Trump again offers to 'help' resolve Kashmir issue, meets Pak PM in Davos

Current Affairs
President Donald Trump has said that the US is viewing the improvements among India and Pakistan over Kashmir "intently" and rehashed his idea to "help" resolve the longstanding debate between the two neighbors as he met Prime Minister Imran Khan uninvolved of the World Economic Forum here in the Swiss ski resort.
Tending to the media with the Pakistan Prime Minister preceding their private gathering on Tuesday, President Trump declared that exchange and outskirts were both basic focuses for talk, while Khan said that for him, Afghanistan was the top need. Trump told Khan, whom he alluded to as "my companion", that he would address Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the continuous Kashmir issue. The US president is relied upon to visit India in the coming weeks, denoting his first visit in the wake of taking up his post in the White House.
"What's happening among Pakistan and India on the off chance that we can help, we absolutely will. We have been watching it intently and it's a respect to be here with my companion," he said. "The Pakistan-India struggle is a major issue for us in Pakistan and we anticipate that the US should consistently have its impact in deescalating the pressures, on the grounds that no other nation can," Khan said.

President Trump has over and over offered to intercede following India's August 5 choice to disavow the unique status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories, bringing out solid response from Pakistan which has been attempting to internationalize the Kashmir issue. New Delhi has guarded the move, saying Jammu and Kashmir is an essential piece of India and the issue was carefully inside to the nation, and the unique status arrangements just offered ascend to fear mongering in Jammu and Kashmir...Read More

Musharraf alleges 'personnel vendetta' after Pak court's death penalty

Election News
Pakistan's feeble previous despot on Wednesday said capital punishment given to him by a court in a conspiracy case depends on a "faculty grudge".
It was Pervez Musharraf's first response to Tuesday's court decision, which had just been decried by the nation's amazing military. Musharraf's supporters have held little rallies the nation over in his help since the court condemned him to death in the wake of seeing him as liable of forcing a crisis disregarding the constitution.
In the video discharged by his gathering, Musharraf said "there is no case of such a choice wherein neither the respondent and nor his legal advisor was offered authorization to state something with all due respect." He said the court that held his preliminary in interims from 2014 to 2019 dismissed his solicitation to record an announcement in Dubai, where he has been living since 2016, when he left the nation to get therapeutic treatment.
Musharraf's wellbeing has seen good and bad times, and he was again taken to an emergency clinic this month. He said the court decision against him was sketchy and that the matchless quality of rule of law was not kept up.
"I will say that there was no compelling reason to hear this case under the constitution however this case was taken up and heard on account of work force grudge of certain individuals against me and one individual was focused for this situation," he said.
Without refering to names, he said that the individuals who acted against him "are appreciating high positions and they abuse their office".

He adulated the individuals and military of Pakistan for remaining by him after the court condemned him to death for forcing the highly sensitive situation in his residency as president when he was additionally holding the situation of the military boss....Read More

Xi Jinping leaves for Chennai for second informal summit with PM Modi

International News
Chinese President Xi Jinping left for India on Friday morning for the second informal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
He will arrive at Tamil Nadu capital Chennai late afternoon.
Later in the evening, Xi will meet Modi and hold talks on a host of issues in a relaxed atmosphere at the historic tourist town of Mamallapuram.
After an overnight meeting, the two leaders are scheduled to meet again on Saturday to continue the discussions.The Chinese President is due to leave for Nepal on Saturday afternoon.
This is the second informal summit between Xi and Modi. Their first informal meeting at the Chinese city of Wuhan last year resulted in normalisation of the relations between the two countries after the 2017 Doklam standoff.
State-run Xinhua news agency reported that Xi left for Chennai this morning.
His entourage includes Ding Xuexiang, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC), member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and director of the General Office of the CPC, Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and He Lifeng, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

 Ahead of the summit, the state media said the Modi-Xi meeting would focus more on how to move beyond the past and present differences to forge a cooperative partnership....Read More

No change in nuclear policy: Pak on Imran's 'no first from our side' remark

Current Affairs

There is no change in Pakistan's nuclear policy, the Foreign Office has said, hours after Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed that his country will never ever start a war with India, amid escalating tensions between the nuclear powers over the Kashmir issue.
Addressing a gathering of the Sikh community at the Governor's House in Lahore on Monday evening, Khan said both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed countries and if tension escalates, the world will face danger.
"There will be no first from our side ever," he said, without explaining further.
However, Khan has been repeatedly threatening the possibility of a nuclear war with India over Kashmir after his efforts to internationalise the matter failed to gain any traction.
Khan also said conflict create more problems than resolving them.
"I want to tell India that war is not a solution to any problem. The winner in war is also a loser. War gives birth to host of other issues," he said.
However, Pakistan Foreign Office said Khan's comments were being taken out of context and did not represent a change in Islamabad's nuclear policy.
"Prime Minister's comments on Pakistan's approach towards conflict between two nuclear armed states are being taken out of context," Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said in a late night tweet on Monday.

