Islamabad (IANS) | Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who traveled to India earlier this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, said the visit was very positive and productive. At a briefing on Thursday, the minister said: As far as Kashmir is concerned, it is a bilateral issue between Pakistan and India and a matter of responsibilities of multilateralism. My conclusion after the visit is that participating in this event has been productive and positive.
Bilawal had attended the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa on 5 May. The two-day event was hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India is currently chairing the SCO. “We thought that we should present Pakistan’s case and point of view not only to the Indian side but also to the other participating countries,” the minister said at the briefing. Had positive meetings with all the foreign ministers of the member countries.
Bilawal also said that Pakistan will host the SCO summit in 2026-2027 and India is expected to attend the meeting. During the Goa meeting, Bilawal and Jaishankar did not have any bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the event.
Earlier, in 2011, Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had come to India for peace talks. Established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, the SCO originally consisted of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Later India and Pakistan became its members.
Tag: Pakistan
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India visit proved beneficial for Pakistan: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
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India Wants ‘normal Ties’ But Pakistan Must Build Environment Free From Terrorism: PM Modi
India wants to have “normal and neighborly relations” with Pakistan but it is important to create a conducive environment that is free from terrorism, asserted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These remarks from the PM came during an interview with Nikkei Asia on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, where he stated that “New Delhi wants ‘normal and neighborly relations.”
“However, it is incumbent upon them to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostilities. The onus is on Pakistan to take necessary steps in this regard,” the PM added.
Since the partition in 1947, India and Pakistan have had a complex and largely hostile relationship that is rooted in a multitude of historical and political events. One big issue between the two countries is the India–Pakistan border, which has been one of the most militarised international boundaries in the world.
PM Modi vows to amplify voice of Global South
PM Modi also vowed to “amplify the voices and concerns of the Global South” nations at the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan.During the interview at the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi, PM said that he will be discussing global issues and the challenges in the G7 Summit. “I will emphasise India’s role as a reliable partner in addressing these challenges.”
India, which is not a G-7 member, has been invited by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has repeatedly expressed his determination to strengthen ties with the so-called Global South or developing world.In the interview, he said, “We now see a growing convergence in our political, strategic, security, and economic interests.”
PM Modi on Ukraine-Russia war
On the issue of the Ukraine war, PM Modi said, “India stands on the side of peace, and will remain firmly there. We are committed to supporting those who face challenges in meeting their basic needs, especially in the face of rising costs of food, fuel, and fertilizers. We maintain communication with both Russia and Ukraine.”PM on India’s relation with China
The PM also spoke about India’s relationship with China and said, “India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity.” He added, “Peace and tranquility in the border areas are essential for normal bilateral ties with China.” -
2 terrorists killed in clash with security forces in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Two terrorists were killed in a clash with security forces in Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, an Army statement said.
The security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Bannu district of the province on the reported presence of terrorists in the area, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday in the statement.
During the conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between the troops and terrorists, the statement added. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists, the ISPR added.
The military statement said that the killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and innocent citizens, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Locals of the area appreciated security forces’ operation and assured of their full support in eliminating the menace of terrorism,” the ISPR said.
-IANS
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‘Pak may turn to China for bailout as deadlock persists over IMF programme’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has no other option but to ask its all-weather ally China to bail out its ailing economy to avert full fledged eruption of the Balance of Payment (BoP) crisis if the IMF does not revive the USD 6.5 billion programme, according to a media report on Tuesday. The policymakers are left with no other options but to explore all other ways to avert default as well as choking off the economy of over 220 million people, The News International quoted sources as saying.
“Amid deepening political and economic crisis in the country, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) has adopted the policy of wait and see but this policy cannot be pursued for a longer period,” a top official source said on Monday.
”Either the IMF will have to be revived through completion of the 9th review or the programme will be scrapped. We will share no more data with the IMF without completion of the ninth review,” the official said.
