[ NATIONAL ]

India-China standoff: Beijing deploys 100 rocket launchers at high altitude areas

The move has come after the Indian Army enhanced its deployment of M777 ultra-light howitzers at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Pakistan’s ISI’s conspiracy against Jammu and Kashmir exposed, ‘blueprint’ reveals major plot

The development comes at a time when eleven civilians have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir in Oct.

Punjab: BSF recovers made-in-Pakistan pistols, heroin near the international border

The BSF said that a search operation was jointly carried out along with Punjab Police. The team found a shoulder bag lying inside a paddy field (about 10 m from the International Border) from which the recoveries were made.

How Afghanistan’s neighbors plan to deal with it — India to figure out at Moscow talks today

Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, and 5 Central Asian countries will also attend the meeting. This will be the second time Indian representatives will be interacting with the Taliban since Kabul fell on 15 August.

India delaying Covid-19 vaccine supplies to WHO-backed Covax: Reuters (sources)

India has delayed committing supplies of vaccines to the Covax global sharing effort, two on Tue (Oct 19), a day after one of its key backers, the World Health Organisation (WHO), said the agency could not “cut corners” to approve a domestically developed vaccine.

PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh

PM Modi on Wed said that govt is aiming to set up over 200 airports, heliports, and water-dromes for seaplanes across the country in the next 3-4 years.

Centre Rubbishes ‘Biased And Inaccurate Piece’ by The Economist, Issues Point-By-Point Rebuttal ⁽¹⁾

The Economist’s article ‘India’s high-tech governance risks leaving behind its poorest citizens’ was published on Oct 16. The article betrays a severe lack of journalistic diligence and seems to have relied on guided reporting, resulting in a biased, and inaccurate piece which, in many instances has contradicted even the past reports in your esteemed publication,” read the letter.

Delhi Metro begins training of Dhaka Metro’s operations, maintenance personnel (ANI)

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has started the training of the first batch of operations and maintenance staff of Bangladesh’s Dhaka Metro at its training academy at Shastri Park Depot, said DMRC, in a press release on Tue.

North East to be developed as India’s Bio-economic hub, said, Minister

Union Minister of State Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh on Tue said that Northeast is to be developed as India’s Bio-Economic Hub. He said that the Eastern Himalayan Region is one of the mega-biodiversity-rich zones and is among the 34 biodiversity Hotspots of the world. Only 2400 species of plants are endemic to Meghalaya state.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

Bangladesh violence: Police arrests hundreds for violence against Hindus

On Tue, Bangladesh police arrested 450 people based on 72 FIRs, for attacking Hindus in one of the worst episodes of communal unrest in over a decade. The local media reported that at least 6 people have died as police tried to restrain angry mobs. A mob of Muslims staged a protest against Hindus, which is only less than 10% in the country, in the southeastern district of Noakhali early Fri. No communal tension between Hindus and Muslims, terrorists and zealots targeting secular Hasina govt: Former Bangladesh minister.

China’s latest outbreak may have come through Inner Mongolian ports, Beijing on alert

China reported another 30 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Beijing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Ningxia.

Taliban praise suicide bombers offering families cash and land

The Taliban praised suicide bombers who died during the war against the former govt and its Western allies & offered their families sums of cash and promises of land, the movement’s Interior Ministry stated. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister who has a US$10 mn bounty on his head as a “specially designated global terrorist”, met the families at a ceremony at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, which was itself targeted by suicide bombers in 2018.

Pakistan’s unending economic crisis: Imran govt needs $51.6 billion external financing over two year period

Pakistan is in the grip of a serious economic crisis, with the country requiring USD 51.6 billion in gross external funding over two years (2021-23) to meet its demands. Despite the IMF’s highly conservative forecasts, Pakistan’s gross external finance demand is USD 23.6 billion in 2021-22 and USD 28 billion in 2022-23, according to The News International.

PM Imran Khan Summoned 3 Separate Meetings of PTI, Leaderships

Prime Minister, Imran Khan has summoned three meetings of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) central and provincial leadership today (Wed), ARY News reported, (sources)

India-China standoff: Beijing deploys 100 rocket launchers at high altitude areas

SCMP (source)- The People’s Liberation Army (PLA), China has deployed over 100 PCL-181 light and truck mounted-howitzers, and long-range rocket launchers at its high-altitude borders amid a standoff with India, to ramp up its defense for the winter season

• The move has come after the Indian Army enhanced its deployment of M777 ultra-light howitzers at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• India had recently added Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Heron I and ALH Dhruv choppers to its aviation brigade to counter China.
• It is a twin-engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5-ton weight class and is being used for quick mobilization of troops.
• As the PLA aggression at the LAC, the force has increased the frequency of surveillance at the border area to keep a tap on their activities.
• Meanwhile, Rudra is the first Army Aviation aircraft to add ‘teeth to the fleet of Army Aviation with its Mistral air-to-air missiles, 70 mm rockets, 20 mm guns, and ATGMs.
• The ALH (WSI) is a force multiplier for the field force commander with its potent weapons on board.
• This helicopter will be able to storm the enemy forces and hunt them down when required.
• From Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh, India shares a total of 1,346-km-long LAC with China.
• India and China have been engaged in a border standoff for the past 18 months.

