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ISLAMABAD: During the first quarter of 2024, Pakistan witnessed 432 violence-linked fatalities and 370 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, resulting from as many as 245 incidents of terror att­acks and counter-terror operations. This includes 281 fatalities among civilians and security forces personnel. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces, both bordering Afghanistan, accounted for over 92 per cent of all fatalities and 86pc of attacks (including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations) during this period. Individually, the former suffered 51pc and the latter 41pc of all fatalities in the first quarter of 2024. The data indicates that the remaining regions were relatively peaceful, suffering less than 8pc of all fatalities. 432 violence-linked fatalities and 370 injuries recorded; new militant group emerges Interestingly, militant organisations claimed responsibility for less than 20pc of the total casualties attributed to terror...

LONDON: The United Kingdom’s Labour party reported a loss of membership by 23,000 over its Gaza policy and environmental messaging, new figures revealed. Official figures showed that memberships fell from 390,000 in January to 366,604 last week, though the party is leading in opinion polls and widely believed to win in the next general election after a 14-year rule of the Conservative party. A report in The Guardian quoted a senior Labour figure saying, “It is a big fall in just two months. People were surprised, even taken aback.” It added that Labour insiders believe the fall is primarily a result of “anger among Muslim and other Labour supporters over Keir Starmer’s position on Gaza” and his refusal over several months to call for an immediate ceasefire. Labour leader Keir Starmer came under heavy criticism soon after the conflict erupted. On October 11, four days after Hamas killed Israeli citizens and Israel responded with an aggressive campaign of air attacks and blockades, ...

ISLAMABAD: Internal divisions within the PTI amid the incarceration of its founding chairman, Imran Khan, have become a matter of embarrassment for the party, particularly evident in the discord over the distribution of parliamentary and general body tickets. Party leaders, while acknowledging such rifts as common in political entities during ticket allocations, express that the absence of Mr Khan has exacerbated these issues. They lament that party leaders don’t have access to Mr Khan, imprisoned in Adiala Jail, whereas the lawyers who are allowed to meet him allegedly give either partial messages or twist messages according to their own interests. Considering the situation, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has issued a notification, appointing Raoof Hasan as the “exclusive spokesperson” to streamline communication on policy matters. Party names Raoof as ‘exclusive spokesperson’ to streamline communication on policy matters The friction within the PTI became starkly appare...

• Damascus says civilians, soldiers among those killed • Iran denounces attacks as desperate attempt to expand war • Moscow condemns ‘provocative’ acts BEIRUT: Israel carried out its deadliest strikes in months on northern Syria’s Aleppo province early on Friday. Israel has ramped up airstrikes in Syria against both the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in recent months. The Israeli military also claimed on Friday it had killed Ali Abed Akhsan Naim, deputy commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missiles unit, in an airstrike in Lebanon. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli attack targeted an area “near rockets depots belonging to Lebanese group Hezbollah”. “At least 36 soldiers were killed and dozens wounded,” it said, adding that six Hezbollah fighters were also killed. However, Syria’s defence ministry said Israeli strikes hit several areas in the southeastern part of Aleppo province around 1:45am (2245GMT on...

RAWALPINDI: A member of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cabin crew on a flight from Lahore to Canada has been suspended after she was briefly detained by customs authorities on arrival in Toronto for carrying the passport of an unrelated person. Hina Sani was detained along with two other crew members who were also on duty with her on flight PK-789. However, the three crew members were later freed and allowed to travel back to Pakistan following investigations. Later, the PIA management suspended Ms Sani and announced it would take further action in line with the Canadian customs’ investigation report. It is against international law to carry someone else’s passport while traveling abroad. PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said the airline management was in touch with the Canadian authorities and cooperating with them in the case. He said the suspended crew member would face further departmental and legal action in the light of the Canadian authorities’ inquiry report. ...

