India-based YouTuber, Karl Rock is currently travelling to various locations in Pakistan. In one of his recent videos, he was seen talking to an 11-year-boy from Pakistan about India and other things. Karl, who has travelled every single state and union territory of India, is visiting India’s neighbouring country. The blogger shared a new video this week, where he is seen visiting the Rama Kund Mandir, a Hindu temple and Dharamshala in Pakistan.
The video follows his overall experience of the Ram Temple, where the place is set and what is the history behind it.
Karl’s opening line is, “Namaste, Salam Alaikum doston” (Hello and greetings my friends). In the video, he says he is missing his family and has made this video for them. Karl, who is married to an Indian, is now living in the country since 2013 with his Haryanvi wife, Manisha Malik.
The Rama Kund Mandir, located in a small town of Said Pur village in Pakistan, is situated in the midst of green hills. Karl mentioned that it is believed Lord Ram had stayed here along with Sita, his wife, and Laxman, his brother, during their period of exile. He even appreciated the Pakistan Government’s effort to renovate some parts of the temple, so as to preserve the history.
Shedding some light on the history of the India-Pakistan partition, Karl stated that Hindu’s from all around India would come to the temple for pilgrimage.
The blogger speaks fluent Hindi and is settled in New Delhi with his wife and her family. He has also published a book Learn Hindi Faster Than I Did!to help foreigners speak and understand the language in a convenient way. When he first came to India, his agenda was clear. He wanted foreigners to enjoy their time here as much as he does. He wants them to fall in love with India just the way he has.
Sharath Kamal became the first Indian paddler to book a spot at the Tokyo Olympics after he defeated Pakistan’s Muhammad Rameez 11-4, 11-1, 11-5, 11-4 in the second men’s singles round-robin match at the Asian Olympic qualification event in Doha on Thursday.
Sharath, who had lost to G. Sathiyan 9-11, 13-15, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 8-11 in the opening match, took just 22 minutes to beat Rameez. It will be Sharath’s fourth appearance at the quadrennial extravaganza.
Sutirtha Mukherjee booked a singles berth with a 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 4-11, 11-5, 11-4 win over top-ranked Manika Batra. It will be her first Olympic appearance.
“It was a good match against Sathiyan but I made some errors and he capitalised on them. I was a bit nervous before playing Rameez as I had never faced him before,” said the World No. 32 from Doha.
Sharath also entered the mixed doubles semifinals with Manika, the duo beating Mohammad Abdulwahhab and Maha Faramarzi of Qatar 11-6, 11-6, 11-2, 11-3. Sharath and Manika , who received a bye in the first round, will take on Koen Pang Yew En and Ye Lin of Singapore on Friday.
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Pakistan on Thursday imposed smart lockdowns in areas worst hit by the coronavirus as the country recorded a sharp increase in the positive cases. All markets, shopping malls, offices, and restaurants will remain closed in the areas of smart lockdown. However, grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies, bakeries, meat and milk shops will be allowed to remain open.
Punjab province Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said that smart lockdowns are imposed in Gujrat, Sialkot, and Hafizabad, which will remain in effect till March 30 in Gujrat, March 24 in Sialkot and March 26 in Hafizabad. “We have to save more people from the danger of being infected. The coronavirus is spreading rapidly because of not taking precautions, Rashid said.
Minister for Planning Asad Umar, who is also head of National Command and Control Centre that deals with the pandemic, warned that stricter restrictions on activities might be enforced if the compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) did not improve. Sharp spike in covid positivity. Hospital daily admissions & people in critical care rising fast. If sop compliance does not improve, we will be forced to place stronger restrictions on activities. Please be very very careful, he tweeted.
He also urged the people to remain careful as the new (UK) strain spreads faster and is more deadly as compared to the Wuhan variant of the COVID-19 virus. The fresh measures were taken as Pakistan recorded the highest 3,495 new coronavirus cases in a single-day after three months as the national tally of infections reached 615,810 on Thursday, according to the official data.
It is the highest number of new cases in a day since December 6 last year when 3,795 cases were recorded, according to the ministry of National Health Services reported. The ministry data shows that 61 people died in the last 24 hours, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 13,717. Another 2,062 patients were in critical conditions.
Meanwhile, 1,634 patients recovered from the deadly disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 577,501. The sharp rise in the coronavirus cases came as the second batch of 500,000 Sinopharm vaccines sent by China reached Pakistan on Wednesday.
Pakistan officials last week said that the country was hit by the third wave of the pandemic.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said India will be benefitted economically by having peace with his country as it will be able to directly access resource-rich Central Asia through it. Delivering the inaugural address at the launch of the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue, Khan also said that his government after coming to power in 2018 did everything for better ties with India and it was for India to reciprocate.
