FM Qureshi meets US lawmakers, discusses regional security

January 17, 2020goodfriendme Leave a comment

Foreign minister discusses South Asia, the Afghan peace process, and recent developments in Middle East with US leaders. Photo: Twitter

WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with US lawmakers on Thursday in Washington DC as a part of his diplomatic trip to the United States.

Qureshi in his meeting with the lawmakers discussed US-Pakistan relationship, the situation in South Asia, the Afghan peace process, and recent developments in the Middle East.

He also briefed the US Senate leadership on India’s ongoing lockdown in occupied Kashmir, and “its implications for regional security”.

“Peace and stability in South Asia would remain elusive until the Kashmir dispute was resolved in accordance with international law and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” Qureshi informed the senators, according to a Foreign Office press release.

The senators also lauded Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process and requested Islamabad for its continued support. The foreign minister assured the senators that Pakistan was committed to the Afghan political reconciliation process.

Qureshi noted that the history of Pakistan-US relationship was testimony to the value of working together. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to continue to play a constructive role and to work with Washington to bring peace in the region.

“Pakistan is for peace and we would do whatever we can to promote and facilitate peace,” said Qureshi while referring to Pakistan’s role in defusing tensions in the Middle East.

The senators agreed with Qureshi on the need for continued cooperation between the two countries. They believe that cooperation was needed to achieve each other’s common objectives on the bilateral and regional fronts.

The meeting was attended by Republican Senator Jim Risch and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Asia Senator Mitt Romney, and Democratic Ranking Member of the Asia Subcommittee Senator Chris Murphy.

‘Pakistan values its relationship with US’

In a separate meeting with the US Congress’s Pakistan Caucus the minister emphasised that Islamabad values its relationship with Washington.

The minister also lauded the caucus for its role in “further improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States”. He added that the relationship was on an “upward positive trajectory” since the last year.

“The foreign minister also briefed the caucus about government of Pakistan’s vision for socio-economic progress and human development in the country as well as Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace and prosperity including in facilitating peace in Afghanistan and defeating terrorism in the region,” Foreign Office said.

Qureshi underscored the significance of further strengthening people-to-people and inter-parliamentary linkages between the two countries and urged the lawmakers to play their role.

The foreign minister also briefed the lawmakers on the latest situation in Indian occupied Kashmir and the continuing repression of the Kashmiri people by the Narendra Modi-led government.

The caucus thanked Qureshi for his briefing and appreciated Pakistan’s invaluable contributions for regional peace and security.

“They also recognised the role of the Pakistani American community in the US which were contributing towards further strengthening bilateral linkages and relations,” said the Foreign Office.

The event was attended by Chair of Congressional Pakistan Caucus Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressman Thomas Suozzi and Jim Banks and other members of the caucus. Congressman Eliot Engel, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well as Congressman Ami Bera, Chairman of the House sub-Committee on Asia were also in attendance.

Qureshi’s visit to United States came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran after the former killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad. Iran retaliated by targeting a US troops base in Iraq.

Earlier, Qureshi had visited Iran and Saudi Arabia, where he met the two countries’ leaders in an effort to ease tensions in the region after a US airstrike killed Soleimani.

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PM Imran says Harry, Meghan have the right to lead their life the way they want

January 17, 2020goodfriendme Leave a comment

PM Imran expressed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have the right to live their life as they wish

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday weighed in on the issue of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping down as senior members of the British royal family.

During an interview with DW, the premier expressed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have the right to live their life as they wish, without any intervention.

Upon being questioned about the crisis that was sparked by the royal pair, PM Khan said: “I have so many issues in Pakistan to deal with. It doesn’t seem to be a huge issue to me.”

“I think, it’s their life. If that’s how they want to lead it, then why should people interfere?” he added.

Regarding his thoughts on whether the late Princess Diana — who was known to be a friend of the prime minister — would have understood her son Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan’s decision of a royal exit, PM Khan said: “I guess so. Frankly, I haven’t really looked into it deeply. I think they are a young couple who want to lead their own life, so it’s up to them.”

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Prime accused in judge video case reaches London as case transferred to ATC in Pakistan

January 17, 2020goodfriendme Leave a comment

LONDON: Nasir Janjua, the central character in accountability court judge Arshad Malik’s video scandal, has reached London from Pakistan after the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) started a fresh probe into the scandal following the resignation of Bashir Memon and appointment of Wajid Zia as FIA chief last month.

Janjua reached London accompanied by another family member, a reliable source said. Janjua, however, did not respond to questions by this correspondent. A source close to Janjua said that he decided to leave Pakistan after the case was transferred to an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).

“Nasir Janjua is innocent and has nothing to do with the video case of judge Arshad Malik. He was arrested and hounded without a case against him. After the case was transferred to ATC, it became apparent that he would be victimized more so he thought it best to leave Pakistan for now,” the source said, adding that he will be returning to Pakistan at an appropriate time.

“He is out of Pakistan only for a few weeks and would be returning soon,” the source added. The source further said that the Counter-Terrorism Wing (CTW) of FIA had filed an application seeking the transfer of the case to ATC for political reasons and it was clear that the case was being dragged out to prevent the course of justice.

Judge Malik had convicted former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference in 2017. PML-N leaders had released a video on July 7, 2019, at a press conference, in which the former accountability judge had confessed to having convicted Nawaz under duress.

In the video, allegedly made by British-Pakistani Nasir Butt, the former accountability court judge had said that he was “blackmailed and forced” to give a verdict against the former premier. Initially, the cyber crime circle of the FIA probed the case and arrested three suspects identified as Nasir Janjua, Khurram Yousaf and Mahar Ghulam Jilani.

The FIA had later absolved all of them after a preliminary investigation established that they had nothing to do with the secret video recording of Malik. The judge had lodged a complaint and the FIA had then transferred the investigation to the CTW which arrested two suspects, including Hamza Butt, a nephew of Nasir Butt, who had accompanied his uncle to meetings with the judge.

In his affidavit, Judge Malik had denied the party’s claim that he had been blackmailed by PML-N supporters through an “immoral video”. He also admitted to meeting with Nawaz at the Jati Umra residence and with Nawaz’s son, Hussain Nawaz, in Saudi Arabia. In London, Butt contacted an English forensic firm which confirmed that the video of the case was genuine and original.

The forensic report has been verified and attested by United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office as genuine but the High Commission of Pakistan has refused to attest the report, saying that the Foreign Office in Islamabad has asked the diplomats not to attest the video.

Butt had alleged that the High Commission was under pressure not to attest the forensic report. He had said that he has several more videos. After the video scandal broke out in Pakistan, Judge Malik accused Janjua of offering him a bribe to acquit Nawaz. Janjua had denied the allegation and stated that the judge was making up allegations to hide his own role.

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