Pakistani envoy denies trying to block Indian delegation's visit
The Pakistan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has denied allegations that it attempted to block an Indian parliamentary delegation's recent visit to Malaysia.
Its High Commissioner Syed Ahsan Raza Shah dismissed the claims - first aired by India's NDTV - as 'preposterous' and 'unthinkable.'
'In the context of contemporary diplomacy...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
8 minutes ago
- The Star
India intensifies expulsion of suspected foreigners to Bangladesh
FILE PHOTO. Police officers stand next to men they believe to be undocumented Bangladeshi nationals after detained during raids in Ahmedabad, India, April 26, 2025. - Photo: Reuters file GUWAHATI, (India): India has started to push people it considers illegal immigrants into neighbouring Bangladesh, but human rights activists say authorities are arbitrarily throwing people out of the country. Since May, the northeastern Indian state of Assam has "pushed back" 303 people into Bangladesh out of 30,000 declared as foreigners by various tribunals over the years, a top official said this week. Such people in Assam are typically long-term residents with families and land in the state, which is home to tens of thousands of families tracing their roots to Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Activists say many of them and their families are often wrongly classified as foreigners in mainly Hindu India and are too poor to challenge tribunal judgements in higher courts. Some activists, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said only Muslims had been targeted in the expulsion drive. An Assam government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Assam, which has a 260 km (160 mile) border with Bangladesh, started sending back people last month who had been declared as foreigners by its Foreigners Tribunals. Such a move is politically popular in Assam, where Bengali language speakers with possible roots in Bangladesh compete for jobs and resources with local Assamese speakers. "There is pressure from the Supreme Court to act on the expulsion of foreigners," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the state assembly on Monday. "We have pushed back 303 people. These pushbacks will be intensified. We have to be more active and proactive to save the state." He was referring to the Supreme Court asking Assam in February why it had not moved on deporting declared foreigners. Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser, Touhid Hossain, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment. Last week, he told reporters that people were being sent to his country from India and that the government was in touch with New Delhi over it. Aman Wadud, an Assam-based lawyer who routinely fights citizenship cases and is now a member of the main opposition Congress party, said the government was "arbitrarily throwing people out of the country". "There is a lot of panic on the ground - more than ever before," he said. Some brought back Sarma said no genuine Indian citizens will be expelled. But he added that up to four of the people deported were brought back to India because appeals challenging their non-Indian status were being heard in court. One of them was Khairul Islam, a 51-year-old former government school teacher who was declared a foreigner by a tribunal in 2016. He spent two years in an Assam detention centre and was released on bail in August 2020. He said police picked him up on May 23 from his home and took him to a detention centre, from where he and 31 others were rounded up by Indian border guards and loaded into a van, blindfolded and hands tied. "Then, 14 of us were put onto another truck. We were taken to a spot along the border and pushed into Bangladesh," he said. "It was terrifying. I've never experienced anything like it. It was late at night. There was a straight road, and we all started walking along it." Islam said residents of a Bangladeshi village then called the Border Guard Bangladesh, who then pushed the group of 14 into the "no man's land between the two countries". "All day we stood there in the open field under the harsh sun," he said. Later, the group was taken to a Bangladesh guards camp while Islam's wife told police in Assam that as his case was still pending in court, he should be brought back. "After a few days, I was suddenly handed back to Indian police," he said. "That's how I made my way back home. I have no idea what happened to the others who were with me, or where they are." It is not only Assam that is acting against people deemed to be living illegally in the country. Police in the western city of Ahmedabad said they have identified more than 250 people "confirmed to be Bangladeshi immigrants living illegally here". "The process to deport them is in progress," said senior police officer Ajit Rajian. - Reuters
The Star
16 hours ago
- The Star
Task force to assist non-Muslim groups
Ling says Johor government will address matters with a more systematic approach. A SPECIAL task force has been formed by Johor government to address matters affecting non-Islamic religious groups. Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the task force, co-chaired by himself and state unity, heritage and culture committee chairman K. Raven Kumar, was approved during a state executive council meeting in late April. 'The task force will focus on resolving long-standing issues faced by non-Islamic religious groups, especially in relation to reserve land status, land ownership transfers and property tax. 'Instead of addressing such matters on a case-by-case basis, as was previously done, the state government is now taking a more systematic approach through the task force,' he said in an interview. Ling, who is also MCA Youth chief, said the task force was gathering all relevant data and documents before convening in mid-June to discuss and resolve the issues. He added that the state government was open and willing to listen to the people's voices. 'Recently, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi helped iron out technical issues for the proposed SJK(C) Kuek Ho Yao. 'The construction of the school was put on hold and delayed for years due to land-related matters. 'With support from the Mentri Besar, a piece of land has been specifically marked for the school and handed over to the Federal Lands Commissioner,' he said. Ling said Onn Hafiz was open to assisting in matters related to the Chinese and Indian communities, especially regarding education, culture and religion. He said in recent years, the state granted exemptions for property tax involving Chinese independent schools including Foon Yew High School's Seri Alam campus, which was announced in January. 'The paperwork for the tax exemption has been completed and will be brought to the state executive council meeting for approval soon. 'We are committed to finding fair and practical solutions to these issues so that development and harmony can continue to flourish in the state,' he said.
