Monitoring Desk: US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the conflict of Kashmir has been going on for 1,000 years, and they’ve had that fight for 1,000 years in Kashmir they India-Pakistan) will get it figured out one way or the other.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Rome, Trump said, “I am very close to India and I’m very close to Pakistan, as you know. And they’ve had that fight for 1,000 years in Kashmir. Kashmir has been going on for 1,000 years, probably longer than that. And it was a bad one yesterday, though; that was a bad one. Over 30 people.”
Asked if he intended to mediate or intervene in the crisis, Trump responded, “There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years. So, you know, the same as it’s been, but they’ll get it figured out one way or the other. I’m sure… I know both leaders. There is great tension between Pakistan and India. But there always has been.”
President Trump, for the first time, gave a clear and balanced statement stating that “Kashmir” has been the core of the problem between Pakistan and India for thousands of years. His statement also indicates that Indian’s rhetoric is losing its charisma of blaming Pakistan for Kashmir tension because the world has seen Indian’s involvement in trans-continental terrorism as it has been involved in killing Sikhs in America, Canada, and in Europe.
Lahore, Pakistan: The Crackdown of Lahore Police against corrupt police officials continues as the SHO of Women Police Station was booked for her alleged linkages with dacoits. SHO of Women Police Station Sanya Ashraf has been booked for her alleged linkages with dacoits.
According to an FIR e-tag number Kahna-24/04/2025-8654 dated April 24. 2025 registered at Kahna Police Station Lahore, claimed that police arrested a gang of dacoits who were operating in the Model Town district police circle. Arrested accused during interrogation, claimed that the SHO of Women Police Station Sanya Ashraf was part of the gang and the stolen weapon was still in her custody. The police, with the approval of high-ups, constituted a raiding party that recovered the stolen weapon from her possession and arrested her.
This is pertinent to mention that same female SHO was allegedly involved in stripping a female victim’s of gang rape and offered a bribe to victim’s lawyer Ali Changezi Sandhu while favouring the accused of gang rape. Now she had been arrested for providing illegal weapons in a robbery and distributing the loot among the robbers in her house. It should be noted that the same SHO also threatened to take action against advocate Ali Changezi Sandhu in the gang rape case if he did not back down from supporting the victim. It may be mentioned that this gang rape took place in one of the oldest and the prestigious university of Pakistan.
Monitoring Desk: Israeli intelligence agency Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, popularly known as Mossad, is present in Indian Occupied Kashmir and is installing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along with Line of Control (LoC). This collaboration of the Indian intelligence agency RAW and Mossad in Indian occupied Kashmir was approved by Indian Prime Minister Modi.
According to available information, RAW and Mossad are collaborating under the approval of Indian Prime Minister Modi, and both intelligence agencies are installing IEDs along with Line of Control (LoC) and treks outside villages near the LoC. Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar is linking the indigenous movement of freedom in Indian occupied Kashmir with Gaza situation and bracketing freedom fighters with Hamas.
In his interviews with Indian private media and the Indian State News Agency, he claimed that Hamas leaders “are visiting Pakistan where they reportedly met with Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists”.
The diction used by Indian media that “Pahalgam attack is “October 7, 2023, of India” is borrowed from him, and he tried to create similarities in the October 7 Hamas attack with what false flag India launched in Pahalgam. These developments about the presence of an Israeli weapons brigade in Indian occupied Kashmir raise serious concerns for Pakistan. This also indicates that Israelis are directly involved in writing the script of Pahlgam False Flag.
The collaboration of India and Israel in Indian occupied Kashmir has been surfacing over the last decade. In January of 2022, a UK-based independent investigative firm called Stoke White Investigations revealed RAW-Mossad collaboration in Indian occupied Kashmir. The recently adopted Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 also looks like a photocopy of the Israeli Absentee Property Law.
Sources in Pakistani intelligence agencies suggest that Pakistan’s Defence Minister Kh Asif, during his press conference on Thursday, referred to this development. It is pertinent to mention that he stated during his talk to the media that “foreigners are present in Indian occupied Kashmir with IDEs and weapons.
It is pertinent to mention that on Thursday, Defence Minister Kh Asif held a press conference along with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Tarrar, in which it was shared preparedness of Pakistan to answer any attempt by India to attack Pakistan’s soil. They were of the view that Pakistan was ready to respond to any adventurism of India at the borders.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC). The participants discussed the national security environment and the regional situation, particularly in the wake of the Pahalgam attack in the Anantnag District of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on 22 April 2025.
