#narendra modi meets nawaz sharif

[24x7newsroom]

Jaishankar and Sharif Meet: A Step Towards Easing Tensions

After arriving in Islamabad on Tuesday (October 15, 2024), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended a dinner hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where they shook hands and exchanged greetings.

On Wednesday, Mr. Jaishankar is set to speak at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in Islamabad. He is expected to reiterate the concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at previous SCO summits regarding terrorism and extremism in the region, as well as issues related to connectivity and transit.

Neither side has shown interest in holding a bilateral meeting, although Mr. Jaishankar will be present at the same venue as his counterpart Ishaq Dar and the CHG chaired by Mr. Sharif.

When asked by Indian media about the possibility of a meeting, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that no bilateral discussions had been scheduled between India and Pakistan.

Following the dinner and a cultural performance featuring a recital by a Pakistani Bharatnatyam dancer, a senior minister expressed a positive outlook, stating that regional cooperation in South Asia should be revitalized like in the past and encouraged dialogue between India and Pakistan.

“We need to revisit the spirit of the Lahore Declaration,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told journalists, referencing the visit by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1999. “That was a peak moment for the leadership of both countries, achieved by Nawaz Sharif and Atal Behari Vajpayee. If we can revive the spirit of Lahore, I believe there is no issue we can’t solve together.”

On Wednesday morning, leaders, including seven Prime Ministers from Russia, China, Belarus, and Central Asian countries, as well as Iran’s Vice President and Mr. Jaishankar, will pose for group photographs. This will be followed by the plenary session of the 23rd SCO CHG, the signing of several documents, and an official lunch at the Jinnah Convention Centre. Mr. Jaishankar is expected to leave Islamabad for Delhi later that afternoon.Read More-https://24x7newsroom.com/

[head-post]

India Foreign Minister Jaishankar visits Pakistan for 1st time since 2015

India’s Foreign Minister visited Pakistan on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a top New Delhi official to the neighbouring country in nearly a decade, Indian media reported.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will travel to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit to “represent India at the meeting,” the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. Both sides said no bilateral talks were planned and Jaishankar’s visit would strictly follow the SCO schedule.

The two nuclear-armed countries are bitter adversaries who have fought numerous wars since they divided the subcontinent under British colonial rule in 1947.

The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with 16 other countries as observers or “dialogue partners.” The SCO is sometimes described as an alternative to the Western-dominated NATO military alliance. The Indian foreign ministry said in a statement:

“India remains actively engaged in the SCO format.” 

While the SCO is mandated to discuss security issues, the Islamabad summit is expected to focus on trade, humanitarian and cultural issues.

The last time an Indian FM visited Pakistan was in 2015, when Sushma Swaraj attended a conference on Afghanistan.

Later that year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Lahore to meet his then counterpart Nawaz Sharif, raising hopes of warming relations with Pakistan.

Relations deteriorated sharply in 2019 when the Modi government cancelled the limited autonomy of Indian-administered Kashmir, forcing Pakistan to suspend bilateral trade and downgrade diplomatic ties with New Delhi. Kashmir, where a protracted and deadly insurgency against Indian rule continues, is divided between the two countries and is wholly owned by both.

Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was in the Indian state of Goa in 2023 for the SCO meeting where he and Jaishankar had a verbal altercation.

Read more HERE

[msaqibjaved]

Maryam Speaking about the Afghan NSA meeting 'essence of diplomacy to talk to everyone'

Maryam Speaking about the Afghan NSA meeting ‘essence of diplomacy to talk to everyone’

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz believes that “the essence of diplomacy” may be “comprised” by the PTI government. Maryam said on Twitter, in reaction to the government’s critique of its father for visiting the top Afghan officials in London: “Pakistan’s peaceful life with his neighbours was the founding point of Nawaz Sharif‘s philosophy, for which she worked…

[lahoreherald]

Maryam Speaking about the Afghan NSA meeting 'essence of diplomacy to talk to everyone'

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz believes that “the essence of diplomacy” may be “comprised” by the PTI government.

Maryam said on Twitter, in reaction to the government’s critique of its father for visiting the top Afghan officials in London: “Pakistan’s peaceful life with his neighbours was the founding point of Nawaz Sharif‘s philosophy, for which she worked diligently.”

