KATHUA, 20 February 2020, TON: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Assistant Commandant, BB Yadav committed suicide today. His body has been sent to sub-district hospital, Hiranagar, for postmortem. However, there are reported of brawl between the BSF officer and the Infantary personnel posted at the outpost.  

BB Yadav was posted at BSF’s Karole Krishna border outpost in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district but he was summoned at the headquarters some days back on the TON’s report dated 15 February 2020 that BSF and piquets of Indian infantry battalions targeted residential areas of nearby villages across the Line of Control (LoC) where three women injured.  

Suicide has become a normal affair in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir state due to tense security situation and rebukes from local Kashmir population as well as superior officers on grounds of lenient action against Kashmiris.

JAMMU, 20 February 2020, TON: In less than one month on 19 February 2020, India Army Chief General MM Naravane visited Headquarters 16 Corps in Nagrota. On the occasion Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General YK Joshi and other senior officers were present. General Naravane was given detail presentation of the prevailing situation and was also briefed about scheduled visit of US President Donald Trump.

If we recall, it was 23^rd January 2020, General Manoj Mukund Naravane visited Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir to review situation on Line of Control (LoC) and witness operational preparedness of Indian army.

This time too General officer was also briefed about anti-militancy operations in the Jammu and Kashmir, ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army troops along the LoC in different sectors including border districts. General Naravane directed the troops to show bravery and courage during live operation during the US President’s visit to the area to impress upon the nature of terrorism faced by Indian security forces and Indian operations to eliminated terrorists.

SRINAGAR, 18 February 2020, TON: A company strength of Indian Infantry Battalion has been deployed outside the Hyderpora residence of top Kashmiri Pakistani leaders, Syed Ali Geelani to ensure his total isolation and cutoff from rest of the world. After the health issues of Syed Ali Geelani many Kashmiris wanted to visit his at his residence but were not allowed to meet him or come near his residence to ensure that no one enters the house to inquire about his health. The forces are vigorously searching vehicles and frisking people before sending them back from the area.

Hurriyat leaders and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front in their separate statements urged the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, to play his role in settlement of the Kashmir dispute in light of UN resolutions. They also demanded the release of all Kashmiri political detainees including Syed Ali Geelani and Muhammad Yasin Malik.

In a recent statement by the Indian authorities from New Delhi it was revealed, “Syed Ali Geelani  condition was stable, though he continues to suffer from chest infection”.  However, the local Kashmiris and across Line of Control are concerned as Syed Ali Geelani is not allowed access to medical treatment in the hospital.

NEW DELHI, 18 February 2020, TON: British Labour Member of Parliament Debbie Abrahams while strongly condemning Indian Prime Minister Modi for his anti-Muslim citizenship laws and highlighted the atrocities faced by the Kahmiris. In reaction to her campaign, New Delhi banned entry of Debbie Abrahams. Indian Ministry of Home Affairs claimed that Debbie Abrahams was notified that her visa was canceled. However, the MP Debbie Abrahams denied any such communication from Indian authorities and claimed that her visa was valid until October 2020. In her statement to to press, she said that she received no notifications regarding any cancellation.

Ms Abrahams chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Kashmir. On 5 August 2019, Abrahams had written to India’s High Commissioner to the UK expressing grave concerns over removal of Article 370. She also wrote to the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, asking him “what action he is taking in light of India’s threat to remove Article 370 from their constitution”.

 It is worth noting that recently a group of 154 members of the European Parliament has drafted a resolution against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act. It describes the CAA as discriminatory and dangerously divisive but also a violation of India’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

PARIS, 17 February 2020, TON: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary and working group meetings will run from 16^th February till 21^st February 2020 in Paris. Attended by more than 800 representatives from 205 countries and jurisdictions around the world, the meetings are expected to bring some positive change in the financial systems. The issues under consideration by the FATF watchdog will discuss global money laundering and terror financing as well as progresses made by countries that the FATF claim are a risk to the financial system. The sponsors include IMF, UN, World Bank and other organizations. 

