Who Is Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan? Pakistan Senator Who Claimed Army Will Lay 1st Brick At Babri
The comments, invoking the Babri mosque demolition in 1992, came as part of a broader tirade laced with religious and militaristic rhetoric.
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The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Pakistani university lecturer arrested for planning foiled Balochistan attack, officials say
Security forces in southwestern Pakistan arrested a university lecturer accused of planning a foiled suicide attack that would have targeted last week's Independence Day celebrations in insurgency-hit Balochistan province, officials said Monday (August 18, 2025). The suspect, Usman Qazi, is claimed to have links with the outlawed Majeed Brigade, the suicide squad of the Balochistan Liberation Army, according to the province's Chief Minister, Sarfraz Bugti. During a press conference in the city of Quetta, Mr. Bugti showed video footage with Qazi admitting to planning the thwarted attack as well as aiding militants in recent years. It was unclear whether Qazi made those remarks under duress. Mr. Bugti did not clarify when the arrest was made, and only said the man was still being questioned. The arrest comes a week after the US State Department designated BLA and the Majeed Brigade a foreign terrorist organisation. The group is already banned at home. Mr. Bugti said it was the first time security forces acting on intelligence had captured a senior member of the Majeed Brigade. He said Qazi confessed to involvement in past attacks, including last year's railway station bombing in Quetta that killed 32 people. There was no immediate comment from the BLA about the arrest. Balochistan has long seen violence blamed on separatist groups, including the BLA. The province is rich in natural resources and home to projects tied to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, where Chinese nationals and Pakistani security forces have also been targeted by insurgents. The separatists demand independence from Pakistan's central government in Islamabad. Though the government said it had quelled the insurgency, violence persists there.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Fight Against Terrorism In All Its Forms Is Major Priority: EAM Jaishankar Tells Chinese Foreign Minister
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday and said the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is a major priority. In his opening remarks during the meeting, Jaishankar said in the current environment, there is clearly the imperative of maintaining and enhancing stability in the global economy as well. The talks between the two leaders covered economic and trade issues, pilgrimages, people-to-people contacts, river data sharing, border trade, connectivity and bilateral exchanges. Jaishankar said ties between India and China must be guided by three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. Noting that India seeks a fair, balanced and multi-polar world order, Jaishankar said reformed multilateralism is the call of the day. "When the world's two largest nations meet, it is natural that the international situation will be discussed. We seek a fair, balanced and multi-polar world order, including a multi-polar Asia. Reformed multilateralism is also the call of the day. In the current environment, there is clearly the imperative of maintaining and enhancing stability in the global economy as well. The fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is another major priority," he said. India has faced cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan, a key ally of China. India conducted Operation Sindoor in early May in response to the Pahalgam terror attack and targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK. India subsequently repelled Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases. Jaishankar expressed confidence that the discussions with the Chinese leader will contribute to building stable relationship that servers interests of both countries. "Overall, it is our expectation that our discussions would contribute to building a stable, cooperative and forward-looking relationship between India and China, one that serves both our interests and addresses our concerns," he said. Jaishankar said that the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister provides the two countries an opportunity to meet and review bilateral ties. "It is also an appropriate time to exchange views on the global situation and some issues of mutual interest. Having seen a difficult period in our relationship, Excellency, our two nations now seek to move ahead. This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides. In that endeavour, we must be guided by the three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. Differences must not become disputes, nor competition conflict," he said. Welcoming the Chinese leader and his delegation to India at the start of his visit for the 24th round of Talks between the Special Representatives of India and China, Jaishankar said this is also the first visit by a Chinese Minister since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. Welcomed Politburo member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Delhi this evening. Highlighted that our relations are best guided by the three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest. As we seek to move ahead from a difficult period in our ties, it needs a… — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 18, 2025 Wang Yi will discuss border issues with India's Special Representative, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, tomorrow. "This is very important because the basis for any positive momentum in our ties is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. It is also essential that the de-escalation process move forward," Jaishankar said. He said the Chinese Foreign Minister is visiting India, shortly before the SCO Summit that China is hosting in Tianjin. "We have worked closely with the Chinese side during its Presidency. We wish you a successful Summit with strong outcomes and decisions," he said. Wang Yi arrived in India on Monday on a two-day visit.
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Pakistan: Radical Islamists set ablaze two Ahmadiyya places of worship
A leading minority group on Monday condemned the violence against religious minorities in Pakistan, highlighting the recent torching of two Ahmadiyya places of worship by a mob led by leaders of the radical Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) mentioned that on the occasion of Pakistan's 78th Independence Day, extremists turned the country's streets into battlegrounds of hate. In Faisalabad district of Punjab province, two Ahmadiyya places of worship were set ablaze by the mob serving as an ugly reminder that in Pakistan, religious freedom remains an illusion. Citing police reports, the rights body revealed that more than 300 attackers, armed with rods and bricks, descended on Ahmadiyya worshippers under the cover of Independence Day processions in the Dijkot area. The VOPM highlighted that their main target was the two mosques built decades before Pakistan criminalized Ahmadiyya worship in 1984. They tore down minarets, delivered fiery hate speeches, and torched the buildings while hurling stones at nearby Ahmadiyya homes. The rights body stressed that the violent incident left families, including women and children terrorised, while several sustained injuries. According to the VOPM, the mob was reportedly led by TLP ticket-holder Hafiz Rafaqat, exposing once again how mainstream extremist groups openly incite violence under political and religious banners. It stated that TLP, notorious for its violent street power, enjoys immunity in Pakistan's political and judicial system while minorities pay the price. 'This was no spontaneous riot — it was organised terrorism, with cases now registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. Yet, history shows such cases rarely lead to real accountability. Arrests are made, but justice seldom follows, as extremist groups continue to act as untouchable power brokers,' read a statement issued by VOPM. The rights body emphasised that the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had, a day before the violent incident, warned about rising hate speech from clerics against non-Muslims. However, it said the warning was ignored and the Pakistani police response was reactionary, not preventive. Although 25 arrests were made, the VOPM noted that the police officials refused to confirm whether those detained included the nominated suspects. 'The silence of Faisalabad's police chief further reflects the institutional reluctance to confront extremism head-on,' said the rights body. Raising concern, the VOPM stressed that this is not an isolated incident but is part of a systemic, decades-long campaign against Ahmadiyyas and other minorities in Pakistan. 'From discriminatory laws to mob violence, the Pakistani state has allowed extremist ideologies to flourish unchecked. Every time the state bends to clerical power, it emboldens groups like TLP to dictate who belongs in the 'Islamic Republic' and who does not,' the VOPM stated. If Pakistan wants to have any credibility as a modern nation, the rights body demanded, then the authorities must crush extremist groups like TLP rather than appeasing them. Additionally, the VOPM called on to enforce Supreme Court rulings against hate speech and mob violence and also protect minorities as equal citizens, not "sacrificial pawns in a theocratic power game".
