Rejecting as 'fabricated' reports of presence of up to 11,000 Chinese troops in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan area, Pakistan's envoy in Beijing has claimed that only a 'humanitarian team' from China was in the region to assist the flood victims.
India is making 'independent verification' of reports about the presence of Chinese troops in Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying it would be a matter of 'serious concern' if it turns out to be true. "We have seen media reports and are seeking an independent verification of these reports. If true, it would be a matter of serious concern and we would do all that is necessary to ensure the safety and security of the nation," said MEA spokesperson.
'We flew all missions in the first part of the war at low levels; that is at 300 to 500 feet above the ground.' 'These sorties were no doubt stressful since the pilots and crew had to look out for birds and obstructions as well as enemy gunfire.'
The Pakistan government has received intelligence inputs about terrorist threats to the Prime Minister and other top political leaders like opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani disclosed this during an interaction with the media at Gilgit in the Northern Areas on Wednesday.
Seeking "divine intervention", staff of Pakistan's national carrier PIA sacrificed a black goat at the airport tarmac in Islamabad before an ATR-42 aircraft took off nearly a week after the French-built turboprop planes were grounded following a crash that killed 47 people.
The Pakistanis, since the days of General Pervez Musharraf, have repeatedly sought Chinese assistance for the construction of a petrochemical complex at Gwadar and oil and gas pipelines and a railway line connecting Gwadar with the Xinjiang province.
Parrikar also said that if anybody decides to attack India, he will not remain silent.
Qureshi urged for unity among political parties in Pakistan on Kashmir and warned that doing politics on the issue would harm the cause.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said there is a possibility that he will meet his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Summit to be held in Trinidad in November.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said relations between Pakistan and India cannot be improved without the resolution of the Kashmir issue, which is holding up peace in South Asia.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance of 11 opposition parties formed on September 20, has launched a three-phased anti-government movement under an "action plan" to remove the Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government.
'If one puts the context of what Xi Jinping said at the UN about not wanting a 'hot or cold war with any country', one realises that his speech was quite bizarre.' 'The world does not expect such statements from China, a nation aspiring to be a superpower.
The worst-affected Sindh province reported 90 new coronavirus cases, taking the provincial tally to 357. The new cases have been detected in pilgrims who returned from Iran and have been quarantined in Sukkur, according to a spokesperson for the Sindh health department.
India cannot afford to be complacent about a possible Pakistan resort to military options across the LoC, warns Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
'The Citizenship Amendment Bill is a classic case of short-term gain over-riding long-term interest. 'We must welcome all persecuted minorities from our neighbouring countries and not just Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
An air ambulance carrying the Indonesian ambassador, who was injured when a Pakistani military helicopter crashed last week, made an emergency landing in India after the envoy's condition worsened mid-flight, a media report said.
'Given the present force levels, India cannot fight and win.' 'India can't hope to terminate the conflict on India's terms and impose the nation's will upon the adversaries,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
"They should remember that there is no article 370 in Pakistan. Here in India they atleast enjoy democracy but they would not have the same freedom there," Prasad warned. He cautioned those journalists who were writing in favour of Kashmiris being allowed to seceed from India must answer if they would support similar response from other states demanding freedom like the ULFA in Assam," the BJP spokesperson said.
'The Indian side has realised that not talking to Pakistan has not served any useful purpose.'
'China's growing nexus with Pakistan and the two countries' unresolved territorial disputes with India continue to pose a formidable national security threat to India,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
"Disappointed to see the Pakistan PM use the UN to praise a militant group that uses violence to promote its cause," Congressman Ted Poe said in a tweet.
'The separatist resurgence in Balochistan is thwarting Pakistan's plans to build CPEC projects to optimally utilise Balochistan's energy reserves,' points out Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
'By causing military humiliation of India it intends to send a signal to other Asian countries to toe the Chinese line,' argues Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Altaf Hussain has been arrested in relation to the hate speech of 2016 in which he had urged his followers to take the law into their own hands, it said.
The Russian-made chopper, owned by the provincial government of Punjab, was on its way to Russia on routine maintenance when it suffered unknown technical glitch and had to force land in Azra district of restive Logar province on Thursday.
He said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had agreed to pull out troops from the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and India should also consider a similar move.
Most of India's reserves for war in the mountains have been sucked in by the standoff with China. A large part of India's airpower has also similarly been committed on the eastern border. By moving these reserves to the China border, India has been weakened vis-a-vis Pakistan. All in all, the nightmare scenario for India of a two-front war may well come true, warns Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Exiled Kashmiri leader and spokesperson of the United Kashmir People's National Party Nasir Aziz Khan has alleged that Pakistan has been waging a proxy war in Kashmir since 1998 and had been using the religious sentiment of the Kashmiri people, adding that slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was also part of that war.
His statement was regarded significant as a Pakistani or PoK politician seldom refers to the area ceded to China in 1965 as part of the boundary agreement between two countries.
The master plan reveals a far more expansive project involving Chinese penetration into Pakistan's agriculture, industry, telecommunications, surveillance and intelligence networks and even leisure and popular culture.
Hitting out at the report, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in New Delhi that the update of the earlier OHCHR report is "merely a continuation of the earlier false and motivated narrative" on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Musharraf responded to Singh by saying that there was "complete autonomy" in PoK and Gilgit but "he was open to consider if anything further needs to be done in this case," it said.
Madhu Kishwar is a patriot whose freedom of expression needs to be supported by all, especially the liberals, says Sankrant Sanu.
'The Modi government's grandstanding has hardened the reflexes in Beijing, Islamabad and Kathmandu and complicated India's relations with these three countries, which were even otherwise highly problematic.' 'Whatever prospects existed for a fair and balanced resolution of the territorial disputes may also have receded,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Pakistan on Thursday asked the world community to play its role in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, saying it wants to resolve it in a peaceful manner and through result-oriented and sustained dialogue.
Speaking at a meeting in Gilgit in the northern areas on Sunday, Khan said: "Pakistan government has changed its Kashmir policy 12 times since 1947."
While we have to hiss loudly and do the lunging bit to keep our foes on their toes, that's only a tactical matter. What is the strategic goal? What is the end game? In my opinion, there is only one possible end game: the unwinding of Pakistan into several pieces: Balochistan, Sind, Balawaristan (Gilgit, Baltistan, the rest of PoK), the Pashtun area Khyber Pakhtunwa which will merge with Afghanistan, and the rump Punjab, says Rajeev Srinivasan.
When asked about implementation of the CAA in Maharashtra, Thackeray said that will be dependent upon the ruling of the supreme court.