A number of Pakistani military personnel have been penalised for negligence over the escape of a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban figure from custody, an armed services spokesman said on Wednesday.

Liaqat Ali, the former public face of the militant Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and better known by his pseudonym Ehsanullah Ehsan, escaped last year three years after he handed himself in to the military.

"All those responsible for it were tried and penalised," Major General Babar Iftikhar, spokesman for Pakistan`s Armed Forces, told reporters in the city of Rawalpindi where the army is headquartered.

He said those penalised were military personnel but did not give details including the number or identity of whose who were prosecuted. The military`s media wing denied that any of those penalised had any involvement or collusion with Ehsan during the escape, saying it was a case of negligence.

Ehsan was TTP`s spokesman for nearly a decade, issuing statements and holding press conferences in the group`s stronghold near the Afghan border. He proclaimed TTP`s responsibility for deadly bombings and attacks, including the 2012 shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai.&nbsp;

On Twitter earlier this month, Yousafzai responded to a threatening tweet directed at her by an account allegedly belonging to Ehsan, asking the military and government how he had been able to escape.

A government statement last year confirming the escape said had said Ehsan evaded custody during a counter-terror operation in which he was accompanying soldiers to find Taliban leaders, as he had agreed to do after his surrender.

Ehsan has issued statements through various Twitter accounts since his escape and has said on social media that he is abroad.

Iftikhar, the military spokesman, said that his tweet this month was via a fake account and that Ehsan`s location was not confirmed, but efforts were underway to recapture him.

A number of Pakistani military personnel have been penalised for negligence over the escape of a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban figure from custody, an armed services spokesman said on Wednesday.

A number of Pakistani military personnel have been penalised for negligence over the escape of a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban figure from custody, an armed services spokesman said on Wednesday. Liaqat Ali, the former public face of the militant Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and better known by his pseudonym Ehsanullah Ehsan, escaped last year three years after he handed himself in to the military. "All those responsible for it were tried and penalised," Major General Babar Iftikhar, spokesman for Pakistan`s Armed Forces, told reporters in the city of Rawalpindi where the army is headquartered. He said those penalised were military personnel but did not give details including the number or identity of whose who were prosecuted. The military`s media wing denied that any of those penalised had any involvement or collusion with Ehsan during the escape, saying it was a case of negligence. Ehsan was TTP`s spokesman for nearly a decade, issuing statements and holding press conferences in the group`s stronghold near the Afghan border. He proclaimed TTP`s responsibility for deadly bombings and attacks, including the 2012 shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai. On Twitter earlier this month, Yousafzai responded to a threatening tweet directed at her by an account allegedly belonging to Ehsan, asking the military and government how he had been able to escape. A government statement last year confirming the escape said had said Ehsan evaded custody during a counter-terror operation in which he was accompanying soldiers to find Taliban leaders, as he had agreed to do after his surrender. Ehsan has issued statements through various Twitter accounts since his escape and has said on social media that he is abroad. Iftikhar, the military spokesman, said that his tweet this month was via a fake account and that Ehsan`s location was not confirmed, but efforts were underway to recapture him.

Pakistan military personnel punished over escape of Taliban figure

The Pakistan government has said that former ISI director Asad Durrani had been interacting with Indian intelligence agency RAW since 2008.

This statement came in response to a petition filed by the former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) seeking the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).&nbsp;

"The situation necessitates that the petitioner's name should be continued on ECL," read the statement.

Durrani, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from August 1990 till March 1993, ran into hot waters in 2018 by co-authoring a book titled 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' with former RAW chief A S Dulat.

Durrani's name was put on the no-fly list in May 2018 soon after he was summoned by the top Pakistan military leadership&nbsp;to explain his position on his book.

Durrani has also served as director general of the Pakistan’s Military Intelligence in 1988.

The former ISI chief has once said that "India has not always been the biggest threat to us, the basic threat to Pakistan was from the internal challenges.”

Several times he has acknowledged that military's interference in the country's political affairs is a reality, asserting that it was detrimental to Pakistan.

The powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan for about half its history since independence in 1947, is considered a major player in the country's politics.

According to Durrani, Prime Minister Imran Khan's biggest problem was the impression that he did not come to power by himself and that "he came with a khaki burden".

(With inputs from agencies)

The Pakistan government has said that former ISI director Asad Durrani had been interacting with Indian intelligence agency RAW since 2008. This statement came in response to a petition filed by the former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) seeking the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The Pakistan government has said that former ISI director Asad Durrani had been interacting with Indian intelligence agency RAW since 2008. This statement came in response to a petition filed by the former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) seeking the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL). "The situation necessitates that the petitioner's name should be continued on ECL," read the statement. Durrani, who headed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from August 1990 till March 1993, ran into hot waters in 2018 by co-authoring a book titled 'The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace' with former RAW chief A S Dulat. Durrani's name was put on the no-fly list in May 2018 soon after he was summoned by the top Pakistan military leadership to explain his position on his book. Durrani has also served as director general of the Pakistan’s Military Intelligence in 1988. The former ISI chief has once said that "India has not always been the biggest threat to us, the basic threat to Pakistan was from the internal challenges.” Several times he has acknowledged that military's interference in the country's political affairs is a reality, asserting that it was detrimental to Pakistan. The powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan for about half its history since independence in 1947, is considered a major player in the country's politics. According to Durrani, Prime Minister Imran Khan's biggest problem was the impression that he did not come to power by himself and that "he came with a khaki burden". (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan tries to corner army critic ex-ISI chief over allegations of interaction with RAW

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has said that court cases will be registered against people using "foul language" against country's all-powerful army.&nbsp;

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties, in recent months has severely criticised Pakistan Army for interference in the politics and installing a "puppet" prime minister to head office by rigging the polls.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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"Cases will be registered against people using foul language against the armed forces within 72 hours," Pakistan' Express Tribune quoted Rashid as saying on Saturday.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/over-40-more-arrested-over-attack-on-hindu-temple-in-northwest-pakistan-354175">Over 40 more arrested over attack on Hindu temple in Northwest Pakistan</a>

The comments came a day after PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the armed forces have created a "deep state" and had taken the nation "hostage".&nbsp;

In stronger words, Rehman also said that the alliance also has to decide whether the next protest march would be held in the national capital Islamabad or at the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi.&nbsp;

In another report by Dawn, the interior minister also said that the government would start preparations to "counter" these protests from Monday.&nbsp;

Rashid also said that a case has been registered against Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah over his comments on the military and Pakistan's The News confirmed that a police raid took place at Kifayatullah's residence on Saturday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has said that court cases will be registered against people using "foul language" against country's all-powerful army.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has said that court cases will be registered against people using "foul language" against country's all-powerful army. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties, in recent months has severely criticised Pakistan Army for interference in the politics and installing a "puppet" prime minister to head office by rigging the polls. Watch | "Cases will be registered against people using foul language against the armed forces within 72 hours," Pakistan' Express Tribune quoted Rashid as saying on Saturday. Also read | Over 40 more arrested over attack on Hindu temple in Northwest Pakistan The comments came a day after PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the armed forces have created a "deep state" and had taken the nation "hostage". In stronger words, Rehman also said that the alliance also has to decide whether the next protest march would be held in the national capital Islamabad or at the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi. In another report by Dawn, the interior minister also said that the government would start preparations to "counter" these protests from Monday. Rashid also said that a case has been registered against Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah over his comments on the military and Pakistan's The News confirmed that a police raid took place at Kifayatullah's residence on Saturday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Case will be registered within 72 hours for derogatory comments against Pak military: Interior Minister

Almost 50 per cent of Pakistan's Parliament members are set to resign with the opposition mulling mass resignation.

The Pakistan democratic movement which is an alliance of eleven opposition parties has been contemplating mass exit which might trigger a constitutional crisis in the middle of a pandemic.

A meeting of opposition leaders was held today and it stretched for hours. Sources say the opposition is united and they all ready to resign with the details and specifics being worked out.

Pakistan Muslim League(Nawaz) leader Maryam Nawaz has been at the forefront of the movement.

"If we call for resignations from the assemblies, you must be willing to stand by us. Do not fall under any pressure," &nbsp;Maryam told party leaders while she was addressing the provincial and national assembly members of her party.

Reports say elected members of the PML(N) at the provincial level have begun handing in their resignations.&nbsp;

Maryam Nawaz has made the same appeal to leaders of other opposition parties as well, if all of them walk the talk Pakistan will witness an unprecedented situation with more than half the legislators across the country resigning in protest against PM Imran Khan.

The campaign against PM Imran Khan has been gaining momentum for months with massive rallies held across around Pakistan as leaders like Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari leading these jalsas with speeches critical of the Imran Khan-led government and the military establishment.

Another major rally is scheduled on December 13 at Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan. However, PM Imran Khan has been trying to stop the campaign. His government has refused permission to hold the rally.

PM Imran Khan says the police will book everyone involved which means not just political leaders and party workers, he has promised he won't spare even the caterer who supplies chairs or those installing mikes and speakers at the venue - the kind of threats that can only be issued in Pakistan.

The Pakistan opposition has joined hands like never before - the Sharifs and the Bhutto-Zardaris - the leaders whom Imran Khan had put behind bars have now closed ranks.&nbsp;

Imran Khan's only hope is the military that is said to have selected him for the PM's job but the military too seems to be gearing up for a shift.

They have largely and now openly taken control of the civilian government. Now they want to control Chinese investments in Pakistan to secure China's interests even if the civilian government collapses.

So the Pakistan army has set its sights on the China-Pakistan economic corridor(CPEC). Later this month a bill is supposed to hit the floor of the Pakistani parliament called the CPEC authority bill.

It is a law that would put a powerful body led by the military in charge of CPEC.

Right now, CPEC projects are being controlled by the planning and development ministry at least on paper.&nbsp;

However, after the bill is passed the Chinese projects will be controlled by the CPEC authority - the same authority that is headed by retired Army general Asim Saleem Bajwa, the infamous pizza general who had to leave the Pakistani government over charges of graft.

The bill is likely to be brought before the parliament in the second week of December. The idea is simple: eliminate the government from all projects related to China. General Bajwa will replace the planning minister as the co-chair of a Pakistan-China joint committee.

The army wants to appease the Chinese since they are unhappy over the progress of CPEC projects. So the Pakistani military is making amends. It will now officially handle Chinese investments in Pakistan. It is something China demanded way back in 2016, so the writing is on the wall for Imran Khan. The opposition is gunning for him and the military won't think twice before disposing of him.&nbsp;

Almost 50 per cent of Pakistan's Parliament members are set to resign with the opposition mulling mass resignation. The Pakistan democratic movement which is an alliance of eleven opposition parties has been contemplating mass exit which might trigger a constitutional crisis in the middle of a pandemic.

