April 2022 - Page 4 of 33

China condemns suicide attack at Karachi University, demands punishment for perpetrators

The incident had taken place as van, carrying three Chinese teachers, was about to enter the Confucius Institute. CCTV footage showed a burqa-clad woman standing outside the entrance of the Confucius Institute who detonated herself just as the van neared the institute’s entrance.

Resultantly, three Chinese teachers, including Confucius Institute director Ding Mupeng, who were travelling in the van, and the vehicle’s driver were killed.

Later, the Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, in response to a question about the incident during a press briefing on Wednesday, said the attack had left three Chinese teachers dead and one injured.

Acknowledging that there “are also casualties on the Pakistani side”, he went on to say that the “Chinese side expresses strong condemnation and indignation over this major terrorist attack, and extends deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families”.

He further said the Chinese foreign ministry and diplomatic missions in Pakistan activated the “emergency response mechanism” immediately after the incident, and that Chinese Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Wu Jianghao made an urgent phone call to Pakistan’s ambassador in China.

The spokesperson said that the Chinese minister expressed “grave concern” over incident during the call and demanded that Pakistan conducted a thorough probe immediately. The minister further demanded that the perpetrators of the attack should be apprehended and punished to full extent of the law and all possible measures be taken to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan so that such incidents were prevented in the future.

“The Chinese embassy in Pakistan and consulate-general in Karachi are working with the Pakistani side to deal with the follow-up matters of the casualties,” the foreign ministry spokesperson said.

He also mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the Chinese embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday evening, saying that the premier had conveyed his condolences and the Pakistan government would conduct an “in-depth probe” into the incident, “give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators and strengthen the security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan in an all-round way”.

The spokesperson quoted PM Shehbaz as saying that the Pakistan government would “never allow any force to undermine the Pakistan-China friendship”.

According to the spokesperson’s statement, local authorities in Sindh and Karachi have already launched a “full-scale investigation to hunt down the perpetrators”.

“The Chinese foreign ministry and Chinese diplomatic missions in Pakistan will continue to urge relevant Pakistani departments to handle properly the follow-up matters of those killed, treat the injured, and resolutely crack down on the terrorist organisation involved,” the spokesperson said.

“The blood of the Chinese people should not be shed in vain, and those behind this incident will surely pay the price.”

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had also paid a visit to the Chinese consulate in Karachi where he briefed Consul General Li Bijian about the blast.

The CM had expressed grief over the death of Chinese nationals, assured that the incident would be fully investigated and those involved in the incident would be brought to justice.

According to state-run APP, Pakistan Ambassador to China Moinul Haque has also expressed shock over the incident and expressed sorrow over the death of Chinese nationals.

“The entire nation is in shock and mourns the loss of these precious lives including our Chinese friends,” he said in a message, adding that this cowardly act was a direct attack on the Pakistan-China friendship and ongoing cooperation.

Britain and other Western powers should provide warplanes to Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will say, as she calls for increased defence spending.

In a major speech in London, Ms Truss will argue that the West “must be prepared for the long haul and double down on our support” for the country.

Since Russia’s invasion, Ukraine has repeatedly asked allies to supply heavy armaments such as aeroplanes and tanks.

Nato has provided mostly only lighter weaponry amid fears of escalation.

Ms Truss will tell an audience at Mansion House, in the City of London, that “the fate of Ukraine remains in the balance” and that the West “cannot be complacent”.

“If Putin succeeds there will be untold further misery across Europe and terrible consequences across the globe. We would never feel safe again,” she will say on Wednesday evening.

“Heavy weapons, tanks, aeroplanes – digging deep into our inventories, ramping up production. We need to do all of this.”

Ms Truss will reiterate her call for a boost in UK defence spending.

But Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, said the speech “appears to be an admission of failure after more than a decade of decline” in the government’s commitment to defence and security.

Asked three times if he backed his colleague’s call to send planes, former foreign secretary – now deputy PM – Dominic Raab would not answer.

But he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We need to listen very carefully to what the Ukrainians need.”

The speech comes just days after Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed his country had sent tanks to Ukraine.

Germany has also pledged to send about 50 anti-aircraft tanks.

