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Archives for February 2015

D G Vanzara leaves jail, says 'acche din' are back

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Photo: Hindustan Times

Photo: Hindustan Times

Ahmedabad: Moments after walking out of jail after almost eight years, former Gujarat deputy inspector general of police DG Vanzara, one of the accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Ishrat Jahan’s encounter case, has said that the Gujarat Police were targeted for “extra political reasons”.

“Ache din [Good days] for me and other police officers are back,” Vanzara was quoted as saying by television channels after coming out of the Sabarmati Central Jail on Wednesday. He further added,”Gujarat Police were targeted for extra ploitical reasons.” Ache din ayenge [Good days will come] was one of the poll slogans of the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

D G Vanzara, 61, is one of Gujarat’s most controversial police officers. Earlier this month, he was granted bail in the Ishrat Jahan case, one of two “fake encounter” cases against him, on the condition that he will not enter his home state Gujarat.

He had been granted bail in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh murder case in 2014. He was a Deputy Inspector General of Police when he was arrested in March 2007 and had been in jail since.

Mr Vanzara and other top police officers are accused of killing 19-year-old college student Ishrat Jahan and three others in 2004 and, in a separate case later, a petty criminal Sohrabbudin Sheikh, his wife and Tulsiram Prajapati, a key witness.

Mr Vanzara and the other police officers claim they were killing terrorists who wanted to assassinate Narendra Modi, who was then chief minister of Gujarat. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says the civilians were killed in cold blood.

Today, Mr Vanzara said, “Anti-terror operations happen in every state. But Gujarat Police was a victim of politics. It was unfairly targeted for political reasons.”

He refused to comment on a resignation letter he had written from jail in 2013, in which he accused Amit Shah, who was Home Minister of Gujarat and is now BJP chief, of being in the know of the police officers’ plans to counter the civilians, who he maintained were terrorists from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Mr Vanzara’s resignation was not accepted and he retired last year, while still in prison.

(Agencies)

Hate crimes against Christians in India: A report on 2014

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The alter of the St Sebastian Church was completely gutted on Monday. (Source: Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)

The gutted alter of the St Sebastian Church. (Source: Express photo by Ravi Kanojia)

In 2014, 147 cases including the death of at least two persons in 2014 killed for their Christian faith were recorded by Alliance Defending Freedom India and The Evangelical Fellowship of India along with other Human Rights and Civil Society groups. The vicious hate campaigns, physical violence, police complicity and State impunity contribute to the persecution of the Christian community in many states of India.

The report titled ’Hate and Targeted Violence against Christians in India – Report 2014’ shows Chhattisgarh topping the list with 28 incidents of crime, followed closely by neighbouring Madhya Pradesh with 26, Uttar Pradesh with 18 and Telengana, newly carved out of Andhra Pradesh, with 15 incidents.

The violence peaked between August and October with 56 cases, before zooming up to 25 cases during the Christmas season. Much of the violence, 54 percent, is of threats, intimidation, coercion, often with the police looking on. Physical violence constituted a quarter of all cases, 24 per cent, and violence against Christian women, a trend that is increasingly being witnessed seen since the carnage in Kandhamal, Odisha, in 2007 and 2008, was 11 per cent. Breaking of statues and the Cross, and other acts of desecration were recorded in about 8 per cent of the cases, but many more were also consequent to other forms of violence against institutions. Police inaction and its failure to arrest the guilty in most cases, its propensity to try to minimize the crime, and in rural areas especially, its open partisanship has almost become the norm.

The violence has continued well into the New Year 2015 with at least 27 incidents already being recorded by SpeakOutAgainstHate.org.

Download and read the full report here:

PDF - 1.9 Mb
Report 2014 Hate and Targetted Violence Against Christians in India

Pak 'terror boat': Coast Guard DIG, B K Loshali claims he ordered it to be 'blown up'

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Indian Coast Guard DIG B K Loshali, speaking on Monday, (Inset: The fishing boat on fire on the high seas).

Indian Coast Guard DIG B K Loshali, speaking on Monday, (Inset: The fishing boat on fire on the high seas).

Surat: The government may have claimed that the occupants of the ‘terror boat’ intercepted by the Coast Guard on 31 December, 2014 set themselves on fire but a statement by a senior Coast Guard official saying that he had ordered the boat to be ‘blown off’ may just open a can of worms on the incident again.

In an exclusive report, the Indian Express today quoted a Deputy Inspector General of the Coast Guard, B K Loshali, saying that he was there at Gandhinagar and he had ordered officials to ‘blow the boat off’ as opposed to government’s he claim that the boat  had blown itself up under suspicious circumstances.

