ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister, Faryal Talpur, appeared before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday in a Rs 35 billion money laundering and fake bank accounts case.
The two had their statements recorded before FIA additional DG Najaf Mirza. The former president and his sister were questioned for around 35 minutes and according to sources, Zardari avoided answering some questions, reported local Geo News.
Speaking to media personnel after his appearance at the agency’s Islamabad office, Zardari said, “Unfortunately the money laundering case was formed against me during former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s tenure.”
Zardari and Talpur were accompanied by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders Syed Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Aitzaz Ahsan, recorded their statements in the money laundering case at the agency’s headquarters in Islamabad today.
Zardari and his sister’s names are among 32 people being investigated by the FIA with regards to money laundering from fictitious accounts. In July, Zardari’s close aide and famous banker Hussain Lawai was arrested in connection with a multi-billion rupee scam for which the former president and his sister were listed as beneficiaries.
The FIA issued notices on Saturday for the two to appear at the agency’s headquarters in Islamabad. This was the fourth summon issued to the former president and his sister. Despite being summoned earlier, Zardari and Talpur failed to appear before the FIA’s joint investigation team probing the multi-billion money laundering scam.
The FIA has been directed to submit a comprehensive report to the Supreme Court in connection with the ongoing probe by Tuesday.
On August 17, non-bailable arrest warrants for Zardari among others were issued by a local banking court in Karachi. The notices ordered for the suspects to be arrested and presented before the court by September 4.
On August 18, however, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved the former president’s petition for protective bail in the case.
Zardari had filed the petition in the IHC through his counsels Aitzaz Ahsan and Latif Khosa.
Zardari, Talpur appear before FIA in Islamabad
Zardari, Talpur appear before FIA in Islamabad
- Despite being summoned earlier, former President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur failed to appear before the FIA’s joint investigation team probing a multi-billion rupee money laundering scam
- FIA has been directed to submit a comprehensive report before the Supreme Court in connection with the ongoing probe by Tuesday
Family struggles to raise toddler after India expels mother to Pakistan
- India canceled Pakistanis’ visas after attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week
- Special NORI visas were granted to Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationals married to Indians
RAJOURI, INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR:
Ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan have left one family struggling and worried after the mother of a toddler was expelled by India.
Two-year-old Ayiza Anjum’s father said his daughter had fallen ill since her mother was made to leave the country when India canceled visas of Pakistani nationals in the wake of an attack on tourists in Pahalgam that left 26 dead last week.
Athiya Aslam lived in India on a long-term visa with her in-laws in Kashmir’s Rajouri district.
Ayiza’s father, Anjum Tanweer, condemned the situation as a “dire injustice.”
“This [expulsion of Pakistani nationals] by the government according to us is very wrong,” he said. “Those living illegally [in India] it makes sense for them. But those who have families here, they have been wronged.”
Tanweer said it was the third day that his child had been crying and refusing to drink milk.
“She is sick. It has become very difficult for me. I’m very worried,” the father said.
Tanweer’s father appealed to the Indian government to bring back his daughter-in-law and reunite her with Ayiza.
“My small child who is left here is in a lot of distress. She hasn’t been able to eat for the last three days,” Tanweer Hussain Khan, the toddler’s grandfather, said.
“We are all in a state of shock. I request the prime minister to [bring back] my daughter-in-law who has gone there [to Pakistan], whose child was snatched from her. I have complete hope that you will reunite them.”
On April 22, militants unleashed a deadly carnage in Baisaran valley, a tourist spot in Indian Kashmir, known for its lush green meadows. 25 tourists and a local pony handler were killed in the attack. India has alleged Pakistani involvement, without providing evidence. Islamabad denies the charge but fears continue to rise that New Delhi could carry out retaliatory strikes.
In response, among other measures, New Delhi canceled the visas of Pakistani nationals. However, it reportedly announced NORI (No Obligation to Return to India) visa holders as an exception.
NORI visas are provided to such Pakistani or Bangladeshi nationals who are married to Indian citizens or have close relatives in India.
Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan for decades, with both claiming the valley in full but ruling it in part.
With militaries upgraded, risks multiply in any potential India-Pakistan conflict
- India and Pakistan have significantly upgraded military capabilities since nuclear-armed neighbors clashed in 2019
- In particular, India believes that it was at a disadvantage in 2019 because it had to rely mainly on aging Russian jets
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan have significantly upgraded their military capabilities since the nuclear-armed neighbors clashed in 2019, posing increased risks of escalation even in a limited conflict, former military officers and experts say.
