December 2022 - Page 15 of 21

Nawaz’s homecoming welcome to decide who wins election: Sanaullah

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said preparations for a historic welcome to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif are in full swing.

“We have kicked off work on arrangements from today. Workers from every union council will come to greet the party president holding banners with Nawaz Sharif’s name inscribed on them,” the minister said speaking to the media Friday.

“Nawaz Sharif’s welcome will decide [who will win] the general election.”

The PML-N senior leader and Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Tuesday claimed the elder Sharif is coming in January next year.

The PML-N leader made the claim while speaking on Geo News‘ programme “Capital Talk”.

Three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif left for London in November 2019 following his illness. He has been living in the UK capital city in self-exile.

Nawaz will allocate tickets to the candidates for the next general elections, Ayaz Sadiq said, adding that the polls would be held in 2023.

Who tricked Daily Mail?

Sanaullah said UK’s Daily Mail finally admitted its smear campaign against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was an error, however, in this entire matter, it was yet to be found out as to who conned the British publication into making this ‘mistake’.

Earlier on Thursday PM Shehbaz received a much-awaited apology for each and every allegation of corruption published by the owners of Mail newspapers in an article by reporter David Rose. The publication also removed all the material related to this issue as soon as the decision was announced.

Rose had accused the premier and his son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf of stealing British taxpayers’ money.

“These fraudsters [PTI] called the Mail correspondent and tricked him,” Sanaullah said talking to journalists.

He said Daily Mail’s news report was not only against the Sharif family but also detrimental to the country.

“Don’t know where that brazen [PTI leader] Shahzad Akbar is holed up,” the minister said adding,” He (Akbar) swindled the country out of millions and billions.

He said Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar should apologise to the nation.

“It’s time for the nation to recognise their repulsive faces,” the interior minister said.

The British publication also removed the article — “Did the family of Pakistani politician who has become the poster boy for British overseas aid STEAL funds meant for earthquake victims, asks David Rose” — written by David Rose from all platforms of Mail publishers.

The United Kingdom-based publication has failed to prove the allegations levelled by its journalist David Rose in an article against Premier Shehbaz about the alleged misappropriation of public funds.

The Daily Mail took down its article Thursday within minutes after informing the court that it had decided not to go for the trial and decided to settle the case with PM Shehbaz and Yousaf.

Not just that, Daily Mail has promised it will work with Google to remove every link that contained allegations of corruption against the incumbent prime minister, based on Daily Mail’s sensational but false article.

Credible sources inside the newspaper said that it was advised by its lawyers on several occasions that it had no chance of winning the defamation case against PM Shehbaz at the trial as the allegations of corruption were unfounded, baseless, and politically motivated.

The newspaper will never be able to bring any evidence to support its exaggerated claims of corruption and wrongdoing, the sources quoted the lawyers as saying.

Daily Mail took 3 years to file defence in PM Shehbaz defamation case before apology

LONDON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has scored a huge defamation victory at the London High Court against Associated Newspapers Ltd (publishers of Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday) over an article published by reporter David Rose.

The court records show that the newspaper took nine extensions to file a defence in support of its story which was published on the basis that the paper and the reporter have all the evidence already in their possession.

When Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday published the article on 19 July 2019, they claimed they were publishing the article based on complete evidence of corruption.

However, later on, the paper told the court it was looking for evidence and needed time to find and file the evidence to prove PM Shehbaz and his son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf stole the money of British taxpayers from the Department For International Development (DFID) aid sent to Pakistan in 2006 to help victims of the devastating earthquake.

Court papers show that Daily Mail delayed the filing of its defence for over a year citing the security situation in Pakistan and the inability of its team to travel to Pakistan due to COVID-19 restrictions.

It was around the time when courts and officers were functioning through online means and obtaining material from Pakistan through the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) was not a problem as it was the ARU, headed by Shahzad Akbar, that was behind the original article in papers published by the ANL.

