Top Headlines
September 12, 2023
- India, Saudi Arabia to speed up kingdom’s $100-billion investment plan
- Turkey’s Erdogan opposes India-Middle East transport project
- IED found in J-K’s Pattan; traffic on Srinagar-Baramulla highway temporarily suspended
- China breaks silence on G20, says Delhi Declaration sent ‘positive signal’
- Properties of over 4000 militants living in Pakistan to be seized: Report
What Else
- Sikhs Gather For Khalistan Referendum In Canada Amidst Modi-Trudeau Talks
- ‘Canada Dry’: Trudeau Gets No Sympathy back home, as Media and Rivals play up ‘Snub by India’
- Pakistan: Illegal construction behind Torkham border closure, Pakistan reacts to Afghan Taliban claims
- Pakistan: At least one FC official martyred in Peshawar blast
- US not trying to influence elections in Pakistan, says State Dept
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India, Saudi Arabia to speed up kingdom’s $100-billion investment plan
- India and Saudi Arabia on Mon outlined steps to expedite Riyadh’s long-gestating plan to invest $100 billion, including a mega refinery, as PM Modi and Crown Prince MBS explored ways to bolster cooperation in areas ranging from energy to defense.
- The crown prince began a day-long state visit after participating in the G20 Summit over the weekend.
- The Saudi leader was accorded a ceremonial welcome before he and Modi co-chaired the first meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council set up in 2019.
- The two agreed to set up a JWG to streamline and channel the $100 billion in investments promised by the Saudi side in Feb 2019.
- Of this, $50 billion was earmarked for the West Coast refinery, a mega plant to be set up by Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Indian firms.
- Reports have suggested the refinery, expected to produce 1.2 million barrels a day, has been held up because of challenges in acquiring land in western Maharashtra.
- The two sides signed 8 agreements, including one inked by the energy ministers to expand the hydrocarbon relationship into a comprehensive energy partnership.
- This agreement will cover renewable energy, petroleum, electricity, green hydrogen and strategic petroleum reserves. (here)
- Saudi Arabia to open Investment Facilitation centre in India: Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister for Commerce on Sun announced that officials from GIFT City will be sent to Saudi Arabia to facilitate the establishment of an Investment and Trade Promotion Office in Riyadh. (here)
Turkey’s Erdogan opposes India-Middle East transport project
- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Mon pushed back against plans announced by the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia and the EU to create a trade corridor.
- “We say that there is no corridor without Turkey,” Erdogan told journalists accompanying him to a G20 summit in India on Sun.
- “Turkey is an important production and trade base. The most convenient line for traffic from east to west has to pass through Turkey.”
- The trade corridor, dubbed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, aims to establish rail lines and shipping that will pass through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, then reach to Greece and Europe.
- One of the main objectives of the project is to cut shipping times by 40% and save money on other costs, and fuel use.
- But the project, in its current form, bypasses Turkey. (here)
IED found in J-K’s Pattan; traffic on Srinagar-Baramulla highway temporarily suspended
- Security forces detected an IED-like object in the Pattan area of J&K on Mon following which traffic on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway was temporarily suspended.
- The suspected IED kept in a bag was found by the forces at Hanjiveera on the national highway in the early hours, they said.
- The bomb disposal squad removed the suspicious object from the nearby fields and destroyed it through a controlled explosion without causing any damage (here)
China breaks silence on G20, says Delhi Declaration sent ‘positive signal’
- Breaking its silence on the G20, China said that the Delhi Declaration sent a “positive signal” that the influential grouping is “working together” to promote world economic recovery and tackle global challenges.
- On Sat, India marked a huge diplomatic win after the G20 summit organized under its presidency adopted a declaration.
- The Chinese foreign ministry, in its first comment on the two-day summit, spoke highly of its outcome.
- While commenting on the outcome, Mao stated, “…. China played a constructive role and always supported the summit in attaching importance to the concerns of developing countries and reaching fruitful outcomes.” (here)
Properties of over 4000 militants living in Pakistan to be seized: Report
- Around 4200 militants who fled Jammu Kashmir in the last 3 decades and are operating from Pakistan are likely to lose their properties in Jammu Kashmir.
- According to the J&K admin, militants who are living in Pakistan have been listed among the “proclaimed offenders” by the GoI and their properties are being attached.
- Authorities have already started the drive by seizing the properties and agencies like the NIA and SIA are involved in the seizure.
