Latest news with #Indo-Pakistan
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Handled The Taliban, Survived Bombings, Rescued Uzma: JP Singh, 'The Diplomat', Is In Tel Aviv
Under IFS officer JP Singh's command in Israel, India is evacuating students and citizens while continuing with diplomatic and strategic decisions in the middle of missile fire Bombs in Kabul, missiles in Tel Aviv, and complexities in Islamabad – when diplomacy demands nerves of steel, India turns to one man. JP Singh, a 2002-batch IFS officer currently at the helm in Tel Aviv, is navigating the ongoing conflict as India's Ambassador to Israel. Under his command in Israel, India is steering evacuations of its students and citizens while also continuing with diplomatic and strategic decisions in the middle of all the missile fire. While the US is reportedly preparing to evacuate some of its embassy personnel as the conflict escalates, the Indian mission is actively working to assist all citizens in leaving the area. Known for his skills and composure while operating in high-risk zones, JP Singh has now become India's go-to crisis manager on foreign soil. His calm under fire first came into public view during the high-profile Uzma Ahmed rescue case in Pakistan, a mission so gripping that it inspired the recent OTT release – 'The Diplomat' – in which John Abraham plays a character based on him. Singh has been appointed the 10th ambassador of India to Israel, a position that was held by Shivshankar Menon, who later became the national security adviser (NSA) for then prime minister Manmohan Singh. He was appointed Indian ambassador in Tel Aviv earlier this year after serving as the chief of staff to the external affairs minister (EAM) for a year. NO STRANGER TO CONFLICT According to a senior IFS officer, Singh is among the senior diplomats who initiated dialogue with the Taliban and met their foreign minister after they took over Kabul. This was the first official interaction between India and the government led by the Taliban in Kabul. A GLORIOUS CINEMATIC INTERPRETATION Some of Singh's diplomatic manoeuvring became the subject of a gripping cinematic interpretation – The Diplomat (2025), a movie that offers a slick yet intense look into the life of an officer who often operates in the eye of the storm and on foreign soil. The film does not only glorify him, but also attempts to decode the method behind his composure, the mind behind the missions, and also the meaning of modern-day Indian diplomacy. In Kabul, he played another crucial behind-the-scenes role in cementing India's outreach to key stakeholders during the fragile phase before and after the Taliban's return. In Islamabad, too, his tenure was marked by astute negotiation, deep intelligence and strategic liaison, while focusing on careful diplomatic messaging during a particularly tense phase in Indo-Pakistan relations. Now, as tensions flare in Israel, Singh has once again stepped up. However, it is more of a field job for him and about ensuring the safety and evacuation of Indian citizens and students caught in the crossfire. First Published: June 19, 2025, 20:22 IST
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
'Pakistan has long played double game': Ex-US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad warns Trump about Munir
After US President Donald Trump met Pakistan's army chief Field Marshall Asim Munir at the White House, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Envoy for Afghanistan, flagged Pakistan's long history of double game and warned Trump that Munir could not be trusted. read more Zalmay Khalilzad, the former top US diplomat for Afghanistan, has warned US President Donald Trump about Pakistan's long history of double game. The warning came shortly after Trump had a working lunch with Pakistan's army chief Field Marshall Asim Munir at the White House on Wednesday. Trump said that he was 'honoured' to meet Munir and described him as a 'smart' man. Khalilzad told Trump how Pakistan played the United States during the War on Terror era. He noted that, after a decade of search, Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was found in Pakistan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'During the years of our military presence in Afghanistan, Pakistan took our assistance and at the same time provided support and sanctuary to those who were killing our forces. Similarly, during the war on terror after 9/11, the Pakistani military selectively helped both us and the Al-Qaida terrorists. Where did we find Bin Laden? All cozy in Pakistan near one of Pakistan's military facilities. And Pakistan still holds Dr. Afidi who helped us find and eliminate Bin Laden. Bottom line: Gen Asim Munir cannot be trusted,' said Khalilzad in a post on X. It is a great gift and honor that @Potus is bestowing on Pakistan's General Asim Munir by hosting him for lunch. Besides Indo-Pakistan relations, the General is likely to have the following on