The Indian Army has denied using cluster bombs on Pakistan as claimed by Pakistan Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor.
Indian Army: Such responses are only against military targets & infiltrating terrorists who are aided by the Pakistan Army. Allegations of firing of cluster bombs by India is yet another Pakistan’s lie, deceit & deception. https://t.co/09twKEpwJs
The Indian Army has said that Pakistan regularly tries to push terrorists across the border and India has maintained that it has the right to respond to such action by Pakistan. Indian Army clarified that such action, however, are only against military targets and infiltrating terrorists who are aided by the Pakistan Army. Calling out Pakistan’s bluff and propaganda, the Army said that the allegations of firing cluster bombs by India is yet another Pakistan’s lie, deceit and deception.
Situation in the valley has heated up after the Indian Army mobilised additional troops in Kashmir and the Amarnath Yatra was cancelled based on specific terror inputs.
Recently, the Indian army had recovered Pakistan made IED and American M-24 sniper from the Amarnath Yatra route. On Friday afternoon, Chinar Corps Commander Lt General K.J.S. Dhillon held a press conference to apprise the prevailing situation in Jammu & Kashmir. He was accompanied by some other officers of the Indian Army.
While the land mine bearing marks of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory was displayed at the press conference, it certainly points out a definitive role of Pakistan in fueling terrorism in the valley.
Days after Indian armed forces sent additional troops to the valley, Pakistani Armed Forces spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor has propagated that Indian Army has violated international conventions and used cluster bombs against Pakistan.
Use of cluster bombs by Indian Army violating international conventions is condemnable. No weapon can suppress determination of Kashmiris to get their right of self determination. Kashmir runs in blood of every Pakistani. Indigenous freedom struggle of Kashmiris shall succeed,IA.
Ghafoor, the Director-General of Pak spy agency Inter-Services (ISI), accused India of violating international convention by using ‘cluster bombs’ to target its civilians. However, the timing of his accusation sits well with the agenda that he and his ilk try to propagate.
Ghafoor was, however, shown the reality by a Baloch freedom activist who in turn reminded how Pakistan uses the ‘cluster bombs’ in Balochistan.
Use of cluster bombs by #Pakistan Army violating international conventions is condemnable. No weapon can suppress determination of #Baloch to get back their freedom. #Balochistan runs in blood of every Baloch. Indigenous freedom struggle of Baloch shall succeed,Inshallah! https://t.co/2AQ4mNpX20
Recently, the Indian army had recovered Pakistan made IED and American M-24 sniper from the Amarnath Yatra route. On Friday afternoon, Chinar Corps Commander Lt General K.J.S. Dhillon held a press conference to apprise the prevailing situation in Jammu & Kashmir. He was accompanied by some other officers of the Indian Army.
While the land mine bearing marks of the Pakistan Ordnance Factory was displayed at the press conference, it certainly points out a definitive role of Pakistan in fueling terrorism in the valley.
J&K: The Pakistan Ordnance factory anti-personnel mine recovered from a terror cache busted by security forces. pic.twitter.com/7sB9RcLpvC
Sensing a terror threat to the lives of the yatris, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued a notice urging them to cut short their pilgrimage and return immediately. Soon after, Machail Yatra to Goddess Durga shrine in Kistwar district was also suspended.
Presumably, to avoid answering uncomfortable questions and playing the victim card, Ghafoor found an easy way out by inventing the ‘cluster bomb’ theory against India. This is also one of the old tricks up Pakistan’s sleeves. Pakistan indulged in psychological warfare in the aftermath of Pulwama attacks as well. The Pakistani Army deployment, including radars and air defense system along the LoC, was strengthened immediately after the February 14 Pulwama attack as they expected Indian retaliation similar to that of the 2016 surgical strike.
After the Jammu and Kashmir government had issued an advisory for the Amarnath pilgrims to stall their journey and return back to their homes, today the government had requested the Indian Air Force to enable them in airlifting the Amarnath pilgrims to the places such as Jammu, Pathankot and Delhi from where they can return to their home.
