Tag: home-politics

  • U-turn: India admits Kashmir is disputed territory, not ‘internal matter’

    U-turn: India admits Kashmir is disputed territory, not ‘internal matter’

    Soon after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held its first-ever meeting over the Kashmir issue in almost 50 years, India has backtracked on its statement and admitted that Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) is disputed territory.

    According to The Express Tribune, facing a barrage of questions in a press briefing following the historic meeting at the UN headquarters on Friday, India’s envoy to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin said that India was committed to the Shimla Agreement inked with Pakistan in 1972, which explicitly declares Kashmir as disputed between the two countries.

    Earlier, New Delhi had regularly blocked discussion on held Kashmir at the UN, saying it considers the matter an “internal affair”.

    “So let me begin by coming across to you and shaking your hand… as we’ve already extended our hand of friendship by saying we are committed to Shimla Agreement. Let us wait on that from the Pakistani side,” said the Indian ambassador while awkwardly reaching out to Pakistani journalists and shaking their hands.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Responding to a question, he said: “In closed consultations at the UNSC, anyone, especially parties to the dispute, can try and throw in anything at the members of the Security Council. That’s the nature of the beast.”

    “We are ready to address these issues in a matter in which states who have normal approaches to international ties address them… and in our case, we are committed to Shimla Agreement,” he added.

  • Islamabad responds to Indian hint at ‘using nukes against Pakistan’

    Islamabad responds to Indian hint at ‘using nukes against Pakistan’

    Pakistan has taken exception to Indian defence minister’s statement on the use of nuclear weapons, saying the “substance and timing of the statement was highly unfortunate and reflective of India’s irresponsible and belligerent behaviour”.

    Rajnath Singh had on Friday said that New Delhi may see a major shift in its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with the ‘no first use’ policy in the future. ‘No first use’ is a pledge to not use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an opposition using its nuclear arms.

    “Till today, our nuclear policy is ‘no first use’. What happens in future depends on the circumstances,” the Indian defence minister had said while addressing a gathering in Pokhran, the site of India’s nuclear tests in 1998.

    In a subsequent tweet, Singh had added:

    “It further exposes the pretense of their no first use policy, to which we have never accorded any credence,” Pakistan Foreign Office said while reacting to the Indian defence minister’s statement.

    “No first use pledge is non-verifiable and cannot be taken at face value, especially when the development of offensive capabilities and force postures belie such claims,” the statement read and added that Pakistan always proposed measures relating to nuclear restraint in South Asia.

    “Pakistan will continue to maintain a credible minimum deterrence posture.”

  • India may change its ‘no first use’ nuclear policy: defence minister

    India may change its ‘no first use’ nuclear policy: defence minister

    Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the country may see a major shift in its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with the ‘no first use’ policy in the future, a private media outlet reported.

    ‘No first use’ is a pledge by a nuclear power to not use its nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by the opposition using its nuclear arms.

    “Till today, our nuclear policy is ‘no first use’. What happens in future depends on the circumstances,” the Indian defence minister said while addressing a gathering in Pokhran, the site of India’s nuclear tests in 1998.

    In a tweet, Singh added:

    The comments come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India ever since New Delhi revoked Article 370 of its constitution and robbed occupied Kashmir of its special status.

    Condemning the move, Pakistan has approached the United Nations (UN) against the development that can pave way for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the disputed valley.

  • Fact Check: Is the UNSC meeting on Kashmir crisis an emergency session?

    Fact Check: Is the UNSC meeting on Kashmir crisis an emergency session?

    Claim: United Nations Security Council is to convene in an emergency meeting on revoking Kashmir’s special status

    Fact: UNSC was to convene in a mostly informal, closed-door session and not in an emergency

    The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will meet behind-closed-doors on Friday at the request of Pakistan and China to discuss India’s decision to revoke the special status of occupied Kashmir.

    However, contrary to earlier reports, the meeting is not an “emergency session”, but a consultation, which is mostly informal, closed-door and does not allow the participation of non-members, lawyer Reema Omer tweeted.

    In letters to the UN secretary general and the UNSC rotating chair for the month of August, Poland, Islamabad had sought an open discussion at the top-decision making forum, with a personal pitch from Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz.

    What Pakistan has been granted at the UN is a “consultation”, not an “open” or a “closed meeting”.

