Hundreds assemble in Attari to welcome IAF pilot (with updates)

28 February 2019

Update:

Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman reached the Pakistani side of the border on Friday evening from Lahore ahead of his release from Pakistani captivity.

Informed sources said that Abhinandan was accompanied by Indian High Commission officials from Islamabad. He will enter India after completing formalities at Wagah.

Update:

The parents of Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman were given a standing ovation when they deboarded an IndiGo Chennai-New Delhi flight here.
In videos uploaded on social media, the parents are seen alighting from the aircraft as co-passengers clapped and cheered them.
According to people in the knowledge of the incident, although the parents wished to travel without any fanfare, fellow passengers discovered their identity and voluntarily gave them the first right of deboarding.

Update:

The Islamabad High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed against the release of Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was captured by Pakistan two days earlier.
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case earlier in the day ahead of the pilot’s release, Samaa TV reported.
Justice Minallah told the petitioner the decision to release the pilot was made by Prime Minister Imran Khan during a Parliament session on Thursday and no parliamentarian raised any objections.
“So this is a policy matter and we must respect Parliament,” the judge said.

Update:

Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman been handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, will cross Attari-Wagah joint check-post at around 3-4 pm

Attari (Punjab) (IANS): Carrying tricolour flags, garlands and posters, hundreds of enthusiastic people assembled at the Attari Joint Check Post (JCP) here on Friday to receive Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman who is likely to be released by Pakistani authorities later in the day.

People started arriving in Attari, around 30 km from Sikh holy city of Amritsar, since 6 a.m. Their numbers swelled to hundreds by 10.30 a.m.

Attari (Punjab): People in large numbers arrive at the Attari Joint Check Post (JCP) in Punjab to receive Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Abhinandan Varthaman who is likely to be released by Pakistani authorities later in the day, on March 1, 2019.
(Photo: IANS)

“We have come here to welcome our country’s hero back home. We will give him a grand welcome. He showed a lot of bravery in the air combat and even after being captured by the Pakistanis,” Jitender, a resident of Amritsar who arrived here with his friends, said.

The Border Security Force (BSF), which mans the JCP and the 553-km long International Border with Pakistan in Punjab at high alert, Punjab Police and other security agencies stationed additional personnel since early Friday morning.

The people, mostly from Amritsar district and other parts of Punjab, were kept around 1 km away from the actual border gates located at the Zero Line between India and Pakistan.

“The rush of people has been stopped at the outer gates of the JCP to ensure security in the area,” a BSF officer told IANS.

Many people could be seen getting their faces painted with the tricolours.

“We are excited to give a hero’s welcome to Abhinandan when he returns. We want to take him in a big procession,” Amritsar Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi said here.

Abhinandan’s parents, Air Marshal S. Varthaman (Retired) and mother Shobha Varthaman, who is a doctor, were also expected to be in Attari.

The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured on Wednesday by Pakistan after his MiG-21 Bison fighter jet was hit by Pakistan Air Force jets near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said that the pilot is likely to be brought by Pakistani authorities from Rawalpindi to Lahore and handed over to Indian High Commission officials before being brought to the JCP on Friday afternoon.

Varthaman will be debriefed by defence and security officials upon his return before being flown to New Delhi from Amritsar.

“Many celebrities and other important people come to Attari border on different occasions. But today, a real hero is coming back. We will give him a a big and warm welcome with dhol and bhangra,” Manjit Singh, who was carrying a dhol, said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the captured IAF pilot will be freed as a “goodwill gesture” after New Delhi sought his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release.

Jessie Kaur Sidhu is the new CEO of Khalsa Credit Union

28 February 2019

THE Board of Directors of Khalsa Credit Union on Thursday announced that Jessie Kaur Sidhu will be joining their credit union as CEO effective March 1.

KCU said Sidhu brings with her a wealth of experience in retail banking as she has worked with one of Canada’s chartered banks for over 25 years and is now looking forward to working with KCU employees as well as its members.

Sidhu brings with her over 12 years of experience in progressive senior leadership roles in both a regional and national capacity. Her priority is to positively impact both the employee and member experience while maintaining her high level of devotion to the community, KCU said in a press statement.

In addition to her extensive experience in the financial services industry, Sidhu holds a dual major in business administration and psychology from Simon Fraser University. She also holds the certified financial planner designation.

KCU said Sidhu will be joining a successful credit union with assets in excess of $450 million and more than 16,000 members across six branches spanning the Lower Mainland and Victoria.

“We are confident that our employees, members, and fellow co-operators will extend a warm welcome and support her efforts to ensure our organization flourishes,” said KCU’s Gurminder Kaur Malik.

Surrey RCMP seize substantial amount of illicit drugs, arrest three suspects

28 February 2019

OVER a two-week period, the Surrey RCMP investigated individuals suspected of allegedly dealing illicit drugs, which culminated in the execution of a search warrant in the Guildford area.

