29042025-TT-01.qxd 4/28/2025 11:24 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 117 | 16 PAGES | ~6.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH PUTIN ANNOUNCES 72-HR TRUCE TO OBSERVE WW II VICTORY DAY WORLD /thetribunechd HC ORDER ALLOWING HINDU SIDE TO IMPLEAD ASI VALID: SC NATION INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT SLOWS TO 4-YR LOW OF 4% BUSINESS INDIA SPENDING 9 TIMES MORE ON ITS MILITARY THAN PAK BACK PAGE tuesday | 29 april 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Failed as CM, can’t cite terror attack to demand statehood: Omar in J&K House Assembly passes resolution, terms such acts of violence ‘direct assault on Kashmiriyat’ PAHALGAM MASSACRE Arjun Sharma Jammu, April 28 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said he was not able to uphold the responsibility of sending the 25 tourists, who were killed in the recent Pahalgam terror attack, safely back to their homes. One local resident was also killed in the incident. Speaking during a one-day special session of the J&K Assembly, Omar said, “As the Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, I bore the responsibility for having invited the visitors and ensuring their safe return — a responsibility I feel I failed to uphold. It was my responsibility to send these people back to their homes safely.” Omar said he would not use the terror attack to demand statehood from the Centre as it would be “cheap politics”. Reiterating that security responsibilities in J&K were not under the elected government, Omar said, “I have too much respect for the sanctity of these 26 lives to indulge in petty politics. I do not want to use this occasion to demand statehood or any J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah speaks during the one-day special session of the Assembly, summoned to pay tributes to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, in Jammu on Monday. PTI SAFETY WAS MY JOB As the Chief Minister, it was my responsibility to send these tourists back to their homes safely. Omar Abdullah, J&K CHIEF MINISTER ❝ other political gain today. My politics is not so cheap. I will not use the 26 people who died to demand statehood.” A resolution was passed in the Assembly denouncing the Pahalgam attack which read, “This House unequivocally condemns the heinous and cowardly act that resulted in 2010 SCAM PAK FIRING ALONG LoC For the fourth consecutive night, the Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC, Army officials said on Monday. “Indian troops responded swiftly and effectively,” they added. the loss of innocent lives. Such acts of terror are a direct assault on the ethos of Kashmiriyat, the values enshrined in our Constitution and the spirit of unity, peace and harmony that have long characterised J&K and our nation.” Omar assured the Assembly that discussions around governance, rights and aspirations would take place at an appropriate time, “but today was a day solely for grief, solidarity and resolve”. In an emotional address, Omar said the ambush in Pahalgam was an attack on the soul of India as people from different corners of the country were killed. He highlighted that the victims hailed from across India, from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat and from Kerala to J&K, symbolising a national tragedy. Highlighting the protest demonstrations that took place across the UT, Omar said people got united in pain with the rest of the country and came out on their own. “From Kathua to Kupwara, ordinary citizens raised banners and placards reading ‘Not in my name’, distancing themselves from terrorism without any political prompting. Candlelight marches were held and rallies were conducted to say that we do not support this attack,” the CM said. He said the unity among people with the rest of the country should be seen as a ray of hope and should be taken forward. “Terrorism will end when people will be with us…this is a start of that opportunity if we work in a positive direction… there should be no steps that take people away from us... We can control militancy with gun but it will end if people are with us,” he said. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Lieutenant Governor for convening the special session and continued on page 6 edit: j&k stands united PADMA HONOUR Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 28 The 13-year-old corruption case pertaining to the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) has come to a close with a Delhi court accepting the decision of the Enforcement Directorate to end its investigation into alleged money laundering linked to the event. The case had gained attention due to allegations against Suresh Kalmadi, former chairman of the CWG Organising Committee, and Lalit Bhanot, former Secretary General, among others. Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal of the Rouse Avenue Court pointed out that the CBI had already closed the related corruption case which had led the ED to begin its money laundering investigation. The ED report also named several key figures, including Vijay Kumar Gautam, the then COO of the CWG Organising Committee, AK Matto, PM, KEJRI MUST APOLOGISE …Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal must apologise to the Congress and the people of India for misleading the country. Satyameva Jayate! Cong’s Jairam Ramesh on X One of first trade deals may be signed with India: US Washington, April 28 US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday said many top trading partners of the US had made “very good” proposals to avert US tariffs, and one of the first deals to be signed would likely be with India. Speaking to the media, Bessent said the first such trade agreement might come this week or next, but gave no further details. President Donald Trump will Likely to happen ‘within this week or next’ be “intimately involved” in each of the bespoke trade deals with each of 15 to 18 important trading partners, but it will be important to reach agreements in principle soon. “I would guess that India would be one of the first trade deals we would sign,” Bessent said, continued on page 6 New Delhi, April 28 The Centre has blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating “provocative and communally sensitive” content and written to the BBC over its objectionable reportage of the Pahalgam terror attack. Action has also been initiated against some media reports for misreporting facts related to the attack and the Army as well as security agencies. The banned YouTube channels have been found peddling “false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, the Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir”, said official sources. The ban has been imposed on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the sources said. The channels, some of which belong to prominent media houses such as Dawn News, ARY News, Samaa TV, BOL News and Geo News, have a combined subscriber base of around 63 million. Besides, the Ministry of External Affairs has conveyed its strong objections to BBC India head Jackie Martin regarding their reporting on the Pahalgam terror MEA objects to BBC terror reportage attack. A formal letter has been sent to the British public service broadcaster for terming terrorists as “militants”, MEA sources have said, adding that the ministry will monitor its reporting on the Pahalgam incident. In an article, “Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack”, the BBC had referred to the carnage as a “militant attack”, prompting the government to