Monthly Archives: August 2018

Photo for representational purpose only. File

Jammu, January 17

The Jammu Kashmir government on Wednesday said 195 security personnel lost their lives in the last three years in terror incidents in the Kashmir Valley.

In a written reply to a question of BJP’s Ramesh Arora, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti told the Legislative Council that 195 security personnel were killed in “terrorist-related violence” in the last three years in the Valley.

Of these, 78 were killed in 2017, 74 in 2016 and 43 in 2015, she said. PTI

Army chief General Bipin Rawat. File photo

New Delhi, January 17

The Army does not visualise any “serious trouble” post-Doklam episode as the border forces of India and China are holding regular exchange and the earlier “bonhomie” has returned, but the forces are prepared for any exigency, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday.Rawat also insisted that the PLA soldiers were not in the same numbers in the North Dolam (Doklam) area as they were at the time of the (India-China military) stand-off.“They have carried out some infrastructure development, most of it is temporary in nature. But while their troops may have returned and the infrastructure remains, it is anybody’s guess whether they would come back there, or it is because of the winter they could not take their equipment away,” Rawat said.He was responding to a question on Facebook Live, posted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), one of the organisers of the multi-lateral ‘Raisina Dialogue’.“But then we are also there. In case they come (back), we will face them,” Rawat added.The Army chief’s remarks come in the wake of media reports about China carrying out some infrastructure development in the disputed region.He said the mechanism in place to defuse the tensions between the two countries is working very well.“After the Dolam incident…we have started our border personnel meeting. We are meeting regularly, exchanges are taking place, communications between the commanders at the ground level is on and the bonhomie has returned which was prior to the Dolam (incident),” he said.The Army chief added, “We don’t visualise serious trouble but then one has to be prepared for it.”Indian and Chinese troops had been locked in a stand-off for over two months last year in the Doklam area near Sikkim before “disengaging” on August 28.There was also an incident of road building by Chinese civilians at Tuting in Arunachal Pradesh, but that was resolved last week. — PTI

Mrs Sonika Sharma  w/o Col Yogesh Sharama

WINNER OF “”””MRS INDIA EARTH FACE OF NORTH 2017″”OINS SANJHA  MORCHA VOLUNTARILY FOR CAUSE OF MARTYR’S WIDOWS AND ARMY WIVES WELFARE ASSOCIATION

BRIEF ABOUT MRS SONIKA SHARMA 

▪Principal of an pre-primary Army school at Akhnoor.

▪Four time half marathon runner representing Army wives association, Meerut & Jammu & Kashmir.

▪Fashion designer and model choreographer.

Sonika Sharma is married to Col Yogesh Sharma . She is a mother of two kids, she is currently staying at Akhnoor Jammu .She has been the chief guest of many important events in the field of fashion, education, social causes and Art. 

 

 

Jagtar Singh

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, January 11

A farmer from Sangrur’s Janal village has been running from pillar to post since 2011 to get an Aadhaar card. He has applied nine times at various places, including Dirba, Sangrur and even Tohana. Banks are now threatening to freeze his accounts and he could lose the gas cylinder subsidy. The LIC, he says, has refused to release his policy amount without the Aadhaar card.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Making matters worse, Punjab agriculture  cooperative societies0, that supply fertilisers to farmers, have made  Aaadhar  mandatory too. “Each time I have applied for Aadhaar, the response after the mandatory three-month period has been negative. I am never told the reasons for the rejection of my request,” claims Jagtar Singh (47). He has all other documents — a voter card, PAN card, ration card and passport. “Last year, when we were to send our daughter Hardeep Kaur (21) to Canada on a study visa, we faced innumerable obstacles. My husband is the only one in the village without an Aadhaar card,” his wife Ramanjit Kaur says. Assistant Commissioner (General) Deepjot Kaur said: “Jagtar Singh should contact my office.” 

US President Donald Trump. Reuters file

Washington, January 7

China shares some of the concerns of the US, about the terrorism problem in Pakistan and Washington is seeking to work with Beijing and other regional players to convince Islamabad, about the need to crack down on terror safe havens, a senior White House official has said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

As the Trump Administration is determined to eliminate terrorist safe havens in Pakistan, which is key to bring stability in Afghanistan and in the region, the official hoped that China will play a helpful role in convincing Pakistan that it is in its own national interest to crack down on these sanctuaries.

Pakistan already has deep historical ties going back to many years and they have close military ties, the official said, adding that the economic relationship is also growing with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

“But, China shares some of the concerns of the US about the terrorism problem. The US is seeking to work with other regional players and China would be one of the main ones to deal with this issue. It won’t serve China’s interests to have terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan,” the senior administration official said on condition of anonymity.

The official was quick to point out that China has been playing a more helpful role in terms of encouraging better relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It is taking a more active role in that regard.

“So, I would disagree with the assertion that China will not play a helpful role in convincing Pakistan it’s in its own interests to crack down on the sanctuaries,” the official told a group of reporters on Friday.

“Ultimately, China is also working toward a stable Afghanistan. That’s going to take them back to the same issue which are the sanctuaries in Pakistan,” the official said.

China-Pakistan relationship is already very strong and appeared unconcerned over reports that the US decision to freeze approximately USD 2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan would push Islamabad towards Beijing, the official added.

“That relationship is already very, very strong. But what we have seen is an interest by Pakistan in having a strong relationship with both the US and China. So that’s one issue.

“And the second issue is that China is also concerned about terrorism and extremism in South Asia,” the official said.

Noting that China has taken a more active role in trying to help stabilise Afghanistan, trying to improve relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the official said the US believe that the Chinese are also interested in stability in Pakistan and also for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

“Ultimately, if they want to see stability in the region, and I think they do, they also will have an interest in seeing Pakistan crackdown on the Haqqani and Taliban network,” the senior administration official said. PTI