New Delhi: The New York Times on Saturday said the western diplomats in New Delhi, who have been holding countless meetings and working to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan, seemed much more relaxed. Their hopeful refrain was: The worst is over. Several diplomats said India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi would look like the aggressor at this point if India staged more strikes. They contended Pakistan premier Imran Khan has no incentive to push things further.
They said Khan’s priority has been to revive Pakistan’s listing economy, and so far he seems to have won this case in the court of world opinion. His forces had captured an Indian fighter pilot, the pride of India’s military. And his calls for restraint and peace, even if driven by self-interest, seemed to play well around the world, even in India, the NYT reported, pointing out return of Wing Commander Abhinandan to India Friday night.
“Whatever Pakistan’s role has been in the Kashmir conflict, Imran Khan has acted with dignity and rectitude, wrote Indian author Arundhati Roy in an opinion piece published in HuffPost. As for Modi, she called his actions “unforgivable”, alluding to the always-present possibility of a nuclear conflict between the states. “He has jeopardised the lives of more than a billion people and brought the war in Kashmir to the doorsteps of ordinary Indians,” Roy wrote.
Kalashnikov unit inauguration today
New Delhi: PM Modi will visit Amethi in UP on Sunday to unveil an Indo-Russian ordnance factory that will produce the iconic Kalashnikov rifles, it was announced on Saturday. At Kauhar in Amethi, the PM will open the Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between India’s ordnance factory and a Russian firm, and also address a public gathering in Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha seat. —Agencies