Almost 50 per cent of Pakistan's Parliament members are set to resign with the opposition mulling mass resignation. The Pakistan democratic movement which is an alliance of eleven opposition parties has been contemplating mass exit which might trigger a constitutional crisis in the middle of a pandemic. A meeting of opposition leaders was held today and it stretched for hours. Sources say the opposition is united and they all ready to resign with the details and specifics being worked out. Pakistan Muslim League(Nawaz) leader Maryam Nawaz has been at the forefront of the movement. "If we call for resignations from the assemblies, you must be willing to stand by us. Do not fall under any pressure," Maryam told party leaders while she was addressing the provincial and national assembly members of her party. Reports say elected members of the PML(N) at the provincial level have begun handing in their resignations. Maryam Nawaz has made the same appeal to leaders of other opposition parties as well, if all of them walk the talk Pakistan will witness an unprecedented situation with more than half the legislators across the country resigning in protest against PM Imran Khan. The campaign against PM Imran Khan has been gaining momentum for months with massive rallies held across around Pakistan as leaders like Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari leading these jalsas with speeches critical of the Imran Khan-led government and the military establishment. Another major rally is scheduled on December 13 at Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan. However, PM Imran Khan has been trying to stop the campaign. His government has refused permission to hold the rally. PM Imran Khan says the police will book everyone involved which means not just political leaders and party workers, he has promised he won't spare even the caterer who supplies chairs or those installing mikes and speakers at the venue - the kind of threats that can only be issued in Pakistan. The Pakistan opposition has joined hands like never before - the Sharifs and the Bhutto-Zardaris - the leaders whom Imran Khan had put behind bars have now closed ranks. Imran Khan's only hope is the military that is said to have selected him for the PM's job but the military too seems to be gearing up for a shift. They have largely and now openly taken control of the civilian government. Now they want to control Chinese investments in Pakistan to secure China's interests even if the civilian government collapses. So the Pakistan army has set its sights on the China-Pakistan economic corridor(CPEC). Later this month a bill is supposed to hit the floor of the Pakistani parliament called the CPEC authority bill. It is a law that would put a powerful body led by the military in charge of CPEC. Right now, CPEC projects are being controlled by the planning and development ministry at least on paper. However, after the bill is passed the Chinese projects will be controlled by the CPEC authority - the same authority that is headed by retired Army general Asim Saleem Bajwa, the infamous pizza general who had to leave the Pakistani government over charges of graft. The bill is likely to be brought before the parliament in the second week of December. The idea is simple: eliminate the government from all projects related to China. General Bajwa will replace the planning minister as the co-chair of a Pakistan-China joint committee. The army wants to appease the Chinese since they are unhappy over the progress of CPEC projects. So the Pakistani military is making amends. It will now officially handle Chinese investments in Pakistan. It is something China demanded way back in 2016, so the writing is on the wall for Imran Khan. The opposition is gunning for him and the military won't think twice before disposing of him.

As Pak opposition decides on mass resignation, PM Imran Khan faces heat from military

Khadim Hussain Rizvi might be dead, but deep-rooted extremism in Pakistan is far from getting any weak.&nbsp;

The hardliners may have failed to make a dent in the last election, but they do have the power to influence the outcome.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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Rizvi, was one of the most controversial clerics in Pakistan, and his massive support base helped him become a national figure in a year of launching its own political party.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-military-and-china-imran-khan-government-now-surrenders-to-extremists-344981">After military and China, Imran Khan government now surrenders to extremists</a>

His Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) lost all 566 contested seats in the 2018 election but still managed to win 2.2 million votes, thereby becoming the fifth-largest party by votes.&nbsp;

On 13 seats, the hardliners got enough votes to ensure a loss for one of the main opposition parties: Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N)

It was able to win three seats in the provisional assembly of Sindh in 2018 to project itself as the guardian of Prophet Muhammad's honour.&nbsp;

TLP is not the only extremist party that has come into the mainstream in Pakistan.

Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, also launched his political party Milli Muslim League, and when its registration got rejected, the authorities bent the rules.&nbsp;

Saeed was allowed to field candidates through a dormant political entity, the Allah-u-Akbar Tehreek.

More than 260 candidates contested under this banner, all of them lost but a door was opened for Saeed to enter mainstream politics.&nbsp;

The same loopholes were used to field more hardliners like the members of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, a banned anti-Shia sectarian organisation.&nbsp;

Its head Ahmed Ludhianvi was allowed to contest with his assets being unfrozen and travel restrictions removed.&nbsp;

In the 2018 election, religious parties fielded more than 1,500 candidates in Pakistan, a major spike from just a few hundred in 2013.&nbsp;

It is believed that the hardliners were pushed by Pakistan's military to allow radicals to gain political space.&nbsp;

They are yet to find any seat in Pakistan's National Assembly, but they are coming out in streets to influence decisions made in Islamabad.&nbsp;

Khadim Hussain Rizvi might be dead, but deep-rooted extremism in Pakistan is far from getting any weak. The hardliners may have failed to make a dent in the last election, but they do have the power to influence the outcome.

Khadim Hussain Rizvi might be dead, but deep-rooted extremism in Pakistan is far from getting any weak. The hardliners may have failed to make a dent in the last election, but they do have the power to influence the outcome. Watch | Rizvi, was one of the most controversial clerics in Pakistan, and his massive support base helped him become a national figure in a year of launching its own political party. Also read | After military and China, Imran Khan government now surrenders to extremists His Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) lost all 566 contested seats in the 2018 election but still managed to win 2.2 million votes, thereby becoming the fifth-largest party by votes. On 13 seats, the hardliners got enough votes to ensure a loss for one of the main opposition parties: Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) It was able to win three seats in the provisional assembly of Sindh in 2018 to project itself as the guardian of Prophet Muhammad's honour. TLP is not the only extremist party that has come into the mainstream in Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, also launched his political party Milli Muslim League, and when its registration got rejected, the authorities bent the rules. Saeed was allowed to field candidates through a dormant political entity, the Allah-u-Akbar Tehreek. More than 260 candidates contested under this banner, all of them lost but a door was opened for Saeed to enter mainstream politics. The same loopholes were used to field more hardliners like the members of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, a banned anti-Shia sectarian organisation. Its head Ahmed Ludhianvi was allowed to contest with his assets being unfrozen and travel restrictions removed. In the 2018 election, religious parties fielded more than 1,500 candidates in Pakistan, a major spike from just a few hundred in 2013. It is believed that the hardliners were pushed by Pakistan's military to allow radicals to gain political space. They are yet to find any seat in Pakistan's National Assembly, but they are coming out in streets to influence decisions made in Islamabad.

Khadim Rizvi is dead, but extremism in Pakistan is getting stronger

Pakistan police filed sedition charges on Monday against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and dozens of his party leaders over comments he made criticising the interference of the military in national politics.

Last month, Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League and eight other opposition parties came together to accuse the military of meddling in politics and of rigging elections in 2018 that brought Prime Minister Imran Khan to power.

Sharif left Pakistan last November to get medical treatment after being granted bail from a seven-year jail sentence for corruption, though his daughter remains in the country. Sharif, a long-standing critic of the military, denies the corruption charges.

A government official said they will now ensure a court trial against the accused.

In his recent speeches via video links from his London home, Sharif has said the interference of the military in politics was the root cause of all Pakistan's problems.

The sedition case filed against Sharif, his daughter and 44 top party leaders says he has sought in his speeches to isolate Pakistan internationally and have it declared a rogue state.

The military, which has ruled Pakistan for half of its history since independence in 1947, denies meddling in politics or electoral wrongdoing.

The opposition parties have formed a new alliance, known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and announced a campaign of nationwide protests to dislodge Khan`s government, saying it has been a failure on all fronts.

Sharif's close aide Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the sedition charges would not deter the opposition's campaign.

Sharif's third term as prime minister ran from 2013 to 2017, when he was removed by the Supreme Court amid revelations over his personal wealth, which he blames on the army generals after he fell out with them over the handling of Islamist militants.

(with inputs)

Pakistan police filed sedition charges on Monday against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and dozens of his party leaders over comments he made criticising the interference of the military in national politics.

Pakistan police filed sedition charges on Monday against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and dozens of his party leaders over comments he made criticising the interference of the military in national politics. Last month, Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League and eight other opposition parties came together to accuse the military of meddling in politics and of rigging elections in 2018 that brought Prime Minister Imran Khan to power. Sharif left Pakistan last November to get medical treatment after being granted bail from a seven-year jail sentence for corruption, though his daughter remains in the country. Sharif, a long-standing critic of the military, denies the corruption charges. A government official said they will now ensure a court trial against the accused. In his recent speeches via video links from his London home, Sharif has said the interference of the military in politics was the root cause of all Pakistan's problems. The sedition case filed against Sharif, his daughter and 44 top party leaders says he has sought in his speeches to isolate Pakistan internationally and have it declared a rogue state. The military, which has ruled Pakistan for half of its history since independence in 1947, denies meddling in politics or electoral wrongdoing. The opposition parties have formed a new alliance, known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and announced a campaign of nationwide protests to dislodge Khan`s government, saying it has been a failure on all fronts. Sharif's close aide Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the sedition charges would not deter the opposition's campaign. Sharif's third term as prime minister ran from 2013 to 2017, when he was removed by the Supreme Court amid revelations over his personal wealth, which he blames on the army generals after he fell out with them over the handling of Islamist militants. (with inputs)

Ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, daughter face sedition charges for criticising Pakistani military

A private bill seeking to punish those who intentionally defame, ridicule or bring disrepute to Pakistan military was introduced in country's parliament on Wednesday. The bill proposes a fine, imprisonment, or both for those found guilty of such acts.

Pakistan National Assembly approves bill on punishment for defaming military

Suspected militants ambushed a Pakistani army vehicle in a former Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold near the Afghanistan border, triggering a shootout that killed two soldiers, the army said Sunday.

It said two soldiers were also wounded in Saturday night's attack near the border village of Ghariom in North Waziristan and that troops retaliated and killed one of the attackers in an ensuing exchange of fire.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-open-third-border-check-post-with-afghanistan-for-bilateral-trade-307527">Also read:&nbsp;Pakistan to open third border check post with Afghanistan for bilateral trade</a>

The army provided no further details and only said troops later cleared a nearby militant compound in North Waziristan, a former tribal region that had served as a militant base until recent years when the Pakistani military said its successive operations there had cleared the area of the Taliban.

The latest attack came as authorities prepared to reopen a key border crossing with neighboring Afghanistan to allow trade. Trucks carrying fruits, vegetables and other items will start crossing the Ghulam Khan border in North Waziristan district on Monday.

Suspected militants ambushed a Pakistani army vehicle in a former Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold near the Afghanistan border, triggering a shootout that killed two soldiers, the army said Sunday.

Suspected militants ambushed a Pakistani army vehicle in a former Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold near the Afghanistan border, triggering a shootout that killed two soldiers, the army said Sunday. It said two soldiers were also wounded in Saturday night's attack near the border village of Ghariom in North Waziristan and that troops retaliated and killed one of the attackers in an ensuing exchange of fire. Also read: Pakistan to open third border check post with Afghanistan for bilateral trade The army provided no further details and only said troops later cleared a nearby militant compound in North Waziristan, a former tribal region that had served as a militant base until recent years when the Pakistani military said its successive operations there had cleared the area of the Taliban. The latest attack came as authorities prepared to reopen a key border crossing with neighboring Afghanistan to allow trade. Trucks carrying fruits, vegetables and other items will start crossing the Ghulam Khan border in North Waziristan district on Monday.

Pakistani military: 2 soldiers killed in militant attack

Pakistan military top brass including Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday visited the headquarters of Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to discuss regional security issues with special focus on the situation of Line Of Control, Pakistani media reported.

According to a report by Radio Pakistan, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General (CJSC) Nadeem Raza, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi and Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan visited ISI headquarters in Islamabad on Tuesday.

They were received by DG ISI Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid. Salman Masood, the Pakistan Correspondent for The New York Times termed the arrival of the CJSC and other service chiefs at the ISI headquarters as an "unusual and unprecedented development".

Radio Pakistan reported, "A comprehensive briefing was given to military leadership on regional security issues with special focus on the situation of LOC and Kashmir."

