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Indian Army to setup a new Military Base in Ladakh

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The state government has “legally handed over five lakh kanals of land to the army for setting up a new military base, firing ranges and for other defence purposes in Ladakh”, a Chandigarh-based newspaper reported.

The army shall be setting up artillery firing range over 40,000 kanals at Mandal Thang in Leh district.

“We have given the approval to authorise 5 lakh kanals to the army in Ladakh for defence purposes, including establishing bases and firing ranges,” the report quoted the officials as saying, without mentioning his name.

As per the report, the deputy secretary, Revenue, Ghulam Rasool, said the process had been initiated to legally authorise to the army the land that was under the force’s unlawful possession

Only Musharraf be tried for treason, says Pak SC

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Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday ruled that only Pervez Musharraf should be tried for treason for subverting the Constitution in 2007, one day after the former president went to court to seek permission to go abroad for medical treatment. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa set aside a special court’s order calling for re-investigation of the high treason case against Musharraf. High treason is punishable with death if proved. Musharraf has pleaded non-guilty. The SC accepted former chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar’s appeal to exclude him from the investigation into the treason case launched against Musharraf in 2013 for imposing emergency in 2007, when he was president.

Azhar doesn’t meet UN criteria to be banned as terrorist: China ‘Incomprehensible’, says India

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Azhar doesn’t meet UN criteria to be banned as terrorist: China
Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar. Reuters file photo

United Nations, April 2

Clinging to its pro-Pakistan stance, China has asserted that JeM chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar does not qualify to be nailed as a “terrorist” to face UN sanctions as his case “did not meet” the Security Council’s requirements.

“Any listing would have to meet the requirements” for blacklisting, Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Liu Jieyi told reporters yesterday in response to questions over China’s decision to place a ‘technical hold’ on designating Azhar in the UN Sanctions Committee.

“It is the responsibility of all members of the council to make sure that these requirements are followed,” he said, but gave no further details.

Liu’s comments came on a day when China, one of the five permanent members of the 15-nation Council, assumed the rotating presidency of the UNSC for April.

India has reacted strongly to China’s blocking of its bid at the UN to ban the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief, saying that the sanctions committee was taking a “selective approach” in tackling terrorism.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Friday defended China’s decision, saying that it acts on such issues based on facts and rules in an “objective and just manner”.

“We always deal with the listing issue (banning militant groups and their leaders) under the UN Security Council committee established under resolution 1267 based on facts and relevant rules of procedures in an objective and just manner.

“The Chinese side has always been in communication with relevant parties on the listing issue,” he said, hinting that China is also in touch with India on the issue.

India yesterday said it is disappointed that a “technical hold” has been put on its application to include Azhar in the UN sanctions list, terming the move “incomprehensible” that this is despite the JeM being listed in the UN Security Council Committee as far back as 2001 for its known terror activities and links to al-Qaeda.

This is not the first time China has blocked India’s bid to get Pakistan-based militant groups and leaders proscribed by the UN.

The UN had banned the JeM in 2001 but India’s efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China, which has veto powers, did not allow the ban apparently at the behest of Pakistan again.

Last July, China had similarly halted India’s move in the UN to take action against Pakistan for its release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, saying that its stand was “based on facts and in the spirit of objectiveness and fairness”, with Beijing again claiming at the time that it was in touch with New Delhi. — PTI

Coast guard officers awarded gallantry awards

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short by Anupama K / 12:21 pm on 29 Jan 2016,Friday
For destroying a suspicious Pakistani boat off the Gujarat coast in December 2014, Commandant Chandra Shekar Joshi, a Coast Guard officer was awarded the President’s Tatrakshak Medal by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday. Commandant Abhay Ambetkar was awarded the Tatrakshak Medal for locating the boat. This year, 34 officers were awarded gallantry and meritorious service medals.

China defends blocking India’s UN bid to ban JeM chief Azhar

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China defends blocking India’s UN bid to ban JeM chief Azhar
Activists carry placards of the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Maulana Masood Azhar, during a protest against the attack on the Air Force base in Pathankot, in Mumbai on January 4, 2016. — AFP

Beijing, April 1

China on Friday defended its decision to once again block India’s bid at the UN to ban Jaish-e-Mohammad chief and mastermind of the Pathankot terror attack Masood Azhar, saying that it acts on such issues based on facts and rules in an “objective and just manner”.

