1. India, Japan pledge to expand ties as PM Kishida unveils ‘plan for free & open Indo-Pacific’
2. As search for ‘Khalistan’ preacher Amritpal continues, Punjab’s internet blackout extended
3. Khalistan supporters attack Indian Consulate in San Francisco; protest in Canberra
4. Pentagon provided real-time intelligence to India on India-China 2022 border clash, WH says “Can’t confirm that”
5. India witnessed significant human rights violations in 2022, says US report

What Else

6. Coded diary revealed PFI’s terror acts, funding: NIA charge sheet
7. India to spend $12 bn on airports in next two years as traffic picks up
8. Supreme Court: ‘Averse to sealed cover notes’: CJI to govt over OROP arrears
9. Nepal: Prime Minister Dahal secures vote of confidence for second time in 3 months
10. ‘No simple solution to a complex issue’, Xi Jinping says on Ukraine
11. Sri Lanka says IMF has approved $2.9 billion bailout for the cash-strapped economy
12. Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif condemns “vile campaign” against Pakistan Army, Chief of Army
13. Pakistan: Technical reasons, not nuclear program behind IMF delay: Ishaq Dar
14. Workers of the Duddar China Project are subject to very cruel and inhuman treatment

India, Japan pledge to expand ties as PM Kishida unveils ‘plan for free & open Indo-Pacific’

• PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida held extensive talks on wide-ranging issues at Hyderabad House in India’s capital New Delhi on Mon.
• Both leaders vowed to expand the India-Japan global strategic partnership, stressing that it is important for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
• Addressing the media after the bilateral talks, Modi referred to India’s presidency of the G20 and Japan chairing the G7, and said it is the best opportunity to work together.
• “Today, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida invited me to the G7 Leaders’ Summit which will be held in Hiroshima in May. I thank him for this,” Modi said.
• The Indian leader said that he briefed Prime Minister Kishida about the priorities of the Indian presidency of G20.
• During his remarks, Kishida said that Japan will continue to invest in India’s development story which will not only benefit New Delhi but Tokyo as well.
• He also unveiled “on Indian soil” his plan “for a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
• The exact details of what his vision of a free Indo-Pacific would entail have not been revealed yet. (here)
• Japan’s PM announces that his country will mobilize a “total of more than $75 bn in public and private funds, through private investments, yen loans and other means, in the Indo-Pacific region by 2030 in infrastructure”
• Kishida’s visit to India comes against a backdrop of not only war in Europe but also concerns about growing Chinese influence across the Indo-Pacific region.
• This has included major infrastructure investment under Beijing’s BRI, fueling development but also raising concerns about unsustainable debt in Global South nations such as Sri Lanka. (here)
• PM Kishida heading to Kyiv for talks with Zelensky: PM Kishida is heading to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• Kishida, who will chair the G7 in May, is the only G-7 leader who hasn’t visited Ukraine, reports AP.

As search for ‘Khalistan’ preacher Amritpal continues, Punjab’s internet blackout extended

• Authorities in Punjab have extended a mobile internet blackout across the region.
• The internet blackout affecting 30 million people has been put in place as the police hunt for radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh.
• As per AFP, the blackout extension comes after a violent incident, where followers of the preacher vandalized the Indian consulate there.
• The internet outage, which was originally put in place until Monday noon local time, has been extended for another 24 hours.
• According to the nation’s foreign ministry, India has reminded the US govt “of its basic obligation to protect and secure diplomatic representation.”
• The US State Department condemned the vandalism and said it was “committed to the safety and security of these facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them”.
• AFP reports that Police have arrested 114 people, however, the whereabouts of the radical preacher is still unknown. (here)
• Twitter account of Khalstani supporter Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh banned in India.
• On Twitter, he had requested Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau to interfere in India’s internal matters.
• Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma had to cancel an event because protestors blocked the entrance to the venue. This journalist was also heckled.

