Indian foreign aid and development assistance programs

[HariPrasad-1]

Looking for Intelligence Sharing with India, Economic Aid: Syria

So far as humanitarian aid is concern, we should do it without looking at who they are. Medicine is an area where we can help anybody. We are very high quality of medicine producer at a very competitive rate. Our small amount of aid may prove very valuable for them. I recall an incident of an Australian who was dying because of very expensive unaffordable drugs costing AUD 1 lakh. He got that from india at 900 AUD and he recovered fully.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

We didn't got what in ourselves. Sri Lanka is way ahead of India in HDI. India should focus on it's own citizen rather than helping foreigners.

You should tell this to your government. We are not forcing you to accept aid. We are offering that on your government's request.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

It is nice to see India emerging from a donation receiver country to donation giver. If we have the money, we shall do a lots of charity without narrow interest.

India wasn't an aid recipient for many decades. We simply denied and decided to do on our own.
But Britain started supplying aid to NGOs( Non Government Organizations) and said that they were aiding India.
But you know which these NGOs are?
They used money for only protests against India over environmental, Kashmir or Gujarat issues.

As far as we are concerned, we had a budget $200 billions to now $600 but not a single penny was aid money in it.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Afghanistan needs more Indian military aid: US

(File photo for representative use via Twitter)

HIGHLIGHTS

1. India had gifted four MI-25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan.
2. There is an immediate need for more: Commander of US forces in Afghanistan.
3. Top commander's comment marks change in US's stand.
4. Pak has raised "concerns" about India's security assistance to Afghanistan.

NEW DELHI: India's gift of four MI-25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan was welcomed by the Afghan forces, but they wanted more.

"The Afghans have asked for more of these helicopters. There is an immediate need for more. When these aircraft come in, they immediately get into the fight," said Gen John Nicholson, commander of US forces in Afghanistan.

This is a very different response from the time when the US used to discourage India from getting into the security sector keeping Pakistani sensitivities in mind.

On a visit here, Gen Nicholson, who met national security adviser Ajit Doval , foreign secretray, S. Jaishankar and defence secretary Mohan Kumar, and talked about India-US cooperation in Afghanistan, told journalists they were looking up to India for spare parts for the Russian-made aircraft in the Afghan air force.

"We are building the Afghan air force as a critical component of security. That is built on several air frames. Some are older Russian models, integrating newer ones. We need more aircraft, and we are looking at how we can meet that need," he said.

The sanctions against Russia mean that most donors cannot use their money for spares or aircraft from Russia. This is where India comes in, since India has no sanctions against Moscow.

Pakistan, though, has raised "concerns" about India's security assistance to Afghanistan. That seems to have less traction with the Americans these days, though Nicholson acknowledged Raheel Sharif had said they were "India-centric." Nicholson said, "We have a focus on counter-terrorism. We work with the Pakistanis and the Indians on that."

"We have seen Lashkar-e-Taiba's presence and operations in Afghanistan. We put pressure on LeT. Our goal is to prevent these groups from regaining sanctuaries," he said.

While Lashkar-e-Taiba was born in Kunar province in Afghanistan, it has been essentially an ISI subsidiary for operations in India. For LeT to be openly fighting in Afghanistan is a sign of continued Pakistani involvement. Nicholson pointed to the Pentagon failing to certify that Pakistan was acting against the Haqqani network, which led to the US Congress denying $300 million in aid to Islamabad. The Haqqanis and Taliban "enjoy sanctuary in Pakistan."

The killing of Mullah Mansour, Taliban's emir, in May this year marked a significant change in Taliban fortunes, the US general said. Giving an assessment of the war against the Taliban, Nicholson said, "The Taliban would like us to believe they are gaining momentum. We have reason to believe the death of Mansour disrupted their leadership and finances. Mansour controlled finances of Taliban, including contributions by overseas donors, and very tight control over the drug revenues. when Mansour was killed the Taliban frankly doesn't know where the money is. They are trying to re-establish the funding streams, but this has disrupted their ability to operate in Afghanistan." Moreover, he said, Taliban continued the fight all through last winter, but "it exhausted much of their logistics in terms of weapons, ammunition and money."

