Facility will be the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa

Tribune News Service

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Casablanca in Morocco on a two-day visit, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian Defence Minister to the country. He was received at Mohammed V International Airport by the Head Wali of Military Command of Casablanca and Indian Ambassador to Morocco Sanjay Rana.

A key highlight of the visit will be the inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Maroc’s new manufacturing facility for the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) 8×8 at Berrechid. This facility will be the first-ever Indian defence manufacturing plant in Africa. The milestone reflects the growing global footprint of India’s defence industry under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with Loudiyi to strengthen defence, strategic and industry cooperation, and will also call on Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour to explore avenues for industrial collaboration.

Both sides are also expected to sign an MoU on cooperation in the field of defence. The MoU will provide an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training and industrial linkages. Indian Navy ships have been making regular port calls at Casablanca in recent years, and this agreement will further consolidate such ties.

Sets Feb, 2026, deadline for completing reconstruction

Animesh Singh Tribune News Service

LeT rebuilding its hq wrecked in Indian strikes

Sets Feb, 2026, deadline for completing reconstruction

Animesh Singh

Tribune News Service

People walk past a structure damaged in Indian airstrikes in Muridke near Lahore. file

Terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) is reconstructing its headquarters at Muridke town in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The headquarters — ‘Markaz Taiba’ — was destroyed in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor in May.

The LeT plans to complete the reconstruction before February 5, 2026, which is observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day by Pakistan, and it also coincides with the outfit’s annual Kashmir-focused Jihad convention.

According to intelligence sources, the terror organisation recently fully demolished the damaged structures at the Muridke headquarters.

Among the structures damaged in the airstrikes were three core buildings. While a two-storeyed structure was used for storing weapons, the remaining two buildings were for training facilities and accommodation.The buildings were severely damaged in the strikes, the sources said.

On August 18, the LeT deployed JCB machines to demolish the damaged structures and by the second week of September, the entire complex had been reduced to rubble and debris clearance work was going on when the last intelligence reports came.

The supervision of the demolition work was done by Markaz Taiba’s director, Maulana Abu Zar, and commander of operation (oversight), Yunus Shah Bukhari.

In July, the training and accommodation facilities were shifted to Markaz Yarmouk in Pakistan’s Kasur district.

The intelligence sources said during the May 7-10 conflict with India, Pakistan had publicly announced financing reconstruction of the LeT and JeM’s facilities. Under this, Rs 4 crore was allotted to the LeT for the Markaz Taiba reconstruction.

The projected cost as per the LeT’s internal estimates exceeds Rs 15 crore for full reconstruction of the headquarters.

Interestingly, the official narrative being given by the Pakistan government is that relief is being doled out to flood victims, both through offline and online methods. However, the actual objective was to channelise funds into the reconstruction of LeT’s headquarters, said the sources.

The sources said during the 2005 earthquake, which had caused widespread damages and loss of lives in Pakistan as well as in PoK, the LeT had raised billions of rupees under the pretence of humanitarian aid under its front Jamaat-ud-Dawa.

In fact, around 80 per cent of the funds were reportedly diverted into terror infrastructure at that time, they added.

Chandigarh: In a major step towards promoting active ageing, the Chandigarh administration has introduced an affordable fitness scheme for senior citizens, offering year-long access to city sports complexes for just Rs 999. The initiative was announced as part of the Seva Pakhwada 2025 celebrations and aligns with the national Fit India Movement.Targeted at residents aged 60 and above, the scheme allows full membership at any of the 21 sports complexes across the city. These facilities offer over 40 sporting and wellness activities, including walking tracks, swimming pools, yoga halls, and indoor games.UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria praised the initiative, saying, “This subsidised membership reflects our commitment to the health and dignity of our senior citizens. Active living is essential for well-being in old age, and we aim to make it accessible.”Officials believe the scheme will not only improve physical health but also foster social interaction and community bonding among elders.To encourage participation, the registration process has been kept simple. Eligible citizens can apply online via the Chandigarh Sports Department’s website by uploading age proof (PAN card, Voter ID, or driving license), a passport-sized photo, and a completed application form.The initiative underscores the administration’s dedication to enhancing quality of life for senior citizens, recognising their contributions to society and ensuring they remain engaged, healthy, and socially connected.