It is the very essence of diplomacy to talk to everyone, listen to their point of view and convey one’s own message across: something this government doesn’t comprehend and hence is a complete failure on the international front. https://t.co/ZWwXXDf8iz

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 24, 2021

She said that whether Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Afghan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib or Afghanistan’s vice-president Amrullah Saleh, any enemy in Pakistan is a close friend of Nawaz Sharif.

Maryam Nawaz statement follows that Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry says.

نواز شریف کو پاکستان سےباہر بھیجنا اس لئے خطرناک تھا کہ ایسے لوگ بین الاقوامی سازشوں میں مددگار بن جاتے ہیں نواز شریف کی افغانستان میں RAW کے سب سے بڑے حلیف حمداللہ محب سے ملاقات ایسی ہی کاروائ کی مثال ہے، مودی ، محب یا امراللہ صالح ہر پاکستان دشمن نواز شریف کا قریبی دوست ہے

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 24, 2021

Published in Lahore Herald #lahoreherald #breakingnews #breaking

[maxilyf]

Following Karachi strikes, Pakistan must take decisive steps to destroy terror infrastructure

Following Karachi strikes, Pakistan must take decisive steps to destroy terror infrastructure

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Going by a letter written by Nawaz Sharif to Narendra Modi, that he was ‘much satisfied’ with their meeting in New Delhi, the two prime ministers have succeeded in striking up a working relationship. But Sharif faces critical challenges at home. Taliban insurgents managed to close Karachi’s international airport twice within three days, with audacious back-to-back assaults. Karachi is…

[sounmashnews]

[ad_1] CNN — Here is a take a look at the lifetime of Narendra Modi, prime minister of India. Birth date: September 17, 1950 Birth place: Vadnagar, Gujarat, India Birth identify: Narendra Damodardas Modi Father: Damodardas Modi Mother: Hiraba “Heeraben” Modi Marriage: Jashodaben (Chimanlal) Modi (1968-present, separated) Education: Delhi University, B.A., 1978; Gujarat University, M.A., 1983 Religion: Hindu Left dwelling in his late teenagers to journey India, keep in ashrams and wander the Himalayas. First prime minister born in unbiased India. October 3, 1972 - Joins the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. June 1975 - Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposes a interval of emergency as she faces a political disaster. Civil liberties are restricted, media is censored, and protesters are arrested. Modi turns into concerned within the motion to revive these rights. 1987 - Enters mainstream politics and joins the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as group secretary of the Gujarat unit in western India. October 3, 1995 - Becomes the nationwide secretary of the BJP. January 5, 1998 - Is promoted to grow to be the nationwide basic secretary of BJP. October 2001 - Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee names Modi chief minister of Gujarat. February 2002 - At least 58 individuals die in a hearth on board a prepare carrying Hindu pilgrims. The prepare had stopped briefly at a station in Gujarat the place the native inhabitants was majority-Muslim. The Gujarat Government would later discover that the hearth was deliberately set, a part of a pre-planned assault, and that these accountable had been Muslim. Riots erupt within the days following the hearth and Modi is accused of condoning the violent protests that kill roughly 1,000 individuals, principally Muslims. 2005 - The United States declines to difficulty a diplomatic visa to Modi for his suspected position within the 2002 riots. June 2013 - Modi is chosen because the BJP chief and campaigns for the 2014 basic elections. May 20, 2014 - The BJP wins the overall election and Modi is appointed prime minister. May 26, 2014 - Takes the oath of workplace as prime minister. September 27-30, 2014 - Modi makes his first visit to the United States as prime minister and meets with President Barack Obama. December 8, 2014 - Modi wins a Time magazine reader’s poll individual of the yr. January 25-27, 2015 - Obama turns into the primary sitting US president to go to India twice. During the three-day go to, Obama and Modi negotiate a civil nuclear deal, a 10-year protection cooperation settlement between the 2 nations. December 25, 2015 - Modi visits Pakistan and meets with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. It is the primary time an Indian prime minister has visited Pakistan in almost 12 years. June 8, 2016 - Addressing a joint session of the US Congress, Modi speaks concerning the persevering with progress of US-India relations. June 26, 2017 - Meets with US President Donald Trump for the primary time at the White House. July 4, 2017 - Becomes the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, arriving in Tel Aviv as a part of a three-day go to to mark 25 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel. August 15, 2018 - During his Independence Day speech to the nation, Modi announces India will launch its first manned mission to space by 2022. May 23, 2019 - In a landslide victory, the BJP wins 303 seats within the basic election. May 30, 2019 - Sworn in for a second term as India’s prime minister. August 5, 2019 - Tensions between India and Pakistan increase after Modi broadcasts that India will revoke a constitutional provision giving the state of Jammu and Kashmir autonomy to set its personal legal guidelines. In the wake of the announcement, widespread communications blackouts are reported within the Muslim-majority area. August 8, 2019 - Modi delivers a televised address wherein he claims that revoking Kashmir’s autonomous standing will promote stability, cut back corruption and increase the economic system.