Weighing up the risk of escalation

Liz Truss’s call for Ukraine to be given warplanes follows a growing trend. Western powers are ratcheting up military support for the country. Drones, long range artillery, better anti-aircraft defence systems.

So why not fighter jets?

Well, some countries have said they were willing to give Ukraine some aging MIG29s. But they were reluctant to do so unilaterally for fear of provoking Russia.

Deals to share responsibility across Nato failed. As of last week, the Pentagon said that while Ukraine might have received spare parts, it had not received an entire aircraft from any country.

Ukraine would dearly love some ground attack warplanes to target Russian armour and artillery.

But that appears unlikely until such time that the scale of Western support for Ukraine is such that aircraft become a natural next step and the need to help Kyiv outweighs the risk of Moscow escalating the conflict.

As well as her demand for more defence spending at home, Ms Truss will argue that Nato’s target of 2% of GDP – which the UK met last year – should be “a floor, not a ceiling”.

She will say there has been a “generation of under-investment” in the West, and the Russian invasion showed “the architecture that was designed to guarantee peace and prosperity has failed Ukraine”.

Labour’s Mr Lammy said: “The Conservatives wrongly de-emphasised European security in the Integrated Review, made deep cuts to the British army over many years, gave up soft power through cutting development, and hurt alliances with Europe and the United States, including by risking peace in Northern Ireland.”

Prime Minster Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he would be happy for Ukrainian forces to use British-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia to protect themselves.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that, by arming Ukraine, Nato had already effectively “entered into a war with Russia through proxies”.

A P&O ferry which spent hours adrift in the Irish Sea on Tuesday has been ordered to remain at Larne Port until it passes an inspection.

The European Causeway was sailing from Scotland to Northern Ireland when it lost power off the County Antrim coast.

The Maritime And Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the ferry will have to stay docked until it is reviewed.

The agency also detained the vessel in March after it failed safety checks.

The European Causeway, which can carry up to 410 passengers, left Cairnryan at about 12:00 BST on Tuesday and was due to arrive in Larne at 14:00, but got into trouble at 13:30.

P&O said the incident was caused by a “temporary mechanical issue” that had been resolved.

It returned to port “under its own propulsion, with local tugs on standby, where it will discharge its passengers and cargo as planned,” a spokesperson added.

The MCA said there were no concerns for passengers’ safety at any point.

“When any vessel reports an issue to the MCA, dependent on the nature of the issue, the MCA may undertake an inspection of that vessel.

“We generally follow up all issues reported on passenger vessels to ensure the safety of those onboard the vessel and that any issues are not so serious that they pose a threat to life or the environment.

“In the case of European Causeway we will be following up the incident with an inspection.”

Earlier, P&O announced the cancellation of its 20:00 sailing from Larne to Cairnryan on Tuesday because of a “technical difficulty”.

It advised that passengers could travel on an alternative Stena Line service.

‘Calm on board’

By Grainne Connolly at Larne Port

I was expecting European Causeway passengers to be disgruntled after being stuck for hours at sea.

But many I spoke to as they came off the ferry said the situation remained calm on board.

They praised staff for keeping them informed.

Passenger Tommy Goodwin said it had been “quite nerve-wracking” when the ship suddenly stopped.

“The captain did make a couple of announcements to let us know it was the engines,” he said.

“The crew were very helpful – they had a good grasp on the situation.”

At one point, Mr Goodwin thought passengers were going to be airlifted off the boat.

“There were helicopters out… we thought we were going to have to be rescued if the engines didn’t pick up.”

On Tuesday afternoon, RNLI lifeboats were launched and tugs from Larne nd Belfast were also deployed to guide the ferry back to port.

The Queen Victoria cruise ship, operated by Cunard, had been standing by in case further support was needed, along with a coastguard helicopter from Prestwick, Scotland.

Ship tracking websites earlier showed the vessel’s automatic identification system (AIS) status as set to “Not Under Command”.

That status is reserved for use when a vessel, “through some exceptional circumstance is unable to manoeuvre as required by these rules and is therefore unable to keep out of the way of another vessel”.

Darren Proctor, from the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said he was “very angry”.

Speaking on BBC NI’s Evening Extra, he said workers aboard the ferry had told the union they felt unsafe and wanted to get off.

