Latest news with #GovernmentofPakistan
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Kabul upgrades diplomatic mission in reciprocal move
ISLAMABAD: Welcoming the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its diplomatic mission in Kabul to that of an ambassador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has positively reciprocated by elevating the diplomatic status of its mission in Islamabad. 'In reciprocity, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will elevate the status of its mission in Islamabad from chargé d'affaires to ambassador,' said the statement issued by the Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. This elevation in diplomatic representation between Afghanistan and Pakistan paves the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, the statement highlighted. Pakistan elevates diplomatic ties with Afghanistan to ambassador level Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed in Beijing to elevate their diplomatic relations earlier this month to normalise strained ties fraught with militancy. Pakistan has been pressing Afghanistan to stop use of its soil for terrorism. Meanwhile, an Afghan foreign ministry official, Zalmay Jalali announced through his post on X that the current chargé d'affaires in Islamabad, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, will assume responsibilities as the country's ambassador to Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PM amenable to dialogue with ‘misled people' in Balochistan
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is willing to sit across the table with 'those who have been misled… who have been led astray' in Balochistan as he promised 'social and economic justice' to the people of the impoverished province which has been caught up in a spiral of deadly violence since 2006. 'We must strive to win back the people who were misled [by terrorists] to the wrong track. If there are any grievances, they should be resolved through dialogue in the spirit of brotherhood,' he said while referring to chronic grievances in the dirt-poor province which have been exploited by Baloch terrorist groups to promote their violent narrative. The prime minister was addressing a grand jirga in Quetta on Saturday which brought together tribal elders, lawmakers, and key stakeholders for consultations aimed at resolving long-standing issues, particularly those related to security and development. Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir, Baochistan's Acting Governor Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and high ranking military and civil officials were also in attendance. کوئٹہ: وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف کا بلوچستان گرینڈ جرگہ سے خطاب! — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 31, 2025 Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome he received at the jirga, the prime minister described Balochistan as 'a beautiful province of brave people and the heart of Pakistan.' There has been an uptick in terrorist violence in the province which civil and military officials have blamed on India. 'The bloodthirsty terrorists, who are against the progress prosperity of Pakistan, are carrying out heinous acts of terrorism at the behest of foreign elements,' Premier Shehbaz said while referring to India. 'They must be stopped. We all must defeat their nefarious designs. If there are shortcomings in our response, these could be addressed with your guidance,' he told the jirga participants. 'All provinces are like brothers and will equally share resources of the country,' PM Shehbaz said, adding that the federal government was spending Rs70 billion on a solarisation project in Balochistan. Similarly, Rs150 billion would be diverted for building N25 highway, which is commonly referred to as the 'bloody highway' due to its precarious condition. Money for these projects would be acquired from the amount which the government was collecting after the drop in the prices of petroleum products in the international market. Prime Minister @CMShehbaz has called upon all stakeholders in Balochistan to join hands with the government and armed forces of Pakistan for lasting peace and prosperity in the province@dpr_gob @PakPMO #RadioPakistan #News — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) May 31, 2025 The prime minister said that the government would allocate Rs1,000 billion for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) this year and 25 per cent, or Rs250 billion, from the fund would be for projects in Balochistan. He said federal funds were the right of people of Balochistan and every penny would be spent transparently on the progress and prosperity of the province. He recalled that during his tenure as the chief minister of Punjab, he had allocated 10 per cent quota for students of Balochistan in different schemes of Punjab, including laptop schemes and scholarships in foreign and provincial educational institutions. In the past, Rs2 billion was allocated for a cardiac hospital in Balochistan, he added. The prime minister also recalled that Punjab had agreed to give part of its share from the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to Balochistan in view of its development needs as the province is the largest in terms of area. 'In today's value, the funds diverted to Balochistan amount to Rs160 billion,' he explained. Read More: PM Shehbaz 'ready for talks' with India on water, trade The NFC award was signed in Lahore in 2010 after three days of discussions among the national leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari, then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, he added. He said that during Nawaz Sharif's tenure as prime minister a lot of development projects were undertaken in Balochistan and President Zardari had initiated Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package. Talking about the recent conflict with India, Premier Shehbaz said that on the night between May 6 and 7 and May 10 India attacked Pakistan but with the grace of Allah, the armed forces bravely defeated the enemy, who will remember its defeat forever. He thanked people of Pakistan for showing unity and standing shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan Army during the conflict. Read More: India's 'hydro terrorism' untenable: COAS 'As the prime minister I was witness to all the events of the short duration war,' he said, adding that 'as a brave and sagacious leader Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir led Pakistan armed forces to a victory against India and made the nation proud.' He said that the triumph over India was akin to avenging the events of 1971. 'Now the enemy is scared and Pakistan's friendly countries are more confident after Pakistan's military victory over India,' he claimed.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet demands federal govt to review its Afghan policy