PM Shehbaz won an early victory in February 2021 when Justice Matthew Nicklin ruled that David Rose’s Mail on Sunday’s article carried the highest level of defamatory meaning for both PM Shehbaz and Yousaf.

Court papers show that it took Daily Mail nearly three years to file a defence of Rose’s article.

The defence was filed in February 2022 and when the defence was served in the same month, the Daily Mail made it clear it didn’t seek to defend the DFID allegations for which the Daily Mail has now apologised and deleted the whole article.

This was in marked contrast to the position Daily Mail had taken since the article was published nearly three years ago in July 2019.

Here is a full timeline of what happened in the case that dominated Pakistani politics for over four years.

Daily Mail’s nine extensions

The first order given by Master Thornett that extended the time for Daily Mail to submit its defence was on May 21, 2021.

Later, the orders were given on eight other dates — July 14, 2021, Aug 2, Sept 21, Oct 5, Nov 25, Feb 2, 2022, Feb 22 and March 8, 2022.

Article publication

Daily Mail published “Did the family of Pakistani politician who has become the poster boy for British overseas aid STEAL funds meant for earthquake victims, asks DAVID ROSE” on 13 and 14 July 2019 – when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was in power.

Premier Shehbaz’s claim

PM Shehbaz issued a claim against Associated Newspapers Ltd through Carter Ruck on January 1, 2022, and held a press conference at the firm’s office with his lawyers.

PM Shehbaz vowed he would take the paper to the court and will win an apology as he also sought the withdrawal of all allegations. The acknowledgement of service was filed on February 17, 2020, at the court.

The court orders

Justice Nicklin gave the first order on April 20, 2020, for the listing hearing window on April 21, 2020, to July 31, 2020.

Justice Nicklin gave the second order on May 7, 2020, extending deadlines.

The justice gave the first order on October 20, 2020, joining the claims of PM Shehbaz and his son-in-law Yousaf.

Justice Nicklin gave another order on January 28, 2021, regarding the preliminary issue trial.

He gave a judgement and order on February 5, 2021. The judge ruled at the meaning hearing at the London High Court in favour of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz and his son-in-law.

Justice Nicklin ruled that Mail on Sunday’s article carried the highest level of defamatory meaning for both — Shehbaz and Yousaf.

He gave the order on February 18, 2021, regarding various deadlines.

The Daily Mail filed the defence on March 15, 2022.

Master Thornett gave the order for filing the defence on March 17, 2022. He then gave the orders for extending the time of filing the defence on June 23 and September 20, 2022.

After March 2022, Daily Mail and PM Shehbaz entered into negotiations to settle the case and it became clear to the premier’s legal team that Mail newspaper will apologise and remove the article on his terms.

Justice Nicklin gave an order on September 26, 2022, and set a joint case management conference listed for November 9.

It was three days before this hearing that PM Shahbaz made a tactical move and withdrew his stay application in favour of a full trial.

The court, as per rules, was not informed that Daily Mail’s lawyers have been in negotiations with PM Shahbaz’s lawyers for several months behind the scenes, offering to apologise.

The prime minister was advised by his legal team that there was no point in filing further documents as the paper had already agreed to apologise and remove the defamatory and false article.

Daily Mail apology and removal of article

Daily Mail publishers and PM Shehbaz’s lawyers signed an agreement of settlement with Tomlin Order in the second week of December 2022 after which Daily Mail removed the defamatory article and apologised to the prime minister and his son-in-law.

The ANL has promised it will never repeat these false allegations at any forum and has already worked with Google to remove all articles carrying Daily Mail’s article.

Azam Swati’s Islamabad farmhouse sealed

The farmhouse of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Khan Swati in Islamabad’s Chak Shahzad area has been sealed, Geo News reported Saturday.

The PTI leader’s farmhouse was sealed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday. The CDA officials said the property was sealed for violating house-building laws.

The CDA issued a final notice to Swati’s wife earlier last month for illegal construction on their farmhouse in Islamabad.

The development took place as the Sindh police took Azam Swati into custody from Quetta. The PTI leader will be shifted to Sindh where two cases were registered against him.

