PM, COAS visit Peshawar Corps HQ

 

PESHAWAR: Expressing satisfaction over the success of the ongoing operation “Zarb-e-Azb”, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the pace of success of armed forces in the operation was very encouraging. “We will win this war,” he vowed.
He said this while visiting the Peshawar Corps Headquarters on Friday where he was briefed by corp commander, Peshawar, on Zarb-e-Azb. The prime minister was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Raheel Sharif, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi, Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch.

The prime minister said that the entire nation was supporting the armed forces in the war against terror and will overcome every challenge. “The goal of achieving peace is not very far and I have full confidence that with the help of Allah Almighty, we will win this war,” he said.

He was briefed on different stages of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in the North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in bordering areas of KP with Fata.

He said the government and armed forces would ensure the provision of all possible help to the affected people and the federal government will provide required resources in this regard. Earlier, the prime minister laid a floral wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada at the headquarters of 11 Corps and prayed for the departed souls. Nawaz also held meetings with KP Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan and Chief Minister Pervaiz Khan Khattak at the Governor’s House, Peshawar, before returning to Islamabad.

Army Chief embarks on official visit to China

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif left here for China on Monday on an official visit at the invitation of Chinese authorities.

According to a press release of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), during the visit, the COAS will call on China’s political and military leadership. The interaction will encompass Pak-China relations with particular emphasis on defence and security cooperation.

Earlier, the Army Chief was seen off at Nur Khan Air Base by senior military officials.

Major parties welcome Sharif’s India visit

 

ISLAMABAD: Major political parties on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend his swearing-in ceremony.
In their separate statements, the leaders of major political parties said Sharif’s invitation to accept Modi’s invitation was a step in the right direction that would pave the way for detente between Pakistan and India.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept the invitation to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi.

PPP spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said the former president termed the decision “politically correct and wise”.

“Such decisions are often not easy but are necessary and need to be taken by the political leadership in the larger national interest,” he said.

In a press talk on Thursday, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah had advised Nawaz Sharif to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Khursheed said he was a supporter of every step taken for the peace initiative, and if the prime minister attended the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi, it will ease tension between Pakistan and India.

He was of the opinion that if tension eased between the two countries then the people of both countries will heave a sigh of relief.

“When we want to keep good relations with the United States and Russia then why not with neighbours,” he added.

Agencies add: In a statement, President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Javed Hashmi also welcomed the government’s decision saying that Sharif’s visit was in the national interest. He said there would be progress on the core issues between the two countries.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said by accepting the invitation, the Government of Pakistan had given a positive gesture to the Indian government.

Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) said the prime minister had taken a very good decision to participate in the oath-taking ceremony of his Indian counterpart.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed said the nation, army and government should be on the same page when it came to the security of Pakistan.

Talking to media persons at the Karachi airport Saturday, Saeed did not approve of Nawaz’ visit to India and advised him to reconsider his decision. He also warned him to be very cautious during his visit to India.

Major parties welcome Sharif’s India visit

 

ISLAMABAD: Major political parties on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend his swearing-in ceremony.
In their separate statements, the leaders of major political parties said Sharif’s invitation to accept Modi’s invitation was a step in the right direction that would pave the way for detente between Pakistan and India.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept the invitation to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi.

PPP spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said the former president termed the decision “politically correct and wise”.

“Such decisions are often not easy but are necessary and need to be taken by the political leadership in the larger national interest,” he said.

In a press talk on Thursday, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah had advised Nawaz Sharif to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Khursheed said he was a supporter of every step taken for the peace initiative, and if the prime minister attended the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi, it will ease tension between Pakistan and India.

He was of the opinion that if tension eased between the two countries then the people of both countries will heave a sigh of relief.

“When we want to keep good relations with the United States and Russia then why not with neighbours,” he added.

Agencies add: In a statement, President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Javed Hashmi also welcomed the government’s decision saying that Sharif’s visit was in the national interest. He said there would be progress on the core issues between the two countries.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said by accepting the invitation, the Government of Pakistan had given a positive gesture to the Indian government.

Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party (ANP) said the prime minister had taken a very good decision to participate in the oath-taking ceremony of his Indian counterpart.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed said the nation, army and government should be on the same page when it came to the security of Pakistan.

Talking to media persons at the Karachi airport Saturday, Saeed did not approve of Nawaz’ visit to India and advised him to reconsider his decision. He also warned him to be very cautious during his visit to India.

Pakistan issues schedule for PM Nawaz visit to India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday issued schedule of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India, where the premier would participate in the swearing-in ceremony of India's PM-designate Narendra Modi.

According to the statement issued by the foreign office, PM Nawaz will visit India on May 26 to attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chauhdry will accompany PM Nawaz.

The statement from Sharif's office said the prime minister had been invited this week by New Delhi to attend the ceremony. Sharif already congratulated Modi over his victory in the election.

Nawaz Sharif will have a bilateral meeting with Modi on Tuesday, May 27. He will also meet the Indian President.

Pakistani PM will return home in the afternoon on May 27.

Obama opens long-awaited visit to Malaysia

 

AP U.S. President Barack Obama waves from the doorway of Air Force One upon his arrival for his two-day state visit in Malaysia, at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, Malaysia, on Saturday.

Opening the first visit to Malaysia by a U.S. president in nearly half a century, Barack Obama looked ahead Saturday to economic and security talks with Prime Minister Najib Razak, who leads a southeast Asian nation with an important role in efforts to forge deeper relations with Asia.

Stepping off his plane and onto a red carpet at the Royal Malaysian Air Base, Mr. Obama was whisked by limousine to Kuala Lumpur’s Parliament Square, where canon salutes rang out as Malaysia’s king and prime minister greeted Mr. Obama under muggy skies. A military band played the U.S. and Malaysian national anthems twice and Obama inspected an elaborate honor guard in crisp green and white before the arrival ceremony came to a close.

Mr. Obama’s next stop was the Istana Negara, the National Palace, for an audience with Malaysia’s royal family before he takes his seat on later Saturday at a state dinner being held in his honour.

During the two—day visit, which follows stops in Japan and South Korea, Mr. Obama will also meet with citizen leaders and hold a town hall—style forum with young leaders from across the region. But Obama rejected calls from human rights groups to meet with a prominent opposition leader while in Malaysia.

Ben Rhodes, Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser, said relations between the U.S. and Malaysia have blossomed in recent years and that the country has become a “pivotal state” in the Obama administration’s push to strengthen ties throughout the fast—growing and strategically important region.

Trade, defense and maritime security are among the issues Mr. Obama and Mr. Najib were expected to discuss during talks scheduled for Sunday.

Amitabh accepts invitation to visit Pakistan

LAHORE: Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan has accepted invitation to visit Pakistan, say media reports.

In reply to a letter of PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Amitabh Bachchan wrote his mother’s ancestral roots go back to Faisalabad, where she was born, and to Lahore Government College where she spent her educational life.

He further wrote that his Grandfather was a prominent Bar-at-Law and functioned out of Karachi, adding that he was also in a revenue ministerial post for the erstwhile Punjab government, now Pakistan.

Expressing gratitude over the invitation extended to him by Chaudhry Shujaat, Amitabh promised to keep this in mind whenever there was an opportunity to visit Pakistan.

Earlier, Chaudhry Shujaat had sent a letter inviting Amitabh Bachchan to visit Pakistan through Raza Murad.

Asian stocks mixed on Obama visit, US dip

TOKYO: Asian shares lacked a clear direction in early Thursday trading as players took a mostly wait-and-see view ahead of talks between Japan´s prime minister and visiting President Barack Obama.

Adding to the mixed view was the fall on Wall Street overnight, despite a solid earnings report from Apple Inc. that sent that issue higher. Other earnings reports were disappointing.

The Nikkei, the benchmark for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, lost 0.15 percent within the first hour of trading to 14,524.66. South Korea´s Kospi inched up 0.1 percent to 2,002.44.

Asia is abuzz this week with Obama´s arrival late Wednesday in Tokyo for the first state visit by an American president to Japan in nearly 20 years. He will later go to South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Focus is on what Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may say about negotiations on a wide-reaching trans-Pacific trade agreement, despite resistance from local interests on both sides to wiping out tariffs.

