Daily Bulletin: Pakistan PM Imran Khan summons special NCA meeting; cross-LoC shelling injures 10 jawans; day's top stories

Pakistan PM to convene NCA meeting; India cautions safety Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan , has summoned a special meeting of the National Command Authority (NCA). The prime minister has directed that elements of national power including the Armed Forces and the people of Pakistan to remain prepared for all eventualities following India’s pre-emptive, non-military airstrikes at Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camps around Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, the National Investigative Agency (NIA) in India has carried out searches at several locations, including the houses of separatist leaders, in Srinagar in connection with its ongoing investigation into terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir. These included premises belonging to top separatist leaders. [caption id=“attachment_6159891” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Pakistani soldier stands guard near Jaba where the IAF conducted pre-emptive non-military strikes on Tuesday. PTI[/caption] Several heads of state governments, including Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Mallik asked people to maintain law and order in the aftermath of India’s strike. The Maharashtra government has called for office bearers of the School and Company Bus Owner’s Association to ensure the safety of school children keeping the prevailing situation in mind. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the state legislature that security has been tightened across the city and appealed to people not to panic. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh will camp in the border areas of Punjab as part of a confidence-building measure undertaken by the state in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack and India’s airstrike. Cross-LoC shelling injures ten soldiers Meanwhile, intense shelling across the Line of Control was seen at Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. Two houses were partially damaged due to shelling from the Pakistani side in the Chajla Patri area of Mankote sector in Poonch and six Indian soldiers were injured. In Akhnoor sector, four jawans were injured. An encounter was reported by ANI to have broken out between terrorists and security forces in Memander area of Shopain district in Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday. Sushma Swaraj in China A day after India’s counter-strike on the biggest Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be visiting China to take part in the Russia-India-China trilateral meeting. JeM leader Maulana Masood Azhar and Pakistan are on Sushma’s agenda. The Union minister is also expected to hold bilateral meets with the two countries before and after the trilateral meeting. Opposition parties to chalk out ‘Common Minimum Programme’ Leaders of a number of Opposition parties will meet in the Parliament House Annexe Extension building to chalk out a “Common Minimum Programme” for fighting the 2019 general elections. The prime focus is expected to be the Pulwama terror attack on 14 February, Tuesday’s air strike and the country’s national security. On 13 February, leaders of six major opposition parties including the Congress  held a meeting after which it was announced that there will be a pre-poll alliance and a “Common Minimum Programme” for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The meet was attended by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party Chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, National Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party chief  N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and others. Supreme Court to hear petition on attacks on Kashmiri students The Supreme Court will hear the petition on attacks across the country on Kashmiri people, especially students, in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack. On 22 February, the apex court issued notices to the central government and 11 states and sought their response on the matter. Hearing the public interest litigation (PIL), the court had asked government-appointed nodal officers (usually senior police officers) to take steps to prevent acts of intimidation, threat, assault and social boycott of Kashmiris, including students. In another development, AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel will be produced at the Patiala House Court, which will also hear a plea of Gautam Khaitan. India seek to level series in second T20I against Australia After suffering a narrow defeat against Australia, Virat Kohli-led Indian side look to bounce back on Wednesday in the second T20I at Bengaluru . India look to flex their batting muscle in favourable conditions at the M Chinnaswamy stadium as they aim to square the series in the second and the final match of the series. Paediatrician uncovers suicide instructions in videos for children on YouTube, YouTube Kids Free Hess, a paediatrician and mother, spotted chilling videos for kids which gave out tips for committing suicide while watching cartoons with her son on YouTube Kids. Minutes into the clip, a man appears on the screen and simulates cuttig his wrist. “Remember, kids, sideways for attention, longways for results,” he says and then walks off screen. The video then quickly switches back to the cartoon. The videos come at a time when YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, is spiralling amid questions of how the platform monitors and removes problematic content French prosecutors drop rape case against director Luc Besson French prosecutors have dropped a preliminary investigation into the allegations of rape against filmmaker Luc Besson. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the public prosecutor’s office said on Monday that the investigation was dropped due to lack of evidence. In May 2018, Besson, known for movies like Leon: The Professional, was accused of raping a woman in France. The complaint was filed by actor Dutch-Belgian actor Sand Van Roy at a Paris police station, saying that she had been repeatedly raped by the 59-year-old director during an on-off relationship. SBI calls lenders’ meet today with Naresh Goyal and Etihad CEO State Bank of India (SBI) has called an urgent meeting of lenders with Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal and the domestic carrier’s significant shareholder Etihad Airways’ CEO Tony Douglas on Wednesday to discuss a way forward for the debt-laden airline, sources said, according to PTI. The meeting, to be held at SBI’s office in Mumbai, assumes significance amid differences persisting between Goyal, the lenders and Etihad, which has 24 percent stake in Jet Airways. SBI is the lead lender of a consortium that has extended loans to Jet Airways. While there was no official word from the airline, as also from the lenders, officials aware about the development said the meeting has been called by SBI and both Goyal and Douglas would be present.