Cash-strapped Pakistan, which is also facing political turmoil, has adopted the policy of import restrictions to manage its economy in order to avert default. A programme continuation with the IMF would have ensured a flow of dollars from multilateral, bilateral and commercial monies to ease the imports and unclog the economic activity.
Keeping in view all these developments, independent economists are now suggesting the government make last-ditch efforts of reviving the IMF programme or clearly look towards China, Pakistan’s closest ally, to bail out the struggling economy. Chinese Premier Li Qiang last month assured his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif that China supports Pakistan in maintaining financial stability. China has already given financial aid to Pakistan.
Former minister for Finance and renowned economist Dr Hafiz A Pasha said if the IMF did not move forward then Pakistan would have no other option but to request China to devise any mechanism for helping Islamabad to avert a full-fledged crisis. He said that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) could be used as an instrument to help out Pakistan to avert the BoP crisis.
Dr Khaqan Najeeb, former advisor in the Ministry of Finance, said undoubtedly the country has taken a number of steps for macro stabilisation and paving the way for completion of the 9th review by the IMF. However, considering a weak State Bank of Pakistan reserves position at just USD 4.38 billion and a precarious balance of payment position, the IMF is being extra careful in ensuring financing needs are more than adequately met.
Authorities have tried but have been unable to give comfort to the lender, the report said.
The IMF last week said Pakistan needed significant additional financing for the successful completion of the long-stalled ninth review bailout package.
The IMF also rejected the Pakistan government’s claim that it has met all the conditions to reach an agreement with the global financial body to release funds under an already agreed loan facility.
It added that the large South Asian economy was facing stagflation and had also been battered by a series of shocks including severe floods.
A staff-level accord to release a USD 1.1 billion tranche out of a USD 6.5 billion IMF package has been delayed since November, with nearly 100 days gone since the last staff-level mission to Pakistan. That is the longest such gap since at least 2008.
Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major political as well as economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
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Pakistan political unrest continues: Imran’s aide Asad arrested
Pakistan: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar was arrested from the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises a day after the country’s former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested, reported Geo News.
The Secretary General of PTI was apparently arrested by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Islamabad police today.
Umar was taken into custody while waiting outside the IHC Bar Association’s office, where they were drafting a plea to submit to the IHC. He had requested a meeting with the PTI Chairman Imran Khan through a petition, according to Geo News.
PTI lawyers attempted to prevent the police from apprehending the force, but Umar was carried away despite their best attempts. Earlier today, Imran Khan’s party called for a nationwide protest against his arrest.
Khan was arrested outside Islamabad High Court by Rangers on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) warrant in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had started an investigation against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and others for the alleged gain of hundreds of canals of land in the name of Al Qadir University Trust, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.
PTI workers also held protests in cities across Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan, reported Geo News. In Karachi, demonstrators clashed with the police near Nursery. They pelted stones at police vehicles and tore down street lights.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said the party will approach the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning to challenge the Islamabad High Court’s upholding of party chairman Imran Khan’s arrest.
Expressing angst about the arrest of former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, protestors gathered outside the residence of Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington on Tuesday (local time) following the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad. Protests were seen in cities including Washington, New York, and Chicago. On Tuesday evening, supporters of Imran Khan gathered outside the Pakistan High Commission in London to protest against his arrest.
The US, Canada and the UK issued travel advisories for their citizens and diplomatic staff, as protests erupted across Pakistan with people clamouring for Khan’s release.
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Imran Khan arrest: Supporters storm Pakistan Army headquarters
In unprecedented scenes, supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday stormed the Pakistan Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and the Corps Commanders residence in Lahore after his dramatic arrest in a corruption case.
Khan, who travelled from Lahore to the federal capital Islamabad, was undergoing a biometric process at the Islamabad High Court when the paramilitary Rangers broke open the glass window and arrested him after beating lawyers and Khans security staff.
