India captures Chinese camp in disputed Ladakh as violence erupts again between superpowers

SOURCE: TELEGRAPH UK

Indian troops have captured an important Chinese military post after allegedly fighting off an attempt by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to occupy further Indian territory in the disputed border region of Ladakh.

On Saturday evening, around 500 Chinese troops had tried to cross into Spanggur, a narrow valley near the village of Chushul and three hours of hand-to-hand combat ensued. A senior Indian police source told the Telegraph the attack had been repulsed and a retaliatory special operations battalion seized a Chinese camp in the surrounding hills of Pangong Tso Lake in the early hours of this morning.

It has not commented on the nature of the clash or whether either side suffered any casualties.

Today, the Indian Government accused Beijing of “provocative military movements” three months after Chinese troops annexed 60 square kilometres of Indian territory in Ladakh.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied its troops crossed the disputed Line of Actual Control, which separates the two superpowers, and accused the Indian Army of occupying its territory.

“India’s move has seriously violated China’s territorial sovereignty, severely undermined the peace and stability of the Sino-Indian border area, and rebelled against this. China strongly opposed this,” said Zhang Shuili, a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army Western Theatre Command.

“We solemnly request the Indian side to immediately withdraw its illegally crossing troops, strictly control and restrain the front-line troops, earnestly abide by its commitments, and avoid further escalation of the situation.”

A senior Indian police source warned the situation had the potential to escalate, saying its troops had opened “a new front” by pushing Chinese troops back and capturing territory near the village of Chushul.

Military commanders from both nations met along the frontier today in an attempt to resolve the dispute, according to India’s Ministry of Defence.

It reiterated India’s commitment to dialogue but warned it was “also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity”.

“We never had any problem in this place and we hold it pretty strongly,” said Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, the Indian military’s former northern commander.

“After relative calm, China has suddenly opened a fresh, brand new front. It’s a huge provocation”.

S. Jaishankar, India’s Minister of External Affairs, warned tension between the two countries is at its highest since the two agreed a ceasefire after the Sino-Indian War in 1962.

On June 15, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed, the first fatalities along the LAC in at least 45 years, after Chinese troops used nail-studded bats to attack Indian soldiers.

While sporadic fist-fighting has broken out along the border over the years, weapons had not been previously used, as this was seen as a declaration of war.

Military officials from New Delhi and Beijing have been locked in unsuccessful military talks following this incident.

China is said to be trying to assert its authority in the region in the wake of strengthening India-U.S. ties, which it sees as a threat.

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An Indian ‘quid pro quo’ operation in Ladakh?

SOURCE: INDIA TODAY

Among the many military options available with the Indian Army in its impasse with China is the ‘Quid Pro Quo’, or simply QPQ. This involves the army responding to a PLA intrusion across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by moving into a sector and occupying territory on the Chinese side. In fact, the ‘QPQ’ was being debated by Indian military strategists in the past few days as a possible option/ bargaining chip to force the PLA to withdraw. Was the option exercised over the weekend?

On Monday morning, the army put out an official statement stating that it had ‘thwarted Chinese intentions to alter the ground situation’. Hours later, a statement from the PLA’s Western Theatre Command accused ‘Indian troops on Monday of illegally crossing the LoC again (India calls it the LAC)’ at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso lake and near the Reqin Mountain and ‘conducting flagrant violations’.

An editorial in the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, Global Times, said the south bank of the lake, where the confrontation took place, is under China’s control and accused India of ‘trying to turn it into a new disputed area as a bargaining chip in negotiations’. A statement from the Chengdu-based Western Theatre Command spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, urged the Indian side to ‘immediately withdraw its troops and avoid any escalation in the situation’.

It is not known if the clashes resulted in any casualties, but these statements assume significance in the light of Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat’s August 24 statement. Gen. Rawat had said that “the military option to deal with the Chinese army’s transgressions was there, but would be exercised only if talks at the military and diplomatic level fail”.

In May this year, the PLA transgressed the LAC in at least five places in eastern Ladakh. Over a dozen rounds of talks have failed to break the deadlock. The PLA has so far refused to move back from the Finger 4 area it occupies on the Pangong lake, well behind the Finger 8 area India considers to be the LAC.

Monday’s statement by Army spokesperson Col. Aman Anand said that on the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements in the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo. “Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground,” Col. Anand said. The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue but is equally determined to protect its territorial integrity. A brigade commander level flag meeting is in progress at Chushul to resolve the issue, the statement added.

Social media posts on Twitter seemed to indicate the involvement of a covert Indian paramilitary unit, the Special Frontier Force (SFF), in the operation south of Pangong Tso. The SFF operates under the Directorate General of Security (DGS), a wing of India’s external intelligence agency R&AW. The DGS, in fact, predates it and was set up in 1962 after the India-China border war. The unit, also known as Establishment 22 and ‘Vikas’ is officered by the Indian army and recruits its personnel from among the Tibetan diaspora settled in India. Its personnel has participated in India’s various wars, from 1971 to the 1999 Kargil War.

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‘Army’s retaliation in Galwan proves it is not inferior to any other force’, says father of martyr Col Santosh

SOURCE: TIMES NOW

A day after pictures of graves of around 35 Chinese soldiers killed in clash with the Indian Army in Galwan Valley surfaced on the internet, a Galwan martyr’s father on Monday slammed the doubters of the Army and asserted that India’s security forces are inferior to no other. While speaking to Times Now, Upender, father of martyr Colonel Santosh Babu, said that Indian soldiers exhibited their fullest courage when the Chinese Army intruded into our territory and tried to occupy our land.

“Though the Army lost 20 soldiers, it managed to eliminate a large number of soldiers and commanding officers of the Chinese Army. This proves that our Army is inferior to no other force,” he added.

Colonel Santosh Babu was among the 20 Indian soldiers who died during the violent clash with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley at Ladakh border on June 15 this year.

Yesterday, pictures of graves of around 35 Chinese soldiers killed in the violent clash surfaced on social media confirming a large number of casualties on the Chinese side as well.

The inscription on one of the gravestones read, “Tomb of martyr Chen Xiangrong, soldier of the Unit 69316 of the Southern Xinjiang Military District of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army 13th Regiment. Born in December 2001, from Pingnan county, Fujian province China. Sacrificed in the fight against India’s border defence in June 2020.”

Ever since the deadly clash, senior commanding officers from both the sides have been actively holding meetings to disengage from the disputed territories along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

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China can make India suffer ‘severe’ military losses – Chinese mouthpiece

SOURCE: LIVE MINT

China is able to make India suffer more severe military losses than in the past if it wants to engage in competition, state-backed newspaper Global Times said on Tuesday, after a fresh border flare-up between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Indian forces foiled an attempt by Chinese troops to occupy a hill on the Asian giants’ disputed border in the western Himalayas, officials in New Delhi said on Monday.

On the same day, China’s military spokesman demanded India withdraw troops that Beijing said had illegally crossed their shared border. China’s foreign ministry said Chinese border troops had not crossed the line of actual control.

“India … said it preempted Chinese military activity,” the Global Times said in an editorial. “The word ‘preempt’ shows it was the Indian troops that first took destructive actions, and the Indian troops initiated the standoff this time.”

It added that India faced a “powerful China” and that New Delhi should not have any “illusions” of support from Washington over the issue.

“But if India wants to engage in competition, China has more tools and capability than India. If India would like a military showdown, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) is bound to make the Indian army suffer much more severe losses than it did in 1962.”

The Global Times is published by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party.

Tensions between the two armies in the freezing snow deserts of the Ladakh region have been running high for months.

In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand fighting with Chinese troops in the nearby Galwan valley, the neighbours’ most serious military clash in more than half a century.

Both sides had agreed to pull back after that clash, but the Indian Army accused Chinese forces of violating that accord over the weekend.

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Russian Navy to join naval exercise in Andaman on September 4-5

SOURCE: TIMES NOW

India has backed out of Kavkas, the multination military exercise in Russia this month. China and Pakistan are taking part, but there’s also COVID. 

Whatever the reason, India has had to say “no” to the hosts, Indian’s closest defence partner: Russia. India and the Soviet Union have been close friends and everyone remembers the 1971 Soviet support during the Bangladesh war. So, India, aware that pulling out of Kavkas would be disappointing for the Russians, has invited the Russian Navy for a naval exercise in the Andaman Sea, close to the Straits of Malacca. And the Russians have accepted. 

This exercise on September 4 and 5, during the days when defence minister Rajnath Singh will be in Moscow, will involve three Russian warships and at least that many Indian warships. Interestingly, it will be in the same area roughly where the Malabar exercise involving India, the United States of America, Japan and possibly, Australia, will take place in November. 

