Kashmiri Muslim UNHRC speaker takes on UK MP Hopkins over the release of Yasin Malik/ Greater Jammu / Rashmi Talwar

Kashmiri Muslim UNHRC speaker takes on UK MP Hopkins over release of Yasin Malik

Rashmi Talwar

Toronto (Canada) 25^th April 2024– Indian Kashmiri Muslim and UNHRC speaker  Javed Beigh took on Rachel Hopkins, a British Member Parliament (MP) from ‘Luton South’, on holding a meeting of the British wing of the designated terrorist org -JKLF in the “side room” of British Parliament and falsely portraying it as a meeting held in the British Parliament. Beigh claims that Hopkins attended a meeting of the British Chapter of the JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front) to discuss the sentence awarded to JKLF’s founder Yasin Malik, on her “X” Platform, only for vote-bank politics to appease Mirpuri Muslims claiming to be Kashmiris.

In a phone call, Beigh, while speaking to the author from his hometown Beerwah, Kashmir, lashed out –“Why shouldn’t I counter Rachel Hopkin’s lies and her India bating tactics using falsehood?”

In an open rebuttal on her ‘X’ Post, Beigh wrote to Hopkins -“I am an ethnic Kashur (Kashmiri language) speaking Indian Kashmiri Muslim from India’s Kashmir valley, which is part of the Union Territory of Jammu &Kashmir. I am aghast at your attendance at a meeting organised by a terrorist organization JKLF, a banned organization under Indian laws for carrying out terror activities in Kashmir.

Having addressed the UNHRC (United Nations Human Rights Council) twice and thus familiar with games played at the diplomatic tables, Beigh pointed out-“This (your) meeting was attended by a handful of anti-Indian British Parliamentarians in a “side-room” of the British Parliament which was being passed-off as if,  the entire British Parliament attended this “Anti-India Meet!”

He minced no words in accusing the British MP and wrote- “Ms Hopkins, you are guilty of peddling total and utter lies. ‘Yasin Malik has not been sentenced to death by the Indian judiciary! Instead, he has been accorded ‘Life Imprisonment’ by the Lower Indian Court for his involvement in anti–India terror activities undertaken by him in the early 1990s.”

He further accused the MP-“Ms Hopkins, your interest in attending this so-called meet stems purely from the fact that your Parliamentary Constituency of ‘Luton South’ has a sizeable population of Mirpuri Muslims, who fraudulently call themselves -“Kashmiris” even though they share nothing in common with us – the ethnic Kashur-speaking Indians. Kashur-speaking Kashmiris, make up 99 % of  the population and  reside entirely within geographical boundaries of India.”

Beigh further explained “Your so-called “Kashmiris”-“Mirpuri Muslims” of ‘Luton South’ constituency of Britain, are ethically part of Punjabis or the state of Punjab. They don’t speak Kashmiri, they don’t dress like us ethnic Indian Kashmiris and neither do they eat the food or have culinary tastes of Kashmiris. They live in the Pakistan-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir side (POJK).   Thus Mirpuri Muslims of POJK do not represent us –the ethnic Indian Kashur-speaking Kashmiris and they are neither culturally nor linguistically Kashmiris.”

And as a ‘blue tick-marked’ account with unlimited words, Beigh continued – “Yasin Malik stands accused of initiating a violent bloody, Islamist, Separatist movement at the behest of Pakistan in the early 1990s which supplied guns to misguided ethnic Kashmiri Muslim youth that thus started Indian Kashmir valley’s cycle of death& destruction in the three-decade-long tryst with Pak sponsored terrorism. This cycle destroyed Indian ethnic Kashur-speaking Kashmiri society.

Yasin Malik’s terrorist organization JKLF stands accused of initiating a violent tirade against Kashmir’s small Hindu Minority – The Kashmiri Pandits- who were forcible thrown out from Kashmir valley by Islamists leaving their palatial homes and hearths and have never returned to reside in the valley during decades of turmoil.”

“The Yasin Malik terror cell JKLF also stands accused of killing thousands of Indian Kashmiri Muslims including Doctors, Engineers, Professors, Writers, and Intellectuals etc, seen to be propagating secular and liberal values, considered a “threat” to Pakistan Establishment’s (read: Pak Army) Islamist Agenda. That Pakistan Establishment or the Pak army, that spreads hardcore, intolerant, and puritan Islamist ideology and a free run to Pakistan-backed Anti-India Separatist Movement in Kashmir, initiated, fed, and backed by them!”

And continued –“ Yasin Malik has been rightly incarcerated for his and his terror organization JKLF’s seditious involvement against India, as well as the Kashmiri Hindu minority, the Pro-India liberals and Progressive Kashmiri Muslims for which a fair trial is currently underway in lower Indian courts.

The so-called “meet” attended by you and a handful of British Parliamentarians at the behest of British Mirpuri Muslims, fraudulently calling themselves –the “Kashmiris” is seen as an unnecessary interference in our affairs.

If you are sincerely interested in knowing about the Kashmiri people, talk to us – the ethnic Kashur-speaking Indian Kashmiri-Muslims and not fakes of Mirpuri Muslims of your constituency. Hope you will not use our (Kashmiri’s) plight and misery to appease the people of your constituency of Mirpuri Muslims just for petty votes and politics. In the past decades, we have suffered enough. Please leave us alone and desist from using our misfortune to further your political career.”

Signed:- Javed Ahmed Beigh, Indian ethnic Kashur-speaking Kashmiri-Muslim from Jammu and Kashmir.

Interestingly, while the British Parliamentarian Hopkins has 11.4K followers, Beigh boasts of 12.2K followers on his ‘X’ formerly, Twitter handle.

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What British MP Rachel Hopkins wrote on ‘X’?

The British MP Rachel Hopkins with her constituency from ‘Luton South’ posted- “This afternoon the JklfUk and my constituent ZafarKhanJklf held an important meeting to update us on YasinMalik’s ongoing trial and appeal against the ‘death sentence’.

I continue to stand up for #Kashmiris & their right to self-determination.

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A slew of Responses to British MP Rachel Hopkins Post on ‘X’

The ‘X’ platforms burst into counters and counter-questions & replies following British MP Rachel Hopkin’s post endorsing Yasin Malik

·        Adit Kothari, Foreign Affairs Expert countered –“Bravo @rach_hopkins! She is not only a terror apologist but also a terror enabler by endorsing the #JKLF & extremists like Yasin Malik who have executed terror activities in India & here on British soil too.   Individuals like her in politics epitomize the systemic issues we observe with British polity.

Instead of addressing the pressing needs of her constituency, which faces enormous challenges in healthcare, education, housing, & escalating religious extremism, she prioritizes promoting the politics of the Indian subcontinent on the streets of London, which will yield absolutely nothing except bolstering her political grandstanding. Now that she has done so, let’s present the facts for her academic interest & that of the extremists she associates with. Those Islamists, Pakistanis, Kashmiris, Mirpuris (who are NOT Kashmiri btw [by the way]) &, etc who advocate for a plebiscite in the state of Jammu & Kashmir should cease making a mockery of themselves & familiarise themselves with UN Resolution 47, which outlines sequential and conditional steps that consecutive Pakistani governments have failed to fulfill. Adit attached a video to his post, of a panel where a lady explains the three sequential steps to the holding of a plebiscite in Jammu Kashmir by the UN, to a questioning Pakistani man.  

·        An ‘X’ account of one Hitman reminded British Parliamentarian Hopkins about how JKLF murdered an Indian diplomat in Birmingham and noticed that Khalid Mahmood- a British MP from Birmingham was also present in the so-called meeting. The meeting held in mid-April was addressed by Hopkins, as the sole woman participant in a small group of men held in a sort of ante-room of British Parliament.

·         Winx1010 retorted: Is this your stance? @UKLabour @Keir_Starmer ?? Why are your MPs so concerned about extremists and criminals in other countries rather than being concerned about issues in the UK, when the taxpayers in the UK pay their salaries?

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Yasin Malik, JKLF, and its nefarious activities

·        JKLF murdered an Indian diplomat in 1984 Indian diplomat Ravinder Hareshwar Mhatre was murdered in 1984 by JKLF (Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front) headed by Yasin Malik.  UK MP Bob Blackman remembered and paid homage to Indian diplomat many years after he was slain stated a report by ANI. Blackman through his Twitter handle posted in Feb 2021-“Today we remember the young Indian diplomat who was kidnapped on 3^rd Feb 1984 in Birmingham by JKLF. The Kidnappers demanded 1 Million Pounds as ransom and three days later he was killed”. Mhatre was an Assistant Commissioner of the Indian High Commission in Birmingham UK. His body was found in the side streets in Birmingham. He was offered freedom by kidnappers JKLF in barter to release Maqbool Bhat –another founder of JKLF. India refused to negotiate with terrorists and Mhatre was killed. Maqbool Bhat was promptly hanged to death, five days after Diplomat Mhatr’s body was found.

·        JKLF and Yasin Malik were accused in the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed: Rubaiya the daughter of Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, Government of India,  who later became the CM of Jammu &Kashmir, was kidnapped by JKLF in December 1989. Rubaiya identified Yasin Malik as late as July 2022 as one of her key kidnappers. JKLF admitted to the crime. Five terrorists were released in exchange for the release of the Home Minister’s daughter, which gave an impetus and emboldened the terrorist movements in Kashmir, which led to years of Death,  Disaster and Downfall of Kashmir 

·        JKLF’s Yasin Malik shot four & injured 22 during a shootout at IAF: Four Indian Air Force officers were killed in a shootout on January 25, 1990, in Rawalpore on the outskirts of Srinagar and 22 others were grievously injured. One of the officers was Ravin Khan. This was one of the biggest attacks on the IAF in those times by Kashmiri terrorists. JKLF took responsibility for the shootout.

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Javed Beigh, is an Indian Kashmiri Muslim from Beerwah, a UN Orateur Ong, and an author who professes to embrace Kashmir’s vibrant mix of Hindu, Buddhist, and Sufi cultures and writes on International Relations and diplomacy. Beigh, represented India twice addressing the 54^th & 55^th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), laying bare the ground-level situation in Jammu &Kashmir.

To be continued …..

`Whacky idea’ by Canadian Police constable on ‘car thefts’ makes world hysterical with laughter / Greater Jammu / Rashmi Talwar

`Whacky idea’ by Canadian Police constable on ‘car thefts’ makes the world hysterical with laughter

Rashmi Talwar

TORONTO (CANADA) 29th March 2024———————-  

Vehicle theft has become the biggest headache for the Canadian Police. Car thefts have caused billions for Canada in insurance money. However, a Police Service Constable, rattled by the increasing number of vehicle thefts came up with a bizarre idea. The idea purportedly got floated during a meeting discussing safety and security. Canadian Police Constable Marco Ricciardi of Toronto Police Service, at a Community Safety meeting in Etobicoke, Greater Toronto came up with a weird solution of “leaving the car keys out at the ‘Front Door’ to avoid being attacked in the home, by a car thief during a break-in”. In his own words, Ricciardi says- “To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your ‘fobs’ or Electronic Keys, on your front door.  They break into your homes to steal your car, they don’t want anything else! A lot of them have guns and they are not toy guns, they are loaded!” he said with a straight face to an audience comprising of the best of men and women in Canadian policing.

Places in Canada like Alberta, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto are bustling with immigrant populations from countries worldwide, majorly from India in recent years particularly Punjabi from North India and the Gujarati community. The rate of car thefts is alarming in a developed country like Canada. CFLA (Canadian Finance and Leasing Association) says a vehicle is lifted every 40 minutes. In the USA, a vehicle is stolen every 36 seconds according to the National Geographic documentary –“Smuggling Stolen Cars”. The investigative documentary names  New Jersey in the USA as the stolen car capital of the world, In India the figure of car theft is one car every 12 minutes, mostly in major cities like Delhi, Bombay, Chennai, and Kolkatta.

Before the abrogation of Article 370 in the year 2019, the State of Jammu & Kashmir purportedly was considered the safest haven for stolen vehicles in North India. Stolen vehicles brought to J&K were resold and often used for terrorist activities in the turmoil-ridden Indian state, bordering Pakistan. The vehicles are given tampering, alterations, and erased of all markings before selling them in the bustling second-hand car markets and dealers.  In contrast, cars stolen in Canada undergo no major alternation in stolen Canadian cars, other than to disconnect GPS, unhinge the Bluetooth, etc. They bring the stolen vehicle to the nearest port to be lifted into waiting containers and transported to port cities on other continents.

However a developed country like Canada that is technologically advanced, where laws are extremely stringent and implemented to a high degree, it seems that Canadian police surrendered on policing and shifted the onus of safety and security onto car owners, showing itself to be helpless, says a resident of Toronto, after the video of Ricciardi became viral world over. “It’s policing that needs to be hauled up and the fear of the law has to be effective!”  he added. Canadians are asking if there is a car theft epidemic in Canada. Car thefts have undoubtedly escalated to “national crisis” levels, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, an industry group, which said insurers paid a record 1.2 billion Canadian dollars, or about USD 890 million, in theft claims in 2022. For victims, it’s a dizzying, and traumatizing, experience to lose their vehicle/car.

Reactions on multiple fronts

·         Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto told the CBC News TV channel that the solution to car theft can be curbed by ‘Killing the source’  which meant tightening the reins and scanning sea-bound containers, especially in Montreal Port of Canada by spot random checking.

·         Vancouver Sun wrote about High-tech car theft where crooks were using sophisticated technology to program their key fobs, often in just minutes. It added that “Thieves break into a vehicle; they plug into the diagnostics port under the dash and download information that lets them program a key fob or the electronic key- to operate the vehicle.

·         Bryan Gast Equite Association Ontario Canada wrote on his ‘X” handle that stolen vehicles were being used as getaway vehicles for crime and funding terrorism and drugs in the country.

·         Sky News Australian  TV on its program “The Outsiders” the three panelists made much fun of Ricciardi and jutted in – “Put all the jewelry on the porch outside- why even that leave your front door open! The message and its optics are not correct – it kind of gives the impression, hey! We have put our hands up! And now make it easy for thieves to take your car! Inserted one of the panelists.