The petitioner, a hockey coach, was tried by court martial for sexually harassing a 12-year old girl who was staying at a BSF hostel in Punjab to learn the sport

The Delhi High Court has held that pre-trial lapses during disciplinary proceedings do not vitiate the subsequent trial by court martial if it is done in accordance with law and full opportunity of cross-examining witnesses is provided to the accused.

Upholding the conviction and sentence awarded to an Inspector by a General Security Force Court (GSFC) constituted by the Border Security Force (BSF) for allegedly sexually harassing a minor girl, a Division Bench comprising Justice Om Prakash Shukla and Justice C Hari Shankar, held that in the present case denial of cross-examination during the Recording of Evidence (RoE) under provisions of Rule 45B does not, by itself, vitiate the trial where full opportunity of cross-examination was afforded before GSFC.

“A bare perusal of the record shows that the petitioner cross-examined witnesses during the GSFC trial, satisfying the requirement thereof that was omitted in the preliminary stage, and the same does not taint the trial proceedings, as the trial is done in accordance with law,” the Bench said in their order of September 17.

The petitioner, a hockey coach, was tried by court martial for sexually harassing a 12-year old girl who was staying at a BSF hostel in Punjab to learn the sport. She had confided about the incident to another trainee and later told her parents, following which a complaint was made before the BSF authorities.

In his petition, the BSF inspector had contended that there were lapses in pre-trial proceedings, no FIR was lodged in the case, investigations were not done under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act and the punishment of dismissal and imprisonment could not have been imposed together.

The failure to refer the matter to the internal complaints committee under the POSH Act, does not, by itself, constitute a gross procedural lapse. Even if the child victim falls within the definition of an “aggrieved woman” under Section 2(a), the complaint mechanism under the POSH Act, is to be invoked by the choice of the aggrieved woman or her guardians, the Bench observed.

“In the light of the present case, the child victim and her parents made a conscious decision not to refer the matter to the internal sexual harassment committee and instead chose to file a complaint with the BSF authorities, which cannot be faulted with nor it in any manner caused prejudice to the rights of the petitioner,” the Bench ruled.

The Bench also did not agree with the contention of the petitioner that Section 50 of the BSF Act puts a restriction on combining the punishment of dismissal with certain others prescribed under Section 48 of the said Act.

A plain reading of both the sections express that the GSFC can lawfully award imprisonment together with dismissal from service, the Bench held.

Junking the petitioner’s claims that some witnesses were not examined, the Bench opined that the evidence of direct testimony of the victim cannot be displaced by the non-examination of an additional witness or by immaterial discrepancies.

“Further, this Court finds that the heinous act of sexual harassment of a girl student who is also a minor, by a sports teacher would figure quite high in the list of offences of grave nature since it has far-reaching consequences, which impact more than just the parties to the proceeding and the said gravity stands multiplied in the case of a disciplined force like the BSF,” the Bench remarked.

Says nuclear weapons not part of agreement

Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has retracted his earlier statement suggesting that his country’s nuclear capabilities could be extended to Saudi Arabia under a newly signed pact.

Initially, Asif had indicated that Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence might be made available to Riyadh if required, marking the first public acknowledgment of such an arrangement. Following widespread controversy and international scrutiny, he clarified that nuclear weapons were not part of the agreement.

The “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement”, signed on September 17, during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh, stipulates that an attack on either of the nations would be treated as an attack on both, drawing parallels with NATO’s Article 5. While the pact is described as “purely defensive”, Asif’s initial remarks had raised concerns about the potential for nuclear escalation in the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Asif said Saudi Arabia would defend Pakistan if India declared war on its neighbour. “Yes, absolutely. There is no doubt about it,” Pakistan media quoted him as saying. He emphasised that the deal with Saudi Arabia is a defensive arrangement. “If there is aggression, whether against Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, we will jointly defend against it,” he said.

