The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing post midnight. PTI file

Poonch, October 5

Pakistan on Thursday resorted to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Digwar sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing post midnight.Digwar district was a witness to another ceasefire violation from Pakistan on Wednesday.

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Earlier on Monday, two minors were reportedly killed and five other civilians got injured as Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling, besides small and automatic weapons fire at various places along the LoC in Poonch district.Pakistan has violated ceasefire a number of times in the past few months.Last week, Pakistani troops had opened fire in the Poonch and Bhimbher Gali sectors.On Tuesday, a Border Security Force (BSF) Camp near Srinagar Airport was attacked by three terrorists.The terrorists were gunned down during an encounter with the 182nd Battalion of the BSF, located near the Airport and Air Force Station, Gogoland. ANI

The mangled remains of an Indian Air Force trainee aircraft in Keesara, Hyderabad, on Thursday. PTI

Hyderabad, September 28

An Indian Air Force (IAF) training aircraft on a routine flight today crashed in a secluded area of Telangana’s Medchal district before bursting into flames. The pilot, however, escaped unhurt, the police said.The crash occurred around 11.45 am at Ankireddypalli village, 30 km from the Telangana capital, but the pilot ejected safely. The Kiran trainer aircraft had taken off from the Air Force Station at Hakimpet here, ACP (Kushaiguda Division) Syed Rafeeq said.“The pilot, Aman Pandey, ejected safely. The aircraft crashed around 2 km from the point where the pilot ejected. It crashed at an isolated place near an agricultural field and burst into flames,” said Rafeeq, after visiting the crash site.The officer said there was no damage on the ground as there were no houses or people at the crash scene.The ACP cited a villager who had spotted the aircraft flying low and later heard a loud explosion. “According to the villager, soon after crashing the aircraft burst into flames,” Rafeeq said.Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said IAF officials visited the scene of the mishap and took the pilot along. “Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze,” he said.“The pilot is safe. A CoI (Court of Inquiry) will ascertain the cause of the accident,” an IAF statement said. On March 3, 2010, two pilots were killed after a Kiran MK-II plane, part of the “Sagar Pawan” aerobatic team participating at the India Aviation Show, crashed into a building here. — PTI

Prime Minister Modi had met President Xi on the sidelines of the 9th BRICS Summit.

Kolkata, September 23

China and India are working together to “take forward” their relationship leaving behind the Doklam episode, the Chinese Consul General here has said.

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Chinese Consul General Ma Zhanwu also asserted that by working together cooperation and exchanges can be further enhanced.

“India and China are working together. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping had a meeting on September 5 to discuss how to enhance the relationship,” Zhanwu said here on Friday night while addressing an event to mark the 68^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

“As long as the two countries work together, we will able to enhance and develop exchanges and cooperation,” he said.

Asked if both the countries have left behind the Dokalam episode, Zhanwu said, “Yes we have left that behind and are working together to take forward the bilateral relationship”.

Prime Minister Modi had met President Xi on the sidelines of the 9^th BRICS Summit on September 5.

The two leaders had agreed that both the countries should put in more effort to strengthen the cooperation between their security personnel and ensure that Dokalam-like incidents do not recur.

The Chinese and the Indian troops were engaged in a prolonged standoff in Dokalam area of the Sikkim sector since June 16 after the Indian side stopped the construction of a road by the Chinese Army.

On August 28, India’s External Affairs Ministry announced that New Delhi and Beijing have decided on “expeditious disengagement” of their border troops in the disputed Dokalam area. PTI

