Tag: India

  • ‘Anti-Muslim’ Bollywood film ‘The Kashmir Files’ spreading overwhelming hatred against Indian Muslims

    ‘Anti-Muslim’ Bollywood film ‘The Kashmir Files’ spreading overwhelming hatred against Indian Muslims

    Bollywood film, The Kashmir Files has recently been released in India which has ignited the environment of hatred against Muslims. It is based on the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley.

    The film is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The film cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi.

    Some hatred incidents were reported after people watched the film in cinemas. Anti-Muslim slogans were chanted by the audience.

    After watching the film, One man stood from his seat and loudly said, “If every (Hindu) man started marrying (Muslim) girls then their population will be reduced to half after three generations. They will give birth to less number of children. We are watching a film here and Muslims are increasing population at home.” Later, people started chanting “Jai Shri Ram”.

    Indian Journalist, Mohammed Zubair has shared a clip from a cinema hall where a man was shouting to boycott Bollywood films, especially of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. He used vulgar language against these actors.

    The audience joined with him and started chanting, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.

    https://twitter.com/zoo_bear/status/1503255813883760640

    Some people have become so violent that they were openly calling out to kill traitors referring to Muslims.

    The film has fuelled the violence and hate against Muslims in the current radical situation of the country.

    The Indian government openly endorsed the film in the public. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut recently crictised A-list celebrities for not promoting ‘The Kashmir Files’.

    One user also slammed Ajay Devgn for not saying a single word for ‘The Kashmir Files’ but he is promoting the ad campaign of Shah Rukh Khan instead.

    Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam are among A-list Bollywood stars who talked about the film.

  • Pakistan approaches UN while US says missile incident is anything other than an accident

    Pakistan approaches UN while US says missile incident is anything other than an accident

    Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the Indian parliament that the country is conducting a review of its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operations, maintenance and inspection of weapons systems, reports Dawn.

    “We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, it would be immediately rectified,” the Indian defence minister added.

    The statement came after an Indian “accidental” missile launch at Pakistan that fell in Mian Channu, Khanewal district on March 9. After two days, the Indian government released a statement in which they said the missile accidentally was fired due to a technical malfunction.

    An Indian media reports claim that India informed Pakistan about this “accidental firing” soon after it happened. However, Pakistan said that India failed to inform Islamabad about the accidental launch immediately, and waited until after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced the incident about “high-speed flying object” and sought clarification from New Delhi.

    Meanwhile, Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi approached United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Qureshi briefed Guterres on the matter and stressed that this needs to be addressed by the international community, including the UN Security Council (SC). Qureshi briefed Guterres on the matter stressed that this needs to be addressed by the international community, including the UN Security Council (SC).

    US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on Monday said there is “no indication” that India launched a missile attack on Pakistan. He said that it was “anything other than an accident”. He also advised the journalist [who asked the question] to reach out to the Indian Defence Ministry for a follow-up.

    “I’m not familiar with that particular incident. What I would say is that nuclear safety around the world, especially in countries — nuclear-armed countries, is always a conversation that is ongoing,” Price added.

  • “Hijab is not essential part of Islam”, India’s Karnataka High Court supports hijab ban

    “Hijab is not essential part of Islam”, India’s Karnataka High Court supports hijab ban

    The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the government’s decision to ban hijab in educational institutes in the Indian state. The court ruled that the hijab is not an essential part of Islam.

    The hearing was headed by three judges who agreed that the “prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights.”

    The state government during the hearing told the court that a ban on hijab does not violate fundamental rights to practice and profess a religion under Article 25 of the Constitution.

    The court also added that religious symbols should not be involved in the uniforms of educational institutes.

    A group of Muslim female students from Udupi government college had filed a petition to allow them to wear hijab which, according to them, is a fundamental right to practice religion. However, the Karnataka High court rejected their plea and ruled in favour of banning the hijab by the state government.

    Anas Tanwir, a lawyer who is now representing the girls is planning to appeal to the Supreme Court. He termed the Karnataka court’s ruling “disappointing” and “erroneous”.

    “I believe it is a wrong interpretation of the law,” he said while talking to Al Jazeera.

    “As far as an essential religious practice is concerned, [that] should not have been the question. The question should have been whether the [authorities] had the power to pass such orders.”

    The tension arose in January when a section of the Hindu right-wing group appeared wearing saffron scarves and threatened female Muslim class fellows not to wear the hijab during classes, which made state government college in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka, ban the hijab and saffron scarves over fears of rising tension.

  • ‘Was missile handled by Indian army or rogue elements?’ Pakistan demands ‘joint probe’ into missile incident

    ‘Was missile handled by Indian army or rogue elements?’ Pakistan demands ‘joint probe’ into missile incident

    Pakistan took notice of the clarification by the Indian Defence Ministry regretting the “accidental firing” of the Indian-origin missile into Pakistani territory and demanded a “joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident”.