The politician’s lawyer Iqbal Shah told sources that even though the Balochistan High Court ordered the septuagenarian’s release, the province’s police handed over his custody to the Sindh police.

Senator Swati will be shifted to the country’s southernmost province via a special aircraft, Shah told sources.

PTI leader Qasim Khan Suri also confirmed the development denouncing the Sindh government’s action “regretful” in the wake of the BHC’s order favouring the senator.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, the former deputy speaker of the National Assembly also posted a plea made by Swati’s daughter questioning the country’s rule of law.

‘Govt decides to suspend passport, CNIC’

According to a Daily Jang report, the government has decided to “suspend” Azam Swati’s passport and CNIC.

The report, citing sources, stated that NADRA will act on the recommendation of the Federal Investigation Agency.

Two opposition leaders arrested in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas, a former minister and member of the party’s top decision-making body, were taken from their homes at about 3am on Friday Zahiruddin Swapan, head of the BNP’s media wing, said.

Protests sparked by power cuts and fuel price hikes have erupted across the country in recent months, demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down in favour of fresh elections under a caretaker government.

Friday’s police action came two days after security forces in the capital Dhaka fired rubber bullets and tear gas into a crowd of thousands of Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters preparing for the December 10 rally, leaving at least one dead and scores wounded.

Western governments — along with the United Nations — have expressed concerns over the political climate in Bangladesh, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia.

Billionaire picks K-pop star TOP, DJ Steve Aoki for moon trip

Maezawa bought every seat on the maiden lunar voyage, which has been in the works since 2018 and would follow his trip on a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 12-day stint last year.

The picks were announced by Maezawa on Twitter and at a website for what he dubbed the #dearMoon Project.

The fashion tycoon and his crew would become the first passengers on the SpaceX flyby of the moon as commercial firms, including Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, usher in a new age of space travel for wealthy clients.

The mission aboard SpaceX’s Starship vehicle is scheduled to take eight days from launch to return to earth, including three days circling the moon, coming within 200 kilometres from the lunar surface. Though the flight was scheduled for next year, it is facing delays due to ongoing tests of the spacecraft and its rockets.

Like fellow billionaire Musk, Maezawa has a flare for promotion and an infatuation with Twitter — he has boasted to holding the Guinness world record for the most retweeted post, when he offered a cash prize of one million yen ($7300) to 100 winners for retweeting it.

Maezawa used the micro-blogging site to recruit eight crew members from around the world to join him on the moon trip, saying one million people had applied.

TOP, the stage name of Choi Seung Hyun who broke out with the K-pop group Big Bang, is among the higher profile members selected, along with Aoki, a Japanese-American musician and DJ whose father founded the Benihana restaurant chain.

“I feel great pride and responsibility in becoming the first Korean civilian going to the moon,” TOP said in a video posted after the announcement.

Indian actor Dev Joshi was also among the picks for the group, composed largely of artists and photographers. Olympic snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington of the United States and Japanese dancer Miyu were named as backup crew members.

Maezawa, 47, flagged an update to the lunar expedition on Monday, tweeting he’d held an online meeting with Musk and was readying a “big announcement about space”.

Maezawa made his fortune founding the online fashion retailer Zozo Inc, in which Softbank Group Corp’s internet business is now the top shareholder.

Xi’s visit ends Saudi Arabia’s ‘monogamous marriage’

The comments came at two separate briefings this week at the White House and the State Department as Mr Xi completed his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia.

”It’s certainly not a surprise that President Xi is travelling around,” John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told reporters on Wednesday. “We are mindful of the influence that China is trying to grow around the world.”

The State Department, however, was more elaborate. “We are not asking countries to choose between the United States and the People’s Republic of China,” said the department’s spokesperson Ned Price when asked to comment on the visit.

“Our goal is to give countries the most attractive choice and to make the United States the most attractive choice in terms of what we bring to the table.”

