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Punjab CM Mann to meet Amit Shah on border security, Bhakra Beas board issues

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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will be meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to discuss issues related to the border security, ongoing farmers’ protest in the state and Bhakra Beas management board.

The meeting is likely to take place this afternoon.

Mann is likely to discuss the security issue of the border and update the Home Minister on the investigation of the recent Rocket Propelled Grenade attack on state police intelligence headquarters at Mohali, sources in the state administration said.

Besides, the ongoing farmers protests near the Chandigarh- Mohali border, demanding bonus on the wheat prices will also figure in the discussion.

The chief minsiter is likely to discuss the Centre’s decision to deploy officers on two key posts in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMS) from outside of Punjab.

On March 8, the then Congress Chief Minister Charanjit Sigh Channi also met Union Home Minister and requested him to reconsider the Centre’s decision to appoint officers in BBMS from outside Punjab.

The Centre had issued a notification in February this year to amend the provisions of BBMS 1974 rule for the selection criteria of appointment of the two key officers in the Bhakra Beas Board from outside Punjab.

As per convention, posts of the two full-time members — member (power) and member (irrigation) — have always been filled by eligible candidates of Punjab and Haryana, respectively, from the panel of engineers nominated by respective state governments.

BBMB is engaged in the regulation of the supply of water and electricity from Bhakra Nangal and Beas Projects to the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh.

All the political parties except BJP, are opposed to the amendment in the BBMS Rule 1974.

Maharashtra

BJP leader Navneet Rana in a state of shock after receiving death threats from Pakistan

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Mumbai: BJP leader and former MP Navneet Rana has received a death threat from a Pakistani number, after which the Mumbai Police has started investigating the matter. The threatening message states that the Hindu lioness who recites Hanuman Chalisa is a short-term guest and will be flying soon. Navneet Rana has informed the Mumbai Police about this and the police have taken steps in its investigation. All the phone calls have been received from a Pakistani number. Navneet Rana has reported this to the Khar Police Station.

Last year, Navneet Rana had also received a threat. This threatening message was sent on WhatsApp in the form of a video clip and this threat was received from Afghanistan, Pakistan. Now Navneet Rana has received a threat again from Pakistan. Two days ago, Navneet Rana had issued a statement against Pakistan praising Operation Sindoor and said that they have entered the house and killed you, they have dug your grave, After this, Navneet Rana has now received threatening calls from a Pakistani number. The police have started investigating and are trying to find out from which number the call was made and whose number the call was received from. After receiving the threatening message, the Mumbai police has now increased Navneet’s security and security has also been tightened at her house in Mumbai.

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National News

Muslim religious leader hails ‘Operation Sindoor’, slams Pak for ‘spreading poison’ in name of Islam

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Aligarh, May 12: Muslim religious leader Maulana Chaudhary Ibrahim Hussain on Monday strongly praised the Indian armed forces for the successful execution of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and sharply criticised Pakistan for using religious institutions like mosques and madrasas to train terrorists.

“India destroyed Pakistan’s terrorist bases. This is a huge achievement. No one in the world has ever carried out such precise destruction of terror camps inside Pakistan, and our forces even returned safely after striking military bases. This is an even greater accomplishment,” he said.

Responding to Pakistan’s claims that madrasas and mosques were targeted, the Maulana asserted, “They say we attacked their mosques and madrasas, but what kind of mosques and madrasas are these where terror is trained and humanity is destroyed? These places are meant for worship and spreading humanity, not for breeding terror.”

He condemned the misuse of Islamic symbols for terrorism, saying, “Which Islam allows such interpretation that terrorism is spread in the name of religion? They are not Muslims; they are terrorists and devils who want to poison society by distorting Islam.”

Ibrahim Hussain stressed that terrorism is a betrayal of the core values of Islam.

“They use the name of Islam to manipulate innocent minds, to mislead the common man emotionally, and drag them into terrorism. But Islam stands for peace, not violence.”

Calling for the total elimination of terrorism, he added, “Our military’s action has made every Indian proud. But the only way to defeat terrorism is to uproot it completely. Even if one terrorist remains, he will use deceit and mislead others in the name of Islam. So it must be destroyed from its roots.”

The Maulana’s remarks come amid growing support across communities in India for the operation, seen as a strong message to terror groups and their state sponsors.