India launches infrastructural development in East Ladakh amid border row with China

Despite the faceoff with China on the LAC, India has begun infrastructural development in East Ladakh in earnest, to ensure connectivity, about 6 telecom towers, including 1 at Demchok, are being built.

• The Union Territory of Ladakh is looking at a Rs 245 crore project for helping grazers, who have a nomadic life, is on the anvil.
• They will be given tents, solar lighting, and other amenities.
• In the areas where they move around, schools and six sports complexes are being built.
• They will be covered and heated, allowing people to use the facilities throughout the year, including in the difficult winter months.
• Water, electricity and heating facilities will be available for groups of people on the move in different areas, similar to the facilities provided at campsites in the US.
• Importantly, about 40 families from Kharnak, a village close to the LAC, who had moved to Leh when the Chinese troops began the faceoff, have moved back.
• This is being seen as a sign that the locals are reassured by the presence of Indian troops.

J&K encounter: 2 terrorists killed in encounter in Shopian, J&K

Two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, state police said.

“One of the killed terrorists has been identified as Adil Ah Wani, who was active since July 2020. He was involved in the killing of a migrant worker (carpenter) from Saharanpur (UP) Sagir Ahmed a few days ago in Litter, Pulwama,” said IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar.

15 militants were killed in over two weeks by forces in Kashmir.

IT-Poonch encounter: Army’s longest operation against terrorists since 2009:

Nearly 11 years since the 2009 incident, another operation against terrorists entered its tenth day on Wed in Poonch district.

• In 2009, Poonch was the witness of a 9-day operation and encounter with terrorists, Jan 1-9.
• 4 soldiers, including 1 junior commissioned officer (JCO), lost their lives.
• 4 terrorists were said to have been killed in the encounter, though their bodies were not recovered from the encounter site.
• Search and combing operations were stopped after 9 days.

Nearly 13 years since then, another operation entered its 10^th day on Wed in the same Poonch district, which began on Oct 11^th, when the encounter began at Dera Ki Gali area of Surankot tehsil in the Poonch district.

• The operation was launched based on intelligence inputs about a big troupe of terrorists present in the area. A search operation led to an encounter with the terrorists.
• 9 soldiers, including 2 JCOs, have lost their lives since the operation began.
• The Indian Army has deployed a specially trained unit of para-commandos for the combing operation.
• Drones and modern weapons are being used to track down terrorists operating in the forests.
• Information about the ground situation is not known and the army has only issued written statements till now.
• Media personnel is not allowed within 11 km of the forests where the encounter is taking place.

Army special forces deployed to hunt down ‘small groups’ of terrorists in Poonch sector

As the ongoing counter-terrorism operation progresses in the Poonch district, the Indian Army special forces have been deployed to search and target small groups of terrorists hiding in the thick forests there. After yesterdays’ visit of the Army Chief, the forces were reportedly preparing for the final assault.

• The villagers were asked, in an announcement made from loudspeakers atop mosques, to return home from agricultural fields and stay indoors to avoid collateral damage.
• The security forces also detained some people on suspicion of providing logistical support to the terrorists.
• It is a densely forested area and reports quoting experts say that the scale of the encounter indicates the presence of a huge group of terrorists.
• Some of the experts suspect the presence of Pakistan Army officers providing operational leadership to terrorists engaged on the ground.
• It is being speculated that the over-a-year-long involvement of the Indian forces in the eastern Ladakh sector due to a military standoff with China might have “weakened” the counter-infiltration grid on the western sector along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
• (Sources) The terrorists might have been in the forests for about two months
• Some believe that the group of terrorists could be involved in a series of attacks and encounters that have taken place since August in the Poonch-Rajouri region.

