Tag: India

  • India plans women’s IPL next year

    India plans women’s IPL next year

     The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to launch the women’s edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament next year.

    President BCCI Sourav Ganguly told reporters that the women’s IPL has been approved “It has to be approved by the annual general meeting.”

    Earlier, in an interview with an Indian news agency, Ganguly had said that women’s IPL will be launched in 2023.

    IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said the process to launch the women’s version has “started”. According to Patel, there would be five or six teams in the women’s IPL but again that would need the approval of the general body.

    IPL 2022 has started from today (March 26) and a total of 70 league matches and four playoff games will be played over 65 days. The matches will be played by creating a bio-bubble.

  • ‘Impose economic sanctions on India’: Azad Kashmir President urges OIC

    ‘Impose economic sanctions on India’: Azad Kashmir President urges OIC

    Addressing a special meeting of the Kashmir Contact Group of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry asked the forum to help stop oppression in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IoK) by imposing economic sanctions on India and boycotting its products.

    He said that since August 5, 2019 (when India changed IoK special status) Indian authorities have issued fake domiciles to 4.2 million non-state Hindus to change the proportion of population there.

    He said the OIC should play its role for the release of political leaders and youth who have been arrested before and after August 5, 2019.

    On the occasion, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) representative Syed Faiz Naqshbandi and Ghulam Mohammad Safi also briefed the OIC delegations about the current situation of violation of human rights in IoK. They also presented a memorandum to OIC Secretary General Hussain Ibrahim Taha.

    APHC is a united political front to raise the cause of Kashmiri separatism in the Kashmir conflict.

  • ‘Amazed that the sex crimes, child abuse, rape fastest growing crime in Pakistan’: PM Khan tells OIC

    ‘Amazed that the sex crimes, child abuse, rape fastest growing crime in Pakistan’: PM Khan tells OIC

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said, “We have failed both the Palestinians and the people of Kashmir. I am sad to say that we have been able to make no impact at all.”

    The premier delivered a keynote address at the inaugural session of the 48th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Tuesday.

    “We (Muslims) are 1.5 billion people and yet our voice to stop this blatant injustice is insignificant.”

    “Why was Islam equated with terrorism?” questioned PM Imran

    The premier began his speech by congratulating the Muslim world for the recent adoption of a resolution against Islamophobia by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), that proclaims March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

    “Why was Islam equated with terrorism?” Imran questioned, and referred to the Christchurch attack on a mosque as a consequence of this stereotyping.

    “Once that happens, how is the man in the street in Western countries, how is he supposed to differentiate between a moderate Muslim and a radical Muslim? Hence, this man walks into a mosque and shoots everyone he could.”

    “What should have been done wasn’t; the heads of Muslim countries should have taken a stand on this. Unfortunately, this narrative of Islamic terrorism, Islamic radicalisation, this narrative went on unchecked.”

    India does not feel any pressure

    The premier said that the international community promised the Kashmiris the right to decide their destiny through a plebiscite. That right was never given to them, he stated.

    He said that it was because India does not feel any pressure.

    PM Imran Khan asked the OIC nations to have a united front or else these abuses will continue.

    The world is “headed in the wrong way”

    In response to this wave of Islamophobia, PM Imran said, some Muslim heads of state said they were moderate Muslims. “When you say this, you automatically say there are some extremist Muslims.”

    The premier also spoke about the global situation, expressing his apprehension that the world is “headed in the wrong way”.

    A new Cold War had almost started and the world could be divided into blocs, he said, stressing that unless 1.5bn Muslims took a united stand, “we will be nowhere.”

    He said it was “extremely important” to stabilise Afghanistan because it was the “only way we are going to be able to stop international terrorism from Afghan soil”.

    “Let’s not be delusional that some other country can come in and fight terrorism through drones. The only way is a stable Afghanistan government that can take care of terrorism.

    “Anyone who knows the Afghan character should be cautioned, please do not push the people of Afghanistan where they feel their sovereignty is being threatened.”

    Pakistan has an increased divorce rate, rising vulgarity, which is because the more society gets permissive, the more it has a direct impact on the family system

    The premier said that when he became the prime minister of Pakistan he asked the police chief about the crime chart.

    “I was amazed to see that the sex crimes, child abuse, and rape are the fastest growing crime in this country.”

    PM Imran Khan went on to say that Pakistan has an increased divorce rate, rising vulgarity, which is because the more society gets permissive, the more it has a direct impact on the family system.

    He said that one of the most important things about Islam is that it protects the family system, it has values like respecting parents and teachers.

    “But [with] the culture that is coming through social media, we really need to think how we are going to protect our generations,” PM Imran Khan said.

    Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed the OIC foreign ministers to the conference and said that it is a matter of pride for Pakistan to host the 48th session in 2022, which marks the 77th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.

    “The OIC is the collective voice of nearly two billion Muslims. It is the bridge among the Muslim nations and between the Muslim world and the international community,” he said.

