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On my first, and perhaps last, visit to Pakistan in the spring of 2008 to attend Pugwash Conference in Islamabad, I was told by my daughter, a doctor by profession, “Please get me the CDs of ‘Tanhaiyan’ and ‘Dhoop Kinare’” (two most popular TV shows of Pakistan).She had taken a fancy to Marina Khan, who played the lead role in these two shows. But, she knew her as “Dr Zoya Khan”, a character that turned bright the dull life in a hospital in the multi-episode Pakistani serial “Dhoop Kinare”.On the eve of my departure from Pakistan, I decided to buy the CDs. In the lobby of Marriott Hotel, I spotted Mehbooba Mufti, then an MP and now Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. I asked her if she would like to accompany me to the market. She agreed to my great surprise. BJP leader Nirmal Singh, now Deputy Chief Minister, also came along.Omar Abdullah was also there, but he was not to be seen around, except during the conference where he was the star articulator of all problems under the sun, particularly South Asia. And, Mehbooba never forgot to compliment her political rival back home.As we stepped out of the hotel, I could see deep annoyance in the eyes of ISI spies shadowing Mehbooba. “She moves in and out like a bird. We are left clueless. It is becoming difficult for us to tail her,” one of the spies had confided to one of the delegates, who now holds an important position in the Mehbooba Mufti government. That was one such occasion when they felt uncomfortable with her unannounced movement.It was getting dark. Mehbooba suggested, “Let’s walk up to the market.” She is a walk buff. But she was not wearing her usual sports shoes, but sandals. Suddenly the straps of her sandals fell apart, as we were negotiating the under-repair footpath. We hired a cab to complete our small journey to the market.At the shop, a long-bearded customer, wearing a typical Khan dress, was asking the shopkeeper, “Do you have a CD of songs of ‘Jannat’ (Indian movie)”. The shopkeeper nodded and pulled out a CD for him.On my turn, “I asked for the CDs which my daughter had demanded. The shopkeeper, who later identified himself by his first name, Iqbal, looked at me with extreme curiosity and I found myself hearing, “Are you from India?” “Yes” was the answer to his expectations.Why are you asking for such old dramas? I explained my daughter was a Marina fan. She has watched these dramas as serials but not in one go. He was all smiles which reflected a unique hospitality and friendliness. After getting the CDs, he told me that his shop had more Indian movies than Pakistani. It was a genuine admission because I was not shopping the Indian stuff.Where was I? A Hindu from India in Pakistan, an Islamic country. The two countries have often been viewed as enemies and have fought wars. Did this incident reflect hostility or friendship? These thoughts crossed my mind as we headed back to our hotel.“Here is your ‘Dr Zoya Khan’,” I told my daughter on my return. She was so excited that she started playing it at once.Does Marina, “Dr Zoya Khan”, mean a Pakistani to my daughter. No, her love for Marina transcends all boundaries. She still watches the dramas, whenever she needs solace, or wants to laugh with her role model.Marina was playing the role of a doctor, and my daughter is a doctor by profession. Can I draw boundaries between the two? No. I better not. In fact, no one should think of creating such chasms. We have nothing in common as far as our history and culture is concerned with America or China, but we share much more with Pakistan than with any other country in the world. We are just a little distance away, then why are the tanks on the border and why are we all getting hysterical with maniac thoughts of eliminating each other?Terrorism is the biggest enemy. That should be understood. Indians love “Dr Zoya Khan” but it is for Pakistan to eliminate terrorism from its soil and its export is proving costly.The idea of “Dr Zoya Khan” can help us clasp our hands. From this side, we have “Bhai Jaan.” Both India and Pakistan need to clear the clouds of war, decimate terrorism, so that the role models of hope and love grow and prosper on both sides with mutual admiration.