Khalistan supporters attack Indian Consulate in San Francisco; protest in Canberra

• A group of pro-Khalistan protesters on Sun attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, prompting sharp condemnation from Indian Americans who demanded immediate action against those responsible for it.
• Raising pro-Khalistan slogans, the protesters broke open the makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed 2 so-called Khalistani flags inside the Consulate.
• Soon thereafter, a group of angry protesters entered the consulate premises and started hitting the door and windows with iron rods.
• There was no immediate comment from San Francisco police on the incident.
• In Canberra, Khalistan supporters gathered outside the Australian parliament to protest against police crackdown on radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates. (here)
• Australian police release pics of 6 men involved in Khalistan referendum brawl: Victoria’s state police on Mon released images of 6 men, believed to have been involved in the late Jan referendum which was organized in state capital Melbourne and culminated into brawls between Khalistani and pro-India demonstrators. (here)
• The High Commissioner of India to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami held a meeting with the members of the Indian community who had concerns regarding the incident. (here)

Pentagon provided real-time intelligence to India on India-China 2022 border clash, WH says “Can’t confirm that”

• The US refused to confirm a news report citing that the US provided crucial intelligence to the Indian military last year that helped it successfully tackle the Chinese
• National Security Council coordinator at the White House, John Kirby did not deny nor confirmed the story and said, “No, I can’t confirm that”.
• According to the U.S. News and World Report, the US govt for the 1^st time provided real-time details to India of the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of incursions by the PLA in Arunachal’s Tawang Sector.
• On Dec 9, 2022, hundreds of Indian and Chinese forces clashed along the Line of Actual Control.
• The source-based story that was published earlier today stated that India was able to repel a Chinese military incursion in contested border territory late last year due to unprecedented intelligence-sharing with the U.S. military. (here)

India witnessed significant human rights violations in 2022, says US report

• A US report has listed significant human rights issues in India in 2022, including unlawful and arbitrary killings, freedom of press and violence targeting religious and ethnic minorities.
• The annual report, released by US Secy of State Antony Blinken, mentions human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings, torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by police and prison officials, and harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.
• Arbitrary arrest and detention, political prisoners or detainees, arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, restrictions on freedom of expression and media, including violence or threats of violence, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, and enforcement of or threat to enforce criminal libel laws to limit expression are some of the other human rights violations mentioned in the report.
• It is noteworthy that India has rejected similar reports by the US govt in the past.
• The Union govt has asserted that India has well-established democratic practices and robust institutions to safeguard the rights of all.
• The report added that citizens generally enjoyed freedom of speech, but the govt continued to restrict content based on broad public and national interest. (here)

Coded diary revealed PFI’s terror acts, funding: NIA charge sheet

• A charge sheet filed by the NIA in its probe into the activities of the PFA mentions the “recovery of a diary containing coded text in Malayalam on rioting, bomb blasts etc” and the “continuous transfer of funds to various cadres from six PFI bank accounts” — 2 factors that became the catalyst for banning the outfit in Sept 2022.
• The trigger, as per report was the arrest of Anshad Badruddin, who worked as a physical trainer for PFI cadres, by the UP anti-terrorism squad in Lucknow on Mar 16, 2021
• It emerged that he and another PFI worker Firoz Khan were planning to detonate some bombs on the occasion of Basant Panchmi.
• Badruddin was carrying a highly explosive chemical compound, PETN, a detonator and a pistol but what really caused the police team to sit up and take notice was a diary.
• The writing was in Malayalam, and the content was explosive.
• “….the Malayalam text contained coded instructions on rioting, arson, strategy for attacks during riots, working style of PFI, route to be followed by PFI’s local area leaders, reconnaissance of local topography, where and how to cause bomb blasts etc,”
• The NIA charge sheet filed on Sat against 19 senior leaders including national executive council (NEC) members of PFI. (here)

India to spend $12 bn on airports in next two years as traffic picks up

• India will spend around $12 billion on revamping airports over the next 2 years, with orders for hundreds of new aircraft to meet the growing travel demand.
• The goal of the world’s fastest-growing aviation sector is to increase the number of airports from the present 148 to 220 by 2025.
• To that end, private builders will contribute roughly $9 billion, with the balance coming from the govt-run Airports Authority of India.
• It entails new terminal construction, greenfield projects, and refurbishment of existing buildings, including old military airfields from the colonial era.
• With a growing customer base and an expanding economy that is on pace to surpass China’s $3.2 trillion in size, India is making more of a global statement with this move.
• With Air India Ltd.’s announcement of the largest contract in commercial aviation history last month, the nation has already made its imprint in the industry. (here)

Supreme Court: ‘Averse to sealed cover notes’: CJI to govt over OROP arrears

• The SC must put an end to the sealed cover jurisprudence since it is contrary to the fundamentals of judicial processes and transparency, CJ DY Chandrachud said on Mon.
• A bench led by him reproached the Union govt for trying to give it information in a sealed cover to justify the delay in clearing the dues to army pensioners under the one rank, one pension scheme.
• Even the court gave the govt extended time (till Feb 28, 2024) to pay the OROP arrears to around 2.1 million army pensioners.
• The bench refused to accept a document handed over by the attorney general in his endeavor to account for the reasons why the govt cannot pay the arrears in one go. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Nepal: Prime Minister Dahal secures vote of confidence for second time in 3 months

• Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Mon secured a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives.
• Dahal received 172 votes in the 275-member parliament in the 2^nd-floor test since being appointed the PM on Dec 25.
• In today’s proceedings, 89 lawmakers voted against the motion while Prem Suwal, the lone lawmaker from the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party stayed neutral.
• A total of 262 lawmakers were present in today’s meeting.
• The PM required at least 138 votes to win the trust motion. (here)

‘No simple solution to a complex issue’, Xi Jinping says on Ukraine

• Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation” to find a “reasonable way” to end the Ukraine war
• He acknowledged that there’s no “simple solution” to the problem, beginning Mon, which is set to bolster Sino-Russian ties and expected to be shot in the arm for isolated Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• It is expected to be a show of China-Russia solidarity against what the two countries perceive and portrary as US-led Western hegemony and bloc-confrontation.
• Xi’s visit, between Mar 20 and 22, comes just days after the ICC indicted Putin for war crimes, and is also a sign of Beijing’s soaring diplomatic ambitions.
• It will be Xi’s 9^th visit to Russia and his 1^st since becoming a president for 3^rd time earlier this month; overall, the two have met 40 times in the last decade.
• In an article in the Russian govt newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Xi praised China’s deepening ties with Russia across trade and diplomacy, which he wrote were “not aligned, not confrontational and not targetting third parties”. (here)

Sri Lanka says IMF has approved $2.9 billion bailout for the cash-strapped economy

• The IMF’s executive board has approved a $2.9 billion bailout for Sri Lanka, President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office said on Mon.
• “The IMF Board approved Sri Lanka’s program under the Extended Fund Facility that will enable Sri Lanka to access up to $7 billion in funding,” the president’s office said.
• “We are pleased that the IMF Board approved our program, enabling Sri Lanka to access up to $7.0 billion in funding from the IMF and International financial institutions,” he said. (here)

Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif condemns “vile campaign” against Pakistan Army, Chief of Army

• PM Shehbaz Sharif on Mon condemned the “vile campaign” against the Pakistan Army and Chief of Army Staff abroad and called overseas Pakistanis to raise their voices.
• The Pakistan PM said that “toxic politics” was being spread through overseas Pakistanis.
• Sharif called on patriotic Pakistanis living abroad to raise their voices against the “foreign-funded campaign” and not become a part of such conspiracies.
• Sharif in his statement also stated that PTI Chairman and former PM Imran Khan was dragging state institutions and their heads into his dirty politics.
• He instructed the interior minister that those behind such anti-institution campaigns within the country should be dealt with “iron hands”. (here)

Pakistan: Technical reasons, not nuclear program behind IMF delay: Ishaq Dar

• Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Monday blamed “technical reasons” behind the delay in the stalled IMF program’s revival, claiming that no cords regarding the nuclear program.
• Pakistan has been hosting an IMF mission since early Feb to negotiate the terms of the deal, including the adoption of policy measures to manage its fiscal deficit.
• The funds are part of a $6.5 billion bailout package the IMF approved in 2019, which analysts say is critical if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on external debt obligations.
• The veteran politician had raised concerns about whether the delay in the agreement has anything to do with the country’s strategic assets, including the nuclear and missile programs.
• But this prompted further speculation and PTI Vice Chairman and former FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi also demanded an explanation from the govt. (here)

Workers of the Duddar China Project are subject to very cruel and inhuman treatment

• They are imprisoned in the premises of the Project, in the name of SOP, for the last 3 years.
• According to the details, in the remote hilly area of Las Bela, people are working on Duddar China Project.
• Three years back, at the time of corona spread, the workers were told to remain in the premises and follow the SOP and are still imprisoned in the premises.
• The workers have lost all contact with their relatives and friends.
• They have become mentally and physically ill.
• The workers protested at the main gate of the Project and said that all over the world SOP is discarded.
• Even in the factories of Pakistan, all restrictions are removed workers are not observing SOP, but the local and foreign administrative officers of the Project are forcing them to follow SOP and remain in the premises.
• The Project administration has practically imprisoned them in the name of safety from coronavirus.
• They have appealed to the CM of Balochistan Mir Abdul Quddus Bezenjo, former CM Jam Kamal Khan, and members of the local federal and provincial assemblies to take notice of their problems and take immediate steps. (Intekhab Daily)