logo
Pakistan rebuilds terror camps in PoK after Op Sindoor: IB warns of fresh infiltration push

Pakistan rebuilds terror camps in PoK after Op Sindoor: IB warns of fresh infiltration push

Hans India3 days ago
New Delhi: An Intelligence Bureau report has said that nearly 15 new terror camps and launch pads are being constructed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan and its terror infrastructure were hit hard following the Pahalgam attack in April. India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, during which major terror facilities in Pakistan were destroyed.
These facilities included the headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's primary training facility in Muridke.
Indian Intelligence agencies say that terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are being funded by the ISI and Pakistan Army to rebuild terror camps.
The establishment, too, is actively involved in the reconstruction of these facilities, which are being done using newer techniques. What is interesting is that the facilities at Bahawalpur and Muridke are not being rebuilt in the same place. The two most important facilities are now being built closer to army spaces, where the army and ISI feel that the Indian armed forces may not be able to hit easily, as was the case during Operation Sindoor.
While terror training camps are being deep inside Pakistan, some are being constructed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The aim now is to avoid Indian surveillance and ensure that these targets are not hit by the Indian armed forces.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Operation Sindoor is ongoing and added that Pakistan will pay the price if it indulges in any kind of misadventure.
Another aspect that is being kept in mind is that the terror camps would house a smaller number of terrorists. The maximum strength per camp and launch pad is being kept between 20 and 25 terrorists.
After Operation Sindoor, there have been several meetings that have been held between the top leaders of the terror groups and some Pakistani officials. Currently, all the groups, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Hizbul Mujahideen, are working in tandem with each other.
The main focus is only on rebuilding and preparing terrorists at the launch pads to infiltrate India. These terror groups are also likely to set up launch pads near the forested area at the Line of Control in PoK.
It has also been decided that high-tech facilities would be used to evade the radar of the Indian security agencies. There is also a focus on a massive recruitment drive. Nearly 100 terrorists had been killed, according to India's estimates, during Operation Sindoor.
While these terror groups may not have problems in recruiting from within Pakistan, the problem for them remains the locals in Jammu and Kashmir. With the Indian agencies on very high alert, the local recruitments have come to a standstill.
While there are many overground workers in J&K, the recruitment of terrorists has become difficult for the Pakistan-based terror groups. The Indian Intelligence agencies warn that any sort of complicity at this time could lead to Pakistan activating its overground workers and launching a recruitment drive among the locals.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India On Edge? Iran, Pakistan Revive Chabahar-To-Turkey Rail Link, Deepen Strategic Ties And Trade Corridors
India On Edge? Iran, Pakistan Revive Chabahar-To-Turkey Rail Link, Deepen Strategic Ties And Trade Corridors

India.com

time5 minutes ago

  • India.com

India On Edge? Iran, Pakistan Revive Chabahar-To-Turkey Rail Link, Deepen Strategic Ties And Trade Corridors

New Delhi: Iran and Pakistan have formalised a renewed partnership that opens up new transport routes and expands trade links across the region. During his first official visit to Pakistan, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a series of bilateral agreements aimed at boosting economic, technical and strategic cooperation between the two neighbours. Officials from both countries confirmed that Pakistani goods will now have overland access to European and Russian markets through Iranian territory. Analysts view this move as a potential game changer for regional logistics. They say it will offer an alternative to traditional maritime shipping routes that can be slower and costlier. This overland trade link is expected to be integrated with the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal trade network that begins at India's Mumbai port and runs through Iran to reach Russia and Europe. India and Russia have been actively developing this corridor, and the inclusion of Pakistan raises questions about new dynamics in the region. The Iran-Pakistan alignment also touches on Beijing's broader ambitions. China is exploring ways to link its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which could allow Chinese goods to move through Iran and access the Gulf and Central Asia. It will reduce dependence on the Malacca Strait. With a strong naval presence from both India and the United States in that region, Beijing has been looking for strategic alternatives to safeguard trade routes. As part of the new partnership, Iran and Pakistan have set a target to increase bilateral trade from USD 3 billion to USD 10 billion. Both sides have framed this goal as a step toward strengthened economic cooperation and long-term regional integration. President Pezeshkian got an unusual welcome in Islamabad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally receiving him at Nur Khan Airbase. The gesture was seen by many as a signal of how seriously Pakistan views its relationship with Tehran. The visit also comes at a time when Islamabad is balancing ties with the United States while seeking closer engagement with Iran. Pakistani officials have also reportedly raised the issue of Baloch separatist groups operating across the border, some of whom Islamabad claims receive support from abroad. A major highlight of the visit was the revival of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul rail project. Both countries agreed to restore and operationalise the 6,540-kilometer railway line that connects South Asia with Europe through Turkey. Once it resumes full operations, the journey will take around 10 days that will be a major improvement over the 21-day maritime route. The division of the railway spans 1,990 kilometres in Pakistan, 2,603 kilometres in Iran and 1,950 kilometeres in Turkey. Although the project was initially launched in 2009, it has faced repeated delays. Officials now hope to revive the corridor to full capacity. For India, the developments hold serious strategic implications. Iran and Pakistan have discussed linking the Iranian port of Chabahar, that India helped build, with Pakistan's Gwadar port, which is operated by China. Iranian leaders have expressed interest in connecting both ports via trade and logistics routes. This proposed maritime link could dilute India's strategic influence in the region and give China greater access to Gulf waters. Gwadar has already been a focal point of Chinese infrastructure investment, with reports suggesting that a future Chinese naval facility may be in the works. If Chabahar and Gwadar are connected, it could reshape the geopolitical balance of port infrastructure in the Arabian Sea and create new strategic concerns for New Delhi. The series of agreements signed during President Pezeshkian's visit marks a turning point in Iran-Pakistan relations. As the regional landscape continues to evolve, the implications of these developments are likely to resonate far beyond South Asia.