Watch the video here:

The DIG’s statements came while he was launching the boat and the report quotes him as saying that while he had prepared a written speech, he would deviate from it to express what was in his heart.

The report has sparked controversy given that the defence establishment and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar have consistently maintained that the occupants of the boat had blown themselves up after  leading the Coast Guard on a chase.

The official stand of the coast guard, was that after receiving an intelligence input they had pursued the ship with an aircraft and a vessel. They said that instead of surrendering, “the boat started moving in a zig-zag way and switched off lights.”

The occupants of the boat allegedly ignored warning shots that were fired at it and after some time its occupants were accused of setting the vessel on fire, resulting in it sinking. No evidence had emerged of the occupants carrying explosives.

The government had also claimed that they had evidence of call intercepts that were made from the boat to Pakistan, which proved that the occupants were suspected terrorists.

Pakistan had said it expected India to conduct a “transparent” probe and had said that its own investigation has shown that there was “no sound evidence” to substantiate India’s assertions.

(Agencies)

Bihar political drama: JD(U) suspends seven ministers in Ram Manjhi cabinet

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Jitan Ram Manjhi

Patna: Janata Dal(U) in Bihar Tuesday suspended from its fold seven ministers owing allegiance to chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, ahead of the February 20 trial of strength for him on the floor of the Assembly.

The seven ministers were suspended by state JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh after receiving consent from the party’s National President Sharad Yadav, party chief whip in the Assembly Shrawan Kumar said.

The seven suspended ministers are Narendra Singh, Brishen Patel, Shahid Ali Khan, Samrat Chaudhary, Nitish Mishra, Mahachandra Prasad Singh and Bhim Singh.

Art and Culture minister Vinay Bihari is an independent. JD(U) has already expelled Manjhi from the party after which Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary declared him an unattached member.

Shrawan Kumar said the decision on the suspension was taken after the seven ministers failed to comply with the party’s direction to quit the Manjhi cabinet.

The rival camps of Manjhi and his mentor-turned-foe Nitish Kumar meanwhile held separate consultations with their supporters to firm up their strategies even as BJP refused to show its cards.

Manjhi on return from Delhi after a two-day visit headed straight to his residence and was closeted with supporters to draw up the strategy for the February 20 confidence vote.

Ministers Narendra Singh and Vinay Bihari, dissident JD(U) leader Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo and expelled JD(U) MP Shabir Ali were among others who met Manjhi at his residence.

Vinay Bihari exuded confidence of sailing through in the floor test. “We are confident of proving majority on the floor of the house on February 20,” he told reporters.

Former chief minister Nitish Kumar remained at his 7 Circular Road residence with senior party leaders who kept pouring in throughout the day.

JD(U) MLC Binod Singh is hosting a dinner for all MLAs supporting Nitish Kumar from JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPI and an independent.

A similar dinner is scheduled at senior leader Vijay Chaudhary’s residence tomorrow and at Nitish Kumar’s residence on February 19, JD(U) sources said.

(PTI)

Shiv Sena blasts BJP over Govind Pansare shooting

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uddhav-thackeray

Mumbai: Condemning the attack on communist leader Govind Pansare, the Shiv Sena today taunted the BJP-led government in Maharashtra over the “deteriorating” law and order situation.

“Pansare was shot when Sun’s rays were illuminating Kolhapur. All this is happening in our own Maharashtra, despite change in government,” an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

“When (anti-superstition crusader) Narendra Dabholkar was killed, there was Congress government in the state. It was put in the convict’s box over the murder. Now who will take responsibility for this daylight attack,” Sena asked.

“The government is ours (Sena is a part of the Fadnavis led ministry) so we cannot even say that the law and order situation is in tatters and convicts are roaming scott free,” it said.

“Had it been some other government, one could have battered it with these very words.”

“Pansare is against Hindutva. His booklet about Shivaji Maharaj was controversial. Many people didn’t like his speeches about Nathuram Godse in Kolhapur. However, his contribution in social work is immense,” Sena said.

(PTI)

Aero India takes off today in Bengaluru

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aero-india

Bengaluru: The 10th edition of the biennial aerospace exhibition — Aero India 2015 — will take off in a flurry of fascinating aerial displays at the Yelahanka Air Force Station here on Wednesday.

Breaking tradition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the show instead of the defence minister. With a record 623 participating companies and 72 aircraft, the show gets bigger this time.

Betting big on the “Make in India” campaign, Modi is expected to beckon global aviation majors to invest and collaborate with Indian firms. But alongside the aggressive push for partnership deals, the steel birds will take flight to impress business visitors and the public alike.

