Viewing Us with Pre-Partition Eye is India's 'Mistake', Says Pakistan President

Agencies
March 23, 2019

Islamabad, Mar 23: It would be a "mistake" for India to view Pakistan with the eye of pre-partition and its desire for peace should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness, President Arif Alvi said on Saturday as Islamabad displayed its military might on the National Day.

Arif Alvi was addressing the annual Pakistan Day Parade in Islamabad to commemorate the resolution passed by the All-India Muslim League on the day in 1940 in Lahore demanding a separate country for Muslims.

The Pakistan National Day featured a joint parade by the army, air force and navy, display of military hardware, along with open and veiled anti-India rhetoric.

"It was the duty and responsibility of Pakistan to respond to the Indian aggression... We responded with better strategy," Arif Alvi said, apparently referring to the downing of an Indian Air Force jet.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in February 14.

India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

Arif Alvi said India's actions jeopardised peace in the region.

"It would a mistake on part of India to view Pakistan with the eye of pre-partition. Doing so would be very dangerous for the region's stability.

"India will have to accept Pakistan as a reality, and it must come to the conclusion that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues," Arif Alvi said at the ceremony where Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was the guest of honour.

He said Pakistan wants peaceful co-existence but its "desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness".

"We are a peaceful nation, but are not oblivious to our defence, and the same has been proved in the recent demonstration of Pakistan's defence capability," he said, adding that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and respects integrity and sovereignty of other states.

Arif Alvi said the country is safe and moving on the path of progress and development after effectively fighting terrorism.

The president also inspected the parade before his address. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan attended the ceremony.

According to official sources in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter to Imran Khan, greeting people of Pakistan on the eve of its National Day and highlighting the importance of a terror-free South Asia.

PM Modi, in his message, said it was time for the people of the sub-continent to work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive and prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence, they said.

Contingents, paratroopers and fighter jets from Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, Bahrain and Sri Lanka also took part in the parade.

Shahper and Buraq drones were also displayed in the parade along with different missile systems including Nasr, Babur, Shaheen 1, Ghuri, Shaheen 111 among others, and defence systems as well as tanks.

The day dawned with 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salute in the provincial capitals.

Special prayers were also offered in mosques after morning prayers for the country's progress and prosperity.

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News Network
March 10,2020

New Delhi, Mar 10: A military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) brought back 58 Indians from coronavirus-hit Iran on Tuesday, official said.

The aircraft, a C-17 Globemaster, was sent to Tehran on Monday evening.

About 2,000 Indians are living in Iran, a country that has witnessed increasing numbers of coronavirus cases in the last few days.

"The IAF aircraft has landed. Mission completed. On to the next," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

In an earlier tweet, he said, "First batch of 58 Indian pilgrims being brought back from Iran. IAF C-17 taken off from Tehran and expected to land soon in Hindon."

"Thanks to the efforts of our Embassy @India_in_Iran and Indian medical team there, operating under challenging conditions. Thank you @IAF_MCC. Appreciate cooperation of Iranian authorities. We are working on the return of other Indians stranded there (sic)," Jaishankar added.

The aircraft landed at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, from where the passengers were take to a medical facility.

According to latest reports, 237 people have died of novel coronavirus in Iran while the number of positive cases stands at around 7,000.

It is the second such evacuation by the C-17 Globemaster in the last two weeks.

On February 27, 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals were brought back from the Chinese city of Wuhan by the aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

The C-17 Globemaster is the largest military aircraft in the IAF's inventory. The plane can carry large combat equipment, troops and humanitarian aid across long distances in all weather conditions.

Four days ago, a Mahan airline plane brought swab samples of 300 Indians from Iran to India.

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June 1,2020

Washington, Jun 1: As protesters gathered outside the White House on Friday night in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump was briefly taken to the White House underground bunker, The New York Times reported citing a person having firsthand knowledge about the incident.

Trump was there for less than an hour before being brought upstairs. After hundreds of people surged towards the White House on Friday, Secret Service and the United States Park Police officers sought to block them.

Trump's team was surprised by the protests that were witnessed outside the White House on Friday night, according to the US daily. It is, however, unclear if Melania Trump and Barron Trump were also taken down with him.

in response to the continuing protests against the death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody.

National Guard members have been activated in 15 states and Washington, DC with another 2,000 prepared to activate if needed.

Demonstrators across the United States have been protesting since May 25, when George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, died under the police custody in the city of Minneapolis.

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News Network
July 14,2020

Brasilia, Jul 14: Brazil has reported new 20,286 coronavirus cases in last 24 hours taking the country's total to 1.8 million, Sputnik reported citing the health ministry.

The country's death toll has increased by 733 in the same period of time. The death toll from the infection has touched 72,833.

Over 1.1 million people have recovered from COVID-19 in Brazil since the start of the epidemic in the country, according to the health ministry.

Brazil has the second-highest coronavirus death toll, it is surpassed only by the United States.

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