strike on Pakistani soil, same will be strongly responded,&quot; said the ISPR in a statement, Geo News reported.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISPR?src=hash">#ISPR</a> says there was no <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/surgicalstrike?src=hash">#surgicalstrike</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash">#India</a>, instead there had been cross border fire initiated by India. <a href="https://t.co/bXr7qWo8qz">pic.twitter.com/bXr7qWo8qz</a>
&mdash; PTV World (@WorldPTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldPTV/status/781424905413943296">September 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Later, ISPR said two of their army personnel were killed in a heavy exchange of firing between India and Pakistan troops along the border.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing on the LoC in Bhimber, Hotspring Kel and Lipa sectors,&quot; a statement released by ISPR said.

Hours after the attack, India&#39;s home minister Rajnath Singh phoned Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and urged him to quickly start evacuating people living in villages that lie within ten kilometres of the international border. Schools and other establishments located close to the border have also been asked&nbsp;to shut down. The Indian state of Punjab is bordered by Pakistan to the west.

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Punjab: Villages near Attari sector being evacuated after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurgicalStrike?src=hash">#SurgicalStrike</a> conducted by Indian Army. <a href="https://t.co/ma9D7SMCp2">pic.twitter.com/ma9D7SMCp2</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/781461020329902080">29 September 2016</a></blockquote>
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On September 18, eighteen Indian soldiers had died in a terror attack on an army camp in Uri, Kashmir. The attack was blamed on terrorists sent in from Pakistan, and the Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi had at the time assured the Indian public that the country would respond at a &quot;time and place of its choosing&quot;.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Indian stock indices fell sharply as news of the strikes broke. The Sensex fell 465 points to 27,955 and the Nifty fell 108 points to 8,637.&nbsp;The Indian rupee also slid 49 paise (intra-day) against the US dollar&nbsp;to trade at 66.95.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange also took a 500-point hit after the news broke.

(WION)

WION has learnt that 38 terrorists were killed in under an hour in the midnight operation

At a joint press briefing organised by the Indian defence and foreign ministries, the director general of military operations (DGMO) and the spokesperson for the Indian foreign ministry said today that the Indian army conducted a "surgical strike" last night on "five terrorist launchpads" across the line of control dividing India and Pakistan. The DGMO, Lt General Ranbir Singh, said the strike had caused "significant" casualties, that he had called his Pakistani counterpart — as is protocol — to inform him of the operation, and that the operation was no longer active. But sources told WION the strikes were carried out on eight different terrorist hideouts across five launchpads (used to cross over to the Indian side), that 38 terrorists were killed in under one hour, and that Indian army special forces had been paradropped onto the hideouts which were between 500 mts to 2 kms across the LoC. #IndianArmy conducted surgical strikes y'day, to foil infiltration attempts; resulting in significant casualties to terrorists: DGMO @adgpi pic.twitter.com/mkv6FmdhMY — PIB India (@PIB_India) September 29, 2016 × ANI reported that the operation lasted from 12.30 am to 4.30 am. On the Pakistani side, the Dawn newspaper said the Pakistani army "rubbishes reports" of an Indian surgical strike. The Pakistani army said instead that there had "cross-border fire initiated and conducted by India", and that two Pakistani army men had died in the firing. ANI quoted the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as saying, "We condemn this attack, our desire for peace should not be interpreted as our weakness." And that "we are ready for the safety and defence of our country". The Pakistan Army also dismissed India's statements, saying it is a "lie". Indian claim that terrorist launching pad in Pakistan were targeted is lie: Pakistan Army. — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 29, 2016 × Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also refuted India's claim, saying "the notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by India to create false effects". "This quest by Indian establishment to create media hype by rebranding cross-border fire as surgical strike is fabrication of truth. Pakistan has made it clear that if there is a surgical strike on Pakistani soil, same will be strongly responded," said the ISPR in a statement, Geo News reported. #ISPR says there was no #surgicalstrike by #India, instead there had been cross border fire initiated by India. pic.twitter.com/bXr7qWo8qz — PTV World (@WorldPTV) September 29, 2016 × Later, ISPR said two of their army personnel were killed in a heavy exchange of firing between India and Pakistan troops along the border. “Pakistani troops befittingly responded to Indian unprovoked firing on the LoC in Bhimber, Hotspring Kel and Lipa sectors," a statement released by ISPR said. Hours after the attack, India's home minister Rajnath Singh phoned Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and urged him to quickly start evacuating people living in villages that lie within ten kilometres of the international border. Schools and other establishments located close to the border have also been asked to shut down. The Indian state of Punjab is bordered by Pakistan to the west. Punjab: Villages near Attari sector being evacuated after #SurgicalStrike conducted by Indian Army. pic.twitter.com/ma9D7SMCp2 — ANI (@ANI_news) 29 September 2016 × On September 18, eighteen Indian soldiers had died in a terror attack on an army camp in Uri, Kashmir. The attack was blamed on terrorists sent in from Pakistan, and the Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi had at the time assured the Indian public that the country would respond at a "time and place of its choosing". Meanwhile, the Indian stock indices fell sharply as news of the strikes broke. The Sensex fell 465 points to 27,955 and the Nifty fell 108 points to 8,637. The Indian rupee also slid 49 paise (intra-day) against the US dollar to trade at 66.95. The Pakistan Stock Exchange also took a 500-point hit after the news broke. (WION)

