India News

Saeed house arrest a diplomatic win for India

Published

10 years ago

February 4, 2017

Saeed house arrest a diplomatic win for India

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]New Delhi’s success in isolating Pakistan globally forced Islamabad’s hand

By Abu Turab

India’s aggressive diplomacy against Pakistan for its support to cross-border terrorism has been productive and has led to a sense of isolation in Islamabad which is what reportedly forced Pakistan to place Jama’at-ud-Da’wah chief Hafiz Saeed under house arrest on January 30. India has been, for quite some time, demanding that Saeed be put on the United Nations-sanctioned terrorists’ list.

New Delhi’s recent diplomatic moves began when it refused to approve the appointment of Amjad Hussain Sial as Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in January this year. Sial is Islamabad’s candidate as it was supposed to host the 19th SAARC summit in November last year, but the event fell through when India decided to boycott it and other countries also pulled out.

In the normal course,the appointment of the Secretary General is approved by the Council of Ministers of the member countries when they meet before the summit. New Delhi feels that Sial’s appointment should not be cleared without following the set procedure.

According to Hindustan Times, the ministry of external affairs asked the SAARC secretariat, currently in Kathmandu, to follow the process laid down in the charter for appointing the Secretary General. India emphasized that the appointment should not be done merely through a diplomatic note. It pointed to Article V of the MoU on the establishment of the SAARC secretariat. But the Council of Ministers’ meeting could not take place because the boycott prevented the summit being held.

Pakistan’s reputed Dawn newspaper reported on February 1 that officials in Islamabad accuse India of employing “delaying tactics” and insist that concurrence had been received from all members, including India. A copy of an Indian diplomatic note dated May 30, 2016, conveying concurrence for Sial’s appointment, was shared by Dawn.

Pakistan also claims that Sial’s nomination was made at the SAARC Council of Ministers in Pokhara, Nepal, in March 2016 and was endorsed by all member states.

Relations between the two nuclear-powered neighbours nosedived last year when violence erupted after the killing of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen, in an encounter with security forces in Kashmir in July last year. India also accuses the Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan-based terror group, for attacking its military camp in Uri, killing 17 soldiers, in September last year. At one point of time Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had even called Pakistan a terrorist state.

Dawn observed that the Indian leadership does not say it, but a sub-regional transport agreement and statements by Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicate that India is working towards a regional bloc minus Pakistan. Furthermore, by isolating Pakistan, it believes, India is trying to gain maximum leverage and influence in the region.

The Pakistani daily talked about Pakistan’s importance in the region and observed that Pakistan, besides its large territorial size, has been an active member of SAARC and is currently contributing 24 percent of the secretariat’s budget.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Prime Minister’s adviser on foreign policy, Sartaj Aziz, on January 27 alleged that India, by boycotting the SAARC summit, “impeded” the grouping’s process and “violated the spirit of its charter”. Aziz was speaking while meeting outgoing SAARC Secretary General Arjun Bahadur Thapa in Islamabad. Thapa’s stint ends on February 28.

The Islamabad Foreign Office, while quoting Aziz, in a statement said that “Pakistan remains committed to hosting the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad at the earliest so that the objectives of the regional cooperation can be pursued more vigorously.”

In a damage control exercise, Pakistani establishment chose to place Saeed under house arrest. He is the Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and the Jama’at-ud-Da’wah chief.Saeed said his house arrest was the result of pressure from India because of his advocacy of freedom of Kashmir and Balochistan. Among the reasons for his arrest, he cited the bonhomie between Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Saeed was earlier placed under house arrest in December 2008 after the Mumbai terror attack and again in September 2009. On both occasions, the house arrest was lifted after a short duration.

On January 9 Dawn reported that the civilian government had informed the military leadership of “growing international isolation of Pakistan” and sought consensus on several key actions by the state. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also directed fresh efforts to conclude the Pathankot investigation and resume Mumbai terror attack-related trials in the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi.

According to the daily’s report, the message was clear that military-led intelligence agencies were not to interfere if law enforcement agencies acted against militant groups that are banned or considered off-limits for civilian action.

Dawn further revealed that Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, in a presentation in the PMO, summarized the results of the recent diplomatic outreach by Pakistan and described the isolation it has been facing in major world capitals. He said that relations have deteriorated and will likely further deteriorate because of the US demand for action against the Haqqani network. On India, Chaudhry stated that completion of the Pathankot investigation and some “visible action” against the Jaish-e-Mohammad were among the principal demands.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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India News

Air India sacks Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after failing drug test

Air India has terminated the Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after a confirmatory test found a psychoactive substance following the August 4 incident.

Published

3 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Air India has terminated the employment of the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight after he tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The pilot was in command of flight AI2379, which was travelling from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude over Odisha. The incident left 24 passengers injured.