Expressing concern over the loss of tourists’ lives, the Committee reviewed the Indian measures announced on 23 April 2025 and termed them unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible, and devoid of legal merit
The National Security Committee made the following observations:
Kashmir remains an unresolved dispute between Pakistan and India, as recognized through multiple UN resolutions. Pakistan continues to support the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people. The continued Indian state oppression, abrogation of statehood, and political and demographic gerrymandering have persistently led to an organic backlash from the people of IIOJK, which perpetuates cycles of violence. India’s systemic persecution of minorities, particularly Muslims, has become more pervasive. Attempts at forced passage of Waqf Bill is the latest effort to marginalize Muslims across India. India must resist the temptation to exploit such tragic incidents to its advantage and take full responsibility for its failure to provide security to the people
Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. As the world’s front-line state against terrorism, Pakistan has suffered immense human and economic losses. Indian attempts to inject volatility in the environment along Pakistan’s Eastern borders is aimed at distracting Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts. In the absence of any credible investigation and verifiable evidence, attempts to link the Pahalgam attack with Pakistan are frivolous, devoid of rationality and defeat logic.
India’s worn-out narrative of victimhood cannot obfuscate its own culpability in fomenting terrorism on Pakistan’s soil, nor can it distract attention from its systematic and state sponsored oppression and human rights violations in IIOJK.
Contrary to Indian claims, Pakistan has in its custody incontrovertible proof of Indian-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan, including the confession of a serving Indian Navy officer, Commander Kulbhushan Jadhav, who remains a living testament to India’s state-sponsored terrorist activities.
The National Security Committee deplored the implicit threat contained in the Indian statement of 23 April 2025. The international community ought to remain mindful of India’s state-sponsored extraterritorial assassinations or attempts on foreign soil. These heinous acts were carried out in blatant violation of international law, as recently exposed by Pakistan along with various other states, with undeniable evidence. Pakistan will pursue all those responsible, planners and perpetrators alike, and ensure that justice is served. Any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and to the security of its people will be met with firm reciprocal measures in all domains.
India should refrain from its reflexive blame game and cynical, staged, managed exploitation of incidents like Pahalgam to further its narrow political agenda. Such tactics serve only to inflame tensions and obstruct the path to peace and stability in the region.
Extremely irresponsible warmongering Indian state-controlled media, fueling volatility in the regional calculus, is reprehensible, which requires serious introspection.
The Committee decided the following:
Pakistan vehemently rejects the Indian announcement to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. The Treaty is a binding international agreement brokered by the World Bank and contains no provision for unilateral suspension. Water is a Vital National Interest of Pakistan, a lifeline for its 240 million people and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs. Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty, and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force across the complete spectrum of National Power.
Noting the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of India, which disregards international conventions, UN Security Council Resolutions and international obligations at will, Pakistan shall exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India including but not limited to Simla Agreement in abeyance, till India desists from its manifested behaviour of fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan; trans-national killings; and non-adherence to international law and UN Resolutions on Kashmir
Pakistan shall close down the Wagah Border Post, with immediate effect. All cross-border transit from India through this route shall be suspended, without exception. Those who have crossed with valid endorsements may return through that route immediately but not later than 30 April 2025
Pakistan suspends all visas under SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) issued to Indian nationals and deems them cancelled with immediate effect, with the exception of Sikh religious pilgrims. Indian nationals currently in Pakistan under SVES are instructed to exit within 48 hours, less Sikh pilgrims
Pakistan declares the Indian Defence, Naval and Air Advisors in Islamabad persona non grata. They are directed to leave Pakistan immediately but not later than 30 April 2025. These posts in the Indian High Commission are deemed annulled. Support staff of these Advisors are also directed to return to India
The strength of Indian High Commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 diplomats and staff members, with effect from 30 April 2025
Pakistan’s airspace will be closed with immediate effect for all Indian owned or Indian operated airlines
All trade with India including to and from any third country through Pakistan is suspended forthwith
The National Security Committee underscored that Pakistan and its Armed Forces remain fully capable and prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against any misadventure, as clearly demonstrated by its measured yet resolute response to India’s reckless incursion in February 2019
In conclusion, India’s belligerent measures have vindicated the Two- Nation Theory as well as the apprehensions of Quaid- E- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, as encapsulated in the 1940 Pakistan Resolution, which continues to echo the sentiments of the complete Pakistani Nation .