This year, he said, despite their operations, "We did not see major operations that we had expected. Now we are seeing an attempt at more activity in Helmand. What this has amounted to is attack isolated checkpoints - attack, kill, steal weapons and withdraw." At present, according to Nicholson, Talibans control 8-9 districts and have influence in 27 others. Elsewhere their presence is "contested".

The battle against the Islamic State in Khorasan is new and fully joined. Obama, Nicholson said, authorized targeting the Islamic State in January this year.

Since then there have been several operations against IS, which he said, is a full subsidiary of the ISIL, being fully supported from Raqqa and even featuring in the Dabiq magazine. They emerged in Afghanistan in 2015, and at the height of their presence, "They had 3000 fighters and has a presence in 9-10 districts in Nangarhar.

"We have been using airpower and other means to target them. Two weeks ago we conducted a deliberate major operation against them. This involved US enablers and forces in support of Afghans - this was Afghan forces deliberately attacking the Islamic State. In the course of this operation, they killed a number of the top leaders of the organization, and about 300 fighters. That's about 25 per cent of the organization. This is a severe setback to them, it has reduced their territory, reduced the population they control and driven them back further south."

Following Pakistan's Zarb-e-Azb operations against the TTP, many of them, Nicholson said, crossed over into Afghanistan and joined the IS. "When we put pressure on the Islamic State we found many TTP members from the Orakzai agency joining IS."

The Afghan army, he said has also come a long way. "The Afghan fight against the Taliban is going differently than last year. Last year they suffered high casualties (5000 dead, over 14000 wounded) and were in a more reactive mode to the Taliban.

"But at the end of the year, even though they had some tough fights like in Kunduz, they retained control over all the major areas and population centers. Going into 2016, we sought to learn from that and realized the Afghan forces needed to be in a more offensive posture and gain and retain initiative. They developed a plan to do that, called Operation Shafaaq - a series of offensive operations through the country. They started in the north, took Kunduz, then they shifted to Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar, then to the east, against Islamic State. They are having greater success this year."

This is also where India's training of Afghan security forces is having a huge impact. "This professional training is helping them fill the junior and mid-level ranks who are new to a professional military."

 

[biswas_k11]

the Secretary-General’s 90-day report on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) india should focus on strategic developmental issues. Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, is expected to working both with India and Pakistan in Afghanistan.

 

[biswas_k11]

This needs debate on UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA),Mission in Afghanistan for the Indian counter Part.

 

[busesaway]

I think India should focus on developing its infrastructure before it gives out aid, unless that aid is in the form of investing money into Indian companies (e.g. giving a low-interest loan for a third country to buy Indian steel).

Major projects include funding the Indian High-Speed Rail Network with help from China and Japan; including lines connecting to Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Burma, and a tunnel to Sri Lanka.

India shouldn't give aid unless it directly helps India's future; an example would be funding Buddhism in Mongolia or helping out Sri Lanka (as they are almost inseparable from the Indian economic sphere).

 

[Indx TechStyle]

I think India should focus on developing its infrastructure before it gives out aid, unless that aid is in the form of investing money into Indian companies (e.g. giving a low-interest loan for a third country to buy Indian steel).

Major projects include funding the Indian High-Speed Rail Network with help from China and Japan; including lines connecting to Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Burma, and a tunnel to Sri Lanka.

India shouldn't give aid unless it directly helps India's future; an example would be funding Buddhism in Mongolia or helping out Sri Lanka (as they are almost inseparable from the Indian economic sphere).

Giving aid means buying influence plus, it doesn't affect Indian pocket anyhow.

India paid annually $1.6 billion which isn't any substantial amount given size of Indian Economy.

 

[ezsasa]

Giving aid is usually a good way to transfer funds outside of india. Usually the aid is given to the receiving country not as currency but as goods and material. Contracts are usually given to preferred vendors or NGO.

More money spent more influence bought.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Maldives seeks India's help in counter-terror; NCTC chief to visit

Maldivian Foreign Minister Mohamed Asim also described India as a "solid friend" and assured that Maldives will not undertake any activity that will jeopardise security of the Indian Ocean.

