Page 30 - India Pakistan Relations

PoK unrest: As strike enters the fourth day, why are people up in arms?

One police officer was killed and over 100 people, mostly policemen, injured in violent clashes between security forces and protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Saturday

LS polls: 49 drones recovered along India-Pak border since MCC enforcement

Forty-nine drones have been either shot down or recovered from along the India-Pakistan international border by the BSF in the 60 days of the Model Code of Conduct being in force for the ongoing general election in the country, latest data show. Separately, the total recovery of these largely Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), originating from Pakistan and entering India's Punjab territory and a few in Rajasthan, has seen an about 13 times rise since 2022 in the January-May period. The MCC, or the Model Code of Conduct, came into force on March 16, the day the Election Commission held a press conference here to announce a seven-phase election in the country. The dataset, prepared by the Border Security Force (BSF), the unit that guards the 2,289 km India-Pakistan international border, and analysed by PTI, shows that a total of 49 drones, or UAVs, were either shot down or recovered by the security agencies from March 16 till date. The maximum recoveries, 47, were made in

Pakistan's newly appointed Dy Prime Minister Dar to visit China next week

Pakistan's newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will embark on a three-day official visit to China on May 13, during which he will meet top Chinese leaders and comprehensively review bilateral relations, including the upgradation of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Dar, who is also the foreign minister, will co-chair the 5th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. "The two sides will comprehensively review Pakistan-China bilateral relations including economic and trade cooperation; high-level exchanges and visits; upgradation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and future connectivity initiatives," the statement said. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Dar and Wang will

BSF personnel opens fire on Pakistani drone along border in J-K's Samba

BSF personnel opened fire on Friday night to shoot down a Pakistani drone near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said. Troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) detected the movement of the drone from the Pakistan side late in the night and fired nearly two dozen rounds, they said on Saturday. The drone, however, was flown back to the Pakistani side, the officials said. They said a search operation was launched in Narayanpur in the Ramgarh sector on Saturday morning to sanitize the bordet outpost area to ensure the drone did not drop any weapons or narcotics.

Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande reviews security arrangement along LAC in Ladakh

General Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, carried out a comprehensive review of the overall security situation along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh on Friday.The COAS was given a detailed briefing about the force's combat readiness at the headquarters of the Fire and Fury Corps in Leh."General Manoj Pande, #COAS visited the Fire and Fury Corps to review the security situation & preparedness in #Ladakh," the Army posted on X."#COAS was given a detailed update by the Commanders on the prevailing situation and ongoing Operational Preparedness. #COAS complimented the Officers and the troops for their professionalism, unwavering commitment & dedication to duty," it added.Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan chaired the Parivartan Chintan 2.0 meeting On May 9.Deliberations were held between Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee Sub-Committees on the way forward towards theaterisation and creation of efficient and effective forces capable of ...

Beyond hawks and doves

Influential voices in Pakistan and India, including two recent books, serve as advocates for cross-border peace and hope that post-elections, the new government will respond to these friendly overture

Shaksgam valley: How Pakistan 'unlawfully' ceded Indian territory to China

India has lodged a strong protest with China for carrying out construction activities in the Shaksgam valley

After making global headlines, yoga officially makes debut in Pakistan

After making global headlines, the ancient Indian physical, mental and spiritual practice of yoga has officially arrived in neighbouring Pakistan. According to the official Facebook page of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), which is responsible for the upkeep of Islamabad, the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad has launched Free yoga classes in F-9 Park in the capital. Many people have already joined in to kickstart their journey towards health and wellness, the CDA said. It also posted pictures of people taking part in the yoga exercises. Recognising its universal appeal, the United Nations on 11 December 2014 proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga. A draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. Yoga is normally linked with India and there are not many formal institutions in Pakistan to teach yoga. Though privately people like the physical part of yoga exercises. Many resident

UNGA: India slams Pak, says it harbours dubious track record on all aspects

In a sharp retort, India has said Pakistan harbours a most dubious track record on all aspects, as it slammed destructive and pernicious remarks made by Islamabad's envoy in the UN General Assembly here. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj's stern response came after Pakistan's UN envoy Munir Akram made lengthy remarks against India, including references to Kashmir, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, during his address to the UN General Assembly meeting on Culture of Peace.' One final pointin this Assembly, as we endeavour to cultivate a culture of peace amid these challenging times, our focus remains steadfast on constructive dialogue. We thus choose to set aside the remarks from a certain delegation, which not only lack decorum but also detract from our collective efforts due to their destructive and pernicious nature, Kamboj said on Thursday. We would strongly encourage that delegation to align with the central principl

Cong Pak 'disciple'; neighbour eager to make 'shehzada' next India PM: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dubbed the Congress party a "disciple" of Pakistan, and said the neighbouring country was eager to make the 'shehzada' of the grand old party the next prime minister of India. His comments came amid reports that Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a former minister in Imran Khan's cabinet in Pakistan, shared a video featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle and praised him. "Pakistan is crying because Congress is dying here. Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next prime minister. This is not surprising because we already know that Congress is Pakistan's 'mureed' (disciple). The partnership between Pakistan and Congress has been exposed. It shows the country's enemies want a weak government in India, not a strong one," Modi said. Addressing a poll rally in Anand town of central Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Anand and Kheda Lok Sabha seats, PM .

