Pakistan's army has denied abducting a British-Pakistani activist known for criticising the military, in an incident that prompted a wave of condemnation and increased fears of a crackdown on free speech.

Gul Bukhari, 52, was detained for several hours by unknown men in the eastern city of Lahore late Tuesday, one day after the military held a press conference warning that it is monitoring citizens who criticise Pakistan.

She was released early Wednesday.

Pakistan has a history of enforced disappearances, often of people who criticise the security establishment -- largely seen as a red line few dare cross. The kidnappings have become increasingly brazen in recent years.

Bukhari is known for advocating human rights online and is also a prominent columnist whose articles are often highly critical of the military and its policies.

When news of her abduction broke it caused a furore, with widespread calls for her release and fingers broadly pointed at the military.&nbsp

The British High Commission expressed "concern" at the incident as activists called on the army, which is the most powerful institution in Pakistan and has ruled the country for nearly half its 70-year history, to tolerate dissent.

"(The) army is not behind the abduction of Gul Bukhari," Major General Asif Ghafoor, chief military spokesman, told reporters late Friday.

"We actually want a thorough investigation in this case," he said.

The military routinely says it is not involved in enforced disappearances, but the statement was a rare on-the-record denial.

It came as the powerful army is facing growing criticism of its policies within Pakistan, from disappearances to the use of militant proxies in Afghanistan and India.

A burgeoning civil rights movement by the country's ethnic Pashtuns and recent comments from former prime minister Nawaz Sharif have increasingly criticised the generals and caused uproar in the country.

Journalists have spoken of "pressure" not to cover the criticisms, adding to an atmosphere of repression.

During a wide-ranging press conference Monday that appeared to address the mounting criticism, the military issued a veiled warning to online critics, saying it has the capacity to monitor social media accounts.

Ghafoor briefly flashed an image on screen showing what appeared to be Twitter handles and names, including of at least one prominent journalist, but refused to elaborate further, fuelling the outcry over free speech.

Late Friday he said they "did not intend to implicate journalists".

Activists remained sceptical of the military's role in disappearances and curtailing of free speech.

"If they did not do it, then they need to come up with an action, a plan of enquiry (to investigate) who did," said Shahzad Ahmed, head of Bytes for All, a think-tank working for digital security and free speech.

"So far the fingers are being pointed towards them." &nbsp&nbsp

Gul Bukhari, 52, was detained for several hours by unknown men in the eastern city of Lahore late Tuesday, one day after the military held a press conference warning that it is monitoring citizens who criticise Pakistan.

Pakistan's army has denied abducting a British-Pakistani activist known for criticising the military, in an incident that prompted a wave of condemnation and increased fears of a crackdown on free speech. Gul Bukhari, 52, was detained for several hours by unknown men in the eastern city of Lahore late Tuesday, one day after the military held a press conference warning that it is monitoring citizens who criticise Pakistan. She was released early Wednesday. Pakistan has a history of enforced disappearances, often of people who criticise the security establishment -- largely seen as a red line few dare cross. The kidnappings have become increasingly brazen in recent years. Bukhari is known for advocating human rights online and is also a prominent columnist whose articles are often highly critical of the military and its policies. When news of her abduction broke it caused a furore, with widespread calls for her release and fingers broadly pointed at the military. The British High Commission expressed "concern" at the incident as activists called on the army, which is the most powerful institution in Pakistan and has ruled the country for nearly half its 70-year history, to tolerate dissent. "(The) army is not behind the abduction of Gul Bukhari," Major General Asif Ghafoor, chief military spokesman, told reporters late Friday. "We actually want a thorough investigation in this case," he said. The military routinely says it is not involved in enforced disappearances, but the statement was a rare on-the-record denial. It came as the powerful army is facing growing criticism of its policies within Pakistan, from disappearances to the use of militant proxies in Afghanistan and India. A burgeoning civil rights movement by the country's ethnic Pashtuns and recent comments from former prime minister Nawaz Sharif have increasingly criticised the generals and caused uproar in the country. Journalists have spoken of "pressure" not to cover the criticisms, adding to an atmosphere of repression. During a wide-ranging press conference Monday that appeared to address the mounting criticism, the military issued a veiled warning to online critics, saying it has the capacity to monitor social media accounts. Ghafoor briefly flashed an image on screen showing what appeared to be Twitter handles and names, including of at least one prominent journalist, but refused to elaborate further, fuelling the outcry over free speech. Late Friday he said they "did not intend to implicate journalists". Activists remained sceptical of the military's role in disappearances and curtailing of free speech. "If they did not do it, then they need to come up with an action, a plan of enquiry (to investigate) who did," said Shahzad Ahmed, head of Bytes for All, a think-tank working for digital security and free speech. "So far the fingers are being pointed towards them."

Pakistan army denies abducting British activist

Residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK) Kotli district have accused security forces of illegal encroachment.

"What is your right to do this? You first captured our estate, and now, you are capturing our plots. We will not leave," the residents can be heard saying in a video clip.

PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) often stage widespread protests against Pakistan's ill-treatment of the region and its people.

The residents blame Pakistan for exploiting resources from PoK and for being responsible for the poverty and underdevelopment in the region.

The locals, including various leaders and activists, have also been accusing the Pakistani Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of enforced disappearance, extra-judicial killings and human rights violation.

India has been bearing the brunt of Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for over three decades.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Locals of Kotli district in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) accuse Pakistan security forces of illegal encroachment, say, "what is your right to do this? You first captured our estate & now you are capturing our plots. We will not leave." <a href="https://t.co/e0lMJM70ym">pic.twitter.com/e0lMJM70ym</a>
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&nbsp

PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) often stage widespread protests against Pakistan's ill-treatment of the region and its people.

Residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK) Kotli district have accused security forces of illegal encroachment. "What is your right to do this? You first captured our estate, and now, you are capturing our plots. We will not leave," the residents can be heard saying in a video clip. PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) often stage widespread protests against Pakistan's ill-treatment of the region and its people. The residents blame Pakistan for exploiting resources from PoK and for being responsible for the poverty and underdevelopment in the region. The locals, including various leaders and activists, have also been accusing the Pakistani Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of enforced disappearance, extra-judicial killings and human rights violation. India has been bearing the brunt of Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for over three decades. #WATCH Locals of Kotli district in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) accuse Pakistan security forces of illegal encroachment, say, "what is your right to do this? You first captured our estate & now you are capturing our plots. We will not leave." pic.twitter.com/e0lMJM70ym — ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2018 ×

First you captured our Kashmir, now our plots: PoK Kashmiris to Pakistan army

For a long time, India and many across the world have been saying that the Pakistan army that has been calling the shots in and not the civilian leadership. For the first time, documentary proof has shown, how Rawalpindi has been behind Pakistan's foreign policy.

Explosive revelations from Hillary Clinton's mails have shown how the Pakistani Army has been influencing Pakistani foreign policy.

Former Pakistani foreign minister Heena Rabbani Khar was reportedly under pressure from the Pakistani Army not to attend a conference in Bonn on Afghanistan.&nbsp;

The emails say:

"She said that during the defense committee meeting yesterday, the military had pressed hard for her to announce that she would not go to Bonn, but that she had been able to prevent that . But she was not sure she could sustain that argument in the days ahead.”

Ultimately, Pakistan withdrew from participation in the Bonn Conference due to a NATO airstrike in its territory on November 26, 2011 that resulted in the deaths of 26 Pakistani soldiers.

The emails confirmed&nbsp;how the military was responsible for Pakistan not participating in the Bonn conference.

“The Pakistani defence committee concluded its emergency meeting, called to discuss response to the November 27th Mohmand border incident. The MFA desk officer called to inform us of two decisions."

1st: Pakistan will not attend the Bonn conference

2nd: Foreign minister Khar urgently requests to speak with the secretary to explain that decision, as soon as possible.&nbsp;Khar is travelling by car to Lahore. Her cell phone number is... ”

The German ambassador in Pakistan had phoned the then Pakistan foreign minister and asked her to take part in the meet. The 5th December 2011 International Conference on Afghanistan was an important meet. Delegations from 85 states, 15 international organizations and the United Nations attended the conference.

The US did apologize for the 26 November 2011 incident that killed Pakistani soldiers. Secretary Clinton had called on foreign minister Khar and had said sorry.&nbsp;

Hillary said that the US is committed to working closely with "Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent this from ever happening again”.&nbsp;

The foreign minister of Pakistan informed that ground supply lines into Afghanistan are opening and Islamabad won't charge any transit fee in the larger interest of peace and security in Afghanistan.

Closing ground supplies the been the best possible blackmailing technique of Islamabad to trouble US in Afghanistan.

The mails also show how Pakistan's permanent representative Maleeha Lodhi has been acting as conduit between the then secretary of state Hillary Clinton and the then Pakistani army chief Kayani.

In a mail it is written:

"I got a call from Maleeha Lodhi (former Pakistan Ambassador to US and UK) who is in London. She gave a message from Kayani."

The Pakistani foreign minister Khar had even messaged the then secretary of state Hillary Clinton after Malala was shot. Khar had appreciated Clinton’s strong statement regarding Malala Yousafzai.

The mails clearly show what is known to the world for a long time. It's Rawalpindi that has been calling the shots and not Islamabad when it comes to Pakistan's foreign policy.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Closing ground supplies the been the best possible blackmailing technique of Islamabad to trouble US in Afghanistan.

