Latest news with #Ex-Pakistan


Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
No end to Pakistan's musical chair; Azhar Mahmood appointed acting Test coach after Aqib's woeful ouster
There is no end to the musical chairs within the support staff of the Pakistan men's cricket team. On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the appointment of Azhar Mahmood as the acting red-ball coach. The former Pakistan all-rounder takes over the new role following a long stint as the bowling and assistant coach of the men's side. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the appointment of Azhar Mahmood as the acting Test coach. (AFP) Azhar Mahmood will stay in the role of acting Test coach until the conclusion of his current contract. The 50-year-old takes over from Aaqib Javed as the Test coach. Aaqib Javed had taken over as the Pakistan Test coach on an interim basis after Jason Gillespie stepped down following disagreements with Javed and the PCB. "A seasoned cricketing mind, Azhar Mahmood steps into the role with an impressive portfolio of experience. Having served as the assistant head coach of the national side, Azhar has long been a pivotal part of the team's strategic core. His deep knowledge of the game, combined with hands-on international exposure and proven success in the English county circuit, make him exceptionally well-suited for this position," the PCB said in an official release. Also Read: Ex-Pakistan Test head coach Jason Gillespie takes brutal dig at PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi "His red-ball pedigree is underscored by two County Championship titles—an achievement that speaks volumes about his leadership, tactical acumen and unwavering commitment to excellence. The PCB is confident that under Azhar's guidance, the red-ball squad will continue to grow in strength, discipline and performance on the global stage," the statement added. Mahmood's first assignment as Test coach Mahmood's first task as the Test coach will be to ready the side for their upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) assignment against South Africa. The Proteas will tour Pakistan for a two-match Test series later this year. Pakistan has failed to make it to the final of the WTC three times in a row. In the last WTC cycle, Pakistan finished at the bottom of the standings. The hosts defeated England at home, but they lost the series against Bangladesh. Pakistan also faced defeat in the away series against South Africa. Earlier, Gary Kirsten had also stepped down as Pakistan's white-ball coach. "It was a tumultuous few months. I realised quite quickly I wasn't going to have much of an influence. Once I was taken off selection and asked to take a team and not be able to shape the team, it became very difficult as a coach then to have any sort of positive influence on the group," Kirsten told Wisden.


NDTV
06-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Ex-Pakistan Cop Mastermind Of Cross-Border Spy Ring, Says Arrested YouTuber
New Delhi: Ex-Pakistan Cop Mastermind Of Cross-Border Spy Ring, Says Arrested YouTuber A former sub-inspector from the Pakistan Police ranks was among the masterminds of a cross-border espionage racket, which various Indians have been found to be a part of. Punjab YouTuber Jasbir Singh, who was arrested earlier this week for allegedly spying for Pakistan, disclosed during interrogation that the former cop Nasir Dhillon had introduced him to Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) officials in Lahore. He had also arranged Jasbir Singh's meeting with ISI operative Danish in Pakistan. Nasir Dhillon, who is now a YouTuber, used to connect Indian social media personalities with ISI operative Danish alias Ehsan-ur-Rehman, who worked as a visa officer in the Pakistani embassy in Delhi. Danish was expelled from India in May, after travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra was exposed for spying for the country with whom ties have plummeted since the April 22 Pahalgam attack and May 7 Operation Sindoor strikes. Both Jasbir Singh and Nasir Dhillon know Jyoti Malhotra, who runs the travel YouTube account 'Travel With Jo', and was among the first of spies in the alleged Islamabad-run espionage ring to be arrested. Further, police have found that Danish used to call the spies as guests to the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi and assign tasks. Security agencies also suspect that hundreds of former police personnel of Pakistan Police are part of the espionage racket, which targets Indian YouTubers. Jasbir Singh, who runs a YouTube channel named 'JaanMahal video' and has over a million subscribers, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly passing on information on Indian forces' movement to the ISI. He was allegedly in contact with an ISI officer named Shakir, alias Jutt Randhawa, who was part of a terror-backed spying network, said Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. He had visited Pakistan thrice, and several Pakistani numbers were found on his devices, which are now under forensic probe. He had also attended the Pakistan National Day program held at the Pakistani Embassy in Delhi on Danish's invitation. After Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, Jasbir Singh tried to erase the traces of his communications with Pakistani officials to avoid detection, said DGP Yadav. Others facing spying charges include a student from Patiala's Khalsa College, Davendra Singh Dhillon. The 25-year-old was arrested in Haryana after he uploaded photos of a pistol on Facebook, and his Pakistan links emerged during his questioning. Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old security guard in Haryana, was found to be in touch with an ISI handler in Pakistan, and used to receive money in the account of his brother-in-law. A 28-year-old health worker from Gujarat Sahdev Singh Gohil was arrested for transmitting sensitive information related to Indian military infrastructure to a Pakistani operative. Arman, 23, and Tarif, both from Haryana's Nuh district, were arrested within days of each other. Tarif was caught trying to delete chats with Pakistani numbers when police arrived at his residence. Shakur Khan, a Rajasthan government employee from Jaisalmer, was also arrested on spying charges.


