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The Third Eye: Trump’s initiative in Gaza

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The Third Eye: Trump’s initiative in Gaza

New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) US President Donald Trump seeking to be ‘the peacemaker of the world’, embarked on a detailed plan of resolving the conflict in Gaza in the back drop of Hamas feeling the weight of Israel’s full-blown offensive backed by the US on one hand and some important European countries including France and Britain besides Canada and Australia, supporting recognition of a Palestinian state, on the other.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in keeping with India’s policy of favouring peaceful resolutions of all armed conflicts of global implications, has lost no time in welcoming Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza conflict, saying that it provided a ‘visible pathway’ for long-term peace for the Palestinian and Israeli people.

While Hamas has responded by agreeing to review Donald Trump’s plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if Hamas rejected it, then ‘Israel will finish the job by itself’. He claimed that he had not agreed to a Palestinian state during his talks in Washington. Netanyahu, however, told the US President that Israel supported the latter’s plan to end the war in Gaza, which ‘achieves our war aims’. President Trump announced in his typically hyperbolic style that ‘we have one signature that we need and that signature will pay in hell if they don’t sign’. Significantly, Saudi Arabia-a US ally- had been working with the UK and France to promote the idea of a two-state solution for the Palestine dispute.

Trump’s plan calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas ‘within 72 hours’, disarmament of Hamas, grant of amnesty to Hamas elements who accepted the idea of ‘peaceful coexistence’ with Israel and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza followed by a post-war transitional authority headed by Trump himself – thus putting the US President right at the centre of implementation of a possible peace accord. It is reported that Qatar-which had hosted the Doha talks between US and Taliban for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in Biden Presidency and which has now provided a safe shelter for Hamas’s exiled leadership- has indicated that Hamas would study the proposal seriously and responsibly.

Hamas is said to have already begun consultations with its political and military leaders both inside Palestine and abroad. The targeted missile attack made by Israel on September 8 on the residential compound housing the Hamas leadership at Doha, top leaders of the outfit barely surviving the attack- surely made an impact on the latter. At the same time, killing of more than sixty thousand Palestinians-mostly civilians- had created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, attracting the attention of the world that could not be disregarded by the US. Amidst Israeli air strikes and shelling continuing across Gaza, the Palestinian Authority welcomed Trump’s ‘sincere and determined efforts’. With key Arab and Muslim countries supporting the peace initiative of Donald Trump, Hamas seemed to be under greater pressure, particularly because its organised terror attack on Israel on October 7 in 2023, is what had triggered the retaliatory Israel Defence Forces(IDF) attack in Gaza.

Interestingly, President Donald Trump stated once again that he settled the ‘very big’ conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. He was addressing Generals and Admirals summoned from around the world by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth in Quantico, the Marine Base town in Virginia. The address was designed to counter the reservations expressed in US Army circles against the deployment of Defence force for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) work. Claiming that he had settled ‘so many wars’ since his becoming President of the US in January, Trump remarked that it would be an ‘insult’ to the US if he does not receive the Nobel Peace Prize, adding sarcastically that ‘they might give it to some guy who didn’t do a damn thing’.

It is significant that President Trump specifically named Pakistan President Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshall Asif Munir, Pak Army Chief among the world leaders who fully supported his plan to end the Gaza conflict. Sharif who was in New York for the high level 80th session of the UN General Assembly had met Trump, along with Munir in the White House. The Pak leaders had already gone on record to recommend President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the two countries had got into a military confrontation following the Pak-directed terror attack at Pahalgam.

The US President already had the backing of Israel on the Nobel Prize question. Trump took his claim for Nobel Peace Prize to the UN forum on September 25. Incidentally, his attempt to negotiate peace in Russia-Ukraine ‘war’ had not yielded a timely result because of President Zelensky’s tough stand on territorial issue- Trump who had a personal bonhomie with President Putin wanted Ukraine to be accommodative towards Russia on this matter. Outside of Russia-Ukraine armed conflict, however, President Trump is convinced that he had enough to his credit to get him the Nobel Peace Prize.