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Hilarious bits fly on social media after Marco Ricciardi’s ‘bizarre’ suggestion

According to the Canadian constable-“The thief merely attempts a break into a house, to get his hands on the car- keys!” This suggestion tickled the funny bone not only in Toronto but the entire world. In the time the video of constable Ricciardi became viral, spoofs mimics, and GIFs had a field day on every social networking site evoking gurgling laughter for humanity, in the somewhat tensed universe what with booming guns in Ukraine and Russia and raging bombings in Israel Hamas Palestine conflict.

·         Promptly after the video went viral one resident announced on a video on ‘X’ formerly Twitter, that he stuck a note on his car for the potential thief that the car keys are in the ignition and the thief can safely drive away the car and cause no harm to the owner.

·         One made a video spoof of adding two teacups, some cookies, and a sugar bowl with silver spoons along with the key, so if the thief felt like, he could have a tea party with his partner along with getting a newly stolen car.

·         A farmer made a video putting two of his chickens in a cage along with car keys as a takeaway gift for car thieves.

·         Toronto Sun reported: Cops tell the public, to surrender, and leave car keys at the door.

·         A victim of car theft of three of his cars, made an elaborate video showing how he has learned a lesson at the suggestion of the Toronto police department especially by Marco Ricciardi, and will now prevent being attacked in case of 4^th or 5^th theft of his cars. In the video he shows a ‘Welcome Sign’ along with a selection of two car keys for the car robbers to choose from, a bowl of snacks, and cookies, some jelly beans and gummies, some grab-and-go drinks, and assures that everything is allergy-free, so the thief can have a hearty meal and drive away in luxury!” and adds -“ I will make sure that the front entrance is super clean so that the thief may not slip and trip and his whole operation is successful”. In the end thanking the Toronto chief for this ‘brilliant’ suggestion!”

Vehicles are stolen and are immediately shipped to various destinations around the world where these cars land up using Canadian number plates

Nearly 3000 vehicles were stolen in Ontario province in the past seven weeks out of which only 157 have been found. High-end vehicles are stolen, found in sea cans, to port cities, the money funding other crimes.

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Methods to prevent

1.      Devices steering lock club is a functional deterrent

2.      Car manufacturers should produce Foolproof computer assisted fob to prevent hacking

3.      Put car-fob or electronic key using a Faraday pouch, and close it firmly, it prevents radio frequency from emitting

4.      Steering wheel club lock another known barrier for car theft.

5.      Aftermarket immobilizer is also effective

6.      Onboard diagnostic port lock that prevents plugging in and reprogramming

7.      Sensor lights in the driveway for odd hours

8. Low-fitted home cameras 10-12 feet best for optimum video quality

Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Acura, Land Rover, SUVs, are the preferred cars to steal in Canada

In India is Maruti Swift, Wagon R, Honda City, i10, Hyundai Creta, Hyundai Grand, and Maruti Dzire are high on the list of stolen cars

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4 Ways to track a stolen car:

·         How to Locate a Stolen Car by License Plate Number

When a car is reported as stolen, the police will request the vehicle’s make, model, and license plate number, which is then flagged to local patrol cars and surveillance cameras on the entry-exit route or nakas.

·         How to locate the car using a pre-installed GPS tracker?

Tracking systems are available on a monthly subscription. To install a tracker, it needs to be fitted to the car and synced to a mobile device. The car’s movement speed and whereabouts are tracked and recorded for a set period.

·         How to Track a Stolen Car with Bluetooth

If a car connects to a phone via Bluetooth tracker, try connecting to the car to see if it is in range. Find the location using a pre-installed Bluetooth tracking system.

If it doesn’t connect, Bluetooth may have been disabled.

·         How to Locate a Stolen Car by VIN

If a thief has maintenance work or repairs done to be done legitimately on a stolen car, they must provide the vehicle’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Obtaining the car’s VIN history reveals the activity relating to the thief. This information can be passed on to the police.

Hamilton, Etobicoke, Toronto Vancouver, Quebec, license plates of Canada are common in Ghana as seen in an investigative documentary on CBC TV

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The writer can be reached at rashmitalwarno1@gmail.com

Noshaba Shehzad Exclusive Interview/ Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu/

Is  Pakistan leaning on Minority Community  Tourism to beat its Economic Woes?

Rashmi Talwar 

DATELINE AMRITSAR  25th November 2023- 

Noshaba Shehzad Exclusive Interview

Pakistan recently launched an Online Booking Portal for Sikhs. Religious Tourism was a golden chance that Pakistan hardly looked at other than the designated sites via protocol between the two neighbouring and estranged countries. But a woman amidst restrictive lines of religion and patriarchy Noshaba Shehzad not only took notice of this precious Tiara studded with gems of historicity of minority religious shrines but fine-tuned it from Government-planned poor man’s pilgrimage to luxury tourism for all kinds of Traveller and pilgrim pockets. She thus strode tall as the First and Only Woman Travel facilitator for Sikh & Heritage Tourism of Pakistan. Noshaba from Lahore Pakistan traced her path-breaking journey in a talk with Senior Journalist RASHMI TALWAR   from AMRITSAR.

Q Noshaba, as a Muslim woman what gave you the courage to break the glass ceiling, and enter an un-trodden path by any woman in Pakistan to frame a niche pilgrimage and heritage tourism for members of the minority communities, as first woman ‘tourism operator’?

Ans: This wasn’t easy; it was just the right timing that flew the winds in my favour. I was already bestowed with the title of Pioneer Woman of Pakistan in International Business dealing with the export of agricultural products. I thus became the only woman in the Pak International Trade Delegations who accompanied the Prime Minister to other countries. It wasn’t that I was included like a ‘trophy’ businesswoman to show off the inclusion of a female, I was a value-added businesswoman in a rock-solid export field. When Pakistan PM Imran Khan, a former Cricket Captain, focussed on the long-term demand of India for a ‘visa-free’ corridor to Kartarpur Sahib, after his commitment to fellow Indian Cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, then MP from Indian Punjab, he urged me to look at Tour operations for Sikh community. This suggestion coming from the PM was also supported by my family, especially my husband. With tremendous amounts of effort in a man’s field, I became the first woman Tour operator with niche tourism in Religious and Punjab Heritage Tourism which no man in Pakistan had done before. I was fascinated by our ancestral home at Talagang near Islamabad where rich Hindus and Sikh families once lived. The area was thus sprinkled with buildings belonging to Hindu and Sikh communities. One lane was named Gali Sethian (the Rich) of wealthy Hindus. Surrounded by this heritage, I drew upon my agricultural background to locate places of heritage value. Alongside as an agricultural expert check-listing cash crops for export to various countries from lush field produce from lands in Pakistan’s rural belt, I was already familiar and grounded in the vast lands that still held the remnants of the rich architectural past that formed into stories that my grandmother told me of pre-partition times to lull me to sleep and I felt, it was providential. –“That Agricultural and architectural Heritage have a great connection!” That’s how my beautiful Heritage buildings and grandmother’s stories gave me a new track to walk on.

Q. Why did you choose to be a Tour Operator for minority heritage and shrines, what was your attraction for a non-Muslim community?

Ans: “As a kid I felt a deep and hidden vibrancy of multi-cultural living of yore, emerging from our agricultural lands. It was no coincidence that we lived in a house owned by a rich Hindu family post-Indo-Pak Partition. I grew up listening to stories from My father Malik M Siddique Alvi and my grandmother about collective living from all religious backgrounds and respecting each other’s identities and sensitivities. My father too was exceptional and open-minded, he was the first in these parts to complete Electronic Engineering in 1957 from the USA. One day he had to break the news of the death of a colleague to his bereaved wife and parents, and so went to his village. The news of the death of a husband didn’t register at all with his wife who didn’t even know her husband’s name and was unaffected by the news, like an innocent child. She felt nothing around and roamed around quite unaware of her future. That incident struck my father to the core and he laid great store in the education of his three daughters. This led to each of us studying up to university levels and rising up to higher education abroad.

All three of us rose in a life enriched by the liberal mind of a father, and I ascended as a businesswoman, my sister is a doctor and another sister is a lawyer cum engineer. 

Q How do all the accolades of being the first woman walking a unique path sit with you? You won several awards, any award that really makes you proud?

ANS: Yes I am the first woman agricultural exporter, first woman trade expert, and business entrepreneur. And yes I am humbled by the FOA (Food and Agriculture Organisation) Award bestowed upon me by the United Nations with an International focus on ‘Beating world Hunger’. My father actually encouraged me to take on the reins of Agriculture. Today I export citrus, mangoes, Potatoes, Maize, pulses, Himalayan Salt, a complete range from industrial salt to edible salt, spa range, carved items, and others. It feels as if I am fulfilling my father’s dream of being an empowered daughter. My sister as an International lawyer takes care of the logistics of international Business. 

Q. Perhaps the Pakistani government took a leaf out of your recipe book of Tourism and spread its arms to launch the first-ever Online Portal for Sikh Heritage is it true? Describe your interest and format on Heritage Tours

The government of Pakistan’s gesture of opening its arms to Tourism for Heritage and Minorities areas is a huge step forward in improving relations with other countries, especially India, and also spells economic growth for Pakistan. My special area of interest and Tourism thrust is heritage, history, and religious tourism, which demands time, effort, and historical verification every step of the way. It has been difficult as things are not documented; records are absent so have taken the initiative to record history and format it, but all the same a very fulfilling and joyous journey of mine to unravel the stories of yesteryears.  I also went to the US and Canada based on the information and historical facts that we collected to attract religious Tourism to our country. I delivered lectures on the Tourism of Minorities.

Hindus have a massive and unexplored heritage. Sindh, Lahore surroundings for example, Khushab, and Kesar valley, are some unexplored places of heritage. World’s greatest migration took place in 1947 between India and Pakistan and those tangible remnants of people who left are still surviving even after 76 years. I have uniquely formatted my Tour in sites with unique programs, itinerary, and design that connects them with more stories and places of heritage importance. I want this history to pop out of books into the open and be witnessed. When visitation becomes regular and frequent to these places the government too will wake up to their potential and help with their preservation and conservation, also accrue commercial benefits to the country. I broad-based my work through,-‘The Lahore Chamber of Commerce’, besides writing about them as an authorized operator by the government.

We have consultant historians attached for example for the history of Jhelum; I consult Khalid Sarwar, a historian attached to the government, and historian Mirza Beg. I explore and research from other sources to authenticate these histories in consultation with freelance historian Imran William attached with us. This is my favorite baby in my vast field of work. I learn a lot from historians examining bricks, building materials, design, and usage, it is the most interesting field I could have ever asked for from my Upparwala.

Alongside we enjoin a cultural treat in the evenings giving employment to artists of that area. In some packages, we arrange a meeting with the village’s elder or Wadera or Jirga head, familiar with the area of interest.

Q Can you familiarize us with some heritage buildings in Pakistan?

ANS:  As per Sikh Heritage 345 Gurdwaras exist, 135 are historical while 25-26 are functional. Pakistan has 6 UNESCO sites of minority community heritage including Taxila, Takht-i-Bahi Buddhist Monastery, Dharmarajka Stupa, and Monastery. Katas Raj is world famous Hindu site in Pakistan and Smadhi Atma Ram ji has recently been highlighted in Gujranwala. There are countless Mandirs in every city, we can’t even count them. All are historical and unexplored.     

Q. Did Kartarpur Sahib move the wheels in the direction of Minority Heritage Tourism?

ANS: Earlier Katarpur Sahib Initiative brought a massive change, there were people-to-people interactions, misunderstandings, and fears came to rest. There were closures to the pain of separation and loss for several separated families that met from either side of the Radcliff line at this Gurdwara.

Kartarpur sahib boosted not only Sikh Tourism but also made space for Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist tourism as well, in Pakistan. More ways are being tracked for these communities. After the forthcoming Gurpurb, my focus will turn to Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu heritage and tourism. 

I have been working on those tracks for years, Jain living in Dubai. Plus, Buddhists and Hindus are far more than the Sikh population that comes for pilgrimage and tourism. Just like Sikh tourism for which I have worked on their history, itinerary, plans, lesser-known places, details, and Heritage, they want me to format the same way for their communities. What is of utmost interest is that my package offers to facilitate their travel including assisting in granting visas to various areas of Heritage and Tourist interest. As you already know visa is an issue, especially for Indians as per the current situation prevalent in both countries. I get feelers especially from Dubai by the Jain community in Dubai, who wish to visit many of their sites that are in Pakistan.

Q You have helped many partition victims from India to visit their ancestral homes, is it true?

ANS: To help victims of partition to revisit their memories gives me immense pleasure. It is greatly fulfilling and you say –‘good karma’. Recently it was 90 yr Reena Chibber Varma who visited her ancestral home in Rawalpindi after 75 years and was helped by India Pakistan Heritage Club members that number thousands and also by me,  it is my life’s mission to help Indians who had fled Pakistan after Partition see their old homes. This interest developed from the painful stories of the Partition I hear from my father who died last November aged 90. He used to remember Shakuntala, his 16-year-old neighborhood friend, every day. When the exodus started, Shakuntala hid our family home for three days. She was found in our house. But our family could not keep her as it was illegal, and she was unwilling to leave. She had to be forcefully transported to a camp amid tears and cries from both sides. My father never forgot that. When I traveled abroad extensively to study agriculture in foreign universities, I made a lot of Indian friends, and most of them had painful memories to share. I have a special affinity for these crumbling bricks of fallen walls that speak to me of the sheer pain forced to leave their homes and hearth forever.

Q Were you invited for consultation when Pakistan started the Sikh Yatri portal?

ANS:  No. We only came to know through the news; that no private stakeholders were invited for discussion only Sikh community representatives were taken on board.

Q India Pakistan Heritage Club is also at the forefront of bringing together lost families. Are they helpful to you?

ANS: India Pakistan Heritage Club on the popular social networking site Facebook was started by Imran Williams and Zahid Karmanwala of Pakistan and has more than 1.45 lakh members from both nations. The group has been deleted by Facebook three times and came up again and again with its loyal membership and more.

