What to Watch Out For Kulbhushan Jadhav trial hearing to end today and other developments in the fallout over Pulwama terror attack
India and Pakistan are all set to lock horns for the last time in the Kulbhushan Jadhav trial hearing today. A Pakistani military court had sentenced Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, to death on charges of ‘espionage and terrorism’ after a closed trial in April 2017.
India on Wednesday urged the International Court of Justice to annul Jadhav’s death sentence saying, “Jadhav has become a pawn in Pakistan's tool to divert international scrutiny from itself." Harish Salve, who is representing the Indian side, called Pakistan a “state sponsor of terrorism" citing the Pulwama terror attack and the strike in Iran. Revoked: As the countries fight it out in the UN court, another conflict is brewing back on the home turf with the Centre revoking or downgrading the security of all 18 Jammu and Kashmir separatist leaders and 155 other political persons. The list also included Wahid Parra, a close aide of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, and ex-bureaucrat Shah Faesal
The process of withdrawal of security began this Sunday, two days after Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Srinagar during which he had said that security being given to people getting funds from Pakistan and its snooping agency ISI should be reviewed.MBS' visit: Pakistan also found a place in the discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday. The two leaders in their joint press statement condemned in the “strongest terms" the terror attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama and vowed to dismantle the infrastructure of “terrorism".
"Last week's barbaric Pulwama attack was a symbol of the shadow of the inhuman danger hovering over the world. To deal with the scourge, we have agreed that there was a need to ramp up pressure on countries extending any sort of support to terrorism," Modi said, without naming Pakistan.What next: India has now submitted a dossier highlighting Pakistan’s involvement in the Pulwama terror attack to the global agency Financial Action Task Force, seeking the blacklisting of the country for funding terror. FATF spokesperson told CNN-NEWS18 that the compliance with recommendations is being studied.
In another jibe at the neighbouring country, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that those demanding that India boycott Pakistan in the upcoming cricket World Cup are "justified" to some extent given that things are not normal between the two countries after the Pulwama terror attack. Background: The hearing and India’s persistent rebuke of Pakistan comes after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The February 15 strike happened when a explosive-laden vehicle, driven by a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohamme, rammed into a CRPF convoy. India has blamed Pakistan for their “complicity" in their attack, while the other side has countered saying that there is no proof of their involvement.Thousands of farmers embark on march to Mumbai, Maha govt clamps down
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will appear before a sessions court on Thursday in connections with the Sunanda Pushkar death case. Pushkar, Tharoor’s wife, was found dead in a Delhi hotel under mysterious circumstances on January 17, 2014. Tharoor has been charged under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) but dismissed the charges as “preposterous".What You May Have MissedPM Modi, Saudi Crown Prince condemn Pulwama Terror attack in 'strongest terms'
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s 30-hour visit to India came at a time when tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi are building up. Popularly known as MBS, the prince’s visit followed his trip to Pakistan in which he signed on various MoUs worth 20 billion USD.
Breaking protocol, the India PM Narendra Modi came to receive the prince at the airport on Tuesday night where he even hugged him. The following day both the countries engaged in bilateral talks and issued a joint press statement.
These are a few highlights of the visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman condemned in the “strongest terms" the terror attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama. The two nations underlined the importance of “comprehensive sanctioning of terrorists and their organisations by the UN" amid India’s renewed push to get Jaish chief Masood Azhar listed as a global terrorist.
"As far as terrorism and extremism are concerned - which are common concerns - I want to tell India that we will extend all cooperation to you -- be it intelligence sharing...not only with India but also with the neighbouring countries," the Prince said.
The DMK and the Congress in Tamil Nadu have sealed a seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha elections, a day after the AIADMK and the BJP finalised their alliance and decided on the division of seats. DMK president MK Stalin said the Congress will contest from nine seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat from Puducherry. According to sources, the Congress had been bargaining for 16 seats from the state, which sends 39 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha. The DMK has not finalised its seat share, however, as it is still deciding on other potential alliance partners in the state.SC holds Anil Ambani and Reliance Communication guilty of contempt, asks RCom to pay Ericsson Rs 453 crore
The Supreme Court on Wednesday held industrialist Anil Ambani and Reliance Communication guilty of contempt for breaching undertakings to clear outstanding dues to Ericsson India. Ambani and directors of the group companies, however, escaped the jail term since the court said that the contempt can be purged by making clear the dues within four weeks, along with an interest.
A bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman ordered Ambani and the RCom companies to pay up Rs 453 crore with interest within four weeks. It added that the contemnors will suffer a jail term of three months and an additional penalty of Rs 1 crore if they fail to make the payment in four weeks.News18 Elections Lab: MFN status withdrawal’s impact on India-Pak trade and Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails
The Kulbhushan Jadhav case in the International Court of Justice hearing is slated to end today after four days of fiery arguments between exchanged between the Indian and the Pakistani side. Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was awarded the death sentence by a Pakistani military court under Pak Army Act-59 (PAA- 59) on charges of espionage. However, Jadhav is not the only Indian national lodged in Pakistani jail under charges of espionage. According to an RTI response from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over 500 Indian nationals are lodged under various charges. Read Ghazanaffar Abbas’report to find out more.
A day after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) led by PM Narendra Modi withdrew the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan, India raised customs duty on all goods imported from Pakistan to 200% with immediate effect. The move comes amid tensions with neighbouring country over the Pulwama attack. But how does this move affect our trade with Pakistan? Read Rishika Pardikar’s report to find out more.Pakistan National in Jaipur Central Jail killed by inmates, Islamabad seeks explanation
A Pakistani national lodged in the Jaipur Central Jail serving a life sentence was killed on Wednesday in a brawl with other inmates allegedly over the volume of the TV. An official said Shakrullah (45), who was from Pakistan Punjab's Sialkot, was hit with a large stone during a fight with eight other prisoners. Pakistan expressed concern and sought a response from India on the killing, according to PTI.On Reel
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