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LIVE! Jadhav’s confession appears to be coaxed: India at ICJ

15:34  Jadhav’s confession appears to be coaxed: India at ICJ:  A four-day public hearing in the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage has begun at the ICJ. 

India moved the ICJ in May in 2017 against the “farcical trial” by the military court of Pakistan against 48-year-old Jadhav.

Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. India first approached the ICJ on May 8, 2017 for the “egregious violation” of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 by Pakistan by repeatedly denying it consular access to Jadhav.  

Harish Salve representing India and Kulbhushan Jadhav in the ICJ: It is an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention, Salve said. “Jadhav’s continued custody without consular access should be declared unlawful. There is no manner of doubt that Pakistan was using this as a propaganda tool. Pakistan was bound to grant consular access without delay. On 30th March 2016, India reminded Pakistan of its request of consular access (for Jadhav) & received no reply. 13 reminders were sent by India on various dates.  On 19th June, 2017, India responded to the request for assistance in investigation and pointed that not only Jadhav had been denied consular access but no credible evidence have been provided by Pakistan to show his involvement in any act of terrorism. His (Jadhav’s) purported confession clearly appears to be coaxed.” 


15:24  Pulwama attack mastermind killed in encounter: Reports:  
Kamran alias Ghazi Rasheed, the mastermind of the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, has been killed in an encounter with security forces in a fresh encounter today, say reports. 

Reports say he was cornered by security forces along with two more terrorists in an encounter that started in the early hours of Monday. A joint team of Indian Army’s 55 Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and Special Operation Group launched a cordon and search operation last night. Kamran, a Pakistani national, is believed to have radicalised Kashmiri youth to wage war against India. He is also believed to be an IED expert. 

However, the victory came at a heavy cost, with four Army personnel, including a major, killed in the gun battle. A civilian was also killed in the exchange of fire in the encounter which took place in the Pinglan area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation during the night after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said. Militants fired at forces as the searches got under way, triggering a gun battle, officials said. The Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack that left 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel dead and five critically wounded.

Image: Kamran alias Ghazi Rasheed, the mastermind of the Pulwama terror attack. 


15:18  About 280 students from Dehradun reach Mohali, many head for homes in J&K:   Over 300 Kashmiri students reached Mohali from Uttarakhand and Haryana on their way to their homes, a student body arranging their stay in the Punjab town said Monday, amid reports of harassment of students from the Valley in Dehradun after the Pulwama terrorist attack. 

Some Kashmiri youths studying in the Uttarakhand capital have alleged they were harassed and asked by their landlords to vacate accommodations fearing attacks on their properties after the terrorist strike in Pulwama on Thursday that left 40 CRPF personnel dead.

Over the past two days, nearly 280 students have arrived from Dehradun and up to 30 from Haryana’s Ambala district, said Jammu and Kashmir Students Organisation president Khwaja Itrat. He said nearly 150 of the total students have moved towards Jammu, from where they will head to their homes in Kashmir Valley. “The students told us they wanted to make a halt in Mohali as it was a safer place. We helped them arrange a temporary stay here,” Itrat said.  One student has alleged that unknown people attacked him on Saturday night when he was returning to the university hostel in Mullana in Ambala district. 

On Sunday, talking informally to reporters in Mohali, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Sing made it clear that all Kashmiri students will be given full protection by his government. No one will be harassed, he stressed.  Officials said the security around other educational institutes in Haryana, including in Panchkula district, where a large number of Kashmiri students are enrolled, has been stepped up. PTI

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14:50  Hearing in Kulbhushan Jadhav case begins in ICJ:  

Indias oral arguments in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the International Court of Justice, Hague, begins.  The three-hour hearing will be split into two — one and a half hour sessions — preceded by the swearing in ceremony of Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jilani as an ad hoc judge in the case. This will take the total number of judges hearing the case to 16, including Indias Dalveer Bhandari.

Deepak Mittal, joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs is Indias Agent, heading the team, with Harish Salve as Counsel. The Pakistani delegation is led by the Attorney General, Anwar Mansoor Khan, with Khawar Qureshi as counsel. 

India is likely to ask the top UN court to direct Pakistan to revoke the death sentence awarded to Jadhav on allegations of espionage.

Coming soon after a terror incident in South Kashmir’s Pulwama, where at least 40 security personnel lost their lives in a suicide attack apparently by Pakistan-based outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, the hearing on Jadhav case could stoke fresh tension between the two countries.

Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar refused to make any comment on the ICJ hearing in Kulbhushan Jadhav case but hinted that Indian side is prepared for the legal battle.

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14:41  Dithering on action is encouraging terrorism: PM:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday the Pulwama terrorist attack has showed that the time to talk about tackling terror is over and the world is now required to unitedly take concrete action against terrorism and those behind its spread.

After talks with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, Modi said dithering to take action against terrorists and their supporters will be like encouraging terrorism. 

In his comments, Macri called for united action to deal with terrorism. The two sides finalised 10 MoUs providing for deeper cooperation in a range of areas including in information and communications technology, nuclear energy and agriculture. — PTI

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14:08  Old Mirage planes will crash, says SC but dismisses inquiry:  The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation filed by lawyer Alakh Srivastava seeking a court-monitored inquiry into the Mirage aircraft crash in Bengaluru which claimed the lives of two pilots.

“We dismiss the petition. The petition has no merit,” said an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. “We are using Mirage of 3 or 3.5 generation. It’s bound to crash. Is it the Supreme Court’s job to order judicial inquiry into Mirage crash?” CJI Gogoi asked and dismissed the PIL.

Srivastava had moved the apex court seeking a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps and effective measures (including proper maintenance of aircraft) to ensure that unfortunate incidents like the Mirage crash don’t happen in future.

Indian Air Force pilots Squadron Leaders Siddhartha Negi and Samir Abrol lost their lives when Mirage 2000 crashed at the HAL airport earlier this month after the aircraft allegedly experienced a technical snag immediately after takeoff.

IAF sources said India is sending to France the black box of the ill-fated aircraft to ascertain the reasons for the mishap. — ANI

Image: Indian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Samir Abrol lost his life  in a Mirage 2000 crash. 

Also read: ‘For him the nation came first; himself last’


13:58  Akhilesh slams Modi: Till when will mourning period extend! :  Samajwadi Partychief Akhilesh Yadav sought to corner the Narendra Modi government on Monday over the death of soldiers, asking “why the government is waiting and watching”. 

 “Till when will the three day period of mourning keep getting extended? Everyday we get news of the brave martyrdom of our jawans while smiling BJP politicians accompany their funeral processions. Why is the govt waiting and watching?,” he said in a tweet. 

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also tagged a news report with the headline — “Four Army personnel including Major martyred in encounter with terrorists in Pulwama” — with his tweet. Yadav had, on February 15, visited the house of slain CRPF personnel Pradeep, one of the 40 victims of the Pulwama terror attack, in Kannauj and paid condolences. The SP leader also took to Twitter on Sunday to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government after the Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express developed a technical snag.

“After the inauguration, fumes were seen in Vande Bharat train, power failure inside coaches, snag developed in brakes after which train came to a halt. Vande Bharat is a story of development. Farmers are angry, youths are unemployed, security system has collapsed and country’s economy shattered,” he tweeted. The country’s first semi-high speed train had broken down on its return journey to New Delhi from Varanasi. — PTI

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13:47   Gehlot undergoes surgery in Mumbai, PM wishes him good health:  Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has undergone a surgery for hernia at a hospital in Mumbai. Gehlot, 67, who was operated upon on Sunday, appealed to people to keep a keep a tab of their health issues and get timely treatment for it. 

“I have been successfully operated for hernia here in Mumbai due to timely detection,” Gehlot said in a tweet. He stressed that being aware and vigilant was the key to all curable diseases, including swine flu, which, he said, was 100 per cent curable. The disease claimed more than 70 lives in Rajasthan recently. “I appeal to all the people to be aware of their health and get timely treatment,” he urged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished good health to the senior Congress leader. “Happy to know about the successful operation. Best wishes for your good health Ashok Ji,” Modi said in a tweet.


13:39  Ban on Pak actors working in India :  The All India Cine Workers Association announces a total ban on Pakistani actors and artists working in the film industry in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.

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12:55  SC refuses reopening of Sterlite plant, grants Vedanta liberty to approach HC:  The Supreme Court Monday refused to allow reopening of Vedanta’s Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, which was at the centre of massive protests over pollution concerns, but granted the company liberty to approach the high court. 

A bench headed by Justice RF Nariman allowed Tamil Nadu’s appeal against the National Green Tribunal order only on grounds of maintainability and said the tribunal has no jurisdiction to order reopening of the plant. 

