New Delhi Mar 25 PTI As many as 577 Indian fishermen are in the custody of Pakistan and India has been consistently raising the incidents of their detention and the capture of fishing boats by the neighbouring country the Lok Sabha was informed on FridayUnion Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said according to the India-Pakistan Agreement on Consular Access signed on May 21 2008 lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen of each country lodged in the jails of the other are exchanged on January 1 and July 1 every yearAccording to the lists exchanged on January 1 2022 Pakistan has acknowledged the custody of 577 fishermen who are Indian or are believed to be Indian he said during the Question HourBesides the minister said according to government records 1164 Indian fishing boats are also believed to be in Pakistans custody However the neighbouring country has not acknowledged the custody of the boatsHe said incidents of apprehension of Indian fishermen and their boats by Pakistani authorities are consistently raised with the neighbouring country and it is conveyed that the issue may be considered on purely humanitarian and livelihood groundsAll possible assistance including legal help is extended to the fishermen for their early release and repatriation along with the release of their boats As a result of the sustained efforts by the government 2140 Indian fishermen and 57 Indian fishing boats have been repatriated from Pakistan since 2014 Muraleedharan saidHe said the government attaches the highest priority to the safety security and welfare of Indian fishermenAs soon as cases of apprehension of Indian fishermen and their fishing boats are reported immediate steps are taken by Indian missions and posts to seek consular access ensure their welfare and also pursue their early release and repatriation along with their boats the minister informedGiven the humanitarian and livelihood dimensions of the issue the government has put in place several bilateral mechanisms to ensure cooperation and understanding with the countries concerned to promote the safety and security of Indian fishermen he said PTI ACB RC

Samba (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 22 (ANI): Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday accused the BJP of "wanting to divide the nation" and "make many Pakistans" and said Congress had kept the nation safe during its rule.

Srinagar Dec 31 PTI Maintaining law and order following the death of hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani in September despite Pakistans instigation was the biggest achievement of J-K Police in 2021 a top police official said on Friday Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar also said the killing of the maximum top commanders of various militant outfits as well as no strike calls by Hurriyat were the other main achievements of the force in the Valley in 2021 The biggest achievement has been the burial management of Geelani We were preparing for the last 10 years We were under tremendous tension Pakistan and separatists here in Kashmir were preparing for mobilising people taking out protests But there was no stone-pelting no one was injured The biggest contribution was of the people who cooperated with us Kumar told reporters at a press conference here Listing out the achievements of the J-K Police in 2021 he said 171 militants were killed including 19 Pakistanis in the year Eighty-two terrorists or terror associates were arrested 597 over-ground workers OGWs were also arrested About 127 rifles and 167 pistols were recovered the IGP said The security forces also recovered or destroyed 11 IEDs and busted 10 militant hideouts he said Kumar said about 168 militants are active in the Valley -- 85 local and 83 foreigners -- which is almost the same proportion and has happened for the first time in the recent years In north Kashmir 65 terrorists are active which includes 53 FTs foreign terrorists In central Kashmir 16 including seven FTs and in the south 87 including 23 FTs are active he said The number of security forces personnel killed in 2021 was 57 but only 29 were killed in the militancy-related violence in Kashmir Kumar said This includes nine JKP personnel he added I am pained as Kashmir police chief that this year more policemen were killed in my tenure But at the same time I am happy that all the cases of attacks on security forces have been solved except one in Bandipora he said Kumar said last year 167 youths had joined militancy while this year it was 128 Out of 128 30 were killed within a month of their joining he added Pointing to the law and order situation he said while 147 law and order incidents took place in 2020 it was 64 in 2021 This even as there has been instigation from mainstream politicians Hurriyat on little things by spreading rumours But I want to give credit to the general public here as they did not allow the law and order to deteriorate he said The Kashmir police chief said 34 civilians -- 21 local and six outsiders -- were killed by militants this year in the valley Among the 21 seven were political workers he said adding all such cases have been solved He however said during his tenure as the IGP Kashmir not a single civilian was killed in law and order incident Only one innocent civilian killing took place near the encounter sites Kumar said In 2021 9227 persons were taken into preventive detention 438 cases under UAPA were registered and 458 persons were under custody or were arrested he said He said security forces were successful in making the visits of more than 300 MPs around 75 ministers President Ram Nath Kovind Union Home Minister Amit Shah Supreme Court judges and VVIPs from other states to J-K as incident-free Kumar however said there are many challenges for the security forces in 2022 which included the prevention of policemen from becoming soft targets of militants Narcotics cyber crime are the other challenges he added The IGP said Hybrid militants was another challenge for the security apparatus in the valley We will focus on technology analyse social media So far we have identified 25 persons as Hybrid militants It will remain a focus he stressed Kumar said the forces will try to motivate using families the less threatened youth including those who are Hybrid militants to surrender to come back to the mainstream We try to make the militants surrender but if they do not then we will arrest or neutralise them in encountersWe have put on hold many operations just to provide an opportunity to youth to surrender J-K Police does not need to fight the militancy by killing the militants We will use every modus operandi to neutralise a militant which includes surrender arrest etc he said PTI SSB AQS AQS

