Pakistan's former president Asif Ali Zardari has returned to the country, ending his 18-month-long self-imposed exile, amidst speculations about his future role in the Pakistan Peoples Party, which has threatened a major protest against the Nawaz Sharif government.
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also dismissed Indian concerns that proper legal process was not observed in the trial. "There was nothing in the [legal] proceedings that was against the law," he said.
The Deadlock over 'One rank, One Pension' persisted on Thursday with agitating ex-servicemen accusing the government of "constantly shifting goalpost" and "wasting time" even as a fresh round of back-channel talks were held.
Leaders of agitating ex-servicemen over One Rank One Pension met Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday night after which they said the government was likely to come out with a "clarification" on its applicability to those who have opted for premature retirement.
The jallikattu issue has revived pan-Tamil political sentiments especially among youths, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Official said the crackdown would be intensified in the coming days as government had resolved to eliminate militancy.
Amid Pakistan Army's mediation efforts, protesters have stepped up pressure on the embattled government with cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri setting yet another deadline of 24 hours for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to quit.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has cleared ex-gratia to next of kin of 17 persons, including Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani's brother, killed in terrorism-related incidents in the Valley, while giving one week's time for filing of any objection before formal orders are issued.
Indian military sources said no firearms were used in the clashes and that most of the injuries were sustained following stone-pelting and use of rods by the Chinese side.
The long-pending One Rank One Pension Scheme for ex-servicemen was tonight brought into force with government issuing a notification which will benefit over 25 lakh veterans and war widows.
The Congress vice president asserted that OROP was the right of military personnel and the government "will have to give it".
Mehbooba Mufti said that incidents like the ones at Handwara and Nathnusa are "unacceptable" and come as a major setback to the efforts of the state government in consolidating peace dividends in the state.
Veterans bemoan the 'lack of intention' shown by the Modi sarkar, who seem to have reneged on their poll promise.
Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Monday rejected opposition's two-day ultimatum to quit, saying she is willing to do "anything" to end spiralling violence but cannot accept the unconstitutional demand to hand over power to an unelected council.
The maharaja's win in Punjab after 10 years has also rekindled the hopes for the revival of the grand old party.
The Congress stalwart could not have asked for a better gift on his 75th birthday.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday approved in principle the financing plan of the much-delayed 4500 megawatt Diamer-Basha Dam project on the Indus river in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and asked officials to expediate its construction.
Saudi Arabia has severed diplomatic ties with Iran following attacks on the kingdom's embassy and consulate in the Islamic Republic over the execution of a Shiite cleric.
It was for the first time that a Chinese spy ship was detected in Japanese water since a submarine was spotted in 2004. The latest intrusion came less than a week after another Chinese naval vessel sailed near islands at the centre of a Tokyo-Beijing sovereignty dispute in the East China Sea.
The Narendra Modi government is understood to have ruled out changes in the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir and favoured its continuation in the present form in the state.
Dawn in its editorial said the move to arrest Saeed and four of his colleagues and place the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation on further terror watch list will be "closely watched both inside Pakistan and abroad".
'Pakistan's provision of safe haven to the LeT a will probably continue to be a key irritant in relations with India'
The Opposition in the Pakistan Punjab assembly on Tuesday staged a walkout to protest against Saeed's detention.
'It seems to us that bureaucracy is again at its best machination to delay, dilute and finally destroy our most legitimate, already sanctioned scheme of OROP.' The letter the Veterans sent the prime minister.
Xi Jinping will visit Pakistan this year after a cancelled a trip in 2014.
No headway was made on Thursday in resolving sticky issues for OROP implementation during talks between agitating ex-servicemen and government even as two more veterans on indefinite hunger strike were shifted to the army hospital following doctor's advice.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Friday said the government will soon implement 'One Rank, One Pension' scheme even as agitating ex-servicemen threatened to intensify their protest if any unilateral announcement is made which does not meet their long-standing demand.
The TMC leadership has decided to raise the issue in both the houses of Parliament.
After 'Operation Calm down' in South Kashmir, Army is now focussing on another operation -- 'School Chalo', under which it identifies areas and provides students with free coaching and make them participate in extra-curricular activities.
Voicing concern over recruitment of educated Kashmiri youths into terror outfits, a top army commander has said that eyes cannot be shut to the "tragedy" that "alienation and lack of opportunities" was driving local youngsters towards the gun and the Centre and the state government need to introspect to address these issues.
Confrontation between Pakistan government and the opposition escalated on Wednesday with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rejecting demands for his resignation and Imran Khan calling off the dialogue with his regime until he quits.
Leaders of the newly-elected Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union have taken umbrage at Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani's recent comments on the varsity and its Vice-Chancellor on the issue of women's rights.
This is the second such incident of mutilation of the body of an Indian soldier on the LoC since October 29.
If Team Rajini expected Kaala to carry the superstar's political message off-screen, it may have proved counter-productive. If the not-so-infrequent presence of Muslim residents of Dharavi, including that of Kaala's ex-love Zarina, in many scenes is expected to convey a political message, it is a no-brainer, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Through its early days to the 1980s, Pakistan sought to expand its sphere of Islamic influence through Afghanistan to Central Asia and got Pakistani citizens recruited in the Afghan government institutions in the 1990s when the Taliban were power. Now, it is looking eastward through India to Bangladesh and Myanmar to establish an imaginary caliphate.
Parrikar's statement did not go down well with the protesters who said they are "disheartened".
The government is considering appointing a committee under a judge to go into the issue of equalisation of pension, Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who has been leading the 'One Rank One Pension' protest in Jantar Mantar for the last 80 days, said after a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh believes that Nawaz Sharif could have been aware of Pakistan army's aggression in Kargil in 1999 despite the insistence by the then Pakistan prime minister that he did not know about it.
Read what the ex-chief of R&AW, A S Dulat, told our readers on Rediff Chat!
By weakening Sharif, the corps commanders could have a final say in important matters like relations with India, dealing with Taliban militants, interacting with Americans and once again achieving strategic depth in post-NATO Afghanistan. Which is why they may be behind the unrest in Pakistan led by Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri, says Shahzad Raza.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances