Pausing Indus Waters Treaty huge step against cross-border terrorism: Ex-envoy
Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria said the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack was the most serious step taken to fight against terrorism.
"The non-kinetic measures taken so far are perhaps the most serious steps India has taken against terrorism as compared to any terror episodes in the past. Suspending the Indus Waters Treaty is a huge step. It has affected Pakistan, which has called it an act of war," Bisaria said.
He stressed that kinetic measures were essential to set up a credible deterrence so that cross-border terrorism doesn't happen again.
"It is important to have kinetic action in the mix to ensure that the deterrence is credible, lasting and targets the Pakistan Army. The objective is to set up the deterrence to avoid a Pahalgam-like attack again," the former envoy said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
44 minutes ago
- News18
Anti-India, Anti-Modi Canada Protests Driven By ISI-Backed SFJ, Other Groups: Sources
Last Updated: The Khalistani presence in Canada is a complex issue, raising concerns about radicalisation, terrorism, and diplomatic tensions between India and Canada Anti-India and anti-Modi protests in Canada are being driven by the ISI-backed Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and other radical groups, top intelligence sources have told CNN-News18. Funds from drug and illegal weapons supplies fuel these protests, they said. Divisions have emerged within gurdwaras following the previous Justin Trudeau government's stance on the Khalistan issue, they added. Most Sikhs oppose unnecessary community conflict under ISI influence, said the sources. 'The G7 countries are keen to engage with India on business and trade, but Pakistani terror groups create obstacles. Former Trudeau government ministers, such as Sukh Dhaliwal, have been sidelined due to past activities. Canada has become a haven for gangsters and Pakistan-backed Khalistani groups, sheltering banned terror groups from India and showing no cooperation in investigating Khalistani crimes," a source said. Khalistani groups in Canada 1. International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) 2. Babbar Khalsa 3. Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) 4. Sikh For Justice (SFJ) 5. Dal Khalsa Terrorists in Canada 1. Hardeep Singh Nijjar (deceased) Radicalisation hubs 1. Surrey, British Columbia 2. Brampton, Ontario 3. Toronto, Ontario 4. Montreal, Quebec Indian concerns referred to Canadian government 1. Terrorist financing 2. Radicalisation of youth 3. Hate speech and incitement 4. Violence and intimidation Numerous letters rogatory (LRs) and deportation requests remain pending with Canadian authorities, without response, the sources said. On June 4, 2023, a tableau depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards was paraded through Brampton, Canada. It was organised by Khalistani groups to mark the thirty-ninth anniversary of Operation Bluestar. The Indian government strongly condemned this display, labelling it vote bank politics. Khalistani elements in Canada are not confined to protests; they also engage in physical assaults and violence, with many cases awaiting investigation by Indian federal agencies. Accused individuals linked to the Khalistan movement allegedly orchestrate killings and terror activities in Punjab and other parts of India, collaborating with gangsters in Delhi and Punjab jails. Several extradition and deportation requests from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for terrorists and pro-Khalistan elements remain pending with the Canadian government. These accused are wanted for terrorism, murder, and other offences. Key requests include Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) member Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa, with a Rs 15 lakh reward for information leading to his capture. Landa's associate was arrested for a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Punjab police intelligence headquarters in Mohali in May 2022. Landa's aide, Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, based in Canada and linked to the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was designated an individual terrorist by the ministry of home affairs on January 9, 2023. In February, the NIA arrested six individuals connected to the terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler nexus, including Dalla's associate, Lucky Khokhar, who provided arms to Dalla's men in Punjab for a killing in Jagraon in January. Another wanted individual is Canada-based Satwinderjeet Singh, alias Goldy Brar, accused of killing Pradeep Kumar, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, in Faridkot in November 2022. He is also implicated in the 2022 murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, who had returned to India for the Punjab state elections. 'No action is being taken against individuals like SFJ's US-based chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who incites communal disharmony on social media. He was booked by the NIA in December 2020, along with Nijjar and Paramjit Singh Pamma, who resides in the UK," a source said. 'The Canadian government is providing a platform for extremists, separatists, and those advocating violence. It must recognise its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of its citizens, both domestically and internationally, and take the threat of Khalistani extremism seriously through concrete action." Multiple attacks on Indian temples have occurred, but Canada's commitment to Hindus remains unclear, said sources. The Khalistani presence in Canada is a complex issue, raising concerns about radicalisation, terrorism, and diplomatic tensions between India and Canada. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: June 13, 2025, 02:15 IST
