[NEWS OF THE DAY]

BRICS supports Russia-Ukraine talks at 14^th Summit, Putin says ‘joint efforts’ answer to conflict

BRICS members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), Thu endorsed talks between Moscow and Kyiv amid the ongoing war, while voicing concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine. The statement was part of the formal declaration — ‘Beijing Declaration‘ — released after the 14^th BRICS Summit, held virtually. “We have discussed the situation in Ukraine and recall our national positions as expressed at the appropriate fora, namely the UNSC and UNGA,” the five BRICS member states said. “We support talks between Russia and Ukraine. We have also discussed our concerns over the humanitarian situation in and around Ukraine…,” the statement said, adding that the grouping is willing to support the UN’s efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said settling conflicts, among other issues, can only be done through joint efforts. Xi pushes for security alliance within BRICS-Noting that today’s world is marked by the “dark clouds of Cold War mentality”, Chinese President Xi Jinping said some countries have tried to expand military alliances and create blocs in certain regions by forcing other countries into “picking sides”. Modi says BRICS ‘not just limited to dialogue’-In his comments at the summit, PM Narendra Modi remarked that mutual cooperation between BRICS countries can help boost the world’s post-Covid recovery. (here)

‘First responder’ India delivers 2^nd batch of assistance for Afghans in wake of the earthquake

India delivered the 2^nd consignment of relief assistance on Fri to support the people of Afghanistan badly affected by the earthquake that struck this week in the eastern part of the country. The relief batch that reached Kabul is the second one in two days, being given in the wake of a devastating earthquake that claimed more than 1,000 lives. The relief assistance consists of essential items including family ridge tents, sleeping bags, blankets, sleeping mats, etc. The relief consignment will be handed over to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Afghan Red Crescent Society in Kabul. India on Thu handed over the first consignment to support the Afghans. India also deployed a ‘technical team’ to the Embassy in Kabul to coordinate the efforts of stakeholders for the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Taliban has welcomed India’s decision to return its technical team to continue humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes decision by India to return diplomats and technical team to their embassy in Kabul to continue their relations with the Afghan people and their humanitarian assistance,” Taliban spokesperson said in a statement on Thu. (here) The decision to reopen the Indian Embassy in Kabul was taken during the 2 June visit “and was also communicated to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, ThePrint reported citing sources. Talking to the Taliban ‘only way forward’ in Afghanistan: UN official – Acting Special Representative at the UN’s Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, provided an update on the earthquake, citing figures which revealed nearly 800 confirmed deaths and more than 1,400 injured. He said despite difficulties, “we firmly continue to believe that a strategy of continued engagement and dialogue remains to be the only way forward for the sake of the Afghan people, as well as for the sake of regional and international security.” an official reported that the human rights situation in Afghanistan remains precarious. (here)

India invited to G7 because agenda is ‘deep and diverse’, not to splinter them off Russia: US

India has been invited to G7 because the agenda is “deep and diverse”, said US National Security Council coordinator John Kirby on Fri adding that the reason behind the invitation is not about trying to splinter them off from Russia. “… The goal is to unify around a set of common principles and initiatives,” Kirby said adding that, “G7 wants to advance in terms of climate change, energy, and food security.” Earlier, amid reports of a jump in Indian energy import from Russia, Kirby said that India is a very key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region and the US lets Indian leaders speak about their economic policies. In a press briefing on Tue, Kirby said the US value this bilateral relationship with India but Washington wants international pressure on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar countered the unfair criticism of Indian oil purchase from Russia and stressed that it is important to understand how the Ukraine conflict is impacting the developing countries. (here)

‘Upset’ China Ready to Invest More in Pakistan But Has New Terms & Conditions: Sources

CNN-News18 (sources)- China is unhappy with the civil-political administration and bureaucracy of Pakistan and the top brass needs to act collectively to address the concerns, Chief of Army Staff, Gen Qamar Bajwa informed the National Security Committee Meeting. The COAS added about his recent China visit and while Beijing is ready to invest another $60 billion in Pakistan, it has some new specific terms and conditions. The COAS said China has reservations about the CPEC projects and its security and “we have to counter security threats, especially in Balochistan”. The DG, ISI briefed about his recent visit to US and security threats. He said the US is willing to restore its military training with Pak and also briefed them on Kashmir and “rising Indian atrocities”. FM Bilawal Bhutto spoke about his recent Iran visit and informed the meeting that Iran is insisting on and facilitating talks with India for broader regional cooperation. He said the Iranian FM offered that Tehran is ready to host India-Pakistan dialogues. The committee is considering the offer and will decide to formulate a mechanism soon. The DGMO provided a briefing on the situation on the Pak-Afghan border and Line of Control. It was decided during the meeting that security would be increased along the border and surveillance on LoC to prevent illegal movements. Meanwhile, Peshawar Corps Comdr, said talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were successful, and “we are ready to present peace pact draft with political leadership soon”. (here)