India will have to take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much, he said. India last month said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility. India has also told Pakistan that “talks and terror” cannot go together and has asked Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching various attacks on India. The prime minister discussed Pakistan’s vision of comprehensive national security, built on the pillars of traditional and non-traditional security, including his vision for economic prosperity and human welfare.
Khan dwelt at length on the issue of peace in the region, including peace between Pakistan and India, saying “the unresolved Kashmir issue was the biggest hurdle between the two countries.” If India gives the Kashmiris their right under the UN (resolutions), it will be greatly beneficial for Pakistan as well as for India, he said and added, India can access Central Asia after peace. Khan said that having a direct route to the Central Asian region will economically benefit India.
Central Asia, in the modern context, generally includes five resource-rich countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcating it into two Union territories in August, 2019.
India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution was its internal matter. The Ministry of External Affairs has also underlined that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India. India and Pakistan had announced on February 25 that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.
Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship. The relationship dipped further after India’s war planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.
The relations deteriorated after India announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories. Talking about non-traditional threats to Pakistan, Khan said that climate change, food security and a weak economy were among the biggest challenges in the quest to realise the full concept of security.
Khan said his initiative of Ten billion tree tsunami was being hailed by the world, while his government was also working to achieve food security. He acknowledged that improving the national economy was the biggest challenge but his government was trying to reduce trade deficit and control inflation so that the financial condition of common people could improve.
We cannot become a secure nation when a small rich minority is surrounded by the sea of poor peopleNational security is achieved when a nation stands up to secure itself, he said at the dialogue organised by the National Security Division and think-tanks comprising the Advisory Board of National Security Committee. Khan also praised all-weather ally China for its “successful” handling of poverty and lifting more than 700 million people out of poverty in the last three decades.
It is their big achievement whether you like China or not, he said. Khan said that Pakistan’s 25 per cent population was suffering from extreme poverty and another 25 per cent was just slightly better.
He said the government already launched Ehsaas programme to give cash to the poor people and another programme of giving targeted subsidies to the poor was being launched. Khan also talked about peace in Afghanistan and reiterated support for the ongoing peace process by saying that Pakistan would be the greatest beneficiary of a stable Afghanistan. The Islamabad Security Dialogue is envisioned as an annual flagship security forum based on the model of major dialogues on security and international policy.
The National Security Division, in collaboration with leading think-tanks that are part of its advisory board, has taken this initiative to provide a platform for critical thinking and robust intellectual discourse on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities being faced by Pakistan and the wider region, according to an official statement. The two-day event is being attended virtually by international thinkers and scholars, members from the Federal Cabinet, diplomatic corps, former government officials, academia, think-tanks and civil society members.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday hit out at the opposition parties for opposing the Delhi government’s decision to unfurl the tricolour across the city, asking “will it be hoisted in Pakistan if not in India”. Speaking in the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal charged the Congress and the BJP of opposing the themes of ‘Deshbhakti’ and ‘Ram Rajya’, as well as initiatives like yoga training espoused by his government. His comments, however, drew a sharp criticism from Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar, who asked Kejriwal to either prove his “unfounded” allegation or resign.
BJP MLAs, participating in a discussion on the city government’s budget in the Assembly, also mocked the ruling party for talking about “Deshbhakti” and “Ram Rajya”. The chief minister further said there should be no politics over patriotism and the country belongs to all.
“In the budget, we announced that we will unfurl the tricolour at 500 places across the city. Whenever we see the national flag, we are reminded of the soldier fighting at the borders. I fail to understand why the BJP and the Congress have been opposing the decision,” Kejriwal asked. “Why are they opposing the installation of 500 flag masts across Delhi? If not in India, will our flag be unfurled in Pakistan, if not in Delhi, will it be unfurled in Islamabad,” he said.
The Delhi government had on March 9 presented a Rs 69,000-crore budget themed on “patriotism” under which installation of 500 flag masts and programmes on the lives of freedom fighters are planned across the city. Kejriwal had said “Deshbhakti” (patriotism) was the defining feature of the budget. Later, participating in a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s address during the Budget Session, the chief minister had said his government has been following 10 principles, inspired by the concept of “Ram Rajya”, to serve the people in Delhi.
Kejriwal said the opposition parties were mocking the Delhi government for its announcement to bid for 2048 Olympic Games and increasing the per capita income to Singapore’s level by 2047. “We will achieve it… We will approach the Centre and the Indian Olympic Association to bid for Olympics. We all will do it together,” he said.
