15092025-TTB-01.qxd 9/15/2025 1:19 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 145 NO. 255 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 RUBIO IN ISRAEL IN WAKE OF QATAR ATTACK AS GAZA STRIKES INTENSIFY WORLD /thetribunechd PILGRIMS SLAM DELAY IN RESUMPTION OF VAISHNO DEVI YATRA J&K EC SHOULD’VE PROBED CRIMINAL ACTS WON’T GO VOTE THEFT CHARGES: UNPUNISHED, SAYS NEW QURAISHI NATION NEPAL PM BACK PAGE monday | 15 september 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Nation of 1.4 bn won’t buy US corn: Lutnick warns of ‘tough time’ THE TRIBUNE RELIEF FUND FOR J&K, PUNJAB & HP Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service An Appeal to our Readers The devastating floods that have ravaged J&K, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in the past weeks have caused unprecedented destruction, sweeping away homes, crippling infrastructure, taking away lives, displacing families and leaving countless people in need for urgent relief and rehabilitation. In the past years, during such calamities, be it the floods in Kerala, the landslides in Uttarakhand, the floods in Jammu and Kashmir, the cloudburst in Ladakh, the Orissa Cyclone, the Kargil War or the Gujarat earthquake, Tribune readers have always come forward to make their valuable donations. The Tribune Trust appeals to its readers to do so once again. Their contributions will provide invaluable support for reducing the anguish of the families of those who have lost lives and their homes. The names of all those who donate ~500 and above will be published in the paper. These donations shall also qualify for deduction under the Income Tax Act, in accordance with the applicable provisions. Donations should be in the form of crossed cheques or demand drafts in favour of the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and sent to The Tribune Trust, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh160030, or to The Tribune offices in various cities. All donations received by us will be duly sent to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. — President and Trustees of The Tribune Trust, Chandigarh Indian players celebrate the wicket of Pakistan’s Mohammad Haris during an Asia Cup match in Dubai on Sunday. ANI India annihilate clueless Pak Kuldeep Yadav bags three for 18, Suryakumar shines with bat, scores 47 SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE SHISHIR HATTANGADI P AKISTAN, having won the toss, seemed to cast aside Shakespeare's old caution that 'discretion is the better part of valour'. They batted not with care but with carelessness — strokes played without conviction, footwork faltering against the spin and a curious inertia that saw over 60 balls drift by as dots. It was cricket without rhythm, a tune in search of melody. India’s slow bowlers took con- Stand by Pahalgam attack victims: Skipper dedicates win to Indian armed forces trol of the stage. Kuldeep Y adav, subtle of wrist and flight, returned three wickets for 18; Axar Patel, unflustered and precise, matched him with two for 18; Varun Chakaravarthy offered mystery in his one for 24. Together they spun a net in which Pakistan's innings gasped like a fish on dry ground. The score — 127 for 9 — was less a total than a survival. Sahibzada Farhan's 40, scratched from 44 balls, had the air of a man pacing a room in the dark. Only at the close did Shaheen Afridi, wielding the bat with a bowler's freedom, strike 33 from 16 deliveries, sixes clattering against the still night, giving the crowd some noise to remember. It was bravado, but it came when the battle was already lost. India's reply was a counterpoint in clarity. They opened not cautiously, but like men sure of their art. Shaheen Afridi, so often Pakistan's spear, was met with a flurry of strokes that rattled the evening. Abhishek Sharma's batting was box-office in its intent, his strokes like bright banners unfurled in a breeze. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav gave his innings the grace of command: 47 runs from 37 balls, wristy improvisations mixed with calm certainty. Tilak Varma, alongside him, lent a quiet steadiness, and together they shaped the chase into little more than a formality. Only the young Ayub, with his continued on page 8 New Delhi, September 14 US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has warned India of a “tough time” doing business with Washington if it fails to bring down tariffs, saying a country of 1.4 billion people does not import even “one bushel of US corn” but enjoys access to the American market. In a sharp critique during an interview, Lutnick accused India of “taking advantage” of the US by maintaining high tariffs on American goods while freely selling their own products to US consumers. “They sell to us and take advantage of us. They block us from their economy while we are wide open for them to come in... The President says fair and reciprocal trade — bring down your tariffs, treat us the way we treat you.” Lutnick said. Hitting out at India for its “unfair trade practices”, Lutnick said New Delhi’s refusal to buy US farm products exemplified the imbalance. “India brags that they have 1.4 billion