PM Modi sends greetings to Imran Khan on eve of Pak National Day
New Delhi/Islamabad, Mar 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday sent a message to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, greeting people of the neighbouring country on the eve of its National Day, official sources said.
The prime minister, in his message, said it was time for the people of the sub-continent to work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive and prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence, they said.
Modi's message to Khan comes in the midst of severe strain in ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the Pulwama attack and the subsequent air strikes by India on a JeM terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
Significantly, India Friday boycotted a reception at the Pakistan High Commission here to mark Pakistan's National Day, objecting to invites extended to several separatist leaders from Jammu and Kashmir for the event.
Imran Khan also tweeted PM Modi's message.
"Received msg from PM Modi: 'I extend my greetings & best wishes to the ppl of Pakistan on the National Day of Pakistan. It is time that people of Sub-continent work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive & prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence'," Khan said.
Earlier, Pakistani envoy Sohail Mahmood, in an address at the reception here, said Pakistan and India need to consolidate the process of de-escalation and stabilise the ties against further shocks, hoping that the "long winter" in bilateral relations would come to an early end.
He said both the countries should act with "wisdom" to normalise ties, asserting that "coercive measures" have not worked in the past and will not work in the future.
The envoy said a key takeaway from recent developments was that a lack of engagement creates "dangerous vacuum and serious risks" for relations between the two neighbours, adding Pakistan has "turned a corner" in its fight against the scourge of terrorism.
He said the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, return of the two High Commissioners to their respective missions, and bilateral meetings on the Kartarpur Corridor "are steps in a positive direction".
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after Indian Air Force fighter jets bombed terror group JeM's training camp near Balakot deep inside Pakistan on February 26.
Pakistan retaliated by attempting to target Indian military installations the next day. However, the IAF thwarted their plans.
The Indian strike on the JeM camp came 12 days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in which 40 soldiers were killed.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
IndianOil says it enhanced Auto LPG supplies in Bengaluru to over 300 per cent
Bengaluru (PTI): IndianOil on Thursday said it has significantly augmented its Auto LPG supplies to Bengaluru, increasing volumes to over 300 per cent of the usual supply to meet the sharp surge in demand arising from ongoing geopolitical disruptions affecting private sector supply chains.
In a statement, the oil company said it had supplied 75.53 metric tonnes (MT) of Auto LPG in Bengaluru on Wednesday, “substantially higher than the usual daily supply of around 23 MT prior to the crisis”.
“This rapid scale-up reflects IndianOil’s steadfast commitment to ensuring uninterrupted fuel availability for the city’s mobility ecosystem,” IndianOil said.
Across Karnataka, IndianOil has also substantially ramped up supplies, increasing its daily dispatches to over 83 MT in recent days, compared to its pre-crisis average of around 43.5 MT per day, effectively doubling supplies to support the state’s requirements during the ongoing disruption, it added.
According to IndianOil, the surge in demand has been primarily driven by disruptions in private Auto LPG dispensing stations (ALDS), which traditionally account for nearly 80 per cent of the Auto LPG market in Karnataka, including Bengaluru.
The non-operation or closure of these private outlets has led to a significant shift in customer traffic towards IndianOil Retail Outlets, resulting in long queues at IndianOil ALDS stations, it pointed out.
“IndianOil has responded with a comprehensive operational strategy, with all its ALDS outlets in Bengaluru functioning uninterrupted, ensuring seamless service to our esteemed customers,” the company said.
