Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest meeting with US President Barack Obama was no different from their previous six engagements. Both sides have been smitten equally by the desire for a closer strategic embrace but find themselves having to move cautiously because of their existing commitments to other countries and their different belief systems. It was in line with this approach that the US declared India a major defence partner which, on paper, will lead to fewer formalities in transferring closely guarded defence technologies. Both countries also wrapped up a military cooperation agreement, besides making progress in facilitating the setting up of US nuclear plants in India.The two sides also broke fresh ground in bilateral security and defence cooperation by expanding technology cooperation to cover more systems, announcing further steps to deepen collaboration against terrorist threats and deciding to share terrorist screening information. On the global stage, the US expectedly supported India’s membership to the UNSC and other global organisations but in order to keep China in good humour, both sides consciously downplayed future plans for a joint endeavour in the South China Sea. Amidst the emphasis on security issues, the US has inserted itself as an early bird in the India drive to ramp up the share of renewable power in the total energy mix with a slew of agreements.While trade, defence, clean energy and security got their due, India could not wangle more work visas nor could it stop Washington from deducting social security payments from temporary workers. However, high net-worth Indians may not have to face a Shah Rukh Khan moment when they enter the US in the near future after both sides signed an MoU on an expedited traveller initiative. There were two other military agreements on the menu but were not signed because that would spell the end of India’s military trade with Russia. The US also desisted from using strong words against Pakistan, while India walked away with the satisfaction of having named its tormentor in the joint statement. In the end, existing compulsions put the brakes on a convergence that could have been faster.
All posts by webadmin
Dagshai Army school celebrates Founders’ Day
Tribune News Service
Solan, June 2
Army Public School, Dagshai, celebrated its 30th Founders’ Day yesterday. Lt Gen MM Narwane, SM, VSM, GOC, 2 Corps Brig OP Singh, Commandant 14 GTC and chairman of the school, was the chief guest.Gen Narwane complimented the staff and students for the excellent cultural programme and commendable classes X and XII board results. He paid tributes to Lt Major Udai Singh, an old student of the school, who had sacrificed his life while fighting against the militants. The Chief Guest also congratulated Rigzin Dolkar, an old student, who climbed the Mount Everest in May.Students displayed models at an exhibition, which drew appreciation from parents.A classical dance, orchestra, Himachali folk dance, Ladakhi song and koli dance delighted the audience.An English play ‘’The play that goes wrong’’, essentially a murder mystery that turned hilarious when everything went wrong drew much applause from the audience. The delivery of humorous dialogues and befitting expressions of the cast had the audience in peals.A western dance which showed how the brave and gallant soldiers fought fearlessly with their enemies was beautifully depicted in the song. Based on the biography of the greatest Sanskrit poet and dramatist, play Kalidasa was also appreciated by the audience.SK Mishra, principal, APS, read out the school report highlighting the achievements.Hitika Gupta was declared the aII-round best student for 2015-16.Subhash House won the inaugural swachhta trophy whereas Indira House lifted the best kept house trophy. Green House won the Hindi Calligraphy trophy. There was a clean sweep by Red House that won eight trophies, including the coveted cock house trophy.
Pakistan takes a hit G Parthasarathy After the F-16 debacle, the US drone attack has it in a fix
Catch-22: Will Pakistan heed US warning, with the Obama Admn on its way out?
