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Prime Minister<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/poll-scam-money-used-for-naamdars-campaign-pm-modi-targets-rahul-gandhi-213678"> Narendra Modi</a> Friday said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country.

Addressing an election rally in Jabalpur, he said after completion of voting in more than 300 Lok Sabha seats, his opponents have accepted that there is a (Modi) "wave" and have knelt before it.

Modi told the gathering that their votes in favour of the BJP in 2014 made India strong and forced the world to look at the country with a different perspective.

"Your one vote has made the country strong and changed the outlook of the world towards India in the last five years," Modi said.

The PM said the opposition has always stood against India's stance on key issues with other countries.

"They always stood in opposition to the countrys stand. Opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of surgical strike, air strike or Doklam dispute (with China in 2017)," he said.

Speaking on the issue of terrorism, Modi said military operations against terror camps launched under his watch were just "trailer"".

"India is changing now. We have killed them (terrorists) by entering into their den. And whatever we have done is just a trailer, a sample. We have to wipe out terrorism from its roots," the prime minister said.

Modi said after the end of three phases of Lok Sabha polls, covering 303 seats, it is clear which way people have voted.

"The mandate for 300 seats is in. Those who were saying there was no wave, have now realised (that public opinion in favour of the BJP) and have now knelt before it," the prime minister said.

"A sea of people undeterred by the scorching heat have gathered here...This shows they have joined hands for a building a new India," he said, pointing to the large crowd gathered at the rally.

Modi said his government implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in larger public interest and to boost the nations tax collection.

"The Congress mentioned about implementing the GST regime three times its manifesto but couldn't do so as it lacked (political) will," he added.

The rally was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Singh is also Madhya Pradesh BJP president.

Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in four phases starting from April 29.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country. Addressing an election rally in Jabalpur, he said after completion of voting in more than 300 Lok Sabha seats, his opponents have accepted that there is a (Modi) "wave" and have knelt before it. Modi told the gathering that their votes in favour of the BJP in 2014 made India strong and forced the world to look at the country with a different perspective. "Your one vote has made the country strong and changed the outlook of the world towards India in the last five years," Modi said. The PM said the opposition has always stood against India's stance on key issues with other countries. "They always stood in opposition to the countrys stand. Opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of surgical strike, air strike or Doklam dispute (with China in 2017)," he said. Speaking on the issue of terrorism, Modi said military operations against terror camps launched under his watch were just "trailer"". "India is changing now. We have killed them (terrorists) by entering into their den. And whatever we have done is just a trailer, a sample. We have to wipe out terrorism from its roots," the prime minister said. Modi said after the end of three phases of Lok Sabha polls, covering 303 seats, it is clear which way people have voted. "The mandate for 300 seats is in. Those who were saying there was no wave, have now realised (that public opinion in favour of the BJP) and have now knelt before it," the prime minister said. "A sea of people undeterred by the scorching heat have gathered here...This shows they have joined hands for a building a new India," he said, pointing to the large crowd gathered at the rally. Modi said his government implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in larger public interest and to boost the nations tax collection. "The Congress mentioned about implementing the GST regime three times its manifesto but couldn't do so as it lacked (political) will," he added. The rally was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Singh is also Madhya Pradesh BJP president. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in four phases starting from April 29.

Those who said there is no 'wave' have now knelt before it: PM Modi

The UK has expressed optimism that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar will soon be listed as an international terrorist at the United Nations.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith said, "We are strong supporters of listing of Masood Azhar for a decade. So that we will get to that conclusion shortly. I do remain optimistic that it will be resolved and very much it will be."

Without taking China's name he said, "We are waiting to see whether the country that is so far been resisting agreeing to its listing will lift that objection," hoping, "we will get to that conclusion of listing Azhar".

China had put a hold on the listing of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist on March 13 at the 1267 sanctions committee of the UNSC. India has been pushing to declare Masood Azhar a global terrorist after his JeM took responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama attack that killed more than 40 personnel of India's paramilitary force, the CRPF.

The UK, along with the US and France, has put a proposal for listing of Azhar as an international terrorist in the aftermath of Pulwama. A resolution was also proposed by the US at UNSC but China put a hold in March.

China, in the past few weeks, has been reacting potitively on listing of Azhar. "Things are moving towards a settlement," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently said in a statement. The Indian foreign secretary was in China on Monday and gave evidence regarding JeM's involvement in terror attacks in India during his meetings with Chinese officials including foreign minister Wang Yi.

A statement from India's external affairs ministry said, "We have shared with China all evidences of terrorist activities of Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar. It is now for the 1267 Sanctions Committee and other authorised bodies of the UN to take a decision on the listing of Masood Azhar."

'PAK MUST ACT ON TERROR'

Asked if the UK played a role in defusing tension between India Pakistan after Pulwama, the high commissioner said, "We were very actively involved. We were certainly talking to a variety of key actors in Pakistan to make it clear on what we expect in terms of Pakistani action against terrorist groups who are operating around the Line of Control."

Calling for a "verifiable" and "irreversible action" against terror groups, the British HC said, "Don't mistake natural British modesty with what we say in public with a lack of activity."

The UK has expressed optimism that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar will soon be listed as an international terrorist at the United Nations. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith said, "We are strong supporters of listing of Masood Azhar for a decade.

The UK has expressed optimism that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar will soon be listed as an international terrorist at the United Nations. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith said, "We are strong supporters of listing of Masood Azhar for a decade. So that we will get to that conclusion shortly. I do remain optimistic that it will be resolved and very much it will be." Without taking China's name he said, "We are waiting to see whether the country that is so far been resisting agreeing to its listing will lift that objection," hoping, "we will get to that conclusion of listing Azhar". China had put a hold on the listing of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist on March 13 at the 1267 sanctions committee of the UNSC. India has been pushing to declare Masood Azhar a global terrorist after his JeM took responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama attack that killed more than 40 personnel of India's paramilitary force, the CRPF. The UK, along with the US and France, has put a proposal for listing of Azhar as an international terrorist in the aftermath of Pulwama. A resolution was also proposed by the US at UNSC but China put a hold in March. China, in the past few weeks, has been reacting potitively on listing of Azhar. "Things are moving towards a settlement," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently said in a statement. The Indian foreign secretary was in China on Monday and gave evidence regarding JeM's involvement in terror attacks in India during his meetings with Chinese officials including foreign minister Wang Yi. A statement from India's external affairs ministry said, "We have shared with China all evidences of terrorist activities of Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar. It is now for the 1267 Sanctions Committee and other authorised bodies of the UN to take a decision on the listing of Masood Azhar." 'PAK MUST ACT ON TERROR' Asked if the UK played a role in defusing tension between India Pakistan after Pulwama, the high commissioner said, "We were very actively involved. We were certainly talking to a variety of key actors in Pakistan to make it clear on what we expect in terms of Pakistani action against terrorist groups who are operating around the Line of Control." Calling for a "verifiable" and "irreversible action" against terror groups, the British HC said, "Don't mistake natural British modesty with what we say in public with a lack of activity."

UK optimistic Masood Azhar will be listed as an international terrorist

SSP Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Qayoom on Wednesday said that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/arrested-terrorist-is-a-living-proof-provided-to-pakistan-jammu-and-kashmir-police-213247">Mohammad Waqas, a Pak national has been arrested</a>.&nbsp;Waqas&nbsp;was held by security forces in Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday.&nbsp;

A resident of Mohalla Miana, Mianwali in Punjab, Pakistan, Waqas&nbsp;came to India in July 2017 by crossing the border and was operating in Srinagar for over a year.&nbsp;

"His plan was to resurrect militancy in Baramulla," the official added.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, earlier in the day, briefed the media and stated that the Indian forces have "targeted Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leadership".&nbsp;

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SSP Baramulla, Abdul Qayoom: His name is Mohammad Waqar, a resident of Mohalla Miana, Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. He came here in July 2017 by crossing the border, he was operating in Srinagar for over a year. His plan was to resurrect militancy in Baramulla. <a href="https://t.co/BWUEkdQj50">pic.twitter.com/BWUEkdQj50</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1121012801156407296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"The situation now is that no one is coming forward to take over the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/post-pulwama-terror-attack-top-jem-commanders-eliminated-in-targeted-action-by-india-212590">leadership of JeM</a> in the valley. Even after Pakistan's best efforts, we will continue to suppress JeM, especially after Pulwama," he said.

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KJS Dhillon, GOC 15 Corps: Total 69 terrorists have been killed and 12 have been apprehended this year. Post Pulwama 41 terrorists have been killed and out of them 25 belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed, 13 of them were Pakistanis. <a href="https://t.co/IYkBLXs1TR">pic.twitter.com/IYkBLXs1TR</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1121006237188001793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Dhillon informed that as many as 69 terrorists have been killed and 12 have been apprehended this year. "Post Pulwama 41 terrorists have been killed and out of them 25 belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed, 13 of them were Pakistanis," he added.&nbsp;

"Operations against the terrorists will continue with full vigour and we will not let terrorism rise up," the top official said.&nbsp;

On February 14 this year, over 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a JeM-orchestrated terror attack in South Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The incident took place when a CRPF convoy, consisting of around 2,500 personnel, was attacked by a suicide bomber who rammed a car laden with explosives into one of the buses on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.&nbsp;

SSP Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Qayoom on Wednesday said that Mohammad Waqas, a Pak national has been arrested. Waqas was held by security forces in Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday.

SSP Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Qayoom on Wednesday said that Mohammad Waqas, a Pak national has been arrested. Waqas was held by security forces in Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday. A resident of Mohalla Miana, Mianwali in Punjab, Pakistan, Waqas came to India in July 2017 by crossing the border and was operating in Srinagar for over a year. "His plan was to resurrect militancy in Baramulla," the official added. Meanwhile, Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, earlier in the day, briefed the media and stated that the Indian forces have "targeted Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leadership". SSP Baramulla, Abdul Qayoom: His name is Mohammad Waqar, a resident of Mohalla Miana, Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. He came here in July 2017 by crossing the border, he was operating in Srinagar for over a year. His plan was to resurrect militancy in Baramulla. pic.twitter.com/BWUEkdQj50 — ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2019 × "The situation now is that no one is coming forward to take over the leadership of JeM in the valley. Even after Pakistan's best efforts, we will continue to suppress JeM, especially after Pulwama," he said. KJS Dhillon, GOC 15 Corps: Total 69 terrorists have been killed and 12 have been apprehended this year. Post Pulwama 41 terrorists have been killed and out of them 25 belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed, 13 of them were Pakistanis. pic.twitter.com/IYkBLXs1TR — ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2019 × Dhillon informed that as many as 69 terrorists have been killed and 12 have been apprehended this year. "Post Pulwama 41 terrorists have been killed and out of them 25 belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammed, 13 of them were Pakistanis," he added. "Operations against the terrorists will continue with full vigour and we will not let terrorism rise up," the top official said. On February 14 this year, over 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a JeM-orchestrated terror attack in South Kashmir's Pulwama district. The incident took place when a CRPF convoy, consisting of around 2,500 personnel, was attacked by a suicide bomber who rammed a car laden with explosives into one of the buses on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Pak terrorist arrested, was operating in Srinagar to revive militancy in Baramulla: SSP

After the Pulwama attack, the Narendra Modi government has given emergency powers to the three services to buy whatever equipment is required by them for safeguarding the borders with Pakistan.

Under the powers given to the three services they can buy the equipment of their choice within three months at the cost of up to Rs 300 crore per case, government sources told ANI.

The emergency powers were given to the forces within few weeks after the Pulwama attack in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed and India started increasing vigil at the borders with Pakistan, they said.

In this regard, the services are moving a number of proposals like, the Army has moved a proposal to buy around 250 spike missiles from Israel, which would be meeting its emergency requirements.

The Air Force has also shown interest in the acquisition of certain missiles from the international market which would help it in meeting requirements, in case of hostilities on borders.

For the procurement under the emergency orders, the forces need not even take concurrence of the Integrated Financial Advisor from the defence finance department.

The defence Ministry feels that since the forces have to fight wars, they should decide on their requirement and priority in the acquisition and buy that equipment.&nbsp;

After the Pulwama attack, the Narendra Modi government has given emergency powers to the three services to buy whatever equipment is required by them for safeguarding the borders with Pakistan.

After the Pulwama attack, the Narendra Modi government has given emergency powers to the three services to buy whatever equipment is required by them for safeguarding the borders with Pakistan. Under the powers given to the three services they can buy the equipment of their choice within three months at the cost of up to Rs 300 crore per case, government sources told ANI. The emergency powers were given to the forces within few weeks after the Pulwama attack in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed and India started increasing vigil at the borders with Pakistan, they said. In this regard, the services are moving a number of proposals like, the Army has moved a proposal to buy around 250 spike missiles from Israel, which would be meeting its emergency requirements. The Air Force has also shown interest in the acquisition of certain missiles from the international market which would help it in meeting requirements, in case of hostilities on borders. For the procurement under the emergency orders, the forces need not even take concurrence of the Integrated Financial Advisor from the defence finance department. The defence Ministry feels that since the forces have to fight wars, they should decide on their requirement and priority in the acquisition and buy that equipment.

Post-Pulwama attack, government grants emergency powers to armed forces to buy weapon systems

A lot has been spoken and written about highway control in J&amp;K post both the first and second attempts at use of car bombs by Pakistan sponsored terror groups this year. Everyone is familiar with the first one at Pulwama which tragically caused forty fatalities of CRPF personnel and commenced a spiral of escalation with Pakistan, almost leading to war. The second one at Banihal, less than a month ago, is less known to the public although the media has highlighted it but without too much emphasis on the implications. It was a failed attempt by a lone wolf operative probably backed by a full network of terror. The vehicle along with explosives packed in it caught fire and was burnt down once the detonation mechanism apparently failed; the local terrorist was caught next day attempting to sneak back to the Valley from the south of Pir Panjal. It was enough to send the establishment into a tizzy with the possibility of more such attempts.

Just after the Pulwama incident, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) attempted different measures to reduce the footprint of vehicular movement so as to offer lesser opportunity to terrorists to target security forces’ vehicles. This included a high profile announcement of a move to authorise CRPF personnel commercial air travel between Srinagar and Jammu at government expense. A proactive decision no doubt which was much appreciated but reflected little knowledge of the reality of dynamics of security forces deployment, their logistics and movement pattern in Kashmir. After Banihal comes another announcement in aid of securing the movement of personnel in vehicles. This time the National Highway from Udhampur to Baramulla, has reportedly been reserved for movement of only army and police vehicles on Sundays and Wednesdays. No civilian vehicle is being permitted to ply from 4 AM in the morning till 7 PM in the evening on the notified days. It is being hoped that this will completely neutralise the feasibility of car bombs being rammed into a vehicle of the convoy.