"CJCSC and Services Chiefs appreciated tireless efforts of ISI for national security and expressed satisfaction over professional preparedness," it further said.

Taking to Twitter, Masood said even during the height of WOT, tensions with India (2008, post-Balakot) the top brass did not convene at the ISI HQ like Tuesday. "For War ops, preparedness, GHQ is the nerve centre.

A bevvy of generals -- all senior to the DG I, coming to his office -- suggests an extraordinary intel briefing," Masood tweeted.

Pakistan military top brass including Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday visited the headquarters of Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to discuss regional security issues with special focus on the situation of Line Of Control, Pakistani media reported.

Pakistan military top brass including Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday visited the headquarters of Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to discuss regional security issues with special focus on the situation of Line Of Control, Pakistani media reported. According to a report by Radio Pakistan, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General (CJSC) Nadeem Raza, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi and Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan visited ISI headquarters in Islamabad on Tuesday. They were received by DG ISI Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid. Salman Masood, the Pakistan Correspondent for The New York Times termed the arrival of the CJSC and other service chiefs at the ISI headquarters as an "unusual and unprecedented development". Radio Pakistan reported, "A comprehensive briefing was given to military leadership on regional security issues with special focus on the situation of LOC and Kashmir." "CJCSC and Services Chiefs appreciated tireless efforts of ISI for national security and expressed satisfaction over professional preparedness," it further said. Taking to Twitter, Masood said even during the height of WOT, tensions with India (2008, post-Balakot) the top brass did not convene at the ISI HQ like Tuesday. "For War ops, preparedness, GHQ is the nerve centre. A bevvy of generals -- all senior to the DG I, coming to his office -- suggests an extraordinary intel briefing," Masood tweeted.

Pakistan military top brass visit ISI headquarter, discuss Kashmir

Gulalai Ismail's campaigns to empower Pakistani girls have won her international awards and recognition as one of her country's foremost activists.

But when she spoke out against sexual violence and disappearances allegedly carried out by the army in northwestern Pakistan, her fortunes quickly changed.

The 32-year-old said she feared for her life. After four months on the run, she succeeded in eluding a vast hunt and has turned up in the United States, where she is seeking asylum.

Ismail said she never sought to become an overseas dissident but sees a closing of the political space in Pakistan, where the army has remained the dominant power-broker for most of the country's history.

"I never wanted to leave Pakistan," she told AFP in an interview in Washington. "I believe that I can better work towards democracy and civil supremacy and peace in Pakistan."

But she concluded she would be more effective abroad, saying: "If I had ended up in prison and tortured for many years, my voice would have been silenced."

Ismail, who speaks with poise and passion though she remains afraid, believed she posed a special threat as a vocal woman.

"When a man stands up, he is mostly against the state oppression," she said. "But when a woman stands up, she is fighting oppression on many levels -- fighting cultural norms, fighting the patriarchy and the state oppression."

Taking up an unpopular cause

Ismail was still a teenager when she co-founded Aware Girls in 2002, which promotes gender equality in the deeply conservative northwestern district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In 2017, she won the prestigious Anna Politkovskaya Award for human rights advocacy. The year before, she was honoured for conflict prevention by France's Chirac Foundation and has been welcomed by former first lady Michelle Obama.

But she came under greater scrutiny last year when she started speaking in support of the Pashtun Protection Movement, which defends the rights of the Pashtun tribal population in the northwest.

Quoting witnesses, Ismail said the army crackdown on Pashtun militants near the border with Afghanistan had led to frequent disappearances as well as sexual assaults.

Most women stay silent due to stigma, she said, but when a boy came forward about how security forces were barging into their home and harassing his mother, she went to investigate.

"Dozens of women had come to tell us that the incident of sexual harassment was not unique. It is systematic. It had been happening for years."

Eluding intense search

Ismail was detained briefly in 2018 but her fears mounted in February when she was taken into custody for two days after attempting to hold a news conference.

She said that she was held in a cold, dirty room with a urine-soaked sheet on the ground. She said she was denied food and water, with other female inmates warned against talking to the "high-profile terrorist."

In May, police filed a complaint against Ismail under an anti-terrorism law after she spoke out about the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl.&nbsp;

Ismail declined to discuss how she escaped Pakistan, saying she did not want to put others at risk.

Authorities widely circulated her name to seek her arrest, with airport authorities told not to let her leave.

"There were videos created online by military trolls which were clearly saying that the moment I'm in custody they will teach me a lesson. I spoke about the issue of rape -- now they will 'teach me' what rape is," she said.

She said security forces roughed up both her driver and a friend who she said was handcuffed, beaten and administered electric shocks for 14 hours in a bid to extract information on her whereabouts.

Ismail is living for now with her sister in New York. She said her initial fears of being sent back to Pakistan, a historic ally of the United States, were eased after she held meetings in Washington at the State Department and with staff of lawmakers including Chuck Schumer, who represents New York and is the top Democrat in the Senate.

"I was told that there was no chance that the US will ever take such action as extraditing me or handing me over because they know that it is a case of political revenge," she said.

But she remains worried for her parents in Pakistan. She said that they have become socially isolated, with security forces interrogating anyone who does so much as text them.

"I wanted to speak freely and that's why I'm here," she said.

"However, when it comes to the future of Pakistan, I do not see a prosperous Pakistan until the military establishment decides it needs to go back to its barracks."

Gulalai Ismail's campaigns to empower Pakistani girls have won her international awards and recognition as one of her country's foremost activists. But when she spoke out against sexual violence and disappearances allegedly carried out by the army in northwestern Pakistan, her fortunes quickly changed.

Gulalai Ismail's campaigns to empower Pakistani girls have won her international awards and recognition as one of her country's foremost activists. But when she spoke out against sexual violence and disappearances allegedly carried out by the army in northwestern Pakistan, her fortunes quickly changed. The 32-year-old said she feared for her life. After four months on the run, she succeeded in eluding a vast hunt and has turned up in the United States, where she is seeking asylum. Ismail said she never sought to become an overseas dissident but sees a closing of the political space in Pakistan, where the army has remained the dominant power-broker for most of the country's history. "I never wanted to leave Pakistan," she told AFP in an interview in Washington. "I believe that I can better work towards democracy and civil supremacy and peace in Pakistan." But she concluded she would be more effective abroad, saying: "If I had ended up in prison and tortured for many years, my voice would have been silenced." Ismail, who speaks with poise and passion though she remains afraid, believed she posed a special threat as a vocal woman. "When a man stands up, he is mostly against the state oppression," she said. "But when a woman stands up, she is fighting oppression on many levels -- fighting cultural norms, fighting the patriarchy and the state oppression." Taking up an unpopular cause Ismail was still a teenager when she co-founded Aware Girls in 2002, which promotes gender equality in the deeply conservative northwestern district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2017, she won the prestigious Anna Politkovskaya Award for human rights advocacy. The year before, she was honoured for conflict prevention by France's Chirac Foundation and has been welcomed by former first lady Michelle Obama. But she came under greater scrutiny last year when she started speaking in support of the Pashtun Protection Movement, which defends the rights of the Pashtun tribal population in the northwest. Quoting witnesses, Ismail said the army crackdown on Pashtun militants near the border with Afghanistan had led to frequent disappearances as well as sexual assaults. Most women stay silent due to stigma, she said, but when a boy came forward about how security forces were barging into their home and harassing his mother, she went to investigate. "Dozens of women had come to tell us that the incident of sexual harassment was not unique. It is systematic. It had been happening for years." Eluding intense search Ismail was detained briefly in 2018 but her fears mounted in February when she was taken into custody for two days after attempting to hold a news conference. She said that she was held in a cold, dirty room with a urine-soaked sheet on the ground. She said she was denied food and water, with other female inmates warned against talking to the "high-profile terrorist." In May, police filed a complaint against Ismail under an anti-terrorism law after she spoke out about the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl. Ismail declined to discuss how she escaped Pakistan, saying she did not want to put others at risk. Authorities widely circulated her name to seek her arrest, with airport authorities told not to let her leave. "There were videos created online by military trolls which were clearly saying that the moment I'm in custody they will teach me a lesson. I spoke about the issue of rape -- now they will 'teach me' what rape is," she said. She said security forces roughed up both her driver and a friend who she said was handcuffed, beaten and administered electric shocks for 14 hours in a bid to extract information on her whereabouts. Ismail is living for now with her sister in New York. She said her initial fears of being sent back to Pakistan, a historic ally of the United States, were eased after she held meetings in Washington at the State Department and with staff of lawmakers including Chuck Schumer, who represents New York and is the top Democrat in the Senate. "I was told that there was no chance that the US will ever take such action as extraditing me or handing me over because they know that it is a case of political revenge," she said. But she remains worried for her parents in Pakistan. She said that they have become socially isolated, with security forces interrogating anyone who does so much as text them. "I wanted to speak freely and that's why I'm here," she said. "However, when it comes to the future of Pakistan, I do not see a prosperous Pakistan until the military establishment decides it needs to go back to its barracks."

Pakistan women’s rights activist who highlighted atrocities by military escapes to US

In a number of billboards posted across the Swiss city of Geneva, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/the-now-dead-us-taliban-talks-lacked-strategic-vision-248969">Pashtun</a> people are urging the United Nations to take action against Pakistan to stop the extermination of their people.

The Pashtuns, mostly residing in the Sindh and Punjab<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-pakistan-rakes-up-kashmir-issue-at-unhrc-india-hits-back-248819"> provinces </a>of Pakistan, continue to face a cultural annihilation along with systematic violence, mistreatment, and intimidation at the hands of the Pakistani military establishment.

The billboards highlight an upcoming exposition on the genocide of the Pashtuns in Pakistan. The exposition, which will be held on September 17 and September 27 at the Hall Bungener in Geneva, is part of a movement to elevate the voices of the Pashtuns.

The Pakistani military establishment through various operations in the region has continued to wreak havoc and injustices on the entire community of the Pashtuns. 
&nbsp;Hundreds of civilians have been killed or forcibly disappeared.&nbsp;

The minority group has been forced either to relegate themselves to such atrocious conditions or abandon their homes.

Flocking to neighbouring cities in mass numbers, the displaced Pashtuns are stereotyped as terrorists when they attempt to settle elsewhere. At present, extrajudicial executions of the Pashtuns are on the rise.&nbsp;

The number of deaths and missing persons has skyrocketed. Neither the state nor external authorities and organisations have made a point to protest against these blatant human rights abuses on the global platform.

Until and unless the UN takes clear and definitive action against the<a href="close NEWS WRAP Get Handpicked Stories from our editors directly to your mailbox Your email WORLD ORDERSOUTH ASIAWORLDBUSINESSSPORTSVIDEOSENTERTAINMENTPHOTOSGLOBAL SUMMITLIVE TV Geneva: Pakistan Foreign Minister mentions Jammu and Kashmir as 'Indian state' File photo: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi (C) addresses the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 10, 2019 in Geneva. Photograph:( AFP ) FOLLOW US ANI New Delhi Sep 10, 2019, 05.47 PM (IST) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday referred to Jammu and Kashmir as an &quot;Indian state&quot; following his speech at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session here. Speaking to reporters, Shah said, &quot;India is trying to give an impression to the world that life has returned to normalcy. If the life has returned to normalcy, then I say, why don't they allow you, the international media, why don't they allow the international organisations, the NGOs, civil society organisations to go into the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and see for themselves what the reality is.&quot; Till date, Pakistan, in all its official communication, has been referring to Jammu and Kashmir as &quot;Indian Administered Kashmir&quot; Qureshi's remarks came after his address at the UNHRC session, where he presented a false narrative on Kashmir maintained by his country following the Indian government's historic move to abrogate Article 370. Interestingly, while Qureshi was addressing the session, protests were held outside the UN Headquarters against the dire situation of Human Rights in Pakistan. Time and again Islamabad has been left red-faced after all its desperate attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue fell flat with countries like Russia, UAE and US siding with India. While Pakistan has been running from pillar to post, New Delhi has maintained that Kashmir is a strictly internal matter. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Interestingly, while Qureshi was addressing the session, protests were held outside the UN Headquarters against the dire situation "> Pakistani government</a>, the Pashtun people will continue to suffer under Islamabad`s brutal discriminatory agenda. The UN and the rest of the international community must utilize its diplomatic resources to finally end the genocide of the Pashtun people once and for all.