ISLAMABAD: Ahead of Eidul Fitr, the petrol price is estimated to go up by about Rs10-11 per litre on Sunday (March 31) for the next fortnight, owing mainly to higher import premiums and global prices. However, the price of another key fuel, high-speed diesel (HSD), is likely to drop by up to Rs2 per litre. Given petrol’s current ex-depot price of around Rs280 per litre, the coming review may take its rate beyond Rs290. Informed sources said the import price of petrol has increased by about $4 per barrel, and its import premium has further gone up to $13.5 per barrel from $12.15 a fortnight ago because of the geopolitical situation. As a result, the price of petrol is estimated to rise by Rs10-11 per litre, depending on the final exchange rate calculation. Price of high-speed diesel expected to drop by up to Rs2 per litre On the other hand, the HSD price was down in the international market, and the import premium paid by Pakistan State Oil (PSO) remained unchanged at $6.50 per b...

BEIJING: Chinese consumer tech giant Xiaomi launched its first electric vehicle in Beijing on Thursday, injecting itself into a fiercely competitive sector in the world’s largest car market. China’s EV sector has grown rapidly in recent years — propelled by purchasing subsidies that were discontinued in late 2022 — and dozens of domestic automakers are engaged in a stiff price war to get ahead in a crowded market. Xiaomi is known for its affordable smartphones and home appliances, and CEO Lei Jun says he is now putting his “reputation on the line” with the SU7 EV, challenging Chinese car giant BYD and Elon Musk’s Tesla. A basic SU7 model will cost 215,900 yuan ($29,868), Lei told a glitzy launch news conference in Beijing on Thursday evening. The sleek and sporty SU7 will be available in nine colours and includes “sound simulation”, Lei said, “to recreate the thrill of driving a sports car”. It also offers plenty of other gimmicks, such as karaoke equipment and a mini-fridge. Xi...

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Wednesday condemned the suicide attack on Chinese nationals and termed it a conspiracy to sabotage the Pakistan-China friendship. Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the lawmakers vowed to protect the CPEC and Chinese nationals. During the session cha­i­red by Deputy Speaker Sadia Danish, opposition leader Kazim Mesum and Javed Ali Manwa and Wazir Saleeem from the opposition benches tabled the resolution. The resolution condemned the suicide attack on Chinese citizens in Bisham and the terrorist assault on a navy base at Turbat in Balochistan and said that attacks at the beginning and end of the CPEC route are alarming. It paid great respect to all those who sacrificed their lives in the war on terrorism. Speaking on the issue, GB Minister for Law Sohail Abbas Shah suggested the resolution be declared unanimous. Opposition member Manwa said the attack on Chinese nationals amid talks for IMF loan seems to be aimed at discouraging in...

• US defence secy calls protecting Palestinians ‘moral imperative’ • Tel Aviv withdraws from Doha talks GAZA STRIP: Twelve people drowned and at least six were killed in stampedes trying to recover aid airdropped into Gaza, local authorities said on Tuesday. The deaths occurred in the north of the besieged territory on Monday, with people rushing to collect packages dropped from planes along Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. The UN humanitarian office called on Tuesday for Israel to revoke a ban on food deliveries to northern Gaza from the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, saying people there were facing a “cruel death by famine”. Israel had earlier said it would stop working with UNRWA in Gaza, accusing the aid agency of perpetuating conflict. The agency said Israel told it that it would no longer approve its food convoys to north Gaza. Four such requests were denied since March 21, it said. “The decision must be revoked,” United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian...

NEW YORK: Donald Trump was thrown a huge lifeline on Monday when an appeals court slashed what could have been a crippling demand for a nearly half-billion-dollar bond payment and also gave him 10 more days to pay. The Republican presidential candidate got the unexpectedly positive news about his New York civil fraud case while he was sitting in court for another case — a hearing in his upcoming criminal trial over paying hush money to a porn star. Trump had been facing a Monday deadline to pay the huge original bond pending an appeal against a judge’s decision that he is liable for fraudulently conspiring to inflate his net worth. Trump had made clear he was unable to find the $454 million and he risked seeing New York state confiscate parts of his property empire in response. Now with Monday’s decision, he will have 10 more days to pay just $175 million. Writing on his Truth Social app, Trump said he would “abide by the decision of the Appellate Division and post either a bond,...