As per most media analyses, if the earlier decision after Pulwama was a travesty of understanding of threats in J&amp;K the one reserving days for the army and police movement makes it even worse by its complete lack of sensitiveness. How right is this thinking and are such arrangements justified? A writ petition in J&amp;K High Court against the government direction on the restricted movement of civilian traffic is already under examination with the court asking the government to examine more options for secure convoy movement without disturbing civilian traffic.&nbsp;

There are a couple of facts which need highlighting. The first is that with the MHA decision on air travel it appeared that the CRPF, which functions under the MHA, is the only threatened entity in J&amp;K. Little is it realised that the Army mans the entire LoC and major parts of J&amp;K’s rural countryside; it’s controlling ministry the MoD did not think it fit to offer even a token gesture of permitting its personnel movement by commercial air.&nbsp; &nbsp;How can personnel under the Government of India, involved in near similar tasks and facing common threats be given different treatment? A practical look at the situation and method of movement will reveal the impossibility of securing personnel through such a gesture. Logistics is far more complicated than mere movement of troops in vehicles. The Army's system of supplies, catering to warlike situations, stretches all the way back to the hinterland and caters for stocking up to variable periods till 210 days, thus entailing a massive movement of convoys for at least six months in summer. The Ladakh region is stocked for the entire winter by using routes for large convoys running through the Kashmir Valley.&nbsp;

The recent chain of events and the media reporting has led to a mistaken belief that the Jammu-Srinagar convoy of the CRPF is the only major security movement in J&amp;K. Within the Valley, almost ten army convoys move every day and each one has personnel, supplies and stores with protection vehicles against possible ambush. The BSF has a few too. Thus both measures by the MHA, air travel by CRPF personnel and earmarking of convoy days with no civilian vehicular move, can only partially ameliorate the threat because there are thousands of other security personnel on the move and many more convoys than just those between Udhampur and Baramulla.

One cannot be entirely critical of the government's decision on earmarked days for convoy movement without any civilian movement. Challenging situations sometimes do demand very uncomfortable decisions. Obviously, the Banihal failed car bomb raised hackles of concern on how soon after Pulwama a second attempt was made with impunity. One can imagine the implications if like Pulwama there were once again a large number of fatal casualties. The spiral of escalation with Pakistan may have gone through the roof. However, the question is whether the current security measures have been adequately thought through. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted his observation when he found the movement of military convoys on the Srinagar - Uri road on days not earmarked for them. The reality is that military movement in and to the Valley cannot remain restricted. Contingencies being such; terrorist threats, climatic conditions and civilian street turbulence all combine to prevent any rigidity such as fixed days for convoys and other military movement. The two days on which movement of civilian traffic is banned are therefore essentially days on which convoys will possibly be dedicated to maximum personnel movement while on other days balance of logistics, not involving groups of personnel in large numbers, will move. This is the only explicable rationale of the decisions recently taken. However, they have caused much bitterness in Kashmir. The problem with our system remains our inability to take the public into confidence or have even a modicum of consultation with it. Some public articulation was necessary to tell the public in no uncertain terms that trends in terrorism result in discomfort to the common people and that full rights of the people cannot be guaranteed under the prevailing extraordinary circumstances. A similar warning through media could also be repeatedly given against stone-throwing being done by ISI sponsored mobs to prevent the conduct of anti-terrorist operations. The problem in Kashmir is that while alienated people support terrorists they also demand full rights for themselves, little realising that people in proxy conflict zones can rarely enjoy the same rights as people in peaceful areas.&nbsp;

The above is no justification for the recent decision but a more plausible explanation. With approaching summer, movement of convoys will increase causing more stringent measures leading to enhanced levels of alienation, exactly what the adversary wishes. Can better measures be thought through? Ban on movement of vehicles with less than three passengers is a possible way as suicide mode of execution can ill afford more than a lone wolf. In 2011 on public request, the Army moved its convoys from Srinagar outside timings of normal public movement. That measure can, however, decongest the road only near Srinagar. It’s a complex security issue we face and much more deliberation with some flexibility may meet the requirement, at least for some time.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-jk-s-turbulent-highway-2739017">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

A lot has been spoken and written about highway control in J&K post both the first and second attempts at use of car bombs by Pakistan sponsored terror groups this year.

A lot has been spoken and written about highway control in J&K post both the first and second attempts at use of car bombs by Pakistan sponsored terror groups this year. Everyone is familiar with the first one at Pulwama which tragically caused forty fatalities of CRPF personnel and commenced a spiral of escalation with Pakistan, almost leading to war. The second one at Banihal, less than a month ago, is less known to the public although the media has highlighted it but without too much emphasis on the implications. It was a failed attempt by a lone wolf operative probably backed by a full network of terror. The vehicle along with explosives packed in it caught fire and was burnt down once the detonation mechanism apparently failed; the local terrorist was caught next day attempting to sneak back to the Valley from the south of Pir Panjal. It was enough to send the establishment into a tizzy with the possibility of more such attempts. Just after the Pulwama incident, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) attempted different measures to reduce the footprint of vehicular movement so as to offer lesser opportunity to terrorists to target security forces’ vehicles. This included a high profile announcement of a move to authorise CRPF personnel commercial air travel between Srinagar and Jammu at government expense. A proactive decision no doubt which was much appreciated but reflected little knowledge of the reality of dynamics of security forces deployment, their logistics and movement pattern in Kashmir. After Banihal comes another announcement in aid of securing the movement of personnel in vehicles. This time the National Highway from Udhampur to Baramulla, has reportedly been reserved for movement of only army and police vehicles on Sundays and Wednesdays. No civilian vehicle is being permitted to ply from 4 AM in the morning till 7 PM in the evening on the notified days. It is being hoped that this will completely neutralise the feasibility of car bombs being rammed into a vehicle of the convoy. As per most media analyses, if the earlier decision after Pulwama was a travesty of understanding of threats in J&K the one reserving days for the army and police movement makes it even worse by its complete lack of sensitiveness. How right is this thinking and are such arrangements justified? A writ petition in J&K High Court against the government direction on the restricted movement of civilian traffic is already under examination with the court asking the government to examine more options for secure convoy movement without disturbing civilian traffic. There are a couple of facts which need highlighting. The first is that with the MHA decision on air travel it appeared that the CRPF, which functions under the MHA, is the only threatened entity in J&K. Little is it realised that the Army mans the entire LoC and major parts of J&K’s rural countryside; it’s controlling ministry the MoD did not think it fit to offer even a token gesture of permitting its personnel movement by commercial air. How can personnel under the Government of India, involved in near similar tasks and facing common threats be given different treatment? A practical look at the situation and method of movement will reveal the impossibility of securing personnel through such a gesture. Logistics is far more complicated than mere movement of troops in vehicles. The Army's system of supplies, catering to warlike situations, stretches all the way back to the hinterland and caters for stocking up to variable periods till 210 days, thus entailing a massive movement of convoys for at least six months in summer. The Ladakh region is stocked for the entire winter by using routes for large convoys running through the Kashmir Valley. The recent chain of events and the media reporting has led to a mistaken belief that the Jammu-Srinagar convoy of the CRPF is the only major security movement in J&K. Within the Valley, almost ten army convoys move every day and each one has personnel, supplies and stores with protection vehicles against possible ambush. The BSF has a few too. Thus both measures by the MHA, air travel by CRPF personnel and earmarking of convoy days with no civilian vehicular move, can only partially ameliorate the threat because there are thousands of other security personnel on the move and many more convoys than just those between Udhampur and Baramulla. One cannot be entirely critical of the government's decision on earmarked days for convoy movement without any civilian movement. Challenging situations sometimes do demand very uncomfortable decisions. Obviously, the Banihal failed car bomb raised hackles of concern on how soon after Pulwama a second attempt was made with impunity. One can imagine the implications if like Pulwama there were once again a large number of fatal casualties. The spiral of escalation with Pakistan may have gone through the roof. However, the question is whether the current security measures have been adequately thought through. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted his observation when he found the movement of military convoys on the Srinagar - Uri road on days not earmarked for them. The reality is that military movement in and to the Valley cannot remain restricted. Contingencies being such; terrorist threats, climatic conditions and civilian street turbulence all combine to prevent any rigidity such as fixed days for convoys and other military movement. The two days on which movement of civilian traffic is banned are therefore essentially days on which convoys will possibly be dedicated to maximum personnel movement while on other days balance of logistics, not involving groups of personnel in large numbers, will move. This is the only explicable rationale of the decisions recently taken. However, they have caused much bitterness in Kashmir. The problem with our system remains our inability to take the public into confidence or have even a modicum of consultation with it. Some public articulation was necessary to tell the public in no uncertain terms that trends in terrorism result in discomfort to the common people and that full rights of the people cannot be guaranteed under the prevailing extraordinary circumstances. A similar warning through media could also be repeatedly given against stone-throwing being done by ISI sponsored mobs to prevent the conduct of anti-terrorist operations. The problem in Kashmir is that while alienated people support terrorists they also demand full rights for themselves, little realising that people in proxy conflict zones can rarely enjoy the same rights as people in peaceful areas. The above is no justification for the recent decision but a more plausible explanation. With approaching summer, movement of convoys will increase causing more stringent measures leading to enhanced levels of alienation, exactly what the adversary wishes. Can better measures be thought through? Ban on movement of vehicles with less than three passengers is a possible way as suicide mode of execution can ill afford more than a lone wolf. In 2011 on public request, the Army moved its convoys from Srinagar outside timings of normal public movement. That measure can, however, decongest the road only near Srinagar. It’s a complex security issue we face and much more deliberation with some flexibility may meet the requirement, at least for some time. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

In J&K, government faces the challenge of safe movement of soldiers

Pakistan has opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India and airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it, said a senior government official Saturday.

"Pakistan has been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-loses-8-million-after-pakistan-closes-its-airspace-to-indian-flights-206919">opening its airspace </a>in tranches. On Thursday, it opened one of the 11 routes for west-bound flights. Therefore, airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it," he said.

Even though the route P518 was opened on Thursday evening, American airline company United Airlines announced on Friday said its flight connecting Newark airport and Delhi airport has been suspended for two weeks.&nbsp;

Pakistan had kept its airspace fully closed after an Indian Air Force strike on a terror camp in Balakot on February 26.

However, Pakistan on March 27, opened its airspace for all flights except for Bangkok, New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur,&nbsp;

"Since the route P518 that has been opened passes over south Pakistan, the air travel time for west-bound flights from Delhi will not decrease substantially," the official clarified.

Since February 26, many foreign airlines have decided to suspend their Delhi-bound flights as it was commercially unviable for them to take a longer route through Mumbai airspace.&nbsp;

The operating cost for Air India, which flies to destinations in Europe and the US, has increased significantly as it had to take longer routes due to the closure of Pakistan airspace.

The Delhi-Washington and Delhi-Chicago flights of the national carrier had been making a stop at Mumbai and Vienna for refuelling and change of crew.&nbsp;

Air India had on March 15 requested its "inactive" crew members to "immediately" join work as the airline had been forced to cancel and reroute a number of the US and Europe-bound flights due to the closure of Pakistan airspace.&nbsp;

The airline had on March 14 announced that it would combine the Mumbai-New York flight with its Mumbai-Newark flight from March 16 to May 31.

On March 13, it had announced the suspension of flights on the Delhi-Madrid and Delhi-Birmingham routes from March 16 "till further notice" due to "operational reasons".

Pakistan has opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India and airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it, said a senior government official Saturday.

Pakistan has opened one of its 11 air routes for west-bound flights from India and airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it, said a senior government official Saturday. "Pakistan has been opening its airspace in tranches. On Thursday, it opened one of the 11 routes for west-bound flights. Therefore, airlines such as Air India and Turkish Airlines have started using it," he said. Even though the route P518 was opened on Thursday evening, American airline company United Airlines announced on Friday said its flight connecting Newark airport and Delhi airport has been suspended for two weeks. Pakistan had kept its airspace fully closed after an Indian Air Force strike on a terror camp in Balakot on February 26. However, Pakistan on March 27, opened its airspace for all flights except for Bangkok, New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur, "Since the route P518 that has been opened passes over south Pakistan, the air travel time for west-bound flights from Delhi will not decrease substantially," the official clarified. Since February 26, many foreign airlines have decided to suspend their Delhi-bound flights as it was commercially unviable for them to take a longer route through Mumbai airspace. The operating cost for Air India, which flies to destinations in Europe and the US, has increased significantly as it had to take longer routes due to the closure of Pakistan airspace. The Delhi-Washington and Delhi-Chicago flights of the national carrier had been making a stop at Mumbai and Vienna for refuelling and change of crew. Air India had on March 15 requested its "inactive" crew members to "immediately" join work as the airline had been forced to cancel and reroute a number of the US and Europe-bound flights due to the closure of Pakistan airspace. The airline had on March 14 announced that it would combine the Mumbai-New York flight with its Mumbai-Newark flight from March 16 to May 31. On March 13, it had announced the suspension of flights on the Delhi-Madrid and Delhi-Birmingham routes from March 16 "till further notice" due to "operational reasons".

Pakistan partially opens airspace for west-bound flights from India

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Friday sent alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Sajjad Khan to judicial custody till April 26. Khan is believed to be a close associate of Pulwama attack mastermind <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-terror-attack-delhi-polices-special-cell-arrests-close-aide-of-jem-mastermind-mudasir-khan-204827">Mudassir Ahmed Khan</a> who was gunned down by the security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir on March 11.

Sajjad Khan was produced before the National Investigation Agency special court today.&nbsp;

Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal had earlier sent him to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for seven days, till March 29.

He was produced before the special court today at the end of the remand period.&nbsp;

NIA also pressed that they do not wish to interrogate him further, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

On March 22, the Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested Jaish-e-Mohammad operative Sajjad Khan near Red Fort.&nbsp;

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He was produced before NIA Special court today at the end his remand by NIA, where the investigation agency didn't ask for any further remand of him. <a href="https://t.co/yCVEvU0hGx">https://t.co/yCVEvU0hGx</a>
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"He was arrested under sections 120B and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 20, 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)," the NIA statement said.

The statement further claimed, "In furtherance of this criminal conspiracy, Sajjad Ahmed Khan was specially sent to Delhi to set up hideouts in Delhi NCR. This was done to select specific targets and also to radicalise and recruit Muslim youths to further terror activities."&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army in Srinagar held a joint briefing earlier this month. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/key-pulwama-conspirator-killed-in-tral-encounter-today-44-terrorists-eliminated-in-first-70-days-of-2019-army-jk-police-202613">Top officials told media</a> that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator of the Pulwama terror attack.&nbsp;

The briefing was jointly addressed by Lt General KJS Dhillon, GoC 15 Corps, and SP Pani, IG, J&amp;K Police.

