Monthly Archives: August 2018

by Lt. Gen. Prakash Katoch (Ret’d)

There has been considerable excitement in the India media about terrorist leaders/terrorists being killed periodically in Pakistan in recent years by “unknown gunmen”, often motorcycle-borne undertaking killings in broad daylight. This also coincided with the recent visit of Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence of the US to India. While India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW, is being given the credit by some, the fact of the matter is that these terrorist leaders/terrorists have outlived their utility to the Pakistan army and the ISI, who don’t want to keep paying them in perpetuity. Only the dumbest of dumb would believe that “unknown gunmen”, with impunity,  can go on periodic killing sprees in Pakistan without the ISI having an inkling who these killers are.

There is no denying that Pakistan-backed Muhamad Yunus, Chief Advisor to the Interim Government of Bangladesh, is trying to depose Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman. The situation apparently is coming to a head with Lt Gen Joel Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of the US Indo-Pacific Command visiting Dhaka on March 24-25. But to say that India helped Bangladesh avert a coup by Pakistan-aligned Generals is a bit too much. If R&AW was awake and Indian intelligence not under orders to focus on running down the opposition in India, we would have not been surprised by the recent regime change in Bangladesh in the first place. Do we believe that only because of few Pakistan-aligned Bangladeshi Generals, the ISI has a free run in Bangladesh, terrorist leaders of Bangladesh and Pakistan are visiting each other, both exchanging military delegations, Pakistan army is providing military training in four cantonments of the Bangladesh army, and senior Pakistani army and ISI officials visited Rangpur, close to India’s ‘Chicken Neck’ area?  

The US and Canada have been crying hoarse over India killing terrorists abroad, as if this is the forte of only the white race? The fact is that the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada had the signatures of Pakistan’s ISI involvement with international drugs and immigration cartels, as well as in the case of the  Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a CIA weasel, who is a terrorist himself  (https://www.spsmai.com/experts-speak/?id=1494&q=India-Killing-Terrorists-Abroad). Political Scientist and Author Ayesha Ray writes that Indian separatists and their educated Ivy League Gucci supporters in the West excel in diversionary tactics, deflection, lies and zero accountability. Tulsi Gabbard and the Donald Trump administrations need to act against Pannun threatening India, in the interest of Indo-US relations.

Pakistan’s ISI is able to use its scalpel in India’s Union Territory of J&K and the State of Punjab with impunity because of the direct involvement of the police in the narcotics trade and their links with terrorists. It is obvious that the financial booty is also passed on to politicians, because of which nothing much happens to these police officials beyond suspension or prolonged court cases, despite periodic incidents coming to light – which may not be all.  

Take the case of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davinder Singh, who was posted at Srinagar Airport. He was also in the security detail when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Srinagar. Later, Davinder Singh was arrested on a tip-off travelling in a car with three Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists. Any action taken against him, if any at all, remains unknown.

In May 2024, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Pantha Chowk Police Station in J&K was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe. In August 2024, six employees of J&K, including five police constables (Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, Khalid Hussain Shah, Rahmat Shah, Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo and Saif Din) were dismissed from service for being part of the narco-terror network sponsored by Pakistan’s ISI. These are only a few samples of what is going on in J&K. Narcotics smuggling by the ISI is not without help from the Indian side in which both the police and politicians are involved. This includes the use of tunnels. In recent years, cases have come to light where “over-priced” goods were deliberately sent across from J&K, enabling the ISI to ship drugs back.

The well-oiled terrorist infiltration and drug smuggling routes in Punjab are a haven for Pakistan’s ISI with police contacts on the Indian side. The Gurdaspur terror attack in 2015 and the terror attack on the Indian Airforce Base, Pathankot in 2016 by Pakistani terrorists had definite involvement of the Punjab Police. The ease with which a vehicle was arranged from the Indian side on a telephone call from Pakistan, indicates the intimate links of the ISI with the Punjab Police. Significantly, the vehicle arranged on the Indian side belonged to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Salwinder Singh of Punjab Police, although he later said that Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists had “captured” his SUV to attack the IAF Base in Pathankot. Fate eventually caught up with Salwinder when in 2019 he was sentenced to 10-years in prison for involvement in the Pathankot terrorist attack and five years for rape and bribery. Whether he is still serving the sentence or out of jail remains ambiguous given the political patronage he enjoyed in what he was doing.

The Pakistani nexus of some Indian politicians, mostly covert, is a reality. Attending the oath taking ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan in August 2018, the then Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu was photographed hugging the Pakistani army chief with the latter whispering something in his ear. Sidhu also unashamedly posed for photographs with Khalistan leaders invited to Imran’s oath taking, including Gopal Sigh Chawla.

