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Talks only if Pak acts against terror plotters, says India

January 8, 2016

New Delhi, Jan 8: India on Thursday made it clear to Pakistan that the proposed foreign secretary-level talks could be held only if Islamabad acts promptly against plotters of the Pathankot airbase attack.

terror

New Delhi put the onus on Islamabad to salvage the peace process which was recently reinitiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart M Nawaz Sharif.

The dialogue process between the two countries came under a shadow after the recent attacks on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot (Punjab) and the Consulate General of India at Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan.

“The ball is in Pakistan’s court,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup told journalists on Thursday.

He, however, declined to comment on the proposed meeting between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and his Pakistan counterpart A A Chaudhry, which is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on January 15.

“The immediate issue (for India) is Pakistan’s response to the terrorist attack (on IAF base in Pathankot) and the actionable intelligence provided to it,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday shared with his Pakistani counterpart Naseer Khan Janjua details of the calls and transcripts of the conversations between the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists, who attacked the IAF base in Pathankot, and the “commanders” of the terror organisation based in the neighbouring country.

It was reported that New Delhi had asked Islamabad to immediately arrest JeM founder Moulana Masood Azhar and three other operatives of the terror organisations — Ashfaq Ahmad, Hafiz Abdul Shakur and Kasim Jaan.

They were in constant touch with the terrorists and coordinating their assault on the airbase from a control room set up at the outfit’s headquarters in Bahawalpur in Pakistan.

New Delhi suspects that Azhar’s brother Abdul Rauf Ashgar masterminded the attack. Modi on Tuesday asked Sharif to immediately act against the individuals and organizations responsible for the terrorist attack.

Sharif assured Modi over phone that his government would take “prompt and decisive action against the terrorists”.

“Actionable intelligence with regard to the terrorist attack and the links with the perpetrators in Pakistan have been provided to the Pakistani side. The Pakistani Prime Minister promised prompt and decisive action. We now await that prompt and decisive action,” the MEA spokesperson said on Thursday.

“We had extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan but we will not countenance cross-border terrorist attacks,” said Swarup. The meeting between the two foreign secretaries on January 15 is expected to mark restart of the bilateral dialogue, which remained stalled since January 2013.

Seven security-men were killed in the attack on the IAF base in Pathankot. The six JeM terrorists, who carried out the attack, were all eliminated by the security personnel in a three-day-long operation.

The terrorist attack came just a little more than a week after Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore to greet Sharif on his birthday and to join celebration for the wedding ceremony of the Pakistan Prime Minister’s granddaughter. The visit added to the newly generated goodwill between the two neighbours, which saw a thaw in their ties with the December 9 announcement on resumption of the parleys as Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

Mumbai, Jul 30: Counterfeiting incidents have increased 24 per cent in the country in 2019 over the previous year, creating an over Rs 1 lakh crore hole in the economy, according to a report.

The report also said counterfeiters are having a free run due to the pandemic-driven disruptions to organised supply chains and the resultant spike in consumer demand.

According to the report by ASPA, a self-regulated industry body of anti-counterfeiting and traceability solutions providers, counterfeiting has risen steadily in the last few years, and exploiting the pandemic as a cover for their activities.

Between February and April 2020, over 150 incidents of counterfeiting cases were reported, mostly about fake PPE kits, sanitisers and masks taking advantage of the high demand for these products, it noted.

"There was a 24 per cent increase in counterfeiting in 2019 over 2018, leading to the loss of more than Rs 1 lakh crore to the overall economy," said Nakul Pasricha, president of Authentication Solution Providers Association.

The association works with global authorities like the International Hologram Manufacturers Association, Counterfeit Intelligence Bureau of the Interpol, and domestic industry lobbies like Ficci, he said.

Counterfeiting is a universal issue and is 3.3 per cent of global trade, according to the OECD data, impacting social and economic development across the world.

The report lists the currency, FMCG, alcohol, pharma, documents, agriculture, infrastructure, automotive, tobacco, lifestyle and apparel, as the 10 sectors impacted most by counterfeiting.

Among these, currency, alcohol and FMCG continue to be the top three sectors with the highest counterfeiting in the last two years. The FMCG sector is most vulnerable, as counterfeit incidents rose 63 per cent between 2018 (79) and 2019 when the reported cases jumped to 129.

Within the states, the fakers have a free run in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Punjab, Jharkhand, Delhi, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand, calling for urgent actions to frame anti-counterfeiting policy measures.

According to the report, UP continues to be on top followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, and together these three states represent almost 45 per cent of all counterfeiting reported in the last two years.

What is more alarming is that counterfeiting is not limited to high-end luxury items today, as common everyday items as fake cumin seeds, mustard cooking oil, ghee, hair oils, soaps, baby care vaccines and medicines are aplenty in the markets.

"There is an urgent need for building and nurturing authentication ecosystems in the country with the active involvement and active participation of all stakeholders," said Pasricha.

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News Network
March 30,2020

Kochi, Mar 30: Kerala High Court on Monday granted interim bail to the under-trial prisoners and remanded accused in the state till April 30 in view of the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The court said that the accused should report to the local police station immediately after getting bail. Those released on bail must strictly follow the lockdown instructions, the High Court said.

"Those who have been convicted of imprisonment for less than seven years will get bail. Prison Superintendents will release the prisoners who are eligible. But regular offenders are not entitled to get bail," the court said.

After the bail period, the accused should appear in the respective trial courts, where a decision will be taken on their bail by the respective trial courts.

The Supreme Court had last week asked all state governments to release undertrial prisoners, who are facing charges attracting less than seven years imprisonment, to reduce overcrowding of jails amid the ongoing coronavirus scare.

So far, 194 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state.

The country is under a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has claimed the lives of 29 people and infected a total of 1071 people as on Monday morning.

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News Network
July 25,2020

New Delhi, Jul 25: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has made key appointments in its different commands all across the country including formations that look after operations along the borders with China and Pakistan.

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari has been appointed as the head of the Delhi-based Western Air Command (WAC) which looks after both the crucial borders, with China in Ladakh and all along Pakistan from Ladakh up to Bikaner in Rajasthan.

Chaudhari would be assuming charge of the new office on August 1, replacing Air Marshal B Suresh who is superannuating after a brief tenure of nine months there.

In the Shillong-based Eastern Command, incumbent Air Marshal RD Mathur would be moving to the Bangalore-based Training Command on October 1, he will be replaced by Air Marshal Amit Dev. The Eastern Command looks after the entire Northeastern region including the border with China from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.

As per the new appointments issued on July 24, Kargil war gallantry awardee Air Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik would be taking over as the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at the Prayagraj-based Central Air Command.

On October 1, the Air Force would also get a new in-charge of personnel in Air Marshal RJ Duckworth who is presently the SASO in the WAC.

Air Marshal Vikram Singh would be the next SASO of the WAC. Air Marshal J Chalapati-- the officer who had briefed the Supreme Court on the Rafale issue last year, would be the SASO of the Trivandrum-based Southern Air Command.

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