Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor has trolled Indian Union Minister Jitendra Singh by asking him “to consult Indian Air Force (IAF) before invading Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)”.
“After Article 370, Pakistan occupied Kashmir is our next agenda,” the Modi-led Hindu nationalist government’s minister had been quoted as saying.
Taking to Twitter to ridicule Singh while mentioning failed Indian airstrikes from February 2019 — which resulted in two IAF jets being shot down by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and capture of pilot Abhinandan Varthaman — the ISPR chief wrote:
“Please always consult IAF before talking about such agenda. As regard 370…. and siege, what you couldn’t suppress through overt & covert physical efforts for 72 years, this paper work can’t do that either. You shall see the just struggle succeeding. IA [sic].”
Federal Minister for Interior Brigadier (r) Ijaz Ahmed Shah has said that the world believes India, not Pakistan.
“Who is responsible for earning this name, that people don’t believe us [Pakistan] in the international community?” the former spy asked in an interview to a private media outlet.
“We say India has enforced a curfew in Kashmir, it is not providing medicines, is killing people, there is nothing to eat. People don’t believe us. They believe India, even though we are right.”
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When asked by the interviewer about who was responsible for it, Ijaz blamed the ruling elite of the country. “This is not the work of a single day,” he said. “Over a period of time, the ruling elite destroyed the country. The people thought we are not a responsible nation. That is what we are facing.”
“It is very unfortunate that we worked hard, and we made the most sacrifices in the war on terror,” he said further.
“We became a frontline state. Around 80,000 of our people were martyred. Are we getting the same response from the world community? No. We must have a soul-searching. You [the media] should also think about it.”
Amid rising numbers of police brutality cases, the spokesperson to Punjab chief minister (CM), Dr Shahbaz Gill, has said that the personnel of the provincial police department “were never like those in Switzerland”.
“Changing the culture of any department takes time. Be it exploiting or improving, it does not happen overnight,” said Gill, whose ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had been elected to power after promises to reform Punjab police, among others.
Referring to the recent spike in police brutality cases and custodial deaths in the province, Gill said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had told CM Usman Buzdar to revamp service-related institutions of Punjab, specifically the police department.
“He [PM] also appreciated the role played by Punjab police on Ashura and gave clear directions that the police should serve its people as it did in Muharram, rather than being violent and torturing its citizens.”
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“Was it [Punjab police] like Swiss police a year ago? We should know it takes time to change the culture of any department,” he said, adding that it had taken over two years to reform the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police.
With the increase in the number of police brutality cases in Pakistan, yet another statement from the past has come back to haunt the Prime Minister (PM), Imran Khan.
Last year during his speech at Bahawalpur city, Imran Khan vowed that his first act after assuming power as PM will be to “bring reforms in Punjab police”. He said that he will make Punjab Police exactly like the one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa free from political influence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLIEgIpYoaA
But with the recent appearance of two torture and murder cases of Punjab police in Lahore, it seems that Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf (PTI) government has failed to complete another promise it made to its supporters.
Last month in August, officials from the anti-corruption department unearthed a private torture cell in a forest near Karol village, set up by the station house officer (SHO) and constables of Gojjar Pura police to torture people illegally.
Similarly, a few days ago the ATM robber identified as Salahuddin Ayubi who went viral for making faces on the CCTV camera while robbing an ATM passed away in police custody.
The police claimed that Ayubi was behaving like a “mad man” in lockup when he suddenly became unwell. They added that the deceased was reportedly suffering from a health condition.
Both these cases have sparked outrage on social media and people are demanding justice from the Punjab Government.
This is not the first time police has been accused of brutally torturing or murdering people.
Previously, on January 19, four people were killed in an alleged shootout in Sahiwal, with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel claiming they had killed a local commander of militant organisation Daesh and three others in the operation.
However, the eyewitnesses had claimed that the police recovered no explosives from the alleged militant’s vehicle. The case is still pending in the court.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that whoever doesn’t perform will be sent home.
Addressing a media gathering alongside Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and Punjab Information Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Dr Firdous said that whoever doesn’t perform, “whether it is the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister”, will be sent home.
“There is only one criterion or benchmark – you have to perform. If you perform, you will stay. But if you don’t you will have to go.”
She asserted that everything comes down to performance and if the lawmakers are loyal to the people their “parameter will be performance.”
Soon after, Dr Awan’s comments began circulating on social media with many users commenting that she was warning PM Imran Khan.
As a result, Dr Firdous took to Twitter to state that her statement was being blown out of context and that PM Khan is a man of principles. She reiterated that whoever does not perform will be let go.
میری گفتگو کو سیاق و سباق سے ہٹ کر پیش کیا جارہا ہے۔کہنے کا مقصد یہ تھا کہ وزیراعظم عمران خان اصول اور میرٹ کے داعی ہیں۔جو پرفارم نہیں کرے گا وہ گھر جائے گا چاہے وزراء ہوں یا افسران۔
A video showing Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi consoling Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Kailasavadivoo Sivan as he broke down following the failure of India’s lunar moon mission, has gone viral over the internet.