Pakistan’s overseas minister says the nation will stay vigilant, however no army choices are being thought of. The United Nations points an announcement calling on each nations to resolve the difficulty peacefully while respecting human rights in the region. December 11, 2019 - Parliament passes a controversial bill that may fast-track citizenship for spiritual minorities together with Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Opposition events say the invoice is unconstitutional because it bases citizenship on an individual’s faith and would additional marginalize India’s Muslim group. Modi expresses his support for the measure via Twitter, saying, “This Bill will alleviate the suffering of many who faced persecution for years.” December 19, 2019 - Deadly protests erupt in at least 15 cities in opposition to the citizenship regulation, regardless of bans on public gatherings in a number of areas. At least three individuals have died amid the violence, as 1000's participated in demonstrations. December 22, 2019 - Modi delivers a speech railing against the protests. “You have seen how these people are pushing their own interests,” he says. “The statements given, the false videos, inciting, people sitting at a high level have committed the crime of spreading confusion and fire by putting it on social media.” September 3, 2020 - Modi’s Twitter account appears to have been hacked, prompting an investigation by the social media company. The account, which has 2.5 million followers, is certainly one of a handful of verified accounts linked to the prime minister. The obvious hack comes greater than a month after an enormous hack that resulted in among the most outstanding accounts on the platform — together with these tied to Obama, Joe Biden and Elon Musk — being compromised. July 7, 2021 - Modi fires 12 members of his cabinet, including the federal ministers for health and law, as he faces fierce criticism over the federal government’s alleged mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. November 19, 2021 - Modi says he would repeal three contentious agricultural laws that sparked greater than a year of protests, in a uncommon obvious climb down forward of pivotal state elections. December 12, 2021 - Modi’s Twitter handle was “very briefly compromised,” his workplace says, when a tweet was despatched from the Indian Prime Minister’s account saying his nation had adopted Bitcoin and can be distributing the cryptocurrency. [ad_2]

[bbcbreakingnews]

Modi earned his PM stint; no need to over-publicise surgical strikes: Pranab memoir