THE past fortnight has been traumatic for Pakistan’s ruling elite. They could only look on as American drones crossed the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and eliminated Mullah Akhtar Mohammed Mansour, anointed leader of the Afghan Taliban by the ISI, barely a year earlier, in a public function at Kuchalak on the outskirts Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan. It was near the site of his appointment that the drones struck and killed Mansour. The drone strike occurred at a virtual stone’s throw away from the Pakistan army’s Command Staff College, its XII Corps Headquarters, its military recruitment centre and the ISI regional office. The strike signalled that Taliban leaders based in Quetta for over 15 years under ISI protection could no longer take their safety for granted.To add to their woes, the ISI and Pakistan’s ubiquitous army chief, Gen Raheel Sharif, were made to again look silly. General Sharif personally summoned the American Ambassador to warn the US of dire consequences for its action, described by him and other Pakistani notables, like Interior Minister Chaudhry Nissar, as a “violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty”. To add insult to injury, the Americans responded: “We will carry out strikes to remove terrorists who are actively pursuing, planning and directing attacks against US forces. The strike sends a clear message that those who target Americans and Afghan people are not to be given a safe haven. If you are going to lead attacks against our forces and Afghanistan’s forces, you are going to be targeted and you are not going to have safe havens.” It remains to be seen if the Americans seriously carry out these threats. They will, doubtless, be tested.From Pakistan’s point of view, the past fortnight has been a diplomatic nightmare. Just preceding the drone strike in Baluchistan, the US Congress made it clear that the new F-16s will not be provided free of cost, as in the past. Moreover, Pakistan had to witness Prime Minister Modi not only being feted and received by Iran’s Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, but also a trilateral Iran-Afghanistan-India Summit. Agreement was reached at the summit to develop the Chabahar Port and an India-Iran-Afghanistan transport corridor, bypassing Pakistan. Moreover, India and Iran agreed to transform their trade relationship into a comprehensive economic partnership and to consult closely in combating threats of terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking and cyber crime. The past week also saw the anointment of Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada as the Taliban’s new leader. He is to be assisted by two deputies — Sirajuddin Haqqani, one of America’s most-wanted terrorists, and Mullah Omar’s son, Mullah Yaqoob. It is now clear that Pakistan would like to see the continuance of a Taliban leadership drawn from the Kandahar-based Ghilzai Pashtuns, bypassing the traditional leadership of Durrani Pashtuns, like President Hamid Karzai. Like Mullah Omar and Mullah Mansour, Mullah Akhunzada is a Kandahar-based Ghilzai Pashtun. He is not from the dominant Durrani tribe, from which Afghan rulers, since Ahmed Shah Abdali in the 18th century, have been traditionally drawn. The Pakistanis enacted a stunt to give Mullah Omar’s appointment a veneer of legitimacy and respectability by getting him to appear for the first time in public in 1996, at the main shrine in Kandahar, covered in a cloak, believed to have been worn by the Prophet Muhammad. Ahmed Shah Abdali had brought the cloak to Kandahar from Bukhara. One wonders what stunts the ISI will now resort to in order to similarly give Mullah Akhunzada a veneer of respectability and legitimacy.The entire so-called “peace process” for reconciliation between the Taliban and the Afghan government now lies in a shambles. This was an initiative doomed to fail, as the Taliban have no belief in democracy and were determined to use force to acquire power. The Americans were led up the garden path by both Pakistan and China, to support this process, little realising that while the they wanted a representative government in Kabul, China had an interest in seeing an ISI-sponsored regime in Kabul. Such a regime would do Pakistan’s bidding and spare China’s Xinjiang Province, where Muslims are persecuted, from terrorist violence. China had, after all, been one of the very few countries that had diplomatic contacts and even economic cooperation with the Taliban regime led by Mullah Omar in the 1990s.These developments have set the stage for more intensive Taliban attacks across Afghanistan in the coming months. The ISI’s favourite Taliban leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the deputy leader, along with Mullah Yaqoob, son of Mullah Omar. It remains to be seen how the Americans will react to these developments. The State Department has threatened reprisals even on Pakistani soil if attacks in Afghanistan by Taliban insurgents based there continue. But the Obama Administration is now a ‘lame duck’. General Sharif, meanwhile, appears to be realising that he has perhaps bitten off more than he can chew by committing his soldiers to fight the Tehriq-e-Taliban in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. He has obviously learnt no lessons from history.India needs to stay the course in its existing policies on Afghanistan. Its image as a benevolent power will be further enhanced when the Salma Dam built by Indian engineers is commissioned in Afghanistan’s Herat province, bordering Iran, later this year. The presence of the leaders of Iran, Afghanistan and India for inking the agreement making the Chabahar Port a major gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia has sent a powerful message across the entire region. The reported request of President Ashraf Ghani for more MI-25 attack helicopters needs to be considered after assessing the security situation in Afghanistan. When I last visited Kabul three years ago, I learnt that Pakistani visitors to the Kabul market often declared they were Indians to avoid public wrath against Pakistanis, which runs deep across Afghanistan. One hopes good sense will prevail and Pakistan will learn to behave with greater circumspection and consideration in dealing with its northern neighbour.