This exercise isn’t just another hastily arranged naval exercise, it is a message, primarily to China. Even if India isn’t going to Kavkas, the links with Russia remain as strong as ever. Sure, there’s tension in Ladakh. But that doesn’t stop Russia and India from working closely together.

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India ‘Strengthens Military, Weapons’ at Key Points in Pangong Lake Area After Foiling China’s Bid to Move in

SOURCE: NEWS18

The Indian Army has significantly strengthened its presence on a number of “strategic heights” and enhanced deployment of troops and weapons at key points around the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh following an unsuccessful attempt by the Chinese PLA to unilaterally change the status quo in the area, authoritative sources said on Monday. The Army has also further bolstered overall surveillance mechanisms in all areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh after foiling China’s fresh attempt to occupy an area on the southern bank of Pangong lake, they said.

Earlier in the day, Army Spokesperson Col Aman Anand said the Chinese military carried out “provocative military movements” to “unilaterally” change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.

Top military and security brass has already reviewed the entire situation in eastern Ladakh. Separately, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane held a meeting with top military officials over the fresh confrontation, the sources said.

“The Army has occupied strategic heights and strengthened deployment of troops and weapons in all key points on the southern bank of the Pangong lake area,” said a source, adding the fresh deployment will provide India greater advantage in the region. India has also deployed troops from special operations battalions in the area, it said.

The sources said a sizeable number of Chinese troops were moving towards the southern bank of Pangong lake in an attempt to occupy the area but the Indian Army quickly made a significant deployment to foil the attempt. They said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.

In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC. The IAF carried out night time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in an apparent message to China that it was ready to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region.

The IAF has also deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations in eastern Ladakh. The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report, it was 35.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh. The two sides began a process of disengagement on July 6, a day after a telephonic conversation between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on ways to bring down tensions in eastern Ladakh. However, the process has not moved forward since mid-July.

The PLA has pulled back from Galwan Valley and certain other friction points but the withdrawal of troops has not moved forward in Pangong Tso, Depsang and a couple of other areas. At the five rounds of Corps commander-level talks, the Indian side has been insisting on complete disengagement of Chinese troops at the earliest, and immediate restoration of status quo ante in all areas of eastern Ladakh prior to April.

The face-off began on May 5 following violent clashes between the two armies in the Pangong lake area. The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in North Sikkim on May 9. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control).

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Baloch leadership to form govt in exile; urges India to remain proactive in cause of Balochistan

SOURCE: IANS

The Baloch leaders have united to form a new Balochistan government in exile. This was announced by Munir Mengal, president of Baloch Voice Association who is in exile in Paris and Naela Quadri, chairperson of Baloch People’s Congress, who lives in exile in Vancouver in Canada.

The two leaders were speaking at a webinar “Balochistan-Quest for self-determination: An analysis” on Sunday night. The event was organized by the right wing think tank, Centre for Policy and Development Studies based here.

Mengal said that the India government must be proactive in the cause of Balochistan and if the game plan floated by China turns successful it will doom entire South Asia and South Asian countries.

He also narrated the harrowing experience he had in the custody of the Pakistan Army and added that he was incommunicado for a period of two years while in custody facing brutal torture.

Quadri charged the Pakistan Army officers of indulging in organ trade of missing Baloch persons.

Pakistan Army does not have the spine to fight against an invading army Quadri said pointing out the liberation of Bangladesh wherein the Pakistani forces surrendered meekly without a fight.

“China is trying to take control of Afghanistan and that will lead to a major crisis in the area. They are also trying to block the Baloch voices in International bodies, like the UN,” added Quadri.

Tilak Devashar, special secretary (rtd), Cabinet Secretariat and a noted author in his keynote called upon the Baloch leadership to be patient in their struggle and to have a united leadership to achieve their goals.

Devashar also said that the Baloch leadership should take pains to document the details of missing persons and to create more awareness among the people of India on the Baloch cause.

‘Voice of Baloch Missing persons’ Vice Chairman, Mama Quadeer, was not available as Pakistan shut down the Internet at Quetta on account of Muharram.

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India will match China’s capabilities: Jaishankar issues veiled threat as Ladakh standoff intensifies

SOURCE: INDIA TODAY

Amid fresh escalation between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Pangong Tso area of eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar issued a veiled threat to China on Monday. “India will match or respond to China’s capabilities in the same measure if Beijing continues to assert herself and influence areas or geographies,” EAM Jaishankar said.

Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum’s annual leadership summit, Dr Jaishankar added, “This is a practical world. If the country is going to get more powerful, you are going to see its influence in geographies in areas we have not seen before.

You are going to see activities and capabilities that you have not seen before. We will see that from China, and I dare say in some areas they will see it of us. This is modus vivendi (way of life) between India and China and I actually say in my book, this is extremely consequential for both countries and actually for the rest of the world.”

During his interaction with Timothy Roemer, former US envoy to India, Jaishankar responded to a question about the impact of China’s relationship with Pakistan on the region and especially India by referring to his book, ‘The India Way: Strategies For An Uncertain World’. He said, “India and China are rising powers and therefore, it is important that both reach an understanding or equilibrium.”

“India has also been rising in this period, maybe not at the same degree or the same pace as China, but if you look at the last 30 years, clearly, India’s rise has also been one of the major global stories. So, if you have two countries, two societies of a billion people, each with a history and culture that they have, it is very important that they reach some kind of understanding or equilibrium between them,” the External Affairs Minister said on Monday.

While the minister did not specifically comment on the ongoing border stand-off with China, the underlying message was the need to peacefully co-exist without compromising on sovereignty.

“Like every other country in the world, we are very cognizant of the rise of China. We are an immediate neighbour of China, so obviously if you are a neighbour, you are directly impacted by the rise of, what I say in my book, is potential global power,” he added.

On the relationship between China and Pakistan, Jaishankar said certain aspects of their bilateral ties have been of “concern” for India. “This is something we obviously factor in our relationship with both countries,” he said.

On the India-US front, when asked about US immigration policy, Jaishankar reminded the forum of the important contribution made by Indians working in America.

Emphasising on ‘trusted talent’, the minister said, “There is a great deal of regard and trust for Indians and people of Indian origin.”

Referring to India-US ties as “win-win”, EAM Dr S Jaishankar said, “The US should recognise what is in American interest and that will be in the interest of India as well. India offers trusted talent to the world. Immigration is a win-win. People recognize the role Indian talent has played in American, global and Indian economy.”

In June, the US government had suspended the entry of certain non-immigrant visa categories like the H1B and L1 visas till December to protect American jobs hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, later in August, in response to complaints from US companies, this decision was rescinded.

Responding to a question on being a protectionist regime, Jaishankar explained that becoming “self-reliant” and increasing national capacities including those in manufacturing will not only help India but also provide immense business opportunities for America as well.

Jaishankar also made a pitch for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘vocal for local’ initiative when he spoke of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ policy and the need to build manufacturing capacity in India.

“The policy of Atmanirbahar Bharat is a program to increase our national capacities If India is seeking to expand its capacities, it is an opportunity for American companies to invest in India… The fact that we are seen as trusted and resilient should be helpful,” he added.

“This is a great opportunity for countries to invest in defence manufacturing. It is good for your business,” External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said.

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Galwan Valley faceoff: Pictures of graves of Chinese soldiers go viral on social media

SOURCE: ZEE NEWS

Almost two months after the violent cash at the Galwan Valley, proof of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) casualties is finally out. Pictures of graves of Chinese soldiers killed in the clash are going viral on Chinese social media. 

According to an American intelligence report, almost 35 personnel of Chinese Army were killed in the violent Galwan Valley. As per Indian intelligence inputs, anywhere between 45-47 Chinese army personnel were killed in the clashes. However, fresh viral pictures suggest that there have been more deaths than the speculated figure. 

Meanwhile, the Indian Army said on Monday that on the night of August 29 and August 30, 2020, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff and carried out ‘provocative military movements to change the status quo’. “Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern Bank of Pangong Lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” it said.

The Indian Army also stated that they are committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, but are also equally determined to protect the country’s territorial integrity.

Both countries are engaged in an around four-month-long standoff at the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues.

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Pakistan’s balancing act may be failing

SOURCE: Al Jazeera

Earlier this month, the long-simmering tensions between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia came to a boil when Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi publicly criticised the kingdom for its perceived lack of support for Islamabad’s interests in the disputed Kashmir region.

During a televised interview on August 4, Qureshi said Islamabad expects the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to convene a meeting on Kashmir. Otherwise, he said, Pakistan would be “compelled” to “call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir”. Qureshi’s comments have widely been viewed as a veiled threat to create a new bloc that would rival the Saudi-dominated OIC.