India’s positive response to Trump’s initiative for peace in Gaza is in keeping with the importance this country attaches to its relations with the US, Israel and the Arab states of the Middle East and the interests it had in world peace and the cause of humanity. India has not allowed its national strategy to be weighed down by Donald Trump’s erratic policy directives on issues of tarif , visa and immigration and kept up an approach of strategic autonomy, trust in negotiations and a belief in the natural friendship between the two largest and trusted democracies of the world. Its policy of bilateral friendships with all for mutual security and economic interests-without aligning with any world power- and adherence to the call of resolution of all armed conflicts through a peaceful negotiation, has served the country well. This approach goes with emphasis on making the country self- sufficient in economic, security and defence-related matters and adoption of strategic patience in dealing with tricky international relations.

Donald Trump has stated that if Hamas did not come round, Israel would have full backing of US in doing whatever was needed to be done in ‘cleaning up’ Gaza in quick time. He had envisaged developing Gaza commercially as a riviera attracting tourists and the plan of creating a transitional authority headed by Trump himself, was apparently meant to serve this agenda. Trump has been drawn to Pakistan for reasons of trade and in the process he has tended to ‘hyphenate’ India and Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir. India did well to tell the US President that no ‘third party’ intervention was needed in the matter and that this country had already set the conditions for holding any talks with Pakistan. The unpredictability about Donald Trump’s statements makes it necessary for India to draw the red line on whatever affected its national interests.

Israel’s offensive has reduced much of Gaza to rubble, killed over sixty thousand Palestinians, mostly civilians, as mentioned earlier and produced a sight of mass hunger- all of which was not acceptable to the world at large. It is true that the October 7 terror attack of Hamas that resulted in the killing of over 1200 Israelis and kidnapping of 250 others, including women and children as hostages by the terrorists, was totally unpardonable, and India was amongst the first countries to condemn it outright. It revived the ‘existential’ threat for Israel, which was sensitive to the fact that it was surrounded by hostile territory on all sides. Mass destruction in Gaza, however, could also not be condoned even as the use of extensive underground bunkers by Hamas terrorists in Gaza had made collateral damage in Israel’s counteraction inevitable up to a point.

The fact of Hamas having been taken by the fundamentalist Iran under its embrace added to the security concerns of Israel in the ongoing military confrontation between Iran and Israel. The two-state formula in Palestine must give adequate guarantee to Israel that there will be genuine peaceful coexistence between Israel and its neighbours. It will be advisable to have more than one states representing Palestine, station a peace keeping force in Gaza and provide encouragement to the Arab states to move towards democratisation. No situation of a ‘clash of civilisation’ should be allowed to develop in the turbulent Middle East. The peace initiative in Gaza must address these long term concerns too.

(The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau)