 "While conflict should not take place between two nuclear states, there's no change in Pakistan's nuclear policy," he said...Read More

Pak intelligence didn't know about Osama: Ex-CIA chief counters Imran Khan

International News

Former CIA Director Gen David Petraeus has said that he is "convinced" that the Pakistani intelligence agencies did not know Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan, countering Prime Minister Imran Khan's claims that the ISI provided a lead to the Central Investigative Agency (CIA) that helped the US track down and kill the al-Qaeda chief in 2011.
Prime Minister Khan's statement on Osama during an interview with Fox News on Monday was significant as Pakistan had so far denied that it had any information about the hideout of the al-Qaeda chief before he was killed in a covert raid by a US Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) team in the garrison city of Abbottabad.Petraeus, during an interactive session at the Indian Consulate here on Tuesday following his address on the topic of the Indo-Pacific, however, asserted the US is convinced that the Pakistani intelligence was not aware that the terrorist leader was hiding in their country.
"We are quite convinced that the ISI, Pakistani intelligence, no one else knew that he (Osama) was there (in Pakistan). They were not harbouring him or hiding him or anything like that. We have very good insights on that. We probably differ with those who said that the Pakistanis were allowing him to live in that particular compound in Abbottabad," he said.
Petraeus said that during counter-insurgency campaigns, Pakistani authorities could never close in on North Wazirstan where terror outfits such as the Haqqani network, al-Qaeda and others had their headquarters and some of their forces.

 He added that the US learnt later on that Osama was not in that area but near the Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad. "I figured out later that I had probably flown right over his compound in a helicopter as I went to address the cadets at the military academy one time," he said, referring to the Pakistan Military Academy.Petraeus, a partner in the international investment firm KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute...Read More

'Sandwiched' Pak, two-front dilemma & Afghan-India ties: Imran's worry list

International News

Cautioning the United States about any misadventure against Iran, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said any action on the lines of Iraq could be much worse and people would forget al-Qaeda.
"My worry about Iran is.... I am not sure whether all the countries realise the gravity of the situation if there is a conflict with Iran," Khan said in response to a question during his appearance at the US Institute of Peace, a think-tank funded by the US Congress.
"You know, this is not going to be the same as (the 2003 US invasion of) Iraq. This could be much, much, much worse.... It could unleash terrorism, which -- people would forget al-Qaeda.... You know, the battle might be quite short if it goes ahead, bombing airfields and so on," he said.
"But the consequences after that, my worry is that not many people fully understand it. And I would strongly urge that there should not be...another military situation," Khan said amidst an escalation of tension between Iran and the US.
"We would do anything, I mean, if (there is) any role Pakistan can play in this. We have already suggested this to Iran," he said.
"Until recently, Iran was willing but then, somehow I felt Iran is getting very desperate. And I do not think they should be pushed into a situation where this leads to a conflict," Khan added.

 Responding to another question on Afghanistan, he said his government had decided to put an end to the decades-old policy of interfering in Afghan politics to avert the danger that Pakistan might someday confront an Afghan-Indian alliance."The fear amongst the Pakistani military establishment was always that there would be a two-front situation...you know, the eastern front, which is India...Read More

Kashmir is issue between India-Pak; US ready to assist talks: State Dept

International News

The Trump administration has launched a damage control exercise after the President's remarks about mediation on Kashmir, with the State Department on Tuesday saying it was a "bilateral" issue between India and Pakistan, and the US "welcomes" the two countries "sitting down" for talks.
It also said Pakistan taking "sustained and irreversible" steps against terrorism is key to a successful dialogue with India.
"While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes Pakistan and India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist," a State Department spokesperson told PTI in response to a question if Trump's remarks reflect a change in the country's policy on Kashmir.
India has already rejected Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his mediation on the Kashmir issue.
For more than a decade, the US has consistently insisted that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and it is for the two countries to decide on the nature and scope of the dialogue.
"We believe the foundation for any successful dialogue between India and Pakistan is based on Pakistan taking sustained and irreversible steps against militants and terrorists on its territory. These actions are in line with Prime Minister (Imran) Khan's stated commitments, and Pakistan's international obligations," the State Department spokesperson said.