Sentiment on Asian markets were dampened by worries about the U.S. economy, highlighted by a surprise drop in new home sales as well as dismal earnings.

The Standard & Poor´s 500 index lost 4.16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,875.39. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 12.72 points, or 0.1 percent, to 16,501.65 and the Nasdaq composite fell 34.49 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,126.97.Elsewhere in the world, stocks mostly slid Wednesday.

The pessimism overshadowed confirmation from the European Union that Greece achieved a primary surplus in 2013 — what´s left when interest payments are stripped out.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed down 0.1 percent at 6,674.74 while Germany´s DAX fell 0.6 percent to 9,544.19. The CAC-40 in France ended 0.7 percent lower at 4,451.08.

The dollar was little changed in early Asian trading at 102.47 yen from 102.51 yen late the previous day. The euro was higher at $1.3820 from $1.3716.A barrel of benchmark New York crude was down 14 cents at $101.61. (AP)

German, French ministers visit Moldova, Georgia

The German and French foreign ministers are making a joint visit to Moldova and Georgia, former Soviet republics that have breakaway regions with Russian-speaking populations, as tensions simmer over Russia’s intentions in Ukraine.

Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier and France’s Laurent Fabius were heading on Wednesday for the Moldovan capital, Chisinau. The trip which also will take them to Tunisia, one of the European Union’s southern neighbours was conceived at the beginning of the year as part of an effort to reinvigorate foreign-policy ties between Berlin and Paris.

Mr. Steinmeier says Germany and France “take very seriously the deep anxiety” with which their eastern partners view the situation in Ukraine.

The EU is pushing ahead with association agreements with Moldova and Georgia.

PM Nawaz to visit Gwadar today

KARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Gwadar today (Thursday), Geo News reported.

The premier will be given briefing on Balochistan law and order situation besides pace of work on Gwadar economic corridor.

Nawaz Sharif will also chair high-level meeting on law and order situation in Balochistan. Chief Minister Balochistan, provincial ministers and other officials will attend the meeting

Royal couple visit wildfire-affected Aussie town

SYDNEY: Britain´s Prince William and his wife, Kate, visited a town ravaged by wildfires in the mountains west of Sydney on Thursday, as they continue their Down Under tour.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stopped in the Blue Mountains town of Winmalee to meet with firefighters and locals affected by wildfires that swept through the region last year, destroying more than 200 homes.

William and Kate also visited a Girl Guides hall, where they planted a tree, and later took in the sweeping views of the mountains.

"Here we are five months down the track after we lost our house and for them to come out now, it makes us feel like we haven´t been forgotten," said Adrian Harrison, whose house was destroyed in the fires.

The royal couple is on a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia. Their itinerary includes seeing local wildlife at Sydney´s harbor side zoo and traveling to Uluru, the iconic red sandstone monolith in the Outback. (AP)

 

PM to visit UK this month, says Sartaj

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit the United Kingdom for a summit level meeting later this month and discuss with his British counterpart the means to boost trade between the two countries.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said this while speaking as chief guest at a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner to Islamabad Philip Barton here on Tuesday to mark the 88th birthday of Queen Elizabeth 11.

Sartaj Aziz said the annual bilateral trade between Pakistan and the UK had already gone up from 1.6 billion pounds to 2.3 billion pounds and the two sides were targeting to take it to 3 billion pounds during the current fiscal year. He said the British entrepreneurs had been making very useful investments in Pakistan that would help further strengthen the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Besides, the two countries were also working to promote relations in the areas of arts, culture and music, Sartaj said. The British high commissioner praised Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism and said Britain stood behind it in its drive against “the evil of terrorism”.

“These continue to be challenging times for Pakistan and we pay tributes to its people who have sacrificed so much. The UK stands behind Pakistan and its people as it tackles the evil of terrorism,” he said.

The event was attended by around 1,000 guests and representatives of political parties, military, diplomatic corps, civil society, media and business. The year 2014 marks the 62nd anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne.

US defence chief to visit China's first aircraft carrier

TOKYO: US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is expected to get a rare tour Monday of China´s first aircraft carrier, becoming the first foreign visitor to go aboard the ship.