Former Rear Admiral Chris Parry also told the programme an incident on a ferry of this size “shouldn’t be that common”.

“There is normally sufficient redundancy in the machinery and the back-up systems to make sure that this sort of thing doesn’t happen,” he said.

Safety concerns

P&O has experienced difficulties in the last few months, having sacked 800 of its workers across the UK without notice.

Last month, a report recorded 31 failures, including an inability to safely deploy lifeboats or life rafts, on the ferry.

The European Causeway was held in Larne by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) from 25 March after an inspection raised safety concerns.

Although P&O recruited new staff, the MCA detained the European Causeway saying it was concerned about “failures on crew familiarisation, vessel documentation and crew training”.

The 22-year-old ship was not cleared to sail until April 8 following another examination.

Passenger Jonny Wilson told the BBC News NI he and his family were in the middle of watching Peter Rabbit 2 on board when the power went off.

“The emergency lights go on. Different bits of the ship were dark. Slowly we came to a stop. They put the anchors down and we just sat there,” he said.

They were told at about 13:45 the problem would be resolved in about 10 minutes.A coastguard lifeboat and helicopter came to the assistance of the P&O ferry, while the Queen Victoria cruise ship (background) was also standing by to offer help

“They said initially it was an issue with engines. After that, about 14:15 they said they couldn’t restore power, that they had called the coastguard,” he explained.

Mr Wilson said his children, five-year-old Sophia and two-year-old Aiden, were OK throughout the whole incident, but he said it had been a frustrating experience.

Another passenger told BBC News NI that people “weren’t bothered at first”, but as time went on they started to worry.

“Not panicking but people started to ask questions,” he said.

“Most people were outside on the top deck wondering what was happening because all these tug boats were around us, helicopters were around us, the ship came back.”

Delayed sailings

Earlier this month, passengers expressed their frustration over the lack of clarity around sailings.

Before passenger routes resumed Louisa Newell had been hoping to sail from Cairnryan to Larne last month to visit her grandmother.

She had not been to Northern Ireland since August 2020 and did not find out her route had been cancelled until she contacted the company on social media.

“We definitely won’t book with them again,” she added.

The Mail on Sunday’s editor has refused to meet the Speaker of the House of Commons over the paper’s article about Angela Rayner.

The article said some unnamed Tory MPs claimed Labour’s deputy leader tried to distract Boris Johnson by crossing and uncrossing her legs in Parliament.

The story and the tone of the piece has been widely condemned, with the PM calling it “sexist tripe”.

Editor David Dillon said journalists should decide what to report.

He rejected Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s invitation to discuss the piece, published in the paper at the weekend on page five.

After its publication it was criticised from across the political divide as being misogynistic and the UK press regulator Ipso has received thousands of complaints.

The piece said: “Tory MPs have mischievously suggested that Ms Rayner likes to distract the PM when he is in the despatch box by deploying a fully clothed parliamentary equivalent of Sharon Stone’s infamous scene in the 1992 film Basic Instinct.”

Rayner: I was crestfallen after Basic Instinct claim
Johnson says Rayner story appalling sexist, misogynist tripe
Does Parliament have a problem with misogyny?
It quoted an unnamed Conservative MP saying Ms Rayner “knows she can’t compete with Boris’s Oxford Union debating training, but she has other skills which he lacks”.

Ms Rayner said she was crestfallen over the story and that women in politics “face sexism and misogyny every day”.

She also accused the article of being “steeped in classism”, suggesting she was “thick” as she had attended a comprehensive school, and insinuated she was “promiscuous” for having a child aged 16.

Mr Johnson said he respected Ms Rayner as a parliamentarian and “deplored the misogyny” in the piece, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called it a “disgraceful new low” for the Conservative Party.

In response to the invite, The Mail’s front page headline on Wednesday reads: “No Mister Speaker: In the name of a free press, The Mail respectfully declines the Commons Speaker’s summons…”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle seen in the Speaker’s chair in the House of Commons
IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA
Speaking in the House on Monday, Sir Lindsay called the story “misogynistic and offensive” and said he was arranging a meeting with Mr Dillon and the Mail on Sunday’s political editor, Glen Owen, whose name appeared next to the story.