Mr Price focused particularly on America’s defence ties with various Middle East countries, adding that no country could match America in the region “when it comes … integrating the defensive capabilities that are so important, so vital to many of our partners across the Middle East”.

The American media, however, underlined Riyadh’s desire to reduce its dependence on Washington while reporting about Mr Xi’s visit, and the warm welcome he received in Saudi Arabia.

In an analytical piece on the visit, the Foreign Policy magazine referred to a 2004 interview then-Saudi foreign minister Saud al Faisal gave to a former Washington Post journalist, David Ottaway.

In that interview, Mr Faisal said the US-Saudi relationship wasn’t a “Catholic marriage” where only one wife was allowed; it was a “Muslim marriage” where four wives were permitted. “Saudi Arabia is not seeking divorce from the United States; it is just seeking marriage with other countries,” Mr Ottaway wrote.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the visit allowed the world’s top oil importer to “deepen (its) relations with the top exporter.”

The report pointed out that Xi Jinping and King Salman signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement affording Riyadh top-tier status in China’s foreign relations. The two leaders also pledged to visit each other every two years.

The two countries signed dozens of commercial agreements, initially valued at more than $29 billion, in sectors such as clean energy, technology and manufacturing.

Those include setting up a Huawei cloud-computing region, building an electric-vehicle manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia and supplying green hydrogen batteries for a futuristic Saudi city.

The Foreign Policy, however, noted that Beijing cannot replace Washington on the issue that “matters most to the Saudis: their security in a rough neighbourhood”.

But the report warned that “the days of Riyadh’s monogamous marriage with Washington are probably” over. In today’s Cold War 2.0 and the competition with China and Russia – “not only will Saudis refuse to choose sides, but (are) also likely to move closer to Beijing and Moscow as (their) interests warrant”.

The New York Times noted that Mr Xi’s visit “highlights Beijing’s renewed bid to compete with Washington after years of preoccupation with the pandemic” and that the visit ended the Chinese’s leader’s “diplomatic isolation”.

Russia and Iran’s relationship has warmed to a fully fledged defence partnership, the US has said.

Russia is giving an unprecedented level of military support, said US national security council spokesman John Kirby.

The US has seen reports that the two countries are considering joint production of lethal drones, he added.

Australia has announced it is sanctioning three Iranians and one Iranian business for supplying Russia with drones to use against Ukraine.

Co-operation between Russia and Iran has been highlighted recently, with Ukraine accusing Russia of using Iranian drones in its attacks.

After initially denying sending any drones to Russia, the Middle Eastern country later admitted it had supplied some before the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Kirby said that a partnership between Iran and Russia to produce drones would be harmful to Ukraine, Iran’s neighbours and the international community.

“Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like weapons development, training,” he said, adding that the US fears that Russia intended to “provide Iran with advanced military components” including helicopters and air defence systems.

“Iran has become Russia’s top military backer…” he said. “Russia’s been using Iranian drones to strike energy infrastructure, depriving millions of Ukrainians of power, heat, critical services. People in Ukraine today are actually dying as a result of Iran’s actions.”

In response to Mr Kirby’s comments, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that Iran had become one of Russia’s main military supporters and that the relationship between them was threatening global security.

The “sordid deals” between the two countries have seen Iran send hundreds of drones to Russia, he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in July.

“In return, Russia is offering military and technical support to the Iranian regime, which will increase the risk it poses to our partners in the Middle East and to international security,” he added.

He said the UK agreed with the US that Iranian support for the Russian military would grow in the coming months as Russia tried to get hold of more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles.

Ukraine accused Iran of supplying Russia with “kamikaze” drones used in a series of attacks which killed at least eight people on 17 October.

After denying this, Iran later admitted sending a “limited number” of drones to Russia, “many months” before the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said this was a lie and that Ukraine was shooting down about 10 Iranian drones a day.

Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to affect many cities and regions, including Bakhmut in the Donbas

On Saturday, Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign minister, said in a statement: “The supply of drones to Russia is evidence of the role Iran plays in destabilising global security. This listing highlights that those who provide material support to Russia will face consequences.”