Responding to the Jammu and Kashmir government’s request, the Indian Air Force has agreed to lend its Boeing C-17 transport aircraft to evacuate the pilgrims from the Valley. “A request was placed by the state government to the Indian Air Force to lift the stranded pilgrims out of the valley. The first batch of C-17s are likely to fly out of the Kashmir Valley in a couple of hours,” ANI quoted government sources told.
The C-17 is a transport aircraft with the capacity of carrying 230 passengers in one go and is faster than Russian made Ilyushin-76 travel between different places. Right now, C-17s are also being used by the Armed Forces to transport their Armed personnel to various locations in the state of Jammu of Kashmir.
The government had earlier issued an advisory asking the pilgrims and tourists in the Valley to curtail their visit and return back to their homes as soon as possible. The advisory was issued against the backdrop of intel reports suggesting a heightened possibility of terror attacks on the pilgrims schemed by terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad terror outfits.
In a joint press conference convened yesterday, Chinar Corps Lt General KJS Dhillon disclosed recovery of an American made M-24 sniper rifle and Pakistani made IEDs retrieved from many places in the Valley. The recovery of these armaments once again prove the connivance of Pakistan’s Armed Forces in enabling the terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir to carry out their nefarious activities.
A pro-Pakistan journalist and news editor of propaganda website, The Kashmiriyat, Qazi Shibli, has been arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police recently, reports Kashmir Walla.
Reportedly, Qazi Shibli, a resident of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district has been detained in connection with questioning over his few tweets which included the leaking of an official order regarding the deployment of additional paramilitary troopers across Jammu and Kashmir. He runs pro-Pakistani news website ‘The Kashmiriyat‘.
Qazi Shibli is a journalism graduate from Banglore University, has now been lodged at a local police station in Anantnag district. Following his arrest, the local Kashmiris are now apparently campaigning for the release of Pro-Pakistan sympathiser’s release by using the hashtag “FreeQaziShibli”.
A couple of months ago, the Facebook page of The Kashmiriyat was also brought down by the controlling authorities of the social networking site.
A double whammy of strong torrential rains and high tide have afflicted the city of Mumbai as the strong sea waves have started throwing the garbage sewage along the Marine Drive in Mumbai. The garbage dumped by the sea has turned the iconic Marine Drive into a necklace of trash.
#WATCH Maharashtra: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) workers clean the garbage spewed by the sea at Marine Drive, as high tide hits Mumbai pic.twitter.com/g4HyTk5UFP
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) workers were scrambled to the spot to clean the garbage strewn along the Marine Drive promenade as the high tide hit the city of Mumbai today. Besides, the severe down pouring of the rains today have adversely affected the normal life in Mumbai.
Various parts of the country are currently flooded due to heavy downpour of rain. Earlier this week, due to unprecedented 20 inches rain in 6-7 hours, the crocodiles from Vishwamitri river from Vadodara were found swimming on the flooded streets.
Genocide denial, unfortunately, is extremely mainstream in India. While it is banned by law in certain countries to deny the Jewish Holocaust in Nazi Germany, the predominant intellectual stand on the genocide of Hindus is that it never happened.
Consistent with that approach, even the Kashmiri Hindu genocide that occurred as recently as 3 decades ago is conveniently buried under the rug despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The situation is so dire that even the director of a supposed human rights organization engages in genocide denial. Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of Human Rights Watch, claims that Kashmiri Pandits were ‘asked’ to leave the valley, presumably by the Indian State, in 1990.
We saw this in 1990 when Pandits were panicked, asked to leave the valley. They are yet to return. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure security for all, including Kashmiris, tourists and pilgrims, not disrupt civilian life. #Kashmircrisis. https://t.co/5KrdvchDL2
Ganguly makes it seem like eloquent letters in neat envelopes were delivered to the homes of Kashmiri Pandits asking them to leave politely. The narrative appears to be that the rapes and the organized massacre simply didn’t occur. They were just magically ‘asked’ to leave out of the blue on one fine day.
