Month: April 2025

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced a stringent crackdown on Pakistani nationals overstaying in the state, following a central government decision to suspend visa services for citizens of Pakistan.

Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said, “The central government has decided to suspend visa services for Pakistani nationals who have come to India. We have sought a list (of Pakistani nationals who have come to India), they are being identified and police officials have been instructed to ensure that no Pakistani national stays in Maharashtra for more than 48 hours…Action will be taken against Pakistani nationals who overstay (in Maharashtra”

The Chief Minister emphasised that all district police units have been directed to conduct strict surveillance and ensure compliance with the new directive. “We will monitor it fully and send them out. Those who overstay will face legal action,” he said.

Fadnavis also confirmed that he held a detailed discussion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the issue. “I had a detailed talk with the Union Home Minister and action will be taken as per his Guidance,” he stated.

Earlier, on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Chief Ministers and asked them to identify all Pakistani nationals in their respective states, according to sources.

Amit Shah also spoke with all chief ministers on the issue, asking them to identify all Pakistani nationals in their respective states and take steps to ensure their prompt return to Pakistan.

A decision has been made to cancel all types of visas, effective immediately. Shah has also asked the Chief Ministers to take steps to ensure the prompt return of the people to Pakistan.

This comes after terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured. (ANI)

Expressing strong disapproval over the Indus Water Treaty, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the pact which was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 is the “most unfair document” to the people of the Union Territory.

Addressing the media, Omar Abdullah said, “The government of India has taken some steps. As far as J-K is concerned, we have never been in favour of the Indus Water Treaty. We have always believed that the Indus Water Treaty has been the most unfair document to the people of J-K.”

Chief Minister also discussed assurances received from the Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the safety of J-K residents in other states.

“It is regrettable that this attack took place and we ensured that whatever issues that were kept in front of us in the meeting, we will work on them. During this meeting, I spoke with the Union Home Minister and he assured me that all steps will be taken to ensure the safety of the people of J-K who are staying in other states…An advisory will be issued by the Home Ministry and the Union Minister also spoke with the Chief Ministers of many states,” he added.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold a meeting regarding the Indus Water Treaty at his residence in the national capital on Friday evening.

Besides the Home Minister and the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, CR Paatil, other senior government officials will attend this meeting.

Sources told ANI, “India has formally notified Pakistan in writing about the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.”

Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, as informed the Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, about this decision of the Indian government through a letter. India has issued a notice for changes in the treaty. The letter states that the Indian government has given notice to the Pakistani government for amendments to the treaty.

This decision was made at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) held on April 23, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.

This comes after terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured. (ANI)

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met with the ambassadors of Israel and Argentina in New Delhi on Friday and held discussions on several aspects of the bilateral relationship, including the condemnation of the heinous Pahalgam terrorist attack.

In a series of post on X, External Affairs Minister shared the details of the meetings held with the envoys of the two countries.

EAM Jaishankar appreciated Israel’s steadfast support in combating cross-border terrorism.

“A good discussion with Ambassador Israel @ReuvenAzar in New Delhi today. Appreciated Israel’s steadfast support in combating cross-border terrorism,” EAM Jaishankar wrote.

Upon meeting the Argentinian ambassador, Jaishankar welcomed Argentina’s strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. Both also held discussions about the advancement of ties between the two countries.

“Met Ambassador @CaucinoMariano of Argentina today. Welcome Argentina’s strong condemnation of Pahalgam terror attack. Spoke about advancing our bilateral and multilateral cooperation”, he wrote on X.

Earlier on Friday, the envoys of US, Israel and Spain had arrived at the South Block office of the Ministry of External Affairs. While speaking to media, Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar said called the Pahalgam terror attack a “watershed moment” and said that discussions were held on areas of mutual concern that have to do with fight against terrorism.

On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had briefed ambassadors of select countries based in New Delhi, including Germany, Japan, Poland, the UK, and Russia, on the Pahalgam terror attack.

Top diplomats from the United States, European Union, Italy, Qatar, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, and France, among others, were seen arriving at the Ministry of External Affairs located in South Block in the national capital.

Foreign Secretary Misri briefed the envoys from G20 countries, including those from China and Canada in a meeting that lasted for 30 minutes according to sources.

Following the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, Central government announced several diplomatic measures, such as closing the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, giving them 40 hours to return to their country, and reducing the number of officers in the High Commissions on both sides.

India also halted the Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960 in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also assured the country that the terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination, The Prime Minister asserted that the time has come to eliminate the remaining strongholds of terrorism and that the willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the backbone of the perpetrators of terror. (ANI)

Defence Expert DS Dhillon on Friday said that Pakistan’s decision to suspend the Simla Agreement of 1972 was a “suicidal” move since it frees India from the obligation to respect the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, which was a result of the ceasefire in 1971.