NEW DELHI: Expressing its "vulnerability", Maldives has sought India's assistance in key area of counter- terrorism and the chief of its National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) will travel to India from August 29 to discuss the specific requirements in this regard.

Maldivian Foreign Minister Mohamed Asim also described India as a "solid friend" and assured that Maldives will not undertake any activity that will jeopardise security of the Indian Ocean.

The request by Maldives for intelligence sharing, capacity building and skill development assumes significance in view of increasing threat from Islamic State and reports of radicalisation of Maldivian youth with the government there maintaining that about 50 locals have joined ISIS.

"The issue was discussed in detail during the visit of Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Counter-Terrorism Asif Abrahim to Maldives last month and will be taken forward during the visit of NCTC chief's visit here," Maldivian Foreign Minister Mohamed Asim told PTI in an interview.

"Because of our small size, we are very venerable and we have sought India's help in strengthening our mechanisms to tackle threats of terrorism," Asim said.

The two countries have already inked the Defence Action Plan during Abdulla Yameen's visit here in April. Cooperation in counter terrorism is one of key component of the pact.

Apart from cooperation in counter-terrorism, the minister, during his wide-ranging interview, talked about Maldives' efforts to get foreign investments and his country's relationship with China.

Asked about apprehensions in India over increasing Chinese presence in various projects in Maldives including infrastructure sector, he said they were purely economic engagements and "Maldives will not undertake any activity which will jeopardise security of the Indian Ocean."

Asim, who recently concluded his visit here during which he held discussions with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, said his first official trip was to "take stock of bilateral ties, explore new areas of cooperation and articulate his government's position on several domestic developments".

The Maldivian minister also talked about various steps taken by his government including setting up of domestic arbitration law and establishing special economic zones to boost investors confidence.

Maldives and Indian infrastructure company GMR are currently fighting an arbitration case in Singapore after Maldives cancelled the over USD 500 million contract unilaterally.

In a bid to woo Indian investors, Maldives is also holding an investment forum later this year in India, Asim said, adding before the meet, economic affairs minister of Maldives will travel here.

READ MORE:
Sushma Swaraj|Islamic State|ISIS|Indian Ocean|India|Asif Abrahim|Abdulla Yameen

 

[HariPrasad-1]

I think India should focus on developing its infrastructure before it gives out aid, unless that aid is in the form of investing money into Indian companies (e.g. giving a low-interest loan for a third country to buy Indian steel).

Major projects include funding the Indian High-Speed Rail Network with help from China and Japan; including lines connecting to Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Burma, and a tunnel to Sri Lanka.

India shouldn't give aid unless it directly helps India's future; an example would be funding Buddhism in Mongolia or helping out Sri Lanka (as they are almost inseparable from the Indian economic sphere).

No not at all. We are not a small isolated country. We are a potential super power and we have our interests in each and every corner of the world. We need to propagate our soft power as well. So some help either in terms of Humanitarian aid or help in education or in fighting terror or in the strengthening the military of other country may be very very useful for them. That will increase our influence as well and we shall have our influence in that country and we can protect our interest better. e.g Maldive is a small country but has a great potential to harm indian interest. We must have a very very strong influence over there to protect our interest. For that, we may help them in various areas.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India Pledges Financial Assistance For Upgrading School In Nepal

A pact between Indian Embassy, the local development officer and principal of the school was signed.

Kathmandu: India has pledged financial assistance worth 39.97 million Nepali Rupees for the construction of a new building and a hostel facility at a Sanskrit school in eastern Nepal.

A tripartite agreement between the Indian Embassy, the local development officer, Ilam District, and principal of Shree Saptmai Gurukul Sanskrit Vidhyashram Secondary School was signed in this regard on Wednesday.

The project is being implemented through the Indian government's grant assistance under the small development programme scheme as part of India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme, the Indian Embassy said in a statement.

Shree Saptamai Gurukul Sanskrit Vidhyashram, established in 2009 as a primary school, was subsequently upgraded as a secondary-level school in 2014.

The school has been providing quality education and is the only school in Ilam where Sanskrit, Vedic rituals, English language are part of the curriculum.