There’s also another insidious insinuation in Ganguly’s tweet. She is comparing the current plight of Amarnath Yatris with the genocide the Kashmiri Pandits had to endure. According to her, the government asking devotees and tourists to leave before the situation gets worse is akin to a native population being hounded out of their home by jihadis.
There is absolutely no equivalence here. Amarnath Yatris are not being raped, they are not being killed. They were just politely requested by the government to return to their homes because bloodthirsty barbarians are knocking at the door. It was not the government that ‘asked’ Kashmiri Pandits to leave their homes. They were forced out of the valley by Jihadis.
Ganguly, of course, did not apologize for engaging in genocide denial. She doubled-down on her false narrative, as expected. It was the government alone that failed Kashmiri Pandits. The bigots that dominate Kashmiri society even 3 decades later share no blame whatsoever if Ganguly is to be believed. And again, she compared what is happening now to what happened in 1990.
Yes, the Pandits feared for their security. But it is for the state to ensure security and it failed, organising people to leave instead. The state has responsibility to protect civilians including minorities at risk—and not by displacing or evicting them whether in 1990 or now. https://t.co/wNILMOozwU
Comparing the events of 1990 with current circumstances in the state is utterly despicable. However, the dominance of the Left in the corridors of power has made it entirely acceptable to deny the genocide of Hindus. Hindus suffered 4 genocides in the 20th century alone and yet, human rights defenders pretend as if that never happened. Ganguly, as said before, is the South Asia director of Human Rights Watch, an international NGO that conducts research on human rights.
Genocide denial is not only acceptable conduct in the Left-Liberal world but it’s also one of the pillars of Indian secularism. Unless people deny that Hindus suffered genocides in the 20th century, they shall not be regarded as ‘intellectual’ or representatives of ‘civil society’.
Let me give you some truly trustworthy information: There is no way Modi and Shah are going to give the slightest hint of their plans in advance.
But speculating is fun. You know what else is fun? It is fun knowing that the newstraders in Lutyens Delhi, who thrive on “access” and “insider information” have no idea what is happening. And it is driving them crazy for sure. Makes me feel warm, safe and comfortable on the inside.
And what about the politicians?
An exasperated Omar Abdullah on not knowing what is happening in Kashmir
Yeah, he doesn’t know either. Which can only be a good thing.
Here is a note to my fellow citizens in Kashmir. Ignore everything Omar Abdullah has to say. Trust the Indian Army.
The news broke a few days ago that the government is committing an additional 10,000 troops to the valley. Then came the information that 25,000 more troops will be deployed. Then, we heard this
C-17 heavy lift plane brought into service
The C-17 Globemaster? Now, that is serious. Nobody uses the Globemaster plane just for fun. One thing is clear now: this is not a drill.
So what could it be? We already know that Modi-Shah never reveal their hand in advance. This means, unfortunately, that it is unlikely that there will be any immediate move on Article 35A or Article 370, which has been the subject of intense speculation on social media.
Then what is the sudden buildup in Kashmir all about? The really scary possibility is that the Government is actually reacting to something. Possibly the threat of a big terror attack on the scale of Pulwama or Uri. Something to do with the Amarnath Yatra or with the upcoming Independence Day celebrations or both.
The Army released some information yesterday.
Indian Army briefing that the additional troops deployment was due to Amarnath Yatra being terror target
How big could this terror threat have been? From the way the government is reacting, seems the scale could have been unthinkable. It is impossible for me to know anything beyond that, but let’s wish our Army and CRPF personnel all the luck as they go about uncovering the terror plot and looking for those who would have carried it out. Here’s wishing that they stay safe and a huge thanks to them for keeping us all safe.
Sadly, the Amarnath pilgrims have had to go back this year. Remember how the Amarnath Yatris were massacred in 2017! Will they come back next year?