Asked about China’s reported last minute move putting a technical hold on India’s submission, which Indian officials say was armed with strong evidence of the JeM’s terror activities and its role in the Pathankot attack, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said here that China “supports UN playing a central and coordinating role in international cooperation against terrorism”.

“We always deal with the listing issue (banning militant groups and their leaders) under the UN Security Council Committee established under resolution 1267 based on facts and relevant rules of procedures in an objective and just manner,” he said.

“The Chinese side has always been in communication with relevant parties on the listing issue,” he said, hinting that China is also in touch with India on the issue.

This is not the first time China has blocked India’s bid to get Pakistan-based militant groups and leaders proscribed by the UN.

The UN had banned the JeM in 2001 but India’s efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China, one of the five permanent members of the UN group with veto powers, didn’t allow the ban apparently at the behest of Pakistan again.

Last July, China had similarly halted India’s move in the UN to take action against Pakistan for its release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, saying that its stand was “based on facts and in the spirit of objectiveness and fairness” with Beijing again claiming at the time that it was in touch with New Delhi.

Stating that China is opposed to all forms of terrorism, Hong said “China has also taken active part in international counter-terrorism corporation”.

To another question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington yesterday that the world community should “drop the notion that terrorism is someone else’s problem and that ‘his’ terrorist is not ‘my’ terrorist,” Hong said “China opposes double standards on the issue of terrorism”.

“We believe that all parties should enhance communication in a bid to forge counter-terrorism synergy to work together with entire international community, including India, to jointly fight against the threat of terrorism and safeguard peace and stability of the region and beyond,” he said. — PTI

I want my razai: Martyred Captain’s last FB post

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short by Smrithin Satishan / 12:33 pm on 22 Feb 2016,Monday
Captain Pawan Kumar, member of Army’s elite Para commando unit, who was martyred by militants on Saturday at J&K’s Pampore wrote in his last Facebook post that he neither wants reservation nor freedom. “Humein kuchh nahin chahiye bhai. Bas apni razai” (I don’t want anything, brother, I want only my quilt), the 23-year-old Jat and JNU degree holder wrote.

For Captain Pawan Kumar, a Jat and a JNU degree holder, all that mattered was love for the country and not calls of “azadi” on the campus or reservation demand by his community members in Haryana.

Three army commandos, including two Captains, and a militant were killed on Sunday in a gunfight with a group of terrorists holed up inside a government building on the outskirts of Srinagar, raising the toll to seven in the encounter that began on Saturday afternoon.

The Army lost Captain Pawan Kumar, Captain Tushar Mahajan and jawan Om Prakash, all of the elite Para commando units, in the gunbattle on Sunday. The army succeeded in eliminating one of the terrorists by Sunday evening, an official said.

Captain Pawan Kumar, who hailed from Haryana’s Jind, sustained grievous injuries in militant firing as security forces tried to make their way into the building in the wee hours today, an army official said. He succumbed to injuries later.

Captain Tushar Mahajan from Udhampur was also injured in the encounter and succumbed to injuries later at hospital.

As the security forces exchanged heavy gunfire with the holed up militants, another soldier from the Para unit, Om Prakash, was injured and taken to 92 Base Hospital of the Army at Badamibagh Cantonment where he succumbed.

“Kisiko reservation chahiye to kisiko azadi bhai. Humein kuchh nahin chahiye bhai. Bas apni razai. (Some want reservation and some independence, I don’t want anything, brother, I want only my quilt),” said the 23-year-old captain of the Special Forces, who laid down his life while leading his team against terrorists in Pampore in Jammu and Kashmir in his last Facebook post on Saturday.

The young para commando had been in the Army for only three years after graduating from the National Defence Academy. Under a tie-up NDA has with JNU, he had a degree from the prestigious university in Delhi.

The 10 Para Special Forces officer was leading his men from the front in a complicated operation in a 7-storey building in Pampore where at least three terrorists had holed up.

The army described him as an “inspiring leader”, who in spite of being injured in an earlier anti-terrorist operation, went on to volunteer for more operations.

The young officer belonged to Haryana which is witnessing large-scale violence over the demand by Jats for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

His Facebook account gives one a glimpse into his life. He has posted pictures of him with motorbikes and jeeps. One of his profile pictures he posted last year was of his dog Tyson, a young Rottweiler.

Army operations

The terrorists had been holed up in the building since Saturday afternoon after they attacked a CRPF convoy, killing two jawans and a civilian and injuring nine other jawans.

The multi-storied building of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) building in Pampore caught fire on Sunday afternoon as the encounter between army and the heavily-armed terrorists, suspected to be 3-4 in number, continued till late on Sunday.

Through the day, the terrorists kept on firing and throwing grenades on the security forces who had surrounded the building and made attempts to storm it.

Nearly 100 civilians — staff and students of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) — were evacuated to safety by the security forces from the building, a police official said.

He said the operation might be prolonged as militants seem to be heavily armed.

The open structure of the building where the militants are hiding also poses a difficulty to the security forces in advancing towards it, he added.

– See more at: http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/no-quota-no-azaadi-all-i-want-my-razai-army-captain-killed-srinagar-39314?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=inshorts_full_article&utm_campaign=inshorts_full_article#sthash.n5rC12wL.dpuf

Politicians, military leadership failed army during ’62 war: General VK Singh

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No one across the world can match our brave soldiers provided they are trained and equipped well. GENERAL VK SINGH, former army chief

From page 1 CHANDIGARH: Former Army Chief and Union minister of state of external affairs (independent charge) General VK Singh, during a seminar on ‘1962 War: An Appraisal’, organised by the department of defence and national security studies at Panjab University on Saturday, said the political establishment and the higher military leadership failed the soldiers during the 1962 India-China War.

KARUN SHARMA/HTStudents during a seminar on ‘1962 War: An Appraisal’ at Panjab University in Chandigarh on Saturday.Singh added, “It was a war in which the soldiers performed very well. What failed us because of the political establishment and the higher military leadership… why we failed is something that we need to analyse.”

“No one across the world can match our brave soldiers provided they are trained and equipped well. We created a myth about 9 feet tall and 9 feet wide Chinese man, who could have been defeated anytime. I believe the people who do not learn from the history suffer subsequently,” he added.

During the event, a book, ‘1962 The War That Wasn’t’, written by Shiv Kunal Verma, filmmaker and military historian, was also released. Describing the book as very refreshing, Singh said, “A myth was spread after the independence that the military was keen to get into the power. It was one of the reasons the military was kept out of the loop of decision making, which diminished the trust that should have existed between the political leaders and the military establishment.”

Meanwhile, Shiv Kunal Verma said while signing the Panchsheel Agreement, India made concessions to China, which was against the advice given by the military leadership. He added, “The then PM Jawaharlal Nehru committed a biggest blunder by handing over the North East Frontier Area to the Indian Army, which triggered a chain reaction.”

PU vice-chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover called upon the department of defence and national security studies to reach out to the military leadership and veterans and create a think tank, which can work on the defencerelated problems pertaining to the country.

Meanwhile, the 1962 War veteran Major General Rajender Nath, who was Second Lieutenant during the 1962 War, Brigadier Amarjit Singh Behl, war veteran, and Brigadier DK Khullar also shared their memories.

Govt releases list of 20 smart cities winners, Bhubaneswar tops

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venkaiah naidu smartcities

Smart cities winner: Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday unveiled the list of first 20 cities.. (Express Photo)

Bhubaneswar has topped the list of first 20 cities that will be developed as Smart Cities, followed by Pune and Jaipur. Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday unveiled the list of first 20 cities.

He said that the smart cities will demonstrate how integrated planning  and smart technologies can deliver better quality of life.

There were 97 cities in the Smart City Challenge, of which 20 winners were selected.

Naidu congratulated 11 States and the Union Territory of Delhi who have made it to the top 20 smart cities list. He added a total investment of Rs 50,802 cr has been proposed in the selected smart cities and towns during the five year period.

