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Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Jaishankar takes swipe at Pakistan for blocking SCO statement terror reference
India refused to sign on for a joint statement at a meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) because one country refused to include a reference to terrorism in the document, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Friday in a tacit swipe at Pakistan. External affairs minister S Jaishankar. (PTI) The objective of the SCO is to fight terrorism, and defence minister Rajnath Singh refused to accept the joint statement because it did not contain a reference to terror, Jaishankar told reporters on the margins of an event organised by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. 'The objective of the SCO was to fight terrorism. This organisation exists to fight terrorism,' Jaishankar said. When there was a discussion on the outcome document of the SCO defence ministers meeting at Qingdao in China, Jaishankar said that 'one country, you can guess which one, said…we do not want a reference to that [terrorism]'. Though Jaishankar did not name any country, it was obvious he was referring to Pakistan. After India did not endorse the joint statement on Thursday, officials said Singh refused to sign on for the document as it was silent on the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 in which 26 people were killed, but mentioned the situation in Pakistan's Balochistan province and the hijacking of the Jaffer Express train by Baloch militants in March. The gathering of defence ministers was among several SCO meetings in China that were attended by leaders of India and China in the aftermath of last month's clashes between the two countries. The clashes erupted when India launched Operation Sindoor to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack. Jaishankar said Singh's view was that 'without that reference [to terrorism], when the main purpose of that organisation is to fight terrorism and you are not allowing a reference to that, I am not prepared to accept it'. As SCO works by consensus, the two-day defence ministers meeting ended without a joint statement. Jaishankar said that in contrast to divisions within the polity at the time the Emergency was imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, all political parties had come together to join parliamentary delegations that travelled across the world to defend India's national interests after the launch of Operation Sindoor. These delegations delivered India's message that terrorism is unacceptable, he said. 'Our policy is zero tolerance of terrorism and if terrorism continues, we reserve the right to defend our people,' he said, adding it was a matter of pride that the delegations were led by MPs from opposition parties, such as Shashi Tharoor of Congress, Supriya Sule of NCP-SP and Kanimozhi of DMK. Jaishankar responded to a question on RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's remarks calling for a review of the inclusion of the words socialist and secular in the Constitution's preamble during the Emergency by saying that it would not be appropriate for him, as a Union minister, to comment on the matter. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the emergency and targeted the Gandhi family of the Congress for its role in the period from June 1975 to March 1977 when civil liberties were curtailed, political opponents were arrested, and the media was censored. Jaishankar also addressed a mock parliament organised by BJYM and told the audience that the 'emergency happened because the interest of a family was put ahead of the interests of the nation'. He added: 'Today, we are seeing the interests of the nation put ahead.' He criticised the Congress, Indira Gandhi, and her son Rajiv Gandhi for never expressing regret for the Emergency. 'It is not enough to move around with the Constitution in your hand, the Constitution should be in your heart and in your mind,' he said in an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had often carried a copy of the Constitution during public campaigns last year. Jaishankar recalled he was a 20-year-old student at the Jawaharlal Nehru University when the Emergency was imposed and said the main lesson from that period was 'never take freedom for granted'. The Emergency, imposed 'because of only one family', posed a threat to the Constitution, institutions, politics, media, culture, and the people's way of life, he said.
Hindustan Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
India refuses to sign SCO statement over Pahalgam
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' meeting couldn't issue a joint communique on Thursday after India refused to endorse the document because it didn't address its terrorism-related concerns, officials aware of the matter said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting, in Qingdao, China. (@rajnathsingh) Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who attended the meeting at Qingdao in China, refused to sign the joint communique as it was silent on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed but mentioned Balochistan and the hijacking of the Jaffer Express by Baloch militants in March, the officials said, asking not to be named. Pakistan's insistence on not having any reference to the Pahalgam attack, while retaining the reference to the situation in Balochistan, stymied the finalisation of a joint statement, the officials said. The SCO works by consensus and a joint communique cannot be issued if even one member state doesn't endorse it. China, the current president of the SCO, has deep military and strategic ties with Pakistan, which it strongly supported during the recent four-day clashes with India under Operation Sindoor. The operation was India's direct military response to the Pahalgam terror strike, the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to a question about the SCO meeting's failure to issue a joint communique by tacitly pointing to Pakistan's role in the matter. 'I understand [the meet] could not adopt a joint statement. I also understand that certain member countries could not reach consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised. On our side, India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country, and therefore the statement was not adopted,' he said. A press release issued by the Indian side is 'very instructive in how we look at the threat of terrorism', he said. 'The defence minister, in his address, called upon these 11 countries to come together to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations... He also reiterated the need to uphold that the perpetrators, organisers, financers, sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, need to be held accountable and brought to justice,' Jaiswal said. Singh further said SCO members must be 'in lockstep in our endeavour in strengthening stability and security in our neighborhood', he added. In his address, Singh said every act of terrorism was criminal and unjustifiable, and the bloc must unite in eliminating the menace for collective safety and security. He said India launched Operation Sindoor, exercising its right to defend itself against terrorism and pre-empt and deter further cross-border attacks. During the Pahalgam terror attack, victims were shot after they were profiled on religious identity, and the The Resistance Front --- a proxy of UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) --- claimed responsibility for it, Singh said. 'The pattern of Pahalgam attack matches with LeT's previous terror attacks in India. India's zero tolerance for terrorism was demonstrated through its actions. We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them.' India launched the Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), It triggered a four-day military confrontation with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10. The biggest challenges faced by the region were related to peace, security and trust-deficit, with increasing radicalisation, extremism and terrorism being the root cause of these problems, Singh said. 'Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action.' On May 15, Singh questioned if nuclear weapons were safe in Pakistan's control and custody and demanded that its arsenal be placed under the supervision of global nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), calling the neighbour 'irresponsible and rogue'. 'It is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences. Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations,' Singh said in Qingdao. Singh called for proactive steps to check the spread of radicalisation among the youth, acknowledging the significant role of the RATS (regional anti-terrorist structure --- a body under the SCO) mechanism in tackling the challenge. 'The joint statement of the Council of SCO Heads of State on 'Countering Radicalisation leading to Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism' issued during India's chairmanship symbolises our shared commitment.' SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Their defence ministers' meeting was held as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders set for the autumn.
