United Nations, December 11

The era of classifying terrorists as “bad” or “good” on the basis of “political convenience” must end immediately, a concept note circulated by India in the UN Security Council here has said, underlining that categorising terror acts by intent as religious or ideologically motivated will dilute the shared global commitment to fighting terrorism.

India, the current president of the 15-nation UN Security Council, will hold two signature events on reformed multilateralism and counter-terrorism to be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on December 14 and 15. 

India proposes to organise a briefing of the Security Council on December 15 on ‘Global counter-terrorism approach – principles and the way forward’ under the ‘Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts’.

Ahead of the meeting, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asked that a concept note intended to guide the discussions on the topic be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

“The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 were a turning point in the global approach to counter-terrorism. Since then, London, Mumbai, Paris, many parts of West Asia and Africa have also experienced terrorist attacks,” the concept note last week said.

It added that these attacks highlight that the threat of terrorism is grave and universal and that terrorism in one part of the world seriously impacts peace and security in other parts of the globe.

“The threat of terrorism is transnational. Terrorist actors and their supporters, facilitators and financiers collaborate while remaining in different jurisdictions to organise acts anywhere in the world. A transnational threat can be defeated only by the collective efforts of all States Members of the United Nations,” it said

Stressing that the menace of terrorism cannot be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group, the note said that all acts of terrorism are criminal.

“Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned. There cannot be an exception or justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation and wherever, whenever and by whosoever committed. The era of classifying terrorists as “bad”, “not so bad” or “good” on the basis of political convenience must end immediately.”

It said that existing and emerging threats call for a renewed collective approach to terrorism. 

ANI

Islamabad (Pakistan), December 12

A new study that measures Beijing’s expanding global sway has revealed that Pakistan is the country in the world which is most influenced by China, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

The China Index, a database relaunched on December 8 by DoubleThink Labs, a Taiwan-based research organisation has ranked Pakistan atop a list of 82 other nations around the world and said that its links and dependency on China with regard to foreign and domestic policy, technology, and the economy make it particularly susceptible to Chinese influence.

Following Pakistan, Cambodia and Singapore are listed at the second spot while Thailand at third position, as per the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) report. The Philippines is listed at the seventh spot while Malaysia lies in the 10th position. South Africa and Peru are tied at the fifth spot on the index.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are at the eighth and ninth spots on the index. These two countries share a border with China’s Xinjiang Province and are the Central Asian countries most influenced by Beijing

Meanwhile, Germany is the highest-ranked European country at 19th spot while the United States leads North America in the 21st position, as per the news report. While compiling the China index, the research team focused on nine categories to monitor influence around the world, which includes higher education, domestic politics, economic ties, foreign policy, military cooperation, media, technology and cultural links.

Speaking to RFE/RL, Min Hsuan-Wu, the co-founder and CEO of Doublethink Labs, said that the database has been created to raise awareness about different aspects of China’s influence. Wu stressed that the system will help to have more understanding that challenges some assumptions about levers of Chinese influence, particularly around economics and trade.

“A major goal of [of this database] is to raise awareness around the world about the different aspects of Chinese influence and what that can actually look like,” RFE/RL quoted Min Hsuan-Wu as saying.

“We have taken a much broader and nuanced look at what influence can be, which can tell us more about what Beijing is actually doing and the different ways it can apply pressure,” Min Hsuan-Wu added.

Pakistan leading in the index is no surprise as the South Asian country is home to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a centrepiece of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative which involves funding of Chinese entities in developing infrastructure projects in the past 10 years.

Pakistan’s relations with China have increased in every sector, particularly in military ties, technology and foreign policy, according to RFE/RL report. Shahzeb Jillani, a veteran journalist who helped compile research on Pakistan used for the database, said that they can only hope that the index will encourage the people of Pakistan to debate regarding the pros and cons of the country’s ties with China.

While trade and investment were an early impetus, Chinese influence now plays an increasing role in foreign policy, local media, defence and security. In the index rankings, Kyrgyzstan ranks in the 10th place while Kazakhstan holds the 15th spot.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is listed at the 24th spot while Turkmenistan which sells a large portion of its natural gas to China is listed at the 45th position, as per the news report. Notably, the United Kingdom is in the 27th spot on the index and is ranked as the second-highest European country. This time, the database involved 82 nations, however, DoubleThink Labs plans to expand it in the future, particularly across Africa.