people. Why won’t their 1.4 billion people buy one bushel of US corn? Doesn’t that rub you the CHINA REJECTS US PUSH FOR TARIFFS China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has rebuffed US call to G7 nations to impose tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia, saying war cannot solve problems and “sanctions only complicate them”. “China doesn’t participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue,” Wang said. wrong way? They put tariffs on everything,” he said. The remarks come against the backdrop of the ongoing trade tensions between Washington and its allies after the US imposed steep tariffs on countries it accuses of maintaining protectionist barriers. Lutnick defended the move, saying it was aimed at correcting “years of wrongs” and ensuring American exporters get a level playing field. “Now we’ve got to right years of wrong. So we want a tariff continued on page 8 5.8quakehitspartsof North-East,Bengal GUWAHATI: An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude struck parts of the North-East and West Bengal on Sunday, followed by three aftershocks, leaving at least two persons injured and damaging houses in Assam. The epicentre of the first quake was Sonitpur in Assam, while the remaining three struck neighbouring Udalguri district. — PTI Aman ‘overweight’, outofwrestlingc’ship (CROATIA): India’s campaign at the World Wrestling Championships suffered a setback on Sunday after Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat was disqualified for failing weight test. Aman, competing in the 57kg freestyle, was found to be 1.7kg overweight and was forced to withdraw. INSIDE ZAGREB Cong has long backed Pak-groomed NIA files chargesheet against 3 terrorists, shielded infiltrators: Modi over Amritsar grenade attack ASI arrested for tampering with Says it echoed Islamabad’s propaganda during Op Sindoor, didn’t back Army proof in Negi case Shekhar Singh Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Shimla, September 14 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested suspended ASI Pankaj Sharma for allegedly tampering with a pen drive that was found along with the body of Vimal Negi, former Chief Engineer, Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL). Negi had gone missing and was found dead in the Gobind Sagar lake in Bilaspur on March 18. This is the first arrest in the case since it was handed over to the CBI by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in May. Sources said a 10-member CBI team on Sunday raided Sharma’s house in Ghumarwin, Bilaspur district, and took him into custody. The accused will now be presented in a court. Earlier, the special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the CBI, had called Sharma for interrogation on various occasions. Negi’s death triggered a massive outrage from his family as well as employees of the HPPCL, leading to a massive protest outside the HPPCL office. continued on page 8 New Delhi, September 14 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of siding with terrorists groomed by Pakistan instead of supporting the Army, and hailed the Assam Government for “evicting infiltrators from encroached land”. Modi said he had endured personal attacks and abuses from the Congress, including insults directed at his late mother Heeraben, but as a devotee of Lord Shiva, he would “drink the poison” of abuses and continue to serve the people. Speaking at a rally in Assam, he said the people of India were his only “remote control” and the only authority before whom he bowed. Modi recalled the 1962 Chinese aggression and said the scars left on the North-East by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s handling of the war had “yet to heal”. He accused the Congress of continuing to “sprinkle salt” on those wounds, betraying Assam’s trust for decades in pursuit of vote bank politics. The PM alleged that the Congress had long stood with Pakistan-trained terrorists, shielded infiltrators, and had Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma during the inauguration of several development works in Darrang, Assam. PTI ‘NEHRU’S HANDLING OF 1962 WAR LEFT SCARS ON NORTH-EAST’ ■ Modi recalled the 1962 Chinese aggression and said the scars left on the North-East by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s handling of the war had ‘yet to heal’ even mocked Assam’s cultural icon Bhupen Hazarika. “During Operation Sindoor, when our forces destroyed terror bases across the border, the Congress leadership echoed Pakistan’s propaganda instead of backing our Army. They protected infiltra- ■ He accused the Congress of continuing to ‘sprin- kle salt’ on those wounds, betraying Assam’s trust for decades in pursuit of vote bank politics tors who seized land, threatened women and girls, and sought to change Assam’s demography. Those days are over,” he said, praising Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for reclaiming farmland from encroachment. The PM also brought up Congress’ dismissal of Hazarika when he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. “They mocked it as an honour for ‘singers and dancers’. That insult still hurts the people of