The development has come at the same time when Pakistan has been continuing to cry foul over Kashmir during the ongoing 42nd UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session here.

In a number of billboards posted across the Swiss city of Geneva, the Pashtun people are urging the United Nations to take action against Pakistan to stop the extermination of their people.

In a number of billboards posted across the Swiss city of Geneva, the Pashtun people are urging the United Nations to take action against Pakistan to stop the extermination of their people. The Pashtuns, mostly residing in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan, continue to face a cultural annihilation along with systematic violence, mistreatment, and intimidation at the hands of the Pakistani military establishment. The billboards highlight an upcoming exposition on the genocide of the Pashtuns in Pakistan. The exposition, which will be held on September 17 and September 27 at the Hall Bungener in Geneva, is part of a movement to elevate the voices of the Pashtuns. The Pakistani military establishment through various operations in the region has continued to wreak havoc and injustices on the entire community of the Pashtuns. Hundreds of civilians have been killed or forcibly disappeared. The minority group has been forced either to relegate themselves to such atrocious conditions or abandon their homes. Flocking to neighbouring cities in mass numbers, the displaced Pashtuns are stereotyped as terrorists when they attempt to settle elsewhere. At present, extrajudicial executions of the Pashtuns are on the rise. The number of deaths and missing persons has skyrocketed. Neither the state nor external authorities and organisations have made a point to protest against these blatant human rights abuses on the global platform. Until and unless the UN takes clear and definitive action against the Pakistani government, the Pashtun people will continue to suffer under Islamabad`s brutal discriminatory agenda. The UN and the rest of the international community must utilize its diplomatic resources to finally end the genocide of the Pashtun people once and for all. The development has come at the same time when Pakistan has been continuing to cry foul over Kashmir during the ongoing 42nd UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session here.

Billboards across Geneva calls for attention to Pakistan's cultural genocide of Pashtuns

Evolution Of Pakistan's Military Is it an army or a corporate? Pakistan army's business interests exceed $100 Billion. Here's a report charting the evolution of Pakistani army as the biggest economic and political force in the country.

Gravitas: Pakistani army is like a corporate

As Pakistan seeks to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-imran-khan-announces-militarys-voluntary-cut-in-defence-expenditure-amid-financial-crisis-224402">curb its defence budget</a> due to a burgeoning financial crisis, a comparison between the country's defence and education allocation&nbsp;throws up interesting information.

After the eighteenth amendment in Pakistan constitution, education and health have been declared provincial subjects with the federal government responsible for higher education.

During former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's regime, Pakistan's defence and education allocation&nbsp;was polls apart. In 2014, Pakistan's defence allocation&nbsp;was Rs 700 billion(in Pak currency) compared to Rs 63 billion allocated for&nbsp;education.

In 2015 it was no better with the Pakistan military taking the cake at Rs 772 billion compared to Rs&nbsp;70.31 billion for the education sector. The same story repeated itself next year as the defence allocation&nbsp;hit a new high at Rs 860.1 billion with education lagging far behind at Rs 79.5 billion.

In 2017, Pakistan's defence allocation&nbsp;grew once again as it spent Rs 920 billion, however, the country's education expenditure at the time is&nbsp;still unclear.

Last year, Pakistan's military allocation&nbsp;leapt to Rs 1.26 trillion for the first time even as the&nbsp;education sector was allocated&nbsp;Rs 111.23 billion. However, in the last one year as Nawaz Sharif was forced to step down due to corruption charges, Pakistan's economy went downhill.

After PTI chief Imran Khan became the new prime minister promising a "Naya Pakistan", the country's fiscal health continued to slide. The IMF has come to its rescue in the past month promising a $60 billion bailout with PM Imran Khan leaving no stone unturned to garner financial aid from friends abroad namely China, Saudia Arabia and Malaysia.

However, with the FATF noose tightening, Pakistan finds itself in a tight spot. PM Imran Khan today announced Pakistan will be cutting its defence budget, however, he did not specify the exact figure.

As things stand, the onus is now the military to press the austerity button as Pakistan seeks to crawl out of its acute financial crisis having spent decades spending billions on its military. 
&nbsp;

As Pakistan seeks to curb its defence budget due to a burgeoning financial crisis, a comparison between the country's defence and education allocation throws up interesting information.

As Pakistan seeks to curb its defence budget due to a burgeoning financial crisis, a comparison between the country's defence and education allocation throws up interesting information. After the eighteenth amendment in Pakistan constitution, education and health have been declared provincial subjects with the federal government responsible for higher education. During former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's regime, Pakistan's defence and education allocation was polls apart. In 2014, Pakistan's defence allocation was Rs 700 billion(in Pak currency) compared to Rs 63 billion allocated for education. In 2015 it was no better with the Pakistan military taking the cake at Rs 772 billion compared to Rs 70.31 billion for the education sector. The same story repeated itself next year as the defence allocation hit a new high at Rs 860.1 billion with education lagging far behind at Rs 79.5 billion. In 2017, Pakistan's defence allocation grew once again as it spent Rs 920 billion, however, the country's education expenditure at the time is still unclear. Last year, Pakistan's military allocation leapt to Rs 1.26 trillion for the first time even as the education sector was allocated Rs 111.23 billion. However, in the last one year as Nawaz Sharif was forced to step down due to corruption charges, Pakistan's economy went downhill. After PTI chief Imran Khan became the new prime minister promising a "Naya Pakistan", the country's fiscal health continued to slide. The IMF has come to its rescue in the past month promising a $60 billion bailout with PM Imran Khan leaving no stone unturned to garner financial aid from friends abroad namely China, Saudia Arabia and Malaysia. However, with the FATF noose tightening, Pakistan finds itself in a tight spot. PM Imran Khan today announced Pakistan will be cutting its defence budget, however, he did not specify the exact figure. As things stand, the onus is now the military to press the austerity button as Pakistan seeks to crawl out of its acute financial crisis having spent decades spending billions on its military.

Pakistan's crisis: Defence allocation far exceeds education

The United States may have topped the list of biggest spender of military equipment with a whopping $649 billion last year, India too figures in the list ranked No-5 with an expenditure of $66.5 billion,&nbsp;according to a new report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI).

China is ranked second with an expenditure of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-military-spending-up-for-first-time-in-seven-years-sipri-214258">$250 billion, accounting for 14 per cent </a>of the world share. Interestingly, India accounts accounted for just 3.7 per cent of the world military expenditure last year, same as Saudi Arabia which spent marginally higher than India at $67.6 billion, SIPRI noted.

Pakistan's military expenditure stood&nbsp;at $11.4 billion in 2018, up 73 per cent since 2009. The world share of Pakistan stood at 0.6 per cent. Iran which is facing US oil sanctions since last year saw an expenditure of $13.2 billion on its military, although in real terms it was a dip of 10 per cent since 2009.&nbsp;

China's military spending rose 83 per cent from 2009 to 2018, the highest in the top-10 list of military spenders. India's military spending in the same period rose 29 per cent. China has spent 1.9 per cent of its gross domestic output (GDP) on military spending since 2013, the report said.

France spent $63.8 billion in 2018 to finish fifth in the list of highest military spenders in the world. Russia was the sixth-largest spender in 2018 with $61.4 billion followed by UK($50 billion), Germany($49.5 billion), Japan($46.6 billion) and South Korea(43.1 billion), the Stockholm-based report said.

US military spending rose for the first time in seven years in 2018. China increased its military expenditure by 5 per cent and India by 3.1 per cent. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia decreased its military spending by 6.5 per cent, France by 1.4 per cent and Russia by 3.5 per cent.

The total military spending of all countries put together was nearly 2.1 per cent of the GDP in 2018, the global military expenditure was at a 30-year high, it said.

Ukraine which has been in a bitter strife with Russia over Crimea since 2014 saw its military expenditure rise 69 per cent from 2009 to 2018. Last year Ukraine spent $4.8 billion on its military.

The biggest percentage change was seen in Romania which increased its military spending by 112 per cent from 2009 to 2018 with an overall expenditure of $4.6 billion last year.

The United States may have topped the list of biggest spender of military equipment with a whopping $649 billion last year, India too figures in the list ranked No-5 with an expenditure of $66.

The United States may have topped the list of biggest spender of military equipment with a whopping $649 billion last year, India too figures in the list ranked No-5 with an expenditure of $66.5 billion, according to a new report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI). China is ranked second with an expenditure of $250 billion, accounting for 14 per cent of the world share. Interestingly, India accounts accounted for just 3.7 per cent of the world military expenditure last year, same as Saudi Arabia which spent marginally higher than India at $67.6 billion, SIPRI noted. Pakistan's military expenditure stood at $11.4 billion in 2018, up 73 per cent since 2009. The world share of Pakistan stood at 0.6 per cent. Iran which is facing US oil sanctions since last year saw an expenditure of $13.2 billion on its military, although in real terms it was a dip of 10 per cent since 2009. China's military spending rose 83 per cent from 2009 to 2018, the highest in the top-10 list of military spenders. India's military spending in the same period rose 29 per cent. China has spent 1.9 per cent of its gross domestic output (GDP) on military spending since 2013, the report said. France spent $63.8 billion in 2018 to finish fifth in the list of highest military spenders in the world. Russia was the sixth-largest spender in 2018 with $61.4 billion followed by UK($50 billion), Germany($49.5 billion), Japan($46.6 billion) and South Korea(43.1 billion), the Stockholm-based report said. US military spending rose for the first time in seven years in 2018. China increased its military expenditure by 5 per cent and India by 3.1 per cent. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia decreased its military spending by 6.5 per cent, France by 1.4 per cent and Russia by 3.5 per cent. The total military spending of all countries put together was nearly 2.1 per cent of the GDP in 2018, the global military expenditure was at a 30-year high, it said. Ukraine which has been in a bitter strife with Russia over Crimea since 2014 saw its military expenditure rise 69 per cent from 2009 to 2018. Last year Ukraine spent $4.8 billion on its military. The biggest percentage change was seen in Romania which increased its military spending by 112 per cent from 2009 to 2018 with an overall expenditure of $4.6 billion last year.

India's military expenditure in 2018 stood at $66.5 billion, Pakistan at $11.4 billion: SIPRI

A US district court has sentenced a Pakistani-origin businessman to three years of probation on charges of procuring material and equipment for the Pakistani military unlawfully.

First six months of the three-year probation is in home confinement, John Durham, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, said Saturday.

Imran Khan, 44, had pleaded guilty to one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In his guilty plea in June 2017, Khan specifically admitted that, between August 2012 and January 2013, he procured, received and exported to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, the Pakistan Space &amp; Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, or the National Institute of Lasers &amp; Optronics.&nbsp;

All of these companies are listed in the US Department of Commerce Entity List.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to 2016, Khan and two of his family members engaged in a scheme to purchase goods that were controlled under the Export Administration Regulations and to export those goods without a license to Pakistan.

