Nasheman News : The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was underway on Tuesday in the wake of reports claimed by Islamabad that Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and returned after dropping a payload in Pakistan.

All the IAF bases were on high alert anticipating a reaction from Pakistan to the strikes carried out by the Indian fighter jets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Balakot early on Tuesday.

Sources said that the IAF bases along the borders and inside are fully geared to deal with any eventuality. Air defence systems were activated to deal with any intruders along the International Border and the LoC. 

The airborne radars were keeping a close vigil on the activities inside Pakistan, the sources added.

The CCS meeting was also attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and other government officials. 

Though the Centre was yet to make an official statement, Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat tweeted that the IAF carried out aerial strikes across the LoC and destroyed terrorist camps.

Shekhawat is the first functionary of the government to confirm from the Indian side that the strikes have taken place. 

Some of the prominent veterans, who retired recently, have already hailed the move. 

“Air strikes by 12 Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft at terror camps in Balakot this morning. 1,000 kg precision bombs used. Pakistan accepts. See images below,” tweeted retired Lt Gen Satish Dua, who served as chief of the integrated staff to the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee till November 2018.

Former Director General of Military Operations retired Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia said that India demonstrated political and military will by “apparently” employing the air strikes. 

He added that there was a need to raise cost for Pakistan and the Pakistan Army to ensure they do not carry out terror attacks against India. 

“Picture abhi baaki hai,” he said.

The CCS meeting comes after the Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asif Ghafoor confirmed in a tweet early Tuesday that the IAF planes dropped the payload near Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before leaving in haste as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled its war planes.

The alleged incident took place in the Muzaffarabad sector, claimed Radio Pakistan.

Tuesday’s development follows a suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14 that killed 40 troopers. 

The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and prompted a spike in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Nasheman News :  Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that one cannot possibly speculate on what will happen next following the Indian Air Force (IAF) strike across the Line of Control (LoC) as there was no information of the damage caused.

“Unless we know which Balakote is being talked about by the Pakistani generals it’s pointless speculating about what we may have hit and what fallout the airstrike will have,” Abdullah tweeted after Pakistan claimed that IAF jets crossed the LoC, and dropped a payload in haste before returning as the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled its war planes.

“If this is Balakote in KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) it’s a major incursion and a significant strike by IAF planes. 

“However, if it’s Balakote in Poonch sector, along the LoC it’s a largely symbolic strike because at this time of the year forward launch pads and militant camps are empty and non-functional,” he added.

The Vice President of the National Conference (NC) also spoke of a possible fallout over the air strikes.

“The problem now becomes Prime Minister Imran Khan’s commitment to his country — ‘Pakistan will not think about responding, Pakistan will respond’. 

“What shape will response take? Where will response be? Will India have to respond to Pakistan’s response?,” Omar Abdullah asked, voicing his concern about what happens next.

Abdullah’s tweets came as the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was meeting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence. 

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asif Ghafoor confirmed in a tweet early Tuesday about the IAF incursion. The alleged incident took place in the Muzaffarabad sector, claimed Radio Pakistan.

Tuesday’s development follows a suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 14 that killed 40 troopers. 

The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and prompted a spike in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Nasheman News : Pakistan claimed on Tuesday that Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and returned after the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) scrambled war planes.

Pakistan has clarified that the IAF jets dropped bombs within Pakistani Kashmir at Balakote.

Amid confusion about the location as there are two places by the name of Balakot/Balakote, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Asif Ghafoor, said the “intrusion” took place within three to four miles of LoC in Pakistan administered Kashmir.

His earlier tweet had mentioned that the Indian fighters dropped a payload at Balakot.

A place called Balakot is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a Balakote is located in the Pakistani administered Kashmir.

Following an uproar in Pakistan about Indian jets flying deep into its territory, the DG ISPR clarified that the intrusion took place close to the LoC.

The alleged incident took place in the Muzaffarabad sector, said Radio Pakistan.

The IAF action follows a suicide bombing attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama in Kashmir on February 14 that killed 40 troopers. 

The attack was claimed by Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and prompted a spike in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Flight tracking websites spotted heightened activities along the border with an IAF early warning plane Emb 145 and mid-air refueller circling in the area early in the morning.

Reports claimed that the IAF strike was carried out by a group of Mirage 2000 fighters at around 3.30 a.m.