Indian, Chinese troops exchange sweets at Nathu La on Independence Day
At the Nathu La. AFP file
Gangtok, August 15
There was no ceremonial meeting between officers of the Indian and Chinese armies on the Independence Day on Tuesday at the strategic Nathu La border amid the continued standoff at Doklam, but personnel from two sides exchanged sweets.
The Army and ITBP personnel took part in the informal exchange of sweets at Nathu La, barely 25 km from Doklam where the two armies are face-to-face for over two months now, Army sources said.
Earlier, a ceremonial meeting used to take place between the two sides on India’s Independence Day which was attended by officers of the Chinese Army.
The Army also celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets to the local people.
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Sikkim shares international borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan. It shares a 220.7 km border with China, 95.6 km with Nepal and 32 km with Bhutan, and is connected to the country through a narrow 27 km stretch of land known as the ‘chicken’s neck’.
Speaking at the day’s main function in Gangtok, Chief Minister Pawan K Chamling said the state’s location showed its strategic importance for the unity and integrity of the nation.
“Our people are like unpaid soldiers defending our motherland. Unbounded peace and harmony for people living in the border states are great assets for the nation.
“I am pleased to say that the state government of Sikkim and every Sikkimese citizen stand solidly behind the Centre to safeguard the integrity and sovereignty of our great nation,” he added. PTI

New Delhi, September 18The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to provide the files on the basis of which the services of some ex-Army officers, caught for allegedly spying for Pakistan in 1978 in the infamous Samba spy case, were terminated.Between August 1978 and January 1979, several Army officers were arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir between 1972 and 1978.A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said a three-judge bench of the apex court had already decided the matter in 2014.Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for these officials, told the bench that a division bench of the Delhi High Court had in 2010, while setting aside the termination order of former officers Major SP Sharma, Captain Arun Sharma, Major Ajwani and Major RK Midha, had held that the action taken against them was bad in law.He said thereafter the matter came to the apex court and a three-judge bench had upheld the Centre’s decision to terminate the services of Army officers while overturning the high court’s verdict.Bhushan claimed that the government had shown some files to the three-judge bench to buttress its argument that these Army officers were Pakistani spies but these were not made available to them.“I am not challenging the termination of service at all,” he said, adding, “at least those files should be shown to these officials”.“This is a huge stigma. Please give us an opportunity to restore our honour,” he said, while referring to a book by a former chief of the Intelligence Bureau who had said the case was doubtful.He alleged that the case was based on false testimonies of two persons and there was no evidence against the officers whose services were terminated.“The petitioners have a right to access the documents on the basis of which they have been defamed, their reputation has been tarnished and on the basis of which the judgment of the High Court of Delhi was set aside by this court.”“Denial of documents which gravely concern and affect the petitioners is not only in violation of Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution but the same is also subversive of rule of law and democracy,” the plea said. — PTI

Mulayam Singh Yadav. File photo

Etawah (UP), August 15The country faces the “biggest” threat from China, former Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday said, claiming that it is plotting to attack India in collaboration with Pakistan.“There are a number of threats before the country but the biggest threat is from China…it is continuously encroaching on our land and is planning to attack but is not able to advance because of our Army,” he said at a function here.“China is preparing to attack India in collaboration with Pakistan. This collaboration of China and Pakistan is dangerous for us…this matter should be taken seriously,” the Samajwadi Party patriarch said.Referring to the contribution of Lohia, JP and other socialist leaders in the freedom struggle, the SP founder said people have faith in the socialists and they need to raise their voice against injustice.There are a number of problems before the country like unemployment, poverty, farmers’ plight, women’s safety, terrorism and security of borders and all need to stay together in dealing with them, he said.Mulayam, who had been dethroned by his son Akhilesh from the post of party president earlier this year, however, did not respond to a suggestion made by his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav in his speech earlier that it was time for him to think about the party.Shivpal had said that those who claimed to have strengthened the party in fact weakened it and appealed to Mulayam that it was time now for him to decide as the “Samajwadis” of the state are looking to him for taking the party forward. — PTI

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. File photo

Islamabad, August 14

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday urged the international community to play its due role in resolving the Kashmir issue with India.“It is incumbent upon the international community to play its role in the resolution of the regional conflicts, particularly the Kashmir dispute, in conformity with the UN Resolutions on the subject with a view to ensuring durable peace in the region,” Abbasi said in his address to the nation on the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence Day.