Through companies conducting business as Brush Locker Tools, Kauser Enterprises-USA and Kauser Enterprises-Pakistan, Khan, his father and brother received orders from a Pakistani company that procured materials and equipment for the Pakistani military, requesting them to procure specific products that were subject to the export regulations.

When US manufacturers asked about the end-user for a product, the defendants either informed the manufacturer that the product would remain in the US or completed an end-user certification indicating that the product would not be exported, Durham said.

Earlier this year, Khan's father, Muhammad Ismail, and his brother, Kamran Khan, each pleaded guilty to one count of international money laundering, for causing funds to be transferred from Pakistan to the US in connection with the export control violations.

Both have been sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment.? Ismail and Kamran Khan are both citizens of Pakistan and lawful permanent residents of the US.

A US district court has sentenced a Pakistani-origin businessman to three years of probation on charges of procuring material and equipment for the Pakistani military unlawfully.

A US district court has sentenced a Pakistani-origin businessman to three years of probation on charges of procuring material and equipment for the Pakistani military unlawfully. First six months of the three-year probation is in home confinement, John Durham, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, said Saturday. Imran Khan, 44, had pleaded guilty to one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In his guilty plea in June 2017, Khan specifically admitted that, between August 2012 and January 2013, he procured, received and exported to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, or the National Institute of Lasers & Optronics. All of these companies are listed in the US Department of Commerce Entity List. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to 2016, Khan and two of his family members engaged in a scheme to purchase goods that were controlled under the Export Administration Regulations and to export those goods without a license to Pakistan. Through companies conducting business as Brush Locker Tools, Kauser Enterprises-USA and Kauser Enterprises-Pakistan, Khan, his father and brother received orders from a Pakistani company that procured materials and equipment for the Pakistani military, requesting them to procure specific products that were subject to the export regulations. When US manufacturers asked about the end-user for a product, the defendants either informed the manufacturer that the product would remain in the US or completed an end-user certification indicating that the product would not be exported, Durham said. Earlier this year, Khan's father, Muhammad Ismail, and his brother, Kamran Khan, each pleaded guilty to one count of international money laundering, for causing funds to be transferred from Pakistan to the US in connection with the export control violations. Both have been sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment.? Ismail and Kamran Khan are both citizens of Pakistan and lawful permanent residents of the US.

US court sentences Pak-origin businessman for unlawful export to Pak military

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/90000-foreigners-rescued-by-india-in-4-years-proof-of-our-humane-foreign-policy-sushma-swaraj-140366">When people are dying on the border, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/90000-foreigners-rescued-by-india-in-4-years-proof-of-our-humane-foreign-policy-sushma-swaraj-140366">dialogue</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/90000-foreigners-rescued-by-india-in-4-years-proof-of-our-humane-foreign-policy-sushma-swaraj-140366"> is not appropriate: Sushma Swaraj on Pakistan</a>

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed an annual press conference on Monday in which she highlighted the achievements made by the Modi government over the past 4 years.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/this-retired-english-teacher-made-corrections-to-a-letter-sent-by-trump-and-mailed-it-back--140397">This retired English teacher made corrections to a letter sent by Trump and mailed it back</a>

A retired English teacher from the United States did not give any consideration to the fact that the letter she had received, had come from the White House and after being astounded by the grammatical mistakes made the rightful changes and sent it back.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ireland-abortion-law-may-be-termed-as-the-savitas-law-140367">Ireland abortion law may be termed as 'Savita's law'</a>

After Ireland welcomed the abortion vote, campaigners have said that they will be in full support if the new law will be named after the woman who died after miscarriage - Savita Halappanavar.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-foreign-minister-urges-on-strengthening-relations-with-india-140375">Iran Foreign Minister urges on strengthening relations with India</a>

Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif, who arrived here on Monday on a one-day visit, stressed upon the idea of strengthening relations shared by the two countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-military-says-ex-spy-chief-will-not-be-allowed-to-leave-country-140413">Pakistan military says ex-spy chief will not be allowed to leave </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-military-says-ex-spy-chief-will-not-be-allowed-to-leave-country-140413">country</a>

Pakistan's military Monday took the unprecedented step of preventing a former spy chief from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-authoring a book that touches on Pakistan's alleged roles in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

When people are dying on the border, dialogue is not appropriate: Sushma Swaraj on Pakistan External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed an annual press conference on Monday in which she highlighted the achievements made by the Modi government over the past 4 years. This retired English teacher made corrections to a letter sent by Trump and mailed it back A retired English teacher from the United States did not give any consideration to the fact that the letter she had received, had come from the White House and after being astounded by the grammatical mistakes made the rightful changes and sent it back. Ireland abortion law may be termed as 'Savita's law' After Ireland welcomed the abortion vote, campaigners have said that they will be in full support if the new law will be named after the woman who died after miscarriage - Savita Halappanavar. Iran Foreign Minister urges on strengthening relations with India Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif, who arrived here on Monday on a one-day visit, stressed upon the idea of strengthening relations shared by the two countries. Pakistan military says ex-spy chief will not be allowed to leave country Pakistan's military Monday took the unprecedented step of preventing a former spy chief from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-authoring a book that touches on Pakistan's alleged roles in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Pakistan's military Monday took the unprecedented step of preventing a former spy chief from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-authoring a book that touches on Pakistan's alleged roles in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

Retired Lieutenant General Asad Durrani, who headed Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from 1990 to 1992, was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) stopping him from leaving the country, according to the military spokesman.&nbsp

Durrani has been mired in controversy since last week's release of "The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace". He wrote the book with A.S. Dulat, who headed India's Research and Analysis Wing intelligence agency -- arch-rivals of the ISI.

It is based on a series of discussion between the two on various subjects including tense relations with India and Pakistan's alleged interference through proxies in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

The US has long accused the ISI in particular of backing militants in Afghanistan, including the Taliban. Islamabad denies the claims.

Criticism of the military, especially its use of proxies in regional conflicts, is seen as taboo in the country. The military is the most powerful institution in Pakistan, ruling the country for roughly half its history and operating largely with impunity.

The book also suggests that the Pakistani authorities may have known about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden -- an extraordinarily sensitive topic for the military -- and may have later handed over information to the US resulting in the 2011 raid that killed the Al Qaeda supremo.

Earlier Monday Durrani was summoned to the Pakistani military headquarters for allegedly violating the institution's code of conduct over comments he made in the book. The military did not specify which comments had prompted the meeting.

It then announced a court of inquiry into Durrani's alleged misconduct and said he had been placed on the ECL, marking the first instance such controls have been placed on a former spy chief.

The controversy comes weeks after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif sparked a similar firestorm at home and in India by suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai.&nbsp

The comments made during a newspaper interview resulted in an official condemnation from the country's National Security Council.&nbsp

Sharif has called on the council to discuss Durrani's book also.&nbsp

Since being ousted by the Supreme Court last July, he and his supporters have repeatedly suggested they are the victims of a conspiracy driven by the military and the courts to damage their party.

Retired Lieutenant General Asad Durrani, who headed Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 1990 to 1992, was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) stopping him from leaving the country, according to the military spokesman

Pakistan's military Monday took the unprecedented step of preventing a former spy chief from leaving the country, after he ignited a storm by co-authoring a book that touches on Pakistan's alleged roles in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Retired Lieutenant General Asad Durrani, who headed Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from 1990 to 1992, was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) stopping him from leaving the country, according to the military spokesman. Durrani has been mired in controversy since last week's release of "The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace". He wrote the book with A.S. Dulat, who headed India's Research and Analysis Wing intelligence agency -- arch-rivals of the ISI. It is based on a series of discussion between the two on various subjects including tense relations with India and Pakistan's alleged interference through proxies in Afghanistan and Kashmir. The US has long accused the ISI in particular of backing militants in Afghanistan, including the Taliban. Islamabad denies the claims. Criticism of the military, especially its use of proxies in regional conflicts, is seen as taboo in the country. The military is the most powerful institution in Pakistan, ruling the country for roughly half its history and operating largely with impunity. The book also suggests that the Pakistani authorities may have known about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden -- an extraordinarily sensitive topic for the military -- and may have later handed over information to the US resulting in the 2011 raid that killed the Al Qaeda supremo. Earlier Monday Durrani was summoned to the Pakistani military headquarters for allegedly violating the institution's code of conduct over comments he made in the book. The military did not specify which comments had prompted the meeting. It then announced a court of inquiry into Durrani's alleged misconduct and said he had been placed on the ECL, marking the first instance such controls have been placed on a former spy chief. The controversy comes weeks after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif sparked a similar firestorm at home and in India by suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai. The comments made during a newspaper interview resulted in an official condemnation from the country's National Security Council. Sharif has called on the council to discuss Durrani's book also. Since being ousted by the Supreme Court last July, he and his supporters have repeatedly suggested they are the victims of a conspiracy driven by the military and the courts to damage their party.

Pakistan military says ex-spy chief will not be allowed to leave country

In a strong message, the Indian Army today asked Pakistan military to stop supporting terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that it will continue to take all "retaliatory measures" foil Pakistan's evil designs.&nbsp;

In a telephonic conversation, Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Anil Chauhan told his Pakistani counterpart that the onus on bringing down tension along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir lies with Pakistan, Army officials said.

The unscheduled interaction over the hotline took place this evening following a request by Pakistan, they said adding the Pakistani DGMO alleged that Indian security forces had resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC.

"Indian Army DGMO emphatically stated that retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out in response to unabated support given by Pakistan Army to armed terrorists who infiltrate across the border and target Indian Army posts with heavy calibre weapons," the Army said.

It said Lt Gen Chauhan further impressed conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that support to terrorism by Pakistan Army was unacceptable and the Indian will continue to take all retaliatory measures.

"The onus of de-escalation along the LoC rests with Pakistan Army provided they stop supporting terrorists and put an end to unprovoked ceasefire violations to abet infiltration," the Army said.

The LoC in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a spurt in ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops in the last few months and the Indian Army has been retaliating effectively to Pakistani actions.&nbsp;

In a telephonic conversation, Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Anil Chauhan told his Pakistani counterpart that the onus on bringing down tension along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir lies with Pakistan, Army officials said.

In a strong message, the Indian Army today asked Pakistan military to stop supporting terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that it will continue to take all "retaliatory measures" foil Pakistan's evil designs. In a telephonic conversation, Indian Army's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Anil Chauhan told his Pakistani counterpart that the onus on bringing down tension along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir lies with Pakistan, Army officials said. The unscheduled interaction over the hotline took place this evening following a request by Pakistan, they said adding the Pakistani DGMO alleged that Indian security forces had resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC. "Indian Army DGMO emphatically stated that retaliatory firing by Indian troops has only been carried out in response to unabated support given by Pakistan Army to armed terrorists who infiltrate across the border and target Indian Army posts with heavy calibre weapons," the Army said. It said Lt Gen Chauhan further impressed conveyed to his Pakistan counterpart that support to terrorism by Pakistan Army was unacceptable and the Indian will continue to take all retaliatory measures. "The onus of de-escalation along the LoC rests with Pakistan Army provided they stop supporting terrorists and put an end to unprovoked ceasefire violations to abet infiltration," the Army said. The LoC in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a spurt in ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops in the last few months and the Indian Army has been retaliating effectively to Pakistani actions.

