Call for impartiality on India, Pakistan

A FORMER defence force member called on the South African community to remain neutral as conflict between India and Pakistan continued.

Vinesh Selvan, a former soldier at the SANDF, said: “Any form of public gathering or show of one-sided support on the Kashmir issue will lead to the dispute reaching our shores and should be averted at all costs.”

Selvan was reacting to the peace prayers being held across Kwazulu-natal by the India Association of South Africa (IASA).

The interfaith prayers, hosted by IASA president, Amit More, supported “peace across the world” according to More.

It came after 40 Indian paramilitary police soldiers were killed in the disputed region of Kashmir on February 14.

The men car-bombing.

Since then tension between Pakistan and India over Kashmir has increased.

Selvan and More challenged each other’s views on social media this week.

Selvan said the peace prayer held in Durban two weeks ago had a political agenda to support India.

“The local South African Indian community has treated the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals with fairness and they have become part of our communities.

“It’s unfair for any of these groups to try to bring their countries’ disputes on to South African soil and incite disputes within the local South African Indian communities,” Selvan said. died in a suicide

More denied he had an “agenda” at his rallies, and said India was a victim of terrorism.

He said his organisation has had to cancel a peace prayer meant to be held in Pietermaritzburg last week.

More said: “Some members of the community have their own agenda. They don’t understand that India has been a victim of terrorism for several years.

“When the president (Ramaphosa) has already issued a statement saying he supports India, then why can’t the community follow this support?”

Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-mohammed claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack.

It was reported that the risk of conflict increased when, on Tuesday, India launched an air strike on what it said was a militant training base for Jaish.

The next day, military both countries engaged in the air.

An Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s jet was shot down by Pakistan’s forces.

Pakistan held Varthaman, but released him on Friday.

Both More, and the Pakistan South Africa Association’s president, Hayat Khan, welcomed the release of the pilot.

Khan said: “This is a gesture of peace by Pakistan, we welcome this, as we do not want another war to erupt.”

More said: “This is good news, that he (the pilot) is alive and well. But we will only have peace when they release the terrorists to us.

“Also, do not forget that there are 54 Indian soldiers still held in Pakistan since 1971. ” forces of battle in A DOMESTIC worker was arrested after she allegedly stole more than a R1 million in cash that her employer had won at a casino.

Nobukhosi Phakathi, 34, appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on theft charges related to money, jewellery and a gun that were stolen from an Umhlatuzana home.

Phakati, who had worked for her employer for more than three years, was arrested by Bayview police officers, who tracked her to her Eshowe home.

A large sum of money and a firearm were seized. The case was postponed to this week for further investigation.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele, the homeowner and his wife were not at home when the theft occurred.

Phakathi and other employees were reportedly working at the home.

“The owner received a call from another of his employees at the home, informing him that an employee had taken various possessions and left,” Mbele said.

“When the owner checked his safe he noticed that the cash and other valuables were missing.”

The homeowner, who asked not to be named fearing reprisals, said he had won the cash while playing roulette at Suncoast Casino.

“I won much cash around Valentine’s Day and locked it in my safe at home. I had more than R1 million kept in the safe,” he said.

“We had visited a visa office when I got a message about an employee leaving home. I was in the process of arranging an overseas trip for my family.”

He said about R720 000 of the cash had been recovered.

Since the theft there had been numerous rumours about why he had had such a vast sum of cash at his home.

“I won the money playing roulette at Suncoast and I have documentation from the casino to prove that,” said the homeowner.

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