Express Tribune
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Safety off track
Listen to article Pakistan Railways is lurching from one preventable disaster to another. In just the first six months of 2025, the network has witnessed 45 train-related accidents. Of the 45 incidents, 22 involved passenger trains and 20 freight trains. No amount of official statements or half-hearted safety "initiatives" can now mask the dangerous reality that our railways are neither safe nor reliable. The consequences extend beyond physical injuries and financial losses running into tens of millions of rupees. Each accident disrupts lives, paralyses trade and erodes public confidence. The recent kidnapping of passengers on the Jaffer Express marks a new low — one that exposes the railway's failure not just in safety, but also in security. For years, Pakistan Railways has operated on outdated infrastructure and a bureaucracy that prioritises damage control over meaningful change. That has to end. The way forward is clear, but it requires political will and administrative resolve. First, unmanned level crossings — death traps across the country — must be eliminated through either full automation or permanent staffing. Second, real-time monitoring and fail-safe signalling systems must be made standard. Third, any staff negligence — from drivers to supervisors — must face swift and transparent accountability. And finally, the security apparatus on trains needs to be overhauled. If passengers cannot travel without fear of abduction, then Pakistan Railways has failed in its most fundamental duty. The tracks are stained with negligence, and each new incident should serve as a final warning. Pakistan cannot afford to lose more lives and billions in economic losses due to institutional inertia. The railways serve as a lifeline for millions — especially those who cannot afford alternatives. Dismantling the system is not the solution. Reforming and rebuilding it from the ground up is.
Express Tribune
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Terror on the tracks
Jaffer Express – which had experienced an agonising hijacking drama in March, resulting in the killing of 64 people including hostages, attackers and hostages – is once again in the news. Yesterday, the passenger train was targeted with a powerful explosive device planted on the railway track. The remotely-detonated device tore through the train on Sindh-Balochistan border near Jacobabad, derailing four bogies. Fortunately, the passenger train escaped what could have been a deadly act of sabotage. That no lives were lost is nothing short of a miracle. This was not a random act of violence. It was an act of terrorism — targeted, deliberate and calculated to create fear and instability. The banned Baloch Republican Guards claimed responsibility in a statement that began circulating on social media within hours, leaving little doubt about the perpetrators or their intentions. More troubling is the growing evidence that such acts are not just rooted in local dissent but are sponsored and supported by their Indian patrons who aim to sow chaos and exploit internal fault lines. The train was en route to Quetta, a route long vulnerable to attacks designed to disrupt Balochistan's linkages with the rest of the country. This is not as an isolated incident, but as part of a broader agenda of asymmetric warfare. The message from the perpetrators is that they intend to keep striking at the heart of Pakistan's national cohesion. Mere condemnations and warnings will not suffice. Intelligence and rapid justice must now become the order of the day. The enemies of Pakistan — foreign and domestic are attempting to derail more than just trains when they target our collective confidence and unity. The response must be equally forceful but rooted in law, powered by will and backed by unambiguous action.
India.com
08-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Which countries does the Baloch Army buy weapons from, and where does it get the money? Check key details here
पाकिस्तानी सेना के छक्के छुड़ा रखे हैं New Delhi: Bankrupt Pakistan is currently in massive trouble and facing a double threat. On one hand, the country is witnessing a severe water crisis due to tensions with India; on the other hand, Balochistan is posing serious challenges to the Shehbaz government. It is important to note the fighters of the Baloch Liberation Army are so strong that the Pakistani army is unable to confront them. In this article, we will tell you the name of the country from where Balochistan is getting the weapon and financial support. Recently, the fighters of the Baloch Liberation Army took control of a train called the Jaffer Express in Pakistan. During this incident, they took more than 100 Pakistani army soldiers hostage. During that time, several modern weapons were seen in the hands of the Baloch fighters. Since then, questions have been raised about which countries are supplying them with these weapons. Here are some of the key details: Baloch army fighters purchase weapons from the black markets of Iran and Afghanistan. In 2021, the US military left behind its weapons in Afghanistan. It is estimated that the Balochistan Army also purchases American weapons. According to reports, the BLA also possesses Russian weapons. Speaking of BLA's weapons, they possess deadly arms from both the US and Russia, including the M240B machine gun, M16A4 rifle, and RPG-7 launcher. In Balochistan, separatists are fighting for its independence, and their bases are located in the mountains. It is said that they also receive support from local civilians.