Stop supporting terror groups: Indian DGMO to Pakistan

Pakistan's largest TV station has been allowed back on the air at some major cable operators after talks with the military on demands it make changes in political coverage, two officials who work for the channel's media group told Reuters on Wednesday.

After Geo TV, Pakistan's most popular station, was taken off the air across much of the country at the end of March, military representatives pressed the channel to cease favourable coverage of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and stop any criticism of the Supreme Court and the "establishment", according to the two people, who had knowledge of the negotiations.

The "establishment" is a commonly used euphemism for the military in Pakistan.

Written instructions by Geo management to staff last week that were reviewed by Reuters spelled out "key editorial points that we have to manage and implement" to be restored to the airwaves.

Besides banning negative portrayals of the "establishment" and any allegations the Supreme Court might be interfering in politics, the instructions said there should be no reports on Nawaz Sharif's ongoing corruption trial "that helps build a narrative that he and his children are innocent".

The two sources, employees of The Jang Group of Newspapers, Geo's parent company, said the company had reluctantly agreed to most of the military's demands, although there was no final deal confirmed and the situation was in flux.

"As for the deal or tough conditions, we are following them and Geo has been restored. That restoration is the result of obeying those dictations," one of the sources said on Wednesday.

Geo TV Network President Imran Aslam declined to answer questions about any military involvement in the shutdown or whether any deal had been made or was in the works.

A Geo spokesperson said in a statement: "Geo will always strive to provide both sides of the story and an independent editorial policy for which it has suffered in every regime, military and civilian.

"If we ever surrender on that independence we would rather shut down the channel ourselves," added the spokesperson, who would not answer questions about any negotiations with the military.

The military's press office did not respond to written questions and phone calls about whether it had pressured the cable operators. It also did not comment on the allegations that the military, or its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) wing, made demands on Geo to alter its coverage or secured agreement to make any changes.

Three major cable operators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, earlier told Reuters they had pulled the channel from their rosters after direct instructions from unidentified military officers, even though the army has no official authority over the media.

The cable operators could not be immediately contacted as Geo slowly began to come back on air on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Commitment to democracy

Media executives and analysts say the crackdown on Geo signals the military may be trying to control information in the run-up to a general election due within months, with the aim of preventing Sharif's PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) party from retaining its parliamentary majority.

Sharif's supporters say the military dislikes the ousted prime minister because of his attempts to assert civilian authority over the army, but the military has several times denied any role in his ouster.

The chief of army staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, recently declared his commitment to a democratically elected government.

Sharif was removed from office by the Supreme Court last year over an unreported source of income. He has been barred for life from holding public office by the court.

He and his family also face trial by an anti-corruption court over accusations they improperly used offshore companies to buy expensive London properties in the 1990s without accounting for the source of the funds. A verdict in that case is expected next month.

Geo has been one of the few broadcast stations giving extensive coverage to Sharif's defiant rallies around the country criticising his ouster, but it has denied allegations by the opposition that it is a mouthpiece for his ruling party.

Founded in 2002, Geo News has consistently ranked as the most popular TV news station among Pakistan's 208 million people. It was rated the number one watched channel in a February report by Medialogic, a ratings provider.

Geo began reappearing on Tuesday in approximately half the country but had not been restored completely, network president Aslam said on Wednesday. He declined to answer questions about any military involvement in the shutdown or whether any deal had been made or was in the works.

Aslam had said last week that the channel had been effectively blocked in about 80 percent of the country and had lost millions of dollars in revenue. "There is no official reason as to who has done it, why it has been done," he told Reuters at that time. He gave no further details on Wednesday.

Geo TV has remained on the air throughout in much of Islamabad, the capital, where most diplomats, government officials and foreign journalists are based.

"Big brother, the boots"

Reuters interviewed nearly a dozen cable operators and Geo insiders with knowledge of the channel's recent struggles. Three cable operators said they were pressured to take the channel off the air at the end of March while others declined to comment.

Five of the Geo insiders said they knew the widespread cable blackout was a result of military pressure. However, only two were willing to talk about the conditions laid out by military officials to Geo for restoring the channels, and they said they were doing so against direct orders from the company's owner.

One executive at a leading cable company that covers more than a million households in Pakistan told Reuters he received a telephone call at the end of March from a senior officer in the ISI telling him to take Geo TV off their roster.

There was never any question of refusing the order, he said.

A second cable executive said his company shut down Geo broadcasts after receiving a telephone call. Asked who made the call, he said: "I can't say the name, you know, big brother, the boots."

The military has declined to comment on all the allegations made by the cable operators.

Behind the scenes

The military has directly ruled Pakistan for almost half the country's history since independence 70 years ago – most recently overthrowing a previous Sharif government in a 1999 coup. It remains the most powerful institution in the country and political analysts have said that it hopes to manage Pakistan from behind the scenes without directly taking over.

The PML-N remains in control of the government and its minister of state for interior affairs, Talal Chaudhry, criticised the move against Geo.

"It's very unfortunate that behind many actions in Pakistan there are hidden hands, secret hands," Chaudhry told Reuters in response to a question about the military's possible role in Geo's trouble. He did not elaborate further.

The official broadcast media regulator, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, said in a statement that it had not ordered any channel to be taken off air and that the "closure of any licensed channel is against ... its laws."

After Geo was taken off the air across much of the country, military representatives pressed the channel to cease favourable coverage of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and stop any criticism of the Supreme Court and the 'establishment'

Pakistan's largest TV station has been allowed back on the air at some major cable operators after talks with the military on demands it make changes in political coverage, two officials who work for the channel's media group told Reuters on Wednesday. After Geo TV, Pakistan's most popular station, was taken off the air across much of the country at the end of March, military representatives pressed the channel to cease favourable coverage of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and stop any criticism of the Supreme Court and the "establishment", according to the two people, who had knowledge of the negotiations. The "establishment" is a commonly used euphemism for the military in Pakistan. Written instructions by Geo management to staff last week that were reviewed by Reuters spelled out "key editorial points that we have to manage and implement" to be restored to the airwaves. Besides banning negative portrayals of the "establishment" and any allegations the Supreme Court might be interfering in politics, the instructions said there should be no reports on Nawaz Sharif's ongoing corruption trial "that helps build a narrative that he and his children are innocent". The two sources, employees of The Jang Group of Newspapers, Geo's parent company, said the company had reluctantly agreed to most of the military's demands, although there was no final deal confirmed and the situation was in flux. "As for the deal or tough conditions, we are following them and Geo has been restored. That restoration is the result of obeying those dictations," one of the sources said on Wednesday. Geo TV Network President Imran Aslam declined to answer questions about any military involvement in the shutdown or whether any deal had been made or was in the works. A Geo spokesperson said in a statement: "Geo will always strive to provide both sides of the story and an independent editorial policy for which it has suffered in every regime, military and civilian. "If we ever surrender on that independence we would rather shut down the channel ourselves," added the spokesperson, who would not answer questions about any negotiations with the military. The military's press office did not respond to written questions and phone calls about whether it had pressured the cable operators. It also did not comment on the allegations that the military, or its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) wing, made demands on Geo to alter its coverage or secured agreement to make any changes. Three major cable operators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, earlier told Reuters they had pulled the channel from their rosters after direct instructions from unidentified military officers, even though the army has no official authority over the media. The cable operators could not be immediately contacted as Geo slowly began to come back on air on Tuesday and Wednesday. Commitment to democracy Media executives and analysts say the crackdown on Geo signals the military may be trying to control information in the run-up to a general election due within months, with the aim of preventing Sharif's PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) party from retaining its parliamentary majority. Sharif's supporters say the military dislikes the ousted prime minister because of his attempts to assert civilian authority over the army, but the military has several times denied any role in his ouster. The chief of army staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, recently declared his commitment to a democratically elected government. Sharif was removed from office by the Supreme Court last year over an unreported source of income. He has been barred for life from holding public office by the court. He and his family also face trial by an anti-corruption court over accusations they improperly used offshore companies to buy expensive London properties in the 1990s without accounting for the source of the funds. A verdict in that case is expected next month. Geo has been one of the few broadcast stations giving extensive coverage to Sharif's defiant rallies around the country criticising his ouster, but it has denied allegations by the opposition that it is a mouthpiece for his ruling party. Founded in 2002, Geo News has consistently ranked as the most popular TV news station among Pakistan's 208 million people. It was rated the number one watched channel in a February report by Medialogic, a ratings provider. Geo began reappearing on Tuesday in approximately half the country but had not been restored completely, network president Aslam said on Wednesday. He declined to answer questions about any military involvement in the shutdown or whether any deal had been made or was in the works. Aslam had said last week that the channel had been effectively blocked in about 80 percent of the country and had lost millions of dollars in revenue. "There is no official reason as to who has done it, why it has been done," he told Reuters at that time. He gave no further details on Wednesday. Geo TV has remained on the air throughout in much of Islamabad, the capital, where most diplomats, government officials and foreign journalists are based. "Big brother, the boots" Reuters interviewed nearly a dozen cable operators and Geo insiders with knowledge of the channel's recent struggles. Three cable operators said they were pressured to take the channel off the air at the end of March while others declined to comment. Five of the Geo insiders said they knew the widespread cable blackout was a result of military pressure. However, only two were willing to talk about the conditions laid out by military officials to Geo for restoring the channels, and they said they were doing so against direct orders from the company's owner. One executive at a leading cable company that covers more than a million households in Pakistan told Reuters he received a telephone call at the end of March from a senior officer in the ISI telling him to take Geo TV off their roster. There was never any question of refusing the order, he said. A second cable executive said his company shut down Geo broadcasts after receiving a telephone call. Asked who made the call, he said: "I can't say the name, you know, big brother, the boots." The military has declined to comment on all the allegations made by the cable operators. Behind the scenes The military has directly ruled Pakistan for almost half the country's history since independence 70 years ago – most recently overthrowing a previous Sharif government in a 1999 coup. It remains the most powerful institution in the country and political analysts have said that it hopes to manage Pakistan from behind the scenes without directly taking over. The PML-N remains in control of the government and its minister of state for interior affairs, Talal Chaudhry, criticised the move against Geo. "It's very unfortunate that behind many actions in Pakistan there are hidden hands, secret hands," Chaudhry told Reuters in response to a question about the military's possible role in Geo's trouble. He did not elaborate further. The official broadcast media regulator, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, said in a statement that it had not ordered any channel to be taken off air and that the "closure of any licensed channel is against ... its laws."

Pakistan's Geo TV returning to air after negotiations with military: Sources

Militarism and militancy are not going to ensure a better future for Pakistan, said former Pakistan&nbsp;Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani on Tuesday.

Talking to ANI, the former Pakistan&nbsp;diplomat talked about Pakistani military's intervention in politics, terrorism, Pashtun uprising and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Maintaining that Pakistan&nbsp;military is not trained to intervene in the country's politics, Haqqani said military interventions in Pakistan&nbsp;politics have resulted in political chaos.

"Military interventions going back to 1958 have only brought war, destruction, or political chaos in the country. Pakistan&nbsp;people will start loving their military when it stops interfering and intervening in politics. If public opinion in Pakistan becomes so critical of the military's role in politics that the military realizes that its interventions are not acceptable to the people then the military's behaviour will also have to change," Haqqani said.

The Pakistan&nbsp;military has historically been interfering in the country's politics and has dethroned democratically elected governments many times.

Talking about jihadi elements getting safe havens in Pakistan, the former diplomat said, "As far as militants and jihadi outfits are concerned, they have already brought Pakistan on the brink of global sanctions. I think it is time to get rid of militancy without any conditions and Pakistani people can demand of their government action against militants."