"In last 21 days, we have eliminated 18 terrorists, out of the 14 being from JeM, 6 out of 14 were main commanders. JeM's 2nd commander Mudasir-main conspirator in national highway convoy attack has also been eliminated," Dhillon, Corps Commander of the Chinar Corps, said. Pakistani militant Khalid was also killed in the encounter.&nbsp;

"The main conspirators (of Pulwama) Mudasir and Kamran have been killed. We have gone with all force against JeM. Six terrorists killed since attack are A+ category," he said.&nbsp;

The officials added that in the first 70 days of 2019, security forces have been successful in eliminating 44 terrorists, mainly from Jaish-e-Mohammed. "Against 1629 ceasefire violations along Line of Control in 2018, this year 478 ceasefire violations have already taken place along LoC," the officials stated.&nbsp;

Over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after a JeM terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus, which was part of a convoy going to Srinagar from Jammu in February.&nbsp;

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Friday sent alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Sajjad Khan to judicial custody till April 26. Khan is believed to be a close associate of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudassir Ahmed Khan who was gunned down by the security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir on March 11.

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Friday sent alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Sajjad Khan to judicial custody till April 26. Khan is believed to be a close associate of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudassir Ahmed Khan who was gunned down by the security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir on March 11. Sajjad Khan was produced before the National Investigation Agency special court today. Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal had earlier sent him to the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for seven days, till March 29. He was produced before the special court today at the end of the remand period. NIA also pressed that they do not wish to interrogate him further, news agency ANI reported. On March 22, the Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested Jaish-e-Mohammad operative Sajjad Khan near Red Fort. He was produced before NIA Special court today at the end his remand by NIA, where the investigation agency didn't ask for any further remand of him. https://t.co/yCVEvU0hGx — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2019 × "He was arrested under sections 120B and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 20, 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)," the NIA statement said. The statement further claimed, "In furtherance of this criminal conspiracy, Sajjad Ahmed Khan was specially sent to Delhi to set up hideouts in Delhi NCR. This was done to select specific targets and also to radicalise and recruit Muslim youths to further terror activities." Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army in Srinagar held a joint briefing earlier this month. Top officials told media that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator of the Pulwama terror attack. The briefing was jointly addressed by Lt General KJS Dhillon, GoC 15 Corps, and SP Pani, IG, J&K Police. "In last 21 days, we have eliminated 18 terrorists, out of the 14 being from JeM, 6 out of 14 were main commanders. JeM's 2nd commander Mudasir-main conspirator in national highway convoy attack has also been eliminated," Dhillon, Corps Commander of the Chinar Corps, said. Pakistani militant Khalid was also killed in the encounter. "The main conspirators (of Pulwama) Mudasir and Kamran have been killed. We have gone with all force against JeM. Six terrorists killed since attack are A+ category," he said. The officials added that in the first 70 days of 2019, security forces have been successful in eliminating 44 terrorists, mainly from Jaish-e-Mohammed. "Against 1629 ceasefire violations along Line of Control in 2018, this year 478 ceasefire violations have already taken place along LoC," the officials stated. Over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after a JeM terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus, which was part of a convoy going to Srinagar from Jammu in February.

Close aide of Pulwama attack mastermind sent to judicial custody till April 26

Pak demands more proof from India on Pulwama attack

China abuses over a million Muslims at home, but "protects" violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uss-pompeo-saddened-by-italy-joining-chinas-belt-and-road-project-206132">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo</a> has said.

He was apparently referring to China blocking a proposal to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sets-up-un-clash-with-china-over-bid-to-blacklist-jaish-e-mohammed-chief-masood-azhar-206142">Masood Azhar a 'global terrorist'</a> at the UN Security Council (UNSC) earlier this month.&nbsp;

"The world cannot afford China's shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN," Pompeo said in a tweet Wednesday, without mentioning the JeM or the outfit's chief.

The US along with Britain and France had moved a resolution in the UNSC to designate Azhar a "global terrorist" following the February 14 Pulwama attack, but China blocked it.

China put a hold on the resolution arguing that it needs more time to study it. Every member of the UNSC, except China, had supported the US move.

The JeM had claimed responsibility for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-mastermind-of-pulwama-attack-killed-in-encounter-4-soldiers-dead-too-198057">Pulwama attack</a> in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.&nbsp;

China, Pompeo alleged, has detained more than one million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities in internment camps in Xinjiang since April 2017.

The US stands with them and their family members. China must release all those arbitrarily detained and end its repression, he said.

On Wednesday, Pompeo met with survivors and family members of China's campaign of repression and mass detention against the minority groups in Xinjiang.

I call on China to end these counterproductive policies and release all arbitrarily detained, he said.

China abuses over a million Muslims at home, but "protects" violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. He was apparently referring to China blocking a proposal to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar a 'global terrorist' at the UN Security Council (UNSC) earlier this month.

China abuses over a million Muslims at home, but "protects" violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. He was apparently referring to China blocking a proposal to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar a 'global terrorist' at the UN Security Council (UNSC) earlier this month. "The world cannot afford China's shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN," Pompeo said in a tweet Wednesday, without mentioning the JeM or the outfit's chief. The US along with Britain and France had moved a resolution in the UNSC to designate Azhar a "global terrorist" following the February 14 Pulwama attack, but China blocked it. China put a hold on the resolution arguing that it needs more time to study it. Every member of the UNSC, except China, had supported the US move. The JeM had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. China, Pompeo alleged, has detained more than one million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities in internment camps in Xinjiang since April 2017. The US stands with them and their family members. China must release all those arbitrarily detained and end its repression, he said. On Wednesday, Pompeo met with survivors and family members of China's campaign of repression and mass detention against the minority groups in Xinjiang. I call on China to end these counterproductive policies and release all arbitrarily detained, he said.

China protecting violent Islamist terror groups from UN sanctions: US's Mike Pompeo

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-denied-acting-against-pulwama-terror-attack-demands-more-proof-206082">Pakistan</a> on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sought-further-evidence-from-india-on-pulwama-terror-attack-pakistan-foreign-ministry-206076">preliminary findings</a>" with New Delhi.

Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said.

"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said.

It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared "preliminary findings" of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

"Subsequently, the diplomatic corps in Islamabad was briefed as well," the FO said.

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India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.

The FO said soon after receiving the dossier, Pakistan constituted an investigation team, detained a number of people for investigation and initiated work on the technical aspects of social media content, a main basis of the Indian documents.

The Indian dossier contains 91 pages and six parts, out of which only part two and three pertain to the Pulwama attack, it said.

"Other parts are generalised allegations. Pakistan is focusing on those parts which relate to Pulwama incident," it said.

The FO claimed that during the course of investigations, all aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the "confessional" video of Adil Dar, "claim" of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of the Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps.

Service Providers have been requested for data including relevant details of activities and contacts of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) number provided by India, it said.

A request for assistance from Whatsapp has also been made to the US government, it said, adding that the said additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations.

"Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion," the FO added.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.

India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

Pakistan on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi.

Pakistan on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. "While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said. "Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said. It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared "preliminary findings" of its investigations with India along with a set of questions. "Subsequently, the diplomatic corps in Islamabad was briefed as well," the FO said. × India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan. The FO said soon after receiving the dossier, Pakistan constituted an investigation team, detained a number of people for investigation and initiated work on the technical aspects of social media content, a main basis of the Indian documents. The Indian dossier contains 91 pages and six parts, out of which only part two and three pertain to the Pulwama attack, it said. "Other parts are generalised allegations. Pakistan is focusing on those parts which relate to Pulwama incident," it said. The FO claimed that during the course of investigations, all aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the "confessional" video of Adil Dar, "claim" of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of the Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps. Service Providers have been requested for data including relevant details of activities and contacts of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) number provided by India, it said. A request for assistance from Whatsapp has also been made to the US government, it said, adding that the said additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations. "Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion," the FO added. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14. India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

No terror camps exist on 22 locations shared by India: Pak on Pulwama attack

IAF airstrike wasn't a revenge action for Pulwama attack: Arun Jaitley

Pakistan showcases China-built J-17 Thunder, US F-16 aircraft on National Day

PTI: Virtual SIM Cards were used in Pulwama attack by JeM

NIA: JeM terrorist Sajjad Khan was recruiting sleeper cells in Delhi-NCR

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav Thursday alleged that the Pulwama terror attack was a "conspiracy" to garner votes, drawing a sharp reaction from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Yadav, a general secretary in the Samajwadi Party (SP), also said once there is a change at the Centre, investigations will be conducted into the incident and claimed that prominent people will come under the scanner of the probe.

Hitting out at the SP leader, Adityanath said this an example of "atrocious politics" and Yadav should apologise for his comment. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus, which was part of a convoy going to Srinagar from Jammu, on February 14.&nbsp;

"For the first time, it happened that there was no checking between Jammu and Srinagar. It was for the first time that the CRPF jawans were sent in simple buses. The point where the armoured vehicles were available, no one stopped there and they proceeded, and lives were lost," Ramgopal Yadav said.&nbsp;

"This was a conspiracy...But, when there will be a change of government, investigations will be done and prominent people will come under the scanner, who had pushed our youth to death to garner votes," he alleged.&nbsp;

The SP leader was speaking at a programme held here at Saifai -- the ancestral village of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.&nbsp; 
"A number of paramilitary jawans were unnecessarily killed to increase votes. I do not want to speak these things now.&nbsp;

"But, paramilitary personnel, including some officers, have complained to me that they had been demanding that they should be sent through air route, as when they go from Jammu, they take the air route, and when they enter the Valley, they go in armoured vehicles," Ramgopal Yadav said.

The chief minister said these kinds of statements damage the confidence of security personnel.

"The statement is the height of appeasement and an example of atrocious politics. These type of deplorable statements is a part of the conspiracy to damage the confidence of the brave jawans of the country," Adityanath said.&nbsp;

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav Thursday alleged that the Pulwama terror attack was a "conspiracy" to garner votes, drawing a sharp reaction from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav Thursday alleged that the Pulwama terror attack was a "conspiracy" to garner votes, drawing a sharp reaction from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Yadav, a general secretary in the Samajwadi Party (SP), also said once there is a change at the Centre, investigations will be conducted into the incident and claimed that prominent people will come under the scanner of the probe. Hitting out at the SP leader, Adityanath said this an example of "atrocious politics" and Yadav should apologise for his comment. Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus, which was part of a convoy going to Srinagar from Jammu, on February 14. "For the first time, it happened that there was no checking between Jammu and Srinagar. It was for the first time that the CRPF jawans were sent in simple buses. The point where the armoured vehicles were available, no one stopped there and they proceeded, and lives were lost," Ramgopal Yadav said. "This was a conspiracy...But, when there will be a change of government, investigations will be done and prominent people will come under the scanner, who had pushed our youth to death to garner votes," he alleged. The SP leader was speaking at a programme held here at Saifai -- the ancestral village of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. "A number of paramilitary jawans were unnecessarily killed to increase votes. I do not want to speak these things now. "But, paramilitary personnel, including some officers, have complained to me that they had been demanding that they should be sent through air route, as when they go from Jammu, they take the air route, and when they enter the Valley, they go in armoured vehicles," Ramgopal Yadav said. The chief minister said these kinds of statements damage the confidence of security personnel. "The statement is the height of appeasement and an example of atrocious politics. These type of deplorable statements is a part of the conspiracy to damage the confidence of the brave jawans of the country," Adityanath said.

Pulwama attack 'conspiracy' to fetch votes: SP leader

There will no opening ceremony for the twelfth edition of India Premier League following a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=pulwama">terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama</a> that killed over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.&nbsp;

The chief of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) Vinod Rai said, "We'll not have a regular IPL opening ceremony."&nbsp;

He further added, "The amount of the budget for the opening ceremony will be given to families of the victims of this terror attack."&nbsp;

Usually, the opening ceremonies of India's cash-rich T20 league are heady mix glitz and glamour with performances by Bollywood stars being the highlight.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-premier-league-2019-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-198297">Indian Premier League 2019: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

However, the CoA <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/no-decision-yet-on-indias-world-cup-match-against-pakistan-coa-chief-vinod-rai-198953">took the call at a meeting</a> to scrap the ceremony in honour of martyred CRPF men.&nbsp;

Vinod Rai also mentioned that BCCI will draft a letter to game's global governing body asking them whether to ban Pakistan from participating in the 2019 World Cup.&nbsp;

The Rai-led CoA decided against taking any stand on the World Cup clash against Pakistan but said it would individually urge ICC members to "sever ties with any nation that is a terrorist hub".&nbsp;

The twelfth edition of India Premier League is set to start from March 23, 2019.&nbsp;

The defending champions Chennai will kick off the season against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore team.&nbsp;

There will no opening ceremony for the twelfth edition of India Premier League following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama that killed over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

There will no opening ceremony for the twelfth edition of India Premier League following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama that killed over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The chief of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) Vinod Rai said, "We'll not have a regular IPL opening ceremony." He further added, "The amount of the budget for the opening ceremony will be given to families of the victims of this terror attack." Usually, the opening ceremonies of India's cash-rich T20 league are heady mix glitz and glamour with performances by Bollywood stars being the highlight. Also Read: Indian Premier League 2019: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue However, the CoA took the call at a meeting to scrap the ceremony in honour of martyred CRPF men. Vinod Rai also mentioned that BCCI will draft a letter to game's global governing body asking them whether to ban Pakistan from participating in the 2019 World Cup. The Rai-led CoA decided against taking any stand on the World Cup clash against Pakistan but said it would individually urge ICC members to "sever ties with any nation that is a terrorist hub". The twelfth edition of India Premier League is set to start from March 23, 2019. The defending champions Chennai will kick off the season against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore team.

No IPL opening ceremony this year, money will go to Pulwama martyrs' families: CoA chief Vinod Rai

Amid speculation&nbsp;that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indo-pak-world-cup-match-bound-by-icc-agreement-icc-chief-david-richardson-204177">India might not&nbsp;play Pakistan at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019</a>, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to develop a firm stand on cricketing relations with Pakistan.&nbsp;

Gambhir, who was addressing the media on the sidelines of a promotional event, stressed that BCCI should either snap all cricketing ties with Pakistan, including multi-lateral events, or engage with India's arch-rivals at every level as "there can't be conditional bans".&nbsp;

After the Pulwama terror attack, Gambhir had voiced his opinion — of snapping all cricketing ties with Pakistan — several times and said BCCI has to decide and then be prepared for the consequences.