“Interacting in this group, I realized how desperately people longed to come to Pakistan. I also met a lot of pilgrims from India at the Kartarpur corridor. Many of them, particularly the older lot, cry and beg to be taken to their ancestors’ place from there. It’s all so traumatic,”

For some of the members I arranged and facilitated a tour with security to Kasur, Lahore, and Gujranwala

Q Any particular story of any recent family of victims coming to see their ancestral place?

ANS: There are many- Parag Sehgal, 41, of Chandigarh, went numb when he scratched a dusty portion of his ancestral Haveli’s outer wall in the year 2022 in Lahore’s Model Town area in ruins but fits the memory of his grandmother as she described it.

GS Batra from Amritsar an 88-year-old on his return from Pakistan called his visit a much-needed closure about his house in Tamman village, near a Gurdwara, a spring flowing along it. ‘My life’s final wish has been fulfilled. I met the son of my father’s best friend Hayat Khan who became a Pakistan minister in the 1960s and hosted lunch for me. Noshaba arranged everything,” he said. This is my ultimate fulfilling moment.

Q Time is running out for that first generation of displaced men and women, should India and Pakistan take a humanitarian stand once again and let them visit ‘Visaless’. What is your view?

ANS: Most of the first-generation migrants with memories of undivided India are above 80 and within these bitter relations visas are becoming nearly impossible. I feel both governments setting aside differences must step in before it’s too late to restart visa-less travel for senior citizens and on priority the partition victims. I vociferously raise my voice for visa-less travel for senior citizens and especially for those having homes on either side of the border. ‘They are in the twilight of their lives, give them their dreams as a parting gift’, I urge both governments.

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PART –II

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Pakistan launches Online Booking Portal for Sikhs, Takes cue from Private Travel operators

The first-ever “Booking Portal for Sikhs” was inaugurated by Pakistan Punjab’s caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. This, especially for those on pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib and other sacred Gurdwaras was being seen by Indian experts as a positive step towards building up a failing economy of Pakistan through legit means and using its precious heritage assets to attract worldwide tourism.

“It’s a groundbreaking religious Tourism program designed to facilitate Sikh pilgrims” announced the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab in Lahore Pakistan. The portal will facilitate hotel bookings and security services portal for Sikhs from India and the globe, during pilgrimage to their heritage and holy sites sprinkled across Pakistan.

The first religious tourism program was launched to promote interfaith harmony. Through this portal, Sikhs from around the world can make hotel bookings, as well as hiring security services, arrange transportation, and make their pilgrimage planning more efficient. Also, the privilege of a VIP status, during their visit when booked through the government-launched Portal. This will ensure a seamless obstacle-free experience, alongside, an additional facility of a friendly Tourism police at hand to extend support during any difficulty. 

CM Punjab Mohsin Naqvi stated that Sikh pilgrims will receive warm hospitality and the inclusion of security services ensures a safe and secure journey and would be accorded a VIP status for a fulfilling and memorable experience during their tour to Pakistan. He added, that there would be provided the facility of a friendly tourism police, for support.

Dr Mimpal Singh – a member of the Parbandhak Committee – expressed gratitude for the establishment of the Sikh Yatra Booking Portal and lauded CM Naqvi’s efforts in this initiative.

Dr Mimpal, is the distinguished first ‘Sikh’ to become a doctor in Pakistan, a pediatrics specialty; the owner of “Sardar Ji Child Health Care Clinic” and Assistant Prof in Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, Punjab Pakistan. He is also a member of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee PSGPC.  

While welcoming the facility wholeheartedly, he said-“According to India Pakistan agreed Protocol, Sikhs and Hindus visit Religious Shrines in Pakistan, and Muslims visit their shrines in India. Sikhs are allowed four visits a year. With the inauguration of this portal, the Sikh pilgrimage would become more convenient for our community. The pilgrims will cherish their visits to Pakistan and return as goodwill ambassadors.,” Dr Mimpal while acknowledging the proactive approach and the online portal as a significant step towards strengthening cultural ties and promoting religious tourism in Pakistan”, said.

Saifullah Khokhar Deputy Secretary of Administration Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara Pakistan while talking to this writer from Narowal said the Pilgrimage Portal doesn’t apply today to pilgrims from India as no visa is required and only a permit is required for this Yatra that commenced in year 2019. But for those coming on a full-fledged pilgrimage or tour of religious and heritage sites which includes Kartarpur Sahib, the Government of Pakistan has recently made massive arrangements for nearly 2500 pilgrims at a time. This facility was created since the area possesses no worthwhile private accommodation for stay. On the land belonging to the Gurdwara, as many as 20 large halls were built for accommodation and a 40-bedded VIP space is also provided.  

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No new passports for Pakistanis

Incidentally, while Pakistan is going all out to woo the Sikh community and looking at Tourism in a wider perspective for worldwide attraction, in their own country, Pakistani citizens are having great difficulty in obtaining new passports.

Regrettably, it is a minor issue that has become monumental with the country running short on lamination papers that are imported from France. The Pak government, thus records a  backlog of around seven lakh unprinted passports, putting Pakistanis’ dreams of traveling abroad at a standstill. Pakistan’s Passport offices continue to receive applications, according to Express Tribune, despite having been warned that they will be unable to deliver the documents on time due to a shortage of lamination papers.

Many a dream of studying abroad Pak students who qualified seem to be on hold. Moreover travel for business, tourism, families, and friends reuniting all are stalled.

On the other hand, the applications filed by the citizens for new passport has increased significantly. As per ‘Daily Pakistan’ the figure received by the Department of Passport is at 20,000 to 30,000 passport applications per day. Currently, the figure looms at 40,000 daily, despite applicants being warned by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports of their inability to deliver the documents on time due to a shortage of lamination papers.

The prime reason for the spike in the number of applicants is the economic woes being faced by Pak youth forcing them to seek study and consequently migrate for better job opportunities abroad.‘Times of Karachi’, reports a backlog of seven lakh unprinted passports pending and has no clue when the pendency will improve.  Back in the year 2013, passport printing in Pakistan took a similar hit due to the department owing money to printers and thus a fall in adequate lamination papers.

When asked about DGI&P’s inefficiency, Qadir Yar Tiwana, Director General for Media of the Ministry of Interior, the parent ministry of DGI&P, is known to have said, “The situation will soon be under control.” According to a senior officer of the passport office in Peshawar, they can currently only process 12 to 13 passports each day, compared to 3,000 to 4,000 earlier, and they have no clue when the pendency would be improved.

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Is Pakistan arming Israel against Hamas? / Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu

Is Pakistan arming Israel against Hamas?

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 18^TH November 2023—       

Is Pakistan supplying weapons to Israel even as pro-Palestinian rallies are taking place in its streets? If reports are to be believed a third-world South Asian country championing the Palestinian cause and vociferously condemning Israel for years could be supplying weapons to Israel.

Israel has sworn a violent takeover of Gaza through the elimination of Hamas from the face of Earth. Israel followed this declaration, with non-stop bombardment of Gaza since the 7^th of October’s horrendous attack by Hamas on its soil. Hamas- a designated terrorist wing of Palestine is known to have laid around 500 Km of secret tunnels to carry out offensives against Israel.

An open intelligence source, that became viral on social networking sites -on ‘X’ claims that Pakistan is the South Asian supplier supplying the 155mm shells to the state of Israel. This claim by the ‘X’ handle made public, is not possible to verify. Incidentally, I55mm shells are the same ones that Israel is using in its unrelenting offensive against Hamas near the Gaza Strip.

These shells emerge in many countries that are using military equipment supplied by the USA.  Experts say the 155mm artillery provides a good balance between range and warhead size and Pakistan Ordinance Factory produces these shells in bulk.

It is no secret that Israel has been sourcing weapons to bombard Hamas in Gaza from many countries. The USA has been Israel’s staunchest ally and biggest supplier of weapons. These arms are being used by Israel against Hamas/ Palestine. However, the question remains how Pakistani arms are reaching Israel given that Pakistan is a theological staunch Muslim state that was born after a bloody partition from India on the sole agenda of being a separate country for the Muslim community. 

The ‘X’ account making the claim has given four graphic maps showing the exact route that is taken by Pakistan arms to reach Israel. The first one was a British Air Force RRR6664/5 flight that flew from Bahrain to Nur Khan Base, in Pakistan’s garrison town of Rawalpindi, and then from Bahrain, it left for Duqm city in Oman to Cyprus’s Allied Base and from there on the weapons were exported to the state of Israel.

This is not the first time that Pakistan‘s name has cropped up for supplying 155mm shells to many other countries. Ukraine too is using these very shells in its war with Russia. Pakistan is known to have supplied this very model of shells to Ukrainian troops even as Pakistan is known to have conducted mock war drills with Russia.

Pakistan is completely in denial about these allegations. These particular 155 shells have been critical for Ukraine on the Russian war front. The shells have been critical in the war in Ukraine. They are used in Howitzer a system that uses precision guided system. At one point they had been firing where 7000 to 9000 shells a day. These shells helped Ukraine to strike targets up to 24 to 32 Km away. It is being reported that at the moment Ukraine has been facing a depletion of its Pakistan-made shells while the war is still going on. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy specifically referred to the 155mm shells that were used in the Southern offensive as having a slowdown because of a short supply of these from America. And when the Americans had a shortfall in their ammunition stock they started sourcing these shells from different countries including South Korea and Pakistan and now it is reportedly being said that America is giving these shells to Israel for them to be used against Palestinians and Hamas.

Incidentally, most of Pakistan’s artillery is Soviet based which serves as the more uniform format of artillery in Central Asia and the countries of the Middle East. Pertinently Israel’s military equipment is mostly US-based and the 155mm shells are a mandatory part of its ammunition stockpile.

This report by an intelligence source was reportedly leaked hours after the arrival of Britain’s Army’s chief of the General Staff Sir Patrick Sander, who arrived in Pakistan as a part of the UK’s commitment to maintain good defense relations with Pakistan. So far both countries are yet to collect and connect their heads at a denial or acceptance of these reports about Pakistan’s supply of 155 mm shells.

Having a shortage of these shells US is procuring these shells from Pakistan and South Korea and passing them on to its allies i.e. Ukraine and Israel. The shell can turn deadly and can be packed with highly explosive material is the reason why the 155 mm shell in a Howitzer round is so crucial and lethal in its use.

The intelligence source has given a graphic description of the route taken from Pakistan to send supplies for Israel which shows the routes, the Equipment listed as C17(ZZ176), Aircraft: Boeing-C-174 Globemaster- III At Barometric Altitude 27,000ft with Ground Speed: 471 kts and Track 46degree. The graphic seems to be taken from the flight LED screen on Saturday -11^th November at 11.33 UTC. Two of the four graphics are dated 11^th November, one is dated 13^th November and another on 14^th November from Duqm to Cairo.  

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Pro-Hamas Protestor tears down American flags in New York, America / Rashmi Talwar

Pro-Hamas Protestor tears down American flags in New York, America

Calls for Trump to rise in America!

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 13^th November 2023-

The 59^th Street Lexington Avenue, New York USA, Upper East side of Manhattan Borough of New York City was lined with protestors shouting slogans – ‘Takbeer!’ generally followed by Allah O Akbar! But instead of the usual follow-up of the slogan, something else was visible to protestors that took their focus.  Lexington Avenue is the 14^th busiest subway station in America with thousands of passengers passing it every single day. But this day, Lexington was swarming with protestors in favour of Palestine and Hamas in the ongoing war against Israel.

Alongside the protestors, one could see NYPD abbreviated uniforms of (the New York Police Department) moving in a loose human chain along the Lexington Avenue Crossing. The police seem to remain mute spectators to the ongoing sacrilege of the Nation’s flag.  They are seen looking up on the pole amidst Pro-Hamas slogans freely shouted as three shrouded figures climb the pole and one of them tears one American flag and then the second  American flag.    The Shrouded figure is able to pull down two American flags one after the other and unable to pull down a third one, installed on a pole standing in the heart of the busiest and most glamourous city of the world.  Three American flags are seen to flutter on the street pole alongside a Palestinian flag as well as other flags. Below these flags is the clear direction board reading “Lexington Ave”.

“The police are just a mute spectator to the national insult to the flag of the United States of America in its own country and not elsewhere in some other nation,” one comments. The Pro Hamas protestors carry boards of Free Palestine and a flutter of Palestinian flags is seen in the bursting crowd. The video is posted by @TimesAlgebraIND.

Comments came fast and furious as one posted “NYPD must show their strength here than in the movies !”, (referring to the popular TV series NYPD). Comments were tagging @RealDonaldTrump and drawing his attention to the insult of America and some were commenting on former US president -Trump’s Roar versus that of present US President, Biden.

Twitter now ‘X’ was abuzz with this National insult and shame while there was no stopping the Tweetrati comments marking the police personnel in pictures showing their mute watch. One calling out “How many American Soldiers since independence had died for the flag? Now Americans are just watching how it has been desecrated right in front of the whole world. Wow!” Another wrote, “Wow, evil becoming gutsy!!”

One Indian commented –“USA allows other country’s flags to be burned in their country, now they get it back with interest! Well Done Biden – Let your eyes Widen!”

Yet another wrote –“US doesn’t need Russia, Iran or China to hit. Its Insiders have proved they can bring down the US flag standing on US soil! India has been bleeding by such snakes.”

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Trump leads in 5 critical states in USA, voters blast Biden                           

Former US President Donald J Trump known for his tough stands is catching the American voters’ imaginations in five battleground states of America emboldening poll Pandits to predict another presidential term for Trump in Poll-2024 writes Shane Goldmacher in in New York Times. Trump is high on the popularity chart on key issues of handling the economy, the age factor of Biden, and his other soft pedals on key issues.  Including- the Afghan pullout, handling of Ukraine, and intelligence failure in Israel.

Five out of six states give Trump a lead with the highest by the state of Nevada, followed by Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania while Biden leads only in Wisconsin.

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Cocaine Gangster HS Uppal shot dead by unknown in Canada / Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu

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Cocaine Gangster HS Uppal shot dead by unknown in Canada

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 13^TH November 2023—–

In another Gangster Hardeep S Nijjer- like mysterious assassination assassins shot down Gangster Harpreet Singh Uppal in broad daylight, in Canada. Uppal, a Leader of “Brothers Keeper” Gang, and his 11-year-old son were shot dead in Edmonton, Canada in a Gangwar. H S Uppal was described as a “higher-level figure” in the organized crime scene in Canada. “While police in Canada remained helpless clueless!”, one Canadian remarked online.  