his agenda: 1. Get US investment in Pakistan's minerals via military-owned companies,… — Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) June 18, 2025 Trump's embrace of Pakistan in his second term has coincided with actions that have turned the relationship with India sour. Since assuming office, Trump has undermined the Indian positions on Operation Sindoor and the Kashmir issue, sought unfair terms in trade talks, and formed an alliance with jihadists in West Asia . On the other hand, he has sought a reset in US-Pakistan ties that had hit a low under the previous Joe Biden administration — Biden notably never spoke to his Pakistani counterpart in four years. Khalilzad explains what Munir wants from Trump Munir told Trump that Munir, the de facto ruler of Pakistan, was appeasing Trump to secure his interests and those of the Pakistani Army. Khalilzad said that even though he has got himself promoted to field marshall and has found some popularity lately, he continues to face widespread opposition in Pakistan over the incarceration of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and the crackdown on his party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI). ALSO READ: Trump wants military bases from Munir, offers security-trade deals in US-Pak reset: Report STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Khalilzad listed four objectives that Munir has with his dealings with Trump: Get US investment in Pakistan's minerals via military-owned companies Get Trump to outsource the protection of US interests in Afghanistan, including on terrorism, to the Pakistani military. In return, Munir would offer to be a medium in communication with China. Secure greater legitimacy and to create the impression that Trump endorses his de facto status as Pakistan's ruler-for-life. Considering the relationship between Pakistan's army and terrorists in Afghanistan, outsourcing the protection of US interests in Afghanistan would be a 'formula for utter disaster', according to Khalilzad.
India Gazette
05-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Pakistan has lost thousands of lives to terrorists official
Over the past decade and half, the country has suffered from extremism, the PMs adviser on foreign affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi told RT Pakistan has lost 90,000 people to terrorists over the past 15 years, Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant on foreign affairs to the country's prime minister, has told RT. Fatemi emphasized that the Pakistani government is determined to counter terrorism and has made it clear to its neighbors that they must prevent such extremists from entering the country. "We have lost over a billion and a half US dollars in terms of the damage that they have done," he told RT in an exclusive interview. The diplomat was in Moscow earlier this week to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and brief him on Islamabad's view of the current situation in Indo-Pakistan relations. Speaking about theApril 22 attackin Pahalgam, Kashmir, that killed 26 people, mainly tourists, Fatemi re-iterated that Pakistan denies having any involvement in the attack, refuting New Delhi's claim. The region has been the epicenter of a long-standing dispute between the two neighboring countries since their independence from Britain. The terrorist attack prompted a military response from India, which conducted air strikes on what it alleged wereterrorist basesin Pakistan. After a four-day escalation, the two nuclear-armed nations announced aceasefire on May 10. Fatemi claimed that it would be impossible for terrorists to cross from Pakistan into Indian-administered Kashmir without being detected, given the heavy presence of the Indian military in the area. "They would need to be superhumans," he noted. READ MORE: As India and Pakistan eye each other, this superpower eyes the whole map The political adviser drew parallels to a similar incident that occurred in the 1990s, when Pakistan was accused of collusion in a terrorist attack during the administration of former US President Bill Clinton, before his scheduled visit to India. "From past experience, whenever a very prominent foreign leader would visit India, something like this would take place," he said, adding that former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright later hinted in her book that the attack had been a false flag operation and that Pakistan had had nothing to do with it. The senior adviser also expressed appreciation for theWhite House's effortsto broker a ceasefire between the two countries, citing US President Donald Trump's directive to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to speak with leaders in both New Delhi and Islamabad. "The US Secretary of State suggested that Pakistan should agree to a ceasefire, which is what the Indians wanted. So we said, 'fine'," he explained. Notably, India denied Washington's role in the ceasefire, maintaining that the decision was achieved bilaterally - at the initiative of Pakistan. width="560" height="315" src=" frameborder="0" > (