- J&K Police have also seized over 16 properties only in Doda in the last week.
- In a recent statement, LG Manoj Sinha also appealed to the locals of Kashmir Valley to not support or provide shelter to the terrorists. (here)
Sikhs Gather For Khalistan Referendum In Canada Amidst Modi-Trudeau Talks
- A gathering of Sikhs converged at a Khalistan referendum event in Canada, coinciding with PM Modi’s expression of strong concerns to his Canadian PM, Trudeau, regarding ongoing anti-India activities within Canada during the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
- At a referendum event held in Surrey, Khalistani separatist, and SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun took the stage to deliver an incendiary speech hinting at the concept of ‘balkanizing’ India.
- Pannun was accompanied by a security detail during his public appearance.
- Notably, the event drew a crowd of nearly 7,000 attendees, despite earlier predictions expecting a turnout of 50,000 to 75,000.
- Originally scheduled to take place at a local school in Surrey, was relocated after concerns were raised about weapons featured on promotional posters.
- Simultaneously, PM Modi engaged in discussions with Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 Summit and Modi reiterated India’s apprehensions.
- During the talks, the Ministry of External Affairs emphasized the importance of a relationship between the two nations built on “mutual respect and trust.” (here)
‘Canada Dry’: Trudeau Gets No Sympathy back home, as Media and Rivals play up ‘Snub by India’
- After facing some ‘tough’ talk from PM Modi, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is now facing a backlash at home over being snubbed at the G20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi.
- On Sunday, Canada’s leading newspaper Toronto Sun published a front page with the headline ‘This Way Out’, with Modi gesturing to Trudeau to move ahead after a customary handshake at Raj Ghat.
- The newspaper said Trudeau finds he has few friends at the G20 summit in India.
- In another report by the same newspaper, it was mentioned that “Trudeau skipped Modi’s leaders’ dinner the night before, with the PM Office refusing to say why”.
- It added that Trudeau also missed the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance, a partnership to make progress on rolling out cleaner, greener fuels.
- “Trudeau said he had other work,” the news report further said.
- Compounding his problems, Trudeau’s plane also failed to take off, stranding the Canadian delegation in Delhi for 24 hours, and a replacement aircraft is now on its way
- Trudeau was not granted a bilateral meeting by India despite his request and he only got a pull-aside chat with the Indian Prime Minister.
- Foreign news agencies like Reuters and Bloomberg reported that Trudeau got a “scolding” and “criticism” from PM Modi during their talks. (here)
[NEIGHBORHOOD]
Pakistan: Illegal construction behind Torkham border closure, Pakistan reacts to Afghan Taliban claims
- The Torkham border remained shut for a 6th consecutive day, with loaded vehicles seen parked along the roadside for several km.
- Pakistan regretted the attempt by the interim govt of Afghanistan to intrude on its territory by building an unlawful structure and urged it to respect its sovereignty.
- On Sept 6, Afghan troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistan military posts, damaging the infrastructure at the Torkham border terminal, and putting the lives of both Pakistani and Afghan civilians at risk.
- FO said it came as a ‘surprise’, as the interim Afghan authorities knew fully well the reasons for the ‘temporary closure’.
- FO said the statement of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs also included some irrelevant comments and unsolicited advice about Pakistan’s economy and trade.
- Constructive dialogue: “Pakistan stands ready to resolve all bilateral issues and concerns through constructive dialogue” it is added. (here)
Pakistan: At least one FC official martyred in Peshawar blast
- A Frontier Corps soldier was killed and 9 others, including 9 civilians, sustained injuries in a roadside explosion on the outskirts of Peshawar on Mon, police said.
- The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility.
- The FC convoy of Mohmand Rifles was on its way from the Michni area of district Mohmand towards the KP’s capital when an IED went off on Warsak Road. (here)
US not trying to influence elections in Pakistan, says State Dept
- The State Department said on Mon that the US was not trying to influence the outcome of the expected elections in Pakistan as it did not support any party or candidate.
- The department’s spokesperson offered this assurance while responding to a question from a journalist, who asked why an ambassador should meet the chief election official of a country.
- US Ambassador Donald Blome met Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja in Islamabad recently.
- “I would refer you to the embassy for specific comments on that meeting, which, I am sure, they will be happy to provide. But I think I see where you are going with the question,” Mr Miller told the journalist.
- The US, he said, did not support any political party or candidate in Pakistan but “of course, we urge free and fair elections as we do throughout the world.” (here)