Latest news with #ParliamentaryCommitteeonExternalAffairs
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
House Panel flags China presence in IOR, its nexus with Pakistan; calls for upgrading naval assets
Expressing serious concern over the increasing Chinese presence and influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs has recommended the upgradation of India's naval assets and boosting the country's anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The committee headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, while presenting its Eighth Report on the subject 'Evaluation of India's Indian Ocean Strategy' in Lok Sabha on Monday, also flagged China's 'strengthening ties with Pakistan'. It urged the government to take decisive action by enhancing India's maritime deterrence through advanced technology, including satellite surveillance. 'Of equal concern is the strengthening of the China-Pakistan naval nexus, which not only facilitates joint military exercises but also advances Pakistan's naval modernisation,' the panel said. 'This cooperation complicates the security situation further… and could destabilise the balance of power in the region.' On the strategic challenges faced by India in the IOR, the Ministry of External Affairs has stated that these include 'threats to maritime traffic, piracy, terrorism, concerns about freedom of navigation and overflights, and concerns of safeguarding sovereignty and of independence'. Another challenge is the growing presence of extra-regional players in the region, especially China gaining a foothold, MEA said. China has been undertaking several infrastructure projects focusing on ports, airports and logistics sectors for dual use purposes, in addition to deploying research and survey vessels in the region to… collect sensitive oceanography and marine data of the region, the MEA said. However, it added that to counter the challenges, India has been actively sensitising friendly countries through bilateral and regional forums in IOR to counter these activities. The Colombo Security Conclave, Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and QUAD cooperation are few framework mechanisms, under which India is working closely with countries in the region and with like-minded countries, it said. The Ministry of Defence was also asked to enumerate the key challenges faced by India in the Indian Ocean Region and efforts taken to tackle them. In a written submission, the Ministry stated that the Indian Navy faces multifaceted challenges in the IOR, encompassing traditional security threats from Naval competition, territorial disputes and growing Chinese naval presence, alongside non-traditional challenges like piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing, maritime terrorism, natural calamities and complex geopolitical dynamics. As part of this strategy, China is also developing ports and other infrastructure facilities in the littoral countries of the IOR, including in the vicinity of India's maritime boundary and has a stated goal of becoming a maritime power, the MEA said. The committee was of the view that India's leadership role in IOR is both a natural and necessary extension of its geopolitical and economic interests and thereby, it should take a leading role in ensuring the security, stability, and prosperity of the region. The Committee recommended that India should frame a comprehensive and dynamic strategic engagement plan for all 35 littoral states of IOR, grounded in shared common interests. The Committee also noted that, despite the strategic importance of IOR for India's national security, economic growth, and geopolitical interests, there remains an absence of a dedicated inter-ministerial mechanism to effectively coordinate and streamline the various facets of India's Indian Ocean Strategy. In this regard, the Committee strongly recommended the creation of a comprehensive Inter-Ministerial Task Force, involving key ministries, such as External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Commerce, Environment, Shipping, Finance and Home Affairs. This will address gaps in coordination, and facilitate efficient execution of India's strategic priorities in the Indian Ocean, the panel said. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Pak, China making headway in Bangladesh, India should keep up': Experts to parliamentary panel
The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs was told by experts on Friday that the Pakistan-China nexus is making headway in Bangladesh and that India should keep up with the developments in the country and not be caught napping. The experts told the panel that India should create stakes in Bangladesh and engage with the neighbouring country through people-to-people contact, The Indian Express has learnt. The agenda of the meeting on Friday was to hear experts on 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'. Four experts in the field of external affairs briefed the Standing Committee on Friday. Former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon, retired Army General Syed Ata Hasnain, former high commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and Dean of the School of International Studies (JNU) Amitabh Mattoo briefed the committee on Friday. One of the experts is learnt to have told the panel that the Chinese are making a lot of headway in Bangladesh through infrastructure development like building ports and air bases. Another expert said that the role of the media in the two countries developing a bond is quite crucial, and in the recent past, the media has played a negative role in both India and Bangladesh. One expert said that India needs to grasp the reality of the new power structure in Bangladesh and move ahead. The committee was told that India needs to think and move beyond former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and engage with the current ruling dispensation in the country. The panel was also told that the need of the hour was to engage with the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. An Opposition member in the Committee asked the experts how West Bengal could play a role in improving India's relations with Bangladesh. Sharing of river water was also discussed during the meeting, including the Ganga Water Treaty, which is up for renewal in 2026. Members asked the experts about the probable reasons for the trust deficit between India and Bangladesh and what could be done to mend the relationship.