ROME: Pope Francis, at the last minute, skipped reading his homily during a Palm Sunday Mass for tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square. It is very unusual for a pope to totally skip a homily at a major event such as Palm Sunday, which marks the start of Holy Week, a busy period leading to Easter. In recent weeks, the 87-year-old pope has been suffering on and off from bronchitis and influenza and has delegated an aide to read his addresses for him, but on Sunday his prepared text was not read at all. The Vatican gave no immediate explanation for why the pope skipped the homily. An announcer on Vatican Radio then said the pope had decided to not read the homily. However, the pope, dressed in red vestments, continued presiding, reading parts of the Mass and was driven around the crowd in a popemobile. The clerics, along with participants held palm fronds and olive branches at the service. Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2024 from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/Kuc...

HONG KONG: A new national security law came into force in Hong Kong on Saturday despite growing international criticism that it could erode freedoms in the China-ruled city and damage its international financial hub credentials. The law, also known as Article 23, took effect at midnight, days after Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing lawmakers passed it unanimously, fast-tracking legislation to plug what authorities called national security loopholes. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the law “accomplished a historic mission, living up to the trust placed in us by the Central (Chinese) Authorities”. The United States expressed concerns that the law would further erode the city’s autonomy and damage its reputation as an international business hub. “It includes vaguely defined provisions regarding ‘sedition’, ‘state secrets’, and interactions with foreign entities that could be used to curb dissent,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. Australia and Britain on Friday...

• Five other bodies to oversee affairs related to airports’ outsourcing, state-owned enterprises, privatisation, disposal of legislative cases and Chinese projects • Reko Diq feasibility to be completed by year-end ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday formed seven cabinet committees, inclu­ding the Economic Coordi­nation Committee (ECC) and the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE). According to separate notifications issued by the cabinet division, the prime minister will now chair meetings of the ECC and the CCoE. Earlier, the finance minister used to head the ECC. According to a notification, the ECC now comprises the prime minister and federal ministers for finance, economic affairs, commerce, power, petroleum and planning and development. Under its Terms of Reference, the ECC will consider all urgent economic matters and coordination of economic policies initiated by various divisions of government, identify and propose measures for the gradual attainment of the st...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday assured Chinese workers of top-level security as it pushed for the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through the launch of five special industrial zones. At a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal assured the Chinese side that Pakistan had made significant efforts to safeguard the security of Chinese workers and would further implement top-level security measures for Chinese personnel. He said security was a prerequisite for development, and Pakistan acknowledged the full recognition of CPEC construction and security risks. However, these risks would not disrupt work on CPEC projects, he added. The two sides agreed to intensify efforts to establish a new working group on five new economic corridors under the second phase, aligning with the Five Es framework — export, energy, equity, environment and e-Pakistan — already prepared by the planning ministry. ...

ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Asif Durrani, has said there is no pause in relations with the Taliban administration in Kabul despite recent military actions. Talking to Dawn on Friday after a meeting with Afghan Charge d’Affa­ires Sardar Ahmad Shakib, Ambassador Durrani described the meeting as a continuation of engagement with Taliban officials after the strikes against Gul Bahadur Group hideouts in Afghanistan. A day earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had publicly voiced desire for addressing the issue of terrorism with Afghanistan through dialogue and cooperation. The strikes, aimed at the hideouts of the Gul Baha­dur Group in Afghanistan, marked a significant mom­ent in the complex relationship between Islamabad and the Taliban government, which has been strained by the issue of terrorist sanctuaries since the Taliban’s ascension to power in 2021. This incident was notably the first instance of Pakistan deploying fighter jets into Afghan airspace for s...