The Pakistani Nation remains committed to peace, but will never allow anyone to transgress its sovereignty, security, dignity and their inalienable rights
Monitoring Desk: Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s Envoy to the UAE, visited the British University in Dubai, where Vice Chancellor Professor Abdullah Alshamsi and faculty members warmly received him. He delivered an insightful lecture on the historical and strategic ties between Pakistan and the UAE during his visit.
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi engages with students at the British University in Dubai
He highlighted Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage, tracing its roots to ancient civilizations like the Indus Valley and Gandhara. The Ambassador also emphasized the country’s diverse geography, including the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, which feature five of the world’s fourteen peaks above 8,000 meters.
Ambassador Tirmizi pointed out that 68% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, representing significant potential for growth and innovation.
Discussing Pakistan-UAE relations, he noted the over 70-year-long friendship between the two nations, rooted in shared values, cultural ties, and mutual support on regional and global platforms. He paid tribute to the visionary leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, recalling his historic 1966 visit to Pakistan. The Ambassador also mentioned that Pakistan was the first country to recognize the UAE and contributed significantly to its development in sectors such as banking, aviation, and agriculture.
With bilateral trade exceeding USD 10 billion and a vibrant Pakistani diaspora of 1.8 million in the UAE, the economic and people-to-people ties continue to flourish. He referenced recent high-level engagements, including visits by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and senior UAE leadership, which have further deepened cooperation through multiple Memorandums of Understanding.
Concluding his address, Ambassador Tirmizi encouraged students to read widely and travel, inviting faculty members and students to visit Pakistan to experience its natural beauty, cultural richness, and culinary diversity
Monitoring Desk: India has planned part II of the Pahalgam False Flag. According to information pouring out from Indian Occupied Kashmir, India plans to use 56 innocent Pakistanis imprisoned in Indian jails since 2003, by killing them, showing that India had killed infiltrators. Moreover, torturing them is also on the cards to record their fabricated statements accusing Pakistan of sending them into Indian Occupied Kashmir for terror attacks.
Most of the 56 innocent prisoners include fishermen and those who crossed the LoC by mistake, and using these prisoners for its nefarious purposes is the easiest way for India to malign Pakistan.
These prisoners can be martyred by portraying them as terrorists in a fake encounter. The data on prisoners is as follows:
Muhammad Riaz has been imprisoned in Kot Bhalwal jail since June 25, 1999
Muhammad Abdullah Makki of Multan has been imprisoned in Kot Bhalwal jail since August 8, 2002 Tafheem Akmal Hashmi has been incarcerated in Udhampur Jail since July 28, 2006
Zafar Iqbal has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since August 11, 2007
Abdul Razzaq Shafiq has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since November 2010
Naveed-ur-Rehman has been incarcerated in Udhampur Jail since April 17, 2013
Muhammad Abbas has been incarcerated in Kathua Jail since March 12, 2013
Siddeeq Ahmed has been incarcerated in Kathua Jail since November 7, 2014
Muhammad Zubair has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since January 14, 2015
Abdul Rehman has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since May 15, 2015
Sajjad Baloch has been incarcerated in Kathua Jail since July 14, 2015
Waqas Manzoor has been incarcerated in Kathua Jail since 2015
Naveed Ahmed has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since 2015 Incarcerated in Bhalwal Jail
Muhammad Atif has been incarcerated in Kathua Jail since February 7, 2016
Hanzala has been incarcerated in Kathua Jail since June 20, 2016
Zabihullah has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since March 22, 2018
Muhammad Waqar has been incarcerated in Baramulla Jail since April 2019
Imadullah alias Babar Patra has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since September 26, 2021
Abdul Hanan has been incarcerated in Udhampur Jail since October 2021
Salman Shah has been incarcerated in Kathua Jail since October 2021
Habib Khan has been incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail since November 2021
Amjad Ali has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since March 28, 1994