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He said Pakistan desired to have positive and constructive relations with all countries of the world, especially with its neighbours, on the basis of sovereign equality.“The people of South Asia have suffered enormously in the last 50 years due to the festering conflicts. Until and unless those conflicts are resolved amicably, the people of the region cannot achieve prosperity and progress,” he added.Praising the freedom fighters of the country, Abbasi said, “We are greatly indebted to our ancestors for their sacrifices and we can repay that debt only by making Pakistan a free and independent country.”He noted that the recent transition of power through a democratic process was quintessential of the accelerated strengthening of democratic values in the country.Abbasi stressed on strengthening and reinforcing the state institutions so that they could play their prescribed role within the limits of law and the constitution.Asserting that a strong economy could ensure a strong defence, Abbasi said a moderate society guaranteed stability of the state, where people enjoyed all their fundamental rights and national resources were equitably and judicious distributed.Pakistan was created out of a partitioned Indian subcontinent on August 14, 1947. ANI

Army men near the police complex in Pulwama which came under Jaish attack on Saturday. Tribune Photo

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 30

At the crack of dawn on Saturday last week, three fidayeen militants stormed a heavily fortified police installation in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Their intention was to go for the maximum kills and their message was terse: Jaish-e-Mohammad is back, and it has the capability to mount deadly attacks deep inside the Kashmir valley.The Jaish, which faced near extinction of its cadres in the Valley till recently, has made a quiet entry in recent months into south Kashmir — the epicentre of the region’s new-age militants.The police now estimate that the Jaish has around a dozen militants in south Kashmir who operate in three units, one of which moves around the fringes of Srinagar.“We have reports that their two groups (with possible strength of six to eight) are floating in south Kashmir and one may be on the fringes of Srinagar,” Kashmir IGP Muneer Khan said, adding that another Jaish unit was suspected to be hiding in Tral sub-district.The Jaish militants operating in south Kashmir are believed to have infiltrated this year, with the latest unit of six to eight militants that operates around Pulwama town suspected to have infiltrated only a month ago. Abdul Mateen and Muhammad Bhai, both foreigners, are believed to be commanding the Jaish in south Kashmir, police sources said.The sudden surge in the Jaish strength in the Valley comes after years of lying low; even though, in recent years, it had launched devastating attacks against security installations along the Line of Control and the International Border.The Jaish was formed in January 2000 by militant cleric Maulana Masood Azhar, days after he along with two others were released in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in exchange for release of passengers aboard the hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814. Azhar had spent six years in Indian jails before his release in December 1999.The group had emerged on the militant scene in Kashmir within months after its formation and marked a dramatic escalation in the conflict. The first attack, which signalled its arrival, targeted the Army’s 15 Corps Headquarters in the city here when an 18-year-old Srinagar boy detonated a car bomb outside its main entrance in April 2000.However, the militant group faced an existential crisis in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks on the United States and as Pakistan became a frontline ally in the ‘war on terror’, the Jaish faced desertions with its leadership staying quasi-neutral.In subsequent years, the Jaish strength came down and by July 2013 it had only eight cadres left in the Valley. The last known Jaish militants — Adeel Pathan and Chota Burmi — who operated in south Kashmir were killed in October 2015.So far, six Jaish militants — including the three foreign fidayeen, who attacked District Police Lines on Saturday last week — have been killed this year in south Kashmir. Two local Jaish cadres — both south Kashmir residents — have also died this year.Pulwama SP Mohammad Aslam told The Tribune that the police were investigating whether the three fidayeen, who attacked the police installation in which eight security men were killed last week, were part of the older group that was in the area for the past month or whether they had freshly infiltrated.“Some Jaish militants have managed to infiltrate and there is a movement of eight to ten militants in this area,” the police officer said.The entry of Jaish makes an addition to the number of insurgent groups and militants operating in south Kashmir, dotted with dense orchards and ringed by forests and mountains.Another police officer said the entry of Jaish militants would impact the overall security scenario in the region. “They are better equipped, better committed and better trained than militants from other groups,” he said.