Politics

Pakistan confirms virtual participation in SCO India meeting

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

FO will announce decision on Pakistan’s participation in coming days.
“We have received official invitation from Indian premier,” FO says.
India changed SCO summit’s format without any reason.

ISLAMABAD: After India changed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit’s format to a virtual meeting without providing any reasons, the Foreign Office confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the meeting virtually.

The regional summit will be held in the Indian capital New Delhi on July 4 but will be virtually attended by member countries, including Pakistan, Russia and China.

The two latter nations would not have been able to attend the meeting in-person either.

“We have received the official invitation from the Indian prime minister for our prime minister to attend the virtual meeting of the Heads of State of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation due to take place on July 4. Pakistan will be represented at the summit,” said FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in the weekly briefing.

She added that the FO would announce Pakistan’s participation in the coming days.

Talks with Taliban

Moreover, the FO spokesperson also commented on the possibility of holding talks with the Afghan Taliban, who have once again proposed Pakistan enter into talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to take up issues of terrorist activities by the latter in the country.

“We have responded to such questions in the past as well. I would like to invite you to a statement made by our foreign minister in which he stated Pakistan will not negotiate with individuals who are responsible for killing of Pakistani civilians and law-enforcement officials,” the FO spokesperson remarked.

However, she said, Pakistan continues to engage with the Afghan interim government in Kabul, adding she would not go into the specifics of these talks.

She said the counter-terrorism threat remains high on the country’s agenda.

Pakistan regularly engages with the interim Afghan government in countering the menace of terrorism.

“And this is an ongoing process. We hope and expect the commitments made in the trilateral outcome declaration between Pakistan, Afghanistan and China will be fulfilled, so that Afghanistan is not a source of terrorism and instability faced by its neighbours, including Pakistan,” she said.

Greek shipwreck

Furthermore, commenting on the recent boat tragedy off the coast of Greece, where several Pakistanis lost their lives, the spokeswoman said: “We have been unable to verify [the] number and identity of Pakistani nationals among the deceased and missing. Greek authorities have recovered 84 bodies. Their identification will take place through DNA matching.”

Relevant authorities have started collecting DNA samples from the families of those suspected to be aboard the ship and will share this with the Greek authorities, she said.

Bilawal’s Japan visit

Meanwhile, she added Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will visit Japan on July 2-3.

He will hold substantive talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in Tokyo, during which they will discuss bilateral trade and investment, cooperation in science and technology, education, information technology, culture and human resource development.

Baloch said the two ministers would also deliberate over significant regional and global developments, cooperation, and multilateral dialogue.

Latest News

Doesn’t think this system would succeed, according to Ramesh Kumar of PPP

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

“Things seem in control, but they are not really,” he stated. “Shehbaz Sharif has been involved, but I don’t think he can change Pakistan’s destiny,” the PPP chief stated.

“This is the year of the judiciary, and legislation that pertains to it is also being scrutinized,” noted Ramesh Kumar.

“Due to disputes things not being seen to remain in control in the future,” stated the leader of the People’s Party.

“In the absence of internal stability, foreign investment will not come to the country,” he said. “I see things getting very bad and critical over the next three to four months,” Dr. Ramesh Kumar stated.

He said, “There are challenges, I see hardships ahead. Moody’s report comes or not, loans roll over happens or not.”

Latest News

Prior to the Lahore demonstration, PTI seeks LHC against arrests.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

The petition requesting protection against the arrests of its workers and leaders prior to the event set for September 21 was submitted by Sheikh Imtiaz and Yasir Gillani.

The petition asserted that law enforcement is apprehending party members throughout Punjab, infringing upon their fundamental right to assemble for a rally.

The petitioners sought a court order to compel the authorities to cease arrests and for the march to occur peacefully.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is set to have a demonstration in Lahore on September 21.

Previously, multiple PTI MNAs, including party chairman Barrister Gohar, were apprehended by Islamabad police subsequent to the Sangjani demonstration in Islamabad.

Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Marwat were apprehended outside, while Zain Qureshi and Sheikh Waqas Akram were detained within the Parliament House.

Furthermore, law enforcement apprehended Owais Ahmed Chatha, Syed Shah Ahmed, Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Yousaf Khan, Maulana Naseem Shah, and Ahmed Shah Khattak.

Sources indicated that Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq permitted the detention of PTI Members of the National Assembly outside the premises of the house. The situation occurred after police submitted a copy of the FIR filed against the PTI legislators for breaching SOPs during the public protest on September 8.

Furthermore, three complaints have been filed in Islamabad under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, alleging breaches of the event’s NOC. The FIR identifies 28 individuals, including PTI officials Barrister Gohar Ali, Sher Afzal Marwat, Shoaib Shaheen, Omar Gul, Zartaj Gul, Aamir Mughal, Seemabia Tahir, and Raja Basharat.

Latest News

When PPP Delegations Meet with the Prime Minister, PPP Leadership Reveals Complete Confidence in Government Policies

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

The Pakistan People’s Party, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is a significant ally that has consistently supported the Government in every move it has taken to boost the national economy.

Within the presence of Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he was having a conversation with a delegation of the Pakistan People’s Party, who had visited him in Islamabad.

During the course of the conference, questions were asked about the current political climate in the country.

A proposal called the “Charter of Parliament” was submitted in the Parliament by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the initiative, stating that it will further improve democracy and the government.

The PPP Delegation expressed their appreciation for the economic policies that the government has implemented in order to boost the economy of the country.

As a result of the PPP Delegation’s unwavering faith in the policies and initiatives of the government, the Prime Minister found this to be encouraging.