On the threshold of getting the Final Operational Clearance from Indian Air Force, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas will also showcase its prowess. Giving the LCA stiff competition on the versatility front, American and French fighter jets will make one final bid to clinch the long-delayed Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal.

For the public, the wing-walkers of the globally renowned Scandinavian Airshow Group and the Aero Superbatics team from the United Kingdom will fly high in breathtaking aerobatic manoeuvres. The display pilots will walk and dance to musical beats on the wings of the flying aircraft. The US Special Forces will debut with their pulsating open sky jumps, while the Flying Bulls from Czech Republic will be back again.

The gigantic C-17 Globemaster-III, the Boeing KC-135 tanker and Embraer’s EMB-145-I will remain big on static display, alongside 17 other civilian aircraft. Record ticket sales of over 3 lakh is expected to make the crowd turnout unprecedented in scale. Official delegates have confirmed participation of 24 countries.

People can also watch out for packed food, colas and mineral drinking water supplies throughout the five days. The authorities have also made arrangements for air conditioned toilets to make it comfortable for visitors. Casual dressing would be fine given the hot weather.

Meanwhile, 3,000 policemen, including home guards, have been pressed into security and traffic-related services. Additional policemen will be deployed on the last two days of the show. The first three days have been dubbed trade days for business visitors, and the weekend is for general visitors.

However, the crowd-puller aerobatic displays will be on show on all the five days. General visitors could view the aerial displays on all days from the Air Display Viewing Area.

(Agencies)

Muslim clerics pose six questions to RSS

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rss-Indresh

Kanpur: A delegation of Muslim clerics led by the Sunni Ulema Council’s General Secretary met RSS functionary Indresh and posed six questions to the Sangh including whether it has prepared a format to turn India into a Hindu ‘rashtra’, which he claimed left the saffron outfit irritated.

The Muslim delegation claimed that Indresh refused to answer their questions and instead said that a conference of Muslim organisations should be called where he would give the answers.

“We had a meeting with senior RSS functionary Indreshji last night during which we asked six questions, but he did not have any answer,” Sunni Ulema Council General Secretary Haji Mohammed Salees told PTI today.

He alleged that Indreshji, who is pracharak and looks after minority affairs in the organisation, got “irritated” with the questions.

“Our first question was whether RSS considers India a Hindu country. The second one was whether RSS has prepared a format to turn India into a Hindu ‘rashtra’. The third one was whether this Hindu ‘rashtra’ will be according to Hindu religious texts or RSS has chalked out a new philosophy,” he said.

Salees said, “The fourth question was what they want on religious conversion. The fifth one was what type of ‘rashtra prem’ (patriotism) RSS wants from Muslims. The sixth one was how RSS views Islam,” he said.

He said that these were the six questions which Indreshji “failed” to answer.

“They (RSS) did not have any format. They are shouting about ‘Hindu rashtra’ only on the basis of propaganda,” he alleged.

Salees feared that if Hindu Rashtra was built on Hindu texts, Dalits could once again not be allowed to enter temples.

“We asked whether a new philosophy has been chalked out by RSS. If a new philosophy has been chalked out that means Hindu religion is not religious culture. In that case, anyone can convert,” he said.

Salees said when the Constitution provides freedom of religion, why is the RSS afraid of bringing a bill.

“We are not afraid. If any Muslim does not like Islam and wants to leave, he can go. We don’t have any law to keep anyone Muslim by compulsion,” he said.

Salees said as far as love for the country was concerned their ancestors rejected Jinnah and Pakistan.

“In 1947, when the concept of two countries was decided, our ancestors rejected Jinnah and Pakistan and accepted Gandhiji as our leader, India as our country and expressed faith in the Constitution,” he said.

“What do they want from the Muslims? They should sing Vande Matram and bow before the picture of Bharat Mata, which they have visualized? We won’t accept it. It is against Islam,” he said.

“The ultimate result of the 90-minute meeting was they (RSS) asked us to call a ‘sammelan’ of Muslims and they will reply (to our posers),” Salees said.

“I said that when you cannot answer these questions in a room, then how will you do so in a conference. We then asked as to why should we call a conference,” he said.

Salees said there was restlessness among Muslims over these issues and “I came to take reply to these questions being raised in our community.”

“I believe whatever be our religion, we should be honest towards the Constitution. Religion is our personal thing. It is not an issue of the nation. We don’t even support the statements of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

“Those flaring communal passion are not loyal to the country. The country will run on the principles of Gandhiji, it will not run on the statements of Owaisi or Sangh,” he added.

