The timing and mode of the attack in which two Indian soldiers were killed unambiguously point towards the complicity of the Pakistan military leadership in this misadventure. After all just a few months back Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani was all for peace. The solution to this riddle lies in the political developments within Pakistan, says Alok Bansal
The meeting, expected on September 25 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, will also be attended by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.
WWhat Pakistan faces in the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is virulent insurgency and terrorism, fuelled by its association with Al Qaeda
Developing relations with the Taliban is needed, but plunging headlong into Afghanistan without due thought will be akin to the rooster entering a KFC outlet, warns Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the exceptional coordination among the three armed forces -- fear instilled by the Navy, extraordinary skills of the Air Force and bravery of the Army -- forced Pakistan to its knees during Operation Sindoor in no time.
'There are times when India should stand up without hesitation and voice its indignation over the US' pressure tactic. This is one such moment,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The recent postings and promotions of three-star generals in the Pakistan Army have propelled some of former chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's favourites to traditionally important positions
Suryakumar fined 30 percent of match fee, India appeal verdict
'Shock, confusion, and paralysis reigned.' 'Pakistan was caught in a most embarrassing situation. It could neither claim credit for the operation nor admit to a dismal intelligence failure and lack of army preparedness.'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that indigenously developed BrahMos missiles destroyed Pakistani air bases while its air defence system, borrowed from China, remained unused, during Operation Sindoor, which exposed its lies on terrorism to the world.
'If Pakistan's army wants to escalate violence in Kashmir, they have an unlimited supply of jihadis they can train and send. That's not an issue for them.'
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says India achieved all objectives of Operation Sindoor, emphasizing that escalating the situation to war with Pakistan was not the aim. He highlighted India's fight against cross-border terrorism and the successful exposure of Pakistan's air defense system.
'Five hours of bombardment by the Pakistanis should not have happened.' 'India should have sent the air force to bomb the Pakistanis where they were raining fire on us.'
'Whatever we do, the purpose will be to re-establish deterrence.'
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited Kashmir to review the security situation following the Pahalgam attack earlier this week that left 26 people dead, mostly tourists. The visit comes less than 24 hours after Pakistan resorted to small arms firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Announcing the launch of "Mission Sudarshan Chakra", Modi said it will be aimed at neutralising enemy threat and enhancing India's offensive capabilities.
'If there is a military standoff eyeball to eyeball on the western border, the Chinese could create problems by making movements in the north, in our northeast, which could involve us tying down some forces there so that could stretch our military actions.'
'One Chinese interlocutor said India should realise that "China can do without India, but India could not do without China", pointing to its inability to do without Chinese intermediates and components,' former foreign secretary Shyam Saran discovers on a visit to China.
'Will this near-war, India's strongest military response so far, buy India another seven years of deterrence?' asks Shekhar Gupta.
Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of prioritizing his image over national security after the Pahalgam attack, challenging him to refute Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Heavy firing and explosions were reported on Saturday near the entrance of the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, though it could not be immediately ascertained if there were any casualties.
India had vehemently opposed Asian Development Bank's decision to grant $800 million loan to Pakistan saying the fund could be misused for increasing expenditure on its military, government sources said.
In his address, Sharif praised US President Donald Trump, saying his "efforts for peace helped avert a ... war in South Asia".
'Why have we failed to address the issue of ensuring a requisite buffer zone in J&K, given that cross-border links of some J&K politicians are known?', asks Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Having control over both digital media and NGOs, it was easy for the US to topple the government and destabilise Nepal -- to undercut Chinese influence and pressure India, argues Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The controversy followed after another Madhya Pradesh minister, Vijay Shah, came under fire for remarks about Col Sofiya Qureshi who conducted media briefings on Operation Sindoor along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
'The elimination of terrorists does not imply the neutralisation of terrorism. That terrorist ecosystem continues to thrive in Kashmir.'
The Army further made it clear that the continuation of a break in hostilities, as decided in the DGMOs interaction of May 12, has no expiry date to it.
In what was perhaps the most critical meeting before full-scale war broke out, Shastri defined India's immediate war objectives to his defence minister, army, and air force chiefs: 'To defend against Pakistan's attempts to grab Kashmir by force and to make it abundantly clear that Pakistan would never be allowed to wrest Kashmir from India; To destroy the offensive power of Pakistan's armed forces...' A fascinating excerpt from Shiv Kunal Verma's must-read 1965: A Western Sunrise India's War With Pakistan.
The Indian Army responded in a measured and effective manner to the provocation.
Officials said the government-to-government engagement between the two countries on all other issues remains normal, but conceded rough spots over trade that need ironing out.
Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chief, walked away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to take the silverware from his hands.
'Saudi-Pak defence pact is to anchor the defence and security of Saudi Arabia and not Pakistan, per se, with Islamabad being the junior partner.'
The Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan firmed up the arrangement on stopping military actions on May 10 after four days of fierce offensives between the two sides that triggered fears of a wider conflict.
The early morning strike, part of a continued offensive by the army to flush out terrorists from the tribal region, triggered a fierce gun battle.
Trade, defence cooperation and regional strategy had long formed the backbone of India-US ties, but the latest rift shows how quickly those pillars can be shaken by personal grievances and political optics.
The government has extended the tenure of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan up to May next year.
Jammu and Kashmir was peaceful last night with no hostilities between the Indian and Pakistani militaries along the Line of Control and the International Border.
The Congress leadership is reportedly upset with former Home Minister P Chidambaram for his remarks on 'Operation Blue Star'. Party sources indicate that senior leaders should be cautious about making public statements that could embarrass the party.
Pakistan on Wednesday summoned the Indian charg d'affaires and lodged a strong protest against the Indian military strikes.
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