Business leaders urge Pak PM Shehbaz to initiate trade talks with India

Pakistan business leaders in an interactive session with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged him to initiate trade talks with India to promote business and commerce which would greatly benefit the economy of the cash-strapped country. Posing tough questions during an hour-long meeting at the Sindh CM House here in Pakistan's commercial capital on Wednesday, Karachi's business community appreciated the prime minister's determination to tackle economic issues but advised him to focus on bringing about political stability to turn around the economy. The Prime Minister sat down with the business community to find ways to uplift the economy through exports but his resolve was met with apprehensions from industry leaders who said it was almost impossible to do business under the current circumstances, particularly with high energy costs and inconsistent government policies, the Dawn newspaper reported. After the prime minister's brief speech, the house was opened for a question and answer

250,000 Afghan children require education, food and homes, says NGO

A quarter of a million Afghan children need education, food and homes after being forcibly returned from Pakistan, a nongovernmental organisation said Thursday. Pakistan is cracking down on foreigners it alleges are in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans. It insists the campaign is not directed against Afghans specifically, but they make up most of the foreigners in the country. More than 520,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since last October. Save the Children said families are entering Afghanistan with virtually nothing and that nearly half of all returnees are children. A survey of families by the NGO said nearly all of them lacked enough food for the next one to two months. Some returnees and host families had to borrow money for food or rely on friends and relatives for food. Almost two thirds of children who have returned to Afghanistan have not been enrolled in school, according to Save the Children. The majority told the organisation they don't have the ...

Encourage India, Pak to find resolution: US on alleged anti-terror ops

Quizzed about reported statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on crossing borders to kill terrorists, the Biden administration said the US would not involve itself on the matter but encouraged India and Pakistan to avoid any escalation and find a resolution through dialogue. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was responding to questions at a news conference on Tuesday on alleged operations by India in other countries to eliminate terrorists. When asked if Modi and Singh's comments can be seen as confessions on the alleged assassination of (Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh) Nijjar in Canada, (designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh) Pannu's murder-for-hire plot in New York, and killings in Pakistan, Miller said the US will not get involved in the matter. The United States is not going to get into the middle of this, but we do encourage both India and Pakistan to avoid escalation and find a resolution through dialogue, the State ...

Who was Sarabjit, the Indian whose Pakistani killer has been shot dead?

Amir Sarfaraz Tamba, an accused in Sarabjit Singh's murder and a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, was killed by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Sunday

Indian Army marks 40 years at world's highest battleground Siachen

The induction of heavy-lift helicopters and logistic drones, deployment of all-terrain vehicles and laying of an extensive network of tracks are among a host of measures that have enhanced India's combat prowess in Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, officials said on Saturday. As the Indian Army marks the 40th year of its presence on the strategically-significant Siachen glacier, the officials said there have been extensive improvements in the operational capabilities of the force due to the enhancement of infrastructure in the region in the last few years. The Siachen glacier at the height of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram mountain range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Under its "Operation Meghdoot", the Indian Army established its full control over the glacier on April 13, 1984. "The Indian Army's control over the Siachen glacier has not only been a story of unparalleled valour and ...

Pak has highest living cost in Asia with a 25% inflation rate: ADB

Pakistan has the highest living cost in all of Asia with a 25 per cent inflation rate and its economy may grow at the fourth lowest pace of 1.9 per cent in the region, according to a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report. The report was released on Thursday in Manila. The Express Tribune reported that, the Asian Development Outlook also painted a gloomy picture for the next fiscal year as well, projecting 15 per cent inflation rate for the next fiscal year -- again the highest among 46 countries and a 2.8 per cent growth rate -- the fifth lowest for FY 2024-25. The Manila-based lending agency stated that the inflation rate in Pakistan is expected to be 25 per cent in the current fiscal year -- the highest in all of Asia. This makes Pakistan the most expensive nation in Asia. Earlier, the cost of living in Pakistan used to be the highest in South Asia. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and federal government had set the inflation target at 21 per cent for this fiscal year but they

'Won't get in the middle': US on 'India's hand in killings' claims by Pak

'We encourage both sides to avoid escalation and find a resolution through dialogue,' said US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller

BJP's 'ideological ancestors' supported British, Muslim League, says Kharge

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday hit back at the BJP leadership, alleging that their "ideological ancestors" supported the British and the Muslim League against Indians in the freedom struggle. Kharge's reaction came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress, charging that its poll manifesto bore the imprint of the Muslim League and utterances of its leaders showed hostility towards national integrity and Sanatan Dharma. In a post on X, Kharge said, "Modi-Shah's political and ideological ancestors supported the British and the Muslim League against the Indians in the freedom struggle." "Even today, they are invoking the Muslim League against the 'Congress Nyay Patra', guided and shaped according to the aspirations, needs and demands of common Indians," he added. BJP chief JP Nadda had also accused the Congress of appeasement in its manifesto and asked the party to explain why it was against the majority. In his post, Kharge alleged, "Modi-Shah's ideologic

India better prepared than Pak to handle climate shocks: Scientists

Conducive weather conditions in both India and Pakistan are helping them to achieve record wheat output this year, but India is better prepared than the neighbour to handle climate change impact as it has developed many indigenous heat-resistant and short-duration seed varieties, according to agri-scientists. India is the second and Pakistan is the eighth largest wheat-producing country in the world. While India is self-sufficient in wheat output, the latter imports 2-3 million tonnes. One of the reasons behind Pakistan still being dependent on imports to meet domestic requirements is its failure to develop indigenous varieties of climate-resilient seeds. Presently, the harvesting of wheat crops is underway in both countries. India has projected wheat output to touch a new record of 114 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year (July-June), while Pakistan has set an ambitious target of 32.2 million tonnes from an area of 8.9 million hectares. While the two countries have been facing

Pak defence min optimistic of improving ties with Delhi post elections

Most recently, India abstained from the adoption of a resolution on 'Measures to Combat Islamophobia' introduced by the Pakistan envoy at the UNGA