For a long time, India and many across the world have been saying that the Pakistan army that has been calling the shots in and not the civilian leadership. For the first time, documentary proof has shown, how Rawalpindi has been behind Pakistan's foreign policy. Explosive revelations from Hillary Clinton's mails have shown how the Pakistani Army has been influencing Pakistani foreign policy. Former Pakistani foreign minister Heena Rabbani Khar was reportedly under pressure from the Pakistani Army not to attend a conference in Bonn on Afghanistan. The emails say: "She said that during the defense committee meeting yesterday, the military had pressed hard for her to announce that she would not go to Bonn, but that she had been able to prevent that . But she was not sure she could sustain that argument in the days ahead.” Ultimately, Pakistan withdrew from participation in the Bonn Conference due to a NATO airstrike in its territory on November 26, 2011 that resulted in the deaths of 26 Pakistani soldiers. The emails confirmed how the military was responsible for Pakistan not participating in the Bonn conference. “The Pakistani defence committee concluded its emergency meeting, called to discuss response to the November 27th Mohmand border incident. The MFA desk officer called to inform us of two decisions." 1st: Pakistan will not attend the Bonn conference 2nd: Foreign minister Khar urgently requests to speak with the secretary to explain that decision, as soon as possible. Khar is travelling by car to Lahore. Her cell phone number is... ” The German ambassador in Pakistan had phoned the then Pakistan foreign minister and asked her to take part in the meet. The 5th December 2011 International Conference on Afghanistan was an important meet. Delegations from 85 states, 15 international organizations and the United Nations attended the conference. The US did apologize for the 26 November 2011 incident that killed Pakistani soldiers. Secretary Clinton had called on foreign minister Khar and had said sorry. Hillary said that the US is committed to working closely with "Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent this from ever happening again”. The foreign minister of Pakistan informed that ground supply lines into Afghanistan are opening and Islamabad won't charge any transit fee in the larger interest of peace and security in Afghanistan. Closing ground supplies the been the best possible blackmailing technique of Islamabad to trouble US in Afghanistan. The mails also show how Pakistan's permanent representative Maleeha Lodhi has been acting as conduit between the then secretary of state Hillary Clinton and the then Pakistani army chief Kayani. In a mail it is written: "I got a call from Maleeha Lodhi (former Pakistan Ambassador to US and UK) who is in London. She gave a message from Kayani." The Pakistani foreign minister Khar had even messaged the then secretary of state Hillary Clinton after Malala was shot. Khar had appreciated Clinton’s strong statement regarding Malala Yousafzai. The mails clearly show what is known to the world for a long time. It's Rawalpindi that has been calling the shots and not Islamabad when it comes to Pakistan's foreign policy.

Watch: Hillary Clinton's mail trail shows how Pak Army influences foreign policy

The Pakistan Army is said to be 'extremely upset' with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's alleged admission that Pakistan had a significant role to play in the terrorist attacks that took place across Mumbai between November 26 and 29, 2008, which claimed the lives of 166 persons and injured more than 300.

It may be recalled that on Saturday evening, in an interview given to the Dawn newspaper, Sharif suggested terrorists from Pakistan had "crossed the border" to attack Mumbai and added that such terror strikes could have been prevented.

In the interview, Sharif said, "Militant organisations (in Pakistan) are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial?"

Sharif, however, did not name Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed or known terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Jaish-e-Mohammad that the international community clearly acknowledges as operating from Pakistan soil with impunity in the interview.

Sharif also lamented that Pakistan had isolated itself. He seemed to suggest that Islamabad should look into why its narrative that "it had been fighting terrorism had not been accepted by the international community despite sacrifices".

Sharif's statement has, according to sources, left the Pakistan Army extremely worried that "this will give more weight to India's narrative that Pakistan is not doing enough" to rein in terrorist modules operating from its soil, and particularly from areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

According to sources, the top brass of the army is particularly concerned about "Sharif's statement tilting the balance sufficiently enough to put Pakistan in the blacklist of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a Paris-based inter-governmental organisation founded in 1989 on the initiative of the Group of Seven (G-7) nations to develop policies to combat money laundering. Pakistan is already on the grey list for the last three months.

According to sources, Sharif is reportedly under pressure from his ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the army to retract his statement immediately or issue a clarification. However, there is no indication by the latter that he will do so.

Various media reports are saying that the Pakistan Army is expected to hold a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss what it described as a "recent misleading media statement" about the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

The spokesman of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet on Sunday that the National Security Committee (NSC), consisting of Pakistan's top civil and military leadership, will meet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today to discuss key national issues.

"The NSC meeting suggested to Prime Minister to discuss recent misleading media statement regarding Bombay incident. Being held tomorrow morning," said Major General Ghafoor in his tweet on Sunday.

New Delhi has long held and accused the Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai in 2008 with the help of ten well-armed terrorists. These attackers arrived on boat from Karachi and according to the Indian government, carried out the violent strikes across Mumbai in coordination with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

The 26/11 case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan since 2009, but has hardly made any progress.

India maintains that Pakistan has not kept its end of the bargain and sent the case to court without really investigating the conspiracy that led to the attacks.

Islamabad, however, squarely blames New Delhi for not providing it with "solid evidence" against prime accused Hafiz Saeed and others.

"Sharif's apparently conciliatory remark on the state's role in terrorism may not result in a concrete shift in Pakistan's position.&nbsp;

Sharif had suggested, in an interview given to Dawn newspaper, that terrorists from Pakistan had 'crossed the border' to attack Mumbai. He added that such terror strikes could have been prevented.

The Pakistan Army is said to be 'extremely upset' with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's alleged admission that Pakistan had a significant role to play in the terrorist attacks that took place across Mumbai between November 26 and 29, 2008, which claimed the lives of 166 persons and injured more than 300. It may be recalled that on Saturday evening, in an interview given to the Dawn newspaper, Sharif suggested terrorists from Pakistan had "crossed the border" to attack Mumbai and added that such terror strikes could have been prevented. In the interview, Sharif said, "Militant organisations (in Pakistan) are active. Call them non-state actors, should we allow them to cross the border and kill 150 people in Mumbai? Explain it to me. Why can't we complete the trial?" Sharif, however, did not name Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed or known terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Jaish-e-Mohammad that the international community clearly acknowledges as operating from Pakistan soil with impunity in the interview. Sharif also lamented that Pakistan had isolated itself. He seemed to suggest that Islamabad should look into why its narrative that "it had been fighting terrorism had not been accepted by the international community despite sacrifices". Sharif's statement has, according to sources, left the Pakistan Army extremely worried that "this will give more weight to India's narrative that Pakistan is not doing enough" to rein in terrorist modules operating from its soil, and particularly from areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to sources, the top brass of the army is particularly concerned about "Sharif's statement tilting the balance sufficiently enough to put Pakistan in the blacklist of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a Paris-based inter-governmental organisation founded in 1989 on the initiative of the Group of Seven (G-7) nations to develop policies to combat money laundering. Pakistan is already on the grey list for the last three months. According to sources, Sharif is reportedly under pressure from his ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the army to retract his statement immediately or issue a clarification. However, there is no indication by the latter that he will do so. Various media reports are saying that the Pakistan Army is expected to hold a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss what it described as a "recent misleading media statement" about the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. The spokesman of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet on Sunday that the National Security Committee (NSC), consisting of Pakistan's top civil and military leadership, will meet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today to discuss key national issues. "The NSC meeting suggested to Prime Minister to discuss recent misleading media statement regarding Bombay incident. Being held tomorrow morning," said Major General Ghafoor in his tweet on Sunday. New Delhi has long held and accused the Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks in Mumbai in 2008 with the help of ten well-armed terrorists. These attackers arrived on boat from Karachi and according to the Indian government, carried out the violent strikes across Mumbai in coordination with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. The 26/11 case is being tried in an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan since 2009, but has hardly made any progress. India maintains that Pakistan has not kept its end of the bargain and sent the case to court without really investigating the conspiracy that led to the attacks. Islamabad, however, squarely blames New Delhi for not providing it with "solid evidence" against prime accused Hafiz Saeed and others. "Sharif's apparently conciliatory remark on the state's role in terrorism may not result in a concrete shift in Pakistan's position.

Pak Army 'extremely upset' with Sharif's admission country played role in 26/11

The Pakistan Army will hold a high-level meeting tomorrow to discuss the "recent misleading media statement" about Mumbai terror attack, officials said today, a day after ousted premier Nawaz Sharif questioned the policy to allow "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

Sharif, for the first time, publicly acknowledged in an interview that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was suggested to call a meeting of the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC), a platform of top civil and military leadership to discuss key national issues.

"The NSC meeting suggested to Prime Minister to discuss recent misleading media statement regarding Bombay incident. Being held tomorrow morning," said Ghafoor.

In an an exclusive interview with Dawn on Friday, Sharif also criticised the apparent delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial.

Sharif, who has been disqualified to hold public office for life by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case, said Pakistan has isolated itself.

He is under attack from opponents as well as some of the estranged leaders from his Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz (PML-N) party for allegedly supporting the Indian narrative on the Mumbai attack case and harming national interests.

Leading opposition leader and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said that Sharif was speaking the language of (Indian Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and cooperating against enemies of Pakistan to harm the country.

"Nawaz Sharif is the modern-day Mir Jafar who collaborated with the British to enslave his nation for personal gains. Nawaz speaking Modi's language against Pak State simply to protect his ill-gotten Rs 300 billion stashed in his sons' companies abroad," he said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Sharif's younger brother Shahbaz Sharif said that media misrepresented views of the former prime minister.

"Can anybody think that Nawaz Sharif will say such things," he said.

But already Sharif's interview has been created a huge controversy in Pakistan.

