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A day after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Navy seized 2,525 kg of “high-purity methamphetamine” off the coast of Kochi, sources in the NCB said on Sunday that the drugs were worth more than initially estimated and that the Pakistan-based Haji Salim drug cartel was behind the consignment.

The NCB had earlier said that the seized methamphetamine – a highly addictive recreational drug – was worth Rs 12,000 crore in the illegal market. On Sunday, NCB sources said, “As the seized methamphetamine is of superior grade, we have revised its estimated market value to Rs 25,000 crore. In terms of the market value, this is the biggest drug seizure made by any agency in the country.”

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar staged a ‘dharna’ in front of the counting centre in Jayanagar on Saturday night alleging the misuse of government machinery to favour Bharatiya Janata Party candidate CK Ramamurthy who won with a narrow margin of 16 votes.

BJP’s C K Ramamurthy received 57797 votes while Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy secured 57781 votes, thus facing defeat with 16 votes. Shivakumar was accompanied by Congress workers at the counting centre in the late night protest.

This comes after the BJP’s CK Ramamurthy was declared winner in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar constituency, defeating Congress rival Sowmya Reddy by a slim margin of 16 votes.

Beijing recently announced that it is looking to "expand into new fields of military cooperation" with Islamabad, raising global concerns that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be looking at setting up a military base on the shores of the Arabian Sea near Gwadar Port in Pakistan.

For China, Pakistan and its access to the Arabian Sea is key in the event of a maritime blockade in the Strait of Malacca. As of now, 60% of China's imported oil comes from the Middle East, and 80% of that is transported to China through the strait.

In order to safeguards its interests in the region, China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti on the northwestern fringe of the Indian Ocean in 2017.

Beijing is also investing heavily in Gwadar in case it needs to bypass the Strait of Malacca and experts believe the PLA might be looking at setting up a military base near the port in order to expand its influence in the Indian Ocean, a vital route for oil transportation between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Pakistan's Chief of Naval Staff Amjad Khan Niazi recently travelled to Beijing where China's defence minister Li Shangfu highlighted that military ties between the two nations was a key part of their bilateral relationship.

"The two militaries should expand into new areas of exchanges, create new high points of cooperation to continuously enhance their ability to deal with all sorts of risks and challenges, and jointly maintain the security interests of the two countries and of the region," said Li.

Niazi's visit comes after Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, said in late April that the Chinese military was willing to deepen and expand cooperation with Pakistan's military.

So far, China has not disclosed if it had sought military access to Pakistan's Chinese-funded, deepwater port of Gwadar.

Pentagon reportThe Pentagon has identified Pakistan as a possible location for a future Chinese military base, with Gwadar seen as the likely location. Any sign of that happening would fuel India's worries of growing Chinese military alliances and assets in its own backyard.

(With inputs from agencies)

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party had 'accepted defeat' in the Karnataka Assembly election and thanked crores of voters for stepping out and exercising their franchise on polling day (Wednesday). Surjewala also underlined the Congress' belief it will claim a comfortable majority after votes are counted tomorrow and form the new government in the southern state under its own steam.

"I want to thank the 6.5 crore people of Karnataka who have voted for the Congress. Let us wait till tomorrow... till the results are out. BJP has admitted their defeat."

India’s top court and markets regulator are facing their biggest opportunity to show the country’s determination to police its most powerful companies as they investigate the bombshell allegations lobbed at the Adani Group by Hindenburg Research.

A six-member expert panel — set up at the Supreme Court’s direction on March 2 to look into any regulatory failures and suggest reforms for investor protection — has filed its report to judges in a sealed cover, according to a person familiar with the development.