Nazir Ahmed has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since December 1, 1994
Khalid Mahmood has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since 1994 Jail
Abdul Rahim has been in Tihar Jail since May 28, 1995 Abdul Mateen has been in Jaipur Jail, Rajasthan since May 7, 1997
Zulfiqar Ali has been in Tihar Jail since February 27, 1998
Muhammad Ramzan has been in Jodhpur Jail since June 25, 1999
Muhammad Arif has been in Tihar Jail since December 26, 2000
Shahnawaz has been in Ahmedabad Jail since May 27, 2001
Arshad Khan has been in Alipur Jail, Kolkata since October 29, 2001
Muhammad Naeem Butt has been in Tihar Jail since April 18, 2003
Muhammad Ayaz Khokhar has been in Kolkata Jail since March 6, 2004
Muhammad Yasin has been in Lucknow Jail since September 14, 2006
Muhammad Fahad has been incarcerated in Bangalore Jail, Karnataka since November 10, 2006
Abdullah Asghar Ali has been incarcerated in Kolkata Jail since March 31, 2007
Muhammad Yunus has been incarcerated in Kolkata Jail since March 31, 2007
Muhammad Hassan Munir has been incarcerated in Delhi since April 21, 2007
Mirza Rashid Baig has been incarcerated in Allahabad Jail since November 17, 2007
Muhammad Abid has been incarcerated in Allahabad Jail since November 17, 2007
Saifur Rehman has been incarcerated in Allahabad Jail since November 17, 2007
Imran Shahzad has been incarcerated in Lucknow Jail, Uttar Pradesh since February 10, 2008
Farooq Bhatti has been incarcerated in Lucknow Jail, Uttar Pradesh since February 10, 2008
Shehbaz Ismail Qazi has been incarcerated in Kolkata Jail since October 5, 2008
Mohammad Adil has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since November 24, 2011
Bahadur Ali has been incarcerated in Delhi’s Mandoli Jail since July 25, 2016
Mohammad Amir has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since November 21, 2017
Khayyam Maqsood has been incarcerated in an Indian jail since August 24, 2021
Dilshan has been incarcerated in an Indian jail since February 28, 2022
Usman Zulfiqar has been incarcerated in an Indian jail since May 16, 2023
Abu Wahab Ali has been incarcerated in an Indian jail since August 7, 2023
Mohammad Irshad has been incarcerated in an Indian jail since October 13, 2023
Mohammad Yaqoob has been incarcerated in an Indian jail since January 25, 2025
Qadir Bakhsh has been in Indian jail since March 19, 2025
When contacted for comment, a retired senior military officer requesting anonymity said:
India can attack by creating a narrative of so-called terrorist camps on the lines of Balakot. If India tries to target any fictitious camp in Pakistan based on a false narrative, Pakistan will give a befitting reply. The fake drama of Pahalgam has been exposed because several clear flaws have come to light in it and people of Indian occupied Kashmir have also raised questions about the failure of the 900,000 Indian troops present there. India could not even show the body of a terrorist, which proves that the Pahalgam attack is also a drama like the false flag operations of the past and Pakistan is fully capable of giving a befitting reply to any Indian aggression.
Monitoring Desk: Indian media has confirmed that journalists from Indian occupied Kashmir are still not being allowed within 10 km of the site of the alleged flag attack India planned yesterday. Indian media also confirmed that the media have not been given access to see dead bodies, so nobody knows how many are dead in the Pahalgam attack.
Even some independent media reported that “it may be best to avoid drawing too many conclusions about what exactly happened in the Pahalgam attack”. Meanwhile, foreign media have not been allowed to travel to the Pahalgam attack spot, and some foreign journalists were heard to say in the hospital that “several other theories are doing the rounds, including the possibility of this being planned to affect the case for restoration of (Kashmir) statehood.
After every terrorist attack, the Indian media has the same pattern of blaming Pakistan without evidence, hiding the truth, and fooling its people. According to Hindustan Times, the Pahalgam attack took place at 3 pm. A social media account linked to the Indian intelligence agency RAW blamed Pakistan at 3:05 pm, just five minutes after breaking news of the attack. After this, 30 minutes after the attack, Indian social media accounts started tweeting #PakSponsoredTerror. Within 30 to 60 minutes of the incident, BJP leaders JP Nadda and Amit Shah tweeted that Pakistan is involved. Fake intelligence reports are leaked 1 to 3 hours after the incident, on which RSS troll accounts mass retweet. Surprisingly, after the Pahalgam incident, 500 Indian accounts started tweeting identical content in the next hour. In one and a half hours, the hashtag #PakistanTerror became the top trend, in which fake Kashmiri names were tweeting the same copy-paste content.