26.01.2023 – Thursday – Republic Day
5.02.2023 – Sunday – Guru Ravidas Jayanti
18.02.2023 – Saturday – Maha Shivaratri
8.03.2023 – Wednesday – Holi
30.03.2023 – Thursday – Ram Navami
4.04.2023 – Tuesday – Mahavir Jayanti
7.04.2023 – Friday – Good Friday
14.04.2023 – Friday – Dr Ambedkar Jayanti
14.04.2023 – Friday – Vaisakh
22.04.2023 – Saturday – Idul Fitr
22.04.2023 – Saturday – Maharshi Parasuram Jayanti
23.05.2023 – Tuesday – Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji’s Martyrdom Day
4.06.2023 – Sunday – Sant Guru Kabir Jayanti
29.06.2023 – Thursday – Bakrid / Eid al Adha
15.08.2023 – Tuesday – Independence Day
7.09.2023 – Thursday – Janmashtami
2.10.2023 – Monday – Gandhi Jayanti
24.10.2023 – Tuesday – Vijaya Dashami
28.10.2023 – Saturday – Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti
12.11.2023 – Sunday – Diwali
27.11.2023 – Monday – Guru Nanak Jayanti
17.12.2023 – Sunday – Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji’s Martyrdom Day
25.12.2023 – Monday – Christmas Day

General Munir said that defence of the motherland will be ensured at all costs and there won’t be any space for spoilers of peace
Pakistan’s recently appointed Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, said on Tuesday that no one would be allowed to disrupt the hard-earned gains of the war against terrorism. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the military, Gen. Munir made these remarks during his visit to Tirah Valley in the Khyber district on the western border with Afghanistan.
General Munir said that defence of the motherland will be ensured at all costs and there won’t be any space for spoilers of peace. “No one will be allowed to disrupt the hard-earned gains of war against terror made thus far,” he was quoted as saying. While interacting with officers and men, General Munir praised them for their high morale and operational readiness in the line of duty. The COAS said that the state’s writ has been established due to innumerable sacrifices by tribal people and security forces. “Our fight against terrorism will continue with the support of the nation till we achieve enduring peace and stability,” he said.
His remarks come days after the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) last week called off an indefinite ceasefire agreed with the government in June and ordered its militants to carry out attacks across the country. The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007. Its main aim is to impose its strict brand of Islam across Pakistan. The TTP announced a ceasefire with the government in June but the attacks on the security forces never stopped. The group never claimed responsibility and instead blamed splinter groups for those attacks.
The group, which is believed to be close to al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. The army chief spent a day with forward troops deployed along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border where he was briefed by the field commander about operational preparedness and border control measures in place as part of Western Borders Management Regime.
Later, the army chief visited Corps Headquarters Peshawar.
He was also briefed about operational, training and other matters of the formation including efforts to create a secure environment for socio-economic development projects to uplift the newly-merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It was General Munir’s first visit to the western border since taking command of the army last month.