 "We will continue to support efforts that reduce tensions and create an environment conducive for dialogue. This first and foremost means tackling the menace of terrorism. As the President indicated, we stand ready to assist," the spokesperson said in response to a question...Read More

India-Pak talks futile unless terror infrastructure is destroyed: Haqqani

Company News

Supporting India's determination that "talks and terror" cannot go together, a former top Pakistan diplomat has said another high-level meeting between the two countries would be fruitless unless Islamabad ensures the terrorist infrastructure on its territory is dismantled.
Pakistan's recent initiatives for talks with India must be seen in the context of the economic and international pressures on it, former Pakistani ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani told reporters here Tuesday.His remarks have come just ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Kyrgyzstan on June 13-14. India and Pakistan are part of the regional security grouping and leaders of both the countries are set to attend the meeting in Bishkek.
In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, Pakistan premier Imran Khan had requested resumption of talks between the two countries to resolve all differences.
But no meeting has been planned between them on the sidelines of the summit.
Haqqani's remarks also came on a day the government in Islamabad presented its national budget amid an austerity drive to wriggle the country out of the financial mess it is in.Earlier this month on Eid festival, Khan said there will be no increase in the defence budget because of "our critical financial situation". The defence budget presented Tuesday reflected that sentiment with no increase proposed in expenditure compared to last fiscal.

 Weeks ago, Khan's government negotiated a $6 billion bailout package with the International Monetary Fund to overcome the financial woes.Haqqani said another high-level meeting between India and Pakistan would be meaningless unless it is accompanied with dismantling of terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and giving up the notion of the two countries being "permanent enemies".

Azhar's listing shows int'l commitment to root terrorism out of Pak: US

International News

The UN declaring Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist demonstrates international commitment to rooting out terrorism in Pakistan and bringing security and stability to South Asia, the Trump administration said Wednesday, expressing hope that Islamabad will take sustained and irreversible action against terror groups operating from its soil.

Welcoming China's decision to lift its hold on the proposal to blacklist the Pakistan-based JeM chief, a senior Trump administration official during a conference call with reporters said after 10 years China has done the right thing by lifting its blockade.

"I think China seems to have understood that it was increasingly important that it's actions on the international stage on terrorism matched it's rhetoric, the White House official said on the condition of anonymity.

Pulwama attack, the official noted was just the latest in the terrorist attacks that this deadly group has conducted.

"Designating Azhar demonstrates international commitment to rooting out terrorism in Pakistan and bringing security and stability to South Asia," the official said, adding that this designation is critically important and it was a long time coming.

This designation, the official said, is in line with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's stated commitment to crackdown on militancy inside Pakistan and his acknowledgment that prosperity and development in Pakistan is contingent on maintaining regional stability.

 So we acknowledged that this designation is a good step forward and we look forward to how Pakistan would use this international designation press forward on its own stated commitment, the official said...Read More

Imran Khan sees better chance of India-Pak peace talks if Modi wins polls

Current affairs

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said he thinks there may be a better chance of peace talks with India if Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins the general election due to begin there on Thursday.

Khan said that if the next Indian government were led by the opposition Congress party, it might be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right.
"Perhaps if the BJP - a right-wing party - wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached," Khan told a small group of foreign journalists in an interview.

This was despite the massive alienation that Muslims in Kashmir and Muslims in general were facing in Modi's India, said Khan, who took office last August.

"I never thought I would see what is happening in India right now," said the former international cricket star.

"Muslim-ness is being attacked."

Khan said Indian Muslims he knew who many years ago had been happy about their situation in India were now very worried by extreme Hindu nationalism.


 He said Modi, like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was electioneering based on "fear and nationalist feeling".The BJP's pledge this week to propose stripping decades-old special rights from the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which prevent outsiders from buying property in the state, was a major concern, though it could also be electioneering, Khan said...Read More

Pak to return IAF pilot, Sushma at IOC meet, more: Today's top events

Current Affairs:

Before you start the day, take a look at the major events in the country

1. Pakistan to release IAF pilot Abhinandan

Pakistan will release the captured IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman today. Calling it a "peace gesture", Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told a joint session of the Pakistan National Assembly that the India-Pakistan situation should not "get out of hand" or otherwise Islamabad "will have to retaliate".