Independent Defense experts raised serious questions on the Pahalgam incident, stating that these allegations have been prepared in advance, which are used to spew anti-Pakistan venom to gain political mileage by the BJP as part as well as the government. Why did Indian media not show the bodies of 27 people killed in Pahalgam?, another question experts within India are raising.
Meanwhile, Pakistani media is also raising valid questions such as:
Why did accounts linked to Indian RAW start tweeting to punish Pakistan at the very time of the so-called attack is another valid question. India should also show the world a piece of evidence that proves Pakistan’s involvement in this so-called attack. To avoid defeat at the international level, the Indian media will come up with a new lie to cover up its lies. Pahalgam is about 400 kilometers from the LoC, and India has deployed 900,000 troops in Kashmir. How is such an attack possible with such a large army in occupied Kashmir? Why do such attacks always happen when a Western or American political leadership Are you visiting India, or is there any important event happening in India? India should answer these questions so that the world can believe its fabricated stories.
“The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”—-Washington Burnop
After working on your everyday habits, if you are in real pursuit of long-term happiness, you have to find a purpose in your life. Life without any purpose ultimately becomes meaningless and empty.
Having a life purpose means you have a big central aim that sets the direction of your life and makes your life activities valuable. Research indicates that having a purpose in life is good for your mental health. A lack of meaning or purpose in life leads to increased stress and depression.
To find your actual purpose, you have to work on yourself and find your passion. As far as purpose is concerned, it is the same as happiness in a way, that it is not a specific destination but a journey. The process of finding a purpose is also very satisfying. Working on yourself and self-reflection will help you to find your purpose and give back to humanity. If you do not have any clear direction at this moment, you can find your purpose. You can intentionally work towards finding that. Focusing on your strengths, which means things you are good at and roadblocks you have overcome, can help you find your ultimate goal or present goal. You can keep on changing your purpose throughout life, but you should always have something to look forward to. You can look for role models, the people who inspire you. And go in that direction. Alternatively, you can inspire other people and become a mentor. You will have immense satisfaction and happiness by guiding other people, especially when they achieve something.
Having a purpose in life is essential for your well-being. It gives meaning to your life and sets its direction. It provides resilience in the face of adversity and helps you grow personally. It is also good for meaningful social connections. Your purpose should be something that has meaning for you, you should enjoy that, and you should be good at that. And it should be a little challenging also, as I have described in the article, enjoy your job. When passion combines with real work, then masterpieces are created. Finding your purpose is not all about your job. It can be anything that gives meaning to your life and for which you should not retire throughout your life, and keep working for it as long as you can.
Purpose can be doing something for the community, writing, art, or simple gardening, with the idea of making things grow. If you already know what you are passionate about, you should do that regularly. If you do not find your passion, there are ways by which you can discover how to find your passion. You should work for that, and all the everyday habits that are described will help you find that. And once you reach that stage, your long-term well-being will be with you.
In some ancient traditions, it is believed that everyone who comes to this finite world has some purpose. That gave everybody a sense of being well. But sometimes it is very difficult to find what your actual passion is. To find out, you have to see what the meaningful things that you enjoy most are. What are the things that take you into flow? Flow is the experience when you are so involved in the activity that you lose the sense of time. You are present and immersed in the work you are doing, enjoying it completely. So, to find that work, it should have certain characteristics. It should be a little challenging. It should not be very easy. It should not be very difficult. It should align with your principles. Try to find out the things that make you happy and take you into the flow. Then think about what the common things in all of them are. That can be the purpose of your life, or in other words, that will be the work if you do, you will be happy, and you never want to retire from it.
Finding your flow in major things is sometimes difficult. You can find micro flow. Enjoy routine, mundane activities. Make yourself involved in them and do them from your heart. As in some books example of the lift operator is given. It may be a boring and mundane activity for most people. But some people connect to the passengers on a personal level, greet them from their heart, and do something. This activity puts them in flow. They start enjoying their job and become happy, and remain happy.
So purpose can be something very big, like dreaming to change the world or empowering all people for their wellbeing, or it can be simple acts of kindness for strangers, giving them a genuine smile and making their day a little better. But for living with ease, your life must have some purpose it may be big or small. It will keep you in a direction and make your life meaningful.