Air Marshal NJS Dhillon

Chandigarh: Air Marshal NJS Dhillon has been appointed as Senior Air Staff Officer of Western Air Command. Prior to this, he was the Air Defence Commander at Southern Air Command. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned as a fighter pilot in December 1981 and has over 3,700 hours of accident-free flying to his credit.In 1991, he topped the Fighter Strike Leader Course at the IAF’s Tactics and Air Combat Defence Establishment and later served there as the Head of Training. He has commanded a MiG-21 squadron and an operational fighter base. — TNS

“While we work out who is to blame for Uri and what an appropriate response will be, do we not owe our troops flame retardant tents and huts?” Omar Abdullah,former cm

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 18

National Conference working president Omar Abdullah on Sunday “strongly condemned” the attack on the Army base in Uri sector.In a statement, the former Chief Minister expressed solidarity with the families of the martyred jawans and extended his heartfelt condolences to them.“This is a highly condemnable and tragic incident. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred jawans who have lost their lives and pray for the speedy recovery of those who have sustained injuries in the attack,” Omar said.In a series of tweets, Omar also criticised the government saying it is a “crying shame that fire retardant tents aren’t the norm”.“While we work out who is to blame for Uri and what an appropriate response will be, do we not owe our troops flame retardant tents and huts?” he said. “If the reports are correct and 13 of the 17 fatalities are because of burns it’s a crying shame that fire retardant tents aren’t the norm,” he said.Omar said, “We owe it to our jawans to give them the best that we can because they are the first to lay down their lives and sacrifice everything for us.”“The mess will be made more fancy, the auditorium more modern, officers quarters more comfortable but the jawans will be taken for granted,” he said.

The US told to ”stop making irresponsible remarks”. Thinkstock

Beijing, August 6

China on Saturday lashed out at the US for describing jail sentences given to four human rights activists as “politically motivated”, saying the American accusations are groundless and constituted interference in its internal affairs.“The US accusations are groundless and China urged the United States to respect the facts, speak and act cautiously, and stop making irresponsible remarks on the case,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.She said China firmly opposed American interference in its internal affairs and judicial sovereignty.Hua was commenting on the remarks made by US State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner concerning the conviction of four Chinese human rights activists.Toner had said that the charges against the activists were “vague and apparently politically motivated” and urged Chinese officials to release the detainees and remove restrictions on their freedom of movement and professional activities.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) “China is a country under the rule of law, and Chinese judicial authorities deal with related cases in accordance with law so that the legitimate rights and interests of defendants could be effectively protected,” Hua was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.She claimed that Chinese people widely supported the trial and generally opposed any actions that endangered the national security and undermined the social stability.A court in Tianjin had convicted them of subverting state power after serial trials in the past four days.Of the four, Hu Shigen, described by the state media as an illegal church leader, got the longest prison term of seven and a half years. He is the eldest at 61 and had engaged in state power subversion since the 1990s, Xinhua said.All of them accepted the charges and expressed remorse, it said. PTI

US DELIVERS A BLUNT MESSAGE TO ISLAMABAD — ‘EXERCISE RESTRAINT’ ON NUCLEAR TALK AND MISSILE CAPABILITIES

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday threatened Pakistan with a “befitting reply again” if it continues to sponsor terrorism, the tough talk coming a day after the US bluntly told Islamabad to stop its rhetoric on nuking India.

Parrikar’s warning came two days after New Delhi said Indian forces carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control — the de facto border between the two countries in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian strike was in response to a militant attack on an army camp at Uri that left 18 soldiers dead. Pakistan has no idea what happened because its condition is like that of an “anaesthetised patient” postsurgery, who has no idea what has happened, the minister said at Pauri in Uttarakhand. Islamabad has denied New Delhi’s claims about conducting surgical strikes in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir.

PM Narendra Modi met President Pranab Mukherjee and is understood to have briefed him about the surgical strikes.

According to TV reports, Parrikar gave an analogy of Lord Rama, the protagonist in the epic Ramayana, who won Lanka and gave it to Vibhishana.

“We did the same in Bangladesh. We do not want to harm anyone, but if someone harms us, a befitting reply will be given…Lord Hanuman did not know of his powers before going to Lanka, I made our armed forces realise their power,” he was quoted as saying.

Parrikar’s tough talk against Pakistan comes when New Delhi’s diplomatic encirclement of Pakistan seems to be paying off. The international community, including Pakistan’s traditional allies, has maintained a studied silence on India’s surgical strikes, while underscoring the need to act against terrorism, indirectly bracketing Pakistan.

In a blunt message delivered publicly on Friday, the United States told the Pakistani government to “exercise restraint” regarding the use of nuclear weapons, or the talk about it. “I would just say nuclear-capable states have a very clear responsibility to exercise restraint regarding nuclear weapons and missile capabilities,” US state department spokesman Mark Toner said at the daily briefing in response to a question, about “some of the rhetoric from the Pakistani government”.

