ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister reacted angrily Monday to media reports of a text exchange between an Indian TV anchor and a former media industry executive that suggests a 2019 Indian airstrike inside Pakistan was designed to boost Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chances for reelection.
Imran Khan took to Twitter to respond to Indian media reports of an exchange on the WhatsApp messaging service between popular Indian TV anchor Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta, the former head of a TV rating company.
The purported text exchange three days before the airstrike indicates Goswami had prior knowledge of the attack and that it was designed to drum up support for Modi in his reelection bid in pending parliamentary elections.
Goswami, a firebrand anchor who is Indian Republic TV’s co-owner and editor in chief, is known for supporting Modi and his nationalist policies.
According to the WhatsApp chat transcript, Goswami texted Dasgupta three days before the Feb. 26, 2019 airstrike, saying “something big will happen” and “On Pakistan the government is confident of striking in a way that people will be elated.”
Dasgupta tells Goswami the attack on Pakistan would give Modi a “sweeping majority” in the upcoming general election. Months later, Modi surged to a landslide victory in May 2019, propelling his Hindu nationalist party to back-to-back majorities in parliament.
Transcripts of the purported text exchange seen by The Associated Press were filed by Mumbai police as part of a supplementary charge sheet in a different case relating to manipulation of TV ratings.
Neither Dasgupta nor Goswami was available for comment Monday. But Goswami’s Republic TV issued a statement alleging the Pakistani government was conspiring against his station.
The February 2019 airstrike on Pakistan followed a suicide bombing in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir that month that killed more than 40 Indian soldiers. India blamed Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which claimed responsibility.
Although Pakistan detained Jaish-e-Mohammed’s leaders, Modi’s government launched a nighttime airstrike on the Pakistani town of Balakot, saying it hit a militant camp. Pakistan said Indian warplanes dropped bombs in a forested area, causing no casualties.
Pakistan responded by shooting down an Indian warplane in Kashmir and capturing its pilot, who was later released to ease tensions between the neighboring countries.
Khan alleged in a speech at the UN in 2019 that Modi used the airstrike “for domestic electoral gains.”
On Monday, Khan in a series of tweets urged the world community to “stop India from its reckless, militarist agenda before the Modi govt’s brinkmanship pushes our region into a conflict it cannot control.”
“The latest revelations from (a) communication of an Indian journalist, known for his warmongering, reveal the unholy nexus between the Modi govt & Indian media that led to a dangerous military adventurism to win an election in utter disregard for the consequences of destabilizing the entire region,” he said.
Pakistan and India have routinely accused each other of unprovoked attacks along the tense Kashmir frontier in violation of a 2003 cease-fire agreement. Kashmir is split between the nuclear-armed rivals, and both claim it in its entirety. They have fought two wars over the region since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
The text exchange controversy also drew criticism from India’s opposition, which demanded answers from Modi.
The opposition Congress Party said the text exchange between the two men raised serious questions about India’s national security. “(Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party) govt betrayed our nation by leaking national security information to a so-called journalist,” the party tweeted Monday.
Shashi Tharoor, a Congress Party lawmaker, said Sunday the “leaking of military secrets to a TV channel for its commercial purposes” required a “serious inquiry” by the Modi government. “We all expect it won’t, given the evidence of its complicity in the betrayals revealed,” Tharoor wrote on Twitter.
Pakistan PM angry over reports TV anchor knew about strike
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Pakistan PM angry over reports TV anchor knew about strike
- PM Khan responds to Indian media reports of WhatsApp exchange between TV anchor Goswami and former head of a TV rating company
- The conversation three days before Feb 2019 airstrike indicates Goswami had prior knowledge of attack and it was designed to gather support for Modi in reelection bid
Pakistan asks Israel to withdraw from occupied Arab lands at D-8 meeting in Istanbul
- Ishaq Dar says Israel is trying to wipe out the Palestinian population while calling for an end to its war in Gaza
- D-8 urges all countries to stop supplying weapons, ammunition to Israel amid thousands of Palestinian deaths
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar called for Israel’s total withdrawal from “all occupied Arab territories” while addressing the foreign ministers’ meeting of the D-8 group of developing nations in Istanbul on Saturday.
Dar criticized Israel for killing Palestinian civilians in Gaza where the latest death toll crossed 36,000 this week since the beginning of the war eight months ago.
He said the world was witnessing the “worst massacre” of our time, adding that Israel attempt was to wipe out the Palestinian population.
“Pakistan has consistently supported a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the occupied Palestinian territories based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions,” he said.
“We call for the total withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories, restitution of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to return to Palestine, and the establishment of an independent homeland for the Palestinians with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” he added.
Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza last October following a surprise attack by Hamas in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 250 people were taken hostages. The Palestinian group said its attack was in response to the deteriorating condition of Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration’s response was widely viewed as disproportionate by the international community in which thousands of innocent women and children have so far been killed.
Israel is facing the charges of committing genocide in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered an end to its ongoing offensive in Rafah.
Dar called for the implementation of the ICJ verdict without delay.
“This is the third time this year that the 15-judge panel has issued such an order,” he continued. “International community must act to halt the killing and arrest humanitarian suffering.”
The D-8 called for the United States in its declaration to lift its veto on the full membership of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state in the United Nations.
The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the UN General Assembly in 2012.
The declaration also urged all countries to stop supplying weapons and ammunition to Israel.
Normalcy returns to southwestern Pakistani town bordering Afghanistan after days of clashes
- Chaman has witnessed a prolonged sit-in after Pakistan introduced strict border controls citing security reasons
- The provincial authorities called back paramilitary forces and deployed police to meet the protesters’ demand
QUETTA: The situation in Pakistan’s southwestern Chaman border town started to normalize on Saturday after violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies wounded about two dozen people and resulted in the arrest of more than 40 this week, as a senior Balochistan provincial minister issued a call for peace.
The violence followed a prolonged sit-in near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan after the residents of nearby areas decided to oppose an official decision that made it mandatory for all cross-border travelers to have a valid passport and visa.
Protesters, including political groups, traders and daily wage workers from the Chaman area, raised concerns about the restrictions, saying they were disrupting the local economy and the daily lives of families who historically moved freely across the frontier for trade, work and social reasons.
However, Pakistani authorities took the decision amid a surge in militant violence in the region which it attributed to proscribed groups based on Afghan soil. According to some reports, the clashes started after the law enforcement agencies attempted to disperse the sit-in.
Speaking to Arab News, Balochistan Home Minister Zia Ullah Langau appealed for peace while asking local communities to resolve their issues through dialogue.
“Rival [spy] agencies are stationed in Afghanistan and are using terrorists to destabilize peace in Pakistan,” he said. “While we recognize the economic issues facing our people in Chaman, ensuring the country’s security remains our top priority.”
He confirmed that a 13-year-old boy lost his life during the clashes after receiving a gunshot wound to his head.
Dr. Asmatullah Achakzai, Chaman’s district health officer, along with the health department spokesperson, declined to provide data on the number of wounded from the firing incidents that took place in Chaman.
However, one of the organizers of the sit-in claimed 30 people were wounded and many are missing, with their whereabouts unknown.
The provincial authorities called back the paramilitary personnel, deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident, as police took charge of the situation as per the demands of the protesters, making the town a bit calm.
However, Sharif Uddin, who sells boiled rice on the streets, said he had failed to find any customers during the last week.
“I urge the government to see our plight,” he said. “On one hand, the route to Spin Boldak [in Afghanistan] is closed, and on the other, we are forced to starve in Chaman. I have been taking debts to survive for months.”
Developing countries, including Pakistan, call on US to lift Palestinian UN veto
- A declaration after a meeting in Istanbul asked all countries to stop supplying weapons and ammunition to Israel
- Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state after UNGA’s de facto recognition of statehood in 2012
ISTANBUL: The D-8 group of developing nations called on Saturday for the US to lift its veto on the full membership of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state in the United Nations.
The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the UN General Assembly in 2012.
In a declaration after a meeting in Istanbul of its council of ministers, G-8 members Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkiye also demanded all countries stop supplying weapons and ammunition to Israel.
The UN General Assembly last month backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favorably.”
The Palestinian push for full UN membership comes several months into a war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and as Israel is expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which the UN considers to be illegal.
As the Palestinian death toll in Gaza has exceeded 36,000 and a humanitarian crisis has engulfed the enclave, human rights groups and other critics have faulted the US for providing weapons to Israel and largely defending Israel’s conduct.
On Saturday, Israeli military said they rescued alive four hostages who were seized by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack in which Israeli said 1,200 people were killed and 250 abducted.
A Palestinian health official said on Saturday that at least 50 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Nuseirat and other areas of central Gaza.
Pakistan to send 128 police officers to UN peacekeeping missions, discusses security with UN chief
- Mohsin Naqvi seeks increase in the number of Pakistani personnel in peacekeeping missions with Antonio Guterres
- Both officials also discuss the possibility of establishing a counterterrorism force under the United Nations umbrella
ISLAMABAD: Over a hundred Pakistani police officials are soon expected to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping missions, announced an official statement on Saturday, following a meeting between Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York.
