Tag: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

  • Shah Mehmood refuses to directly answer question about Biden not calling Khan, says it’s irrelevant

    Shah Mehmood refuses to directly answer question about Biden not calling Khan, says it’s irrelevant

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while speaking on Samaa News programme, revealed that talks of Pakistan with the President of United States (US) Joe Biden are now irrelevant.

    Speaking on ‘Nadeem Malik Live’, Qureshi said, “These talks with America have no weight, they are irrelevant.”

    Nadeem interjected and said that Pakistan does not want to talk to America, to which Qureshi said, “We will talk to them, whenever required we will talk to them [America]. When they need to talk to us, they do so.”

    “When we require we engage with them. When I was in New York I met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, we had a great meeting,” said Qureshi.

    Nadeem questioned Qureshi if the relationship between America and Pakistan had scaled down? Qureshi negating the question said, “No, the relationship has scaled up now.”

    “Why can’t you talk to Biden?” questioned Nadeem. “Biden as a personality has many institutions and has many channels of communication. Those channels of communications are open to us and we use them,” responded Qureshi.

    Later when Nadeem reminded him that there was a time when foreign office used to actively work to get a call for the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) assembly, now Qureshi was stating that the Biden call is irrelevant.

    Negating his previous statement, Qureshi said, “There is no harm in meeting Biden. But if he [Biden] thinks that he is busy with things and he might have is own preferences, so we have no hurry as well.”

    “Why has Biden kept us away from him as a policy, and has disengaged with us,” questioned Nadeem?

    “[Biden] can give the answer to this,” said Qureshi.

  • FBR data 2019: CM Buzdar paid Rs2,000 tax, PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gillani paid zero tax

    FBR data 2019: CM Buzdar paid Rs2,000 tax, PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gillani paid zero tax

    The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) released its 2019 tax directory for parliamentarians. According to the document, the directory complied tax returns filed manually and electronically till January 3, reports Dawn.

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said that special efforts were made by FBR to make the directory more informative “which will help not only in educating taxpayers but also in encouraging compliance with tax laws as a national duty.”

    According to the data, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan paid Rs98 lakh. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif paid Rs82 lakh while Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari paid Rs5 lakhs 30 thousand.

    Former president Asif Ali Zardari paid Rs22 lakhs. Finance minister, Shaukat Tarin paid Rs2 crore 66 lakhs while former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi paid Rs49 lakhs.

    Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah paid Rs11 lakhs while Punjab CM Usman Buzdar paid a minimal Rs2,000.

    Current Balochistan CM Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo Rs11 lakhs and his predecessor Jam Kamal Khan paid Rs11 lakhs 80,000. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Mahmood Khan paid Rs66,258.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi paid Rs9 lakhs while Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar paid Rs43 lakhs. Energy Minister Hammad Azhar paid Rs 1 crore 80 lakhs.

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Senator Faisal Subzwari, Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas, and Punjab Prisons Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan were among several lawmakers that paid Rs2,000.

    Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Yousuf Raza Gillani and PML-N’s Azma Zahid Bokhari did not pay anything in taxes.

  • Pakistan offers to host OIC summit to discuss Afghan crisis

    Pakistan offers to host OIC summit to discuss Afghan crisis

    Foreign Minister (FM) of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi has announced that Pakistan fully endorses Saudi Arabia’s move to request an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the current Afghanistan situation after the Taliban takeover.

    Qureshi said, “Afghanistan is a founding member of the OIC. As part of the Islamic Ummah, we are bound by fraternal bonds of amity and brotherhood with the people of Afghanistan,” he said stressing that, “today, our Afghan brothers and sisters need us more than ever before.”

    In a video message, shared by the Foreign Office (FO), the minister also announced that Pakistan has offered to host the meeting in Islamabad on December 17.

    Saudi Arabia also made the call for the session on the same day, as per the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

    According to the minister, the arrival of winter has worsened the humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn country. ​He emphasised the need for the OIC to “step in to help our Afghan brothers.”

    According to Qureshi, the first extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers was held in Islamabad in January 1980, also on the situation in Afghanistan at that time.

    “Next month, we would, once again, gather in Islamabad, to reaffirm our abiding solidarity with and support to the Afghan people,” Qureshi concluded.

    Since the Taliban takeover, the country has been facing obstacles in the face of violations of human rights and economic collapse.

  • DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed farewell visit to PM Khan, President Alvi

    DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed farewell visit to PM Khan, President Alvi

    Director-General (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Faiz Hameed paid farewell visits to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, President Dr Arif Alvi, and Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Quershi.

    Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed will serve as DG ISI till November 19 and will then take charge as Peshawar Corps Commander.

    After several meetings and consultations between country administrations [government and army], PM Imran Khan had issued a notification on October 26 for the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as the new DG ISI who will take charge on November 20.

    Earlier today, Lt Gen Hameed and President Alvi met at the President House on Wednesday. The president appreciated the efforts and services of Lt Gen Hameed as DG ISI for the country’s security and expressed his best wishes for him on his appointment as Peshawar Corps Commander, reports Geo News.

    Lt General Faiz Hameed had a meeting with PM Imran Khan. PM Khan wished him well.

    Lt Gen briefly met FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Qureshi expressed his best wishes on his new appointment.

  • Taliban given a clear message to uphold international legal obligations: Troika meeting

    Taliban given a clear message to uphold international legal obligations: Troika meeting

    A meeting of the Troika Plus, hosted by Pakistan, including China, Russia, and the United States (US), was held in Islamabad on Thursday.

    The Taliban government in Afghanistan was given a clear message to uphold its international legal obligations, including universally accepted principles of international law and fundamental human rights, reports Geo News.

    During the meeting, alluding to the US, Pakistan said efforts should be made to enable Afghanistan to access its frozen funds, which would dovetail into efforts to regenerate economic activities and move the Afghan economy towards stability and sustainability.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi took to Twitter and said, “The meeting reflects our common desire to see a peaceful, stable, unified, sovereign & prosperous Afghanistan; a shared responsibility.”

    A joint statement issued after a meeting of the Troika Plus stressed that the representative government should protect the rights of all Afghans and provide equal opportunities to women and girls to participate in all aspects of Afghan society.

    The forum agreed to continue practical engagement with the Taliban to encourage the implementation of moderate and prudent policies that could help achieve a stable and prosperous Afghanistan as soon as possible.

    Condemning in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, the forum called on the Taliban to cut ties with all international terrorist groups, dismantle and eliminate them in a decisive manner, and deny space to any terrorist organisation operating inside the country.

    The participants reaffirmed their expectation that the Taliban will fulfil their commitment to preventing the use of Afghan territory by terrorists against its neighbours, other countries in the region and the rest of the world.

  • Twitter demands govt to disclose agreement made with TLP

    Various people on Twitter have demanded and questioned the government following the state’s claim about reaching an ‘agreement’ with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in order to end the nearly two-week-long protests.

    The details of the negotiations have yet not been made public.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar tweeted: “The people of this country have a right to know about the agreement made with a proscribed group, which caused loss of life and property and disrupted citizens’ lives for weeks.”

    While recalling the Hazara community’s protest, he demanded to know whether the martyrdom of Punjab police officials was in vain and if the perpetrators will be punished.

    PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman questioned the decision to disclose details at an appropriate time. “Peace with the state on what terms?” she tweeted.

    Former Member of National Assembly (MNA) and rights activist Bushra Gohar said: “Yet another surrender agreement to be signed with the alleged Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) funded banned religious extremist group TLP,” with hashtag #GayaPakistan.

    Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir asked the media and all stakeholders to question the government why TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi was not formally arrested.

    He expressed his concerns on Twitter and said, “TLP is being kept alive and will be kept alive to be the political nuisance it was intended to be, a variable in Punjab used as a when establishment wants it to.”

    Legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists, Reema Omer tweeted: “Nothing in this press conference inspired confidence, least of all the ‘secret’ agreement”

    Journalist Yusra Askari mocked the government and labelled the agreement between the state and banned outfit as “horrors of this Halloween” that will haunt us forever.

    The protests by the banned outfit led to the deaths of five police officials and injured more than 250 others.

  • Govt successful in negotiating with TLP, maintain secrecy over details

    Govt successful in negotiating with TLP, maintain secrecy over details

    Officials from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Sunday claimed that they had reached an ‘agreement’ with the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in order to end the nearly two-week-long protests.

    The government’s negotiating team members Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan, along with Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman were present at the press conference.

    “The government of Pakistan and the TLP held detailed negotiations in an environment of mutual trust and an agreement has been reached between the two sides,” said Mufti Muneeb.

    The details of the negotiations have yet not been made public, Mufti Muneeb said its details would be made public at an ‘appropriate time’. He, however, said its ‘positive results’ would be visible to the nation next week or during the next 10 days.

