Incidents targeting Shiite minority up | Explosion days after 4 killed in Taluqan city

Kabul, January 1

At least 10 persons were killed and eight others seriously injured in an explosion that rocked the Kabul military airport on Sunday, a Taliban interior ministry spokesperson confirmed.

Spokesperson Abdul Nafee Takkur reported that an explosion caused injuries close to the military airport’s main gate in Kabul. No one has taken responsibility for the attack as of yet.

This explosion comes three days after four people were injured in a blast that rocked Taluqan city, the capital of northern Takhar province on Wednesday.

The military airport is around 200 metres (219 yards) from the civilian airport and close to the Interior Ministry, itself the site of a suicide bombing last October that killed at least four people.

Taliban security commander Abdul Mubin Safi in Takhar confirmed the explosion and stated that a bomb was placed under a local administrative staff’s desk, as per official reports.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor said the blast left several people dead and wounded. He gave no exact figures or further information about the bombing, saying details of an investigation will be shared later.

Local residents said a loud explosion was heard before 8 am in the vicinity of the military side of the heavily fortified airport. They said the area had been sealed off by security forces, and all roads had been closed. The Taliban-run administration has been faced with a bloody insurgency waged by the Islamic State militant group, which has in recent weeks targeted a number of key installations in Kabul, including the Russian and Pakistani embassies as well as the office of the country’s former prime minister

In the past few months, the war-torn county has witnessed increasing security incidents including explosions.

The regional affiliate of the Islamic State group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — has increased its attacks since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority. Although Taliban security forces prevented photography and filming directly at the blast site, the checkpoint appeared damaged but intact. — Agencies

The solution to end foreign dependency in the aviation sector is not simple, but there are options available. All that is required is a clutch of professionals who are empowered, an aviation ‘national flight plan’ and political will to bring about the required changes. The conversation should not be limited to mere production of C-295 transport aircraft.

Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (Retd)

Former Additional Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies

THE C-295 transport aircraft acquisition project of the IAF has been a long time coming and has been hailed as a ‘trailblazer’; what is a bit overwhelming, though, is that it has been projected as a panacea for the ills that affect our aircraft industry environment. Let’s take stock.

It is indeed a good thing to happen. That it took more than seven decades after the establishment of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is what calls for serious introspection, which if not done will ensure continuance in the same old pit of foreign dependency.

When the HAL was set up, there were great hopes of an indigenous aircraft industry taking root. Dr Kurt Tank, famous German aeronautical engineer, was brought in to kick-start India’s foray into modern fighter aircraft design. But his product, HF-24 Marut, remained a symbol of India’s aeronautical dreams and didn’t achieve much for want of a suitable engine. This was also indicative of the lack of an overarching plan for developing India’s aeronautical R&D and manufacturing ecosystem.

No aircraft manufacturing project would be economically viable only on domestic orders. While the C-295 would be an ideal replacement for IAF’s An-32 aircraft when they are phased out, the number would still be insufficient unless export customers are found. Incidentally, the fact that 15 additional C-295 are now being ordered for the Navy and Coast Guard shows that we have not learnt from past experience; if these 15 had been added in the original order of 56 aircraft, it would have resulted in a reduction of the cost per machine due to the increased number.

The conversation should not be limited to mere production of C-295. For the project to be really successful, the Tatas (the Indian manufacturer) must move into R&D so that the question ‘what after C-295?’ gets addressed. This is what that should engage the company’s leadership since moving into the bigger league of aviation products requires decades of planning and action.

The Chinese aviation industry started with a small Russian trainer aircraft, Yak-18, in the 1950s but over time has graduated to 150-seat C919 and the under-development 280-seat C929, both of which would challenge Airbus and Boeing products. Their military transport aircraft Y-20 matches America’s C-17 Globemaster in performance and is the base aircraft for flight refuellers and airborne warning and control system (AWACS). Similarly, Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft company which started in 1969 (HAL was founded in 1940) with a small turboprop, has now graduated to 140-seat commercial carriers, the Tucano series of trainer and counter insurgency aircraft and the C-390 Millennium medium-lift transport aircraft. These success stories are indicative of well-thought-out and researched strategic plans; the Indian C-295 project heads, thus, have their work cut out.

The aviation sector requires a steady supply of skilled professionals. Anecdotal evidence exists that aviation technology as a subject had fallen on hard times since young engineering graduates had stopped opting for it due to lack of a worthwhile aviation industry. Now that there is light (hopefully) at the end of the proverbial tunnel, the government must redouble its efforts at ensuring quality education in specialised aviation institutes so that aerospace engineering becomes enticing for the youth. The Tatas can help by sponsoring students in engineering colleges and catching them young. In fact, the Department of Space’s Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, which is a feeder for the ISRO, should serve as a model for dedicated universities of aeronautical sciences.

