Tag: Pakistan

Sikhs at gurdwara pakistan

Miscreants Threaten Sikhs, Forcibly Stop Kirtan At Gurdwara In Pak

By LokMarg

Miscreants on Thursday forcibly entered the premises of Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Sukkur city of Pakistan’s Sindh province, abusing the priests and forcibly asking them to stop kirtan or religious devotional songs.

Many local Sikhs and Hindus, who were present at the historical Gurdwara, alleged that the miscreants also desecrated the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs.

The miscreants, who were handed over to the police, were released without proper investigation and interrogation, it was alleged.

Ajay Singh, a ragi (devotional singer) at the gurdwara said, “I was singing kirtan when, all of a sudden, the sound of the loudspeaker was reduced. There was chaos in the Gurdwara. I was told that some people were forced to stop singing kirtans.”

He added, “They forced us to stop singing kirtans. Our ancestors have been praying in this gurdwara for the past 100 years. We never caused any discomfort to anyone. Is this how minorities are treated in Pakistan?”

The Sikhs and Hindus hit out at the police for neither registering an FIR in connection with the incident nor arresting the culprits.

The minorities are feeling unsafe in Pakistan. On June 24, a Sikh shopkeeper, Manmohan Singh, was gunned down by armed motorcyclists in the Yakatoot area of Peshawar city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He was the sole breadwinner of his family.

A day earlier, another Sikh man, Tarlok Singh, was attacked in Peshawar.

United Sikhs, an NGO, condemned the attacks on Sikhs and other minorities in Pakistan, tweeting from its official handle, “UNITED SIKHS along with other Sikh representatives will be meeting with the Pakistan consulate to seek the state department’s intervention on the subject of protecting the rights of minorities in Pakistan.”

It added, “We are appalled by these targeted attacks on Sikh men in Pakistan. These attacks are not only horrific, but they are also a violation of human rights. We call on the Pakistani government to do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice”. (ANI)

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Pakistan defence minister on Blocking Social Media

Pak Def Min Hints Towards Blocking Social Media If Need Arises

By LokMarg

Stating that the seeds of the violence perpetrated on May 9 were planted on social media, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has hinted at the possibility of blocking social media networks if the need arises, Dawn reported.

Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper.
Asif said that countries such as the US, the UK and China all regulated social networks.

“There are rules and a regulatory framework, it is monitored. In our country, the medium is used to incite people to mutiny against the state,” he told Geo News on Tuesday, the Dawn reported.

“The script of the May 9 violence was prepared via social media,” Asif said, as per the Dawn.

Notably, to stem the riots that broke out in the aftermath of PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest, the government had cut off internet access and blocked social media networks across the country for several days, the Dawn said.

The minister while referring to the action being taken against the perpetrators of the violence that unfolded on May 9, said that after the military has taken actions against their own personnel and their family members, it was the duty of the government to ensure the accountability of the perpetrators behind the riots.

Khawaja Asif appreciated the ‘swift accountability’ carried out by the military but noted that civilian authorities faced many challenges and roadblocks.

“The law [to try civilians under the army act] has been challenged in various courts, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments as well… these hurdles are holding us back,” he said, adding that these obstacles could be overcome.

When asked about the possibility of placing a ban on the PTI — something the government has hinted at in the past as well — the defence minister was of the opinion that unless the perpetrators of the May 9 violence were not punished, imposing any restrictions on the party could prove ‘counterproductive’, as per Dawn. (ANI)

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Jaishankar on Veiled Attack On Pakistan

Terror By Night, Trade By Day: Jaishankar In Veiled Attack On Pak

By LokMarg

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India cannot have SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) meeting until one member continues to engage in acts of terrorism, adding that India will not tolerate a situation where “terrorism happens by night and trade happens by day.”

While responding to the question about not hearing anything on SAARC, Jaishankar at India International Centre said, “You have not heard very much about SAARC because, in the last few years, there isn’t very much to hear about. We have not had meetings because you have a member of SAARC who doesn’t conform to all the basic requirements of what a good membership is, and that is today an obstacle reality for the SAARC to meet. You know I said we cannot continue with acts of terrorism and say the cooperation will continue to happen nevertheless.”
“So, I think there are issues there and it’s time to recognize the seriousness of those issues and not allow terrorism to happen by night and trade by day. I don’t think the country is well served by that,” he added.

