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Policy shift after Sharif’s departure: Pak agrees to send more troops to Saudi Arabia, might soon get involved in Yemeni conflict

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Policy shift after Sharif’s departure: Pak agrees to send more troops to Saudi Arabia, might soon get involved in Yemeni conflict

Above:  Army soldiers wave their weapons next to a car belonging to al Qaeda militants, destroyed during fighting, in the southeastern Yemeni province of Abyan in this handout photo provided by Yemen’s defence ministry on May 6, 2014/Photo: UNI

~By Sujit Bhar

Moving away from its earlier stated policy of not deploying armed forces or to get involved in Saudi Arabia’s conflict with Yemen, Pakistan has now decided to add more forces to its already existing 1,000 troops in Saudi Arabia, involved in various advisory and training roles, say reports quoting officials.

When the conflict broke out in West Asia and Saudi troops got involved, the kingdom had sent a strongly worded letter to the then Nawaz Sharif-led government of Pakistan, saying send troops or face action. Pakistan is heavily indebted to Saudi Arabia, with several of its basic needs being met with funds from the kingdom apart from a huge number of its nationals in work in the kingdom, sending back foreign exchange). Now, with even the US saying that it will not give any more defence-related finds to Pakistan, the country is facing a severe cash crunch. The Saudi order now must be used.

During Sharif’s rule, the proposition was placed before the Pakistani parliament and the proposal was defeated there. Hence Pakistan made it clear to the kingdom that it would not be possible to send troops who could get embroiled in the conflict. Saudi Arabia had not been happy about this.

This policy shift will be under a bilateral security cooperation treaty with the kingdom.

On Friday (February 16), at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, a meeting was held between Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki, reports have said. The Pakistani army’s announcement came immediately after that, indicating that the Saudis had put pressure on the Pakistani’s to honour the treaty.

According to reports, the announcement said: “In continuation of ongoing Pak-Saudi bilateral security cooperation, a Pakistan Army contingent is being sent to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on training and advise (sic) mission. These or troops already there will not be employed outside KSA…” The army, it said, “maintains bilateral security cooperation with many other Gulf/regional countries”.

The last part is, of course, a defensive statement that makes no sense in the present context.

The meeting with the Saudi ambassador was also talked about, with the army saying that they discussed matters of mutual interest including regional security situation.

How many troops are being sent? Leading Pakistani daily Dawn, quoting “multiple sources”, said that it might be the size of a composite brigade. Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, however, told the daily that the number would be lesser than a division.

Pakistan is facing a convoluted situation. While the entire conflict sees four major participants – Saudi Arabia, Russia, the US and Iran – Pakistan’s involvement in the conflict would not only mean involving itself in another regional conflict it cannot afford, but also would align itself against Iran, on who it has to rely to counter India, as well as to keep the trouble-torn Balochistan area under control. These are more serious regional – and close to home – concerns for Pakistan. For Pakistan, Yemen and Syria are faraway places where it can ill afford to go.

Meanwhile Yemen has sort of upped the ante against the Saudis – who have recently made huge arms purchases from the US – with the rebels regularly firing missiles towards the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia had set up an alliance of Muslim nations and its forces were being led by former Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif. That has yet to involve itself in the conflict and this recent addition of Pakistani troops could be through an indirect pressure exerted by Raheel Sharif. This has not been confirmed.

That this was developing was clear from Bajwa’s visit to the kingdom earlier this year where he had met officials including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Commander of Ground Forces Lt Gen Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz during his three-day stay.

As of now Pakistan says that its new batch of forces would be there in an advisory capacity. However, considering the amateurish nature of Saudi forces and its commanders, it is just a matter of time before Pakistani troops go all out into the battlefield. That will open a front far away from home for Pakistan. If the US experience of Pakistan is anything to go by, that involvement will not only result in body bags returning to Pakistan, but also will not add any credibility to an already discredited Pakistani army.

And considering the corrupt nature of the Pakistani army, its generals will benefit hugely (financially) from this deal. The country will remain as impoverished as it has always been.

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Rahul Gandhi criticises BJP, PM Modi for JD(S) alliance, seeking votes for a mass rapist

Rahul Gandhi was addressing an election rally in Karnataka’s Shivmogga where he said that PM Modi is seeking votes for a mass rapist. The Congress leader added that Narendra Modi, from a packed stage, supports that rapist and said: if the people of Karnataka vote for this rapist, it will help him.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the sex video  case involving Prajwal Revanna, the member of Parliament from Karnataka’s Hassan, is not just a mere sex scandal but of mass rape. He also criticised the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the JD(S) and seeking votes for a mass rapist.