Pakistan says India plans a military incursion after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for a deadly attack on domestic tourists in Indian Kashmir last month. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to punish the backers of the attack “beyond their imagination.”
Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack but has warned it will hit back if it is targeted.
In 2019, India carried out air strikes inside Pakistan after the bombing of an Indian military convoy in Kashmir and said it destroyed “terrorist camps.” Pakistani jets conducted a retaliatory air strike and shot down an Indian aircraft during actions spread over two days.
The neighbors have fought three wars — in 1948, 1965 and 1971 — and clashed countless times since gaining independence, mostly over the Kashmir region which both claim. Both acquired nuclear weapons in the 1990s and Kashmir is considered one of the most dangerous flashpoints in the world.
Military experts say neither side will consider nuclear weapons unless pushed to the wall, but even a limited conflict would carry high risks of escalation.
They say such a conflict is likely to involve aircraft, missiles or drones, where India and Pakistan are considered closely matched, although India’s far greater resources would come into play over a longer period.
“Decision makers in both states now have a higher risk appetite for conflict initiation and escalation than prior to 2019,” said Frank O’Donnell, a non-resident fellow at the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a think-tank in Washington, as they had managed then to clash without nuclear weapons being used.
“But without a clear mutual sense of the precise actions, that could trigger inadvertent escalation,” he added.
Both sides have acquired new military hardware since 2019, opening up new conventional strike options.
“Each side will think they are in a better position than last time,” said Muhammad Faisal, a South Asia security researcher based at the University of Technology, Sydney. “It is only when we see actual combat that we will find out.”
In particular, India believes that it was at a disadvantage in 2019 because it had to rely mainly on aging Russian jets. It has since inducted 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets, a top Western aircraft, with more on order for its navy.
To counter, Pakistan got one of China’s most advanced war planes, the J-10, a rough equivalent of the Rafale, in batches since 2022. It has at least 20 of the aircraft, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The planes carry advanced capabilities, with the Rafale armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles that operate beyond visual range. The J-10 is armed with the comparable PL-15 missile, according to a Pakistani security official who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to brief the media.
To plug the gaps in air defenses exposed on both sides in the 2019 conflict, India secured Russia’s battle-tested S-400, a mobile anti-aircraft missile system. Pakistan obtained the HQ-9 from China, which is based on Russia’s S-300, one notch down.
’CLAMOUR FOR ACTION’
“Most certainly in some respects we are better off (than 2019),” said Anil Golani, a former air vice marshal in the Indian Air Force, and the director general of the Delhi-based Center for Air Power Studies think tank.
“There’s a lot of clamor for action in the country but, in my personal assessment, both India and Pakistan are not looking for an all-out conflict,” he added.
Hanging over any conflict is China, India’s rival and Pakistan’s close ally and biggest supplier of military equipment. Although the US has urged India and Pakistan to ease tensions, it will closely watch any conflict for insights on Beijing’s aerial strength.
The Chinese plane and its PL-15 missile have not previously been tested in combat.
“It could be a contest between Western and Chinese technology,” said Faisal, adding “for India, there is the dilemma of how many air squadrons to commit to the Pakistan front, as it must also guard against China.”
China and India fought a brief border war in 1962 and the two armies have clashed, most recently in 2022, along their tense Himalayan frontier.
Pakistan has a fleet of F-16s, the US aircraft acquired decades back when ties with Washington were stronger. These F-16s were deployed in the 2019 tussle, leading India to lodge protests with the US, although New Delhi now enjoys far closer ties with Washington.
This time, to avoid the political fallout with the F-16 and to take advantage of having a more advanced aircraft, Pakistan will likely spearhead with the Chinese J-10, experts said.
But a drone or ground-launched missile strike is considered more likely since neither would risk a pilot being shot down.
India has turned to Israel for combat-capable drones, getting the Heron Mark 2, and it has UA Predator drones on order. Pakistan has acquired Turkiye’s Bayraktar TB2 — used by Ukraine in its war with Russia — and the Akinci, also from Turkiye, according to the Pakistani security official.
Amid the standoff, Pakistan tested a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 450 km (280 miles) on Saturday, to show that the armed forces were ready to “safeguard national security against any aggression,” according to a statement from the country’s military. Pakistan also has a range of short-range and medium-range missiles, capable of being fired from ground, sea and air.