In response, Saudi Arabia withdrew a $1bn interest-free loan it had extended to Pakistan in November 2018, when the country was in dire economic straits and required foreign reserves to avoid a possible sovereign default. The kingdom has also refused to renew a deferred oil payments scheme that was part of the same package. 

In a bid to control the damage, on August 17, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa rushed to Riyadh. However, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) did not grant an audience to Bajwa, and the powerful military chief abruptly returned to Islamabad after holding a short meeting with Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. 

Soon after General Bajwa landed in Pakistan, Qureshi left for China, sending a clear message to the kingdom that Islamabad is diversifying its alliances and re-evaluating the value of its strategic partnership with Riyadh. 

The latest diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan should be seen in the broader context of recent strategic realignments in the Middle East and the Muslim world. For some time, Pakistan has been struggling to keep to its traditional policy of maintaining neutral relations with rival Muslim powers. While Islamabad is concerned about the deepening strategic and economic cooperation between its arch-rival India and a group of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is equally frustrated by Pakistan’s overtures towards Muslim-majority states it views as hostile, such as Turkey, Malaysia and Qatar.

Furthermore, the proposed Iran-China deal that is due to make both Islamabad and Tehran important nodes in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative is expected to change the dynamics of Pakistan’s relations with Iran. Saudi Arabia, which views Iran as the main threat to its regional and global ambitions, is concerned about the possible emergence of a new partnership between Iran and Pakistan under the stewardship of China.

After India’s August 2019 move to revoke Indian-administered Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status, Pakistan expected Arab states to ferociously endorse its Kashmir policy. However, Saudi Arabia – and its Gulf allies, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – failed to take a strong stance against India, frustrating Islamabad. 

The Gulf states have balanced their dealings with Pakistan and India in the past. But now, it seems, they are openly moving closer to India and away from Pakistan. 

This new strategy was on display during MBS’s February 2019 tour of South Asia. The Saudi Crown Prince not only made the unprecedented move of visiting India directly after Pakistan, but also promised to make larger investments in India than he did in Pakistan. After signing a memorandum of understanding valued at about $20bn to help prop up Pakistan’s economy, MBS said in New Delhi that he expects Riyadh’s investments in India “to exceed $100bn in the coming two years”. 

A few weeks later, in March 2019, the UAE also made it clear that it is seeking closer ties with India at the expense of Pakistan, when it invited India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj as a guest of honour to the OIC summit it was due to host. Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi pulled out of the summit in protest, but failed to make the UAE rescind its invitation to India. 

Today, Saudi Arabia has several reasons to value its deepening partnership with India more than its historic ties to Pakistan. While the annual trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia stands at around $3.6bn, Saudi-India bilateral trade is worth more than $30bn. This trade differential partially explains, despite persistent Pakistani requests, why Riyadh has avoided raising the Kashmir issue beyond mere tokenism. Unlike Pakistan, Saudis do not take a zero-sum view of their growing economic cooperation with India. In fact, economic overtures towards India are part of MBS’s post-oil economic diversification efforts. 

Furthermore, the new government in Pakistan is moving closer to Turkey and Malaysia – two countries that Saudi Arabia views as challengers to its prominence within the Muslim world. Last December, Pakistan caved in to Saudi pressure and pulled out of the Kuala Lumpur summit, which was perceived by many as an attempt to replace the Saudi-controlled OIC. The embarrassment it suffered over the affair made Islamabad more eager to carve out some autonomous policy space to safeguard its vital strategic interests without perpetually depending on its Arab allies. As a result of Pakistan’s efforts to be more autonomous, which moved it closer to Riyadh’s rivals in the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia started to perceive Pakistan more as a potential rival than a loyal ally. This too likely makes the Saudi leadership less eager to lash out at India over Kashmir. 

While Pakistan is undoubtedly well aware of Saudi Arabia’s move away from itself and towards India, given its economic dependence on the kingdom, it cannot afford to sever its ties with Riyadh completely. This is why Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan recently played down his country’s differences with Saudi Arabia, claiming that the “rumours” about a rift between Riyadh and Islamabad are “totally false”. 

Amid ongoing strategic realignments in the Middle East and the wider world, we are likely to see many more ups and downs in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the coming days. It appears Saudi Arabia will continue to move closer to India, ignoring Pakistani demands for support on Kashmir. Pakistan, meanwhile, is unlikely to give up on its diverse partnerships and return to Saudi Arabia’s orbit. While some friction seems unavoidable, the two long-time allies can prevent further fraying by assuming a pragmatic approach and working to strengthen ties in areas of convergence, such as security. 

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Ladakh standoff: Indian Army beats Chinese in occupying strategic height near Pangong lake southern bank

SOURCE: ANI

In a significant move, the Indian Army occupied the height on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, which can give advantage to the side which holds it for controlling the areas around.

Sources said a special operations battalion was recently inducted into the area. On the night of August, 29-30 moved into the area and occupied the heights from where Chinese troops were present barely a few hundred meters, said sources.

“Height occupied by Indian Army troops including a special operations battalion is south of Southern bank of Pangong Tso near Thakung. Height was lying dormant and can give strategic advantage to the side which holds it for controlling the southern bank of lake and areas around it,” said sources.

They said the height is in the area under the Indian side of the LAC but the Chinese also claim it to be on their side.

According to sources, two brigade commander level meetings have already been held in Chushul/Moldo for resolving the matter and the tension but it has not yielded any result.

PLA Western Theater Command earlier said Indian troops violated the consensus reached at “multi-level talks” between the two countries.

“Indian troops have violated the consensus reached at the multi-level talks between #India and #China and again crossed the line of actual control at the border on Monday and purposely launched provocations,” PLA Western Theater Command was quoted as saying by China’s state-run Global Times.

This came after an Indian Army spokesperson said Indian Army has thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday and talks are being held now to resolve the issue there.

“On the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo,” said Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand in a statement.

The Indian Army took measures to strengthen its position and “and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground”.

India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.

The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.

The Chinese Army has refused to withdraw or disengage completely from the Finger area and seems to be buying time to delay its disengagement from there.

While efforts are underway to resolve the ongoing border dispute, India has rejected the Chinese suggestion to disengage equidistantly from the Finger area in Eastern Ladakh.

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China demands India withdraw troops from border to avoid escalation

SOURCE: REUTERS

China has demanded India  withdraw troops that Beijing said had illegally crossed their shared border, its military spokesman said on Monday.

The Indian army said in a statement that Chinese troops carried out military movements over the weekend to change the status quo on their disputed border in a fresh flare-up between the two sides.

The Chinese military spokesman said China is taking countermeasures and will safeguard its territorial sovereignty.

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Arrested members of banned Khalistani outfit were planning to go to Pakistan for terror training: Report

SOURCE: HT

Two people, who were arrested in Punjab for putting up a Khalistani flag on a building, were planning to go to Pakistan with the help of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to receive terror training, according to Hindustan Times’ sister publication Hindustan.

The two prime accused, Jaspal Singh (24) and Inderjeet Singh Gill (23), of Moga’s Rauli village, were arrested by special cell of Delhi Police on Sunday. Jaspal Singh’s father is a police inspector and is posted in Muktsar. Quoting police, Hindustan reported that these two men were planning to go to Nepal from Delhi. From there, the ISI sleuths would have taken them to Pakistan for terror training.

The plot involved luring more youth from Punjab to join them in Pakistan, according to Hindustan.

According to the police, both Singh and Gill used to watch YouTube channels supported by pro-Khalistani outfits and had become members of ‘Sikh for Justice’ group through WhatsApp.

Hindustan reported that they put up the Khalistani flag on the terrace of district administrative complex on August 14, while one of their aides video-taped the act. The video immediately went viral on social media. The police arrested the person who had shot the video, but Singh and Gill fled.

According to Delhi Police, they received information on Saturday that two members of the banned terror outfit Khalistan Zindabad Force would be coming to Delhi to commit some anti-national activities on the directions of their foreign-based commanders. Accordingly, a trap was laid near Shani Mandir on the GT Karnal road and these men were arrested.

On Sunday, the Moga Police got the information from their Delhi counterparts that the two accused have been arrested. “A team was sent to Delhi to bring them to Moga,” Moga superintendent of police (SP)?Jagatpreet Singh said.

The accused have been booked under Sections 115, 121, 121A, 124A, 153A, 153B, 506 and 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act; Section 66-F of the IT Act and Sections 10, 11, 13 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the Moga Police.