Meanwhile, a city cleric, who skipped a meeting between Indresh and a delegation of Muslim leaders last night, said there “was no point” in meeting a representative and that he would only meet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to highlight issues pertaining to their community.

“Salees had called me for the meeting but I have already met Indresh before and there was no point in meeting him again. I will respond to the request of a meeting only if Bhagwat will call us,” city cleric Alam Raja Noori told PTI.

“If we had met Bhagwat, we would have put forth our issues with their agenda of a Hindu nation. Talking with Indresh about our concerns will not affect organisation’s perspective,” he said.

The cleric further said he was out of town when the meeting took place but even if he were here he wouldn’t have met Indresh.

Meanwhile, Salees said Noori’s name was not included in the list of members who were to meet the RSS functionary and was only added later.

Elaborating on the meeting, Salees said, on being questioned by Indresh on their alleged silence over remarks by AIMIM Asaduddin Owaisi, the delegation told him that Owaisi does not represent the views of the community.

Equating him with the likes of BJP MPs Sakshi Maharaj and Sadhvi Nirajan Jyoti, Salees said, “Owaisi is “just a Member of Parliament”.

(PTI)

Sholay makes its Pakistan debut 40 years after its release

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“There has never been a more defining film on the Indian screen. Indian film history can be divided into Sholay BC and Sholay AD” – Shekhar Kapoor

sholay

by Anum Rehman Chagani, Dawn

Sholay‘s release in 1975 proved to be a watershed event in the industry. The movie screened for five years at a landmark Mumbai theatre, the longest ever run in India at the time. It’s no wonder that owner and managing director of Mandviwalla Entertainment, Nadeem Mandviwalla is now bringing the cult classic to Pakistani cinema screens, over 40 years after its release.

Talking to Dawn.com, Mr. Mandviwalla shares: “Sholay is undoubtedly one of the most unique films of all time; it’s a classic that has never been released in the country. Many people have been deprived of the experience of watching it in a cinema so we feel the audience will want to come watch it, given the opportunity.”

The pioneering film is an action adventure circling around two petty thieves hired by a police officer to exact revenge on a ruthless bandit. The star-studded cast included Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini and Jaya Bhaduri, among other Bollywood greats.

The movie was remastered last year in 2014 and released in 3D for the new generation of moviebuffs. It will be releasing in 2D and 3D in Pakistan.

Mandviwalla adds, “The movie will not have a wide release. It will be shown at more cinemas but less shows. It’s tentatively releasing on 20 March, as 23 March will be a public holiday (on account of Pakistan Day) so people will have a wide array of movies to watch such as Jalaibee and Insurgent, which are also releasing around the same time.”

Other movies that have been reworked and released in 3D in Pakistani cinemas such as The Lion King and Titanic didn’t garner much attention so it will be interesting to see if Sholay will meet the same fate. For what it’s worth, it seems highly unlikely!

'We cannot accept violence against any religion': Narendra Modi

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The PM’s speech at the celebration of the elevation to sainthood of Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Mother Euphrasia.

Narendra-Modi-Christians

by Narendra Modi

I am delighted to participate in this function to celebrate the elevation to sainthood of two great saints of Kerala – Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Saint Euphresia. The whole country is proud of their recognition. Their elevation was preceded by that of Saint Alphonsa, who also hailed from Kerala.

The life and deeds of Saint Chavara and Saint Euphresia are an inspiration not only to the Christian community, but to humanity as a whole. They are shining examples of dedication to God through selfless service for the betterment of mankind.

Saint Chavara was a man of prayer and also a social reformer. In an era when access to education was limited, he stressed that every church should have a school. He thus opened the doors of education to people from all sections of society.

Few outside Kerala know that he started a Sanskrit school, and also a printing press. His contribution towards women’s empowerment was also noteworthy.

Saint Euphrasia was a mystic who dedicated her life to prayer and devotion to God.

Both these saints dedicated their life to God through service of fellow beings. The ancient Indian saying: “आत्मानो मोक्षार्थम् जगत हितायाचा” – welfare of the world is the way to moksha (salvation) – explains their life.

Friends,

Spiritualism is rooted in India’s heritage. Indian saints and Greek sages had intellectual and spiritual exchanges thousands of years back. India’s openness to new ideas is manifest in the Rig Veda: आनो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides. This philosophy has guided our intellectual discourse since time immemorial. Mother India gave birth to many religious and spiritual streams. Some of them have even travelled beyond Indian borders.

The tradition of welcoming, respecting and honouring all faiths is as old as India itself. As Swami Vivekananda said: We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.