He said that the implication of Pakistan suspending the Simla Agreement was that India was not obliged to respect the LoC and could cross the same.

“Like India has suspended the Indus water treaty, Pakistan has also threatened to suspend the Simla Agreement. I will say that this is a good thing because it also ends the existence of the Line of Control (LoC). This means that India is not obligated to respect the LoC. Ye karke Pakistan apne gale main rassa dalega (This is suicide for Pakistan). This also makes India free to cross the LoC,” Dhillon told ANI.

Responding to the statement made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, the Defence expert said that his remarks were “laughable” since the US earlier threatened to stop funding for Pakistan’s involvement in aiding terrorism.

“Pakistan’s Foreign Minister has openly accepted that their country used to train terrorists. He has put the entire blame on US and west, stating that we trained because they said so. This is laughable since the US threatened to stop funding them, diverting those funds to train terrorists. This is a baseless allegation. They are trying to save face by blaming the US since it stopped Pakistan’s funding for aiding terrorism,” Dhillon said.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said that it was not crucial to understand on whose instructions Pakistan was aiding terrorism but to answer them on the same. He said that Pakistan can’t evade accountability for the terrorist attacks by making such remarks (blaming the US).

“It is not important to know on whose instructions Pakistan is doing this. Our nation and nation’s security is important, and if anyone tries to meddle with it, we will answer them. This is why we didn’t politicise the matter and stand with the government. Pakistan can’t evade its accountability. This is childish talk. We hope that strict action is taken against the terrorists so that people of the country can feel secure,” Bhagat told ANI.

He further stated that the central government must take action against those responsible for the security lapse in the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.

“The government must take action against terrorists on the other side of the border. However, it must also investigate the security lapse and take action against those responsible for the same,” the Congress leader said.

These remarks come after Pakistan suspended the Simla Agreement, which was signed between Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after the 1971 war.

Moreover, the Pakistan Defence Minister admitted that his country has been funding and backing terrorist groups. In a video clip that has now gone viral, Pakistan’s defence minister is in conversation with Sky News’s Yalda Hakim, when she asks him, “But you do admit, you do admit, sir, that Pakistan has had a long history of backing and supporting and training and funding these terrorist organisations?”

Khwaja Asif in his reply says, “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about 3 decades… and the west, including Britain…That was a mistake, and we suffered for that, and that is why you are saying this to me. If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan’s track record was unimpeachable.”

The Pakistani Defence Minister has also in the interview with Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim warned of an “all-out war” possible with India. (ANI)

Despite the recent Pahalgam terror attack and growing tensions between India and Pakistan, the Kartarpur Corridor remains open for devotees to visit the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan, even as the Integrated Check Post at Attari remains closed.

A devotee expressed his disapproval of the attack and said that once the terrorists responsible for the attack are apprehended, the situation would become clearer.

While speaking with ANI, the devotee said, “What happened (terror attack) was really wrong…I am going to the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara to pay obeisance..They (terrorists) targeted the Hindu brothers to spread hatred. Once the terrorists are held, everything will become clear.”

The Kartarpur Corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. The visa-free 4.7-kilometre-long corridor connects the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It became operational in 2019.

Following the terror attack, the Central government announced several diplomatic measures, such as closing the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, giving them 40 hours to return to their country, and reducing the number of officers in the High Commissions on both sides.

India also halted the Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960 in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. Terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured.

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960, following nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan, with the assistance of the World Bank, which is also a signatory to the treaty. Eugene Black, a former president of the World Bank, initiated the talks.

Recognised as one of the most successful international treaties, it has endured frequent tensions, including conflict. It has provided a framework for irrigation and hydropower development for over half a century.

The Treaty allocates the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) to Pakistan and the Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India. At the same time, the Treaty allows each country certain uses of the rivers allocated to the other. The treaty allocates 20 per cent of the water from the Indus River System to India, with the remaining 80 per cent to Pakistan. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that he had sent Cabinet Ministers to different cities across India to ensure the safety of state residents, especially students and businessmen.

This comes amid rising tensions following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the loss of several innocent lives and sparked outrage across the country. On April 22, terrorists attacked tourists at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while leaving many others injured.

Taking to social media, X, Omar Abdullah wrote, “With a view to instilling a sense of security among our students and businessmen currently in other states, I have deputed my Cabinet Ministers to various cities across the country. The purpose of these visits is to coordinate efforts with the respective State Governments and ensure the safety and well-being of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) residents.

