Kashmir and ICC (JR 206)

Kashmir and ICC (JR 206)

1.       ICC: ICC The Kashmiri Diaspora or just like Ghana and Argentina and all together 56 countries have gone to ICC on the  Rohingya issue. Either option would work

2.       Kurile Dispute and its relevance to Kashmir: The Second World War left behind many problems inherited from history, not least in Asia in respect of multiple disputed territories. One of them concerns four islands in the Kurile chain that are claimed by Japan but occupied by Russia as successor state of the Soviet Union. Despite the passage of over 70 years, this dispute has defied solution and prevented the conclusion of a Russo-Japanese peace treaty to draw a final curtain over the detritus of the war. The Kuriles are an archipelago of some 56 islands spanning about 1,800 km from Japan’s Hokkaido to Russia’s Kamchatka. All of them are under Russian jurisdiction but Japan claims the two large southernmost islands, Etorofu and Kunashiri, and two others, Shikotan and Habomai, as its ‘northern territories’. These islands were occupied by the Soviet Union in August 1945, after which the entire Japanese population, numbering less than 20,000, was evicted. The islands are now populated by the various ethnic groups of the former Soviet Union, but only eight of them are actually inhabited. Mr. Abe’s wish to engage with Russia stems from the rapid rise of China, which spends three times more on defence than Japan, and the perceived threat from North Korea, which recently fired two ballistic missiles over Japan as a taunt to the U.S. Russia is now seen in Japan as the lesser enemy, and improving relations with Moscow might drive a wedge in the growing quasi-alliance between Russia and China, a break-up desired by the U.S.-led Western alliance. Tokyo notes that the Russian far east is endowed with plentiful natural resources which are in need of investments, but is hampered by a small population, whereas China has 100 million citizens along that shared land border. Japan has no territorial or demographic ambitions in Russia other than the Kuriles, and has the capacity to transform the vast contiguous areas of Russia. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that both Japan and Russia see merit in pursuing greater collaboration  At Vladivostok last September, Mr. Abe declared that Japan-Russia relations held “unlimited potential” and that the absence of a peace treaty was “an abnormal state of affairs”. Mr. Putin agreed, noting that the Russian and Japanese militaries had cooperated for the first time, and urged the immediate conclusion of a peace treaty without preconditions. Japan demurred on the grounds that the Kurile islands dispute had to be settled first before the issue was foreclosed. Nonetheless, Mr. Abe stated that “Japan-Russia relations are advancing at a degree never seen before.” The interactions between Japan and Russia probably hold scant interest for the Indian public. Nevertheless, although no two international problems are analogous, there are important lessons to be drawn from the manner in which traditionally hostile neighbours can identify common interests and explore unorthodox avenues along which to proceed in search of innovative solutions to apparently insoluble disputes. This requires strong leadership and a bold imagination. Neither India nor Pakistan lacks either attribute. Kashmir is essentially a territorial dispute of almost equal vintage as the Kuriles. But if both sides keep waiting for the most propitious time to make the first move, it will never come about.

3.      ICJ on right of self determination (Chagos): Mar, 4, 2019: The International Court of Justice has given a near-unanimous opinion that the separation in 1965 of the Chagos archipelago from the then British colony of Mauritius was contrary to the right of self determination, and that accordingly the de-colonization of Mauritius by the United Kingdom had not been in accordance with international law. The ICJ held that Britain’s continued administration of the archipelago was an internationally wrongful act, which should cease as soon as possible. The Chagos Archipelago consists of a number of islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean. The largest island is Diego Garcia, which accounts for more than half of the archipelago’s total land area. Mauritius is located about 2,200 km south-west of the Chagos archipelago. Between 1814 and 1965, the Chagos archipelago was administered by the United Kingdom as a dependency of the colony of Mauritius. In 1964, there were discussions between America and Britain regarding the use by the United States of certain British-owned islands in the Indian Ocean, in particular in establishing an American base on Diego Garcia. It was agreed that the United Kingdom would be responsible for acquiring land, resettling the population and providing compensation at its expense; and that Britain would assess the feasibility of the transfer of the administration of Diego Garcia and the other islands of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius.  The ICJ reviewed the various UK and ECHR cases brought by Chagossians seeking the right to return to the archipelago, and noted that:: To date, the Chagossians remain dispersed in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Mauritius and Seychelles. By virtue of United Kingdom law and judicial decisions of that country, they are not allowed to return to the Chagos Archipelago. The first substantive issue was to what extent was there a customary right in international law to self-determination in 1965-8. The ICJ noted the obligation (under Chapter XI of the UN Charter) for UN Member States administering territories with peoples without full self-government to develop the self-government of those peoples. The ICJ held that it followed that: the legal régime of non-self-governing territories, as set out in Chapter XI of the Charter, was based on the progressive development of their institutions so as to lead the populations concerned to exercise their right to self-determination. The adoption of UN resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, which affirmed that “[a]ll peoples have the right to self-determination” represented “a defining moment in the consolidation of State practice on decolonization “the General Assembly has a long and consistent record in seeking to bring colonialism to an end” rather than being about a resolution of a territorial dispute between two states. This evaded the inevitable consequence of its finding that decolonization process concerned was illegal, meaning that either the UK has no sovereignty over the archipelago, or it does have sovereignty but is obliged to hand over sovereignty to Mauritius. General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) clarifies the content and scope of the right to self-determination. The Court notes that the decolonization process accelerated in 1960, with 18 countries, including 17 in Africa, gaining independence. During the 1960s, the peoples of an additional 28 non-self-governing-territories exercised their right to self-determination and achieved independence. There was a “clear relationship between resolution 1514 (XV) and the process of decolonization following its adoption.” Accordingly, resolution 1514 (XV) indicated that self determination was a customary norm in international law.The ICJ went on to hold that both State practice and opinio juris at the relevant time confirm the customary law character of the right to territorial integrity of a non-self-governing territory as a corollary of the right to self-determination. It therefore followed that any detachment by the administering Power of part of a non-self-governing territory, unless based on the freely expressed and genuine will of the people of the territory concerned, is contrary to the right to self-determination.The second issue was whether the detachment of the Chagos archipelago had been done in accordance with international law. The ICJ held that at the time of its detachment from Mauritius in 1965, the Chagos Archipelago was clearly an integral part of that non-self-governing territory. The ICJ considered the background to the agreement of the Mauritius Council of Ministers in 1965 to that detachment and held that it is not possible to talk of an international agreement, when one of the parties to it, Mauritius, which is said to have ceded the territory to the United Kingdom, was under the authority of the latter. So heightened scrutiny should be given to the issue of consent in a situation where a part of a non-self-governing territory is separated to create a new colony. The Court considered that this detachment was not based on the free and genuine expression of the will of the people concerned.Hence, the United Kingdom was obliged under international law as at 1965 to respect the territorial integrity of its colonies, and accordingly, as a result of the Chagos Archipelago’s unlawful detachment and its incorporation into a new colony, known as the BIOT, the process of decolonization of Mauritius was not lawfully completed when Mauritius acceded to independence in 1968. With respect to the third substantive issue, the ICJ in short order held that The Court having found that the decolonization of Mauritius was not conducted in a manner consistent with the right of peoples to self-determination, it follows that the United Kingdom’s continued administration of the Chagos Archipelago constitutes a wrongful act entailing the international responsibility of that State… Accordingly, the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring an end to its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible, thereby enabling Mauritius to complete the decolonization of its territory in a manner consistent with the right of peoples to self-determination. This has implications for Indian Occupied Kashmir .Wonder if Pakistan will take up this issue

Are Indian Nukes in Unsafe Hands? By Sajjad Shaukat (JR202S69

Are Indian Nukes in Unsafe Hands? By Sajjad Shaukat (JR202S69

                                              

In the recent years, various conferences and seminars have been held regarding the security of nuclear weapons and radioactive materials, as the participant countries were worried that terrorist outfits like the Islamic State group (Also known as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL) may get these fatal weapons and can use against a state actor or any country to create misunderstanding, which may culminate into an atomic war.

In this regard, the US former President Barack Obama had hosted the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 31, 2016 to check the spread of nuclear weapons, showing concerns about the ambitions of terrorist groups such as the ISIS in acquiring a nuclear weapon or radioactive materials.

In this respect, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is organizing the third International Conference on Nuclear Security: Sustaining and Strengthening Efforts (ICONS 2020) at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from 10 to 14 February 2020. The previous conference, held in 2016, attracted over 2000 participants, including 47 government ministers, from 139 Member States and 29 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The conference provides a forum to formulate and exchange views for nuclear security.

It is notable that in its report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) disclosed on June 18, 2018 that estimated 110-130 Indian nuclear bombs are stored in six or so government–run sites across India. Within the next five years to one decade, as many as 60 reactors will also be functional in India with the active cooperation of the US led Western and far eastern allies.

In the past, several incidents of leakage and theft in addition to alarming episodes of lax security on existing nuclear sites in view of a history of civil tumult have occurred in India. India is notorious for highly lax security of its nuclear facilities. The episode of October 8, 2014 at Kalpakkam, when a soldier of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) responsible for protecting nuclear materials, went on a rampage to destroy the security of the facility leading to nuclear material theft by criminals.

Indian media reported on July 5, last year that the Kolkata police have arrested five men with 1 kg of uranium valued at around Rs. 3 crores ($440,000).

The Times of India elaborated that the men had come to Kolkata in the state of West Bengal to try to sell the substance. Police were quoted as saying that two packets of a “yellow-coloured substance” were seized.

By pursuing the double standards of America and some Western countries in its worst form, the US President Donald Trump has favoured India, while opposing the nuclear weapons of Pakistan. Trump has brushed aside the ground realities that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led by the ruling extremist party BJP has been implementing anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan agenda.