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Blasphemy laws in Pakistan expose religious minorities to prosecution: Report Islamabad, Nov 2 (IANS) Blasphemy laws in Pakistan expose religious minorities to prosecution, where a religious accusation can rapidly move from allegations to arrest, a death sentence or mob violence. For people from the Christian, Hindu and Ahmadiyya communities living in Pakistan, the danger is not merely confined to extremists doing activities outside the law, a report has detailed. The legal framework in Pakistan includes provisions that criminalise religious expression and restrict how a community can identify and practice its faith in the case of the Ahmadiyya community. Under Pakistan’s constitution, Islam has been named as the state religion, while its penal code includes some of the world’s most severe blasphemy provisions. The blasphemy cases of Christians, Hindus and Ahmadis expose how accusations can lead from allegations to arrest, imprisonment, death sentences or mob violence, a report in UK-based newspaper ‘The Asian Lite’ detailed. “The country has not carried out a state execution specifically for blasphemy, but those accused can remain imprisoned for years, sometimes on death row. The legal framework extends beyond conventional blasphemy provisions. Pakistan’s laws also impose specific restrictions on Ahmadis, including prohibitions on presenting themselves as Muslims or describing their places of worship as mosques. The result is a system in which religious identity itself can become legally consequential,” Sakariya Kareem wrote in ‘The Asian Lite’. In 2016, a Christian teenager Nabeel Masih was arrested after he was accused of sharing alleged blasphemous content on social media platform Facebook and remained in prison until 2021. In 2017, a Christian man Nadeem James was detained after he forwarded alleged blasphemous material with a friend and was sentenced to death under blasphemy provisions, the report mentioned. Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, remained in prison for almost a decade after she was convicted and sentenced to death under blasphemy laws in Pakistan. She was released after Pakistan’s Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 2018 and eventually left Pakistan and sought asylum in Canada. In 2021, Ahmadi community leaders said that 61 people from the Ahmadiyya community were charged under blasphemy laws in Pakistan since 2019, according to the report. The blasphemy provisions in Pakistan have been misused in cases related to personal disputes, property conflicts and social hostility. In 2022, Hindu teacher Notan Lal was sentenced to life imprisonment after a student accused him of insulting Prophet Muhammad. Later, the student admitted that he made false allegations after the teacher had reprimanded him. “Over the past decade, the record of Pakistan’s blasphemy cases — from Nabeel Masih and Nadeem James to Asia Bibi, Notan Lal, Ashfaq Masih, Jaranwala and the cases still emerging in 2026 — shows the human consequences when religious accusation acquires the force of criminal law,” Kareem wrote in ‘The Asian Lite’. In October, a Christian man’s house and shop were set ablaze by a Muslim mob in Pakistan’s Punjab province after he was accused of blasphemy. Subsequently, over 35 Christian families were forced to leave their homes amid fear of further violence, a report has detailed. A day prior to the incident, police arrested a 40-year-old Christian man, identified as Kamran Masih, who ran a small pharmacy in Gharial Kalan village of Punjab. Local Muslims had accused him of sharing a blasphemous video in WhatsApp groups, Christian Daily International reported, citing a source. “As word of Masih’s arrest spread, his family and other Christians started fleeing the village, fearing a mob attack,” Christian Daily International-Morning Star News quoted the source on condition of anonymity. The source stated that dozens of Muslims gathered near Masih’s shop and his residence to protest and set fire to the two buildings. –IANS akl/as
Iran says Strait of Hormuz can be reopened in two days if US meets its demands Tehran, Nov 2 (IANS) Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that if the United States meets Iran’s “legitimate” demands, it will be possible to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days. At a weekly press conference in Tehran, Baghaei said the basis for any indirect interaction between Iran and the United States through mediators remains the seven-day plan proposed by Tehran in September, adding Iran has reduced the period for implementing the plan to two days based on its good faith. He noted, “We have announced that if Iran’s demands are met, the possibility will exist to restore security to the Strait of Hormuz and start the negotiation process in a short period of time,” stressing that all these depend on the American side’s decision on how to proceed regarding the future of the process, Xinhua News Agency reported. Baghaei said Iran has articulated its demands “clearly, reasonably, and logically,” underlining that unless the United States ends its anti-Iran naval blockade and addresses Tehran’s “legitimate” demands, no agreement will be reached and the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened or secured. Iran conveyed the seven-day plan containing its conditions for ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to the United States through mediators on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22, following which Tehran and Washington have reportedly continued exchanging messages on the proposal. On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports from major Gulf producers to international markets. –IANS akl/
