Month: February 2019

Narendra Modi as PM will be a disaster for India: Manmohan Singh

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Breaking his silence over BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday launched a scathing attack on him saying it will be a disaster for the country if such a person became the Prime Minister of India. “Without going into the credentials of anyone, I think it will be disastrous for the country to have Narendra Modi as the PM,” said Singh at his second press conference with media in his second tenure.He also took a dig at Modi over Gujarat riots saying, “Strong leader does…

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Ready to return IAF pilot if it leads to ‘De-escalation’; Pakistan, No deal on IAF pilot captured by Pak, return him immediately; India

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Pakistan would be prepared to return the captured Indian Air Force pilot if it helped ease the crisis with India, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told in an interview to Geo TV on Thursday. “If there is de-escalation with the return of this [Indian] pilot, Pakistan is willing to consider this. We are ready for all positive engagement,” Qureshi said in the interview. He said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to talk to Indian PM Narendra Modi over telephone and “extend an invitation of peace”. (Follow live updates)…

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Opposition condemn Modi govt for politicising current situation with Pakistan

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Opposition leaders condemned the Narendra Modi government for politicising the sacrifices of the Armed forces on a day an Air Force pilot was declared missing in action after an aerial engagement with the Pakistani air force. Leaders of 21 parties, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar met for more than three hours to discuss the developing situation with Pakistan. They condemned the Pulwama terror attack by “Pakistan-sponsored terrorists of…

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Valley shuts against arrest spree, NIA raids

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Kashmir observed a complete shutdown on Wednesday against mass arrest of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists, the National Investigation Agency raids on residences of top separatist leaders including Muhammad Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and “attempts to tinker with” Article 35-A.The two-day call for shutdown (for Wednesday and Thursday) has been given by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. Last week, the police swooped on Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists—apart from religious scholars of Jamiat-e-Ahlihadith and some separatist leaders—for unspecified reasons,…

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‘Tourists are our Guests’ Kashmir hotels open doors to stranded tourists

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Amid heightened cross-border tension, which led to the closure of the Srinagar airport for civilian flights on Wednesday, hotels in the Kashmir valley have opened their doors to the stranded tourists, offering them free accommodation. Several hoteliers and travel agents came to the rescue of the tourists as the Srinagar-Jammu national highway too remained mostly shut during the past few weeks. “As tourists got stranded on Wednesday, we (Radisson group) offered free accommodation to them. We want to tell the tourists that they are our guests and we will make…

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2 IAF Jets shot down by Pakistan, One pilot held

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Pakistan has said its air force shot down two Indian fighter jets on Wednesday morning and claims to have captured two Indian Air Force pilots. Pakistan’s military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said one of the pilots is in hospital. The Pakistan Army has also released a video that shows a blindfolded man, identifying himself as a Wing Commander-rank IAF officer and his service number. Then, he asks, “Am I with the Pakistani Army”. Indian officials have confirmed the possibility of pilots being held by Pakistan. The captured IAF pilot is…

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Pakistani jets violate Indian air space in Nowshera sector, Flight operations temporarily suspended at Srinagar airport

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Pakistani jets violated Indian air space in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowshera area but were successfully confronted. An official said the jets were immediately pushed back by Indian jets on air patrol. The jets had entered into Indian air space this morning, the official said. More details are awaited. Meanwhile, Srinagar, Jammu and Leh airports were Wednesday closed for civilian air traffic shortly after an IAF jet crashed in Budgam district and amid escalation of cross-Line of Control shelling between armies of India and Pakistan.“The civilian air traffic has been suspended…

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Amid escalating tension as well fearing war, locals rush for essentials

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As the news filtered in about the Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK on Tuesday morning, a palpable tension gripped the winter capital. Although residents went on doing their normal chores, the looming threat of retaliation following Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s warning forced people to start buying essential commodities and fuel. Residents even started withdrawing cash from the ATMs and banks to keep hard currency with them. Thoughout the day, people remained glued to TV channels and social media for regular updates. Whenever…

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Resistance leadership under NAI Raids

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The National Investogation Agency (NIA) Tuesday carried out searches on separatists in Kashmir valley, including Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, in a funding case, officials said. The NIA sleuths accompanied by local police and CRPF personnel carried out searches at nearly nine places across the valley, which included the house of Nayeem Geelani, son of Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, they said. Besides these, the houses of JKLF leader Yaseen Malik, Shabir Shah, Ashraf Sehrai and Zaffar Bhat were also raided. Shah, who is head of Jammu…

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Chaos across Valley ahead of Article 35A hearing in Supreme Court

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The mood in the Kashmir valley was one of dread ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing of challenges to Article 35 A, which gives special rights to the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The petitions challenge Article 35 A of the Constitution, which empowers the Jammu and Kashmir’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to them. The state’s mainstream regional parties and separatist organisations all believe , despite their other differences, that the Article should stay. “Everybody is anxious. We are a…

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