The arrest of the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman comes a day after the powerful army accused him of levelling baseless allegations against a senior officer of the spy agency ISI.
As the news of his arrest by the Rangers spread, massive protests broke out in several cities across Pakistan. Protesters at several places turned violent and burned police vehicles and damaged public property.
The Rangers, which operate under the Interior Ministry, are usually commanded by officers on secondment from the army.
For the first time, Khans supporters smashed the main gate of the armys sprawling headquarters in Rawalpindi, where troops exercised restraint. The protesters chanted slogans against the establishment.
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Militants in Pakistan kill six soldiers near Afghan border
ISLAMABAD: Militants killed six Pakistani soldiers in an exchange of fire in a northwestern tribal district bordering Afghanistan, the army said on Thursday.
No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the bloodshed, which comes after Pakistan declared a new offensive against militants following a resurgence of attacks, including a mosque bombing that killed more than 100 people in February. “A fire exchange took place between terrorists and our own troops,” the army said in a statement, describing the incident in North Waziristan, which has long been a hotbed of Islamist militants who operate on both sides of the border.
Three “terrorists” were also killed when the army engaged them, it said, adding that it was searching the area to determine if any more attackers were in hiding. The incident came within a week after attacks by Islamist militants, including an assault by a suicide bomber who drove into a military base camp just outside the rugged, lawless tribal district, killing three soldiers.
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Pakistan’s Presence ‘reflects Our Commitment To The SCO Charter & Multilateralism’: Pak PM
As the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) meeting with Foreign Ministers of eight nations is currently underway in Goa, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has tweeted that Islamabad’s decision to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Minister’s meeting in India reflects our commitment to the SCO Charter & multilateralism. Hosted by India, the theme of SCO in 2023 is ‘SECURE-SCO’ which is scheduled to take place on July 3-4 in New Delhi. The Tweet by the Pakistan PM comes while Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto attends the SCO meeting through video conferencing.
Taking to Twitter, Shehbaz Sharif wrote: “Pakistan’s decision to attend SCO Council of Foreign Minister’s meeting in India reflects our commitment to the SCO Charter & multilateralism. We are committed to playing our part to advance our shared values of peace & stability in the region. We are all for win win understandings based on connectivity, trade and mutually advantageous cooperation.”
SCO meeting in Goa
In the current SCO Goa meeting, a range of prominent geopolitical issues, such as economic cooperation among SCO members, counter-terrorism and regional security will be discussed by the Minister and diplomats. It is to be noted that, on April 20, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has shared that he would attend the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meet that has been scheduled to take place in Goa, sources have confirmed. In January 2023, with the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) chairmanship with India, it formally sent invitations to all members including Pakistan and China for the upcoming foreign ministers’ meeting which will be held in Goa on May 4 and 5. The invitation includes invites to the new Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto. However, the Pakistan envoy would be attending the meeting through video. As the meeting is underway, Republic has been able to access some of the important details of the meeting. These highlights of the SCO meeting that has been taking place in Goa, India -
Two minor girls missing in Pakistan, parents protest
ISLAMABAD: Two minor female students have allegedly gone missing while going to school in Tando Muhammad Khan district, Pakistan vernacular media reported. According to Pakistan Daily, Jasarat, the two female students, 16-year-old Dua Chandio and 13-year-old Muzamil Fatima Chandio, have allegedly gone missing while going to school.
The families protested against the incident in front of the press club and shouting slogans, Ali Asghar, the father of the missing girls, told reporters that his two daughters went to school yesterday and could not return home, which was also reported to the police, as per Jasarat.
However, the police have not recovered his daughters so far. His daughters have been abducted by a man named Akbar Abro. The protestors have demanded that the daughters should be recovered and the accused Akbar Abro should be arrested as soon as possible, according to Jasarat. Such incidents of people going missing are common in Pakistan.