  • ‘PM Modi sleeps only for two hours a night for the sake of India’: Maharashtra BJP chief

    Maharashtra chief of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chandrakant Patil, has claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sleeps only for two hours so that he will work for his country, India.

    While addressing BJP workers, Patil said, “PM Modi sleeps for only two hours and works for 22 hours every day.”

    Patil was speaking to a large gathering in Kolhapur city for the upcoming Assembly by-poll elections.

    He also claimed that PM Modi is working for every single minute for the country and currently he is experimenting to prevent sleeping so that he could stay awake for 24 hours and dedicate his life to his country.

    He also continued that Indian PM Modi is well aware of every situation in every political party in India and he is working efficiently.

  • World Happiness Report: Pakistan is happier than India

    World Happiness Report: Pakistan is happier than India

    Pakistan has ranked 121 out of 146 countries on the list of World Happiness Report published by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. released on Friday. India stands on 136, which makes Pakistan a happier country than India.

    The list is topped by Finland as the happiest country in the world and Afghanistan is the least happiest country and stands on 146.

    Here is the list of top ten most happiest countries:

    1.Finland

    2. Denmark

    3. Iceland

    4. Switzerland

    5. Netherlands

    6. Luxembourg

    7. Sweden

    8. Norway

    9. Israel

    10. New Zealand

    The report stated that, “The World Happiness Report 2022 reveals a bright light in dark times. The pandemic brought not only pain and suffering but also an increase in social support and benevolence. As we battle the ills of disease and war, it is essential to remember the universal desire for happiness and the capacity of individuals to rally to each other’s support in times of great need.”

    The World Happiness Report ranks countries based on several factors such as real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.

  • ‘Gen Bajwa wanted concessions from India,’ British High Commissioner to Pakistan tells New Delhi

    ‘Gen Bajwa wanted concessions from India,’ British High Commissioner to Pakistan tells New Delhi

    British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa was looking for concessions—among them, the restoration of the Article 35A of India’s Constitution, which gave the state of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir the right to designate “permanent residents” entitled to purchase land, writes Praveen Swami for The Print. The British High Commissioner was speaking at a gathering in New Delhi.

    The news report further states that the Pakistan army chief believes he has helped New Delhi by controlling jihadists and thus ensuring violence in Kashmir remains at historically low levels.

    “The General, in his telling of events to British interlocutors, has resisted pressure from hawks to escalate in Kashmir—among them, Prime Minister Imran Khan,” writes the news outlet.

    In a report published in Dawn on April 25, 2021, it was revealed that India appro­ached Pakistan in December 2020 with an offer to reduce tension and offered backchannel talks on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan reciprocated favourably.

  • ‘Anti-Muslim’ Bollywood film ‘The Kashmir Files’ spreading overwhelming hatred  against Indian Muslims

    ‘Anti-Muslim’ Bollywood film ‘The Kashmir Files’ spreading overwhelming hatred against Indian Muslims

    Bollywood film, The Kashmir Files has recently been released in India which has ignited the environment of hatred against Muslims. It is based on the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley.

    The film is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The film cast includes Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi.

    Some hatred incidents were reported after people watched the film in cinemas. Anti-Muslim slogans were chanted by the audience.

    After watching the film, One man stood from his seat and loudly said, “If every (Hindu) man started marrying (Muslim) girls then their population will be reduced to half after three generations. They will give birth to less number of children. We are watching a film here and Muslims are increasing population at home.” Later, people started chanting “Jai Shri Ram”.

    Indian Journalist, Mohammed Zubair has shared a clip from a cinema hall where a man was shouting to boycott Bollywood films, especially of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. He used vulgar language against these actors.

    The audience joined with him and started chanting, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.

    https://twitter.com/zoo_bear/status/1503255813883760640

    Some people have become so violent that they were openly calling out to kill traitors referring to Muslims.

    The film has fuelled the violence and hate against Muslims in the current radical situation of the country.

    https://twitter.com/afzal_zulekha/status/1503812405805023232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1503812405805023232%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samaaenglish.tv%2Fentertainment%2F2022%2F03%2Fthe-kashmir-files-why-propaganda-anti-muslim-film-is-creating-storm%2F

    The Indian government openly endorsed the film in the public. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut recently crictised A-list celebrities for not promoting ‘The Kashmir Files’.

    One user also slammed Ajay Devgn for not saying a single word for ‘The Kashmir Files’ but he is promoting the ad campaign of Shah Rukh Khan instead.

    Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam are among A-list Bollywood stars who talked about the film.

  • Pakistan approaches UN while US says missile incident is anything other than an accident

    Pakistan approaches UN while US says missile incident is anything other than an accident

    Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the Indian parliament that the country is conducting a review of its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operations, maintenance and inspection of weapons systems, reports Dawn.

