Current Events :
Islamabad, January 9
In the midst of uncertainty in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack, Pakistan has said Foreign Secretary-level talks with India are scheduled to take place on January 15.
In reply to a question in Parliament, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz yesterday said Pakistan and India’s foreign secretaries are scheduled to meet on January 15.
He said the two foreign secretaries will decide the time schedule of various meetings under the newly agreed “Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue”.
Aziz said Kashmir will be part of the talks between the two countries along with several other issues.
Aziz’ response came to a query by Pakistan Tekreek-e- Insaf party’s Shireen Mazari, who wanted to know the status of dialogue after India’s outgoing envoy TCA Raghavan’s reported remarks that his country will only discuss PoK in talks.
Putting the ball squarely in Pakistan’s court, India has linked the Foreign Secretary-level talks to Islamabad’s “prompt and decisive” action on the Pathankot terror attack for which it has provided “actionable intelligence”.
Uncertainty prevails on talks scheduled for January 15 in Islamabad between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry following the terror strike on the Pathankot air base, which originated from Pakistan. —PTI
The bodies of two Himachal Pradesh martyrs Rana, 50, and Jagdish Chand, 58, of village Basa Gola in Siyunta area of Chamba district were consigned to flames with full state honours today –
Holding back his tears, Havaldar Sanjeevan Rana’s father Rattan Singh, himself an ex-servicemen, said his son’s supreme sacrifice for the nation while fighting terrorists will not go to waste.
“Let Indian government muster the courage and give a befitting reply to the terrorists’ country (Pakistan). Jab tak Pakistan ko eent ka wajib pathar se nahin diya jayega, hamare jawan shaheed hote rahenge ( Till Pakistan is not given a befitting reply, Indian jawans will keep attaining martyrdom like this,” he said.
Rana was cremated in his village Sehwan, near Shahpur in Kangra district.The bodies of two Himachal Pradesh martyrs Rana, 50, and Jagdish Chand, 58, of village Basa Gola in Siyunta area of Chamba district were consigned to flames with full state honours today after the Army and Airforce brought the bodies wrapped in tricolour to their native place. Both were retired army personnel and were serving as Defence Security Core at the Pathankot airforce base station. Jagdish Chand, who was transferred to Pathankot from Leh only few days ago, had killed one terrorist by snatching his weapon before other militants gunned him down. Transport minister G S Bali and Col (Rtd) Dhani Ram Shandil were flown from Shimla in a government helicopter to attend the cremation of the Jawans. People numbering in hundreds bade a tearful adieu to the gallant jawans as Shubam, son of Sanjeevan Rana, performed the last rites. A pall of gloom descended on the area and slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki jai’ rent the air. “I have also fought three wars against Pakistan. But my son has outdid me by making a supreme sacrifice. It’s a rare act of heroism and his sacrifice will be remembered. I also feel equally proud for other martyrs who gave their blood to Bharat Mata to protect its dignity and honour. I will send my grandson to the Indian army,” Rattan Singh said. Equally gloomy scenes were witnessed at Basa Gola village where body of Jagdish Chand was consigned to flames with full state and military honour. Forest minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Deputy Commissioner Chamba M Sudha Devi and Local SP were among the hundreds who paid tribute to the martyr. “We are a family of soldiers. Of four brothers, three are serving/and had served the Indian army. Our father was also ex-armymen. It’s a loss to the family but I think with his (Jagdish) sacrifice, nation has gained a pride. He (Jagdish) killed a terrorist before his martyrdom, is not a small thing,” says Budhi Singh, his brother and a retired armymen. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expressed grief over the death of two soldiers from Himachal Pradesh and announced a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the families. “Hav Sanjeevan Rana and Hav Jagdish Chand sacrificed their lives for maintaining the unity, integrity and security of the nation. Brave soldiers of Himachal Pradesh had always made supreme sacrifices for sake of the country,” the chief minister said. State Governor Acharya Devvrat has also expressed grief over the tragedy. During Kargil war, Himachal Pradesh had lost 52 soldiers, 15 of them were from Kangra. Capt Vikram Batra and Sepoy Sanjay Kumar were conferred Paramvir Chakras for their bravery and valour during the war. – See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/i-will-send-my-grandson-to-join-indian-army-father-of-pathankot-martyr/#sthash.btBHegEf.dpuf
