May 28, 2026

Neighborhood

News,Insights and events from India’s neighborhood .

Diplomacy Neighborhood

India Resumes Flights To Iraq After 30 Year Gap

Air India on Thursday resumed flights to Iraq after a 30 year gap, when a plane carrying Shiite pilgrims landed in the city of Najaf.

“This is the first time in the last 30 years” that a plane has come from India to Iraq, said Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, India’s ambassador to Iraq, at the international airport that serves the Shiite holy city.

“We are very fortunate that the holy city of Najaf has been chosen as the first destination”, he added, noting that attempts to restore direct air links had been ongoing for some time.

Flights were prevented by years of conflict in Iraq and sanctions against Saddam Hussein’s regime after his invasion of Kuwait, as well as by the extended chaos that came in the wake of the former dictator’s 2003 downfall.

The plane started its journey in Lucknow, the capital of India’s Uttar Pradesh state, and upon landing the crew and pilgrims were welcomed by Iraqi officials.

Shiite pilgrims from around the world come to Najaf, some 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Baghdad, to visit the tomb of Imam Ali, Prophet Mohammed’s son-in-law and founder of Shiite Islam.

By Kautilya / February 15, 2019
Neighborhood

Suman Kumari Becomes Pakistan’s First Hindu Woman Judge

ISLAMABAD: Suman Kumari has become the first Hindu woman in Pakistan to be appointed as a civil judge, according to a media report.

Suman, who hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her native district.

She passed her LLB. examination from Hyderabad and did her masters in law from Karachi’s Szabist University, Dawn reported.

According to Pawan Kumar Bodan, her father, Suman wants to provide free legal assistance to the poor in Qambar-Shahdadkot.

“Suman has opted for a challenging profession, but I am sure she will go places through hard work and honesty,” the father said.

Her father is an eye specialist while Suman’s elder sister is a software engineer and another sister is a chartered accountant.

Suman is a fan of singers Lata Mangeshkar and Atif Aslam.

This is not the first time that a person from the Hindu community has been appointed as a judge. The first judge from the Hindu community was Justice Rana Bhagwandas, who served as the acting chief justice for brief periods between 2005 and 2007.

Hindus make up nearly 2 per cent of Pakistan’s total population and Hinduism remains the second largest religion in Pakistan after Islam.

By Kautilya / January 30, 2019