Earlier also, Jaishankar had blamed Pakistan for SAARC not being an active organisation. In December 2022, Jaishankar in Varanasi said that the SAARC currently is not active because one member of the SAARC believes that dealing with “neighbours is compatible with the factors of cross-border terrorism.”

Notably, the SAARC is the regional intergovernmental organization of eight countries of South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

While talking about having good relations with other neighbouring countries but not with Pakistan, Jaishankar said that they can’t have a normal relationship because of cross-border terrorism.

“I would say Pakistan obviously is the exception when it comes to the neighbourhood. Again, it needs very little explanation. The fact is that we cannot allow terrorism to be normalized. We cannot allow that to become the basis for getting us into discussions with Pakistan. So I don’t think to me, it’s a fairly common-sense proposition,” Jaishankar said.

“In fact, if anything, I’m still a little perplexed by why we had not arrived at this position earlier. But we have arrived at it now. And the issue really is that until there is a departure from I would say an abrogation of this policy of cross-border terrorism. Clearly, it is not possible to have a normal relationship with that particular neighbour,” he added. (ANI)

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ICC World Cup 2023: India, Pak To Face-Off This October

By LokMarg

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will square off at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 this October at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The opening game of the World Cup is scheduled to place at the same venue on October 5 with a match between defending champions England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad, the ICC announced on Tuesday.
The final will also be held at the same venue on November 19,

The first semi-final of the World Cup will be held on November 15 in Mumbai while the second semi-final will be played on November 16 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

India will open their campaign on October 8 against Australia at Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. They will be playing a total of eight matches in the league stage.

The much-awaited encounter between India and Pakistan will be the eighth meeting between the two sides at a men’s World Cup.

With their jinx broken in the T20 World Cup, Pakistan will be looking to emulate the same in the 50-over format on October 15.

India and Pakistan have faced each other seven times previously – in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015 and 2019.

The only time the two sides did not meet since that first match in 1992 was in 2007, which was a disastrous campaign for both teams as they crashed out of the tournament in the opening round

India have won all of the previous seven encounters, a record they extended to the T20 World Cups as well until recently.

That streak was broken in 2021, only for India to reclaim bragging rights with a memorable victory in the 2022 edition with a dramatic chase at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on the back of an unforgettable knock from former India captain Virat Kohli.

The last time these teams met in the 50-over World Cup was in 2019 at Old Trafford with India posting a massive 336/5 on the back of a fantastic 113-ball 140 by India captain Rohit Sharma.

A smart bowling performance then helped restrict Pakistan to just 212/6 in a rain-marred match that India won by 89 runs (DLS method).

Even more memorable is perhaps the game in 2011, another India home World Cup, which resulted in a thrilling semi-final clash in Mohali. Sachin Tendulkar starred for the hosts with 85 and their bowlers put up a united front to bowl out Pakistan and gain a 29-run victory. (ANI)

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Attacks on Sikhs in Pakistan

India Summons Pakistan Envoy Over Attacks On Sikhs

By LokMarg

Following the recent attacks on Sikh community members in Pakistan, India on Monday summoned a senior diplomat of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and asked the authorities to investigate the case with sincerity and share the investigation report, according to sources.

India has lodged a strong protest against the incidents taking place against the Sikh community in Pakistan. It also conveyed that Pakistan should ensure the safety and security of its minorities, who live in constant fear of religious persecution.

India’s action comes after four incidents have taken place between April-June in 2023 against the Sikh community. On Saturday, a Sikh community member was shot dead after unidentified armed men opened fire at him, Pakistan-based The News International reported.

The victim was identified as Manmohan Singh who was murdered by unidentified assailants in the Kakshal locality on Saturday. “Manmohan Singh, 34, was on his way home in an auto-rickshaw on Saturday evening when unidentified armed men opened fire on him near Guldara, Kakshal,” a spokesman for the capital city police said on Saturday night.