MY FATHER, LET MY COUNTRY AWAKE By Lt Gen PG KAMATH
India has a bicameral democracy with the PM as its executive head. Unlike in a Presidential system, he is not able to take experts in various fields as ministers in the cabinet. They have to come through the legislature route either from Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. The latter is considered a backdoor entry to the treasury bench; notorious among them was the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had the temerity to be the executive head of our country for a decade and undermined his high office, by abdicating his authority to an Indian national of a foreign origin? He, thus surrendered his Constitutional authority, solely to be in the front seat, so that the Signora can do the safe backseat driving.
Coming to the specifics, Indian politicians have always been naive on strategic issues. Can any of those in power define what is India’s national interest? What are our strategic goals? How do we use our instruments of national power to achieve our strategic goals? Do we aspire to be a global power? If so: what is our time line? What are our interim goals to reach our ultimate strategic goals? Do we have a game plan for our food security, energy security, maritime security, environmental security, cyber security, space security, water security, demographic security; our people should not get subverted by anti-national ideologies, internal security and lastly external security? What should be our area of interest, where and how should we exercise our influence? Is it in immediate neighbourhood? Or; does it include the extended neighbourhood? Our maritime dominance should cover which areas of Indian and Pacific Oceans? Who are our adversaries? Do we have a national security doctrine? What military capacity should we empower ourselves to meet the combined might of our adversaries in two front scenario? What should be the strength of our armed forces? Having ignominious tittle of being the world’s largest importer of arms; it flies on our face when we talk of strategic autonomy. What would happen if these countries do not give us a continuous supply of arms and ammunition in war? Don’t we have to kowtow to them in crises? What happened during the peak of Kargil war; Defence Ministry officials with begging bowls in hand were scouring suppliers in Russia, Israel and South Africa for Bofors ammunition? Indeed! They are obstreperous and livid to talk of our defence preparations; saying “ We are prepared to give a befitting reply to our adversary, who dares cast their evil eyes on us”? What a rhetoric to feast the gullible? How the population in general and press in particular lap it up with unrestrained national pride and glee? The opposition, who are equally naive, would also let go the statement without any discussion; as one need to have some rudimentary knowledge on the subject to engage in a discussion? Best option is to make no statement; as someone said “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, rather than open ones mouth and remove all doubts”.
It is not just that the Indian politician is naive but many are also evil and national interests does not interest them? Let us look at our former Finance Minister and Home Minister? Now he has proved himself as an anti-national traitor, who masked our country’s successful intelligence operation as a staged encounter by amending the truth in the first affidavit with deliberate falsehood in the second. He obviously wanted the LeT terrorists to be successful in their mission? There are enough bleeding heart liberals, who are perturbed at the nation’s security agencies for having curtailed freedom of movement of these armed terrorists and their right to life, by firing at them mercilessly, without giving them a chance to execute their mission? It was the same person, who said in Feb this year that the ‘parliament attack’ accused terrorist accomplice Afzal Guru’s extent of involvement did not call for his hanging? This, the honourable former minister said after the case having gone through all the due processes of law. The death sentence was passed by the Delhi High Court, upheld by the Supreme Court of India and the mercy petition rejected by the President. The charge was IPC Sec 121; waging war against the state and the charge was confessed by the accused and proved beyond reasonable doubt by the highest court in the land. Now our wise crack former minister doubts the intention of Indian Judiciary and also the wisdom of the President. He further says the slogan raised in JNU were not anti-national? He condemns the arrest of the truant student leader and terms the sedition charge against him as outrageous? I believe he has just thrown his hat to enter the Rajya Sabha; and why not, we need to destroy our nation from within as well?
We have another former minister, who defends the student leader in the court. The student leader does everything else in JNU Campus except his studies. He thrives on the subsidised food in the university, pays a pittance for his stay and pays less than the cost of a pizza as his term tuition fees. He was apparently protecting with a human chain the freedom of speech of those who were raising slogans for fragmenting India, and the possibility of he being a part of slogan raising rabble is not yet disproved? No doubt! the courts would decide on it? He also vociferously supports the slogan raising ruffians hailing Afzal Guru as a martyr? What a sacrifice by the student leader; a traitor with unbounded conviction to uphold the freedom of speech of those eulogizing ‘Afzal Guru’; a convicted terrorist, who thrived and prospered in this country and conspired to destroy the voice and soul of our democratic institution. All those faceless leaders of the left parties, who romped to JNU campus to hail the freedom of speech of anti-national elements were looking like morons, who escaped en-mass from mental reformatory? One always wonders; which country do they belong? Are they still on the payrolls of those, who supported the Chinese invasion of India in 1962? Whose philosophy they follow? Marx? Engels? Lenin? Mao? Stalin? Che Guevara? Or Kim Il Un? One of the leader from the left party had come to JNU as a father and not as a leader? I probably missed out any mass leader among them. All those present were with no mass base. They had tasted power as king makers in UPA’s first term. Now, the party having been reduced to 9 seats in Lok Sabha and 8 seats in Rajya Sabha still masquerade as a national party? I always wonder why the press gives space to such non-entities?
