Making sense of Munir's madness
So, who blinked first? It might be too early for an informed analysis on the truce after four days of Indo-Pak conflict as information is rather sketchy. The ceasefire violation within a few hours further complicated matters. But the initiative for a telephonic call for talks on Saturday afternoon came from the Pakistani side. Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations called his Indian counterpart and both arrived on a ceasefire agreement. The seeds for the conflict were sown by Pakistan army chief Asim Munir as he recently called Kashmir India's jugular vein and regurgitated the two-nation theory that led to India's partition.
"Our stance is very clear, it was our jugular vein, it will be our jugular vein, and we will not forget it. We will not leave our Kashmiri brothers in their heroic struggle," Gen Munir said while addressing the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad on April 17, attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistanis living abroad.
Also, Pakistan's footprint in the Pahalgam massacre of Indian tourists were recently revealed in a news media expose. For, a top US-based space tech company found a sudden spike in orders for high-resolution satellite images of Pahalgam and its surrounding areas barely two months ago from a Pakistan-based geo-spatial company, Business Systems International Pvt Ltd (BSI), the Print reported. The Pakistani firm is linked to federal crimes in the US. Between February 2 and 22, BSI placed at least 12 orders—double the usual number— with Maxar Technologies. BSI became Maxer's partner last year. Orders for Pahalgam satellite images started appearing on the portal in June 2024, months after the partnership deal. The deal is now off.
There you have a smoking gun, possibly enough for the US turning the screws on Pakistan's hybrid leadership with Gen Munir at the helm. No wonder, US President Donald Trump sought to take credit for drumming some commonsense and forcing Pakistan to step back.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
29 minutes ago
- India.com
Pak Generals Want Conflict To Remain Relevant: Ravi Shankar In Germany
BJP MP and leader of the all-party delegation Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Pakistan's military establishment for supporting terrorism, saying that its Generals want conflicts to remain relevant and use terrorists as a tool to destabilise India. Addressing a community event with the Indian diaspora in Berlin, Prasad pointed out that while both India and Pakistan were born on the same day, the former has made remarkable progress in IT and space, in contrast to Islamabad. "India and Pakistan were born the same day. Where are we in India, and where are they (Pakistan)? India has become a major global IT power in the world. India has become an emerging space power in the world. The startup movements here are now globally recognised. India has also become the second biggest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. We have brought digital transformation with equity and justice," ANI quoted Prasad as saying. Prasad claimed that Pakistan only knows how to prepare world-class terrorists under its military leadership. He said that wherever there is a terrorist, he is either a Pakistani or trained in Pakistan. "What Pakistan is doing is creating terror machines. How to create world-class terrorists under their (military) Generals. They attacked us four times and lost every time. We never attacked; they were the ones who always started the war. It is because they are under the control of Generals and not political leaders. Generals want conflict to keep themselves relevant, and terrorists are the instruments through which they execute. Wherever there is a terrorist, either he is a Pakistani or trained in Pakistan," he added. Prasad also spoke about the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India's decisive response through Operation Sindoor on May 7, noting that Operation Sindoor remains paused but ready to resume based on Pakistan's actions. "Pahalgam attack happened on April 22. We attacked on May 7 and hit the terrorist camps. If Pakistan has to talk, it must directly speak to us. Our message was stern and straight: If you stop, we stop. If you fire, we will give a stronger reply. Operation Sindoor is on pause, subject to the good behaviour of Pakistan. It has not ended," he stated. An all-party delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, is currently visiting Germany as part of the Indian government's initiative to engage with key partner nations, including members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism. This initiative follows the tragic April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 innocent civilians lost their lives to gunfire from terrorists. The Delegation includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari and Samik Bhattacharya, Congress MP Amar Singh and Gulam Ali Khatana, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai, former Union Minister MJ Akbar and former diplomat Pankaj Saran. The delegation arrived in Germany after concluding their visit to Belgium to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism.
Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Harsimrat writes to EAM, wants UAE govt to be sensitised on Sikhs' five articles of faith
Chandigarh, Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to initiate a dialogue with the UAE government to sensitise it about the religious significance of the five articles of faith, especially the 'kirpan', for the initiated Sikhs. In a letter to the minister, the Bathinda MP said she was making this appeal in the wake of a recent "advisory" by the Indian Embassy in UAE directing Indians not to carry sharp objects while visiting the country in view of Article 405 of the UAE penal law which prohibits the same. This move has caused deep distress and mental agony to Sikh travellers and residents alike, Harsimrat said, noting that there have been instances of Sikhs being detained and compelled to remove their 'kirpan'. She also cited a recent case of an elderly man being detained in Abu Dhabi for wearing the 'kirpan' and turban. Badal asserted in her letter that such incidents had caused distress within the Sikh community as they contravened the rights of Sikhs to practice their faith besides raising serious concerns about the protection of religious freedom for minorities in the UAE. "The Sikh community has always contributed positively to societies worldwide, including in the UAE, and demand the freedom to practice its faith in accordance with its tenets. "Denying Sikhs the right to wear their five 'kakkars' , particularly the 'kirpan', is a curtailment of religious freedom and contrary to the principles of mutual respect and pluralism that India stands for," she said. The former union minister also requested Jaishankar to consider sending a high-level delegation, including representatives from the National Commission for Minorities and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee , to engage with UAE authorities and relevant international agencies and sensitise them about Sikh articles of faith. She asserted that the 'kirpan' was a sacred symbol and an inseparable part of Sikh identity mandated by Sikh tenets since the time of Guru Gobind Singh. "Its significance is spiritual and symbolic, representing the duty to uphold justice and protect the oppressed, and not as a weapon for aggression or harm. The 'kirpan' is worn at all times by 'Amritdhari' Sikhs as a matter of religious obligation and conscience", she added.