A senior defense official said Hagel requested the visit, which comes a day after he told reporters that China must better respect its neighbors — a pointed allusion to Beijing´s ongoing territorial dispute with Japan and others over remote islands in the East China Sea. He also has continued to urge Beijing to be more transparent about its expanding military.

China spent a decade refurbishing the derelict Soviet-era carrier bought from Ukraine before commissioning it as the Liaoning in 2012. It moved to Qingdao in February 2013 and is part of a major expansion of the Chinese navy that includes sophisticated new surface ships and submarines.

Early this year the Liaoning completed sea trials in the South China Sea. The official Xinhua News Agency said the carrier tested its combat system, conducted a formation practice and "attained the anticipated objectives.

"On Dec. 5, early in the Liaoning´s trial run, one of the Chinese ships accompanying it was involved in a near collision with a US Navy cruiser, the USS Cowpens, when it was operating in international waters in the South China Sea.

US Navy officials said the Cowpens maneuvered to avoid the collision, but it marked the two nations´ most serious sea confrontation in years. At the time, a Chinese media report said the U.S. ship got too close to the Liaoning.

Hagel is on a 10-day trip to the Asia Pacific region and was leaving Japan Monday to travel to China. He is scheduled to meet with senior Chinese leaders before traveling to Mongolia, then returning home.

Najib, Abbott visit search base for missing plane

 

AP A woman, one of the relatives of Chinese passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 sits alone after attending a briefing by Malaysian officials at a hotel in Beijing.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak joined his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott Thursday in an inspection of the air force base in Perth that is serving as the centre of a huge international operation to find missing flight MH370.

Welcoming Najib to Pearce Air Force base north of Perth, the search coordinator, former Air Force chief Angus Houston, said the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines airliner was “one of the most complex operations the world has ever seen.” Najib received a personal briefing on the operation under way in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed.

Houston added that families of the 239 people on board the lost flight MH370 were welcome to visit the search headquarters in Perth.

The focus shifted Thursday to the north of Wednesday’s search zone, and aimed to cover 223,000 square kilometres, 1,680 kilometres west of Perth.

Eight planes and nine ships are involved, with a British nuclear submarine HMS Tireless joining the search along with UK search vessel HMS Echo.

Seeking to dampen expectations the search will be successful before the plane’s black box battery runs out in less than a week, Houston said it takes a long time to find ships and planes at the bottom of the ocean.

He noted it took 60 years to find the huge cruiser HMAS Sydney sunk in World War Two, even after witnesses saw the ship exploding over the horizon.

Malaysian police on Wednesday ruled out any of the passengers as suspects in the disappearance of flight MH370 on March 8, but said the investigation into the cabin crew, in particular the pilots, was ongoing.

Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the mystery of what happened on MH370 may never be solved.

Tanisha's Secret Visit To Armaan's House

Tanisha's sister Kajol may not have approved of her decision in marrying Armaan Kohli, but nonetheless, Tanisha seems to have not taken it seriously. She has definitely decided to take her relationship a step ahead. Recently, a leading tabloid reported spotting Armaan and Tanisha together celebrating Holi at Armaan's residence.

 

Armaan had introduced his lady love to his parents and they treat her like family. Tanisha felt at home in Armaan's house. They were seen playing with colours and exchanged sweets as a part of mooh meetha ceremony.

 

Well, the buzz is now that Armaan's parents have approved their relationship, although, they are yet to make an official announcement. Watch this space for more.

Agencies gathering details of NGOs, visit Kishwar Naheed

Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif is to be briefed by members of local and international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), about government agencies using the name of the Ministry of Defence while carrying out their investigations.

On Monday, the country’s leading poet Ms Kishwar Naheed who runs an NGO, Hawwa Women Craft Cooperatives, was approached by an official who said she was from the Ministry of Defence and wanted Ms Naheed to fill a form giving details about Hawwa. “She was a young well groomed lady, who said she was here from the Ministry of Defence and wanted me to fill a form giving details about Hawwa. When I demanded to see some sort of identification, she showed me her identification papers which clearly showed that she was working for the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). When I asked her why she was lying, she said I must speak to someone, who she got on her phone,” Ms Naheed told The News.