On February 21, the Surrey RCMP Drug Section conducted a search on a residence in the 15600-block of 99B Avenue. During the course of the overall investigation and the search of the residence, investigators seized approximately 50 doses of suspected cocaine, approximately 34 doses of suspected fentanyl / heroin, approximately $1,900 cash and two vehicles suspected of being offence-related property. Three individuals have been arrested and since released while the investigation continues.

“These alleged illegal activities posed not only a significant threat to those who use illicit drugs, but also to the general public, due to these activities being connected to the Lower Mainland gang conflict,” said Superintendent Shawn Gill, Community Services Officer. “Through prevention, education, interdiction and enforcement, the Surrey RCMP will continue to strategically investigate individuals and locations involved in the illegal drug trade.”

Anyone with information or observes suspicious activity is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.

NDP reneges on its promise to multi-generation farm families: BC Liberals

28 February 2019

BC Liberals on Thursday said that multi-generation farm families have been left in the lurch by the NDP government, which has shown a lack of transparency in its handling of house sizes on the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

“Agriculture Minister Lana Popham chose a quiet Saturday morning to bring Bill 52 into force, and now the BC Farm Owners Association reports a number of farm families’ farmland housing plans have effectively been scuttled without warning,” said Marvin Hunt, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale. “Surrey NDP MLAs publically promised the farmers they would be grandfathered, but that’s not what’s actually happening.”

“Farmers now have to prove they are farmers, just like B.C. homeowners have to prove they are not speculators,” said Ian Paton, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Agriculture and MLA for Delta South. “The Minister was clear she wanted to end speculation on the ALR by restricting home size. Just like the speculation tax, farmers now face added paperwork and fees to prove they are farmers.”

“Inter-generational farming takes place throughout the province, and the last thing these farmers need is more paperwork going into spring planting,” said Linda Larson, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Agriculture and MLA for Boundary-Similkameen. “This situation could have been avoided if the government had accepted our Opposition amendment to extend the time frame for farmers to adjust their residential design permit applications to reflect the government’s proposed changes to house sizes— but the Minister would not listen.”

Popham introduced Bill 52 in early November, with only an interim report on the proposed home size changes having been completed. The final report continues to sit on her desk, said the BC Liberals.

Business licence rescinded after Surrey RCMP search uncovers firearm and stolen property on premises

28 February 2019

THE City of Surrey has rescinded the business licence of Total Rapid Oil located at 7227 128th Street following a recent investigation by Surrey RCMP that resulted in the seizure of a sawed-off rifle, credit cards, passports and personal authentication information. Two men – Steven Werner, 57, and Movin Nur, 37, both of Surrey – have been arrested and are now facing several criminal charges.

“The decision to rescind the business licence is not only the right action to take but makes it clear that the City of Surrey will immediately take action when criminal activity is alleged to have taken place at a business,” said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. “The police are doing their job with their investigations and arrests, and the City will do what is within our purview to shut down businesses associated with criminal activity.”

This investigation was initiated by the Surrey RCMP Community Response Unit (CRU) as a follow-up on suspicious activity reported in association to the location of a local oil change business. On February 13, the Surrey RCMP CRU executed a search warrant in the 7200-block of 128th Street.

During the investigation police located a seized a number of items including a large amount of personal identification, credit cards and passports believed to be stolen as well as a sawed-off rifle. Two men are now facing a number of criminal charges.

Werner has been charged with:

Four counts of possession of identity documents
Possession of a firearm while prohibited to do so
Unauthorized possession of a firearm
Unsafe storage of a firearm
Possession of a stolen or forged credit card
Possession of property obtained by crime

Nur has been charged with:

Three counts of possession of a stolen or forged credit card
Two counts of possession, trafficking in, or use of credit card data and personal authentication information
Unauthorized use of a credit card
Possession of identity documents
Fail to comply with a condition of an undertaking or recognizance

“This investigation is an excellent example of the Community Response Unit’s ability to effectively target commercial operations that are being used to victimize our community,” said Staff-Sgt. Winston Shorey, South CRU Commander. “We encourage the public to continue to provide us with tips and information which assists us in our efforts to combat crime in Surrey.”

The Surrey RCMP Community Response Units provide targeted enforcement of problematic areas and individuals identified through intelligence, neighborhood complaints, and crime analysis / trends. They provide uniformed deployment to address crime, nuisance activity, and neighborhood safety through pro-active policing strategies.

Surrey: Moving Forward with the Task Force on Truck Parking

28 February 2019

THE Task Force on Trucking Parking was formed last December with a one-year mandate to develop creative options and implement equitable and sustainable solutions for authorized commercial truck parking within Surrey. With Councillor Mandeep Nagra as Chair, work to understand and address the issues is underway.

“If there is an industry many of us generally take for granted, it is trucking,” said Nagra. “Yet, every citizen and business relies on trucks to bring us inputs for our businesses or our final products. The movement of goods, and our hard-working truckers, are vital to driving our economy forward.”

He noted that truck parking has been a long-standing dilemma in Surrey, as in other Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley communities.

“Where semi-trailer trucks and other heavy-goods vehicles park, involves multiple issues including land use, environmental and public concerns, and potential bylaw infractions,” said Nagra. “Shaping possible solutions is work that requires the efforts of many to address.”

To generate practical and effective options by fall 2019, getting the input of a wide range of local truckers and stakeholders from the start is key. Understanding their concerns, priorities and ideas for possible solutions is the focus of the first phase of work by the Task Force.

City staff are hosting an Open House on Saturday, March 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Surrey City Hall’s Atrium.

Learn more at www.surrey.ca/truckparking.

No protocol for captive’s return, Kargil only precedent: Ex-diplomat

28 February 2019

New Delhi (IANS): While Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that Wing Commander Varthaman Abhinandan will be released from captivity on Friday, the protocol for such return is confined to the sole incidence of Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa (now Group Captain), an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer who was released by Pakistan in 1999 during the Kargil War.

Khan said captured IAF pilot Varthaman will be freed as a “goodwill gesture” after New Delhi sought his unconditional, immediate and unharmed release. The 35-year-old Wing Commander was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday after his MiG fell in the Pakistani territory during an aerial dogfight.

Before Varthaman, the last Indian officer to be released by Pakistan from its custody was Nachiketa, a MiG pilot, who fell into Pakistan’s captivity during the 1999 Kargil War when he ejected himself from his “flamed out” aircraft.

Nachiketa was later handed over to then Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan G. Parthasarathy who narrated the procedure that was followed in the pilot’s return.

“He was handed over to the Indian Embassy by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). I then sent him to the Wagah border with an Air Commodore and a Navy Commodore. There is no protocol as such for transfers like these. The only time it happened was after the Kargil War,” Parthasarthy told IANS.

While receiving Nachiketa, the diplomat said he refused to have any media presence to prevent the transfer from becoming a high voltage “dog and pony show”.

“I did it out of my own accord because I knew Pakistan will make a big hoo-haa right in the middle of the Kargil War, showing how generous they were. I had to take the decision immediately. I couldn’t say I will check with Delhi. An Indian Air Force officer treated like that would be too much for me to see, so I said no,” he said.

Nachiketa was released after eight days in captivity. In an interview in 2016, Nachiketa recounted the details of his days in captivity during which he suffered at the hands of his captors torture that was just short of third degree.

Although it is reasonable to believe that Varthaman didn’t have to go through any torture, the former diplomat emphasised he should be treated like a Prisoner of War (PoW) as described under the Geneva Convention on treatment of PoW.

Air Canada flights to Delhi resume Thursday night from both Vancouver and Toronto

28 February 2019

AN Air Canada spokesperson told The VOICE on Thursday that flights to Delhi will resume tonight from both Toronto (AC 42 February 28) and Vancouver (AC 44 March 1 – the flight leaves just after midnight).

However, there are no flights to Mumbai scheduled for February 28, Air Canada’s Angela Mah added.

Flights to Delhi had been cancelled for Wednesday night from both Toronto (AC 42 February 27) and Vancouver (AC44 February 28) as there were no suitable alternate routings.

Because of the closure of Pakistani airspace by its government, one Air Canada flight en route to Delhi on Tuesday night (February 26) turned back over the Atlantic Ocean and returned to Toronto on Wednesday, while a second flight from Vancouver to Delhi that was to depart on Tuesday night was cancelled.

Car-bus collision on Surrey’s City Parkway

28 February 2019

ON February 27, at approximately 5:20 p.m., Surrey RCMP received several 911 calls reporting a head-on collision between a Grey Ford Mustang and a B.C. Transit bus, in the 10200-block of City Parkway. The Mustang had crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with the bus. No one on the bus was injured. The male driver of the Mustang, a 34-year-old resident of Surrey, was suffering from a medical issue prior to the collision and was transported to the hospital for treatment of this issue.

A dog in the back of the Mustang got out and was running around when police officers arrived on the scene. The dog was taken to an animal shelter to be cared for. It was not injured in the collision. City Parkway was closed for a time.

Scheer calls on RCMP to investigate Trudeau and SNC-Lavalin Affair

28 February 2019

CONSERVATIVE Leader Andrew Scheer on Thursday sent a letter to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki calling for an investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s actions in relation to the SNC-Lavalin Affair.

Scheer wrote: “It is contrary to the Criminal Code to engage in any conduct with the intent to provoke fear in the Attorney General. It is further contrary to the Criminal Code to attempt to obstruct or defeat the course of justice.

“According to the facts as have been revealed in media reports, Parliamentary testimony from Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, and most significantly the recent comments of the former Attorney General, Canadians rightly ought to be concerned that criminal law has been violated.”

Scheer said a criminal investigation is necessary for Canadians to understand the full scale of Justin Trudeau’s actions.

“Canadians cannot have a Prime Minister who is willing to commit a crime to protect his political interests,” Scheer said. “We need the police to investigate these serious allegations and Justin Trudeau should immediately resign and allow this investigation to take place.”

You can view the full letter by clicking here.