In February 2020, the AFT had allowed a petition filed by one Milap Chand seeking service benefits. However, the orders of the Tribunal were not implemented, prompting him to move an application before it for execution

Holding the top functionary of the Department of Ex-servicemen’s Welfare in the Ministry of Defence “guilty” of contempt for failing to execute orders of the of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) even five years after they were passed, the AFT’s Chandigarh Bench has directed his personal appearance in court for further proceedings on the quantum of sentence.

In February 2020, the AFT had allowed a petition filed by one Milap Chand seeking service benefits. However, the orders of the Tribunal were not implemented, prompting him to move an application before it for execution.

During hearings on the application, the Tribunal observed that an affidavit filed by the Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, showed that an unconditional and unambiguous apology has been tendered for non-execution of order under execution.

It further stated that order of courts and tribunals not involving any financial implication have to be implemented by the Service Headquarters. However, orders which are contrary to government regulations, policies or the law declared by the Supreme Court have to be challenged in accordance with law.

The affidavit averred that the responsibility for the same has been delegated to the respective Service Headquarters and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare is only a regulations making Authority. Thus, there was no wilful default.

The order under execution has been challenged vide a civil writ petition in the High Court in 2025 and the same is presently pending. No stay has not been granted by the High Court on implementation of the Tribunal’s orders.

Holding that in accordance with the settled legal position, the order under execution cannot be held in abeyance, the Bench of Justice Sudhir Mittal and Lt Gen Ranbir Singh rejected the explanation given in the affidavit.

“Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, is held guilty of wilfully violating the order dated February 25, 2020. The fact that the writ petition has been filed only in the year 2025 shows the seriousness with which orders passed by this Tribunal are treated,” the Bench ruled in their order of April 30.

“Accordingly, ‘Wilful Disobedience’ is evident. Adjourned to May 16, 2025, to enable the contemnor to remain present in person for arguments on the quantum of sentence,’ the Bench further directed.

Non-implementation of AFT orders and filing appeals against petitions allowed in favour of defence personnel, even in cases where the law has already been settled by the Supreme Court, has been a long-standing issue, with thousands of pending cases. In August 2024, the AFT’s larger Bench had ruled that the Tribunal had powers to initiate criminal contempt against officials in cases of wilful non-compliance or orders.

After closing its airspace for Pakistan carriers, India is contemplating suspension of shipping routes and postal services with Pakistan. Although postal services between the two countries were suspended in August 2019 in the aftermath of abrogation of Article 370 which…

Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service

After closing its airspace for Pakistan carriers, India is contemplating suspension of shipping routes and postal services with Pakistan.

Although postal services between the two countries were suspended in August 2019 in the aftermath of abrogation of Article 370 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, these had resumed after three months.

India is now considering banning postal consignment exchange with Pakistan.

More importantly, the government is considering suspension of the limited shipping and sea trade routes available with Pakistan, a move that could slow the transport of essential commodities, including pharmaceuticals to Pakistan and drive up costs of imports.

Although trade between India and Pakistan through land routes remains suspended since 2019, some scale of trade between the two countries persists through sea and air routes. With Indian airspace for Pakistan carriers shut down yesterday, the availability, even though restricted, of shipping lanes for trade is important for Pakistan which uses these to import select products such as textiles, the mainstay of its economy.

A government reply in the Lok Sabha recently said current sea route trade with Pakistan involved Indian ports and cargo complexes including Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Inland Container Depot in Tughlakabad and Mundra SEZ.

In August 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan took a number of measures to downgrade ties, including the suspension of bilateral trade. Until then the principal trade route was the Attari-Wagah border.

In the absence of air and land routes, shipping links between the two countries have a natural significance considering the fact that despite the suspension of formal trade between India and Pakistan since August 2019, Pakistan has continued to import select goods from India, primarily through informal channels or via third countries.

Pakistan’s major imports from India in 2023 as documented by the United Nations COMTRADE database were valued at approximately $258.2 million and included organic chemicals, pharmaceutical products, plastics and inorganic chemicals, precious metal compounds and isotopes.

Officially, Pakistan does not use a direct sea route to import goods from India since August 2019 but the Government of India says limited sea trade routes still persist.

Pakistan Broadcasters’ Association has stopped airing Indian songs on Pakistan FM radio stations

India has intensified its digital crackdown on Pakistani media outlets and blocked access to YouTube channel of Pakistan army’s media wing, ISPR.

The move follows national outrage over the Pahalgam massacre and rising concerns over the dissemination of propaganda by Pakistani state and non-state actors.