India conducts surgical strikes in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, Pakistan denies

In a&nbsp;further embarrassment for Islamabad, the current SAARC Chair,&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;has decided to move the annual summit out of Pakistan, Indian newspaper, The Hindu, reported. &nbsp;

A senior diplomat source in Kathmandu told the Hindu that Nepal has decided to find an alternate venue for the summit.&nbsp;

A formal announcement is expected soon. The move to shift the summit out of Islamabad was taken after four nations raised objections to the meet being held in Pakistan.&nbsp;

&ldquo;There is no question of holding the summit if four countries declare their unwillingness to participate. As the current SAARC Chair, Nepal has the responsibility of seeking a solution to such pre-summit disputes but under the current circumstances nothing much can be attempted. We will do the due formalities and will declare the summit of 2016 should be cancelled due to non-participation of member states,&rdquo; the Kathmandu-based diplomatic source told The Hindu.&nbsp;

According to reports, a high-level meeting was called by Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in an effort to salvage the SAARC summit.&nbsp;

Since India said last night that it would not be attending the SAARC summit in Pakistan in November, three more countries have followed suit.&nbsp;

Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan have all conveyed to Nepal -- the current SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) chair -- that they too will not be attending.&nbsp;

&quot;The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016,&quot; Bangladesh said in a statement.

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&quot;Bangladesh, as the initiator of the SAARC process, remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere. In view of the above, Bangladesh is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad,&quot; it added.

Bhutan said it is committed to the SAARC process but the &quot;recent escalation of terrorism in the region... has seriously compromised the environment for the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016.

&quot;Further, the Royal Government of Bhutan shares the concerns of some of the member countries of SAARC on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism and joins them in conveying our inability to participate in the SAARC Summit, under the current circumstances.&quot;

Afghanistan followed up with: &quot;Due to the increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, the President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit.&quot;&nbsp;

The SAARC summit was of course over the minute India pulled out -- the by-laws governing the association insist on consensus and it can take absolutely no decision without all 8 countries agreeing.&nbsp;

India had pulled out after 18 of its soldiers lost their lives in a terror attack on an army camp in Uri, Kashmir. India blames terrorists nurtured on Pakistani soil for the attack, and has been looking for ways to &quot;respond&quot; to the attack ever since.&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting yesterday to review the Indus Waters treaty. India and Pakistan signed the treaty in 1960 and it has survived three wars between the two countries so far.&nbsp;

The treaty gives Pakistan up to 80% of the waters of six rivers shared by the two countries, and is in India of often thought of as being too soft on Pakistan. Consequently, there have been numerous calls in India for the scrapping of the treaty.&nbsp;

&quot;Blood and water cannot flow together,&quot; Mr Modi is reported to have said at the meeting.&nbsp;

Mr Modi has called another meeting tomorrow to review the Most Favoured Nation status India gave Pakistan in 1999 -- Pakistan does not give the same back to India -- and will for that be meeting with officials from the foreign and commerce ministries.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Nepal said it will find an alternate venue for the summit after four nations decided to boycott meet in Pakistan