Economic Times
33 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Espionage case: Punjab YouTuber's police custody extended, lawyer says Haryana police summoned him in Jyoti Malhotra case
Youtuber Jasbir Singh arrested in a spy case linked to Jyoti Malhotra Synopsis Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh, accused of espionage and linked to Pakistani intelligence, had his police remand extended. His counsel denies ISI agent claims, asserting he's a vlogger summoned in the Jyoti Malhotra case. Singh allegedly had contact with Pakistani officials and is accused of providing sensitive information, which his lawyer disputes, highlighting routine security checks during his Pakistan visits. Haryana Police had summoned Punjab-based YouTuber Jasbir Singh on June 6 in the Jyoti Malhotra espionage case but before he could join the investigation, he was arrested by Punjab Police, Singh's counsel claimed on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT He also denied the charge that Singh was an agent of Pakistan's spy agency ISI. A Mohali court on Saturday extended for two days the police remand of Singh, who was arrested on espionage charges on June 4. Singh was produced before the court after his three-day police remand ended on Saturday. Police sought a seven-day remand of Singh but the court granted them two days, said his counsel. Jasbir Singh alias Jaan Mahal (41), a resident of village Mahlan in Rupnagar district, was running a YouTube channel "JaanMahal Video" with over 11 lakh subscribers, ostensibly posting travel and cooking vlogs. ADVERTISEMENT Singh was allegedly in close touch with Haryana-based influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who is in custody on charges of spying for Pakistan. After Singh's arrest, Punjab police had claimed that it unearthed a "terror-backed espionage network" linking him to Pakistani intelligence and army officials. ADVERTISEMENT Police had said that the YouTuber was allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Singh's counsel Mohit Dhupar said he met him in the court on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT "We spoke to him. There is no such thing that is being said in the media that he was an ISI agent," said Dhupar, claiming he was just a vlogger. Dhupar said Singh was summoned by Punjab Police from May 17 till May 30. ADVERTISEMENT He had already given his mobile phone and laptop to the police, said the counsel. Dhupar said on June 2, Hisar police summoned Singh to join the investigation in the Jyoti Malhotra case on June 6. When Punjab Police came to know about him being summoned by the Haryana police, Singh was asked to appear on June 3 and he was arrested on June 4, said the counsel. "Punjab Police might have felt that if Haryana Police arrested Singh, it would be their insult", claimed Dhupar. The counsel said there was no mention of Singh being summoned from May 17 to May 30 in the FIR. Hisar native Malhotra (33) who was running a YouTube channel 'Travel with JO' was arrested last month. To a question on Punjab Police claiming that 150 Pakistani contacts were retrieved from his phone, Dhupar said there was no such thing. "Many people visited Pakistan multiple times. Did they become guilty (of doing wrong) by visiting the neighbouring nation," he said while replying to a question. On Pakistani YouTuber Nasir Dhillon's alleged link to a spy network, Dhupar said the police did not take Dhillon's name in the court while seeking Singh's remand. Nasir Dhillon, a former Pakistani police official, runs a YouTube channel 'Punjabi Lehar'. He has claimed to unite families divided during partition in 1947. His role is reportedly under investigation for possible links to the espionage network unearthed by Indian authorities. Asked whether Singh gave his laptop to Pakistani official Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, Dhupar denied it and said when Singh visited Pakistan, his laptop was examined for a routine security check. On May 13, India expelled Danish, who was posted at the Pakistan High Commission, for allegedly indulging in espionage. Jasbir Singh was allegedly found to be associated with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). He was in contact with a Pakistan High Commission official who was recently expelled from New Delhi on charges of spying and had met Pakistan Army officials during one of his three visits to the neighbouring country, police had earlier said. He was allegedly in close contact with Jyoti Malhotra who was earlier arrested by Haryana Police on espionage charges. Singh was found to be associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa. The accused had also travelled to Pakistan on three occasions including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came into direct contact with ISI officers, who subsequently cultivated and recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India, police had said. Investigations revealed that Singh attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers. After Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, accused Singh had attempted to erase all traces of his communications with these PIOs to avoid detection, police had said. The police had alleged that Singh was in touch with many Pakistan-based entities including ISI agents and had been providing sensitive information about the movement of the Indian Army and other inside activities of the country to Pakistan. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) espionage caseJasbir SinghJyoti MalhotraPunjab PoliceHaryana Police (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online. NEXT STORY