Media reports indicate that a maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem would be created as a follow-up of the C-295 project. Such yawn-inspiring statements on India becoming an MRO hub have been made for decades, but the fact is that the huge civil aviation fleet still sends its aircraft abroad for MRO. There are myriad other nuts and bolts issues of civil aircraft manufacturing that require the government’s attention. To state only two — if just one airline, Air India, is planning to buy 300 aircraft, shouldn’t the Chinese model of demanding the assembly of such huge numbers in India be made a criterion in the selection process, like the Chinese have done with Airbus and Boeing? And shouldn’t there be a civil certification agency like the Federal Aviation Administration in the US and the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification in India for the military?

And finally, an aviation czar may be needed to ensure inter-ministerial synchronisation that would be imperative for such an onerous task. That entity can help the government take a call on whether certain divisions of HAL can be opened to the time-and-cost-conscious private sector. As a suggestion, the HAL’s helicopter division is an ideal candidate so that programmes such as the ALH (advanced light helicopter) Dhruv, light utility helicopter and the light attack helicopter are further developed and marketed successfully — and not come a cropper like the disastrous ALH Dhruv sale to Ecuador. The Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) programme has been hanging fire since 2005 or so. The IAF’s huge Mi-series fleet of over 250 helicopters would be due for replacement in the coming decades; can the ingenuity and nimbleness of the private sector be harnessed for IMRH as a replacement? Can HAL divest itself of the small aircraft segment like the HTT-44 and IJT-16 trainer aircraft and stay focused on the fighter fleet? These are all radical suggestions that perhaps cannot be implemented for the fundamental reason that there is not one private entity in the country with HAL’s infrastructure and technical expertise to absorb the knowhow to ensure a seamless transition. There would have to be government hand-holding for a gradual switch once an all-encompassing plan is made for diversification.

The solution to end foreign dependency in the aviation sector is not simple, but there are options available. All that is required is a clutch of professionals who are empowered, an aviation ‘national flight plan’ and political will to bring about the required changes — else, as they say in the Indian military, its ‘jaise the’ (as you were).

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 1

India has called on Pakistan to release and repatriate 631 Indian fishermen and two civilian prisoners who have completed their jail term and whose nationality has been confirmed. Pakistan has also been asked to provide immediate consular access to the remaining 30 fishermen and 22 civilian prisoners who have been in Pakistan’s custody and are believed to be Indian.

434 Pakistanis in Indian jails

• MEA submits lists of 339 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 95 fishermen currently in Indian custody
• Pak shares lists of 51 civilian and 654 fishermen in its custody who are Indians or believed to be Indians
• Lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen are shared by both countries on January 1 and July 1

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made the request in the context of the exchange of the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen by both the countries as per customary practice to do so on January 1 and July 1 since 2008. “Pakistan has been requested to ensure the safety, security and welfare of all Indian and believed-to-be Indian civilian prisoners and fishermen, pending their release and repatriation to India,” said an MEA release.

The ministry said it submitted lists of 339 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 95 Pakistani fishermen currently in Indian custody. Pakistan also shared lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 654 fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or are believed to be Indians.

The MEA said India remains committed to addressing, on priority, all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen in each other’s country. “In this context, India has also urged Pakistan to expedite necessary action at its end to confirm the nationality status of 71 Pakistani prisoners, including fishermen, whose repatriation is pending for want of nationality confirmation from Pakistan,” the MEA said.

The two sides also exchanged a list of their nuclear installations that could not be attacked in case of an escalation in hostilities. This is part of an annual practice that has been going on since 1992.

The lists of nuclear installation and facilities were exchanged as per the provisions of the Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, signed on December 31, 1988, and ratified on January 27, 1991.

“Pursuant to the agreement, the list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday,” said the MEA statement.

Bomb disposal squad was rushed to the spot

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 2

A live bomb shell was found on Kansal and Nayagaon road on Monday evening here in Chandigarh. The spot where the shell was found is hardly two-kilometre from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s official residence.

Police control room had received information about the bomb shell lying near the T-point on Kansal/Nayagaon road this evening.

Area police, bomb disposal squad and a team of disaster management, was rushed to the spot which was immediately cordoned off.

DSP (Central) Gurmukh Singh said that the bomb disposal squad secured the area. “We have requested Army to send a team to assist us”, DSP added.

Punjab police officials confirmed the bomb found is a live one. However, the spot from where it was recovered is near Naya Gaon, 1.2 km from the helipad of Punjab CM.

They said residences of Punjab and Haryana CMs are far away and were not the target if the bomb was planted.

“No detonator has been found, ” an official said.

“It was artillery fire,” confirmed a police official.

Investigation in the matter has been initiated.

Tribune News Service

Satya Prakash 

New Delhi, January 2

More than six years after the Centre demonetised the currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the decision to be valid and legal.