News18
08-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
politics news
Page 2 'Modi Ji Has Promised…': Like PM, Pawan Kalyan Switches To English Mid-Speech In Pahalgam Message 'Chun Chun Ke': Decoding PM Modi, Amit Shah's Communication Strategy On Pahalgam PM Modi Says 'Many Will Lose Sleep' As CM Vijayan, Shashi Tharoor Share Stage At Kerala Event Caste Census: Siddaramaiah Says Centre Imitating Congress Playbook, BJP Hits Back 'Despite Delays': Shashi Tharoor Receives PM Modi 'On Time', Jabs 'Dysfunctional' Delhi Airport How NDA Govt's Caste Census Call Shakes Up Politics Of Bihar, UP 'Move In And Stay There': Owaisi's Message To Govt On Pahalgam Response Against Pakistan 'Historic Stride': Kamal Haasan Welcomes Centre's Big Move On Caste Census, Says 'But Only If...' Deflating RaGa's Key Weapon Before Bihar Polls Or U-Turn? Decoding BJP's Nod For Caste Census 'No One Can Oppose God': Dilip Ghosh Visits Jagannath Dham In Digha, Sparks Displeasure Within BJP Rahul Gandhi Claims Caste Census Conquest, But What Is His Next Move? 'Stop Taking Credit': BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi Over Caste Census, Cites Amit Shah's Remarks From 2024 Rahul Gandhi Welcomes Centre's Caste Census Move, Says He's Committed To Remove 50% Reservation Cap Nitish Kumar, Chirag Paswan Thank PM Modi For Caste Data Move; Tejashwi Yadav Claims Victory 'Surveys Used As Political Tool': Why Modi Govt Decided To Include Caste Data In Census 'Better Late Than Never': Political Leaders React To Centre's Big Move To Include Caste Census 'They Had To Yield': Congress Claims Credit After Centre's Caste Survey Move In Census Navjot Singh Sidhu Embarks On New Journey: 'Life Isn't Instant Politics' Congress' PM Modi Post 'Gayab' From Social Media: Did Party Just Draw The Line For Supriya Shrinate? Pahalgam Attack Casts Shadow Over J&K Panchayat Polls, Election Prep On Hold Amid Security Alert 'Where Is He Missing': Farooq Abdullah Backs PM, Rejects Congress' 'Gayab' Jibe After Pahalgam Attack Rahul Gandhi, Mallikaarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal had a word after that GAG order was issued Why Mohan Bhagwat's Rare Meeting With PM Modi Was Not Just A Courtesy Visit Congress Deletes 'Gayab' Post Targeting PM Modi, Warns Leaders Aganist Defying Party Line Amid Backlash 'Gayab' To Gaffes On Pahalgam Response: Congress's Tragedy Of Errors Continues 'Many Affected Are Women': Mehbooba Mufti Urges Centre To Reconsider Deporting Pakistanis Married To Indians Congress Minister's PM Modi 'Using Pahalgam Attack For Bihar Elections' Remark Draws Sharp Rebuttal From BJP 'Supporting Pakistan...': Congress's 'Gayab' Jibe At PM Modi Makes Unity Mask Vanish In Massive Row The Congress Is Wrong: PM Modi Is Not 'Gayab', He Is Planning To Avenge Pahalgam From Unity To Discord: Week After Pahalgam Attack, Congress Struggles With Its Leaders' Controversial Remarks 'Action, Reaction': Congress' Pahalgam Post Against PM Modi Gets Ex-Pakistan Minister's Thumbs-Up, BJP Livid Ramayana, Mahabharat & 1962 War: How Bhagwat Stitched History With Scriptures To Seek 'Wise Retaliation' 2010 CWG 'Scam': Court Accepts ED's Closure Report In Case Against Suresh Kalmadi More Videos More Photogalleries


Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pahalgam terror attack: Steps India has taken to batter Pakistan since April 22
PTI photo NEW DELHI: Brutal killings of 26 civilians by Pakistani terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam have sharply escalated the tensions between India and Pakistan. Ex-Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq's infamous and atrocious call to "bleed India with a thousand cuts" now seems to have boomeranged, with the central government taking big decisions and exploring key ways to punish Islamabad for orchestrating cross-border terrorism. Pakistan's covert military strategy to weaken India through sustained proxy warfare, especially by supporting insurgencies and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, now seems to have taken a massive hit. Just hours after the bloody attack, PM Modi cut short his Saudi Arabia visit and returned to India before chairing several key meetings with Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, NSA Ajit Doval and external affairs minister S Jaishankar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Fastest Selling Plots of Mysore from 40L | 40+ Amenities PurpleBrick Learn More Undo Just a day after the attack, PM Modi held a high-level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting, after which several big decisions were taken. The government, every day since April 22, has taken measures to push back against terrorism and its backers as India prepares to deliver a decisive blow to Islamabad's nefarious endeavours. In the most recent move, the MHA on Monday ordered the states to conduct civil defence mock drills. List of govt decisions against Pakistan post Pahalgam attack Indus Waters Treaty suspended India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a key water-sharing agreement mediated by the World Bank, which governs the distribution of the Indus River system. This strategic move halted cooperation on river water management, signalling a shift in India's approach to bilateral agreements with Pakistan. The move is seen as a direct diplomatic pressure following the Pahalgam terror attack. Closure of the Wagah-Attari Border The Wagah-Attari border crossing, a major point for trade and