Tag: Kashmir

Soviet Afghanistan, and Kashmir

Editor
Soviet Afghanistan, and Kashmir

By -Bruce Riedel Tampa, Florida, is a long way from South Asia, but in mid-2011 I was there to attend a conference on Pakistan at the headquarters of the US Central Command as a guest of Gen David Petraeus, the US commander in Afghanistan. I was to review Pakistan’s role in supporting the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. Only twenty-five years ago the United States had fought a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan with Pakistan’s help. President Ronald Reagan enjoyed Pakistan’s support and won the war. Now, in the twenty-first…

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Afghanistan’s neighbors watch warily as Taliban completes its dramatic takeover

Editor
Afghanistan’s neighbors watch warily as Taliban completes its dramatic takeover

The Taliban’s stunning takeover of Kabul sent shock waves around the world — with immediate implications for the complicated knot of three regional powers in Afghanistan’s neighborhood: Pakistan, India, and China. In recent months, all three governments have escalated their diplomatic outreach to the Taliban in anticipation of the possibility that it would grow into a political force in Afghanistan. That possibility became reality as the group swept into the capital Sunday, ushering in a new geopolitical landscape in Asia. For Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban’s return delivers a strategic defeat…

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India’s security nightmare reignited as return of Taliban is likely to embolden militant outfits

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India's security nightmare reignited as return of Taliban is likely to embolden militant outfits

The bad news is that India did not build equity with the Taliban By Namrata Biji Ahuja For India, the return of the Taliban is not so much about the fear of the Taliban, but the growth and proliferation of radical and terrorist outfits operating in the ungoverned spaces, particularly North Waziristan and areas along the Durand Line, where more than half a dozen terror groups have established base and are waiting to take advantage of the changing security dynamics to unleash terror activities. While a section of the Indian…

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Veiling reference to Pakistan & China, India facing two challenges: Narendra Modi

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Veiling reference to Pakistan & China, India facing two challenges - Narendra Modi

PM Modi said India was fighting terrorism and expansionism with courage, and the government would take all steps to strengthen the capabilities of the Indian armed forces. In his 88-minute Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the dual challenges of terrorism and expansionism–a veiled reference to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and China‘s expansionist policy in Ladakh—and India’s resolve to strengthen the armed forces, its growing prowess in defence manufacturing and the government’s full commitment to boost self-reliance in the defence sector. He said…

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The rise of Taliban in Afghanistan and how it might impact Jammu & Kashmir

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The rise of Taliban in Afghanistan and how it might impact J&K

Many in the government believe that an unstable Afghanistan might have a direct impact on Jammu and Kashmir like that in the 1990s when militants trained in Taliban and Al-Qaeda camps entered the Valley and carried out multiple attacks. By- Aalok Sensharma It was on August 5, 2019, when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rewrote history by abrogating Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the erstwhile state into two union territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. By ending the…

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Pakistan seeks ‘Guarantees’ on J&K for better ties

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The thaw comes after a considerable deterioration in ties that followed New Delhi’s decision to do away with the special status granted to J&K under Article 370. Constitutional guarantees on not changing the demography of Jammu & Kashmir would go a long way in creating an “enabling environment”, Pakistan has conveyed to India, highly placed government officials told. The thaw in the India-Pakistan relationship that started with the restoration of the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in February, through a statement by the Director Generals of Military…

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Army Human Rights record in J&K have raised barrier before German Arms Exports

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The country is India’s sixth-largest trading partner and its largest trading partner from the European Union. Concerns over the security forces’ human rights record in Jammu and Kashmir have raised a barrier before Germany’s small arms exports to India. German regulations and covenants restrict, and often prohibit, arms sales to nations or regions where their use might cause direct or collateral damage to civilian populations and institutions. Two Indian security officials familiar with the bar on German small arms producers said these companies had failed to obtain export licences from…

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After Year’s slump, recent snowfall unlocks Kashmir Tourism

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After witnessing a slump for more than seven months due to outbreak of Covid-19, there is a ray of hope for Kashmir’s ailing tourism sector as the fresh snowfall in higher reaches is attracting tourists once again. Gulmarg in Baramulla district, which recorded almost 2 feet of snowfall since Saturday, has come to life as tourists have started thronging this popular ski-resort. On Sunday, as many as 574 tourists arrived at the Srinagar International Airport from different cities, mostly Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai to spend their ongoing Diwali vacations…

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Restore Pre-August 5 position of J&K: National Conference

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Statements to create an atmosphere of ‘peace, love and amity’ have no meaning unless the Centre respects the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, say 11 leaders of the party Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s all-party meeting over the Ladakh face-off with China and the death of 20 soldiers, the top leadership of the National Conference (NC) on Friday praised the BJP leadership’s reconciliatory tone and demanded the restoration of pre-August 5, 2019 constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir and the unification of the Union Territories…

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High-speed internet ban extended till July 8

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Yet again, the Jammu-Kashmir administration on Wednesday, extended its ban on the high-speed internet till 8 July 2020, limiting it to 2G speed only. Moreover, it stated that 2G speed internet has been provided to post-paid sim cards and provided to pre-paid sim cards after verification of norms. The government has maintained that the continued ban was in place to prevent infiltration attempts and curbing fake news, adding that neither education or COVID-related activities have been hampered. J&K: High-speed internet ban extended till July 8 SC asks Centre to examine…

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