Latest news with #Pakistani
Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Are civil defence mock drills being held in border states today? Officials share updates
Operation Shield, a civil defence mock drill scheduled for Thursday across several border states and Union Territories, has been postponed due to administrative reasons. The drill, aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan, was to simulate responses to hostile attacks including drone strikes and air raids. States including Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab, as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh, officially announced the postponement of the exercise late Wednesday evening. According to officials, the decision was taken due to "administrative reasons," though no further details were immediately provided. An official statement from the Haryana Home Department confirmed the postponement, stating, 'According to the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Haryana Home Department announced the postponement of the comprehensive civil defence exercise, Operation Shield, which was scheduled to be conducted on Thursday.' All deputy commissioners and relevant stakeholders were notified accordingly. Chandigarh's administration echoed the announcement, clarifying that there would be 'no blackout or mock drill' on Thursday, attributing the decision to instructions from the Government of India. Operation Shield was initially planned to be conducted across all 22 districts of Haryana between 5 pm and 9 pm, involving full-scale simulation of wartime scenarios such as air raids and drone attacks. The exercise was designed to test evacuation protocols, activate air raid sirens, and mobilize medical and emergency response teams. Rajasthan, which had also planned a comprehensive mock drill in all its 41 districts, issued a similar order for postponement. According to a statement from the state's Home Department, a new date for the drill will be announced soon. Preparations for drills, including siren activation and special arrangements in border districts like Jaisalmer and Barmer, had already begun when the directive from the Centre arrived. Punjab took a different approach, proactively requesting a rescheduling of the exercise due to its civil defence staff currently undergoing training with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The Centre accepted Punjab's proposal to conduct the drill on June 3, and deputy commissioners have been informed of the revised date. This is the second time such mock drills are being held this year. The first were held in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, a military campaign launched on May 7 by Indian forces targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The campaign was a direct response to the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed. In the days following Operation Sindoor, retaliatory shelling and drone incursions by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control and international border heightened national security concerns. This prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs to instruct vulnerable states and UTs along the western border to bolster their civil defence readiness. New dates for Operation Shield in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh are expected to be announced shortly. Meanwhile, Punjab will proceed with its drill on June 3.
Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Amit Shah to arrive in Jammu today, first visit after Operation Sindoor
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is arriving in Jammu on Thursday evening for a two-day visit to J&K, the first after Operation Sindoor. During his visit, Amit Shah will address the BSF jawans at their Unit Headquarters at Khanetar and meet the families affected by Pakistan shelling at Dak Bungalow in Poonch on May 30. He will also distribute appointment letters to the next of kin of those killed in the shelling. Officials said the Union Home Minister will visit religious places targeted by Pakistani cross-border shelling. He will reach here in the evening and will hold a high-level review of the security situation with Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the army, paramilitary forces, police, intelligence agencies and civil administration. The situation during ongoing Operation Sindoor, besides the security scenario, including anti-terror operations and anti-infiltration grid, will also come up for high-level review at the meeting. Amarnath Yatra arrangements will also figure prominently during the security review meeting. On Friday, Amit Shah will leave for the border district of Poonch where he is scheduled to address the BSF jawans as well as civilians badly affected by Pakistan shelling on the intervening night of May 7 and 8 soon after Indian Armed Forces targeted nine terror infrastructures deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Amit Shah will address the civilians affected by Pakistan's shelling at Poonch Dak Bungalow and the BSF soldiers at their Unit Headquarters at Khanetar, about nine kilometres from Poonch town. Thirteen civilians, including four children, two of them siblings, were killed by Pakistan's shelling in Poonch district. In retaliation for Indian armed forces carrying out precision-guided targeted strikes on terror infrastructure, the Pakistan Army targeted civilian facilities in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts. Indian response was promoted by the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam in which 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local, were killed after segregating them on the basis of religion.
Express Tribune
14 minutes ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Will CIE lose its edge?