Dunya TV reported that a local has approached the police in Chakwal district to register a criminal case against him for endangering security of the country.&nbsp

Sharif, for the first time, publicly acknowledged in an interview that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

The Pakistan Army will hold a high-level meeting tomorrow to discuss the "recent misleading media statement" about Mumbai terror attack, officials said today, a day after ousted premier Nawaz Sharif questioned the policy to allow "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai. Sharif, for the first time, publicly acknowledged in an interview that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai. Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was suggested to call a meeting of the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC), a platform of top civil and military leadership to discuss key national issues. "The NSC meeting suggested to Prime Minister to discuss recent misleading media statement regarding Bombay incident. Being held tomorrow morning," said Ghafoor. In an an exclusive interview with Dawn on Friday, Sharif also criticised the apparent delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial. Sharif, who has been disqualified to hold public office for life by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case, said Pakistan has isolated itself. He is under attack from opponents as well as some of the estranged leaders from his Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz (PML-N) party for allegedly supporting the Indian narrative on the Mumbai attack case and harming national interests. Leading opposition leader and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said that Sharif was speaking the language of (Indian Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and cooperating against enemies of Pakistan to harm the country. "Nawaz Sharif is the modern-day Mir Jafar who collaborated with the British to enslave his nation for personal gains. Nawaz speaking Modi's language against Pak State simply to protect his ill-gotten Rs 300 billion stashed in his sons' companies abroad," he said on Twitter. Meanwhile, Sharif's younger brother Shahbaz Sharif said that media misrepresented views of the former prime minister. "Can anybody think that Nawaz Sharif will say such things," he said. But already Sharif's interview has been created a huge controversy in Pakistan. Dunya TV reported that a local has approached the police in Chakwal district to register a criminal case against him for endangering security of the country.

Pakistan Army calls high-level meet to discuss Sharif's statement on Mumbai terror attack

An exiled Kashmiri leader Shaukat Ali Kashmiri has blamed the Pakistan Army for endorsing terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

Claiming that the Pakistan civil and political organisation have no control over the Pakistan army he said that the army was using them as its proxies against India.

He said that a deliberate attempt was made by Pakistan to use PoK for 'jihadi' activities and that the army is promoting a philosophy that the world is not permanent and one has to die.&nbsp;

He also said that the majority of these terror outfits were based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The exiled leader highlighted the growing instability and lack of development in Pakistan occupied Kashmir which has forced many people to vacate the region.

He also hit out at the multi-billion&nbsp;CPEC project saying that Pakistan and China's were exploiting the resources from PoK and Gilgit baltistan. He added the funds that were meant for the welfare and development of PoK was diverted for other purposes.

"In the past 70 years, our sources of income, including foreign remittances, were not spent for the welfare and empowerment of the people of PoK. They have established a camp to promote 'jihadi' culture. They have endorsed a philosophy that the world is not permanent and one has to die. They want to exploit the resources and occupy territory but tell Kashmiri that this world is temporary. Here, you don't need a good hospital and education and you don't need to live here but to migrate to Saudi Arabia, Britain and the US to earn money. They have promoted a forced migration, which people are not able to understand," he added.

Claiming that the Pakistan civil and political organisation have no control over the Pakistan army he said that the army was using them as its proxies against India

An exiled Kashmiri leader Shaukat Ali Kashmiri has blamed the Pakistan Army for endorsing terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Claiming that the Pakistan civil and political organisation have no control over the Pakistan army he said that the army was using them as its proxies against India. He said that a deliberate attempt was made by Pakistan to use PoK for 'jihadi' activities and that the army is promoting a philosophy that the world is not permanent and one has to die. He also said that the majority of these terror outfits were based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The exiled leader highlighted the growing instability and lack of development in Pakistan occupied Kashmir which has forced many people to vacate the region. He also hit out at the multi-billion CPEC project saying that Pakistan and China's were exploiting the resources from PoK and Gilgit baltistan. He added the funds that were meant for the welfare and development of PoK was diverted for other purposes. "In the past 70 years, our sources of income, including foreign remittances, were not spent for the welfare and empowerment of the people of PoK. They have established a camp to promote 'jihadi' culture. They have endorsed a philosophy that the world is not permanent and one has to die. They want to exploit the resources and occupy territory but tell Kashmiri that this world is temporary. Here, you don't need a good hospital and education and you don't need to live here but to migrate to Saudi Arabia, Britain and the US to earn money. They have promoted a forced migration, which people are not able to understand," he added.

Pakistan army endorsing terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen: Exiled Kashmiri leader

The Army did not establish Pakistan so it will not be ruled on the whims and wishes of anyone, the country's Supreme Court said today as it censured security agencies for their failure to submit a detailed report on a protest led by a hardline cleric last year that paralysed the capital, Islamabad.

Two-member bench comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Musheer Alam heard the suo motu case against the three-week long siege of the capital in November, 2017 by religious groups against so-called changes in the oath by parliamentarians.

Justice Isa used strong words to castigate a representative of the ministry of defence and deputy attorney general when he was informed that security agencies had not prepared any fresh report about the protest.

The judge said that since the previous report was rejected as unsatisfactory, it was the duty of intelligence agencies to come up with the new report, detailing who funded the protest.

"Who is paying you? Who is paying the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)? No one should consider themselves above the law," the judge said, addressing an army officer and deputy attorney general who present for hearing.

He said Pakistan was established through the efforts of a political leader (Jinnah) who was not surrounded by any army brigade.

The army did not establish this country and the state will not be ruled on the whims and wishes of anyone,? he said further.

Last month the court had thrown out a report by ISI by passing highly critical remarks.

This report is deeply unsettling: it has been prepared by one of the premier agencies of the country, yet a journalist could have given more details [about the protests] than this report," Justice Isa had said.

Separately, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also criticised the military while hearing a petition demanding to make an inquiry report about the protest public.

No army in the world is involved in commercial activities but our's is selling even cement, meat and bread,&nbsphe said referring towards alleged commercial activities of armed forces.

He said that the court will summon the defence secretary over the issue.

Two-member bench comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Musheer Alam heard the suo motu case against the three-week long siege of the capital in November, 2017 by religious groups against so-called changes in the oath by parliamentarians.

The Army did not establish Pakistan so it will not be ruled on the whims and wishes of anyone, the country's Supreme Court said today as it censured security agencies for their failure to submit a detailed report on a protest led by a hardline cleric last year that paralysed the capital, Islamabad. Two-member bench comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Musheer Alam heard the suo motu case against the three-week long siege of the capital in November, 2017 by religious groups against so-called changes in the oath by parliamentarians. Justice Isa used strong words to castigate a representative of the ministry of defence and deputy attorney general when he was informed that security agencies had not prepared any fresh report about the protest. The judge said that since the previous report was rejected as unsatisfactory, it was the duty of intelligence agencies to come up with the new report, detailing who funded the protest. "Who is paying you? Who is paying the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)? No one should consider themselves above the law," the judge said, addressing an army officer and deputy attorney general who present for hearing. He said Pakistan was established through the efforts of a political leader (Jinnah) who was not surrounded by any army brigade. The army did not establish this country and the state will not be ruled on the whims and wishes of anyone,? he said further. Last month the court had thrown out a report by ISI by passing highly critical remarks. This report is deeply unsettling: it has been prepared by one of the premier agencies of the country, yet a journalist could have given more details [about the protests] than this report," Justice Isa had said. Separately, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also criticised the military while hearing a petition demanding to make an inquiry report about the protest public. No army in the world is involved in commercial activities but our's is selling even cement, meat and bread,&nbsphe said referring towards alleged commercial activities of armed forces. He said that the court will summon the defence secretary over the issue.

Pak court criticises Army over its failure to submit report on last year's protest

Despite getting no permission from Lahore Police, Pashtun Tahafuz (protection) Movement supporters held a huge rally here on Sunday.

Thousands of protesters gathered at Lahore's Mochi Gate and called for an end to alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of the members of their community.

Though many local media outlets refrained from covering the event, allegedly under the pressure of Pakistan Army, the news of the same still managed to make it to the social media through Twitter.

A Twitter user, Jehangir Khan Wazir, who claims to be associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's youth wing, posted a video clip on Twitter, wherein many protesters could be seen raising slogan against the army.

According to The Dawn, at the event, it was also announced that one more protest rally would be held in Karachi on May 12 to condemn the 2007 violence.

The movement was started by young Pashtun activists who are demanding an end to what they say are human rights violations by authorities in the country's tribal regions.

They have been calling for the removal of military checkpoints in tribal areas and an end to "enforced disappearances" in which suspects are detained by security forces without due process.

 
&nbsp;

Police did not give permission for the rally. And local media outlets refrained from covering the event, allegedly under pressure from the Pakistan Army

Despite getting no permission from Lahore Police, Pashtun Tahafuz (protection) Movement supporters held a huge rally here on Sunday. Thousands of protesters gathered at Lahore's Mochi Gate and called for an end to alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of the members of their community. Though many local media outlets refrained from covering the event, allegedly under the pressure of Pakistan Army, the news of the same still managed to make it to the social media through Twitter. A Twitter user, Jehangir Khan Wazir, who claims to be associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's youth wing, posted a video clip on Twitter, wherein many protesters could be seen raising slogan against the army. According to The Dawn, at the event, it was also announced that one more protest rally would be held in Karachi on May 12 to condemn the 2007 violence. The movement was started by young Pashtun activists who are demanding an end to what they say are human rights violations by authorities in the country's tribal regions. They have been calling for the removal of military checkpoints in tribal areas and an end to "enforced disappearances" in which suspects are detained by security forces without due process.

Lahore: Pakistan's Pashtuns hold massive rally against extrajudicial killings

The Pakistan Army appears to have taken its game of 'good and bad' terrorists to a new level.

According to a commentary published in the web site of the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS), there exists a nexus between the judiciary, the army and Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa de facto head Hafiz Saeed, wherein, "Good terrorists are set to become the lawmakers of tomorrow."

It may be recalled that in October 2017, Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said, "That the State was working on a 'mainstreaming' programme to induct members of armed groups into the political process..".

The EFSAS commentary clearly visualizes this as terrorists and terrorists-linked groups being integrated into Pakistan's country's mainstream politics with the aim, according to the Major General, "to develop a constructive role for them.".

It does not seem to matter that recently created political entities such as the Milli Muslim League (MML) and the Tehreek-i-Azad-i-Kashmir (TAK), both Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) fronts with Hafiz Saeed as the de facto head, have been added to the lists of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) by the US State Department on April 3, 2018. It also does not seem to matter that the US Treasury Department has also designated seven MML members as terrorists.