In a further embarrassment for Islamabad, the current SAARC Chair, Nepal has decided to move the annual summit out of Pakistan, Indian newspaper, The Hindu, reported. A senior diplomat source in Kathmandu told the Hindu that Nepal has decided to find an alternate venue for the summit. A formal announcement is expected soon. The move to shift the summit out of Islamabad was taken after four nations raised objections to the meet being held in Pakistan. “There is no question of holding the summit if four countries declare their unwillingness to participate. As the current SAARC Chair, Nepal has the responsibility of seeking a solution to such pre-summit disputes but under the current circumstances nothing much can be attempted. We will do the due formalities and will declare the summit of 2016 should be cancelled due to non-participation of member states,” the Kathmandu-based diplomatic source told The Hindu. According to reports, a high-level meeting was called by Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in an effort to salvage the SAARC summit. Since India said last night that it would not be attending the SAARC summit in Pakistan in November, three more countries have followed suit. Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan have all conveyed to Nepal -- the current SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) chair -- that they too will not be attending. "The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016," Bangladesh said in a statement. The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016' × "Bangladesh, as the initiator of the SAARC process, remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere. In view of the above, Bangladesh is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad," it added. Bhutan said it is committed to the SAARC process but the "recent escalation of terrorism in the region... has seriously compromised the environment for the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016. "Further, the Royal Government of Bhutan shares the concerns of some of the member countries of SAARC on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism and joins them in conveying our inability to participate in the SAARC Summit, under the current circumstances." Afghanistan followed up with: "Due to the increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, the President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit." The SAARC summit was of course over the minute India pulled out -- the by-laws governing the association insist on consensus and it can take absolutely no decision without all 8 countries agreeing. India had pulled out after 18 of its soldiers lost their lives in a terror attack on an army camp in Uri, Kashmir. India blames terrorists nurtured on Pakistani soil for the attack, and has been looking for ways to "respond" to the attack ever since. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting yesterday to review the Indus Waters treaty. India and Pakistan signed the treaty in 1960 and it has survived three wars between the two countries so far. The treaty gives Pakistan up to 80% of the waters of six rivers shared by the two countries, and is in India of often thought of as being too soft on Pakistan. Consequently, there have been numerous calls in India for the scrapping of the treaty. "Blood and water cannot flow together," Mr Modi is reported to have said at the meeting. Mr Modi has called another meeting tomorrow to review the Most Favoured Nation status India gave Pakistan in 1999 -- Pakistan does not give the same back to India -- and will for that be meeting with officials from the foreign and commerce ministries. (WION)

SAARC chair Nepal seeks new venue for November summit: Report

The US has called for &quot;de-escalation of the political discourse&quot; between India and Pakistan amid the war of words between the two nations after Uri terror attack that prompted New Delhi to pull out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November.

The US state department also said it would continue to put pressure on them to respond to those groups who are seeking safe haven on Pakistan&#39;s borders.

&quot;What we have said it many times from the podium&nbsp;is we want to see closer and normalisation of relationship between India and Pakistan,&quot; state department deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said told reporters at his daily news conference.

&quot;It would benefit the region. We want to see de-escalation in the political discourse between the two countries and greater communication and coordination between them,&quot; Toner said.

At the same time, the state department refrained from commenting on India&#39;s decision to pull out of the SAARC Summit.

&quot;I would refer you to the Government of India to comment on their decision not to attend this meeting,&quot; state department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said.

He said it is not for the US to &quot;offer a prescription&quot; to de-escalate tension between the two South Asian neighbour.

&quot;It is in mutual interest for both the countries to put aside tensions and establish more normal channels of communication,&quot; the deputy spokesperson said.

&quot;While we have seen Pakistan make progress on some of the terrorist groups operating within its own borders and carrying out attacks within its borders, we continue to put pressure on them to respond to those groups who are seeking safe haven on Pakistan&#39;s borders,&quot; Toner added.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the US have continued to &quot;encourage India and Pakistan to find ways to resolve their differences, not through violence, but through diplomacy.&quot;

&quot;We have condemned violence, particularly terrorist attacks,&quot; he said.

He was responding to a question on India&#39;s decision not to attend the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November citing continuous cross border terrorism by Pakistan against India.

(PTI)

Washington said it continues to put pressure on both nations to 'de-escalate political discourse'

The US has called for "de-escalation of the political discourse" between India and Pakistan amid the war of words between the two nations after Uri terror attack that prompted New Delhi to pull out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November. The US state department also said it would continue to put pressure on them to respond to those groups who are seeking safe haven on Pakistan's borders. "What we have said it many times from the podium is we want to see closer and normalisation of relationship between India and Pakistan," state department deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said told reporters at his daily news conference. "It would benefit the region. We want to see de-escalation in the political discourse between the two countries and greater communication and coordination between them," Toner said. At the same time, the state department refrained from commenting on India's decision to pull out of the SAARC Summit. "I would refer you to the Government of India to comment on their decision not to attend this meeting," state department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said. He said it is not for the US to "offer a prescription" to de-escalate tension between the two South Asian neighbour. "It is in mutual interest for both the countries to put aside tensions and establish more normal channels of communication," the deputy spokesperson said. "While we have seen Pakistan make progress on some of the terrorist groups operating within its own borders and carrying out attacks within its borders, we continue to put pressure on them to respond to those groups who are seeking safe haven on Pakistan's borders," Toner added. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the US have continued to "encourage India and Pakistan to find ways to resolve their differences, not through violence, but through diplomacy." "We have condemned violence, particularly terrorist attacks," he said. He was responding to a question on India's decision not to attend the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November citing continuous cross border terrorism by Pakistan against India. (PTI)