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What Sudarshan TV’s ‘UPSC Jihad’ Video Shows: Normalising Of Hate - The Quint

What Sudarshan TV’s ‘UPSC Jihad’ Video Shows: Normalising Of Hate  The Quint

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Div Com releases 1st edition of 108 Free Ambulance Services Magazine - 5 Dariya News

Div Com releases 1st edition of 108 Free Ambulance Services Magazine  5 Dariya News

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Government paid Love Island stars and social media influencers to promote NHS Test and Trace scheme - Evening Standard

Government paid Love Island stars and social media influencers to promote NHS Test and Trace scheme  Evening Standard

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Coronavirus: Ambulance service takes over mobile testing - BBC News

Coronavirus: Ambulance service takes over mobile testing  BBC News

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Plastic bag tax is set to DOUBLE: Price of a single-use carrier will rise to 10p - Daily Mail

Plastic bag tax is set to DOUBLE: Price of a single-use carrier will rise to 10p  Daily Mail

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As UN agency urges help, Banksy on Instagram admits to sponsoring migrant ship: ‘All Black Lives Matter’ - Fox News

As UN agency urges help, Banksy on Instagram admits to sponsoring migrant ship: ‘All Black Lives Matter’  Fox News

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Police hunt suspect after mum stabbed in front of son, 5, in Manchester - Sky News

Police hunt suspect after mum stabbed in front of son, 5, in Manchester  Sky News

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Murugappa Group set to win Swiss challenge for CG Power after no fresh bids, say sources - ETAuto.com

Murugappa Group set to win Swiss challenge for CG Power after no fresh bids, say sources  ETAuto.com

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Leading London headteacher attacks 'dizzying’ ministerial advice on masks - Evening Standard

Leading London headteacher attacks 'dizzying’ ministerial advice on masks  Evening Standard

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Paul George says NBA bubble left him 'in a dark place' before breakout game - The Guardian

Paul George says NBA bubble left him 'in a dark place' before breakout game  The Guardian

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BJP wants a Hindu majority to emerge in J&K: Farooq Abdullah

SOURCE: HT

Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah has said his National Conference (NC) opted out of the Delimitation Commission in May as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was allegedly seeking to create Hindu dominance in the Muslim majority region and to divide the Union Territory on religious lines through the process.

The Centre in March set up the commission to redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on the recent census in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland. NC opted out of it in May. “That is because we told them on their face that we do not believe in your delimitation. The BJP has a certain purpose. It wants that in J&K [Jammu & Kashmir], a Hindu majority emerges, and the Muslim majority goes down,” he told HT in a joint interview with his son, another former chief minister, Omar Abdullah. “Can you beat what the government of India is trying to do here?”

Farooq Abdullah said when he was the chief minister, the assembly of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir decided to go for the delimitation exercise along with the rest of the country in 2026. “Then, why has the Centre suddenly brought it forward? They want to divide us on the Hindu-Muslim lines and create Hindu dominance. That will never happen,” he said.

Farooq Abdullah was among three NC Parliamentarians named as the members of the commission.

Omar Abdullah called the commission a product of the constitutional changes brought in August last year to divest Jammu & Kashmir of its special status and to divide it into two Union territories. “When we do not recognise those changes, how can we recognise this panel? By participating in its proceedings, we will essentially be lending credence to the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. When we are fighting this Act, there is no question of participation.”

Omar Abdullah said the commission’s membership does not grant one the veto power. “Our three MPs [members of Parliament] may have been able to share their views, but that would not have been binding on the commission. Our participation would have been used as a rubber stamp.”

The political environment in Jammu & Kashmir is in flux again a year after the constitutional changes that prompted sweeping measures, including the incarceration of hundreds of people, to prevent protests against them. Farooq Abdullah, who was among the three former chief ministers also detained, has emerged as the prime mover and pivot in the formation of a conglomerate of the six regional parties – some of them sworn rivals – that has posed the first challenge to the Centre by reaffirming commitment to the Gupkar Declaration pegged to the demand for restoration of the special status.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to delimitation exercise in his Independence Day speech and said it is underway and assembly elections would follow in Jammu & Kashmir.

When asked if he would contest the elections, Farooq Abdullah said: “Any decision [on contesting] will depend first on my party and we will take a call subject to the situation. We will talk to other stakeholders in the Gupkar Declaration. If we are united in this exercise, we will take them on board and decide.”

Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah were released in March while another former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, continues to be under detention under draconian Public Safety Act that allows incarceration for up to two years without trial.

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Chinese troops ‘strictly’ abide by the LAC, never cross the line: Beijing

SOURCE: HT

China on Monday said its troops “strictly’’ abide by the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, refuting the Indian army’s statement that said the Chinese armed forces had carried out provocative military actions on the southern banks of the Pangong Tso.

Responding to a question on the Indian army statement, the Chinese foreign ministry said the troops of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) never cross the line.

“Chinese border troops always strictly abide by the LAC. They never cross the line. Border troops on the two sides have been in close communication regarding the issues on the ground,” ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said.

Asked about any ongoing meetings to resolve this new development, he said: “What I said is that the two sides through diplomatic and military channels maintain close communication. As to specific meetings and talks, if there is anything, we will release it in a timely manner”.

Earlier in the day, the Indian army accused Chinese soldiers of trying to alter the status quo.

The statement said Indian troops had been able to pre-empt the PLA from trying to change the facts on the ground.

A Brigade Commander-level flag meeting is said to be in progress at Chushul to resolve the issues on the ground.

There have been several meetings between the two sides to disengage after border troops clashed in Galwan Valley on June 15, which led to casualties on both sides.

Chinese troops have been slow to pull back, particularly around Pangong Tso, the saltwater glacial lake spread across 700 sq km.

The Chinese effort to enlarge the border row came just two days after the defence ministry in Beijing told India that it should look at the “big picture of bilateral ties” and work with it and take concrete steps to bring the relationship back on the “right track of normal development.”

India has made it clear that China should work on complete disengagement, and then de-escalation of troops in eastern Ladakh, underlining that this can be achieved only through mutually agreed reciprocal actions. The message from New Delhi has been that the Indian army will stay firm on Chinese efforts to alter the status quo and has stressed that the PLA will have to return to their April 20 position.

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LAC violations: Enough is enough, Mr Xi

SOURCE: LIVE MINT

Indian stock markets took a hit on Monday morning on news that Chinese soldiers had again sought to violate the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the actual border between India and China, and tried to push their way into our territory.

According to a statement by the Indian Army, troops of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) made “provocative military movements” on the southern bank of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh on the night of 29-30 August. Our Army has accused them of trying to change the ground situation, an attempt that it says was thwarted by our soldiers.

Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a tense standoff for more than four months now, the last flashpoint being a bloody clash on 15 June that resulted in the death of 20 Indian men and an unknown number of Chinese casualties. Reports suggest that the PLA has been squatting on a patch of Indian land.

Disappointingly, the latest provocation comes even as the two sides are engaged in talks to resolve the border crisis. New Delhi wants a restoration of the status quo ante, reportedly, while Beijing seems unwilling to step back. With its latest manoeuvres, the Chinese regime seems to have hardened its obstinacy. This not only makes the ongoing talks sound futile, it may push New Delhi to step up its response to Beijing’s aggression. So far, India has clamped down on Chinese apps that could endanger the country’s interests, apart from placing curbs on investments and imports from China. But our adversary seems to have shrugged this off. Perhaps the Indian government needs to signal the end of its LAC patience. We should make it clear that India’s territorial integrity is non-negotiable—and back this assertion up.

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Revisiting Siachen after the Ladakh stand-off

SOURCE: ENS

The significance of the Siachen Glacier, nestled high up in the mountains beyond the Shyok-Nubra Valley, has received a shot in the arm given the seriousness of the current face-off between India and China in Eastern Ladakh. Not many can perceive the deep linkage between Siachen, the Karakoram Range, Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and the Shyok Valley through which the high-profile road from Darbuk to DBO runs.

An article by Brigadier Masud Ahmad Khan (Retd) of the Pakistan Army in that country’s newspaper The Nation datelined 24 August 2020 and titled ‘Siachen is Ours’ is as much a trigger for this piece as a progressively gleaned perception that Pakistani knowledge of this area is much more than meets the eye.

However, this must commence by pointing out the folly of many Indian analysts and others who believed that New Delhi has gained no strategic advantage by spending `1,500 crore every year to maintain its hold over Siachen.

First, let us get to Brigadier Khan’s claims. His arguments are based on four issues; that after Partition, Pakistan controlled the area west of the line from NJ 9842 to Karakoram Pass; that foreign mountaineering expeditions sought its permission before proceeding to climb in the Siachen zone; that international atlases such as those of the National Geographic depicted the area as Pakistan’s; and lastly that various books published even by Indian publishing houses showed Siachen in Pakistani territory. Pakistani claims cannot get more bizarre.

