'We need to give Pakistan something serious to think about on its eastern front -- that is the only way to actually help Afghanistan right now.'
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday paid floral tributes at the city police headquarters to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Records stretching back to 1947 suggest a consistent strategy by Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), of using terrorism as a state policy against India.
Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) members on Monday to discuss opportunities in his country, especially in the mining sector. The Taliban, who now control Afghanistan, is seeking to repair its ties with New Delhi, and is hopeful of Indian public and private sectors increasing investments in the mining and power sector, and greater trade and commerce.
Tharoor said if Pakistan were to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism, "we can talk to them".
'During the 5-day visit, Amir Khan Muttaqi would have, conceivably, bumped into our powerful security agencies one way or another and some interaction would have ensued, which, in turn, can lead to future dealings.' 'Indeed, this will be the one crucial template of the Indo-Afghan relationship that Pakistan will be monitoring closely,' points Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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.
'Pakistan is uncomfortable with the Indian presence in Afghanistan. They want the Taliban to ensure that there is no Indian presence in Afghanistan.'
'Operation Sindoor is still ongoing. The Prime Minister himself said that blood and water cannot flow together, that talks and terrorism cannot go together. So how can we have a cricket match with a country that indulges in terrorism?'
Following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan's Barmal district of Paktika province, which left 46 dead and six injured, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan on Wednesday summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul.
Jasbir Singh, a resident of Village Mahlan in Rupnagar district, who operates a YouTube channel 'Jaan Mahal', was found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.
Following the precision strikes, India reached out to several world capitals and briefed senior officials about its anti-terror actions against Pakistan.
India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval briefed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the country's missile strikes against nine terrorist targets in Pakistan. The strikes, dubbed "Operation Sindoor," targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India stated that the strikes were measured, responsible, and non-escalatory in nature, targeting only known terror camps. The strikes followed a deadly attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, for which India has accused Pakistan-based terrorists. The Indian government has cited credible leads, technical inputs, and survivor testimony as evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the attack.
The lawmakers also hailed the strong strategic partnership between India and the US during a meeting with an all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who briefed them on the cross-border terrorism faced by India and the country's strong and resolute stance in the fight against terror.
'...it should not delude itself into thinking that India's security or its great-power ambitions will be advanced by those partnerships.'
'Instead, what India should focus on is on riding out the next three-and-a-half years of Trump's presidency with minimal damage to itself.'
'The current strain in the relationship is serious and likely to be long lasting.' 'Even if Trump suddenly changes his attitude toward India -- which he is entirely capable of doing -- it is unlikely that New Delhi will be able to pick up the pieces and respond as if nothing has happened.'
India has secured international support in its fight against terrorism, with Russia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates expressing solidarity and a commitment to working together to combat the threat. This follows a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, which claimed 26 lives. Multi-party parliamentary delegations from India briefed the leaderships of these countries on Operation Sindoor, India's response to the attack, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism and combating radicalism. These developments highlight the growing global consensus against terrorism and the importance of international collaboration to address this shared challenge.
Heavy security has been deployed at vital installations in Delhi, including government buildings and areas with high footfalls, following Pakistan's drone attacks on Indian military sites. Police have strengthened vigil in areas with high footfalls and have canceled leaves for all Delhi Police personnel. The developments come after India swiftly thwarted Pakistan's attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles.
Interacting with the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur, Banerjee said, "We have been in talks with them (Pakistan) for decades, despite changes in various paradigms and governments. But one thing remains constant, the conflict with Pakistan."
All-party parliamentary delegations on Friday met leaders and diplomats from several countries to galvanise international action against terrorists and decisively counter the tactics of those who perpetrate, support and sponsor cross-border terror activities against India.
Pakistan's record on terrorism is "very clear" and the Pahalgam attack is only the recent example of cross-border terrorism, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday.
Terrorism is a global menace to be addressed by humanity in unison was the all-party delegation's message to Algeria as it concluded its visit to the North African country on Sunday.
"China is an absolutely impossible factor to ignore in what has been our confrontation with Pakistan," Tharoor said.