Once regarded as a gold standard in academic assessment, Cambridge International Education (CIE) is now facing increasing scrutiny in Pakistan. Following a recent shift that allowed private schools to independently conduct O and A Level examinations - previously handled solely by the British Council - reports of paper leaks, and lack of accountability have cast a shadow over the system. Stakeholders are questioning whether the integrity and global standing of Cambridge qualifications in Pakistan are being compromised. Until just two years ago, the British Council was the sole authority overseeing these exams in Pakistan. Now, over 20 private schools in Karachi and Islamabad are conducting the exams themselves. This decentralisation has raised serious concerns about transparency and security. Reports of exam paper leaks are on the rise, causing distress among thousands of students and their parents. Recently, an AS-level Physics paper was reportedly leaked and widely circulated on social media before the scheduled exam. Similar claims have emerged regarding other subjects. As more schools gain the authority to conduct exams independently, the risk of compromised exam integrity appears to grow proportionally. Cambridge International has acknowledged some of the leaks in a public Facebook statement, urging students to stay focused and promising investigations. However, the lack of transparency around these investigations - particularly the absence of shared findings or any disclosed disciplinary actions - has left stakeholders dissatisfied and concerned. Parents and students fear that ineffective preventive measures could lead to more leaks in the future. The decision to let private schools conduct exams reportedly stemmed from a former official at the Federal Ministry of Education. However, the ministry now appears to be powerless in addressing the fallout, including the ongoing paper leak scandal. While CIE administers the General Certificate of Education (GCE) O and A Levels in Pakistan, it's worth noting that these programmes were phased out in the UK in 1986 and have not been part of the official education system there for nearly four decades. Another point of contention is the continued use of the outdated alphabetical grading system (A* to E), as opposed to the numerical system (1 to 9) now standard in the UK. Some education experts argue that this inconsistency places Pakistani students at a disadvantage when competing globally for academic and professional opportunities. Pakistani parents spend an estimated Rs 30 billion annually on Cambridge exams. When papers are leaked and exams are not rescheduled, students are often graded based on predicted scores instead of their actual performance - undermining the entire purpose of standardised assessment. As a result, Cambridge is not only losing its academic superiority in Pakistan but also facing growing criticism from students who feel that the organisation's standards are now limited to curriculum design. With exam execution resembling local board practices, the credibility and perceived value of Cambridge qualifications in Pakistan is diminishing. When contacted by The Express Tribune, a Cambridge spokesperson said, "Cambridge has strict security protocols in place to safeguard exam materials, and these protocols apply equally to our partner institutions and schools." In response to questions about the outdated O-level system, the spokesperson added, "The qualification is internationally recognised and accepted by leading universities worldwide. The exams offer students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills through written, oral, and practical assessments." Regarding the paper leaks, the spokesperson said: "We conduct prompt and thorough investigations into all evidence to ensure fairness in results. However, we can not comment on specific allegations during the exam period in order to keep students focused on their exams."
News18
19 minutes ago
- Politics
- News18
‘Asim Munir Shook Hands With US-Designated Terrorist': Owaisi Flags Pakistan-Terror Link In Riyadh
Last Updated: Owaisi exposed Pakistan during an interaction in Saudi Arabia and presented "clear evidence" how Islamabad backs terrorism and its army supports terrorists. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who was in Saudi Arabia as part of the delegation to expose Pakistan, presented 'clear evidence" of the country's involvement in terrorism and its army's backing of terrorists. Owaisi, while speaking in Riyadh, showed a photo to prove how Pakistani army chief Asim Munir was promoted as Field Marshal and how he was seen sitting beside a US-designated terrorist at an event. The AIMIM chief, who is a part of the delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, also underlined the need to bring Pakistan back to the FATF grey list to control terror funding. 'Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. That is where we will be able to control this terror financing of all these terrorist organisations. When this person (Asim Munir) was made a Field Marshal in Pakistan, a US-designated terrorist called Mohammad Ehsan was sitting right beside the Field Marshal. There are photographs of him shaking hands with this field marshal. There is clear evidence of Pakistan's involvement. These terror groups are prospering over there, they are being trained over there, and the whole task is to destabilise India to create more Hindu Muslim riots in India," Owaisi said. #WATCH | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi says, '…Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. That is where we will be able to control this terror financing of all these terrorist organisations. When this person (Asim Munir) was made a Field… — ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2025 According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Muhammad Ahsan—also known as Ehsan Muhammad, Ihsan Muhammad, or Ullah Ehsan—is listed on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list. He is from Sialkot and Islamabad, Pakistan, and his birth year is listed as 1970, though other records show 1971 or 1972. He has been designated under the 'Secondary sanctions risk, section 1(b) of Executive Order 13244," as updated by Executive Order 13886. Ahsan is linked to the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Owaisi pointed out the duplicity and deceit of Pakistan in backing terrorists and said that Islamabad once termed Sajid Mir dead and later confessed that he was alive. He noted that several terrorists were jailed in Pakistan only for 'money laundering, not for terrorism". #WATCH | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi says, 'After 26/11, my government, headed by the then Prime Minister, late Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian investigators went to Pakistan, gave them all the evidence, but you'll be surprised to know that nothing… — ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2025 'After 26/11, my government, headed by the then Prime Minister, late Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian investigators went to Pakistan, gave them all the evidence, but you'll be surprised to know that nothing moved forward. What made Pakistan move forward in this terrorist trial was when Pakistan was put on the FATF grey list," he said. 'One meeting was held in Germany, and India wanted one Sajid Mir to be indicted, but Pakistan said he's dead… Pakistan came up to the Committee of FATF and said Sajid Mir is alive. Can you imagine the country which was saying he's dead, suddenly, he's alive? And then the Pakistani government said that our courts have convicted him for some 5 to 10 years, but the main culprits of the 26/11 are still scot-free. They were convicted of money laundering, not for terrorism," the AIMIM chief added. First Published: May 29, 2025, 08:44 IST
News18
19 minutes ago
- Politics
- News18
'India Will Not Turn The Other Cheek': Shashi Tharoor Reaffirms Firm Stance Against Terrorism
Last Updated: Shashi Tharoor reaffirmed that India will firmly respond to any future terrorist attacks by Pakistan, rejecting any notion of turning the other cheek. Reaffirming India's stance against terrorism, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said India will not turn the other cheek and will respond to any further attacks by Pakistan. Referencing his remark, Tharoor also emphasised the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi to live without fear. The Congress MP, leading a multi-party delegation to Panama, was speaking at an event organised by the Indian Embassy in the city. 'He (Mahatma Gandhi) also taught us in his brave leadership in our struggle for freedom that we must always stand up for our rights," Shashi Tharoor said. 'We must always stand up in principle for the values we believe in, and we must live without fear that freedom from fear is what we in India have to fight for these days against the evil attacks of malign men who are called by the world as terrorists, but who believe that by doing this kind of thing of coming into our country, killing innocent people and going off again that they will somehow achieve some larger political or religious cause," he added. 'That is not something that any self-respecting country will give in to, and even the land of Mahatma Gandhi will not turn the other cheek when this happens, we will respond," Tharoor added. Speaking at the event, the Congress MP also slammed the Pakistan Army for a funeral for terrorists killed during India's 'Operation Sindoor'. 'When we struck their terror headquarters, we took some lives, and of course, a funeral was conducted. There were some very prominent people at that funeral. There was at least one individual whose name had been listed by the United Nations Sanctions Committee. It was people in uniform from the highest threat echelons of the Pakistani Army and police mourning at the funeral of designated terrorists," Tharoor said. 'This is the country that now says we are innocent. We did not do it. You do not mourn for people you do not know," the Congress MP said. Also speaking on the Pahalgam attack, Shashi Tharoor said the motive behind the terror attack was to undermine India and to undermine the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. 'This terrorist action was in pursuance of a cynical set of objectives that sadly only the Pakistani military seems to want to pursue to undermine our country, to undermine the Kashmiri economy, which was booming with tourism," he said. 'I was told by my friend, the Indian Ambassador to Washington, that there were more tourists in this place in Kashmir in Pahalgam than in Aspen, Colorado," Tharoor said. On Wednesday, the Tharoor-led delegation met the President of the Republic of Panama, Jose Raul Mulino, at the Presidential house. The delegation led by Tharoor includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayagi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. First Published: May 29, 2025, 08:35 IST