While, Indian past record proves various kinds of security and safety lapses regarding various nuclear plants and the related sensitive materials, including events of leakage, nuclear theft, smuggling and killing.

In November, 2009, more than 90 Indian workers suffered radiation due to contamination of drinking water at the Kaiga Atomic Power Station in Karnataka.

On July 27, 1991, a similar event occurred at the heavy water plant run by the Department of Atomic Energy at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan. Nuclear radiation had affected and injured many laborers there.

In July 1998, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seized eight Kg. of nuclear material from three engineers in Chennai, which was stolen from an atomic research center.

On November 7, 2000, IAEA disclosed that Indian police had seized 57 pounds of uranium and arrested two men for illicit trafficking of radioactive material. IAEA had revealed that Indian civil nuclear facilities were vulnerable to thefts.

On January 26, 2003, CNN pointed out that Indian company, NEC Engineers Private Ltd. shipped 10 consignments to Iraq, containing highly sensitive equipments entailing titanium vessels and centrifugal pumps.

In December 2006, a container packed with radioactive material had been stolen from an Indian fortified research atomic facility near Mumbai.

In June 2009, India’s nuclear scientist, Lokanathan Mahalingam missed from the scenario and after a couple of days; his dead body was recovered from the Kali River. Indian police concocted a story that Mahalingam had committed suicide by jumping into the river. It is a big joke to hide some real facts behind his death because wisdom proves that if an educated person decides to commit suicide, he will definitely adopt a soft way to eliminate his life. Afterwards, Dr. Haleema Saadia said that death of the scientist was a conspiracy.

However, such events in connection with nuclear material continued unabated in India, putting the security of atomic weapons and their related components, including the lives of workers at high risk.

In this context, the more dangerous development is that in the start of November, 2019, international media pointed out cyber-attack on an India nuclear power plan.

In this connection, The Washington Post wrote on November 4, 2019: “The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has now confirmed that there was a cyberattack on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu, India, in September. The nuclear power plant’s administrative network was breached in the attack…KKNPP plant officials had initially denied  suffering an attack…The KKNPP is the biggest nuclear power plant in India…VirusTotal, a virus scanning website owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has indicated  that a large amount of data from the KKNPP’s administrative network has been stolen. If this is true, subsequent attacks on the nuclear power plant could target its critical systems more effectively. Cyberattacks on nuclear power plants could have physical effects, especially if the network that runs the machines and software controlling the nuclear reactor are compromised. This can be used to facilitate sabotage, theft of nuclear materials, or—in the worst-case scenario—a reactor meltdown. In a densely populated country like India, any radiation release from a nuclear facility would be a major disaster”.

Nevertheless, it has raised serious questions and worries—hacking of India’s nuclear information and its repercussions for the world?—sensitive information now available to hackers in black market— is the world safe?—sitting on the edge of catastrophe—IAEA must look into command and control system of India, recommending an action against New Delhi.

It is noteworthy that during his first visit to New Delhi, on November 6, 2010. President Obama announced the measures, America would take regarding removal of Indian space and defence companies from a restricted “entities list”, and supported Indian demand membership of four key global nuclear nonproliferation regimes. Despite, Indian violations of various international agreements and its refusal to sign Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and Additional Protocol with the IAEA, Washington signed a pact of nuclear civil technology with New Delhi in 2008. During American President Obama’s second visit to India, on January 25, 2016, the US and India announced a breakthrough on the pact which would allow American companies to supply New Delhi with civilian nuclear technology.

Notably, America is a potential military supplier to India. US also pressurized IAEA and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to grant a waiver to New Delhi for obtaining civil nuclear trade on larger scale.

Although these atomic weapons or radioactive materials seem to be mysterious, yet still could be within the reach of some Hindu terrorists with the help of Indian RAW which might have also got these destructive arms from Israeli Mossad.

Sources suggest that with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, weapons of mass destruction or nuclear weapons and their components are easier to acquire. The fears are widespread that unemployed Russian scientists might have provided expertise material about these devices to some sovereign and non-sovereign entities. Hindu terrorists could also get these destructive weapons from Israel as strong Indo-Israeli lobbies are collectively working particularly in the US against the interests of Muslims by manipulating the war against terrorism. Such chemical and radiological materials could also be smuggled inside India by the Hindu fanatics. And they can also buy nuclear devices covertly from the global black market.

Frustrated in isolating Islamabad, RAW in connivance with Mossad might have also prepared a most dangerous plan to use nuclear weapons or dirty nuclear bombs inside the US homeland or any major European country to implicate Pakistan for having allegedly used these weapons through some Taliban militants.

Particularly, RAW and Mossad may also employ these fatal weapons against NATO forces in Afghanistan, as India and Israel want to prolong the stay of the US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan which has become the center of their covert activities against Pakistan, Russia, China and Iran. Terrorists of the ISIS which are strategic assets of the CIA may be used by RAW and Mossad for employment of these unconventional weapons. While, India, Israel and America are also playing double game against one another, hence, by utilizing the vicious circle of terrorism, New Delhi can alone use these weapons through Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS which are also being backed by RAW, CIA and Mossad, and have claimed responsibility for several terror assaults inside Pakistan and Afghanistan, including the recent ones. So, RAW’s sole aim will be to provoke Americans and its allies against Islamabad which is challenging Indian hegemony in the region. Thus, RAW could create a dangerous misunderstanding in which US could use small nuclear weapons against Pakistan or could ask the latter of rollback its atomic programme.

At present, almost 100 have been passed. Indian forces have continued military clampdown in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). On August 5, 2019, New Delhi unilaterally annexed the IOK, revoking articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution which gave a special status to Kashmir. While, Indian extremist rulers are also escalating tensions with Pakistan to divert attention from the drastic situation of the Indian Held Kashmir, and without bothering for anomic war, their forces have continued shelling inside Pakistani side of Kashmir by violating the ceasefire agreement in relation to the Line of Control (LoC).

As regards Modi’s victory in the elections 2019, analysts opined, “Modi’s election win is a victory for far right Hindu nationalism…India’s secular democracy is under threat…BJP’s record in 2015-2019 has been divisive to say the least. The party has marginalised religious minorities, especially Muslims, from public life with many; as a result, being lynched by Hindu nationalists in the name of cow protection…Jingoism and Islamophobia have propelled the BJP to an even stronger showing than in 2014. A Modi victory puts India’s 200 million Muslims in danger…Modi is part of the large Hindu supremacist family…In his home state of Odisha, he furthered India’s sectarian divide, pushed the idea of Hindu supremacy and with that, violence against Muslims, Christians and other minorities…Modi is radicalising Muslims.”

Undoubtedly, we can conclude that Indian insecure nuclear programme is threatening regional and global peace. Therefore, world’s various forums such as EU, UNO and especially IAEA should take cognizance of New Delhi in this regard.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

Afzal Guru’s Martyrdom Keeps the Kashmir’s Struggle Alive By Sajjad Shaukat (JR132SS23)

Afzal Guru’s Martyrdom Keeps the Kashmir’s Struggle Alive By Sajjad Shaukat (JR132SS23)

Every year, the martyrdom anniversary of Muhammad Afzal Guru is being celebrated on the 9th of February to pay homage to him, as India secretly hanged him and buried inside the Tihar jail complex on February 9, 2013. His martyrdom resulted into protests in Kashmir and widespread condemnations from various political and human rights organisations. Afzal Guru was convicted in 2001 Parliament attack case and awarded death sentence. Afzal had always denied plotting the attack, which left 14 dead, including five militants.

In the past five years, during his martyrdom anniversary, a complete shutdown was observed in the Indian occupied Kashmir and protest demonstrations were held to demand the return of mortal remains of Afzal Guru.

Every year, call for the strike is being given by pro-freedom leaders and organizations to mark the anniversary of Muhammad Afzal. Indian authorities arrest Kashmiri leaders, Yasin Malik, along with several other Hurriyet activists and lodge them in different police stations and jails. The authorities also place many Hurriyet leaders under house arrest.

In their statements and meetings, all the leaders of the freedom movement of Kashmir paid glowing tributes to the martyred Muhammad Afzal Guru who sacrificed his live for the Kashmir cause.

Even, the Sikh organization, Dal Khalsa President H S Dhami, while paying tributes to Muhammad Afzal Guru on the eve of his second martyrdom anniversary, in a statement in Amritsar criticized India for failing to hand over his mortal remains to his wife.

However, this time, this very day has come at time when the people of Kashmir have accelerated their legitimate struggle in the aftermath of the martyrdom of the young Kashmir leader Burhan Wani by the Indian security forces in the Indian Held Kashmir in wake of continued sieges, prolonged curfews, arrests and detentions of the Kashmiri leaders. Since July 8, 2016, Indian forces have martyred more than 1500 innocent persons who have been protesting against the martyrdom of Burhan Wani.

The very tragedy of Kashmiris had started after 1947 when they were denied their genuine right of self-determination which was recognized by the UN resolutions. Passing through various phases, the struggle of Kashmiris keeps on going unabated.

Nevertheless, various forms of state terrorism have been part of a deliberate campaign by the Indian army and paramilitary forces against Muslim Kashmiris, especially since 1989. It has been manifested in brutal tactics like crackdowns, curfews, illegal detentions, massacre, targeted killings, sieges, burning the houses, torture, disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounter.

In fact, Indian forces have employed various draconian laws like the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act in killing the Kashmiri people, and for the arbitrarily arrest of any individual for an indefinite period.

Besides Human Rights Watch, in its various reports, Amnesty International has also pointed out grave human rights violations in the Indian controlled Kashmir, indicating, “The Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security forces”.