A couple of days ago ‘Voice for Baloch Missing Persons’ held a protest rally in Quetta against fake encounters and forced disappearances, Pakistan vernacular media Urdu Point reported. The protesters called for the recovery of missing people. The protest rally was held in Quetta under the leadership of Mama Qadeer and Huran Baloch. A demonstration was held in front of the Quetta Press Club, as per the Urdu Point report.
During the Eid celebrations in Pakistan, various groups and families of missing persons, student organizations, and political parties, held protests in Balochistan and Islamabad, demanding action on enforced disappearances, Balochistan Post reported.
Demonstrators from diverse backgrounds called for the safe recovery of missing persons and an end to the long-standing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, as per the news report. In Turbat, a protest against enforced disappearances was organised by the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) and families of missing persons, addressing “state oppression and violence towards the Baloch nation”.
The protesters said the primary purpose of their demonstration was to unveil the “state’s oppressive” actions against the Baloch people on both national and international levels. They called on the civilised nations to take action to prevent further injustice and oppression faced by the people of Balochistan, Balochistan Post reported.
The participants in the Turbat protest also underscored the need for the state to reassess its policies before the situation worsens further. They highlighted the resilience of the Baloch people, who have a long history of resisting oppression and are determined to ensure their survival. In Khuzdar, families of forcibly disappeared individuals held a protest on Eid and called for the safe return of their relatives and accountability for those responsible for the enforced disappearances.
As per the Balochistan Post report, the protest, held at Shaheed Abdul Razzaq Chowk, was reportedly met with harassment from Frontier Corps personnel. Grieving families expressed their distress over forced disappearances by state authorities, opting to protest instead of celebrating Eid.
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Massive protest in Pakistan on Eid demanding release of missing persons
ISLAMABAD: A massive protest rally was taken out on the occasion of Eid, in Pakistan’s Gwadar, demanding the release of missing persons including many political activists, Pakistan vernacular media reported.
According to Intekhab Daily, a large number of people took part in the protest rally demanding the release of Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch and Mahil Baloch.
Hussain Wadela, President of ‘Give Rights Movement’ (Haq Do Tehreek), Deputy Organiser Yakub Juski, Gwadar organiser Akram Fida, sister of missing Azeem Baloch said that Maulana Hidayat ur Rahman Baloch has been behind bars for past three months for demanding rights, as per Intekhab Daily.
The protesters demanded the release of Maulana Hidayat ur Rehman Baloch and Mahil Baloch and the recovery of all the missing persons, according to Pak vernacular media outlet Intekhab Daily.
Haq Do Tehreek (Give Rights Movement) had earlier said Balochistan has been made hell for political activists, according to Pakistan vernacular media Qudrat. On April 19, Haq Do Tehreek had announced that protest rallies for the release of Maulana Hidayatur Rahman and Mahil Baloch and the recovery of missing persons would be taken out across Balochistan.
The movement’s spokesperson Hafiz Kayani said that the situation in Balochistan is worse than in Palestine, according to Qudrat. Geo News recently reported that the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has sounded alarm over growing public frustration pertaining to enforced disappearances, economic exclusion, curbs on press freedom, misgovernance and allegations of political manipulation by the establishment in Balochistan.
A fact-finding mission led by HRCP in October 2022 said that a palpable sense of anger was seen among ordinary citizens, many of whom even called Balochistan as a ‘colony’ of the state during meetings with the organisation, as per the news report.
The mission raised concern about the state’s widespread use of enforced disappearances to stop dissent, a grievance echoed in numerous conversations, as per the Geo News report. The discontent has been exacerbated by the extensive presence of paramilitary check-posts, which people have said has caused a climate of fear, particularly in Makran.
Balochistan continues to be deprived of its fair share of revenues from large development projects initiated by China through CPEC amid the serious economic downtown, Geo News reported, adding that the mission also observed that the absence of a healthy legal trading ecosystem between Balochistan and Pakistan’s neighbouring nations has enhanced poverty levels in the province.