Modi was seen hugging and consoling K Sivan shortly after ISRO’s plan to soft-land Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram module failed during the wee hours on Saturday. The lander lost communication with ground stations during its final descent towards the moon.
The Indian premier also gave a speech after the briefing where he told ISRO scientists to “not get disheartened by the hurdles in the moon mission” and asserted that there “will be new dawn”.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has taken a jibe at the failed Indian moon mission, terming the Indian spacecraft a “toy”, adding that “it must have landed in Mumbai”.
Taking to Twitter, the minister advised Indians to “sleep instead of waiting for an announcement from ISRO” about the moon mission.
Modi g is giving Bhashan on Sattelite communication as he is actually an astronaut and not politician, Lok Sabha shld ask him QS on wasting 900 crore Rs of a poor nation… https://t.co/48u0t6KatM
While Kashmiris in the occupied valley are suffering from Indian atrocities and the world is trying to sort out the political chaos that broke out following abrogation of Indian Constitution’s Article 370, a Delhi-based restaurant is offering an “Article 370 Thali” to its customers.
According to Times of India, the India-shaped “Article 370 Thali (United India Thali)” — with occupied Kashmir included — has been introduced by Ardor 2.1 that is also offering a discount of INR (Indian rupees) 370 if the customer is a resident of the troubled valley.
“Kashmir has always been a vital part of India and now that the same has been officially announced, the eatery wants to welcome the decision with open arms,” the restaurant has said.
New Delhi on August 5 stripped held Kashmir of its special status by repealing Article 370 of the country’s constitution and robbing the region of its autonomy.
Indian occupying forces have converted the valley into a garrison by deploying hundreds of thousands of troops and paramilitary personnel in every street, line and by-lane to stop people from staging demonstrations against the development.
Former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif has been advised to leave the country with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and to return at the right time, Dawn reported Friday.
According to reports, a property tycoon recently called on the jailed ex-premier and told him it was “in the best interests of everyone that he and his daughter left the country for now”.
The report also claimed that the said property tycoon was “the same gentleman who had earlier conveyed the message of an important person to Nawaz to step down as the premier”.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif also visited his elder brother on Thursday at the Kot Lakhpat Jail and their meeting has further fuelled rumours about the possibility of a deal that could lead to the Sharif family moving abroad for a few years.
However, it is also said that Nawaz is not ready to leave the country.
Meanwhile, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has trashed reports and denied the claim that Nawaz met any property tycoon in jail.
“Mian Sahib had returned to Pakistan along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz clearly knowing that he was going to jail in the Al-Azizia Mills case, leaving behind his beloved wife on death bed for the rule of law,” reports quoted Marriyum as saying.
“Kashmir needs to breathe” and “India is a terrorist state” were among the messages that could be seen on bjp.org‘s homepage until it was successfully recovered.
Pakistan is on Friday observing Defence and Martyrs Day to mark the 54th anniversary of 1965 Pakistan-India war when Pakistan Army successfully defended the country against a multi-pronged Indian attack on the eastern border.
While this year’s September 6 is being observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day for those who suffer under a month-long lockdown imposed by Indian forces, Pakistanis are also paying homage to the heroes who defended their homeland with courage over five decades ago.
Here’s what you should know about the heroes of the 1965 war.
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed: Bhatti valiantly defended BRB Canal against the enemy in Lahore’s Barki area where he kept Indian troops from advancing for five days and braving the Indian artillery and tanks.
He
embraced martyrdom after being hit by an enemy tank shell on September 12.
MM Alam: During the war, five Indian fighter planes headed towards PAF Base Sargodha. However, Alam created history by destroying all of them.
He passed away on March 18, 2013, at the age of 78.
Cecil Chaudhry: Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry was an academic, human rights activist, and veteran fighter pilot. As a flight lieutenant, he fought in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 and later, as a squadron leader, in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
During the 1965 war, Chaudhry and three other pilots, under the leadership of Wing Commander Anwar Shamim, attacked the Amritsar Radar Station in a difficult operation. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat (Star of Courage) for his actions during that mission.
Air Vice Marshal Eric Gordon Hall: During 1965 war, Hall served as the founding chairman of Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission and planned the dramatic adventure ‘Hercules Bomber’.
He received the Hilal-e-Jurat, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, and Sitara-e-Jurat for his services.
Shabbir Sharif: Rana Shabbir Sharif was a Pakistani Army officer. He is the only person to receive both the Nishan-e-Haider and Sitara-e-Jurat for his bravery.
He lost his life on December 6, 1971, in the line of action.
DEFENCE DAY 2019:
The day began with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salutes in the provincial capitals. Special prayers were also offered for the independence of occupied Kashmir as well as for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.
The main ceremony for Defence Day was held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, where Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa laid a wreath at the Martyrs Monument and observed a guard of honour.
A special ceremony was held at the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal in Lahore where Major General Muhammad Amir laid a wreath on the mausoleum. A contingent of the Pakistan Army presented a guard of honour.
A special ceremony including the changing of the guards was also held at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi.