The courts of Pakistan seem to think differently. On the same day that the United States amended the designation of TAK and MML as fronts of the terrorist organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the Government of Pakistan "...not to harass Hafiz Saeed and to allow him to continue with his 'social welfare activities' until further order.". It is pertinent to note that the same court freed Saeed from house arrest in November 2017, which drew widespread international condemnation.

"Make no mistake: whatever LeT chooses to call itself, it remains a violent terrorist group. The US supports all efforts to ensure that LeT does not have a political voice until it gives up violence as a tool of influence" - Nathan A. Sales, coordinator for counter-terrorism at the US Department of State, said.

Hafiz Saeed has been named as the mastermind of the Mumbai attack in 2008 in which more than 160 people lost their lives. The international community, led by the United Nations and the United States, has declared Hafiz Saeed a global terrorist. In 2012, the US placed a $10 million bounty on him.

From Field Marshal Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan from 1958-1969) to General Pervez Musharraf (President of Pakistan from 2001-2008) and in between, the Pakistani Army has a history of working in tandem with the courts of Pakistan, aimed at legitimising the military's unconstitutional actions.

In Pakistan, the army has a history of overshadowing the political landscape. The civilian government in reality has very limited authority or control over critical matters of national importance such as foreign policy and security. Courts have been instrumental in engineering political outcomes and recent developments suggest that they will play a pre-emptive role in guarding 'strategic interests', vital for the country's foreign policy and security, concludes the EFSAS commentary.&nbsp

In Pakistan, the army has a history of overshadowing the political landscape. The civilian government, in reality, has very limited authority or control over critical matters of national importance such as foreign policy and security

The Pakistan Army appears to have taken its game of 'good and bad' terrorists to a new level. According to a commentary published in the web site of the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS), there exists a nexus between the judiciary, the army and Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa de facto head Hafiz Saeed, wherein, "Good terrorists are set to become the lawmakers of tomorrow." It may be recalled that in October 2017, Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said, "That the State was working on a 'mainstreaming' programme to induct members of armed groups into the political process..". The EFSAS commentary clearly visualizes this as terrorists and terrorists-linked groups being integrated into Pakistan's country's mainstream politics with the aim, according to the Major General, "to develop a constructive role for them.". It does not seem to matter that recently created political entities such as the Milli Muslim League (MML) and the Tehreek-i-Azad-i-Kashmir (TAK), both Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) fronts with Hafiz Saeed as the de facto head, have been added to the lists of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) by the US State Department on April 3, 2018. It also does not seem to matter that the US Treasury Department has also designated seven MML members as terrorists. The courts of Pakistan seem to think differently. On the same day that the United States amended the designation of TAK and MML as fronts of the terrorist organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the Government of Pakistan "...not to harass Hafiz Saeed and to allow him to continue with his 'social welfare activities' until further order.". It is pertinent to note that the same court freed Saeed from house arrest in November 2017, which drew widespread international condemnation. "Make no mistake: whatever LeT chooses to call itself, it remains a violent terrorist group. The US supports all efforts to ensure that LeT does not have a political voice until it gives up violence as a tool of influence" - Nathan A. Sales, coordinator for counter-terrorism at the US Department of State, said. Hafiz Saeed has been named as the mastermind of the Mumbai attack in 2008 in which more than 160 people lost their lives. The international community, led by the United Nations and the United States, has declared Hafiz Saeed a global terrorist. In 2012, the US placed a $10 million bounty on him. From Field Marshal Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan from 1958-1969) to General Pervez Musharraf (President of Pakistan from 2001-2008) and in between, the Pakistani Army has a history of working in tandem with the courts of Pakistan, aimed at legitimising the military's unconstitutional actions. In Pakistan, the army has a history of overshadowing the political landscape. The civilian government in reality has very limited authority or control over critical matters of national importance such as foreign policy and security. Courts have been instrumental in engineering political outcomes and recent developments suggest that they will play a pre-emptive role in guarding 'strategic interests', vital for the country's foreign policy and security, concludes the EFSAS commentary.

Pak Army, courts giving political legitimacy to Saeed, others

In what can be dubbed as the first move, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has openly come to the fore and has backed the Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, calling him "professional" and "straightforward".

"The civilian and military authorities must work together to counter the challenges facing Pakistan," the Dawn reported, citing Shahbaz as saying to journalists at the Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute.

"We must respect and honour the efforts the army chief is making (to safeguard national interests)," he added.

The PML-N chief said that, in a meeting he had had with the chief of the army staff, he found him professional and straightforward.

He also dwelled upon the sacrifices made by the armed forces to ensure the country's defence and to eliminate terrorism and fanaticism, appealing people to appreciate their efforts, according to the report.

The remarks seemingly are not in sync with his party's as even as many in his party blame the military establishment for the current political crisis facing the Sharifs.

'The civilian and military authorities must work together to counter the challenges facing Pakistan,' the Dawn reported citing Shahbaz

In what can be dubbed as the first move, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has openly come to the fore and has backed the Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, calling him "professional" and "straightforward". "The civilian and military authorities must work together to counter the challenges facing Pakistan," the Dawn reported, citing Shahbaz as saying to journalists at the Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute. "We must respect and honour the efforts the army chief is making (to safeguard national interests)," he added. The PML-N chief said that, in a meeting he had had with the chief of the army staff, he found him professional and straightforward. He also dwelled upon the sacrifices made by the armed forces to ensure the country's defence and to eliminate terrorism and fanaticism, appealing people to appreciate their efforts, according to the report. The remarks seemingly are not in sync with his party's as even as many in his party blame the military establishment for the current political crisis facing the Sharifs.

Shahbaz Sharif heaps praises on Pakistan Army chief

Pakistan Army said today that Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was not against the 18th amendment but simply wants to ensure the provinces are capable of making the decisions as it clarified that if a 'Bajwa doctrine' exists its scope is limited to security measures only.

The landmark 18th amendment that has lent greater autonomy to the provinces was passed unanimously by parliament with all major political parties on board.

"Every army chief has their own perspective and General Bajwa's is to promote peace which existed in the past. That is what the Bajwa doctrine is," Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said while addressing a press conference.

Gen Bajwa recently met a group of journalists and explained his doctrine which was being seen as a template for bringing peace and security to Pakistan and the region.

Ghafoor said the army chief's views in his informal meeting with journalists may have been misrepresented by some.

"There was a lot of talk about the 18th Amendment," he said. "The army chief never said that as a whole 18th Amendment is not good amendments are brought because the Constitution remained incomplete in certain aspects."

Ghafoor said that the army supports empowerment of provinces and rejected the idea that Gen Bajwa expressed desire to undo delegation of powers to province by the previous government.

He also said that Pakistan was committed to complete multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which will benefit the entire region.

"We wish for CPEC to be successful. It will bring prosperity to the whole region. If India sees it as a threat, it (such thinking) will negatively affect the region. If our contributions are seen as negative, this will affect the region's stability," he said.

Ghafoor said Pakistan was sending troops to Saudi Arabia under the bilateral security agreement of 1982 to help in "training and advise" the Saudi government to maintain internal stability.

Ghafoor said that the army supports empowerment of provinces and rejected the idea that Gen Bajwa expressed desire to undo delegation of powers to province by the previous government.

Pakistan Army said today that Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was not against the 18th amendment but simply wants to ensure the provinces are capable of making the decisions as it clarified that if a 'Bajwa doctrine' exists its scope is limited to security measures only. The landmark 18th amendment that has lent greater autonomy to the provinces was passed unanimously by parliament with all major political parties on board. "Every army chief has their own perspective and General Bajwa's is to promote peace which existed in the past. That is what the Bajwa doctrine is," Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said while addressing a press conference. Gen Bajwa recently met a group of journalists and explained his doctrine which was being seen as a template for bringing peace and security to Pakistan and the region. Ghafoor said the army chief's views in his informal meeting with journalists may have been misrepresented by some. "There was a lot of talk about the 18th Amendment," he said. "The army chief never said that as a whole 18th Amendment is not good amendments are brought because the Constitution remained incomplete in certain aspects." Ghafoor said that the army supports empowerment of provinces and rejected the idea that Gen Bajwa expressed desire to undo delegation of powers to province by the previous government. He also said that Pakistan was committed to complete multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which will benefit the entire region. "We wish for CPEC to be successful. It will bring prosperity to the whole region. If India sees it as a threat, it (such thinking) will negatively affect the region. If our contributions are seen as negative, this will affect the region's stability," he said. Ghafoor said Pakistan was sending troops to Saudi Arabia under the bilateral security agreement of 1982 to help in "training and advise" the Saudi government to maintain internal stability.

'Bajwa doctrine' exists for security measures only: Pak Army

Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan&#39;s attempt to create a territorial army.

Pak Army has divided their training policy into three phases. In the first phase named &#39;&#39;back to basic&#39; which started from July 2017 to June 30th, 2018 is the foundation tier at the disposal of Commanding Officers for organizing and conducting training. The first phase is designated as &#39;The Year of Unit Training&#39;.

In the second phase from July 1st to June 30th, 2019 the focus will be on &#39;configuration tier&#39; training. In this phase, training will take place at the brigade and division level within the ambit of operational contingencies, while also catering employment in sub-conventional warfare and internal security. It will be called &#39;formation level training&#39;.

In the third phase due to start from July 1st, 2019 to June 30th, 2020, sub-conventional warfare will be the keystone tier training for command level. It will enable training graduation to &#39;Capstone Tier&#39;. It will be called &quot;Command/Army&#39;&#39; Level.

Since new Chief of Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa took charge his focus has been to modernise the Pakistan Army.

Since new Chief of Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa took charge his focus has been to modernise the Pakistan Army.

Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan's attempt to create a territorial army. Pak Army has divided their training policy into three phases. In the first phase named ''back to basic' which started from July 2017 to June 30th, 2018 is the foundation tier at the disposal of Commanding Officers for organizing and conducting training. The first phase is designated as 'The Year of Unit Training'. In the second phase from July 1st to June 30th, 2019 the focus will be on 'configuration tier' training. In this phase, training will take place at the brigade and division level within the ambit of operational contingencies, while also catering employment in sub-conventional warfare and internal security. It will be called 'formation level training'. In the third phase due to start from July 1st, 2019 to June 30th, 2020, sub-conventional warfare will be the keystone tier training for command level. It will enable training graduation to 'Capstone Tier'. It will be called "Command/Army'' Level. Since new Chief of Pakistan Army General Qamar Javed Bajwa took charge his focus has been to modernise the Pakistan Army.

Pak army on modernisation path under General Bajwa

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/canadian-mp-randeep-sarai-takes-responsibility-for-inviting-khalistani-terrorist-jaspal-atwal-33716" target="_blank">Canadian MP Randeep Sarai takes responsibility for inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India</a>

As the controversy over invitation to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/khalistani-terrorist-should-never-have-been-invited-to-our-event-canada-33696">Punjab&nbsp;pro-Khalistani terrorist&nbsp;Jaspal&nbsp;</a>Atwal continued, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was seeking information on how a visa was granted to Atwal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-never-said-give-guns-to-teachers-says-trump-33729" target="_blank">&#39;I never said give guns to teachers,&#39; says Trump</a>

President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. &quot;I never said give teachers guns,&quot; the president tweeted.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank"> move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report</a>

A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-moves-motion-to-place-pakistan-on-a-global-terrorist-financing-watchlist-at-fatf-32787">China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey</a>&nbsp;blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the &nbsp;Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">Pak army on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">modernisation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank"> path under General Bajwa</a>

Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan&#39;s attempt to create a territorial army.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">Delhi Chief Secretary assault </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">case :</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank"> AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days</a>

Canadian MP Randeep Sarai takes responsibility for inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India As the controversy over invitation to Punjab pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal continued, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was seeking information on how a visa was granted to Atwal. 'I never said give guns to teachers,' says Trump President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. "I never said give teachers guns," the president tweeted. China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked US move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries - China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist. Pak army on modernisation path under General Bajwa Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan's attempt to create a territorial army. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case : AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days

WION Evening news brief, February 22, 2018

Indian Army sources said today that a Pakistan military helicopter came close to the Line of Control(LoC) and then returned.

The chopper&nbsp;apparently flew near the Poonch area in J&amp;K which has seen several firing incidents by Pak troops across the border.

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Visual of the Pakistan military helicopter which came up to 300 metres of the LOC near Poonch, but then returned. <a href="https://t.co/yqyHBiEdwB">pic.twitter.com/yqyHBiEdwB</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/966272483623034880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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There was no firing or hostile action by any side, reports said.

The helicopter reportedly came within 300 metres of the LoC and then turned back.

According to army protocol, the rotary wing of an aircraft/chopper should not come within 1 kilometre and the fixed wing, not within 10 kilometres of the LoC.

There was no firing or hostile action by any side.

Indian Army sources said today that a Pakistan military helicopter came close to the Line of Control(LoC) and then returned. The chopper apparently flew near the Poonch area in J&K which has seen several firing incidents by Pak troops across the border. Visual of the Pakistan military helicopter which came up to 300 metres of the LOC near Poonch, but then returned. pic.twitter.com/yqyHBiEdwB — ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2018 × There was no firing or hostile action by any side, reports said. The helicopter reportedly came within 300 metres of the LoC and then turned back. According to army protocol, the rotary wing of an aircraft/chopper should not come within 1 kilometre and the fixed wing, not within 10 kilometres of the LoC.

Pak helicopter flies close to Poonch along LoC, no firing action reported

Pakistan&#39;s anti-corruption watchdog has decided to reopen a Rs 2 billion corruption case against four former top army officers, including an ex-chief of the ISI, for allegedly transferring prime railway land to a Malaysian firm at throwaway rates in 2001.

 
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday decided to proceed with the case which remained dumped for 17 years due to reluctance on its part to act against military officers, the Dawn reported.

 
The army officers are accused of transferring tens of hundreds of acres of prime railway land in Lahore to a Malaysian firm during Gen Pervej Musharraf regime in 2001 for development of a golf course called Royal Palms Gold and Country Club at throwaway rates, the daily reported.

 
Last week, the Islamabad High Court held that retired military officers could not hide behind the army&#39;s accountability process.

 
&quot;The meeting (on Tuesday) authorised filing of a reference against former railways minister retired Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, former railways chairman retired Lt Gen Saeed Uz Zafar, former GM retired Maj Gen Hamid Hassan Butt, former member railways retired Brig Akhtar Ali Baig and several other civilian officials,&quot; A NAB spokesman was quoted as saying by the daily.

 
Retired Lt Gen Qazi had served as the director general of the ISI and retired Lt Gen Saeed Uz Zafar was a former Peshawar corps commander.

 
Military officials were summoned by the NAB in the same case in 2012 for recording their statements but nothing was done against them.

 
The Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly in its meeting on September 14, 2012, had called for the cancellation of the controversial agreement.

 
It had recommended a fresh bidding for the land and also called for strict disciplinary action against the former bosses of the railways, including the three retired generals, who had endorsed the agreement.

 
A comprehensive report issued by the National Assembly&rsquo;s Special Committee on Railways on allotment of land for setting up the club in Lahore had found several financial and administrative irregularities and recommended prosecution of all members of the railways executive committee.

 
The Federal Investigation Agency had started a separate investigation on the special committee&#39;s instruction and its report said 141 acres had been allotted at a nominal price, causing a loss of Rs 4.82 billion to the national exchequer because the land utilisation charge had been reduced from Rs 52.43 to only Rs 4 per square yard.

The National Accountability Bureau has decided to proceed with the case which remained dumped for 17 years due to reluctance on its part to act against military officers, the Dawn reported.

Pakistan's anti-corruption watchdog has decided to reopen a Rs 2 billion corruption case against four former top army officers, including an ex-chief of the ISI, for allegedly transferring prime railway land to a Malaysian firm at throwaway rates in 2001. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday decided to proceed with the case which remained dumped for 17 years due to reluctance on its part to act against military officers, the Dawn reported. The army officers are accused of transferring tens of hundreds of acres of prime railway land in Lahore to a Malaysian firm during Gen Pervej Musharraf regime in 2001 for development of a golf course called Royal Palms Gold and Country Club at throwaway rates, the daily reported. Last week, the Islamabad High Court held that retired military officers could not hide behind the army's accountability process. "The meeting (on Tuesday) authorised filing of a reference against former railways minister retired Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, former railways chairman retired Lt Gen Saeed Uz Zafar, former GM retired Maj Gen Hamid Hassan Butt, former member railways retired Brig Akhtar Ali Baig and several other civilian officials," A NAB spokesman was quoted as saying by the daily. Retired Lt Gen Qazi had served as the director general of the ISI and retired Lt Gen Saeed Uz Zafar was a former Peshawar corps commander. Military officials were summoned by the NAB in the same case in 2012 for recording their statements but nothing was done against them. The Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly in its meeting on September 14, 2012, had called for the cancellation of the controversial agreement. It had recommended a fresh bidding for the land and also called for strict disciplinary action against the former bosses of the railways, including the three retired generals, who had endorsed the agreement. A comprehensive report issued by the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Railways on allotment of land for setting up the club in Lahore had found several financial and administrative irregularities and recommended prosecution of all members of the railways executive committee. The Federal Investigation Agency had started a separate investigation on the special committee's instruction and its report said 141 acres had been allotted at a nominal price, causing a loss of Rs 4.82 billion to the national exchequer because the land utilisation charge had been reduced from Rs 52.43 to only Rs 4 per square yard.

Pakistan reopens corruption case against 4 ex-army officers

India stands vindicated.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference held from February 16 to 18, Pakistan&#39;s Army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa confirmed just what New Delhi has been pointing to all along&nbsp;that Pakistan trains, sponsors, arms and deploys terrorists against any country that qualifies as a - &quot;tyrant&#39;&#39; in its own rule-book. &nbsp;

The General began his speech with a disarming admission: that he was a military man and not a glib-tongued politician. But perhaps the blunt and direct army general could have done with a better speech-writer, for his own attempt to explain &#39;&#39;jihad&quot; - a mysterious concept to the most intrepid scholars of the Qu&#39;ran - had the audience gaping and viewers in India chortling.

General Bajwa tried to explain as far as Pakistan&#39;s government, its armed forces and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are concerned, there are two kinds of terrorists, good and bad. He painted his own country as the victim of the &#39;bad&#39;variety: terrrorism emanating from Afghanistan on its western border. &nbsp;He didn&#39;t name India but through his speech, General Bajwa made it amply clear that Islamabad supports the &quot;good&#39;&#39; variety of terrorism if it is against any country it considers oppressive.

&quot;Let me say at the outset that &#39;jehadism&#39; is a misnomer,&quot; the General declared. &quot;Jihad is a highly evolved concept that underlines myriad struggles against tyranny of all types. Muslims are taught that self-control is the most elevated form of jihad.&quot;&nbsp;

The General even invoked the Holy Prophet in his attempt to explain one of the most intriguing aspects of the holy book of Islam: &nbsp;&quot;There is also a saying by the holy Prophet - peace be upon him - that the best jihad is the word of truth in the face of a tyrant ruler.&quot;

Warming up to his subject, General Bajwa moved on to armed terrorism and ended up - inadvertently or not - justified its use by the &#39;state&#39;.

&quot;On the other hand, qataal &nbsp;(conflict in Arabic), an aspect of armed jihad, comes at the lowest end of the spectrum of actions and beliefs that comprise the concept of jihad, that can only be sanctioned by a state authority and nobody else.&quot;&nbsp;

Through his speech, General Bajwa effectively put the stamp of official approval on the deaths of hundreds&nbsp;of innocent civilians and armymen in India. Pakistani terror groups Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed both target India. &nbsp;They were behind the attacks on India&rsquo;s parliament and the 26/11 carnage in Mumbai in 2001 and 2008 respectively and - for dozens of strikes on both India&rsquo;s armed forces and civilians for decades.