The school has residential facilities as well and many young students coming from other different parts of the country stay in the school building which is in a dilapidated condition.

The new school and hostel building would provide much- needed classrooms and safe residential area for the students thus creating an improved environment for learning.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

India has a role to play in combating terror: Bashar al-Assad

"As a growing power, India has a role to play in meeting the challenge of terrorism," sources quoted Assad as saying.

NEW DELHI: As a growing power, India has a role to play in meeting the challenge of terrorism, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said as the two countries agreed to upgrade their security consultations.

Assad made the assertion during a meeting with Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar when the latter called on him yesterday during his Syria visit.

"There was an agreement between both sides for further upgrading security consultations," the sources said. However, the sources did not mention the level to which they have been upgraded to.

During the meeting, Assad also welcomed India's objective position on the conflict in Syria and both leaders acknowledged that terrorism was a global problem, sources said.

"As a growing power, India has a role to play in meeting the challenge of terrorism," sources quoted Assad as saying.

On his part, Akbar, during their meeting, said the age of destruction should give way to the age of reconstruction in Syria.

Assad also invited India to play an active role in the reconstruction of the Syrian economy.

Both leaders agreed that as secular nations, India and Syria believe in faith equality.

Akbar is currently on a nearly week-long visit to West Asia from August 17.

READ MORE:
Terror|M J AKbar|India|

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Please ignore their remarks on India. After all, it's BBC, from UK, the land of hypocrites where rapes and assaults occur at 7-8 times higher rates than India, but never miss any chance to lecture us.
In pictures: Africans living in India

In January, a Tanzanian student was assaulted and partially stripped by a mob in the southern Indian city of Bangalore after a Sudanese student's car ran over and killed a local woman.

Shocked by the incident and other similar attacks on Africans in India, independent photographer Mahesh Shantaram began documenting the lives of Africans living in India.

Beginning with Bangalore, Shantaram travelled to the cities of Jaipur, Delhi and Manipal, choosing to focus on students, as they are a small and vulnerable group.

Shantaram's series of intimate portraits is part of an upcoming exhibition organised by Tasveer.

"Each portrait plays a part in unravelling the complex web of experiences of Africans in India that, put together, paint a picture of loneliness, placelessness and a sense of hostility," says art expert Caroline Bertram, in an original text on the exhibition.

British hypocrisy at it's best.
Sense of hostility!
Indians slap and beat on breaking laws, not on base of colour as happens in west.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

Ready to give ‘all help’: India to Myanmar
Sushma Swaraj, who is in Nay Pyi Daw on the first high-level visit from India, said this was the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee.
BY: PTI | NAY PYI DAW |Updated: August 22, 2016 4:17 PM

India is ready to give “all help” was the message given to the Myanmarese leadership by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is in Nay Pyi Daw on the first high-level visit from India after the new government came to power in March following decades of military rule. Swaraj, who called on President U Htin Kyaw, also held talks with State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.

Congratulating Suu Kyi for the victory in the “first genuine election”, Swaraj assured her of “all help”. “India is committed to strengthening your democratic institutions and socio-economic development of your people,” Swaraj said during her meeting with Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy party won a historic landslide election last year that finally brought an end to five decades of military rule.

Swaraj said this was the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee. The one-day trip by Swaraj, accompanied by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and other senior Ministry of External Affairs officials, is the first high-level visit from India since the civilian government took over earlier this year. Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar and a Nobel laureate besides being a democracy icon, thanked Swaraj for the support. Banned from becoming president by a junta-era Constitution, Suu Kyi has a strong control over the country’s first civilian-led government.

The Constitution effectively bans her from the top post as it rules out anyone with foreign-born children or spouses from becoming president. Suu Kyi married and had two sons with a British national. The military also retains control of the key home, defence and border affairs ministries, while 25 per cent of parliamentary seats are reserved for unelected soldiers. Incidentally, Swaraj’s visit comes just days after Suu Kyi made a high-profile trip to China.

India and Myanmar share close relations with a robust development cooperation programme in areas such as agriculture, IT, human resource development, infrastructure development, culture among others. The visit reaffirms India’s commitment to heighten partnership with Myanmar in the areas of priority by the new government of Myanmar, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

At Stor Palace inauguration, PM Narendra Modi underscores India's historic ties with Afghanistan

PM Modi inaugurates renovated Stor Palace in Kabul via video conferencing.