Srinagar Dec 30 PTI The bonhomie between Hurriyat leaders and their masters in Pakistan was highlighted on Thursday in a charge sheet filed by JK Polices SIA against nine people mostly separatists for allegedly selling MBBS seats in the neighbouring nation to Kashmiri students and using the money to spread unrest in the Union territory officials said The Special Investigation Agency SIA a newly carved-out unit of Jammu and Kashmir Police submitted the charge sheet in a special court here against the nine including Mohammed Akbar Bhat alias Zaffar Bhat a constituent of the Hurriyat Conference It said that during investigation it surfaced the accused were affiliated with Hurriyat chapter of Kashmir and Pakistan and were illegally making money under a planned conspiracy The case was registered in July last year by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir CIK a branch of the polices CID which was designated as the SIA after receiving information through reliable sources that several unscrupulous people including some Hurriyat leaders were hand in glove with educational consultancies and were selling seats of MBBS and other courses in Pakistani colleges and universities Besides Bhat who is the chairman of Salvation Movement a constituent of moderate Hurriyat Conference the charge sheet named his brother Altaf Ahmad Bhat along with Manzoor Ahmad Shah both living in Pakistan religious leader from Anantnag Qazi Yasir Fatima Shah Mohammad Abdullah Shah Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh and Mohd Iqbal Mir of Mahaz Azadi Front and Syed Khalid Geelani Five people Bhat Fatima Shah Mohammad Abdullah Shah Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh and Mohd Iqbal Mir were arrested produced before the court and sent to Central Jail Srinagar Altaf Ahmad Bhat Qazi Yasir and Manzoor Ahmad Bhat were absconding and the process of declaring them absconders was initiated by the SIA The ninth accused Geelani would be charged only for cheating and a separate challan would be filed against him the charge sheet stated The case could come in handy in carrying out the provisions of banning both factions of Hurriyat Conference as Bhat was involved in amalgams anti-national activities The historical bonhomie between Hurriyat leaders and their masters in Pakistan has been again exposed through investigations and has exposed their nefarious designs once more of being hand in glove with the terrorists based in Kashmir and Pakistan and the undercurrents of their close knit relationship is only to destabilise the Union Territory of JK and Union of India an official said The charge sheet said Hurriyat Conference an alliance of 26 political and religious organisations was formed in 1993 as a united political front to carry out separatists movement in the erstwhile state Since its inception it invited locals through hollow slogans and destructive emotionalism and always mislead the people of Kashmir at the behest of Pakistan the charge sheet said During investigation the role played by Hurriyat Conference in terror funding was brought to light through evidence like the funds collected by its leaders and their associates under the guise of providing technical education to Kashmiri students in Pakistan The same money was routed to finance terrorism and terror-related activities in the valley and moreover it surfaced that by incentivising the kin of killed militants through finances the Hurriyat was trying to keep the pot boiling in the UT the charge sheet said While recording statements it came to be known that the money was ploughed into militancy to create law and order problems by disturbing peace damaging public property striking terror among the masses and creating potential threat to the sovereignty of India the officials said On the strength of the evidence collected both documentary and oral the involvement of the accused was prima facie established A criminal conspiracy was hatched by them as part of which they raised money under different pretexts and distributed it through Hurriyat leaders and their tacit associates to terrorists in the valley stone pelters and the families of slain terrorists The information on the basis of which criminal probe started in the matter also suggested that the money collected from parents of aspiring or potential students was used at least partly to support and fund terrorism and separatism the charge sheet said Evidence also showed that money was put into channels that supported programmes pertaining to terrorism and separatism The money was used to fuel unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in south Kashmir in 2016 and every effort was made to disturb peace after abrogation of Article 35A of the Indian Constitution in August 2019 it said The charge sheet said the examination of witnesses corroborated by other circumstantial evidence indicated that many families approached Hurriyat leaders to avail its programme at the behest of Pakistans ISI that aimed to incentivise terror by compensating families of slain terrorists by providing free MBBS and engineering seats as monetary consideration The official said on average a seat cost between Rs 10-12 lakh and depending upon the political heft of the Hurriyat leader who intervened concessions were extended to the aspiring student and his family Considering that there were 40 seats for MBBS every year a conservative estimate indicated that the money involved could be around Rs 4 crore per annum the official added PTI SKL AAR AAR