He was taken to hospital but he succumbed to injuries. The official said senior police officials and investigation teams have rushed to the spot to collect CCTV footage and other evidence. Besides, a search operation was also launched in the vicinity to arrest the culprits, reported The News International.

Earlier on Friday, another Sikh man was shot and injured in the Dabgari area of the provincial capital. The victim was identified as Tarlug Singh son of Makhan Singh was shot in the leg by unidentified armed men in Dabgari, The News International reported. He was taken to hospital where his condition was out of danger.

In May, assailants gunned down Sardar Singh in a drive-by shooting in the eastern city of Lahore. Singh, 63, received a fatal gunshot to the head, this is the third attack on the Sikh community. Police officer Asad Abbas said the bodyguard was wounded in the attack, according to Pakistan Today. Earlier in April, gunmen shot and killed Dayal Singh in Peshawar.

As targeting killings against the Sikh community are on the rise in Pakistan, the minority communities and especially Sikhs are feeling insecure as the Pakistan government’s failure to protect minorities is encouraging perpetrators to act with impunity. (ANI)

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230 Afghan Migrant Families

230 Afghan Migrant Families Return To Afghanistan From Pakistan

By LokMarg

A total of 230 Afghan migrant families from Pakistan returned to Afghanistan on Sunday through the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported citing Taliban-led Afghan Ministry of Refugees.

The ministry said that each family received drinking water, biscuits, and the return fare and expenditure from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office, Khaama Press reported.
The Taliban-led Nimruz province’s Directorate of Immigrants and Returnees Affairs said that 64,115 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan through the Nimruz crossing in May. Afghan migrants returned after Amnesty International received recent complaints from Afghan refugees alleging harassment by Pakistani police, the report said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Islamabad called on the Pakistan government to stop arresting and expelling refugees after the arbitrary detention of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Khaama Press reported.

Meanwhile, Afghan refugees in Pakistan face numerous challenges, including arbitrary detentions, harassment, and imprisonment by Pakistani police due to failing to provide valid residential permits and visas, as per the news report.

Pakistan is one of the primary destinations where Afghan refugees have travelled to after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, new waves of Afghan refugees shifted to Iran and Pakistan due to various reasons, including fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban.

In spite of the refugees having the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) certificate, Pakistani police and other relevant agencies continue detaining and incarcerating Afghan refugees in various parts of the country, including Islamabad, Khaama Press reported.

Earlier, Maniza Kakar, an attorney of Afghan prisoners in Karachi claimed Pakistani police tore the residential documents of some Afghan nationals while they were arrested, the report said. Pakistani government’s mistreatment of Afghan refugees has been termed as “inhuman and hateful,” sparking criticism in Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations.

“In less than two years, I have been detained three times by the police – harassed, humiliated and bitten due to not having a valid residential permit. Life has become extremely difficult for me in Pakistan. Every time, I come across police, I keep running from one ally to another to avoid possible imprisonment and forceful deportation to Afghanistan,” Khaama Press quoted an Afghan refugee as saying.

Another Afghan refugee who recently moved to France told Khaama Press that Pakistan does not give them anything other than sufferings. He called on other immigrants to follow up on their immigrant cases or otherwise, they will continuously face mistreatment, harassment and humiliation. (ANI)

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Black Chapter In Pakistan History

May 9 Incident Is Black Chapter In History: Pak army

By LokMarg

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major-General Ahmed Sharif called May 9 incident “extremely disappointing” and said that this is the black chapter of Pakistan’s history, Dawn reported.

Addressing a press conference on the “facts” of May 9, Sharif said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the incident of May 9 is extremely disappointing, condemnable and a black chapter in the history of our country.”
On May 9, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan was arrested at the Islamabad High Court in the Al Qadir Trust case. After his arrest, protests erupted in Pakistan and military installations including the Lahore corps commander’s residence and state properties were attacked in Pakistan.

“The events of May 9 have proven that what enemies couldn’t do in 76 years, a bunch of miscreants and their facilitators did,” the DG ISPR said, highlighting that the incident was “undoubtedly a conspiracy against Pakistan”.