PESHAWAR: The opposition and government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are headed for legal confrontation after the government refused to follow the order of the governor, who had called a session of the provincial legislature. On Friday, opposition members staged a protest demonstration against the government for refusing to call a sitting of the KP Assembly. They alleged that the government wanted to deprive the women and minority members, elected on reserved seats and notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan, of casting their vote [in the Senate polls slated for next month]. “This is their [women and minority members’] right to take oath. They [Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf] want to take four extra seats in the Senate polls,” said Dr Ibadullah Khan of PML-N, who is leader of the opposition in the KP Assembly. Dr Ibadullah, who was joined by opposition members from other political parties, regretted that on one hand PTI was complaining about alleged changes in Form-45s and Form-47s ai...

ISLAMABAD: The PTI has clai­m­­ed that US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu has admitted the cipher’s existence, and his testimony has vindicated the stance of Imran Khan. In a press conference on Thurs­day, PTI leaders said the testimony before the US Congress’ Foreign Affairs Committee established the “veracity and reality” of the diplomatic cable. PTI Central Information Informa­tion Secretary Raoof Hasan said that Mr Lu “accepted the existence” of the cipher and only disagreed with its contents. He claimed that the US official “lied” before the Congressional committee about the then Pakistan envoy to the US, Asad Majeed, testimony that there was no conspiracy. The former ambassador’s admission before two National Security Committee (NSC) meetings — one chaired by Imran Khan and another by Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister — led to a demarche to the US for its grave interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs, claimed Mr Hasan. Even the second NSC meeting endorsed the minute...

LAHORE: Jailed PTI founder Imran Khan was conspicuous by his “presence” in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday as a portrait of the ex-PM, placed on the opposition leader’s seat, triggered chaotic scenes in the house, prompting a walkout by treasury members after the chair declined to take any action. As the budget session resumed on Thursday after a two-day break with Deputy Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar in the chair, PML-N lawmakers Malik Waheed and Bilal Yameen protested after noticing Mr Khan’s portrait on opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar’s seat. On a point of order, they demanded the chair remove the portrait of a person “who has been convicted by a court of law and is still behind bars”. They claimed that bringing the picture of a convict into the house was against assembly rules. However, the chair urged the protesters to become a part of the general debate on the budget, instead of raising points of order. But the two PML-N members continued their protest, disrup...

DERA ISMAIL KHAN/QUETTA: Two soldiers were martyred after a suicide bomber struck a military convoy on Tank Road, in the jurisdiction of the Hathala police station, Dera Ismail Khan, on Thursday. Police said the attack also injured at least 22 personnel. According to a police report, the convoy was on its way to Tank from Dera Ismail Khan when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the convoy, resulting in the martyrdom of two soldiers on the spot and injuries to almost two dozen others. Following the attack, heavy contingents of police and security forces reached the site and cordoned off the area. The medical teams of Rescue 1122 rushed the dead bodies and injured to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan. Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, had not issued an official statement about the suicide attack until the filing of this report. ISPR says militant killed in Panjgur operation Panjgur operation Separate...

ISLAMABAD: Presi­dent Asif Ali Zardari has filed for immunity under Article 248 of the Cons­titution, aiming to stop the ongoing criminal proceedings against him in the Islamabad Accountability Court pertaining to the Thatta Water Supply Pro­ject and Park Lane cases . Mr Zardari also intends to extend the immunity claim to two other cases concerning Toshakhana vehicles and fake bank accounts, his lead counsel, Senator Farooq H. Naek, told Dawn on Thursday. Article 248 of the Constitution safeguards high-ranking officials, in­­cluding the president, from legal proceedings in court for actions taken during their term of office. It states that such officials “shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise of powers and performance of functions of their respective offices” and prohibits any criminal proceedings or arrests during their tenure. The accountability court has since issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking a response to Mr Zardari’s applica...

