Indian Sub-continent

Hyderabad, May 18 (PTI) AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Saturday said reports of a war within the Election Commission were worrying and emphasised on unanimity of views in the poll panel.

ECI is one of the more trusted public institutions in the country, a 'war within' is extremely worrying. The SC, in TN Seshan case had made it clear that CEC doesnt enjoy a higher status than other ECs & must strive towards unanimity.

Basic Constitutional norms must be respected, he tweeted.

Srinagar, May 18: Two Kashmiris have been killed in an alleged encounter with Indian security forces in Pulwama and Baramulla, an Indian official said.

The Indian security forces' spokesman alleged that a cordon and search operation was conducted in Panzgam area of Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district was conducted following information about presence of Kashmiri separatists there, a police official said.

Jaipur, May 18 (PTI) Rajasthan government on Saturday directed the state police to make arrangements to register FIRs at the offices of the SPs and deputy commissioners if a local police station refuses to lodge the case.

Addition Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeeva Swarup wrote a letter to DGP Kapil Garg, asking him to make arrangement to register FIRs at the offices of SPs and deputy commissioners.

Bhopal, May 19 (PTI) Voters boycotted polling at six booths in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday over some local issues, a senior election official said.

Efforts were on to pursuade the voters to exercise their democratic right, MP's Chief Electoral Officer V L Kantha Rao told reporters here.

Polling was underway in the eight constituencies of Dewas, Ujjain, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Dhar, Indore, Khargone and Khandwa since 7 am, he said.

Dawatoi, NORTH WAZIRISTAN: May 18 (APP): Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited troops on forward posts along Pak-Afghan Border at Dawatoi in North Waziristan on Saturday.

The COAS was briefed about progress on border fencing, sanitisation operation, socio-economic development projects and rehabilitation of TDPs, said a press release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).

This is the area where due to cross border terrorist attack from Afghanistan on fencing party, three Pakistan Army soldiers had embraced martyrdom on May 1.

PESHAWAR, May 18 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday said the government had resolved to improve public sector hospitals as per international standards and there was no plan to privatize them.

A handful of doctors were out to sabotage the health reforms undertaken by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, he said while addressing a fund-raising Iftar dinner of Shuakat Khanum Memorial Hospital Peshawar.

DHAKA, May 19 (Xinhua): Bangladesh and China have launched a new platform, the Bangladesh-China Silk Road Forum, in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, focusing on lasting links under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between the two countries for mutual benefit.

The event was attended by political leadership, high-ranking officials from the private and public sector, community representatives and the members of the business sector and media.

ISLAMABAD, May 19 (Xinhua): Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa said that a display of patience, determination and unity is required to bring ultimate peace in the country, the military's media wing said in a statement.

KOLKATA, India (AP) — Indians voted in the seventh and final phase of national elections Sunday, wrapping up a 6-week-long grueling campaign season with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party seeking reelection for another five years.

The voting also covers Modi’s constituency of Varanasi, a holy Hindu city where he was elected in 2014 with an impressive margin of over 200,000 votes.

He spent Saturday night at Kedarnath, a temple of Hindu god Shiva nestled in the Himalayas in northern India.

New Delhi, May 17; GANASHAKTI: Among  hundreds academicians, intellectuals, cultural activists  etc jointly issued the following statement: 

We are deeply shocked by the statement of Ms. Pragya Thakur, the BJP candidate for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, lauding Nathuram Godse the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi as a “deshbhakt”.