Sharif said that the US president had shown beyond any doubt that "he is a man for peace... and beneficial business deals".
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said on Friday that the ceasefire with India was holding and the country is committed to it. He also said that Pakistan is committed to making the ceasefire hold and de-escalation succeed, and then engagement to lead to stability and resolution of issues. Khan said that the two militaries have a channel of communication through the Directors General of Military Operations, through which they are working for de-escalation, in terms of the movement of troops. He added that Pakistan remains committed to the ceasefire announced on May 10 and lately, both sides have taken steps for de-escalation and return of stability.
India will oppose the World Bank funding to Pakistan next month, arguing that Islamabad has used such funds in the past to procure arms and ammunitions. India previously lobbied against the IMF extending a USD 2.3 billion assistance to Pakistan earlier this month, presenting evidence of Pakistan's misuse of funds for military purposes. India feels that Pakistan has failed to act on terror emanating from its territory and has been diverting funds from multilateral agencies to buy arms and ammunition.
'Fears in Washington began to intensify when it was realised that subsequent Pakistani and Indian attacks on major military facilities -- which were significant in terms of geographic scope and intensity -- could rapidly take both sides to where neither actually wanted to go.' 'The US objective was to stop the fighting as soon as possible. Everything else was secondary.'
Pakistan's ambassador to Turkmenistan, K K Wagan, was deported from the United States after being denied entry at Los Angeles airport. The incident has sparked concerns about diplomatic protocol and the nature of the US authorities' decision. Wagan, who holds a valid US visa, was forced to return to his last port of departure. The Foreign Office confirmed the envoy had gone to the US on a private visit and is investigating the matter. It remains unclear what specific concerns triggered the deportation, but sources suggest the US immigration system flagged Wagan over controversial visa references. The incident has been communicated to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Aamna Baloch, and the Foreign Ministry has directed its Consulate in Los Angeles to investigate.
'Is it right and proper for the US authorities to allow people like Subrahmanya Swamy [sic] go round the country preaching murder, violence, overthrow of the duly elected Government of India?' A fascinating excerpt from Sugata Srinivasaraju's The Conscience Network: A Chronicle of Resistance to a Dictatorship.
Terrorism and insurgency in J&K had subsided when India demolished East Pakistan -- for the simple reason that Pakistan understands power. We need to follow Chanakya's dictum of Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed for strategising against Pakistan, asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd). The ground truth is that unless we are prepared to acknowledge our shortcomings, including massive intelligence failures, punish those responsible and take corrective actions, we will continue in the same vein, asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd).
Sharifullah, also known as Jafar, is an ISIS-K member and was directly responsible for the killing of 13 US soldiers and roughly 170 Afghans at the Hamid Karzai international airport's 'Abbey Gate' on August 26, 2021.
'It is high time that the 'war on terror' is removed from our diplomatic toolbox.' 'Certainly, our parliamentarians have no role in it,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Defence attaches of several major countries who are part of many international groupings, as also of several Islamic countries attended the briefing, sources said.
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.
All-party parliamentary delegations on Monday met with the leaders of several countries and highlighted India's resolve to combat terrorism, which they stressed must be eradicated in the interests of all humanity.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday alleged that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi visited Pakistan on an invitation from its spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence, and that he worked closely with the establishment of the neighbouring nation.
A Pakistani national was arrested at the American Embassy in Chilean Capital of Santiago, with traces of explosives, US officials said in Washington. The individual identified as Muhammad Saif-ur-Rehman Khan has been handed over to Chilean authorities and the US has launched an investigation into the case.
Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the US has called on both countries "not to escalate" the conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to speak with the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India as early as today or tomorrow. The US State Department said Washington is reaching out to both India and Pakistan "regarding the Kashmir situation" and telling them "not to escalate the situation."
The possibilities of this serviceable thriller are immense but the makers prefer to play it safe and hold back the daredevil in the diplomat's clothing, observes Sukanya Verma.
The passengers alleged biasness against those holding Indian, Pakistani and other Southeast Asian nation passports.