Islamabad: An army’s role around the world is to protect its country from perceived and actual threats and to ensure national security. But in Pakistan, where extortion and corruption are rife, the army takes on the role of the mafia.
With a dubious record of toppling elected governments, installing puppet dictators and plundering the country’s resources to fund the lavish lifestyles of its generals, the Pakistani army is truly unique in its functioning.
Most recently, General Qamar Jawed Bajwa has come under fire for what many are calling a questionable accumulation of wealth while he was head of the Pakistani Army.
A recent investigative report by the website, Fact Focus, out of Pakistan, revealed Pakistani Army General Qamar Jawed Bajwa and family’s suspected financial and tax information.
The report raises many questions as to the Bajwa family’s disproportionate accumulation of wealth during the General’s tenure as Army Chief, and to the Army’s financial transactions in general.
In an ironic twist, Pakistan, instead of vowing to investigate the Bajwas’ financial situation, has ordered an investigation into what they call the “illegal” and “unwarranted leakage” of the family’s tax information.
Bajwa’s blue-eyed boy, Munir is appointed as Pakistan army chief; it will be business as usual with no heads rolling for the rampant corruption plaguing the Pakistani army. Financial mishandling, corruption, and influence peddling by generals for personal gain have been the subject of several scandals in Pakistan.
At the beginning of this year, data leaked from Credit Suisse, an investment banking firm registered in Switzerland, revealed information about 600 accounts linked to 1400 Pakistani citizens. Account-holders included several key politicians and generals, including the ex-ISI chief, General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan.
“Expose like this coming out is nothing new. It has been well-known for a long. We also know case of a Pakistani General who fled from Pakistan and opened a chain of pizza huts in the US. So it’s nothing new”, says, Defence Expert Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd)
One of the Pakistani Army’s biggest scandals remains its appropriation and sale of land in the name of welfare and providing housing for its officer cadre.
On 27 August 2016, an article titled ‘Lust for Land’ was published in the Pakistani newspaper ‘Dawn’. In the article, Pakistani freelance columnist and former civil servant, Irfan Husain, exposed the reality of multiplying defence societies and the Pakistani Army’s insatiable hunger for land.
Several other reports from Pakistan have claimed that the Pakistani Army is using government land to fulfil commercial interests.
The Army has built shopping malls, cinema halls and marriage halls on government land.
The military appears interested in many lands and commercial entities, ranging from petrol pumps to huge industrial plants.
Money earned by rentals of these properties is being given to the families of Army officers.
In Pakistan, many petitions have also been filed over the failure to implement laws to protect lands from the military mafia.
Though the Supreme Court of Pakistan has criticised the military establishment in the past for their involvement in commercial pursuits, the practice continues.
While Pakistan has descended into a deep economic crisis, military officers have been given taxpayer funded land allocations worth millions.
J S Sodhi further added, “Well the fact that today Pakistan is on the brink of being declared a bankrupt nation. They have no money with them. We have seen the recent floods in which one-third of Pakistan was under water.”
Pakistan recently ranked 140th out of 180 countries on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 by Transparency International, dropping 16 spots from the previous year.
In Pakistan, corruption is so ingrained within the military that it seems unlikely that the appointment of a new General, or even of new political leadership will be able to change the functioning of the country’s most powerful institution.
As Pakistan descends deeper into economic and political instability, the Army’s top leaders continue to enjoy an enrichment of power and finances.

Washington: The United States has placed six Pakistani companies on its entity list for missile proliferation and unsafe-guarded nuclear activity.
These companies were part of two dozen entities from countries like Russia, Switzerland, Latvia, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, that were added to the Entity List of the US Commerce Department.
“Today, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a rule that adds 24 new entities to the Entity List under 26 entries, applying stringent license requirements that will severely restrict these entities’ access to commodities, software, and technologies subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). These entities are added under the destinations of Russia, Switzerland, Latvia, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.),” the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said in a press release.
Six Pakistan-based companies which are designed are Dynamic Engineering Corporation, Rainbow Solutions (Pakistan), Universal Drilling Engineers (Pakistan), EnerQuip Private, Ltd. (Pakistan), NAR Technologies General Trading LLC (Pakistan and UAE) and TROJANS (Pakistan and UAE).
These companies were added to the entity list for “unsafeguarded nuclear activity and missile proliferation related activities.”
“For the unacceptable risk of using or diverting items subject to the EAR for Pakistan’s unsafeguarded nuclear activities, Dynamic Engineering Corperation has been added to the Entity List,” BIS said in the statement.
“Five companies are being added to the Entity List for their contributions to unsafeguarded nuclear activity and missile proliferation related activities that are contrary to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States,” the statement added.
US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Thea Rozman Kendler said advancements in missile and nuclear technology must be vigorously protected from those who seek to cause harm and destruction at a global scale.
“We cannot allow the export of U.S. technology to contribute to nuclear proliferation worldwide. Our action today helps to prevent that from happening and demonstrates U.S. leadership in standing up for the principles of ethical innovation,” Kendler added.

