Top News
Afghan President names Pakistan as terror ‘sanctuary’
Amritsar: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday unambiguously named Pakistan for promoting terrorism and said no amount of financial assistance can help stabilise the war-ravaged nation if “support to terrorists” from the neighbouring country continued. Ghani, in his blunt remarks at the inaugural function of the 6th ministerial ‘Heart of Asia conference – Istanbul Process on Afghanistan’, said military operations in Pakistan have brought about selective displacement of terrorists.
“The state-sponsored sanctuaries exist in Pakistan. A Taliban figure said recently if they had no sanctuary in Pakistan, they wouldn’t last for more than a month,” Ghani said at the two-day event here on the development of Afghanistan, which is also being attended by Pakistan’s de facto foreign policy war-ravaged.
The Afghan President thanked Pakistan for its pledge to donate $500 million for reconstruction of the war-ravaged nation but, directly addressing Pakistan’s top diplomat, said: “I hope, Mr. Aziz, that you use it to fight terrorists and extremists in Pakistan.”
Ghani shared India’s concern on cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and said the world needed to fight the “menace”. “Afghanistan suffered the highest number of casualties last year. This is unacceptable. Some (countries) still provide sanctuary for terrorists.”
The President said he didn’t want to engage in a blame game at the event in this Punjab city that was being attended by leaders from south and central Asia and several western countries. He said he wanted clarification on what is being done to “prevent the export of terror”. Modi, in his address, all but named Pakistan for supporting and financing terrorism, and urged the world to act against the forces that endanger peace in the entire South Asian region.
“We must demonstrate strong collective will to defeat terror networks. Support for peace alone is not enough. It must be backed by resolute action,” Modi said. “Silence and inaction against terrorism in Afghanistan and our region will only embolden terrorists and their masters….”
Modi said mere action against “forces of terrorism” was not enough and the world also needed to act against “those who support, shelter and finance them”. Ghani earlier appreciated India’s unconditional support for the economic development of Afghanistan and said the expansion of the key Chabahar port between India, Iran and his country was very important for regional trade and connectivity.
He spoke about India’s assistance in the construction of Salma dam — officially called the Afghan-India Friendship Dam — that was inaugurated on June 4, 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Ghani in Herat province of that country. The President said the Chabahar port development project “is very important for connectivity and commerce”.
India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement in May 2016 to refurbish the port on the Gulf of Oman that is expected to provide an alternative route for trade between India and Afghanistan.
Top News
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.