ਅੰਬਾਲਾ— ਸਾਡੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੇ ਜਵਾਨ ਦੁਸ਼ਮਣਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰ ਮੁਕਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਆਖਰੀ ਸਾਹ ਤੱਕ ਲੜ-ਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰਨਾ ਹੀ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀ ਹੈ। ਪਠਾਨਕੋਟ ਦੇ ਏਅਰਫੋਰਸ ਸਟੇਸ਼ਨ ‘ਤੇ ਅੱਤਵਾਦੀ ਹਮਲੇ ‘ਚ ਅੰਬਾਲਾ ਦੇ ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਹੋ ਗਏ। ਬੀਤੀ 18 ਨਵੰਬਰ 2015 ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਤਾਂ ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਦਾ ਵਿਆਹ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੀ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਮ੍ਰਿਤਕ ਸਰੀਰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਜੱਦੀ ਪਿੰਡ ਗਰਨਾਲਾ ਲਿਆਂਦਾ ਗਿਆ, ਜਿੱਥੇ ਸੋਮਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਨਾਲ ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਤਿਮ ਵਿਦਾਈ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਗਈ। ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਦੀ ਪਤਨੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਝ ਹੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਉਸ ਨਾਲ ਆਖਰਕਾਰ ਕੀ ਵਾਪਰ ਗਿਆ। ਉਹ ਵਾਰ-ਵਾਰ ਬੇਹੋਸ਼ ਹੋ ਰਹੀ ਸੀ।
ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਅਤੇ ਆਂਢ-ਗੁਆਂਢ ਦੀਆਂ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਮੁਸ਼ਕਲ ਨਾਲ ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਦੀ ਪਤਨੀ ਜਸਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਭਾਲਿਆ। ਪਤਨੀ ਜਸਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਨੇ ਪਤੀ ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਦੀ ਅਰਥੀ ‘ਤੇ ਚੂੜਾ ਚੜ੍ਹਾ ਕੇ ਅੰਤਿਮ ਵਿਦਾਈ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਇਹ ਦੇਖ ਕੇ ਹਰ ਕਿਸੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਭੁੱਬਾਂ ਨਿਕਲ ਗਈਆਂ। ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਭਾਵੇਂ ਹੀ ਪੰਜ ਤੱਤਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਵਿਲੀਨ ਹੋ ਗਏ ਪਰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਹਾਦਤ ਨੂੰ ਦੇਸ਼ ਕਦੇ ਵੀ ਭੁੱਲਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਕੇਗਾ।
NEW DELHI: Subedar Fateh Singh, a 51-year-old Army man who lost his life during combing operations at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base near Punjab’s Pathankot town on Saturday, had won a gold and a silver medal at the first Commonwealth Shooting Championships held in Delhi in 1995.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) mourned his death.
“Subedar Fateh Singh sacrificed his life while fighting for his motherland at Air Base Pathankot today during an attack of militants.
Subedar Fateh Singh was a legendary Big Bore shooter. He won Gold and a Silver during 1st Commonwealth Shooting Championship held at New Delhi in 1995,” the association posted on its site.
NRAI president Raninder Singh condoled the death, saying the country has lost its beloved son and a sharp shooter.
“May Almighty grant peace to the Great Soldier. The shooting fraternity pray for the departed soul and strength to the family of great soldier to bear this irreparable loss.”
Fateh Singh, retired as subedar major (hon) captain from Dogra regiment in 2009.
After retirement, he joined the Defence Security Corps (India) as subedar and was initially posted at Army War College, Mhow.
He was posted in Pathankot about two years ago. He had won gold in the Big Bore Rifle Three Position and silver in Big Bore Rifle Prone Postion at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in 1995.
“He was a thorough gentlemen and great athlete. He worked as an active member of Indian shooting team. It is a very sad day for us. He sacrificed his life for the country. I condole his death,” NRAI president Raninder Singh told IANS.
Terrorists, suspected to be from Pakistan breached a high-security perimeter and entered the Indian Air Force (IAF) base near Pathankot early on Saturday.
“He was a fantastic shooter. He won gold in Big Bore Rifle Three Position and silver in Big Bore Rifle Prone Postion at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships in 1995. He used to represent the Army,” NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia told IANS.
CK Chaudhury, a pistol shooter at the Army Marksmenship Unit in Mhow, said: “He was one of the first big bore rifle international shooting medallists in our country. He was an inspiration to all of us. He was like my guru and guardian when we were together a part of the shooting team at the Army Marksmenship Unit in Mhow. He had immense love and passion for shooting.”
