Responding to Maleeha Lodhi’s allegations, India says it is a ‘lonely voice from the wilderness’ to keep alive Kashmir issue Pakistan has racked up the Kashmir issue again at the U.N. with its Permanent Representative, Maleeha Lodhi, accusing India of spreading terrorism in the Valley, but India described her diatribe as a “lonely voice from the wilderness”. The High-level Segment of the UN General Assembly last week had witnessed heated exchanges between India and Pakistan on the issue. Accusing India of human rights violations, Ms. Lodhi warned the country against aggression. “Do not underestimate Pakistan’s resolve and capacity to defend itself. Any aggression or intervention will meet a matching and effective response from our armed forces and the people of Pakistan,” she said, adding that India was making false claims about last year’s “surgical strike” across the Line of Control. However, “this provides Pakistan sufficient reason to respond in the exercise of its right to self-defence. By making such false claims and blatant threats, are India’s leaders attempting to provoke a conflict with Pakistan?” she said. Indian diplomat Eenam Gambhir responded to Ms. Lodhi. “Even while we have heard speakers address concerns of the present and the future, you have heard a lonely voice from the wilderness articulate a narrative of the past … It is focussed on a topic that is not even been deliberated for decades at the United Nations, an issue which that delegation tries to keep alive by procedural stratagems even while the world has moved on ... Yesterday’s people reflecting antiquated mindsets of the bygone times are symbolic of what holds us all back,” she said. Speaking at the General Assembly on Tuesday, India’s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said the international landscape had dramatically changed last year, and the United Nations must undertake reforms in a manner that responds to these changes. Participating in a debate on the annual report on the work of the U.N., Mr. Akbaruddin said the world body must not wait for “dramatic crises” to appreciate the changes under way and act pre-emotively. “…euphoria of finalising the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement seems to have substantially dissipated,” Mr. Akbaruddin said, listing the series of escalating challenges —“threats of nuclear escalation; armed conflict and massive refugee flows; ever escalating terrorist attacks; endemic poverty and under-development; worsening environmental degradation and climate change; accelerating technological change.” The Secretary-General had recently proposed a series of organizational initiatives, primarily under pressure from the Donald Trump administration to bring about more efficiency in the working of the U.N. “We appreciate the spirit that imbues these objectives and the Secretary General’s willingness to change processes,” Mr. Akbaruddin said, adding that the idea of U.N. reforms must address deeper changes in the international order. “…to not remain prisoners of historical destiny for all times to come … if we are to keep pace with fast-moving threats we face, we need to go beyond piecemeal changes,” the Indian diplomat said, adding that reforms must account for the “the furious pace of technological advances.” The Hindu, October 5, 2017

Rohingya issue top on agenda as Sushma Swaraj leaves for Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is visiting Dhaka six months after a successful visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today left for Dhaka on a two-day Bangladesh visit. Among other things, Sushma Swaraj will discuss the ongoing Rohingya crisis during her visit to Dhaka. Bangladesh has been dealing with the Rohingya issue for a long time because of the huge influx of refugees from Myanmar and has sought help from India in de-escalating the crisis. Announcing her departure from New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar wrote on Twitter, "External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj departs for Bangladesh to review the excellent bilateral relations and further strengthen ties." In an official statement regarding her visit to Dhaka on October 22-23, Ministry of External Affairs said that it is primarily to participate in the joint consultative commission and to "review the excellent bilateral relations". "During the visit, EAM and the Bangladesh Foreign Minister will co-chair the 4th meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission. EAM is expected to meet the Bangladeshi leadership and also interact with the representatives of leading Bangladeshi think tanks, chambers of commerce and industry and cultural organisations," the statement read.During her visit, Swaraj will also call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of Opposition in Parliament Raushon Ershad. The two sides are working out a meeting with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia as well. She will interact with the representatives of leading Bangladeshi think tanks, chambers of commerce and industry and cultural organizations. The external affairs minister will inaugurate 15 development projects funded by India from the chancery building. The projects cover sectors such as education, healthcare, Information Technology, water supply and social welfare. Sushma Swaraj's Dhaka visit comes after a very successful visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in April this year. India Today, October 22, 2017

Trump-Tillerson rope in India and Afghanistan to bring Pakistan to heel, Washington: There was a time not so long ago when a US cabinet member or high official visiting Islamabad and New Delhi on the same trip to the region would have irked India and invited grumbling about American hyphenation of the two countries. But such is the rapidly evolving nature of ties between Washington and New Delhi, seen in some quarters as being just short of a formal alliance, that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is not only touching down in Islamabad on his way to New Delhi on Tuesday, he's also tailing Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani in to the Indian capital after an unannounced stopover in Kabul for what could end up as a trilateral US-India-Afghanistan meeting aimed at bringing Pakistan to heel.

The schedule, and even more, statements preceding and accompanying his travels to the region, tell the story of the new American strategy for the region under President Trump, fairly transparently. The US, India, and Afghanistan want Pakistan and its terrorist proxies to butt out of the war-ravaged country; all three hold Pakistan and its military responsible for the decades-long crisis because of Islamabad's neurotic search for strategic depth against India. And all three are working together to sideline Pakistan after its toxic role in the region, partly with Chinese help.

Tillerson himself offered a blunt preview of his agenda for the Islamabad visit saying the US now has a "conditions-based" approach with regards to Pakistan, and the Trump administration had made some "very specific requests" of Islamabad to undermine its support for terrorist groups. "We are concerned about future stability of Pakistan as much as Afghanistan. Pakistan needs to take a clear-eyed view of the situation they are confronted with," he said. In Washington, a senior administration official bluntly stated that Afghanistan needed India's help primarily so that the state can be "hardened and strengthened against any regenerative capacity of the Taliban which lies mainly across the border in Pakistan." The statements were preceded by a withering policy speech in Washington last week in which Tillerson not only spoke of US ties with India in a 100-year framework, but also characterized Pakistan and China as disruptive spoilers in the region. The Times of India, October 24, 2017

US ready to provide best tech for India's military modernization: Tillerson New Delhi: The US on Wednesday backed India's emergence as a "leading power" and promised to provide the "best technology" for its military modernisation. "US backs India's emergence as a leading power and will continue to help Indian capabilities in providing security for the region. We are ready to provide the best technology for India's military modernisation," said US secretary of state Rex Tillerson in a joint statement with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. Tillerson added that he was "looking forward to discussing deals for F16 and F18 fighter jets with India." Both countries also decisively condemned terrorism and those who provide "safe havens" to terrorists. "The US and India agree that Pakistan must work to immediately get rid of terror safe havens operating there," said Swaraj. Tillerson, who is in India as part of his five-nation visit, echoed Swaraj's views and said that "terror safe havens will not be tolerated." Highlighting the strengthening relationship between the two countries, the top American diplomat said that "India and USA are natural allies; we stand shoulder to shoulder against terror." Tillerson, who visited Islamabad before New Delhi, warned that if terror groups continue to proliferate in Pakistan, they could threaten the very stability of its government. "Too many terror groups find safe haven in Pakistan, and these are now threatening the stability of the country's government. We want to work with Pakistan in a positive way as we think this is in their interest in the longer term," he said. The Times of India, October 25, 2017.

India, US have common objective of eradicating terror, says PM Modi, New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday noted the commonality in the objectives of India and the US to eradicate terrorism, terrorist infrastructure, safe havens and support, while bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. He noted this in the context of US President Donald Trump's new South Asia policy, according to a PMO statement. The prime minister's observations came when US Secretary of State Rex Tillersoncalled on him here Wednesday afternoon, the statement said. Times of India, October 25, 2017.