In a letter on Tuesday, Mr Dillon said he had initially intended to attend the meeting “to draw a line under matters”, but that Sir Lindsay’s comments in the Commons indicated he had already “passed judgment on our article”.

“The Mail on Sunday deplores sexism and misogyny in all its forms,” Mr Dillon wrote.

“However, journalists must be free to report what they are told by MPs about conversations which take place in the House of Commons, however unpalatable some may find them.”

He added that the freedom of the press would “not last if journalists have to take instruction from officials of the House of Commons, however august they may be, on what they can report and not report”.

The newspaper also pointed to a interview in which Ms Rayner had laughed about the Basic Instinct comparison.

Speaking to Matt Forde’s The Political Party podcast in January, she added she was “mortified” by suggestions on the internet that she was using her body to distract the prime minister saying: “I don’t need to do that.”

Sir Lindsay earlier said he was a “staunch believer and protector of press freedom” and that he “firmly [believed] in the duty of reporters to cover Parliament”.

He said he had wanted to use the meeting to “make a plea – nothing more – for the feelings of all MPs and their families to be considered, and the impact on their safety, when articles are written”.

The UK press regulator Ipso has said it is exploring possible breaches of its code of practice after receiving 5,500 complaints about the article.

US panel says India religious freedom worsens ‘significantly’

It was the third straight year that the US Commission on International Religious Freedom asked that India be placed on a list of “countries of particular concern” — a recommendation that has angered New Delhi and is virtually certain to be dismissed by the State Department.

In an annual report, the panel — which is appointed to offer recommendations but does not set US policy — voiced wide concern about South Asia and also backed the State Department’s inclusion of Pakistan on the blacklist.

US FDA APPROVES COVID-19 DRUG FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

The move comes months after the agency expanded the drug’s emergency use authorization to also include children below 12 years of age weighing at least 3.5 kilograms.

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision makes the drug the first approved COVID-19 treatment for children less than 12 years of age, the agency said.

The approval is applicable to children who are hospitalized, or have mild-to-moderate disease and are at high risk of severe COVID-19.

Remdesivir is a nucleotide prodrug of an adenosine analog. It binds to the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and inhibits viral replication by terminating RNA transcription prematurely. Remdesivir has demonstrated in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2.

In a rhesus macaque model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, remdesivir treatment was initiated soon after inoculation; the remdesivir-treated animals had lower virus levels in the lungs and less lung damage than the control animals.

Remdesivir is expected to be active against the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant of concern.

Four, including three Chinese nationals, killed in Karachi University blast

KARACHI: Four people, including three Chinese nationals, were killed while several others sustained injuries in a car explosion on the premises of the University of Karachi.

The explosion occurred at 1:52pm in a van near the Confucius Institute — a Chinese language teaching centre at Karachi University. Following the blast, rescue and security agencies rushed to the location and cordoned off the areas, initiating rescue operations.

The deceased Chinese nationals have been identified as the director of the Confucius Institute Huang Guiping, Ding Mupeng, Chen Sai, and their Pakistani driver, Khalid.

Police sources said the van entered the premises through the Maskan gate of the university, they said.

Of the four people who sustained injuries, two have been identified as Chinese national Wang Yuqing and a security guard named Hamid.

The explosion was initially reported to have been caused by a gas cylinder. However, the police later said that the blast could have been a suicide attack. Sources further added that the victims were returning to the Confucius Institute from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).

‘It was a suicide attack’

In Charge of the Counterterrorism Department (CTD) Raja Umar Khattab confirmed that it was a suicide attack and a burqa-clad woman seen in the CCTV footage was responsible for it.

“A separatist group has also claimed responsibility for the attack,” Khattab said, adding that the terrorists, after surveillance, targeted the vehicle carrying the foreigners.

He added that Rangers personnel were present alongside the vehicle on their motorbikes when the explosion occurred.

“The explosive material used in the blast does not seem to be local-made,” Khattab said, adding that the explosive material consisted of steel ball-bearings and was contained in a schoolbag.

Meanwhile, a police report said that about three to four kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast.