The things you enjoy do not include temporary things like drugs or a meaningless social life to find your purpose. They give you a temporary boost of happiness, and then you have a sense of emptiness. And they cannot be the purpose of your life. They are harmful to your long-term well-being. You cannot find your flow in these activities. Being in flow means you enjoy that activity and feel satisfied afterward. Sometimes you enjoy the activity after it is finished. That is a long-term purpose and happiness. You can be passionate about your growth and keep working on your improvement. That can make all the other things right. And you will live a purposeful life. The concept of living a purpose-driven life is a beacon of hope. It may not be the answer to all the challenges of life. But it provides a way to navigate the complexities of life. Living with purpose is not something fancy, it is a basic element of a flourishing life. And the power of purpose is that it improves our well-being, makes us at ease in this world, and helps us to be useful in this finite life.
The author, Dr. Attia Anwar, is a consultant family physician with a postgraduate degree from the Royal College of GPs UK. She is a strong advocate of health and well-being and wants patient participation in decision-making regarding health.
Monitoring Desk: Pahalgam attack left 26 tourists dead and mysteries behind the incident. However, reading the book “The Meadow,” written by British journalists Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark, can help peeling off the layers of deceit, falsehoods, and manipulation to reveal the startling truth of how Indian intelligence agencies ruthlessly operate just to defame Pakistan as a “terrorist state”.
Six western tourists and their two guides were kidnapped in the Liddarwat area of Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, on the night of July 4-5, 1995. According to the Indian government, the kidnappers demanded the release of 21 Pakistani and Kashmiri militants, including Masood Azhar, however, the investigation of Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark suggests otherwise, claiming that the Indian intelligence agencies staged the incident. Till now, the Indian government has failed to reject claims of both journalists, although the book was published in January 2012.
Norwegian Hans Christian Ostrø was beheaded on 13 August 1995. American John Childs managed to escape on 17 August, while the rest have never been found. Four months later, the Indian government announced that the Al-Faran team, led by an Afghan war veteran, Hamid al-Turki, who had kidnapped the tourists, had been killed in an encounter with the army. The Indian government claimed a Pakistani militant had confessed that the militants had murdered the four trekkers and buried them in Anantnag’s remote Magam village.
“The Meadow” exposes deceit, falsehoods, and manipulation and reveals the astounding truth of what happened to the hostages. After 100 plus interviews with families of the hostages, diplomats, policemen, bureaucrats, intelligence officials, and former counter-insurgents in Kashmir, the authors found the truth that the hostages were not killed by Al-Faran or Harkat, but by Nabi Azad or Alpha, a dreaded counter-insurgent of Indian intelligence agencies who operated from the mountain villages of Anantnag and worked with the anti-militancy Special Task Force (STF) of Kashmir Police, intelligence agencies, and the Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian army.
Scott-Clark and Levy show that all along, the central government and intelligence agencies knew about the whereabouts of the hostages in a remote mountain valley in Warwan. The government, meanwhile, continued telling the press, foreign diplomats, and families that it knew nothing and was trying its best to find the hostages. Scott-Clark and Levy recreate the secret talks between Rajinder Tikoo, an Inspector General of Kashmir police, and an Al-Faran negotiator. The prolonged hostage crisis served a strategic purpose: to show the Western powers that Pakistan was behind the insurgency in Kashmir.
Most members of the Al-Faran, including its leader Hamid Turki, were killed in an army ambush in Dabran village in Anantnag in November, finishing every chance of surfacing the truth about who kidnapped the tourists and who was behind Turki. The investigation of British journalists claimed that the killing of tourists was inevitable, so “No one could risk the hostages being released and complaining of collusion, having seen uniforms and STF jeeps, possibly hearing things they understood.
Written with access to diaries, letters, unprocessed film, personal recollections, drawing on classified police reports and secret tape recordings of Indian government negotiations, as well as interviews with the jihadis themselves and excerpts from their journals, Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark’s book is a real-life thriller, a startling but compelling story told from the perspective of all involved.
Packed with explosive revelations, The Meadow provides the first definitive answers as to what happened to the missing backpackers, revealing how the kidnapping of July 1995 changed the dynamics of the operations of Indian intelligence agencies.