Air India said the termination was in line with its zero-tolerance policy regarding safety violations and regulatory requirements.

Air India terminates pilot with immediate effect

In a statement, the Tata-owned airline said the pilot-in-command had tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The airline said that, considering its zero-tolerance approach to violations related to safety, fitness and regulatory requirements, the pilot’s employment had been terminated with immediate effect.

Air India also said it continues to cooperate fully with the investigation into the incident and has provided access to relevant operational, maintenance and technical records.

What happened on the Phuket-Delhi flight?

According to the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the Airbus A320 was carrying 145 people when it experienced the near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems while cruising at around 36,000 feet.

The technical failure resulted in the autopilot disconnecting and triggered a brief stall warning. The aircraft subsequently lost altitude, resulting in injuries to 24 passengers.

The preliminary report also noted that the pilot tested non-negative for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test.

However, the report did not establish that the pilot’s drug-test result caused or contributed to the hydraulic system failure or the subsequent loss of altitude.

AAIB recommends action over psychoactive substance finding

The AAIB described the confirmation of psychoactive substance use as a serious concern and recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action against the pilot on priority.

The investigation into the technical and other aspects of the incident is still underway.

The preliminary report also noted that the co-pilot was flying the aircraft when the incident occurred and attempted to bring the situation under control.

Air India said safety remains its highest priority and that its pilots undergo training, proficiency checks, medical examinations and other regulatory assessments in accordance with applicable requirements.

India News

India offers forensic DNA support to identify Nepal flood victims

India will make forensic laboratory facilities available for DNA profiling of first-degree relatives of people missing after Nepal’s August 26 flash floods.

Published

8 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

India has offered forensic laboratory support to help identify people who remain missing after the devastating flash floods in Nepal.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said central and state forensic laboratories in India will make their DNA profiling facilities available for first-degree biological relatives of people missing after the August 26 flash floods in Nepal.

DNA samples can be provided by relatives in India

According to the MEA, first-degree biological relatives living in India can have their biological samples collected and DNA profiles prepared.

The relatives can include a person’s father, mother, son, daughter or sibling. DNA profiling can be carried out at Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSLs), State Forensic Science Laboratories (SFSLs), laboratories of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), and NABL-accredited laboratories with DNA profiling capabilities.

The initiative is intended to support Nepal’s ongoing process of identifying mortal remains recovered after the flash floods.

DNA profiles to be compared with unidentified remains

The MEA said the DNA profiling may use Autosomal STR DNA profiling, as advised by Nepal Police, subject to the technical requirements communicated by the Nepali authorities.

Once prepared, DNA profiles and the preliminary information required by Nepalese authorities can be sent to Nepal Police by email for comparison with DNA profiles obtained from unidentified mortal remains.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu will also facilitate coordination, with copies of the DNA profiles to be shared with the embassy for this purpose.

Nepal flood death toll rises

The death toll from the flash floods has risen to at least 1,259, according to Nepalese authorities, after rescue workers recovered additional bodies from affected areas.

More than 12,000 people have been rescued, while around 5,000 people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue.

The flash floods, which followed an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, caused extensive destruction across towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.

India News

PM Modi hails ISRO after successful GSLV-F17 launch, calls it proud moment

PM Modi congratulated ISRO after GSLV-F17 successfully launched EOS-05, calling the achievement a proud moment for India.

Published

13 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the nation.

The GSLV-F17 lifted off at 2:55 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The EOS-05 satellite was subsequently placed into its designated sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.

PM Modi praises ISRO’s growing capabilities

In a post on X, PM Modi said the successful mission reflected the excellence, innovation and expanding capabilities of India’s space sector.

Yet another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a proud moment for our nation.

The successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, India’s first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit is a reflection of the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define… https://t.co/fXzwnSmwAF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2026

He also highlighted the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry, saying it was strengthening India’s space programme and expanding capabilities across the wider space ecosystem.

The prime minister described the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05 as another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a matter of national pride.

EOS-05 strengthens earth observation capabilities

According to the report, EOS-05 is India’s first-ever imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is designed to provide continuous observation of the country from an altitude of nearly 36,000 km above Earth.

The mission is expected to strengthen India’s earth observation capabilities and support advanced imaging and observation applications.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, saying the satellite was precisely injected into its intended orbit.

Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as a significant milestone for the GSLV programme. He said it was the 19th flight of the GSLV and noted that EOS-05 is the heaviest satellite the launch vehicle has placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit or sub-GTO orbit.

GSLV-F17 launch vehicle details

The GSLV-F17 stands 51.7 metres tall and has an approximate liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also congratulated the ISRO team following the successful mission. He described EOS-05 as a state-of-the-art Earth observation satellite capable of advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands.