Two militants gunned down in encounter in army camp
Indian security forces gunned down two militants after they attacked an army camp on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Saturday. No soldiers were injured in the encounter, but a civilian sustained minor injuries. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the attack was a failed attempt to boost the morale of the militant outfit. The attack came a day after militants stormed the Raj Bagh Police station in the Kathua district, killing a civilian and three security personnel. An army spokesperson said that it was difficult to determine if both attacks were carried out by the same group.
Court acquits 16 policemen in Hashimpura massacre
A Delhi court on Saturday acquitted 16 members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre. The court said that the prosecution had been unable to establish the identity of the policemen. On May 22, 1987, 19 PAC men had allegedly rounded up 42 Muslim youths in the communally-charged town of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. The police then took them away in a truck and killed them, allegedly dumping their bodies in a canal. Of the 19 policemen, three later passed away while the remaining 16 policemen surrendered in May 2000. The survivors of the massacre and the families of the victims said that they were likely to appeal against the acquittal.
Pakistan releases 57 Indian fishing boats
The Pakistani government released 57 Indian fishing boats on Saturday in a gesture of goodwill. The country’s Foreign Office stated that the decision to release the boats had been taken in May. An eight-member team from India had visited Pakistan on March 9 to assess the condition of the boats with officials of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. Fishermen from both countries are frequently arrested for crossing territorial waters and their boats seized.
India may liberalise defence exports, says Parrikar
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday hinted at the possibility of India liberalising its defence exports to allied nations. Advocating that India play a stronger role in the Indian Ocean region, Parrikar said that many countries were looking to New Delhi for support as they were being threatened by others. “Many of them want to build up their defences strategies," he said. "You can develop or support peace…The best peace can come to you if you are strong.” He added that the government was working on a policy to ban the import of some defence industry-related items so as to boost the domestic manufacturing sector of the country. Parrikar’s comments came in the wake of a report issued by the Defence Ministry that urged India to be conscious of China’s increasing influence in the region.
CEC: India to be first country with no duplicate identities on voter lists
India is set to become the first country in the world to have no duplicate identities in its voter lists after the linking of the Aadhar and voter identity cards, said Chief Election Commissioner HS Brahma on Saturday. He added that voters would be able to change their personal details online if the Aadhar card is listed as their basic identity document. Approximately 85 crore Indians had received their Aadhar numbers so far. The Election Commission was hopeful that the remaining population will be issued their unique identification numbers by August, Brahma said.
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Indian security forces gunned down two militants after they attacked an army camp on the Jammu-Pathankot Highway in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Saturday. No soldiers were injured in the encounter, but a civilian sustained minor injuries. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the attack was a failed attempt to boost the morale of the militant outfit. The attack came a day after militants stormed the Raj Bagh Police station in the Kathua district, killing a civilian and three security personnel. An army spokesperson said that it was difficult to determine if both attacks were carried out by the same group.
Court acquits 16 policemen in Hashimpura massacre
A Delhi court on Saturday acquitted 16 members of the Provincial Armed Constabulary in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre. The court said that the prosecution had been unable to establish the identity of the policemen. On May 22, 1987, 19 PAC men had allegedly rounded up 42 Muslim youths in the communally-charged town of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. The police then took them away in a truck and killed them, allegedly dumping their bodies in a canal. Of the 19 policemen, three later passed away while the remaining 16 policemen surrendered in May 2000. The survivors of the massacre and the families of the victims said that they were likely to appeal against the acquittal.
Pakistan releases 57 Indian fishing boats
The Pakistani government released 57 Indian fishing boats on Saturday in a gesture of goodwill. The country’s Foreign Office stated that the decision to release the boats had been taken in May. An eight-member team from India had visited Pakistan on March 9 to assess the condition of the boats with officials of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. Fishermen from both countries are frequently arrested for crossing territorial waters and their boats seized.
India may liberalise defence exports, says Parrikar
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday hinted at the possibility of India liberalising its defence exports to allied nations. Advocating that India play a stronger role in the Indian Ocean region, Parrikar said that many countries were looking to New Delhi for support as they were being threatened by others. “Many of them want to build up their defences strategies," he said. "You can develop or support peace…The best peace can come to you if you are strong.” He added that the government was working on a policy to ban the import of some defence industry-related items so as to boost the domestic manufacturing sector of the country. Parrikar’s comments came in the wake of a report issued by the Defence Ministry that urged India to be conscious of China’s increasing influence in the region.
CEC: India to be first country with no duplicate identities on voter lists
India is set to become the first country in the world to have no duplicate identities in its voter lists after the linking of the Aadhar and voter identity cards, said Chief Election Commissioner HS Brahma on Saturday. He added that voters would be able to change their personal details online if the Aadhar card is listed as their basic identity document. Approximately 85 crore Indians had received their Aadhar numbers so far. The Election Commission was hopeful that the remaining population will be issued their unique identification numbers by August, Brahma said.