GAZA STRIP: US top diplomat Antony Blinken touched down on Wednesday in the Middle East to bolster international efforts to secure a truce in the war, as the threat of famine looms in besieged Gaza. Global concern has mounted over the military conflict now in its sixth month. The latest flare-ups included an Israeli assault on Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital complex, an area crowded with thousands of patients and people seeking refuge. Overnight bombings and battles across the territory killed 90 people, said the health ministry in Gaza, which put the overall Palestinian death toll at close to 32,000. A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that Israel’s response to the group’s latest Gaza ceasefire proposal was negative after mediators handed it over. Hamas says Israeli response to its truce proposal is negative “On Tuesday evening, our brothers, the mediators, informed us of the occupations position on the proposal … it is a negative response in general and does not respond ...

ISLAMABAD: As the Islamabad High Court took up the PTI founder’s appeal against the conviction in the cipher case , the counsel representing former prime minister Imran Khan said the inquiry in the case was started bef­ore the complaint regarding the offence was registered. Barrister Salman Saf­dar argued before the division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Far­ooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb on Tuesday. He said the Ministry of Interior filed the complaint before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under Section 33 of the Official Secrets Act on October 12, 2022. The investigation officer during the cross-examination, however, stated that he was entrusted the inquiry in the case on Oct 5, almost a week before the registration of the complaint, said the lawyer. CJ Farooq inquired about the mechanism and procedure adopted by the FIA and sought documentary evidence from the counsel. Justice Auran­gzeb asked about the reason for the initiation of the probe under the secr...

RAWALPINDI: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing 777 plane, which made an emergency landing at Muscat International Airport due to engine failure 13 days ago, returned home on Monday after its engine was replaced with another one. The engine was replaced with one removed from another Boeing 777 plane grounded at Jinnah International Airport. The engine was airlifted to Muscat on March 10 on a C-130 cargo plane. Flight PK-714 from Madina to Islamabad carrying 392 passengers had to make an emergency landing at Muscat airport after one of its engines suddenly stalled and failed at 35,000 feet. The aircraft, with 357 passengers and 35 crew members, had taken off from Madina one hour and 50 minutes late. After attaining an altitude of 35,000 feet, the pilot noticed some problem in the engine. The plane was flying over Muscat when its left engine (engine number 1) suddenly stopped working. The cockpit crew decided to land at Muscat as it was the nearest airport. After gettin...

GWADAR: The road link of Gwadar and other parts of Makran division with Karachi and other areas has been cut off for over 48 hours due to protests against the alleged enforced disappearance of two youth. Locals and victims’ relatives have blocked the coastal highway and the M-8 motorway for the last two days and have demanded the recovery of Zakir Abdul Razzaq and Lala Rafique. The coastal highway has been blocked at Zero Point of the Turbat-Gwadar-Nalent link road, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway. Passengers travelling in coaches and buses have been facing severe difficulties as they have been waiting for the highway to be reopened for the last 48 hours. The closure of roads has severed the land communication between Gwadar, Karachi, Pasni, Ormara and Iran. Additionally, a shortage of essential commodities has emerged in Turbat and Gwadar. Traders and business community leaders have expressed apprehension that the shortage would worsen if the r...

MOSCOW: A Ukrainian missile attack killed two people in western Russia, and a separate drone strike set an oil refinery ablaze on Saturday, the second day of an election that President Vladimir Putin has accused Kyiv of trying to disrupt. The Ukraine war has cast a shadow over the three-day presidential election , which is all but certain to hand Putin six more years in the Kremlin . In the Belgorod region, where cross-border attacks from Ukraine have become part of daily life, the governor reported the deaths of a man and a woman. Video obtained by Reuters showed fires ablaze and air raid sirens sounding on the empty streets of Belgorod city. Moscow accuses Kyiv of stepping up ‘terror attacks’ to disrupt presidential elections Dmitry Azarov, governor of the Samara region 850km southeast of Moscow, said the Syzran refinery was on fire, but an attack on a second refinery had been thwarted. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had repelled attempts by Ukrainian forces to cros...