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National News

Surviving India’s wrath: Tough road ahead for Pakistan

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New Delhi, May 12: The half-burnt portrait of Asif Ali Zardari from the smouldering debris of Rahimyar Khan air base is a symbolic devastation of the image of Pakistan as Operation Sindoor marked a significant demonstration of India’s military and strategic prowess through a blend of military and non-military means.

The extent of Pakistan being punished through both means is now quite clear.

The multi-dimensional operation successfully neutralized terrorist threats, deterred Pakistani aggression, and reinforced India’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism, all while maintaining strategic restraint and international support.

As far as the military measures are concerned, India employed a range of precise and deliberate military actions to achieve its objectives.

The Indian Armed Forces carried out coordinated precision missile strikes on nine terrorist facilities—four in Pakistan (including Bahawalpur and Muridke) and five in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (such as Muzaffarabad and Kotli). These facilities were key command centers for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), responsible for attacks like Pulwama (2019) and Mumbai (2008).

In response to Pakistan’s retaliatory drone and missile attacks from May 7-9 that targetted multiple Indian cities and military installations, India launched kamikaze drones to destroy Pakistani air defences across the country, including neutralising the air defence system of Lahore.

India’s air defence system proved instrumental in neutralising all incoming threats, resulting in near zero casualties or material losses, and exposing flaws in Pakistan’s HQ-9 system. The counter military actions on the night of May 9 and 10 also became the first instance of a country damaging air force camps of a nuclear country.

Within three hours, 11 bases were attacked including Nur Khan, Rafiqui, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chunian, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari and Jacobabad.

The scale of destruction was clearly visible in the before and after photos of Shahbaz airbase at Jacobabad.

In the strikes, various ammunition depots and bases like Sargodha and Bholari that housed F-16s and JF-17 fighter jets were hit. This led to destruction of 20 per cent infrastructure of Pakistan’s air force.

India bombed Pakistan’s Bholari Air Base, killing over 50 people including Pakistan’s squadron leader Usman Yousuf, four airmen among others as well as destroying Pakistan’s fighter jets.

Over the course of Operation Sindoor, multiple terror and military locations across Pakistan were attacked by India. Along the LoC, following Pakistani artillery and mortar shelling in the Poonch-Rajouri sector that targetted civilian areas, Indian troops responded with calibrated counterfire destroying terrorist bunkers and Pakistani army’s positions to target civilians.

When it comes to the non-military measures, India’s non-kinetic efforts were equally significant in shaping the strategic environment and ensuring public and international support. India leveraged strategic policy decisions, information dominance, and psychological operations to isolate Pakistan economically and diplomatically, while bolstering domestic readiness and international support.

India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) under Operation Sindoor was a decisive move with far-reaching consequences. Pakistan, as the lower riparian, depends on the Indus system for 80 per cent of its 16 million hectares of farmland and 93 per cent of its total water use — sustaining 237 million people and driving a quarter of its GDP through crops like wheat, rice, and cotton.

With just 10 per cent live storage capacity (14.4 MAF) at Mangla and Tarbela dams, any disruption in flows threatens catastrophic agricultural losses, food shortages, water rationing in major cities, and rolling blackouts that would cripple industries, including textiles and fertilizers. These shocks could trigger a broader fiscal and foreign exchange crisis in an already fragile economy.

For India, the treaty had long constrained infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir, limiting it to run-of-the-river projects. Its suspension allows India full control over western rivers like Jhelum and Chenab — enabling new reservoirs, boosting irrigation and hydropower in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, and Haryana, and transforming a diplomatic tool into a developmental advantage.

By suspending this, India gave decisive message that water and blood cannot flow together.

India closed the Attari-Wagah border and suspended all bilateral trade with Pakistan, halting exports of key goods such as onions and restricting imports like cement and textiles. This decision severed the primary land-based trade route between the two countries.

The suspension imposed immediate economic costs on Pakistan, already grappling with inflation and debt. By choking off these economic lifelines without engaging in direct military escalation, India reinforced its zero-tolerance stance while avoiding full-scale conflict.

India also cancelled the visas of all Pakistanis living in India and sent them back in the immediate aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack showing strong resolve against terrorism. The imposition of a complete ban on Pakistani artists, halting performances, screenings, music releases, and cultural collaborations also extended to streaming platforms, cutting off Pakistan’s cultural influence in India.

India exposed Pakistan’s terror ecosystem globally and isolated Pakistan diplomatically. These steps imposed tangible economic and diplomatic costs. Collectively, these actions deepened Pakistan’s isolation and reaffirmed India’s commitment to a zero-tolerance stance on terrorism.

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