General Bajwa practically admitted that his army, the ISI and the government of Pakistan have supported, armed, trained and sneaked terrorists into India and &ndash; continue to do so. When any Pakistani talks of a country it considers &quot;tyrannical&rsquo;&rsquo;,&nbsp;guessing its identity is a no-brainer.

There were some candid moments in the speech too: the admission that the Afghan jehadi was Pakistan&rsquo;s own doing too. &nbsp;The General admits that jihad was fed to the minds in an exercise undertaken primarily by the West and &ndash; that Pakistan was an accomplice.

&ldquo;This phenomenon (terrorism) is not a recent creation or (something that) started after 9/11,&rsquo;&rsquo; the General mused. &ldquo;The Frankenstein was actually created by the free world with willing but myopic cooperation on our side, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.&rdquo;

The Army Chief&rsquo;s regret at creating a monster in the laboratory of death may be genuine. But he was still bent on emphasizing that there is a difference &ndash; between terrorism and jihad. &nbsp;&ldquo;Large numbers of people are radicalized, armed and empowered politically and ideologically. They cannot be wished away just because we don&rsquo;t like them anymore.&rdquo;

He also prepared the ground by warning the world that it was not going to see the end of terrorism on Pakistani soil just yet.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Please note, we are harvesting what we sowed 40 years back. So, it will be a while before this scourge is eliminated from our territory. But first, let us stop calling it jihadism as it is nothing but terrorism.&rdquo;

The most startling admission came towards the end of General Bajwa&rsquo;s brief speech, when he described his country&rsquo;s &ldquo;National Action Plan&rdquo; to fight terrorism.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Most recently, 1854 eminent Pakistani religious scholars representing all schools of thought within Islam teamed up to issue a resounding &lsquo;fatwa&rsquo; against violence, extremism and terrorism in the name of religion,&rdquo; he disclosed.

But after outlining what the plan contains, he said the initiative is referred to in a special way. And what is that?

&ldquo;Called the &quot;key message of Pakistan&rsquo;&rsquo;, it (the plan) bans suicide bombing and jihad &nbsp;- other than the one sanctioned by the state,&rdquo; General Bajwa said.

There you have it. &nbsp;In the corollary, the Chief of Pakistan&rsquo;s army admits that his state, his army and his ISI do sanction terrorism - including sending young, drugged men wearing explosives to their deaths as fidayeen, or suicide bombers. &nbsp;

There can hardly be more damning evidence than General Bajwa&rsquo;s speech at the Munich Conference. Of the fact that when it comes to terrorism to suit its own goals and purposes, the &#39;state&#39;of Pakistan condones and &lsquo;sanctions&rsquo; killing &ndash; including and especially in India.

Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa said jihad is the "truth"

India stands vindicated. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference held from February 16 to 18, Pakistan's Army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa confirmed just what New Delhi has been pointing to all along that Pakistan trains, sponsors, arms and deploys terrorists against any country that qualifies as a - "tyrant'' in its own rule-book. The General began his speech with a disarming admission: that he was a military man and not a glib-tongued politician. But perhaps the blunt and direct army general could have done with a better speech-writer, for his own attempt to explain ''jihad" - a mysterious concept to the most intrepid scholars of the Qu'ran - had the audience gaping and viewers in India chortling. General Bajwa tried to explain as far as Pakistan's government, its armed forces and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are concerned, there are two kinds of terrorists, good and bad. He painted his own country as the victim of the 'bad'variety: terrrorism emanating from Afghanistan on its western border. He didn't name India but through his speech, General Bajwa made it amply clear that Islamabad supports the "good'' variety of terrorism if it is against any country it considers oppressive. "Let me say at the outset that 'jehadism' is a misnomer," the General declared. "Jihad is a highly evolved concept that underlines myriad struggles against tyranny of all types. Muslims are taught that self-control is the most elevated form of jihad." The General even invoked the Holy Prophet in his attempt to explain one of the most intriguing aspects of the holy book of Islam: "There is also a saying by the holy Prophet - peace be upon him - that the best jihad is the word of truth in the face of a tyrant ruler." Warming up to his subject, General Bajwa moved on to armed terrorism and ended up - inadvertently or not - justified its use by the 'state'. "On the other hand, qataal (conflict in Arabic), an aspect of armed jihad, comes at the lowest end of the spectrum of actions and beliefs that comprise the concept of jihad, that can only be sanctioned by a state authority and nobody else." Through his speech, General Bajwa effectively put the stamp of official approval on the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians and armymen in India. Pakistani terror groups Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammed both target India. They were behind the attacks on India’s parliament and the 26/11 carnage in Mumbai in 2001 and 2008 respectively and - for dozens of strikes on both India’s armed forces and civilians for decades. General Bajwa practically admitted that his army, the ISI and the government of Pakistan have supported, armed, trained and sneaked terrorists into India and – continue to do so. When any Pakistani talks of a country it considers "tyrannical’’, guessing its identity is a no-brainer. There were some candid moments in the speech too: the admission that the Afghan jehadi was Pakistan’s own doing too. The General admits that jihad was fed to the minds in an exercise undertaken primarily by the West and – that Pakistan was an accomplice. “This phenomenon (terrorism) is not a recent creation or (something that) started after 9/11,’’ the General mused. “The Frankenstein was actually created by the free world with willing but myopic cooperation on our side, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.” The Army Chief’s regret at creating a monster in the laboratory of death may be genuine. But he was still bent on emphasizing that there is a difference – between terrorism and jihad. “Large numbers of people are radicalized, armed and empowered politically and ideologically. They cannot be wished away just because we don’t like them anymore.” He also prepared the ground by warning the world that it was not going to see the end of terrorism on Pakistani soil just yet. “Please note, we are harvesting what we sowed 40 years back. So, it will be a while before this scourge is eliminated from our territory. But first, let us stop calling it jihadism as it is nothing but terrorism.” The most startling admission came towards the end of General Bajwa’s brief speech, when he described his country’s “National Action Plan” to fight terrorism. “Most recently, 1854 eminent Pakistani religious scholars representing all schools of thought within Islam teamed up to issue a resounding ‘fatwa’ against violence, extremism and terrorism in the name of religion,” he disclosed. But after outlining what the plan contains, he said the initiative is referred to in a special way. And what is that? “Called the "key message of Pakistan’’, it (the plan) bans suicide bombing and jihad - other than the one sanctioned by the state,” General Bajwa said. There you have it. In the corollary, the Chief of Pakistan’s army admits that his state, his army and his ISI do sanction terrorism - including sending young, drugged men wearing explosives to their deaths as fidayeen, or suicide bombers. There can hardly be more damning evidence than General Bajwa’s speech at the Munich Conference. Of the fact that when it comes to terrorism to suit its own goals and purposes, the 'state'of Pakistan condones and ‘sanctions’ killing – including and especially in India.

There are two kinds of terrorists, good and bad, says Pakistan Army chief Bajwa at Munich conference

Pakistan has claimed that its troops destroyed an Indian Army post in Tatta Pani sector across the Line of Control (LoC) and killed five soldiers.

Pakistan Army Spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor in a tweet late last night also shared a video clip purportedly showing bombing of the Indian Army post and smoke billowing from the site after it was hit by fire.

&quot;Indian Army post on LoC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly,&rdquo; Ghafoor tweeted.

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Indian Army post on LOC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly. <a href="https://t.co/MHWv4Xc97n">pic.twitter.com/MHWv4Xc97n</a>
&mdash; Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/964207235483217920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

However, an Indian Army official in New Delhi said the Pakistan Army&#39;s claim is &quot;baseless&quot;.

Earlier, in a statement, the Pakistan army spokesman said that India&#39;s &quot;unethical and unprofessional&quot; approach across the LoC is terrorising civilians.

Pakistan yesterday summoned India&#39;s Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh to condemn the &quot;unprovoked firing&quot; by Indian troops across the LoC which allegedly resulted in the death of a driver of a van carrying school children.

It alleged that the Indian forces &quot;deliberately targeted a school van carrying school children on Battal-Madharpur road, resulting in the death of the driver of the van, leaving the school children severely traumatised.&quot;&nbsp;

However, an Indian Army official in New Delhi said the Pakistan Army's claim is 'baseless'

Pakistan has claimed that its troops destroyed an Indian Army post in Tatta Pani sector across the Line of Control (LoC) and killed five soldiers. Pakistan Army Spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor in a tweet late last night also shared a video clip purportedly showing bombing of the Indian Army post and smoke billowing from the site after it was hit by fire. "Indian Army post on LoC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly,” Ghafoor tweeted. Indian Army post on LOC targeting innocent citizens destroyed by Pak Army troops in Tatta Pani (Hot Spring) sector. Five Indian soldiers killed, many injured. Indian terrorism against innocent citizens shall be responded befittingly. pic.twitter.com/MHWv4Xc97n — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 15, 2018 × However, an Indian Army official in New Delhi said the Pakistan Army's claim is "baseless". Earlier, in a statement, the Pakistan army spokesman said that India's "unethical and unprofessional" approach across the LoC is terrorising civilians. Pakistan yesterday summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh to condemn the "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops across the LoC which allegedly resulted in the death of a driver of a van carrying school children. It alleged that the Indian forces "deliberately targeted a school van carrying school children on Battal-Madharpur road, resulting in the death of the driver of the van, leaving the school children severely traumatised."

Indian Army targeted civilians along LoC, 5 Indian soldiers killed: Pak Army

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil but also in a foreign territory if need be.

Singh&#39;s remarks come almost a month after a group of five Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and killed three Pakistani soldiers and smashed a post, in a swift and daring operation.

The operation was seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district.

&quot;A few months ago, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted all of us on this serious issue, and the Indian Army entered the Pakistani area and killed the militants,&quot; Singh said at a public meeting here.