Factually, the narrative remains that NJ 9842 was the last point up to which survey of the ceasefire line (CFL, later LoC) was done after 1 January 1949; it was recorded that beyond NJ 9842, the CFL would follow an undefined line ‘north to the glaciers’. It would have remained undefined and conflict-free but for Pakistan’s undercover efforts to take control of the glaciated area defined by the triangle NJ 9842-Indira Col (along Saltoro)-Karakoram Pass. It was providential that India took a timely initiative on 13 April 1984 and occupied the triangle, denying its use to Pakistan. 

Pakistan may then have never fully appreciated the strategic value of Siachen. Not many in India did either as the ‘not a blade of grass’ theory from the 1962 days played into our understanding. Right at the outset, perhaps two things were clear to the government for it to be as proactive as it was in flying out troops to Bilafond La (pass) on 13 April 1984. The first was the fact that the Siachen triangle took us closer to the Shaksgam Valley that had been illegally ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963. It is the second reason that was evident to some but only progressively dawned on many others.

The second reason alluded to above was the fact that Siachen was the immediate flank of DBO. An infantry-based foray through Siachen could access the relatively unguarded Nubra Valley and head for DBO. If captured from that direction, a continuous swathe of territory on the Karakoram Range would fall to Pakistan. This would broaden its boundary with China and offer the two adversaries of India the ability to conduct operations in collusion to capture the entire Nubra and Shyok Valleys.

In that contingency with its western and northern flanks occupied, the Indian Army deployment in Eastern Ladakh would be severely threatened, to the extent of forcing it to retract to the Ladakh Range. The Indian Army’s defence of Ladakh resting on the Ladakh Range is an unthinkable contingency; Leh, the capital, would have just one mountain range to give it depth. It is only a deep study of the map and travel experience through the ground that brings this realisation.

For those like me who are fortunate to have commanded an infantry unit at Siachen and then in Eastern Ladakh, the realisation was crystal clear many years ago. In 2013, China commenced talk of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as its flagship arm. Many of us who knew the lay of the ground north of the Ladakh Range wondered how long it would be before China would be tempted by alternatives to the alignment; after all, the Old Silk Route never depended on single arteries; there were always a maze of them and the Shyok route had the potential to recreate that maze. 

It was also just around 2012 that Pakistan, after all the failed attempts in Musharraf’s time, once again commenced a campaign for ‘mutual withdrawal’ of the Indian and Pakistan Armies from Siachen Glacier. The huge avalanche on the Pakistan Army unit on 7 April 2012 that took 140 lives was also used to spur the sentiment towards a ‘mutual withdrawal’. Like in 2004-5 when similar attempts were made by Pakistan, there were a few on the Indian side who understood the ploy about ‘mutual withdrawal’.

There can never be anything mutual about such a withdrawal simply because the only army that occupies Siachen Glacier is the Indian Army, strongly ensconced on the Saltoro Ridge to give the Glacier requisite depth. Thus only one army will withdraw under any such ‘mutual withdrawal’ agreement. Evicting the Indian Army has proven well-nigh impossible as experienced by the Pakistan Army. Interestingly the Siachen area has witnessed no ceasefire violations by either army since 2003, perhaps an attempt to lull India into accepting ‘mutual withdrawal’.

What Pakistan’s public and its media were never officially informed is the fact that India beat Pakistan to the occupation of the Glacier by a mere six days and that an Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) exists along the Saltoro Range, which Pakistan has never shown on its maps publicly. Besides the strategic angle of posturing for future collusion with China to seek more options for strategic connectivity, the Pakistan Army has in Siachen Glacier a symbol to recover its lost dignity in the eyes of the Pakistani people. It should remain the highest hanging fruit in today’s perceptions, not the lowest, the latter being the line that Pakistan was once trying to sell us not so long ago. 

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Now Chancellor, Central University of Kashmir
(atahasnain@gmail.com)

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Akal Takht to honour one of the five who hijacked Indian Airlines plane to Lahore

SOURCE: ENS

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, has decided to confer the ‘Panth Sewak’ award on Gajinder Singh, one of the five men from the Dal Khalsa who hijacked the Delhi-Srinagar Indian Airlines flight IC423, with 117 on board, to Lahore on September 29, 1981.

The hijacking was carried out to protest against the arrest of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale earlier that year. Gajinder along with the four others were arrested by the Pakistanis on September 30, tried, and jailed. They were release in 1994. While two of the hijackers returned to India, the other three decided to stay back.

India had put Gajinder Singh’s name in the list of 20 “most wanted” terrorists in January 2002 and had been seeking his extradition from Pakistan.

Akal Takht has decided to honour on 11 members of community with different awards and Gajinder Singh, who was elected as the chairman of the Dalk Khalsa, is one of them.

Justifying the award, Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh said, “We have serious objections to India’s viewpoint on Gajinder Singh. The decision of the government to label him as a ‘terrorist’ is unjustified. He is not a killer or a criminal. He is a man of politics. He wanted to change the system. He has never shown any prejudice or discrimination towards any religion or culture. He struggled for Sikh rights but never took up arms to accomplish the mission. The charges of sedition against him doesn’t fall under the definition of terrorism. Sedition is not a terrorist act. He has already spent 13 years and four months in Lahore jail for his act”.

Kanwar Pal said that while Dal Khalsa activists hijacked the aircraft to Lahore, none of them carried firearms and did no harm to any passenger. In the wake of the hijacking, the Union government had banned the Dal Khalsa in 1982. The outfit was allowed to restart overground activity a decade later.

“Gajinder Singh reached Germany in July 1996 to start his life afresh there. He was deported to Pakistan courtesy the pressure from India. A petition was filed by our party activists in the administrative court of Germany protesting the deportation of Gajinder Singh back to Pakistan. Since then, he is in exile,” Kanwar Pal said.

Apart from Gajinder Singh, the four others who hijacked the Indian Airline aircraft included Tajinderpal Singh, Satnam Singh, Jasbir Singh Cheema, and Karan Singh.

Tajinderpal returned to India in December 1997 and Satnam in 1999. A Delhi court in August 2018 had acquitted the duo of charges of waging war against the country saying they were being granted “benefit of doubt” as the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond “reasonable doubt”.

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Gujarat man arrested by NIA, agency says was working as ISI agent

SOURCE: HT

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested a person in Gujarat after he was found to be working as an agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Sevices Intelligence (ISI).

Rajakbhai Kumbhar was arrested from the West Kutch region in connection with the Defence/ISI case originally reported in Uttar Pradesh. The case pertains to an FIR registered on January 19 at Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar police station on the arrest of Mohammad Rashid of Chandoli district’s Mughalsarai.

The NIA again registered the case in April this year. During investigation, it was revealed that Rashid was in contact with Defence/ISI handlers of Pakistan and had visited Pakistan twice.

According to NIA, he had transmitted photographs of some sensitive and strategically important installations in India and also shared information about the movement of the armed forces with ISI handlers in Pakistan.

The agency had conducted a search at the house of Kumbhar on Friday in connection with the case and found out that he had transferred Rs 5,000 through Paytm to the account of one Rizwan, which was further handed over Rashid.

The amount was remitted to Rashid by Kumbhar on the directions of ISI agents in lieu of the information supplied to them by the former.

During the search at Kumbhar’s house, incriminating documents were seized.

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BMP falls on Captain Deeksha Thapa, officer succumbs to his injuries on the spot in Galwan

SOURCE: AMAR UJALA

Capt Dikshant Thapa of 6 Mechanised Infantry lost his life in the line of duty on 30 Aug 2020 in Galwan, Ladakh. While loading the BMP (Infantry Fighting Vehicle), in a civil truck trailer which toppled. Captain Deeksha Thapa died in this accident. The accident occurred near Karu-Kiyari, 45 km from Leh.

While loading BMP, a civil truck rammed the trailer due to which it toppled. The incident took place near Karu in Ladakh: Army officials.

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LET major revival plan in Kashmir has been thwarted , 3 terrorists arrested.

SOURCE: Daily Excelsior

Lashkar-e-Taiba’s (LeT) major revival plan in Kashmir has been thwarted & 3 terrorists arrested. They were in contact with ISI handler Mohammed Kasim who exfiltrated 18 years ago.

An FIR was registered in his matter & an SIT was formed: Rashmi Wazir, SSP Reasi.

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HAL’s Dornier is all set to get new wings, Flybig wings

SOURCE: Bangalore Mirror

Flybig, a regional airline that is gearing up to have its first commercial flight by mid-October under the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) project, would become the first airline to launch a new service in the Covid-19 era.