The smart cities were chosen based on a challenge that required cities to come up with integrated plans, proposals, so that there is maximum analysis and planning.

Below are the top 20 smart cities winners

1.Bhubaneswar (Odisha)
2. Pune (Maharashtra)
3. Jaipur (Rajasthan)
4. Surat (Gujarat)
5. Kochi (kerala)
6. Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
7. Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh)
8.Visakhapatnam (AndhraPreadesh)
9. Solapur (Maharashtra)
10 Davanagere (Karnataka)
11. Indore ( Madhya Pradesh)
12. NDMC (Delhi)
13. Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
14. Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh)
15. Belagavi (Karnataka)
16. Udaipur (Rajasthan)
17. Guwahati (Assam)
18. Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
19. Ludhiana (Punjab)
20. Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)

N Korea threatens US, S Korea’s Park with ‘miserable end’

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Seoul, March 23

North Korea threatened a “miserable end” for South Korea’s president and her American allies today, in its latest colourfully worded attack.

Pyongyang declared it would wage a “retaliatory battle of justice” against Park Geun-Hye, with its artillery units standing ready to turn her office into a “sea of flames and ashes”.

“What the DPRK warns is not hot air. It will be clearly proved by the miserable end the US and the Park group will meet while going reckless,” said the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK), using the formal name for North Korea.

The latest volley comes as Seoul and ally Washington stage their annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle military drills, which this year are the largest ever, in the wake of a recent North Korean nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

The massive drills — which include air strike exercises targeting key facilities in the North — are a “thrice-cursed provocation” against Pyongyang’s leadership, the CPRK said, according to the KCNA news agency.

In recent weeks, Pyongyang has maintained a daily barrage of nuclear strike threats against both Seoul and Washington over the drills it sees as a provocative rehearsal for invasion.

Tensions have been running high since the North carried out an atomic test in January, followed by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

The UN Security Council responded by slapping its toughest-ever sanctions on the North for violating UN sanctions that ban the isolated state from conducting any ballistic missile test.

In an apparent show of anger, the North has launched a series of short-range and medium-range missiles into the sea off its east coast since last week.

Cross-border ties are at their lowest in years, with the conservative Park maintaining her hardline stance towards the impoverished but nuclear-armed North.

She warned last week Pyongyang was moving on a path of “self-destruction” as leader Kim Jong-Un ordered a nuclear warhead test, in a move that further raised tension. — AFP

Raging Jats force the army to retreat

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Security forces were stuck as the entry points to Rohtak were cut off; troops were outnumbered by protesters

CRPF PERSONNEL, WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO REACH ROHTAK, FOUND THE TIGRI BORDER BLOCKED IN THE WEE HOURS OF SATURDAY

ROHTAK/CHANDIGARH: The Army, requisitioned by the BJP government in Haryana following arson and violence in Rohtak, could not gain access to the district on Friday night as all roads leading to Rohtak were blockaded by Jat protesters.

RAVI CHOUDHARY & MANOJ DHAKA/HTJat community members holding a protest, seeking reservations in jobs and educational institutions, in Bahadurgarh; (right) army, BSF and police personnel taking out a flag march in Rohtak on Saturday.The troops landed only in the morning when air force helicopters were pressed into service to drop about 250 personnel at the Rohtak police lines. More Army reinforcements were airlifted and sent by the evening. In fact, it became apparent on Friday night that Army columns, which moved from Hisar and Jaipur, would find it impossible to get access to the trouble-torn Rohtak district. Chief secretary DS Dhesi also spoke to the Army authorities on this.

However, the problem did not end there. In the absence of Army vehicles, the mobility of troops was also affected. “The local administration did not have enough vehicles to carry the Army personnel. This hampered their movement, reducing their effect,” said a government official at Chandigarh.

The troops did conduct a flag march, but were forced to retreat when they were outnumbered by Jat protesters. As soon as the Army flag march started, thousands of protesters from nearby villages converged on Rohtak city in a display of show of strength and to counter the troops.

The paramilitary reinforcements rushed in by the ministry of home affairs, too, found themselves stuck. More than eight companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which were supposed to reach Rohtak and surrounding districts, found the Tigri border blocked in the wee hours of Saturday and have been stationed here since then.