The pre-dawn fidayeen raid by terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Muhammed led by Maulana Masood Azhar, seeking to enter the strategically crucial forward operating base – located barely 40km from the Indo-Pak border and at the strategic tri-junction of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh – is home to a squadron of Mig-21 fighters and MI-25 and MI-35 attack helicopters. According to PTI reports, four MI-25 copters gifted by India to Afghanistan were from this base. The jihadis were asked by their handlers to specially destroy the aircraft and choppers. “Choppers aur planes ko uda do (blow up the planes and choppers),” said one of the calls from the handlers intercepted by intel agencies.
At least five terrorists, one of them identified as Nasir Khan, were killed in an exchange of fire with commandos of the National Security Guards and Indian Air Force (IAF). Three security personnel, including one Air Force commando, were also killed in the operation, involving the use of attack helicopters, that started around 3.30am on Saturday and lasted about 17 tense hours, but the cantonment town, teeming with members of armed forces, was spared a big atrocity because of advance intelligence. A possible hostage crisis was averted by the timely action. Two of the slain defence personnel belonged to Gurdaspur.
The slain Punjabi-speaking terrorists, part of a Jaish group based in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur, were taking instructions from their handlers Maulana Ashfaq and Haji Abdul Shaqur. The two owe their allegiance to Maulana Azhar, an old tormentor of India, who along with other Jaish terrorists had to be freed to secure the release of passengers on board the Indian Airlines plane which was hijacked in 1999 with the help of ISI.
Actionable inputs by intelligence agencies, including RAW, that jihadis were on the lookout for a spectacular attack on military targets, together with alarm sounded after they hijacked the vehicle of the Gurdaspur SP, had led the Centre to rush NSG commandos and ramp up security measures at the airbase stretched over 1600 acres.
While the terrorists did not succeed in entering the “technical area” where fighter aircraft and choppers – high-value assets in military parlance – were parked, their audacity underscored the need for caution in dealing with Pakistan. The latest attempt at peace by the governments in two countries is supposed to enjoy the support of the Pakistan army, the de facto centre of power, especially when it comes to the policy towards India and this immediately raised the question of whether the terrorists who struck at Pathankot had the support of the notorious Pak army-ISI nexus.
Jaish’s own equations with the Pakistan army and ISI have waxed and waned over the years. It was one of the tools of Islambad’s proxy war against India, and this was best evident when Azhar after his release was allowed to operate with impunity. Pakistan has baulked at executing Omar Sheikh, another terrorist belonging to the Deobandi group, who killed American journalist Daniel Pearl. However, it lost its status as ISI’s chief arm to Lashkar. Equations further deteriorated after two failed assassination efforts on Pakistani dictator General Pervez Musharraf were traced to Jaish. Lately, however, it seemed to be creeping back into reckoning.
Though it is difficult for the Indian government to immediately assess the complicity of Pakistan’s state actors in the attack, there were clear signs that the terror attack had once again underlined the political risks involved in the peace process and that the government would be pursuing the efforts even more cautiously. The sheer symbolism of a single damaged plane or chopper would have set PM Narendra Modi and BJP back severely.
The terrorists are believed to have entered India on Thursday night almost through the same route which the Gurdaspur attackers used in July last year: something which again highlighted the vulnerability of the region, especially during the winters when the passes in J&K freeze. They used a local taxi ordered by their handlers in Pakistan to travel some distance. They forced the driver to keep on moving even after one of the tyres had burst and killed him once the Innova taxi, with its rim damaged badly, could not carry on.
The gang then commandeered the vehicle of Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh, who was travelling with two companions. They let the officer, who was in his civvies, go and abandoned the SUV about two kilometres from the air force station from where the terrorists are believed to have walked to their target. The alarm raised by Singh about the presence of a group carrying AK- 47s tied in with the intercepts that intelligence agencies already possessed about the “high probability” of a terror attack on military installations in the region, leading to the deployment of NSG commandos and shoring up of security measures.
Senior Punjab police officials had alerted the air force station and other defence installations by Friday afternoon. However, the well-trained and highly motivated Jaish fidayeen who fired mortal shells to force their way into the base, managed to scale the high walls of the outer perimeter of the air force station and engage the soldiers.
New Delhi: Some stories can never be forgotten. In 2011, Major General Ian Cardozo, who was a young major in the 5 Gorkha Rifles in the 1971 war with Pakistan, told his story to a website, which is still etched on memories.The Gorkha Rifles officer was injured in the battle of Sylhet in Bangladesh in the 1971 war with Pakistan when he stepped on a landmine.