There was no immediate comment from India on the test. India’s capabilities include the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile of about 300 km range as well the Agni series of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The 2019 skirmish almost spiraled out of control, with multiple missile strikes threatened before US intervention calmed the situation down.
Kaiser Tufail, a former fighter pilot in the Pakistani air force, said that India did not manage to establish deterrence in 2019, so it would aim for a more incisive strike this time, bringing more risks in its wake.
Modi said following the 2019 skirmishes that the country had felt the lack of Rafale fighters at the time, which were on order, and suggested that the results of the clash could have been different if it had the French fighter.
“If you go beyond what we saw in 2019, it is very risky,” said Tufail. “Nuclear-armed countries slugging it out is extremely dangerous.”
Pakistan test fires surface-to-surface missile amid threat of war with India
- Launched aimed at ensuring operational readiness of troops, validating key technical parameters, says Pakistan military
- Tensions have surged since India blamed Pakistan for backing militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan successfully conducted the training launch of a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometers on Monday, the military’s media wing said, amid fears of Islamabad’s surging tensions with New Delhi resulting in a military confrontation.
Pakistani and Indian forces have traded intermittent fire along the de facto border between the two states in the disputed Kashmir region since Apr. 26. Tensions between the two countries rose after a militant attack at a popular tourist spot in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22 killed 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, which Islamabad strongly denied and called for an international probe into the incident.
Pakistan has warned India of a “decisive” response if it launches any military action against it. On Saturday, Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System— a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers.
“Pakistan today conducted a successful training launch of a FATAH Series surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometers as part of ongoing Ex INDUS,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said.
The training launch was witnessed by senior officers of the Pakistan Army, as well as officers, scientists and engineers from the country’s strategic organizations, the ISPR said.
“The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy,” it added.
The military said Pakistan’s chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, and Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir congratulated the participating troops, scientists and engineers.
“They expressed complete confidence in the operational preparedness and technical proficiency of the Pakistan Army to thwart any aggression against the territorial integrity of Pakistan,” the statement said.
Pakistan and India have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Kashmir territory. Each side claims the territory in full but administers only parts of it, separated by a de facto border known as the Line of Control (LoC).
Both countries have taken hostile measures against each other since the attack, including expelling their nationals and suspending bilateral trade. India also announced it was suspending a decades-long water-sharing treaty between the two nations, with Pakistan warning attempts to block or divert its water flow would be considered an “act of war.”
Top Pakistani leaders have reached out to foreign capitals and senior officials in China, United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other countries, amid fears that India’s possible action over the attack may lead to a wider conflict in the region.
OIC body condemns ‘rising Islamophobia,’ reported attacks against Indian Muslims
- Foreign news outlets have reported about Kashmiri Muslims facing harassment from Indian right-wing groups following Pahalgam attack
- OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission calls for international fact-finding mission to probe alleged rights violations in India
ISLAMABAD: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) principal human rights organ recently condemned international media reports of rising Islamophobia and “targeted reprisal attacks” against Muslims in various parts of India, following a militant attack in Kashmir last month.
International news organizations have reported Kashmiri Muslim vendors and students in Indian cities have faced harassment, vilification and threats from right-wing groups following an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22 that killed 26 tourists. Survivors of the attack have said militants specifically targeted Hindu men in the attack on Pahalgam town, sparking anger and grief in India.
India blamed Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack, an allegation that Islamabad denies. India, facing a decades-long insurgency in Muslim-majority Kashmir, accuses Pakistan of arming militant organizations in the region. Islamabad has always denied the accusations but has vowed to diplomatically support the people of Kashmir.
The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in full by India and Pakistan. However, the nuclear-armed nations administer only parts of it.
“The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expresses profound concern and condemnation regarding disturbing reports from international media which suggested an increase in hate speech, targeted reprisal attacks, and acts of violence both online and offline, against Muslims in various parts of India, as well as Kashmiri Muslims in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK),” the IPHRC said on its website on Saturday.
It said the incidents targeting Muslims appear to be “fueled by far-right Hindu nationalist groups” which accuse Muslims of being involved in the Apr. 22 attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam. The OIC body expressed grief over the loss of civilian lives in the Pahalgam incident, but reaffirmed that reprisal attacks against innocent civilians are “violations of human rights and human dignity.”
“As such, the Commission calls for a prompt and impartial investigation into the incident and urges all to respect the sanctity of human life and ensure the protection of civilians at all times,” it added.