Jaipur Dec 24 PTI The Rajasthan police has quizzed 25 Sriganganagar district residents in the last two days suspecting them of having come in contact with Pakistans intelligence agency ISI and its operatives a senior official said on Friday Director-General Umesh Mishra of Rajasthan Polices Intelligence Unit said the residents of the district bordering Pakistan were called at interrogation centres in Suratgarh and Ganganagar for detailed inquiry The police have seized their mobile phones and sent them for a detailed forensic test said Mishra adding the suspects however have been let off for time being The action against them will be taken only after some solid evidence of their collusion with Pakistans Intelligence Operatives surfaces during the forensic tests of their phones The police took action during an exercise by its Intelligence Unit to make border residents aware of the malady of Pakistans ISI design of espionage bids through residents PTI SDA RAX RAX

New Delhi Nov 26 PTI India on Friday summoned a senior diplomat of the Pakistani High Commission on the 13th anniversary of the 2611 Mumbai terror attacks and pressed for an expeditious trial in the case saying the families of 166 victims from 15 countries are still awaiting closureIn a note verbale handed over to the diplomat the Ministry of External Affairs MEA also asked Pakistan to abide by its commitment to not allow territories under its control for terrorism against IndiaA note verbale reiterating Indias call for an expeditious trial in the Mumbai terror attacks case and calling on the Government of Pakistan to abide by its commitment to not allow territories under its control for terrorism against India was handed over to him the MEA saidIt is a matter of deep anguish that even after 13 years of this heinous terror attack the families of 166 victims from 15 countries across the globe still await closure with Pakistan showing little sincerity in bringing the perpetrators to justice it said in a statement The MEA asserted that the terror attack was planned executed and launched from Pakistani territoryWe once again call on the government of Pakistan to give up double standards and to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of the horrific attack to justice it saidThis is not just a matter of Pakistans accountability to the families of the innocent victims who fell to terrorists but also an international obligation the MEA saidIt said India will continue to make every effort to seek justice for the families of the victims and the martyrs of the attackOn the 13th anniversary of the 2611 Mumbai terrorist attacks the government and people of India somberly remember the victims of this dastardly attack and the valiant security personnel who laid down their lives to protect ours the MEA said On November 26 2008 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route and opened fire killing 166 people including 18 security personnel and injuring several others during the 60-hour siege in Mumbai India and 14 other countries lost their nationals in the attackIndian Missions in these countries are organising memorial events remembering the victims both national and foreign reminding the world of the continuing global threat of terrorism the MEA saidSenior government representatives from the host governments family members of victims and survivors will be participating in these solemn events it said PTI MPB DV DV