NEW DELHI: India needs to tackle Pakistan through “deft handling” rather than “romanticising its political approach” and the country gained little by “over-talking” the surgical strikes of 2016, the late Pranab Mukherjee has written in his memoirs that also recall his “very cordial ties” with PM Narendra Modi who he said earned his prime ministership by leading BJP to a historic win. “India must pursue its Pakistan-related policies with utmost care and deft handling, and not through romanticising its political approach. Surgical strikes conducted by Indian forces across the border have been normal military operations in response to Pakistan’s continued aggression. But there is really no need to over-publicise them — something that has been done ever since the Indian military conducted two strikes inside Pakistani territory since 2016. We gained nothing by overtalking on these operations,” Mukherjee wrote. The former President said Modi had earned the prime ministership and referred to his predecessor Manmohan Singh as “essentially an economist” named as PM by Sonia Gandhi. “Modi, on the other hand, became PM through popular choice after leading BJP to a historic victory in 2014. He is a politician to the core and had been named BJP’s prime ministerial candidate as the party went into campaign mode. He was then Gujarat’s CM and had built an image that seemed to click with the masses. He has earned and achieved the prime ministership,” he said. Offering a ring side view of politics and political leaders, Mukherjee said he had come to expect the unexpected from Modi. “It was evident that one could expect the unexpected from Modi, because he had come with no ideological foreign policy baggage. He was to continue with these surprises: he made a sudden and unscheduled stop at Lahore in December 2015 to greet his then Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the latter’s birthday; and he initiated an annual informal summit with the Chinese president — one was held at Wuhan in China in 2018 and the other, more recently, at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu in 2019. I personally feel that PM Modi’s stopover in Lahore was unnecessary and uncalled for, given the conditions that prevailed in India-Pakistan relations,” he said. Mukherjee said every PM had a style of functioning. Lal Bahadur Shastri, he said, took positions that were very different from that of Nehru, despite being from the same party. Nehru, Mukherjee said, dealt with Nepal very diplomatically, and “rejected” an offer to be made an Indian province. “After the Rana rule was replaced by the monarchy in Nepal, he wished for democracy to take root. Interestingly, Nepal’s king, Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, had suggested to Nehru that Nepal be made a province of India. But Nehru rejected the offer on the ground that Nepal was an independent nation and must remain so,” Mukherjee said, noting that Indira Gandhi would have reacted differently. Mukherjee completed his memoir ‘The Presidential Years, 2012-2017’ before his death last year. The book, published by Rupa Publications, was released on Tuesday. “BJP emerged with a simple majority on its own in the Lok Sabha for the first time and was thus able to form the government, though it still did so by co-opting its allies. Only Piyush Goyal… was confident that BJP would get no less than 265 seats, and that the number could go up to 280. I didn’t and still don’t know the reasons for his optimism,” he wrote. Mukherjee acknowledged that Modi maintained the constitutional tradition of keeping the President informed and seeking his advice. “I have had very cordial relations with PM Modi during my tenure. However, I did not hesitate to give my advice on matters of policy during our meetings. There were several occasions when he echoed concerns that I had voiced. I believe he has managed to grasp the nuances of foreign policy quickly,” he wrote.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2021/01/07/modi-earned-his-pm-stint-no-need-to-over-publicise-surgical-strikes-pranab-memoir/

[indianarrative1]

After Pakistan flexed its muscles and expressed disregard over the performance of the Saudi-led Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the Kashmir dispute, and Saudi Arabia’s subsequent rigid response and immediate demand for return of its financial aid to the cash-strapped Pakistan, Islamabad’s powerful military establishment is in Riyadh to mend the strained ties on a damage control trip.

Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa along with head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed are in Riyadh to meet the Saudi leadership in an effort to fix the ties between the two countries.

“During the meetings, they discussed prospects of military cooperation and ways to boost it as well as other topics of common interest,” read a statement of the Saudi Ministry of Defence.

The trip holds importance as it comes after Saudi Arabia reacted to the statement by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who raised serious questions over the OIC on the Kashmir issue, threatening to hold a conference of foreign ministers from Muslim countries in another country without the cooperation of the OIC.

The statement saw an angry response from the Saudi leadership, which put a halt to the $3.2 billion oil credit facility that was provided to Pakistan in 2018, along with a demand for a return of $3 billion loan that it banked in Pakistan as a bailout package.

Sources in the military establishment have told IANS that while both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have close ties traditionally, “Riyadh is irked by criticism from Pakistan that Saudi Arabia has been lukewarm on the Kashmir issue, which has motivated the army chief’s planned visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Since August 5, 2019, when the Narendra Modi-led government in India abrogated Articles 370 and 35A, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has been pressing on the Saudi Arabia-led OIC to convene a high-level meeting to highlight what it calls “Indian violations in Jammu and Kashmir”. But the OIC has only held a low-level meeting till date.

On August 5, 2020, Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi had once again demanded that the OIC should hold a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers on Kashmir. However, this time, he added that if the OIC didn’t respond positively to Pakistan’s demand, it would hold the meeting with Muslim countries without the cooperation of OIC.

“If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries which are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris,” Qureshi had said.

Qureshi’s statement attracted criticism from the opposition parties, which termed the remarks as “irresponsible”.

“Qureshi’s statement about brotherly Saudi Arabia is highly unfortunate and irresponsible. It flies in the face of the history of our special and trusted relationship with the Kingdom,” said leader of the opposition and head of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shahbaz Sharif.

“The cavalier attitude by this government is undermining Pakistan’s core relations with friendly countries,” he added.