Pakistan’s ranking in World Justice Project Rule of Law Index warrants reflection Islamabad, Nov 2 (IANS) Pakistan’s ranking in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2025 warrants reflection and not dismissal or indiscriminate blame. Pakistan secured the 130th spot among 143 nations in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2025, a report has detailed. The index assesses eight components, including constraints on government powers, corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice. Several of these dimensions are influenced by courts but they do not determine them all. The overall standing of the country must be seen as the picture of its wider rule of law environment and not a verdict on its courts, a report in leading Pakistani daily ‘The Express Tribune’ mentioned. Pakistan secured 129th spot in Civil Justice and was ranked 101st in Criminal Justice. According to the WJP Rule of Law Index 2025, Pakistan scored 0.36 on accessibility and affordability of civil justice, 0.28 on unreasonable delay and 0.35 on effective enforcement. “International indices can reveal shortcomings and encourage reform, but surveys and expert assessments should be considered alongside institutional records and lived experience. Some evidence underlying annual assessments predates recent changes, whose effects may take time to emerge. Pakistan’s ranking warrants reflection, neither dismissal nor indiscriminate blame,” Shahid Hussain Kamboyo wrote in ‘The Express Tribune’. “Ultimately, justice must be felt in the worker who recovers his wages, the widow who secures her inheritance, and the pensioner who receives relief while it still matters. The true measure of progress is not a better place on a table, but a lasting public confidence that the law will protect people when they need it most,” it added. On October 30, a leading human rights organisation severely condemned the 10-year prison sentences handed down to human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and her husband, Hadi Ali Chattha, in Pakistan, in connection with a security breach case, describing it as a “clear example of the helplessness of the judiciary in Pakistan, the absence of justice, and a system based on military dominance”. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said that sentencing the couple to 10 years in prison each “is an attempt to silence the struggle for the defence of human rights and justice.” It stated that Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha were not only lawyers but human rights activists who always raised their voices against the atrocities committed against the Baloch, Pashtun, and other oppressed nations, and have consistently played a leading role in the struggle for justice. In a statement shared on X, the BYC said, “Sentencing Iman Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha to ten years in prison each is a clear example of the helplessness of the judiciary in Pakistan, the absence of justice, and a system based on military dominance. It is a reality that those who tirelessly struggle day and night to secure justice for others in a tyrannical state, and who raise their voices for the protection of human rights, eventually find themselves standing in the dock of a court under an oppressive system, forced to face state injustice themselves.” It mentioned that Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha expressed solidarity with the family impacted by state oppression, including enforced disappearances. The couple, the statement mentioned, is today facing injustice under the very system against which they have spoken for the rights of the oppressed. It said that the couple has been deprived of justice and was dealing with injustice. The BYC’s statement came as the anti-terrorism court in Islamabad announced a verdict in a case connected to removing barricades placed on the road during a cricket match in Islamabad in 2024 and sentenced Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha to 10 years in prison each. They were also fined Pakistani Rupees (PKR) one lakh each under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. “The question is: Is raising one’s voice for justice a crime? Is standing with oppressed nations a punishable act? And is the attempt to silence those who defend human rights precisely because they dare to speak out against state oppression? The sentence handed down to Iman Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha is not merely the punishment of two individuals; rather, it is an alarming message to all those voices that speak out for the oppressed and resist injustice. When lawyers and human rights activists begin to feel unsafe themselves, it is only natural for questions to arise about the entire justice system,” the BYC posted on X. –IANS akl/as
K’taka: ED raids five premises in counterfeit medicines racket case; bank accounts frozen Bengaluru, Nov 2 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bengaluru, has conducted search and seizure operations at five premises linked to persons and entities allegedly involved in a counterfeit medicines racket, as part of an ongoing money-laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the official statement said on Monday. The searches were carried out under Section 17 of the PMLA in connection with FIR No. 0266/2026, dated August 18, 2026, registered at Tavarekere Police Station in Bengaluru South, Karnataka. According to the ED, the case originated from a joint raid conducted by the Drug Controlling Authority and police personnel on August 18 at a residential property in CK Tandya village. During the raid, the accused were allegedly found storing medicines and pharmaceutical drugs without valid licences, permits or authorisation and replacing labels on the stored medicines. The offences registered under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, are scheduled offences under the PMLA. Accordingly, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR No. ECIR/BGZO/45/2026) and initiated a money-laundering investigation. The investigation has allegedly revealed that R. Prashanth arranged a farmhouse near Bidadi for the manufacture, repackaging and relabelling of medicines without the mandatory drug licence or permit. According to the investigation, cheap bulk pharmaceutical formulations sourced from manufacturing centres in various states were allegedly repackaged into new vials and fraudulently relabelled as expensive Pfizer antibiotics, including Zavicefta and Emblaveo. Although the vials allegedly contained generic medicines, they carried labels bearing the Pfizer brand name. The counterfeit medicines were allegedly distributed through DM Pharmaceuticals and supplied to Krupa Healthcare. Subsequently, Krupa Healthcare allegedly supplied the products to other pharmaceutical entities and hospitals along with genuine medicines, apparently to avoid detection. During the search operations, the ED froze bank accounts belonging to Veeresh Kumar containing approximately Rs 9 lakh. Digital devices, records and incriminating documents belonging to various persons were also seized during the searches. Further investigation into the case is underway, the ED said. –IANS mka/dan