She also announced measures for 19 other people and two entities, including Iran’s Morality Police, for the brutal treatment of anti-government protestors following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody earlier this year.

In other developments:

Russia has turned the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut into “burnt ruins”, President Zelensky says, following months of deadly fighting in the eastern Donbas region
The United Nations says Belarus will allow the transit of Ukrainian grain through its territory for export from Lithuanian ports
The head of a Ukrainian human rights organisation that was jointly awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize – Oleksandra Matviichuk of the Centre for Civil Liberties – has called on nations to set up an international tribunal to try Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia’s war in Ukraine
The International Olympic Committee says it will explore a proposal to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in sporting events in Asia – despite an international ban

The SNP’s new Westminster leader has denied plotting to oust his predecessor Ian Blackford.

Stephen Flynn was elected group leader on Tuesday after Mr Blackford abruptly announced he was standing down.

Several MPs have since resigned from the SNP’s front bench team, with Pete Wishart saying he was “bemused” about why Mr Flynn had sought a change.

But Mr Flynn, 34, told BBC Scotland that he only decided to stand for the job after Mr Blackford’s resignation.

This is despite the fact he had distanced himself from the role only two weeks earlier, saying he had “no intention of standing” amid rumours that he was “on manoeuvres”.

Mr Blackford, a close ally of SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, announced last week that he was standing down from the post he had held for five years – but will be staying on as MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber.

This followed months of speculation about his future in the role, which included claims that Mr Flynn was seeking to replace him.

Mr Flynn then won a leadership vote against another ally of Ms Sturgeon, the Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss.

Allies of the new leader say he plans to set up a smaller front-bench team, which they say would allow other MPs to focus on constituency work and campaigning for independence.

And three prominent members of the front bench group have already stepped back, with defence spokesman Stewart McDonald and international development spokesman Chris Law joining Mr Wishart, who was its agriculture spokesman.

Pete Wishart said he was “bemused” about why Stephen Flynn had sought to replace Ian Blackford as leader

Mr Wishart was the most outspoken in his criticism, writing in his resignation letter to Mr Flynn that he was “bemused as to the reasons why you felt it was necessary to seek a chance in our leadership”.

He also suggested that the new leader had been “canvassing opinion for a leadership challenge” prior to Mr Blackford’s departure.

However, in an interview with BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime programme, when asked if he had plotted to oust his predecessor, Mr Flynn said “no, of course not”.

He said: “Some folk have been watching a little bit too much House of Cards. There has been some very uninformed opinion in the public domain.

“Ian was very clear about this in his comments when he stepped down that now was the time for fresh leadership. I was quite keen to put myself forward, Alison did as well and I’m glad I received the backing of colleagues.”

Who is the SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn?

When pressed about Mr Wishart’s criticism, Mr Flynn said he wanted to keep the veteran MP “on board”.

He said: “Ian himself took the decision to stand down, and its for Ian to address any concerns Pete might have in relation to that. I can’t speak for Ian in that regard.

“It was off the back of Ian’s decision that I decided to put myself forward to be SNP group leader at Westminster.

“I am looking forward to us all coming together to really put pressure on the Tories and highlight the issues facing the people of Scotland in relation to the cost of living crisis, the damage being caused by Brexit, the complicity of the Labour Party in relation to that and of course the fact that Scotland has a democratic right to choose its own future.”

Mr Flynn said he was putting together a “dynamic” team to lead the SNP at Westminster

Mr Flynn described the three MPs who resigned as “incredibly valued colleagues”, adding that he was putting together a “dynamic set of folk” to lead the party at Westminster.

He also pledged his loyalty to Ms Sturgeon, who he referred to as “perhaps the most effective and efficient politician in the entire of Western Europe”.

He said: “Ultimately we are SNP MPs, and that means we are not concerned about which bench we sit on in Westminster, be that a front bench or a back bench.