NIA conducts raids in 11 locations in Srinagar, Sopore & Pulwama amid the rise in civilian killings

• Amid the recent civilian killings in J&K, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 11 locations in Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore, Pulwama, Kulgam on Wed.
• The NIA raided the residences of Rashid Bhat, Fahad Ali Wani in Hamdaniya Colony, Chanpora, and Furkan Imran Akhan in Govt Housing Colony in Bagh-e-Mehtab.
• The raids are part of NIA’s attempt to crack down on terror networks and overground workers (OGWs) of terror outfits. Nearly a dozen people have been taken by the NIA.

Pakistan’s ISI’s conspiracy against Jammu and Kashmir exposed, ‘blueprint’ reveals major plot

Amid a slew of selective killing of minorities in J&K, an alleged ‘blueprint’ of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has surfaced. The ‘toolkit’ contains as many as 22 points as part of an ISI’s plan for the Kashmir valley. 

The development comes at a time when eleven civilians have been killed by terrorists in the Valley this month.

As per the alleged blueprint, terror groups have been asked to target several people and act upon the following 22 points which in short can be stated as protecting the valley from non-valley occupants and derailing all the efforts which may “misguide” from the cause of Kashmir:

1. Target every non-local official- in the Valley or at their native places.
2. Target non-locals whosoever comes to the Valley for a long stay.
3. Migrated Kashmiri Pandits are planning to shift back.
4. Every non-local employee.
5. Target every house of JK Police personnel.
6. Petrol bombs, stones, etc to be thrown towards informers’ locations locally.
7. Wherever any non-local is located, he is to be warned to leave the Valley at the earliest.
8. Local Govt employees should show their resentment against freedom.
9. Sports events organized by the occupier regime have to be banned /boycotted.
10. Whosoever is involved in govt/occupational forces events has to be dealt with harshly.
11. Don’t welcome those Kashmiri Pandits who revert in the Valley.
12. Target those heads of educational institutions who are hand in glove with the occupier.
13. Boycott all those media outlets whose names have emerged as collaborators.
14. Maintain distance with the occupier stooges and its forces especially JK Police whosoever is directly or indirectly involved in the anti-Kashmir cause.
15. Identify every collaborator and traitor.
16. Freedom fighters have to prioritize their targets according to the Kashmir cause.
17. Locals should shun their dependence on non-locals.
18. Keep distance from such elements who are against the Kashmir cause.
19. Try to understand the negative impact of non-locals residing in JK.
20. In the toolkit, it is written that ‘this act might look vague but in the long run it will prove beneficial and effective for Kashmir cause’.
21. It becomes mandatory to expand operations outside JK and it is to be intensified.
22. Target Govt properties (projects, bridges, schools, colleges, and sports infrastructure).

The Assam Police has also sounded an alert over possible terror strikes by Pakistan’s ISI and terror outfit al-Qaeda over alleged persecution of Muslims in the state. A circular issued by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) on Sat said the alert has been issued following reports received from the Special Branch of the state police.

• The circular said the ISI is planning to target ‘individuals including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadres and army areas in Assam and other places in India’.
• There is also a ‘threat from global terror outfits to indulge in spectacular action by resorting to an explosion of bombs/ IEDs in places of mass gathering/ mass transport/ religious places, etc.
• Another input quoted in the circular said the al-Qaeda has called for ‘jihad’ in Assam and Kashmir.

Punjab: BSF recovers made-in-Pakistan pistols, heroin near the international border

The Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered 22 pistols (mostly Pakistan-made), pistol magazines, and heroin inside the paddy fields near the international border in Punjab’s Ferozepur. The recoveries were made in the Khemkaran area on Tuesday.

• The BSF said in a release that it recovered the ammunition based on intelligence input from the Punjab Police.
• It further said that a search operation was jointly carried out by the BSF and Punjab Police. The team found a shoulder bag lying inside a paddy field (about 10 m from the International Border) from which the recoveries were made.
• Forty-four magazines and 100 round ammunition, along with one packet of opium, was also found, the force said.
• An FIR was registered against unknown persons under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and the Foreigners Act.
• The seized items were handed over to the Punjab Police, said the BSF.

How Afghanistan’s neighbors plan to deal with it — India to figure out at Moscow talks today

India will join 9 countries and the Taliban in Moscow Wed to figure out the way forward for Afghanistan, especially human rights and aid, more than 2 months after the radical Islamist group took control of the war-torn country.

ThePrint-(sources) New Delhi, is participating in the meeting to understand how regional countries plan to deal with the Taliban dispensation going forward. This will be the 2^nd meet of Indian representatives with the Taliban since Kabul fell on 15 August.

• The 9 other countries are hosts Russia (host), China, Pakistan, Iran, the five Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
• India will be represented by J.P. Singh, Joint Secy, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran Division, and Adarsh Swaika, Joint Secretary for the Eurasia Division in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Foreign Ministry, Russia in a statement on Tue: “During the meeting, it is planned to discuss prospects for development of the military-political situation in Afghanistan and the formation of an inclusive government.”