Earlier, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) East Muqaddas Haider, while speaking to Geo News, had said that it is the bomb disposal squad’s responsibility to determine the nature of the blast, adding that the process of identification was underway.

‘Adequate security arrangments’

Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said the bomb disposal unit was determining the nature of the blast and would soon release the report.

“…four people who have been injured are being treated at different hospitals, while the bodies of the deceased have been shifted to Chippa mortuary,” Memon told journalists.

The police official lamented that the people who were killed in the blast were teachers — three foreigners and one Pakistani. He added that it was too early to say who was behind the blast.

The metropolis police chief said “security arrangements were adequate” in the varsity, and in case of a lapse, it will be reviewed and worked upon.

CM Sindh takes notice; meets Chinese consul general

Taking notice of the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the deputy commissioner (DC) East and Superintendent of Police (SP) east to reach the spot of the blast immediately.

The Sindh CM issued directives to shift the injured to the Dow University Hospital, situated near the University of Karachi. He directed officials to ensure the provision of all facilities to prevent any casualties.

The chief minister has also asked the Karachi commissioner for a detailed report of the blast.

CM Shah also reached the Chinese Consulate and briefed the consul general on the explosion at the University of Karachi.

He expressed deep sorrow and grief over the demise of three Chinese nationals in the explosion and assured the consul general of a thorough probe into the blast.

Shah vowed that the suspects involved in the blast will be brought to justice. “Some conspirative elements do not like the Pakistan-China partnership,” he said, adding that the elements will be dealt with an iron hand.

The chief minister said that the government assigns great value to the services of Chinese expatriates in the country and the province.

The Chinese Li Bijian thanked the chief minister for his visit and said he was in contact with the families of three Chinese nationals killed in the blast. “Whatever decision is taken in respect of shifting the dead bodies back to China would be informed to the Sindh government,” Li Bijian said.

Condemnations pour in

Strongly condemning the explosion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

“I am deeply grieved on the loss of precious lives including of our Chinese friends in the heinous attack in Karachi today. My heartfelt condolences go to the bereaved families. I strongly condemn this cowardly act of terrorism. The perpetrators will surely be brought to justice,” he tweeted.

PM Shehbaz also made a telephone call to Sindh CM and assured him of full cooperation in the blast-related investigations. The prime minister directed the chief minister to ensure the best medical facilities for the injured.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf and Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram have also condemned the blast.

Condemning the blast, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed his sorrow over the incident and sent heartfelt condolences to the people of China on behalf of Pakistan.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan also condemned the blast and said demanded a thorough investigation into the matter. He also sent his condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased. The former premier demanded the Sindh government provide adequate facilities to the injured.

Foreign Office spokesperson also expressed strong disapproval of the attack and said that the government and people of Pakistan extend their deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of victims who lost their lives in the incident.

“The law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice. Local authorities are also providing all possible assistance to the injured,” the FO said in a statement.

“The cowardly incident is a direct attack on the Pakistan-China friendship and ongoing cooperation. Pakistan and China are close friends and iron brothers. Pakistan attaches great importance to the safety and security of Chinese nationals, projects, and institutions in Pakistan.”

Biden urged to call Shehbaz

One of the writers of this report, Bruce Riedel, was an adviser to the Clinton and Obama administrations and is also close to the current Democratic set-up in Washington. The other, Madiha Afzal, is a fellow at the Centre for Middle East policy.

“The end of American involvement in Afghanistan and the change in leadership in Pakistan presents the United States with an opportunity to reset its long-troubled relationship with the world’s fifth most populous country,” they argue in their paper.

“President Biden should initiate a high-level dialogue with new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who will be in power for up to a year before the next election is held.”

The authors noted that because US policy was focused on fighting wars in Afghanistan, “our primary partners in Pakistan were the intelligence service and the military. Less attention was devoted to the civilian government”.

“Now Washington can engage with Islamabad without prioritising Afghanistan issues at the expense of our broader interests in regional stability with India and China, encouraging development in South Asia, and supporting the strengthening of the elected democratic forces in Pakistan,” they argued. “America also has an interest in balancing somewhat the influence of China, Pakistan’s closest ally, on decision-making in Islamabad.”