civilian transit between India and Pakistan, has been closed indefinitely. The ceremonial Beating Retreat parade has also been suspended. The closure is meant to isolate Pakistan further and reassert India's unwillingness to continue routine engagement in the face of terrorism. Downgrading diplomatic ties India formally downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan, significantly reducing the level of official engagement between the two countries. This includes recalling Indian diplomats, expelling senior Pakistani diplomats, and freezing diplomatic outreach. Declaring Pakistani military diplomats as persona non grata In a rare move, India declared several Pakistani military diplomats and intelligence officials persona non grata. They have been accused of engaging in activities incompatible with diplomatic status, including espionage. Revoking existing visas for Pakistani nationals, including Saarc visas India has revoked all currently valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals, including those under the Saarc framework, citing national security concerns. The move disrupts cultural exchanges, academic visits, and business travel, and is meant to reduce potential security vulnerabilities by restricting entry of individuals from Pakistan during this heightened period of alert. Closure of airspace for Pakistani airlines Indian airspace has been closed to all Pakistani commercial aircraft, forcing them to take longer routes and suffer increased fuel and operational costs. This action disrupts Pakistan's international air connectivity and has both symbolic and economic implications. Trade ties snapped The central government has completely severed formal trade relations with Pakistan, halting the import and export of goods. This includes both direct bilateral trade and third-country trade routed through the UAE or Singapore. Informal and cross-border trade via Jammu and Kashmir has also been shut down. The move is expected to economically strain certain sectors in Pakistan while reflecting India's hardened stance against terrorism. Shipping ties suspended All maritime shipping routes and logistics operations between India and Pakistan have been suspended. This includes container traffic, cargo ships, and joint maritime arrangements. Ports in Gujarat and Maharashtra that occasionally dealt with Pakistani-origin shipments have been notified. The decision impacts trade, humanitarian shipments, and port revenue but is viewed as a necessary strategic move to isolate Pakistan on multiple economic fronts. Postal ties suspended The Centre has ceased all postal services with Pakistan, including letters, parcels, and diplomatic pouches. This affects civilian communication and interrupts routine diplomatic correspondence. The move is aimed at applying pressure by cutting all non-essential contact points and signalling a total breakdown in bilateral trust following the terror attack in Pahalgam. Crackdown on Pakistani social media and media content The government has initiated a crackdown on Pakistani-origin digital and broadcast content. This includes restricting Pakistani news channels, removing YouTube videos, suspending social media pages linked to Pakistani propaganda, and warning OTT platforms against hosting such content. The move is seen as an attempt to curb misinformation, incitement, or glorification of terrorism and block narratives that may destabilise internal security or national morale. Briefing the UNSC Members on Pakistan's role India has conducted closed-door briefings for members of the United Nations Security Council, excluding China and Pakistan, on Islamabad's support for terrorist networks. The diplomatic effort aims to internationalise the issue and build a consensus on Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism. India presented evidence gathered from the Pahalgam attack site and intelligence reports to strengthen its case at the global stage. India builds storage capacity at two hydroelectric facilities As India-Pakistan tensions escalate, the Narendra Modi government is taking steps to enhance the storage capacity at two hydroelectric facilities in Kashmir's Himalayan region, according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters. This development marks India's first concrete action operating outside the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty, an agreement that has remained intact since 1960, despite three wars and various conflicts between the two nuclear-armed nations. India demands Asian Development Bank cut funding for Pakistan India has demanded the Asian Development Bank to reduce funding for Pakistan, as New Delhi continued disciplinary measures against Islamabad. During the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Milan, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged ADB President Masato Kanda to reduce financial assistance to Pakistan, which was amongst several other topics addressed. Govt orders civil defence mock drills The ministry of home affairs has directed several states to conduct civil defence mock drills on May 7. The exercise aims to enhance preparedness in the event of a hostile attack, and will include the following measures: Activation of air raid warning sirens, training civilians, including students, in basic civil defence techniques Implementation of crash blackout protocols, early-stage camouflaging of critical infrastructure and installations, updating and rehearsing evacuation plans.