“What we are interested in is making sure that Scottish MPs don’t sit on those green benches, and that is our ultimate aim. When it comes to that myself and all of my colleagues will be at the forefront of that battle.”

Political opponents have accused the SNP of “fighting like ferrets in a sack”, with the Scottish Conservatives claiming that “the party’s reputation for iron discipline” was disintegrating.

But MP Stewart Hosie told BBC Scotland on Tuesday – the day before Mr Wishart quit – that talk of division was “complete fiction”, saying he had “no idea where these stories have come from”.

After Pete Wishart lifted the lid on the rows behind the scenes of the SNP’s Westminster leadership change, Stephen Flynn has moved swiftly to clamp it back on.

At this point his insistence that nothing untoward has gone on and that everyone remains on the very best of terms has a hint of unreality about it.

But nowadays, political parties find themselves in such positions relatively frequently.

Plenty of rumours swirled around the Scottish Tory leadership change in 2020, when Jackson Carlaw disappeared in similarly sudden fashion and was smoothly replaced by Douglas Ross – who also denied talk of a “stitch-up”.

So Mr Flynn is following a time-honoured approach by gritting his teeth and setting his sights on the horizon, in the hope he can slog through the questions until the story moves on.

Regardless of how either he or Ms Sturgeon feel about how things have played out, they will now feel compelled to put these rows behind them and aim to forge a united front in the campaign for independence.

COAS Gen Munir, CJCSC Gen Mirza conferred with Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)

President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday conferred Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) upon Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Sahir Shamshad Mirza.

The new COAS and CJCSC were conferred with the awards in a special investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadar.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, federal ministers and others attended the ceremony.

Last month, Gen Munir assumed command as the new COAS after Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa hung up his boots, while Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza replaced Gen (retd) Nadeem Raza.

The generals took charge of their new posts after Prime Minister Shehbaz promoted them as generals and named them for the new offices.

Who is Gen Asim Munir?

Gen Munir was commissioned in the 23rd Frontier Force Regiment in 1986. He passed out with the 17th Officers Training course, Mangla and was awarded the coveted sword of honour.

Before taking charge, he was posted as the quartermaster general at the General Head Quarters (GHQ).

In 2018, Gen Munir was appointed as the director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and later transferred as corps commander Gujranwala.

The general also has M Phil in Public Policy and Strategic Security Management from National Defence University.

Gen Munir became the first army chief who headed both — MI and ISI. He is also the first army chief awarded the Sword of Honour.

Who is Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza?

Gen Mirza hails from the Sindh Regiment and has had an impressive career in the army, particularly in senior leadership positions during the past seven years.

Gen Mirza came to prominence as the director of general military operations during the last two years of Gen (retd) Raheel Sharif’s tenure. In that role, he was part of Gen (retd) Sharif’s core team at the General Headquarters, which led the military operation against the TTP and other militants in North Waziristan.

Moreover, Gen Mirza was closely involved in the Quadrilateral Coordination Group that brokered intra-Afghan talks involving Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and the United States. He was also a member of the Sartaj Aziz-led committee on reforms for Gilgit-Baltistan.

Ready to revive Saarc process, says PM Shehbaz

In a tweet he posted to mark the Saarc Charter Day, PM Sharif reminded that the people of South Asia had suffered because of “missed opportunities” for regional development, connectivity and cooperation.

Pakistan is “ready to play its part for revival of Saarc”, he said.

Saarc has been in a state of limbo for the past six years as India has been blocking the hosting of its summit by Pakistan.

Pakistan was to host the 19th summit in November 2016, but India, supported by its regional allies Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan, forced its postponement.

The last summit was held in Nepal in 2014.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch at the weekly media briefing reminded about “undeniable proof” of Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan and called on the international community to take notice of it.

She made the comment in the context of the first-ever India-Central Asia National Security Advisors’ meeting in New Delhi, which focused on counterterrorism cooperation.

India’s attempts to portray itself as a torch bearer of counterterrorism efforts are ironic. Its involvement in inciting terrorism inside Pakistan is widely established and documented, she pointed out.

Month: December 2022