Monitoting Desk: In a calculated move to strangulate Kashmir Muslims economically and tagging them terrorists, India launched a false flag of the Pahalgam attack at the beginning of tourist’s season, as tourism is left as only bread provider of Muslims of the area after Indian occupied forces cut down thousands of fruit orchards in the region in the last ten years. Another possible leverage that India tried to get from the timing of the false flag is tagging Pakistan as a terror-sponsoring country when the US Vice President is visiting India with his Hindu wife.
Thousands of apple farms have been left deserted and cut already due to the 77km long Anantnag-Bijbehara-Pahalgam railway line, one among five such projects totalling about 190km (118 miles) across the Indian occupied Kashmir valley, and the target of construction has always been the fruit orchards of Muslim Kashmiris. The land to be acquired for the construction is highly fertile for growing apples, the best-known export from the region, and the breadwinner of the Muslim Kashmiris of Occupied Kashmir.
Many Kashmiri farmers have held protests since the land acquisition began, and a 5,000 sq metre (54,000 sq ft) apple orchard is now at the mercy of government takeover. It’s difficult to provide a precise number of fruit orchards cut down in Indian Occupied Kashmir over the last five years, but locals claim that over half a million trees have already been cut down, and now the only source of income in the area is tourism services.
Pahalgam false flag attack would surely hamper the tourism season that has just started in the area, and that is the only left bread earner of the poor Muslim community. The attack left 24 tourists dead on Tuesday. Pahalgam, a popular destination in the scenic Muslim-majority territory, draws thousands of visitors every summer. Understandably, tourists would not visit Pahalgam this tourist season after this massive attack, snatching the last livelihood from Kashmiri Muslims.
Meanwhile, this false attack portrays Kashmir Muslims as terrorists who killed non-Muslims tourists, and that this drama has been staged when the US Vice President is visiting India. Traditionally, India wants to divert the world’s attention from the brutality it has been imposing in occupied Kashmir. Even Indian sane media is also questioning Indian security agencies, expressing the possibility that Indian agencies launched this attack as a false flag operation to gain political advantage and cover up brutalities in Indian Occupied Kashmir. The Indian government and the Indian army have completely failed due to their brutal policies in occupied Kashmir. After this false attack, PM Modi indirectly blamed Pakistan for a false flag of Indian intelligence agencies and vowed to hold those involved accountable.
Independent journalists within India are raising voices that the attack on tourists in Pahalgam is a nexus between the Indian media and RAW that uses such tactics to cover up atrocities in Kashmir. Modi-sponsored media, on the other hand, have always been at the forefront of propaganda against Kashmiris before and during the visits of foreign leaders in the past. Now, intelligence agencies and Indian occupied forces are raiding homes of Muslim Kashmiris after a false flag operation, and human rights are completely violated in occupied Kashmir.
Lahore, Pakistan: The Library Society of Government College University (GCU) Lahore on Monday organized an exhibition paying tribute to the national poet Allama Iqbal on his death anniversary. The exhibition displayed a collection of historical items associated with Allama Iqbal.
The display featured a philatelic collection curated by Mian Sajid Ali, which included postage stamps, postal stationery, coins, currency notes, and original handwritten letters, some penned by Justice (R) Dr. Javed Iqbal. Principal, Govt Islamia College
Civil Lines Lahore Dr. Akhtar Hussain Sandhu as Guest of Honour, inaugurated the exhibition alongside GCU Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Babar Aziz, Chief Librarian Muhammad Naeem, and Mian Sajid Ali, Chairman of the Allama Iqbal Stamp Society.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Sandhu praised the initiative for reconnecting the younger generation with both the intellectual and material heritage of Iqbal. “This exhibition is more than just a display of images, as it reflects a documented sequence of state policies and cultural intent,” he noted.
Citing the example of Pakistan’s national anthem, he emphasized how such documentation can lead to scholarly work. “This philatelic archive deserves academic attention. GCU, as a prestigious institution, should take the lead in researching and documenting the government’s evolving perspectives on Iqbal’s legacy and its impact on future generations,” he added.
Mian Sajid Ali stated that his collection, which he began as a student in 1991, is one of the largest philatelic archives on Allama Iqbal in the world.
Chief Librarian Muhammad Naeem added that the event is part of a broader effort to promote Iqbaliat through experiential learning. “Creating awareness through such visual and historical engagement is essential for a meaningful student connection with our literary heritage,” he said.