"There can't be conditional bans. Either you ban everything with Pakistan or open everything with Pakistan. What has happened in Pulwama is absolutely not acceptable," Gambhir had said.

"I am sure its going to be difficult for India to boycott them in ICC tournaments but stop playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup," the left-hander said.

Gambhir reiterated that there should be a blanket ban on engagement with Pakistan even if it comes at the cost of being ostracised by the sporting community.

"There could be repercussions and we may not qualify for the semi-finals. No media should blame the Indian team if they plan to boycott playing Pakistan," he said.

The BCCI had appealed to the ICC to snap ties with countries from where terror emanates in a veiled reference to Pakistan but the request was turned down at the ICC board meeting in Dubai.

When asked what should be done if the two teams meet in the final, Gambhir said that in that case, India should forfeit the final.

Amid speculation that India might not play Pakistan at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to develop a firm stand on cricketing relations with Pakistan.

Amid speculation that India might not play Pakistan at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to develop a firm stand on cricketing relations with Pakistan. Gambhir, who was addressing the media on the sidelines of a promotional event, stressed that BCCI should either snap all cricketing ties with Pakistan, including multi-lateral events, or engage with India's arch-rivals at every level as "there can't be conditional bans". After the Pulwama terror attack, Gambhir had voiced his opinion — of snapping all cricketing ties with Pakistan — several times and said BCCI has to decide and then be prepared for the consequences. "There can't be conditional bans. Either you ban everything with Pakistan or open everything with Pakistan. What has happened in Pulwama is absolutely not acceptable," Gambhir had said. "I am sure its going to be difficult for India to boycott them in ICC tournaments but stop playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup," the left-hander said. Gambhir reiterated that there should be a blanket ban on engagement with Pakistan even if it comes at the cost of being ostracised by the sporting community. "There could be repercussions and we may not qualify for the semi-finals. No media should blame the Indian team if they plan to boycott playing Pakistan," he said. The BCCI had appealed to the ICC to snap ties with countries from where terror emanates in a veiled reference to Pakistan but the request was turned down at the ICC board meeting in Dubai. When asked what should be done if the two teams meet in the final, Gambhir said that in that case, India should forfeit the final.

Either snap all cricketing ties or engage at every level with Pakistan: Gautam Gambhir to BCCI

it's not a surprise for any strategist that China has blocked India's bid to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist for the fourth time. China has repeated the old story of putting "technical hold" on the proposal asking for more time. The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, UK and the US on February 27, days after the fidayeen attack of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which killed more than 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama.

How does it matter for India?&nbsp;

If the proposal was accepted, it would have amounted to the freezer of JeM assets, future funding and travel ban on Masood Azhar. Realistically, none of these measures would have affected the terror activities of JeM, which has earlier been declared as US-designated terror organisation. 
 
The funding through the unauthorised route is business as usual by attaching some of its members with any nominated social welfare organisation.

In nutshell, India has to continue dealing with terror activities of JeM with or without the imposition of the UNSC ban. India has to show the resolve to deal with JeM itself, for which it has all the options, overt as well as covert, on the table. The UNSC ban on Azhar was thus a symbolic exercise which must continue with similar zeal to rebuild the diplomatic pressure after six months when it can be reconsidered because naming and shaming in UN platform has its own importance. &nbsp;

How is China affected?&nbsp;

Chinese considerations in blocking the ban are governed by its own perceived national interest. China has to protect its economic investment in CPEC including its safe future operation and safety of over 5000 workers from terrorist groups, which are controlled by the Pakistan army and ISI. China also wants to retain leverage in terms of Masood Azhar against India for opposing CPEC and BRI. There seems to be an understanding between China and Pakistan for not training ETIM terrorists causing trouble in Xinjiang province of China and a promise to look the other way when Chinese cause atrocities on Uighur Muslims. In any case, Pakistan’s relation with China is that of a client state being protected by the dragon. China was also not too happy with Indian resolve exhibited in air strikes in Balakot.

This decision of China is marred with some risks as well. China after this action remains isolated with Pakistan on the issue of terrorism and does not project itself as a world power in making by this petty politics. It has also pushed India few notches closer to the western world, risking a promising Indian market. 
 
Options for India &nbsp;&nbsp;

It seems evident that by blocking the bid to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist China has much more to lose than India. India has to continue with the policy of offensive defence with all options to get rid of the terrorists emanating from Pakistan soil and continue the proxy war in India. 
 
India needs to develop the capacity for the same; hence start with steps to enhance its ‘Comprehensive National Power’ (CNP) because strategic partnerships will have to be developed with like-minded nations.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

it's not a surprise for any strategist that China has blocked India's bid to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist for the fourth time.

it's not a surprise for any strategist that China has blocked India's bid to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist for the fourth time. China has repeated the old story of putting "technical hold" on the proposal asking for more time. The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaida Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, UK and the US on February 27, days after the fidayeen attack of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which killed more than 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama. How does it matter for India? If the proposal was accepted, it would have amounted to the freezer of JeM assets, future funding and travel ban on Masood Azhar. Realistically, none of these measures would have affected the terror activities of JeM, which has earlier been declared as US-designated terror organisation. The funding through the unauthorised route is business as usual by attaching some of its members with any nominated social welfare organisation. In nutshell, India has to continue dealing with terror activities of JeM with or without the imposition of the UNSC ban. India has to show the resolve to deal with JeM itself, for which it has all the options, overt as well as covert, on the table. The UNSC ban on Azhar was thus a symbolic exercise which must continue with similar zeal to rebuild the diplomatic pressure after six months when it can be reconsidered because naming and shaming in UN platform has its own importance. How is China affected? Chinese considerations in blocking the ban are governed by its own perceived national interest. China has to protect its economic investment in CPEC including its safe future operation and safety of over 5000 workers from terrorist groups, which are controlled by the Pakistan army and ISI. China also wants to retain leverage in terms of Masood Azhar against India for opposing CPEC and BRI. There seems to be an understanding between China and Pakistan for not training ETIM terrorists causing trouble in Xinjiang province of China and a promise to look the other way when Chinese cause atrocities on Uighur Muslims. In any case, Pakistan’s relation with China is that of a client state being protected by the dragon. China was also not too happy with Indian resolve exhibited in air strikes in Balakot. This decision of China is marred with some risks as well. China after this action remains isolated with Pakistan on the issue of terrorism and does not project itself as a world power in making by this petty politics. It has also pushed India few notches closer to the western world, risking a promising Indian market. Options for India It seems evident that by blocking the bid to get Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar designated a global terrorist China has much more to lose than India. India has to continue with the policy of offensive defence with all options to get rid of the terrorists emanating from Pakistan soil and continue the proxy war in India. India needs to develop the capacity for the same; hence start with steps to enhance its ‘Comprehensive National Power’ (CNP) because strategic partnerships will have to be developed with like-minded nations. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

UN ban on Masood Azhar: Pakistan is drawing its strength from China

Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in its mouthpiece Al Qalam, mentioned&nbsp;Zee News programme DNA&nbsp;while writing a piece on the Indian media.

In the editorial piece, Al Qalam said, "India's famous channel Zee-DNA's anchor Sudhir Chaudhary said that India was behind the breakdown of Bangladesh. The Indian government should intensify its action in Pakistan so that Pakistan should get fragmented. Not only this, but in the prime time program, it has been emphasising that Pakistan should be attacked and war is the only way."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/decoding-xi-jinpings-new-era-and-chinas-objection-to-un-ban-on-jem-chief-masood-azhar-203227">Masood Azhar-led JeM</a>, which has openly spread its anti-India hate campaign through its media outlet accused the Indian media of being a "black spot" in the name of journalism. Clearly, the fact that post-Pulwama, the Indian media openly castigated the terror outfit hasn't gone down well with Masood Azhar.

In fact, Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary&nbsp;in his programme on March 6 had said that "when India gets angry, Pakistan is blown to smithereens."

"This happened in 1971 when Pakistan was divided into two, but now they are beginning to forget the biggest loss in their history. Pakistan is under immense pressure, and one of its regions - Balochistan - is fighting to be free from its rule. The people of Balochistan are fed up of the torture meted out by Pakistan army and want independence," Sudhir Chaudhary said in his programme.

The JeM mouthpiece was caught off-guard as the programme aired on Zee exposed the real feeling prevailing inside Pakistan.

"Balochistan constitutes 44 per cent of Pakistan's total land area. If the region gets independence, Pakistan will lose its identity as a country. If Pakistan doesn't give up their Kashmir dream and focus on fulfilling the wishes on Balochistan, it will lose out 44 per cent of its territory," Zee Network's anchor and editor-in-chief said.

"Balochistan is now a conflict zone where no reporting is allowed because it is controlled by the Pakistani Army. It is a tough job to present the truth of Balochistan to the world. It is heavily guarded by Pakistani military, so the true picture of the torture is never revealed," Sudhir Chaudhary said.

"The only way to understand the real situation is through some videos posted on social media by the residents. People making these videos have to travel hundreds of kilometres to areas where internet is available. They then upload the video for the world to see," the programme revealed.

Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in its mouthpiece Al Qalam, mentioned Zee News programme DNA while writing a piece on the Indian media. In the editorial piece, Al Qalam said, "India's famous channel Zee-DNA's anchor Sudhir Chaudhary said that India was behind the breakdown of Bangladesh.

Terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), in its mouthpiece Al Qalam, mentioned Zee News programme DNA while writing a piece on the Indian media. In the editorial piece, Al Qalam said, "India's famous channel Zee-DNA's anchor Sudhir Chaudhary said that India was behind the breakdown of Bangladesh. The Indian government should intensify its action in Pakistan so that Pakistan should get fragmented. Not only this, but in the prime time program, it has been emphasising that Pakistan should be attacked and war is the only way." Masood Azhar-led JeM, which has openly spread its anti-India hate campaign through its media outlet accused the Indian media of being a "black spot" in the name of journalism. Clearly, the fact that post-Pulwama, the Indian media openly castigated the terror outfit hasn't gone down well with Masood Azhar. In fact, Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary in his programme on March 6 had said that "when India gets angry, Pakistan is blown to smithereens." "This happened in 1971 when Pakistan was divided into two, but now they are beginning to forget the biggest loss in their history. Pakistan is under immense pressure, and one of its regions - Balochistan - is fighting to be free from its rule. The people of Balochistan are fed up of the torture meted out by Pakistan army and want independence," Sudhir Chaudhary said in his programme. The JeM mouthpiece was caught off-guard as the programme aired on Zee exposed the real feeling prevailing inside Pakistan. "Balochistan constitutes 44 per cent of Pakistan's total land area. If the region gets independence, Pakistan will lose its identity as a country. If Pakistan doesn't give up their Kashmir dream and focus on fulfilling the wishes on Balochistan, it will lose out 44 per cent of its territory," Zee Network's anchor and editor-in-chief said. "Balochistan is now a conflict zone where no reporting is allowed because it is controlled by the Pakistani Army. It is a tough job to present the truth of Balochistan to the world. It is heavily guarded by Pakistani military, so the true picture of the torture is never revealed," Sudhir Chaudhary said. "The only way to understand the real situation is through some videos posted on social media by the residents. People making these videos have to travel hundreds of kilometres to areas where internet is available. They then upload the video for the world to see," the programme revealed.

JeM mentions Sudhir Chaudhary's DNA programme in its mouthpiece

India has slammed Pakistan at the 40th <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/decision-tomorrow-india-urges-unsc-to-list-masood-azhar-as-international-terrorist-202946">Session of the Human Rights Council</a> for its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-puts-jaish-e-mohammed-chief-masood-azhars-son-brother-under-preventive-detention-201325">support to terrorism</a> and raking up <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jaish-e-mohammed-chief-masood-azhar-alive-says-pakistan-media-200960">Kashmir</a> and situation of minorities in the country.

In the Second Right of Reply, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva Mini Devi Kumam said, "Despite its public commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control for terrorism against India, Pakistan continues supporting terror attacks against India, the latest being the Pulwama terror attack last month."

She reminded Pakistan of its "infamous distinction" of hosting 132 UN-designated terrorists &amp; 22 terrorist entities.

The development comes ahead of the decision on listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under UN terror list by United Nation Security Council 1267 committee.

The Indian diplomat said, "India has been repeatedly urging Pakistan to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammed and other UN proscribed terror organizations and prevent Jihadis from being trained and armed inside Pakistan."

Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed took responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel on 14th February.

On the issue of Islamabad raking up situation of minorities at the world body, Kumam while highlighting how "India is a secular State and safeguarding the rights of minorities forms an essential core of our polity", said, minorities in Pakistan face "blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, discrimination, denial of basic rights and freedoms, enforced disappearances and killings."

She further added, "Pakistan today stands out as the country having more cases of blasphemy than the rest of the world put together in the past few years."

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has consistently tried to raise the issue of minorities in India in the last 3 months while turning a blind eye to the situation in his own country.

New Delhi also rejected Pakistan's false narratives on Kashmir saying Pakistan "consistently misled the world" regarding its involvement in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir starting from its "aggression in 1947 and stationing its large troops in the Pakistan occupied territories in violation to the international laws."

India has slammed Pakistan at the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council for its support to terrorism and raking up Kashmir and situation of minorities in the country.

India has slammed Pakistan at the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council for its support to terrorism and raking up Kashmir and situation of minorities in the country. In the Second Right of Reply, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva Mini Devi Kumam said, "Despite its public commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control for terrorism against India, Pakistan continues supporting terror attacks against India, the latest being the Pulwama terror attack last month." She reminded Pakistan of its "infamous distinction" of hosting 132 UN-designated terrorists & 22 terrorist entities. The development comes ahead of the decision on listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under UN terror list by United Nation Security Council 1267 committee. The Indian diplomat said, "India has been repeatedly urging Pakistan to take action against Jaish-e-Mohammed and other UN proscribed terror organizations and prevent Jihadis from being trained and armed inside Pakistan." Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed took responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack that killed more than 40 CRPF personnel on 14th February. On the issue of Islamabad raking up situation of minorities at the world body, Kumam while highlighting how "India is a secular State and safeguarding the rights of minorities forms an essential core of our polity", said, minorities in Pakistan face "blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, discrimination, denial of basic rights and freedoms, enforced disappearances and killings." She further added, "Pakistan today stands out as the country having more cases of blasphemy than the rest of the world put together in the past few years." Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has consistently tried to raise the issue of minorities in India in the last 3 months while turning a blind eye to the situation in his own country. New Delhi also rejected Pakistan's false narratives on Kashmir saying Pakistan "consistently misled the world" regarding its involvement in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir starting from its "aggression in 1947 and stationing its large troops in the Pakistan occupied territories in violation to the international laws."