Uppal was already facing charges of Cocaine possession, trafficking, and illegal possession of body armour.          Police caught hold of the video clip of the killing incident and it seemed the son was intentionally killed so as not to leave any witness of the killing in broad daylight, experts observed. 

The report was posted by a mediaperson Norbet Elikes, on his blue tick-marked account with 30K followers including being followed by the account of “Indian Stats and Index”.

A 0.34-second video clip shows the fleeing of the suspect. Alongside it is the mug picture of HS Uppal.

The killing comes just a day after Diwali when Indian Hindus and Sikhs raised Indian flags in the streets of Mississauga in Toronto suburbs in Canada and outnumbered and outshouted Khalistani Sikhs carrying their yellow flags, on the auspicious occasion of Diwali.

A social networker commented about the increasing sheltering of Gangs in Canada as -“what goes around, comes around.” Referring to Canada’s free reign to Khalistanis to insult and threaten Indian High Officials. Another asked, “Where are the ‘five eyes’?”  Referring to the sharpshooter intelligence network, of five countries caucus,  viz-a-viz the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Another Twitterati commented “Canada becoming a haven for Gangs to thrive and wage gangwars “Yeah, looks like a drug deal gone wrong!”

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Punjabi-Canadian organized crime data and influence

Indo-Canadian organized crime or Punjabi-Canadian organized crime is made up predominantly of young adults and teenagers of Indian Punjabi ethnic, cultural, and linguistic background, typically ethnic Jat Sikhs.

Collectively, these groups are among the top 5 major home-grown organized crime hierarchy across the nation in Canada coming in 3rd place, after the “Asian Triads” and “White biker gangs”.

 The 2004 British Columbia Annual Police Report ranked them third in terms of organization and sophistication in British Columbia, ranked behind outlaw motorcycle clubs and Chinese criminal organizations such as the Triads drug clans.

They Control the Territory of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Yukon, Washington, and Alaska and their areas of Influence in the USA are Nova Scotia, California, Oregon, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona. In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Italy, Greece, Russia, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador with minor connections in  Spain, Germany, France, Africa, India, United Arab Emirates.

They are mostly of Indian Punjabi-Canadian Sikh ethnicity. And are reported to indulge in Criminal activities of Assassination, drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, weapon trafficking, illegal gambling, robbery, chop shop, assault, loan sharking, racketeering, extortion, contract killing, and kidnapping according to Wikipedia.

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India rejects the implementation of parity in diplomatic strength, as a violation of International law / Rashmi Talwar/ Greater Jammu

India rejects the implementation of parity in diplomatic strength, as a violation of International law

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR October 20^th 2023—–

In a scathing statement, India rejected any attempt by Canada to portray it in bad light or insinuate that India had violated any International law. A number of career diplomats and experts in International relations have expressed their points of assent and dissent on Twitter X platforms over the last many days. However, in the absence of any formal clearance from the Indian Government of a violation probability or improbability, the negative narrative was gaining steam.

Today, the Indian Foreign Office scotched all rumors and half-truths with the release of a formal official statement. In it, Delhi wrote in no uncertain terms that it was not violating any International Law by giving the marching orders to the Canadian diplomats and demanding parity in numbers in consonance with the number of Indian diplomats in Indian Missions in Canada. Delhi even expressed its ire and accused Canadian diplomats of their continued interference in the internal affairs of India and thus justified its demand to reduce their presence in the country’s mission offices.

Below is the verbatim statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Parity in Canadian diplomatic presence in India

We have seen the Statement by the Government of Canada on October 19 regarding Canadian diplomatic presence in India.

The state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.

We have been engaged with the Canadian side on this over the last month in order to work out the details and modalities of its implementation.

Our actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states the following:

“In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.”

We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms.

New Delhi

October 20, 2023

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Canadian FM faces a volley of questions on evidence sharing about  ‘Indian agents’ involvement in the killing of designated Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada

Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly faced criticism for evading a direct question regarding the sharing of evidence with the Indian government on its alleged involvement in the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. During a press briefing, Melaine failed to clarify whether evidence was provided to India or not. She instead clarified in a roundabout way saying-  “We had numerous conversations with India before the (Canadian)  PM went in front of the house (Canadian Parliament) and made his declaration!”

“But did you show them the evidence, you are basing your claim on, you are not answering the question?”

And Melaine answered –“Through these different conversations the Indian officials were made aware of the “credible allegations” and so based on that,  India has decided to take their own decisions which are “precedent–setting” including  revoking the diplomatic immunity of 41 Canadian diplomats  which is not only ‘unprecedented’ but also contrary to ‘International law’ so in that sense because this is so unprecedented, so many countries’ diplomats around the world are in danger, we decided not to reciprocate.”

Joly was caught totally off guard when repeatedly asked – “But you’re not answering the question directly on that point?” Joly asserted –“I have answered your question – you asked me a question whether we had a conversation and presented evidence, I told you there were meetings and information was shared.” Question: “You (Joly) personally went to Washington and spoke to the Indian Foreign Minister, if you could confirm that to us; what is the tenor of the diplomatic conversation  (with India) is it still ongoing or is it over?

To which Joly answered –“Well, I always believe in diplomacy and so much that diplomacy is best when it is kept private. So I will continue to do that (Keep it private) and I know that my colleague as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Dr S Jaishankar) can count on me to make sure that we continue to engage and I ask for full cooperation.”

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Delays in Visas for Indians: Canada

Canada on Thursday stated a slowdown in its visa applications for Indians, as 41 Canadian diplomats were removed from India in the midst of the continuing logjam between the two countries. This was following India’s intent to unilaterally remove immunity for all 41 Canadian diplomats but 21, in Delhi by October 20^th.

Ottawa informed that ‘Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was reducing its number of employees in India to five from 27. “The statement from IRCC stated to continue to accept and process applications from India but reduced staffing levels were expected to impact processing times”.  Authorities however assured that the Canada-based IRCC staff will do the day-to-day work required in the country.

In early October India asked Canada to withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats in India failing which their diplomatic immunity will be withdrawn. This is being seen as a further escalation of the diplomatic spat over the murder of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar, shot outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey BC Canada on June 18^th.

Two months after this killing Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau on September 18th alleged a “potential link” between the killing and  Indian government agents. India promptly dismissed the accusations as absurd and motivated. However, the issue which was on a diplomatic level was brought openly on the floor of the Canadian Parliament by its PM which triggered a diplomatic pandora between the two countries. Which led to expulsions of each other’s senior diplomats. Stung by ‘baseless and evidence-less’ allegations India subsequently further suspended all visa services for Canadian nationals and asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country. Adding that after October 20, India will remove all diplomatic immunity for all but 21 Canadian diplomats in the Canadian Mission locations in India”

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Diplomacy’ played on the ‘Visa Chessboard’/ Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu

Diplomacy’ played on the ‘Visa Chessboard’

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 28th OCTOBER 2023—- It was a week of throwing the VISA dice. There was no ‘blind’ turn on the Global chessboard of nations but sure-shot international diplomacy at play. The visa intrigue was not easy to solve though.

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Month after suspension, India resumes visas for Canadians, only in some categories

India resumed visa services in certain categories for Canadian citizens, nearly a month after being suspended in the aftermath of Canada’s allegation of Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and a week after 41 Canadian diplomats left India, in accordance with New Delhi’s demand. While tourist visas and e-visas are still held in abeyance, the Indian High Commission in Canada announced that it would begin accepting applications for visas for entry, business, medical, and conference purposes. Officials said that applications from Canadians in these categories would be accepted at Indian missions in other countries as well, which had also been suspended in the decision of September 21.

“After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it was decided to resume visa services for certain categories,” the Indian High Commission in Ottawa stated.  Emergency situations would continue to be addressed. Tourism and e-visa services have not yet resumed; the move comes days after Canadian diplomats left in accordance with New Delhi’s demand.

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Indo-Canadian Spat Visa Suspension

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) call for a ‘Khalistan Referendum’ on October 29^th in Surrey

Amidst an unfriendly exchange between New Delhi and Ottawa over the unsubstantiated accusations of Indian agents involved in the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force Head Hardeep Singh Nijjar- a designated Terrorist by India. Matters reached a level when India scrapped the issuance of any fresh visas to Canadian citizens. This hardly had any effect on Indian citizens, especially students, businessmen, or those holding Indian passports as they could come to India owing to their citizenship rights in India. While, those of Indian origin, who have taken on Canadian citizenship, could freely visit India by using their OIC (Overseas Indian Citizen) cards. The main segment affected was the natural Canadian citizens. Last week, 41 Canadian diplomats were pulled from India after New Delhi said they would lose diplomatic immunity if they remained in station beyond October 20.

Nijjar, who was the organization -Sikh Force for Justice’s principal in British Columbia, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara that he headed in Surrey. While India designates Nijjar as a terrorist, the accusations against him by India were never tested in a Canadian court.

Meantime the pro-Khalistan elements in Canada continue to target India’s senior-most diplomats, as well as its missions, he said, ‘Although they are small in numbers’.

In a recent show of strength, Pro-Khalistanis carried posters ascribing Indian HC Sanjay K Verma, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar as -‘Enemies of Canada’ at car rallies to India’s High Commission in Ottawa and Indian Consulates in both Toronto and Vancouver this Saturday. The pro-Khalistan groups are emboldened by the fact that the law of the country gives them free reign in the name of freedom to issue threats and formulate separatist and divisive agendas against India. On October 29th the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) gave a call for a ‘Khalistan Referendum’ in Surrey- the hotbed of Khalistan propaganda in Canada. This clearly shows that Canada is not serious about the security of Indian diplomats and mission staff. Although Canada has provided personal security details to Indian diplomats while also enhancing coverage of the missions, it doesn’t seem serious.

The issuing of visas by India was suspended on September 21. India-Canada relations hit rock bottom on September 18^th after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared in the House of Commons that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey on June 18 in British Columbia.

In the fallout of these unsubstantiated allegations by the Canadian PM, both countries expelled a diplomat. Last week, 41 Canadian Diplomats were pulled from India after New Delhi said they would lose diplomatic immunity if they remained in station beyond Friday (October 20). Canada described that act as a “mass expulsion” of its diplomats, while India had argued that it wanted ‘parity’ in the size of the mission.

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US issues visa waiver for Israeli citizens  

Travellers from Israel can travel to America for 90 days without a visa. The United States of America launched a ‘visa waiver’ recently allowing Israelis to visit the United States for 90 days without applying for a visa.

The US announced adding Israel to the visa waiver program, thus adding it to a select group of 40 countries mostly European and Asian countries, whose citizens could travel to America for three months without a visa.

America had said that Israelis can start traveling to America without a visa from November 30. The Department of Homeland Security said the program had become operational.

For visa-less travel to the US, the Israelis must have a biometrically enabled passport. Those who do not have such a passport must still apply for a U.S. visa, the department said. This process may take up to 72 hours following which they can travel to America

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Canada’s visa slowdown in India

Mounting diplomatic tensions between Canada and India have led to the visa services at the offices of the consulate general of Canada in Chandigarh being temporally suspended and currently only operating in New Delhi. This is worrying especially for Punjab where Canada scored as the top educational destination of choice.

The halt in its in-person visa services in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chandigarh has put Indian students in dilemma, and contemplate applying for study visas to other educational destinations in the world.

The high housing cost and cost of living in Canada have also discouraged parents from pursuing Canada. Hence Australia and Britain are the likely gainers for serious students and not those who were applying to Canadian universities with the end goal of gaining Canadian citizenship.

On the quieter front, private banks in India have given an informal direction to their loan officers to hold back educational loan applications and deliver loans to those students applying for study visas in Canada.

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Visa-less to Sri Lanka for Indians

The Sri Lankan cabinet approved the issuance of free tourist visas to Indian passport holders, Foreign Minister Ali Sabri stated on Tuesday.

The move is expected to aid Sri Lanka’s efforts to rebuild the tourism sector to pay off the huge accumulated debt. The Sri Lanka cabinet has approved the proposal to grant with immediate effect free visas to travellers from six other countries including India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Surprisingly, no European country is on the Sri Lankan visa-free list and neither is the United States of America. The visa-less policy has started as a pilot project in Sri Lanka and will continue till March 31^st when it will presumably be reviewed.

The aim is that increased travel of visitors from these seven nations is expected to increase tourist arrivals in the island country to over 50 lakh in the coming years, said the Sri Lankan Tourism Ministry. Many island nations especially were deeply affected by the aftereffects of the pandemic while Sri Lanka is seen to be making efforts to climb out of an economic trough. The tourism arrivals after this new policy are expected to marginally cross the 15 lakh mark. However, the move is being seen as one that opens up exciting possibilities for seamless travel between the two neighbouring countries. 

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Israel refuses visa to UN over remarks “justifying Hamas attack”, says Israel  

Israel refused to issue visas to UN representatives after remarks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeared to justify Hamas’s terror attacks on Israel. Israel was reportedly learned to have said -” The time has come to teach the UN a lesson, calling it a “HUGE setback” for the UN & its propagandists.

Israel called for the resignation of UNSG Antonio Guterres after he told the Security Council ‘Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum’.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen, who participated in a Security Council ministerial meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation in the UN, canceled a scheduled meeting with UN Secretary-General on Tuesday afternoon at UN headquarters. The Secretary General later said his statement was misrepresented denying that he justified terror attacks against Israel.

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Some visa-free locations for Indians:

Indian passport holders can travel to as many as 57 countries without a visa. Ten of them are:

Nepal- Mount Everest, is known for its picturesque villages, vibrant cities, stunning farmlands, and mountaineering sites. Indian citizens do not require a visa to enter Nepal nor do Nepalese require any visa for India. Nevertheless, those from other countries require a visa valid for six months from the date of issue.

Barbados- known to be the ‘Jewel of the Caribbean’ is renowned for having some of the most stunning beaches in the world.