The chief minister also said almost all states and the Centre presented “deficit” budget in the last one-and-a-half months, but Delhi is the only “state” which has a “surplus” budget in these difficult times. Kejriwal also alleged that the Congress and the BJP are opposing his government’s announcement to send elderly to Ayodhya when Ram temple is ready.
“Is it a crime to provide our elders with a free pilgrimage to a place of worship such as Ayodhya? Rather than supporting the move, the opposition wants to play politics in everything,” he charged. He said opposition parties were mocking the AAP government after hearing that it will bid for the Olympics and work to raise the per capita income of Delhi up to Singapore.
“When we fought elections in 2013, we promised to provide electricity at half rates, but they used to mock us. We did it in just 49 days. We promised to improve government schools and hospitals, they mocked us. We did it in just five years. “Today, they are mocking us over hosting Olympics, but we will definitely do it. 100 years of independence will be completed in 2047, 25 years are left from now. We have seen a dream to develop the nation in these 25 years and the people of the nation will fulfil this dream, he asserted.
Earlier, BJP MLAs launched an attack on the budget amid protests by ruling AAP members in the House. In a sarcastic remark, Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri urged Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who had presented the budget, to send him a Whatsapp message when Delhi’s per capita income equals Singapore in 2047, saying he may not be there by then.
“You have talked of hosting Olympics in Delhi but have cut the sports budget this year,” Bidhuri said. He also criticised the government over “Deshbhakti” budget and “Ram Rajya” and asserted that all the AAP MLAs will be taken to Ram temple by his party.
His party colleague Anil Bajpayi said it is good that Kejriwal has adopted “Ram Rajya” but he will have to go through “Agni Pariksha” (test of fire) to achieve it. Sisodia, who is also holds the finance portfolio, hit back at the BJP over its criticism of his government’s “Deshbhakti” budget.
“I want to tell those who act as ‘thekedars’ of Lord Rama that we not only have Ram on our tongues but also in our hearts. We are not like them who believe in ‘Muh mein Ram Bagal mein Chhuri’. They will now see who they are pitted against.” Patriotism for the AAP government is progress of each Delhiiite, opening schools and Mohalla Clinics, unfurling tricolour, supply of affordable power and water supply, respect to all, he asserted. “You claim to be ‘deshbhakts’ and yet plant nails to stop farmers from asking questions. You declare a soldier mad when he questions the quality of food,” Sisodia said while attacking the BJP.
The BJP MLAs walked out of the House amid Sisodia’s speech and did not participate in passing of the budget with voice vote. Bidhuri later said the deputy chief minister started talking about BJP and its policies instead of replying to issues raised by the opposition.
The BJP MLAs walked out in protest as Sisodia continued with his “diatribe” without addressing questions on his budget, said the Leader of Opposition.
NEW DELHI: India faced increased attempts at cyber-attacks from foreign countries, especially China and Pakistan, during the coronavirus-induced lockdown period, the ministry of information technology and electronics has told the parliamentary standing committee on Information Technology. The 24th report of the standing committee on IT, tabled in Lok Sabha by panel chairman Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday, said the ministry apprised the House panel that robust cyber security mechanism are imperative for the effective implementation of the Digital India programme. It also said that while they responded to the increased risks by deploying additional security controls to monitor and block attack attempts from these countries, government would need to “significantly augment” its total budgetary support for research and development in the area of cyber security in order to address the challenges of emerging areas of cyber security. “Additional resources were deployed in shifts to meet these requirements round the clock. Security Audit initiated and completed using trusted networks (VPN) and restricted required port access was opened for Audit. Required Audit resources from NICHQ and CoEAppSec centres were used for provisioning Code review and black box testing audit activity,” the ministry told the panel. It also pointed to funding constraints, saying most of the existing research and development funds get consumed in sustaining ongoing projects “leaving thereby no funds for taking up projects to address the new Cyber Security challenges.” The ministry also listed out challenges it faced during the pandemic, including providing endpoint security during Work-from-Home. “An increase was seen in Application layer attacks during pandemic period. NIC and its employees had to continue to work in the peak and post pandemic days. Another challenge for NIC was to ensure that this was made possible in Safest way while omitting the possibilities of any spread,” the government said. In response to specific questions from the House panel on challenges being faced in implementing the Digital India programme in the next fiscal, government emphasised the need for robust cyber security infrastructure to protect data while it was transmitted, received and stored. “With cyber attackers becoming more and more sophisticated, it is necessary that indigenous cyber security solutions and products need to be develop to counter such unexpected threats in cyberspace,” the ministry said.
