New Delhi, July 27

India today inked a deal with the US defence and aerospace giant Boeing to procure four more P-8I submarine hunter planes worth $1 billion.The Navy has already purchased eight P-8Is for $2.1 billion and deployed some of these in Andaman and Nicobar islands near the busy shipping route passing through the Malacca Straits.The P-8I, classified as a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, is based on the body of Boeing’s 737-800 commercial aircraft. It is the Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing has developed for the US Navy. It has a range of 4,500 nautical miles.  The Navy’s anti-submarine and surface warfare capabilities will be augmented once the planes join the fleet. — TNS

Tab on China

• The acquisition of additional P-8Is will be a shot in the arm for the Navy as the country has been building up its naval surveillance capabilities to check China’s presence in the Indian Ocean.

Says no need to respond to irresponsible comments

New Delhi, October 5Hitting out at those “seeking proof” of the surgical strikes in PoK, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said further discussions on the operations would be an “insult” to the “commendable” task carried out by the Army.“There is no need to respond to such irresponsible comments and demands. Fortunately, the Congress has also realised its mistake and distanced itself from the comments of its leaders. The AAP has also made it very clear,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.He said nobody had any doubt about the “credentials and commitment” of the Army which had done a “commendable” job and further discussions on the operations would be an “insult” to the force.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

“I don’t think any Indian citizen has got any doubt. Nobody doubts the credentials and commitment of the Army. It did a commendable job. It would be an insult to the Army if we further discuss it,” he said.Naidu said the Director General Military Operations himself had given the statement about the operations in full details and also shared the information at an all-party meeting.He wondered if giving further details would be in the interest of the nation.Observing that the entire country is happy about the surgical strikes, he said the world had also acknowledged the step. “Only Pakistan is saying something because they have to say something. They are not in a position to conduct funeral or last rites of their own citizens,” he said.Earlier, addressing the event, the minister said India did not want war with anybody, but would give a befitting reply if continuously provoked.“We never want a war with anybody. If somebody continuously provokes us, we will give them a befitting reply like our jawans gave the reply recently,” he said.Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam had accused the BJP of indulging in politics over national interest and called the surgical strikes on terror camps as fake, the comments which were slammed by his own party. PTI

Northern Command Chief Lt Gen D S Hooda paying tributes at the Kargil war memorial on Vijay Diwas at Drass on Tuesday. PTI

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 26

As the Valley continues to remain on the boil, Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda today said Pakistan had a “direct role in whatever was happening in Kashmir”.“There is no doubt in our mind that Pakistan has been sort of interfering in Kashmir and has a direct role in what we are calling the proxy war in Kashmir. We are seeing it every day along the border. We are seeing it from the manner in which support is being given to infiltrating groups. We have seen how sometimes ceasefire violations along the Line of Control are actually in support of people who are infiltrating inside,” the Northern Command chief told reporters at Drass on Kargil Vijay Diwas today.He said Pakistan takes direct advantage of the “internal disturbances” in Kashmir like the ongoing unrest erupted after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.“If there is an internal disturbance, Pakistan will directly take advantage of it. You have heard statements by the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Toiba that they are supporting whatever is happening in Kashmir. The support is not only moral but it is absolutely physical and there is no doubt about that in our minds,” Lt General Hooda said.As the demand for the ban of pellet guns increases, the Northern Command chief said it was “better than using firearms or weapons” for mob control.“There is a requirement of non-lethal weaponry and pellet guns are classified as part of the non-lethal weaponry. Unfortunately, they have caused some casualties. It’s still a better form than using firearms or weapons. There is much better non-lethal weaponry available around the world,” he said. “The government is looking at even more non-lethal options to control a mob. The Home Minister has said that they are going to explore whether we can get some better and more modern non-lethal weaponry,” the Army officer added.The Northern Command chief said the police and the CRPF were handling the law and order situation and they were exercising restraint to handle the unrest in the region.“…the Army is not at the forefront of tackling the civil disturbance. It’s more of the police and the CRPF which is doing it. They are doing it with utmost restraint. We are there on the ground, we are seeing it happening. The police have been dealing with the situation for the last 20-25 years and they know exactly what is to be done. They know that restraint is to be exercised and that is exactly what they are doing,” Lt Gen Hooda added.He, however, said unfortunately one gets into a situation where one is “forced to adopt other measures”.“When police stations are being looted, there is a murderous mob attacking you, weapons are being looted, your own lives are in danger, it’s only in those situations that the police are forced to take some more strict measures,” he said.