US urges India, Pakistan to choose diplomacy, not violence

Pakistan has approached the World Bank to step in and prevent India from abrogating the Indus Waters Treaty.&nbsp;

&quot;In the meeting&nbsp;with the Pakistani delegation&nbsp;the World Bank committed itself to timely fulfilling its obligations under the treaty while remaining neutral,&quot; a statement released by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington read, The Dawn reported.&nbsp;

Pakistan also urged the World Bank to set up a court of arbitration quickly&nbsp;by selecting three judges in order to thwart India&#39;s plans to make maximum use of waters of rivers that are governed by Pakistan.&nbsp;

New Delhi&#39;s threat to pull the plug on the water-distribution treaty had come a few days after 18 soldiers stationed in Uri, Kashmir, were killed by four armed men, who India believe&nbsp;were helped by Pakistan.&nbsp;

Back in Washington, a Pakistani delegate, led by attorney general&nbsp;Ashtar Ausaf Ali, told the World Bank that India&#39;s threat was a breach of Article IX of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The Article IX of the treaty deals with arbitration of disputes between the parties concerning the interpretation or application of the treaty or the existence of any fact which, if established, might constitute a breach of the treaty.

World Bank has been asked to initiate the&nbsp;arbitration process because it had originally brokered the treaty in 1960.&nbsp;

Under the IWT, India has&nbsp;control of three &#39;eastern&#39;&nbsp;rivers&nbsp;&mdash; Ravi, Sutlej and Beas&nbsp;&mdash; and Pakistan has rights over the &#39;western&#39;&nbsp;rivers&nbsp;&mdash; Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, though India can use 20 per cent of the &#39;western&#39;&nbsp;rivers for power generation purposes.

But there has been a protracted issue about how&nbsp;Kishanganga and Rattle&nbsp;power projects have been set up by India despite mediation by the International Court of Justice in 2013.

Pakistan has objected to the power&nbsp;plant being built on Kishanganga river because India has planned to build a 24-km tunnel to divert water for generating more electricity. Islamabad say they will get less water if water is diverted.

Kishanganga river is in the Kashmir region and eventually meets Jhelum river in Pakistan.

Islamabad has also objected to the Rattle power project on Chenab river for its faulty designs.&nbsp;

But the Indian government is keen on revoking the treaty&nbsp;because they feel Pakistan has failed to rein in jihadist groups from launching cross-border attacks.&nbsp;

Pakistan&#39;s top diplomat Sartaj Aziz reacted strongly, saying India&#39;s threat of ignoring the agreement would be seen as an &quot;act of war&quot;.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

After the September 18 Uri attack India plans to make maximum use of waters that feed into Pakistan

Pakistan has approached the World Bank to step in and prevent India from abrogating the Indus Waters Treaty. "In the meeting with the Pakistani delegation the World Bank committed itself to timely fulfilling its obligations under the treaty while remaining neutral," a statement released by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington read, The Dawn reported. Pakistan also urged the World Bank to set up a court of arbitration quickly by selecting three judges in order to thwart India's plans to make maximum use of waters of rivers that are governed by Pakistan. New Delhi's threat to pull the plug on the water-distribution treaty had come a few days after 18 soldiers stationed in Uri, Kashmir, were killed by four armed men, who India believe were helped by Pakistan. Back in Washington, a Pakistani delegate, led by attorney general Ashtar Ausaf Ali, told the World Bank that India's threat was a breach of Article IX of the Indus Waters Treaty. The Article IX of the treaty deals with arbitration of disputes between the parties concerning the interpretation or application of the treaty or the existence of any fact which, if established, might constitute a breach of the treaty. World Bank has been asked to initiate the arbitration process because it had originally brokered the treaty in 1960. Under the IWT, India has control of three 'eastern' rivers — Ravi, Sutlej and Beas — and Pakistan has rights over the 'western' rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, though India can use 20 per cent of the 'western' rivers for power generation purposes. But there has been a protracted issue about how Kishanganga and Rattle power projects have been set up by India despite mediation by the International Court of Justice in 2013. Pakistan has objected to the power plant being built on Kishanganga river because India has planned to build a 24-km tunnel to divert water for generating more electricity. Islamabad say they will get less water if water is diverted. Kishanganga river is in the Kashmir region and eventually meets Jhelum river in Pakistan. Islamabad has also objected to the Rattle power project on Chenab river for its faulty designs. But the Indian government is keen on revoking the treaty because they feel Pakistan has failed to rein in jihadist groups from launching cross-border attacks. Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz reacted strongly, saying India's threat of ignoring the agreement would be seen as an "act of war". (WION with inputs from agencies)

Indian threat to dam up Indus waters makes Pakistan seek World Bank help

After taking on Pakistan for &quot;exporting terror&quot;, Indian&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly chair a high-level meeting to review&nbsp;the Indus Waters treaty -- signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 --&nbsp;on Monday.

