09082026-TT-01.qxd 8/8/2026 11:24 PM Page 1 c m y b 123 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 219 | 20 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH UN WARNS PAK OVER CRACKDOWN ON POK PROTESTERS WORLD /thetribunechd NH-44 DISRUPTIONS WORRY VALLEY FRUIT GROWERS J&K 9 WOMEN OFFICERS COMPLETE WORLD VOYAGE SPECTRUM CERTIFICATES MEAN NOTHING IF NO JOBS: RAHUL BACK PAGE sunday | 9 august 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com ‘Take everyone along’: Nabin to India faces 100% tariffs as US Dhillon amid dissent in Pb unit Senate passes anti-Russia Bill Ujwal Jalali BJP state chief, party secy summoned; organisational challenges reviewed Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 8 With dissent brewing in the Punjab BJP over the constitution of a new state executive, the top BJP brass on Saturday reviewed organisational challenges in the election-bound state and directed senior leaders to take everyone along. BJP president Nitin Nabin today summoned Punjab unit chief Kewal Singh Dhillon and state organisational secretary Manthri Srinivasulu to Delhi for a meeting and took stock of the situation in the state. He instructed state leaders to ensure corrections in the organisational processes and strengthen the Punjab unit ahead of polls. Dhillon and Srinivasulu were attending pre-scheduled meetings of Punjab BJP’s new executive and newly appointed district presidents in Ludhiana when they were asked to rush to the national capital for the meeting. The meeting, held at the New Delhi residence of Nabin, was attended by BJP continued on page 8 SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal chairs a meeting with senior party leaders in Chandigarh on Saturday. ANI After PM-Sukhbir meet, SAD seeks immediate passage of women’s quota, delimitation Bills Mohit Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 8 The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday demanded that Parliament immediately pass the women’s reservation and delimitation Bills to ensure “fair and equitable” increase in seats for all states. The party made the demand a day after its president Sukhbir Singh Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, leaving political circles abuzz with talk of a patch-up with former ally BJP . Sukhbir today met his senior party colleagues, including Gulzar Singh Ranike, Sikander Singh Maluka, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and MP Har- simrat Kaur Badal, in Chandigarh. He, however, remained tight-lipped on what transpired during his meeting with PM Modi. “The Shiromani Akali Dal supported the proposal which was put up by the Government of India on the floor of the House for a uniform increase of 50 per cent of seats continued on page 8 Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 8 The US Senate has passed a sweeping Russia sanctions Bill that could expose India and China to tariffs of up to 100 per cent on their exports to the US for continuing to buy Russian oil and gas, even as some American senators warned that such a move could hurt their country’s interests. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was approved by an overwhelming 86-11 vote on Friday and now moves to the House of Representatives. The legislation would give President Donald Trump the power to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from countries that are among the largest purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas. India and China, two of the biggest buyers of Russian crude, are consequently among the countries that could come under the proposed tariff regime. The 100 per cent duty, however, is not automatic and has not been imposed on India. The Bill, if enacted, would authorise the President to determine the tariff, subject to the provisions of the legislation. The measure has also exposed divisions within Draft legislation moves to Lower House RUSSIA MOOTS RAIL ROUTE TO INDIA n Russia has proposed explor- ing a rail link to the Indian Ocean to avoid maritime chokepoints n In an interview with TASS, Deputy PM Marat Khusnullin suggested alternative routes n He said the link could run through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan n The proposal comes amid disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz following Iran conflict the US Senate over the wisdom of penalising major trading partners. Republican Senator Rand Paul opposed the legislation, warning that imposing punitive tariffs on India and China amounted to America “shooting itself in the foot”. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden also opposed the tariff provisions, raising concerns over their potential economic consequences and the damage they could cause to relations with important partners. The dissent assumes significance for India as New Delhi and Washington are already grappling with contentious trade issues, while the US has repeatedly criticised India’s continued purchases of Russian crude. The legislation marks an expansion of Washington’s pressure campaign against Moscow by seeking to penalise not only Russia but also countries that continue to provide a major market for its energy exports. Besides the tariff provisions, the Bill envisages sanctions targeting Russian officials, financial institutions, energy projects and vessels associated with the transportation of Russian oil. It also contains provisions relating to sanctions on Iran. The legislation has been under discussion for months and was revised from an earlier version that proposed substantially higher secondary tariffs. The current measure limits the tariff authority to countries among the