Express Tribune
04-06-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Military notes; Indo-Pak conflict: deterrence, pre-battle manoeuvres
The writer is a retired major general and has an interest in International Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at tayyarinam@ and tweets @20_Inam Listen to article We continue to discuss various aspects of the recent Indo-Pakistan military standoff. Third, deterrence per se. More than a billion lives escaped Modi's madness in a closer than ever nuclear Armageddon. Besides the conventional side of warfare, the more dangerous 'nuclear parity' still overhangs South Asia perilously. With deterrence in 'conventional terms re-established', one hopes India under Modi would avoid another wasteful adventure of humiliation, and resume talks over the table, rather than in the skies and through brinkmanship. The future India-Pakistan conflict scene will no longer be unilateral. It will be dictated and decided by Sino-Pak military alliance especially in collaboration with China's Western Theater Command. And this would augment deterrence for rational players on the Indian side, if any. Pakistan's Military, in South Asia's modern history, showcased the most integrated defensive strategy and real-time coordination. And just to reiterate, in military literature, a weaker side is supposed to have won an asymmetrical contest, if it denies outright victory or the attainment of war's aims and objectives to the stronger side, which Pakistan did to a larger India. So perceptually speaking, deterrence in the Indo-Pakistan context would, henceforth, be defined by the conventional military capabilities plus nuclear arms, and the fragility of psychological threshold on both sides, as discussed in my piece, 'India, Pakistan — redefining deterrence', printed in this space on May 22, 2025. And in Pakistan's context, deterrence would remain to be fortified by the Sino-Pakistani alliance, and the resolve of Pakistan's civil and military leadership, through Islamabad's 'quid-pro-quo Plus' strategy, to never let India prevail. So, peace, the perusal of which now squarely lies with a mellowed but bellicose India that still pursues its intended water wars, would remain elusive if we do not recognise each other's capabilities, and do not engage each other with dignity, mutual respect and patience, and not with ignorance or arrogance. Fourth. The Exterior Manoeuvre. Without going into the nuts and bolts of the diplomatic war, the Indian efforts to paint Pakistan into endemically bad light and as a state sponsor of terrorism, had very few takers, regionally and internationally. Indian diplomatic overtures focused on painting itself taller by telling the world its military response was calculated and non-escalatory and that this 'new India' would respond muscularly to the so-called terrorist attacks, without wanting a wider war with Pakistan and its people. Essentially contradictory iterations. No country condemned Pakistan for the 'alleged' terrorism; none appreciated India's 'carefully calibrated' military response. The world, contrarily, was preoccupied with the IAF's French Rafael jets being shot down by PAF's Chinese J-10C fighters using PL-15 E air-to-air missiles. Even the US after some initial ambivalence from VP Vance had to forcefully intervene to affect a ceasefire, without giving India the blank cheque of unilateralism and brinkmanship. Russia, India's traditional friend, withheld the 'expected' diplomatic support for India. And Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and the entire OIC, the UN all called for restraint and then ceasefire. Major capitals responded with studied neutrality despite India sending seven diplomatic delegations to 32 countries. Beijing's signalling and posturing in support of Pakistan were overtly clear. Washington's ceasefire appeal re-hyphenated the two nuclear neighbours, to India's great chagrin. New Delhi even refused to acknowledge any US role, for which Trump had publicly taken credit. The paradox of Indian 'Exterior Manoeuvre' was laid bare, as to why was it accepting a ceasefire, irrespective of whether it was reached bilaterally (as India claimed) or under US interlocution (as Trump tweeted), if it had an upper hand militarily. During the conduct of operations, fiasco after fiasco derided New Delhi's aspirations and outsized ego. From denial to acknowledging downing of planes including Rafaeles, to persistent lies on the state and social media, greatly diminished India's shine, sheen and diplomatic weight. New Delhi's comical effort to influence the World Bank under its Indian-origin president, Mr Ajay Banga, from sanctioning loan to Islamabad failed spectacularly. The extent of India's hostility towards Pakistan permeated not only its body politics, but also its cultural elite (read Bollywood), its state