New Delhi, Feb 17 : The government on Sunday decided to launch offensive crackdown against all those sympathizing with the cause of 'separatists' in Jammu and Kashmir and announced that security and other facilities provided to five separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Abdul Ghani Bhat would be withdrawn.
"All security and any vehicles provided to them will stand withdrawn by today evening," the source said.
Top sources in the Jammu and Kashmir government told UNI that besides Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Bhat, the security and facilities provided to three others Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah will also be withdrawn.
The state police headquarters in Srinagar have been directed to "review if there are any other separatists" who have government security or facilities and subsequently all these will be withdrawn immediately, the source said. The 46-year-old Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is the chairman of the Awami Action Committee, one of the two key factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. Recently, he was in news for having tele talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Former All Parties Huriyat Conference (APHC) and Muslim Conference senior leader Bhat was removed as the party president in 2017 after he met with government's interlocutor Dinesh Sharma
and had expressed his willingness to 'talk' to the central government.
The 65-year-old Qureshi is one of the founding members of J & K Liberation Front and is now chairman of J&K Democratic Liberation Party.
Another key leader who will face the wrath of Modi government's crackdown is Bilal Lone, brother of
mainstream politician Sajjad Lone.
He also hit headlines recently when he said he will 'permanently' stay in the "pro-freedom politics as that was the right path".
Shabir Shah, 65 is founder and President of J&K Democratic Freedom Party and is often hailed by terror groups and sympathisers across the border in Pakistan as a 'jail bird and Nelson Mandela of Kashmir".
"No security forces or cover should be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatist," sources said adding if they have any other facilities provided by the government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith.
During his recent visit to Srinagar, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had indicated that the security given to people 'getting funds' from Pakistan and its ISI could be reviewed.
"There are elements and forces who take money from Pakistan and the ISI. I have asked the officials concerned to review their security," Mr Singh has told reporters at the end of his day-long visit to the state on Friday.
"Such people are playing with the lives of people of Jammu and Kashmir and the future of the state's youth. Our war against terror is in a decisive phase and I want to assure the nation that we will win it," the Home Minister has said.
White House, USA, Sarah Sanders:
Statement from the Press Secretary on the Terrorist Attack in India
The United States condemns in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist attackby a Pakistan-based terrorist group that killed over 40 Indian paramilitary forcesand wounded at least 44 others. We express our deep condolences to thevictims’ families, the Indian government, and the Indian people for the loss of lifein this brutal attack. The United States calls on Pakistan to end immediately thesupport and safe haven provided to all terrorist groups operating on its soil,whose only goal is to sow chaos, violence, and terror in the region. This attackonly strengthens our resolve to bolster counterterrorism cooperation andcoordination between the United States and India.
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Foreign Secy briefs 25 Mission heads: "All were convinced about Pak role", say sources
New Delhi, Feb 15 (UNI) Launching the diplomatic offensive to isolate Pakistan and to expose its double standards on terrorism, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Friday met 25 Heads of Missions in India and briefed about role of western neighbour in supporting and encouraging the killer menace.
"All the Heads of Missions were left in no doubt about the role played by Pakistan and that it had supported Jaish e Mohammed in the terrorist attack," an informed source later said.
It was underlined in no uncertain language that Pakistan should "cease forthwith all support and financing to terror groups operating from areas under their control".
Foreign Secretary also highlighted the role played by Pakistan in using terrorism as an 'instrument of its state policy' - a state India has been highlighting in various global fora over the years.
The Ministry of External Affairs will continue to take "all steps to expose" the complicity of Pakistan in the Pulwama terrorist attack and demand immediate and "verifiable action against Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar".
Mr Gokhale undertook the major diplomatic exercise underlining to foreign envoys the role of Pakistan in supporting terror "as part of continuing diplomatic efforts on the matter".
Foreign Secretary met around 25 Heads of Mission based in New Delhi from all P-5 countries, all South Asian countries and other important partners like Japan, Germany, Republic of Korea and others, sources said.
Mr Gokhale also summoned Pakistan envoy Sohail Mahmood and gave him a strong demarche on the Pulwama attack on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi categorically said several countries have already started appreciating India's stand.
''The messages I have been getting since Pulwama attack have shown that the International community is equally pained and anguished due to dastardly act and wants to crush the menace,'' the Prime Minister said at a function at Jhansi in UP.
Earlier in the morning, the Prime Minister presided over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security which decided among other things to withdraw Most Favoured Nation status given to the western neighbour in 1990s.
The Foreign Secretary conveyed to Pakistan envoy that his country must take immediate and verifiable action against the JeM and that it must immediately stop any groups or individuals associated with terrorism operating from its territories, sources said.
India also rejected the statement made by the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan on the incident.
Post MFN move: India to list Pak items for higher custom duties
India has audio-visual evidence of Jem, Pak involvement in Pulwama attack : MEA
New Delhi, Feb 15 (UNI) India on Friday late night asserted that Pakistan's demand for an investigation into Pulwama attack is 'preposterous' when there is already a video of the suicide bomber declaring himself a member of the JeM.
"There are also other audio-visual and print material linking JeM to the terrorist attack," official spokesman in the MEA Raveesh Kumar said in reply to a question on Pakistan Foreign Secretary's briefing rejecting Pakistan's involvement in the Pulwama attack.
"JeM has claimed responsibility for the attack. The organization and its leadership are located in Pakistan. LeT and other terror groups have welcomed the news of the attack. These groups are also based in Pakistan. Pakistan cannot claim that it is unaware of their presence and their activities," he said.
He further maintained that Pakistan authorities "have not taken any action" against these groups despite international demands, especially against groups and individuals proscribed by the UN and other countries.
