BEIRUT: Lebanese Premier Rashid Karami and former Premier Saeb Salam narrowly escaped death today [March 19] when the Syrian plane on which they were to fly to Damascus for negotiations was hit and set aflame by a grenade. The special Syrian Air Force plane was to take Mr Karami, Mr Salam and parliamentary Speaker Kamal Assad to Damascus for talks with the Syrian leadership about ways to end the renewed civil war in Lebanon. ... The aircraft burst into flames but the blaze was swiftly extinguished by security forces. ... Mr Karami stressed that he, Mr Salam and Mr Assad would continue their mission. The attack would not deter them. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from New Delhi,] Foreign Minister Yeshwantrao Chavan ... voiced India’s concern at the reported serious illness of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan now under detention in Pakistan. Answering questions in Parl­ia­m­ent’s Upper House … he said the Government had seen Press reports of Ghaffar Khan being seriously ill. ... Mr Chavan recalled that Gha­ffar Khan was one of our great leaders during the freedom struggle against the British. However, he cautioned members that the question was related to a sovereign country.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026