behaviour; and resulted in a compulsive obsession with Pakistan, whom India's intellectual wizards proudly claim to have pushed into irrelevant ignominy. This paradox - Pakistan's irrelevance and Islamabad being an uncomfortable reality - remains unresolved and has been damaging India's 'perceived' important power aspiration and status, without pundits realising it. Fifth, The Inner Front. India whipped up its jingoist anti-Pakistan narrative in order to jell its inner front, silencing opposition, muzzling rationality and suppressing truth in the process. And it failed. The Modi Government had to launch Operation "Tiranga Yatra (tricolour journey)" for intense domestic messaging, to manipulate outcomes during Operation Sindoor. From annihilating Pakistan to dominating South Asia as the new hegemon, its efforts, however, could not convince most of its 200 million Muslims, who constitute 10.9 per cent of its population, is the world's 3rd largest Muslim population, and the largest Muslim-minority globally. Its illegally occupied Kashmir, the expected battle zone, simmers with hate, discontent and a resurgent anti-India sentiment, making operations and rear-area security a nightmare for the Indian Military. Assam, Christian Mizoram, Nagaland, the Naxalite insurgency in the 'Red Corridor', Khalistan Movement in Punjab and abroad, and other insurgencies drive wedges in the India Union. Even the Brahman-dominated decision-making elite had and have reservations on the direction secular India has taken under Hindutva-laced Modi Sarkar. Indian security sector and armed forces saw removals, arrests and demotions during the stand-off; and its population is still experiencing arrests for supporting Pakistan, as per press reports. By comparison, Pakistan's inner front jelled like it always does in a crisis with India. RAW-financed terrorism in KP and Balochistan, and the expected political uprising by some political forces against the armed forces, in hilarious formulation of Indian intelligence, failed and failed miserably. Pakistan's national will, determination, resolve and motivation across the political spectrum and across the nation was tougher and firm. Pakistan's 'relative' demographic homogeneity compared to India's heterogeneity is always an asset and a force-multiplier. Such demographic truism also permeates Pakistan's armed forces, making it a formidable fighting machine. Continues...
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Govt launches skill training for civil defence volunteers
Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the Indo-Pakistan tensions, state govt on Sunday launched a six-day training programme for civil defence volunteers to hone their skills, preparing them for emergency situations during war-like conditions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Experts from the (NDRF) imparted training in various areas, including psychological warfare, during the inaugural session. "We have invited experts from various domains for imparting training, whose objective is to enhance the capacity and basic skills of civil defence volunteers enabling them respond effectively to a variety of emergency scenarios," director general (civil defence), Sudhansu Sarangi, said. DIG Uma Shankar Dash said master trainers, who will be trained during the six days, will subsequently conduct training for volunteers across the state. The civil defence wardens are being trained in psychological warfare, covering aspects such as panic management, propaganda identification, rumour control and crowd behaviour. The training programme will encompass essential service maintenance, community drills, evacuation procedures, protection against nuclear, biological and chemical threats, stretcher handling techniques, patient transport, emergency rescue methods, casualty management, debris removal, warning systems and emergency shelter administration. "In the coming days , the volunteers will undergo detailed training on topics such as bomb detection and identification, water purification in emergencies, and food and kitchen hygiene management," Dash said. "The govt's emphasis on strengthening civil defence follows the Centre's directive to all states to enhance their civil defence readiness, following tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack," a govt official said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "New equipment will be purchased from the disaster response fund," he said. CM Mohan Charan Majhi recently called for public participation in the state's civil defence wing as volunteers. He has instructed the extension of civil defence units beyond the current 12 districts into new areas. Official data shows that civil defence volunteer strength has declined from 21,000 ten years ago to just 753 members presently, with 401 based in Bhubaneswar. Unlike govt-recruited firefighters and home guards, individuals can join as civil defence volunteers through an application process.