In its report on July 2, 2015, the Amnesty International has highlighted extrajudicial killings of the innocent persons at the hands of Indian security forces in the Indian Held Kashmir. The report points out, “Tens of thousands of security forces are deployed in Indian-administered Kashmir…the Armed Forces Special Powers Act allows troops to shoot to kill suspected militants or arrest them without a warrant…not a single member of the armed forces has been tried in a civilian court for violating human rights in Kashmir…this lack of accountability has in turn facilitated other serious abuses…India has martyred one 100,000 people. More than 8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and state police.”

In this respect, European Union has passed a resolution about human rights abuses committed by Indian forces in the Indian held Kashmir.

It is of particular attention that in 2008, a rights group reported unmarked graves in 55 villages across the northern regions of the Indian-held Kashmir. Then researchers and other groups reported finding thousands of mass graves without markers. In this respect, in August, 2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission officially acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade conflict have been buried in unmarked graves.

Foreign sources and human rights organisations have revealed that unnamed graves include those innocent persons, killed by the Indian military and paramilitary troops in the fake encounters, including those who were tortured to death by the Indian secret agency RAW. In the recent past, more unmarked graves have been discovered.

It is mentionable that report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released on June 14, 2018-“Situation in Kashmir” pointed out Indian atrocities in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). It said: “From July 2016, the High Commissioner for Human Rights has on numerous occasions requested the Governments of India and Pakistan that his Office be given unconditional access to Kashmir to assess the human rights situation. India rejected this request; while Pakistan offered access…The refusal to allow unhindered access to United Nations team into Indian-Administered-Kashmir gave rise to an idea of “Remote Monitoring”. The report was then compiled by doing “remote monitoring” on the situation of Human Rights in Kashmir. The report by the independent authority is an eye-opener for many. The focus of the report is on the situation of human rights in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir from July 2016 to April 2018. During this period ‘OHCHR’ received reports of allegations of widespread and serious human rights violations by Indian security forces that led to numerous civilian casualties.

Notably, in his address at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 29, 2018, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, “The neighbouring country [India] rejected the Pakistani offer of resuming peace talks on ‘flimsy grounds…We are ready to talk to India on all issues but with respect…Kashmir issue is the biggest obstacle to regional peace…the Indian forces subjecting Kashmiris to atrocities for seven decades. India should not test Pakistan’s patience…we will respond to Indian aggression…The latest UN report on the occupied Kashmir has exposed Indian atrocities on innocent civilians…the meeting between the Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers would’ve been a great opportunity for dialogue. But, the Modi government chose politics over dialogue…India would have to bear the brunt of Pakistan’s retaliation if it makes the mistake of any misadventure on the Line of Control (LoC)”.

It is also of particular attention that pointing out June 14 [2018] UN report that calls for the establishment of a ‘commission of inquiry’ to investigate the grave human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed the hope on January 18, this year that Pakistan and India would be able to engage in a “meaningful dialogue” to resolve their disputes. The report also emphasised that a dialogue includes the people of Kashmir to resolve their problem. Guterres said that he has been offering his good offices in relation to the dialogue between the two countries that until now had no condition of success.

Some online authentic sources suggest that recent wave of Kashmiri intifada has witnessed repression of Indian armed forces; large numbers of the dead and injured have been youngsters. The pellet guns used by security forces have damaged the faces of 1600 people and more than 1100 people have partially or wholly lost their eyesight making 2016 as the year of dead eyes.

In 2017, reports also disclosed that Indian security forces have also used chemical weapons against the Kashmiri civilians in violation of international law and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Due to mounting causalities in IOK, Indian security forces have started giving collective punishment to Kashmiri civilians. In a development on July 4, 2017, the Indian Army had destroyed houses in Pulwama and killed 3 Kashmiri civilians. Upon recovery of the bodies, it was discovered that they were burnt beyond recognition. 

Sources report that Indian Army is emulating Israeli tactics by using white phosphorus bombs to destroy houses of Kashmiris suspected of harboring Mujahideen. The same tactics was used by Israel during its attacks on Gaza and it seems that these weapons have been provided by Israel to India for use in IOK.

As a matter of fact, Indian authorities are not willing to talk with Kashmiri people on political grounds. New Delhi reached to a conclusion that only bullet is the right way of dealing with Kashmiris, demanding their right of self-determination. Surprisingly, Indian successive governments are trying to ignore the dynamics of the freedom movement of Kashmiris for the sake of their alien rule.

Failed in suppressing the Kashmir movement, Indian central government imposed President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir which started from December 20, 2018. The main purpose is to accelerate atrocities on the Kashmiris who are demanding their genuine right of self-determination.

And New Delhi is still showing its intransigence in order to resolve Kashmir issue with Pakistan by neglecting the fact that Kashmir remains a nuclear flashpoint between both the neighbouring countries. While, by manipulating the false flag terror attacks at a military base in Uri and Baramulla, the BJP-led Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has intensified war-hysteria against Pakistan.  Indian forces have continued violation of the LoC by shelling in Pakistani side of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan’s Army has been compelled to give a matching response. New Delhi’s main aim is to deflect the attention of the international community from the new phase of Kashmiri Intifada, while in this regard; pressure has been mounting on the Modi government both domestically and internationally to resolve the dispute of Kashmir with Pakistan.

It is noteworthy that Egbert Jahn in his book, “Kashmir: Flashpoint for a Nuclear War or Even a Third World War?” has pointed out, “The Kashmir conflict is embedded in the wider conflict over the incomplete creation of nations and states on the Indian subcontinent, which during the east-west conflict even threatened at times to escalate into a nuclear world war between Pakistan and the USA on the one side and India and the USSR on the other. Until now, there have been three wars between India and Pakistan over the Jammu and Kashmir: in 1947–49, 1965 and 1999… finally, the Indo-Chinese border war of 1962…after these wars…and could unexpectedly again lead to a regional and under certain circumstances…even a major nuclear war or a Third World War.”

Undoubtedly, the martyrdom of Muhammad Afzal Guru infused a new spirit into the Kashmir’s struggle remains alive today. His martyrdom anniversary provides an opportunity to ponder over the fact that various countries of the world got independence by sacrificing their precious lives. On this vary day, the best way to pay homage to the hero of Kashmir’s struggle Muhammad Afzal Guru is that all the Kashmiris must renew their pledge to take the war of liberation to its logical end.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

India Pakistan Relations: (Monthly) Update(JR112)

India Pakistan Relations: (Monthly) Update (JR 112)

India Pakistan relations seem to be frozen and there seems to be little hope that these will normalise very soon. This, however, is not exactly correct, as there is ongoing movement in these apparently frozen relations. This page will document these changes on a monthly basis. Recent happenings (air strikes, Pulwama attack, downing of Indian planes etc.)are a setback,  but nevertheless there is still some movement towards normalisation .

India Pakistan Relations: July, 2019  

Introduction

The apparently frozen India Pakistan relations are evolving. Pakistan Army /government have made various statements to the effect that they would like to normalize these relations. The Army seeks normalization to result in stop to unconstrained Indian firing over the Line of Control.. Better than words, actions by the Army and government have very clearly exhibited the keen desire of Pakistan to achieve normal relations with India. India has expressed no desire for sub normalization, but there are undercurrents that suggest otherwise. There is also this inference that I draw for Pakistan Army actions and statements that they The Pakistan Army is engaged in Track two diplomacy, with India, on Kashmir and normalization of relations.

1.     Sialkot guradwara: July, 1, 2019: A gurdwara dating back 500 years in Sialkot has now been opened for Sikh pilgrims coming in from India. Pilgrims from the neighbouring country and from abroad can now flock to perform their religious obligations at Gurdwara Babe-de-Ber. According to the Sikh tradition, when Guru Nanak arrived in Sialkot from Kashmir in the 16th century, he stayed under the tree of Beri. Sardar Natha Singh then built a gurdwara in his remembrance at the site.

2.   Kartarpur opening; July, 2, 2019: Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor project on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in the last week of November, at a ceremony which could be attended by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Both the countries have had a high-level communication in this regard. According to the Prime Minister House sources, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to show up at the inauguration ceremony

3.   Hafiz Saeed booked: July, 4,2019: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab on Wednesday in a major crackdown against terror financing registered 23 cases against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and 12 aides for using five trusts to “funnel funds to terror suspects”. The CTD said it had registered cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan against the leadership of banned outfits JuD, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF). They will be prosecuted in anti-terrorism courts.  They were raising funds for terror financing using five trusts — Dawatul Irshad Trust, Moaz Bin Jabal Trust, Al Anfaal Trust, Al Madina Foundation Trust and Alhamd Trust. Those booked include Saeed’s brother-in-law Abdul Rehman Makki, Ameer Hamza, Yahya Aziz. MaliK Zafar Iqbal, Muhammad Naeem, Mohsin Bilal, Abdul Raqeeb, Dr Ahmad Daud, Dr Muhammad Ayub, Abdullah Ubaid, Muhammad Ali and Abdul Ghaffar. “All the assets of these organizations and individuals will be frozen and taken over by the state,” said a counter-terrorism senior official. They are accused of “promoting terrorism and rising funds to facilitate terror activities”. These proscribed outfits were operating under the guise of charities and raiding funds for terror financing, the CTD said. 

