Pakistan willing for ‘meaningful dialogue' with India: PM Shehbaz Sharif
Sharif made the remarks while talking to British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who called on the Prime Minister at the PM House, according to an official statement.
The two discussed bilateral relations as well as the regional situation in South Asia and the Middle East.
'The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the UK's role in de-escalation of tensions during the Pakistan-India standoff and reiterated that Pakistan was ready for a meaningful dialogue with India on all outstanding issues,' according to the statement.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.
India has made it clear that it will only have a dialogue with Pakistan on the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issue of terrorism.
On Pakistan-UK relations, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of bilateral cooperation and said that the recently held trade talks between the two countries would lead to mutually beneficial opportunities for both sides.
He welcomed the UK government's recent decision to resume PIA flights to and from the UK, which, he said, would go a long way in alleviating the hardships faced by the British Pakistani community as well as enhancing people-to-people exchanges.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed his warm wishes for King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He said he was looking forward to his meeting with the UK leadership later this year.
The High Commissioner briefed him about her recent visit to London, where she had extensive consultations on enhancing Pakistan-UK bilateral ties.
She lauded the government's economic performance in the last year and a half, under the vision and leadership of the Prime Minister, which had brought about a significant improvement in all key macro-economic indicators.
She also shared with the Prime Minister, the UK's perspective on regional developments in South Asia and the Middle East.
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First Post
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- First Post
How Erdogan's Islamist agenda undermines India-Turkey ties
While India and Turkey have the potential to develop economic and commercial relations, Ankara's political orientations and President Recep Erdogan's Islamic bent of mind and his larger-than-life image of himself prevent the growth of ties read more Turkey, or, to be diplomatically correct, Türkiye (but the country is still popularly known as Turkey), has had close ties with Pakistan since the early 1950s. Their inspiration was Turkey and Pakistan's pro-West orientation during the Cold War. Turkey became a member of NATO in 1952, and both countries joined the US-created Central Treaty Organisation (Cento) in 1955. That led their armed forces, which controlled the destinies of their respective countries, to be drawn to each other. This process was encouraged by the US because it considered them to be bulwarks against the Soviets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thus, the Cold War cast a shadow on India-Turkey relations because India was a non-aligned country. Thus, also, Turkey's sympathies, through the decades, were with Pakistan on contentious India-Pakistan matters. These included the Jammu and Kashmir issue. Its disposition for Pakistan was not limited to expressions of diplomatic support but covered the defence dimension as well. It was this approach that was decisively demonstrated during Operation Sindoor. Turkish diplomatic statements were biased against India. During the aerial operation, Pakistan extensively used Turkish drones between the nights of May 6-7 and the cessation of hostilities on May 10. It is also believed that Turkey continued its military supplies during the crucial period when Operation Sindoor was actively underway. India was indignant at Turkey openly siding with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. It signalled its unhappiness by withdrawing the security clearance of the Turkish company Celebi Aviation, which, through its Indian entity, handled cargo at nine Indian airports. This action was appropriate. India reinforced its disapproval of Turkish policies during Operation Sindoor when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Turkey's arch-rival Cyprus on June 15-16. During his trip Modi reiterated India's traditional support for Cyprus in its disputes with Turkey. The India-Cyprus Joint Statement issued after Modi's discussions with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides noted, inter alia, 'India reiterated its unwavering and consistent support for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity of the Republic of Cyprus. In this regard, both sides emphasised the need to avoid unilateral actions as essential for creating a conducive environment for the resumption of meaningful negotiations.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is contrary to the Turkish position on the Cyprus issue. Indeed, Turkey's all-out support for Turkish Cypriots manifested itself fully after its invasion of the island in 1974. Turkish troops since then are present in the entity, which now calls itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TNRC). Turkey actually wants TNRC to become a sovereign state with full international recognition. A United Nations Peacekeeping Force ensures the maintenance of peace in Cyprus. Before proceeding further to attempt a prognosis of how the India-Turkey-Pakistan ties will evolve, it would be appropriate to consider Turkey's diplomatic responses to the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the beginning and pause of Operation Sindoor. Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned the Pahalgam attack, calling it 'heinous'. It also stated, 'We are deeply saddened to learn that many people lost their lives and many others were injured in a terrorist attack that targeted civilians in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir today (April 22).' Turkey did call the Pahalgam attack a terrorist one, but what is clearly seen in its carefully crafted statement is that it left the question of where the terrorists came from completely open. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Turkey has a long tradition of refined diplomacy. Hence, its decision not to enter into the question of where the terrorists came from was deliberate. Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir has been going on for thirty-five years, and Turkey is not oblivious of this fact. On the day of the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in Ankara on apparently a pre-scheduled visit. However, this was all the more reason for Turkey to signal, even obliquely, that the sponsorship of terrorism was not acceptable. On Operation Sindoor, Turkey's Foreign Ministry stated the 'attack carried out by India last night (night of May 6-7) raises the risk of an all-out war. We condemn such provocative steps as well as attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. We call on the parties to exercise common sense and refrain from unilateral actions. We expect that measures will be taken to reduce tensions in the region as soon as possible and that the necessary mechanisms, including in the field of counter-terrorism, will be put in place to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. We also support Pakistan's call for an investigation into the April 22 terrorist attack'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This was clearly a pro-Pakistani statement. It virtually called Operation Sindoor 'provocative' and 'condemned' it. Going further, it supported Pakistan's demand for an 'international' investigation into the Pahalgam attack. Turkey also showed its partisanship by not demanding that a similar international investigation should be carried out on the Jaffar Express attack, which the Pakistani military stated was undertaken by India through the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). By issuing this statement, Turkey indicated that it fully stood behind Pakistan. This could only cause outrage in the government and people of India, as indeed it did. On the day of the ceasefire—May 10—Turkey again issued a completely pro-Pakistani statement. Its Foreign Ministry noted, 'We welcome the declaration of a ceasefire between Pakistan and India. We call on the parties to make maximum use of the opportunity provided by the ceasefire to establish a direct and healthy dialogue. It is evident that dialogue mechanisms to prevent similar escalations, including in the field of counter-terrorism, need to be established to ensure sustainable stability in South Asia. We extend our appreciation to all countries, in particular the USA, which have contributed to the ceasefire.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In this statement Turkey contradicted or ignored two basic Indian positions. The first was that the cessation of hostilities was because of direct Indian and Pakistani contacts and not caused by the intervention of any third party, including the United States. The second position that Turkey ignored was India's valid stand on talks with Pakistan. These are best summarised in the words 'talks and terrorism cannot go together'. Taken together, Turkey's three statements were so completely against India that they could have no reaction but to bring India-Turkish ties to a new low. They also naturally angered the Indian public, and calls went out that Indian tourists should not visit Turkey; its popularity as a tourist destination for Indians has grown in recent years. Besides, Indian filmmakers have also considered Turkish locales for shooting their films. If India was disappointed by Turkey's partisanship, Pakistan was delighted. Shehbaz Sharif, who was in Turkey on April 22, again went to the country on May 25 to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his support of Pakistan before and during Operation Sindoor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A media release from Shehbaz Sharif's office gushed, 'Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was accompanied by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Türkiye [Turkey] for their unwavering support to Pakistan during the recent developments in South Asia, underscoring the strength of the fraternal bonds between the two nations." He lauded Turkey's principled stance and the outpouring of support of goodwill of the Turkish people for Pakistan and termed it as a source of great comfort and strength for Pakistan. Significantly, the media release also noted, 'Both leaders reaffirmed their principled support for each other's core concerns, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.' What the Pakistani media release omitted to mention is Turkey's core concern, which is the Cyprus dispute. Certainly, this omission would not have pleased the Turks, but they would have taken it in their stride. Turkey and Pakistan's evolution has greatly differed over the past two decades in one major respect. President Erdogan, who has been the effective 'ruler' of Turkey in this period, has succeeded in eliminating the Turkish armed forces' role in its political life. The armed forces considered themselves as the guardians of the secular legacy of Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey. They ensured that Turkey's Islamic forces were kept out of the country's public life. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, Erdogan, who is an Islamic revivalist, cut the armed forces to size with the help of the Turkish hinterland, which was never in full sympathy with Kemalist ideals. This is unlike Pakistan, where the armed forces are still in control of the country despite the veneer of democracy. What now joins the two countries is that they are both coming more and more in the grip of conservative Islam. At the same time, the professional Turkish army continues its technical linkages with its Pakistani counterpart. In view of these factors, it seems unlikely that Turkey is capable of taking an objective view of developments in the Indian subcontinent or pressing Pakistan to abandon the use of terrorism as a military security doctrine. This can only mean that while India and Turkey have the potential to develop economic and commercial ties, Turkey's political orientations and also Erdogan's Islamic bent of mind and his larger-than-life image of himself will prevent their growth. The possibility of positive growth in India-Turkish ties is therefore bleak. The writer is a former Indian diplomat who served as India's Ambassador to Afghanistan and Myanmar, and as secretary, the Ministry of External Affairs. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
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First Post
a minute ago
- First Post
Amit Shah explains why NIA is probing Pahalgam attack case: A conviction rate of 96% in terror case
Operation Sindoor debate: Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed anti-terror investigation agency, the NIA, while giving details of the killing of Pahalgam attackers in the Lok Sabha. Shah said the NIA has attained a conviction rate of 96 per cent. read more Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks during a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, at the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi. PTI India's Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday explained the rationale behind entrusting the investigation of the Pahalgam terror attack to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) saying that the agency's exceptional conviction rate and proven capabilities in handling terrorism-related cases made it the most appropriate choice. Twenty-six people, most of them being tourists, were massacred in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam at a popular meadow by Pakistani terrorists on April 22. The terror attack sparked international outrage as terrorists chose their victims by ascertaining their religious identities. The victims were male, ensuring that they were killed while women accompanying them watched on helplessly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Shah was speaking in the Lok Sabha during the parliamentary debate on Operation Sindoor, the military campaign India launched in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack to dismantle infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan. The strikes led to a four-day India-Pakistan military clash. During his speech, Shah confirmed that the three Pakistani terrorists who carried out the Pahalgam terror attack were neutralised by the Indian security forces on Monday, the first day of the parliamentary debate on Operation Sindoor. The identities of the slain terrorists and their connection with the Pahalgam attack were ascertained through due forensic processes, Shah told the lower house of Parliament. He said, 'We now have proof that they were Pakistanis and were involved in the Pahalgam terror attack.' The terror case is being probed by the NIA. NIA's conviction rate key to the decision The Union home minister pointed to the NIA's extraordinary conviction rate of over 96 per cent in terrorism cases as a central reason for assigning the sensitive Pahalgam probe to the agency. Shah said, 'I would also like to say a little about the NIA investigation. The day Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliate TRF claimed responsibility, we immediately decided that the investigation would be handed over to the NIA. 'Because the NIA is a globally recognised agency that specialises in scientifically investigating terrorism cases and securing convictions, with a conviction rate of over 96 per cent. We handed the investigation to the NIA immediately.' Earlier in December 2024, a Press Information Bureau release from the Ministry of Home Affairs last December, of the 147 cases where trials had concluded, 140 resulted in convictions, bringing the overall conviction rate to approximately 95.23 per cent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Shah made it clear that this feat is not just a numerical achievement but an endorsement of the NIA's rigorous investigative methods and legal preparedness. He also highlighted how the agency consistently secures justice in complex cases through structured prosecutions and detailed forensic and financial investigations. A landmark year for NIA The NIA's 2024 performance was described by agency officials as one of its most successful years. The NIA data show that the agency achieved a 100 per cent conviction rate in all completed terror trials in 2024. It got conviction from courts for 68 accused in 25 cases and filed charge-sheets against 408 individuals across 80 newly registered cases. The agency arrested 210 people across a variety of crimes, including Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), North