WASHINGTON: The White House has abruptly shut down on suspicion of fraud an ongoing online petition that asked it to designate Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, citing a law introduced in the House of Representatives last week.

In a blurb headlined Closed Petition, the White House’s We the People web page, which hosts the initiative inviting petitions to the administration, said on Monday, “This petition has been archived because it did not meet the signature requirements. It can no longer be signed.”

The petition had, until October 21, to gather 100,000 signatures to merit a response from the White House under the rules of the programme, which it had already collected, and several times more. At closure, the petition had 625,723 signatures.

The website said no more, but a White House official told HT on condition of anonymity that there were “some technical issues with some of the signatures” that needed to be looked into. Some of the signatures “could potentially be removed if there is evidence of fraud” consistent with the terms of participation, the official added.

Supporters of the petition, which had generated considerable excitement among Indian Americans and in India, will be disappointed, especially as a counterpetition demanding a similar designation for India — as a “terrorist state” — was still up on the We the People page; although way behind, with nearly 66,000 signatures.

The first petition seeking the Pakistan designation was started by an individual known by initials ‘RG’ on September 21, the day after Republican congressmen Ted Poe and Dana Rohrabacher introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives demanding Pakistan be designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

Citing the legislation in the petition, the sponsor wrote it (designating Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism) was “important to the people of United State of America, India and many other countries which are continuously affected by Pakistan sponsored terrorism”.

The White House official did not explain the kind of suspected “fraud” that shut down the petition. It was also not clear if it had been suspended and will return after the bad signatures were weeded out or whether the process will have to start afresh.

Anyone can start a petition after opening an account — just a name and email would do. (This reporter opened an account on Monday, and it took barely a few minutes.) But you don’t need one to merely sign an ongoing petition.

Under the terms of participation, every individual is allowed only one email account, whether the intention is merely to sign or start a petition.

The individual must be over 13 and cannot sign the same petition more than once.

Tells him to focus on regional issues instead. PTI file

Islamabad, July 24

Slamming Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for saying that he is waiting for the day Jammu and Kashmir would join Pakistan, a Pakistani daily on Sunday urged him not to indulge in “wishful thinking”.“Such statements are nothing more than rhetoric,” the Daily Times said in an editorial.“Instead of indulging in wishful thinking, the PM needs to sit back and think with a cool mind the ways to resolve the regional issues,” it added.Pakistan’s official stance on Kashmir is that it extends moral support to the Kashmiri struggle for freedom and will continue to raise its voice for their right to self-determination.“This stance is commendable but making statements about the accession of Kashmir without any clear policy seems inappropriate,” the daily said.“By uttering these words, the PM is challenging the authority of India and inviting more trouble not only for Pakistan but Kashmiris also.” The daily said talking about Jammu and Kashmir’s accession with Pakistan was easy but nobody knew how to make it happen.“It could only happen through talks or war. There is no other solution. Kashmiris are already paying a heavy price for this conflict.“What can Pakistan offer to Kashmiris when it is still coping with numerous challenges that are posing a threat to its own stability?” The editorial said that instead of talking about capturing more land, Islamabad needed to make Pakistani-governed Kashmir a model state. Islamabad holds the northern part of the divided state.For the past 67 years, Pakistan had failed to ensure good governance in its own Kashmir, known as ‘Azad Kashmir’, it said.The daily urged India and Pakistan to resolve their bilateral issues amicably.“They need to get engaged in the dialogue process to pave the way for further talks to help find common ground to end differences. Both Pakistani and Indian governments must take pity on their respective people and come to the negotiating table for striking a permanent peace deal,” it said. IANS

GUWAHATI: Against the backdrop of purported incursions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China in Arunachal’s Anjaw district last month, a ceremonial border personnel meeting (BPM) was held on the occasion of 67th Chinese National Day at Bumla near the India-China border town of Tawang on Saturday.