Bhutan- Its proximity to India requires it merely to possess a  valid passport or identification to travel to India. If the visit is for a week in Bhutan, it is exempted from any visa for Indians.

Hong Kong – is one of the most famous regions in China, with a blend of stunning natural and architectural features. Indian passport holders can be here without a visa for a maximum of 14 days.

 Seychelles– An archipelago of 115 islands off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean is an ideal eco-friendly trip. It is a visa-free country but requires a permit on arrival from its Immigration Department. This permit is valid for 30 days.

Haiti – the Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation. An Indian passport holder, may enter and remain  in the country for up to 90 days without a visa

Mauritius– an island nation in the Indian Ocean is famous for its white sand beaches, stunning lagoons, and coral reefs. Indians can stay in Mauritius for 90 days visa-less

Dominica, a mountainous Caribbean island nation, enjoys warm, tropical weather. Indian Nationals on business or pleasure are exempt from any visa requirement for a period of six months here.  

Maldives – a South Asian country is one of the many island destinations to soak up the sun, enjoy balmy weather, and spend luxuriously in exotic resorts. Indian passport holders do not require any form of visa for 90 days for the purpose of tourism.

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Israel ready to buy information, throws Leaflets over Gaza /Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu

Israel-Hamas/Palestine War

Israel ready to buy information, throws Leaflets over Gaza

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 26^TH October 2023—Notwithstanding efforts by world bodies including the United Nations to find a resolution to the Israel-Hamas/ Palestine War, the Israeli army stepped up its social presence and intensified efforts to track down hundreds of its Israeli citizens held hostage by Hamas on October 7^th during the on-going war. Israel’s army, the ‘Israel Defense Force (IDF)’ offered rewards for information on a mass scale relating to hostages held captive by Hamas, by anyone in Gaza. IDF aircraft dropped leaflets on the Gaza Strip from Tuesday onwards- assuring Palestinians and any others of financial rewards and a ‘better future’ for their children in lieu of information on hostages held by Hamas.

The leaflets read in both English and Persian/Urdu script – “If your will is to live in peace and to have a better future for your children, do the humanitarian deed immediately and share verified and valuable information about hostages being held in your area. The Israeli military assures you that it will invest maximum effort in providing security for you and your home, and you will receive a financial reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality. The contact details are: Secure phone call: *8619 Whatsapp, Telegram, Signal @ +972503957992.

Undeterred over its losses, Israel is using any and everything possible in its relentless effort to track and bring back its hostages. Its virtual platforms including Twitter now ‘X’, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal etc are continuously being bombarded with information. “It is simultaneous on-spot, quick, real-time, and lightening information service using social networking platforms to keep all platforms, updated about everything,” says an Indian defense expert in the field of cyber security.           And added –“The IDF’s ‘X’ handle gives out minute-to-minute information and broad bases it. The virtual handle immediately spots and calls out falsifications, and tailored information from the rival sides of Hamas and Palestine. Counters and cross-questions the information floated by rival supporters.           Many of its videos are posted minutes after the action. Its posts also include “voice intercepts”, videos, and Photos as proof for various statements and rumours floating around. Many times in the day and at odd hours IDF’s Spokesperson LTC Jonathan Conricus takes on LIVE sessions on ‘X’ and other social platforms simultaneously”. The IDF also carried the message of the Leaflets as a post on IDF’s ‘X’ Wall.

The Israeli military said it would ‘invest maximum effort’ for those providing any information on hostages. It also promised and assured ‘complete confidentiality’ and a financial reward for those coming forward with relevant information in the leaflets giving its contact details.

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85yr-old released Hostage reveals ‘Intelligence lapse’ for October 7^th attack by Hamas

Four women abducted were released by Hamas recently. Two American hostages were released first namely Judith and Natalie Raanan- mother and daughter holding dual citizenship of US-Israel.

Two Israeli women were released on humanitarian grounds according to Hamas which included Yocheved Lifshitz (85) and 79-year-old Nurit Yitzhak Cooper. Yocheved Lifschitz the 85-year-old released hostage- said she was kidnapped with her husband Oded . “I was hustled over a motorcycle and sped over fields, beat her with sticks broke her ribs. Describing her ordeal in Hebrew, Lifschitz words were being translated by her daughter -“We walked several kilometers in Gaza and reached a huge tunnel network that looked like a spider web. Lifschitz was speaking to reporters from Tel Aviv in the lobby of a Ichilov hospital where she is being treated and said she had “been through hell” describing the ‘hell’ of the harrowing Hamas Attack and terrifying capture, although she said,  her captors treated her well during captivity. Both women’s husbands remain in captivity.

 Lifshitz a member of Kibbutz Nir Oz in her informal testimony recounted her time in captivity. Finding chinks in Israeli Intelligence she was critical of the Israeli Army and revealed-“The lack of knowledge in Shin Bet (Israeli Army) harmed us very much. We were warned three weeks ahead of it. They showed us masses reaching the road. They sent fire balloons to burn our fields and the army somehow didn’t take it seriously. A catastrophic lapse in security that left so many Israelis exposed”.

Describing the attack she said –“And suddenly on Saturday, October 7^th morning when all was quiet there was this heavy bombardment and under that cover, the mob broke through the multibillion-dollar huge barrier fence on the border, entered  Kibbutz and came in large numbers.”

During her captivity, she said -“Hostages slept on mattresses in tunnels and were given pita bread, cheese, and cucumber. It was clean and the doctor visited many women there. She also had a good word about her captors who she said treated her ‘nicely and medic and doctor was provided and medication was there if needed and they were polite’. No wonder the 85-year-old turned around and shook hands with one of her captors before being escorted to her freedom. And said she did that because –“they treated us gently and met all our needs!” Experts call it a case of “Stockholm Syndrome” where a fugitive feels trust and affection in cases of Kidnapping or Hostage by a victim towards their captor. 

At least 222 were taken hostages and 1400 Israelis were killed by Hamas on October 7 according to the Israeli military spokesperson

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Israel refuses visa to UN, asks UN Secretary-General to first apologise publicly, then resign

Israel refused to issue visas to UN representatives after remarks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeared to justify Hamas’s terror attacks on Israel. Israel was reportedly learned to have said -” The time has come to teach the UN a lesson, calling it a “HUGE setback” for the UN & its propagandists.

Israel called for the resignation of UNSG Antonio Guterres after he told the Security Council ‘Hamas attacks did not happen in a vacuum’.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen, who participated in a Security Council ministerial meeting on the Israel-Gaza situation in the UN, was programmed to meet Secretary-General Guterres later on Tuesday afternoon at UN headquarters.  Cohen canceled his meeting with Guterres after remarks by the UN chief angered Israel- accusing him of “tolerating and justifying” terrorism. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s comment to the Security Council that attacks by Hamas “did not happen in a vacuum” was retorted by an angry Israel, that called for the UN chief’s resignation and apology.

Guterres commenting on the situation in the Middle East said that it was growing more dire by the hour and the war in Gaza was raging and risks spiralling throughout the region. The UN chief said it is “important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation”.   “They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing,” he said in the meeting, also addressed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres said.

In a post on social network X’, Cohen said he “will not meet with the UN Secretary-General!” “After the October 7th massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet!”

Later talking to reporters at the UN Security Council stakeout, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan lashed out at UN Secretary-General Guterres, saying his remarks in the council were “unfathomable”.

“You, Mr Secretary General, have lost all morality and impartiality. Because when you say those terrible words that these heinous attacks did not happen in a vacuum, you are tolerating terrorism and by tolerating terrorism, you are justifying terrorism.”

Erdan said –“Hamas beheaded babies, burnt families, raped women, and abducted kids, babies, and Holocaust survivors, but the Secretary-General is blaming Israel -the victim!”.

“This is a pure-blood libel. And I think that the Secretary-General must resign because from now on every day that he’s here in this building unless he apologizes immediately, we called him to apologize, there is no justification to the existence of this building,” Erdan said.        “The UN building was established to prevent atrocities. How can the Secretary-General, with his words, justify in any way the terrible atrocities that happened to our innocent civilians?” he asked

Cohen, addressing reporters at the Security Council, said: “There were no two sides” – “There is only one side to support. Therefore, I decided to cancel my meeting with the Secretary-General”. “We are fighting for Israel but we also fighting for the entire free world. Otherwise, the West will be the next. But we are determined to do everything to eliminate Hamas “totally”.

A visibly fuming, Erdan, said the meeting with the UN Secretary-General had to be canceled “Because I’ve been serving here for the last three years and I saw and I felt the impartiality of the Secretary-General and how he gives the feelings that he doesn’t really care, for the suffering of the Israeli civilians”.

A spokesperson for Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, said: “The Secretary-General will meet with family representatives of hostages held in Gaza. They will be accompanied by a representative of the Israeli Permanent Mission to the United Nations.”

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Indo-Canadian: India rejects the implementation of parity in diplomatic strength, as a violation of International law / Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu

INDO-CANADIAN

India rejects the implementation of parity in diplomatic strength, as a violation of International law

Rashmi Talwar

October 20^th 2023—–

In a scathing statement, India rejected any attempt by Canada to portray it in bad light or insinuate that India had violated any International law. A number of career diplomats and experts in International relations have expressed their points of assent and dissent on Twitter X platforms over the last many days. However, in the absence of any formal clearance from the Indian Government of a violation probability or improbability, the negative narrative was gaining steam.

Today, the Indian Foreign Office scotched all rumours and half-truths with the release of a formal official statement. In it, Delhi wrote in no uncertain terms that it was not violating any International Law by giving the marching orders to the Canadian diplomats and demanding parity in numbers in consonance with the number of Indian diplomats in Indian Missions in Canada. Delhi even expressed its ire and accused Canadian diplomats of their continued interference in the internal affairs of India and thus justified its demand to reduce their presence in the country’s mission offices.

Below is the verbatim statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Parity in Canadian diplomatic presence in India

We have seen the Statement by the Government of Canada on October 19 regarding Canadian diplomatic presence in India.

The state of our bilateral relations, the much higher number of Canadian diplomats in India, and their continued interference in our internal affairs warrant parity in mutual diplomatic presence in New Delhi and Ottawa.

We have been engaged with the Canadian side on this over the last month in order to work out the details and modalities of its implementation.

Our actions in implementing this parity are fully consistent with Article 11.1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states the following:

“In the absence of specific agreement as to the size of the mission, the receiving State may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, having regard to circumstances and conditions in the receiving State and to the needs of the particular mission.”

We reject any attempt to portray the implementation of parity as a violation of international norms.

New Delhi

October 20, 2023

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Canadian FM faces a volley of questions on evidence sharing about  ‘Indian agents’ involvement in the killing of designated Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada

Canadian Foreign Minister Melaine Joly faced criticism for evading a direct question regarding the sharing of evidence with the Indian government on its alleged involvement in the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. During a press briefing, Melaine failed to clarify whether evidence was provided to India or not. She instead clarified in a roundabout way saying-  “We had numerous conversations with India before the (Canadian)  PM went in front of the house (Canadian Parliament) and made his declaration!”

“But did you show them the evidence, you are basing your claim on, you are not answering the question?”

And Melaine answered –“Through these different conversations the Indian officials were made aware of the “credible allegations” and so based on that,  India has decided to take their own decisions which are “precedent–setting” including  revoking the diplomatic immunity of 41 Canadian diplomats  which is not only ‘unprecedented’ but also contrary to ‘International law’ so in that sense because this is so unprecedented, so many countries’ diplomats around the world are in danger, we decided not to reciprocate.”

Joly was caught totally off guard when repeatedly asked – “But you’re not answering the question directly on that point?” Joly asserted –“I have answered your question – you asked me a question whether we had a conversation and presented evidence, I told you there were meetings and information was shared.”

Question: “You (Joly) personally went to Washington and spoke to the Indian Foreign Minister, if you could confirm that to us; what is the tenor of the diplomatic conversation  (with India) is it still ongoing or is it over?

To which Joly answered –“Well, I always believe in diplomacy and so much that diplomacy is best when it is kept private. So I will continue to do that (Keep it private) and I know that my colleague as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Dr S Jaishankar) can count on me to make sure that we continue to engage and I ask for full cooperation.”

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Delays in Visas for Indians: Canada

Canada on Thursday stated a slowdown in its visa applications for Indians, as 41 Canadian diplomats were removed from India in the midst of the continuing logjam between the two countries.

This was following India’s intent to unilaterally remove immunity for all 41 Canadian diplomats but 21, in Delhi by October 20^th. Ottawa informed that ‘Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) was reducing its number of employees in India to five from 27. “The statement from IRCC stated to continue to accept and process applications from India but reduced staffing levels were expected to impact processing times”.  Authorities however assured that the Canada-based IRCC staff will do the day-to-day work required in the country.

In early October India asked Canada to withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats in India failing which their diplomatic immunity will be withdrawn. This is being seen as a further escalation of the diplomatic spat over the murder of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar, shot outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey BC Canada on June 18^th.

Two months after this killing Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau on September 18th alleged a “potential link” between the killing and  Indian government agents. India promptly dismissed the accusations as absurd and motivated. However, the issue which was on a diplomatic level was brought openly on the floor of the Canadian Parliament by its PM which triggered a diplomatic pandora between the two countries. Which led to expulsions of each other’s senior diplomats. Stung by ‘baseless and evidence-less’ allegations India subsequently further suspended all visa services for Canadian nationals and asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country. Adding that after October 20, India will remove all diplomatic immunity for all but 21 Canadian diplomats in the Canadian Mission locations in India”

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WRITER CAN BE REACHED AT rashmitalwarno1@saanjh

Gujarat ATS Arrests Pak Hindu Spy, Sly-spy got fathers in defense services to upload photos with children via emotional msg Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu

BREAKING NEWS

Gujarat ATS Arrests Pak Hindu Spy 

Sly-spy got fathers in defense services to upload photos with children via emotional msg

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 20^TH October 2023—–Gujarat Police Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a Pak spy (54 years) Labhsankar Maheswari from Tarapur, from coastal Gujarat through inputs by Military Intelligence (MI).