4.   Track II talks: Jan 25, 2019: The sixth round of Track-II dialogue between Pakistan and India will begin in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday with the main focus on the issues related to nuclear safety and security in the region. The talks are being arranged jointly by a newly formed think-tank Jinnah Institute Pakistan (JIP) and Institute of Peace and Security, India. Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, JIP president and a Pakistan People's Party MNA Sherry Rehman, who will lead the Pakistan delegation, said the agenda of the talks included resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan at the official level and preparation of a roadmap for sustainable peace between the two South Asian neighbours. She said leading experts and retired military and Foreign Service officials from both the sides would focus on the positions of the two countries on issues such as nuclear safety and security, stability and crisis management, arms control and disarmament, nuclear risk reduction measures and possible avenues of cooperation. Former high commissioner to India Aziz Ahmed Khan, former army chief Gen (retd) Jahangir Karamat, TV anchor Nasim Zehra, Dr Rifaat Hussain, professor and chair, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, former foreign secretaries Humayun Khan and Najmuddin Khan, former DG Air Force Strategic Command AVM (retd) Shehzad Chaudhry and Sehar Tariq of the JIP will also represent Pakistan at the dialogue. The Indian side, led by Gen (retd) Dipankar Banerjee, a retired army man and an eminent defence, foreign policy and strategic expert, includes Prof Amitabh Mattoo of Jawaharlal Nehru University, former director Research and Analysis Wing A. S. Daulat, Net Assessment and Simulation, National Security Council chairman Admiral (retd) Raja Menon, former high commissioner to Pakistan G. Parthasarthy and Siddharth Vardarajan, strategic affairs editor of The Hindu. Ms Rehman said it was a comprehensive dialogue process. She agreed that there had been some changes in the both sides, but the two countries brought core groups of experts that ensured continuity and some level of trust. .

5.   Kartarpur: July, 15,2019:   India on Sunday mounted pressure on Pakistan to act against New York-based 'Sikhs for Justice', which the Government of India has outlawed, and linked it to further progress in Kartarpur Corridor talks even as Islamabad has done a damage control exercise and ejected Khalistani separatist leader Gopal Singh Chawla from its official panel. After the crucial second round of talks held at Wagah on Pakistani side of the international border near here, SCL Das, the leader of Indian delegation and a joint secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs, told reporters here that Pakistani delegation has been conveyed "in very emphatic terms" about all concerns on security related matters. "Pakistan side assured our delegation that no anti-India activity would be allowed," an MEA statement said giving details of the parleys on the modalities for operationalisation of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor at Wagah. ".....they will act on it...," Mr Das said to a question at the media briefing on whether India trusts Pakistan on these assurances. "About security concerns, we have said earlier also and now I am repeating, it is a matter of paramount concern...There is no possibility of any let up from either side.  . Indian side handed over a dossier on security matters and a gazette notification copy of July 10 ban imposed on 'Sikhs for Justice' by the central government. "On July 10, centre took a firm stand in pursuance of its 'zero tolerance' against terror and banned New York-based SFJ.  "We have reports that the SFJ operates in Pakistan and especially in parts of Punjab in that country itself". "....We will definitely keep things under close watch and we will follow up on whatever we have said today. There is no let up in this....we will keep a very close watch on how things evolve," he said. Pak on back foot: For its part, Pakistan though put on back foot vis-a-vis  Khalistani Gopal Singh Chawla issue remained optimistic and termed Sunday's talks as "positive developments". The Kartarpur corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and is aimed at ensuring a visa-free movement of pilgrims to pay homage at the Kartarpur Sahib, which was set up in 1522. The first Sikh guru and the faith founder Guru Nanak Dev spent his last days there. "There are positive developments. Both sides have agreed 80 per cent and beyond regarding the Kartarpur corridor agreement," said Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman and DG South Asia Mohammad Faisal. "This is a corridor of peace and we have planted a sapling of peace," he said. Faisal also tweeted a snap of him planting a sapling. The first round of talks was held in Attari on March 14 despite the Pulwama terror at The second round of talks, which were originally scheduled on April 2, was cancelled by India after Pakistan nominated Khalistani separatist like Gopal Singh Chawla in a 10-member Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee (PSGPC). Pakistan on Saturday dropped Chawla from its official panel on the corridor. The removal of Chawla is seen as 'a damage control' exercise by the Imran Khan regime which has agreed for Kartarpur Corridor in November 2018. Kartarpur Sahib is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the river Ravi. At the Sunday's talks, the Pakistan delegation assured India that among other things that they will 'act' on the dossier. "We have given them detailed information and we have sought confirmation that individuals like Gopal Chawla have indeed been removed bodies where we have objections to," said Das, the leader of the Indian delegation. Mr Das said Pakistan delegation assured that they will take note of the material provided and dossier and including the gazette notification on New Delhi imposing ban on SJF on July 10.

6.   Pakistan opens airspace: July, 16, 2019: Pakistan's airspace has been reopened to civil aviation with immediate effect, the Civil Aviation Authority said on Tuesday, following months of restrictions imposed in the wake of a standoff with India earlier this year."With immediate effect Pakistan airspace is open for all type of civil traffic on published ATS (Air Traffic Service) routes," according to a notice to airmen (NOTAMS) published on the authority’s website.   

7.   Sikh pilgrims: July, 31, 2019: As many as 500 Sikh pilgrims crossed over to Pakistan from India through the Wagah border to visit Nankana Sahib to open the celebrations of the upcoming 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in November. `Pakistan feels honoured that celebrations of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak by Indian Sikhs are being started from Nankana Sahib. The Government of Pakistan is taking a number of important initiatives including opening of the Kartarpur Corridor to make the 550th Birth Anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak memorable and historic,` it said. `But there will be no Nagar Kirtan (a religious procession) in Nankana, as it should begin on the Indian soil and end here since Pakistan is the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak Dev,` he added.` Pakistan has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Sardar Parmjeet Sarna to start Nagar Kirtan from India and bring it here with 1,000 to 1,500 pilgrims,` a senior official, requesting anonymity, explained.  

8.    

India Pakistan Relations: June, 2019  

Introduction

The apparently frozen India Pakistan relations are evolving. Pakistan Army /government have made various statements to the effect that they would like to normalize these relations. The Army seeks normalization to result in stop to unconstrained Indian firing over the Line of Control.. Better than words, actions by the Army and government have very clearly exhibited the keen desire of Pakistan to achieve normal relations with India. India has expressed no desire for sub normalization, but there are undercurrents that suggest otherwise. There is also this inference that I draw for Pakistan Army actions and statements that they The Pakistan Army is engaged in Track two diplomacy, with India, on Kashmir and normalization of relations.

1.     1. Pakistan allows Modi to fly over its airspace: June, 11,2019: Pakistan on June 10 decided in principle to let Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft fly over its airspace to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan where he has to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on June 13-14, where his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan would also be present. Pakistan had fully closed its airspace on February 26 after an Indian Air Force (IAF) strike in Balakot. Since then, it has only opened two routes; both of them pass through southern Pakistan, of the total 11. The official confirmed to PTI that the Imran Khan government has approved in principle the Indian government’s request to let Mr. Modi’s aircraft fly over the Pakistani airspace to Bishkek. “

2.   Modi replies to Imran’s letter: June, 20.2019:  there is a clear reiteration in the letter for Pakistan to create a "conducive" environment "free of terror". While there were mentions of ridding the region of terrorism, no specific resumption of dialogue was mentioned in the letters of PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar. The letter said, "India wants good relations with all of its neighboring countries", emphasizing on the fact that India wants "peace and stability" in order for the region to progress.

3.   5>.India conditionally relaxes airway use: June 1, 2019:  IAF, in a tweet, said temporary restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace, imposed by the IAF on February 27, 2019 have been removed This, say highly placed sources, is India's gesture to Pakistan to open up its airspace for overflying reciprocally and shorten flying distance between parts of South Asia and the west. In one of the first moves after assuming office, the Modi-II government has removed all temporary restrictions in Indian air space. This essentially, say highly placed sources, is India's gesture to Pakistan to open up its airspace for overflying reciprocally and shorten flying distance between parts of South Asia, including Delhi, and the west. Since February 27, flights on these sectors are taking longer routes leading to an increase in flying time by up to three hours. Asked if the IAF tweet means a Pakistan International Airline flight from Lahore to Kathmandu can now overfly Indian airspace, the official said, "Technically yes. But these are matters of mutual agreement. We have indicated that India is okay with these flights, but for that to happen, Pakistan also has to open its airspace for airlines of other countries including India to overfly." Pakistan, 

4.   46>.Post elections: June, 1, 2019: The BJP was rewarded for adopting a muscular, nationalist posture in its election campaign. But avoiding diplomacy and other engagement, especially with a neighbor like Pakistan, is not in India’s interest. It cannot hope to achieve its economic ambitions if it still has a festering conflict with Pakistan. That’s why Modi, with a huge mandate from his reelection, should pursue informal backchannel talks with Pakistan, aiming to secure some guarantees from Islamabad about border issues and other tensions, before hopefully moving on to more formal talks. Modi treated Pakistan as an enemy to get reelected; now he must quietly try and find a way to improve ties.

5.   7..UNSC seat: June, 28, 2019: Fifty-five countries of the Asia-Pacific group, including Pakistan, ha Uve unanimously endorsed India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term . Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam were among the countries which supported India.

6.    UNSC seat: June, 28, 2019: Fifty-five countries of the Asia-Pacific group, including Pakistan, have unanimously endorsed India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term . Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam were among the countries which supported India.

7.   Kartarpur : June,30,2019:  Indian  government has written to Pakistan, proposing the next round of talks to be held from July 11 to 14 on the Pakistani side of the Attari-Wagah border.“The meeting would discuss the draft agreement on the modalities for movement of pilgrims along the Kartarpur corridor and resolve outstanding technical issues related to alignment and infrastructure along the corridor,” an official source said.  “We will continue to work for early operationalisation of the Kartarpur Corridor and keeping it functional all year round,” Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on June 20. However, talks had been put off as India had sought “clarifications” on several issues including whether to build a bridge or a causeway over the Ravi, proposed caps on pilgrim numbers, and the presence of Khalistani separatists in key posts of the gurdwara committee in Pakistan. Asked if the new Indian proposal for dates meant that the issues had now been resolved, a source said that the move “shows India’s commitment to the corridor”. 

