Pakistani terrorist among 2 ultras killed in encounter in J-K’s Kulgam

 Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Kashmir Vijay Kumar called the operation a big success and congratulated the joint team for eliminating the wanted Pakistani terrorist, Haider

A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist from Pakistan was among two ultras killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said. Acting on a specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in the Cheyan Devsar area of Kulgam in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there, a police spokesman said.

As the security forces personnel approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon them. The security personnel effectively retaliated leading to a gunfight, he said. “In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of the proscribed terror outfit LeT, including Pakistani terrorist commander Haider, was killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site. The other killed terrorist has been identified as Shahbaz Shah of Kulgam,” the spokesman said…

I am LeT's biggest supporter; Hafeez Saeed likes me too: Pervez Musharraf

The former president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir

Politics: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has come out in support of the terror groups, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), saying they were the biggest force against the Indian Army in Kashmir.

Speaking on Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf said, "I am the biggest supporter of the LeT and I know they like me and the JuD also likes me."

He further said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him.

The former president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state.

"I was always in favour of action in Kashmir and of suppressing the Indian Army in Kashmir and they [LeT] are the biggest force," Musharraf said.

He also accused India of declaring the LeT and the JuD as terror groups with the help of the United States.

"India got them declared as terrorists by partnering with the US," Musharraf said, adding," Yes, they [LeT] are involved in Kashmir and in Kashmir it is, between, we [Pakistan] and India."

Earlier this week, the US strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.

Read More: Parvez musharraf on LeT

Pak responds to US, says ISI's 'links' with terrorists not same as support

After US' Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the ISI has links to terrorists, Pak attempted to defend itself by claiming that having links with such groups was not the same as supporting them

Pakistan's military establishment on Thursday attempted to draw a distinction between its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency "having links" with militant organisations and "supporting" such outfits, the Pakistan daily Dawn reported.

In a wide-ranging conference that saw the country's powerful military establishment discuss security issues, including internal security, civil-military relations, and relations with India, Afghanistan, and the US, the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, hit out against allegations that the ISI has tied with militant organisations.

"Having links is different from supporting. Name any intelligence agency which does not have links. Links can be positive, and he [US Defence Secretary James Mattis] did not say there was support, so the narrative [against Pakistan's army and intelligence agencies] that I talked about is relevant here as well. We should not be a part of it. We have our own narrative," Ghafoor said, according to Dawn.

ALSO READ: Economic benefits for Pak from India if it ends terror safe haven: Mattis

Ghafoor's attempt at differentiating "links" from "support" came even as the country's civilian establishment, stung by remarks from US officials, sought to defend the ISI.

According to agency reports that cited Dawn, the Pakistani Foreign Office on Thursday refuted as "baseless" the remarks of a top US general who said the ISI has connections with terrorist groups.

"The US government and army cannot make Pakistan a scapegoat for its failures in Afghanistan," Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said....read more

Highlights of BRICS 2017 summit: From naming LeT, JeM to Xi-Modi meet

PM Modi and Xi Jinping will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday

economy news: In what is being seen as a big victory for India's campaign against Pakistan-based terrorist groups, BRICS on Monday named Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in their joint declaration while calling for a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had arrived at the Chinese city of Xiamen on Sunday and attended the BRICS Summit on Monday. According to agency reports, PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday.

Here are 10 things to know about India's participation at the BRICS summit

1) Modi lists out 'Ten Noble Commitments' for BRICS: On Tuesday, ahead of his meeting with Xi, PM Modi laid down a roadmap for development as he delivered his statement during the Dialogue of Emerging Markets and Developing Countries at the BRICS summit.

According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of External affairs, speaking at the session, PM Modi said that BRICS leadership for global transformation could be achieved through "Ten Noble Commitments" creating a safer world, creating a greener world, creating an enabled world, creating an inclusive world, creating a digital world, creating a skilled world, creating a healthier world, creating an equitable world, creating a connected world, and creating harmonious world.

PM Modi said that India had recently completed its first voluntary review of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The Prime Minister said that the bedrock of India's development agenda was based on the notion of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas”.

PM Modi also spoke of India's "long tradition" of partnering with "fellow developing countries" and mentioned the South Asia Satellite initiative. He added that India's development partnerships projects were providing water, electricity, roads, healthcare, tele-medicine, and basic infrastructure in dozens of countries.

"Our no strings attached model of cooperation is driven purely by the requirements and priorities of our partner countries," the Prime Minister said.

2) First Modi-Xi meet post Doklam: PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday will hold their first substantive bilateral meeting after the Doklam standoff, which had put ties between the two countries under strain, according to agency reports....read more