Reportedly, Pakistan's crucial Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary decided to keep Pakistan in the FATF's 'Grey List'. If we recall, FATF had put Pakistan on its grey list in June 2017 because of deficiencies in the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Terrorist Financing regulations. Last meeting of FATF was held from 13 to 18 October 2018 which announced that only five of 27 action items and gave Pakistan time till February 2020 to fully implement the FATF’s 27-point action plan. Only two countries, North Korea and Iran, are on the FATF blacklist.

LAHORE, 17 February 2020, TON: Kabaddi World Cup final was played at Punjab Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, 16 February 2020, between Pakistan and India.  Pakistan defeated India 43-41 to become champions for the first time.

The score was 24-18 at half time; Pakistan took lead in the second half to become the new world champions.

Total nine teams including hosts Pakistan, India, Germany, Azerbaijan, Iran, Canada, Sierra Leone, England and Australia features in the Kabaddi World Cup 2020, which was jointly organised by Punjab government, Sports Board Punjab and Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF). The matches were played at three venues including Punjab Stadium Lahore, Iqbal Cricket Stadium Faisalabad and Zahoor Elahi Stadium Gujrat.

Punjab Stadium, which has 10,000 sitting capacity, but around 12,000 to 13,000 spectators were present inside the venue while around 3,000 to 4,000 were standing outside

At the concluding ceremony, chief guest Governor Punjab awarded the winning trophy and PKR 10 million to victorious Pakistan team while handed over PKR 7.5 million and silver medals to runners-up India.

ISLAMABAD, 16 February 2020, TON: Pakistan’s Consulate General in Jeddah on Saturday issued a statement to counter an online propaganda campaign against Saudi Arabia, issuing a clarification that no Pakistan-specific repatriation was happening in the Kingdom as maintained by some social media users. All foreign nationals who are either living in the country illegally without valid documents or working without Iqama or have an expired work permit or doing a job at a place not mentioned on the Iqama or working outside of their declared profession have to deal with the situation. Saudi Arabia is home to about 2.6 million Pakistani expats and on Saturday, around 400 Pakistanis were brought to the Shumaisi Deportation Center near Makkah for deportation.

ISLAMABAD, 16 February 2020, TON: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Islamabad on Sunday as part of his three-day visit to the country to attend an international conference on Afghan refugees which is being hosted by Pakistan.

The two-day event, from February 17 to 18, will mark four decades since the refugees first moved to Pakistan to escape a decades-old conflict plaguing neighboring Afghanistan.

Secretary General Guterres arrived at the Nur Khan Air Base, Chaklala in Rawalpindi on Sunday where he was received by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Munir Akram and officials from Pakistan Foreign Office and Ministry of Information.  

Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan will be inaugurating the Afghan refugees’ conference tomorrow which is expected to see the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, and ministers and senior officials from around 20 countries who have been supporting the Afghan refugees across the globe and in Pakistan.

It is added that present; Pakistan is host to nearly 1.4 million registered refugees, as data compiled by the UNHCR.

KATHUA, 15 February 2020, TON: Indian security forces carried out unprovoked firing and heavy shelling from positions at Hiranagar sector in occupied Jammu & Kashmir’s Kathua district on Saturday morning.

The Borders Security Forces and piquets of Indian infantry battalions targeted residential areas of nearby villages across the Line of Control (LoC) where three women injured. There were reports of damages caused to some houses. Pakistan security forces retaliated and caused loss to Indian forces, however, Indian side has so far not reported any loss to human life or injuries.

WASHINGTON, 15 February 2020, TON: US President Donald Trump tweeted that he has the legal right to intervene in criminal cases after his US Attorney General complained White House tweets were making his job impossible. 

There is a debate whether the US president has the authority to order the Attorney General to open or close a case. The US Department of Justice is autonomous and meant to operate without political interference ever since the Watergate scandal of 1970s.

Mr Trump has in the past had called for investigations into perceived enemies, such as former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

On Friday, Mr McCabe's lawyers disclosed that Justice Department had closed its criminal inquiry into whether their client had lied to investigators about leaks to the media or not.