New Delhi: At a time when China, along with Pakistan, is jockeying with India to gain influence in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today underscored the historic ties India has had with Afghanistan and said these ties will only strengthen and grow deeper.

PM Modi was speaking at the inauguration of the restored Stor Palace, a ceremony he attended via video conference.

He used the occasion to talk again about the India, Afghanistan and Iran transit corridor deal - to develop the Chabahar port - and about the Salma Dam India has built in the Herat province.

"Salma Dam will renew not just the economy and agriculture of Afghanistan's Herat, but will build a strong pillar of support for Afghan's overall growth. And the Afghanistan and Iran transit corridor (deal) that we signed this year is another landmark in our partnership," Modi said.

The PM said that the inauguration of the restored Stor Palace is "an entirely different, yet in many ways more fundamental, dimension" of Indo-Afghan ties.

"I say this because it brings back to life a valuable landmark of Afghanistan's cultural heritage. To those who can't see beyond shadows of violence in Afghanistan, the restored Stor palace is a reminder of the glory of Afghanistan's traditions," the PM said.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, on his part, said that Kabul is ready to spare no effort in protecting peace, overcoming terror and extremism.
Ghani also thanked India for helping with the restoration of the Stor palace.

"I express my most sincere appreciation for the government of India and its people," the Afghan President said.

India has played a significant role in the reconstruction of the palace that's located on the grounds of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Stor Palace, also known as Qasre-stor, was initially built as a one-story pavilion during the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. It was expanded on at least two occasions in the 20th century.

In 1919, one of the rooms in the Palace was the setting for the signing of the Rawalpindi agreement, by which Afghanistan became an independent sovereign state.

 

[biswas_k11]

Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reaffirmed India’s time-tested ties with Moscow when Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin called on him in New Delhi.

“Prime Minister Modi described Russia as a time-tested and reliable friend and reaffirmed the shared commitment with President (Vladimir) Putin to expand, strengthen and deepen bilateral engagement across all domains,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

“He recalled his recent meeting with President Putin in Tashkent in June and via video-link for dedication of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 at the beginning of this month,” it stated.

On his part, Rozogin conveyed Putin’s greetings to Modi and briefed him on the progress in ongoing projects between India and Russia.

 

[biswas_k11]

• The Indian Army is maintaining pressure on insurgent groups with "seek-and-destroy operations and surgical strikes" along the 1,643-km porous land border with Myanmar, even as external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is slated to visit Naypyidaw on Monday.

The Indian Army is maintaining pressure on insurgent groups with "seek-and-destroy operations and surgical strikes" along the 1,643-km porous land border with Myanmar, even as external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is slated to visit Naypyidaw on Monday.

With India and Myanmar having stepped up bilateral military ties and coordinated border patrolling over the last few years, Swaraj's visit to Naypyidaw will be the first high-level political exchange after the National League for Democracy government led by Aung San Suu Kyi came to office there in April. Apart from bilateral programmes, military aid and the upcoming BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit in India, the two sides are also likely to discuss measures for better border management during the visit.

The major gun-fight between Army soldiers and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) militants, which took place near Chenmoho village in Mon district of Nagaland early on Friday morning, is yet another instance of the stepped-up military operations long the thickly-forested border.

As was reported by TOI on Saturday, though there were some reports of Indian paratroopers entering Myanmar for a "surgical strike" against NSCN (K) camps, Army officers said it was "an ambush" laid by its soldiers within Indian territory to target militants trying to infiltrate into Nagaland. "There was a firefight which went on for over two hours. There were no casualties among our soldiers and the militants, who left some weapons behind, fled back into Myanmar," said an officer.

This comes in the backdrop of Myanmar expressing unhappiness over the cross-border raid conducted by Indian para-commandos against two camps of outfits like NSCN (K), People's Liberation Army and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup inside its territory on June 9 last year.