“And that’s my message publicly and that’s certainly our message directly to the Pakistani authorities,” he added.On Monday, Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif had threatened to “destroy India” in the event of a war. “We have not made an atomic device to display in a showcase. If such a situation arises we will use it and eliminate India,” he told a TV channel, raising alarm in capitals around the world already worried about Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of terrorists.

On Saturday, Indian army chief General Dalbir Singh also reviewed military preparedness at the northern and western borders.

He visited the Udhampur-based Northern Command and interacted with the special forces men who destroyed seven terror launch pads in PoK, killing at least 35 terrorists and their handlers. He later visited the Chandimandir-based Western Command to take stock of the army’s readiness along the Punjab border.

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, August 1

Out of 238 posts of doctors at government hospitals in Rajouri, 150 are lying vacant, making it difficult for the people to get treatment.People here often call the District Hospital, Rajouri, as the “referral hospital”, for patients are mostly referred to other hospitals due to non-availability of specialised doctors at the hospital.Out of 54 regular posts sanctioned for senior and junior consultants, consultants, MBBS doctors, dental surgeon and medical officer, 27 posts are lying vacant in the District Hospital while two to three doctors have managed their postings against the posts which don’t exist. In 2011, a CT SCAN unit was established at the hospital, but no radiologist has been appointed. For the last more than one month the hospital is operating without a head after the transfer of its medical superintendent.Junior doctors have been looking after the OPDs, while senior doctors were ignoring the work, alleged a doctor. “Even the ultra sound is being conducted by a MBBS doctor who was temporarily trained to avoid the ire of people,” said a source.In such times, the Army has come to the rescue of the people at Rajouri. “Had the Army not been providing medical aid to the poor at their door steps through its medical camps, many among them would have died due to poor government health services,” said Yogesh Sharma, a social activist.Besides official engagements, various Army units deployed in Rajouri under Romeo Force, Uniform Force and Ace of Spades Division have been providing every possible modern medical treatment to the people in far-off and border areas here.“The Army has introduced laparoscopic surgery in the Army hospital at Rajouri and many civilians have been benefitted, including those who were denied treatment by civil doctors. The hospital has conducted cataract operations for many poor patients who couldn’t afford expenses at government or private hospitals,” said a senior Army officer.Recently, Romeo Force had conducted a landmark specialist medical camp for the people of border and far-off villages at Surankot and provided the services of super-specialist doctors of great repute.

Many posts vacant

• Out of 54 regular posts sanctioned for senior and junior consultants, consultants, MBBS doctors, dental surgeon and medical officer, 27 posts are lying vacant in the District Hospital
• In 2011, a CT SCAN unit was established at the hospital, but no radiologist has been appointed
• Had the Army not been providing medical aid to the poor at their door step through its medical camps, many would have died due to poor health services, said Yogesh Sharma, a social activist

Dr Atamjit

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 10

Noted Punjabi playwright and Sahitya Akademi award winner Dr Atamjit read out his unpublished play based on World War I at Virsa Vihar here today. The celebrated writer, who is known for his research work and acclaimed writings, agrees that World War I is the least documented event in the Sikh history and 13 lakh soldiers, who were a part of it, need to be owned. “My pain behind conceiving the project was that despite 70,000 Sikh soldiers sacrificing their lives and 13 lakh soldiers braving it out at the war front, we as a society have failed to remember them. The only memorial in their name is the one in Delhi and that, too, was established by the Britishers. My play is dedicated to the memory of all those soldiers.”The title of his play ‘’Ve Mur Aa Lama Ton’’ (loosely based on a song that has a woman calling on a loved one to return from war) is a result of two years’’ research on the subject. “Many people still believe that those soldiers didn’t fight for their country but for the Britishers when instead their participation in the WWI was backed by many nationalist leaders, including Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and Mahatma Gandhi. They thought that India will achieve independence after the Indian soldiers won a war for Britishers. When that didn’t happened, where was an ordinary soldier at fault?” questions Atamjit.His play somewhere also echoes his own opinion and his research, he says, has managed to back up with facts and description of events. “That war was an outcome of nationalist egos, parochial nationalism, if I may call it. The pretence of nationalism fuelled it.”The session will be attended by history students, historians, writers and eminent citizens and Atamjit says that the attempt is not to gain any headlines, but to remember the heroes of Sikh history and take responsibility for the years of disregard for their lives.

A ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting on the occasion of People’s Liberation Army Day being conducted in the Chushul sector in Daulat Beg Oldie. A Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 1

A ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) on the occasion of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Day was conducted today at the Chinese BPM Hut in Moldo Garrison in Chushul Sector of Eastern Ladakh and TWD (Ten Wen Den) in DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie).The delegations were led by Brigadier Navneet Kumar from the Indian side and Senior Colonel Fan Jun from the Chinese side.At TWD, the garrisons were led by Colonel BS Uppal from the Indian side and Colonel Song Zhou Li from the Chinese side.Giving details, a defence spokesperson said the ceremonial meetings were marked by saluting the National flag of China by members of both the delegations. This was followed by the ceremonial address of the delegation leaders, comprising of an exchange of greetings, wishes and vote of thanks and reflected the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level at the border, he said.Thereafter, a cultural programme showcasing the Chinese culture and traditional grandeur was organised.At both the locations, the delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment.The delegations parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the LAC. Both sides also sought to uphold the treaties and agreement signed between the governments of the two sides to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC.

Jaipur: The Border Security Force has arrested an Army auditor from near the border city of Dungargarh in Bikaner after they found him carrying heroin worth Rs 17.5 crore and explosives on Friday. The suspect, Samrath Lal Meena, who had been posted at Suratgarh, was found with more than 3 kg of heroin, while he was travelling by bus from Bikaner to Jaipur.  A search operation conducted jointly by the BSF and police revealed he was carrying explosives and detonators and Rs 35,940 in cash in a bag. oc

Aarti Kapur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 27

Panjab University (PU) will offer the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chair at the Department of Defence and National Security Studies to Lt Gen Kamal Jit Singh (AVSM), General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command. PU Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover said a proposal in this regard would be placed before the Syndicate for approval during a meeting on July 31.“Lt Gen Singh will retire on July 31 after which an invitation will be sent to him for approval. He will also visit the campus on August 17 to deliver a talk on national security challenges and response,” the VC said.Chairman of the department Jaskaran Singh said the chair had been lying vacant since its inception. In fact, the chair was transferred to the Department of History a few years ago but nobody was appointed to it.A special committee constituted under the chairmanship of the former Panjab University VC and senior senator RP Bambah had recommended that the chair should again be transferred to the Department of Defence and National Security Studies and a retired senior military officer should be appointed to it.Meanwhile, deliberations are on to fill the Bharti Telecom Chair, one of the prominent chairs at the university. As per  norms, only a senior engineer can be appointed to the chair.A proposal will also be tabled about the facilities to be offered to the dignitaries heading the varsity chairs under the foundation for higher education and research fund.   

Eminent persons to be appointed to 10 chairsThe PU authorities have decided that eminent personalities will be appointed to 10 university chairs and the rest of the 15 will be offered to the senior most professors on the university campus.

Status of prominent chairs

• Dr Manmohan Singh Chair: Prof YK Alagh, Chancellor, Central University of Gujarat, and former Union Minister for Power, Planning, Science and Technology
• Mahatma Gandhi Chair: Ela R Bhatt, founder, Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Ahmedabad.
• Tagore Chair: Gulzar, poet, lyricist and film director
• Jawaharlal Nehru Chair: Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister and noted economist
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chair: Lt Gen Kamal Jit Singh (AVSM), General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Command (name proposed).
• Rajiv Gandhi Chair: Vacant
• Sri Aurobindo Chair: Vacant
• BR Ambedkar Chair: Vacant
• Bharti Telecom Chair: Vacant
• Lal Bahadur Shastri Chair: vacant

Who comes when in PU

• August 24: Gulzar, a poet, lyricist and film director, will interact with the faculty and students. He will re-release a set of books “Gulzar Translates Tagore”. The two other books that will be released on the occasion are “Baaghbaan’ and “Nindia Chor”.
• August 29: Prof YK Alagh will deliver the first Prof JC Anand Memorial Oration.
• October 3: The fifth PU foundation day lecture will be delivered by Ela R Bhatt.
• Ex-Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh likely to visit in September.

Facilities to eminent personalities during visit

• Business class air fare
• Car with driver (if required)
• Stay in a hotel or PU guest house.
• Honorarium of Rs 5,000 per day.