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet has urged the federal government to reassess its Afghanistan policy, advocating for direct provincial talks to foster regional peace. Citing persistent terrorism and strained relations, the resolution emphasizes the need for immediate measures to rebuild trust and ensure stability. The province seeks empowerment to resolve outstanding issues through meaningful dialogue. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Cabinet in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has approved a resolution, calling on the federal government to review its Aghan policy and allow the provincial authorities to hold direct talks with the neighbouring country to ensure lasting peace in the region.A meeting of the provincial Cabinet with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the chair on Friday approved the resolution stated that "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be empowered to play an effective role in resolving all outstanding issues through direct and meaningful dialogue with Afghanistan so that lasting peace and stability in the region can be ensured."The resolution further recommended the provincial government urge the federal government to reconsider and immediately revise its current policy regarding resolution further stated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been a victim of terrorism for several people of the province are still yearning to be freed from this menace, the resolution said, adding that the ongoing incidents of terrorism continued to pose a constant threat to the lives and property of the policy of the Government of Pakistan concerning Afghanistan has proven to be ineffective, it of curbing terrorism, it has led to its escalation and has also strained the relations between the two countries and their has further complicated the situation by promoting mutual hatred, affecting trade, and deteriorating law and order."It says that "in this context, immediate and concrete measures have become essential to restore trust between the two brotherly nations and to establish lasting peace in the region."The resolution was recently passed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Provincial Assembly.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan upgrades ties with Afghanistan
Listen to article Pakistan on Friday officially confirmed that it was upgrading diplomatic ties with Afghanistan and would soon exchange ambassadors with Kabul, in a significant shift in Islamabad's policy towards Kabul. The announcement of upgrading ties was first made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week when he hosted foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan in Beijing. On Friday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who held a second meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister within a span of 10 days in Hong Kong, issued a statement, announcing the upgrading of ties with Kabul. "Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on a positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with the Pakistan delegation on 19th April 2025," Dar said in a statement. "To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé d'Affaires in Kabul to the level of Ambassador," he added. "I am confident this step would further contribute towards enhanced engagement, deepen Pak-Afghan cooperation in economic, security, CT & trade areas and promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries," he further said. Pakistan and Afghanistan have maintained diplomatic presence in each other's capitals but the missions were headed by charged affairs and not the full time Ambassadors. Exchanging ambassadors means that Pakistan would move a step closer to recognizing the Taliban government. China was the first country which sent a full time Ambassador to Kabul and accepted the Taliban envoy in March this year. A senior Pakistani official defended the move, saying apart from China, other regional countries including Turkey and Russia were also contemplating appointing their full time Ambassadors to Kabul. It is believed that China was nudging both sides from behind the scenes to resolve their issues through dialogue. Sources said for the first time the Taliban government had shown not only willingness but initiated certain steps to rein in groups operating out of its territory. The Taliban government recently launched a crackdown on elements supporting groups inimical to Pakistan. Kabul in particularly targeted Afghan citizens, who joined the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Another major sign suggesting a shift in its approach was a statement by Senior Afghan Taliban commander Saeedullah Saeed, who on Wednesday warned militant factions against unauthorized jihad, particularly in Pakistan, saying such actions were against Shariah and the orders of the Islamic Emirate's leadership. Speaking at a police passing-out ceremony, Saeed said that fighting in any country, including Pakistan, without the explicit command of the Amir is not permissible. "Joining various groups to wage jihad abroad does not make one a true mujahid," he stated. "Only the Amir of the state has the authority to declare jihad — not individuals or groups." Saeed emphasized that those carrying out attacks independently or moving between regions to conduct operations cannot be classified as legitimate fighters under Islamic law. "Jihad based on personal ego or group loyalty is considered fasad (corruption), not legitimate resistance," he added. The issue of terrorism was one of the key talking points during the three-way talks in Beijing. The Chinese official read out said Wang Yi stressed the need for combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. He also called for joint cooperation to combat the menace of terrorism and cautioned against external interference. In the wake of recent escalation in tensions into a military conflict between India and Pakistan, New Delhi was trying to reach out to the Taliban government. Breaking from its decades-old policy, Indian External Affairs Minister S J Shankar spoke to the Afghan interim Foreign Minister. The move seems to be part of India's recalibration in order to put pressure on Pakistan. But the meeting in Beijing appears to have preempted that move. The Chinese foreign ministry statement suggested that there was great incentive for the Taliban government to work closely with Beijing and Islamabad.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Pakistan finally appoints ambassador to Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: In a major surprising move amid lingering tense ties between the two neighbours, Government of Pakistan has decided to upgrade the level of its chargé d'affaires in Kabul to the level of ambassador. The important decision has been announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, after having broad-based consultations with the prime minister and other relevant stakeholders. Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on a positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with Pakistan delegation on 19th April 2025, he remarked. 'To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé d'Affaires in Kabul to the level of Ambassador. I am confident this step would further contribute towards enhanced engagement, deepen Pak-Afghan cooperation in economic, security, CT and trade areas and promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries,' the Foreign Office statement quoting DPM as saying on Friday. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