He further stated that the investigation held until now has proven that May 9 incidents were planned for the past several months.

“Under this planning, first a conducive environment was created and people were instigated and provoked against the army,” Major Sharif added.

He said that a narrative based on lies and exaggeration was spread on social media inside and outside the country, adding that the authorities had obtained evidence against them, according to Dawn.

The DG ISPR said that there was a huge amount of grief and anger among the veterans over the events of May 9.

Maj-Gen Sharif said the families of the soldiers, who were killed during the riot, were hurt and “they ask all of us today if their loved ones rendered these sacrifices for the nation so that their memorials are disrespected in such a manner”.

The DG ISPR stressed that stability in any country was based on the relationship shared by the army and the citizens. He said that despite attempts, the enemy was unable to dent the relationship of “trust and respect between the army and the people”.

During the press conference, Maj-Gen Sharif revealed that three army officers, including a lieutenant general, were sacked from their jobs as a part of the military’s “self-accountability process” into the events of May 9, as per Dawn.

“After a deliberate accountability process, keeping the requests of in-court of inquiries in view, disciplinary proceedings were initiated against those who failed to keep the security and honour of garrisons, military installations, Jinnah House and General Headquarters intact.

“Three officers, including a lieutenant-general, have been removed from their jobs. Strict disciplinary proceedings against officers, including three major generals and seven brigadiers, have been completed,” he added. (ANI)

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Afghan Refugees Continue To Undergo Suffering, Mistreatment In Pakistan

By LokMarg

The Afghan refugees who migrated to Pakistan after the Taliban took over fearing persecution are undergoing continuous suffering and an extremely “inhuman and hateful” mistreatment, the Khaama Press reported.

Ever since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan is one of the primary destinations where Afghan refugees have migrated in search of better conditions.
New waves of Afghan refugees moved to Iran and Pakistan due to several reasons including fear of death threats and persecution by Afghanistan’s de facto regime.

However, in Pakistan, the migrants have continued to suffer numerous challenges including arbitrary detentions, harassment, and imprisonment by Pakistani police, because of being unable to provide valid residential permits and visas.

Notably, Pakistani police and other relevant agencies have continued to detain and incarcerate Afghan refugees in different parts of the country, including the capital city of Islamabad, despite having refugees having United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugee’s (UNHCR) certificate, the Khaama Press reported.

Maniza Kakar, an attorney of Afghan prisoners in Karachi earlier claimed that Pakistani police tore the residential documents of some Afghan nationals while they were arrested.

The alleged mistreatment of Afghan refugees by the Pakistani government has been labelled “inhuman and hateful”, leading to widespread criticism not just in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but beyond.

“In less than two years, I have been detained three times by the police – harassed, humiliated and bitten due to not having a valid residential permit. Life has become extremely difficult for me in Pakistan. Every time, I come across police, I keep running from one ally to another to avoid possible imprisonment and forceful deportation to Afghanistan,” the Khaama Press quoted an Afghan refugee.

Another Afghan refugee who has freshly moved to France said to Khaama Press that, “Pakistan does not offer you anything other than countless sufferings. He asked other immigrants to follow up on their immigration cases, otherwise, they will continuously face mistreatment, harassment and humiliation”.

Most Afghan refugees currently residing in Pakistan, are undergoing an extremely lengthy process, causing ambiguity and hopelessness

According to Amnesty, over 3.7 million Afghans who fled Afghanistan for political and economic reasons now reside in Pakistan. Moreover, only 1.4 million people have official registration.

Meanwhile, The Afghanistan Embassy in Islamabad also requested Pakistan to cease detaining Afghans earlier this month after 250 people were held for lack of travel documents by counterterrorism officials and other agencies, as per Khaama Press. (ANI)

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Chhetri Goal-Scorer In International Football

Chhetri Becomes Fourth-Highest Goal-Scorer In International Football

By LokMarg

Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri scored a hat-trick in his team’s triumph in their SAFF Championship campaign opener against Pakistan and became the fourth-highest goal-scorer in international football history.