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Client services for client state: Trump's reset with Pak is marked by a transactional, short-horizon foreign policy
ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different.… That was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory. It was laid on the belief that we are two nations, not one.'That was Pakistan Army chief Gen — now Field Marshal — Asim Munir speaking at the Convention for Overseas Pakistanis in Islamabad on April 17. Less than a week later in Pahalgam , Pakistani terrorists killed 1 Christian and 24 Hindu tourists, as well as a local Muslim who resisted the assailants, after the killers established their victims' religious identities.A link between Munir's rant and the Pahalgam massacre is a possibility. But the rage in India in response to the attack went far beyond what Pakistan had expected. Perhaps it had assessed that India would do what it had done after the 2016 Uri attack when 18 Indian soldiers were killed. Or, in response to the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, which killed 41 Indian paramilitary soldiers. On both earlier occasions, India had reacted with one-off counterattacks in POK and Balakot. Rawalpindi probably expected a similar reaction time, the storyline changed. India's counter, launched on May 7, forced the Pakistani DGMO to speak to his Indian counterpart on May 10, and seek a ceasefire. The world is now aware of what transpired between May 7 and 10, although many would not want to talk about it. Suppliers of military equipment to Pakistan — the US, China, and Turkey — will probably be reevaluating their equipment that succumbed to Indian, Russian and French the Americans got into the act, mostly to save their major non-Nato ally. The resounding success of the Indian response had taken them aback. One wondered about the urgency of Trump 's self-described 'intervention' to stop matters escalating on the India-Pak front when the Ukraine war and IsraelHamas conflict — or even the Houthi battles in Yemen — have been allowed to last for years. Indian denials about US intervention have been ignored by the Americans. The Pakistanis, of course, eagerly accepted this anxiety seems to centre around India's destruction of Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase. Remember, according to Pakistani journalist and security expert Imtiaz Gul, the base is 'under American control', where even senior Pakistan Army officers are not allowed to has been extremely useful to the US. Its defence minister Khawaja Asif asserted that they had been fighting America's dirty wars for 30-odd years. From a strategic perspective, it's well-known that the US has been helping Pakistan to keep India 'occupied', while they get a geographic toehold near Iran and China. Both China and the US would like to have total control over Pakistan, to have a base looking at their interests to the east and economic rise, its decisions to choose its sourcing and look after its own interests, cause concern to the US. India tends to get under its skin, as its commerce secretary Howard Lutnick grumbled recently. Which is why the restart of the old game of hyphenating India and Pakistan, ignoring Indian sensitivities, while propping up these decisions may have been made earlier, announcements of $1 bn to Pakistan by IMF, $40 bn by World Bank, and another $800 mn during Operation Sindoor were bad optics. The latest signallings include inviting Munir to attend the 250th US Army Day celebrations in Washington on June 14 — which also happens to be Trump's 79th birthday. Undoubtedly, Munir will meet officials from the State Department and Pentagon, and get promises for military Central Command commander Michael E Kurilla, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington earlier this week, described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner' in anti-terrorism operations. He emphasised the need for the US to maintain relationships with both India and Pakistan, stating that he didn't 'believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India'. In that case, the US shouldn't have a problem with India's relations with Russia and the a matter of conjecture if this US-Pak partnership is about Iran, Central Asia or even India. Pakistan is looking at buying 40 more Chinese J-35A stealth fighter aircraft, a rival of the US F-35, with a listed price of $9 bn, but on offer at 50% the value. This will mean that 80% of Pakistan's military purchases will be from China. Pakistan's debt to China, including CPEC, already amounts to nearly $70 April 26, World Liberty Financial (WLF) agreed to help build Pakistan's blockchain infrastructure, promote stablecoin-based remittances, and tokenise real-world assets. The agreement seeks to position Pakistan as a crypto-forward nation. Eric Trump, the president's son, is associated with WLF, whose executives met Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif as well as Munir. Enough such conditions, India should be prepared for Pahalgam-style attacks in the future, while expecting no assistance from China, and ambivalence from the US.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Rupani's death an immeasurable loss'
Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak expressed his condolences at the death of former Gujarat CM in the . He said that Rupani's death was an immeasurable loss. "His contribution to Indian politics and in the sphere of public service will always be remembered. I was in Parliament with him when he was a Rajya Sabha MP. He was a soft spoken, simple person, always ready to help anyone in need. His contribution to society will always be remembered," Pathak said.