"The links to Pakistan are clear and evident for all to see. Its own Ministers have shared the same podium with UN proscribed terrorists," he said.
The spokesman further said India has "not seen" any constructive approach from Pakistan on relations with India.
"What we have noticed however, are claims to offer dialogue on the one hand, while sponsoring and sheltering terrorists and terrorist organizations such as JeM on the other," Mr Kumar said adding "We demand Pakistan take immediate and verifiable action against terrorists and terror groups operating from territories under its control to create a conducive atmosphere in the region free of terror".
Earlier, Pak Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has strongly rejected Indian allegations on Pulwama attack. In a tweet, Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said that while briefing the ambassadors of P-5 at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she noted a familiar Indian pattern of 'immediate and reflexive assignment of blame' on Pakistan without investigations.
Tehmina said Pakistan has pursued a constructive approach towards India. She also said that Pakistan's offer of dialogue and Kartarpur initiative is a clear evidence of this.
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Post MFN move: India to list Pak items for higher custom duties
New Delhi, Feb 16 (UNI) In the wake of government's decision to withdraw Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan, steps are being taken by the Union Commerce Ministry to prepare a list of Pakistani items which would face restrictions and high custom duties.
While the Modi government has sought to squeeze Pakistan's already under stress economy, sources point out that more than the religious sentiment and respecting the sentiments of Sikhs - minorities in both India and Pakistan - the "opening of the Kartarpur Corridor" was seen by the Imran Khan regime as an opportunity to slowly reduce trade barriers.
Authorities in Pakistan were hopeful that the Kartarpur Corridor would "encourage the cross-border movement of people and goods". This was a point, which was understood well by foreign policy engine room in India and traders in Indian side of Punjab state as well.
"A timely reduction in the barriers that restrict the movement of people across the Line of Control could open up new economic opportunities. This has been in Imran Khan regime's mind," a source said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has understood the gravity of Imran Khan regime's economic stress and thus has been hitting out at it for not focusing on governance and depend on state sponsorship to terror.
"A country that came into existence after the partition of India, a country where terrorism is sponsored and promoted, it is a country which is on the brink of economic collapse and bankruptcy- that country has become synonymous with the word terrorism today," Mr Modi said at Yavatmal in Maharashtra on Saturday.
From time to time, MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar too has been mocking at Pakistan's domestic matter and even has counseled Imran Khan on those lines rather than speak about 'minorities' in India.
It is worth mentioning that the World Bank has said that trade between Pakistan and India was valued at a little over $2 billion, but it could go as high as $37bn.
The PML-N under Nawaz Sharif had offered several proposals to take trade relations with India to the “next higher” levels.
Even the PPP dispensation took several steps to liberalise the trade regime with India on both unilateral and bilateral basis.
According to government sources, India mainly exports raw cotton, cotton yarn, chemicals, plastics, manmade yarn and dyes to Pakistan and imports petroleum products, bulk minerals, finished leather, fresh fruits and cement.
India's tea exports to Pakistan grew substantially in 2017-18 to 15.83 million kilograms from 14.73 million kilograms in 2017 and products chiefly came from Assam and West Bengal, sources said.
Textiles and clothing in effect constitute the largest share of bilateral trade between the two neighbours and few years back, trade in textiles sector constituted about 48 per cent in total bilateral trade between two sides.
In the eastern India, apex India Tea Exporters Association has backed the government decision to 'deal' with Pakistan, including in trade aftermath the dastardly terrorist attack on February 14 at Pulwama.
Trade and commerce interest has become secondary as the trading community in textiles and tea join the nationwide anguish against Pakistan.
The decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security on withdrawal of the Most Favoured Nation status given to the western neighbour in 1996 is seen as an attempt to mount further economic pressure on Imran Khan regime by squeezing the economy.
Sources in the government say this will also help India ensure that Pakistan gets 'isolated' in the comity of nations and is forced to take actions against terror hubs. Simultaneously, international pressure is also building up.
However, analysis carried out on the basis of surveys conducted in India, Pakistan and Dubai in 2016 showed informal trade between India and Pakistan would be around USD 4.7 billion. Out of that, India’s exports to Pakistan through informal channels stood over USD 3.5 billion and imports from Pakistan USD 1.2 billion.
Sources have said the informal trade actually thrive as the route ensures avoid custom hassles and so called tensions and conflicts in relations between two nations.
The ease of routing goods through a third country Singapore, Dubai and Malaysia also deserve a closer look.
At official levels, Pakistan and India currently use Wagah border and Port Qasim, Karachi for trading.
In terms of technicalities, removal of MFN status means India can enhance customs duties on goods from Pakistan and harm its trading interest.
Under provisions of the Customs Act and the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, the government of India now has option to ban some items and also impose port restrictions. "These would hit Pakistani business interests," the source said.
In accordance with the MFN principle and its obligations under the WTO, India had accorded MFN status in 1996 but Pakistan had not done it. Ironically, the government decision to withdraw MFN status to Pakistan was taken on Friday even as in January this year the government had told Parliament during winter session in a written reply: “Presently, there is no proposal to review the Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan".
Sources said India-Pakistan trade had increased to USD 2.41 billion in 2017-18 as against USD 2.27 billion in the previous fiscal.
Import from Pakistan to India stood at $288.134 million in 2004-05 and reached $350m in 2016-17 in the wake of liberalisation of the trade regime. Indian exports to Pakistan were $547.458m in 2004-05 and shot up to $2.7 billion in 2016-17.
Pakistan's economy on domestic front is faced with many limitations and none other than Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly spoken of improving trade with India.
At times, some statistics suggest even Bangladesh economy is doing better than Pakistan's.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked at Pakistan's state of economy and said while authorities in Islamabad are moving around the world with 'begging bowl' - it was not getting the help so easily.
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