[u4u-voice]

Pak downplays India's decision not to invite Imran Khan for Modi's swearing-in ; Pitches for Kashmir dialogue

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has tried to downplay India’s decision not to invite Imran Khan for Narendra Modi’s swearing-in on Thursday, saying the Indian Prime Minister’s “internal politics” does not permit him to extend an invitation to his Pakistani counterpart. The government on Monday announced in New Delhi that it has invited leaders from BIMSTEC countries to Prime Minister Modi’s inauguration, leaving out Pakistan, which is not a member of the regional grouping. The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. Reacting to reports that India has not invited Pakistan Prime Minister Khan to Prime Minister Modi’s inauguration, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said a meeting for the sake of dialogue to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, as well as Siachen and Sir Creek disputes, would have been a significant measure instead of attending the swearing-in ceremony. “His (Prime Minister Modi’s) entire focus (during the election campaign) was on Pakistan-bashing. It was unwise to expect that he can get rid of this narrative (soon),” Qureshi was quoted as saying by Dawn news. “India’s internal politics did not permit him to extend an invitation,” he said. In 2014, then Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif had attended Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in held on May 26 in New Delhi when the leaders of SAARC countries were invited. Speaking to Geo News on Monday, Qureshi said Modi had congratulated Khan after he won the general election last year and wrote a letter as well. Prime Minister Khan, breaking the ice in bilateral ties, spoke to his Indian counterpart Modi on Sunday and expressed his desire to work together for the betterment of their peoples. “Relations between the countries were based on reciprocity and PM Khan had congratulated Mr Modi as a goodwill gesture,” the Pakistani foreign minister said. “Finding a new way (to resume dialogue) is also essential for them (India). If he (Modi) wants development of this region… the only way is to sit with Pakistan to find a solution. “It is in the interest of Pakistan to defuse tensions… Pakistan did not create tension,” Qureshi said. Prime Minister Modi on Thursday led his Bharatiya Janata Party to a landmark victory for a second five-year term in office, winning 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14. Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was handed over to India. (PTI) Read the full article

[fastworldnews1]

PM Imran Khan promises referendum for Kashmir,s independence

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday promised the people of Kashmir that his government will hold a referendum in which they can choose to join Pakistan or become an independent state if they wish.

Addressed an election campaign rally in Tarar Khal, he rubbished talk of him "wishing to turn Azad Jammu and Kashmir into a new province of Pakistan".

"I do not know where all this talk has sprung from," he said, dismissing any notion of such an idea.

"But what I want to make clear now, is that in 1948, there were two United Nations Security Council resolutions which granted the people of Kashmir the right to decide their own future. According to the UN resolutions, the people had to decide whether they want to join Hindustan or Pakistan.

"I want to clarify to all of you today. InshaAllah, a day will come, when all the sacrifices made by the people of Kashmir, will not be wasted. God will grant you that right. There will be a referendum, InshaAllah.

He expressed the confidence that the people on that day will choose to live with Pakistan.

The premier went on to state that after the UN mandated referendum, his government will hold another referendum, where the people of Kashmir will be given the choice to either live with Pakistan or become an independent state.

PM Imran Khan said the freedom struggle of Kashmiris pre-dates partition and began more than a 100 years ago, when the people stood up time and again against the Dogra government.

The Dogra family was a dynasty of Hindu Rajputs who ruled Jammu & Kashmir from 1846 to 1947.

Moving on to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, due on Sunday, the prime minister said that there is already talk that "there will be rigging".

He said when he used to play cricket, it was standard practice for countries to have their own umpires, and teams that were fearful of losing against a powerful team, would preemptively raise a hue and cry about losing the match due to the other country's umpire officiating.

"The Noon League, which I truly believe has never done a single thing with honesty, have begun talk of rigging already.

"The government is yours, the staff is yours, the Election Commission is comprised of people of your own choosing, and it is we who will do elections?" he asked the party.

Sharing an anecdote from when he used to play cricket at Lahore's Gymkhana Club, he said that one day he and his friends noticed a "plump man, seemingly very enthused about playing cricket" visit the club.

"That man was Nawaz Sharif," the prime minister said.

PM Imran Khan said "everything he will go on to say from that point is true", adding that people who used to play at the club in those days, will back him.

The premier said that Nawaz's cricket "was about as good as his politics".