According to defence sources, the Indian delegation was led by Brigadier MP Singh, Commander of Tawang Brigade, while Colonel Yao Shi Chen represented the Chinese side. The meeting was hosted by the PLA.

he sources said the BPM was inaugurated by unfurling the national flags of India and China and with the playing of the national anthem of both countries. It was followed by the formal address by the leaders of both sides.

“The proceedings reflected a mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations on the border. Both delegations interacted with each other in a congenial and cordial environment and expressed a commitment towards continued friendship, enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control,” defence spokesman Lt Col Sombit Ghosh told Express.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 23

India today vigorously rejected Pakistan’s ‘despicable design’, emphasising that the country would never be able to realise its dream  of taking over Kashmir and labelled Pakistan as a country seeking to destabilise the region.In one of the most hard-hitting statements in recent times, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said behind Pakistan’s unabashed embrace and encouragement to terrorism lay its delusional though dangerous dream that “Kashmir will one day become Pakistan”, as stated by Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif yesterday.“The whole of India would like to tell the Prime Minister of Pakistan that this dream will not be realised even at the end of eternity. The whole of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India. You will never be able to make this heaven on earth a haven for terrorists.” Swaraj said Pakistan, that used fighter planes and artillery guns against its own people, could not pontificate to India on the brave work being done by its security forces.“The country which has used fighter planes and artillery against millions of its own people has no right whatsoever to point a finger at our brave, professional and disciplined police and security forces. Their restraint and respect for fellow citizens is evident in the unusually high number of injured personnel — more than 1,700 — in the violence unleashed with the support from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)India’s reaction came in the backdrop of the developments in Islamabad after the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani, who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. Swaraj said what was even more condemnable was the “deplorable attempts from across our border to incite violence and glorify terrorists. These attempts have been undertaken by Pakistan’s state machinery in active partnership with UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed and other leading terrorists belonging to internationally proscribed organisations.

Washington, October 1

The United States has strongly objected to threats of nuclear warfare made by Pakistan against India and has conveyed its displeasure to that country in this regard. “We made that (American objection on nuclear threat) clear to them (Pakistan). Repeatedly,” a senior State Department official said.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The official who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, would not reveal the level at which the message was conveyed to Pakistan.“It is very concerning. It is a serious thing,” the official said when asked about Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s assertions, twice in the last 15 days, that his country could use nuclear weapons against India “We will destroy India if it dares to impose war on us,” Asif had told a Pakistani news channel in his latest interview. “Pakistan army is fully prepared to answer any misadventure of India.” “We have not made atomic device to display in a showcase. If such a situation arises we will use it (nuclear weapons) and eliminate India,” Asif had said. — PTI

When passions peak, as in the Kashmir Valley after Burhan Wani’s killing, temperance becomes a casualty. The protesting crowds were unmanageable as the pent-up anger over the status quo erupted in the form of attempts to raze army and police installations. Security officers might appear blasé now but they had struggled to control the outpouring of frustration when the protests were at their peak. And in this, they thought the best option was to clear the streets by firing pellet guns rather than heavy ammunition that claims a much heavier toll. The greater use of pellet guns has led to a lower death toll than during the 2010 protests when they were not as widely deployed.But the Valley’s security managers had not accounted for the powerful impact of the social media. Images of children, barely out of teens with bloodshot eyes that may never see again, have obliged the Union Government to announce a committee to suggest effective but less lethal forms of crowd control. The alternatives such as rubber pellets, tear gas and cattle prod guns, were used but in less perilous situations. Kashmiris might also consider themselves better placed than people of tribal Central India and the North East where unruly crowds are still dispersed by the traditional rifle and august bodies such as the United Nations ignore their travails.Pellets do cause more unintended injuries because they don’t follow a definite path and bounce off rocks and trees. This is what caused injuries to people watching the action unfold from their homes. But can pellet guns be the only alternative? Could Wani have been arrested? Even Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti understands that the alternative forms of crowd control being suggested by human rights advocates won’t work. That is why on becoming Chief Minister, she dropped her opposition on security forces using pellet guns. There seems to be no alternative to this necessary evil unless the political class casts aside its shortsightedness and genuinely attempts a political solution. The only less lethal solution than pellet guns is talks.