The court was hearing a plea by Vedanta group seeking a direction to Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to implement the NGT order which had set aside the government’s decision to close the plant. 

On January 8, the apex court had paved the way to re-open the plant by refusing to stay the tribunal’s order. It had also stayed the last year’s December 21 decision of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court which had ordered status quo with respect to re-opening the plant. 

The state had moved the top court, saying the NGT had “erroneously” set aside various orders passed by the TNPCB last year with regard to the Sterlite plant. It had said the tribunal had consequentially directed the TNPCB to pass fresh orders of renewal of consent and issue authorisation to handle hazardous substances to Vedanta Limited. 

On December 15, the NGT had set aside the state government’s order for closure of the Sterlite copper plant, saying it was “non sustainable” and “unjustified”.

At least 13 people were killed and several injured on May 22 last year when police had opened fire on a huge crowd of people protesting against environment pollution being allegedly caused by the factory. The Tamil Nadu government had, on May 28, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and “permanently” close the mining group’s copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns. — PTI

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12:43  Pulwama encounter: 1 AK-47, 1 pistol recovered:  Update on the Pinglana, Pulwama encounter: One AK-47 rifle and one pistol have been recovered. Identification of the bodies of the two terrorists killed during encounter are yet to be confirmed. The search operation continues.

Four Army personnel, including a major, and two Jaish terrorists were killed in the encounter, three days after a suicide bomber from the group drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in the area, defence officials said.

A civilian was also killed in the exchange of fire in Pinglan area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, they said. “The terrorists are believed to be linked to the February 14 car bombing. The exact identities of the two terrorists killed are being ascertained,” a defence spokesperson said. Militants fired at forces as the searches got under way, triggering a gun battle, officials said.

Security forces have also launched a cordon and search operation during the night after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.  A cordon and search operation by the security forces have started in village Krawora in Shopian.

Meanwhile, Dr Mohammad Faisal, Spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan tweeted to say its High Commissioner in India for consultations. The Pak envoy left New Delhi this morning.

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12:15  Covering of Imran pictures in India regrettable: PCB:   The Pakistan Cricket Board has said it will take up with the BCCI the “regrettable” removal of pictures of its former players at a couple of venues in India, owing to the Pulwama terror attack, during an ICC meeting next month. 

In a statement issued late Sunday night, the PCB’s Managing Director Wasim Khan said the PCB Wasim Khan said sports has always played a key role in defusing political tensions. The ICC meeting is scheduled to be held in Dubai but the dates are not yet out. “…we have always believed and emphasised that sports and politics should be kept separate. History tells us that sports, particularly cricket, have always played a key role in building bridges between people and countries,” Khan said in the statement. “… covering or removing portrait of former Pakistan cricket captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan and other legendary cricketers from one of the most historic cricket clubs and venues are highly regrettable actions,” he added. — PTI


11:54  Pak players coming for Shooting World Cup will get visa :  The Secretary of the National Rifle Association of India, Rajiv Bhatia, on Monday confirmed that India would be granting visa to the Pakistani players to participate in the forthcoming Shooting World Cup, scheduled to be New Delhi later this month.

Bhatia said that the Indian Home Ministry has approved their visa and forwarded it to the High Commission and Islamabad.

Home Ministry has given its approval and it has been now forwarded to High Commission and Islamabad. “On Friday, I got a call from the Indian High Commission and they confirmed the names of the shooters again and hopefully today the Visa will be granted,” Bhatia told ANI.

The secretary further informed that one coach and two Pakistani rifle shooters are expected to arrive on February 20 and asserted that Home Ministry is in no denial on their visa. They wrote to us that they are scheduled to come on 20th (February). They wrote to us that we will get flight details once visa is granted. Visa will not be denied. Home Ministry is very clear about it so there is no denial on that, he said.Shooting World Cup 2019 is slated to be held from February 20 to 28 in New Delhi. The tournament holds significance as there are 16 Tokyo 2020 Olympics quota places up for grabs. — ANI 

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11:48  Omar Abdullah tweets: Zee TV will sponsor & promote Pakistani bands a day after the Pulwama attack but because it’s in Dubai it’s all kosher in the mean time the airwaves will be used to drive hyper-nationalism back home.

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11:42  Flag it off :  A 100-feet high national flag installed at the Raipur railway station. All for nationalism and respecting the tricolour, but let’s hope the station has essentials like escalators, elevators and ramps to enable senior citizens to change platforms with ease. 

