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Major initiative to improve Indo-Pak ties unlikely before LS polls: Official sources

Agencies
December 28, 2018

New Delhi, Dec 28: It is unlikely that there will be any major initiative to improve ties between India and Pakistan until Lok Sabha elections are held, official sources said Thursday.

However, they did not "definitively" rule out any positive development.

Last month, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, while calling for bettering ties between the two neighbours, had said that he was willing to wait for New Delhi's response till general elections are held in India. The Lok Sabha polls are due in April-May.

Asked about the latest episode of harassment of staff at Indian High Commission in Islamabad, the sources said India is not contemplating scaling down its strength in the mission.

They said Pakistan is yet to grant gas connections to the new residential building of its mission in Islamabad despite repeated requests by India.

"Our diplomats are facing harassment on multiple counts. Our High Commission buildings and projects in Islamabad are stalled for last 10 years. We moved people in the High Commission building with no gas supply," said a source.

They said furniture for new buildings are held up at the border and no telecom connections have been granted by Pakistan.

Recalling the "unprecedented levels" of harassment of officials of the Indian mission in Islamabad earlier this year, the sources indicated that India had given a tit for tat response.

"That resulted in them backing of real fast," said a source.

When asked about alleged harassment of Indian diplomats in the country, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said Islamabad was facilitating the Indian High Commission to operate according to the international laws and diplomatic norms.

"Pakistan stands for upholding the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic relations and has always endeavoured to facilitate the working of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad within the diplomatic norm, international law and practices," he said during a media briefing in Islamabad.

On the Kartarpur corridor project, the sources said it was a cultural initiative and not a diplomatic or political one.

They said Kartarpur corridor initiative does not mean India was going to open dialogue with Pakistan on larger issues.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev - with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district.

Pakistan has been projecting the initiative as its major diplomatic coup. On Thursday, Pakistan described it as the "high point of diplomacy" for the Imran Khan government.

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Agencies
May 10,2020

New Delhi, May 10: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured audit of donations made to the PM-CARES Fund, and to share the details and the money spent with the people.

"The PM-CARES Fund has received huge contributions from PSUs and major public utilities like the Railways. It's important that the Prime Minister ensure the fund is audited and that the record of money received and spent is available to the public," he tweeted.

The #PmCares fund has received huge contributions from PSUs & major public utilities like the Railways.

It’s important that PM ensures the fund is audited & that the record of money received and spent is available to the public.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 9, 2020
His remarks came amid reports that the central government is accumulating a huge sum of money in the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund set up as a corpus to fight novel coronavirus and that the amount spent will not be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The CAG office had clarified that since the fund is based on donations, it has no right to audit a charitable organisation.

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi told the media that the PM-CARES Fund should be audited and people of the country should know about the donors and the donations made.

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News Network
March 23,2020

New Delhi, Mar 23: The central government has asked state governments to take strict action against violators of the coronavirus lockdown being enforced in 80 districts across the country.

An official statement released on Monday said there will be a total lockdown in 80 districts where coronavirus cases have been reported. The shutdown will end on March 31.

Delhi's borders will remain sealed during the lockdown, but essential services related to health, food, water and power supply will continue, and 25 per cent of the DTC buses will run to transport people associated with essential services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier on Monday appealed to state governments to ensure that rules and regulations of the coronavirus lockdown are enforced as he noted that many people were not taking the measure seriously.

"Many people are still not taking the lockdown seriously. Please save yourself, save your family, follow the instructions seriously. I request state governments to ensure rules and laws are followed," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

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Agencies
August 7,2020

Kottayam, Aug 7: A trial court in Kottayam on Friday granted bail to Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in Kerala, with stringent conditions and directed him to be present on the dates of hearing of the case.

The Additional Sessions Court had cancelled the bail granted to the Bishop on July 13 for failing to appear for the trial and issued a Non Bailable Warrant against him.

Mulakkal was present in the Court on Friday when it considered the matter.

Granting bail, the court directed him not to leave the state till the chargesheet is read out to him on August 13 and to be present in court on the dates of hearing of the case.

The Court also directed him to offer fresh sureties and bail bonds.

On July 13, Mulakkal’s counsel had informed the court that his client could not appear as he had been in self quarantine due to his primary contact with a COVID-19 infected person.

The next day, the former Jalandhar Bishop had tested positive for coronavirus.

The prosecution informed the Court that Mulakkal had not produced the COVID negative certificate, to which the Court observed that the state Health Department can take necessary action on this issue.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday had directed Mulakkal to face trial as it dismissed his plea seeking discharge in the rape case lodged against him by the nun belonging to a congregation under Jalandhar diocese, saying there was no merit in his petition.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian had told the counsel for Bishop that the court is not saying anything on merit, but is dismissing the plea on the issue of discharge from the case.

Mulakkal, in his plea had challenged the July 7 Kerala High Court order, dismissing his discharge plea in the rape case filed by the nun.

The High Court had asked the deposed Bishop of Jalandhar diocese to stand for trial in the rape case, which was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the nun.

The senior priest of the Roman Catholic Church had filed the revision petition following the dismissal of his discharge plea by a trial court in March this year.

The rape case against the Bishop was registered by police in Kottayam district.

In her complaint to the police in June, 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by the bishop during the period between 2014 and 2016.

The bishop, who was arrested by the Special Investigation team, which probed the case, charged him with wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation.

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