Srinagar Oct 30 PTI The National Conference Saturday expressed dismay over the sacking of an operation theatre technician in Rajouri over a WhatsApp status celebrating Pakistans victory against India in a T20 World Cup matchThe partys state womens wing president Shameema Firdous called the termination of Safiya Majeed an OT technician in the Rajouri Government Medical College preposterous and unjustified Such unjustified measures mark the gradual shrinking of the democratic footprints across J-K Since India has always been a melting pot of ideas and discourse the decline of democratic space is serious she saidFirdous said it was yet another incident of exceptional treatment being meted out to our peopleIn the process it is the people who they are losing Such measures are unheard of in the emancipated world It is not just the lady itself who is at the receiving end her dependents too will bear the brunt of this just measure she saidThe measure reeks of the epochal transformation the country continues to witness under the BJP government she saidSuch actions increase the vulnerability of government employees who work with utmost zeal and enthusiasm she said and demanded immediate revocation of her termination orderThe Jammu and Kashmir administration Thursday terminated the services of the operation theatre technician at the Government Medical College GMCAn order to this effect was issued by the principal of the college Dr Brij Mohan after the matter was brought to his notice by the deputy superintendent of police DySP headquarters RajouriMeanwhile alluding to the reports of transfer of land for various purposes including 655 acres in favour of the CRPF Firdous said being an interim arrangement the LG administration should desist from taking such measures which have far-reaching consequencesThe move will impact the availability of land for productive measures like tourism industries special economic zones and industrial estate How can the administration reconcile to the needs of every growing populace when such huge tracts of land are thoughtlessly doled out to forces for use she saidThere will be long-term consequences both developmental as well as psychological therefore the order should be annulled forthwith she said PTI SSB TIR TIR

Agra Oct 27 PTI Three JK students of an engineering college here were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly committing cyber terrorism by updating their WhatsApp status to hail Pakistans victory against India in a T20 World Cup cricket match three days ago Three engineering college students have been arrested after the complaint received against them on Tuesday Agra City Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar said The three students of the Raja Balwant Singh Management Technical Campus were arrested on Wednesday evening following an FIR lodged against them at the Jagdishpura police station in the morning a police official said The FIR against them included among others section 66F of the Information Technology Act dealing with the offence of cyber terrorism punishable with life imprisonment on conviction The other sections that FIR against the trio included are sections 153 A promoting enmity between different groups and 505 1B an act intended to cause or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public or aimed at inducing a person to commit an offence against the state of the Indian Penal Code The offences under the two sections are punishable with jail terms up to five and three years respectively on conviction On Wednesday various organisations including right-wing outfits protested at the Collectorate premises here and demanded action against the students They also submitted a memorandum to officials concerned in this connection According to faculty members of the college members of right-wing outfits barged into the college campus on Tuesday and staged a protest against the college and its students Dr Pankaj Gupta the institutes director of administration and finance said they forcefully entered the campus at around 345 pm on Tuesday when classes were being held and they also tried to gain access to the students hostels Their act was inappropriate and unacceptable They did not even try to contact the college management and when they were stopped from entering the hostel premises they began raising slogans against the college Gupta said The college has suspended the three students But they still raised objectionable slogans to defame the college he said In protest to the incidents inside the college its management said it has decided to indefinitely shut all its educational institutions and demanded action against the groups responsible PTI CORR CJ ANB RAX RAX