"But then he became a finance minister. When he would come to play a match, he would bring his own umpires to the ground: one a deputy commissioner, one a commissioner. Whenever he was out, they would declare it as a no ball. Since then, the Noon League has fallen into this bad habit. For them, good umpiring is only when it is their own man," PM Imran Khan said.

The premier said that in 200 years of Test Cricket history, it was Pakistan that brought neutral umpires and the man who was captain at the time "is standing right before you all". He said at a time when West Indies was the most robust team in cricket, when even losing against them gracefully was a tall order, Pakistan brought neutral umpires to the match, back in 1986.

"And today, there are neutral umpires the world over."

The prime minister said that the government had been asking the Opposition for the past year to come work with the government on electoral reforms "but no one ever comes".

"We recommended electronic voting machines. What happens is that right after the election ends, the result is out with the press of a button.

"You don't have to worry about going through boxes of votes. Neither is there any fear of the boxes being stolen, nor of double-stamping. This is the marvel of technology. The result is instantaneous," the premier said.

He said the Opposition "refused to listen and is now crying rigging".

PM Imran Khan said that one can rest assured that Pakistan "will become a great nation".

He said that over his half-an-hour ride to the rally venue he was surrounded by immense beauty and it made him realise that if even a little bit of effort is put, Pakistan can earn big from tourism.

The prime minister regretted the effects of the war on terror on Pakistan and said it was "this region that suffered the most".

He said after his government came into power, in 2013 and 2018, according to a UN report, poverty registered a significant decline in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The premier said that the province to spend the most on human development was KP. In 2013, there was a coalition government and then in 2018, "the province that never votes for a party twice, had PTI win with a two-thirds majority".

"So my first and foremost efforts will be geared at reducing poverty in Azad Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

He cited the Ehsaas programme, in which by December, 40% of the underprivileged will have access to subsidised food.

Also citing the Kamiyab Pakistan programme, he said one person of every family will receive technical education and the family will have health insurance worth Rs1 million. In addition, one person will be granted an interest-free loan to start a business.

"We have set aside Rs500bn for this programme," he said.

The premier asked whether in the last 10 years, anyone had fought as hard for Kashmir on international forums. "You can assess the two governments over the last 10 years and just the three years we have been in government."

"Did anyone go to the United Nations? Did anyone give an interview abroad?

"What to say of all these things, Narendra Modi is instead being invited to weddings. He is bad-mouthing Pakistan, blinding the people of Kashmir with pellet guns and torturing them. And he is being invited to weddings after much begging and pleading," the premier said.

Referring to a book by Barkha Dutt, he said that it states that Nawaz Sharif "held secret meetings with Modi".

"He held a secret meeting because he was afraid of the Pakistan Army. Then, he goes to India but does not meet Hurriyat leaders out of fear of angering Modi.

"These leaders of yours. Ask them. What did they do in the five years they has been in power here?" he said, as he continued to criticise the PML-N.

He did not spare the mention of PPP either.

"And that Zardari. He would think of Kashmir if he had time to spare from counting his money," the premier said.

PM Imran Khan promised he would continue to raise his voice for the people of Kashmir. "Pakistan will always remain by your side," he added.

"I wish to salute Ali Geelani who is in jail in occupied Kashmir, and his struggle. And Yasin Malik," the prime minister said.

He said when there was an earthquake 16 years ago in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Yasin Malik and he visited the affected areas here. "He had brought money over with him from Kashmir and he distributed it among people here. I will never forget that."

"Continue to exercise patience, Yasin Malik. InshaAllah, good times will come soon. The entire nation of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir are with you and praying for you and the people of Kashmir."