I went through the election manifesto of the three national parties for the 16th Lok Sabha in 2014 national elections. I was looking for their views on defence issues. Let us take the Left Party; their outright dubious role in ‘Quit India Movement, their support to the two nation theory and their traitorous act of supporting the Chinese aggression against their own country are not things, which can be swept under the carpet? True to their past, they still support the slogans calling for the breakup of our country at the JNU? In their entire manifesto running to several pages, the only line that has some remote reference to the defence of the country i.e. “Creating a national security apparatus, which will work within the framework of the parliamentary democratic system”. A country that has fought four wars, with unrelenting adversaries in our north and west; the so called national party neither has the knowledge nor inclination to define the nation’s strategic goals. Or; they were wise to foresee their decimation from national scene, hence thought; why take time to tread on unfamiliar ground? As it is, the defence of the country had historically never been their priority?
The Left Party, which champions the cause of farmers and workers do not feel that they need to support the demand of soldiers of Armed Forces of India on OROP. Are the soldiers ‘bourgeoisie’ from the Left Party’s point of view? Does he not defend our country, when those they are supporting are sloganeering to fragment it? Don’t we literally throw the soldier out of service at the young age of 35 years to fend for himself in the harsh world with a family and aged parents to support? Does he also not come from the same peasants stock from rural areas? Why don’t the so called lofty principles of Left Party, apply to him? Again, with whom am I talking to; those, who supported the Chinese in their invasion against our country? To expect patriotism from them is to expect a shadow in the darkness?
Moving on to the Congress Party: The President and the Vice President of the party know ‘defence’ only in the context of ‘National Herald’, Bofor, Westland cases? The concept of ‘National Defence’ is alien to them but they have deep and abiding interest in defence equipment and middle men. They lament how Late Uncle Ottavio used to do such a fine job but this man Gautam has bungled up everything?
In 2008, just a year prior to elections the party gave a massive relief of ₹60,000 Crores by waiving the loan to farmers, but did not feel it is worthwhile to give the soldiers a paltry ₹6000 crores (figures of 2008) for OROP? Not once during their decade in power both these office bearers ever uttered “OROP’ let alone implement it. The Vice President of the party, came once to Jantar Mantar in 2015 to show his solidarity with the agitating veterans, however he was shoved out? This party did not do anything for nearly four decades, and two months before the election, they allot a paltry ₹500 crores to OROP, in order to take credit and win votes? Indeed, how stupid one can be, to really think that the veterans are a bunch of doddering old fools, who would not be able to discern their Machiavellian subterfuge? An ounce of grey matter is enough to see through the game: but those who have lesser; play these childish games endlessly.
The story of Congress would not be complete as one of its former minister in a discussion on Nai Duniya TV in Pakistan in Oct last year, asks the people of Pakistan and remove PM Modi from power and bring us (Congress) back. I quote the former minister’s exact words “Hame le aaiye ; Inko hataiye”; so that bilateral discussion between the two countries can progress? Though as expected from a politician of his genre, he denied the statement? It is for everyone to see on the internet and come to their own conclusion. Here; a citizen of our country, whose countrymen had reposed faith in him and made him a Union Cabinet Minister going to a neighbouring country, which has fought four major wars with us and asking them to remove our duly elected Prime Minister? Do you believe it that it can happen in any country? It is the same person, who said in Jan 2014 at the AICC session “I promise you in 21st Century Narendra Modi will never become the Prime Minister of the country. …But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him”. Just look at the mix of haughtiness, arrogance, jealousy and hatred that is gushing out unrestrained to craft such a thought? Yes! He continues to be a Rajya Sabha MP of our country! I think our tolerance has become our national weakness!