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11:38  Jaish commander in Pulwama attack trapped in encounter:  
Update on the Pulwama encounter: A top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander linked to the Pulwama terror attack is believed to be trapped in the ongoing encounter in which four Indian Army personnel, including a Major, were killed and another sustained injuries. Two terrorists have been killed during the encounter. 

The encounter broke out early this morning in the Pinglan area of Pulwama district.

The deceased personnel have been identified as Major V S Dhoundiyal from Dehradun, Havaldar Sheo Ram from Jhunjhunu, Sepoy Ajay Kumar from Meerut and Sepoy Hari Singh from Rewari. They belonged to 55 Rashtriya Rifles. 

As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed after their convoy came under attack in Pulwama’s Awantipora area on February 14.Pakistan-based terror outfit JeM had claimed responsibility for the attack. — PTI

Image: The encounter broke out early this morning in the Pinglan area of Pulwama district.

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11:33  BJP MP Kirti Azad joins Congress :  BJP MP Kirti Azad joins the Congress party in the presence of Rahul Gandhi. Azad, who was suspended by the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015, on Monday joined Congress. The MP from Bihar’s Darbhanga joined the grand old party in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. A cricketer-turned-politician, Azad is the son of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad. 


11:07  Bludgeoned, Idea of India needs rescuing:  In the end, it ceased to quite matter which side lost and which won the evening. Resonating insistently above the feisty jousting between combatants was the suzerainty of the Idea of India as a pluralist, inclusive, secular democracy. But alongside prevailed a rider to it too — the sense that the Idea had been bullied and bludgeoned during the Narendra Modi years and needed urgent rescuing.  Read more

10:46  ‘Pakistan has to be given the message that we will keep hitting you’:  Few people understand the unrest in the Kashmir valley and its intersection with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism as Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) does.

As commander of the XV Corps based in Srinagar, General Hasnain conceived the ‘Hearts Doctrine’ in Kashmir. The general has been hailed for ‘the balance he brought between the employment of hard power in counter infiltration and counter terrorist operations and military soft power.’

“If Kashmiri students are going to be threatened in universities and cars of Kashmiris are being burnt in Jammu, that is not going to help us with what we wish to do across the border. Then, what is going to happen is that unlike 1965 and 1971 when the Kashmiri population was with the army and you did not have to look over your shoulder for the security of your convoys and garrisons, this time the army will feel more threatened in Kashmir on internal security — the army will be looking rearward half the time!” General Hasnain tells Rediff.com’s Archana Masih in the aftermath of the Pulawama attack on February 14, 2019.  Read the interview here. 

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10:42  Tricolour hoisted less, used more to wrap coffins: Sena blasts Centre:  “Instead of being hoisted in pride, the tricolour is now being used more for wrapping the mortal remains of slain security personnel,” the Shiv Sena said on Monday. The remark comes nearly five days after 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack.

“It is unfortunate that despite there being no war, soldiers of our country are dealing with the killings,” the party said in its editorial mouthpiece, Saamna.

The Shiv Sena opined that the need of the hour is to stand by the security forces and the families of the deceased, and not to place blame on one another.

“A similar incident happened in Kashmir while Congress was in power. At that time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat, had stated that ‘it is not our soldiers that are weak but the government at the Centre.’ Everyone is now waiting to see what the Centre will do in order to take the revenge of the killings of our soldiers. This is not the time to point out mistakes. This is the time to stand with the army and motivate them.”

The party also advised the Centre to follow the footsteps of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in order to take “revenge”, in reference to Gandhi’s decision to wage war in 1971 and “go into East Pakistan.” — ANI


10:38  After Pulwama, a manufactured outpouring of grief:  Within hours of the latest — and bloodiest — terror attack in Kashmir that left 40 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force dead, the information and broadcasting ministry issued an advisory to “all private satellite TV channels” about the coverage of the tragedy and its aftermath. 

It asked television channels to be “particularly cautious’ with any content which “is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promotes anti-national attitudes; and/or… contains anything affecting the integrity of the nation’.

On the face of it, the advisory seemed utterly pointless. Given the ultranationalist tenor of most television news even in normal times, the chances of any channel promoting “anti-national attitudes’ after such a horrific attack on security forces were less than nil.

On the contrary, the advisory provided the perfect backdrop for many a channel to indulge in unabashed warmongering. Television studios were transformed into “war rooms” and there were shrill demands for retribution and revenge against Pakistan.