&quot;India&#39;s image in the world has become that of a strong nation and we have given a strong message to the world that we can attack our enemies not only on our soil, but also in their territory. India has developed this power,&quot; he said. 
Singh said India wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Pakistan.

&quot;But Pakistan is not mending its ways,&quot; Singh said.

&quot;I want to assure you that our government will not let India to bow its head,&quot; he said.

The home minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country&#39;s economy is moving ahead at a fast pace.

&quot;..And now even the global economists and experts accept this,&quot; he said, adding that India&#39;s prestige in the global arena is &quot;rising rapidly&quot;.

Singh was addressing a meeting of &#39;Bharatiya Railway Maal Godaam Shramik Sangh&#39; here.

&quot;The &#39;railway maal godaam shramik&#39; have, for the past few generations, been sweating and giving the Railways a good income. However, despite this, they do not have any identification card, nor do they get any treatment facility in any of the Railway hospitals,&quot; said Rajnath.

He said he would take up the issues and problems of the labourers in the railway sector with their representatives and the railway minister.&nbsp;

The home minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's economy is moving ahead at a fast pace.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil but also in a foreign territory if need be. Singh's remarks come almost a month after a group of five Army commandos crossed the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and killed three Pakistani soldiers and smashed a post, in a swift and daring operation. The operation was seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district. "A few months ago, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted all of us on this serious issue, and the Indian Army entered the Pakistani area and killed the militants," Singh said at a public meeting here. "India's image in the world has become that of a strong nation and we have given a strong message to the world that we can attack our enemies not only on our soil, but also in their territory. India has developed this power," he said. Singh said India wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Pakistan. "But Pakistan is not mending its ways," Singh said. "I want to assure you that our government will not let India to bow its head," he said. The home minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's economy is moving ahead at a fast pace. "..And now even the global economists and experts accept this," he said, adding that India's prestige in the global arena is "rising rapidly". Singh was addressing a meeting of 'Bharatiya Railway Maal Godaam Shramik Sangh' here. "The 'railway maal godaam shramik' have, for the past few generations, been sweating and giving the Railways a good income. However, despite this, they do not have any identification card, nor do they get any treatment facility in any of the Railway hospitals," said Rajnath. He said he would take up the issues and problems of the labourers in the railway sector with their representatives and the railway minister.

India has shown it won't hesitate to cross border: Rajnath

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa today warned that any Indian &quot;aggression&quot; or &quot;misadventure&quot; will always get a most befitting response.

 
He made the remarks during his visit to the Line of Control and Working Boundary in Khuiratta and Ratta Arayan sectors, the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

 
The army chief met local commanders, who briefed him about alleged ceasefire violations, especially alleged targeting of the civilian population across the LoC and WB, it said.

 
&quot;Our commitment to abide by the ceasefire agreement of 2003 should never be misconstrued as response limitation. Indian aggression or any misadventure shall always get a most befitting response,&quot; Gen Bajwa said.

 
He directed enhanced protective measures including construction of more community shell protection shelters for civil population.

 
Later, he visited Combined Military Hospital in Sialkot to meet injured citizens due to recent Indian shelling, the ISPR said in a statement.&nbsp;

General Bajwa made the remarks during his visit to the Line of Control and Working Boundary in Khuiratta and Ratta Arayan sectors

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa today warned that any Indian "aggression" or "misadventure" will always get a most befitting response. He made the remarks during his visit to the Line of Control and Working Boundary in Khuiratta and Ratta Arayan sectors, the Inter-Services Public Relations said. The army chief met local commanders, who briefed him about alleged ceasefire violations, especially alleged targeting of the civilian population across the LoC and WB, it said. "Our commitment to abide by the ceasefire agreement of 2003 should never be misconstrued as response limitation. Indian aggression or any misadventure shall always get a most befitting response," Gen Bajwa said. He directed enhanced protective measures including construction of more community shell protection shelters for civil population. Later, he visited Combined Military Hospital in Sialkot to meet injured citizens due to recent Indian shelling, the ISPR said in a statement.

Indian aggression or 'misadventure' shall get befitting response: Pakistan Army chief

India is likely to raise with the Trump administration the use of US-made anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) by Pakistan Army to target Indian troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, defence ministry sources indicated today.

The Pakistan Army had used the ATMGs during heavy shelling on an Indian Army team along the LoC in Rajouri district of J-K last Sunday in which four army men including a captain were killed, the sources said.

Army sources had said that the Pakistan Army used 120mm mortars and the ATGMs in the Rajouri attack, adding usually Pakistan uses 80mm mortars to target Indian posts along the LoC. 
The security establishment here is understood to have been concerned over use of US-made ATGMs by Pakistan considering the expanding Indo-US strategic ties.

&quot;We are going to raise the issue with them (the US)&quot;, said a source.

The defence and security ties between India and the US have been on an upswing. In June 2016, the US had designated India a &quot;Major Defence Partner&quot; intending to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners. 
The Army last week had clearly indicated that it would take retaliatory action against the killing of four army men.

The sources said that Pakistan has been escalating the hostilities along the LoC and in hinterland in J-K to vitiate the atmosphere ahead of panchayat polls in the state.

India is likely to raise with the Trump administration the use of US-made anti-tank guided missiles by the Pakistan Army to target Indian troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, defence ministry sources indicated

India is likely to raise with the Trump administration the use of US-made anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) by Pakistan Army to target Indian troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, defence ministry sources indicated today. The Pakistan Army had used the ATMGs during heavy shelling on an Indian Army team along the LoC in Rajouri district of J-K last Sunday in which four army men including a captain were killed, the sources said. Army sources had said that the Pakistan Army used 120mm mortars and the ATGMs in the Rajouri attack, adding usually Pakistan uses 80mm mortars to target Indian posts along the LoC. The security establishment here is understood to have been concerned over use of US-made ATGMs by Pakistan considering the expanding Indo-US strategic ties. "We are going to raise the issue with them (the US)", said a source. The defence and security ties between India and the US have been on an upswing. In June 2016, the US had designated India a "Major Defence Partner" intending to elevate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners. The Army last week had clearly indicated that it would take retaliatory action against the killing of four army men. The sources said that Pakistan has been escalating the hostilities along the LoC and in hinterland in J-K to vitiate the atmosphere ahead of panchayat polls in the state.

India to raise use of anti-tank guided missiles by Pakistan with US

According to reports, Pakistan Army violated ceasefire in Poonch&#39;s KG sector earlier today.

Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing involving small arms, automatics and mortars at around 4.20pm IST today in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control.&nbsp;

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Ceasefire violation by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> in Poonch&#39;s KG sector, Army retaliating. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a> <a href="https://t.co/IBvAEfKkwY">pic.twitter.com/IBvAEfKkwY</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961563476631130112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Indian Army is reported to have been retaliating so far.&nbsp;

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned on Monday after opposition legislators created a ruckus over continuing ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

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Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1620 hours in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control. Indian Army is retaliating. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuAndKashmir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuAndKashmir</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961589118194069505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Members of the National Conference and Congress raised anti-government slogans over government&#39;s alleged failure to protect the people from Pakistani shelling.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/protect-soldiers-human-rights-army-kids-write-to-nhrc-against-stone-pelters-32210">Army kids</a> have moved the National Human Rights Commission and filed a petition to protect army personnel&#39;s human rights.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Pakistan Army reportedly initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing involving small arms

According to reports, Pakistan Army violated ceasefire in Poonch's KG sector earlier today. Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing involving small arms, automatics and mortars at around 4.20pm IST today in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control. Ceasefire violation by #Pakistan in Poonch's KG sector, Army retaliating. #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/IBvAEfKkwY — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2018 × Indian Army is reported to have been retaliating so far. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned on Monday after opposition legislators created a ruckus over continuing ceasefire violations by Pakistan. Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1620 hours in Krishna Ghati sector along the Line of Control. Indian Army is retaliating. #JammuAndKashmir — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2018 × Members of the National Conference and Congress raised anti-government slogans over government's alleged failure to protect the people from Pakistani shelling. Army kids have moved the National Human Rights Commission and filed a petition to protect army personnel's human rights. (With inputs from agencies)

Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan Army violates ceasefire in Poonch

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been under house arrest since January this year. 
&nbsp; 
During the nine months of his detention, the Pakistani government&rsquo;s efforts at pursuing the case were at best lacklustre and seemed more cosmetic than anything, just like his house arrest during which he continued with his activities, and ran his charity organisation which many believe acts as a front and a reincarnation of the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The JuD chief even managed to launch a political party by the name of Milli Muslim League (MML), but I will come back to that later. First, more on the court case. 
&nbsp; 
The judges hearing the petition &ndash; filed by Hafiz Saeed&rsquo;s lawyer who pleaded that there was no justification for Saeed&rsquo;s arrest &ndash; repeatedly asked the government&#39;s representatives, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials to present evidence that would ensure Saeed&#39;s continued captivity but the federal and provincial authorities failed to satisfy the courts. 
&nbsp; 
Does the government have this evidence? From what we know, India claims to have provided enough evidence against Hafiz Saeed for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks of 2008, which left 166 people dead.

Even the United States of America has put him on the Global Terrorist List.

However, in Pakistan, Indian claims are rejected outright while American labelling is also seen as India managing to convince the US through successful propaganda and nothing more. 
&nbsp; 
But there is another side to why the government has not pursued this case as it should have &ndash; its hands are tied by a powerful military establishment that does not want to share intelligence with its civilian counterparts.

