Archives for March 2019

New Delhi, Mar 29 : India on Friday summoned Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah here and raised protests over Khalistani presence in the Pakistani panel on Kartarpur and said it could reschedule April 2 meet on Kartarpur with Pakistan at Wagah.
“We have sought clarification, some controversial individuals are reported to have been in Kartarpur panel from Pakistani side. This raises our security concern. We do not want meeting for the sake of optics,” an official source said here even as in a statement the MEA said it has been conveyed that the next meeting on the modalities can be scheduled “at an appropriate time after receiving Pakistan’s response”.
“We called Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner and shared our position on these issues,” the source said.
“We told Pakistan categorically that while we are very keen to bring these discussions on the modalities, we need clarifications,” the source said adding, the Pakistan government through cabinet decision has set up a committee on Kartarpur and number of controversial names have come in that.
These include – the names of Gopal Singh Chawla, Maninder Singh, Tara Singh, Bisan Singh and Kuljeet Singh.
“These names are controversial elements. Gopal Singh Chawla is a person who is associated with internationally designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed of JuD. They are associated with anti-India secessionist elements as are also other names,” the source said
“These are serious concerns about security,” the source said adding some of these developments raise questions about Pakistan’s ‘intention’ to make use of the Kartarpur Corridor.
It has been told to the Pakistani diplomat that India has made it “very clear” during talks at Attari on March 14 and “we sought assurances that the Kartarpur Corridor facility should not be misused in any manner for anti-India propaganda or promoting activities which would be detrimental to India’s interests and also affect the sentiments of the people”.
The MEA statement said India remains firm about opening the Kartarpur Corridor.
In order to take forward the infrastructure development for the Corridor in an expeditious manner, India has proposed to hold another meeting of technical experts in mid-April to resolve outstanding issues at the zero point agreed to at the last meeting, it said.
“Government of India remains committed to realise the long pending demand of the Indian pilgrims to visit the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib using the Corridor in a safe, secure, smooth and easy manner,” the statement said.
Pakistan has thus been asked to give the clarifications.
There are also other gaps – like India had proposed for allowing about 5000 pilgrims whereas Pakistani numbers were much less. “We need clarifications on all these”.
India has accused earlier that Pakistan was being “insincere” on the Kartarpur corridor and said there was “sea of differences” between what the official Pakistani delegation offered at Attari and what Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had himself announced earlier.

New Delhi, March 28 (Nasheman News) India has opted against commenting at this stage on a draft initiated for consideration of the UNSC members to list Masood Azhar in the sanctions regime as part of international community’s efforts to fight against terrorism, sources said here on Thursday.

They said India’s views on Masood Azhar, the founder-leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks in India including Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, are well known. 

The sources said it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage on a process which is entirely within the parameters of informal discussion of the United Nations Security Council and its members.

The United States has initiated a new effort for UN action against Azhar after several attempts to impose sanctions on him were blocked by China. The fresh move would force Beijing to take a public stand in the Security Council.

The US is circulating a draft resolution with the backing of Britain and France for the Security Council to condemn the February terrorist suicide-bombing in Pulwama and designate Azhar as an international terrorist who would be under the UN sanctions against Al Qaeda and similar persons and organisations.

New Delhi, March 28 (Nasheman News) India on Thursday expressed its disappointment over Pakistans response to its detailed dossier on Jaish-e-Mohammeds (JeM) complicity in the Pulwama terror attack and said that identical script was followed by Islamabad in the past after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 or in Pathankot in 2016.

India also said that Pakistan should take immediate, credible, irreversible and verifiable actions against terrorists and terror organisations operating from territories under its control. 

External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a media query that Islamabad continued to be in denial and even refused to acknowledge the Pulwama incident as a terror attack. 

He, however, said that India was still examining the paper handed over to it by Pakistan. 

“India is disappointed at Pakistan’s response to our detailed dossier on Jaish-e-Mohammed’s complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama and the presence of its terror camps and leadership in Pakistan. Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack,” Kumar said. 

He also said that Pakistan did not share the details of the credible actions, if any, taken by it against terrorists or terrorist organisations based in territories under its control.

“We are hardly surprised, as this identical script was followed by Pakistan in the past after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 or in Pathankot in 2016. It is a well-known fact that the UN-designated terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan. This was also acknowledged recently in international media by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister,” he said. 

Kumar said there was no dearth of sufficient actionable information and evidence in Pakistan to take action against them, provided there was sincerity and intent to do so. “Nevertheless, we are examining the paper handed over by Pakistan,” he said.

Kumar said Pakistan should abide by the commitment it made in 2004 and which its current leadership has recently repeated, i.e, vowing not to allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner. 

Pakistan had on Wednesday sought more information from India on the involvement of the JeM in the Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF troopers on February 14, and the presence of JeM camps on its soil.

The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was recently called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the “preliminary findings” on the “Pulwama incident” were shared with him. 

India handed over the Pulwama dossier to Pakistan last month with details of JeM’s complicity in the attack, for which the terror outfit had claimed responsibility. 

Pakistan also claimed that it had examined 22 locations of terror training camps shared by India in connection with the Pulwama attack, but found no such camps and was willing to allow visits to the locations.

“While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far. Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations,” it said.

It also said the Indian dossier contained 91 pages in six parts and only part 2 and part 3 pertained to the Pulwama incident. “Other parts are generalised allegations,” the Pakistan Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement.

It said the investigation team had examined all the information provided by India, including the “confessional” video of Pulwama suicide bomber Adil Dar in which he “claimed” responsibility for the attack, the WhatsApp and telegram numbers used to share videos and messages, a list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps. 

It said the service providers have been requested for data, including the details of activities and contacts of the GSM number provided by India. 

“A request for assistance from WhatsApp has also been made to the US government. Additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations,” it said.