15 ‘oligarch billionaires' run India: Ex-Trump negotiator Lighthizer on why he failed with New Delhi
15 ‘oligarch billionaires' run India: Ex-Trump negotiator Lighthizer on why he failed with New Delhi

The Print

time20 minutes ago

  • The Print

15 ‘oligarch billionaires' run India: Ex-Trump negotiator Lighthizer on why he failed with New Delhi

Late on Monday, Trump threatened substantial tariffs on India as he accused it of buying and reselling 'massive amounts' of Russian oil 'for big profits'. With Trump repeating the threat days after announcing 25% tariffs and a Russia penalty on India, a reading of Lighthizer's book presents key insights on Trump's India stance. Lighthizer writes in No Trade is Free that he would try to predict India's position in talks by tracking the interests of its 15 billionaires or 'oligarchs who ran the country', giving a rare insider's peek into how the US President's India policy has unfolded over his two terms. New Delhi: As US President Donald Trump has again threatened to raise tariffs on India supposedly for its Russian oil purchase, it's instructive to see what former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who set Trump's trade agenda and negotiated with India, had to say in a 2023 book. Lighthizer, a veteran trade negotiator and once a free-trade sceptic, is widely considered to have curated policy moves of US President Donald Trump, who abruptly revoked special trade privileges to India in his first term. He referred to these billionaires as 'oligarchs' and said it was unusual in the extent to which they 'influence government policy' in India. The 77-year-old also said that India 'suffered from an extremely strong professional bureaucracy' in all areas of government. 'When I was in negotiations with Indian officials, I kept a copy of the biography of each of the country's fifteen or so billionaires on my desk. In predicting Indian government positions, I would look to the interests of these men,' Lighthizer wrote in his book, which was published in 2023. India's opposition parties have often alleged that largecorporate houses and industrialists, such as Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, enjoy easy access to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, which work in their interests in exchange for funds. 'I can remember at one point telling an Indian friend of mine who had made a fortune in business that I thought there were fifteen oligarchs who basically ran the country. He corrected me. 'Bob, you're wrong. Only about seven of them actually run the country. The others just try to influence the seven',' Lighthizer wrote in the book, which has an entire chapter dedicated to India. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called Modi's government a 'suit-boot ki sarkar' (government for the rich) to try to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party as recently as during the 2024 general elections. The Prime Minister has outrightly rejected the allegations, saying that such deceitful political vendetta only hurts the electoral prospects of the Congress. While the two industrialists, also two of India's wealthiest men, have not addressed the charges publicly, their business entities have denied allegations by the Opposition on several counts. India's 'protectionism' In his second term, US President Trump is pushing on with a tariff blitz across countries as he attempts to 'reorder the global economy' with the highest rates since the 1930s. Talks between New Delhi and Washington to clinch a trade deal have remained stalled, with experts saying highly protected agriculture and dairy sectors are sticky issues. Lighthizer also referred to India's 'protectionist' stance in his book. 'India is particularly protectionist in the agricultural sector, where it uses tariffs and safety standards to help politically potent farmers groups,' he wrote in his book, which is full of praise for Trump and his style of politics. In fact, he wrote that he once told Prime Minister Modi that India was 'the most protectionist country in the world' and that it was causing a large and growing trade deficit. 'Indian trade policies have long caused tensions with the United States. India uses many of the tools of modern mercantilism. It has high tariffs, a bureaucracy focused on keeping imports out, and a system of industrial policy and protectionism.' Also Read: Pakistan, Dhaka have played Washington well. Back home, Modi ecosystem has an inner conflict 'Natural friends' India & US Lighthizer, however, said India and the US were 'natural friends'. 'Perhaps, most importantly, the rise and growing militarism of China is the greatest geopolitical concern for both our nations… India feels as threatened as we do by the aggressive surge of China. There is truth in the old saying (modified for obvious reasons) that the adversary of my adversary is my friend.' Lighthizer, once called by Trump the 'greatest United States trade representative in American history', played a crucial role in the imposition of hefty tariffs on Chinese imports during the first term of the US President. While India-US relations grew for the most part during the presidency of Joe Biden, they have remained fragmented due to several trade and policy differences under the deceptive exterior of a vibrant bonhomie between 'great friends' Trump and Modi. Lighthizer said that the Trump administration's strategy with India was to maintain good relations but to use what leverage it had to increase its access to India's market to 'obtain fairness and reciprocity in trade'. He also commented on what he thought of as Modi's personality and political vision. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a particularly interesting figure. He came up through the ranks of right-wing political organizations and clearly considers himself a nationalist. His political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is a right-wing Hindu party.' He added: 'He is an extremely gifted politician and the first leader of India who was born after its independence in 1947… Of course, Modi is dedicated to raising India out of poverty. He believes in doing it through state control of innovation, high tariffs, mercantilism, and protectionism. There are lots of hangovers from the time of British rule, but free trade is not one of them.' High praise for Piyush Goyal Lighthizer was sworn in as the 18th US Trade Representative (USTR) in May 2017 and worked in the position till 20 January 2021. The USTR is responsible for developing and coordinating international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, as well as overseeing negotiations with other countries. At the time he was chosen by Trump to serve as USTR, Lighthizer was a partner at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Skadden), where he practised international trade law for over 30 years. Before joining Skadden, Lighthizer served as deputy USTR for US President Ronald Reagan. During this tenure, he negotiated over two dozen bilateral international agreements, including pacts on steel, automobiles, and agricultural products. The latest flashpoint in the recent India-US talks came last week when the US President signed an order imposing a 25 percent tariff on India's exports, 'plus an unspecified penalty' for buying Russian oil and weapons. In the 2023 book, Lighthizer also reflected on his time negotiating with the Indian delegation on tariffs. 'I said (to PM Modi) that I had been negotiating with their trade minister, Suresh Prabhu, for two years and had made absolutely no progress. At times, I said, he had not even returned my call for weeks.' 'Soon after that meeting, negotiations began in earnest. This time they were with a new trade minister named Piyush Goyal, a smart, gifted politician from Mumbai. We raised our issues: tariffs, agriculture access, medical device impediments, barriers to e-commerce and insurance, discrimination in the electronic payment sector, fish subsidies, and the list goes on. We made headway but could never quite close a deal.' (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read:Trump tariff forces India to shed illusion. Stop conflating status with power