Haqqani said it is high time that Pakistan corrects its pro-terror image in the world.

"Terrorism has become an issue that is now not only hurting India, Pakistan relations but also US-Pakistan relations. Many other countries are also becoming negative in their approach to Pakistan. So, Pakistan will have to change that perception around the world," Haqqani said.

He also said that Pakistan also needs to take action against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JUD) Hafiz Saeed as people like him do not bring pride to Pakistan.

"When somebody (Hafiz Saeed) has been declared a terrorist by the global community then all countries should act against such a person and Pakistan also needs to take steps that will redeem it in the eyes of the world. International opinion should not be flouted in the manner it has been by Pakistan in relation to Hafiz Saeed," Haqqani said.

Replying a question about Saeed's foray into politics, Haqqani hoped that Saeed does not make it to Parliament in Pakistan and said efforts to "mainstream a terrorist" is going to be problematic for Pakistan in terms of its relations with several countries of the world.

He said Saeed's political face 'the Milli Muslim League' has been recognized by the US as another name for the LeT.

"As far as the Milli Muslim League is concerned, the United States has just recognized it as another name for Lashkar-e-Taiba. One can keep changing the name many times but unless you change your actions, changing names will not change reality."

Expressing his views about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Haqqani said China's investment in Pakistan is strategic so Islamabad should be alert as to not become indebted to China.

"China considers Pakistan as its strategic instrument for keeping in check India's ambitions in Asia. It also considers Pakistan as a secondary deterrent. Therefore, China's investment in Pakistan is strategic. That said, China does have a very capitalistic outlook right now. And, once they have invested heavily in, they will not go back without having their pound of flesh as they did in Sri Lanka in the case of Hambantota port," Haqqani said.

He added that Pakistan will get benefit out of the CPEC if it has a strong economic base.

"If Pakistan ends up becoming highly indebted to China, without creating jobs for its own people, then the CPEC will end up becoming a liability rather than an asset."

Talking about Pashtun movement in Pakistan, the former Pakistani diplomat said Pashtuns are not foreign agents as being alleged by the government but people who have been deprived of their just rights.

"Pashtuns have acted totally spontaneously and without any serious political organisation and that basically shows how a young Pakistani population is quite disgruntled with the situation they face. Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leaders are being termed as traitors and foreign agents. They are not foreign agents but they are people facing injustice and standing up for their rights," Haqqani said.

He also said that there will be many movements like Pashtun Tahafuz across Pakistan because Pakistani state has ignored too many people within the country to pursue objectives that have nothing to do with providing education, healthcare and justice to the poorest of poor.

Haqqani, who has written a book titled 'Reimagining Pakistan', said Pakistan should actually become a pragmatic state instead of an ideological nation that it has been trying to become from the last 70 years.

He said priorities of Pakistani people are being ignored due to religion-based ideology.

"The problem with having a religion based ideology and an ideology that envisages the country's largest neighbour (India) as the permanent enemy is that peoples' priorities get ignored," Haqqani said.

The diplomat turned author said instead of being obsessed with religion and with India as enemy, Pakistan should look after its own people as the nation with world's sixth largest has its economy on the 42nd number in the world.

The former Pakistan diplomat talked about Pakistan military's intervention in politics, terrorism, Pashtun uprising and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Militarism and militancy are not going to ensure a better future for Pakistan, said former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani on Tuesday. Talking to ANI, the former Pakistan diplomat talked about Pakistani military's intervention in politics, terrorism, Pashtun uprising and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Maintaining that Pakistan military is not trained to intervene in the country's politics, Haqqani said military interventions in Pakistan politics have resulted in political chaos. "Military interventions going back to 1958 have only brought war, destruction, or political chaos in the country. Pakistan people will start loving their military when it stops interfering and intervening in politics. If public opinion in Pakistan becomes so critical of the military's role in politics that the military realizes that its interventions are not acceptable to the people then the military's behaviour will also have to change," Haqqani said. The Pakistan military has historically been interfering in the country's politics and has dethroned democratically elected governments many times. Talking about jihadi elements getting safe havens in Pakistan, the former diplomat said, "As far as militants and jihadi outfits are concerned, they have already brought Pakistan on the brink of global sanctions. I think it is time to get rid of militancy without any conditions and Pakistani people can demand of their government action against militants." Haqqani said it is high time that Pakistan corrects its pro-terror image in the world. "Terrorism has become an issue that is now not only hurting India, Pakistan relations but also US-Pakistan relations. Many other countries are also becoming negative in their approach to Pakistan. So, Pakistan will have to change that perception around the world," Haqqani said. He also said that Pakistan also needs to take action against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder and Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JUD) Hafiz Saeed as people like him do not bring pride to Pakistan. "When somebody (Hafiz Saeed) has been declared a terrorist by the global community then all countries should act against such a person and Pakistan also needs to take steps that will redeem it in the eyes of the world. International opinion should not be flouted in the manner it has been by Pakistan in relation to Hafiz Saeed," Haqqani said. Replying a question about Saeed's foray into politics, Haqqani hoped that Saeed does not make it to Parliament in Pakistan and said efforts to "mainstream a terrorist" is going to be problematic for Pakistan in terms of its relations with several countries of the world. He said Saeed's political face 'the Milli Muslim League' has been recognized by the US as another name for the LeT. "As far as the Milli Muslim League is concerned, the United States has just recognized it as another name for Lashkar-e-Taiba. One can keep changing the name many times but unless you change your actions, changing names will not change reality." Expressing his views about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Haqqani said China's investment in Pakistan is strategic so Islamabad should be alert as to not become indebted to China. "China considers Pakistan as its strategic instrument for keeping in check India's ambitions in Asia. It also considers Pakistan as a secondary deterrent. Therefore, China's investment in Pakistan is strategic. That said, China does have a very capitalistic outlook right now. And, once they have invested heavily in, they will not go back without having their pound of flesh as they did in Sri Lanka in the case of Hambantota port," Haqqani said. He added that Pakistan will get benefit out of the CPEC if it has a strong economic base. "If Pakistan ends up becoming highly indebted to China, without creating jobs for its own people, then the CPEC will end up becoming a liability rather than an asset." Talking about Pashtun movement in Pakistan, the former Pakistani diplomat said Pashtuns are not foreign agents as being alleged by the government but people who have been deprived of their just rights. "Pashtuns have acted totally spontaneously and without any serious political organisation and that basically shows how a young Pakistani population is quite disgruntled with the situation they face. Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leaders are being termed as traitors and foreign agents. They are not foreign agents but they are people facing injustice and standing up for their rights," Haqqani said. He also said that there will be many movements like Pashtun Tahafuz across Pakistan because Pakistani state has ignored too many people within the country to pursue objectives that have nothing to do with providing education, healthcare and justice to the poorest of poor. Haqqani, who has written a book titled 'Reimagining Pakistan', said Pakistan should actually become a pragmatic state instead of an ideological nation that it has been trying to become from the last 70 years. He said priorities of Pakistani people are being ignored due to religion-based ideology. "The problem with having a religion based ideology and an ideology that envisages the country's largest neighbour (India) as the permanent enemy is that peoples' priorities get ignored," Haqqani said. The diplomat turned author said instead of being obsessed with religion and with India as enemy, Pakistan should look after its own people as the nation with world's sixth largest has its economy on the 42nd number in the world.

'Military interventions in Pakistan politics have resulted in political chaos,' says ex-Pakistan Ambassador to US

The 16th of December, 2014 will forever remain etched into the national sensibility of Pakistan, for on that wretched day, Pakistan lost more than 150 of its people, mostly schoolchildren in a senseless massacre at an army school in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&rsquo;s capital of Peshawar. Comparisons were instantly drawn and 16/12 was touted Pakistan&rsquo;s 9/11. Prior to the attack, the national narrative on how to deal with the Taliban was a mixture of varied opinions. The Imran Khan led Tehreek-e-Insaf wanted negotiations whilst others wanted an indiscriminate operation, targeting groups that posed a threat to Pakistan&rsquo;s interests.&nbsp;

However, the Peshawar attack was enough to jolt all political forces into doing and not just proposing. In a rare show of unity an, All Parties Conference was quickly convened and a National Action Plan was presented in its aftermath. With 20 salient points, the plan introduced military courts, lifted the moratorium on capital punishment and promised unwavering action against all forms of terrorists. One would imagine that the wholesale slaughter of more than 130 children would be enough to push the Pakistani state and more specifically the military to abandon its policy of harbouring certain terror groups. But alas, as conniving statecraft would have it, four years on Pakistan is still blamed for following her &ldquo;good Taliban, bad Taliban&rdquo; policy.&nbsp;

The ISPR will have us know that terrorists are being acted against without any discrimination being made but there is one breed of terror groups which perhaps holds the sympathies of not just those in the military establishment but the Pakistani populace at large. These are the Afghan groups and the anti-India groups such as the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Muhammad which specifically target the Indian state in Kashmir and in places such as Pathankot and Uri, as they did in 2016. The continued support for the Afghan Taliban such as the Haqqani network is somewhat understandable. Fearing the fact that an unstable Afghanistan might become a haven for anti-Pakistan groups, the Pakistani state wants to safeguard its interests in Kabul in the case of an American pullout.

Au contraire, the Pakistani military continues its complicit support for anti-India entities despite the National Action Plan and the reasons for this are manifold but boil down to one simple factor; anti-Indian sentiment is central to Pakistani nationalism. It is what French political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot calls &ldquo;the essence of Pakistan&rsquo;s identity&rdquo;. Parts of the military establishment, as well as the nation, suffer from a collective schizophrenia of sorts when it comes to India. Opposing India is at the crux of Pakistan&rsquo;s military and foreign policies and the presence of a much larger enemy to the East is the justification the military uses to justify its disproportionate share of resources in the country&rsquo;s budget amongst other perceived threats.&nbsp;

However, of late, these groups have begun rebranding themselves as political parties. In an act of sheer irony on the anniversary of the Peshawar attacks, Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi, scion of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jahngvi was elected as a member of provincial parliament from his native Jhang as an independent candidate. He later joined the Jamiat-Ulema-Islam (Fazal) which is allied with the government in the centre. Also, the by-polls held after Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s ouster from a power saw the political wing (Milli Muslim League) of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and the sectarian group Tehreek-e-Labaik-Ya-Rasool-Allah secure 11% of the vote in the constituency. All of this was done despite the fact that these groups are on the UN terror watch lists. Apparently, that was not enough for the Election Commission of Pakistan to rule their nomination papers null and void.

But is action against the anti-India lot inevitable? This notion might well be a folly. For any action to be taken by the Pakistani army there needs to be a public consensus against the enemy first. Unfortunately, that consensus only exists against India, not the anti-India lot. The armed forces will not take any step without that consensus and certainly not when India asks for it because that would make them look bad. Moving with the impression of those moves being a response to Indian pressure would be anathema to the Pakistani military. With the long-term presence of a right winger in Delhi pressure will always be on Islamabad to take action against these groups.&nbsp;

Something will have to give, but will it? The army may well give up on the anti-India lot if they turn against the state but what they&rsquo;ll never give up on is India is the eternal enemy. As now notorious DAWN staffer Cyril Almeida calls it, &ldquo;India being Enemy No 1 is an unalterable truth, an inalienable position that the boys (army) will never give up.&rdquo; As Cyril puts it, for the army to take action against these groups, it has to look like it was their idea and without them looking bad.&nbsp;

Recently, keeping in tradition with the sporadic unsustainable action taken against these groups, the state moved to ban charities headed by Hafiz Saeed. Whilst this may seem like a step in the right direction the past has shown us that the military often does not follow up on these actions. The landmark elections due in July this year will be a momentous occasion for democracy in a country that has seen military rule for more than half her existence. But with successive democracies, the impenetrable and Machiavellian hold of the military on security policy will inevitably weaken. One can only hope that Pakistan&rsquo;s civilian leaders will have the guts and foresight, it will take to defang the anti-India lot.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Even after four years of massive mishap, Pakistan and its obstinate military are to be blamed for the slaughter of more than 130 children on 16th of December,2014.