India slams Pakistan ahead of the decision on Masood Azhar; highlights Islamabad's role in Pulwama attack

The Congress party has launched its pan-India campaign for the general elections by targetting the BJP and the Narendra Modi government by holding it responsible for all the problems of the country.

The ruling BJP has responded to the Congress attack by going on the offensive and questioning the Congress culture and pointing out how it has deviated from the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi and the freedom fighters who had sacrificed their all for the cause of the nation.

Addressing a Congress rally at Adalaj village of Gandhinagar district in Gujarat after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday, the newly appointed Congress National Congress general secretary of eastern UP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said that the government was not talking about the real issues while people were being divided and hatred was being spread. She also laid stress on the need for building awareness among the people. Equating awareness with patriotism, she said that if it is used as a weapon without harming anyone, the county will become strong.

On this occasion, Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Modi and the BJP led NDA Government at the Centre. He referred to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as Gabbar Singh Tax equating it with the brute character by the same name in Sholay, the much acclaimed and popular Bollywood blockbuster.

Blunting the Congress tirade against him and the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been quick in going into the overdrive mode and calling upon influencers from all fields, including politics, industry, sports, films and other walks of life to take the lead in spreading voter awareness and value of high voting. He has expressed the hope that these elections would witness the highest ever turnout in the history of Indian elections!"

Paying tributes to Gandhi ji and all those who had marched with him to Dandi, PM Modi has shared his thoughts on the Dandi March – especially the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and his aversion to the Congress culture on his blog. Highlighting Mahatma Gandhi's concern for the poor, Modi has said that in all aspects of his government’s work, the guiding consideration is the welfare and progress of the deprived sections but sadly, the antithesis of Gandhian thought is the Congress culture.

Modi’s argument comes like a knockout punch vis-a-vis the main opposition when he says in a matter of fact manner: “Mahatma Gandhi was a firm believer in democracy. Ironically, Congress imposed Emergency and trampled over the democratic spirit. The Congress misused Article 356 several times. If they did not like a leader, that Government was dismissed. Always eager to promote dynastic culture, Congress has no regard for democratic values. Gandhi Ji had understood the Congress culture very well, which is why he wanted the Congress disbanded, especially after 1947.”

What Modi has pointed out on his blog is already a topic of discussion on social media and also in drawing room circles and among the commoners on the street. Modi’s stock has grown manifold particularly after the air strike against the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps in Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack. The anti-terror operation inside Pakistani territory is being treated as a turning point in the war on terror and the Government of India’s strategy to handle the Kashmir crisis.

It’s advantage Modi and the BJP at this stage when campaigning is still picking up for the Lok Sabha elections, as the Congress refuses to come on the same page with the government of India on the crucial issue of terrorism and national security.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The Congress party has launched its pan-India campaign for the general elections by targetting the BJP and the Narendra Modi government by holding it responsible for all the problems of the country.

The Congress party has launched its pan-India campaign for the general elections by targetting the BJP and the Narendra Modi government by holding it responsible for all the problems of the country. The ruling BJP has responded to the Congress attack by going on the offensive and questioning the Congress culture and pointing out how it has deviated from the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi and the freedom fighters who had sacrificed their all for the cause of the nation. Addressing a Congress rally at Adalaj village of Gandhinagar district in Gujarat after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday, the newly appointed Congress National Congress general secretary of eastern UP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said that the government was not talking about the real issues while people were being divided and hatred was being spread. She also laid stress on the need for building awareness among the people. Equating awareness with patriotism, she said that if it is used as a weapon without harming anyone, the county will become strong. On this occasion, Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Modi and the BJP led NDA Government at the Centre. He referred to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as Gabbar Singh Tax equating it with the brute character by the same name in Sholay, the much acclaimed and popular Bollywood blockbuster. Blunting the Congress tirade against him and the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been quick in going into the overdrive mode and calling upon influencers from all fields, including politics, industry, sports, films and other walks of life to take the lead in spreading voter awareness and value of high voting. He has expressed the hope that these elections would witness the highest ever turnout in the history of Indian elections!" Paying tributes to Gandhi ji and all those who had marched with him to Dandi, PM Modi has shared his thoughts on the Dandi March – especially the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and his aversion to the Congress culture on his blog. Highlighting Mahatma Gandhi's concern for the poor, Modi has said that in all aspects of his government’s work, the guiding consideration is the welfare and progress of the deprived sections but sadly, the antithesis of Gandhian thought is the Congress culture. Modi’s argument comes like a knockout punch vis-a-vis the main opposition when he says in a matter of fact manner: “Mahatma Gandhi was a firm believer in democracy. Ironically, Congress imposed Emergency and trampled over the democratic spirit. The Congress misused Article 356 several times. If they did not like a leader, that Government was dismissed. Always eager to promote dynastic culture, Congress has no regard for democratic values. Gandhi Ji had understood the Congress culture very well, which is why he wanted the Congress disbanded, especially after 1947.” What Modi has pointed out on his blog is already a topic of discussion on social media and also in drawing room circles and among the commoners on the street. Modi’s stock has grown manifold particularly after the air strike against the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps in Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack. The anti-terror operation inside Pakistani territory is being treated as a turning point in the war on terror and the Government of India’s strategy to handle the Kashmir crisis. It’s advantage Modi and the BJP at this stage when campaigning is still picking up for the Lok Sabha elections, as the Congress refuses to come on the same page with the government of India on the crucial issue of terrorism and national security. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

On the issues of ideology and national security, it’s advantage Narendra Modi and BJP all the way

The Indian government, in the aftermath of Pulwama, announced its intention to maximise the use of water flowing to Pakistan via the Indus system. As a multipronged strategy, India shifted its focus on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).&nbsp;

The geographical setting of the Indus river system has facilitated partitioning of the six rivers in equal numbers between the two riparian countries under the 1960 IWT, which was achieved after nine years of intense negotiation under the aegis of the World Bank. &nbsp;

Pakistan, being one the world’s most arid countries, with an average rainfall of less than 240 mm, is quite dependent on Indus waters. Under the Treaty, India was given control over the water flowing in the three 'eastern' rivers of the Indus River System (Beas, Ravi and Sutlej) with the mean flow of 33 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 20 per cent of the annual flow of all Indus Rivers (168 MAF). In contrast, Pakistan was given control over the water flowing from the 2 'western’ rivers (Chenab and Jhelum) with a mean flow of 80 MAF that corresponds to 80 per cent of the annual flow.&nbsp;

Although India has retained the right to use the 'western' rivers on the non-consumptive basis (power generation/industrial consumption/navigation) so as not to affect the volume of water flowing into these rivers, it has done little in effectively addressing the severe water crisis afflicting the Indian portion of the Indus Basin.&nbsp;

Political ecologists and critics of the scarcity discourse have established that social power dynamics shape water issues in the Indus basin, especially when both countries deal with acute drought. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2003, the Jammu &amp; Kashmir state assembly passed an unanimous resolution for the abrogation of the Treaty, which further re-asserted the need for its revision in 2016. &nbsp;

On the face of it, this Treaty is heavily skewed in favour of Pakistan, which enjoys a lion’s share of the water and its utilisation. The treaty has not considered Gujarat – the lowermost riparian area - as part of the Indus river basin, as the Great Rann of Kutch area was disputed territory between the two nations. This was settled in 1968 by sharing the total disputed area in a 9:1 ratio between India and Pakistan.&nbsp;

Since the ratification of the treaty, over the past over 58 years, India and Pakistan have not engaged in any water wars. This is partly due to the fact that India has failed to utilise its share of the waters, allowing unused waters to flow into Pakistan.&nbsp;

Effective and complete utilisation of Indus waters falling in India’s share is the first step towards harvesting the Treaty and this has not been objected to by Pakistan, as evidenced from the February 21, 2019, statement of its Ministry of Water Resources. It is imperative that India should consider active utilisation of the 'western' rivers, albeit for non-consumptive basis.&nbsp;

The formal inauguration of the Kishanganga Hydropower project in J&amp;K in May 2018 is a salutary step in this direction, even though it just marks a beginning.&nbsp;

India has an abundance of small dams and barrages in the Indus basin. Pakistan’s objection to such projects was overruled by the Court of Arbitration under the Treaty, which paves the way for India to install and run several projects on the `western’ rivers, hitherto flowing un-channelled into Pakistan.&nbsp;

These projects will serve as an effective tool in India’s hand to remind Pakistan that India will not hesitate to harness the waters flowing into Pakistan beyond the contours of the Treaty, in the event of a war or war-like situation between the two nations.&nbsp;

Every single dimension of human activity in this basin, whether economic, social, or political, is burdened with a huge handicap arising from the basin’s sovereignty-based, resource-dividing and relentless unilateralism.

India must consider setting up of a dedicated specialised body dealing exclusively with effective utilisation of the rivers under the Treaty. This body may be tasked with the study of the Indus river basins in India, determination of the needs of each state wherein the river basins exist, formulating state-wise projects on the rivers and their basins and time-bound implementation of these projects.&nbsp;

Besides ensuring the development of effective canal systems to ease the perennial water shortages for home consumption and agriculture, the body could also explore the feasibility of channeling excess water from these rivers to other river basins.&nbsp;

This will usher a new phase of infrastructure development and economic growth in this perennially neglected basin.&nbsp;

The two co-riparian neighbours are often at loggerheads over water resources. It is frequently asked whether India or Pakistan can unilaterally abrogate the treaty? The answer is No.&nbsp;

Article 12 of the treaty states that “the provisions of this Treaty, or, the provisions of this Treaty as modified under the provisions of Paragraph (3), shall continue in force until terminated by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments.”

The IWT is about sharing of water of six rivers — Indus, Chenab, Jhelum, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej — between India and Pakistan. The importance of the Indus basin to the co-riparian states extends far beyond the immediately tangible material benefits in terms of its waters and any failure to cooperate risks the future of this basin and the future water security of generations to come. &nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-classic-no-win-situation-2728748">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The Indian government, in the aftermath of Pulwama, announced its intention to maximise the use of water flowing to Pakistan via the Indus system. As a multipronged strategy, India shifted its focus on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

The Indian government, in the aftermath of Pulwama, announced its intention to maximise the use of water flowing to Pakistan via the Indus system. As a multipronged strategy, India shifted its focus on the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). The geographical setting of the Indus river system has facilitated partitioning of the six rivers in equal numbers between the two riparian countries under the 1960 IWT, which was achieved after nine years of intense negotiation under the aegis of the World Bank. Pakistan, being one the world’s most arid countries, with an average rainfall of less than 240 mm, is quite dependent on Indus waters. Under the Treaty, India was given control over the water flowing in the three 'eastern' rivers of the Indus River System (Beas, Ravi and Sutlej) with the mean flow of 33 million acre-feet (MAF), which is 20 per cent of the annual flow of all Indus Rivers (168 MAF). In contrast, Pakistan was given control over the water flowing from the 2 'western’ rivers (Chenab and Jhelum) with a mean flow of 80 MAF that corresponds to 80 per cent of the annual flow. Although India has retained the right to use the 'western' rivers on the non-consumptive basis (power generation/industrial consumption/navigation) so as not to affect the volume of water flowing into these rivers, it has done little in effectively addressing the severe water crisis afflicting the Indian portion of the Indus Basin. Political ecologists and critics of the scarcity discourse have established that social power dynamics shape water issues in the Indus basin, especially when both countries deal with acute drought. In 2003, the Jammu & Kashmir state assembly passed an unanimous resolution for the abrogation of the Treaty, which further re-asserted the need for its revision in 2016. On the face of it, this Treaty is heavily skewed in favour of Pakistan, which enjoys a lion’s share of the water and its utilisation. The treaty has not considered Gujarat – the lowermost riparian area - as part of the Indus river basin, as the Great Rann of Kutch area was disputed territory between the two nations. This was settled in 1968 by sharing the total disputed area in a 9:1 ratio between India and Pakistan. Since the ratification of the treaty, over the past over 58 years, India and Pakistan have not engaged in any water wars. This is partly due to the fact that India has failed to utilise its share of the waters, allowing unused waters to flow into Pakistan. Effective and complete utilisation of Indus waters falling in India’s share is the first step towards harvesting the Treaty and this has not been objected to by Pakistan, as evidenced from the February 21, 2019, statement of its Ministry of Water Resources. It is imperative that India should consider active utilisation of the 'western' rivers, albeit for non-consumptive basis. The formal inauguration of the Kishanganga Hydropower project in J&K in May 2018 is a salutary step in this direction, even though it just marks a beginning. India has an abundance of small dams and barrages in the Indus basin. Pakistan’s objection to such projects was overruled by the Court of Arbitration under the Treaty, which paves the way for India to install and run several projects on the `western’ rivers, hitherto flowing un-channelled into Pakistan. These projects will serve as an effective tool in India’s hand to remind Pakistan that India will not hesitate to harness the waters flowing into Pakistan beyond the contours of the Treaty, in the event of a war or war-like situation between the two nations. Every single dimension of human activity in this basin, whether economic, social, or political, is burdened with a huge handicap arising from the basin’s sovereignty-based, resource-dividing and relentless unilateralism. India must consider setting up of a dedicated specialised body dealing exclusively with effective utilisation of the rivers under the Treaty. This body may be tasked with the study of the Indus river basins in India, determination of the needs of each state wherein the river basins exist, formulating state-wise projects on the rivers and their basins and time-bound implementation of these projects. Besides ensuring the development of effective canal systems to ease the perennial water shortages for home consumption and agriculture, the body could also explore the feasibility of channeling excess water from these rivers to other river basins. This will usher a new phase of infrastructure development and economic growth in this perennially neglected basin. The two co-riparian neighbours are often at loggerheads over water resources. It is frequently asked whether India or Pakistan can unilaterally abrogate the treaty? The answer is No. Article 12 of the treaty states that “the provisions of this Treaty, or, the provisions of this Treaty as modified under the provisions of Paragraph (3), shall continue in force until terminated by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments.” The IWT is about sharing of water of six rivers — Indus, Chenab, Jhelum, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej — between India and Pakistan. The importance of the Indus basin to the co-riparian states extends far beyond the immediately tangible material benefits in terms of its waters and any failure to cooperate risks the future of this basin and the future water security of generations to come. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

India must ensure effective and complete utilisation of Indus waters

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/over-200-kg-of-explosives-was-used-in-pulwamas-terror-attack-197469">Pulwama attack </a>Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/pulwama-terror-attack-can-india-respond-like-israel-197942">encounter in the </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/pulwama-terror-attack-can-india-respond-like-israel-197942">Tral</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/pulwama-terror-attack-can-india-respond-like-israel-197942"> </a>area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area.