In July MI officials, got a whiff of something fishy from a WhatsApp number 90xxxx6792 who was later found to be a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). The spy used the WhatsApp application, to compromise Android mobile handsets of Serving Defence Forces. These defence personnel were mostly having wards studying in different Army Public Schools (APS) across the country. He targeted these personnel, through WhatsApp messages luring them to install certain malicious Android applications (“.apk” files) in the garb of a Nationalist campaign named – “Har Ghar Tiranga” just before Independence Day.  

The WhatsApp user (purportedly a Pakistani Intelligence agent sitting in Pakistan), posing as an APS official sent the national-pride message with the malicious application to such targets with the patriotic text message encouraging them to install the application and upload their ward’s photo with the national flag on the application, to participate in the competition. MI smelled a rat detected a nefarious campaign and started pursuing the caller. The last cellular use of the mobile number 90xxxx6792 was detected in Gujarat where MI officials sought assistance from ATS Gujarat Police. After exhaustive technical analysis and groundwork by Gujarat Police ATS, the spy named Labhsankar Maheshwari was identified.

Labhsankar was found to have facilitated the Pakistani agency in acquiring the Indian WhatsApp number by passing the account creation OTP on the said number to the Pakistani agency.

With further assistance, the Air Force Intelligence (AFI) accurately identified the targeted Android mobile device and brought it for cyber forensics examination by the Gujarat Police ATS. A cyber forensics examination by FSL Gujarat revealed that the WhatsApp number- 90xxxx6792, was being used and operated from Pakistan. It was being used to target and hack mobile devices especially those belonging to Indian Defence personnel and acquire critical information about them, their whereabouts, their families, and other parameters.

It is also suspected that the Pakistani agency managed to acquire a significant amount of information pertaining to students of Army Public Schools (and their guardians) through old or existing vulnerabilities through their usage of websites or Android applications. For instance -the “DigiCamp Mobile Application” is available on the websites of all Army Public Schools and is mostly used for paying fees to APS. These schools come under the ‘Army Welfare Education Society (AWES)’, a private body supported by the  Indian Army.

Gathering rock-solid evidence and additional information through ground verification, the Gujarat Police ATS lodged an FIR, under sections of IPC and Indian IT Act, at ATS, Ahmedabad against Labhsankar Maheshwari on Wednesday and arrested him on Thursday from his house in Tarapur, Anand district, Gujarat.

It was found that Labhsankar Maheswari, originally a Pakistani Hindu had come to India in 1999 with his wife, for fertility treatment. Initially, he was staying at his in-laws house in Tarapur. The in-laws had shifted to India beforehand. While putting up at Tarapur,  he kept applying long term visas and with support from his in-laws established himself as a successful businessman with a grocery store, multiple rented-out shops and stores, and later his very own house in Tarapur. 

The couple, however, lived without any children. Subsequently, they were granted Indian citizenship in 2006. In early 2022, Maheshwari visited his parents in Pakistan. It is suspected that he was cultivated and groomed during his visa processing, and during his one and half month stay in Pakistan at the house of his parents. It is believed, it is since this trip he has been in communication with the Pakistani Intelligence Agency.

Apart from facilitating the creation of the WhatsApp account, Maheshwari later sent the SIM card to Pakistan and provided other assistance to the Pak Intelligence Agency including transferring money to some other suspected espionage conduits on behalf of the Pakistani agency.

The investigation is still on and more details are expected to spill out shortly, informed the authorities

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WRITER CAN BE REACHED AT rashmitalwarno1@saanjh.wordpress.com

1200 persons evacuated from war-torn Israel- Palestine in 5-flights, Jemima Imran Khan tweets

Former PM Pakistan Imran Khan with his x-wife Jemima Goldsmith and their 2 sons Suliman Isa Khan and Kasim Khan in happier times

Israel-Palestine War 

1200 persons evacuated from war-torn Israel Palestine in five flights, 18 Nepalese saved, Jemima Imran Khan tweets

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 19th OCTOBER 2023—-India’s ongoing ‘Operation Ajay”  evacuated 1200 persons including 18 Nepalese, in five flights from Tel Aviv from the warzone of Israel and Palestine (Hamas), since they started on October 12^th; six days after the Israel (Hamas )Palestine war started on  t7^th October. “Some of the Indians are in the Gaza and West Bank areas and we shall try to come to their rescue as well”, informed Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

No Indian casualty till now has been reported. Only one suffered injuries and, her condition is now stable.

While condemning the horrific bombing of the Al-Ahil hospital in Palestine and serious and continuing concern over civilian casualties, and the humanitarian situation, the Foreign Office spokesman said –“On humanitarian assistance, India has been supporting Palestine and Palestine refugees through significant contribution to UN Relief with a total of $29.53 million contributed between 2002 and 2023. The Indian annual contribution has been increased from 1.25 to 5 million in 2018 and we have pledged 5 million for the next two years.

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Jemima Goldsmith x-wife of former Pak PM Imran Khan caught between two warring faiths, Jewish-Christian and converted Muslim  ….Tweets on X

Imran Khan with his wife Jemima and two-year-old son Sulaiman arrive at the Churchill Inter-Continental Hotel in London )

Jemima Goldsmith, the first wife of former Pak PM Imran Khan, from 1995 –to 2004, moved to Pakistan after her marriage and was later hounded for her Jewish roots when Imran- the former Cricket Captain of the Pakistan Team,  jumped into politics leading his  Tareek-E –Insaf Party. Jemima, today jumped into the Twitter now ‘X” pool of words and pooled her past experiences openly with the Twitteretti crowd, on the open platform.

Jemima was an Anglican Christian before she converted to Islam for her marriage to Imran. However, in Pakistan, she claimed to have been made acutely aware of her Jewish roots since her paternal grandfather was a German Jew. “‘ Imran’s political opponents used and abused her roots to muddy Khan’s chances in Pak Politics’ Imran had said in one Televised interview.

Caught between the crossfires of two opposing (rather three different faiths)  and Khan’s political ambitions, Jemima the British Millionaires’ divorced Khan in 2004 and moved with her two sons back to Britain.    

In light of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine (Hamas), Jemima tweeted, finding herself compelled to engage in a verbal duel opening up about her experience with both religions as the bloody faith-related war raged on and wrote:

“I realize that Twitter spats don’t help anyone. I have found it hard to disengage – I have Jewish and Muslim family members & friends, whom I deeply love. I have lived in a Muslim country for ten years and have been to Gaza and the West Bank and I also have a historic family connection to Israel. I have personally had (and continue to receive) countless death threats on account of my Jewishness & faced decades of anti-semitic abuse. The father of my children was shot, according to his would-be -assassin, because of his “proximity to the Jews” – ie. me. Meanwhile, my children have faced Islamophobia in the UK (& anti-semitism in Pakistan!).  

Perhaps because of these experiences, I passionately believe that political tribalism is the enemy, not just of reasonable discourse but of peace. It’s why I’m so in awe of the bravery & integrity of those Israelis who despite having lost relatives in the last few days, have made some of the most powerful statements against the ongoing bombing of Gaza. I pray their voices are heard. Killing and maiming thousands more innocent children will not save terrorized hostages, nor will it bring peace and, like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan post 9-11, will likely only create more terrorism and a less safe world for all of us.”

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WRITER CAN BE REACHED AT rashmitalwarno1@saanjh

Day of viral videos puts Canadian PM Trudeau in an embarrassing position /Rashmi Talwar / Greater Jammu

Day of viral videos  puts Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in an embarrassing position

Day of viral videos  puts Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in an embarrassing position

Putin Labels Canadian Speaker an ‘Idiot’ over #Nazigate

Rashmi Talwar

Amritsar 6^th Oct 2023—-

Even as reports filtered in about the pullout of Canadian diplomats from India to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, following the Indian Foreign Office’s adamant stand on the repatriation of 41 Canadian diplomats from India, Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled Canada’s former speaker ‘Anthony Rota’ an idiot!

    “If he didn’t know that Hitler and his henchmen fought against Russia during WWII, It just means he didn’t study in school and has no basic knowledge, And, if he did know ‘Yaroslav Hunka’ was a Nazi and calls him a hero of Canada and Ukraine then he is a villain!” Putin put down the Canadian speaker in a video that went viral on ‘X” today heaping more embarrassment on Canada.

The Russian President lashed out reacting to #Nazifest that unfolded days earlier when Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Volodymyr Zelensky gave war criminal Yaroslav Hunka, a standing ovation on the floor of the Canadian Parliament before embarrassing revelations about him fighting for the  Nazis, tumbled out.

The Canadian speaker stepped down from his position after the huge embarrassment for Canada in its Parliament, surfaced.

link:

https://x.com/eOrganiser/status/1710183103795466292?s=20

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Canadian, refused a handshake with its PM Trudeau

In another video, a Canadian citizen refused to shake hands with a smiling Canadian PM Justin Trudeau –“ I am not shaking your hand – you f**ked this country”.  “How did I mess up this country?” Trudeau is asking the man in the video clip.  To which, the citizen says, “Can anybody afford a home in this day in Canada? You ruined the whole country. You are sending aid to Ukraine, to a guy who slaughtered his own country.”

Under Canada’s lenient refugee policy, more than 80,000 Ukrainians have entered Canada which has raised the heckles of Canadians who are facing the highest inflation rate in food, lifestyle and housing.

link:

https://x.com/ShreeShankar96/status/1710492461716660675?s=20

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Video trends of Trudeau admitting to smoking marijuana

In another embarrassment to Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau was seen in a video admitting to the use of marijuana in the past .” A very rare user of Marijuana  I think about five or six times in my life I took a puff. And one of those puffs was three years ago when I was an MP.” the Canadian PM is saying quite openly. 

This adds a bit of credibility to the statement of Deepak Vohra, a former Indian diplomat who was labelled to have made ‘bizarre claims’ against the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, saying when Trudeau came to India for the G20 this month to Inda, his plane was apparently “full of cocaine”. He further claimed that because he (Trudeau) was high on drugs, as he did not come out of his room for two days leaving him unable to attend G20 programmes. The Indian diplomat made these claims during a Television debate, where he said that sniffer dogs had smelled cocaine on Trudeau’s plane.

Vohra also ripped the Canadian PM over his “credible allegations” statement, in his parliament address. Trudeau used the words “credible allegations “against Indian agents involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjer. “It can either be ‘credible’ or it can be ‘allegations’. He took a jibe and said -I also have a ‘credible rumour ‘ to make in this case that Trudeau is crazy! It is a ‘credible rumour’, the former diplomat was known to have spat out.

Trudeau had said that the Canadian government had ‘credible allegations’ that the Indian government agents were behind the killing of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian, on Canadian soil. Harjit is a Khalistani terrorist designated by India.

link:

https://x.com/mekarora/status/1707363029380383038?s=20

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Government contemplating cancellation of OCI cards, asks Canada to repatriate its 40 diplomats from Indian High Commission / Rashmi Talwar / GREATER JAMMU

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BCCI Prez and VPrez cross over to Pakistan after 15 yrs / Rashmi Talwar/ GREATER JAMMU/

BCCI Prez and VPrez cross over to Pakistan after 15 years

“Purely Cricket, nothing Political: BCCI Prez Roger Binny

Rashmi Talwar

Wagah -Attari (AMRITSAR ) 4th  Sept 2023- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Roger Binny and Vice President Rajeev Shukla arrived at Wagah Attari JCP border between India and Pakistan after landing at the Amritsar airport, on a visit to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023 on Monday.

They are likely to be present in the Gaddafi Stadium for Tuesday’s match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and the September 6th matches of Super Four.

Binny and Shukla are travelling to Pakistan after an invitation was extended to the members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and other cricket boards by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to attend the mega event.

‘Purely Cricket Nothing Political’:  said BCCI President Binny when asked about their visit for Asia Cup 2023 while crossing over to Pakistan via the Radcliff Line.   

Commenting on his visit President of BCCI Rodger Binny said-” India-Pakistan is bigger than any other Tournament in the world”. Adding -“Even bigger than even Ashes and we hope things will happen”.

Queried over the cold vibes between the two countries affecting Cricket. Binny declared -“BCCI has no say in the matter. We have come by the government’s nod!” 

In the past, the Pakistan Cricket Board had twice invited BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, President Asian Cricket Council, to watch the opening match of the Asia Cup between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan on August 30. However, Shah’s visit did not materialize. Besides Shah, the PCB also invited heads of other boards who are part of the Asian Cricket Council.

The Asia Cup 2023 is ongoing from August 30 to September 17 across Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Currently, India is playing all their matches in Sri Lanka.

After India’s strict refusal to travel to Pakistan, an innovative format was cut out with Pakistan hosting four matches while Srilanka got the lion’s share of nine matches in its territory.

This is the first Indian Cricket Delegation crossed over to Pakistan in the last 15 years since the 26/11 Mumbai Attack in 2008. 

According to the schedule, the four-member BCCI team will attend an official dinner in Pakistan which will also include delegations from other Cricketing Boards.

The duo had also visited Colombo Sri Lanka to see cricket matches.  

The PCB chief Zaka Ashraf extended a warm welcome to the Indian guests on the Pakistani side. 

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Trolled on Twitter 

The BCCI official duo of President Roger Binny and V President Rajeev Shukla faced the ire of trolls on Twitter. With some writing the choicest of Expletives for them over dead bodies of slain soldiers and civilians. One urged them to take the son of Amit Shah Home Minister of India in the present delegation alongside and enjoy the neighbourhood hospitality of Biryanis!  Jay Shah is the son of Amit Shah and the President of the Asian Cricket Council besides being the  Honorary secretary of BCCI. Another agitated Indian told the BCCI duo to permanently stay in Pakistan.  

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WRITER CAN BE REACHED AT email: rashmitalwarno1@gmail.com

Padamshri Surjit Pattar pens lyrics of “Attari Junction” documentary/ GREATER JAMMU/ Rashmi Talwar

Padamshri Surjit Pattar pens lyrics of “Attari Junction” documentary

Indo-Pak Last Rail Connect

Padamshri Surjit Pattar pens lyrics of “Attari Junction” documentary

Documentary to release in August to mark 76 years of Independence

Rashmi Talwar Attari – (Amritsar) 13th June 2023…..

