UN chief spoke with India, Pak officials not PMs on rising tensions: official
United Nations: UN chief Antonio Guterres has not spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, but discussed with officials from India and Pakistan the heightened tensions arising after the Pulwama terror attack, a top official has said.
Tensions escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir which killed 40 CRPF personnel and was claimed by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
After the suicide attack, India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26.
The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial confrontation and captured Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was handed over to India on Friday.
"We're fully aware of the situation. The Secretary-General has had no calls with those two Heads of Governments as far as I'm aware, but he's had contacts with both sides to express, I think, his concern and the need to do as much as anyone can to de-escalate the tensions," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday.
Dujarric was asked if the UN chief spoke with the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan on the rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Last week, Dujarric said Guterres was following with "deep concern" the escalating situation between the two countries, calling on both sides to urgently take steps to lower tensions through "meaningful mutual engagement".
The UN chief is "obviously, following the situation as we see it even today with deep concern, and his message, both publicly and privately, to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful, mutual engagement and meet their responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region," he said on Wednesday.
When asked if the Secretary General was planning to get involved to try and mediate a de-escalation, Dujarric had said that "as always", the UN chief's good offices are always "available should both parties or all parties, depending on the situation, agree to do that".
In the days following the Pulwama attack, Guterres repeatedly stressed on the importance for both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalation.
Guterres reiterated his strong condemnation of the terrorist attack against Indian security forces and said it was "essential that there be accountability under international law and the perpetrators of terrorist acts be brought swiftly to justice".
The UN Security Council in a press statement had also "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly" suicide bombing in Pulwama.
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Telangana CM urges Amit Shah to increase sanctioned strength of IPS officers in state
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday night and urged him to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state in view of its growing administrative and security needs.
The two leaders also discussed the recent surrender of several senior Maoist leaders before the Telangana Police and other issues.
"During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the issue of Maoist surrenders and their rehabilitation. The chief minister informed Shah that significant improvements in policing have taken place in Telangana over the past two years," an official release here said.
Highlighting that 591 Maoists have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of society during this period, the chief minister said the state government was providing them compensation and rehabilitation assistance as per the rules.
He requested the Union home minister to extend financial support from the central government for development works in the backward regions of the state.
Reddy also urged Shah to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state from 83 to 105 in line with the state's growing administrative and security needs, the statement said.
The first cadre review after the formation of Telangana was conducted in 2016, while the next review, due in 2021, was delayed and finally carried out in 2025. Even then, only seven additional IPS officers were allocated to the state, the chief minister informed Shah and requested that the third cadre review be conducted in 2026 as per the schedule.
Reddy explained that Telangana, like the rest of the country, is facing several modern challenges, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and other emerging security threats.
He highlighted the reorganisation of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Police Commissionerates, the proposed formation of the Future City Commissionerate and the rapidly growing population in Hyderabad to underline the increasing administrative requirements of the state.