Reports said&nbsp;Modi will meet officials from the foreign, water resources,&nbsp;and other ministries, and that the meeting will look at the pros and cons of the treaty under which&nbsp;India and Pakistan share the waters of six rivers.

PTI however said there had been no official confirmation that the meeting would be held.

And that officials of the water resources and foreign ministries&nbsp;denied any knowledge of such a meeting being convened by the Prime Minister.&nbsp;

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<h5>There have been consistent calls in India to scrap the treaty which gives 80% of waters from six rivers shared by the two countries to Pakistan</h5>
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There have been consistent calls in India for the government to scrap the treaty in order&nbsp;to mount pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack on September 18 on the army camp in Uri, Kashmir in which 18 Indian soldiers lost their lives.

The treaty&nbsp;gives up to 80% of the waters of six rivers &mdash;? the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum &mdash; shared by the two countries&nbsp;to Pakistan and has&nbsp;therefore been called, in India,&nbsp;&quot;too soft&quot; on Pakistan.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
The treaty&nbsp;was signed by Indian&nbsp;Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960. 
 
(WION, this report first appeared in DNA)

The meeting comes in response to the terror attack on an Indian army camp in Kashmir in which 18 soldiers lost their lives

After taking on Pakistan for "exporting terror", Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly chair a high-level meeting to review the Indus Waters treaty -- signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 -- on Monday. Reports said Modi will meet officials from the foreign, water resources, and other ministries, and that the meeting will look at the pros and cons of the treaty under which India and Pakistan share the waters of six rivers. PTI however said there had been no official confirmation that the meeting would be held. And that officials of the water resources and foreign ministries denied any knowledge of such a meeting being convened by the Prime Minister. There have been consistent calls in India to scrap the treaty which gives 80% of waters from six rivers shared by the two countries to Pakistan There have been consistent calls in India for the government to scrap the treaty in order to mount pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack on September 18 on the army camp in Uri, Kashmir in which 18 Indian soldiers lost their lives. The treaty gives up to 80% of the waters of six rivers —? the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum — shared by the two countries to Pakistan and has therefore been called, in India, "too soft" on Pakistan. The treaty was signed by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960. (WION, this report first appeared in DNA)

India PM Modi may chair meeting today to review Indus Waters Treaty

As tensions continue to fester between India and Pakistan following the September 18 Uri attack that left at least 18 Indian soldiers dead, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now called for a meeting to review the Most Favoured Nation status to the neighbouring country.

&nbsp;

After insisting that &quot;blood and water cannot flow together&quot; while referring to the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan during a meeting held yesterday, Modi will now hold a review meet on Thursday to discuss the Most Favoured Nation Status.

&nbsp;

Officials from the Indian ministry of external affairs and commerce ministry, along with other top officials, are expected to attend the meeting, local media reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It&#39;s pertinent to mention that Indian minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj also talked tough&nbsp;on Monday while addressing the United Nations and said that Kashmir Valley is an integral part of India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

What is MFN status?&nbsp;

MFN status is when a country enjoys the best trade terms given by its trading partner, according to the World Trade Organisation.&nbsp;This also means that the favoured nation also receives the lowest tariffs, lesser number of trade barriers, and highest import quotas (or none at all).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In other words, it may be said, that all &#39;Most Favoured Nation&#39; trade partners must be treated equally.

&nbsp;

Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners. This principle is known as Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) treatment.