“It is all uncertain right now. We do not know for how long we will remain here. Everything is shut here. Not even tea is available,” said CRPF inspector RN Singh, who came from Aligarh.

Residential colonies and urban villages on NH 10 connecting Delhi and Rohtak via Bahadurgarh appeared fortified due to the presence of CRPF jawans.

“We have to reach Jhajjar but we have been told that protesters have dug up roads with JCB machines,” said Rahul Kumar, CRPF constable from Jaipur. “The internet does not work here. We have to make phone calls to people outside Haryana to get updates on the reservation issue,” he added.

Bahadurgarh resident Ram Kumar Yadav said: “I have seen protests before. But this is unprecedented.” Dropped by Army helicopters, the troops’ movement has been hampered due to inadequate transport support

State govt demands more army, CRPF companies

ENTRE HAS AGREED TO PROVIDE A CHOPPER TO HARYANA FOR MONITORING MEASURES TO CONTOL THE GROUND SITUATION, SAYS OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Saturday sought additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and more columns of army to be deployed in Haryana by Sunday morning to control the ongoing agitation in the state.

An official spokesman said that the requisition for additional force was made by the Crisis Management Group of Haryana comprising chief secretary, additional chief secretary, home, and director general of police, who held a meeting with Union cabinet secretary, chief of army staff, chief of air force and director, IB through videoconferencing on Saturday.

154 CASES REGISTERED

The spokesman said that 154 first information reports (FIRs) had been registered and miscreants were being identified against whom stern action would be taken.

He said four persons lost their lives in Jhajjar district when armed forces opened fire to quell arson and firing and one in Kaithal district. He said that five persons were injured in Rohtak district on Saturday. Besides, 10 persons, including some police personnel, were injured in Jhajjar district.

He said the army and police personnel had been deployed in adequate number in Rohtak to control the situation.

As many as 15 companies of India Reserve Battalion and Haryana Armed Police, three companies of paramilitary forces and two columns of the army had already been deployed.

He said that the central government had also agreed to provide a chopper to Haryana for monitoring the measures to control the agitation and also spray tear gas to disperse mob, especially at blockade sites.

He said Bhiwani remained peaceful whereas in Hisar district, two persons were injured in a village near Hansi as a result of a clash between two groups. They were now out of danger.

He claimed that nine districts have remained peaceful on Saturday. These were Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Sirsa, Rewari, Mahendragarh, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Faridabad and Palwal.

BJP top brass meets NSA, army chief to control chaos

We met party president and home minister and informed them about the situation in Haryana. The agitation is getting out of the control of agitators into the hands of those wanting to divide society.
BIRENDER SINGH, Union rural development minister and Jat leader

NEW DELHI: The Centre is bracing for the worst in Haryana amid reports of ‘extreme brutality’ committed against non-Jats in the state, senior government officials said here.

“There are reports that some extreme violence has taken place in Rohtak. It was a free-for-all kind of situation in Haryana – particularly in Rohtak and Jhajjar. There is an urgent need to bring the situation under control,” said an official, refusing to specify about the incidents of extreme violence.

In an effort to manage the crisis, senior Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj and Manohar Parrikar sat with national security adviser Ajit Doval, home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, army chief Dalbir Singh and Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma and reviewed the situation.

A senior IPS officer of Haryana cadre posted in Delhi said reports of full-scale violence and arson that has taken place in Rohtak and adjoining areas are yet to emerge from curfew-clamped districts.

The BJP is already facing problems in Gujarat with Patidars led by Hardik Patel asking for castebased reservation.

Besides, any acceptance or non-acceptance of the demand will affect the Jat population in neighbouring states, particularly in western UP, sources said.

The Centre on Saturday airlifted more security personnel to Rohtak in particular.

Cabinet secretary PK Sinha also reviewed the situation with the chief secretary and police chief of state through video conferencing and asked them to maintain law and order.

“The home minister is in regular touch with Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar,” an aide to the minister said.

Rajnath Singh also met senior Jat leaders from western UP and Haryana late in the evening to listen to their demands.