Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited the house of Lt Vinay Narwal in Karnal to condole the death.
Lt. Narwal was among the 26 people killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.
Gandhi remained with the family for around 90 minutes. However, the media was not allowed inside. When Rahul met the family, all Congress leaders remained outside.
After the meeting, Rahul did not speak to the media, but took to X to express his condolences and underline the need for national unity and justice for the victims.
“I met the bereaved family of Lt. Vinay Narwal ji who was martyred in the Pahalgam attack and shared their grief and consoled them,” Gandhi posted on X. He lauded the strength of the martyr’s family, saying, “Their courage and bravery even in the midst of immense grief is a message for the country—we have to remain united.”
He said, “The whole country stands with the families of the martyrs.”
Gandhi reiterated that the opposition is firmly aligned with the government on the matter of national security. “The opposition fully supports the government. The culprits should be punished in such a way that no one dares to raise an eye towards India.”
He demanded justice for the terror attack victims and said, “Today the entire nation, along with the victim families, is waiting for justice.”
Congress state-incharge BK Hariprasad, co-incharge Prafulla Vinod Rao, state president Udai Bhan, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda and former MLA Sumita Singh were also present there.
Indian Air Force to hold 2-day war game along border with Pakistan
Civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border
The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft, sources in the defence establishment said on Tuesday.
The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India’s civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border.
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India’s frontline fighter jets, including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, are set to feature in the exercise, sources said.
In the course of the exercise, the IAF will simulate enemy targets on ground and in the air with deadly precision, they said.
The militaries of both India and Pakistan are on a high alert following rising tensions between the two nations.
Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, India, citing “cross-border linkages” to the strike, promised severe punishment to those involved.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the terror attack.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh met the PM on Sunday and the Chief of Air Staff briefed him about the IAF’s operational readiness.
On Saturday, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister of the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
The BSF guards a total of 6,726 km of the two borders which includes 2,290 km of the India-Pakistan International Border and 339 km along the Line of Control (LoC) apart from 4,097 km of the front with Bangladesh
The Border Security Force (BSF) is all set to get the government’s final nod to raise 16 more battalions, comprising around 17,000 troopers, and set up two forward headquarters for its western and eastern commands guarding the Pakistan and Bangladesh frontiers, respectively, official sources have said.
The plan has already received an in-principle approval. Once sanctioned, it will be a shot in the arm for the force that has heightened vigil in the east following last year’s fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh and in the wake of a renewed challenge on the Pakistan front after the Pahalgam massacre.
The BSF is soon expected to get the final sanction for raising 16 new battalions which will be raised over the next few years, sources in the security establishment told PTI.
Some final approvals, including sanction from the Union Finance Ministry are pending and are expected to be granted soon, they said.
The paramilitary force has 193 battalions as of now to guard the two fronts. A battalion of the border force consists of over 1,000 troopers. Hence, the overall strength of the 16 new battalions will be around 17,000 personnel.
These new battalions will help the BSF in its primary task of guarding the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders as per a blueprint being prepared by the border force, they said.
The sources said two field command bases for the force have also been approved by the Union Home Ministry.
One sector will come up in Jammu to strengthen security along the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu and Punjab and the second will be based in Mizoram for better surveillance of the Bangladesh border, they said.
The current sectors, headed by deputy inspector general (DIG) rank officers, in its Jammu frontier are located at Rajouri, Sunderbani, Jammu and Indreshwar Nagar. Under its Mizoram and Cachar frontier headquartered in Assam, the sectors are located at Silchar, Aizawl and one in Manipur.
Sources said the BSF will initiate recruitment drives to hire men and women for these new battalions, followed by their training. The force is expected to raise these units over a period of five to six years, they added.
According to officials, the 2.70-lakh personnel force had sent a proposal to the home ministry a few years ago to raise 20-21 new battalions owing to “the fast-changing security dynamics, profile of the terrain and related issues” in its primary task area of guarding the two borders apart from combat duties in the anti-Naxal operations theatre. The government finally agreed to raise 16 new battalions, they said.
The BSF guards a total of 6,726 km of the two borders which includes 2,290 km of the India-Pakistan International Border and 339 km along the Line of Control (LoC) apart from 4,097 km of the front with Bangladesh.
A total of around 1,047 km of these two borders is unfenced owing to those lines passing through riverine areas and harsh jungle terrain. The force has 1,760 border posts along these two frontiers.
Probe: Satellite phone signals detected during Pahalgam terror attack
Amid the ongoing investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, security agencies are reported to have detected satellite phone signals in the region at the time of the incident.