&nbsp;

India&ndash;Pakistan trade relations, however,&nbsp;are abysmally low accounting for less than half a per cent of India&rsquo;s total global trade involving both exports and imports, India&#39;s apex industry body ASSOCHAM has said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agenies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

After talking tough on Indus Water Treaty, Indian Prime Minister will now hold a review meeting on Thursday to review the MFN status

As tensions continue to fester between India and Pakistan following the September 18 Uri attack that left at least 18 Indian soldiers dead, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now called for a meeting to review the Most Favoured Nation status to the neighbouring country. After insisting that "blood and water cannot flow together" while referring to the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan during a meeting held yesterday, Modi will now hold a review meet on Thursday to discuss the Most Favoured Nation Status. Officials from the Indian ministry of external affairs and commerce ministry, along with other top officials, are expected to attend the meeting, local media reported. It's pertinent to mention that Indian minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj also talked tough on Monday while addressing the United Nations and said that Kashmir Valley is an integral part of India. What is MFN status? MFN status is when a country enjoys the best trade terms given by its trading partner, according to the World Trade Organisation. This also means that the favoured nation also receives the lowest tariffs, lesser number of trade barriers, and highest import quotas (or none at all). In other words, it may be said, that all 'Most Favoured Nation' trade partners must be treated equally. Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners. This principle is known as Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) treatment. India–Pakistan trade relations, however, are abysmally low accounting for less than half a per cent of India’s total global trade involving both exports and imports, India's apex industry body ASSOCHAM has said. (WION with inputs from agenies)

India to review Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan

The Uri attack could be a result of the ongoing Kashmir unrest, feels Pakistan Prime MInister Nawaz Sharif. 
 
&quot;The Uri attack can be the reaction of the atrocities in Kashmir, as the close relatives and near and dear ones of those killed and blinded over the last two months were hurt and outraged,&quot; Sharif told reporters on Friday. 
 
Sharif was referring to the civil unrest that has gripped Kashmir ever since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter by Indian security forces on July 8. 
 
The killing sparked massive statewide protests, some of which degenerated into clashes with Indian forces. Eighty one Kashmiris have been killed in the clampdown so far. 
 
Sharif also seemed nonplussed as to how India blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack just a few hours after it took place. He said India was &quot;irresponsible&quot; for blaming Pakistan &quot;without any evidence&quot;. 
 
&quot;How could India accuse Pakistan only hours after the Uri incident without holding any inquiry or investigation,&quot; Sharif told Pakistani media reports, Reuters reported. 
 
Sharif, who had stopped over in London during his journey back to Islamabad from the UN session in New York, put the spotlight on the &quot;brutalities being perpetrated against innocent Kashmiris&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
He also urged India to probe the deaths of Kashmiri protesters. 
 
Eighteen soldiers were killed when four armed men launched a fidayeen attack on a heavily-guarded army camp in Uri, Kashmir, on September 18. 
 
The Indian government blamed Pakistan for helping Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives in perpetrating one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in Kashmir in the last 20 years.&nbsp; 
 
India has since then upped the ante on Pakistan&#39;s patchy terrorism record in global fora, with its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj expected to raise the issue again during her UN speech on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Nawaz Sharif also criticised India for blaming Pakistan 'without any evidence'

The Uri attack could be a result of the ongoing Kashmir unrest, feels Pakistan Prime MInister Nawaz Sharif. "The Uri attack can be the reaction of the atrocities in Kashmir, as the close relatives and near and dear ones of those killed and blinded over the last two months were hurt and outraged," Sharif told reporters on Friday. Sharif was referring to the civil unrest that has gripped Kashmir ever since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter by Indian security forces on July 8. The killing sparked massive statewide protests, some of which degenerated into clashes with Indian forces. Eighty one Kashmiris have been killed in the clampdown so far. Sharif also seemed nonplussed as to how India blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack just a few hours after it took place. He said India was "irresponsible" for blaming Pakistan "without any evidence". "How could India accuse Pakistan only hours after the Uri incident without holding any inquiry or investigation," Sharif told Pakistani media reports, Reuters reported. Sharif, who had stopped over in London during his journey back to Islamabad from the UN session in New York, put the spotlight on the "brutalities being perpetrated against innocent Kashmiris". He also urged India to probe the deaths of Kashmiri protesters. Eighteen soldiers were killed when four armed men launched a fidayeen attack on a heavily-guarded army camp in Uri, Kashmir, on September 18. The Indian government blamed Pakistan for helping Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives in perpetrating one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in Kashmir in the last 20 years. India has since then upped the ante on Pakistan's patchy terrorism record in global fora, with its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj expected to raise the issue again during her UN speech on Monday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Uri attack could be reaction of people to situation in Kashmir: Sharif

Pakistan plans to take Interpol&#39;s help in extraditing Baloch&nbsp;separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, interior minister&nbsp;Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said. 
 
&quot;The Federal Investigation Agency will send a formal reference to Interpol within the next few days for the extradition of Brahamdagh Bugti,&quot;&nbsp;Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune quoted him as saying. 
 
The call for extradition comes after Bugti approached the Indian consulate in Geneva, where he is living in exile, to inquire about India&#39;s asylum process.&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s interior ministry has recieved his application for asylum and will be reviewing it.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Their [Indians&#39;] feelings about Brahamdagh Bugti and their invitation to him unmistakably establish who is behind terrorism (in Balochistan),&quot; Nisar said. 
 
