MONSOON BRINGS HEAT RELIEF
from Russia, South Block officials agreed that “this was not an ideal situation” but said that both sides were open to having a candid discussion given India’s legacy issues.
Although US sanctions against Iran will kick in on November 4, senior Indian diplomats said the US is not threatening India over purchase of crude oil from Tehran; Washington is aware that New Delhi had already cut down its oil intake from the Islamic Republic to 6% of the total oil it imports before the sanctions were lifted when Iran signed its deal with the US when Barack Obama was in power.
Even now, India imports only 18% of its crude oil from Iran. Before the dialogue was postponed, the talks on Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) had recorded forward momentum towards closure by the end of this year and hardware acquisition through the foreign military sales route had been finalized with the two countries involved in advanced Malabar and RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) naval exercises.
It has also been decided that both India and the US will closely collaborate on a maritime security architecture through the INDO-PAC Command of the US Navy.
“India-us relations are multifaceted and on a vast canvass. It is normal to have differences over some issues. But saying US is threatening India (and that the postponement of the talks is one embodiment of this) is an overexaggeration of the facts on ground,” said a top Indian diplomat dealing with US. the scene of crime, is “also being investigated” Pani added.
Malik and Ahmad became militants in 2016, while Jutt has been active since 2009.
Pani said the case has two parts, “conspiracy and its execution”.
It started with a hate campaign against Bukhari, effected by Gul, he explained. Several posts in the public domain ”spread hate against Shujaat Bukhari on kashmirfight.worldpress.com” Pani said. There were also posts on Facebook and Twitter, he added. “We have tangible evidence that these were done from Pakistan and a part of the LET conspiracy.’’
Sajjad Gul was earlier arrested by the Delhi police sometime in 2003, Pani said. Again, he was arrested in Kashmir by Srinagar police in 2016 for terror cases. The accused obtained a passport fraudulently and left the country in March 2017.” “Gul is one of the persons who actually created those blogs and those write-ups. We have very strong evidence against him,” Pani said.
Bukhari, 50, the editor-inchief of Rising Kashmir newspaper, was attacked by three gunmen on a motorcycle while he was entering his car on the evening of June 14. Two of his security guards were also killed as gunmen sprayed bullets on them.
People familiar with the development who asked not to be identified said the police received vital clues from the murder site and also from CCTV cameras in the vicinity soon after the killing. Militant groups have denied killing the senior journalist and instead blamed security agencies.
Journalists have held several protests in Srinagar and asked the government to identify the killers. Even the separatist Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), headed by separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooqm called for a day-long strike against the killing of Bukhari and other civilians.