[NATIONAL]

Pakistan prepares to play spoiler in India-Afghan ties again

Caught unaware by India sending an official delegation to Kabul for resumption of bilateral ties with the ruling Taliban, Pakistan has decided to play a spoilsport by directing its diplomatic missions abroad to point out alleged contradictions between India and the Islamic Emirate. According to diplomats based in US and EU, Islamabad has asked its missions to focus on the ‘anti-India narrative’ by projecting that New Delhi’s offer to train the armed forces of the Taliban regime as not genuine for India had earlier trained the Afghan national army soldiers to fight against the same Sunni Pashtun force. It has also asked its mission to remind Pak-friendly countries that India in the past had termed the Taliban a proxy terrorist group of Pakistan and supported the erstwhile Afghan govt. It wants its diplomats to convey that India always relies on non-ethnic Pashtun to maintain its political influence in Afghanistan. India has asked the Taliban regime to fully investigate the Karte Parwan Gurudwara attack and take action against the ISKP terrorist group involved in the terror strike. (here)

Jaishankar meets Canadian counterpart on sidelines of Commonwealth summit

The foreign ministers of India and Canada on Thu held their first in-person meeting, focusing on advancing the bilateral relationship between the two countries. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Canadian counterpart, Mélanie Joly, on the sidelines of the 26^th Commonwealth Heads of Govt Meeting 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. This was the first time that they met in person after Joly assumed charge of her portfolio following the Sept 2021 general elections in Canada. Joly said that they met “to discuss advancing our strategic partnership and our multilateral cooperation, global issues, human rights, Russia’s war in Ukraine and ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific for the benefit of our peoples”. (here)

Jammu and Kashmir to host G-20 meetings in 2023:

Jammu and Kashmir will host the 2023 meetings of the G20, an influential group of the world’s major economies. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20 in Sept 2021. According to the MEA, India will hold the G-20 presidency from Dec 1, 2022, and convene the first G20 leaders’ summit in 2023. India’s representation at G20 summits has been led by PM Modi since 2014. The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the US, and the UK.

Cyber, information, space domains emerging new battlefields: IAF chief

Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari on Fri said that coercion is the new strategy with cyber and information and space domains emerging as new battlefields and the Indian Air Force needs to reassess its strategic priorities and actions in times of rapidly evolving International order which is being challenged by a complex multipolar world with traditional geopolitical interplays, IAF Chief said while delivering the keynote address at the Capstone Seminar of the First Warfare and Aerospace Strategy Programme in New Delhi on Thu. He expressed confidence that successive alterations of this WASP program would document the intellectual capital of critical strategic thinkers in the Indian air force and contribute to the growth of the organization. (here)

BSF seizes 3 Pakistani boats from Kutch creek area

A patrol party of the Border Security Force (BSF) on Thu seized three Pakistani boats from the Harami Nala creek area of Kutch along the India-Pakistan maritime boundary on the Gujarat border, officers said. On seeing a BSF patrol approaching them, Pakistan fishermen left the boats and escaped, said the officer. The apprehension was made about 15-20km inside the Indian territory. 3 Pakistani boats have been seized even as the BSF is looking for the fishermen, the officer said. BSF said that Indian fishermen are barred from entering the creek area, but Pakistani fishermen usually enter the Indian side to catch fish. On various occasions, these fishermen have fled towards the Pakistani side after abandoning their boats on spotting BSF patrol boats, said the officer. “nothing suspicious was recovered from the boats except some fish, fishing nets, and equipment,” said the officer. (here)

Dinkar Gupta is appointed Director-General, NIA

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta as the Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The 1987 batch of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the Punjab cadre was removed as the State DGP and posted to the Police Housing Corporation after Charanjit Singh Channi replaced Captain (retd.) Amarinder Singh as Punjab’s CM in 2021. In another order, the Intelligence Bureau’s Special Director Swagat Das has been appointed as Special Secy, Internal Security, Ministry of Home Affairs. Das, a 1987 batch IPS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre will hold the post till Nov 30, 2024, the order said. Das was the senior-most officer in the internal intelligence agency after Director. (here) Research & Analysis Wing, chief Samant Goel gets an extension of one year. IAS officer Parameswaran Iyer was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog on Fri.