• India has said it will continue to stand beside the Afghans, but remains concerned about a rise in terrorist activities, with an active role being played by the Haqqani Network.
• While India has halted its evacuation exercise as hundreds of Afghan men and women wait for the e-visas to be issued to them, New Delhi is facing challenges in terms of running flights directly between both countries, Citing sources, ThePrint claimed.

D.B. Venkatesh Varma, an Indian envoy to Russia, told the Kommersant newspaper that New Delhi and Moscow have a “common destination” when it comes to dealing with the Taliban.

“Both sides recognize common threats emanating from Afghanistan affect India & Russia, probably more than any other set of countries.”

Zabiullah, the Taliban spokesperson, said in a tweet Tue: “A high-level delegation from the Islamic Emirate is attending the Moscow Format Summit.”

At a conference Tue, Lavrov said Russia will not officially recognize the Taliban for now and wants the group to adhere to their international commitments.

This is the third meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan, after 2017 and 2018, but the first since the Taliban took over Kabul on 15 August 2021.

On Mon, Moscow hosted a meeting of the special representatives of Russia, China, and Pakistan for Afghanistan, and “exchanged views on common security threats, expressed their joint interest in providing Afghanistan with urgent humanitarian and economic assistance”.

Dawn-Lavrov also warned that drug trafficking from Afghanistan had reached “unprecedented” levels, a concern since echoed by the Kremlin during meetings with other Central Asia countries and China.

The Taliban delegation is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi, a senior figure in the new Afghan leader who led talks with the EU and the US last week.

PM Modi inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wed, (Oct 20) inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport, built at an estimated cost of Rs 260 crore, in Uttar Pradesh, which will provide connectivity to 8 key Buddhist pilgrimage sites.

Kushinagar is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site and is believed to be the final resting place (Mahaparinirvana Sthal ) of the Gautama Buddha located at the center of a key Buddhist tourist circuit, which includes Lumbini, Sarnath, and Ayodhya.

• An inaugural flight of Sri Lankan Airlines landed at the airport earlier in the day, bringing a large contingent of Buddhist monks and Sri Lankan Ministers.
• This is U.P.’s 9^th airport, 7 of which have been developed in the past 7 years alone.
• The State will get 11 more airports in the years to come, including 2 international ones, U.P. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.
• “With the launch of this airport, I, as a representative of Poorvanchal, have also fulfilled one of my commitments to this region,” Mr. Modi said.
• The airport will see scheduled commercial flights from Nov when SpiceJet is likely to launch 4 weekly flights.
• In Dec, the airport will also be connected to Mumbai and Kolkata.
• PM said that govt is aiming to set up over 200 airports, heliports, and water dromes for seaplanes across the country in the next 3-4 years.
• The opening of Kushinagar Int’l Airport is very encouraging, especially for Buddhist devotees, to visit Kushinagar and Lumbini in Nepal too: Ananda Prasad Sharma, Min Counsel of Nepal

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

2 Taliban fighters, 4 school children wounded in Kabul grenade attack-Dawn

A grenade was thrown at a Taliban vehicle in the Afghan capital on Wed morning, wounding two fighters and four nearby school children, in Deh Mazang, Taliban interior ministry spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti told AFP. Hours later, the militant Islamic State (IS) group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Prime Minister, Imran Khan has summoned three meetings of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) central and provincial leadership today (Wed), ARY News reported, (sources)

The meetings will be held in the evening today at the Prime Minister’s House to discuss strategy regarding opposition parties’ movement against inflation. Foreign Min, SM Qureshi, Defense Min, P Khattak, Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar, Federal Minister for I&B, Fawad Chaudhry, Education Min, Shahfaqat Mahmood, Aamir Kiyani, Saifullah Niazi will attend.

After the meeting of the central party leadership, the PTI Punjab huddle will meet in which CM Usman Buzdar and provincial leadership of Punjab will be in attendance, later CM, governor, and ministers of KP will meet under the leadership of PM Khan to devise a strategy against the opposition.

• Both the meetings regarding Punjab and KP will also be attended by the central leadership of PTI.
• The huddle will devise a strategy to counter the opposition’s movement and will take important decisions regarding reorganizing the party, said sources privy to the development.
• PM Khan will seek recommendations from the party leadership to bring a reduction in the rising inflation.
• Matters related to bringing reforms in the electoral process of the country will also come under discussion in the meetings.
• The premier will unite his party leaders to deal with the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) protest.