Assam,” he said, arguing that the cultural pride of the state had been trampled continued on page 8 Tribune News Service New Delhi, September 14 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against three men in connection with the grenade attack on the Thakurdwara Sanatan Temple in Chheharta, Amritsar, earlier this year, a senior official said here on Sunday. In its chargesheet submitted before the Special NIA Court in Mohali, the agency named Vishal Gill, Bhagwant Singh and Diwan Singh for their roles in the RahulinPunjabtoday, tovisitflood-hitareas CHANDIGARH: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit flood-affected areas in Punjab on Monday. He is scheduled to land at the Amritsar airport around 9.30 am, from where he will visit affected villages in Ajnala, Dera Baba Nanak, Dinanagar and Gurdaspur. Rahul will meet affected families and hear their concerns while reviewing party operations in the flood-hit areas in the state. INSIDE Hry girls pack a punch, win 2 gold, silver, bronze Deepender Deswal Tribune News Service Jaismine Lamboria, who won gold in the 57kg category on Sunday. ANI Hisar, September 14 Haryana girls have won laurels at the international boxing circuit, with two pugilists from the state winning gold medals for the country in their respective weight categories at the ongoing World Boxing Championships being held in Liverpool, UK. The first gold medal was bagged by Bhiwani girl Jaismine Lamboria in the 57 kg weight category by defeating Olympic medallist Julia Koulend. She has become the ninth world champion in her weight category from India. Another Haryana girl, Minakshi Hooda from Rurki village in Rohtak district, also won the gold in the 48 kg weight category to add the second gold to India’s kitty. Besides, Nupur Sheoran claimed the silver medal in the 80+ kg category, while Pooja Rani secured the bronze in the 80 kg category, taking the total medal haul to four, including two gold. Buoyed by Jaismine’s performance, her parents, Ravinder Kaur and Jasvir Singh, along with her coach Sandeep, celebrated her victory by distributing sweets. They expressed pride in her dedication, discipline and rigorous training, saying they always believed she would bring home a medal. They said it continued on page 8 c m y b Minakshi on winning gold (48kg category) at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. ANI Probe reveals transfer of funds from abroad conspiracy and execution of the March 15 attack. Gill was identified as one of the two bike-borne assailants who lobbed the grenade in the early hours of March 15. His associate, Gursidak Singh, was killed in a police encounter two days later. According to the official, Bhagwant Singh provided shelter, concealed grenades, arranged motorcycles for reconnaissance and extended logistical support, both before and after the strike. Diwan Singh has been chargesheeted for harbouring a co-accused and destroying evidence. Another key accused, Sharanjeet Kumar, was arrested in Gaya, Bihar, on September 5. “Investigations are ongoing against him and absconding accused Badalpreet Singh, who is believed to be abroad,” the official said. The agency said its probe has uncovered the transfer of terror funds from foreign handlers to local operatives through UPI and MTSS channels. Malik threatened officials duringOpSindoor:Dossier Arjun Sharma Jammu, September 14 In its dossier on Mehraj Malik, who has been detained under the J&K Public Safety Act (PSA), the Doda administration has claimed the AAP MLA had allegedly issued threats to government officials during Operation Sindoor when the authorities were trying to counter elements attempting to divide the nation along religious and regional lines. The dossier said, “During Operation Sindoor, an initiative aimed at countering elements attempting to divide the nation along religious and regional lines, the subject (Malik) openly issued threats to government officials in his constituency and sought to incite public hostility against the administration. Multiple FIRs have been registered against him for unlawful acts, including forcibly locking government offices and verbally and physically attacking public servants on several occasions.” Prepared by the Doda SSP , NET RESTORED IN DODA Authorities on Sunday restored broadband Internet services in Doda district where the situation started returning to normal after nearly one-weeklong restrictions following detention of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, officials said. INSIDE the dossier was forwarded to the J&K Home Department by Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh. It said Malik, a resident of Doda, was a history-sheeter and had become a habitual offender, with a number of criminal cases registered against him at various police stations across the union territory. The dossier was prepared before slapping the PSA on Malik. He was detained and sent to Kathua District Jail. “He is currently serving as an MLA from the Doda constituency and is known to assert himself as a self-styled leader, frequently resorting to unlawful means to subdue the government procedures, rules and laws, while making continued on page 8