Express Tribune
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
No US role in brokering ceasefire with Pakistan, says Indian foreign secretary
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addresses the media, announcing India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in New Delhi on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Courtesy: Indian Ministry of External Affairs/ File Listen to article India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has again contradicted the United States' account of Washington's role in mediating the recent ceasefire agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told members of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs that the "truce was a result of bilateral discussions, initiated by Pakistan, and that no third party—including the US—was involved in the process." During a closed-door session of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs, Misri claimed that Pakistan initiated the contact for a ceasefire on May 10 via the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) channels. He further claimed that Indian DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai was initially unavailable but later engaged with his Pakistani counterpart Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah in two rounds of talks, which led to the agreement to halt hostilities, Hindustan Times reported. Refuting repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that Washington played a role in brokering peace, Misri said Trump's comments were made via social media and not through official diplomatic channels. Misri further noted that Trump had since softened his language, shifting from "mediation" to offering "help." بھارتی پارلیمان میں ٹرمپ پر وار، امریکی ثالثی مکمل مسترد گھبراہٹ اور عبرتناک شکست چھپانے کی ناکام کوشش، مودی سرکار کے سیزفائر پر بار بار بدلتے بیانات مودی سرکار کا سیزفائر پر نیا مؤقف، ٹرمپ کی ثالثی مکمل مسترد کرتے ہوئے جنگ بندی کو پاک بھارت معاملہ قرار دیا 19 مئی کو بھارتی… — PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) May 20, 2025 Tensions between both countries flared after a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), that left 26 civilians dead. India blamed Pakistan-based elements without providing evidence; Islamabad rejected the claim. India responded by closing the Wagah border, revoking Pakistani visas, and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty—moves Pakistan labelled as an 'act of war.' Read More: Pakistan never requested ceasefire: DG ISPR By May 6–7, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and downed six Indian jets, including Rafales, and intercepted several Israeli-origin Harop drones. The US played a central role in facilitating backchannel diplomacy. Secretary Rubio and Vice President JD Vance held talks with senior leaders from both countries, including PMs Shehbaz Sharif and Narendra Modi, as well as top defence and intelligence officials. Following Trump's announcement, both countries suspended military activity across land, air, and sea, though allegations of ceasefire breach were also reported from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC). While Pakistan praised US involvement in the talks, India has downplayed Washington's role.
The Print
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
No nuclear signalling from Pakistan during Op Sindoor, Foreign secy Misri tells House panel
Misri is learnt to have defended External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar over the ongoing controversy spurred by his remarks. Misri said Jaishankar's statement that India sent a message to Islamabad at the start of Operation Sindoor that it would target only terrorist infrastructure and not the military was taken 'out of context'. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has been attacking Jaishankar on this count. At the meeting of the committee, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Misri faced questions on Operation Sindoor and Pakistan's retaliation. New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Monday told the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs that there was 'no nuclear signalling' from Pakistan during the recent conflict which remained in the 'conventional domain,' ThePrint has learnt. The foreign secretary added that India did so only after the conclusion of the initial phase of the strikes on the morning of 7 May, sources said. Proceedings of parliamentary committees are privileged and its details are not made public It is learnt from sources that the MPs also 'unanimously condemned' the trolling Misri faced after he formally announced the cessation of military action on behalf of the government. A resolution was also adopted praising him. Members of the 31-member committee include BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Aparajita Sarangi; TMC's Abhishek Banerjee and Sagarika Ghose; Congress's Rajeev Shukla and Deepender Singh Hooda; AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi; and Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena (UBT). It is learnt that Misri asserted that the decision to cease hostilities between India and Pakistan was taken purely at the bilateral level, responding to questions from MPs on the role played by the United States. Sources said Misri wryly remarked that US President Donald Trump 'did not ask my permission to do so' when asked about the latter's repeated assertions on and off social media that Washington brokered a truce between New Delhi and Islamabad as the conflict was threatening to become nuclear. One MP, it is learnt, questioned efforts to capture or kill the terrorists who carried out the 22 April attack in Pahalgam that triggered India's military response and the subsequent flare-up with Pakistan. Moreover, questions were also raised on whether New Delhi was mulling any steps to act against Turkiye at the diplomatic level, citing its stance during the conflict. Misri also faced questions on whether New Delhi was keeping the door open for holding dialogue with Pakistan in the future. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Congress revives Morarji 'treason' charge to attack Jaishankar over Op Sindoor 'message' to Pakistan
India Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
India-Pakistan ceasefire live updates: Schools reopen in parts of J&K except border areas as tense calm prevails
Schools reopened in parts of J&K on Tuesday, except in border areas, after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to brief the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs on the current situation with Pakistan on May 19. Fake news was in full circulation as tensions heightened between India and Pakistan, with Pak armed forces, government officials and the media sharing fake news in an attempt to twist the truth and weaponise public opinion. Another instance of military misinformation has emerged from Pakistan. The Pakistan Navy has been caught using a digitally manipulated and outdated image to falsely claim the rapid deployment of its fleet units, including submarines, ships, and aircraft. READ MORE Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday strongly objected to US President Donald Trump's claim that his administration helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calling the remarks "disappointing" for India in four significant ways. READ MORE The international coverage of Prime Minister Modi's post-Operation Sindoor address stressed the hardening of India's stance against cross-border terrorism and its resolve in the face of perceived threats. They highlighted the PM's assertive language, particularly his warnings against nuclear blackmail and his declaration of a "new normal" in India's counter-terrorism strategy. In his first address since India and Pakistan started attacking each other, PM Modi said that Delhi has only "paused" its military campaign against Islamabad. PM Modi warned that India would "retaliate on its own terms" in the event of another terror attack. The Indus Water Treaty, which was unilaterally suspended by India, "has to be rolled back to where it was," demanded Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The remarks come after PM Modi reiterated on Monday that "blood and water can't flow together." Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb IndiGo has cancelled all flights to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, and Rajkot until 11:59 pm on Saturday. Air India also announced the cancellation of two-way flights to and from Jammu, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, and Rajkot. Read More After the multiple initial sightings of suspected drones in border areas including Jammu, Samba, Akhnoor, and Kathua, the Indian Army confirmed on Tuesday that no drone activity has been detected recently, and the ceasefire situation prevails, sources said to the news agency ANI. Suspected drones were engaged in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, where red tracer streaks and loud explosions were seen and heard in a video shared by news agency ANI. The footage reportedly captured Pakistani drones being intercepted by Indian forces. Read More