Famed Punjabi Poet Padmashri Awardee  Dr. Surjit Pattar penned the lyrics of the upcoming documentary film “Attari Junction” based on India’s last rail connecting Attari with Pakistan on the Lahore side. Meantime it is seen over the years that a mammoth crowd of over 20,000 People visit the Wagah-Attari Border on the Indian side on average, daily, to watch the Beating Retreat Ceremony of the lowering of the flags; but, none visits Attari Railway Station, a 161-year old Heritage rich building and space that witnessed the Best and the Worst of human emotions, especially during partition and for decades later. Now it stands lonely, stupefied, and mute to the animosity between the economically disparate neighbours.

As the shooting began today, it came as no surprise -how both warring countries sitting side by side, simultaneously witnessed a common sunset. The manmade lines drawn did not dim the musical winds or the birds from crisscrossing, the melodies and drumbeats on both sides had an unhindered passage and audience beyond partitions. But the people of both countries are locked-in and are made to conjure up images of demonic forces across borders, by respective powers on both sides and the stakeholders in the continuation of this animosity.

Punjab’s eminent Author, heritage promoter, nature artist, and Director of the film- Harpreet Sandhu while talking to Greater Jammu said – “This short film will portray historical rich architecture of this 161-year old Attari Railway Station, which is a blend of Indo-Islamic and Victorian architectural styles. Its arches and ornate facades showcase an aura of grandeur and elegance of the architecture of the bygone era. Given the eyeball catcher- the Wagah Attari Retreat ceremony, this vital heritage of Railtrack has seldom been highlighted.  The Documentary film under the patronage of Sewa Sankalp Society has been scripted by Atul Tirkey, IRS Deputy Commissioner Customs, Attari. No one could do more justice to the film’s lyrics than the Internationally renowned Punjabi Poet Dr. Surjit Pattar. The film whose shooting will be wound up in three days at Attari will be released to mark the 76th year of Indo-Pak Partition”, he added.

Shooting the film “Attari Junction” –began with the clapboard Mahurat shot by MP Amritsar Gurjeet Aujla, and Deputy Commissioner Amritsar Amit Talwar, in the presence of a battery of IRS, IPS, and IAS officers.

The director further revealed  –“The film in trilingual languages are juxtaposed just as during those times. It will have the Deputy Commissioner Customs Atul Tirkey, as an actor speaking English, and I, Harpreet Sandhu, as Director, also a former Additional Advocate General, Punjab and Chairman of Punjab Infotech, would try to do justice to the film in Punjabi while retired Chief Commissioner Income Tax and Author Parneet Sachdev would be using Hindi.”

Is the purpose to only highlight heritage, even as all top officers are involved in this documentary? I asked –“We never wanted to it have a flimsy and commercial touch by bringing in famed Punjabi actors like Daljit Dosanjh. We have done a detailed script for nearly 8-months on how many kilometers was the stretch and at which times it was discontinued between the countries, the history behind it. Besides this, we looked into the outcome of this railway junction on the measurement of tourism, culture, trade exchange, and several other aspects. So I personally will not use the word that it’s a ‘big documentary’ but it is surely meaningful, compact and being made to solely highlight this 161-year old heritage of rail junction. My purpose and what I hope to achieve, is to spread awareness, about this last railway station that has witnessed the worst of Partition days. We all are putting in full effort. We have done extensive shooting of key actors playing commoners and have canned a fabulous train shot with a train arriving from Qadian to Attari. We also went up until the last gate and shot there as it was locked .” What did you do about the horses that used to gallop alongside the train on the Indian side?  No, we haven’t looked into that.  The necessary permissions for shooting the Documentary film have been obtained from various government agencies including the Northern Railway, New Delhi and Land Customs Attari, and the BSF authorities.

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 Writer’s Journey in the Samjhauta Express

In the year 2007, a land passage through the road route between India and Pakistan was denied to the Hindu Jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of the Maha-Shivratri annual celebration at Katasraj shrines in Pakistan. The Hindu and Sikh Jathas as well as Muslim Jathas to Ajmer Shrief came under the Indo-Pak Agreement of Pilgrimage to visit shrines in each other’s countries.

It was a time when a popular Pakistani actress had flouted the rules of specific city-based visas to visit Agra without a visa for the city of the Taj Mahal and was apprehended by Indian authorities. This took a toll on Pakistan over the Indian reprimand to the Pak embassy. A petulant Pakistan thus resorted to tit-for-tat retaliation denying the easy land-crossing to Indian Hindu Jatha, to divert it to the cumbersome rail journey on the rail Samjhauta Express.

Samjhauta Express was started in 1976 as a bi-weekly and was a symbol of a ‘train of emotions’ to help bridge the gap for the separated families of both countries.

So we arrived at the Attari Railway station at 8 o clock for the train of emotions, after much emotional trauma of being diverted at the last minute from the Wagah road route to the Attari rail route. The train arrived hours late. In the meantime, we explored the heritage rail station and absorbed the mechanism, of how the trains operated through an exhaustive hotline system of giving or holding back clearance to the train as per the whims and fancies of authorities of both countries. This time the special treatment of delayed clearance was reserved for the Hindu jatha. The old system of Red and Green flags to indicate stop and go were used. The bogeys were all 3^rd class and non-AC 3-tiers with iron bars on windows just like the ones before the partition of 1947.  Finally, after an exhaustive procedure of processing hundreds of cross-country travellers and loading baggage, most of us found ourselves sitting on sacks of luggage as the loaded train finally and painfully groaned out of the Attari station.     

Although overjoyed at its finally starting to move, the train journey conjured up images of the year 1947 bloodied trains during partition which reached Amritsar and Lahore with dripping blood of cut-up bodies. My attention was diverted soon as I watched horse-mounted BSF personnel galloping alongside the train on the Indian side up until the gates opened up to no man’s land, and I caught the scenes in my portable Sony camera.

The train went into a deep sleep after every 15 minutes, as if its old bones felt tired under its heavy weight. In an interview with BBC, I told the channel how a distance of 3Kms stretch between the two countries took 12 hours to cross! This fact was highlighted as the catchword in every other channel.

Just a few days later in the early hours of midnight on 19^th February 2007, a bomb blast took place in the Samjhauta Express at Chandni Bagh in Panipat Haryana India, in which 68 people were killed mostly Pakistanis. We, as the Hindu jatha of 175 people were still in Lahore after visiting Katasraj shrines in Pakistan.  I had got a little ‘Palm Plant’  packed in Lahore, as a take-back memory home to Amritsar -an emotional keepsake of the soil of Pakistan and Lahore that once was the soil of the land of my paternal grandmother and my Multan-based grandfather.

However, we were rushed before the schedule to return to India due to security issues following the Samjhauta Blast.  But I wouldn’t leave without my green plant. So while sitting on sacks again on the return, my little greenie also sat with me. My husband who waited for me at Attari railway station for nearly 4-hours before arriving at Attari was pointed out by a fellow also waiting for his mother arriving from Lahore that “People have picked up trees from Pakistan to bring to India!” My husband gaily pointed out that the person who could bring a tree from anywhere could only be Rashmi Talwar, his wife.

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200 fishermen, 3 civilians repatriated to home country past protocol at Attari Wagah / GREATER JAMMU/Rashmi Talwar

200 fishermen,  3 civilians repatriated  to home country past protocol at Attari Wagah

Rashmi Talwar

Indo-Pak Border

200 fishermen,  3 civilians repatriated  to home country past protocol at Attari Wagah

Rashmi Talwar

Attari-Wagah, 2^nd June, 2023 —–

Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, today tweeted in the afternoon about the repatriation of Indian fishermen-“Pakistan is releasing 200 Indian fishermen and 3 civilian prisoners. Earlier, 198 Indian fishermen were repatriated on 12 May 2023. This is in line with Pakistan’s policy of not politicizing humanitarian matters. Compassion should take precedence over politics”. Replying to this tweet one Faraz Khan responded –“It means 200 families will be celebrating today plus three more of the civilians”.

An hour later three Indian civilians crossed over via the Wagah Attari Joint Check Post JCP to their homeland from the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar. They were handed over to the BSF and were detained for interrogation and immigration formalities. The three included one Bablu Ram Chander, an Indian who had unintentionally crossed the Indo-Pak border somewhere from the Kartarpur Sahib Sector in the year 2019. While the two Indian Sikhs Harjinder Singh and Balwinder Singh too had inadvertently crossed the border from another side of the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib Area belt falling in the Narowal province of Pakistan in the year 2020.

The three were lodged in the Kot Lakhpat Jail infamous for the incarceration of two former Prime ministers of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

Two hundred more Indian fishermen prisoners lodged in Landhi and Malir Jail, in  Karachi, apprehended from maritime waters from a non-tangible waterline border between India and Pakistan in the Indian Ocean were looking forward to freedom in their home countries. The 200 Indian fishermen were brought amidst tight security, to Lahore via Allama Iqbal Express train from Karachi by the Edhi Foundation. The Edhi Welfare Trust arranged the safe transportation of Indian fishermen to Lahore The prisoners were taken in a fleet of tempo traveler mini buses to Wagah from Lahore station accompanied by security vehicles.

They were handed over by Pakistani Rangers personnel to the Border Security Force at the border’s Joint Check Post (JCP)

While crossing the border into India at about 9.30 pm, each of the prisoners was handed over an Indian flag by the BSF personnel.

All 203 of them were issued ‘Emergency Travel Certificates’ by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad before they crossed over to their homeland, officials informed. Indian fishermen had been nabbed by the Pak Navy in the maritime areas of the Indian Ocean. Fishermen from both countries often stray into each other’s territories without any intention of doing so. 

The Pakistani fishermen’s repatriation is part of India-Pakistan’s Treaty of Understanding of prisoner repatriation of each other’s country after completion of jail terms due to border trespass.

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Mohammad Ali Jinnah majorly responsible for Indo-Pak Partition’: Pak-Swede Author / Rashmi Talwar

‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah majorly responsible for Indo-Pak Partition’: Pak-Swede Author

Rashmi Talwar

‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah majorly responsible for Indo-Pak Partition’: Pak-Swede Author

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR, 30^TH May 2023—–

Professor Emeritus, Stockholm University, and author of 11 books, Ishtiaq Ahmed, hosted by ‘Rotary Imagine’ Chandigarh while talking to the writer, said–“Mohammad Ali Jinnah was majorly responsible for Indo Pak Partition of 1947!”  “Should I write it?” “Yes! You can write it. There are no two ways about it,” he said this thoughtfully, unhesitatingly while discussing his book- “Jinnah: His Successes, failures, and Role in History”.

KP Fabian wrote in columns of ‘The Hindu’ national newspaper, about the book on Jinnah, -“As an attempt at ‘historical reasoning’ by a political scientist.” And added, -“MA Jinnah has been praised, and dispraised for the partition of India. There is however a distressing shortage of genuine history written by professional historians”.  

Fabian further writes-“In Pakistan, there have been at least two schools of thought. One celebrates Jinnah as the creator of Pakistan. The other school argues that Jinnah was using the Pakistan card as a bargaining chip and it was Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru who rejected Jinnah’s legitimate demand for a fair share of political power, who should be held responsible for the partition of India and the concomitant horrors.”

Prof Ishtiaq Ahmed, a midnight-child, born in 1947, a few months before Partition on 24th February, in Lahore, penned the book following deep research and historical reasoning of the period under the British. He has been invited to India by “Vasant Vyakhyanmala” Nashik, literally meaning ‘Spring lecture series of Nashik, celebrating its Centenary- Year in May 2023 – The Maharashtra-based organization has a glorious and proud history. It has the most distinguished names on its speakers list including Mahatma Gandhi, SV Savarkar, Pandit Nehru, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Jayaparkash Narayan, Vinoba Bhave, Balasahed Thackeray, Lata Mangeshkar.  

“Invited as an academic for the keynote address on the lecture series on the political-affairs segment; his topic was, “Centenary: “The tale of two brothers lost in a fair”- connected to India-Pak socio-political trajectory and what should be done and how should they deal with each other”. Significantly, the lecture series is a part of the month-long centenary celebrations by the pre-partition organization- ‘Vasant Vyakhyanmala’, where a number of noted speakers have been invited, marking its 100 years.  

Coming back to the ideas and political role of the Founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah – Prof Ishtiaq Ahmed writes in his book –“Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been both celebrated and reviled for his role in the Partition of India, and the controversies surrounding his actions have only increased in the seven decades and more since his death”. In his book Ishtiaq Ahmed has placed, Jinnah’s actions under intense scrutiny to ascertain the Quaid-i-Azam’s successes and failures and the meaning and significance of his legacy. Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed states that he used “a wealth of contemporary records and archival material, tracing Jinnah’s journey from Indian nationalist to Muslim communitarian and from a Muslim nationalist to, finally, Pakistan’s all-powerful head of state.”

The book asks and answers many valid, uncomfortable, and burning questions about Jinnah being a party to the drawing of the Radcliff border line dividing the nation into two. “How did the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity become the inflexible votary of the two-nation theory? Did Jinnah envision Pakistan as a theocratic state? What was his position on Gandhi and federalism? These are some of the queries the book raises and allows to flow into ‘historical reasoning, by the author. The volume according to experts is a path-breaking examination of one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century and asks these crucial questions against the backdrop of the turbulent struggle against colonialism.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, talking about his other critically acclaimed book -“The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned and Cleansed” said, ‘It all began in 1936. Until the Muslim League captured Punjab, there was no chance of making Pakistan.” Going into the depth of the partition tragedy he said –“In 1936, the then president of the Indian National Congress Pt Jawaharlal Nehru said in Lucknow, “An independent India would finish feudalism”. And added -“Rights of farmers will be protected. We will make socialist India, which will be inspired by the Soviet Union,” quotes Nehru.

Following this statement, alarm bells rang among the Britons and the Muslims. “In north-western India, big landlords were mainly Muslims. The landlords were convinced by the leadership of the Unionist Party to support and stop the Congress in its tracks. “Thus, Punjab Unionists won elections.”

In 1937, Jinnah announced Muslim opposition to the Congress. “This was the beginning of a hate campaign, where demonizing and dehumanizing the Hindus became a new normal,” said Ahmed. Ahmed junked the theories accusing the Congress of Partition and pointed out that it continuously resisted the move and agreed to it only in March 1947. “Thus, a separate electorate system led to Partition,” he said.

