Tag: Pakistan foreign ministry

  • Pakistan condemns burning of Quran in Sweden on Eid-ul-Azha

    Pakistan’s foreign office has condemned the burning of the Holy Quran by a protester in Sweden on Wednesday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

    “Such wilful incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence cannot be justified under pretext of freedom of expression and protest”, read the statement issued by the foreign office.

    “Under international law, States are duty bound to prohibit any advocacy of religious hatred, leading to incitement of violence,” it added.

    Salwan Momika, said to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of the Quran in front of Stockholm’s central mosque.

    Turkey has also condemned the desecration, calling it a “heinous act.”

    “It is unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of expression. To turn a blind eye to such heinous acts is to be complicit in them,” a statement issued by Turkey’s foreign minister read. 

    Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the Quran burning was “legal but not appropriate”.

  • ‘Pakistan is still under influence of the US’: Moeed Yusuf

    ‘Pakistan is still under influence of the US’: Moeed Yusuf

    National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf has made a statement that Pakistan’s foreign policy is still not free from the influence of the United States (US).

    In Geo News programme “Jirga”, the advisor said, “It [Pakistan] is still not [free from US influence] and I doubt that there is any country which is free from it.” He added that Pakistan does not have financial and economic independence as it does not have enough assets to meet the requirements of the increase in population.

    “When we cannot fulfill the demands, we seek foreign loans. When you procure loans, your economic sovereignty is compromised,” the national security adviser said.

    Moreover, he said that this affects a country’s foreign policy and when foreign policy is affected, you cannot run the affairs of the country properly.

    Responding to a query about Pakistan-India relations, he said that Islamabad wants to improve ties with New Delhi, but had to halt diplomatic contacts due to India’s on-seriousness and extremist attitude.

  • 12 dead as a bus carrying Chinese workers plunged into ravine

    12 dead as a bus carrying Chinese workers plunged into ravine

    Nine Chinese nationals and three Pakistanis lost their lives on Wednesday. Chinese workers and accompanying Pakistani staff were proceeding to their workplace for an ongoing project, as per a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). 

     “The bus plunged into a ravine after a mechanical failure resulting in leakage of gas that caused a blast. Further investigations are underway,” said MoFA.

    “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely in contact with the Chinese Embassy for coordination and facilitation,” read the foreign affairs ministry’s statement.

    The ministry added, “The Government and people of Pakistan extend sincere condolences to the families of Chinese and Pakistani workers who lost their lives in the incident. We also pray for quick recovery of the injured.”

    The Foreign Office said Pakistan attaches great importance to the safety and security of “Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Pakistan”.

  • TLP ban: federal cabinet approves formation of a review committee

    TLP ban: federal cabinet approves formation of a review committee

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said in a press conference that a committee has been formed in line with the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). It will hear the appeal by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and send its recommendations to the cabinet.

    CPEC visas, electronic voting, Palestine issue, and economy were some of the few agendas discussed during the federal cabinet meeting.

    The use of electronic voting machines has been approved by the cabinet. Chaudhry said that members of Bar associations and press clubs told him they want to use this technology for their elections. He said the government will help them.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1397142494803070976

    A special procedure has been approved for visas for Chinese citizens who want to invest in CPEC projects. These work visas will be valid for two years and will be issued within 48 hours. Separate immigration counters will be established for their facilitation.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1397150396074930176
  • Pakistan summons French envoy for ‘hurting sentiments’ of Muslims

    Pakistan summons French envoy for ‘hurting sentiments’ of Muslims

    A day after French President Emmanuel Macron criticised Islam, Pakistan summoned French envoy to register a protest for hurting sentiments of Muslims around the world.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reportedly said that it was time to make a collective decision on the sensitive issue. “Civilised nations should respect Muslim sentiments,” he added.

    The foreign minister also proposed declaring March 15 a “Day of Solidarity” to honour the 2019 Christchurch attack in New Zealand, as he announced to take up the issue on the forum of the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

    Qureshi’s comments follow a statement by the Foreign Office wherein it expressed concerns “at highly disturbing statements by certain politicians justifying such heinous acts under the garb of freedom of expression and equating Islam with terrorism, for narrow electoral and political gains.”

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has also condemned Macron, saying that the French president “attacked Islam” by encouraging the display of the blasphemous caricatures.

    Meanwhile, France has urged Arab countries to stop calls for boycotts of French products, while President Emmanuel Macron vowed the country would never give in to “Islamic radicals”.

    The French Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement released on Sunday that in recent days there had been calls to boycott French products, notably food products, in several Middle Eastern countries as well as calls for demonstrations against France over the publication of satirical cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).