As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight.

In the encounter, so far dead bodies of two terrorists have been retrieved from the site of encounter.&nbsp;

From the incriminating materials recovered at the site of the encounter, it is understood that the terrorists have affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM.&nbsp;

Their identities are being ascertained. Search is going on at the site of the encounter.

A resident of Mir Mohalla of Tral, Khan joined the Jaish-e-Mohammed sometime in 2017 as an overground worker and was later drawn into the JeM fold by Noor Mohammed Tantrey, alias ‘Noor Trali’, who is believed to have helped in the revival of the terror outfit in Kashmir Valley.

After Tantray was killed in December 2017, Khan disappeared from his home on January 14, 2018, and has been active since then.

Suicide attacker Adil Ahmed Dar, who blew his explosive-laden vehicle next to a bus in a CRPF convoy on February 14, had been in constant contact with Khan, they said.

(With inputs from PTI)

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir. Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the encounter, so far dead bodies of two terrorists have been retrieved from the site of encounter. From the incriminating materials recovered at the site of the encounter, it is understood that the terrorists have affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM. Their identities are being ascertained. Search is going on at the site of the encounter. A resident of Mir Mohalla of Tral, Khan joined the Jaish-e-Mohammed sometime in 2017 as an overground worker and was later drawn into the JeM fold by Noor Mohammed Tantrey, alias ‘Noor Trali’, who is believed to have helped in the revival of the terror outfit in Kashmir Valley. After Tantray was killed in December 2017, Khan disappeared from his home on January 14, 2018, and has been active since then. Suicide attacker Adil Ahmed Dar, who blew his explosive-laden vehicle next to a bus in a CRPF convoy on February 14, had been in constant contact with Khan, they said. (With inputs from PTI)

Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir believed to be killed in encounter: J&K Police

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-attack-mastermind-mudasir-believed-to-be-killed-in-encounter-jk-police-202489">Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir believed to be killed in encounter: J&amp;K Police</a>

Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area.

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The United States is pressing India to stop buying oil from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government, Washington’s top envoy for Venezuela said, as the Trump administration this week threatened more US sanctions to cut off Maduro’s financial lifelines.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-over-15-crore-voters-of-the-total-electorate-in-18-19-age-group-202479">Lok Sabha polls 2019: Over 1.5 crore voters of the total electorate in </a><a href="http://cms.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-over-15-crore-voters-of-the-total-electorate-in-18-19-age-group-202479">18-19</a><a href="http://cms.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-over-15-crore-voters-of-the-total-electorate-in-18-19-age-group-202479"> age group</a>

Lok Sabha elections 2019 will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-orders-its-airlines-to-suspend-use-of-boeing-737-max-aircraft-202485">After Ethiopian Airlines crash, China suspends use of Boeing 737 Max aircraft</a>

China's aviation regulator said on Monday it had ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 pm following a deadly crash of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-ready-to-meet-kim-jong-un-again-for-denuclearisation-talks-white-house-202451">US President Donald Trump ready to meet Kim Jong Un again for denuclearisation talks: White House</a>

US President Donald Trump is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again for denuclearisation talks, the White House said, underlining that his decision to walk out of the Hanoi summit sent a signal to other countries as well that he is not desperate for a deal unless it is in America's interest.

Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir believed to be killed in encounter: J&K Police Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pulwama attack mastermind Mudasir believed to be killed in encounter: J&K Police Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist and one of the masterminds of Pulwama attack Mudasir Ahmed Khan, alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ is believed to be killed in an encounter in the Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir. Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area. Urge India to stop buying oil from Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro government: US top envoy The United States is pressing India to stop buying oil from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government, Washington’s top envoy for Venezuela said, as the Trump administration this week threatened more US sanctions to cut off Maduro’s financial lifelines. Lok Sabha polls 2019: Over 1.5 crore voters of the total electorate in 18-19 age group Lok Sabha elections 2019 will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday. After Ethiopian Airlines crash, China suspends use of Boeing 737 Max aircraft China's aviation regulator said on Monday it had ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 pm following a deadly crash of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines. US President Donald Trump ready to meet Kim Jong Un again for denuclearisation talks: White House US President Donald Trump is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again for denuclearisation talks, the White House said, underlining that his decision to walk out of the Hanoi summit sent a signal to other countries as well that he is not desperate for a deal unless it is in America's interest.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/key-pulwama-conspirator-killed-in-tral-encounter-today-44-terrorists-eliminated-in-first-70-days-of-2019-army-jk-police-202613">14 JeM terrorists killed since Pulwama attack, including two key conspirators: Army</a>

In a joint briefing by Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army in Srinagar on Monday, top officials told media that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator in the Pulwama terror attack, in the Tral encounter earlier in the day.&nbsp;

The briefing was jointly addressed by Lt General KJS Dhillon, GoC 15 Corps, and SP Pani, IG, J&amp;K Police.

"In last 21 days, we have eliminated 18 terrorists, out of the 14 being from JeM, 6 out of 14 were main commanders. JeM's 2nd commander Mudasir-main conspirator in national highway convoy attack has also been eliminated," Dhillon, Corps Commander of the army's Chinar Corps, said.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/terrorism-in-jk-needs-to-be-tackled-militarily-first-talks-can-take-place-later-ram-madhav-202644">Terrorism in J&amp;K needs to be tackled militarily first. Talks can take place later: Ram Madhav</a>

Speaking exclusively to WION after the announcement of the general elections, Ram Madhav said that globally, insurgencies are first tackled militarily and once that is done, talks follow. The national general secretary of the BJP was speaking in the context of Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Ram Madhav had been asked why the BJP had not initiated talks within the Valley. He answered that Home Minister Rajnath Singh had invited various sections of society to talk but that no one responded.

“The other side is not willing to talk. They want to persist with terrorism. Globally, governments deal with terror sternly. We have seen it in Afghanistan also. I would include Pakistan also,” Ram Madhav said.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/black-box-from-crashed-ethiopian-airlines-flight-recovered-report-202611">Ethiopian Airlines crash: Black box found, says state TV</a>

The black box from the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed on Sunday has been recovered by investigators at the crash site, Ethiopian state TV said on Monday.

The passenger jet bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off, killing all 157 people on board and raising questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, a new model that also crashed in Indonesia in October.

 
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NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said he will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

"I thought that already two members of my family are contesting polls this time and hence I felt this is right time to take decision to not contest since I already have contested 14 times in the past," Pawar said.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-chief-michel-barnier-says-brexit-talks-now-between-uk-government-and-mps-202630">Britain braces for make-or-break Brexit vote</a>

The European Union's chief negotiator on Monday shut down hopes of a Brexit compromise with Brussels, saying it was up to Britain's government and parliament to find a way forward with less than three weeks to go before the scheduled departure date.

On the eve of a crucial vote in the House of Commons on Prime Minister Theresa May's divorce deal, Michel Barnier told AFP the British leader must negotiate with MPs rather than the EU.

14 JeM terrorists killed since Pulwama attack, including two key conspirators: Army In a joint briefing by Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army in Srinagar on Monday, top officials told media that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator in the Pulwama terror attack, in the Tral encounter earlier in the day.

14 JeM terrorists killed since Pulwama attack, including two key conspirators: Army In a joint briefing by Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army in Srinagar on Monday, top officials told media that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator in the Pulwama terror attack, in the Tral encounter earlier in the day. The briefing was jointly addressed by Lt General KJS Dhillon, GoC 15 Corps, and SP Pani, IG, J&K Police. "In last 21 days, we have eliminated 18 terrorists, out of the 14 being from JeM, 6 out of 14 were main commanders. JeM's 2nd commander Mudasir-main conspirator in national highway convoy attack has also been eliminated," Dhillon, Corps Commander of the army's Chinar Corps, said. Terrorism in J&K needs to be tackled militarily first. Talks can take place later: Ram Madhav Speaking exclusively to WION after the announcement of the general elections, Ram Madhav said that globally, insurgencies are first tackled militarily and once that is done, talks follow. The national general secretary of the BJP was speaking in the context of Jammu and Kashmir. Ram Madhav had been asked why the BJP had not initiated talks within the Valley. He answered that Home Minister Rajnath Singh had invited various sections of society to talk but that no one responded. “The other side is not willing to talk. They want to persist with terrorism. Globally, governments deal with terror sternly. We have seen it in Afghanistan also. I would include Pakistan also,” Ram Madhav said. Ethiopian Airlines crash: Black box found, says state TV The black box from the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed on Sunday has been recovered by investigators at the crash site, Ethiopian state TV said on Monday. The passenger jet bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off, killing all 157 people on board and raising questions about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, a new model that also crashed in Indonesia in October. NCP chief Sharad Pawar says he will not contest Lok Sabha polls NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said he will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "I thought that already two members of my family are contesting polls this time and hence I felt this is right time to take decision to not contest since I already have contested 14 times in the past," Pawar said. Britain braces for make-or-break Brexit vote The European Union's chief negotiator on Monday shut down hopes of a Brexit compromise with Brussels, saying it was up to Britain's government and parliament to find a way forward with less than three weeks to go before the scheduled departure date. On the eve of a crucial vote in the House of Commons on Prime Minister Theresa May's divorce deal, Michel Barnier told AFP the British leader must negotiate with MPs rather than the EU.

In a joint briefing by Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army in Srinagar on Monday, top officials told media that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator of the Pulwama terror attack, in the&nbsp;Tral encounter earlier in the day.&nbsp;

The briefing was jointly addressed by Lt General KJS Dhillon, GoC 15 Corps, and SP Pani, IG, J&amp;K Police.

"In last 21 days, we have eliminated 18 terrorists, out of the 14 being from JeM, 6 out of 14 were main commanders. JeM's 2nd commander Mudasir-main conspirator in national highway convoy attack has also been eliminated," Dhillon, Corps Commander of the Chinar Corps, said.&nbsp;Pakistani&nbsp;militant Khalid was also killed in the encounter.&nbsp;

"The main conspirators (of Pulwama) Mudasir and Kamran have been killed. We have gone with all force against JeM. Six terrorists killed since attack are A+ category," he said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Pani said one of the militants killed has been identified as 'Code Khalid' and is believed to be from Pakistan.

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Indian Army Sources: In first 70 days of 2019, security forces have been successful in eliminating 44 terrorists, mainly from Jaish-e-Mohammed. 
Against 1629 ceasefire violations along Line of Control in 2018, this year 478 ceasefire violations have already taken place along LoC <a href="https://t.co/iqVrRhyZUE">pic.twitter.com/iqVrRhyZUE</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1105053122362294272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The officials added that in the&nbsp;first 70 days of 2019, security forces have been successful in eliminating 44 terrorists, mainly from Jaish-e-Mohammed. "Against 1629 ceasefire violations along Line of Control in 2018, this year 478 ceasefire violations have already taken place along LoC," the officials stated.&nbsp;

Based on a credible input about the presence of <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-attack-mastermind-mudasir-believed-to-be-killed-in-encounter-jk-police-202489">terrorists in Pinglish area of </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-attack-mastermind-mudasir-believed-to-be-killed-in-encounter-jk-police-202489">Tral</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-attack-mastermind-mudasir-believed-to-be-killed-in-encounter-jk-police-202489"> Awantipora</a>, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area.&nbsp;

As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. Army officials state that a search operation is still underway.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jk-mastermind-of-pulwama-attack-killed-in-encounter-4-soldiers-dead-too-198057">One of the key conspirators of the Pulwama attack, Kamran Hilaal, was killed</a> in an encounter in the Pinglan area of Pulwama on February 18.&nbsp;

A joint team of the Army's 55RR, CRPF and SOG Pulwama launched cordon and search operation in Pinglan area.

Two terrorists — Hilal Ahmad and Kamran Hilaal — were killed in the encounter. Authorities said Kamran Hilaal, who they say is a Pakistani official, was the mastermind of the Pulwama attack.&nbsp;

In a joint briefing by Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army in Srinagar on Monday, top officials told media that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator of the Pulwama terror attack, in the Tral encounter earlier in the day.

In a joint briefing by Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army in Srinagar on Monday, top officials told media that the security forces had "eliminated" another JeM commander, a key conspirator of the Pulwama terror attack, in the Tral encounter earlier in the day. The briefing was jointly addressed by Lt General KJS Dhillon, GoC 15 Corps, and SP Pani, IG, J&K Police. "In last 21 days, we have eliminated 18 terrorists, out of the 14 being from JeM, 6 out of 14 were main commanders. JeM's 2nd commander Mudasir-main conspirator in national highway convoy attack has also been eliminated," Dhillon, Corps Commander of the Chinar Corps, said. Pakistani militant Khalid was also killed in the encounter. "The main conspirators (of Pulwama) Mudasir and Kamran have been killed. We have gone with all force against JeM. Six terrorists killed since attack are A+ category," he said. Pani said one of the militants killed has been identified as 'Code Khalid' and is believed to be from Pakistan. Indian Army Sources: In first 70 days of 2019, security forces have been successful in eliminating 44 terrorists, mainly from Jaish-e-Mohammed. Against 1629 ceasefire violations along Line of Control in 2018, this year 478 ceasefire violations have already taken place along LoC pic.twitter.com/iqVrRhyZUE — ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2019 × The officials added that in the first 70 days of 2019, security forces have been successful in eliminating 44 terrorists, mainly from Jaish-e-Mohammed. "Against 1629 ceasefire violations along Line of Control in 2018, this year 478 ceasefire violations have already taken place along LoC," the officials stated. Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Pinglish area of Tral Awantipora, a cordon and search operation was launched today jointly by Police and security forces in the area. As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. Army officials state that a search operation is still underway. One of the key conspirators of the Pulwama attack, Kamran Hilaal, was killed in an encounter in the Pinglan area of Pulwama on February 18. A joint team of the Army's 55RR, CRPF and SOG Pulwama launched cordon and search operation in Pinglan area. Two terrorists — Hilal Ahmad and Kamran Hilaal — were killed in the encounter. Authorities said Kamran Hilaal, who they say is a Pakistani official, was the mastermind of the Pulwama attack.

14 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists killed since Pulwama attack, including two key conspirators: Army

India has suffered enough of proxy war in the last 30 years, which continues in Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’ with same vigour as hitherto fore. &nbsp;

The surgical strikes launched in 2016&nbsp;after the terrorist attack in Uri, was the first signal that India has changed its strategy of being ‘Defensive’ as a responsible country, to adopting ‘Offensive Defense’ for protection of its citizens from Pakistan-sponsored Proxy war through the terrorist groups like JeM, LeT&nbsp;and others.&nbsp;

They continue infiltrating into India with the help of Pakistani Army and ISI, kill innocent people and lure the youth of Kashmir towards the misplaced version of Jihad, after a prolonged dose of radicalisation through Madrasas in the name of education. Some segments of the youth of Kashmir find a reason to be lured by money and privileges offered to them. The absence of any worthwhile industries due to lack of investors due to provisions like Article 370, deterring any sensible industrialist to invest in Kashmir is another reason for growing fundamentalism. &nbsp;

The recent terrorist attack on the CRPF convoy killed at least 40 personnel. The attack, claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which has the patronage of the Pakistan Army and ISI, proved that proxy war against India has become the state policy of Pakistan.

