HT Correspondent

letters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI : Army chief Genaral Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir could escalate any moment and the country must be prepared.

His remarks have come against the backdrop of a spike in ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army along the LoC since the Centre’s move revoking the special status of J&K on August 5.

A soldier was killed in north Kashmir’s Gurez sector and another one Rajouri district in firing across the LoC on December 16.

“The situation along the LoC can escalate any time. We have to be prepared for escalatory matrix,” news agency PTI quoted Rawat as saying. Rawat will finish his three-year term as army chief on December 31.

HT reported on October 14 that the army has deployed more troops along the LoC to deal with an unusual spike in infiltration attempts by Pakistan-backed terrorists looking to stir trouble in the region since the government’s move to remove the special status of the state and bifurcate it into two Union Territories.

Infiltration attempts, accompanied by ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army, are taking place frequently along the LoC since August 5, a senior officer said on condition of anonymity. The number of border violations by Pakistan has risen dramatically this year.

GoI has reached out to those opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) with a series of tweets, statements and declarations at political rallies. It has also had discussions with Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, the capital of whose state, Shillong – along with parts of Assam, Tripura and West Bengal — has been rocked by angry protests.

It must be asserted here that the protesters must be scrupulously peaceful, and mindful of protecting public property and public servants. ..

Sikh brothers offering ‘chai’ to CAA protesters to show their ‘solidarity’ is breaking the internet

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, December 18

Hundreds gathered at Delhi’s India Gate to protest against the attack of the Delhi Police on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University. Amidst the gathering, a 15-second-clip surfaced in which, a few Sikh brothers can be seen distributing several cups of tea to the people.

The Sikh brothers have earned a lot of praise on social media for their initiative. The youngsters present at the protest took to Twitter and urged more people to come forward and extend their support.

The death sentence given to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a treason case is unprecedented in Pakistan, where the army has ruled for almost half of the country’s history and continues to play an outsized role. The verdict by a special court, handed down in a case against Mr Musharraf for imposing emergency in 2007, has clearly embarrassed and angered the military. While opposing the sentence, the military said Mr Musharraf can never be a traitor.

Mr Musharraf had once famously remarked that Pakistan’s Constitution was just a piece of paper to be thrown in the dustbin. This cavalier attitude had characterised his years as both army chief and then Pakistan’s ruler, from the decision to send troops to occupy strategic heights in the Kargil sector, which led to a conflict with India, or his move to take on the judiciary in 2007, which ultimately led to his downfall.

Pakistan’s judiciary has had a complicated and complex relationship with both the military and the civilian government, sometimes adopting an unnecessary role as a power arbitrator. The death sentence will have far-reaching ramifications, and could trigger uncertainty, as Pakistan’s different power centres seek to assert themselves. It remains to be seen whether the verdict will send out a message that the generals can no longer interfere in politics and grab power, or whether the military, which in recent years, has begun shaping electoral outcomes to suit its needs instead of assuming power directly, will ensure it remains the dominant force. But it, nonetheless, represents a significant moment in the country’s complex polity.

Imtiaz Ahmad

letters@hindustantimes.com

Islamabad : A Pakistani court on Tuesday sentenced former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to death on charges of high treason and subverting the Constitution in a case related to the emergency he imposed in 2007, a move that comes as a major embarrassment for the army high command.

This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a former army chief has been sentenced to death. The powerful army, usually considered immune from prosecution, expressed its opposition to the verdict and said Musharraf can “never be a traitor”. The Imran Khan government said it would review the special court’s decision.

Musharraf, 76, was sentenced in absentia as he has been in self-imposed exile since a travel ban was lifted in 2016 to allow him to seek medical treatment abroad. The treason trial began in 2013 and is one of several cases related to the state of emergency from November 2007 to February 2008, when all civil liberties, human rights, and the democratic process were suspended.

The former president, who was born in Old Delhi, has been living in Dubai and is said to be very ill and unlikely to travel home to face the sentence. Pakistan and the UAE have no extradition treaty and Dubai authorities are unlikely to arrest him.

The special court said in a summary that it analysed complaints, records, arguments and facts, and reached a majority verdict, with two of the three judges giving the decision against Musharraf.

The military’s media arm said the verdict has been received “with a lot of pain and anguish by rank and file of Pakistan Armed Forces”. It added: “An ex-Army Chief, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee and President of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for the defence of the country can surely never be a traitor.”

The military further said the “due legal process seems to have been ignored, including constitution of the special court, denial of fundamental right of self defence, undertaking individual specific proceedings and concluding the case in haste”.

It added that Pakistan’s armed forces “expect that justice will be dispensed in line with the Constitution”.

Musharraf would have the right to challenge his sentence if he returns to Pakistan, where the military maintains a strong grip on power and has ruled the country for half its 72-year history. The case was heard by a bench comprising justices Waqar Ahmad Seth of the Peshawar high court, Shahid Karim of the Lahore high court and Nazar Akbar of the Sindh high court.

Imtiaz Ahmad

letters@hindustantimes.com

Islamabad : Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf will be remembered in the context of India-Pakistan relations as much for his four-point formula for settling the Kashmir issue as his foolhardy attempt to internationalise the matter through the intrusion in the Kargil sector of the Line of Control (LoC).

Musharraf, who was sentenced to death by a special court on Tuesday on charges of high treason, is remembered fondly by many Pakistanis for reviving the country’s economy and his bold initiatives in domestic policy.

During his tenure, Pakistanis saw an increase in economic activity on the back of low interest rates which led a boom in the real estate sector and consumer spending. Most Pakistanis were unaware that much of this largesse came from American aid as a result of the partnership in the post 9/11 scenario.

Musharraf also made bold foreign policy moves, including his overture to India to resolve the Kashmir issue through a four-point formula.

It envisaged demilitarisation along the LoC by scaling down the number of troops on both sides of the ceasefire line, free movement of people across the LoC, local self-governance or greater autonomy in both parts of Kashmir without independence and a joint supervision mechanism involving both countries and the Kashmiris.

The formula was drawn up in the wake of Musharraf’s efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue through the Kargil campaign in 1999, when Pakistani troops occupied strategic heights along the LoC and triggered a conflict with India.

Though Pakistan initially claimed mujahideen were responsible for occupying the heights, Musharraf subsequently acknowledged in his autobiography In The Line Of Fire that regular troops were part of the operation.

Analysts say it was Musharraf’s overconfidence that eventually led to his downfall. His deal with politicians to wipe away their past sins under the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) did not go down well with the military establishment.

Musharraf’s troubles started in 2007, after he tried to sack sitting Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who started hearings into “missing persons” or victims of enforced disappearances, causing unease to the military.

Despite different initiatives, it was his troubled attempts at gaining political recognition that led to his downfall.

Once in power, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif went after Musharraf in response to how he was treated when he was ousted from power by the former army chief in 1999.

Batala : Five persons robbed a car, a Hyundai Verna, from an ex-serviceman at gunpoint near Divine Will Public school on Batala-Amritsar bypass on Wednesday.

As per information, victim Harjeet Singh, 40, resident of Hasanpura, along with his son was going to the school to pick his wife, who teaches in the school, but as he entered the highway, a white Verna car overtook his vehicle. They intercepted the retired army man’s vehicle by barging their vehicle in front of his car. “Three persons stepped out of the car and two of them pointed pistols at me. They tried to pull me out of the car, but I resisted and tried to drive away. The other accused pointed a pistol at my son, following which I got out and gave the keys to them,” said Harjeet. HTC