Pakistan army accuses India of backing terrorism in rare rebuke

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's military has accused India's main intelligence agency of whipping up terrorism in Pakistan in rare public criticism that could increase tension between the nuclear-armed rivals.

The accusation came after a meeting of the army's top commanders at the military's headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi on Tuesday to review an offensive against militants in the northwest and other security issues.

"The conference also took serious notice of RAW's involvement in whipping up terrorism in Pakistan," the army said in a statement, referring to India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), its external intelligence arm.

While Pakistani army officers often privately accuse India of meddling, it is rare for the military to accuse India's spy agency in an official statement.

The neighbours have fought three wars since 1947, two of them over the divided Muslim-majority region of Kashmir which they both claim in full but rule in part.

Pakistan believes India is supporting separatists in resource-rich Baluchistan province, as well as militants fighting the state. It also sees India as fuelling strife in the volatile city of Karachi.

India denies interference in Pakistan but accuses Pakistan of supporting militants who launch attacks in India and fight in Indian Kashmir. India has also accused Pakistan of backing the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies those accusations.

A Pakistani official with knowledge of the commanders' meeting said they had discussed what they believed to be India's involvement in the Baluchistan insurgency.

"It was unanimously felt that India is providing all kinds of support to Pakistan's enemies, be they the (Pakistani) Taliban, or elements in Karachi or in Baluchistan," said the official who declined to be identified.

"There is documentary proof. All evidence is there and we will bring it in the open soon."

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a television interview aired later that RAW was "an enemy organisation".

"RAW has been formed to undo Pakistan and to wipe Pakistan off the map of the world," Asif said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made improving ties with India a priority when he won a 2013 election.

But his push was widely seen as causing friction with the army which sees relations with India as its responsibility.

Late last month, Sharif accused India of failing to respond to Pakistan's desire for good relations.

India was angered earlier in April when a Pakistani court freed on bail Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, accused of plotting a 2008 assault on the city of Mumbai in which 166 people were killed.

India tells UN it is committed to reconstruct Nepal

Having launched the massive relief operation 'Maitri' in quake-hit Nepal, India has told the United Nations that it remains committed to partnering with the neighbouring country's rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Bhagwant Bishnoi said on Tuesday that all relief and rescue work being done by India was in "consultation and coordination with the Nepalese Government."

It is also closely engaged with the efforts of United Nations in Nepal, he said.

"Now that the search and rescue phase is over, our commitment extends to partnering with the government and the people of Nepal for re-rehabilitation and re-construction," Bishnoi said at a briefing by the UN Secretariat on the situation after the earthquake in Nepal.

Extending condolences to the people of Nepal, Bishnoi said the citizens have handled the situation with courage.

"This shows their vitality...Our hearts go out to the people of Nepal. We are united with them by history and a border, an open border. The fact that it is an open border conveys a lot. Today India and Nepal are also united by grief," he said.

India launched Operation Maitri on April 25 to assist in the relief and rescue efforts 

immediately after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal killing over 7,000 people, including 41 Indians.

Bishnoi told the UN that the first flight from India landed in Kathmandu within six hours of the earthquake and there have been non-stop sorties of C-17 Globe Master, IL-76 and C-130 aircraft.

India also deployed 16 teams of the National Disaster Reaction Force, each comprising 50 trained personnel.

So far, the relief assistance provided by India included 95 tons of food packages and dry rations, 94 tons of water, 7.5 tons of medicine, 3,700 tents, more than 100,000 blankets, 600 pieces of tarpaulin and 2,000 plastic sheets.

The Indian Army set up three field hospitals and the Air Force deployed a rapid action team.

India provided 15 tons of medical supplies, stretchers and oxygen concentrators and is helping with the restoration of electricity supply.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar visited Nepal on May 1 to "fine-tune" India's assistance in keeping with the requirements.

They also went to Barpak village, the epicentre of the earthquake, and met the Nepali and Indian teams working there, Bishnoi said.

The Nepal government has asked rescue teams from India and 33 other countries to leave the country and deployed thousands of its own military and police personnel as the government took charge of massive post-quake operations.

Complaint filed against singer Abhijeet for controversial remarks

A written complaint was on Wednesday filed against Bollywood singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya for his controversial comments regarding the court's verdict which held Salman Khan guilty in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

A city based activist Suraj Soni submitted the written complaint to Jhotwara police station seeking FIR against the singer for his comments.

However, the police have not registered any FIR yet.

"We have not registered any FIR so far and has kept the complaint for a probe," Station House Officer of Jhotwara police station Shiv Kumar Bharadwaj told 

The complainant said that the singer has hurt sentiments of the people with his comments and legal action against him was necessary, police said.

The singer in a series of tweets, after Salman Khan was declared guilty in 2002 case, blame the homeless for the star's plight with comments like footpaths are not for sleeping. His comments triggered a controversy and were described as "insensitive".

Justice will be upheld in Salman case: Gul Panag

New Delhi, May 6. As Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was given interim bail on Wednesday after being sentenced to five years in jail for the 2002 hit-and-run case, actress and social activist Gul Panag said she was "confident" that the actor will further be granted bail on Friday and believes that "justice will be upheld".

"It's a very difficult time for his family but we live in a country where as responsible citizens we must obey the law of the land," Gul, who was here on Wednesday to promote a jewellery brand, 

"... his (Salman's) team will definitely appeal in a higher court and I'm confident that justice will be upheld," the 36-year-old added.

The two have worked together in 2008 film "Hello".

Salman was granted two days interim bail on medical grounds by the Bombay High Court after his defence team led by Supreme Court counsel Harish Salve mentioned the matter before Justice A.M. Thipsay.

Salve cited medical reasons for seeking bail and also argued that a person could not be arrested on the basis of a summarised court order.

The hearing on the bail application will now be taken up on Friday morning.