Rakyat Post
a day ago
- Rakyat Post
Pakistan Seeks Enhanced ASEAN Partnership Status Through Malaysia's Support
Subscribe to our FREE The conference room at Pakistan's High Commission buzzed with quiet activity as reporters settled into their seats last Friday. High Commissioner Syed Ahsan Raza Shah adjusted his notes at the podium, preparing to outline his country's diplomatic priorities in Southeast Asia. Pakistan is renewing its decades-long effort to secure full dialogue partner status with ASEAN, building on relationships established since becoming the bloc's first sectoral dialogue partner in 1993. 'This matter has been discussed between the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Malaysia. As soon as the moratorium (on accepting new dialogue partners) is lifted, we hope to be given full dialogue partner status,' Shah told the media briefing. Pakistan's diplomatic presence in Malaysia: The national flag at the Pakistan High Commission with Kuala Lumpur's skyline featuring the Petronas Towers. (Pix: Fernando Fong) The High Commissioner emphasised Pakistan's long-standing appreciation for cooperation with the regional bloc and desire to expand existing partnerships. He described ASEAN as a vital platform for promoting regional peace and stability, fostering economic cooperation, and enhancing mutual development. Malaysia's support for Pakistan's ASEAN aspirations gained public attention last October when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reportedly expressed full backing for Pakistan's bid to become a full dialogue partner. Malaysia's Mediation Offer and Responses Shah also addressed Malaysia's potential role in resolving regional conflicts. Following a deadly attack in Pahalgam, India, on 22 April that claimed 26 lives—mostly tourists—Anwar had offered Malaysia's assistance in de-escalating tensions. We appreciate Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the highest regard as a peacemaker and advocate for peace. He is among the finest statesmen of this era, and we welcome his offer to mediate between India and Pakistan. The vision endures: A press photographer works beneath the portrait of Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, displayed on the embassy walls, whose dream of international partnership continues to flourish. (Pix: Fernando Fong) The High Commissioner added that Anwar is highly respected in both countries and enjoys strong relationships with the leadership in both Pakistan and India. However, the mediation proposal faces challenges. Recently, Indian MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, visiting Malaysia as part of a parliamentary delegation, stated that the India-Pakistan conflict was High Commissioner Shah presents Pakistan's position on water rights disputes with India during the press conference at the Pakistani Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. (Pix: Fernando Fong) Responding to Delegation Visit Allegations Shah used the briefing to address recent allegations regarding his office's conduct toward the Indian parliamentary delegation's visit to Malaysia. He categorically denied claims that He pointed out that in today's contemporary diplomacy, it is unthinkable for a country or embassy to request that its host country not allow a delegation from another country. How can we have the audacity to ask a host country, which has its own policies that we respect, to disallow a delegation? This claim is, to say the least, laughable, ridiculous, and preposterous. All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, headed by Hon'ble MP Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jha, met with Parliamentary Special Committee on International Relations and International Trade, chaired by YB Wong Chen, Hon'ble Member of Parliament and Chairman of Parliamentary Special committee on… — India in Malaysia (@hcikl) Media Narratives and Diplomatic Responses The High Commissioner also addressed what he characterised as problematic media reporting patterns. He cited specific examples of coverage during recent regional conflicts. During the conflict between 7 and 10 May, Indian channels announced as breaking news that Pakistan had been occupied and that Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore were under Indian control. Such reports are not only false but preposterous and ridiculous. Building bridges through media: Pakistani diplomats and Malaysian press representatives gather at the Pakistan High Commission following a successful diplomatic outreach. (Pix: Pakistan High Commission Malaysia) Shah suggested that references to 'Islamic solidarity' in some reports were intended to create discord between Pakistan and Malaysia, though he did not elaborate on specific instances. The High Commissioner concluded by calling on India's High Commission in Malaysia, led by Ambassador BN Reddy, to clarify its position regarding the allegations about Pakistan's conduct toward the Indian delegation. The diplomatic exchange reflects ongoing complexities in South Asian regional relationships, with Malaysia positioned as both an ASEAN partner and potential mediator in broader regional discussions. FYI, both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons 😰 — The Rakyat Post (@therakyatpost) READ MORE : Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