Now, he has taken his goal tally to 90 and has surpassed Mokhtar Dahari of Malaysia (with 89 goals) to climb to the fourth spot among the highest goal-scorers in international football.
Argentina FIFA World Cup-winning legend Lionel Messi (103 goals), Iran’s retired player Ali Daei (109 goals) and legendary Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo (123) are above Chhetri in the goal-scoring list.

Among the active players, Chhetri has the third-most goals by an international player, with only Messi (103 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (123 goals) ahead of him.

The Indian men’s football team ran roughshod over arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening game of the SAFF Championship 2023, putting four goals past a hapless rival defence at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Indian skipper Sunil Chhetri led from the front, scoring a hat-trick (10′, 16′ and 73′) followed by Udanta Singh Kumam’s goal in the 81st minute.

With this win, India has maintained the seventh straight clean sheet against their traditional rivals.

India positioned themselves at the top of the points table in Group A, having a better goal difference than Kuwait, who, earlier on Wednesday defeated Nepal 3-1 in the tournament opener.

India came into this tournament on the back of its title-winning campaign at the Intercontinental Cup, 2023. They are currently placed at 101 in the FIFA rankings.

India got off to a fast start and demonstrated their aggressive intent against 195th-ranked Pakistan.

India scored their first goal within 10 minutes of the game after Pakistan goalkeeper Saqib Hanif blundered in front of the goal. Saqib Hanif failed to clear the ball quickly after receiving a back-pass and played it into the path of a rushing Sunil Chhetri. The Indian skipper took advantage of the mistake and scored to put India up 1-0.

Following the score, India’s team began to attack Pakistan’s half from both flanks. Under pressure, Pakistan’s defence collapsed and gave a penalty for handling the ball in their half. Sunil Chhetri went up and shot it to the left corner of the goal, putting India up 2-0.

India maintained possession and dominated the game. Meanwhile, Pakistan nearly scored in the 29th minute as Muhammed Sufyan dribbled past the Indian defenders only to hit the crossbar. India led 2-0 at the end of the first half.

India maintained their lead in the second half and pressed for a goal right away. The Indian midfield provided through-balls to the strikers, but the attackers were unable to capitalise.

After an end-to-end battle in which Pakistan came dangerously close to scoring, the Indian side was awarded a goal. Under Indian pressure, Pakistan’s defence broke once more. Sunil Chhetri was brought down in the box, and the referee swiftly signalled to the spot. This time, Chhetri scooped the ball into the top left corner to complete his hat trick and put India up 3-0.

India scored the game’s fourth goal minutes later. Anwar Ali floated a shot into the Pakistan half, where an unmarked Udanta Singh collected it and scored from close range to make it 4-0. With the game out of reach for Pakistan, the Indian football team maintained possession and finished the game.

India will play Nepal in their second Group A match on Saturday. (ANI)

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China and Pakistan Indian Army

Indian Army Raising New Units To Counter China, Pak In Cyber Warfare

By LokMarg

Amid the rising activities of adversaries China and Pakistan in the online domain to target India, the Indian Army has operationalised new specialist units to counter these threats and challenges under its cyber warfare initiatives.

The decision was taken during the Army Commanders Conference held in the third week of this month headed by Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande.
“To safeguard the communication networks and increase preparedness levels in this niche domain, Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings (CCOSW) are being raised in Indian Army,” government sources said here.

They said that Cyberspace has emerged as an important component of the military domain both in grey zone warfare as well as conventional operations,” they said.

Highlighting the importance and requirement of such specialist units, the sources said the expansion of cyber warfare capabilities by our adversaries has made the cyber domain more competitive and contested than ever before.

“The Indian Army today is rapidly migrating towards net centricity, which entails an increased reliance on modern communication systems at all levels,” they said.

Specifying the role of these new units, the sources said: “These organizations will assist the formations to undertake the mandated cyber security functions to strengthen the cyber security posture of the Indian Army.”

In the last few years, the Army has taken multiple steps to counter the aggression of adversaries in the form of virtual honey trapping and hacking.

The Defence Cyber Agency is working at the tri-services level to deal with these issues. (ANI)

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