Chandigarh Oct 27 PTI Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he will launch his new political party when the Election Commission clears the name and symbol and claimed that many people from the Congress are in touch with himI am forming a party But I cannot tell you the name right now When the Election Commission EC approves the name and symbol only then I can tell you Let us wait for the EC to approve he said during his first press conference after resigning as the chief minister last month He also said that he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to continue his efforts to resolve the issues of farmers who have been protesting against the Centres three new agriculture lawsSingh had resigned as the Punjab chief minister amid a bitter power tussle with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh SidhuResponding to a question Singh claimed many people from the Congress are in touch with him and that they will come out in the open when the time comesObviously many people are with us We are waiting for the opportune moment But I will not take their names as my supporters are already being harassed he saidAsked how many MLAs are in touch with him the former CM said If Rahul Gandhi needs to have back-to-back meetings with Punjab Congress MLAs what does it mean On not resigning yet from the Congress he said I have spent 50 years in the Congress how does it matter if I stay for another 10 days Singh had last week said that he would soon launch his own party and that he was hopeful of a seat adjustment with the BJP provided the ongoing farmers stir was resolved in their interestHe also asserted that he had never spoken of aligning with the BJP and that all he wanted was seat sharingIn military parlance it means concentration of forces he said while stating that he had however not yet talked to the saffron party in this regardThe leader further said he had no intention of aligning with the Shiromani Akali Dal SAD but only with breakaway Akali groupsAsked about the reported refusal of SAD Sanyukt chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to tie up with him he said If Dhindsa has to put up a real fight he will have to concentrate his forces tooTo defeat the Congress SAD and AAP we all have to work as a joint force he assertedMeanwhile Sidhu took another dig at Singh and called him the negative force stalling development in PunjabWe the 78 MLAs of Congress could never imagine what we received an arm-twisted ED controlled BJP loyal Chief Minister of Punjab capt-amarinder who sold the interests of Punjab to save his skin You were the negative force stalling justice development of Punjab Sidhu tweetedSingh however dismissed the tweet as trash and said the thought of seat sharing with the BJP came to his mind only after he was forced out of officeStates have to work with the Centre to function effectively he pointed outWe will fight and defeat Sidhu from wherever he contests the upcoming assembly polls he saidThe former CM also alleged that ever since Mr Sidhu came on the scene took over Punjab Congress reins our surveys show there has been a drop of about 25 per cent in the Congress popularity Rejecting the Congress claims of a majority of party MLAs hvaing opposed his continuation in office he said Once they party leadership had made up their mind to replace me all these excuses were made He added that the so-called 18-point agenda of the Congress for his government was nothing but part of the Punjab 2017 manifesto adding that the Kharge committee formed by the party to end factionalism was clearly told that 92 per cent of the poll promises had been fulfilledSingh also dismissed allegations against his Pakistani friend Aroosa AlamEven as he asked if Alam was the only issue left in Punjab he questioned the intention of Sukhjinder Randhawa in raising the issue now after never mentioning it all these yearsSingh asserted that Alam had been visiting him for 16 years and he would definitely invite her again Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had recently said that a probe would be carried out to ascertain whether Alam a Pakistani journalist visiting Amarinder Singh for several years has links with Pakistans spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence ISIAmarinder Singh later shared with the media a booklet titled Facts vs Disinformation detailing achievements of his government from March 2017 till September 18 2021On the political issues he will prioritise in the elections the former CM said a manifesto committee will finalise the samePunjab goes to polls early next yearPTI CHS VSD SRY

Chandigarh Oct 26 PTI Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on Tuesday accused his detractors in the Congress of threatening and harassing his supporters asserting that his rivals cannot defeat him with such low-level political games Amarinder Singh had resigned as the Punjab CM last month amid a power tussle with state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and according to speculations he may float his own party on Wednesday just months before the Assembly polls Sharp exchanges had taken place between some Punjab Congress leaders and Amarinder Singh over his friendship with Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam in the past a few days Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had said a probe would be carried out to ascertain whether Aroosa Alam has links with Pakistans spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence ISI From personal attacks theyve now stooped to threats and harassment of my supporters in Patiala and elsewhere Let me tell my rivals they cant defeat me with such low-level political games They will neither win votes nor peoples hearts with such tactics said Amarinder Singh Those who have stood by me have done so because they believe in want to continue working for Punjabs peace and development They will not be scared away by such petty acts of intimidation or persecution We will continue to fight for Punjabs future His media adviser quoted him as saying in a tweet PTI CHS VSD RDK RDK