The subsequent chest-thumping by some NDA ministers over the "successful" raid to inflict "significant casualties" among militant ranks, which was undertaken after 18 Indian

 

[biswas_k11]

In a major anti insurgency operation against militants in north Kashmir Valley, Army and Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police today busted a militant hideout and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition in the forest area of Baramulla district.

Official sources said following specific information, a joint operation was launched by 46 Rashtriya Rifle and SOG at Charidarie area of Baramulla.

During the search, 1 mortar, 25 mortar bombs, 10 UBGL grenades, 2 AK magazines, 60 AK ammunition rounds, 1 wireless set and detonators were recovered from the forests.

Sources said no arrest has been made as yet and the operation is still going on to search militants in the forest area.

It may be recalled that Kashmir police and other security agencies could not do much anti insurgency operations against militants because of unrest in Kashmir Valley since July 8 last month after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen Commander, Burhan Wani.

Intelligence agencies had alerted the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Army that during June and July this year, armed militants crossed LoC from north Kashmir and Poonch area of Jammu.

Sources said that an LeT suicide group killed a CRPF Commandant on August 15 in downtown area of Srinagar, and others are still in hiding and are planning more attacks in important places in Srinagar city.

 

[biswas_k11]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a "huge step" by referring to the "humanitarian crisis" in Balochistan, and other world leaders should now follow to highlight the "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing" in the Pakistani province, says a prominent Baloch freedom movement activist.

Mazdak Dilshad Baloch, who is in Delhi to garner support of Indians and the handful of Baloch living here for the Baloch cause, says that Kashmir is India's "internal issue".

"The Prime Minister of world's largest democracy took a lead role in this movement on a historic place and on a historic day by referring to the humanitarian crisis in Balochistan. That's a huge step, and we know that other leaders will follow him," Mazdak, 25, told IANS.

Mazdak, son of prominent author-activist Naela Qadri Baloch and filmmaker Mir Ghulam Mustafa Raisaini, lives in Canada in exile along with his wife and two brothers.

The family was given asylum by Canada in 2014 after several attempts on their lives were made in Afghanistan where they reached after fleeing Pakistan in 2010.

Asked how the Kashmir issue is different from Balochistan in terms of human rights violations and his perception of India playing the Baloch card to counter Pakistan on Kashmir, Mazdak says, "Kashmir is integral part of India while Balochistan is an international issue."

"Kashmir, historically and geographically has been a part of India for hundreds of years. It has never been a free country, but Balochistan was. It had its own Parliament, a House of Commons and House of Lords. The king was there to lead, but he could not take a decision himself," he said.

"We are an occupied country which has a history of being a kingdom for 700 years. It, unlike Punjab province, is not Pakistan's internal problem -- it is an international problem."

Expecting India and other "humanitarian nations" to raise the issues of a "voiceless" Balochistan at the United Nation and pressurise Pakistan through international embargo, he says, "Either it be the Arab world, North America, European Union, United Kingdom -- all the powers around the world have to stop supporting Pakistan and put sanctions on Pakistan for all the atrocities and genocide going on in Balochistan."

Countering the western Pakistani province's Chief Minister Sanaullah Khan Zehri's claim that after Modi's statement on Balochistan there were anti-India protests in the region, Mazdak says that it was all "state-sponsored drama".

"Baloch people never took part in any such protest. It was done in a very small area. It was all state-sponsored drama as they brought Hazara, Pashtuns and Punjabi people by giving them money to take part in the so-called protest."

Welcoming Afghanistan's former President Hamid Karzai's stance on Balochistan, Mazdak says: "He stayed in Balochistan so he understands our problems. We welcome his statement. We now hope that sitting President Ashraf Ghani will officially clear Afghanistan's stance on the Baloch issue."

Mazdak's mother Naela Quadri Baloch few months back rebutted Islamabad's allegations that New Delhi was instigating separatist trouble there and urged India to intervene.

"Kashmir is an Indian internal problem and Pakistan has always put its foot to disrupt the peace process. Pakistan has been fooling India on the basis of peace talks. It is never coming to the table and never coming on the certain point to have peace in the land," Mazdak told IANS.

"The opposition and the civil society of India must support their PM's just and genuine cause. The people of Balochistan are thankful to Narendra Modi and India."