White House Official Kurt Campbell said that the Indian community in the US is a powerful connection
Washington: India, which has a unique strategic character, will not be an ally of the US, but another great power, a top White House official has said, asserting there is no other bilateral relationship that is being “deepened and strengthened” more rapidly than between the two countries over the last 20 years.
Responding to a question on India during his appearance at the Aspen Security Forum meeting here on Thursday, Kurt Campbell, the White House Asia Coordinator, said that in his view India is the most important bilateral relationship for the United States in the 21st century.
“The fact is, I don’t know of any bilateral relationship that is being deepened and strengthened more rapidly than the United States and India over the last 20 years,” he told a Washington audience.
The United States needs to invest even more of its capacity, and build in people-to-people ties, working together on technology and other issues, he said.
“India has a unique strategic character. It will not be an ally of the United States. It has the desire to be an independent, powerful state and it will be another great power. But I think there are reasons to believe that our strategic alignment is growing across the board in almost every arena,” Campbell said.
There are inhibitions in both of the bureaucracies and there are many challenges, he acknowledged.
“But I do believe that this is a relationship that should have some ambition. We should look at things that we can do together, whether it’s in space, whether it’s education, whether it’s on climate, whether it’s on technology, and really move in that direction,” he said.
“If you look over the last 20 years and look at the hurdles that have been surmounted and the depth of engagement between our two sides, it’s remarkable,” he said.
India-US relationship, he asserted, is not simply built on anxiety around China.
“It is a deeper understanding of the importance of the synergies between our societies,” he said, adding that the Indian community here is a powerful connection.
Campbell acknowledged that Indians were ambivalent when President Joe Biden and his administration decided to take the Quad to the leader level. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the resource-rich region.
China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.
“There were probably voices in their bureaucracy that were against it. But when President Biden made the direct appeal repeatedly to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, they decided that this was in their interests,” he said.
The US is working very constructively with its Indian partners on the major set of initiatives in COVID-19 vaccine delivery, in maritime domain awareness and education, the White House official said.
“I’m thrilled to say that Prime Minister (Anthony) Albanese of Australia has invited us in 2023 for a major Quad meeting that we think will extend our coordination, and cooperation, not just in Southeast Asia, and the Indo- Pacific as well,” he said.
“I’m very bullish on the Quad. I think it will remain an unofficial venue. But it has many lines of communication, and it’s led to strengthening and deepening of coordination between these four key maritime democracies,” Campbell said.
The Quad, known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a group of four countries: the United States, Australia, India, and Japan.
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference that the relationship between India and the United States is strong.
“That’s what we believe,” she said in response to a question.
“We are grateful for their (India’s) leadership at the last G20, and look forward to working closely with India as they’re new chair of the G 20. So, we also look forward to continuing working with India on a range of important regional and global issues as well,” Jean-Pierre said.
India formally assumed the G20 Presidency last week.
The spokesperson said the Biden administration continues to seek the confirmation of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the US Ambassador to India.
“We want to see that happen quickly, who was voted…with strong bipartisan support to serve as ambassador to India. We don’t have any updates on timing, but we’ll continue to push that forward,” Jean-Pierre said.
Garcetti, 51, has been Mayor of Los Angeles since 2013. He is a close aide of President Biden.
In July 2021, Biden nominated Garcetti as his Ambassador to India.
But the Senate confirmation of Garcetti has been pending for more than a year now. His nomination was initially blocked by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley because of allegations of inappropriate behaviour by one of his senior staffers.
Though the hold on his nomination has been lifted, the ruling Democrats are reluctant to bring his nomination for confirmation before the full Senate as they think they don’t have enough votes for it.
Last month, the White House had exuded confidence that Garcetti would be confirmed by the Senate.

Amritsar, December 8

For the convenience of those who wish to watch the thumping Beating the Retreat ceremony at the Attari Joint Check Post (JCP), the Border Security Force (BSF) has launched an online booking system.

Operational from January 1 next year, the visitors can get their seats reserved free of cost in the spectators’ gallery through the website, ww.attari.bsf.gov.in.

An official said the seat booking would be available 48 hours prior to the date of visit. “The visitors would have to get themselves registered on the site while furnishing their credentials. The OTP-enabled registration will used to authenticate the visitor,” he said.