People in vulnerable areas forced to lug around luggage, call up kin for asylum as promise of tents, shelter, transport hasn’t come through

MODE/DAOKE/RORANWALA (ON PAKISTAN BORDER NEAR AMRITSAR): Thousands across India may be celebrating the army’s surgical strikes but villagers near the International Border (IB) are upset with the lack of government support in evacuation and say they fear for the safety of their houses and property.

GURPREET SINGH/HTSatnam Singh (in blue turban) packing up to leave Mullakot, a village 20 metres from the Pakistan border in Amritsar sector, and (below) a migrant labourer left behind spraying pesticide over a field near the zero line on Thursday.

Residents in Punjab’s Attari sector say they feel abandoned by the local administration with little support in getting transportation or choosing possible destination, more than 24 hours after the government announced evacuation of villages in border areas. “No government official has reached the village. Just an announcement was made. I sent my children and wife away and stayed back to keep my house safe,” said Angrej Singh of Daoke, which is metres from the fence. Two-third of the village’s 3,000 people have left.

The evacuation was ordered as relations between New Delhi and Islamabad nosedived following the Indian Army’s announcement of surgical strikes against “terror launchpads” in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir, amid fears of retaliation by the neighbouring country. But people in the most vulnerable regions say they are forced to lug around their luggage and call up relatives for asylum as the local administration’s promises of tents, shelters and transport hasn’t come through.

Many families have sent the women and children away but the men are staying back to ward off thieves, often standing in fields with swords to guard their property. “Anyone can take advantage of the situation. People in border villages are worried about their houses, cattle and crop,” said Saab Singh of Daoke.

“We did not sleep. We stood guard all night with swords in hand,” said Kashmir Kaur of Daoke. Many fear widespread looting if police and officials don’t arrive to direct the evacuation efforts.

“The government says leave but what about our belongings? How much can we carry? Anyone can break into our home and loot,” said Sukhdev Singh of Mode village.

But the administration has rebuffed the allegations, saying they needed some time before informing villagers about the location of shelters and arranging transport. “We are on the job and already places for shelters have been identified and will be operational by Friday evening,” said deputy commissioner Varun Roojam.

“We have hired 20 buses to move villages to safer places. The Shiromani Akali Dal will arrange for langar (community kitchen) to provide food to the evacuees,” he said. Transport has emerged as a major problem and many say people with no relatives in faraway places have nowhere to go.

“People are making their own arrangements to leave. What about those with no relatives in cities? How do they go if they don’t have own transport? Public transport does not reach here,” said Surjit Singh of Mullakot village, which was captured by Pakistan in the 1971 war.

Dyal Singh, who had gone to evacuate his daughter Baljit Kaur from Daoke, said he had arranged everything by himself. The Border Security Force said it was on high alert and didn’t let farmers go near the fence. “We do not know till when this order stays. But till that time, we are asked to stay away from the fence,” said Harjap Singh of Daoke.

1,750 REPORT AT CAMPS IN FEROZEPUR, FAZILKA FEROZEPUR: Mass evacuation of women, children, and the elderly is being reported from border villages in Ferozepur and Fazilka districts.

Nearly 15,000 people of 365 villages along the 85-km border with Pakistan in Ferozepur and 10,000 from 125 border villages in Fazilka district have moved to safer places. The administration has set up 40 rehabilitation camps at Ferozepur and 30 at Fazilka. Nearly 250 people have reported at camps in Ferozepur and 1,500 in Fazilka.