East insurgency, jihadi terrorism and human trafficking. LWE cases dominated the entire lot, with 28 cases registered and 69 arrests made. The data show the agency's increasing role in managing not just religiously motivated terrorism but also insurgency and organised criminal networks that threaten national stability. Dismantling financial and logistical ecosystems Another factor believed to have influenced the home ministry's decision was the NIA's record in disrupting the financial and logistical structures that support terrorism. The agency attached 137 properties worth Rs 19.57 crore under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act during 2024. These actions were aimed at striking at the operational core of various groups by choking off their funding and material support. Shah viewed such capabilities as essential in the Pahalgam investigation, where dismantling support networks was as important as identifying the attackers. Quick turnaround in high-profile cases The agency has also demonstrated rapid response capabilities. In 2024, the NIA filed a charge-sheet against the Pakistan-based chief of Babbar Khalsa International, Wadhawa Singh and five others within months of the assassination of VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar in Punjab. In another instance, it secured the conviction of four terrorists, including Kulwinderjeet Singh alias Khanpuria, in a terror conspiracy case involving multiple attacks across Delhi and Punjab in the 1990s. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Such swift and effective actions were seen by the home ministry as reinforcing the NIA's operational credibility, making it a natural choice for high-stakes cases like the Pahalgam attack. Structural strength and technical expertise According to a statement tabled in the Rajya Sabha in December 2024 by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, the NIA has significantly expanded its organisational capacity in recent years. Since 2019, the government has created 810 new posts, including senior leadership roles and technical experts in cyber forensics. The agency now operates 24 offices across India and has been allocated 105 specialist posts to support investigations in areas like cyber terrorism and explosives. The establishment of the National Terror Data Fusion & Analysis Centre (NTDFAC) has also enhanced its ability to use big data analytics and digital forensics, thereby improving both speed and accuracy in investigations. Coordination with state and global agencies The NIA has also increased coordination with domestic and international agencies. It organised 36 Capacity Building Training Programmes and 19 similar sessions in collaboration with foreign organisations between 2019 and 2024, training thousands of officers, the PIB release said. This increased collaboration strengthens the NIA's capability to investigate transnational terror networks relevant in cases like Pahalgam, where cross-border involvement is suspected.
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Business Standard
a minute ago
- Business Standard
India-UK trade deal boosts access for Indian medical devices in Britain
The India-UK trade pact has incorporated a mutual recognition agreement framework to facilitate smoother entry of medical devices certified by domestic regulatory agencies into the British market, an official said on Tuesday. The framework will help Indian manufacturers expand market share in the UK vis-a-vis its global competitors like China, Brazil, and Vietnam who face non-preferential duty. "The free trade agreement includes a mutual recognition agreement framework allowing medical devices certified by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) or the Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) to access the UK market more freely," the official said. Medical devices and instruments will be exported to the UK at zero tariffs, down from the current duty range of 2 per cent to 6 per cent, benefiting Indian manufacturers of surgical and diagnostic equipment. The UK medical devices market was valued at USD 32 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 69 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 7.19 per cent, representing a significant opportunity for Indian medical device manufacturers, the official said. A bilateral regulatory cooperation framework will also be pursued between CDSCO and MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) potentially taking the form of a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). "The agreement will incorporate provisions for joint inspections, data sharing, harmonization of technical documentation, and training programmes between Indian and UK regulators, which will help build confidence and trust in each other's regulatory frameworks, thereby enhancing market access for our exports," the official said. India remains committed to a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial agreement and is engaging with the UK to consider pathways for regulatory cooperation, including recognition of CDSCO approvals. Further to prevent routing of third country goods via the UK into India, there are provisions for strong Rules of Origin (RoO) in the comprehensive economic and trade agreement, which define the origin of a product and determine whether it qualifies for preferential tariffs. The combination of rigorous RoO, digital certificate of origin systems, and customs monitoring will ensure that only legitimate products -- made or significantly transformed in the FTA partner -- benefit from tariff concessions.