According to sources, intelligence agencies found that satellite phone signals were active in and around Baisaran Valley when the April 22 attack occurred. Investigators are now focusing on identifying the make of the satellite phone, with initial suspicion pointing to a possible Chinese origin.
This discovery suggests that the terrorists involved — who gunned down 26 civilians — were likely in communication with one another before and possibly during the attack. Earlier reports had indicated that no communication signals were traced within a 50-km radius for nearly a week leading up to the assault, making this a significant new lead in the investigation.
The latest development also aligns with intelligence inputs indicating the involvement of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the ISI and even the Pakistani army.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally took over the probe on April 27.
Meanwhile, LeT overground workers are believed to have played a critical role in facilitating the attack. Efforts are underway to compile a comprehensive list of their contacts so that action can be taken. Investigators have found that these overground operatives were also in communication with handlers based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Advanced 3D mapping and artificial intelligence tools are being employed to recreate the sequence of events during the attack, sources said.
UN Security Council to hold closed consultations on Indo-Pak situation today
Pakistan currently sits as a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council
The UN Security Council will hold closed consultations on Monday on the situation between India and Pakistan after Islamabad sought an emergency meeting on the issue.
Pakistan currently sits as a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council, which is being presided over by Greece for the month of May.
Islamabad “requested closed consultations” on the tensions between the two countries and the Greek Presidency has scheduled the meeting for May 5 in the afternoon.
Apart from the five veto-wielding permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — the 10 non-permanent members in the Council are Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Somalia.
Amid rising tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations and president of the Security Council for the month of May Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris had last week said that if a request comes for a meeting to discuss the situation between India and Pakistan, “then… I think this meeting should take place because, as we said, maybe it’s also an opportunity to have views expressed and this might help to defuse a bit of tension”.
“We are in close contact…but this is something which might happen, I would say, sooner rather than later. We will see, we are preparing,” Sekeris had said.
In response to a question by PTI on India being a victim of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, which now sits in the Council as a non-permanent member, Sekeris said, “It’s an issue which is very pertinent.”
“As I said before, as a position of principle, we strongly condemn any act of terrorism and this is what we did” on the “heinous terrorist attack” that took place in Pahalgam in which innocent civilians died, Sekeris said.
Sekeris noted that “we express our condolences to the government of India, Nepal and the families of victims. This is a position of principle. We condemn terrorism in all its forms, everywhere it is happening. On the other hand, we are concerned about this tension which is mounting in the region. Two very big countries. Of course, India is far bigger” than Pakistan.
Replaces Nanak Singh, who gets DIG Patiala Range charge
Varun Sharma, a 2014-batch IPS officer, will replace Nanak Singh to become the new Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Patiala, following a recent transfer order issued by the state government.
While Varun Sharma was replaced last year as the SSP of Patiala by Nanak Singh, the latter has been asked to look after the charge of the DIG Patiala Range following the superannuation Mandeep Singh Sidhu.
Nanak Singh, who has been given the charge of DIG Patiala Range.
Talking to The Tribune, Sharma said he was fortunate to have been given a chance again to serve Patiala, where he remained the SSP till August last year. “I will ensure that all government directions are followed in letter and spirit and the police are available to serve the common man. We will have zero tolerance towards drug peddlers,” he said.
Known for his professional approach to work, Sharma said, “Maintaining the overall law and order situation in Patiala will be my priority, with special emphasis on safety of women and children. Corruption will not be tolerated at any level.”
In August last year, Nanak Singh, a 2011-batch IPS officer, had joined as the Patiala SSP. He will now look after the charge of DIG, Patiala Range, as his promotion is due in a few days and it is expected that he would continue on the post.
After being shifted from Patiala last year, Varun Sharma was posted as AIG Provisioning, Punjab, and SSP, Sadak Surakhya Force, Punjab.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, VK Birdi, on Sunday chaired a joint security review meeting attended by senior officials from various security and intelligent agencies, including the police, Army, intelligence agencies and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). The meeting…
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, VK Birdi, on Sunday chaired a joint security review meeting attended by senior officials from various security and intelligent agencies, including the police, Army, intelligence agencies and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The meeting saw participation from IG BSF FTR Kashmir, IG CRPF Srinagar, officials from the Intelligence Bureau, Traffic Police, the Army and other security stakeholders.
At the onset, officials briefed IGP Kashmir on the prevailing security situation, with particular emphasis on addressing existing and emerging security challenges in the Valley.
Key areas of discussion included intelligence gathering, threat assessments, emergency response preparedness and enhancing coordination among agencies.
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