The minister also said, &quot;The Indians don&#39;t have any evidence, so what sort of investigation can Pakistan carry out? They have blamed us just to defame Pakistan,&quot; referring to the Uri attack, in which 18 Indian army soldiers were killed in an encounter with four militants.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from ANI) 
 
&nbsp;

Baloch separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti recently asked India, which has backed his cause, to grant him political asylum

Pakistan plans to take Interpol's help in extraditing Baloch separatist leader Brahamdagh Bugti, interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said. "The Federal Investigation Agency will send a formal reference to Interpol within the next few days for the extradition of Brahamdagh Bugti," Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune quoted him as saying. The call for extradition comes after Bugti approached the Indian consulate in Geneva, where he is living in exile, to inquire about India's asylum process. India's interior ministry has recieved his application for asylum and will be reviewing it. "Their [Indians'] feelings about Brahamdagh Bugti and their invitation to him unmistakably establish who is behind terrorism (in Balochistan)," Nisar said. The minister also said, "The Indians don't have any evidence, so what sort of investigation can Pakistan carry out? They have blamed us just to defame Pakistan," referring to the Uri attack, in which 18 Indian army soldiers were killed in an encounter with four militants. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Pakistan plans to take Interpol's help in extraditing Baloch leader

China has assured its support to Pakistan in case of any foreign aggression and in its stance on the Kashmir issue, the Dawn reported on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
Beijing conveyed the message in a&nbsp;meeting of its top diplomats&nbsp;in Lahore with chief minister Shahbaz Sharif 
 
The daily cited a press release issued by Shahbaz Sharif&#39;s office. 
 
&quot;In case of any [foreign] aggression our country will extend its full support to Pakistan,&quot; the statement quoted Consul General of China in Lahore Yu Boren as saying, 
 
According to the Dawn, the statement said that Beijing &quot;will be siding with Pakistan on Kashmir issue&quot;. The statement further said the issue should be solved in accordance with aspirations of the Kashmiris. 
 
(WION with inputs from ANI) 
 
&nbsp;

Beijing conveyed the message in a?meeting of its top diplomats?in Lahore, according to the Dawn

China has assured its support to Pakistan in case of any foreign aggression and in its stance on the Kashmir issue, the Dawn reported on Saturday. Beijing conveyed the message in a meeting of its top diplomats in Lahore with chief minister Shahbaz Sharif The daily cited a press release issued by Shahbaz Sharif's office. "In case of any [foreign] aggression our country will extend its full support to Pakistan," the statement quoted Consul General of China in Lahore Yu Boren as saying, According to the Dawn, the statement said that Beijing "will be siding with Pakistan on Kashmir issue". The statement further said the issue should be solved in accordance with aspirations of the Kashmiris. (WION with inputs from ANI)

China assures Pakistan of support in case of foreign aggression

Speaking at a national meet of his party the BJP&nbsp;in India&#39;s southern state of Kerala on Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to directly address the people of Pakistan. 
 
The Indian Prime Minister&nbsp;challenged the people of Pakistan to a fight -- but one to end poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy in his first speech after the Uri attack in Kashmir in which 18 Indian soldiers had been killed. 
 
&quot;Let us see which country wins, India or Pakistan,&quot; he said. 
 
Modi said both India and Pakistan will win when they stand together and&nbsp;speak in one voice. 
 
But while he extended an olive branch to the people of&nbsp;Pakistan, it wasn&#39;t all sugary sweet. Prime Minister Modi also adopted a harder tone, and warned Pakistan that the Uri attack would not be forgotten by India. 
 
&quot;Terrorists should hear out clearly that India will never forget the Uri attack.... I want to tell the leadership of Pakistan that the sacrifice of our 18 jawans (soldiers) will not go in vain,&quot; Modi said at a public meeting held on the Kozhikode beach on the sidelines of the BJP&#39;s national meet. 
 
Referring to the country again, he said: &quot;India has never bowed before terrorists, and it never will. Because of one country, the entire continent of Asia is beleaguered with terrorism. The country wants blood, wants to kill innocents and is stuck to doing that.&rdquo; 
 
And he blamed Pakistan for &quot;exporting&quot;&nbsp;the terrorists who carried out the attack on the Indian army camp in Kashmir last Sunday. 
 
&quot;The leaders of the neighbouring country who read out scripts written by terrorists are singing the Kashmir song. Today from here, I want to talk to people of Pakistan directly. I want to remind them that before 1947, your forefathers had saluted this land,&quot; he said. 
 