Rahul Gandhi was addressing an election rally in Karnataka’s Shivmogga where he said that PM Modi is seeking votes for a mass rapist. Prajwal Revanna raped a number of women and made their sex videos. The Congress leader added that Narendra Modi, from a packed stage, supports that rapist and said: if the people of Karnataka vote for this rapist, it will help him. Gandhi accused the PM Modi of helping Revanna, former PM HD Deve Gowda’s grandson, escape from India.

Gandhi said even when Prajwal Revanna raped a number of women, the prime minister did not stop him from going to Germany. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has all the machinery, yet he allowed the mass rapist to flee to Germany. He took a sarcastic dig a PM Modi and said this is Modi’s guarantee. The Congress leader asserted that whether it’s a corrupt leader or a mass rapist, the BJP will always protect him.

Prajwal Revanna, the sitting MP from Hassan and the grandson of former PM HD Deve Gowda, has been accused of being in purported sex tapes. A number of pen drives allegedly contain his sexual assault videos which were circulated in Hassan, the Lok Sabha constituency from where he is the BJP-JD (S) candidate.

Most of the sex videos were recorded by Prajwal Revanna in his office and house. Initially, the Gowda family and the BJP termed the tapes as being doctored to tarnish the image of the family in elections but later, HD Kumaraswamy distanced himself from the tapes saying the police was investigating the matter.

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SIT issues lookout notice for Prajwal Revanna in sex video case

A police officer, who is part of the SIT, confirmed to the media that a lookout circular has been issued at all the immigration points to detain Prajwal Revanna, said to be in Germany, as soon as he enters the country.

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The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the sex tapes case involving JD(S) Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna, on Thursday issued a lookout notice against him. The notice was issued at all immigration points all over the world. The development comes as Revanna allegedly fled to Frankfurt, Germany on April 26, as a huge cache of explicit videos and photographs showing him indulging in the sexual abuse of several women went viral on social media platforms.

Prajwal Revanna is the grandson of former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and son of former minister HD Revanna, is seeking re-election from Hassan on the JD(S) ticket. The JD(S) MP faces sexual assault charges and has sought 7 days to appear before the Special Investigation Team probing the matter.

Prajwal Revanna and his father, DD Revanna have been issued notices to appear before the SIT for questioning. The Hassan MP informed the SIT team that he is currently outside Bengaluru. A case has been registered against both HD Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna at Holenarasipura based on a complaint lodged by their former cook and relative for sexually harassing her.

She alleged that Prajwal Revanna made video calls to her daughter and spoke in an objectionable manner, which forced her to block his phone number. The FIR was referred to the SIT, led by BK Singh, Additional Director-General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, formed to probe the alleged sex scandal involving Prajwal Revanna, after many explicit videos were circulated on social media.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has demanded a comprehensive report within 3 days from the Karnataka Police regarding allegations of sexual misconduct against Prajwal Revanna. The NCW expressed grave concern over the circulation of a number of obscene videos on social media, which showed Prajwal Revanna sexually assaulting number of women.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi takes a dig at Rahul Gandhi, says Pakistan wants him as Prime Minister

PM Modi said Pakistan is eager to make the prince the Prime Minister and everyone knows that the Congress is a fan of Pakistan. The prime minister further added that the partnership between Pakistan and Congress has now been completely exposed.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. He was addressing an election rally in Gujarat’s Anand where PM Modi said, Congress is dying here and Pakistanis are crying. He further added that Pakistani leaders want to make shehzada of Congress the prime minister of India.

He said everyone should look at the coincidence that today the Congress is getting weak in India and Pakistani leaders at the same time are praying for the grand old party. PM Modi said Pakistan is eager to make the prince the Prime Minister and everyone knows that the Congress is a fan of Pakistan. The prime minister further added that the partnership between Pakistan and Congress has now been completely exposed.

A few days earlier Pakistani leader Chaudhary Fawad Hussain had shared a video on X which featured Rahul Gandhi, in which the Congress leader is seen targetting the BJP and PM Modi. In the video shared by the former Pakistan minister, rahul Gandhi can be seen attacking the BJP government over the invitees at Ram Mandir’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

The edited video shows Rahul Gandhi speaking about the Ram Mandir’s inauguration and charging the BJP government of sidelining the interests of the poor and youth.  PM Modi further added at the Anand rally that Congress Shahzade is dancing around with the Constitution on their foreheads. But for 75 years, this did not apply to all parts of Hindustan. The Constitution was not applicable in Kashmir, where Article 370 was like a wall that the BJP government had demolished.

The Prime Minister said it is his guarantee that he will work 24×7 to make India a developed country by 2047. He pointed out that in the last 10 years, the BJP government has given tap water connections to 14 crore houses, while the Congress gave just 3 crore houses in 60 years.

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