PM Shehbaz Sharif once again thanks US President Donald Trump for resolving Indo-Pak conflict
Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again thanked US President Donald Trump for resolving the India-Pakistan conflict in May.
New Delhi has been consistently maintaining that India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes, and no third party was involved in the process.
“It was President Trump's bold and decisive leadership that brought about the ceasefire between Pakistan and India, restoring peace in South Asia, averting a major war, and saving millions of people,” Sharif said while addressing Azerbaijan’s Victory Day parade in Baku on Saturday.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire" after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim several times that he “helped settle” the tensions between the two countries.
India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.
Pakistan has praised Trump on multiple occasions, claiming that he brokered a ceasefire during the May conflict.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
In his address, Sharif also mentioned Kashmir, saying that Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh is a beacon of hope for all nations fighting against oppression.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan seeks peace, but it will not allow anyone to challenge its sovereignty or undermine territorial integrity.
The parade also included contingents of the armed forces from Pakistan and Turkiye who marched alongside Azerbaijani forces. The ceremony also included a splendid flypast of JF-17 Thunder jets.
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RSS man's defamation case against Rahul: Key witness unavailable, hearing adjourned to Dec 20
Thane (PTI): A court in Bhiwandi in Thane district on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to December 20 due to non-availability of a crucial prosecution witness.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, counsel for Rahul Gandhi, confirmed the adjournment, stating that the witness, Ashok Saykar, currently Deputy Superintendent of Police in Barshi in Solapur, could not remain present due to personal reasons.
Saykar's evidence is now likely to be recorded on December 29.
His testimony is considered key because he, as police sub inspector in 2014, conducted the preliminary inquiry into the private defamation matter under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on the basis of Saykar's submitted report that the court subsequently issued process (summons) against Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The criminal defamation case was filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte following a speech given by Rahul Gandhi at an election rally near Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014.
The case stems from the Congress leader's alleged statement that "the RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi."
The matter is being heard by Bhiwandi Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, P M Kolse.
The hearing had previously been adjourned on November 15 after the complainant's counsel, Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, moved an application seeking permission to examine Saykar, who had submitted the probe report to the court.
The matter was originally scheduled for November 29 but was deferred to December 6 after Rahul Gandhi's legal team sought an adjournment citing their non-availability. The proceedings will now resume on December 20.