Heart-rending stories about the families left behind by the hapless soldiers killed while defending the unity and integrity of the country only added to the sense of national outrage.

The advisory, it soon transpired, had had its desired effect. Such has been the impact of the hyper-emotional coverage of the Pulwama tragedy that every political party has come out in full support of the government in this “hour of national crisis’.

The Congress, living up to its reputation of being the “natural party of governance’ has taken the lead. Even though the Bharatiya Janata Party and Narendra Modi himself (when in the Opposition) seized upon every terror attack to pillory previous governments, the Congress chose not to retaliate in kind.   Read Manini Chatterjee’s column for the Telegraph. 

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10:18  Moved by Pulwama attack, BJP ally LJP shoots off letter to PM:  Moved by the Pulwama terror attack, the Lok Janshakti Party, an ally of the ruling BJP at the Centre, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strike at the roots of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. 

In a letter written to Modi, LJP parliamentary board chairman Chirag Paswan pleaded that the drive against terrorism “must not be halted this time, until a single terrorist was alive”. 

“Under your able leadership, the country has made all-round progress in the last five years. This has unsettled Pakistan. The neighbouring country has sponsored many cowardly acts so far, but the latest incident has left the nation, especially the youth, enraged,” Paswan said in the letter, copies of which were shared with the media in Patna late Sunday night.

“I saw pictures of many of the martyred CRPF jawans in papers and experienced the pain of the bereaved family members. Our party’s national executive meeting proposed in Ranchi was, in view of the tragedy, converted into a condolence meeting and the party programme cancelled thereafter, the LJP leader wrote in the letter. The dastardly attack had caused much anguish among the LJP workers who were angry with the terrorist organisations and their bosses, he said. 

“I hereby convey to you a sentiment shared by party workers and the entire nation that expeditious action be taken to root out Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and this time, such an operation must not be halted until a single terrorist is alive,” Paswan, whose father — Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan — is the founding president of the LJP, added.  — PTI


10:12  The cross-LoC bus service from Poonch in Jammu & Kashmir to Rawalakot (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) has been suspended for today. 

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10:00  Tearful Dehradun bids farewell to Major Bisht :  
Thousands of people on the streets of Dehradun for the funeral procession of Major Chitresh Singh Bisht.  Slogans of ‘Amar Rahe’ raised as people pay last respects to the 31-year-old Major, with almost the entire town on the streets to pay their last respects. He lost his life on 16 February while defusing an IED which was planted by terrorists across the LoC in Rajouri’s Naushera sector in J&K. Major Bisht was to be married next month. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat also present.

Major Chitresh Singh Bisht’s father was reportedly preparing for the marriage of his son scheduled for March 7 when he found out about his son’s death.

Major Bisht (31) belonged to Dehradun in Uttarakhand. His father is a retired police officer. Major Bisht was leading a bomb disposal squad team for sanitisation when mines were detected on the track in Naushera sector around 3 pm, a defence spokesman said.

Image: The mortal remains of Major Bisht draped in a tricolour is held aloft by thousands of mourners in Dehradun. 

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09:46  Pak arts community disappointed over Shabana, Javed cancelling Karachi visit:  The literary and arts community of Pakistan has expressed disappointment over veteran Indian actress Shabana Azmi and her lyricist-writer husband Javed Akhtar cancelling, in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, their Karachi visit to attend Kaifi Azmi’s birth centenary celebrations.

“Shabana and Javed sahab have always been seen as progressive people who have spoken out in favour of bettering Indo-Pak relations. So their reaction to the Pulwama incident has come as a surprise to the arts and literary community in Karachi,” Omair Alavi, a well-known film critic, said. 

On Saturday, the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, regretted the two artistes’ decision. Arts Council president Ahmed Shah also expressed regrets over Akhtar’s comments. “His comments do not seem appropriate for a literary person.” In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir’s three decades of militancy, a Jaish suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district, killing at least 40 personnel and leaving many critically wounded.

Azmi on Friday said she and her husband Javed Akhtar have decided not to attend Kaifi Azmi’s birth centenary celebrations in Karachi. The couple was invited to Pakistan by the Karachi Arts Council for a two-day event. After the attack, Azmi said she feels weakened in her belief that people-to-people contact can force the establishment to do the right thing. 

