SUNDAY FEATURE

New Delhi:India and Turkey have strongly condemned the "use of double standards" in combating terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation in effectively dealing with the menace both bilaterally and at multilateral fora. In a joint statement, both sides urged all countries and entities to work sincerely to disrupt terrorist networks and their financing and stop cross-border movement of terrorists.

India in response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks on a "multilateral" approach to Jammu & Kashmir, explained to the visiting leader on Monday that it was willing to settle outstanding issues bilaterally. India made clear its stand on a day when Pakistani troops crossed LoC and beheaded Indian soldiers.The other soldiers had died in a terror strike in Kupwara three days earlier.

The joint statement was issued after extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New Delhi yesterday.The two leaders also called for early conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

The statement said that Prime Minister Modi thanked President Erdogan for Turkey's support for India's membership of the MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) and its application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as Wassenaar Arrangement, an export control regime.On terrorism, the statement said the two leaders reiterated their strong condemnation of and resolute opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, wherever committed and by whomever, and declared that there could be no justification for terrorism anywhere.

New Delhi:Army Chief General Bipin Rawat reached Srinagar on Monday and took stock of the security situation, on a day Pakistani troops beheaded two Indian soldiers after crossing the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector. Accompanied by the Northern Army Commander and the Srinagar-based Corps Commander, the army chief visited Panzgam garrison and was briefed on the terror attack which took place on April 27, an army official said.

Gen Rawat "took stock of the enhanced security measures," he added. Three armymen, including a young officer, were killed and five other soldiers were injured in the attack by three terrorists, two of whom were eliminated in the incident. The Army Chief was briefed by the Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu on the prevailing situation in Kashmir.GenRawat appreciated the synergy being shown among all security agencies and complimented the troops for undertaking operations with firmness and resolve, the official said.

The army chief also visited the Army Base Hospital in Badamibagh Cantonment where he enquired about the health of injured soldiers and wished them all a speedy recovery. 

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday took note of the "tenor" of a defiant Justice C S Karnan's orders and press briefings and directed his medical check-up by doctors with police support, as the Calcutta High Court Judge did not appear before it. Reacting to the order, a belligerent Justice Karnan said in Kolkata that he will not appear before such a medical board as directed by the Supreme Court. A plea that Justice Karnan, due to retire in June, be "allowed to go" as he was not in a position to defend himself, did not cut much ice with a 7-judge bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar, which said, "anybody can play this trick with us and go".

Taking note of the fact that Justice Karnan has been passing orders despite being restrained and holding press briefings, the bench said, "the tenor of press briefings as also purported orders passed by him indicate that he may not be in a position to defend himself. "Therefore, we consider it in the fitness of the matter to require him to be medically examined. We hereby direct the Calcutta Hospital to constitute a board of doctors to examine Shri Justice C S Karnan and submit a report."

The bench, which also comprised Justices DipakMisra, J Chelameswar, RanjanGogoi, M B Lokur, P C Ghose and Kurian Joseph, asked the director general of police (DGP) of West Bengal to constitute a team of police personnel to assist the medical board in carrying out the tests on Justice Karnan on May 4.

Khabar Bureau
New Delhi:Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawah Chief Hafiz Saeed will remain under house arrest in Lahore for 90 more days after the expiry of his three-month detention period which ended yesterday. 
Pakistan’s Punjab Government decided to extend the duration of the house arrest of Saeed and his four aides under the country’s anti-terrorism act and the notification for it would be issued soon, an official of the Punjab government’s home department said. 

Khabar Bureau
New Delhi:At least 117 kg nilgai meat, animal skin, ivory and 40 guns have been seized from the house of a retired army officer here during a 17-hour-long joint raid conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the forest department in Meerut. A team of DRI officials reached the Civil Lines residence of Colonel (retd) Devindra Kumar on Saturday in the afternoon and the raid continued till 3:30 am.