The airline that is promoted by Big Charter has received a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and is in the process of getting Air Operators Certificate with a fleet of aircraft comprising ATR-72-500s and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)-manufactured Dornier Do-228 (Upgraded) civil aircraft.

“As we will be operating under the UDAN scheme, we would have flight services to many sectors in the North East and Central India which are typically not airports but airstrips where the ATRs cannot operate. The 17-seater Dornier Do-228 is an ideal aircraft to operate from these sectors,” Rajarshi Sen, CFO, Big Charter Pvt. Ltd told Bangalore Mirror. He added that the airline has been holding talks with HAL to get three Do-228s as a committed order and three more as an optional order.

“We are holding talks with the HAL management and have already signed a Letter of Intent (LOI). Commercial discussions are going on with them. Getting the Do-228s from HAL would also mean supporting the Make in India initiative,” he added.

Earlier in February, the Bengaluru-headquartered-HAL had received the modification document of Do-228 (Upgraded) civil aircraft from the DGCA to produce the aircraft for the UDAN scheme.

According to HAL, the Do-228s will be equipped with a digital cockpit which will ensure more accurate readings, precise information and ergonomic data displays with feedback loops and capability for self-check to alert pilots in emergencies.

Besides it said that it has also incorporated civil certified turbo-prop minus 10 Engine to ensure more reliable torque sensing system, higher component life, lighter in weight and higher time between overhaul (TBO) as compared to previous minus 5 engine.

In the coming years, there would be a demand for over 200 aircraft under the UDAN scheme. Meanwhile, Flybig’s proposed network is to have a base in Indore, Guwahati and Varanasi. The airline has bid for a minimum Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs 313 crore for FY 2020-21. The VGF will be allowed for a period of three years from date of allotment.

What does it mean for HAL?

In the coming years, there would be a demand for over 200 aircraft under the UDAN scheme.

Apart from HAL, NAL is also involved in the development of its 19-seater aircraft Saras and both the aircraft are competing to be the Make in India aircraft to operate under the UDAN scheme.

While the Saras is still under developmental stage, HAL has an upper hand as two civil demonstrator aircraft of the DO-228-201 have already been manufactured and Certificate of Airworthiness has already been received from DGCA. With this, HAL, which has so far been involved only with the production of military aircraft, will be entering into the civilian domaain.

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Modi’s ‘settler’ masterplan for Indian Kashmir

SOURCE: AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is changing Indian Kashmir’s residency laws for the first time since 1947, in a bid to snuff out any challenge to the disputed territory belonging to India.

Drawing comparisons with Israel’s “settler” tactics in the Palestinian Territories, Modi’s Hindu nationalist government aims to change the demographic makeup and identity of the Muslim-majority region, critics say.

AFP looks at the background, what the new rules are and their implications for the area’s 14 million population.

– What has Modi done in Kashmir so far? –

The Himalayan former princely state has been split between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947.

In the Indian-administered part a conflict between separatist rebels and government forces has killed tens of thousands since 1989, mostly civilians.

More than 65 percent of the population is Muslim. In the Kashmir Valley, the main centre of the rebellion, it is close to 100 percent.

On August 5, 2019 Modi’s government revoked articles in the Indian constitution that guaranteed Kashmir’s partial autonomy and other rights including its own flag and constitution.

A huge accompanying security operation saw tens of thousands of extra troops — adding to 500,000 already there — enforce a siege-like curfew. Thousands were arrested and telecommunications were cut for months.

Jammu & Kashmir state was demoted to a union territory governed directly from New Delhi, while the Ladakh region was carved out into a separate administrative area.

Creating such new “facts on the ground” in Kashmir has long been advocated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the hardline Hindu parent organisation to Modi’s BJP party.

The move sent a further shudder through India’s 200-million Muslim minority and defenders of its secular traditions, who fear Modi wants to create a Hindu nation — something he denies.

“What I see unfolding is a Hindu settler colonial project in the making,” Mona Bhan, associate professor of anthropology at Syracuse University who has long researched Kashmir, told AFP.

– What happened to Kashmir’s special rules? –

Modi’s government tore up Kashmir’s special residence rules dating back to 1927 which had ensured only permanent residents could own land and property, secure government jobs and university places and vote in local elections.

Now a raft of different categories of people from anywhere in India can apply for domicile certificates, giving them access to all the above.

These include those living in Kashmir for 15 years, who include around 28,000 refugees who fled Pakistan and as many as 1.75 million migrant labourers — most of whom are Hindus.

In addition, civil servants who have worked in Kashmir for seven years and their children, or students who have taken certain exams, also qualify for domicile status.

The changes are “the most drastic imposed since 1947,” Siddiq Wahid, a historian and political analyst, told AFP. “It was done with the intent to open the gates to demographic flooding.”

– What do locals have to do? –

Locals too now have to apply for the new “domicile certificates” in order to qualify for permanent resident rights.

To get this, they have to produce their Permanent Resident Certificates (PRC), cherished documents valid since 1927, which then become worthless.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, an engineering graduate said young Kashmiris were in effect being forced to give their political loyalty to India in exchange for a livelihood.

“They say, you want a job, OK, get the domicile document first,” he said.

– Is anybody happy? –

A few people. Bahadur Lal Prajapati, born in Indian Kashmir to Hindu refugees who fled Pakistan during its first war with India over Kashmir seven decades ago, is finally an official resident and has “never been so happy”.

“We got the right to live in this part of India as citizens after 72 years of struggle,” Prajapati, 55, told AFP from his home in Jammu, the Hindu-dominated district of the region.

One of the first people to receive the new domicile certificate was Navin Kumar Choudhary, a top bureaucrat from the Indian state of Bihar who worked in Kashmir for many years.

Photos on social media of Choudhary proudly holding the certificate sparked huge anger among Kashmiris but delight among Modi’s supporters.

– What happens if people complain? –

Some 430,000 new domicile certificates have been issued — despite the coronavirus pandemic. It is unclear how many of them are to people from outside and how many to locals.

Many locals are refusing to swap their old documents, even though this makes life harder. Some do it in secret for fear of censure from their neighbours.

Wary of being labelled “anti-national” by the authorities many Kashmiris are also scared to speak out openly. Some are deleting their Twitter accounts.

“It’s a travesty that I have to compete with outsiders for citizenship rights in my own homeland,” said a student — who also wished also to remain anonymous out of fear of problems with the authorities.

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‘Eye on J&K’: Pakistan buys China’s Jilin-1 satellite data

SOURCE: IANS

Pakistan has purchased from China real time satellite data, comprising high definition video, optical and hyper spectral imagery, that also can provide it the precise position of Indian Army camps across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Intelligence sources said that Pakistan has entered into a contract with China to procure Jilin-1 satellite data for 2020.The Jilin constellation comprises a network of ten satellites in orbit with capability of global coverage and it can revisit any location twice a day. “Resolution of panchromatic image provisioned by Jilin-1 is 0.72 m and multi-spectral image is 2.88 m,” a source said.

Jilin is China’s commercial remote sensing satellite run by the Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. In 2019, Pakistan had purchased data of the advanced land observation satellite phased array type L Band synthetic aperture radar and Jilin-1, sources said.

It has stated that it is procuring data for land and resources surveying, monitoring of natural disasters, agriculture research, urban construction and other activities.

In 2018, China had launched two remote sensing satellites for Pakistan, claiming that it would monitor progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).The satellites — PRSS-1 and PakTES-1A — were launched using a Long March-2C rocket.

A network of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan that will connect China’s Xinjiang province with the Gwadar port in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, giving China an opening to the Arabian Sea, the 3,218-kilometre CPEC, a dream project of Chinese President Xi Jingping in which China has sunk about $19 billion, runs along the disputed area of Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Both China and Pakistan are currently are engaged in a confrontation with India at their borders. For the first time, India finds itself stretched between the border with China where it is locked in an intense stand-off with the People Liberation Army and the border with Pakistan where it faces incessant cross-border firing from the hostile Pakistan Army.

Pakistan increased bombardment of Indian territory, violating the Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire agreement as China started transgressions in eastern Ladakh, creating a two front war-like situation for India.

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Indian Army begins the review process of samples of the new uniforms

SOURCE: ENS

Moving one step ahead with its plan to change the uniforms, the Army has started the process of sample testing keeping an eye on comfort and operational efficiency. Confirming the process an Army officer said, “The samples review of the uniforms is going on keeping all the parameters and standards in mind.”

The idea was set in motion last year with a plan to utilise the advent of new technologies in textile and fabric which will not only make uniforms look good and be comfortable in varying temperatures and humid locations but would also be able to bear the needs of soldiers serving in rough conditions.

The changes planned encompass the whole array of uniforms assigned to the soldiers as per various occasions.