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday hoped for “a comprehensive strategic partnership” with Saudi Arabia after receiving a call from Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on his re-election. “Grateful for the telephone call from His Royal Highness Prince Moham­med bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on my re-election,” Mr Sharif said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Conveyed my sincerest wishes and prayers for the health and well-being of the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdul Aziz,” he said. “Look forward to working closely with HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to transform the deep-rooted, historic fraternal Pakistan-Saudi Arabia ties into a comprehensive strategic partnership.” Crown Prince Salman called to congratulate PM Sharif on assuming office. He had earlier sent his gre­etings after Mr Sharif was elected prime minister. Saudi Arabia and ...

KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators hopes of ending their four-year HBL Pakistan Super League trophy drought were quashed on Friday as they were subjected to a 39-run drubbing by Islamabad United in the first Eliminator here at the National Bank Stadium. Chasing 175 after Martin Guptill had hit a half-century for United, the Gladiators top order crumbled before a valiant fifty by young batter Omair bin Yousuf went in vain. The loss for Quetta meant they missed out on yet another chance to win their second PSL title despite making it to the playoffs for the first time after four years. United, meanwhile, will look forward to the second Eliminator, on Saturday against Peshawar Zalmi, who lost to Multan Sultans in the Qualifier. Quetta were reeling at 23-5 by the end of the powerplay after pacer Naseem Shah and spinner Imad Wasin wreaked havoc with new ball. Omair then put up 52 off 34 for the sixth wicket with Akeal Hosein, who hit three handsome sixes in his 18-ball knock for 31, before his...

• Govt lays seven controversial ordinances amid opposition by PTI and JUI-F • PPP initially opposes move, but votes in favour of government • Five women MNAs take oath after PHC decision on reserved seats • House passes resolution to condemn Israeli aggression against Palestinians ISLAMABAD: Accusations of betrayal flew back and forth in the National Assembly on Friday as the government laid seven IMF-directed controversial ordinances before the house and then sought approval of their extension for another four months amid strong protest by the opposition PTI and even the government’s key ally PPP. When PTI’s Omar Ayub Khan asked the chair to take a picture of those members “who are selling Pakistan” by supporting these ordinances, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar responded immediately and dubbed the PTI members “traitors and anti-state” for writing letters to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union. Though PPP members initially opposed the government’s move t...

In its first fuel price revision announcement, the newly elected government on Friday maintained the price of petrol but slashed diesel for the next fortnight. In an an­­nouncement before midnight, the Ministry of Finance said the new price of diesel would go into effect on March 16, as recommended by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). The price of petrol remains Rs279.75 per litre, while the price of high-speed diesel has been decreased by Rs1.77 to Rs285.56 per litre. Previously, informed sources said the petroleum prices were estimated to generally remain stable as the premium on petrol import had increased to $12.15 per barrel from $10.45 in February but exchange rate and international product prices remained range bound. The premium on the import of high-speed diesel (HSD) has remained unchanged at $6.50 per barrel. The government has already achieved a Rs60 per litre petroleum levy — the maximum permissible limit under the law — on both petrol and HSD. The gove...

Spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union Rakesh Tikait (centre) speaks with farmers during a sit-in at New Delhi’s Ramlila ground, on Thursday.—AFP NEW DELHI: Thousands of farmers rode buses and trains from across India to gather on Thursday at a rally in the capital, pressing a demand for higher guaranteed prices for their crops, as they faced down police barricades and tough security. The rally, days before general elections are expected to be called in an exercise that will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi seek a rare third term, comes a month after police wielding tear gas and water cannons halted a farmers’ march outside New Delhi. “Through this meeting, we want to show government authorities that we are not too far from reaching our goals,” Darshan Pal, of a farmers’ group, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), told news agency ANI . “We can surround Delhi whenever we want.” There was no immediate comment from the government or Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but they h...