    DIFFERENCE:

    Both open and closed meetings are formal meetings of the UNSC. Closed meetings are not open to the public and no verbatim record of statements is kept, instead, the UNSC issues a press release.

    Consultations, on the other hand, are informal meetings of the council members.

    Clarifying the situation further, Reema tweeted:

    While it is not a formal meeting, it is extremely rare for the UNSC to discuss Kashmir, which has been divided between Pakistan and India since independence from Britain in 1947.

    The last time there was a full UNSC meeting on the Himalayan region was in 1965.

    Verdict: MISLEADING

  • Zardari seeks A-class facilities in prison

    Zardari seeks A-class facilities in prison

    Former president Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently locked up in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for his alleged involvement in the fake bank accounts case, has sought A-class facilities in prison.

    According to the details, Zardari on Friday was shifted to Adiala on a three-day judicial remand in connection with the long-running mega money laundering case.

    Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities presented the ex-president before an accountability court and sought extension in his remand in light of the recent developments in the case.

    As the proceedings continued, Zardari’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa maintained his client had already said that he be given a 90-day remand at once.

    “NAB officials ask for a four-day remand then again ask for a new remand. These repeated appearances are only causing losses to the national treasury,” the counsel said.

    Khosa also filed a plea in the court asking that Zardari be provided with A-class facilities in prison, including medical facilities and the permission to meet his family.

    The accountability court then summoned a reply from NAB regarding the request and issued orders to shift Zardari to Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

    JAIL FACILITIES:

    The classes ‘A’ or ‘B’ have prisoners who by social status, education or habit of life have been accustomed to a superior mode of living. Habitual prisoners can be included in this class by order of the government.

    The expenses of facilities to prisoners under A or B class, such as television, air-conditioner, fridge and newspapers, are usually paid by prisoners with the permission of the prisons department.

    Zardari’s petition seeking A-class facilities comes weeks after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announced removing the air-conditioner and television facilities provided to jailed ‘money launderers’.

  • ‘I am an ISI agent,’ Hamza Ali Abbasi responds to Indian journalist’s claim

    ‘I am an ISI agent,’ Hamza Ali Abbasi responds to Indian journalist’s claim

    Actor Hamza Ali Abbasi has fired back at Indian journalist Arnab Goswami, whose Republic TV had labeled the former “an undercover Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent” amid heightened cross-border tensions.

    “So that over actor and war mongerer for ratings guy Arnab/his channel declared me an undercover ISI agent! Let me clarify: I am not an “undercover” ISI agent; I am very openly/proudly an ISI agent, just like more than 200 million Pakistanis are proud ISI agents! #15thAugustBlackDay [sic],” Abbasi tweeted.

    The statement was followed by a series of tweets against Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s “fascist regime” in the name of Indian nationalism.

    “I always thought maybe I will not see a free Kashmir in my lifetime but seeing 1 blunder after another of Modi’s fascist regime and the delusional propaganda their fascist media outlets are spreading, I am now very confident that inshaAllah I will see a Free Kashmir very soon,” he furthered.

  • Modi’s Man vs. Wild a monstrous propaganda stunt: The Guardian

    Modi’s Man vs. Wild a monstrous propaganda stunt: The Guardian

    Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s Man vs. Wild moment with Bear Grylls has been termed as a “monstrous propaganda stunt” by The Guardian.

    Modi was seen in a never-seen-before avatar on August 12 when he ventured into his country’s wilderness along with Grylls, the host of Discovery Channel’s popular TV show.

    The channel had issued a statement saying the special episode featuring survivalist and adventurer Grylls and shot in the Uttarakhand’s Jim Corbett National Park with Modi, was a “frank and freewheeling journey”.

    In a clip of the show that was shared by Grylls on his Twitter account last month, PM Modi could be seen riding a small dinghy down a river along with the adventure travel show host.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    In another scene, the Indian premier was seen welcoming Grylls to India and holding up a weapon carved out of bamboo and other material collected from the forest.

    However, according to a review published by The Guardian on Friday, the episode was “the most tasteless TV ever”. The critic went on to say: “Strongmen Bear Grylls and Narendra Modi sniff elephant dung in the wilderness while a terror attack plays out in Kashmir. God help us all.”

