Pakistan moves to defuse tension after killing of soldiers

August 9, 2013
New Delhi, Aug 9: Pakistan scurried to  de-escalate tension after New Delhi shed its wishy-washy stance and warned Islamabad that the recent killing of five Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC) will have consequences on bilateral relations.

navazPakistan premier M Nawaz Sharif expressed “his sadness over the recent incidents on the LoC and the loss of precious lives.” He did not admit the involvement of Pakistani troops in Tuesday’s killings. Sharif said it was “imperative for both India and Pakistan to take effective steps to ensure and restore ceasefire on the LoC.”

Sharif’s statement came hours after Defence Minister A K Antony told Parliament that the killing of the Indian soldiers by Pakistani Army regulars and terrorists will have “consequences” on the Indian Army’s “behaviour” on the LoC, as well as New Delhi’s relations with Islamabad.

As clamour grew for suspension of talks with Pakistan, Sharif sought to salvage his proposed meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.

A release issued by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi quoted him saying that he was “looking forward to his meeting” with Singh. “During the meeting,” he was quoted as saying, “we will discuss steps to further build trust and consolidate this relationship.”

The release was issued after Sharif’s meeting with his advisor on national security and foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, and other senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Pakistan government in Islamabad on Thursday.

Antony, who had earlier refrained from directly blaming the Pakistan Army for the incident, made a course-correction on Thursday and said “specialist troops” of the neighbouring country were involved in the “brutal and unprovoked attack” on the Indian Army patrol.

He was criticised by the Opposition after he told Parliament on Tuesday that “persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniforms” accompanied the terrorists during the attack. The Opposition had created ruckus in both Houses, alleging that the defence minister’s statement corroborated Pakistan’s denial.

“We all know that nothing happens from the Pakistan side of the LoC without support, assistance, facilitation and often, direct involvement of the Pakistan Army,” Antony told Parliament on Thursday.

Antony said Pakistan should not only punish people responsible for the attack, but also show “determined action to dismantle terrorist networks, organisations and infrastructure and show tangible movement on bringing those responsible for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008 to justice quickly.

” New Delhi’s tough talk and growing uncertainty over the resumption of bilateral dialogue has prodded Islamabad into action and Sharif was briefed by foreign office officials.

The release issued by the Pakistan government quoted Sharif saying that leadership from both sides should not allow the situation to drift.

Steps should be taken to improve the atmosphere by engaging constructively to build trust and confidence.

He also said while the existing military-to-military channels could be optimally utilised to prevent misunderstanding, Pakistan was prepared to discuss steps to further strengthen existing mechanisms at both political and military levels.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Pune/Mumbai, Feb 21: A BJP youth wing leader from Pune on Thursday submitted a complaint application to the police against AIMIM leader Waris Pathan for his controversial remarks made recently in Karnataka.

Pathan has claimed he has been quoted out of context.

Parismal Deshpande, a BJYM worker, submitted the written application at the Deccan Gymkhana police station, demading action against Pathan for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups and outraging religious feelings of a community.

Deshpande, in his complaint stated, that Pathan reportedly said "15 crore hai lekin 100 crore pe bhari hai' (We are 15 crore but we can dominate 100 crore).

"The statement by Pathan promotes violence and create a divide between two communities.

"Because of such statements, there are possibilities of atmosphere getting vitiated. Hence, he should be booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups, 295A (outraging religious feelings), and 504 (provoking breach of the peace)," Deshpande said in the complaint.

An officer from the Deccan police station confirmed receiving the application.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the BJP slammed Pathan.

The saffron party on Thursday tweeted @BJP4Maharashtra saying, "Waris Pathan, who are you threatening to? Shiv Sena led government may tolerate your comments; but BJP and people of Maharashtra will teach you a lesson that your hate- mongering speeches will be shut."

However, Pathan has issued a statement to the media, saying he has been quoted out of context.

"I hereby wish to state that the media reports on TV channels showing my statement made in the public meeting at Gulbarga five days back have totally quoted me out of context," Pathan claimed on late Thursday evening.

"I wish to reiterate that I can never say anything intentionally or unintentionally that hurts the sentiments of any caste, community or gender. I am a proud Indian and respects the plurality of this country," he said.

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April 16,2020

New Delhi, Apr 16: South Delhi District Magistrate Brij Mohan Mishra on Thursday said that the administration is investigating how the pizza delivery boy contracted the coronavirus.

"In the last 15 days, we discovered houses he had delivered food. We contacted people living in 72 houses and they have been asked to stay in-home quarantine. No symptoms have been seen in people related to him. 

Testing of his roommate has been done and his reports are awaited. The rest of the people don't have any symptoms, they have been placed under institutional quarantine. Those in-home quarantines are also asymptomatic," Mishra said.

"Unless a positive case comes, we feel that transmission has not taken place. The boy told us that he was continuously wearing a mask while delivering the food. We are also finding out how he got infected. We are getting the information about the places he visited for delivery. He was tested on the basis of the doctor's advice. Later, he tested positive," he said.

72 families have to stay in home quarantine in the Malviya Nagar area after the delivery boy tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that 17 other delivery boys linked with the infected person have also been placed under institutional quarantine.

"A pizza delivery boy has been detected with COVID-19 here. 17 other delivery boys linked with him have been placed under institutional quarantine and 72 people have been placed under home quarantine," Jain said.

Food delivery app Zomato said that the staff of the infected person's restaurant has delivered some orders which were placed on its platform.

"We've been made aware today that a restaurant's employee, who has been recently tested positive for COVID-19, had delivered food in the past to a few customers in the Malviya Nagar area in Delhi. All these customers have already been contacted by the govt authorities... We are not sure whether the rider was infected at the time of delivery," the company said in a statement.

Zomato also claimed that colleagues of the delivery boy have tested negative for COVID-19.
"This restaurant had instructed their riders to wear masks and follow strict hygiene to keep customers safe from any unintended mishap.

All co-workers of the said rider have been tested negative. And as a precaution, the restaurant where this rider worked has suspended operations," read the statement.

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News Network
June 29,2020

New Delhi, Jun 29: A disturbing video of a Covid-19 patient, speaking his last words, after his oxygen supply was allegedly cut off, has surfaced on social media. The patient reportedly died after indicating that the oxygen supply to him was cut off despite his requests.

The video has a 35-year-old Covid-19 patient bidding good-bye to his family, from a government hospital bed in Hyderabad. The patient Ravi Kumar can be seen speaking out against the negligence of of the medical staff in providing ventilator support to him when he needed it the most.

The video has led to social media outrage as it attracted public attention towards plight of patients in government hospitals

"I am not able to breathe, I pleaded but they did not continue oxygen for the last three hours. I am not able to breathe anymore daddy, it's like my heart has stopped, Bye daddy. Bye to all, daddy," these were apparently the final words of the man, who spoke in his local dialect, and shared on social media.

Several reports have claimed that the man had been admitted to government Chest hospital, after several private hospitals refused to admit him. His ventilator support was allegedly taken off in the hospital, after which he recorded the video message.

The victim’s family shared the video message for the public to know of the negligence.

Reports have it that Ravi’s covid-19 report, which testes positive, was given to family a day after his death, when 30 of his family members performed the final rites, thus making all of them vulnerable to the virus. Ravi’s father has alleged that the test was done on June 24 and Ravi died on June 26, while the report was given to them on June 27.

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