Remember that the annual pilgrimage to Amarnath is now the last remaining Hindu link to Kashmir. This is our land, folks. This is part of Bharatvarsha and it has always been. It belonged to our ancestors. We hold it in trust so that we can pass it down to the future sons and daughters of Bharat Mata.
On a side note: here is why it is treasonous to talk about a plebiscite in Kashmir. Because Kashmir belongs to all of us Indians. Not only does it belong to us all, it belongs to all of our ancestors and to the descendants who are yet to be born. The land is not for anybody in Kashmir to take nor is it for the rest of us Indians to give away.
Let us take a longish historical perspective here. Pakistan and Bangladesh were ripped out of of India back in 1947. Around 1948, large parts of Kashmir went under administrative control of Pakistan (PoK).
Then in 1991, the Pandits had to leave the valley. And now the Amarnath Yatris do not dare go to Kashmir even for a few days!
What does that say about the dwindling position of Hindus in the world? Where are we going? And will we have anything to stand on a hundred years from now?
And listen to what Mehbooba Mufti has to say.
Mehbooba Mufti’s tweet on increased troop movement
Amarnath Yatris were massacred in 2017. Now she criticizes the government for being concerned about their safety. She doesn’t even mention the poor Amarnath Yatris who had to run for their lives.
Ha! Where is your Kashmiriyat? And for good measure, Madam, where is your Insaaniyat? And before you ask, we already have Jamhooriyat (democracy). With far more freedom, openness and dignity that at least 57 other countries in this world.
Back to the question of where we Hindus stand and whether we will be left with any ground to stand on. For the ordinary Hindu, this is a question worth asking. Even if it seems far removed from the struggles of daily life. A bit like climate change. It’s hard to think about big problems the impact of which becomes apparent slowly over the years.
But just like with climate change, it’s not a game that we can afford to lose. The coming generations would never forgive us.
As uncertainty crept over the state of Jammu and Kashmir, many politicians including former chief minister Omar Abdullah couldn’t stop himself from displaying his consternation on social media and expressing his helplessness in not being privy to the developments happening in the Valley. Regarding the looming ambivalence in the state, Omar Abdullah apparently had a ‘secret chat’ with a journalist on Twitter that he later claimed got leaked in the social media.
Had an exchange with a journalist which was expressly off the record. The exchange took place over twitter direct messages. 36 hours later the conversation was sent back to me as a screen shot of our chat. So much for respecting journalistic practices.
In a series of tweets posted by the National Conference chief, Omar rued about having a chat with a journalist on Twitter DM that was ‘expressly off the record’. Questioning the person in concern’s journalistic ethics, Abdullah mentioned that within 36 hours of his conversation, he received screenshots of his chat with the said journalist.
The conversation was a pretty innocuous one but that’s not the point. If you can’t respect a confidence don’t expect any contact or access what so ever. Now go explain that to the organisation you work for.
Abdullah alleges that when he confronted about the screenshots doing the rounds on the internet, the journalist laid the blame on Twitter for ‘taking a screenshot of the chat and then broadcasting it’.
When I confronted the person with the screen shot the reply I got was “twitter must have done this & circulated it”. Yup, I’m an idiot & will certainly believe Twitter released a screen shot of the conversation.
Omar further mentioned that though the conversation was harmless in nature, such instances erode the trust between the two parties and abuse the confidence one has placed in the journalist.
Earlier yesterday, Omar had also tweeted how he has been incapable of securing answers to his many questions. Omar seemed dismayed that despite him being a chief minister for 6 years and being in contact with important people in the Jammu and Kashmir administration, he is still devoid of the answers to his questions.
I have so many questions & not a single answer. I’ve met people today who occupy important positions to do with J&K, not one of them was able to tell me anything and I’ve been CM for 6 years. Imagine the plight of your everyday Kashmiri who doesn’t know what to believe.