"It is our belief. Kashmir will get this right, to decide its own future," he reiterated, as he concluded his address.

https://ift.tt/3zxbCzw

[bbcbreakingnews]

PM Modi offers condolences to Sharif on his mother’s death

LAHORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a personal letter to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif last month, extending heartfelt condolences to Pakistan’s former premier over his mother’s death, recalling that her simplicity and warmth were “indeed very touching”. In the letter dated November 27, which was released by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his “heartfelt condolences” to Sharif over his mother’s death on November 22. The letter was forwarded to Sharif’s daughter and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad last week with a request to be conveyed to her father, who has been residing in London since last year, the Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday. “Dear Mian Sahib, I am deeply saddened to learn about the demise of your mother Begum Shamim Akhtar on November 22 in London. My heartfelt condolences are with you in this hour of intense grief,” Modi wrote. Prime Minister Modi recalled his interaction with Sharif’s mother during his brief surprise visit to Lahore in 2015, saying: “Her simplicity and warmth was indeed very touching.” “In this moment of profound grief, I pray to the Almighty to bestow strength upon you and your family to bear this irreparable loss,” he added. In a separate letter sent to Maryam on December 11 at her Lahore residence, Indian Charge d’Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia requested her to convey the condolence message to Nawaz in London, the paper said. Sharif, three-time former prime minister who is entangled in a number of corruption cases, has been in London since November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for treating the heart disease and an immune system disorder. Sharif’s mother Begum Shamim Akhtar died in Britain on November 22. Her body was later flown to Pakistan and she was buried at the family’s Jati Umra estate in Lahore. In December 2015, Modi had paid a brief surprise visit to Lahore on his way back to India from Afghanistan. He was received by Sharif and both leaders had flown to Raiwind from Lahore airport in a helicopter. Modi then briefly attended Sharif’s grand daughter’s wedding ceremony at his residence and held a brief meeting with his Pakistani counterpart at the time before departing for New Delhi. This was the first time an Indian premier visited Pakistan in more than a decade. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship. The relations between the two countries further deteriorated after India scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated it into two union territories.

source https://bbcbreakingnews.com/2020/12/18/pm-modi-offers-condolences-to-sharif-on-his-mothers-death/

[riyadhvision]

UN chief says meetings with India, Pakistan PM can help resolve Kashmir dispute

UN chief says meetings with India, Pakistan PM can help resolve Kashmir dispute

Gueterres said he hoped to facilitate discussion and conversation between both the countries.

:: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has suggested that meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi can help resolve the ongoing conflict in Kashmir.

Kashmir has been a center of regional tension between both the countries since their 1947…

[werindialive]

Uddhav Thackeray & team meets PM Modi over GST & Maratha reservation issues

Maharashtra Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday had his second meeting with PM Narendra Modi after becoming the CM of the state. They held talks over state issues, and also had a 30-minutes long private meeting which has given birth to several speculation in the political circles.

After the meeting, Thackeray had a media interaction in which he showed his satisfaction over the meeting. Reportedly, Thackeray and two cabinet members raised 12 issues to the PM. Maratha reservation and GST issues were the core focus point. “We met the PM on important issues of the state and gave him notes on all. He heard us seriously and promised to look into them. We are hopeful the PM will resolve the issues positively.”

He also said that he extended his thanks to the PM for the new vaccine policy under which the center would now be responsible for the procurement of the vaccine.

Thackeray was accompanied by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and PWD Minister Ashok Chavan and Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte.

Talking about his one-on-one meeting with the PM, Thackeray said: “Today we are not politically together, but that does not mean that the relationship has broken. There is nothing wrong if I meet him. I didn’t go to meet Nawaz Sharif.” The remark was however a reference of PM Modi surprisingly visiting the Prime Minister of Pakistan in December 2015.

“So, we requested the PM to initiate the legal process. Even if states get the power for SEBC reservation, it will not be useful due to the 50% upper limit for reservation. There is a need to relax that limit. The PM assured us that he will get information on this and take further steps,” the Congress leader Chavan, who is the chairman of a Maharashtra Cabinet sub-committee on Maratha quota said.

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What's wrong in meeting PM Narendra Modi, he is no Nawaz Sharif: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

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New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday led a delegation of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi authorities to satisfy Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to debate round a dozen necessary pending points regarding the state, officers stated. In keeping with reviews, he was accompanied by his deputy Ajit Pawar and senior Congress chief Ashok Chavan. Thackeray additionally…

[indianlocalnews]

What's wrong in meeting PM Modi, he is not Nawaz Sharif: Uddhav Thackeray

What’s wrong in meeting PM Modi, he is not Nawaz Sharif: Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today and discussed issues related to the Maratha reservation, Metro car shed and GST compensation, news agency PTI reported. Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan accompanied Thackeray. “We may not be politically together but that doesn’t mean our relationship…