The 16th of December, 2014 will forever remain etched into the national sensibility of Pakistan, for on that wretched day, Pakistan lost more than 150 of its people, mostly schoolchildren in a senseless massacre at an army school in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s capital of Peshawar. Comparisons were instantly drawn and 16/12 was touted Pakistan’s 9/11. Prior to the attack, the national narrative on how to deal with the Taliban was a mixture of varied opinions. The Imran Khan led Tehreek-e-Insaf wanted negotiations whilst others wanted an indiscriminate operation, targeting groups that posed a threat to Pakistan’s interests. However, the Peshawar attack was enough to jolt all political forces into doing and not just proposing. In a rare show of unity an, All Parties Conference was quickly convened and a National Action Plan was presented in its aftermath. With 20 salient points, the plan introduced military courts, lifted the moratorium on capital punishment and promised unwavering action against all forms of terrorists. One would imagine that the wholesale slaughter of more than 130 children would be enough to push the Pakistani state and more specifically the military to abandon its policy of harbouring certain terror groups. But alas, as conniving statecraft would have it, four years on Pakistan is still blamed for following her “good Taliban, bad Taliban” policy. The ISPR will have us know that terrorists are being acted against without any discrimination being made but there is one breed of terror groups which perhaps holds the sympathies of not just those in the military establishment but the Pakistani populace at large. These are the Afghan groups and the anti-India groups such as the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Muhammad which specifically target the Indian state in Kashmir and in places such as Pathankot and Uri, as they did in 2016. The continued support for the Afghan Taliban such as the Haqqani network is somewhat understandable. Fearing the fact that an unstable Afghanistan might become a haven for anti-Pakistan groups, the Pakistani state wants to safeguard its interests in Kabul in the case of an American pullout. Au contraire, the Pakistani military continues its complicit support for anti-India entities despite the National Action Plan and the reasons for this are manifold but boil down to one simple factor; anti-Indian sentiment is central to Pakistani nationalism. It is what French political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot calls “the essence of Pakistan’s identity”. Parts of the military establishment, as well as the nation, suffer from a collective schizophrenia of sorts when it comes to India. Opposing India is at the crux of Pakistan’s military and foreign policies and the presence of a much larger enemy to the East is the justification the military uses to justify its disproportionate share of resources in the country’s budget amongst other perceived threats. However, of late, these groups have begun rebranding themselves as political parties. In an act of sheer irony on the anniversary of the Peshawar attacks, Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi, scion of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jahngvi was elected as a member of provincial parliament from his native Jhang as an independent candidate. He later joined the Jamiat-Ulema-Islam (Fazal) which is allied with the government in the centre. Also, the by-polls held after Nawaz Sharif’s ouster from a power saw the political wing (Milli Muslim League) of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and the sectarian group Tehreek-e-Labaik-Ya-Rasool-Allah secure 11% of the vote in the constituency. All of this was done despite the fact that these groups are on the UN terror watch lists. Apparently, that was not enough for the Election Commission of Pakistan to rule their nomination papers null and void. But is action against the anti-India lot inevitable? This notion might well be a folly. For any action to be taken by the Pakistani army there needs to be a public consensus against the enemy first. Unfortunately, that consensus only exists against India, not the anti-India lot. The armed forces will not take any step without that consensus and certainly not when India asks for it because that would make them look bad. Moving with the impression of those moves being a response to Indian pressure would be anathema to the Pakistani military. With the long-term presence of a right winger in Delhi pressure will always be on Islamabad to take action against these groups. Something will have to give, but will it? The army may well give up on the anti-India lot if they turn against the state but what they’ll never give up on is India is the eternal enemy. As now notorious DAWN staffer Cyril Almeida calls it, “India being Enemy No 1 is an unalterable truth, an inalienable position that the boys (army) will never give up.” As Cyril puts it, for the army to take action against these groups, it has to look like it was their idea and without them looking bad. Recently, keeping in tradition with the sporadic unsustainable action taken against these groups, the state moved to ban charities headed by Hafiz Saeed. Whilst this may seem like a step in the right direction the past has shown us that the military often does not follow up on these actions. The landmark elections due in July this year will be a momentous occasion for democracy in a country that has seen military rule for more than half her existence. But with successive democracies, the impenetrable and Machiavellian hold of the military on security policy will inevitably weaken. One can only hope that Pakistan’s civilian leaders will have the guts and foresight, it will take to defang the anti-India lot. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Will Pakistan ever give up its 'India is the eternal enemy' policy?

Top US experts have expressed concern over Pakistan&#39;s decision to give the death penalty to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav as they warned that Islamabad wants to send a &quot;strong message&quot; to India against isolating it on the world stage.

Jadhav, 46, was given the death sentence by military Field General Court Martial under the army act for his alleged involvement in terrorism and espionage. The death sentence was confirmed by army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

&quot;Apart from the gross irregularities in the Jadhav situation, such as the lack of consular access and the secrecy surrounding the surprise court-martial, what struck me the most is the contrast between the speed of Mr Jadhav&#39;s trial set against the endless postponements for that of the Mumbai attackers,&quot; Alyssa Ayres, a former senior State Department official in its South and Central Asia Bureau said.

&quot;The latter case, by contrast, has been in a continual state of prolongation for nearly nine years,&quot; Ayres told PTI.

She is currently senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think-tank.

Bharat Gopalaswamy, director of South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-DC based top US think-tank, believes that the evidence warranting Jadhav&#39;s conviction &quot;is rather flimsy&quot; and the story by the Pakistani authorities &quot;do not add up&quot;.

Without furnishing further evidence, this conviction as it stands, &quot;seems to be politically motivated&quot; in order to counter India&#39;s aggressive diplomacy against Pakistan in combating terrorism, he said.

&quot;This whole story is shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, but it seems clear that Pakistan wants to send a very strong message to India, whether to warn New Delhi against meddling in Pakistan or to push back in a big way against India&#39;s efforts to isolate Pakistan on the world stage,&quot; said Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Center.

&quot;At the same time, given how much India will want to ensure that Yadav isn&#39;t executed, Pakistan now has a very large bargaining chip at its disposal. Pakistan may want to use Yadav as a trump card to get some type of major concession from India,&quot; Kugelman said.

&quot;The bottom line is that India-Pakistan relations are on life support. We can kiss goodbye any immediate prospects for resuming dialogue, though that wasn&#39;t a very strong possibility even before the announcement about Yadav&#39;s death sentence. Ultimately, India and Pakistan face some very dark and dangerous days ahead,&quot;&nbsp;he said.

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/14403">Pakistan responds to Sushma Swaraj&#39;s statement, says&nbsp;it can defend itself</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Sameer Lalwani, senior associate and deputy director for Stimson&#39;s South Asia program, said the decision and timing of Jadhav&#39;s execution sentence &quot;appears puzzling&quot; because in many ways it does not seem to work in Pakistan&#39;s self-interest.

&quot;If Jadhav posed a threat and Pakistan wanted to send a deterrent signal to potential saboteurs of CPEC and Gwadar, they could have executed him months ago after his intelligence value had been exhausted,&quot; Lalwani said.

&quot;If Pakistan wanted to exploit Jadhav&#39;s capture for diplomatic purposes by showcasing evidence of Indian sub-conventional aggression, Pakistan still has yet to convince the international community and an execution raises suspicions,&quot; Lalwani said.

&quot;Finally, if the Indians care that much about Jadhav, Pakistan could have used him as a bargaining chip. Perhaps the sentence is an opening bargaining gambit but actually executing Jadhav may not be reaping much of a deterrent signal for Pakistan while foreclosing on diplomatic or trade value,&quot; he said.

Both the State Department and the White House refused to comment on the sentencing of Jadhav.

&quot;We have seen these reports. We refer you to the governments of India and Pakistan for further information,&quot; a State Department spokesperson said.

(PTI)

Jadhav was given the death sentence by military Field General Court Martial for his alleged involvement in terrorism and espionage

Top US experts have expressed concern over Pakistan's decision to give the death penalty to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav as they warned that Islamabad wants to send a "strong message" to India against isolating it on the world stage. Jadhav, 46, was given the death sentence by military Field General Court Martial under the army act for his alleged involvement in terrorism and espionage. The death sentence was confirmed by army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. "Apart from the gross irregularities in the Jadhav situation, such as the lack of consular access and the secrecy surrounding the surprise court-martial, what struck me the most is the contrast between the speed of Mr Jadhav's trial set against the endless postponements for that of the Mumbai attackers," Alyssa Ayres, a former senior State Department official in its South and Central Asia Bureau said. "The latter case, by contrast, has been in a continual state of prolongation for nearly nine years," Ayres told PTI. She is currently senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, a top American think-tank. Bharat Gopalaswamy, director of South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-DC based top US think-tank, believes that the evidence warranting Jadhav's conviction "is rather flimsy" and the story by the Pakistani authorities "do not add up". Without furnishing further evidence, this conviction as it stands, "seems to be politically motivated" in order to counter India's aggressive diplomacy against Pakistan in combating terrorism, he said. "This whole story is shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, but it seems clear that Pakistan wants to send a very strong message to India, whether to warn New Delhi against meddling in Pakistan or to push back in a big way against India's efforts to isolate Pakistan on the world stage," said Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Center. "At the same time, given how much India will want to ensure that Yadav isn't executed, Pakistan now has a very large bargaining chip at its disposal. Pakistan may want to use Yadav as a trump card to get some type of major concession from India," Kugelman said. "The bottom line is that India-Pakistan relations are on life support. We can kiss goodbye any immediate prospects for resuming dialogue, though that wasn't a very strong possibility even before the announcement about Yadav's death sentence. Ultimately, India and Pakistan face some very dark and dangerous days ahead," he said. Also Read: Pakistan responds to Sushma Swaraj's statement, says it can defend itself According to Sameer Lalwani, senior associate and deputy director for Stimson's South Asia program, said the decision and timing of Jadhav's execution sentence "appears puzzling" because in many ways it does not seem to work in Pakistan's self-interest. "If Jadhav posed a threat and Pakistan wanted to send a deterrent signal to potential saboteurs of CPEC and Gwadar, they could have executed him months ago after his intelligence value had been exhausted," Lalwani said. "If Pakistan wanted to exploit Jadhav's capture for diplomatic purposes by showcasing evidence of Indian sub-conventional aggression, Pakistan still has yet to convince the international community and an execution raises suspicions," Lalwani said. "Finally, if the Indians care that much about Jadhav, Pakistan could have used him as a bargaining chip. Perhaps the sentence is an opening bargaining gambit but actually executing Jadhav may not be reaping much of a deterrent signal for Pakistan while foreclosing on diplomatic or trade value," he said. Both the State Department and the White House refused to comment on the sentencing of Jadhav. "We have seen these reports. We refer you to the governments of India and Pakistan for further information," a State Department spokesperson said. (PTI)

US experts question Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence

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