    In a statement issued today (March 12), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the grave nature of the incident raised several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against the “accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment”.

    “Such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the Indian authorities,” said the Foreign Office (FO) statement.

    Pakistan said some of the questions that need to be answered include:

    • India must explain the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches and the particular circumstances of this incident.
    • India needs to clearly explain the type and specifications of the missile that fell in Pakistani territory.
    • India also needs to explain the flight path/ trajectory of the accidentally launched missile and how it ultimately turned and entered Pakistan?
    • Was the missile equipped with self-destruct mechanism? Why did it fail to actualise?
    • Are Indian missiles kept primed for launch even under routine maintenance?
    • Why did India fail to immediately inform Pakistan about the accidental launch of the missile and waited to acknowledge it till after Pakistan announced the incident and sought clarification?
    • Given the profound level of incompetence, India needs to explain if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements?

    “The whole incident indicates many loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in Indian handling of strategic weapons,” said the statement, adding that the Indian decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is “not sufficient since the missile ended up in Pakistani territory”.

    “Pakistan, therefore, calls upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of [a] grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region,” the FO said.

    Pakistan’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf tweeted yesterday that it has taken more than two days for India to accept that this was their missile launched ostensibly due to a technical malfunction during maintenance.

    “This raises serious questions about India’s ability to handle such sensitive technology. This missile traveled close to the path of international and domestic commercial airlines and threatened the safety of civilians,” said Yusuf.

  • Indians call Pakistani response “very, very mature” on accidental Indian missile in Pakistani territory

    Indians call Pakistani response “very, very mature” on accidental Indian missile in Pakistani territory

    Indian journalists, former Indian diplomats, and others have said that the Pakistani response to an accidental Indian missile misfiring into Pakistani territory has been “very, very mature”.

    https://twitter.com/DilliDurAst/status/1502550520070045700

    Many also said that this accident is extremely dangerous and “shocking”.

    Former Indian diplomat K. C. Singh tweeted, “Such gross failure of command & control in a nation with nuclear weapons reflects very poorly on India. Imagine if it had been fired towards China. Retaliation may’ve been in kind or worse.”

    Journalist Sushant Singh wrote, “Nuclear weapon states don’t fire a missile into an adversary’s territory, accidentally or otherwise. Period.”

    Journalist Shekhar Gupta tweeted, “This is so worrying and, frankly embarrassing. A supersonic cruise missile strays from one nuclear weapon power into another. Stuff Cold War nightmares were made of. This could’ve led to unintended disaster. Good the Pakistanis kept their counsel.” He also wrote that Indian “warrior TV channels would’ve gone ballistic—with warheads, of course”.

    Author Jyotsna Mohan tweeted, “If Pakistan had ‘accidentally’ fired a missile 100kms into India, imagine how many would have gone to fight at the border from their couches and twitter.”

    Indian national security analyst Nitin A. Gokhale said the accident “should worry the brass”.

    Journalist Nirupama Subramanian said that Indian should have acknowledged missile fiasco “immediately after it happened instead of keeping quiet for 48 hours after the incident, and making a statement only after Pakistan announced it”. She added, “It’s a zero error job. no room for #galtisemistake.”

    Pakistan’s response to the Indian statement

    Pakistan’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf tweeted that it has taken more than two days for India to accept that this was their missile launched ostensibly due to a technical malfunction during maintenance.

    “This raises serious questions about India’s ability to handle such sensitive technology. This missile traveled close to the path of international and domestic commercial airlines and threatened the safety of civilians,” said Yusuf.

    Indian Ministry of Defence statement

    The Indian government on Friday (March 11) admitted that “a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile“, which in Mian Channu in Pakistan. The Indian statement came a day after Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Babar Iftikhar held a press conference about the supersonic missile from India. “Whatever caused this incident to happen, it is for the Indians to explain”, said DG ISPR, adding that the incident could have resulted in a major aviation disaster.

  • Indian government says missile fired at Pakistan accidentally due to technical malfunction

    Indian government says missile fired at Pakistan accidentally due to technical malfunction

    The Indian government has released a statement about a “high-speed flying object” that fell in Mian Channu, Khanewal district, saying that it accidentally got fired due to a technical malfunction.

    The statement from the Indian Ministry of Defence says, “The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry.”

    “It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident.”

    Earlier this week, an object crashed in Mian Channu. On Thursday, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Babar Iftikhar said, “A high-speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory by Air Defence Operations Centre of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). From its initial course, the object suddenly manoeuvred towards Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan’s air space.”