What makes Pune Metro’s new Pink Line so special? PM Modi highlights key features New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS) Pune is set to take a major leap towards modern, sustainable and inclusive urban transportation as the inauguration of Metro Line 3, popularly known as the Pink Line, is scheduled for Tuesday (November 3). Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the ambitious 23-kilometre corridor and lay the foundation stone for the second phase of Pune Metro projects, collectively worth around Rs 21,800 crore, on November 3 at 12:30 p.m. through video conferencing. He will also address the gathering on the occasion. Highlighting the significance of the project, the Prime Minister shared a post on X, stating, “What makes Pune Metro’s new Pink Line so special? 23 km connecting Hinjewadi’s IT hub with Shivajinagar. Operated by women. Almost a third of the electricity needs planned from solar energy. Tomorrow, this Rs 8,300 crore infra enhancement will be inaugurated! A significant boost to ‘Ease of Living’ for Pune!” Built at a cost of over Rs 8,300 crore, the Pink Line will connect Maan to District Court Metro station. It will provide direct Metro connectivity between Hinjewadi, Pune’s prominent IT hub, and Shivajinagar. According to the official release, the corridor is expected to significantly improve daily commuting for thousands of IT professionals and other passengers. This will also reduce dependence on private vehicles, easing traffic congestion and lowering vehicular emissions, the press release said. Its integration with the existing Metro network will further strengthen connectivity across the city. Its focus on women’s empowerment makes the Pink Line particularly remarkable. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the entire corridor will be operated by women train operators. This will highlight the growing role of women in the country’s urban transport sector. The project also embraces environmental sustainability, with approximately 30 per cent of its electricity requirements envisaged to be met through solar energy. Alongside the inauguration, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for Pune Metro Phase-II, estimated to cost around Rs 13,500 crore. The expansion will comprise Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A, substantially extending the city’s Metro network. These corridors will connect important locations such as Vanaz, Chandani Chowk, Ramwadi, Vitthalwadi, Kharadi, Khadakwasla, Hadapsar, Swargate, Manik Baug and Nanded City. The new corridors will also integrate with intercity bus services and existing Metro routes through key interchange points, including Swargate, Nal Stop and Kharadi Bypass. –IANS brt/uk
Bihar: ASI arrested in Begusarai bribery case Patna, Nov 2 (IANS) In a major crackdown on corruption, the Vigilance Investigation Bureau on Monday arrested an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) posted at Sahebpur Kamal police station in Begusarai district while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 29,000. The accused, identified as Chandan Jha, was caught red-handed by a vigilance team from Patna during a trap operation near the block headquarters. The arrest has triggered a stir within the district police department. Gautam Sharan, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Vigilance Investigation Bureau, Patna, said the action followed a complaint lodged by Amit Kumar, a resident of the Sahebpur Kamal police station area. In his complaint, Amit Kumar alleged that ASI Chandan Jha had demanded money in exchange for removing his name from a criminal case. After receiving the complaint, the Vigilance Department conducted a preliminary verification of the allegations. Once the bribe demand was confirmed, a case (No. 127/26) was registered at the Vigilance police station. Subsequently, a trap was laid on Monday. The vigilance team apprehended the ASI immediately after he allegedly accepted Rs 29,000 from the complainant. According to DSP Gautam Sharan, the accused had initially demanded Rs 30,000, but the amount was later settled at Rs 29,000 following negotiations. The entire amount was recovered from his possession during the operation. The DSP said the case was related to a four-wheeler allegedly owned by the complainant. ASI Chandan Jha had claimed that he had already sold the vehicle. However, the same vehicle was subsequently seized in connection with a case involving liquor smuggling. The accused allegedly demanded the bribe in exchange for removing the complainant’s name from the liquor smuggling case. Following his arrest, the vigilance team took the accused to the Begusarai Circuit House (Parisadan) to complete the necessary legal formalities. Arrangements were subsequently made to take him to Patna for further legal proceedings. The operation has once again brought the issue of corruption within the police department into focus. The Vigilance Department has reiterated its action against public servants allegedly demanding or accepting bribes, while further investigation into the case is underway. –IANS ajk/dan
The Rahnuma-E-Deccan Daily is published from Hyderabad. Established in 1921, we are India's oldest circulated Urdu daily print newspaper
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