The announcement about Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman -- taken prisoner a day earlier -- came hours after India demanded his release and ruled out talks on the issue, saying Pakistan cannot use this issue for a peace deal.

2. Sushma Swaraj in Abu Dhabi to address OIC conclave today

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday reached Abu Dhabi to attend a conclave of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as a Guest of Honour.

"Recognising India's engagement with the Islamic world. EAM Sushma Swaraj arrives in Abu Dhabi for the Ministerial Meeting of India has been invited by HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of UAE as the 'Guest of Honour'," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj.


 Swaraj will address the plenary of the two-day 46th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the 57-member body. She has been invited by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to address the OIC meeting...Read More

Congress has shown its true colours: BJP hits back over Pulwama allegations

Politics News:

Slamming the Congress for targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Pulwama attack, the BJP dubbed its allegations "shameful" and said they have exposed its "true colours" after it kept a "facade" of standing with security forces and the government following the terror strike.

At a party event in Andhra Pradesh, BJP president Amit Shah said it was condemnable that the Congress has "politicised" the Pulwama attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed on February 14, and asserted that people have full trust in Modi's commitment of ending terrorism.

Citing media reports, the Congress claimed that Modi continued shooting for a film in the Corbett National Park for his "propaganda and publicity" and stayed put in the area till the February 14 evening despite the Pulwama attack taking place in the afternoon that day.

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also claimed that the prime minister continued to "have tea, samosas, at seven o'clock in a PWD guest house" that evening.

Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad rejected the Congress' charge as "shameful" and said Modi was there as part of an official programme related to tiger conservation.

"Was the Congress aware of the Pulwama attack? We were not aware," the BJP leader said in a jibe at the opposition party.


 The Congress attack on the Modi government would have pleased Pakistan, he said, adding that styles of what Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and the opposition party have said may be different but their contents bore striking resemblance...Read More

Pulwama attack: UN Secretary General calls on India, Pak to defuse tension

Current Affairs:

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on India and Pakistan to take "immediate steps" to deescalate tension that soared after 40 Indian security personnel were killed in an attack by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama.

"The Secretary General stresses the importance for both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalation, and his good offices are always available should both sides ask," the UN Chief's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Tuesday at the daily press briefing.

Dujarric was asked about a meeting Pakistan's Permanent Mission to the UN has sought with the Secretary General and also about Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi saying the UN must step in to defuse tensions between the two nations.
"...Looking at the situation in general between India and Pakistan, we're deeply concerned at the increase in tensions between the two countries in the wake of the attack on Indian security personnel on 14 February in Pulwama," Dujrraic said.

He said Pakistan's mission at the UN requested for the meeting with the Secretary General.
"We have seen press reports of a letter having been delivered to the UN. As far as we've ascertained, none has been received as of this very minute," he added.


 Last week, Guterres had "strongly" condemned the terror attack against security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, perpetrated by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, calling for those behind the attack to be brought to justice...Read More

Pulwama attack: Sitharaman slams Pak for seeking proof of its involvement

Current Affairs:

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lammed Pakistan for seeking proof of its involvement in the Pulwama terror attack and said it was India which has been providing evidence but the neighbouring country has not taken any action on it.

She was reacting to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's message to India to share 'actionable intelligence' if his country was involved in the terror attack for any action.

"Since the Mumbai attacks, not just this government, the earlier government also had sent dossiers after dossiers, evidence after evidence, what action has Pakistan taken on them?" she asked.
Also, at every level India has been following the process of law and the Mumbai attackers had been brought to book and punished by court of law, she told a press conference here.
"In Pakistan not even the first court is doing its job. There is nothing for Pakistan to show," she added.

Reacting to Khan's comments over the attack, Sitharaman said she would not want to say how the government was going to respond to it as no word is sufficient enough to assuage the anger and disappointment of every person of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already allowed the Indian Army to respond at any given time and as they see fit, Sitharaman said.


 On the defence forces morale following the Pulwama terror attack, Sitharaman said "The morale is not affected at all, they are absolutely ready to do their job...Read More