The Congress manifesto on defence and security is all promises with no delivery? The manifestoes from 2004 onwards are a string of broken promises; integration of defence ministry with military officers; still a myth, maximum benefit to the service officers in pay and pension and letting them down in the 6th Pay Commission without NFU, not resolving the anomalies both in the 5th and 6th Pay Commissions, not reorganising the higher defence with Chief of Defence Force, foisting a RM, who spent more time in refurbishing his image as ‘Clean Saint’ rather than the defence of the country and ensuring all the defence deals have scams? However to be fair to them, at least they have a vision on paper. It is possible, that the manifesto is their check list to ensure those things do not happen, even by default? After all, what can you expect from a party whose foundations of the first government was laid by a Prime Minister, who had an anathema against his own armed forces, till he was rudely awakened in 1962 by the Chinese, to die a year and half later with shattered dreams and broken persona?
Now let us look at the ruling party; BJP? Its manifesto does not even talk of framing our National Security Doctrine that is vital to formulate our future defence orientation? It also does not mention of the unfinished agenda of PM Vajpayee’s tenure, where the then Deputy PM had headed a GOM and recommended landmark measures in the aftermath of findings of Kargil Review Committee? The manifesto wants to address the deficiency in officers’ cadre and does not care to rectify the anomalies in the 6th Pay Commission. The 7th Pay Commission is convened without a member from the Armed Forces, who are its biggest stake holders. The facile argument that the Defence Secretary represents the Armed Forces is like asking the devil to read the bible? He does not inspire trust and the appointment is the most despised appointment by the Indian Armed Forces. The recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission further undermines the services and instead of rectifying the anomalies at the ministerial level, the fate of the Armed Forces has been given to the Empowered Committee of Secretaries. Again, the Armed Forces are being represented by the same defence secretary, who was instrumental in giving lopsided data to the 7CPC and ensured its degradation. It is the thief, who is sitting in judgement over his own offence? If the BJP government was really interested in the Armed Forces, then why were they not represented in the 7th CPC? Coming again to OROP, a diluted version has been sanctioned; though something is better than nothing! A soldier who is 75 years would have to wait to be 80 to get his next revision of pension? Will he live for the next revision? The parliamentary committee had approved revision every year, however when the fine print of the approved OROP was released, the revision was to be done once in every five years. It is the last vile stroke struck by the bureaucracy, when they could not stall the OROP anymore, after having delayed it for 43 years. In the intervening time lakhs of armed forces personnel have retired and died without getting the OROP, which was their legitimate right. Can this grave injustice be undone? Who should be held accountable for perpetrating this injustice? Can our Honourable PM answer this?
I think it was on 8 Dec 2014, our PM in an election rally in Srinagar vouches his good intention at the cost of the army. He says for the first time since independence the army has done a press briefing and took responsibility of killing of two youths and the two soldiers would be punished. Mr PM; whose army is it anyway? Are you putting a divide between the people of Kashmir and the army? Are you using the army for your politicking among the people of J&K. Who do you think saved Kashmir from going to Pakistan in 1947/48, 1965, 1971, 1988 – 93 and during Kargil Operation. Do you know about the mass subverting of government functionaries including police, press, people, government servants in 1988/89, when a climate of collapse engulfed the valley? It was then the army was inducted to bring it back into the fold of India. Just three months before you gloated that the army jawans have been punished, I hope you remember the same Indian Army, Air Force and Navy had rescued thousands of Kashmiris in the devastating floods that ravaged the entire valley? Was it proper for the PM of our nation to undermine his last and the most effective instrument of the nation. The Armed Forces are not above the law. They, in fact uphold the laws of the country. They should be punished for wrong doing but no political leader; be it the PM himself, has the right to use it to gain brownie point in an election rally.
Incidentally Mr Prime Minister, if the army has put a barrier on the road no one should cross the barrier till the soldiers manning the barrier gives them permission to do so. Anyone does not stop and rushes past the barrier would have to be shot. No questions about it. Please do not dilute the ‘mission accomplishment’ ethos of the army by punishing them. If you do not want the army to act in that manner please do not put them there. You are at liberty to put police or any CAPF. Incidentally you have reduced the CAPF in Srinagar to be victims of stone throwing mob by towing a soft line. This has made the anti-national elements more aggressive in Srinagar. I have seen a member of CAPF with a weapon in his hands being literally chased by a mob of youths and beaten up in the streets of Srinagar. He has been forced to be submissive and local orders have deprived him the right to fire, though the right of private defence gives him the right to use force to protect himself. It is your duty to ensure the pride of position of the armed forces is maintained so that the country can rest in peace even during war.
Again on 11 Sep 2015, the Honourable PM says in Chandigarh that the OROP has been given at the cost of poor people of this country; as if, he is giving the money to the rich in the country? The PM should know that a soldier who retires from service at 35 years of age gets less than one third the pension of a peon in the government service who retires at the age of 60 years. Now, where is the question of poor people giving their money to the rich army personnel? Obviously the PM may has been incorrectly advised?
The chest thumping post Myanmar raid against NSCN camp is a good example of unprofessionalism. The NSA goes for damage control and on return does not keep the Home Minister and Defence Minister informed of his talks. Obviously information sharing mechanism on defence matters has not yet been institutionalised in the government.
The government has still three more years to go. There is a need to frame a ‘National Security Doctrine’ for the country, which should be approved by the CCS and signed by the PM. The country needs to accelerate and build military capacities to fight a two front conventional war against both China and Pakistan simultaneously. Building capacities should be phased over a 10 year period and budgetary allocations be made to achieve those capacities. As envisaged in the manifesto, a thorium route to build nuclear capacity should be intensely pursued. ‘ Make in India’ program should be pursued vigorously as it alone would give us the strategic autonomy to take decisions in ‘National Interest’.
Chanakya says “ The serpent, the king, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.” However as the time is running out I have to make one exception; as said by Rabindranath Tagore’s words “My father, let my Country Awake.”
( The writer is a veteran of Indian Army)
1971 POW still alive in Pak jail, claim kin
Paramjit Kaur, daughter of Jugraj Singh, holds a photograph of her father during a press conference in Bathinda on Thursday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma
Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, May 26
The kin of sepoy Jugraj Singh who was declared dead in the 1971 Indo-Pak war today claimed that the former was alive and languishing in a Pakistan jail. They demanded that the Ministry of Defence should initiate step to release Jugraj from jail. Singh hails from Jeeda village in Bathinda district.Ex- servicemen Welfare Union state president Capt Bhagwant Singh Bhatti, Jugraj’s wife Gurmail Kaur, daughter Paramjit Kaur and son-in-law Lakhvir Singh said here today that soldier Jugraj joined the Bombay Engineer Group and after training was shifted to 102 Engineer Regiment.They stated that in 1971 Indo-Pak war, Jugraj Singh’s regiment was deployed at Ferozepur sector and during the war they received a letter from the regiment in which they were informed that he had died when a shell exploded on December 3, 1971, but his body could not be recovered.Paramjit said they were getting news that some soldiers had been captured by the Pakistan army and are lodged in jail there, so they were hoping that he is alive in some Pakistani jail.She said that they got to know that Indian spy, Satish Kumar, a resident of Ferozepur had returned after spending 12 years in a Pakistan jail and they had met him in 2012.She said they showed Kumar some photos of her father and he told them that he had met her father in the Shahi Qila in Lahore in 1974. Satish Kumar has also given an affidavit stating the same to the family.She also told that in 2004, they got information on All India Radio that he was alive in a Pakistan jail. They demanded that defence ministry should take up this issue with Pakistan government at the earliest and get Jugraj Singh released from jail. They also said that they have written to Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but to no avail.
Demand for release
- The kin demanded that the Ministry of Defence should take steps to release Jugraj from jail
- They stated that in 1971 Indo-Pak war, Jugraj Singh’s regiment was deployed in Ferozepur sector and during the war they received a letter from the regiment in which they were informed that he had died when a shell exploded on December 3, 1971, but his body could not be recovered
- Paramjit said they got to know that Indian spy, Satish Kumar, a resident of Ferozepur had returned after spending 12 years in Pakistan jail and they had met him in 2012
Injured soldier dies, locals attend funeral of militants
KUPWARA GUNFIGHT Internet services suspended to prevent social media misuse
The marks on the bodies of the militants do not indicate that they were killed today. It seems they have been killed 6-7 days ago and brought here KUPWARA RESIDENTS
SRINAGAR: An army soldier, who was wounded during an encounter with militants in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday, died on Sunday.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the funeral of the five militants, who were killed in the encounter.