Ahmed said 80 percent of fatalities and 75 percent of displacement were recorded in Punjab during Partition.

He said the violence started after July 10, a year before the partition in 1946.

Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru ensured that the Muslims who wanted to stay in India should be allowed to live there. Thus the demographics of mixed communities remained the hallmark shaping  India even today in its present scenario. “It took me 11 years to research this voluminous book of 750 pages”, inserts the author.

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The Punjab Bloodied, Partitioned, and Cleansed

·   Won a prize for best non-fiction book at Lahore Literature Festival,  and the Coca-Cola Prize at the Karachi Literature Festival in 2013.

·   It took 11 years of research.

·  The book unravels the 1947 Tragedy through Secret British Reports and First-Person Accounts.

 · “More than one million people died and 14 to 15 million people got displaced. Total population of Punjab, including princely states was 34 million,” he said, adding that weapons used by Punjabis during World War-I were widely used in 1947 carnage and otherwise.

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Pakistanis and Kashmiris Voices of support to India at Pakistani Youtuber Channel/ GREATER JAMMU/ Rashmi Talwar

Pakistanis and Kashmiris Voices of support to India at Pakistani Youtuber Channel/

Rashmi Talwar

SRINAGAR GREATER JAMMU/ 25th May2023—-

Aslamlekkum! Namaste! Satsri Aka!, Good morning!

This mélange of greetings is common in the Indian context where a vibrant multi-faith society co-exists in one nation 

Interestingly, these greetings come from the most unlikely forum of –-Sana Amjad– a Pakistani Youtuber, running a formidable News Channel in her own name, having a following of 8.34 Lakhs!

Sana’s channel is a young 5yr old born in 2019. Her ideas -original, simple, with a stamp of Youngistan! She brings the voice of the Pakistani Public to the fore on various local, national, and international issues. Hence most of her videos attain viral status, especially in this belt of India and Pakistan. The reason is, her topics are bold, fearless, time-lined,  often striking sentiments on both sides of the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) between two warring neighbouring countries India-Pakistan.

In this ‘no-holds-barred’ Exclusive Talk with Dynamic Sana Ahmed, CEO and owner of YouTube channel ‘Sana Ahmed Channel,  the journalist from Lahore, Pakistan, writer RASHMI TALWAR, ’  speaks to Sana about the Kashmir-itch, felt by the Political class of Pakistan, especially post the successful completion of G20 Summit 2023,  held in Srinagar Jammu Kashmir, which according to Pakistan, is disputed.

Q. What does the public in Pakistan feel about Pakistan’s aggressive posturing against India’s G20 Srinagar Summit 2023?

The public is angry that the government and political class of Pakistan are least concerned about solving any of the public problems of Pakistan, and instead are ranting about Kashmir at all international forums. ‘It is frustrating to see that on any International forum, Pakistan brings up the Kashmir issue, and sets aside all other issues of public interest. The real issues get buffed and buried by the Kashmir issue. We are not solving any internal problems at all. There is a big  issue of shooting prices of commodities, rising living expenses, declining opportunities, and employment woes, but we are looking at only Kashmir!’ ‘It- (Kashmir) is not gelling with the public anymore. About 50% of the public has understood that Kashmir on the Indian side is India’s and Kashmir on our side is ours. And 50% of Pakistanis feel ‘unless and until we get Kashmir, all our problems will remain and no solution is possible!’ Now what is the solution for this mindset?

Q. What does Pakistan pubic visualize as their so-called ‘Freedom of Kashmir?

There are two types of statements and views of the Pakistani public as far as its own ‘Pakistan Kashmir ‘ and India’s Kashmir is concerned.

If we talk about Skardu, Gilgit, and Baltistan- the portion on the Pakistan side of Kashmir, then those people are not empowered with rights. They don’t get electricity, any employment or job opportunities, they want to be facilitated with these fundamental rights but they are not given such rights in daily life. They are keen to live with their counterparts in Kargil, India who are far away and unavailable to them. On the other side is a part of the Pakistan public that still believes that they will make Kashmir into Pakistan.  Even today they feel that Kashmir is an inseparable part of them. For Kashmir, this section of the public is ready for a fight with India. They will say India should give independence to Kashmir,  by that they mean Indian Kashmir, not Pakistani Kashmir. but more firmly they want Kashmir should join Pakistan.

Q. What about Pakistan’s Foreign Minister who is the first Pak FM in 12 years to visit India, is the public happy with his visit and conduct at the SCO Goa G20 in India?

Pakistan’s public is angry with Foreign Minister Bilawal Zardari Bhutto who came back home and said he was not treated well with due protocol by India. But the public is asking ‘You (FM) talked about just ‘Kashmir’ and no other issues and nothing came out from this international event for the Pakistan public, by your visit’. The public feels that this government is not even looking at any problems that the Pakistanis are facing in day-to-day life; they are just concerned about their own ego without any thought to the economics of the country. They didn’t bring in any trade treaty, nothing of that level, and just said I have been humiliated in India and that’s all. On top of that, as Pak FM to India after 12 years he went and gave a threat to India – “Of an ‘Aisa Jawab denge’ which India will not forget easily’, if India holds a G20 session in Kashmir”. What happened? Pak public is asking where is the ‘Krara Jawab’  as India has already completed its G20 session in Srinagar successfully.

Q. But then none of the foreign guests of any country got a handshake from Indian Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar during their welcome at G20 SCO Goa; it was a traditional Namaskar with folded hands. What was the issue of humiliation if all were being accorded the same treatment?

Oh Zardari expected the handshake and said the warmth was missing, he conveyed back home to Pakistan. In Pakistan, he says to the public,-‘that country (India) is very against Pakistan’.

Should trade between the two countries, besides people-to-people exchange restart?

Imran Khan as Prime Minister closed all trade with India following the abrogation of Kashmir’s special status.  But Pakistan must also understand that India does not need Pakistan, instead, Pakistan badly needs India. You know the exchange rate of the dollar to the Pakistani rupee is climbing to Rs 300/ for every US1$. In these circumstances how will we manage? We are getting Indian medicine, Indian vegetables, and even Indian onions via Dubai which naturally are very expensive. Government should look at the public suffering, at the economy, it is important the country should look at its own crisis or does it have to cry only for Kashmir? For 75 years we have got nothing from Kashmir why can’t we keep aside Kashmir and start talking about things that would matter and benefit Pakistan?

FM Bilawal could have done another deal keeping aside the Kashmir issue, but he hasn’t, so now we are looking at elections in Pakistan but again we are very unhopeful because no tenure of the elected government survives the completion of the 5-year tenure in Pakistan. The government is pulled down before the completion of the tenure or else the government collapses.

Q. So what is the future for Pakistan?

There is no future, unfortunately! I am a Pakistani but I say my country has no future! We are looking at a moment in Pakistan when 7 to 8 lakh youth have migrated out of Pakistan and the rest are stuck here only because they do not have the means. Anybody who gets an opportunity to move out of Pakistan is getting out. They (Pak rulers) are fools to hang on to Kashmir!

Q. As an independent journalist and owner of the channel you raise issues that are not comfortable to the government. Are you scared?

I am not scared. I raise authentic issues that affect our people.  I do stories after verifying that the news is correct and not a fake I started in 2019 when the ‘Indian Abhinandan’ issue gripped India and Pakistan came up between the two nations.

What is your view on the Taliban?

I don’t want to talk about the Taliban.   

Did you talk to people on your side of Kashmir about what they want?

No, we couldn’t talk to the people of ‘Azad Kashmir’ directly, as people there are shy and scared to talk openly about their desires on camera.

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Voices of Kashmiris and Pakistanis supporting India on Sana Ahmed Channel, going viral

Rashmi Talwar

Srinagar J&K 25^th May2023…..

(PIX)

Tabish Bukhari, Editor, Kashmiri Indian Youtuber,  – We as Kashmiri are delighted about G-20 Srinagar. About six years back the Indian Home Minister’s arrival in Kashmir saw strikes and protests. Presently 60 top foreign delegates arrived at the International event and not a single call of ‘hartal’ or strike was observed. Kashmiris are buoyant about their future in tourism, people are happy with the smart city facilities of Srinagar. 

And no, we never want to join Pakistan!

If security is stringent for the public, it is vital and our responsibility that not a scratch came to our guests as we Kashmiris will not let a finger of blame be raised at us. The public has also understood the security strictness. And they support the security forces. During G20 kashmiris were joyous and excited, after 40 years this tourism boost has come to Kashmir.     Pakistan’s feelings don’t matter to us Kashmiris. Will Pakistan decide what should happen or not happen in our land? Pak has a tummy ache every time a meeting or discussion is to take place in Kashmir, Pak pulls out Kashmir from its pocket and starts ranting about Kashmir being persecuted. Where is the persecution? We Kashmiris feel Pakistan has turned mad or cannot digest that we are happy. We advise Pakistan to improve its own conditions.  And who are Pakistanis to dictate to Kashmiris which meeting will be held in Kashmir or which will not? Kashmir laughs at this intervention by Pakistan. Where the Pak public is concerned the poison is fed by politicians. You in Pakistan are giving Rs 5000/month for internet services, Prices are skyrocketing, a former PM is arrested, Army is ruling, so your first concern is about yourself. In the last 8 years, we have improved our lives, no mother was separated from her children, or sister lost her brother. we want to see Kashmir at the top as bloodshed in Kashmir took place due to Pakistan but not now. We want development, we need jobs, and for our youth, we are doing everything, we don’t want the bloodshed that had ended, to restart now. The public has understood.  And we ask Pakistan- ‘When you are able to improve your own country’s conditions then look at the PoK how have you kept Kashmir which is in your occupation?’

We see all videos emerging from PoK. By influencing two or three countries to boycott G20 Srinagar, you (Pakistan) think you have won. We ask ‘Who are you’? We are so happy. If China boycotted, do you think it makes a difference to us, and I also ask Pakistan – to find out how China is showing you loyalty? You should question its motives. Saudi Arabia and Turkey make up four countries that didn’t come the ones important to us came. it is only Pakistan that has influenced Saudi. The day Kashmir ceases to be an issue for votes and voting areas, Pakistan will progress. Till then Pakistan will be destroyed by its politicians and Pok terrorist organizations.

( PIX )  Iman Leghari student of Chemistry Lahore Pakistan

India has a large trade scale with America and feels the US is on its side so India is in a position of power and therefore said that China’s absence at G20 Srinagar has no effect on India. Every country prefers to keep their economic ties that’s why they are coming to India.  Hence even Muslim countries of OIC came for the G20 Srinagar. Indian PM Modi has boosted the Economy; this economic drive has successfully made it a strong partner even with the Muslim world.

Indian confidence comes as the 5^th largest technology power in the world and the world admits it. Pakistan needs India, India does not need us. We should come forward for trade forgetting the past and enmity with India.  

(PIX) Ayesha, Lahore Pakistan—– India is a Top power in development, and production, it is stabilized. if they brushed off China’s absence at G20, it is with this power that the opposite partner benefits from partnering with India. Biden asked for Indian PM Modi’s autograph. Look at Indian PM Modi’s creativity, his dealing, and his handling. We can call him a ‘Chaiwala’ but see how he is handling foreign powers. We should learn from his techniques and we should learn from India how they are growing as a nation. They are now 20 years ahead of us, and here we cant resolve disputes amongst ourselves!  Modi is focused on benefitting his nation and he doesn’t waver from that. Even if he doesn’t agree with some nations he has good relations with them why because he wants benefits for his country from any nation irrespective of the nature of their country heads. We should make good relations with India, and we should keep economics separate and religion separate. The Indian PM is smart not to be aggressive and gives a timely reply. He is smart in his moves.

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India repatriates 22 Pakistani prisoners at Attari Wagah/ Rashmi Talwar/ GREATER JAMMU

India repatriates 22 Pakistani prisoners at Attari Wagah

Indo-Pak Border

India repatriates 22 Pakistani prisoners at Attari Wagah

Rashmi Talwar

Attari-Wagah, May 20, 2023 —–

Indian government repatriated 22 Pakistani nationals held in various Indian prisons, who had completed their sentences. They were handed over via the Attari-Wagah border here, officials said.

They were handed over by Border Security Force personnel to the Pakistani Rangers at the border’s Joint Check Post (JCP) on Friday, the officials said.

Since none of the Pakistan nationals had any kind of travel documents at the time of their arrest, all of them were issued ‘Emergency Travel Certificates’ by the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi, before they crossed over to their homeland in  Pakistan, officials informed.

Of the 22 prisoners, nine fishermen were incarcerated in Kutch prison in Gujarat and brought here to Amritsar, 10 from the Amritsar Central Jail, and three from other prisons, officials confirmed. 

Officials said that the Pak fishermen had been nabbed by the Indian Navy in the maritime areas of the Indian Ocean.

 Since it has a poorly demarked watery borderline, the fishermen from both countries often stray into each other’s territories without any intention of doing so. 

The Pakistani fishermen’s repatriation is part of India-Pakistan’s Treaty of Understanding of prisoner repatriation of each other’s country after completion of jail terms due to border trespass. Under this, 500 Indian Prisoners, which includes 499 fishermen and one civilian would be released and repatriated by Pakistan to India by July 3.

Pakistani and India regularly arrest each other’s fishermen for violating the maritime boundaries which are poorly marked at some points in the expanse of the Indian oceans that separates the two countries.

Earlier on May 12, Greater Jammuhad reported on the repatriation of  198 Indian fishermen from Pakistan who were brought amidst tight security, to the Wagah-Attari  Indo-Pak Border from Karachi by the Edhi Foundation, and were repatriated in the dark. The delay in repatriation was caused due to the civil unrest in Pakistan following the arrest and release of its former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Out of 200, two fishermen including One Muhammed Zulfiqar and Soma Deva had died in Karachi’s prison on May 6 and on May 9 respectively. Their bodies have been kept in the Edhi Foundation mortuary till they could be flown out to India. The Indian fishermen were incarcerated in Karachi’s infamous Malir Jail for years.

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