2002 Gujarat riots: SC dismisses Zakia Jafri’s plea challenging SIT’s clean chit to then Guj CM

The Supreme Court on Fri dismissed the plea filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi and several others in the 2002 Gujarat riots. A bench headed by Justices AM Khanwilkar said that it finds the appeal devoid of merit. “After cogitating over the matter, we uphold the decision of the Magistrate in accepting the stated final report dated Feb 8, 2012, submitted by the SIT, as it is and rejecting the protest petition filed by the appellant. We do not countenance the submission of the appellant regarding infraction of rule of law in the matter of investigation and the approach of the Magistrate and the High Court in dealing with the final report. (here)

India successfully test-fires VL-SRSAM from Indian Naval Ship off Odisha coast: DRDO

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Fri announced that India has successfully test-fired the Vertically Launched Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from an Indian Naval Ship (INS) off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha. VL-SRSAM, a ship-borne weapon system is meant for neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets. According to the DRDO, today’s launch of the system was conducted against a high-speed aerial target mimicking aircraft, which was successfully engaged. “The flight path of the vehicle along with health parameters were monitored using a number of tracking instruments deployed by ITR, Chandipur. The test launch was monitored by senior officials from DRDO and the Indian Navy,” they said.

Made in India combat vehicles inducted in forward areas in Ladakh

Made In India Infantry Combat Vehicles have been inducted into the forward areas in Ladakh boosting the capabilities of the troops deployed there. Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi personally drove the new vehicle and said that with these combat vehicles one can easily be driven in the harsh terrain of the region. The vehicles named Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicles (IPMVs) were delivered to the Indian Army in April this year and have been tried and tested in the Ladakh region in mountainous terrain. These Infantry Protected Mobility Vehicles (IPMVs) have been jointly developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization and the Tata group.

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

43pc foreign-funded projects found to be ‘problematic’

The Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Thu that 43% of about $35 billion worth of foreign-funded projects were problematic — either not progressing well or unable to deliver the desired outcomes. At a review meeting of the National Coordination Committee on foreign-funded projects, the ministry reported that it was managing an ongoing portfolio of $34.8bn such projects of various sectors of the economy. On top of that, the meeting was informed that the “share of federal energy projects is about $3.3bn, of which $2.3bn (or almost 70%) is rated as problematic”, an official statement said. No wonder then, the energy sector is emerging as a challenge to the country’s stability, an official said, referring to over 17% losses and 10% short recoveries in the power sector and 10-17% system losses in the gas sector. Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq presided over the meeting which was also attended by the relevant ministers and representatives of state govts. (here)

Abdul Rehman Makki: Why are China and Pakistan protecting a terrorist?

China last week blocked a joint proposal by India and the US to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC. India and the US earlier in Jun proposed to list Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki under the UNSC’s Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee, also known as the UNSC 1267 Committee, sources said. But why are China and Pakistan protecting Abdul Rehman Makki? Writing for Bitter Winter, Massimo Introvigne argued that in protecting Makki at the UN as a member of the UNSC with veto power, China in this sense acted as a proxy for Pakistan. “At the same time, the veto sends a signal that within the framework of the current international situation anti-Western (and anti-Indian) feelings so much color Beijing’s moves to the point that China is prepared to contradict its rhetoric of fighting international terrorism and may in fact protect it,” he said. It’s about time China should reflect on its response that signals double standards in combating terrorism. (here)

China ‘commends’ Nepal’s decision to reject the US partnership program

China on Thu said it commended Nepal’s decision to reject a security partnership with the US and would continue to support Kathmandu’s “independent foreign policy”. The foreign ministry said Nepal saw the State Partnership Programme (SPP) as a military and security initiative closely linked to the US Indo-Pacific strategy, which goes “against the national interests of Nepal and its long-held non-aligned, balanced foreign policy”. (here)

Nepal Not to Move Forward With U.S. State Partnership Program

The Nepal government has decided to not forward the US’ state partnership program (SPP). The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Mon took this decision. The Cabinet also decided that every govt agency needs to make communications on diplomatic relations via the Foreign Ministry. The Nepal Foreign Ministry said that it received the Cabinet decision on Thu, but has yet to decide on its action. The official said the ministry understands the gravity of the matter and that it will act as per the instructions of the political leadership. A debate on the SPP took center stage after some sections of the media circulated a document, which was dubbed a draft agreement between the Nepal Army and the Utah National Guard of the United States. The U.S. embassy was quick to react, calling the document “fake”. As the main opposition CPN-UML was lashing out at the Deuba govt over the SPP. Amid confusion about whether Nepal indeed is part of the SPP or not, it was the U.S. embassy in Kathmandu that came up with a statement in which it said a country can terminate its association with the SPP by writing a letter. The SPP, however, stoked concerns as the issue surfaced on the heels of Nepal’s ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact amid opposition from some quarters who called it part of the Washington-led Indo-Pacific Strategy. The U.S. embassy, however, has ruled out any such initiatives. (here)