“The J&K Government will stand with its people–anywhere, everywhere,” the post reads.

Earlier, leaders from different parties united at an all-party meeting convened by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to vehemently denounce the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

Following an all-party meeting, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced the adoption of a unified resolution by all parties, condemning the attack and reaffirming a shared commitment to peace and justice.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated, “We, the participants of the All Party meeting of Jammu and Kashmir, deeply shocked and anguished by the recent barbaric attack in Pahalgam on 22nd April 2025 on innocent civilians, hereby adopt this resolution in a spirit of collective solidarity and resolve. We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous, inhumane attack in Pahalgam that targeted and killed innocent civilians.”

He further described the act as “a direct assault on the values of Kashmiriyat and the idea of India.”

He added, “Such cowardly acts of brutality against peaceful citizens have no place in society and are a direct assault on the values of Kashmiriyat and the idea of India, which have long been a symbol of unity, peace and harmony in the region…We also support the steps taken by the Union Government announced yesterday. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who have suffered loss,” he said.

Senior leaders, including Jammu and Kashmir Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) President Ghulam Nabi Azad, expressed deep anguish over the loss of innocent lives.

They collectively called for strengthened measures to ensure the safety of civilians and uphold communal harmony. (ANI)

Extreme poverty (living on less than USD 2.15 per day) fell from 16.2 percent in 2011-12 to 2.3 percent in 2022-23, lifting 171 million people in India above this line, according to a report by World Bank.

This in a way is an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s poverty reduction claims.

Over the past decade, India has significantly reduced poverty.

According to the Poverty & Equity Brief report of World Bank released earlier this week, rural extreme poverty dropped from 18.4 percent to 2.8 percent, and urban from 10.7 percent to 1.1 percent, narrowing the rural-urban gap from 7.7 to 1.7 percentage points–a 16 percent annual decline.

Meanwhile, India also transitioned into the lower-middle-income category.

Using the USD 3.65 per day lower-middle income category poverty line, poverty fell from 61.8 percent to 28.1 percent, lifting 378 million people out of poverty.

Rural poverty dropped from 69 percent to 32.5 percent, and urban poverty from 43.5 percent to 17.2 percent, reducing the rural-urban gap from 25 to 15 percentage points with a 7 percent annual decline.

The five most populous states–Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh–accounted for 65 percent of the country’s extreme poor in 2011-12 and contributed to two-thirds of the overall decline in extreme poverty by 2022-23.

Nevertheless, these states still accounted for 54 percent of India’s extremely poor (2022-23) and 51 percent of the multi-dimensionally poor (2019-21).

As measured by the multidimensional poverty index (MPI), non-monetary poverty declined from 53.8 percent in 2005-06 to 16.4 percent by 2019-21. The World Bank’s Multidimensional Poverty Measure is at 15.5 percent in 2022-23.

According to the World Bank report, the employment growth has outpaced the working-age population since 2021-22.

Employment rates, especially among women, are rising, and urban unemployment fell to 6.6 percent in Q1 2024-25, the lowest since 2017-18.

“Recent data indicates a shift of male workers from rural to urban areas for the first time since 2018-19, while rural female employment in agriculture has grown. Challenges persist: youth unemployment is 13.3 percent, increasing to 29 percent among tertiary education graduates. Only 23 percent of non-farm paid jobs are formal, and most agricultural employment remains informal,” the World Bank report read.

“Self-employment is rising, especially among rural workers and women. Despite a female employment rate of 31 percent, gender disparities remain, with 234 million more men in paid work,” it added. (ANI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Chief Ministers on Friday and asked them to identify all Pakistani nationals in their respective states, according to sources. Amit Shah is also talking to all chief ministers on the issue, asking them to identify all Pakistan nationals in their respective states and take steps to ensure their prompt return to Pakistan:

A decision has been made to cancel all types of visas, effective immediately. Shah has also asked the Chief Ministers to take steps to ensure the prompt return of the people to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister will also hold a meeting regarding the Indus Water Treaty at his residence.

Besides the Home Minister and the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, CR Patil, other senior government officials will attend this meeting.

Sources told ANI, “India has formally notified Pakistan in writing about the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.

“Secretary of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Devashree Mukherjee, has informed the Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources, Syed Ali Murtaza, about this decision of the Indian government through a letter. India has issued a notice for changes in the treaty. The letter states that the Indian government has given notice to the Pakistani government for amendments to the treaty.