By a majority of 4:1, a five-judge Constitution Bench led by Justice S Abdul Nazeer declared that the November 8, 2016 decision didn’t suffer from any illegality and such an economic policy decision of the government could not be reversed.

Justice Nazeer is scheduled to retire on January 4.

The majority judgment came from Justice Nazeer, Justice BR Gavai, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian.

Pronouncing the judgment for the majority, Justice Gavai said the decision could not be faulted as there was consultation between the RBI and the government even as he said the petitions should be placed before an appropriate Bench by the CJI to look into the validity of the demonetisation process.

Dismissing 58 petitions challenging the demonetisation, the majority declared that the notification dated November 8, 2016 was valid and satisfied the test of proportionality; and it’s not relevant if the objective was achieved or not.

However, Justice BV Nagarathna differed from the majority on the Centre’s powers under Section 26(2) of the RBI Act. While noting that it was a well-intended exercise aimed at curbing black money and terror-funding, she found fault with the process of demonetisation.

However, Justice Nagarathna didn’t quash the demonetisation of the currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 in November 2016.

The full text of the verdict is awaited.

While reserving its verdict, the Bench had on December 7 directed the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to furnish records relating to demonetisation in a sealed cover.

The Centre had defended demonetisation, saying it was a major step to fight “the menace of fake currency notes, storage of unaccounted wealth, and financing of subversive activities”. In an affidavit filed in response to petitions challenging demonetisation, the Ministry of Finance had said it was not a “standalone or isolated economic policy action”..

However, asserting its power of judicial review, the Supreme Court had said during the hearing that it would not be a silent spectator and sit quietly with folded hands only because demonetisation was an economic policy decision.

Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha succeeds Air Marshal S Prabhakaran who superannuated on 31 December 2022. Photo: PIB/ANI

ANI

New Delhi, January 1

Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha assumed command of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command on Sunday.

The Air Marshal is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, Pune, and was commissioned into the IAF as a fighter pilot in Jun 1985.  He is an alumnus of the prestigious Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, said a press release by the Ministry of Defence.

An experienced fighter pilot, Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor, fighter Striker Leader, Instrument Rating Instructor & Examiner, Air Marshal Sinha has more than 4,500 hours of flying experience, added the statement.

In his service career spanning over 37 years, the Air Marshal has tenanted important command and staff appointments. 

These included Commanding Officer of a Fighter Squadron, Chief Instructor (Flying) at a flying station, Training Coordination Officer at Royal Air Force Valley, United Kingdom where he flew the Hawk aircraft, Principal Director Personnel Officers at Air Headquarters, Air Officer Commanding of a prestigious Air Force Station, Air Assistant to Chief of the Air Staff and Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Offensive) at Air Headquarters.

He is the Commodore Commandant of a premier fighter Sqn and was Director of General of Air Operations at Air Headquarters prior to taking over the present appointment.

The Air Officer is a recipient of ‘Vishist Seva Medal’ and ‘Ati Vishist Seva Medal’.

Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha succeeds Air Marshal S Prabhakaran who superannuated on 31 December 2022 after putting in more than 39 years of distinguished service in the IAF.

This practice of exchanging lists has continued since January 1, 1992.

PTI

Islamabad, January 1

Pakistan and India on Sunday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations that cannot be attacked in case of an escalation in hostilities, a Foreign Office statement said here, as part of an annual ritual that has been in practice between the two neighbours for more than three decades.

The lists of nuclear installation and facilities were exchanged as per the provisions of the Article-II of the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, signed on December 31, 1988 and ratified on 27 January 1991.

According to this agreement, both countries have to inform each other of the nuclear facilities.

This practice of exchanging lists has continued since January 1, 1992.

“Pursuant to the agreement, the list of nuclear installations and facilities in Pakistan was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday,” the Foreign Office said in the statement.

Simultaneously, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs also handed over their list of nuclear installations and facilities to a representative of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, according to the Foreign Office.

The exchange comes amid strain in ties between the two countries over the Kashmir issue as well as cross-border terrorism.

These lists are exchanged under the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access signed in May 2008.

PTI

Uttarkashi, December 31

Police and intelligence agencies are on alert after a Pakistani flag and two banners wrapped around light green coloured balloons were found in a forest in the district, officials said on Saturday.

One of the banners is in Urdu, while the other has “LBA” written on it in bold letters, followed by “Cabinet Lahore Bar Association”, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police (SP) Arpan Yaduvanshi said.

The flag and the banners tied to the balloons were found in the forests near Tulyada village on Friday, he said.

“We have informed the Central investigation agencies. From where they originated is a matter of investigation,” the SP said.

The matter was reported to the police on Friday by residents of Tulyada village, Dharasu police station SHO Kamal Kumar Lunthi said