For those who think that the involvement of Punjab Police in drug trafficking is on the wane, think away; watch a recent video of drugs being transported in a Punjab Police vehicle (https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19B2jr9wwa/). To Pakistan’s glee this state of affairs will continue because of multiple reasons, including: quantum of narcotics trade and involvement of Indian police and politicians; long-winded judicial processes; the farce of transfers vis-a-vis offences; temporary suspensions (and reinstatement?); dismissal from service outweighing the money made through nefarious means; readily available mafia-linked jobs following dismissals. Little wonder then that Punjab youth are stopping Himachal buses and pasting on them photos of separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale

Take a look now at the latest ISI hit in Punjab, the executants being the Punjab Police, who brutalized and severely injured Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath (a serving Army officer) and his son at Patiala on March 13, 2025. The target was carefully chosen because Colonel Bath is on deputation with R&AW. Analysts are pointing out that it is an ISI operation because the attacking Punjab Police personnel only took the identity card and mobile of Colonel Bath, not his wallet, watch and other items. But this would have been on specific instructions of the ISI; to cock a snook at India while our media indulges in fables or R&AW killing terrorists in Pakistan.

The consequences of the officer’s identity card and mobile in the hands of ISI are obvious. The issue, however, is to note that no statement has been issued by the Defence Minister, Home Minister, NSA, R&AW, CDS or the Army Chief. To top this, the Patiala Police has filed an FIR against “unknown persons”, while   Colonel Baath’s wife is running from pillar to post seeking justice for her husband and son.

Where do we go from here? A veteran-scholar, close to the inner power circle writes, “Action will be taken, more because the officer is on deputation with R&AW. But these police personnel at best will get a warning, may not get plum posting like SHO for two-three years but nothing more than that. Police and judiciary are more corrupt than politicians, the difference is just of scale. That said, the Army has come down to a state where it has zero say even in matters military – the backbone is missing in the top brass. The brazenness of the police reflects in the fact that the FIR doesn’t mention the names of the police personnel involved despite all the noise.”

The latest is that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is to investigate the case. Its investigations may keep these police personnel on their radar, similar to keeping the chief of Arambai Tenggol (the largest armed radical organization in Manipur) on NIA radar for the past several months – and nothing beyond that! The investigation report anyway would be in sync with the mood of the political hierarchy, which doesn’t favour the Army much. Meanwhile, the state of India’s judiciary is grabbing headlines with one High Court judge saying his reputation is devastated because of sacks of cash found burnt in his outhouse. Incidentally, one was invited for a meal by a friend, an advocate of the Supreme Court, when one his client turned up unannounced with two bags full of cash – that was some 15 years back. Another High Court judge has recently ruled that grabbing a teenager’s breasts, breaking her pyjama string and dragging her under a culvert is not attempted rape, but a minor offence to disrobe a person in public. Aren’t we going great guns?

The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.

Family members of Colonel Pushpinder Bath, who was allegedly assaulted by police personnel along with his son, continued with their protest for the second consecutive day outside the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here, demanding “nothing less than a CBI probe…

Family members of Colonel Pushpinder Bath, who was allegedly assaulted by police personnel along with his son, continued with their protest for the second consecutive day outside the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here, demanding “nothing less than a CBI probe into the incident”.

The alleged incident had taken place on March 13 night, drawing widespread condemnation.

All 12 accused police personnel were suspended and the authorities had constituted a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident.

Several ex-servicemen, politicians and members of social organisations had joined the protest launched on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Colonel’s family members placed a complaint box at the protest site and urged residents to submit their complaints against “atrocities” of the Patiala police in that box.

Over a dozen complaints were put in the box and many complainants also narrated their tales.

“The Punjab Government should transfer the probe to the CBI as we have no faith in the SIT, which comprises state police officers,” Colonel Bath’s wife Jaswinder Kaur said.

She also reiterated the demand for the transfer of Patiala SSP Nanak Singh.

The meeting marked a significant step towards improving bilateral relations, with both sides agreeing to utilise dialogue mechanisms to address priority areas of interest and concern

India and China held a consultative meeting in Beijing today, discussing ways to resume their stalled dialogue mechanism and address each other’s concerns. The meeting marked a significant step towards improving bilateral relations, with both sides agreeing to utilise dialogue mechanisms to address priority areas of interest and concern.

Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) led the Indian delegation while Liu Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led his country at the talks.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two sides reviewed the action taken to implement strategic direction and specific steps agreed upon in previous meetings. They also discussed resuming people-to-people exchanges, including direct flights, media interactions, and think-tank engagements.