Asif also left open the possibility of other Arab nations joining the framework. “I cannot prematurely answer this, but I will definitely say the doors are not closed,” he added. The minister underlined that he had long advocated a NATO-like security arrangement in the Islamic world. “It is a fundamental right of countries, particularly Muslim nations, to jointly defend their region, countries and people,” he said.

On the Saudi-Pakistan defence pact, India has reacted with guarded concern. The Ministry of External Affairs said that while New Delhi values its strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, it expects Riyadh to pursue ties with full regard to India’s “interests and sensitivities”. The MEA said that it would study the implications of the pact for regional stability and national security.

Efforts underway to hunt down terrorists

Adil Akhzer

A soldier was killed in an encounter between the security forces and terrorists in the higher reaches of Udhampur district, officials said on Saturday.

The soldier, Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand, was injured late on Friday evening in an exchange of fire between a joint team of the police and the Army and the terrorists at Kanji in the Seoj Dhar, which is located on the Doda-Udhampur border of the Jammu region, the officials said. The soldier was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

A senior police official said there were inputs that a group of terrorists were present in the area and subsequently an operation was launched.

“There was a firefight with the terrorists. One jawan sustained bullet wounds. He succumbed to injuries,” the senior official said.

“The GOC, White Knight Corps, and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand, who made the supreme sacrifice during an ongoing operation at Kanji, Udhampur, on the night of September 19-20,” the Army posted on X.

“We stand with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” it said.

The Army late on Friday said a contact was established around 8 pm and an “exchange of fire took place”.

On Saturday, sources said efforts were underway to hunt down the terrorists present in the area.

Of late, militants have shifted the battleground from the Valley to the mountainous forests of Jammu, which have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of terror attacks in the recent past. From the mountains of Poonch and Rajouri, militant footprints even spread to the Chenab region and the plains of Kathua bordering Punjab.

Security officials say groups of highly trained militants who are currently operating in the Jammu region are taking advantage of topography and using encrypted communication systems.

Panel formed to probe Madhopur barrage incident

Ruchika Khanna Tribune News Service

The Punjab Government has ordered an inquiry into the collapse of three floodgates at the Madhopur Headworks on August 27 and placed three of its officers posted at the barrage under suspension.

The State Dam Safety Organisation has constituted a five-member expert committee — headed by AK Bajaj, a hydromechanical expert, with Pradeep Kumar Gupta, Sanjeev Suri, NK Jain and Vias Dev as members — to hold an impartial inquiry.

The committee will investigate the structural, mechanical, hydrological, geotechnical and operational causes that led to the washing away of the gates at the barrage. It will also examine the condition and performance of the gates, the embedded parts, hoisting arrangements and stability of civil structures. The committee will further suggest immediate and long-term remedial and rehabilitation measures.

The upkeep of the barrage has come under scrutiny with experts alleging that the floodgates had corroded and jammed. The working of the floodgates had also not been tested frequently, it is alleged.

Before announcing the committee, the government placed three officers of the department — Executive Engineer Nitin Sood, Sub-Divisional Officer Arun Kumar and Junior Engineer Sachin Thakur — under suspension.

A senior officer in the Water Resources Department said the move was aimed at ensuring an impartial investigation into the incident.

On the intervening night of August 26-27, when over two lakh cusecs of water was released from the Ranjit Sagar Dam reservoir on the upstream of the Ravi, the officials posted there could not open most of the 54 floodgates as these were jammed with silt and debris. Three of these floodgates collapsed under the pressure of the gushing water, exacerbating flooding in downstream areas of Pathankot and Gurdaspur.

Experts who were later called in to help open the gates got stuck in a building at the headworks, prompting the Army to rescue 22 persons from the structure, which collapsed soon after. An employee of the department was swept away and his body was found later.

The floodgates were sealed earlier this year after the government held the Indus River Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. India had said it would not allow the flow of water from IWT rivers into Pakistan.