Nasheman News : Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Peoples Conference (PC) chief Sajjad Lone on Saturday questioned the wisdom behind the detention of dozens of Jamaat-e-Islami cadres.

Reacting to the overnight raids across the valley in which dozens of group’s leaders were detained, Mufti tweeted: “In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat leaders and workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested.

“Fail to understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters… Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas.”

Lone, former state minister, also questioned: “Government seems to be on an arrest spree. Just a word of caution. Large scale arrests took place in 1990.” 

“Leaders were ferried to Jodhpur and many jails across the country. Things worsened. This is a tried tested and failed model. Please desist from it. It won’t work. Things will worsen,” Lone said in his reaction to the detentions.

The raids were carried out during the night in south, central and north Kashmir areas in which dozens of Jamaat leaders, including its chief Abdul Hamid Fayaz, were detained.

Yasin Malik, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was also taken into custody and lodged in a police station on Friday.

Saudi Arabia will release 850 Indians from its prisons after a request from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) visit to New Delhi, India’s Foreign Ministry has said.

Saudi jails hold the greatest number of Indians incarcerated in any country abroad. As of January 2019, 2,224 Indians were in prison in the kingdom for crimes including murder, kidnapping, bribery, and offences related to drugs and alcohol, according to Indian Foreign Ministry figures.

The approximately 2.7 million Indians in Saudi Arabia form the largest expatriate community in the kingdom, with many working in low-paid jobs in sectors such as construction, domestic services and retailing that Saudis spurn.

“At the request of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in Saudi jails,” India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a tweet.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia ordered the release of about 2,100 Pakistani prisoners from its jails, according to Pakistan’s information minister.

MBS, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, paid a visit to India’s regional rival earlier this week, before flying to New Delhi.READ MORE

On Sunday, Saudi Arabia signed investment agreements with Pakistan worth $20bn. In New Delhi on Wednesday, MBS said he expected investment opportunities worth more than $100bn in India over the next two years.

The crown prince’s Asian tour, which will include China, is regarded as part of an effort to help rebuild his reputation abroad after the killing last October of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi leadership.

Saudi officials have denied accusations that MBS ordered Khashoggi’s murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and have detained 11 suspects in connection with the killing.

Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat has said that country will keep quiet on the retaliatory action against Pakistan in wake of the Pulwama attack.

“Why do you want to inform Pakistan beforehand. This time we will not say anything,” he said when asked about the army’s response to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement yesterday.

Rawat is in Bengaluru for the inaugural function of biennial Aeroshow 2019.

Earlier on Tuesday, Imran Khan, in his address to Pakistan had said they won’t hesitate in engaging in war with India, in wake of increased geopolitical tensions in the subcontinent after a terror attack on Central Reserve Police Force Convoy in Kash…

“All this ‘attack Pakistan’ talk is all keeping elections in mind. But if at all these are serious, please make note of one thing clearly – Pakistan will not think of retaliating, it will retaliate,” Khan had said in his first statement on the worst ever terror strike on security forces in Kashmir.

Agencies

Nasheman News : It is time to move on from dating apps like Tinder or Bumble as a French online dating community platform called Gleeden – the world’s first extra-marital dating website for married people – is making waves in India.

Primarily marketed to women – specifically those who are already in a relationship – the platform was launched in France in 2009 and arrived in India in 2017.

Today, it has over 4.9 million registered users globally, mostly from the European Union. In India, it has crossed over 300,000 subscribers within less than two years of its launch. 

Gleeden.com is run by a female team and is completely free for women users.

However, “men are evaluated by women and are charged from anywhere from Rs 750 to Rs 9,500 to join the platform”, says the platform.

According to media reports, the age group is between 34 and 49 years. Several professionals such as lawyers, doctors and senior executives have joined the platform in India.

“I’ve met many charming men who have been very nice to me. I had a relationship with one of them for over a year. We have shared wonderful moments, we spent nights and even weekends together… Intimacy was important, but that was not the most important thing between us…,” writes Senorita30, a 38-year-old who has been married for 18 years, on Gleeden.com. 

A 44-year-old man who goes by the name “Dating4Fun” and married for 15 years, says he subscribed to Gleeden two years ago. 

“I’ve met different people, but that didn’t really lead anywhere at the beginning. First, I’ve lived a beautiful story with someone that ended up a few months later. I’ve been in an amazing new relationship for about eight months now. It feels so good!” he posted.

The platform says it guarantees anonymity and has a strict 24/7 moderation policy for a qualitative community of members.

In order to join the platform, one has to fill several personal details, like number of children, marital status, sexual orientation, occupation, income, smoker, figure, ethinicity, hair colour and length, eye colour and hobbies. 

“Free for women! For men, there is a credits-based system without obligation,” said the platform.

[Nasheman news] Tundla (Uttar Pradesh) A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the indigenously built Vande Bharat Express to Varanasi from New Delhi, the train made an unscheduled stop for over three hours on Saturday near Tundla in Uttar Pradesh.

The train came to a halt 18 km ahead of Tundla station after it ran over some livestock around 5.30 a.m. near Chamraula station, according to railway officials.

He also pointed out that this was not a scheduled commercial run. “Commercial operation of Vande Bharat Express starts from February 17.” 

The train resumed its onward journey for Delhi at around 8.15 a.m., he added

The 16-coach train will have two executive compartments with 52 seats each and trailer coaches with 78 seats each.

[Nasheman news] Jammu Curfew imposed here in Jammu and Kashmir was not relaxed on Saturday two days after 49 CRPF troopers were blown up in a suicide attack on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Pulwama by a Jaish-e-Mohammad man, although authorities claimed the situation was under control.

“Curfew will continue till further orders. We will take a call later in the day after assessing the overall law and order situation,” said an official here.

The Mobile Internet suspension started on Friday and continued on Saturday, as well.

Speed of fixedline broadband connections have also been slashed to prevent any form of amplification of the situation given the fact that anti-social elements could upload inflammatory pictures and comments on social media to disrupt peace in the city.

Curfew was imposed on Friday when miscreants torched and damaged several vehicles that carried registration numbers belonging to the Kashmir region.

The Army was immediately called out to assist the civil administration to restore order in the city.

Curfew was initially imposed in some vulnerable areas, but was later extended to the entire city as tension mounted in the wake of violence against a particular section of the society.

The authorities met with important citizens belonging to different communities on Friday to seek their help in bringing the city back to normal.

[Nasheman news] New Delhi India has rejected Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua’s claims denying her country’s links to the Pulwama terror attack, saying that JeM, which claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday, is based in Pakistan, and the “links are clear and evident and for all to see”.

The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson on Friday termed as “preposterous” the demand for an investigation, saying there is a video of the suicide bomber declaring himself a member of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The spokesperson said India has not seen any constructive approach from Pakistan on bilateral relations and it has been sheltering terrorists and terror organisations such as JeM. He said Islamabad has not taken any action against such groups despite international demands. 

India also demanded that Pakistan take immediate and verifiable action against terrorists and terror groups operating from territories under its control to create a conducive atmosphere in the region free of terror.

The spokesperson’s response came over Pakistan Foreign Secretary’s briefing rejecting Pakistan’s involvement in the terror attack on a paramilitary convoy in Jammu and Kashmir that killed at least 45 troopers. Janjua met envoys of P-5 countries late on Friday.

The spokesperson said JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack. 

“The organisation and its leadership are located in Pakistan. LeT and other terror groups have welcomed the news of the attack. These groups are also based in Pakistan. Pakistan cannot claim that it is unaware of their presence and their activities. 

“They have not taken any action against these groups despite international demands, especially against groups and individuals proscribed by the UN and other countries. The links to Pakistan are clear and evident for all to see. Its own Ministers have shared the same podium with UN proscribed terrorists,” the spokesperson said.

He said there was audio-visual material linking JeM to the terror attack. 

“The demand for an investigation is preposterous when there is a video of the suicide bomber declaring himself a member of the JeM. There are also other audio-visual and print material linking JeM to the terrorist attack. We have therefore no doubt that the claim is firmly established,” the spokesperson said.

He said while there are claims to offer dialogue from Pakistan, it continues to shelter terror outfits.

“We have not seen any constructive approach from Pakistan on relations with India. What we have noticed however, are claims to offer dialogue on the one hand, while sponsoring and sheltering terrorists and terrorist organisations such as JeM on the other,” the spokesperson added.