Yesterday, the government issued an advisory to the Amarnath Yatris and other tourists to stall their stay in the Valley and return back to their homes as soon as possible. The government had claimed that the intel inputs suggesting the heightened possibility of terror attacks on tourists being the reason for issuance of such an advisory. Before that, 38000 paramilitary troopers were rushed to the Valley, setting a wave of uncertainty in the state.
Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul reports that according to the top government sources, Jaish-e-Mohammed trained terrorists from various camps in Pakistan have been instructed to collaborate with the Pakistan Army elements along the forward posts and BAT (Border Action Team) to renew their attempts to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir and fuel armed rebellion against the Indian Armed Forces in the Valley.
Information has also been received of location of JeM trained cadre in Muzaffarabad (PoK) for collaboration with Pakistan Army elements in the forward posts along the LoC for BAT and armed action against the Indian armed forces in the coming days. (Top Govt Sources)
According to Kaul, the government sources further reveal that the activities of terrorists based out of PoK have intensified as they are planning to carry out suicide attacks at multiple locations in J&K.
Other groups like Hizbul Mujahideen have been directed by senior terror commanders based in PoK to collaborate and work closely with other Pakistan based terror groups especially with the purpose of planting of IEDs in South Kashmir and Srinagar in future.
The intel says that local terror groups such as Hizbul Mujahideen have been instructed by Pakistan based terror commanders to co-ordinate and collaborate with Pakistan based terror organisations to plant IEDs in South Kashmir and Srinagar in future. Highly trained cadres of JeM from its Peshawar camps are identified to carry out IED attacks on the Indian Armed Forces in Sopore and other South Kashmir towns. Earlier this year in February, a terrorist trained by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed had driven an explosive laden SUV on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama claiming lives of 40 CRPF soldiers.
Yesterday, in a press conference chaired by JK police, Chinar Corps and CRPF, Lt General KJS Dhillon had revealed the recovery of M-24 sniper rifle from the Amarnath Yatra route and Pakistani made IEDs recovered from places in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier today, the CRPF’s Rapid Action Force also reached Jammu amidst reports of major troop movements in the valley.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday met Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to know the details about the ongoing security build up in the state. A panic-stricken Omar Abdullah met Governor Satya Pal Malik after troops are being deployed in the state amidst the rumours of abrogating Article 370 and Article 35A.
After meeting the Jammu and Kashmir governor, Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a press conference said that he met Governor Satya Pal Malik to get clarity on the situation. However, we are not getting any answers, said Omar Abdullah. Omar Abdullah said the objective of the meet was to get clarity on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir after curtailment of Amarnath Yatra.
“When we ask officials, they say something is happening, but nobody knows what is actually happening. The Governor assuaged our concerns that arrangements are being made in the state for an announcement on Article 35A and Article 370. The Governor assured no such announcement is expected,” Abdullah said.
He said that the centre should give a statement on Monday when parliament reassembles. “Centre should give a statement on what was the need for the order to end yatra & evacuate tourists. We want to hear it from the Parliament that there is no need for people to be afraid,” said Abdullah.
National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah said that they spoke to the Governor regarding the rumours about 35A, 370, delimitation and even trifurcation and Governor assured us that in all these issues, no preparation is being made for any announcement.
He further said that the governor is not the final word on Jammu and Kashmir. The final word on the issue of the state is the Government of India. Therefore, more than what Governor tells us publicly, he said he definitely would like to hear from the Government of India publicly that there is nothing people have to worry about.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, too, took to Twitter to say that she has no clarity on the recent developments in Kashmir. She said she will be in Budgam today to meet the party workers and create awareness about J&K’s special constitutional provisions.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in a meeting of a delegation of political leaders said that force movement is to counter heightened threat perception and some rotation. He reportedly said that there was nothing with the state government on modifying any constitutional provisions.
Governor Satya Pal Malik informed the delegation that the security situation has developed in a manner which required immediate action. There were credible inputs which were available to the security agencies regarding terrorist attacks on Amarnath Yatra, said Malik.