    According to reports, the episode was shot on the day when 40 Indian paramilitary troops were killed in the Pulwama terror attack (February 14).

    The tragedy, which was termed as one of the worst to strike Indian occupying forces in the held Kashmir region, was followed by heightened cross-border tensions, including an aerial battle, as India blamed Pakistan.

  • Indian media falls for Pakistani meme, fact checks Arya Stark’s picture as ‘Kashmiri girl’

    Indian media falls for Pakistani meme, fact checks Arya Stark’s picture as ‘Kashmiri girl’

    Amid the ongoing unrest in held Kashmir, a viral picture of Game of Thrones (GoT) character Arya Stark being portrayed as a Kashmiri girl, has been fact-checked by Indian media.

    As per the details, the image was first shared by a Twitter handle, “Fan of Zaidu”, mentioning Arya — played by Maisie Williams — as a Kashmiri girl “who had gone blind after being hit by a pellet gun”.

    https://twitter.com/TheZaiduLeaks/status/1157727539873402882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1157727539873402882&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsmobile.in%2Farticles%2F2019%2F08%2F14%2Fpicture-of-gots-arya-stark-shared-as-kashmiri-girl-heres-the-fact-check%2F

    It wasn’t later that the image took the micro-blogging website by storm.

    Despite the handle clearly stating that its tweets are nothing but satire and “100% fake”, Indian media has started doing fact checks over the image, claiming that Pakistan’s premium intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was “leading the propaganda campaign against India”.

    Moreover, a noted Indian scholar and activist, Madhu Kishwar, has retweeted the image and asked Fact Check India to “confirm if it is real”.

    India TV Editor-In-Chief Rajat Sharma has also accused Pakistan of spreading false propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/TheZaiduLeaks/status/1161722132214308864

    The image comes as tensions soar on either side of the border ever since India robbed occupied Kashmir of its special status. Pakistan fears the move can lead to a Muslim genocide in the troubled valley.

  • VIDEO: Humiliation for India as soldier slips during Wagah ceremony on Independence Day

    VIDEO: Humiliation for India as soldier slips during Wagah ceremony on Independence Day

    India has yet again faced humiliation at the Wagah Border as one of its soldiers participating in the daily lowering of the flags ceremony slipped in front of the crowd on Pakistan’s Independence Day.

    The ceremony at the Wagah-Attari Border is a daily military practice that the security forces of Pakistan and India have jointly followed since 1959.

    Fervour was at its peak as military personnel of both countries, amid soaring tensions, started performing in front of a mammoth crowd on both sides of the border on Wednesday.

    Things, however, took a comical turn when the Indian soldier leading his side couldn’t maintain his balance and slipped.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    A video of the incident went viral over the internet, reacting to which Pakistanis asked if “these soldiers will steal Kashmir from us”.

    https://twitter.com/SyedAsad299/status/1161619036062519297

    Earlier, Pakistan celebrated its 73rd Independence Day as Kashmir Solidarity Day to express support to Kashmiris in their struggle against Indian occupying forces.

    New Delhi had earlier this month robbed Kashmir of its special status, paving way for a Muslim genocide in the disputed valley. Islamabad fears the development can lead to major demographic transformations in the region and affect Kashmiris’ struggle for their right to self-determination.

  • Abhinandan to be awarded one of India’s highest bravery awards

    Abhinandan to be awarded one of India’s highest bravery awards

    Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF), who was arrested after being shot down by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over intrusion in February 2019, will be conferred with the Vir Chakra, India’s third-highest wartime medal.

    According to media reports, Abhinandan’s name was recommended by the IAF for the gallantry awards annually conferred upon on India’s Independence Day.

    Meanwhile, Indian media has claimed that the IAF pilot was shot down because he could not hear instructions asking him to turn back after his communications system was jammed by Pakistan.

    “If his MiG-21 Bison had been equipped with anti-jamming technology, Abhinandan may have turned around when instructed to,” a report claimed, adding that it would have prevented him from being shot down and taken captive by Pakistan.

    Abhinandan was shot down during a dogfight with PAF jets on February 27 as tensions soared following the February 14 Pulwama attack. He was handed over by Pakistan to India at the Wagah-Attari border crossing on March 1 as a peace gesture.