“We have got the samples of all uniforms including Summer Dress, winter dress (Angola and Jersy), Mess Dress, Blue Patrol, White Patrol and Combat Uniform”

The Indian Army uses nine types of uniforms which can be divided into winter and summer uniforms. These are also divided into the combat uniform, peacetime uniform, mess uniform and ceremonial uniform. The ceremonial uniform also has three types.

Another idea, as told by the officers, is to bring uniformity in appearance of officers of the various regiments, corps and service at the rank of brigadier and above.

“The uniformity is being planned into the belt, shoulder badges, lanyard and Caps”, said the officer.

The officers can be distinguished observing their uniforms so the plan is to introduce a uniform look with a plan to keep a single colour waist band/belt and army crest. Something similar is thought of the lanyard and the rank badges.

This means that all Brigadier-rank officers and above will sport the same beret, cap, shoulder badge, lanyard and belt.

But, the former officers believe that it is an idea which needs due diligence as uniform of army is like the second skin and have been a major reason for people getting attracted and joining the services.

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Defence procurement: Time to change the old guard

SOURCE: DNA INDIA

The decision to withdraw tenders for the supply of ammunition ranging from rifles, fired grenades to artillery rounds is sure to dampen spirits in the industry. This is called a ‘requirement drift’ a frequently occurring phenomenon in a procurement centric organization.

The recent announcement by the Defence Minister of a negative import list of 101 defence items was seen as a  major step to reboot defence manufacturing. The promise of contracts worth four lakh crores over  5-6 years appeared very inspiring. For the industry, there was some assurance that if it could get its act together, it could seize the day.

The government has been trying to buoy up defence manufacturing since the past six years, however not much happened on the ground due to a host of reasons. One foremost reason has been the lack of clarity on how to take it forward. Alongside the initiative, there is a pressing need to change the fundamental approach to acquisitions, the military’s method of establishing the need, formulation of qualitative requirements( QR), the process of trials and budgetary decision-making process. An untrammelled long term view is essential, irrespective of emergent requirements that may crop up due to changes in the security landscape. What then needs to be done to shore up defence manufacturing?  Simply put it is ownership by the armed forces and a facilitative environment by those in the decision-making chain. Everyone has to have a genuine commitment towards indigenous programs and the acquisition community needs a new breed of people.  Coming to the framing of qualitative requirements (QRs), a  principal responsibility of the user; its time to base it on a mission engineering exercise. QRs have to be in sync with operational realities on the ground. One singular reason for fanciful QRs is that these are attribute-based rather than capability. One has to go through the recent RFI on the 8×8 Armoured Personnel Carrier to realize that such a system will have to be specially crafted for India with technologies sourced globally. Obviously, acquisition and system readiness costs will be exorbitant, besides long acquisition time frames.  More often than not the acquisition of indigenously developed systems get stymied due to non-conformance to certain not so critical attributes like weight, turning radius etc., rather than overall system maturity. MBT Arjun is agile, fires accurately and offers a significantly higher level of crew survivability than T 90, but has not found support from the military. Like the A10 combat aircraft, Arjun could become a terrific tank to be in during the war . Bharat Forge’s 155 mm gun is world-class albeit with some deviations. I remember, almost three decades back Dr Abdul Kalam telling me that if the Army accepted a mine system that was indigenous and fulfilling most QRs, our factories will manufacture it and people will get employment.  The next issue is trial evaluation and operational clearance. This has to be a time-bound phenomenon, not an endless activity stretching onto several years. The present procedure ensures that induction and obsolescence occur concomitantly, with real costs, real schedules and real performance worse than what gets contracted. World over a system of threshold and objective key performance parameters has been adopted to support national capability e.g. for an artillery gun, the maximum range could be specified as 30km (threshold) to 40km (objective) and CEP could be specified as 200m ( threshold ) to 50 m objective; at say 25 km. Acceptance is given once the threshold is achieved.     

Coming to the last issue of contract negotiations. A closer look at the MOD list indicates that most items are being manufactured under the Department of Defence production. How exactly does the MOD intend to apportion the quantities; if FSAPDS rounds, the first item on the list or wheeled armoured fighting vehicle at serial no 70 gets made by both ordnance factory (OF) and private entity. Any assurance of guaranteed buyback to both? With regard to ammunition, a special time-bound initiative is required to develop indigenous capability, in view of the recurring nature of the requirement and difficulty in assessing the quality and expired shelf life of imported ammunition. This issue affects training on the ground, adversely impacting gunnery skills. Impressive accretions in Chinese equipment capability have primarily been through reverse engineering, concurrent development and handholding of its industry.  The approach has been innovative and strategic; know-how acquired from the Soviet Union was worked upon to develop modern systems like JF 6/7 from MIG 21, Type 99 tank from T 72, A-100 multiple launch rocket system and its ammunition from Smerch. Two Chinese systems lined up at LAC are the ST11 light tank and wheeled tank destroyer ZBL 08, specially crafted for operations in high altitudes, a stellar example of capability centric development.

Capability Centric Development  Acquisitions are to be taken up as a capability development effort and not a procurement process. It should result in the creation of not only a warfighting capability but also an industrial capability. We should aspire to be self-reliant in areas of military technology deemed essential for mission success. This means possessing baseline know-how needed to design, develop, manufacture and maintain critical defence equipment and sensors. An indigenous defence industrial base is essential for life cycle mission readiness.

A three-pronged hybrid strategy with an integrated view of capability development could provide the answer:-

– Capability Enhancement Programmes:  Several platforms in the current inventory, can be brought to contemporary levels of equipment capability through incremental technology insertion and upgrade. The M1 Abrams is still going strong as a consequence of technology insertion Most tracked systems in the inventory require capability enhancements.

– Development of Complex Systems:  Projects for manufacture of new systems need to be taken forward through collaboration rather than competition. Collaborative prototyping aims at collaboration between the public and private sector as has been done in the Dhanush program, wherein capabilities of  Army maintainers, OFB and private sector were consolidated. Why not roll out strategic partnerships between OFB / DPSUs and private entities. In response to  RFI for wheeled APC, 15 – 20  vendors have responded, much like the response to  Army recruitment rallies. Those who do not make the cut finally will lose further incentive to participate in future programs.

– Technology Incubation: There is a need to work on creating a culture of innovation and creativity all around. The IDEX initiative should be expanded in scope and include the development of next-generation subsystems for future combat systems. 

Consolidation of defence industrial capabilities has taken place in the US, Europe and Russia as a response to shrinking markets. Making several Indian companies develop prototypes and offer for competitive evaluation is a colossal waste of national resources. Most advanced nations have trail blazed this route by putting the entire weight of Govt, scientific community and industry in developing local products and capabilities. Israel is one shining example.

The  Prime Minister has again echoed the mantra of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. He has aptly drawn an analogy between family and country to explain self-reliance. The Armed Forces need to spearhead this effort by assuming ownership and handholding the industry. It will give a strong impetus to ‘Proudly Made In India’  becoming a global brand of quality and reliability. It is time to move from panic procurement to planned acquisitions. This calls for a change of accepted practices and entrenched ways of working and getting on with thinking beyond the algorithm. Time to change the Old Guard.

Lt Gen (Dr) NB Singh is a former DGEME, DGIS and Member Armed Forces Tribunal. 

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India’s Withdrawal From Kavkaz-2020 Drills Message to China, Not to Russia, Strategic Analyst Says

SOURCE: SPTUNIK

India will not be taking part in the joint Kavkaz-2020 war games in Russia, which will be attended by the militaries of 20 countries, including Pakistan and China. Delhi notified the Russian Defence Ministry on Friday about its withdrawal.

“Russia and India are close and privileged strategic partners”, an Indian Defence Ministry statement reads, announcing the withdrawal – to the surprise of strategic thinkers and some countries – of its contingent from the Kavkaz-2020 military exercise. The drills are scheduled to be held in southern Russia’s Astrakhan region from September 15 to 27.

While accepting the invitation from Russia last month, the Indian side was ready to take part in the exercise with 160 personnel from the Army along with 40 troops from the Indian Air Force and two Navy officers as observers there. However, the sudden announcement of pulling out from the exercise has provided reasons for speculation to those who have interest in geo-politics.

Nitin A. Gokhale, a national security analyst and author of seven books on military and strategy, has spoken to Sputnik in an interview about the decision and whether it can impact India’s ties with Russia.

Sputnik: Until last week, India was ready for war games in Russia. What transpired in the last few days for New Delhi to decide to pull out from Kavkaz-2020?