The Arts Council president said he felt sorry that Azmi has lost hope. “I don’t criticise her but we deeply feel saddened the way she had expressed disappointment after the Pulwama attack,” he said. “We firmly believe that artistes and people who are regarded for their literary and artistic contribution are the ones who give hope to people. They never disappoint them. But this time, Shabana Azmi sounds extremely disappointed.” — PTI

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09:29  4 soldiers killed in encounter in J-K’s Pulwama:  

Four soldiers including a Major were killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

A cordon and search operation was launched late last night by army, police and Central Reserve Police Forces personnel after a tip off that terrorists were hiding in the area.

The encounter in Pulwama comes four days after the terror attack, which killed 41 CRPF personnel.

Those killed were Major DS Dondial, Head Constable Save Ram, Sepoy Ajay Kumar and Seooy Hari Singh.

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09:27  Assam CM likens Pulwama incident to ‘attacks of Mughals’:  

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday likened the Pulwama terror incident, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Forces personnel were killed, to the “attacks of Mughals”.

 

The chief minister was addressing a public rally of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha Lakhimpur in presence of Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah.

“The recent Kashmir incident is an Islamist terrorist attack on India. Our brave jawans were martyred and I pay my sincere homage to them.

“… We have to continue the fight against the Mughals even today. The attack of the Mughals is not over yet and the Kashmir incident is a proof of that,” Sonowal said. 

Forty CRPF jawans were killed and five injured when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a bus carrying the soldiers on Thursday, nearly 20 kilometres outside Srinagar. 

The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles in which the CRPF soldiers were heading to the Kashmir Valley. — PTI

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08:30  Chris Gayle to bid adieu to ODIs after World Cup:  

Veteran West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has announced that he will retire from one-day international cricket after the World Cup slated to be held in England and Wales later this year.

“Yes, I’m looking to draw the line after the World Cup,” he said. 

“Or should I say cut the string? Definitely, in 50-over cricket, the World Cup is the end for me. I’ll let the youngsters have some fun and I can sit back in the party stand and watch them have some fun,” Gayle was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying while speaking to reporters.

Asked whether he was satisfied with his career, the 39-year-old explosive batsman remarked, “You’re looking at a great man. I’m the greatest player in the world. Of course, I’m still the Universe Boss. That will never change. I’ll take that to the grave.”

Gayle said that if West Indies lifted the trophy in this year’s World Cup, it would be a “fairy-tale finish” for him.

“Winning the World Cup would be a fairy-tale finish. The youngsters owe it to me to win. They have to do that for me and try and get me the trophy. I’ll be looking to put my input in as well,” he added.

The World Cup is slated to be held from May 30 to July 14.

Gayle, who made his debut back in 1999, has scored 9,727 ODI runs in 284 matches and is second only to former West Indies captain Brian Lara who amassed 10,405 runs.

In his illustrious career, Gayle has hit 23 ODI centuries. 

His 215 against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup is the highest score and is one of only six players who have scored a double hundred in the 50-over format. — ANI

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08:13  Amid Indo-Pak tension, ICJ to hold public hearings in Jadhav case from today:  

Amidst fresh Indo-Pak tensions, top legal eagles of the two countries will present their arguments in the high-profile Kulbhushan Jadhav case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague from Monday during four days of public hearings.

Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017.

India moved the ICJ in May the same year against the “farcical trial” by the military court of Pakistan against 48-year-old Jadhav.

India first approached the ICJ on May 8, 2017 for the “egregious violation” of the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 by Pakistan by repeatedly denying it consular access to Jadhav.

A 10-member bench of the ICJ, which was set up after World War II to resolve international disputes, on May 18, 2017 had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till adjudication of the case.

The ICJ has set a timetable for the public hearing in the high-profile case from Febraury 18 to 21 in The Hague.

The hearings at the ICJ will take place four days after one of the worst terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 41 CRPF soldiers. The terror attack happened when a suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near a convoy of CRPF buses in Pulwama district on Thursday.

India on Friday summoned the Pakistan high commissioner to issue a very strong demarche over the terror attack. On Saturday, India hiked the customs duty to 200 per cent on all goods imported from Pakistan, following revocation of the Most Favoured Nation status following the Pulwama attack.

Former solicitor general Harish Salve is expected to represent India while Pakistan will be represented by Barrister Khawar Qureshi at the ICJ.

While India will argue first on February 18, Pakistan will get its chance to make submissions on February 19. Then India will reply on February 20 while Islamabad will make its closing submissions on February 21.

It is expected that the ICJ’s decision may be delivered by the summer of 2019. — PTI

Source: Rediff