According to official sources, the government has reportedly urged platforms like YouTube, Instagram and X to ban all Pakistani handles from operating in India.

Visitors attempting to access the ISPR channel on YouTube are now greeted with a message stating: “This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.”

Apart from the ISPR, several more popular Pakistani drama channels on YouTube including ARY, Har Pal Geo and Hum TV have also been blocked by the Indian Government.

Several Pakistani celebrities’ Instagram handles, including Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar, Sanam Saeed, Bilal Abbas, Iqra Aziz, Imran Abbas and Sajal Aly, face the same restriction in India.

Earlier, 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News and Geo News, were banned for disseminating misinformation against India. According to the officials, the Pakistan YouTube channels were banned for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives against India, Army and security agencies.

Meanwhile, in what is being seen as a retaliatory move by the neighbouring country, the Pakistan Broadcasters’ Association (PBA) has stopped airing Indian songs on Pakistan FM radio stations. Pakistan minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, in a letter to PBA, termed it as a “patriotic gesture”.

Malik was appointed as the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence in October 2024

Pakistan has appointed spy chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) amidst raging tension with India.

Malik was appointed as the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in October 2024.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Tuesday, General Malik was formally given the task of the NSA.

“Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik HI (M), DG (I), shall hold the additional charge of the National Security Adviser, with immediate effect,” the notification stated.

He is the country’s tenth NSA, but it is for the first time that a serving ISI chief was given the task to serve concurrently in the two key positions.The posting comes amid heightened tensions with India following the recent Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people were killed.

The NSA position had remained vacant since April 2022, when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government was ousted.

Dr Moeed Yusuf was serving as the NSA at that time.

Agency has already recorded statements of eyewitnesses, others who were present in the vicinity when the April 22 attack occurred

Adil Akhzer

National Investigation Agency chief Sadanand Date visited Pahalgam in South Kashmir on Thursday to oversee the ongoing investigation into the April 22 deadly terror attack that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and one local.

Multiple teams from the agency have already visited the Baisaran meadow—an area near Pahalgam that is accessible only on foot—where the terror attack occurred.

A senior official said that the NIA DG’s visit to Pahalgam is part of the ongoing investigation, during which he will review the situation on the ground.

Sources said Date will be briefed on the progress made so far in the probe. Senior NIA officers are already involved in the investigation, which is said to be progressing swiftly.

The agency has already recorded statements of eyewitnesses and others who were present in the vicinity when the April 22 attack occurred, they added.

Among those questioned are ponywalas who were in the vicinity at the time of the attack. The head of the Ponywala Association was among the first responders to reach the attack site when the incident occurred.

In the wake of the attack, large-scale anti-terror operations have been launched across South Kashmir to track down the assailants.

The J&K Police have released sketches and identified the suspected assailants—two Pakistani nationals and one local militant linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group. The suspects have been named as Adil Hussain Thokar from Anantnag, and Pakistani nationals Ali Bahi alias Talha Bahi, and Hashim Musa alias Suleman.

Authorities have detained over 2,000 individuals across the Valley for questioning as part of the investigation.

Pakistani troops continued ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LOC) for the seventh consecutive night by its unprovoked firing in several sectors across three border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday. Army officials said during the…

Pakistani troops continued ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LOC) for the seventh consecutive night by its unprovoked firing in several sectors across three border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.

Army officials said during the night of April 30-May 1, Pakistan Army posts initiated unprovoked small arms fire across the Line of Control opposite Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor. Indian Army troops responded swiftly and proportionately, they added.

The exchange of fire expanded to the Poonch sector and subsequently to the Akhnoor sector of the Jammu region. It was followed by small arms firing on several posts along the LoC in the Sunderbani and Naushera sectors of Rajouri district on Tuesday night. Subsequently, it expanded to the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district on Wednesday.

In Kashmir, officials stated that an alert has been issued in the border areas and security has been tightened in nearby towns. At the border towns, locals fear the ceasefire agreement, which was renewed in 2021, looks fragile and may not hold long.

Terming Pakistan as a “failed state”, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Thursday said relations between New Delhi and Islamabad would never improve until a peoples’ government is elected in the neighbouring country. Speaking to reporters after a party event…

Terming Pakistan as a “failed state”, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Thursday said relations between New Delhi and Islamabad would never improve until a peoples’ government is elected in the neighbouring country.

Speaking to reporters after a party event at the NC headquarters here, he also said the people of Pakistan want friendship with India as he warned that war between the two countries would have dangerous consequences.

“There is tension, but I cannot say whether it is a final option or not. The rulers of the two countries have to decide that,” Abdullah said when asked whether a war between India and Pakistan was the final option.