India Pakistan Relations: May, 2019  

Introduction

The apparently frozen India Pakistan relations are evolving. Pakistan Army /government have made various statements to the effect that they would like to normalize these relations. The Army seeks normalization to result in stop to unconstrained Indian firing over the Line of Control.. Better than words, actions by the Army and government have very clearly exhibited the keen desire of Pakistan to achieve normal relations with India. India has expressed no desire for sub normalization, but there are undercurrents that suggest otherwise. There is also this inference that I draw for Pakistan Army actions and statements that they The Pakistan Army is engaged in Track two diplomacy, with India, on Kashmir and normalization of relations.

1.    Masud Azher : May.,2, 2019: Designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as 'global terrorist ..Is Pakistan helping BJP to come to power? The timing of this decision is intriguing, in the mid of Indian elections, this coupled by Pakistani PMs remarks that Modi’s victory could assist in progress in India Pakistan affairs and in resolution of the Kashmir dispute .

2.   Cross border shelling: May, 12, 2019: Islamabad has approached New Delhi suggesting that both stop using artillery in the contested Kashmir region. Pakistan has also vowed to remove Special Forces from the area. The Pakistani army had made the peace offer using existing military-to-military channels An Indian defense official said there were over 100 instances when shelling was recorded in the troubled state of Kashmir, but now the use of artillery “has considerably reduced.” Moratorium aside, Pakistan’s military ordered its Special Service Group (SSG) – an analogue of the American Green Berets – to withdraw from the Indian border. Islamabad seems to be willing to defuse tensions around Kashmir, Indian officials believe. “These are clear on-ground signals from Pakistan for de-escalation,”  

3.   LoC cross border firing; May, 15, 2019: The Indian army has requested Pakistan to stop the use of artillery fire after it suffered heavy losses in the recent military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. It indicates that the channel of communications that were suspended during the military standoff in February may have 

4.   Prisoner’s release: May, 15, 2019: In response to Pakistan’s goodwill gesture of releasing Indian prisoners, New Delhi on Tuesday released 13 Pakistani inmates who completed their jail terms. The released prisoners, which included four fishermen who illegally entered Indian waters, were handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Wagah Border. Meanwhile, at least three of the prisoners released were detained in India for overstaying their visas. In April, Pakistan had released over 360 Indian fishermen in a bid to improve relations with its arch-rival.

5.   Melting ice: May. 23, 2019: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj held an informal dialogue on the sideline of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday. "We made it clear to her that we want all the matters resolved through dialogue. Even today we are ready for a dialogue," he added.

6.   Flight allowed to use Pak airspace: May, 27, 2019: Islamabad made a rare exception for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to fly directly through Pakistani airspace to attend the SCO meet in Bishkek last week, officials in Delhi and Islamabad confirmed to The Hindu. “The Indian government had requested us to allow Ms. Swaraj to fly over Pakistan to avoid the longer route, and we gave them permission,” said Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Government sources in Delhi confirmed the development. “The overflight permission was granted by Pakistan based on route permission filed by relevant [Indian] authorities. External Affairs Minister’s flight to Bishkek was over Pakistani airspace both ways,” a source said. 

7.   Modi congratulated  : May, 27 ,2019: PM  on Sunday spoke to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to congratulate him and his party over the victory in the recent parliamentary elections, reiterating his vision for peace and prosperity in South Asia. The exchange of pleasantries between the two leaders is seen as sign of easing of tensions between the two neighbors. Sunday’s contact between PM Imran and his Indian counterpart was the first since the two nuclear armed neighbors were on the brink of a war in February following the Pulwama attack.

India grant over flight : May  29, 2019: India granted permission for Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s aircraft to fly over the country for his visit to Male and Colombo, a gesture that would be reciprocated by Pakistan for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj a fortnight later, despite a ban by Pakistan on the use of its airspace for flights approaching from its eastern side after traversing India. Both the Indian and the Pakistani officials have confirmed that Pakistan requested for a passage for Mr. Qureshi’s flight to Male on May 2 and for his return flight from Colombo on May 4. Mr. Qureshi, however, cancelled the trip following the bomb attacks in Sri Lanka.

8.   India conditionally relaxes airway use: June, 2019:  IAF, in a tweet, said temporary restrictions on all air routes in the Indian airspace, imposed by the IAF on February 27, 2019 have been removed This, say highly placed sources, is India's gesture to Pakistan to open up its airspace for overflying reciprocally and shorten flying distance between parts of South Asia and the west. In one of the first moves after assuming office, the Modi-II government has removed all temporary restrictions in Indian air space. This essentially, say highly placed sources, is India's gesture to Pakistan to open up its airspace for overflying reciprocally and shorten flying distance between parts of South Asia, including Delhi, and the west. Since February 27, flights on these sectors are taking longer routes leading to an increase in flying time by up to three hours. Asked if the IAF tweet means a Pakistan International Airline flight from Lahore to Kathmandu can now overfly Indian airspace, the official said, "Technically yes. But these are matters of mutual agreement. We have indicated that India is okay with these flights, but for that to happen, Pakistan also has to open its airspace for airlines of other countries including India to overfly." Pakistan, 

9.   Post elections: June, 1, 2019: The BJP was rewarded for adopting a muscular, nationalist posture in its election campaign. But avoiding diplomacy and other engagement, especially with a neighbor like Pakistan, is not in India’s interest. It cannot hope to achieve its economic ambitions if it still has a festering conflict with Pakistan. That’s why Modi, with a huge mandate from his reelection, should pursue informal back channel talks with Pakistan, aiming to secure some guarantees from Islamabad about border issues and other tensions, before hopefully moving on to more formal talks. Modi treated Pakistan as an enemy to get reelected; now he must quietly try and find a way to improve ties.

India Pakistan Relations: April, 2019  

Introduction

The apparently frozen India Pakistan relations are evolving. Pakistan Army /government have made various statements to the effect that they would like to normalize these relations. The Army seeks normalization to result in stop to unconstrained Indian firing over the Line of Control.. Better than words, actions by the Army and government have very clearly exhibited the keen desire of Pakistan to achieve normal relations with India. India has expressed no desire for sub normalization, but there are undercurrents that suggest otherwise. There is also this inference that I draw for Pakistan Army actions and statements that they The Pakistan Army is engaged in Track two diplomacy, with India, on Kashmir and normalization of relations.

1.        Talks with India: Apr., 4, 2019: Islamabad has urged Washington to play a greater role in resumption of dialogue process with New Delhi, even as the Indian army increases ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC)  He also urged the US to play its role for resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India to find solutions to all outstanding disputes 

2.      India releases Pakistani prisoners: Apr., 2019: India released two Pakistani prisoners from their jail on Thursday, while Pakistan also committed to release at least 300 Indian fishermen from its jails this month. India’s Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the two Pakistani citizens— Mohammad Shafiq and Mohammad Hanif— to Wagah border officials today. Both the men had served their sentence and the Pakistani high commissioner played a pivotal role in securing their release.  According to details Shafiq was a resident of Bahwalnagar while Hanif hailed from Karachi. Diplomatic sources said that Pakistan will release Indian fishermen in two phases starting with 100 men on April 7, followed by the remaining 200 in the next few days. Pakistan and India exchange a list of prisoners every year on January 1, as per a mutual decision was taken on May 21; 2008.According to the list this year, various jails in India had 347 Pakistani prisoners while Pakistan had 537 Indian prisoners in jail. It is pertinent to note that Pakistan released 102 prisoners in February this year as well.

3.      Release of Indian prisoners: Apr., 6, 2019: Pakistan will be releasing 360 Indian prisoners over the month of April, a process which will be carried out in four phases. Providing details regarding the release, the spokesperson said that currently there are 347 Pakistani prisoners in India and 537 Indian prisoners in Pakistan. Pakistan shall be releasing 360 Indian prisoners, of which 355 are fishermen and 5 are civilians. According to Dr Faisal, in the first phase on April 8, 100 prisoners shall be released. In the second phase on April 5, another 100 shall be released. In the third phase on April 22, yet another 100 shall be released. In the fourth and last phase on April 29, the remaining 60 prisoners shall be released.

4.      Fishermen released: Apr., 8, 2019: Pakistan on Sunday released 100 imprisoned Indian fishermen as part of a goodwill gesture that would see the phase-wise release of 260 more Indian nationals in the month of April .The fishermen were arrested over previous years for trespassing into Pakistani waters and violating international maritime limits. The released prisoners were taken to the Karachi Cantonment Railway Station under tight security, where they boarded the Allama Iqbal Express for Lahore. “The prisoners will be released in four batches, scheduled as 100 each on April 8, April 15 and April 29 while 60 prisoners, including 55 fishermen and five civilians, will be freed on April 29,” 

5.      Khalistan: Apr., 15, 2019: SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun claimed that authorities in Pakistan had stopped the group's activists from putting up posters and banners of the Khalistan referendum campaign at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal at the behest of the Narendra Modi government

6.      Karturpur: Apr., 17, 2019: India has offered to construct a 100km-long bridge from Dera Baba Nanak, an Indian town, to the Pakistan-India border to facilitate Sikh pilgrims travelling to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur .Pakistani and Indian experts met at the border on Tuesday for the second round of technical talks on the Kartarpur Corridor. The Pakistani delegation comprised representatives of the foreign ministry and senior officers of the Frontier Works Organisation. According to diplomatic sources, India made the offer because travellers faced difficulties during the monsoon season. Fifty per cent of the four-kilometre stretch of the corridor being built by Pakistan has been completed while the stretch between Zero Line to Baba Nanak’s shrine is being built by India. India is building a passenger terminal at Zero Line at an estimated cost of Rs1.9 billion.  

7.       