The authors noted that the Biden administration, and in particular the White House, had given Pakistan a relative cold shoulder to date — “irked … ostensibly with then-prime minister Imran Khan publicly criticising the US”.

They noted that Mr Biden did not call Mr Khan while he was prime minister, although Brookings argued he should.

Urging the White House to call Shehbaz Sharif, the authors pointed out that Mr Sharif is a three-time former chief minister of Punjab, and brother of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Activists bar tanker from unloading Russian oil in Norway

In a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, activists had fastened their red rubber dinghy to the Ust Luga’s anchor chain, Greenpeace said, as they sought to prevent it offloading an estimated 95,000 tonnes of oil.

“Oil is not only at the root of the climate crisis, but also of wars and conflicts. I am shocked that Norway operates as a free port for Russian oil, which we know finances Putin’s warfare,” Greenpeace Norway head Frode Pleym said.

The group called on the Norwegian government to ban imports of Russian fossil fuels and said that Exxon Mobil’s Norwegian Esso unit should cancel any contracts for such imports from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a “special military operation”.

Norwegian police later said all the activists had been removed from the area.

The Hong Kong registered Ust Luga is anchored outside Esso’s Slagen oil terminal about 70 km (43 miles) south of the capital Oslo, according to vessel tracker Marine Traffic.

Esso Norway had agreed to buy the oil before the conflict started and does not have plans for further purchases from Russia, a company spokesperson said.

“Esso Norway fully complies with all Norwegian sanctions and we support the coordinated international efforts to end Russia’s unprovoked attack,” Esso said in an emailed statement.

The tanker’s cargo is used for the blending of marine gasoil for the shipping industry, the company added.

PM leaving for Saudi Arabia this week for first foreign visit

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) criticised the prime minister for taking with him a big entourage on state expenses.

However, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that the prime minister was going on a commercial flight and all members of his entourage would be on their own expenses.

A list of entourage circulated in the media was confirmed by a source in the Prime Minister Office (PMO). According to the list, 40 people will accompany the prime minister on the official visit. They included 16 family members, some of them will join the prime minister from the United Kingdom and Dubai.

PTI slams ‘big entourage on state expenses’; Marriyum claims people travelling with PM will bear their expenses

Many attempts were made to get the list confirmed by the information minister, but she did not respond.

PM Sharif is leaving for Saudi Arabia on his maiden official overseas trip to Saudi Arabia on Thursday where he is scheduled to hold talks with Saudi leadership. He will also perform Umrah.

The three-day visit from April 28 to 30, the Prime Minister’s Office said, would be a “milestone” for the longstanding bilateral ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which would “further strengthen” the existing strategic cooperation between the two countries.

The invitation for the trip was extended to Mr Sharif by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman when he called to greet him on his election.

The two leaders in their telephone conversation reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing and developing the relationship in all respects.

Historically, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have had very close economic, political, and military ties. The Kingdom has on multiple occasions bailed out Pakistan’s struggling economy, whereas Islamabad has provided extensive support for the Saudi armed forces in the shape of arms and training.

The Saudi leadership has, however, been more comfortable working with the Sharifs. The Saudis initially felt a bit nervous when Imran Khan’s PTI formed government in 2018, but went on to develop a good working relationship with it as well though it hit a few bumps in the road.

“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a lasting bond of Islamic brotherhood. Pakistanis cherish these long-standing ties with their Saudi brethren,” Mr Sharif said while speaking at a preparatory meeting held for the visit.

He sought recommendations for the development of these relations, especially in the fields of employment, energy, food security and long-term strategic partnership.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said in a statement that the prime minister is carrying a heavy entourage on state expense.

He claimed that Ms Aurangzeb was lying that the prime minister was going to Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight and all members of the entourage will bear their expenses.

Ms Aurangzeb said PM Sharif was not going to Saudi Arabia on a chartered plane. “The PM would go to Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight and he would bear expenses of his visit. For 10 years as Punjab’s chief minister, Shehbaz Sharif used to pay his travel expenses out of his own pocket,” she added.

Ms Aurangzab asked Imran Khan not to lecture on austerity as everyone had become aware of the realty of his “farce of austerity” that had resulted into the biggest fiscal deficit in the country’s history after nearly four years.

Month: April 2022