With Imran Khan as Pakistan PM, other ex-Cricketers have been increasingly stepping up to weigh in with their 'strategic' know-how over India-related matters

India and China are holding talks at military and diplomatic levels to resolve the stand-off between the armies of two countries in the Ladakh sector. A few days ago, Pakistan tried to defend its "all-weather friend" China by criticising the Indian government, however, failing to get the due attention.

'They Are Taking On A Fight With China'

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, news channels are claiming that the Chinese have entered India as far as 35 kilometres and captured the Indian territory. Pakistani journalist Naila Inayat shared a video clip of a news show in which a columnist and analyst called Dr Shahid Masood claimed that the Chinese have unfurled their flag inside the "captured" Indian territory. He said that he came to know about this "from his sources in the Indian Army."

Surprisingly, former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad and a likely "strategic expert" post-retirement also spoke on the Indo-China border escalation. He said, "I would like to appeal to the Indians as a neighbour, that do not trust your government, they will get you killed. India will be broken into pieces. All the states will be separated and there will be around 50 states in India."

Responding to this, Masood said, "Even Kashmir is calling us Javed Bhai."

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting in which Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, the three Service Chiefs and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence participated. Singh was briefed about India's response to the Chinese escalation along the LAC and the Ladakh sector. Thereafter, PM Modi met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, the CDS and the three Service chiefs. 

China And India Face-Off At LAC

Chinese military helicopters were spotted close to the border between India and China in eastern Ladakh after a clash between soldiers from both sides took place on two occasions. Thereafter, a fleet of Su-30 fighters of the Indian Air Force carried out sorties in the area. According to reports, Indian and Chinese Army personnel clashed along the northern bank of the Pangong Lake in Ladakh on May 5. 4 days later, a face-off between the two sides was witnessed near Naku La Pass in Sikkim.

Speaking to the media on May 14, Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane observed that such stand-offs occur because the LAC is not well defined. He added that there was nothing new in the face-offs that took place in Eastern Ladakh and Sikkim. The Army Chief asserted that India would deal with the situation as per the protocols and strategic guidelines. Reportedly, he visited Ladakh last week to take stock of the operational situation.