Nitin A. Gokhale: India was ready initially. But India would have had thorough deliberations to have a complete re-look at the decision. And because there is no clear resolution of the border stand-off with China, India would have given the reason of coronavirus and its effect on the forces, which is also not entirely incorrect. The unofficial reason might be that India decided not to take part in the exercise with Chinese and Pakistani troops given the situation on the border. India did not want to send wrong signals to its own people and to the international community.

Sputnik: Will this impact India’s relationship with organisations like the SCO and BRICS, where China is present?

Nitin A. Gokhale: That is a long-term question that we cannot really predict at the moment. But the fact remains that India has to look at its own national interest first. Preserving the SCO is not only India’s responsibility. It is also the responsibility of others. If they want India on that forum, other nations like China and Pakistan will also have to behave like nations that would like to cooperate with India. But, clearly at this moment they are not showing signs of any friendliness or any friendly gesture towards India. Therefore, I think India has taken a good decision, but Indian ministers will also attend the SCO Summit meetings as we know.

Sputnik: There were high-level deliberations among the foreign ministers of India, China, and Russia in July, where leaders indirectly conveyed a message related to the border stand-off. What kind of interactions do you foresee during Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Moscow?

Nitin A. Gokhale: I don’t think so because though there is no official confirmation on this, I saw some official reports that Rajnath Singh will not have any bilateral meetings with his Chinese and Pakistani counterparts, which is a correct thing to do. While the SCO meeting will have the usual gathering of all the defence ministers and will be a collective meeting, there will be no harm in attending that meeting. But bilateral meetings, India has ruled out, and correctly so. I don’t think that is going to have any effect on the SCO as such.

Sputnik: Does the decision imply any message to Russia as well?

Nitin A. Gokhale: I don’t think we should read too much into this. India – Russia relations are not dependent on how India’s relations are with other countries like China and Pakistan. India has its own importance to Russia. India and Russia need each other in the defence sector. There is no message for Russia as such because anyway the two ministers are likely to go for the SCO meetings.

India only wants to send a clear message to China and Pakistan that we don’t want to be exercising with you when your actions and intents on the border are hostile. Basically, there is no point trying to pretend that the relations with China and Pakistan are normal. This kind of an approach, all countries do in international relations and foreign policy. India is just doing the right thing.

Sputnik: As the border stand-off between India and China has drawn out over four months in Ladakh, should India look for or accept any third-party mediation on the matter with China?

Nitin A. Gokhale: I don’t think India is looking for, or should look for third-party mediation. India has always dealt with its own problems bilaterally. Whether with Pakistan or China and therefore if anybody thinks India is looking for third-party mediation, he does not know the strategic autonomy that India has exercised all these years. Even in the worst of times, India never asked for mediation. Although, other parties would like to have that kind of a role, India steadfastly refuses to have any third-party mediation and I think it is the correct stand. It will also not happen this time.

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‘Will contest Article 370 move legally, democratically’: Farooq and Omar Abdullah

SOURCE: HT

National Conference (NC) leaders and former chief ministers Farooq and Omar Abdullah are “bitter” about, and feel “betrayed” by, the constitutional changes related to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) pushed through by the Centre last year, and will contest them both politically and legally, while asserting that their struggle will be entirely peaceful.

The two leaders, in perhaps their first joint interview, said they rejected the Union government’s constituency delimitation exercise and domicile laws as efforts to change the demography of the Valley. They also spoke of the pain of on the one hand being seen as separatists by “ultra-nationalists” in the rest of the country, and on the other, as nationalists in Kashmir.

The father-son duo — sitting in their heavily protected Gupkar residence in Srinagar — told Hindustan Times that the mood on the Kashmiri street was of not being a part of India and “not Indian”; warned about the impact in J&K of growing Hindu-Muslim “hatred” in the rest of the country; pointed to the unrepresentative character of the current administration in the UT — with local Muslims having little space; and said that no door was open for a dialogue with the Centre.

When asked about the mood on the Kashmiri street, Farooq Abdullah, 83, said: “If you want to know the honest truth, they are not part of India. This is God’s truth. You ask an ordinary person, he does not want to be Pakistani. Let’s be frank about it. He is not a Pakistani, but he is not an Indian today after what they (the Centre) did.”

Last year, Parliament effectively nullified Article 370, which conferred special status on J&K, removed Article 35A, which empowered the state legislature to define permanent residents for government jobs and property ownership, reorganised the state into two separate administrative units of J&K and Ladakh, and made them both Union Territories. On August 15 this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that after the delimitation process is complete, there would be elections to the new assembly in J&K. The Centre has also appointed a new lieutenant governor, Manoj Sinha. The new UT’s major parties have, meanwhile, issued a Gupkar joint statement, taking forward their Gupkar declaration of last year, pledging that they will fight the constitutional changes together.

Rejecting the charge that Article 370 led to separatism, Farooq Abdullah said, “There is more separatism now than before August 5 last year. It’s not the Pakistanis who are dying today, it is the Kashmiris. Who has created them (militants)? Not Farooq Abdullah. I was in the jail. They (the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government) created them. The hatred they have created between Hindus and Muslims in the rest of the nation…do you think it will not have an effect here? It will.”

Elaborating on the legal dimension of their battle against the constitutional changes, the younger Abdullah, 50, said that their petition in the Supreme Court rested on a strong point. “A governor cannot assume the powers of an assembly, and an assembly cannot assume the powers of a constituent assembly….There is a fundamental flaw to what New Delhi did on August 5, 2019. You can wish away the merit of our case politically, but not legally.”

When asked about the fact that there appeared to be a broader national consensus against Article 370, Omar Abdullah acknowledged being on the losing side of “public opinion”. On the position of mainstream parties in the UT, he later said, “You have to understand how difficult it is for us. We get fixed from both sides. The ultra-nationalists in the rest of country treat us as separatists. But here in Kashmir we are treated as nationalists. Please tell me what we are.” On the PM’s statement on delimitation, Farooq Abdullah said, “We told them on their face that we don’t believe in your delimitation. The BJP has a certain purpose. It wants that in J&K, a Hindu majority emerges and the Muslim majority goes down.” Omar Abdullah added: “The delimitation commission is a product of the changes brought about on August 5 last year. When we don’t recognise those changes, how can we recognise this panel?”

He also elaborated on the apprehensions about demographic changes in the Valley, especially due to the domicile law. “I don’t have actual numbers but I can guarantee you that more than 90% of the new domicile certificates that have been issued will be to non-Muslims. Not that the demographic change will take place overnight; it will be a creeping effect.”

While Farooq Abdullah said he did not want to be a bridge between Delhi and Srinagar since the Centre had “deceived” his people, Omar Abdullah said that if being a bridge meant voicing the concerns of the people, they would do so — but if it meant propagating the Centre’s views, they would not do so. Farooq Abdullah also said that he saw no meeting ground with the Centre, while his son said, “When (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee sahib said that the matter of Kashmir will be decided within the umbrella of ‘Jamooriyat, Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat’, that opened the door for us. Today, no such door is open…Tomorrow, if a government is formed in Delhi that is open to a dialogue, then we will see.”

Referring to the move to nullify Article 370, Omar Abdullah said that “integration does not come from a piece of paper, “it comes from emotions”.

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Dominican government confirms Dawood Ibrahim not its citizen

SOURCE: ANI

The government of Commonwealth of Dominica has said that underworld don and India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim is and has never been a citizen of the island country.

“Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is not, nor has he ever been, a citizen of the Commonwealth of Dominica, neither through the Citizenship by Investment Programme nor any other means. As such, any publication by any media or by any person purporting otherwise is strictly false,” said the Dominican government in a statement.

“It has long been the responsibility of the Citizenship by Investment Unit to safeguard the integrity of the Citizenship by Investment Programme through the use of sophisticated due diligence and vetting procedures. The Citizenship by Investment Unit applies a multi-tiered system of due diligence, involving both internal and external checks by reputable, top-tier, international due diligence firms based in the United States and the United Kingdom,” it said.

The statement added, “These external firms perform thorough checks, including on-the-ground research, to produce exhaustive due diligence reports. In this way, Dominica maintains a firm commitment to professional ethics and ensuring the safety of Dominican citizens.”

Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India to face the law of the land for carrying out serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993, in which scores of people were killed and injured. India has asked Pakistan several times to hand over Dawood Ibrahim.

Pakistan has been denying that it has sheltered Dawood Ibrahim. However, a Pakistan government document recently revealed Dawood Ibrahim’s location that was related to a list of 88 terrorists sanctioned by Islamabad. His address on the document is White House, Karachi.

The development comes ahead of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary meet in October, which will review whether Pakistan would be blacklisted if steps are not taken in curbing terror financing on its soil. The country has been repeatedly asked to take action against terror funding and is been on the FATF grey list since June 2018.

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