UN peacekeeping operations, carried out in conflict zones, are vital to maintain security by intervening in disputes, protecting civilians and helping to build a sustainable peace in post-conflict areas.
Last month, the military said Pakistan had contributed 235,000 troops to UN peacekeeping operations in 48 missions spread around in 29 countries since 1960. This also claimed the lives of 181 Pakistanis deployed in different parts of the world.
Many of the peacekeepers arrived from the police services. One of them, Shahzadi Gulfam, earned the prestigious UN International Female Police Peacekeeper Award in 2011 after being deployed in Bosnia in 1997 and later in Kosovo and Timor-Leste.
According to the official statement circulated in Islamabad, Naqvi discussed a number of issues with the UN chief that included peacekeeping missions and joint efforts to combat militant violence.
“During the meeting it was agreed to increase the number of Pakistani personnel in UN peacekeeping missions,” the statement continued, adding there was significant progress related to the deployment of police officials as well.
“128 Pakistani police officers will join UN peacekeeping forces soon,” it said.
The two officials also discussed the establishment of a UN counterterrorism force.
The Pakistani minister informed the UN chief regarding his country’s expertise and professional approach in the area and offered Pakistan’s support for the project.
He also pointed out that the number of women officers in Pakistan’s police had significantly increased in recent years.
The UN secretary general applauded the development, expressing his belief that female police officers would be considered for posting in UN peacekeeping missions.
Naqvi also thanked the UN chief for visiting Pakistan during the 2022 floods and his expression of solidarity with the affected people.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, and other senior UN officials.
PM Sharif concludes ‘milestone’ China visit amid push for investment, trade opportunities
- The prime minister says Pakistan will send 1,000 students for advanced agricultural training in China
- Major Chinese business group also agrees to invest in artificial intelligence, science and infrastructure
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded his five-day “milestone” visit to China on Saturday, which included several high-profile meetings with top political and business leaders, after announcing plans to send 1,000 Pakistani students to a top Chinese agricultural facility for advanced training before his departure.
His engagements across various Chinese cities aimed at upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), through which Beijing has pledged over $60 billion to the South Asian country.
The visit was particularly timely since Pakistan has been trying to navigate a prolonged economic crisis by actively pursuing foreign investments and enhanced trade opportunities, while also seeking yet another International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout to keep economic reforms on track.
During his time in Beijing, Sharif met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, who both reaffirmed their support for Pakistan’s efforts to become a regional hub of trade and connectivity.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s five-day visit to China has proven to be a significant milestone in strengthening the relationship between Pakistan and China, enhancing bilateral trade, strategic partnerships and initiating the second phase of CPEC,” a statement circulated by his office announced shortly before he returned to Pakistan.
The statement highlighting the prime minister’s gratitude to the Chinese leadership for extending warm hospitality.
“China’s advancements in information technology, agriculture, minerals and other sectors are exemplary,” the statement quoted him as saying. “The economic partnership between China and Pakistan will benefit the peoples of both countries.”
Earlier, Sharif visited to the Yangling Agricultural Demonstration Base in Xi’an, which collaborates with 26 countries in agricultural research, and toured the facility. He went to the Pakistan Pavilion, where his country’s export products were displayed.
“Pakistan is an agricultural country and the government is striving to increase per acre production through innovation in agriculture,” he said. “Enhancing the export of Pakistani agricultural products and their processing is a top priority for the government.”
He promised to send 1,000 Pakistani students to the northwestern Chinese city on government expense for their advanced training in the field of agricultural production.
Sharif instructed his country’s envoy to China and other officials to finalize the project with the Chinese authorities concerning the sending of Pakistani students. He invited Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University to open a campus in his country, assuring its management of his administration’s full support.
He went to the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi’an along with the Pakistani delegation, where they were briefed on the preservation and restoration of China’s historical heritage and the promotion of tourism, according to his office.
He visited various parts of the museum and appreciated the beauty of the ancient Chinese heritage and craftsmanship.
“Great nations like China protect their historical heritage,” he said. “The skill of Chinese craftsmen from 200BC is admirable.”
As the prime minister spent his day in Xi’an, his other team members continued to hold meetings with representatives of Chinese companies in Beijing.
Pakistan’s investment minister Abdul Aleem Khan in Beijing on Saturday held an important session with China’s 60-year-old semi-state CZK Huarui Group involved in making international investments in various sectors.
During their interaction, it was decided the Chinese business group would invest in artificial intelligence, science and technology, modern agriculture, health care, logistics and infrastructure.
Both sides also discussed the possibility of enhancing e-commerce in Pakistan through Chinese cooperation, calling it “the dire need of the hour.”