The notice mentioned that several fundamental aspects of the treaty have changed and require reconsideration. Population changes, the development of clean energy, and various factors related to water distribution, as outlined in the treaty, have occurred. Any treaty should be implemented in good faith, but Pakistan is promoting cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

The letter stated that India has sent notices to the Pakistani government seeking modification of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 (the Treaty) under Article XII (3) of the Treaty.

“These communications cited fundamental changes in the circumstances that have taken place since the Treaty was executed that require a reassessment of obligations under the various Articles of the Treaty read with its Annexures,” the letter said.

“These changes include significantly altered population demographics, the need to accelerate the development of clean energy and other changes in the assumptions underlying the sharing of waters under the Treaty,” it added.

The Indian government has taken a significant step following the cowardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

This comes after terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured. (ANI)

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has asked the Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who called on him here on Friday to take effective steps not only to bring those responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack to justice but also to intensify efforts to crush the nfrastructure of terrorism and its ecosystem.

During the discussion, the Lieutenant Governor said the nation has full faith in the bravery and valour of our army, police and CAPFS, and they must work in close synergy to identify perpetrators, enablers and OGWS of Pahalgam terrorist killing and pursue the entire chain in a sustained manner and neutralise them.

“Every perpetrator and supporter of the Pahalgam terror attack, whatever his location or affiliation, must be hunted and they must pay the heavy price for the cowardly and dastardly act against our citizens,” the Lieutenant Governor told the top army officials.

The meeting also reviewed security mechanisms in place, various short-term, long-term measures and integration and coordination among the various security agencies. The meeting was also attended by GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Pratik Sharma and GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava.

Indian Army Chief General Dwivedi arrived in Srinagar today to review the security situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Upon his arrival, the 15 Corps Commander briefed him about the ongoing security situation, and he met with senior Army commanders deployed in the Kashmir Valley, along with officials from other security agencies.

The Indian Army Chief General was also briefed on the actions being taken by the formations against terrorists inside their territory and the Pakistan Army’s attempts to violate the ceasefire along the LoC

The Indian Army is on a high alert, launching several search operations to neutralise the terrorists following the attack in Pahalgam on April 22, in which 26 people were killed. (ANI)

The Delhi Police arrested activist Medha Patkar on Friday, following a non-bailable warrant issued against her by the Saket court in the national capital on April 23. The social activist is set to be produced before the Saket court today.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Vishal Singh issued a Non-Bailable Warrant against Medha Patkar on April 23.

“Issue NBWs against convict Medha Patkar, through the office of the Commissioner of Police, for the next date,” ASJ Vishal Singh said on Wednesday. The court has listed the matter for report on NBW and for further proceedings on May 3.

Advocate Gajinder Kumar and Kiran Jai appeared for VK Saxena.

In July 2024, Patkar was convicted in a defamation case filed in 2000 by the then Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena

Patkar was sentenced and released on probation and was directed to deposit the compensation amount and to furnish a probation bond. On Friday, she was arrested for not furnishing probation bonds in the defamation case moved against her by Saxena.

While dealing with the matter, the court noted, “Instead of appearing before the court and to comply with the order on sentence of April 8, 2025, the convict is absent and deliberately failed to comply with the order on sentence and to avail the benefit of probation subject to furnishing of compensation amount. “The court took seriously the non-appearance of Medha Patkar and termed it deliberate.

“The intention of convicting Medha Patkar is apparent, that she is deliberately violating the court order, she is avoiding appearing before the court and also avoiding accepting the terms of the sentence passed against her. There is no order of suspension of sentence passed by this court on April 8, 2025,” ASJ Vishal Singh said.

“This court is left with no option but to enforce the production of convict Medha Patkar through coercive order,” he added.

The court makes it clear that if on the next occasion the convict fails to comply with the terms of the order on sentence passed on April 8, the court will be constrained to reconsider the benevolent sentence and will have to alter the order on sentence.

An application was moved on Patkar’s behalf on Tuesday to seek adjournment in view of the pendency of an appeal before the High Court. The court dismissed the same.

The court stated that the application lacks substance, as there is no direction in the April 22, 2025, order of the High Court that the convict, Medha Patkar is not required to comply with the sentence order passed on April 8, 2025.

“The application is frivolous and mischievous and is only calculated to hoodwink the court. The present application is therefore dismissed,” ASJ Vishal Singh said in the order.

On April 8, the appellate court upheld her conviction. However, the court, after sentencing her, directed her release on the condition of probation for good conduct for one year.

She appeared through video conferencing. The court had asked her to appear on April 23.

In July 2024, she was convicted and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment by the Magistrate’s court. The court had directed her to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to V K Saksena. However, she was granted bail by the court to challenge the order. The same order was challenged before the session court. (ANI)