He went on to add that every terrorist attack in South Asia -- be it&nbsp;Bangladesh or Afghanistan -- can be traced back to Pakistan. And that the country was responsible for harbouring terrorists. 
 
&quot;Every nation is holding only one country responsible for terrorism. Only one country in Asia is safe haven for terrorists. This is the only country engaged in exporting terror across the world. 
 
&quot;Terrorism is enemy of humanity. Humanitarians all over the world have to unite and condemn terror,&quot; he said. 
 
Mr Modi asked the people of Pakistan to question their leaders. 
 
&quot;You should ask your leaders why they were not able to handle PoK, erstwhile Bangladesh, Pakhtunistan, Gilgit and Balochistan and were trying to mislead you by talking about Kashmir,&quot; he said. 
 
He told them their government&nbsp;cannot &quot;handle&quot;&nbsp;Pakistan-controlled&nbsp;Kashmir but misleads its own people by talking about Kashmir. 
 
&quot;Ask them,&nbsp;you can&#39;t handle Gilgit, PoK, Balochistan which is with you, then why mislead people by talking of Kashmir?&rdquo; 
 
The 21st&nbsp;century is Asia&#39;s century, Mr Modi said, but that added that&nbsp;one country was hindering the continent&#39;s success. He was of course referring again to Pakistan. 
 
&quot;All countries in Asia is working forward to make sure that 21st century becomes Asia&#39;s 21st century except one country. There is one nation in Asia whose aim is this century does not become Asia&#39;s and is associated with terrorism. Question is not only about India, everywhere this is one country which is exporting terrorism everywhere,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION, with inputs from DNA and PTI)

He challenged them to a fight -- but one to end poverty and unemployment. Then got tough, said 'India will never forget Uri attack'

Speaking at a national meet of his party the BJP in India's southern state of Kerala on Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to directly address the people of Pakistan. The Indian Prime Minister challenged the people of Pakistan to a fight -- but one to end poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy in his first speech after the Uri attack in Kashmir in which 18 Indian soldiers had been killed. "Let us see which country wins, India or Pakistan," he said. Modi said both India and Pakistan will win when they stand together and speak in one voice. But while he extended an olive branch to the people of Pakistan, it wasn't all sugary sweet. Prime Minister Modi also adopted a harder tone, and warned Pakistan that the Uri attack would not be forgotten by India. "Terrorists should hear out clearly that India will never forget the Uri attack.... I want to tell the leadership of Pakistan that the sacrifice of our 18 jawans (soldiers) will not go in vain," Modi said at a public meeting held on the Kozhikode beach on the sidelines of the BJP's national meet. Referring to the country again, he said: "India has never bowed before terrorists, and it never will. Because of one country, the entire continent of Asia is beleaguered with terrorism. The country wants blood, wants to kill innocents and is stuck to doing that.” And he blamed Pakistan for "exporting" the terrorists who carried out the attack on the Indian army camp in Kashmir last Sunday. "The leaders of the neighbouring country who read out scripts written by terrorists are singing the Kashmir song. Today from here, I want to talk to people of Pakistan directly. I want to remind them that before 1947, your forefathers had saluted this land," he said. He went on to add that every terrorist attack in South Asia -- be it Bangladesh or Afghanistan -- can be traced back to Pakistan. And that the country was responsible for harbouring terrorists. "Every nation is holding only one country responsible for terrorism. Only one country in Asia is safe haven for terrorists. This is the only country engaged in exporting terror across the world. "Terrorism is enemy of humanity. Humanitarians all over the world have to unite and condemn terror," he said. Mr Modi asked the people of Pakistan to question their leaders. "You should ask your leaders why they were not able to handle PoK, erstwhile Bangladesh, Pakhtunistan, Gilgit and Balochistan and were trying to mislead you by talking about Kashmir," he said. He told them their government cannot "handle" Pakistan-controlled Kashmir but misleads its own people by talking about Kashmir. "Ask them, you can't handle Gilgit, PoK, Balochistan which is with you, then why mislead people by talking of Kashmir?” The 21st century is Asia's century, Mr Modi said, but that added that one country was hindering the continent's success. He was of course referring again to Pakistan. "All countries in Asia is working forward to make sure that 21st century becomes Asia's 21st century except one country. There is one nation in Asia whose aim is this century does not become Asia's and is associated with terrorism. Question is not only about India, everywhere this is one country which is exporting terrorism everywhere," he said. (WION, with inputs from DNA and PTI)

In first public address after Kashmir terror strike, Indian PM Modi addresses people of Pakistan

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