What Swami Vivekananda had said a century ago holds good and will, for ever, not only for this nation but also for this government or for that matter any government in India, run by any political party. This principle of equal respect and treatment for all faiths has been a part of India’s ethos for thousands of years. And that is how it became integral to the Constitution of India. Our Constitution did not evolve in a vacuum. It has roots in the ancient cultural traditions of India.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had inspired us to dream of a land where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. It is that heaven of freedom we are duty bound to create and preserve. We believe that there is truth in every religion. एकम सत विप्र बहुधा वदन्ति

Friends,

Let me now come to the issue which is central and critical for peace and harmony in the contemporary world. The world is increasingly witnessing division and hostility on religious lines. This has become a matter of global concern. In this context the ancient Indian plea of mutual respect for all faiths is now beginning to manifest in global discourse.

This long felt need and urge for mutually respectful relations led to the interfaith conference on ‘Faith in Human Rights’ at the Hague on tenth December, 2008. This was coincidentally also the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.

Religious leaders representing every major world religion – Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Baha’i Faith, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism and indigenous religions met, discussed and pledged to uphold the Universal Declaration and of freedom of religion or belief.

In their historic declaration, this is how they defined what constitutes freedom of faith and how it is to be safeguarded.

We consider the freedom to have, to retain, and to adopt, a religion or belief, is a personal choice of a citizen.

The world is at cross roads which, if not crossed properly, can throw us back to the dark days of bigotry, fanaticism and bloodshed. This harmonious convergence among religions could not be achieved even when the world entered the third millennium. And now it has been. This shows that the rest of the world too is evolving along the lines of ancient India.

Speaking for India, and for my government, I declare that my government stands by every word of the above declaration. My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence. My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly. Mine will be a government that gives equal respect to all religions.

India is the land of Buddha and Gandhi. Equal respect for all religions must be in the DNA of every Indian. We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard.

With this commitment, I appeal to all religious groups to act with restraint, mutual respect, and tolerance in the true spirit of this ancient nation which is manifest in our Constitution and is in line with the Hague Declaration.

Friends,

I have a vision of a Modern India. I have embarked on a huge mission to convert that vision into reality. My mantra is Development – सबका साथ, सबका विकास.

In simple terms it means food on every table, every child in school, a job for everybody and a house with toilet and electricity for every family. This will make India proud. We can achieve this through unity. Unity strengthens us. Division weakens us. I sincerely request all Indians, and all of you present here to support me in this huge task.

Let the elevation to sainthood of Saint Chavara and Saint Euphrasia, and their noble deeds inspire us:

-to maximize our inner strength
-to use that strength for transforming society through selfless service
-to fulfil our collective vision of a developed and modern India.

Pakistan: Explosion near Lahore's Police Lines, eight dead

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Explosion Lahore Police Lines

by Dawn

Lahore: At least eight people were killed and several others were injured in an explosion that took place near the Police Lines in Lahore on Tuesday, hospital sources told Dawn.

The explosion took place near the main gate of Police Lines in Lahore’s Qila Gujjar Singh area and according to preliminary reports, it took place in a vehicle parked in the area.

Huge plumes of smoke were visible in the air in the heavily populated area which was quickly cordoned off by security personnel.

Several vehicles parked near the site of the blast caught fire and window panes in nearby buildings were also shattered.

DIG Operations Haider Ashraf told Dawn that it appeared that the explosion was a suicide blast. Initial investigation revealed that ball bearings were used in the bomb.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Amin Wains told media persons that the blast was most likely carried out by a suicide bomber.

He added that the target of the attack was the Police Lines but the security measures forced the bomber to detonate his explosives prematurely.

Eye-witnesses said gunshots were heard from inside the Police Lines, however security personnel have said that the shots were only fired by members of the law enforcement agencies after the blast.

Emergency was imposed in hospitals across Lahore and injured were being shifted to the Mayo and Ganga Ram hospitals in the provincial capital.

The site of the explosion lies close to the headquarter of Pakistan Railways.

Today’s explosion comes nearly three months after a massive bombing near the Wagah border claimed over 60 lives in Lahore. The bombing at Wagah was followed by the terrorist attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School in December which claimed over 140 lives — with most of the victims being children and students at the institution.

The Dec 16 attack resulted in the formulation of a National Action Plan to counter terrorism which also saw a parliamentary consensus on the formation of military courts in the country as well as renewed resolve to counter religious extremism by cracking down on terror financing and regulating madrassahs. The government also rolled back the moratorium on capital punishmentfollowing which a number of convicted terrorists have been hanged in jails across the country.

Since the government set the NAP rolling, the country has seen a number of terrorist attacks — the major ones being attacks on imambargahs in Rawalpindi, Shikarpur and Peshawar.

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