A ‘major sahib’ came on the line and requested Ms Naheed to fill the form.“I have years of working experience and demanded that there should be a letter of authority requesting that a certain form should be filled and why. If it is an authoritative letter, I will not hesitate to fill it, as I have nothing to hide.

I told the ISI official that she should leave the form and I will have a look at it,” added Ms Naheed.Soon the lady from the ISI talked to the ‘major sahib’ once again, and later asked Ms Naheed to return the form and then left.

Later a representative of an international NGO told The News: “The ISI has certainly changed its manner of functioning and has now recruited young and pleasant-mannered ladies. It appears the era of the major sahib and colonel sahib walking into offices and homes has changed. But this ISI official was a complete novice. No spook ever reveals which agency he or she is working for, rarely shows identification papers and normally spooks name another agencies for cover.”

The News had recently reported that the government was in the process of bringing in a fresh law for all NGO’s working in Pakistan. The ISI questioner had questions related to the workings of NGO’s but it is not clear as to why before the new law has come into effect this exercise is being taken up.

“The ISI is a national institution and if it has some genuine questions about Hawwa, I do not have any problems. But this visit by the ISI has left me very uncomfortable,” says Ms Naheed.Representatives of local and international NGO’s when they heard about the experience of Ms Naheed feel they should meet the minister of defence to get some clarity about these new forms for NGO’s and whether the Ministry had been taken into confidence by ISI about this new procedure.Telephone calls made to the ISPR and Ministry of Defence and text messages to get their side of the story remained unanswered.

PM to visit drought-hit Tharparker Monday

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will visit the drought affected district of Tharparker in Sindh on Monday.
During the visit, Nawaz Sharif will review relief activities in the affected areas.He will also visit the District Headquarters Hospital Tharparker.

High-level visit: Beijing promises full support to end militancy

China’s Defence Minister Gen Chang Wanquan meets PM Nawaz. PHOTO: INP 

ISLAMABAD:  China has thrown its weight behind Pakistan’s efforts to end the violence that has plagued the country for over a decade.

China’s Defence Minister General Chang Wanquan extended his country’s full support in rooting out militancy from Pakistan in a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday, officials told The Express Tribune.

They said the premier briefed the visiting Chinese minister over Pakistan’s current security situation and the steps his government was taking to end the violence.
The development comes against the backdrop of reports which suggest the government is on the verge of launching a ground offensive against militants in North Waziristan Agency.
China is believed to have been taking keen interest in the possible operation because of its concerns over Pakistani militants’ links with separatists in China’s Xinjiang province.
According to an official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Nawaz said Pakistan deeply values China’s support on issues of Pakistan’s national security and territorial integrity. He reiterated that Islamabad and Beijing enjoy a ‘unique relationship’.
“Strong mutual trust, excellent cooperation and convergence of views on regional and global issues provide a solid foundation for our time-tested, all-weather friendship,” the statement quoted the premier as saying.
He also deeply appreciated Chinese support for projects included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in the recent Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC).
“China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will not only benefit both nations, but transform the region’s economy and dovetail perfectly with the strategy to develop and connect south and central Asian regions,” he said.
Premier Nawaz told Gen Chang that providing security to Chinese nationals in Pakistan was his government’s utmost priority and all possible steps had been taken to ensure this.
He also voiced his confidence that cooperation between Pakistan and China, including in the field of defence, will continue to grow to the benefit of both the countries. The visiting minister reiterated his government’s support for Pakistan.
The meeting was also attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi.
Hilal-e-Pakistan for China’s defence minister
President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday conferred the Hilal-e-Pakistan upon the Chinese defence minister in a special investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The President conferred the award on General Chang Wanquan in recognition of his role and meritorious services for further promoting the already existing close bonds of friendship especially defence cooperation between Pakistan and China, an official statement said.
“General Chang Wanquan, a great friend of Pakistan, played an important role in further strengthening bonds between the People’s Liberation Army of China and armed forces of Pakistan besides promoting bilateral defence cooperation,” the citation read on the occasion said.