General Cardozo then cut off his badly wounded leg with his own khukri and became the first disabled officer in the Indian Army to command an infantry battalion and then a brigade. He was later awarded a Sena Medal for gallantry.
Recalling the event, the author of The Sinking of INS Khukri — Survivors Stories and Param Vir — Our Heroes In Battle said a Bangladeshi saw him losing a leg.
The brave Indian asked the doctor if he could be provided some morphine or pethidine. And when he did not get any of the analgesic or any instrument, General Cardozo cut his leg with his own khukri. He then ordered someone to bury it.
Hats off to this Mumbai native.
The Indian Army today commemorated the Vijay Diwas with traditional solemnity, marking the Indian Armed forces victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
On this day in 1971, about 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered to the Indian forces. This historic victory led to creation of Bangladesh.
Jammu, December 27
The Army’s Chushul brigade under the aegis of the Trishul division has organised an inter-village ice hockey tournament in Tangtse.Ice hockey is a popular sport of Ladakh during winter and captures the essence of Ladakh. When water bodies freeze in the extreme cold. the local youth engage in the ice hockey rink.As part of Operation Sadbhavna and to encourage local talent in sports, Late Lady Cadet Stanzin Odzes Memorial Inter-Village Ice Hockey Tournament was organised with the active involvement of the local Lalok Sports Association.The week-long annual event was organised with traditional Ladakhi colours, fun and gaiety. The tournament saw the participation of nine ice hockey teams of local villages and schools.The skill, speed, enthusiasm, sportsmanship and fighting spirit of Ladakhi players was on display. The sports being popular, locals in large numbers thronged the venue to cheer for their favourite teams. The annual ice hockey tournament is a platform for promoting the sport and encouraging local talent. —TNS
‘Unplanned’ stopover at Lahore on way back from Kabul signals start of new journey in vexed bilateral ties
Simran Sodhi & PTI,New Delhi/Lahore, Dec 25
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Lahore for a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, the first visit to Pakistan by an Indian premier in more than 10 years. Government officials in Delhi maintain that the visit was ‘unplanned’ and that it all started with Modi’s phone call to Sharif this morning. The latter invited him to stop by and the PM decided to do so. However, there were whispers in the South Block that a prime ministerial visit could not have been unplanned. Editorial: Modi in LahorePakistan, after the Modi-Sharif meeting, said the visit marked the start of a comprehensive dialogue between the two countries. The Pakistan foreign secretary called the visit a goodwill gesture. “That’s like a statesman,” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted about Modi’s Pakistan visit. Swaraj’s successful visit to Islamabad recently provided the momentum for the Prime Minister’s surprise visit today, sources said. Modi was received by Sharif with a warm hug on the tarmac of the Allama Iqbal International Airport.He was returning home after a day-long trip to Afghanistan on the conclusion of a two-day visit to Russia. Modi had travelled to Russia in an Air India jumbo flight and an Indian Air Force aircraft followed later. After the Russia leg, most officials were sent back on the AI flight while the PM travelled to Kabul on the IAF plane.Modi was accorded a red carpet welcome on his arrival at Lahore, 20 minutes past four in the evening. He then took a chopper to Sharif’s palatial residence in Raiwind on the outskirts of Lahore.“Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi,” tweeted Modi, as he wound up his visit to Afghanistan. It was the PM’s tweet that broke the news about his stopover in Lahore. “Spoke to PM Nawaz Sharif & wished him on his birthday,” Modi said in another tweet. Sharif turned 66 today. He shares his birthday with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan. The visit came more than two weeks after Modi and Sharif had an unscheduled meeting at climate change talks in Paris.Ties between India and Pakistan have witnessed some positive developments after a chill that lasted several months. The two countries decided to start a comprehensive dialogue after the Modi-Sharif meeting in Paris.The last time that an Indian Prime Minister visited Pakistan was in 2004. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had then broken the ice between the two countries. Modi visited Pakistan today, that happened to be Vajpayee’s 91st birthday. The Pakistani authorities put security on high alert in Lahore, especially around the airport, after the announcement of Modi’s brief visit to the eastern city.A PML-N source said that Sharif had invited Modi for the marriage of his granddaughter Mehrun Nisa at his Raiwind residence. “Welcome to Pakistan @narendramodi. Constant engagement is the only way to resolve all outstanding issues,” PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted.Since the now famous Paris handshake on November 30 when both PMs had a brief chat, India-Pakistan relations have moved forward rapidly. The two National Security Advisers met in Bangkok on December 6 and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj travelled to Islamabad for a multilateral conference on December 8-9. There it was decided that the ‘comprehensive composite dialogue’ would be resumed and that the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries would meet soon. They are expected to do so on January 15.Modi returned to New Delhi late in the evening. “Breakfast in Kabul, tea in Lahore & dinner in Delhi! PM @narendramodi returns after a unique day in Indian diplomacy,” MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted. Meanwhile Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said: “PM Modi’s visit was not a planned one. It was organised on a short notice after Mr Modi expressed his wish to come here en route to Delhi from Afghanistan.”