write to its India head. The government has also initiated action by filing an FIR against a news report thread on generating fake Aadhaar. Further, the government has conducted a fact check on a fake press release being circulated, attributed to the Defence Ministry, regarding the setting up of a welfare fund for the Army. After formally taking over the investigation into the attack on April 27, the NIA is currently recording statements of eyewitnesses in the matter. It has also traced the digital footprints of the terrorists to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, sources said. NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has extended the NIA custody of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, for 12 more days. This decision came after Rana’s previous 18-day remand period expired on Monday. Special NIA Judge Chander Jit Singh granted the extension on the request of the National Investigation Agency after Tahawwur was produced in the court. — TNS Folk singer booked over Pahalgam post LUCKNOW: The police have registered a sedition case against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore over a complaint that her provocative social media posts targeting a particular community in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy could harm the nation’s unity. Neha said the government wanted to divert attention from “real issues” by booking her. — PTI SC orders return of Allahbadia’spassport NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the return of passport to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to enable him to travel abroad for work. Allahbadia is facing criminal probes in several states over his controversial comment on parents and sex on comedian Samay Raina’s YouTube show ‘India’s Got Latent’. — TNS Indian military action imminent, says Pak minister Tribune News Service Were accused of misconduct in award, execution of 2 key contracts treasurer, as well as the company, Event Knowledge Service (EKS), and its CEO Craig Gordon MeLatchey. The allegations revolved around financial misconduct in awarding two major contracts for the Games, which were said to have led to illegal profits for certain parties while causing losses to the organising committee. Judge Aggarwal, while accepting the ED’s closure report, explained that no crime related to money laundering continued on page 6 Tribune News Service Tahawwur’scustody extendedby12days Day after meeting CDS, Rajnath briefs PM on Army preparedness No case against Kalmadi, others: Court accepts ED closure report on CWG Ujwal Jalali 16 Pakistan YouTube channels blocked for provocative content Suzuki Motor chief Toshihiro Suzuki receives Padma Vibhushan (posthumous), awarded to his father and former CEO Osamu Suzuki, from President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. Padma awards were conferred on 71 prominent personalities from various fields. ANI BACK PAGE NewDelhi, April 28 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on security preparedness following the Pahalgam terror attack. The development comes a day after Rajnath had met Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan to discuss the implementation of key decisions taken by the Military of Defence to counter Pakistan in the aftermath of the April 22 attack in which 25 tourists and a local were killed. This was one of the most ghastly terror attacks in Kashmir in decades. The minister was with the PM for about 45 minutes even as the government did not issue a INDIA, FRANCE INK PACT FOR 26 RAFALE-M JETS India and France on Monday inked an inter-governmental agreement for 26 Rafale-Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy. The delivery of these aircraft would be completed by 2030, said the Ministry of Defence. BACK PAGE statement on the matter. Citing “cross-border linkages” to the attack, the government has promised severe punishment to those involved in the continued on page 6 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Monday that a military incursion by India was imminent in the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam last week. “We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now,” said Asif. He said Pakistan’s military had briefed the government on the possibility of an Indian attack. Asif said Pakistan was on high alert and that it would only use its arsenal of nuclear weapons if “there is a direct threat to our existence”. — Reuters ON THE BORDER Fearing aggression, farmers harvest wheat Trial over, Punjab to soon across barbed wire fencing on a war footing install anti-drone system Tribune News Service Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, April 28 Border farmers having landholdings across the barbed wire fencing along the zero line on the Indo-Pakistan border have been harvesting their wheat crop on a “war footing” in apprehension of any aggression on the frontier. Around 6,800 acres of fertile land falls across the border fence in this sector, which is mostly used for sowing traditional crops due to restrictions along the border. In all, nearly 20,000 acres of agriculture land lies across the fencing along the IndoPakistan border in Punjab. The farmers here have expedited the crop harvesting Afarmer uses a harvester to clear crops along border in Ferozepur sector. FILE process but are concerned as they have not managed to remove the entire crop residue, which is used as fodder. On Saturday, the BSF reportedly got announcements made through village gurdwaras asking the farmers to clear the fields within 48 hours. The BSF has, however, denied issuing any official order to the farmers for the early harvesting of wheat. BSF jawans open the gates allowing the farmers to go beyond the fencing around 9 am. They have to come back before 5 pm. However, these c m y b days, the BSF is giving them extra time to complete the work. In certain pockets, the farmers have to take agricultural equipment, including tractor-trailers and harvesting machines to their fields after crossing the Sutlej using a wooden “bera” (floating platform), which poses a risk but the hapless farmers have no way out as their land is sandwiched between the river on the one side and Pakistan on the other. The BSF said it was extending all support to the farmers and the security had been beefed up so that they did not panic over the evolving situation in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Chandigarh, April 28 Amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, Punjab Police chief Gaurav Yadav on Monday said testing of the anti-drone system had been completed and the technology would soon be installed along the second line of defence in the state. Addressing the media, Yadav said the anti-drone systems would be deployed in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Border Security Force (BSF). “We have started preparations and by September, we will counter drones bringing drugs and weapons from Pakistan. We have held several meetings with the Police review meeting on drugs today MHA and the BSF he said. ,” The DGP has called a review meeting of all Commissioners of Police and SSPs on Tuesday where the police officers will present their plan to eradicate drugs from their respective districts by May 31. Explaining the May 31 deadline (announced in a statement on Sunday) to make Punjab drugs-free, the DGP clarified that the timeframe signified cutting off all supply chains by that date. “The state will be drug-free in a way that no drugs will be available on the streets…. No specific continued on page 6