India had no other option but to give a befitting response.&nbsp;India is now convinced that surgical treatment of the terrorists is required by the complete application of ‘Comprehensive National Power’ (CNP) of India because Pakistan was unlikely to take any action against them. &nbsp;

The air strikes and aftermath&nbsp;

On February 26, 2019, a set of 12 Mirage 2000 aircraft carried out pinpoint precision strikes using SPICE-2000 guidance kit fitted on conventional bombs, making them highly accurate ‘smart bombs’ carrying out this daring raid/surgical airstrike to destroy the largest training camp of JeM. The strikes were non-military, pre-emptive action, specifically targeted at the JeM camp at Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province deep inside Pakistan territory. The target chosen was a training camp located in a thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence. India also indicated its desire of no further escalation, as the strike was directed against the terrorist group responsible for Pulwama attack and not against the state of Pakistan, its establishment or its people. &nbsp;

The air strikes had the desired effects as it is learnt that 80 per cent of bombs struck at the precise designated targets. It not only struck the heartland of terror by striking the designated targets, but it also exhibited the Pakistan Armed Forces in poor light as they failed to detect such strike, rendering all their air defence systems surprised. It also called their nuclear bluff, as Pakistan has been holding back India from military action into their territory by blackmailing that if India crosses the LoC/IB it will respond with a nuclear weapon.&nbsp;

This air strike proved that India reserves the right of self-defence and will strike terrorists wherever they are, even if amounts to getting into Pakistan territory, and would keep all options on the table, in case Pakistan decides to climb the escalation ladder in our response.&nbsp;

As expected, to salvage its pride Pakistan Air Force using three F-16 aircraft entered Indian air space with an intent to take on a military target was deterred by alert IAF combat patrol and they had to cross back to their territory. The dogfight between the F-16 and our MIG-21 resulted in both jets crashing down resulting in an unfortunate ejection of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman drifting to the Pakistani side of LoC. The Indian pilot got heroes welcome on coming back to India, whereas Pakistan refused to acknowledge the loss of F-16 aircraft and Wing Commander Shamsuddin, and preferred to hide the loss because the use of F-16 aircraft amounted to the violation of their ‘End User Agreement’ with the US. The recent flip flop by Pakistani establishment indicates its panic reaction&nbsp;after Jaish-e Mohammad (JeM) claimed the responsibility of Pulwama suicide attack.

Pakistan's DG ISPR denied the existence of JeM and its leader Maulana Masood Azhar on its soil. Later, Pakistan Foreign Minister accepted that he was in Pakistan. Subsequently, Pakistan arrested 44 JeM terrorists including Maulana Masood Azhar’s son and brother under tremendous international pressure.

Options for India post air strikes&nbsp;

In our national interest to prevent the proxy war by Pakistan, India has to use every element of CNP. It means India has to exercise a multipronged approach including - diplomatic, political, economic and military offensive against Pakistan. As the main player, the Pakistani Army will not like to compromise on promoting proxy war, because their influence and relevance in their country is due to their role of being the sole protector from “Indian threat” and keeping Kashmir issue alive. To deal with the rogue state India will have to consider some “out of box options”.&nbsp;

Diplomatic option&nbsp;

The global community is well aware of Pakistan being the epicentre of terrorism, as it continues to harbour, train, support and utilise terrorists in its surroundings to include India, Afghanistan and Iran, as its strategic assets. After Osama Bin Laden being found in Pakistan, the deniability tool of Pakistan has taken a beating. We have to keep the diplomatic offensive on so that the global community is convinced with our actions. The world opinion seems to be against Pakistan, with a fresh proposal to declare Maulana Masood Azhar a global terrorist and we need to push it through. While India may like to globally isolate Pakistan but it is practically not possible because some of the countries have a strategic interest in it. The US National Security Advisor (NSA) advocated India has the right of self-defense and the similar sentiment expressed by other states (except China) did convince the international community for our offensive-defense to prevent proxy war. The diplomatic offensive needs to continue for a long term effect because the global climate is prone to frequent changes. The US needs Pakistan to keep their interest alive in Afghanistan. Pakistan is priceless for China in terms of financial investments in CPEC. We, therefore, need smart diplomacy with China. &nbsp;

Economic offensive

Scrapping unilateral ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status and imposing 200 per cent tariffs is a symbolic gesture due to extremely low trade volume and that too skewed in our favour. We need to build a strong case with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to declare them ‘Black instead of Grey’ in the next meeting which will affect its formal economy.&nbsp;It, however, needs to be noted that the terror industry of Pakistan functions on parallel economy fuelled by narcotic trade, Pakistan Military and ISI funding. It is, therefore, imperative that we close the tap in Kashmir by the conviction of separatists involved in money laundering to the pangs of terror industry within Kashmir. Water flowing uninterrupted to Pakistan is the main source for their cultivation and power generation, more so in Punjab, which is home to the maximum ruling elite of Pakistan.&nbsp;We should start by utilising full quota of water authorised to India as per Indus water treaty, and also suspend the treaty to re-negotiate further, till Pakistan shuns proxy war against India. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Political offensive &nbsp; &nbsp;

India should move a step ahead from pure sympathy and moral support towards the barbaric treatment of Balochi nationals by the Pakistani military. India could consider giving asylum to their leaders and later may step up to allow them to form the ‘government in exile’ in India. India should start asserting its legal right over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Military options

India has called the Pakistani bluff about the use of nuclear weapons and has all the options on the table to respond militarily to Pakistan proxy war. The space for the conventional war exists between the proxy and nuclear war. Pakistan is unlikely to adopt the nuclear option it has. Also, India should continue taking appropriate measures to bring all the separatists and facilitators of Pakistan's proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir to books. &nbsp; 
 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

India has suffered enough of proxy war in the last 30 years, which continues in Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’ with same vigour as hitherto fore. The surgical strikes launched in 2016 after the terrorist attack in Uri, was the first signal that India has changed its strategy of being ‘Defensive’ as a responsible country, to adopting ‘Offensive Defense’ for protection of its citizens from Pakistan-sponsored Proxy war through the terrorist groups like JeM, LeT and others.

India has suffered enough of proxy war in the last 30 years, which continues in Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’ with same vigour as hitherto fore. The surgical strikes launched in 2016 after the terrorist attack in Uri, was the first signal that India has changed its strategy of being ‘Defensive’ as a responsible country, to adopting ‘Offensive Defense’ for protection of its citizens from Pakistan-sponsored Proxy war through the terrorist groups like JeM, LeT and others. They continue infiltrating into India with the help of Pakistani Army and ISI, kill innocent people and lure the youth of Kashmir towards the misplaced version of Jihad, after a prolonged dose of radicalisation through Madrasas in the name of education. Some segments of the youth of Kashmir find a reason to be lured by money and privileges offered to them. The absence of any worthwhile industries due to lack of investors due to provisions like Article 370, deterring any sensible industrialist to invest in Kashmir is another reason for growing fundamentalism. The recent terrorist attack on the CRPF convoy killed at least 40 personnel. The attack, claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which has the patronage of the Pakistan Army and ISI, proved that proxy war against India has become the state policy of Pakistan. India had no other option but to give a befitting response. India is now convinced that surgical treatment of the terrorists is required by the complete application of ‘Comprehensive National Power’ (CNP) of India because Pakistan was unlikely to take any action against them. The air strikes and aftermath On February 26, 2019, a set of 12 Mirage 2000 aircraft carried out pinpoint precision strikes using SPICE-2000 guidance kit fitted on conventional bombs, making them highly accurate ‘smart bombs’ carrying out this daring raid/surgical airstrike to destroy the largest training camp of JeM. The strikes were non-military, pre-emptive action, specifically targeted at the JeM camp at Balakot in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province deep inside Pakistan territory. The target chosen was a training camp located in a thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence. India also indicated its desire of no further escalation, as the strike was directed against the terrorist group responsible for Pulwama attack and not against the state of Pakistan, its establishment or its people. The air strikes had the desired effects as it is learnt that 80 per cent of bombs struck at the precise designated targets. It not only struck the heartland of terror by striking the designated targets, but it also exhibited the Pakistan Armed Forces in poor light as they failed to detect such strike, rendering all their air defence systems surprised. It also called their nuclear bluff, as Pakistan has been holding back India from military action into their territory by blackmailing that if India crosses the LoC/IB it will respond with a nuclear weapon. This air strike proved that India reserves the right of self-defence and will strike terrorists wherever they are, even if amounts to getting into Pakistan territory, and would keep all options on the table, in case Pakistan decides to climb the escalation ladder in our response. As expected, to salvage its pride Pakistan Air Force using three F-16 aircraft entered Indian air space with an intent to take on a military target was deterred by alert IAF combat patrol and they had to cross back to their territory. The dogfight between the F-16 and our MIG-21 resulted in both jets crashing down resulting in an unfortunate ejection of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman drifting to the Pakistani side of LoC. The Indian pilot got heroes welcome on coming back to India, whereas Pakistan refused to acknowledge the loss of F-16 aircraft and Wing Commander Shamsuddin, and preferred to hide the loss because the use of F-16 aircraft amounted to the violation of their ‘End User Agreement’ with the US. The recent flip flop by Pakistani establishment indicates its panic reaction after Jaish-e Mohammad (JeM) claimed the responsibility of Pulwama suicide attack. Pakistan's DG ISPR denied the existence of JeM and its leader Maulana Masood Azhar on its soil. Later, Pakistan Foreign Minister accepted that he was in Pakistan. Subsequently, Pakistan arrested 44 JeM terrorists including Maulana Masood Azhar’s son and brother under tremendous international pressure. Options for India post air strikes In our national interest to prevent the proxy war by Pakistan, India has to use every element of CNP. It means India has to exercise a multipronged approach including - diplomatic, political, economic and military offensive against Pakistan. As the main player, the Pakistani Army will not like to compromise on promoting proxy war, because their influence and relevance in their country is due to their role of being the sole protector from “Indian threat” and keeping Kashmir issue alive. To deal with the rogue state India will have to consider some “out of box options”. Diplomatic option The global community is well aware of Pakistan being the epicentre of terrorism, as it continues to harbour, train, support and utilise terrorists in its surroundings to include India, Afghanistan and Iran, as its strategic assets. After Osama Bin Laden being found in Pakistan, the deniability tool of Pakistan has taken a beating. We have to keep the diplomatic offensive on so that the global community is convinced with our actions. The world opinion seems to be against Pakistan, with a fresh proposal to declare Maulana Masood Azhar a global terrorist and we need to push it through. While India may like to globally isolate Pakistan but it is practically not possible because some of the countries have a strategic interest in it. The US National Security Advisor (NSA) advocated India has the right of self-defense and the similar sentiment expressed by other states (except China) did convince the international community for our offensive-defense to prevent proxy war. The diplomatic offensive needs to continue for a long term effect because the global climate is prone to frequent changes. The US needs Pakistan to keep their interest alive in Afghanistan. Pakistan is priceless for China in terms of financial investments in CPEC. We, therefore, need smart diplomacy with China. Economic offensive Scrapping unilateral ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status and imposing 200 per cent tariffs is a symbolic gesture due to extremely low trade volume and that too skewed in our favour. We need to build a strong case with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to declare them ‘Black instead of Grey’ in the next meeting which will affect its formal economy. It, however, needs to be noted that the terror industry of Pakistan functions on parallel economy fuelled by narcotic trade, Pakistan Military and ISI funding. It is, therefore, imperative that we close the tap in Kashmir by the conviction of separatists involved in money laundering to the pangs of terror industry within Kashmir. Water flowing uninterrupted to Pakistan is the main source for their cultivation and power generation, more so in Punjab, which is home to the maximum ruling elite of Pakistan. We should start by utilising full quota of water authorised to India as per Indus water treaty, and also suspend the treaty to re-negotiate further, till Pakistan shuns proxy war against India. Political offensive India should move a step ahead from pure sympathy and moral support towards the barbaric treatment of Balochi nationals by the Pakistani military. India could consider giving asylum to their leaders and later may step up to allow them to form the ‘government in exile’ in India. India should start asserting its legal right over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Military options India has called the Pakistani bluff about the use of nuclear weapons and has all the options on the table to respond militarily to Pakistan proxy war. The space for the conventional war exists between the proxy and nuclear war. Pakistan is unlikely to adopt the nuclear option it has. Also, India should continue taking appropriate measures to bring all the separatists and facilitators of Pakistan's proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir to books. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

India must opt for 'out-of-box' options to counter proxy war by Pakistan

In this very column, along with the whole nation, I had wondered what India’s response would be to the Pulwama suicide terrorist blast. On the afternoon of 14 February, about 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives in the bombing. Twelve days later, on 26 February, India carried out a retaliatory assault. The Indian Air Force targeted the training camps of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot. Jaish, we may recall, had claimed responsibility for the ghastly suicide bombing at Pulwama.&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, the exact damage and the resultant casualty figures from India’s counter-attack are not entirely clear. There are conflicting reports in international and national media on the quantum of destruction inflicted by the satellite-guided SPICE 2000 bombs that our Mirage 2000s released. Thankfully, our brave IAF officer, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, returned home safely, despite being taken captive and withstanding hazardous interrogation by the Pakistan Army.