In Pakistan, it is the military agencies that are thought to be responsible for domestic security affairs, especially when they concern&nbsp;intelligence gathering about a group like the JuD that has involvements in regional conflicts and affects Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign policy (which is also controlled by the establishment). 
&nbsp; 
But the military has even larger goals for the JuD &ndash; the MML (which I had mentioned earlier).&nbsp;

A few months ago, when the MML was being formed, a recently retired military general confided to the media that there was a plan by the Pakistan Army to mainstream militant groups into politics. While the idea was initially pushed with the clarification that this was the only way to de-radicalise such groups, it now seems the motives of the architects of the plan are quite different. 
&nbsp; 
The general elections in Pakistan are near and Nawaz Sharif has been on the warpath with the Pakistan Army ever since he was disqualified over the Panama Papers allegations.&nbsp;

Sharif alleges the military engineered his ouster and that there was no fair trial, and many agree with him.&nbsp;

Given that Sharif has been the one who is a big proponent of normalising relations with India, experts say the army does not want this, since no-conflict-with-India will reduce the relevance the military enjoys as the defender of Pakistan from a perceived Indian threat.

And so to stop Sharif&rsquo;s party &ndash; the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) &ndash; from being re-elected, the MML has been launched. The MML shares a voter-base with PML-N and will definitely dent its vote bank.&nbsp;

We saw an example of this in the recent Lahore city by-elections in NA-120, the seat where Sharif was disqualified from. The MML&#39;s performance was exceptional, and PML-N&#39;s Kulsoom Nawaz, Sharif&#39;s wife, did not win by the same percentage margin that Sharif did the last time. 
&nbsp; 
For now there are indications that the provincial government will make an attempt at issuing fresh orders of detention for Saeed but even if they manage to contain him, it is only a matter of time before the next order of freedom comes because there are power centres in the country that are more powerful than the civilian government. And if those powers want him out, no one can stop him from being a free man. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

The judges have repeatedly asked the government for evidence to ensure Saeed's continued captivity but the authorities has been unable to satisfy the courts

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered the release of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been under house arrest since January this year. During the nine months of his detention, the Pakistani government’s efforts at pursuing the case were at best lacklustre and seemed more cosmetic than anything, just like his house arrest during which he continued with his activities, and ran his charity organisation which many believe acts as a front and a reincarnation of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The JuD chief even managed to launch a political party by the name of Milli Muslim League (MML), but I will come back to that later. First, more on the court case. The judges hearing the petition – filed by Hafiz Saeed’s lawyer who pleaded that there was no justification for Saeed’s arrest – repeatedly asked the government's representatives, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials to present evidence that would ensure Saeed's continued captivity but the federal and provincial authorities failed to satisfy the courts. Does the government have this evidence? From what we know, India claims to have provided enough evidence against Hafiz Saeed for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks of 2008, which left 166 people dead. Even the United States of America has put him on the Global Terrorist List. However, in Pakistan, Indian claims are rejected outright while American labelling is also seen as India managing to convince the US through successful propaganda and nothing more. But there is another side to why the government has not pursued this case as it should have – its hands are tied by a powerful military establishment that does not want to share intelligence with its civilian counterparts. In Pakistan, it is the military agencies that are thought to be responsible for domestic security affairs, especially when they concern intelligence gathering about a group like the JuD that has involvements in regional conflicts and affects Pakistan’s foreign policy (which is also controlled by the establishment). But the military has even larger goals for the JuD – the MML (which I had mentioned earlier). A few months ago, when the MML was being formed, a recently retired military general confided to the media that there was a plan by the Pakistan Army to mainstream militant groups into politics. While the idea was initially pushed with the clarification that this was the only way to de-radicalise such groups, it now seems the motives of the architects of the plan are quite different. The general elections in Pakistan are near and Nawaz Sharif has been on the warpath with the Pakistan Army ever since he was disqualified over the Panama Papers allegations. Sharif alleges the military engineered his ouster and that there was no fair trial, and many agree with him. Given that Sharif has been the one who is a big proponent of normalising relations with India, experts say the army does not want this, since no-conflict-with-India will reduce the relevance the military enjoys as the defender of Pakistan from a perceived Indian threat. And so to stop Sharif’s party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – from being re-elected, the MML has been launched. The MML shares a voter-base with PML-N and will definitely dent its vote bank. We saw an example of this in the recent Lahore city by-elections in NA-120, the seat where Sharif was disqualified from. The MML's performance was exceptional, and PML-N's Kulsoom Nawaz, Sharif's wife, did not win by the same percentage margin that Sharif did the last time. For now there are indications that the provincial government will make an attempt at issuing fresh orders of detention for Saeed but even if they manage to contain him, it is only a matter of time before the next order of freedom comes because there are power centres in the country that are more powerful than the civilian government. And if those powers want him out, no one can stop him from being a free man. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: If Pakistan Army wants, Hafiz Saeed will be a free man

American Caitlan&nbsp;Coleman&nbsp;who along with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-canadian-couple-were-held-in-pakistan-for-five-years-cia-chief-22673">her family was&nbsp;held by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network</a> and later rescued by Pakistan troops has told a local Canadian newspaper that she was &quot;held in Pakistan for at least a year&quot;.

Caitlan Coleman, her Canadian husband<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-official-releases-us-canadian-family-held-in-captive-for-5-years-22425"> Joshua Boyle and their three children who were born in captivity</a> were freed by the Pakistan Army a fortnight ago following five years as hostages of the Taliban.

Pakistan troops had said they were instrumental in freeing the couple. In a statement, the Pakistan Army had said the couple were rescued after a car chase.

However, speaking to the Toronto Star, Caitlan Coleman&nbsp;said: &quot;Right now, everybody&rsquo;s shunting blame and making claims. Pakistan says no, they were never in Pakistan until the end. The US says, no they were always in Pakistan; it was Pakistan&rsquo;s responsibility. But neither of those are true.&quot;

&quot;We were not crossing into Pakistan that day. We had been in Pakistan for more than a year at that point,&quot; Caitlan told the Toronto Star.&nbsp;

In fact, the CIA chief Mike Pompeo speaking at the&nbsp;Foundation for Defence of Democracies had said last week that the couple had been held captive inside Pakistan for five years.

The kidnappers mysteriously disappeared after the car chase with Major General Asif Ghafoor, military spokesman for Pakistan&#39;s army claiming&nbsp;that the vehicle&#39;s driver and another militant had escaped to a nearby refugee camp.

&quot;They first took us out of Afghanistan; it was several days&rsquo; drive,&quot; she told the Tornoto-based newspaper, adding, &quot;It was very bad. My husband and I were separated at that time. He wasn&rsquo;t allowed to see Najaeshi(her oldest son) or spend any time with us.&quot;

&quot;Then we were moved to the north of Miramshah, to the house of a man who said he was called Mahmoud. He was very nice to Najaeshi and would provide us with amenities that&nbsp;we wouldn&rsquo;t have otherwise,&quot; she told the Toronto Star.&nbsp;

&quot;He would take Najaeshi out to get him sunlight and nobody else did that at any other point,&quot; Caitlan added.

&quot;Our first fear &mdash; why we were not poking our heads up and yelling for help &mdash; was that it was another gang trying to kidnap us. Possibly just part of the Haqqani network fighting with another part. They&rsquo;re all just bandits,&quot; she said.

&quot;You&rsquo;re a prisoner for so long, you&rsquo;re so suspicious. I was still thinking we don&rsquo;t know these people, we don&rsquo;t know where they&rsquo;re taking us,&quot; she told the newspaper.

American Caitlan Campbell, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their three children who were born in captivity were freed by the Pakistan Army a fortnight ago

American Caitlan Coleman who along with her family was held by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network and later rescued by Pakistan troops has told a local Canadian newspaper that she was "held in Pakistan for at least a year". Caitlan Coleman, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their three children who were born in captivity were freed by the Pakistan Army a fortnight ago following five years as hostages of the Taliban. Pakistan troops had said they were instrumental in freeing the couple. In a statement, the Pakistan Army had said the couple were rescued after a car chase. However, speaking to the Toronto Star, Caitlan Coleman said: "Right now, everybody’s shunting blame and making claims. Pakistan says no, they were never in Pakistan until the end. The US says, no they were always in Pakistan; it was Pakistan’s responsibility. But neither of those are true." "We were not crossing into Pakistan that day. We had been in Pakistan for more than a year at that point," Caitlan told the Toronto Star. In fact, the CIA chief Mike Pompeo speaking at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies had said last week that the couple had been held captive inside Pakistan for five years. The kidnappers mysteriously disappeared after the car chase with Major General Asif Ghafoor, military spokesman for Pakistan's army claiming that the vehicle's driver and another militant had escaped to a nearby refugee camp. "They first took us out of Afghanistan; it was several days’ drive," she told the Tornoto-based newspaper, adding, "It was very bad. My husband and I were separated at that time. He wasn’t allowed to see Najaeshi(her oldest son) or spend any time with us." "Then we were moved to the north of Miramshah, to the house of a man who said he was called Mahmoud. He was very nice to Najaeshi and would provide us with amenities that we wouldn’t have otherwise," she told the Toronto Star. "He would take Najaeshi out to get him sunlight and nobody else did that at any other point," Caitlan added. "Our first fear — why we were not poking our heads up and yelling for help — was that it was another gang trying to kidnap us. Possibly just part of the Haqqani network fighting with another part. They’re all just bandits," she said. "You’re a prisoner for so long, you’re so suspicious. I was still thinking we don’t know these people, we don’t know where they’re taking us," she told the newspaper.

We were held in Pakistan for more than a year: Caitlan Coleman

Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir early on Wednesday, media reports said.&nbsp;

The Pakistan Army reportedly initiated unprovoked firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 05.34 am.&nbsp;

The Indian Army is retaliating.&nbsp;

This comes a day after Pakistani troops&nbsp;violated ceasefire in Baaz and Nambla regions of Uri in Baramulla on Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Last week, an Indian soldier and a woman were killed in separate cases of ceasefire violation in Poonch.&nbsp;

The firing started at 5.34 am on Wednesday

Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir early on Wednesday, media reports said. The Pakistan Army reportedly initiated unprovoked firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 05.34 am. The Indian Army is retaliating. This comes a day after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in Baaz and Nambla regions of Uri in Baramulla on Tuesday. Last week, an Indian soldier and a woman were killed in separate cases of ceasefire violation in Poonch.

Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch, Indian Army retaliates

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