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Feb 27, 2019 9:59 PM

Hope saner counsels shall prevail between leadership of India, Pak: Manmohan Singh ## Hope saner counsels shall prevail between leadership of India, Pak: Manmohan Singh

Amid growing tension between India and Pakistan, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday voiced hoped that saner counsels shall prevail between the leadership of the two countries and they will get back to the task of economic development.

He said this at a function at Teen Murti Bhavan where he was presented with the first 'P V Narasimha Rao National leadership and lifetime achievement award' by former president Pranab Mukherjee.

"I do hope that saner counsels will prevail between leadership of the two countries and we will get back to the economic development, which is the basic requirement of India and Pakistan," Singh said in his address.

Thanking the organisers - an NGO 'India Next' that instituted the award in memory of former prime minister Narasimha Rao, Singh said he will cherish the award and it will continue to inspire him for years.

"I thank you for this honour. It is a great day for me, on a day when our country is grappling with another crisis of the mad rush of mutual self destruction that plagues the the two countries of India and Pakistan.

"Our basic problem is to get rid of growing poverty, immunisation and disease, which still afflicts millions and millions of citizens of the two countries," he said, and hoped that the events and the narrative will change soon.

Mukherjee lauded Singh's role as finance minister under Rao and said both Rao and Singh will be remembered for the liberalisation of the Indian economy during the early 1990s.

Feb 27, 2019 9:52 PM

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “A statement was released by the opposition parties. The statement said that BJP is politicising the martyrdom of soldiers. We condemn this statement. The impact of that statement is seen on Pakistan television. Has Opposition thought of what will happen after such statements? This shows the country is divided and Pakistan is happy about it.”

Feb 27, 2019 9:44 PM

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar will address a press conference at the BJP Headquarters shortly.

Feb 27, 2019 9:27 PM

Major world powers ask India, Pak to exercise utmost restraint ## Major world powers ask India, Pak to exercise utmost restraint

The US, the UK, China, Russia and the European Union on Wednesday urged both India and Pakistan to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further military activity by the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Tensions between India and Pakistan rose Wednesday after Pakistan claimed it shot down two Indian fighter jets over Pakistani air space and arrested a pilot.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tried to defuse the tension by saying war is futile and can lead to unknown consequences while making an oblique reference to the nuclear weapons that both countries possess.

Worried over escalating tensions, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke separately with foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, urging them to avoid "further military activity".

"I expressed to both ministers that we encourage India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid escalation at any cost," Pompeo, who is accompanying President Donald Trump at the second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in Vietnam.

In London, Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain is deeply concerned over rising tensions between India and Pakistan, urging both the nuclear-armed nations to exercise restraint to avoid further escalation.

"The UK is deeply concerned about rising tensions between India and Pakistan and urgently calls for restraint on both sides to avoid further escalation. We are in regular contact with both countries, urging dialogue and diplomatic solutions to ensure regional stability," she said.

Feb 27, 2019 9:26 PM

Rising tension can lead to serious consequences; India, Pak should exercise utmost restraint: EU ## Rising tension can lead to serious consequences; India, Pak should exercise utmost restraint: EU

The European Union (EU) Wednesday said that rising tension between India and Pakistan has the potential to lead to "dangerous consequences" for the two countries and the wider region and called for utmost restraint.

European Union Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini said in a statement, "Following the recent terrorist attack in Pulwama, tensions along the 'Line of Control' between India and Pakistan have escalated militarily during the last days. This has the potential to lead to serious and dangerous consequences for the two countries and the wider region."

On Wednesday, an IAF pilot was in Pakistani custody and a Pakistani fighter jet was shot down as fears of war darkened India-Pakistan relations with the Air Force repulsing retaliatory attacks from the western neighbour.

Mogherini, who is also the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said the EU expects both countries to "now exercise utmost restraint" and avoid any further escalation.

"To this end, the resumption of diplomatic contacts at political level and implementation of urgent measures by both sides is vital," she said.

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Samjhauta Express on schedule between Delhi and Attari: Railways ## Samjhauta Express on schedule between Delhi and Attari: Railways

The Railways on Wednesday said the Samjhauta Express will continue to run as per schedule from Delhi to Attari in India, amidst reports that Pakistan has suspended its operations between Wagah to Lahore on its side.

"The train will run as per schedule as of now," Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar told PTI about its operation on the Indian side.

The biweekly train, which runs on Wednesdays and Sundays, will leave at 11:10 o'clock tonight as per schedule from the Old Delhi Railway station with 26 passengers aboard - four in AC coach, 22 in non-AC coaches -- sources said.

The train does not have any commercial stops between Delhi and Attari.

Originally, the train offered a through service with one rake going all the way between the terminals - Delhi in India to Lahore in Pakistan. However, now a Pakistani rake stops at Attari at which point passengers have to change trains and board an Indian rake.

Feb 27, 2019 7:51 PM

Feb 27, 2019 7:32 PM

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