One thing that stands out loud and clear is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve, when struck, to hit back hard at targets deep inside our hostile neighbour’s territory. Yet, among the several unanswered issues that remain perhaps the most troubling is the possible intelligence failure. Not only were we proved vulnerable to the terrorist attack, but were unable to prevent it once some prior warnings about it, as claimed, were received. How could our 78-vehicle convey, carrying 2500 troops, travelling on a four-lane highway with multiple check-points be so brazenly knocked out by a single suicide bomber and his explosive-laden SUV? How was such a large cache of ammo loaded onto to a vehicle without detection? We are not privy to the outcome of the post-mortem investigations. All we can do is hope that our Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has plugged the loopholes to prevent such an atrocity from recurring.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One welcome step is the banning of organisations like the Jamaat-e-Islami in Jammu and Kashmir. Abul Ala Maududi, one of the foremost theologians and philosophers of political Islam in recent times, founded the Jamaat in 1941. He was the real progenitor of the ideology of Islamist theocracy that created and shaped Pakistan. Maududi offered a modernist justification for Islamic revival and state formation. Despite splits in the organisation following the Partition in 1947, Jamaat-e-Islamis are active all over the sub-continent and beyond. What all these groups have in common are Islamist political ambitions underwritten by theological and religious justifications.&nbsp;

The J&amp;K chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami began in 1945 with pro-Pakistan leanings. Later, it stopped fighting elections, instead projecting itself as a “socio-religious” organisation. It controls and manages hundreds of madrasas (religious schools) and other so-called charitable and welfare organisations in J&amp;K. The Jamaat was a founder member of the Hurriyat Conference. Even today, after distancing itself from the Hurriyat, it maintains what many believe is its core Islamic and separatist ideology. The extent of its responsibility in brainwashing the Kashmiri youth must be immense. Though the organisation is banned today, its schools are still open and active. The Government, wary of its links with separatists and militants, has moved, several decades too late, at last to curtain its activities. No surprise that both the National Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have protested against these measures. Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief, even led a protest rally on 6th March against the ban. That should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind where her sympathies or interests lie.

But the real question in the aftermath of these dramatic events is if there is a new normal in the Indo-Pakistan stand-off. Surely the retaliatory strike is not enough. What we need is a totally new approach to the problem. It is holding the Pakistani state accountable for what its “non-state” actors do. Our only other option is to use low-cost non-state actors ourselves, but in the long run such stratagems will hurt us too, as they have Pakistan. These ugly and violent monsters easily turn against their own makers and keepers. Instead, if India targets the Pakistani state each time we are hit by a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist group, the spotlight will once again turn to Pakistan as a rogue state, with the military and ISI as the controllers of its cross-border interference and aggression.

Pakistan, whether militarily or economically, is no match for India. Nor can it counterbalance these disadvantages diplomatically. The result of every skirmish, even if inconclusive, is that Pakistan will be weakened and exposed. Holding the Pakistani state responsible for terrorist activities against India and improving our intelligence operations within Pakistan is the way forward.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-should-india-hold-pakistan-responsible-for-its-non-state-actors-2727739">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

In this very column, along with the whole nation, I had wondered what India’s response would be to the Pulwama suicide terrorist blast. On the afternoon of 14 February, about 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives in the bombing.

In this very column, along with the whole nation, I had wondered what India’s response would be to the Pulwama suicide terrorist blast. On the afternoon of 14 February, about 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives in the bombing. Twelve days later, on 26 February, India carried out a retaliatory assault. The Indian Air Force targeted the training camps of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot. Jaish, we may recall, had claimed responsibility for the ghastly suicide bombing at Pulwama. However, the exact damage and the resultant casualty figures from India’s counter-attack are not entirely clear. There are conflicting reports in international and national media on the quantum of destruction inflicted by the satellite-guided SPICE 2000 bombs that our Mirage 2000s released. Thankfully, our brave IAF officer, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, returned home safely, despite being taken captive and withstanding hazardous interrogation by the Pakistan Army. One thing that stands out loud and clear is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve, when struck, to hit back hard at targets deep inside our hostile neighbour’s territory. Yet, among the several unanswered issues that remain perhaps the most troubling is the possible intelligence failure. Not only were we proved vulnerable to the terrorist attack, but were unable to prevent it once some prior warnings about it, as claimed, were received. How could our 78-vehicle convey, carrying 2500 troops, travelling on a four-lane highway with multiple check-points be so brazenly knocked out by a single suicide bomber and his explosive-laden SUV? How was such a large cache of ammo loaded onto to a vehicle without detection? We are not privy to the outcome of the post-mortem investigations. All we can do is hope that our Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has plugged the loopholes to prevent such an atrocity from recurring. One welcome step is the banning of organisations like the Jamaat-e-Islami in Jammu and Kashmir. Abul Ala Maududi, one of the foremost theologians and philosophers of political Islam in recent times, founded the Jamaat in 1941. He was the real progenitor of the ideology of Islamist theocracy that created and shaped Pakistan. Maududi offered a modernist justification for Islamic revival and state formation. Despite splits in the organisation following the Partition in 1947, Jamaat-e-Islamis are active all over the sub-continent and beyond. What all these groups have in common are Islamist political ambitions underwritten by theological and religious justifications. The J&K chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami began in 1945 with pro-Pakistan leanings. Later, it stopped fighting elections, instead projecting itself as a “socio-religious” organisation. It controls and manages hundreds of madrasas (religious schools) and other so-called charitable and welfare organisations in J&K. The Jamaat was a founder member of the Hurriyat Conference. Even today, after distancing itself from the Hurriyat, it maintains what many believe is its core Islamic and separatist ideology. The extent of its responsibility in brainwashing the Kashmiri youth must be immense. Though the organisation is banned today, its schools are still open and active. The Government, wary of its links with separatists and militants, has moved, several decades too late, at last to curtain its activities. No surprise that both the National Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have protested against these measures. Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief, even led a protest rally on 6th March against the ban. That should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind where her sympathies or interests lie. But the real question in the aftermath of these dramatic events is if there is a new normal in the Indo-Pakistan stand-off. Surely the retaliatory strike is not enough. What we need is a totally new approach to the problem. It is holding the Pakistani state accountable for what its “non-state” actors do. Our only other option is to use low-cost non-state actors ourselves, but in the long run such stratagems will hurt us too, as they have Pakistan. These ugly and violent monsters easily turn against their own makers and keepers. Instead, if India targets the Pakistani state each time we are hit by a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist group, the spotlight will once again turn to Pakistan as a rogue state, with the military and ISI as the controllers of its cross-border interference and aggression. Pakistan, whether militarily or economically, is no match for India. Nor can it counterbalance these disadvantages diplomatically. The result of every skirmish, even if inconclusive, is that Pakistan will be weakened and exposed. Holding the Pakistani state responsible for terrorist activities against India and improving our intelligence operations within Pakistan is the way forward. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Should India hold Pakistan responsible for its non-state actors?

As many as 22 terrorist training camps, including nine of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-government-of-punjab-takes-control-of-jud-headquarters-in-muridke-and-lahore-201842"> Jaish-e-Mohammed</a>, are active in Pakistan, but no action is being taken against them, a senior Indian official said here on Thursday, warning that New Delhi will carry out operation similar to that of the Balakot airstrike if there is an act of terrorism coming from across the border.

In a pinpointed and swift air strike that lasted less than two minutes, India pounded JeM's biggest training camp in Pakistan on February 26, killing up to 350 terrorists and trainers who were moved there for their protection after the February 14 attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in which 40 soldiers were killed. The JeM claimed responsibility for the Pulwama strike.

Pakistan is a "global epicentre of terrorism and it needs to take verifiable and credible steps against terrorist organisations and terrorists", said the official on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

The official also accused Pakistan and its leadership of being in denial mode and trying to create a war hysteria kind of situation between the two nuclear-weapon states.&nbsp;

"As many as 22 terrorist training camps, including nine of JeM, are still being run in Pakistan and there has been no action against them," the official said.

The Balakot airstrike conducted by India was a counter-terrorism operation, which was well within the international laws. However, a day after on February 27, Pakistan attacked Indian military installation with as many as 20 fighter jets, the official claimed.&nbsp;

"Instead of taking action against terrorist groups, Pakistan escalated the situation and indulged in war hysteria by doing things like declaring emergency in Karachi, blocking air traffic and creating rumours, which is part of its familiar pattern," the official said, adding, "India, on the other hand, exercised restraint."

Islamabad now bears the responsibility to end terrorism, the official said and warned that "India will carry out retaliatory counter-terrorism operation like the one on February 26, deep inside Pakistan, anytime there is an act of terrorism coming from across the border".

Referring to the recent actions taken by Pakistan against several terrorist groups, the official said that these actions are "nothing unusual" as the country takes such steps after every terrorist strike in India.&nbsp;

"These actions", the official described, "are a revolving door policy, under which house arrest of terrorist leaders simply means keeping them in luxurious accommodation". 
They are released once the situation becomes normal, the official said.

But after the Pulwama attack, India has set "a new normal". "For every terrorist attack coming from across the border, India will retaliate and there will be a price that the neighbouring country would have to pay."

Accusing Pakistan of being a state sponsor of terrorism, the official said there is a feeling in India that Islamabad is unlikely to stop funding terror activities "unless the cost of it is too heavy for it to pay".

Asserting that India has the right to self-defence, the official told reporters that New Delhi by successfully carrying out strikes inside Pakistan "has been able to call the Pakistani bluff" on the nuclear front.&nbsp;

"This will not work in the future," the official said and warned Pakistan that "there will be reprisal" for every act of terrorism.

Responding to a question, the official said India has given to the US details of the violation of the end user agreement by Pakistan when it used F-16 fighter jets and advanced missiles against India on February 27.

India, the official said, is very closely engaged with the US and has the support of the Trump administration.&nbsp;

The official also said India is opposed to any IMF bailout packages to Pakistan.&nbsp;

Pakistan has received as many as 21 bailout packages, including seven in the recent past, from the IMF. However, none of them has been able to address the economic woes of Pakistan because the money intended to improve the economy and developmental purposes have been diverted for non-civilian means.&nbsp;

As many as 22 terrorist training camps, including nine of Jaish-e-Mohammed, are active in Pakistan, but no action is being taken against them, a senior Indian official said here on Thursday, warning that New Delhi will carry out operation similar to that of the Balakot airstrike if there is an act of terrorism coming from across the border.

As many as 22 terrorist training camps, including nine of Jaish-e-Mohammed, are active in Pakistan, but no action is being taken against them, a senior Indian official said here on Thursday, warning that New Delhi will carry out operation similar to that of the Balakot airstrike if there is an act of terrorism coming from across the border. In a pinpointed and swift air strike that lasted less than two minutes, India pounded JeM's biggest training camp in Pakistan on February 26, killing up to 350 terrorists and trainers who were moved there for their protection after the February 14 attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in which 40 soldiers were killed. The JeM claimed responsibility for the Pulwama strike. Pakistan is a "global epicentre of terrorism and it needs to take verifiable and credible steps against terrorist organisations and terrorists", said the official on condition of anonymity. The official also accused Pakistan and its leadership of being in denial mode and trying to create a war hysteria kind of situation between the two nuclear-weapon states. "As many as 22 terrorist training camps, including nine of JeM, are still being run in Pakistan and there has been no action against them," the official said. The Balakot airstrike conducted by India was a counter-terrorism operation, which was well within the international laws. However, a day after on February 27, Pakistan attacked Indian military installation with as many as 20 fighter jets, the official claimed. "Instead of taking action against terrorist groups, Pakistan escalated the situation and indulged in war hysteria by doing things like declaring emergency in Karachi, blocking air traffic and creating rumours, which is part of its familiar pattern," the official said, adding, "India, on the other hand, exercised restraint." Islamabad now bears the responsibility to end terrorism, the official said and warned that "India will carry out retaliatory counter-terrorism operation like the one on February 26, deep inside Pakistan, anytime there is an act of terrorism coming from across the border". Referring to the recent actions taken by Pakistan against several terrorist groups, the official said that these actions are "nothing unusual" as the country takes such steps after every terrorist strike in India. "These actions", the official described, "are a revolving door policy, under which house arrest of terrorist leaders simply means keeping them in luxurious accommodation". They are released once the situation becomes normal, the official said. But after the Pulwama attack, India has set "a new normal". "For every terrorist attack coming from across the border, India will retaliate and there will be a price that the neighbouring country would have to pay." Accusing Pakistan of being a state sponsor of terrorism, the official said there is a feeling in India that Islamabad is unlikely to stop funding terror activities "unless the cost of it is too heavy for it to pay". Asserting that India has the right to self-defence, the official told reporters that New Delhi by successfully carrying out strikes inside Pakistan "has been able to call the Pakistani bluff" on the nuclear front. "This will not work in the future," the official said and warned Pakistan that "there will be reprisal" for every act of terrorism. Responding to a question, the official said India has given to the US details of the violation of the end user agreement by Pakistan when it used F-16 fighter jets and advanced missiles against India on February 27. India, the official said, is very closely engaged with the US and has the support of the Trump administration. The official also said India is opposed to any IMF bailout packages to Pakistan. Pakistan has received as many as 21 bailout packages, including seven in the recent past, from the IMF. However, none of them has been able to address the economic woes of Pakistan because the money intended to improve the economy and developmental purposes have been diverted for non-civilian means.

22 terrorist training camps active in Pakistan: Indian official

Indian cricket team Friday paid tribute to the armed forces by donating the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-score-3rd-odi-virat-kohli-wins-toss-opts-to-bowl-against-australia-201948">match fees of the third ODI against Australia </a>at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi.

Skipper Virat Kohli arrived for the toss wearing a special army cap and urged the netizens to donate and stick to the families of our armed forces.

The cap is a mark of tribute to the loss of lives in Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces

"This is a special cap, it's a tribute to the Armed forces. We're all donating our match fees of this game to the Nation's Defence Fund. I urge everyone in the country to do the same, donate and stick to the families of our armed forces."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> will be sporting camouflage caps today as mark of tribute to the loss of lives in Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces 
 
And to encourage countrymen to donate to the National Defence Fund for taking care of the education of the dependents of the martyrs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiHind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JaiHind</a> <a href="https://t.co/fvFxHG20vi">pic.twitter.com/fvFxHG20vi</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1103921142669037568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Singh Dhoni had presented the camouflage cap to Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

On 14 February 2019, a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in the Pulwama district&nbsp;

The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and the attacker.

Indian cricket team Friday paid tribute to the armed forces by donating the match fees of the third ODI against Australia at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi.

Indian cricket team Friday paid tribute to the armed forces by donating the match fees of the third ODI against Australia at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi. Skipper Virat Kohli arrived for the toss wearing a special army cap and urged the netizens to donate and stick to the families of our armed forces. The cap is a mark of tribute to the loss of lives in Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces "This is a special cap, it's a tribute to the Armed forces. We're all donating our match fees of this game to the Nation's Defence Fund. I urge everyone in the country to do the same, donate and stick to the families of our armed forces." #TeamIndia will be sporting camouflage caps today as mark of tribute to the loss of lives in Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces And to encourage countrymen to donate to the National Defence Fund for taking care of the education of the dependents of the martyrs #JaiHind pic.twitter.com/fvFxHG20vi — BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2019 × Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Singh Dhoni had presented the camouflage cap to Indian skipper Virat Kohli. On 14 February 2019, a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in the Pulwama district The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and the attacker.

Team India pays tribute to Pulwama attack victims, dons 'special army cap' for 3rd ODI against Australia

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