However, the former chief minister said the relations between the two countries would improve only when the army “goes” and there is peoples’ government in Pakistan.

“I do not think the relations between India and Pakistan will ever improve unless the army goes. People of Pakistan want friendship with India, people but not the hierarchy there. When the peoples’ government will come, I am sure there will be peace between India and Pakistan,” he added.

Terming Pakistan a “failed state”, the NC president said rather than working for the betterment of the country, its people and to improve the situation, the rulers of the country have chosen confrontation with India to escape their responsibilities.

“The consequences will be dangerous if there is a war as both have nuclear power. If they use that, then only God know what will happen,” he warned.

Asserting that Kashmir was passing through “a difficult time”, Abdullah said it cannot be predicted what the future holds. “Both the countries are preparing to face each other in a battlefield. Efforts are being made across the globe that this (war) should not happen and some way is found to nab those behind the attack as well as their masterminds. How much will the world succeed in stopping this, only God knows,” he said.

Asked about deportations of Pakistani nationals, the former chief minister said the action was against humanity. “On humanitarian grounds, I can say that this action is not good and is against the humanity. They have been living here for 70 years or 25 years or five years, they were here, their children were here, studying here. They have not hurt India. In fact, they have accepted India. So, this will not have good consequences,” he said.

To a question about the Centre’s announcement of a caste census in the country, Abdullah said there was nothing wrong in that. “People were demanding it from day one, it is not a new thing. It was demanded by the people. It is a good thing. Some say there are 11 or 12 crore Muslims, some 14 and some 22 crore.

“So, for the first time, we will come to know how many people there are Brahmin, how many are lower caste and how many are Muslims, Sikhs or Christians or others. Let us come to know. There is nothing wrong in that,” he added.

In response to a question about the reports of harassment of the residents of J&K outside the Union territory, Abdullah said some people have a habit of harassing people but we should not fear those.

“Not only the government here, but the other governments also are seeing to it that it does not happen. There are people in our country that say things like that or do something like that. They are not concerned about what will happen in the country, they have a habit of harassing people.

“Was (Nathuram) Godse not from here (India) who killed Mahatama Gandhi? Such people are there, such people will be there, and we should not fear them,” he said.

#BhagwantMann #NayabSaini #SYLDispute In this episode of Decode Punjab, The Tribune Special Correspondents Ruchika M Khanna and Bhartesh Thakur bring the politics and facts in the latest water war between the two states. #BhagwantMann #NayabSaini #SYLDispute #PunjabVsHaryana #WaterCrisis #RiverWaterSharing #InterstateConflict

Treating them with respect and dignity is vital for gaining their support in Kashmir

Julio Ribeiro

IT was most gracious of the BJP-led government to admit its failure to anticipate the Pahalgam attack and recite the ‘mea culpa’ at an all-party meeting. It is customary for the party in power to deflect blame or cite excuses when such glaring lapses happen. This was perhaps the first time in recent memory that a defaulter accepted blame. By doing the unthinkable, it united the entire country solidly behind it.

As a former IPS officer who was in the forefront of the fight against terror in Punjab in the 1980s, I will refresh the memory of my readers about the intrinsic nature of terrorism. As the word ‘terrorism’ indicates, terrorists strive to create terror in the minds of their victims and the population at large. They do this through random killings of innocent people who normally keep as far away from the predators as grazing deer keep from the big cats.

Surprise is the key to success. Terrorists strike when and where they are least likely to. Amritsar and Tarn Taran were their happy hunting grounds when they began their depredations. When those districts were fully covered by security forces, they struck at hitherto soft targets in the interior. If the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir had studied the history of Punjab’s terrorism, he would not have left his flanks unguarded.

Tourists had started flocking to Pahalgam in recent weeks. Tourist operators had found a vast meadow where school picnics were routinely organised as it was ideal for pony rides. If the beat policemen had been doing their job well, they would have been in a position to provide the human intelligence (Humint) to their seniors and the latter would have alerted Srinagar about this tourist destination.

The importance of beat policing and Humint was obviously not sufficiently appreciated by those entrusted with the operations. It is only locals who can give information about the presence of strangers or about unusual movements in their localities. They will share such suspicions with the beat policeman if he has been interacting with them and they trust him.

Local residents are central and crucial to policing even in normal times. In terrorism-affected states, they spell the difference between life and death. When some local elements are roped in by terrorist syndicates, the importance of Humint multiplies manifold.

The importance of treating locals with the respect and dignity which every human being expects and is entitled to is highlighted during times of terror activities. When they feel that they are part and parcel of the government’s fight against terrorism, they will part with the crucial information needed to plan defensive measures.