    “We attach the highest priority to the safety and security of our weapon systems. If any shortcoming is found, it would be immediately rectified,” the Indian defence minister added.

    The statement came after an Indian “accidental” missile launch at Pakistan that fell in Mian Channu, Khanewal district on March 9. After two days, the Indian government released a statement in which they said the missile accidentally was fired due to a technical malfunction.

    An Indian media reports claim that India informed Pakistan about this “accidental firing” soon after it happened. However, Pakistan said that India failed to inform Islamabad about the accidental launch immediately, and waited until after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced the incident about “high-speed flying object” and sought clarification from New Delhi.

    Meanwhile, Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi approached United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Qureshi briefed Guterres on the matter and stressed that this needs to be addressed by the international community, including the UN Security Council (SC). Qureshi briefed Guterres on the matter stressed that this needs to be addressed by the international community, including the UN Security Council (SC).

    US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on Monday said there is “no indication” that India launched a missile attack on Pakistan. He said that it was “anything other than an accident”. He also advised the journalist [who asked the question] to reach out to the Indian Defence Ministry for a follow-up.

    “I’m not familiar with that particular incident. What I would say is that nuclear safety around the world, especially in countries — nuclear-armed countries, is always a conversation that is ongoing,” Price added.

  • “Hijab is not essential part of Islam”, India’s Karnataka High Court supports hijab ban

    “Hijab is not essential part of Islam”, India’s Karnataka High Court supports hijab ban

    The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the government’s decision to ban hijab in educational institutes in the Indian state. The court ruled that the hijab is not an essential part of Islam.

    The hearing was headed by three judges who agreed that the “prescription of uniform is a reasonable restriction on fundamental rights.”

    The state government during the hearing told the court that a ban on hijab does not violate fundamental rights to practice and profess a religion under Article 25 of the Constitution.

    The court also added that religious symbols should not be involved in the uniforms of educational institutes.

    A group of Muslim female students from Udupi government college had filed a petition to allow them to wear hijab which, according to them, is a fundamental right to practice religion. However, the Karnataka High court rejected their plea and ruled in favour of banning the hijab by the state government.

    Anas Tanwir, a lawyer who is now representing the girls is planning to appeal to the Supreme Court. He termed the Karnataka court’s ruling “disappointing” and “erroneous”.

    “I believe it is a wrong interpretation of the law,” he said while talking to Al Jazeera.

    “As far as an essential religious practice is concerned, [that] should not have been the question. The question should have been whether the [authorities] had the power to pass such orders.”

    The tension arose in January when a section of the Hindu right-wing group appeared wearing saffron scarves and threatened female Muslim class fellows not to wear the hijab during classes, which made state government college in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka, ban the hijab and saffron scarves over fears of rising tension.

  • ‘Was missile handled by Indian army or rogue elements?’ Pakistan demands ‘joint probe’ into missile incident

    ‘Was missile handled by Indian army or rogue elements?’ Pakistan demands ‘joint probe’ into missile incident

    Pakistan took notice of the clarification by the Indian Defence Ministry regretting the “accidental firing” of the Indian-origin missile into Pakistani territory and demanded a “joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident”.

    In a statement issued today (March 12), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the grave nature of the incident raised several fundamental questions regarding security protocols and technical safeguards against the “accidental or unauthorised launch of missiles in a nuclearised environment”.

    “Such a serious matter cannot be addressed with the simplistic explanation proffered by the Indian authorities,” said the Foreign Office (FO) statement.

    Pakistan said some of the questions that need to be answered include:

    • India must explain the measures and procedures in place to prevent accidental missile launches and the particular circumstances of this incident.
    • India needs to clearly explain the type and specifications of the missile that fell in Pakistani territory.
    • India also needs to explain the flight path/ trajectory of the accidentally launched missile and how it ultimately turned and entered Pakistan?
    • Was the missile equipped with self-destruct mechanism? Why did it fail to actualise?
    • Are Indian missiles kept primed for launch even under routine maintenance?
    • Why did India fail to immediately inform Pakistan about the accidental launch of the missile and waited to acknowledge it till after Pakistan announced the incident and sought clarification?
    • Given the profound level of incompetence, India needs to explain if the missile was indeed handled by its armed forces or some rogue elements?

    “The whole incident indicates many loopholes and technical lapses of serious nature in Indian handling of strategic weapons,” said the statement, adding that the Indian decision to hold an internal court of inquiry is “not sufficient since the missile ended up in Pakistani territory”.

    “Pakistan, therefore, calls upon the international community to take serious notice of this incident of [a] grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its due role in promoting strategic stability in the region,” the FO said.

    Pakistan’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf tweeted yesterday that it has taken more than two days for India to accept that this was their missile launched ostensibly due to a technical malfunction during maintenance.

    “This raises serious questions about India’s ability to handle such sensitive technology. This missile traveled close to the path of international and domestic commercial airlines and threatened the safety of civilians,” said Yusuf.