five largest purchasers of Russian oil or gas. The Senate vote, nevertheless, does not make the measure law. It must clear the House before being sent to Trump for his signature. The House could prove a tougher test, with lawmakers divided over granting the President broad authority to impose tariffs on third countries. UPI remains free for users, says Centre NEW DELHI: The government on Saturday sought to shut down speculation on plans to charge fee on the digital payments network, saying that consumers will not have to pay transaction charges for using UPI, while majority of merchant transactions will also remain free. Any future fee would apply only to limited transactions, it said. BACK PAGE IAF officer held for ‘leaking’ info to Pak NEW DELHI: A serving Indian Air Force officer has been arrested following a complaint by the IAF that he allegedly shared information concerning the military after being honey-trapped by a Pakistani operative. The officer was arrested after the IAF shared specific inputs with the Delhi Police. BACK PAGE Man shot near Pak border in Amritsar AMRITSAR: An unidentified man was shot dead by the BSF after he allegedly attempted to cross the border fence towards Pakistan in the Daoke area in Amritsar district, officials said. Police sources said the deceased could not be identified. No contraband, suspicious material or identity document was found at the spot, they said. INSIDE Mann writes to Guv Seven dead, 11 injured as private Meta told to give plan for parole to Hawara bus plunges 100 feet in Chamba to revamp algorithms Ruchika M Khanna & Mohit Khanna Tribune News Service J&K CM Omar Abdullah Statehood wait has harmed me politically: Omar Adil Akhzer Srinagar, August 8 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said the delay in restoring statehood to J&K is not only fuelling “anger” against the Modi government but has also eroded a large part of his “political capital”. “There’s a sense of disappointment and it’s not limited to the Modi government. It translates to all of us in the mainstream, more so to me because I’m at the top of that pyramid,” Omar told journalist Karan Thapar in an interview with The Wire, while responding to a question about the delay in statehood. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have recently intensified their demand for the restoration of the statehood since the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Last month, the National Conference (NC) held a protest in New Delhi seeking restoration of statehood. Saying he was well aware that he had “spent significant political capital over the past 18-20 months”, Omar said he “thought that we would get what we wanted, or what we were promised, through a good working relationship and understanding with the Union Government”. “I put a huge amount of my own political credibility at stake continued on page 8 Chandigarh, August 8 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has stirred the Panthic political pot in pollbound Punjab by seeking parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, serving a life term in the assassination case of former Chief Minister Beant Singh. In a letter to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Mann has requested 10-day parole for Hawara as a humanitarian gesture to allow him to tend to his ailing mother. The move comes a day after Mann met the Governor here. The release of Sikh prisoners languishing in jails has been a major issue in state politics. The Quami Insaaf Morcha has already announced gherao of the Governor’s residence on August 15 demanding the release of “Bandi Singhs” — those arrested for acts of terror and who remain incarcerated in different prisons. The CM’s move comes on the back of Shiromani Akali SERVING LIFE TERM IN BEANT SINGH CASE A Babbar Khalsa member, Jagtar Singh Hawara was arrested on December 23, 1995, in the assassination case of ex-CM Beant Singh. He broke out of Burail Jail in 2004 and was later recaptured. A trial court handed him the death penalty in 2007, which the HC commuted to life term in 2010. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, sparking talk of a possible reunion of the Akali Dal and BJP An alliance between . the two may force AAP to change its political strategy. This is perhaps the first time that a CM has sought parole for a convict linked to the assassination of a predecessor. In the letter, Mann has cited the petition filed by Hawara before the Punjab continued on page 8 Driver, conductor among deceased |PM, CM mourn loss of life Surya S Pillai Naresh Thakur New Delhi, August 8 Social media giant Meta has been asked to submit a detailed compliance roadmap to revamp its algorithms in order to tackle the spread of deepfakes, propaganda and other manipulated or illegal content across its platforms. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has also asked the company to strengthen its content moderation, speed up takedowns based on requests from authorised agencies and ensure compliance with India’s data-localisation requirements. The government wants Meta to work more closely with authorities to improve the detection and removal of deepfakes, morphed images and misleading posts, officials said. The directive follows recent discussions between MeitY and Meta amid increasing scrutiny of social media platforms over harmful artificial intelligence (AI)-generated and manipulated content. Tribune News Service Dharamsala, August 8 Seven persons were killed and 11 others injured when a private bus skidded off the road and plunged around 100 feet onto another road below at Chalunj Mor near the Bairagarh area of Churah subdivision in Chamba district on Saturday morning. The deceased included both the driver and conductor of the bus, which was travelling from Bairagarh to Chamba. The accident occurred around 7.15 am on the Bairagarh-Tissa road, a treacherous 27-km mountain route in the remote Churah valley known for its narrow paths and steep drop-offs. It serves as a key stretch on the way to the highaltitude Sach Pass. According to the District Emergency Operation Centre, six of the injured have been shifted to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College and Hospital, Chamba. The victims have been identified as People gather around the mangled remains of a private bus that met with an accident in Himachal’s Chamba district on Saturday. PTI Jagdev Sharma (50), Des Raj (35), conductor Tej Singh (39), Jagdei (24), Hardei (43), Neelam (34) and driver Roop Singh (35), all residents of nearby villages. The police said the driver lost control of the wheel on a sharp curve, causing the bus to veer off the road. continued on page 8 Tribune News Service Govt looks to counter deepfakes, propaganda, manipulated content The government has also been increasing the scrutiny of Meta over its handling of harmful content. In recent weeks, officials have sought explanations from the company over various issues, including “algorithmic functioning, algorithmic bias and role in maintaining public order”. Separately, the Centre has been pushing platforms for faster compliance with government takedown directions and proactive identification of harmful or illegal content. The latest directions were issued during a meeting between senior government officials and Meta representatives, where the social media giant’s technical team made a presentation on its existing systems and ongoing efforts to address harmful online content. According to officials, the government has further continued on page 8 Pb hikes MBBS fee, private colleges see steeper increase Indians top Canada’s exit list as 3,323 deported in 6 months Balwant Garg New Delhi, August 8 Indians have emerged as the largest nationality group being removed from Canada this year, with 3,323 people deported in the first six months of 2026, according to the latest data released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The figure is already close to the 3,779 Indian nationals removed during the whole of 2025, indicating a sharp acceleration in removals amid Canada’s stepped-up enforcement of immigration rules. The CBSA data shows that Indians accounted for the Tribune News Service Faridkot, August 8 Thousands of aspiring doctors and their families in Punjab will have to bear a significantly higher financial burden this academic session after a sharp revision in MBBS fee. Private medical colleges have recorded hikes of up to 17.4 per cent, while government medical colleges have increased fees by about 8.5 per cent over the full duration of the course. According to a notification of the Department of Medical 17.4% rise against 8.5% in govt colleges Education and Research, the revised fee structure applies to 1,800 MBBS seats in the state from the current academic session, split evenly between the government and private sectors. Punjab’s five government medical colleges together account for 900 seats, while its seven private medical institutions make up the remaining 900. continued on page 8 Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service highest number of removals between January and June this year, followed by Mexican nationals at 1,573. In 2024, as many as 2,004 Indian nationals were removed from Canada. Overall, Canada carried out 10,607 enforced removals during the first half of 2026, compared with 23,160 for the whole of 2025. The figures come amid heightened scrutiny of Canada’s immigration system, following a sharp increase in temporary residents and growing political pressure on the government to tighten immigration controls. The CBSA data, however, Today’s issue is of 20 pages, including six-page Spectrum. c m y b 2 MPs SEEK BAN ON RSS, OPPOSE BHAGWAT VISIT New Democratic Party MPs Heather McPherson and Jenny Kwan have urged the Canada govt to ban the RSS and prevent its chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to the country from Aug 31 to Sept 1, citing concerns over his alleged history of hate speech and advocacy of violence against minorities. does not mean that all Indians removed from Canada were deported for criminal offences. Removals are carried out on several grounds under Canadian immigration law, including inadmissibility arising from non-compliance with immigration requirements. Of the 10,607 removals this year, 8,551 involved refugee claimants found inadmissible for non-compliance, while 1,303 involved non-claimants. The agency categorises enforced removals separately from voluntary departures. The sharp increase in the number of Indian nationals being removed comes at a sensitive point in India-Canada relations, which were strained in recent years by diplomatic differences even as the two sides have sought to rebuild ties. India has a large community in Canada, with immigration, students, temporary workers and family reunification forming important components of bilateral people-to-people ties. The figures are likely to draw attention in New Delhi, particularly because Indian nationals have moved from being the second-largest nationality group removed in 2025 to the top position so far this year. The data underlines the scale of Canada’s immigration enforcement drive. While 2026 is only halfway through, Indian removals have already reached nearly 88 per cent of the 2025 total.