The MEA noted that the two sides agreed to continue efforts to facilitate and promote people-to-people exchanges, including arrangements for resuming direct flights and celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Progress was also made on modalities to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra this year, which was suspended in 2020. The MEA stated that the two sides recognise the significance of 2025, being the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and plan to utilise it to redouble public diplomacy efforts and restore mutual trust and confidence.

They took positive note of the developments in bilateral relations since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on sidelines of the BRICS at Kazan, Russia, in October last year.

In the intervening period, the foreign ministers of the two countries have met twice, while the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question have held their 23rd meeting.

No army serving personnel in uniform is safe .listen this commando of PM security whom Police is harassing and he came from Ahmadabad to look after his ailing mother

The Army remains fully committed to the security and operational integrity of all its assets, sources say

Army has rejected claims made by a social media post that one of its Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) was “hacked” by the Chinese side, and urged media houses and social media users to refrain from carrying “unverified” and “misleading” content, sources said.

The Army remains fully committed to the security and operational integrity of all its assets, they said.

A recent social media post alleged that an RPA of the Indian Army had “veered” into the Chinese territory in eastern theatre. The article also claimed that the RPA was “hacked” by the Chinese side.

It is clarified that the article is “completely baseless and factually incorrect” and “no such incident” has taken place, an Army source said.

The force has urged media houses and social media users to “refrain from carrying unverified and misleading content”, which could create “unnecessary alarm and misinformation” in the public domain, the source said.

Discuss Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, cross-border exchanges

India and China on Tuesday agreed to work together to make “substantial preparation” for the next meeting of their Special Representatives (SR) on the boundary question that is set to be held in the national capital later this year.

The decision was taken at a fresh edition of talks held in Beijing under the framework of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the WMCC meeting was held in a “positive and constructive atmosphere” and both sides “comprehensively” reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). “The two sides agreed to work together to make substantial preparation for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR), which will be held in India later this year,” it said in a statement.

The MEA said peace and tranquillity on the border were critical for the smooth development of overall bilateral relations. “The two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question in Beijing in December 2024 and to advance effective border management,” it said.

The Indian readout said the two sides agreed to maintain and strengthen relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this end. “They also exchanged views on early resumption of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including on trans-border rivers and Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra,” the MEA said.

The Indian delegation at the talks was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Aff

Western Command, Punjab Police downplay incident

Western Command Chief Lt Gen Mohit Wadhwa and Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav at a media briefing in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

As the Army today sought exemplary and time-bound action against several Punjab Police personnel who allegedly assaulted an Army Colonel in Patiala on March 13, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said the erring staff would be dealt with sternly.

Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath has accused 12 police personnel of assaulting him and his son over a parking dispute on the intervening night of March 13-14.

Western Command Chief of Staff Lt Gen Mohit Wadhwa, at a jointing media briefing with DGP Yadav here, reiterated the need for a “fair and transparent investigation to punish the guilty and restore faith in the system”.

“The accused should be punished in a timely and exemplary manner so that the incident does not vitiate the atmosphere and affect the bonhomie between the civil administration and the serving and retired Army personnel,” Lt Gen Wadhwa said.

Posted at the Cabinet Secretariat in New Delhi, Colonel Bath is currently recuperating at the Command Hospital in Chandimandir. He has since lodged a police complaint, which was finally registered on March 22, and moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the transfer of the case to the CBI.

Lt Gen Wadhwa and DGP Yadav termed the incident as an “unfortunate aberration”, stressing it should not be viewed as an Army versus police confrontation. They said coordination between both organisations was vital for national interest.

Lt Gen Wadhwa said the Army was informed about the incident on March 15, following which the issue was “raised with the highest echelons of the Punjab administration and the police for prompt action”. “I would like to assure all that the Army remains fully committed to pursuing the case to its logical conclusion,” he said.

The DGP said any person who had assaulted the Army officer shall be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law. “The Punjab Police have the highest respect for the Army and is committed to upholding the dignity its officers. The police personnel accused in the case have been placed under suspension and departmental action for imposing major penalty has been initiated against them,” he said.

Both Lt Gen Wadhwa and DGP Yadav also cautioned against the incident being exploited by inimical elements to create mischief.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/army-seeks-fair-probe-into-col-assault-dgp-vows-stern-action

Colonel Bath ਦੀ Wife ਨੇ ਸਟੇਜ ਤੋਂ ਅੱਕ ਕੇ ਬੋਲਿਆ ਤਿੱਖਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਹੁਣ Patiala ਧਰਨਾ ਕਿਹੜੀ ਸ਼ਰਤ ‘ਤੇ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ ਖ਼ਤਮ