Indian allegations on Pakistan Army were baseless: Bashir

New Delhi: Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir said that the Indian defence clergyman leveled

The Jihadis Are Back

The point when the Indian Army's 20 Kumaon Regiment emptied its station at Shala Bathu on 23 September to prepare for the takeover by 3/3 Gorkha Rifles, small did they realize that many aggressors

Indian expats world’s top remitters back to home country: World Bank report

Abu Dahbi, October 27: Indian expatriates have topped the charts worldwide for being the top remitters for the developing world, a new World Bank report revealed. The World Bank data released for 2013 showed that amounts transferred by the migrant workers of India and the Philippines to their families and friends will hit 97 billion dollars and that the total transfers will increase, Gulf News reports. According to the report, the two countries will likely represent nearly a quarter of the remittance volumes to the developing world this year. The report estimated that money transfers to developing countries are likely to increase to 414 billion dollars (6.3 percent) this year and are expected to swell further to surpass the half-trillion mark by 2016.

We are with you, Omar tells border villagers

Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured people in the state's border villages of full support in the face of repeated cease-fire violations by Pakistan and said: "You should not feel alone, we all are with you." Speaking Friday to a large number of people affected by shelling from the neighboring country at R.S. Pure in Samba district, Omar Abdullah said that repeated violations of ceasefire could not occur without the knowledge of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan. Since January this year, there have been frequent violations of the November 2003 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan by that country. Omar Abdullah said the 2003 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan was the highest gift for the people living on the international border and the LoC, who until then faced much shelling and firing. He said despite the bitterness between India and Pakistan on many occasions because of militancy and terrorist strikes, the agreement had stood firm for the last 10 years and the borders had been peaceful and tranquil. Expressing concern over the ceasefire violations, the brunt of which was borne by civilians living near the border and LoC areas, the chief minister said: "This is in nobody's interest, and only endangers the life of people of border areas. "I fail to understand. When Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif talks of peace and resolution of issues amicably through dialogue, why does Pakistan indulge in violation of the ceasefire? As the prime minister of Pakistan, the violation of ceasefire cannot be without his consent. "If that is so, then what is the use of the prime minister talking friendship and dialogue?" Omar Abdullah asked. Praising the people living near the border for their bravery, the chief minister expressed the hope that peace and tranquillity would be restored near the border and the LoC, allowing people to return to their routines. The chief minister was speaking during his visit to affected areas in Jammu and Samba districts. Omar Abdullah interacted with affected families, made an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and received briefs from the divisional administration on the measures being taken to provide the necessary help to the affected people. The chief minister was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, legislator and provincial president of the ruling National Conference Devender Singh Rana, former minister and sitting legislator S.S. Slathia and officials of the divisional administration. Omar Abduallah heard the accounts that people in the villages gave him of damage to life, property and crops in the shelling. He advised those who wanted to play politics with the misery of the common people to join hands with the state and the central government to mitigate the difficulties of those affected by the shelling and shun negative politicking. He said the issue of recruitment of youth from the border areas in paramilitary forces and the army had been taken up with the union home minister. "We have emphasized the need for recruiting the youth of these areas in the army and paramilitary forces and will continue to stress about it," he said. He said a proposal for the construction of bunkers for the civilian population in the affected areas would also be sent to the central government soon. The chief minister visited a family whose house was damaged by mortar shells fired by Pakistan Rangers. He also visited the Abduliyain frontier village in R.S. Pura sector and interacted with families living there. The chief minister travelled along the zero-line of the international border from R.S.Pura to Samba and also the Pargwal area of Akhnoor tehsil in Jammu district.

Time to respond decisively to Pakistan shelling: BJP

Srinagar : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday said the time has come for India to respond decisively to Pakistan's ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference here, the party's national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: "For the past two months, whatever Pakistan has been doing on the Line of Control and the International Border is unacceptable. In two months, there have been 200 violations by Pakistan. "Time has come when we should give a befitting reply to Pakistan. There are also political ways and means to restrain Pakistan from doing this." Javadekar said that when Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were visiting the International Border (Oct 22), Pakistan was still raining shells there. "They have killed and injured our jawans. This is not tolerable. "Pakistan's politics is Kashmir-centric while according to us the only issue that needs to be resolved is stopping Pakistan-aided terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. "Pakistan gives covering fire to encourage infiltration. Our soldiers were beheaded and ambushed... there was a terror attack in Samba. These are absolutely unacceptable. "Terrorism and talks cannot go together," he said. Replying to a question on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's Oct 24 remark at an Indore rally that, singed by the riots in Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh, many Muslim youths were in touch with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Javadekar said: "For campaigning he is free, but he is not free to insult Muslims." "When he said those who started and helped clashes in Muzaffarnagar had links with ISI and would like to go to Pakistan, it is an insult to Indian Muslims. "Indian Muslims have made a deliberate and conscious decision to be part of India. They have no sympathy for Pakistan," he said. Replying to another question on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that he is ready to go to CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) if they wanted (to question him in the coal block allocation case), Javadekar said: "The CBI is under the administrative control of the PMO." "This is another way of getting a clean chit from the CBI as it was given to Lalu Prasad and Mayawati (ex-chief ministers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, respectively). "It was not the government, but our complaint which the CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) forwarded to the CBI that started the coalgate investigations. "Seventeen billion tonnes of coal were given to 140 private companies causing a loss of Rs.50 lakh crore to the people of the country," Javadekar said.

Eight civilians injured in Pakistan firing

Jammu : Eight civilians were injured Thursday evening after Pakistani troops fired at the international border in Kanachak, Ranbir Singh (R.S.) Pura, Suchetgarh and Abdullian areas of Jammu and Kashmir. A senior police officer told IANS that Pakistan Rangers used mortars, rockets and automatic weapons to target Border Security Force (BSF) posts in the Jammu region. He said, "A Pakistani shell exploded in Garkhal village, injuring eight people, including four women and a child, all from the same family. "The injured have been shifted to a hospital. BSF troops retaliated to the unprovoked shelling and firing by Pakistan, using same calibre weapons. "Pakistani troops also resorted to shelling and light weapons, firing at BSF posts in R.S. Pura, Suchetgarh and Abdullian areas of the international border this (Thursday) evening. BSF retaliated in these areas and till last reports came in, exchange of fire was continuing."

One BSF trooper killed in firing by Pakistan Rangers

Jammu : One Indian paramilitary trooper was killed and four people, including three Border Security Force (BSF) troopers and one civilian, were injured in firing by Pakistan Rangers in the R.S.Pura sector of the Jammu region overnight. A senior police officer told IANS that the BSF trooper and the injured came under heavy shelling by the Pakistan Rangers on Indian positions on the international border in the R.S.Pura sector of Jammu district in the state. The Rangers violated ceasefire at 20 locations in the sector using 82 mm mortars, heavy weapons and automatics, said a senior BSF officer. He said intermittent firing exchanges continued at many places Wednesday morning. The BSF has strongly retaliated to Pakistan firing and heavy shelling, the officer said. Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had Tuesday visited Jammu to take stock of the situation arising from the repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers on the international border.