An army spokesman said Naik Gawade Pandurang Mahadev sustained head injuries during the gunfight in Chak Drugmulla village of Kupwara and was evacuated to 92 Base Hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.
“He made a supreme sacrifice while fighting valiantly with the terrorists in Drugmulla village on May 21,” the spokesman said.
The mortal remains of the soldier will be flown to his village in Sindudurg district of Maharashtra after necessary formalities. Security forces said five militants were killed and two soldiers were wounded in a fierce gun battle in Drugmulla on Saturday.
‘STAGED GUNFIGHT’
On Sunday, thousands of people from the villages of Kupwara converged at Chak Drugmulla to participate in the funeral procession of the militants amid profreedom slogans.
After the militants were laid to rest in the morning, locals took to streets to protest.
Some locals alleged that the militants were killed in a “staged gun fight”. They said the state of dead bodies of the militants indicated that “they might have been killed a week back”. “The marks on the bodies of the militants do not indicate that they were killed today. It seems they have been killed 6-7 days ago and brought here,” the residents alleged.
Kupwara superintendent of police Aijaz Ahmad denied the allegations: “This is not true.” He said the militants were foreigners and seem to have infiltrated recently. Internet services were also suspended in Kupwara as authorities feared that situation could escalate owing to the spread of rumours.
Taliban leader Mansour dies in US drone attack
WASHINGTON: Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan, the Afghanistan government said Sunday. The US announced it had targeted the terror outfit’s chief but gave no official confirmation of his death.
Mansour — who took charge of the Taliban after Mullah Omar’s death became public in 2015 — posed a “continuing, imminent threat” to US personnel and Afghans, secretary of state John Kerry said. “If people want to stand in the way of peace, continue to threaten and kill and blow people up, we have no recourse but to respond and I think we responded appropriately.”
US department of defense press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement Saturday, “Today, the department of defense conducted an airstrike that targeted Taliban leader Mullah Mansour in a remote area of the AfghanistanPakistan border region. We are still assessing the results of the strike and will provide more information as it becomes available.” But unidentified officials told US media they believed Mansour was killed, along with another Taliban figure, when his convoy was attacked by multiple drones. The strike was reportedly authorised by President Barack Obama. Confirming the death, Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah tweeted, “Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour was killed in a drone strike in Quetta, Pakistan, at 04.30pm yesterday.” He said the terror chief ’s car was attacked in Dahl Bandin, referring to a district in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Kerry said the leaders of both Pakistan and Afghanistan were notified of the airstrike. He said he’d spoken to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by phone.
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed “this information was shared with the PM and the chief of army staff after the drone strike”. “While further investigations are being carried out, Pakistan wishes to once again state the drone attack was a violation of its sovereignty,” it said in a statement.
The foreign office said one Wali Muhammad, carrying a Pakistani passport and ID card, had entered Pakistan from the Taftan border on May 21. His passport bore a valid Iranian visa. He was travelling in a vehicle hired from a transport company in Taftan. This vehicle was found destroyed along the border with Afghanistan.
The driver, it said, has been identified as Muhammad Azam while the “identity of the second body is being verified”. There was no official statement from the Taliban.
The location of the attack would fuel further anger against Pakistan, often accused of harbouring terrorists. Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was found and killed by US special forces in a hideout in Abbottabad in 2011. Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the 9/11 mastermind, was caught in Faisalabad in 2003. And Americans believe the entire Haqqani Network leadership is based in Pakistan. “Since the death of Mullah Omar and Mansour’s assumption of leadership, the Taliban have conducted many attacks that have resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Afghan civilians and security forces as well as numerous US and coalition personnel,” Cook said.
He called Mansour “an obstacle to peace and reconciliation between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban”. Mansour also integrated the Haqqani Network, an independent arm of the Taliban, into the outfit, according its leader Sirajuddin Haqqani a larger role. According to reports and analysts, Haqqani now calls the shots in planning Taliban military operations in Afghanistan, targeting the local government and US-led coalition forces.
We qualify for nuclear suppliers club: Pak to US
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary on Wednesday told a US envoy that the country has “credentials” to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a body that oversees nuclear trade. “Pakistan expressed confidence in its credentials to become full member of the export control regimes, particularly NSG”, said the Foreign Ministry. Indian diplomats earlier made an effort to induct India into the NSG.
