Parrikar, Rajnath review Kashmir, BRICS meet

During the half-an-hour long meeting, the two senior ministers discussed the prevailing situation in Kashmir valley as well as steps taken to check infiltration from across the border, official sources said. The reports of suspicious movement of some unidentified persons along the Maharashtra coast, also figured in the meeting. Singh and Parrikar, who hails from Goa and is a former Chief Minister of the state, discussed the security preparation for the BRICS Summit to be held in Panaji on October 15-16, the sources said.

Presidents of Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the BRICS meeting. Normal life remained affected in the valley for the 77th straight day due to restrictions and separatist sponsored strike. Curfew was imposed in parts of Srinagar in view of apprehensions of law and order problems after Friday prayers. 

Shops, business establishments and petrol pumps continued to remain shut in Srinagar and elsewhere in the valley, while public transport was off the roads. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions also continued to remain shut.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) was an abomination and should never have gone through, but the NDA government was not going to scrap it, a day after Centre hinted at revisiting the pact with Pakistan if it does not act against terror. “It (IWT) was an abomination and should never have gone through. J-K has suffered long on its account but this government isn’t going to scrap it,” Omar tweeted. 

The Opposition National Conference (NC) working president said the treaty has survived four wars and nothing will happen to it. “Will stick my neck out and say that nothing will happen to the Indus Water Treaty. It survived 4 wars and a J-K assembly unanimous resolution,” he said in another tweet. India on Thursday made it clear that mutual trust and cooperation was important for such a treaty to work. The assertion came amid calls in India that government should scrap the water distribution pact to mount pressure on Pakistan in the aftermath of the audacious Uri terror attack earlier this week.

A Pakistani national was on Friday nabbed by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the international border in Pargwal sector of the district. A mobile phone and a sim card were recovered from him, the officer said, adding, he is being questioned.