India Pakistan Relations: March, 2019  

Introduction

The apparently frozen India Pakistan relations are evolving. Pakistan Army /government have made various statements to the effect that they would like to normalize these relations. The Army seeks normalization to result in stop to unconstrained Indian firing over the Line of Control.. Better than words, actions by the Army and government have very clearly exhibited the keen desire of Pakistan to achieve normal relations with India. India has expressed no desire for sub normalization, but there are undercurrents that suggest otherwise. There is also this inference that I draw for Pakistan Army actions and statements that they The Pakistan Army is engaged in Track two diplomacy, with India, on Kashmir and normalization of relations.

1.      Banned Organizations: Mar., 5, 2019: Pakistan   has taken a firm decision that there would be a stern action against all militant groups. This is in accordance with the political consensus contained in the National Action Plan (NAP). The National Security Committee had in its Feb 21 meeting `decided to accelerate action against proscribed organizations’ and ordered re-imposition of ban on JuD and FIF. 

2.      Barter trade resumes; Mar.,6,2019: India and Pakistan resumed barter trade at a border crossing in Kashmir on Tuesday Trade across the border, known as the Line of Control (LoC), was part-suspended after repeated mortar and small arms fire at Uri, a border town where the exchange of goods takes place. But on Tuesday the route re-opened after firing in the region eased Thirty-five trucks left for Chakothi on the Pakistani side of the border with a similar number moving in the opposite direction. Trade across the LoC operates on a barter system, where no money is exchanged.  .“I send cumin and chilli seeds to Pakistan and in return order prayer mats and cloth,” he said. “If there is any difference, it is adjusted in the next consignment. It is all trust-based trade but it is working.”Indian traders export cumin, chilli pepper, cloth, cardamom, bananas, pomegranate, grapes and almonds. Prayer mats, carpets, cloth, oranges, mangoes and herbs return from the Pakistani side.

3.      Signs of a Thaw: Mar., 6, 2019: In a first sign of de-escalation in tensions, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood, is returning to New Delhi while the talks on Kartarpur Corridor would also go ahead as planned. Pakistani delegation would visit New Delhi on March 14 as planned for talks to finalise the modalities for the Kartarpur Corridor. Indian team would then pay a return visit to Islamabad on March 28. Another significant move taken by Pakistan was to inform the Indian side of its commitment of “continued weekly contact at the military operations directorates’ level.” The Pakistan and Indian militaries have a hotline through which the military operations directorates of the two neighbours interact with each other on a weekly basis.Pakistan told reporters that 44 suspects were taken into custody. Among those who were detained include Hammad Azhar, the son of Maulana Masood Azhar and Mufti Abdur Rauf, the brother of head of banned Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).These two individuals were also named in the dossier India had recently shared with Pakistan regarding the Pulwama attack.

4.      Banned organizations: Mar., 6, 2019: Pakistan's Interior Ministry says authorities have arrested dozens of suspects, including the brother of the leader of the outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammad group that India has blamed for the Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 troops.  44 suspects were arrested, including prominent members of the outlawed militant group. Among those arrested was Mufti Abdul Rauf, the brother of the group's leader, Masood Azhar. The brother was among suspects listed in a file on the February bombing that India gave to Pakistan over the weekend. Kashmir is split between Pakistan and India and is claimed by both in its entirety. 

5.      Kartarpur Opening: Mar., 14, 2019: The meeting between Pakistan and India on the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor was very positive and both sides have agreed to work towards opening the corridor soon. An 18-member Foreign Office team, headed by Dr Faisal, went to India for talks on the details of the Kartarpur Corridor. Both sides held expert level discussions between technical experts on the alignment and other details of corridor, he said, adding that the next meeting would be on April 2 at the Wagah Border, in Pakistan. This meeting will be preceded by a technical expert meeting on March 19 at the “zero points”, meaning the site where the corridor will be made, to finalise the alignment.   The Indian delegation also insisted that the Kartarpur shrine be kept open throughout the year. and that access for at least 5,000 pilgrims on any day throughout the week be ensured  whilst Pakistan was  willing to let about 500 people by buses to visit in groups. India wanted access to Indians of all religion whilst Pakistan has allowed access to the Sikh community.

6.      Pakistan Day Greetings: Mar., 23, 2019:  Pakistan Prime Minister on Friday evening tweeted: “Received msg from PM Modi: ‘I extend my greetings & best wishes to the people of Pakistan on the National Day of Pakistan. It is time that ppl of Sub-continent work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive & prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence’.”

7.      Sharda Peeth: Mar., 26, 2019: The Pakistani government indicated on Monday it may be looking at opening up Sharda Peeth, an ancient Hindu temple in Pakoccupied Kashmir, for pilgrims from India. After Kartarpur, the Sharda Peeth corridor, if opened, would be the second such religious corridor to connect the two neighbouring countries.  Sharda Peeth is very important, particularly for Kashmiri Pandits, many of whom have been pressing for access to it for a few years now. The temple, situated in Sharda village in Neelam valley, lies in ruins, but has not been desecrated. It is next to the famed Sharda University, an ancient place of learning of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Update: February, 2019  

In spite of the Pulwara attack and strong rhetoric from both sides there does seem to be continued contacts between both countries. The sharing of data on run of river schemes by India seems to indicate that the slow gradual movement towards normalization is still 0n.

1.      Afghan Peace Process: Indian concern: Feb., 4, 2019: India to remain engaged with all factions including the Pashtuns. India believes any action or articulation of its position in haste can be counter-productive," said the source, adding that the situation was being monitored at the top level and that India remained engaged with regional partners like Iran and also Russia. India will soon for the first time also be discussing the developing situation with Beijing. India and China have been looking to work together in Afghanistan since the 2018 Modi-Xi summit in Wuhan but have not yet had discussions on recent developments

2.      Afghan Peace process: Feb., 5, 2019: India will soon for the first time also be discussing the developing situation with Beijing. India and China have been looking to work together in Afghanistan since the 2018 Modi-Xi summit in Wuhan but have not yet had discussions on recent developments. The source, however, ruled out security talks on Afghanistan under any new format and said these will be made a part of the now frequent bilateral exchanges. Like India, and despite its resolute backing of Pakistan, China is worried about likely instability in Afghanistan following US withdrawal. It remains particularly worried about the activities in western China of East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) which is said to have links with both al-Qaida and Taliban.

3.      Nowshera Temple: Feb.,9,2019:The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa education department has decided to shift a girls primary school being run inside a temple in Nowshera for the last 25 years to a nearby location, and to hand over the holy place to the local Hindu community.

4.      IWT: Feb., 18, 2019:   After fulfilling its commitment of getting its various hydropower projects at the Chenab basin inspected by Pakistani experts from Jan 28 to Feb 1, India has shared the design data of its three planned run-of-the-river hydropower schemes with Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). A few days ago, the Indian authorities shared the data with its Pakistani counterparts about Balti Kalan, Kalaroos and Tamasha hydropower projects which are planned to be constructed at Balti Kalan Nullah and Kalaroos Nullah at the Jhelum basin and Tamasha, a sub-tributary of the Indus river, respectively The data the Indian authorities had shared was based on the information regarding design such as kind of project, capacity, use of water, power house, turbines, spillways etc, 

5.      JeM: Feb., 23, 2019: The interior ministry on Friday announced that the Punjab government has taken administrative control of a mosque-and-seminary complex (Madressatul Sabir and Jama-e-Masjid Subhanallah) in Bahawalpur that is believed to have been the headquarters of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).The campus has a 70-strong faculty and more than 650 students enrolled.  A subsequent statement issued by the interior ministry's spokesperson explained that although Indian media outlets are linking the Bahawalpur complex to a JeM training centre, the facility is "purely a madressah and Jamia Masjid (central mosque) where scores of orphans and students from underprivileged families are receiving religious and worldly education". According to the statement, the complex provides worldly education until grade 6, and following their secondary and intermediate schooling, students are provided bachelors- and masters-level education leading to Dars-e-Nizami (madressah degree).A large number of Bahawalpur residents bear the expenses of the madressah through alms and charity, and provide its pupils with rice and grain at no cost."The Special Branch [of police], Counter-Terrorism Department and other departments carry out a formal scrutiny of this and other madressahs on a monthly basis," the ministry's handout stated.

6.      DG ISPR: Feb., 23, 2019: Maj Gen Ghafoor said he had given "some friends visiting from India a few months ago a message from the army chief" that countries cannot develop alone. "Regions develop. If we also believe that we must develop as a region, we will not go down the path of war.""We expect that you will focus responsibly on Pakistan's offer of peace and won't become a hurdle in the way of regional peace and stability," he told Delhi. The army's spokesman said that Pakistan in the 21st century was looking towards tackling issues such as education, health, and upholding the right of its citizens and future generations to live in peace ─ "not a war that you are trying to set the stage for", he admonished India."Don't snatch this right away from your future generations with your foolishness. Your attitude is not in line with humanity."

7.      Back Door contacts: Feb., 24, 2019: The government has begun backdoor contacts with India and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is currently in India, has met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Vankwani also met Minster of State for External Affairs General VK Singh, the four-star general who has also served as the Indian army chief. Feb., 25, 2019: Talking to the media, Dr Kumar said important meetings were held with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and other high-officials. “You will very soon witness a positive impact of my meetings… You will also see that decades’ long issues are being resolved in a proper manner,” he said. Dr Kumar said: “I talked to Modi on every issue from every perspective… but I cannot reveal the details now. I will have key meetings with the country’s leadership in the coming days”.

8.      Pulwama Dossier: Feb., 28, 2019: Pakistan received a dossier on the Pulwama attack, the Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday. It was handed over to Pakistan’s acting high commissioner in New Delhi by the Indian government on Wednesday. The dossier will be reviewed by the FO following which any and all legal evidence will be probed. Islamabad will take action against credible evidence provided by the arch-rival.

9.      Indian pilot: Feb., 28, 2019: Prime Minister of Pakistan announced on Thursday that his country would be releasing a captured pilot from India after days of military conflict, offering a way out of the crisis and seeking to position Pakistan as the cooler head in a confrontation that has put the world on edge.