Geneva meet: Talks on Global Plastics Treaty resume today
Geneva meet: Talks on Global Plastics Treaty resume today

Indian Express

time35 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Geneva meet: Talks on Global Plastics Treaty resume today

STARTING TUESDAY, over 190 countries will get into a huddle in Geneva, Switzerland, to break an impasse and reach an agreement over the next fortnight on the first-ever Global Plastics Treaty that will create a legally binding framework to end plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. This will be the second installment of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) of the UN. Countries will push to address plastic pollution right from the production stage, which uses polluting oil and gas, to the challenges of plastic waste disposal and recycling. Negotiators will pick up from the previous meeting in Busan, South Korea, last December, where talks had collapsed over critical and unresolved issues. These issues and disagreements were over the draft treaty's provisions on putting a cap on production of polymers, elimination of harmful chemicals from plastic production and phasing out of harmful plastic products. As per the Centre for International Environmental Law, a US-based non-profit, the current draft text issued during Busan contains 370 brackets, which indicate areas of no agreement between countries. It was in 2022 in Nairobi that a resolution was adopted at the United Nations Environment Assembly to develop global rules to end plastic pollution. If successfully adopted, the treaty would be the most consequential one on environmental issues since the 2015 Paris climate agreement. The exponential growth in plastic production is one of the key drivers of plastic pollution. Globally, annual production has doubled, soaring from 234 million tonnes in 2000 to 460 million tonnes in 2019, while plastic waste has more than doubled from 156 Mt in 2000 to 353 Mt in 2019, as per a report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Production is likely to triple in a business-as-usual scenario by 2060, as per the UN EP. The talks on the global treaty will resume in the backdrop of a new Lancet report which said that 'plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding $1.5 trillion annually'. Civil society and environmental campaigners have termed the negotiations a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end plastic pollution and have called on countries to ensure significant cuts in plastic production. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store