Terrorists are invariably co-religionists of the majority of the population. It would be unnatural for these locals not to harbour sneaking sympathy for them. The task of the security forces is compounded by this unspoken sympathy, which vanishes if and when the terrorists misbehave with the people, especially women.

Terrorism has been described as a low-cost war. Not without a reason has this description stuck. Terrorism is invariably resorted to by the weaker party to a conflict. The weaker is not in a position to best the stronger in regular combat. It then takes recourse to terror by killing innocent citizens who are not even remotely connected with the dispute against the state. Terrorists hope that the terrorised will put pressure on the state to concede to their unreasonable demands.

No government in recorded history has given in to terrorists. Terrorism has never succeeded in achieving its objectives. Yet, the scourge continues. The only known solution to this low-cost war is to win over the hearts and minds of the local population. Since the locals are co-religionists of the miscreants, that is not easy. But it can happen with effort.

Punjab got rid of the scourge after Jat Sikh farmers started informing the police about the presence of terrorists in their villages. The police, led by KPS Gill, put unbearable pressure on the farmers, forcing them to cooperate with the security forces.

When a state is afflicted by terrorism, local conditions have to be studied before plans are made. In J&K, the LG, who still oversees anti-terrorist operations and the maintenance of law and order, appears to have lapsed into complacency. This proved fatal. In terrorism-affected areas, you cannot afford to let your guard down even for a moment.

Amit Shah, who helms the Home Ministry, has phoned all chief ministers to prepare a list of Pakistanis who are staying in their states on visas. Deportation appears to be a knee-jerk reaction. Pakistanis who are on the Intelligence Bureau’s radar may be told to leave, but most of the others would be harmless. Some have come for medical attention. There is nothing to be gained by deporting them.

Our intelligence should take the help of friendly countries whose agents are often better placed than ours to trace the perpetrators of the attack and their handlers in Pakistan. The culprits should be identified and dealt with. It will involve a battle of wits between Pakistani’s ISI and our Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). If we are to avenge the Pahalgam attack, R&AW needs to emerge victorious. It is capable of doing that.

When the Pahalgam massacre was reported in the media, the entire country reacted as one entity. Even the Muslims of Kashmir, on whose behalf the terrorists felt they were acting, were furious. This one act of terror had hit them where it hurts most — their livelihoods.

The Modi government should have based its reply to Pakistan on this collective anger of the people, cutting across religions. Instead, it resorted to dynamiting the houses of the purported terrorists. The priority assigned to this short-cut measure is emblematic of this government. It keeps boasting that it is a strong government, unlike its predecessors. Lost in self-praise, it lapsed into complacency.

What it urgently needs to do is to replace its muscular philosophy of policing with the age-old conclusion of experts that the only way to end terrorism is to win the hearts and minds of the community to which the terrorists belong.

Entire fleet was grounded after Jan 5 crash

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

The government has cleared the fleet of nearly 330 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) with the Army and Indian Air Force for flying, ending nearly four months of embargo on their operations. The move comes in the backdrop of rising tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack.

The ALH Dhruv has been in service since 2002 and the Army uses around 200 helicopters, while the IAF has 75. The ALH versions used by the Navy and Coast Guard are yet to get the green signal for flying.

The helicopter is engaged in logistics, transport, search and rescue, medical evacuation, reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare operations. A version of the helicopter is also armed for combat support for ground troops.

The manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), in a statement said “the ALH Dhruv Army and Air Force versions are cleared for operations based on the Defect Investigation (DI) Committee recommendations”.

A time-bound plan for the resumption of operations has been worked out with the users, it added.The entire ALH fleet of the armed forces was grounded for a comprehensive check after a Coast Guard helicopter crashed on January 5, killing three personnel on board.

A report of the ‘defect investigation team’ set up by the HAL evaluated whether the crash took place due to a snag in the crashed helicopter or general defects in the fleet. The prima facie cause of the January 5 crash was a fracture in the ‘swash plate’ — it connects parts of the control rods that channel energy from the engine to rotors.

In the past 25 years, ALHs have witnessed 28 crashes, of which 13 have been due to technical reasons and 13 caused by human error. Two remain unknown.

The helicopter is touted as a major success for the indigenous military equipment manufacturing programme. Its armed variant — Light Combat Helicopter (ACH) — is being built on the same platform and engines.

Due to the grounding of the fleet, the ALH was not part of the Republic Day fly past or the Aero India. The twin-engine utility helicopter is designed for both military and civilian roles.