India and Pakistan today held a battalion commander-level flag meeting between their armies at Chakan da Bagh on the Line of Control in Poonch district.“A battalion commander-level flag meeting was held at Chakan da Bagh in the Poonch sector at 11 am in a cordial atmosphere to take forward the confidence-building measures agreed upon at the Brigade Commander-level flag meeting on September 21,” said defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta.The representatives of the two nations deliberated on a host of issues, the important ones being ceasefire violations, return of inadvertent civilian crossers across the LoC, air space violations and construction activity close to the LoC, he said.Colonel Mehta said in the meeting which lasted for nearly an hour and a half, the colonel-ranked officers leading their respective delegations acknowledged each other’s efforts in maintaining peace and tranquillity on the LoC in the recent past.Both sides mutually agreed on the importance of exercising restraint on the LoC and keeping the communication alive through the established reconciliation mechanism, he added.The flag meeting ended on a positive note wherein the two sides exchanged pleasantries and sweets.The Indian Army was represented by Col Himmat Singh of 14 Maratha Light Infantry, Col Vishi Singh of 11 Kumaon, and Lt Col Anurag of 2/9 Gurkha Rifles, whereas the Pakistani army was represented by Colonel Siddique of 24 Frontier and Lt Col Mohammed Ehsan of 36 Punjab.“Both sides laid stress on stringent measures to stop the people from crossing the LoC. The Indian side also conveyed its grave concern over constructions by Pakistani residents close to Chakan da Bagh on their side of the LoC,” said official sources.It may be stated here that there has been a sudden rise in construction of buildings near the LoC by Pakistani residents, especially near the Chakan da Bagh crossing point.Following the Director General-level talks between Pakistani Rangers and the BSF from September 9 to 13 at Delhi and the Brigade Commander-level flag meeting on September 21, peace has returned on the International Border and the LoC.Bloody skirmishes since July 15 had left a trail of death and destruction on both sides of the border in the Poonch sector.
Good morning.
Day 3.
17 Dec 2015
Today was bit relaxed day. War Veteran Group was divided in two; ladies to proceeded, after B’fast to do the most awaited job of shopping in Dhaka, with money changed to Dollar & then to Takas of Bangladesh Currency to buy some famed silk Saries of B’desh escorted by the female Liaison Officers of B’desh Army, Air force & Navy. Happy hunting !
Veterans after rest (since some of them past 80, one being 1947 Commissioned) breakfast moved at 10am to have interaction with all three Service Chiefs of Air Force( Bangladesh Armed Force or short BAF), Navy & then Army HQ.
All three Service Chiefs had very frank interaction with Veterans after giving overview about their Respective Wings of Services Viz; BAF, BN, BDA which was followed by light refreshment. Veteran were invited to ask questions, if any, about their Services, Service Conditions, resettlement of ESM, their health, housing etc. Army Chief briefed that he reports directly to PM & no one else. MOD us basically to do jobs like budgeting, discipline coordination, promotions, housing etc. He sits in Budget Committee chairs by PM since he holds the rank of Addl Secy Govt of B’desh. As per him, invariably, all projections are generally accepted by the Govt in the annual Budget.
Incidentally, a senior Army Officer is in charge of all Projects at National level & he directly interacts with the PM.
Though their strength of Services is at conservative level as compared to India, obviously because of size & national threat perception but has all elements of training, administration, health, housing welfare of very high standard. After interaction, Indian Delegation
returned to Hotel around 2.15 pm. After was a relaxed affair. Some of the Veterans interacted with the Media arranged by Brig Jaggi Nanda, a smart, very professional, resourceful, dynamic Indian Army Rep in Dhaka, B’desh.
Evening a Cultural Programme was organised which was very well attended.
A very large gathering had cone to witness this Cultural Programme.
Returned around 9pm to Hotel, did bit packing for next day’s picnic to an out station & lake by Helicopter ride in MI 17 Helicopters.
Overall it was a nice day.
Next dispatch will be on 19th Dec after our return.
Bahadur Singh