The IPHRC urged India to fulfill its obligations under international human rights law and ensure the safety and security of Muslim communities by implementing “concrete measures” at all levels.
“The Commission also calls on the international community, United Nations human rights mechanisms including Special Procedures, to closely monitor the situation and take necessary actions to protect the rights and dignity of Muslims in India,” it said.
The OIC body reiterated its call for the establishment of an international fact-finding mission or Commission of Inquiry under the UN to investigate rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir and independently verify and report on the rights situation.
It called on the UN and the international community to press India to abide by the relevant UN Security Council and OIC resolutions on Kashmir, refrain from any administrative and legislative measures that would “alter the geographical and demographic status” of Indian-administered Kashmir, release all political prisoners and “repeal discriminatory laws.”
The Pahalgam attack and India’s subsequent allegations have triggered a surge in its tensions with Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to pursue the attackers “to the ends of the earth,” with fears that India may carry out limited airstrikes or special forces raids near the border with Pakistan.
A Pakistani minister said last week Islamabad had “credible intelligence” that India was planning to attack Pakistan. Pakistan’s military and government have vowed that a “strong” response will be given to India if it launches military action.
India starts work on hydro projects after suspending treaty with Pakistan, sources say
- New Delhi last month suspended Indus Waters Treaty that ensures supply to 80 percent of Pakistani farms
- India undertook “reservoir flushing” process at two hydropower projects from May 1-3, say sources
SRINAGAR: India has begun work to boost reservoir holding capacity at two hydroelectric projects in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, after fresh tension with Pakistan led it to suspend a water-sharing pact.
Last month, New Delhi suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty between the nuclear-armed rivals that ensures supply to 80 percent of Pakistani farms after an attack in Kashmir killed 26, and it identified two of the three assailants as Pakistani.
Islamabad has threatened international legal action over the suspension and denied any role in the attack, warning, “Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan ... will be considered as an act of war.”
A “reservoir flushing” process to remove sediment began on Thursday, carried out by India’s biggest hydropower company, state-run NHPC Ltd, and authorities in the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the three sources said.
The work may not immediately threaten supply to Pakistan, which depends on rivers flowing through India for much of its irrigation and hydropower generation, but it could eventually be affected if other projects launch similar efforts.
There are more than half a dozen such projects in the region.
India did not inform Pakistan about the work at the Salal and Baglihar projects, which is being done for the first time since they were built in 1987 and 2008/09, respectively, as the treaty had blocked such work, the sources added.
They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media.
India’s NHPC and the neighboring governments did not reply to emails from Reuters to seek comment.
Since independence from British colonial rule in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, in addition to numerous short conflicts.
The flushing operation ran for three days from May 1, the sources said.
“This is the first time such an exercise has taken place and will help in more efficient power generation and prevent damage to turbines,” one of the sources told Reuters.
“We were also asked to open the adjustable gates for cleaning, which we did from May 1,” the source said, adding that the effort aimed to free dam operation from any restrictions.
People living on the banks of the Chenab river on the Indian side of Kashmir said they noticed water had been released from both Salal and Baglihar dams from Thursday to Saturday.
‘FREE WILL’
The flushing of hydropower projects requires nearly emptying a reservoir to force out sediments whose build-up is a major cause of decline in output.
For example, two of the sources said, power delivered by the 690-MegaWatt Salal project was far below its capacity, because Pakistan had prevented such flushing, while silting also hit output at the 900-MW Baglihar project.
“Flushing is not a common thing because it leads to a lot of water wastage,” said one of the sources. “Downstream countries are expected to be informed in case it leads to any inundation.”
Building both projects had required extensive back and forth with Pakistan, which worries about losing out on its share of water.
Under the 1960 treaty, which split the Indus and its tributaries between the neighbors, India had also shared data such as hydrological flows at various spots on the rivers flowing through India and issued flood warnings.
India’s water minister has vowed to “ensure no drop of the Indus river’s water reaches Pakistan.”
Government officials and experts on both sides say India cannot stop water flows immediately, however, as the treaty has allowed it only to build hydropower plants without significant storage dams on the three rivers allocated to Pakistan.
The suspension means India “can now pursue our projects at free will,” said Kushvinder Vohra, a recently retired head of India’s Central Water Commission who worked extensively on Indus disputes with Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has sought to renegotiate the treaty in recent years and the archfoes have tried to settle some of their differences at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.
These concerns related to the size of the water storage area at the region’s Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric plants.