10.   Pilot returned: Mar, 2, 2108: Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan,  who was captured by Pakistan after his MiG 21 Bison aircraft was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jet, was handed over in a gesture of peace to India at the Wagah border late Friday. Abhinandan was arrested on Feb 27 after his aircraft was shot down by the PAF upon violating Pakistani airspace. A new videotaped statement of Wg Cdr Abhinandan was broadcast on national television shortly before his release."My name is Wing Commander Abhinandan," he stated for the record in the statement."I am a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force. I was in search of the target when your [Pakistan] Air Force shot me down. I had to eject the plane which had sustained damage. As soon as I ejected and when my parachute opened and when I fell down, I had a pistol with me.""There were many people. I had only one way to save myself: I dropped my pistol and tried to run," he was heard saying in the video."People chased me, their emotions were running high. Just then, two Pakistani Army officials came and saved me. Pakistani army captains saved from the people and did not let any harm come to me. They took me to their unit where I was administered first aid and then I was taken to the hospital where I further underwent a medical exam and received more aid," he said."The Pakistan Army is a very professional service. I see peace in it. I have spent time with the Pakistan Army [and] I am very impressed." "Indian media always stretches the truth," he regretted. "The smallest of things are presented in a very incendiary manner and people get misled

11.   

Update: January, 2019  

1.      Prisoners: Jan., 2, 2109: In a peace overture, India has asked Islamabad to take back dozens of Pakistani nationals who have completed jail terms here. The Indian request came in the context of the exchange of the lists of prisoners in both countries that took place on the first day of the New Year. India has also asked Pakistan to expedite response in the cases of 80 Pakistan prisoners who have completed their sentences and await repatriation for want of nationality confirmation by Pakistan. Pakistan shared lists of 54 civilian prisoners and 483 fishermen in Pakistani jails, who it claims are Indian. . Peace activist Jatin Desai of Pakistan-India Peoples’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD reiterated that both countries in fact claim that the exact number of prisoners in each other’s custody is “a bit higher” than the official numbers shared

2.      Jan., 4, 2109: the Washington Post recently said that talks between the sullen neighbors could resume after the Indian elections in May 2019. But the opportunity to improve bilateral ties, which in turn would usher a better era of regional engagement is bound to come with or without Modi sooner than later. Pakistan’s recent declaration that India’s involvement was needed to resolve the Afghan question comes as a new paradigm to ponder for all concerned, particularly those that have a bigger stake in a peaceful resolution of the blood-drenched conflict. The Kashmir imbroglio may not be a distant dream, and speculation is rife about reviving the Dr Manmohan Singh-General Musharraf ‘formula’ to end the tragic stalemate in the valley. Prime Minister Khan has made several overtures in tandem with the military to improve ties with India, and the alacrity with which he moved on the Kartarpur corridor to ease visa-less travel for Sikh pilgrims appears to have taken Delhi by surprise. The corridor is critical now for both sides as Sikhism’s first Guru is believed to have lived for the last 18 years of his life at the site where the Kartarpur gurdwara was built. The most important gesture that came from the Pakistan leader in his efforts to mend ties with India has been his reference to the Mumbai nightmare of November 2008 as an act of terrorism, which he said needs to be fully investigated in Pakistan for the country’s own good.

3.      Jan.,4,2019:Ancient Hindu Temple: The ancient Hindu temple Punj Tiratht, located in Karimpura in Peshawar's old city has been declared, constructed about 300 years ago as national asset, it is claimed that the hero of Mahabharata, Pandu, belonged to this place and there were five ponds at this place.

4.        Kurile Dispute and its relevance to Kashmir: The Second World War left behind many problems inherited from history, not least in Asia in respect of multiple disputed territories. One of them concerns four islands in the Kurile chain that are claimed by Japan but occupied by Russia as successor state of the Soviet Union. Despite the passage of over 70 years, this dispute has defied solution and prevented the conclusion of a Russo-Japanese peace treaty to draw a final curtain over the detritus of the war. The Kuriles are an archipelago of some 56 islands spanning about 1,800 km from Japan’s Hokkaido to Russia’s Kamchatka. All of them are under Russian jurisdiction but Japan claims the two large southernmost islands, Etorofu and Kunashiri, and two others, Shikotan and Habomai, as its ‘northern territories’. These islands were occupied by the Soviet Union in August 1945, after which the entire Japanese population, numbering less than 20,000, was evicted. The islands are now populated by the various ethnic groups of the former Soviet Union, but only eight of them are actually inhabited. Mr. Abe’s wish to engage with Russia stems from the rapid rise of China, which spends three times more on defence than Japan, and the perceived threat from North Korea, which recently fired two ballistic missiles over Japan as a taunt to the U.S. Russia is now seen in Japan as the lesser enemy, and improving relations with Moscow might drive a wedge in the growing quasi-alliance between Russia and China, a break-up desired by the U.S.-led Western alliance. Tokyo notes that the Russian far east is endowed with plentiful natural resources which are in need of investments, but is hampered by a small population, whereas China has 100 million citizens along that shared land border. Japan has no territorial or demographic ambitions in Russia other than the Kuriles, and has the capacity to transform the vast contiguous areas of Russia. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that both Japan and Russia see merit in pursuing greater collaboration  At Vladivostok last September, Mr. Abe declared that Japan-Russia relations held “unlimited potential” and that the absence of a peace treaty was “an abnormal state of affairs”. Mr. Putin agreed, noting that the Russian and Japanese militaries had cooperated for the first time, and urged the immediate conclusion of a peace treaty without preconditions. Japan demurred on the grounds that the Kurile islands dispute had to be settled first before the issue was foreclosed. Nonetheless, Mr. Abe stated that “Japan-Russia relations are advancing at a degree never seen before.” The interactions between Japan and Russia probably hold scant interest for the Indian public. Nevertheless, although no two international problems are analogous, there are important lessons to be drawn from the manner in which traditionally hostile neighbours can identify common interests and explore unorthodox avenues along which to proceed in search of innovative solutions to apparently insoluble disputes. This requires strong leadership and a bold imagination. Neither India nor Pakistan lacks either attribute. Kashmir is essentially a territorial dispute of almost equal vintage as the Kuriles. But if both sides keep waiting for the most propitious time to make the first move, it will never come about.

5.      Indian Policy (Extract from Hindu),Jan.,7,2019:It’s rightly being pointed out that India has to be prepared for the potential consequences of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from  While New Delhi is weighing its options it must take into account that for all its antipathy toward the Afghan Taliban. The resurgent Taliban is driven not so much by Islam as the quest for Pashtun dignity and revenge. While it is not in a position to rule over the entire country, and certainly not the urban areas, it does control large swathes of the rural areas in the predominantly Pashtun provinces of eastern and southeastern Afghanistan. In other words, it is in a position to make the country ungovernable and indefinitely continue the civil war especially because of its control of the drug trade that finances its activities. The withdrawal of American forces will provide it greater opportunity to expand its area of operation. It will take a great deal of creative thinking and imaginative refashioning of New Delhi’s policy towards Afghanistan for India to recover lost ground vis-à-vis the Pashtuns. Depending on the U.S., it on the verge of cutting its losses in Afghanistan, or on other powers such as Russia and Iran to protect Indian interests in that country will be foolhardy and counter-productive.

6.      US Afghan Withdrawal: Jan.,,2019:The story of past many years of Indo-Pak relations is a story of how a regional hegemon ‘pushed back’ a smaller neighbouring country by arming its rivals and enemies on the western front, by executing military build-ups on its eastern borders and threatening and setting red lines to execute surgical strikes or initiate limited wars. The carrot of economic participation that it offered to the rest of the world — whether it was the access to its markets or investment in giant sports leagues like Indian Premier League was all at the cost of all of them making a choice — of not looking at Pakistan as a country that was suffering and was being victimised but as a country that ‘harboured terrorist’ and provided them safe havens and exported terrorism internationally. The rest of the world looked at India as a huge vehicle that provided them with indisputable opportunities for making wealth. If Afghanistan descends into a forecasted political upheaval during or beyond the Afghan elections (May 2019), the repercussions for the Indian interests in Afghanistan would be severely damaging. Alliances are ‘power-multipliers’ and while India has benefited from its new found alliance with the Americans in the last decade or so — Pakistan lost its opportunities in the past, but now it is gradually repositioning itself to fight against the Indian-induced regional and international isolation by showcasing its ‘deployable power’ of an efficient and operationally trained force to fight the common enemy of terrorism. Russia, China, Iran and the Central Asian States all respect and admire Pakistan’s anti-terrorism fighting capabilities.The first and the most important step for the Modi government should be a change of mindset. Its anti-Pakistan narrative has miserably flopped. There are multiple actors that have their changing interests that are competing for influence in the region and this region has dynamics of its own, the nature of which also keeps changing. India has tried its best to weaken Pakistan and exploit its vulnerabilities but the world is a witness of the resilience and perseverance of the Pakistani nation that despite its problems it has continued to fight and adapt and respond to all the Indian challenges that it has so far thrown at it. With most of the Indian premises about Pakistan going wrong it is still not late for the Indians to understand that if ‘Pakistan stagnates or is troubled, India will also not remain immune’. It is for India to decide whether to entrench against or engage with Pakistan. For India, living with Pakistan as a friendly neighbor that engages in dialogue to reach political ends rather than bullying with threats of surgical strikes should be the right strategic option. Simply put, for PM Modi to continue to seek and to push Pakistan to a corner and proudly boast that “India has been able to isolate Pakistan internationally” is an Indian policy that in coming days will no more be sustainable. India tried a full-scale ‘policy of isolation’ against Pakistan — this policy of isolation and non-engagement only increased unprecedented risks and uncertainty in the relations between the two countries. The year 2019 may finally prove to be the deathbed of flawed built-up Indian premises, policies and narrative against Pakistan. Through hardships, tests and trials what Pakistan has managed to do is ‘find its way’. In the coming days not Pakistan but it’s India that would be under the ‘world’s spotlight’ to ‘mend its way’ in Kashmir. Even PM Modi and the whole India knows it.