    In his briefing he also said that “Whatever caused this incident to happen, it is for the Indians to explain”, adding that the incident could have resulted in a major aviation disaster.

  • ‘Army has nothing to do with politics’: DG ISPR

    ‘Army has nothing to do with politics’: DG ISPR

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar on Thursday categorically stated that the Pakistan Army has nothing to do with politics.

    “I had clearly stated in my last press conference that the army has nothing to do with politics,” said General Iftikhar, adding, “It is this way and it will remain this way.”

    He also requested that there “be no unnecessary speculations about this now”.

    DG ISPR on Thursday briefed the media on an Indian “high-speed flying object” that fell in Mian Channu, Khanewal district on Wednesday night.

    “It was a supersonic flying object, most probably a missile, but it was certainly unarmed,” he said.

    “On March 9, at 6:43pm, a high-speed flying object was picked up inside the Indian territory by Air Defence Operations Centre of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). From its initial course, the object suddenly manoeuvred towards Pakistani territory and violated Pakistan’s air space, ultimately falling near Mian Channu at 6:50pm.”

    “When it fell, it damaged civilian properties,” he said, adding that no loss of life was reported.

    “It is important to highlight that the flight path of this object endangered many international and domestic passenger flights — both in Indian and Pakistani air space — as well as human life and property on the ground. Whatever caused this incident to happen, it is for the Indians to explain. It, nevertheless, shows their disregard for aviation safety and reflects very poorly on their technological prowess and procedural efficiency,” he said, adding that this could have resulted in a major aviation disaster.

  • ‘Kya hum aap ke ghulaam hain?’ PM Khan slams EU ambassadors based in Pakistan

    ‘Kya hum aap ke ghulaam hain?’ PM Khan slams EU ambassadors based in Pakistan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Sunday hit back at European Union (EU) envoys in Pakistan for their letter asking Islamabad to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “Are we your slaves that you think we will do whatever you ask us to do?” PM Khan also asked if the EU envoys also wrote a similar letter to India.

    PM Khan asked what Pakistan got out of supporting the West apart from losing 80,000 of its citizens, displacement of 3.5 million people, and losing over $100 billion.

    “I ask EU ambassadors: did you thank us? Did you say we helped you in your war? Did you appreciate us?”

    PM Khan said that instead of thanking us, some people in the West started blaming Pakistan for their loss in Afghanistan.

    “When India broke international law in Kashmir and abrogated Kashmir’s autonomous status, did any one of you break ties with India, ended trade with India or criticised them?”

    EU letter:

    “As heads of mission to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, we urge Pakistan to join us in condemning Russia’s actions,” said a letter signed by envoys from 22 countries, including EU member states.

    Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) had earlier reacted to the letter and a spokesperson for the FO said, “This attitude is unacceptable and Pakistan has conveyed its concern to the embassies.”

  • ‘Where is the hate?’ Twitter reacts to Indian cricket team playing with Pakistan cricket captain’s baby

    ‘Where is the hate?’ Twitter reacts to Indian cricket team playing with Pakistan cricket captain’s baby

    Though India started off the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World Cup campaign with a win, the winners were bowled over by Pakistan skipper Bismah Maroof’s daughter after the match.

    A video of Indian women cricketers playing with Maroof’s daughter — Fatima — appeared on social media. A picture also surfaced where players could be seen posing with the mother-daughter duo after the conclusion of the opener in New Zealand.

    “Little Fatima’s first lesson in the spirit of cricket from India and Pakistan,” tweeted the ICC.

    Apart from this, Pakistani and Indians both reacted positively to the video.

    India secured a comprehensive 107-run win over Pakistan in the Women’s World Cup.

  • Pakistan to face India tomorrow in Cricket Women’s World Cup

    Pakistan to face India tomorrow in Cricket Women’s World Cup

    Pakistan women’s cricket team will face their first match against arch-rival, India in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World Cup. The match will take place at the picturesque Bay Oval, New Zealand on Sunday. The match will start at 6 a.m PST.

    The captain of the Pakistan Women’s Cricket team, Bismah Maroof is confident and optimistic about all her teammate’s performances.

    While talking with fast-bowler, Diana Baig, Bismah said, “We have been putting in the hard yards since our camp is in Karachi, and now is the time to deliver. The atmosphere of the team is very good. I am optimistic that we will do very well in the World Cup.”

    Bismah also shared her excitement for the first match against India in an interview.

    She said, “It is our first match of the tournament and we want to win it so we gain the momentum. In such tournaments, it is very important to start good and carry the moment, and, of course, that increases the significance of the first match. I am sure we will be able to meet expectations from us.”

    Bismah has made a comeback with this ICC tournament after she became a mother of a daughter, Fatima in December 2020. She is leading the cricket team for the first time in ICC ODI Worldcup.