The Attari JCP is located on the International Border, about 27 km from Amritsar.

It is an important tourist destination with the Joint Retreat Parade between BSF and Pak Rangers being a major attraction.

The Retreat ceremony is a traditional practice performed when the fighting troops conclude their battle, sheathe their weapons and retreat from the battlefield after sunset.

Instability in Pakistan impacting relations with India

Lt Gen Kamal Davar (Retd)

Born from the same womb of Mother India, Pakistan, since the advent of India’s independence in 1947, consistently following an anti-India stance in all its politico-strategic formulations brooks no elaboration. Ironically, despite sharing a common heritage and being compatriots in the freedom struggle against British yoke and beset with problems of abject poverty, illiteracy and social inequalities, India and Pakistan have only shared a tumultuous relationship. To most objective strategic analysts and a fair number of people on both sides of the once drawn Radcliffe Line, Pakistan’s policies towards India are nothing but myopic and self-destructive in nature. Perhaps, to them being blindly anti-India in every facet of external and neighbourly relations is the raison-de-tre for their existence. The negativity of the ‘two-nation’ theory continues to drive their mindsets towards India.

Most of Pakistan’s internal problems and its resultant instability can be attributed to the unbridled powers and undying greed of the ‘deep state’ in Pakistan. Pakistan’s ‘deep state’ is the unholy trinity of the Pakistan Army, its intelligence agencies and the many terror outfits its army trains, funds and tasks. Importantly, the ‘deep state’ has also worsened Pakistan’s relations with its larger and more powerful neighbour, India. Realising that it cannot halt India’s march towards the latter’s economic progress and rise as a regional and global power, Pakistan has been creating terrorist related problems for India in J&K as also other forms of cross-border provocations. Indian responses to Pakistani terror mischief and even during the four wars both nations have fought with each other, have inflicted heavy costs on Pakistan.

Fast-forwarding to the current times, Pakistan is, unquestionably, in the throes of growing internal instability and gargantuan economic problems. To be seen now is whether Pakistan is imploding or will it be business as usual with the Pak Army under its new Army Chief, Asim Munir, cracking the whip? It is well-known that the once Pak Army favourite, former PM Imran Khan, is now up in arms against his original mentors – the Pak Army – and the explosive political situation in Pakistan heralded by the failed assassination bid on him has created politically a more toxic situation inside Pakistan. Imran and his party, the Tehrik-e-Insaaf – Pakistan, are clamouring for fresh elections whilst the current Shehbaz Sharif government and the Pak Army naturally would like to avoid the immensely popular Imran Khan getting back Pakistan’s reins of power!

The fracas and the widely debated public discussions over who would be the next Army Chief have just been over with a reportedly religiously oriented hardliner, Gen Asim Munir, being appointed as the chief. Gen Munir, as the ISI chief, was removed by then Pak PM Imran Khan. It will be thus prudent for Imran Khan to take additional measures for his own safety now. It is a common saying in Pakistan that prime ministers are generally removed from office either by military coups or assassinations! Anyway, Pakistan is now firmly in the grip of acute political chaos and it is thus imperative for India to carefully monitor Pakistan’s aberrant nature.

Just two days back there was further bad news for Pakistan with the dreaded Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan suo moto quashing their June 2022 Afghan Taliban sponsored cease-fire agreement with Pakistan. Gradually, the Baluch and Afghan nationalists as also the ordinary people in Pakistan Occupied J&K and Gilgit-Baltistan regions are hardening their stance against the Pak establishment, making the overall internal security situation in Pakistan precarious.

Pakistan will be well advised to read the writing on the global wall. India’s international stature and economy is rapidly growing whilst Pakistan’s is diminishing notwithstanding China’s devious support to Pakistan both militarily and financially. Pakistan’s salvation lies in it returning to its roots, establishing sound economic and trade ties with India and, importantly, forsaking terrorism as an instrument of state policy. It will also be in India’s interest to persuade Pakistan, by sincere dialogue and genuine diplomacy, failing which, by punitive military action compel Pakistan to discard its traditional hostility towards India and live as peaceful neighbours.

The writer is a former chief of Defence Intelligence Agency