7.      Jatin Desai: Jan.,8,2018:Indian journalist, activist and former president of the Mumbai Press Club Jatin Desai stressed restoration of talks between India and Pakistan, lamenting the suspension of bilateral talks between the countries since 2016.`It is extremely unfortunate that there has been a complete silence on both sides, resulting in the suffering of the peoples. Just keeping the communication alive changes everything,` he said and added that its right time in India for holding talks as it can bring about change in the atmosphere. Mr Desai had worked hard for the release of Indian national Hamid Nehal Ansari who went back home from Pakistan last month. On Ansari`s release, Desai had accompanied his family to the Wagah border to receive him. `The Katarpur corridor is a great development even though the traffic is expected to be more one-sided. Such developments should happen all over Pakistan and India beyond Punjab for there are people all in both countries who want to visit each other`. Desai demanded both the countries to send journalists on exchange programs.

8.      Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Jan., 8, 2019:  on Monday said the Kashmir dispute between the nuclear armed neighbors   could not be solved only from a military standpoint, and that popular support was also important. Solberg said, “If there is an interest from the partners, we will try to use the mechanisms that we know. We have been working quite a lot in different countries but we always have this one basic thinking. The partners need to want to sit down by the table and discuss. Then of course if there is a need for a mediator, a need for a facilitator to fix, even though these are two very big countries that should manage to sort out things between themselves.”

9.      Jan., 9.2019: General Rawat: said Pakistan, was rightly aiming for a favorable situation in Afghanistan, a neighbor with which it shares an over 2,400-km border.“Pakistan has always treated Afghanistan as its backyard. They are concerned about it and, as a military leader, I would say why not be concerned about their backyard,” he added. “They always want a situation in Afghanistan which is favorable to them. So, even if it implies speaking to the devil, they will do it.”. There should be talks with Taliban so long as they don’t come with pre-conditions and so long as they are looking at lasting peace in Afghanistan and bring about stability in that country,” he said.“It is in our interest, region’s interest, and in Pakistan’s interest. We all want stability,” he added

10.   Indus Water Treaty: Jan.,12,2019:In what is dubbed a ‘major breakthrough’, New Delhi has finally accepted Islamabad’s demand for inspection of Indian hydropower projects on Chenab basin and a Pakistani team will start a visit to these sites from January 27. Pakistan had demanded that India allow it to inspect various hydroelectric projects, particularly 1,000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai projects on the River Chenab. Pakistan had raised serious concerns over the designs Pakal Dul and Lower Kalnai projects and argued that India could use these reservoirs to create artificial water shortage or flooding in Pakistan. According to Islamabad, these projects have been designed in violation of the IWT. It appreciated the gesture by India for implementation of the IWT and expected that the same spirit would be shown for resolution of other outstanding issues according to the provisions of the treaty.

11.   Jan., 20.2019: There may not be a substantive dialogue n-between the two countries but both are trying to keep diplomatic relations at an healthy level. This  past week saw Indian high commissioner to Pakistan  and Pakistani counterparts having meeting with foreign ministry officials. Both meeting e relate to prisoner exchanges and Kartarpur opening .Indian government has proposed to revive Joint Judicial Committee and has requested that Pakistan allow Indian official assess to Indian prisoners.

12.   Jan., 22, 2019; Kartarpur :Pakistan has invited India for talks to finalize the agreement on Kartarpur Corridor opening. While extending the invitation for early talks, Islamabad on Monday also shared the draft agreement between the two countries to operationalize the Karatarpur Corridor. The government of Pakistan appointed Director-General (South Asia & SAARC) Dr Muhammad Faisal as the focal person on Pakistan’s side and requested the Government of India designate a focal person at its end.

13.  Indus Water Treaty: Jan., 28, 2019: A Pakistani delegation arrived in India on January 27 to visit the Chenab river basin in Jammu and Kashmir for inspection, as mandated under the Indus Water Treaty .Pakistan’s Indus Commissioner Syed Mohammad Mehar Ali Shah arrived in Amritsar along with his two advisers .This tour is an obligation imposed on both the countries by the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 between India and Pakistan. Under the treaty, both the commissioners are mandated to inspect sites and works on both the sides of Indus basin in a block of five years

14.  Kartarpur Crossing: Jan., 31, 2019: Up to 40 per cent of construction work on the phased Kartarpur Corridor Project has been completed and with the launch of the corridor in nine months.  Under the project, construction of roads from the Gurdwara Baba Guru Nanak to Indo-Pak border, an immigration terminal and extension of the temple has been completed by 40 percent

15.   

India Pakistan Relations: December 2018

Introduction

The apparently frozen India Pakistan relations are evolving. Pakistan Army /government have made various statements to the effect that they would like to normalize these relations. The Army seeks normalization to result in stop to unconstrained Indian firing over the Line of Control.. Better than words, actions by the Army and government have very clearly exhibited the keen desire of Pakistan to achieve normal relations with India. India has expressed no desire for sub normalization, but there are undercurrents that suggest otherwise. There is also this inference that I draw for Pakistan Army actions and statements that they The Pakistan Army is engaged in Track two diplomacy, with India, on Kashmir and normalization of relations.

Update December 2018

1.     Kartarpur corridor  is a proposed border corridor between the neighboring nations of India and Pakistan, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib (located in Punjab, India) and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur (in Punjab, Pakistan). Currently under planning, the corridor is intended to allow religious devotees from India to visit the Gurdwara in Kartarpur, 4.7 kilometers   from the Pakistan-India border, without a visa In August 2018, Punjab tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu attended the Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan's inaugural ceremony, and he was told by the army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa of Pakistan's willingness to open the Dera Baba Nanak–Kartarpur corridor on Guru Nanak’s 550^th birth anniversary. Given the clear time frame, this set the ball rolling In August 2018, another resolution related to the corridor in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha was moved by chief minister Amarinder Singh, which was passed unanimously. Following this the government of Punjab decided to approach the prime minister of India related to the opening of the corridor. In 30 October 2018, a group of Sikh Americans sought the Prime Minister of India's for help in opening the corridor. In November 2018, the Indian Cabinet approved the plan to set up the corridor and appealed to Pakistan to do the same. The Pakistani foreign minister S. M. Qureshi responded by tweeting that Pakistan had "already conveyed to India" that it would open a corridor. A ground breaking ceremony was held ar Kartarpur which has resulted in infrastructure being developed d of the opening. Pakistan Army has also expressed the possibility of such opening in three more Sikh sites in Pakistan, this provided the relations develop.

2.      Release of Indian spy: Pakistan has   released Indian spy Hamid Nehal Ansari upon completion of his prison term, Foreign Office spokesman has confirmed. Indian spy Hamid Ansari had illegally entered Pakistan and was involved in anti-state crimes and forging documents .Dr Faisal said Hamid Ansari is being released upon completion of his sentence and is being repatriated to India.

3.       Return of Indian young man: The Pakistani authorities on Wednesday handed over an Indian youth, who had mistakenly crossed the border a few months ago. According to media reports, Pakistan Rangers returned Santoshi Deochand, 21, to the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), along with sweets, clothes and shoes as a goodwill gesture. Deochand, who hails from Madhopur area of Indian Bihar state, had mistakenly crossed Pak-India border near Kheem Karan few months ago.

4.   Norway’s Ex-PM Visit Kashmir: to clear Decks for Manmohan-Musharraf Formula with Govt’s Blessing. Former R&AW chief and Kashmir advisor to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, AS Dulat, said that the fact that Bondevik could travel all the way to Srinagar and meet Geelani meant that New Delhi was also on board. Also known as the Musharraf formula or the Manmohan-Musharraf formula or Chenab solution, the four-point formula is basically an idea of demilitarization, maximum autonomy, making border irrelevant and joint management of the region.  Refer to https://javedrashid.blogspot.com/2018/08/chenab-formula-musharrafs-four-point.html for more details of the Chenab formula  

5.      Indian prisoners: Pakistan released 1,795 Indian prisoners during the past four years, whereas India released only 328 Pakistani prisoners, a new report has revealed. Even at this time, there are hundreds of Pakistanis languishing in Indian jails, several of whom have completed their sentence. Since January 2015, Pakistan released 1,176 fishermen and 19 civilians. On the other hand, India released 193 fishermen and 135 civilians.

6.      Imran Warsi : Dec., 23,2018. For more than a decade, Imran Warsi has lived in limbo, without a sense of home or nationality. Next week, he will regain both, as police officials confirmed that he will be repatriated across the Wagah border to Pakistan and will be reunited with his parents in Karachi. A Pakistani from Karachi, Mr. Warsi married his cousin in Kolkata in 2004 after falling in love. When his visa ran out, her parents promised to help the couple get papers to travel to Pakistan, but didn’t

7.      AJ&K to open route to Hindu and Sikh sites, Dec., 23, 2018: Azad Jammu Kashmir government wants to open the religious sites for Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists following Pakistan government’s decision to open the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims. The AJK PM has forwarded a proposal to the government of Pakistan for approval. “We have more than 600 sites of Hindu, Sikh and Budh religions, including Sharda and Ali Baig in AJK,” the AJK premier said. “We are planning to renovate, recondition and open these places for followers from Indian-administered Kashmir.” 

8.      Kartarpur: Dec., 31, 2018: Pakistan has sent a 14 point draft documents related to the modalities of the Kartarpur corridor. 50 people per day will be allowed after security clearance by both parties.