Time of India
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Morning news wrap: Donald Trump addresses India-Pak tensions after Pahalgam terror attack, terrorists' homes demolished in J&K and more
Morning news wrap: Donald Trump addresses India-Pak tensions after Pahalgam terror attack, terrorists homes demolished in J&K and more US President Donald Trump addressed the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, expressing concern over what he called the longstanding conflict between India and Pakistan. Trump expressed hope that the two countries would 'figure it out.' In response to the Pahalgam terror attack , Indian authorities demolished five properties of suspected terrorists involved in the attack, sending a strong message to those linked to cross-border terrorism. Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari threatened India over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty , accusing India of illegal actions and vowing to raise the issue internationally following rising tensions. Here are the top five stories of the morning: 'That was a bad one': US President Donald Trump reacts to Pahalgam terror attack US President Donald Trump called the recent Pahalgam terror attack 'a bad one' and acknowledged the centuries-long tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he expressed hope that the two countries would 'figure it out.' The April 22 strike killed 26 tourists, prompting India to respond with swift diplomatic action—suspending visas, scaling back missions, and halting participation in the Indus Waters Treaty. Trump reiterated his close ties with both nations and familiarity with their leadership. Read full story Terrorists' houses blown up days after Pahalgam terror attack In a continued crackdown, authorities have demolished two more homes belonging to suspects in the Pahalgam terror attack, bringing the total to five. Properties of Lashkar commander Shahid Ahmad Kuttay and Zakir Ahmad Ganie were razed using controlled blasts in Shopian and Kulgam. Intelligence links Adil Hussain Thoker, trained in Pakistan, to the attackers. Tuesday's strike killed 26 tourists in Baisaran Meadow. Officials emphasised that the precision demolitions aimed to avoid harming innocent neighbours. Read full story 'Either water will flow or their blood will': Ex-Pakistan FM Bhutto's threat to India Former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued a warning to India after New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, saying, 'Either water will flow in this Indus, or their blood will.' India blamed Pakistan-backed terror groups for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, prompting diplomatic retaliation and treaty suspension under Article XII(3). Tensions have also spilled into Pakistan's domestic politics, forcing the suspension of a military-backed canal project in Sindh. India has started identifying Pakistanis on short-term visas for repatriation. Read full story MS Dhoni finally loses cool after CSK loss, says 'you can't just keep ... ' Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni expressed his frustration after his team's five-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2025. With CSK managing just 154, Dhoni admitted the total was insufficient, especially on a pitch that wasn't challenging. SRH chased down the target in 18.4 overs, leaving CSK with slim play-off chances. Dhoni emphasized the lack of consistency across the team and the struggles in the middle overs, while also praising Dewald Brevis for his performance. CSK remain at the bottom of the points table. Read full story Virginia Giuffre, who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual assault, dies by suicide Virginia Giuffre, a key figure in exposing Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring and accusing Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, has died by suicide at 41, her family confirmed. She passed away at her farm in Neergabby, Western Australia. Known for her relentless fight for justice, Giuffre's testimony was pivotal in convicting Ghislaine Maxwell. Despite enduring years of abuse, Giuffre's death highlights the lasting toll of her trauma. Her family remembered her as a fierce advocate for survivors, and her lawyer hailed her as a champion for other victims. Read full story