  • FM Qureshi arrives in Kabul to hold important talks with Afghan leadership

    FM Qureshi arrives in Kabul to hold important talks with Afghan leadership

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday met interim Afghanistan Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund.

    FM Qureshi has arrived in Kabul for a day-long visit and is set to hold important talks with the Afghan leadership, a statement issued from the Foreign Office said.

    Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmed Khan took to Twitter and wrote, “Bilateral talks underway in presence of leading Afghan Ministers for facilitating people to people interaction, trade, transit & connectivity between two brotherly nations.”

    The foreign minister’s visit reflects Pakistan’s consistent policy of supporting the brotherly Afghan people, deepening bilateral trade and economic relations, and facilitating closer people-to-people contacts, read the Foreign Office’s statement.

    FM Qureshi has arrived in Kabul for a day-long visit and is set to hold important talks with the Afghan leadership, a statement issued from the Foreign Office said.

    FM Qureshi is the third foreign minister after Qatar and Uzbekistan to visit since the Taliban took power after ousting Ashraf Ghani’s regime.

  • US Deputy Secretary of State receives cold reception upon her arrival in Pakistan

    US Deputy Secretary of State receives cold reception upon her arrival in Pakistan

    United States (US) Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R Sherman, following her visit to India, received a cold reception upon her arrival in Islamabad as per The News.

    She was welcomed by a mid-level diplomat, instead of her counterpart, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood.

    Well aware of Pakistan concerns: Wendy R Sherman

    Before coming to Pakistan, Sherman in Mumbai had made it very clear that the US was not interested in a broad relationship with Pakistan, beyond Afghanistan.

    She stated, “My visit to Pakistan is for a very specific narrow purpose and the United States does not see itself building a broad relationship with Pakistan and we have no interest in returning to days of hyphenated [India and Pakistan]. That is not where we are. That is not where we’re going to be.”

    “My visit to Pakistan in the context of Afghanistan is in a bid to make sure that Pakistan has the capabilities to ensure everybody’s security, including India’s and the US”, she said as she left India.

    According to The News, the government was shocked at Sherman’s undiplomatic statements that she had made in India.

    Sherman met with the National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf where he stressed that the world “must maintain contact” with the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan.

    Furthermore, Yusuf blatantly said that Indian human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) also pose a threat to regional peace.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi met the Deputy Secretary on Thursday but he didn’t tweet about the meeting. However, Sherman tweeted, “I met today with Pakistan FM to discuss Afghanistan’s future and the important and long-standing US-Pakistan relationship. We look forward to continuing to address pressing regional and global challenges.”

    Sherman also met Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa where matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, and collaboration in humanitarian measures in Afghanistan were discussed.

    Apart from the meetings, while talking to The News’ editors, Sherman said she believed US President Joe Biden will soon talk to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. She said, “We have an idea that every country wants to have a telephone conversation with US President. I am sure that this conversation will be held with PM Khan soon.” 

    “I am sure that this contact will take place soon, so I don’t think it should mean anything else,” she added.

    Moreover, while replying to a question about a bill presented in September by 22 Republican senators targeting Pakistan, Sherman assured, “We get hundreds of bills; thousands of people are behind them but we are well aware of Pakistan’s concerns and are closely looking at the situation.”

  • Forgiving TTP: Never forget!

    Forgiving TTP: Never forget!

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government is in talks with some groups of the banned militant outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In an interview with TRT World, PM Khan said there are different groups that form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. “So, we are in talks with them. It’s a reconciliation process.” Before PM’s interview, both President Arif Alvi and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had talked about giving amnesty to TTP members if they lay down their arms and follow the Constitution of Pakistan.

    These statements warrant a lot of questions: why did the president, prime minister, and foreign minister disclose such important information in interviews to media outlets and not in parliament? TTP is no ordinary terrorist outfit. The entire country came together after the horrific APS attack in December 2014, in which more than 150 people were martyred – most of them children. All the political forces of Pakistan reached a consensus, after which the National Action Plan (NAP) came about. There was a massive crackdown on TTP and other terrorist outfits. We finally managed to eliminate the TTP in Pakistan. Those from the TTP who survived the crackdown ran away to Afghanistan. At that time, the government in Kabul was not friendly towards Pakistan.

    The state told us that the TTP was supported and funded by India and Afghanistan – when Ehsanullah Ehsan first surrendered to Pakistan, he confirmed in a video that Afghan and Indian intelligence agencies [RAW and NDS] gave funds and other assistance to Pakistani Taliban to fight Pakistan. Last year, after sharing a dossier containing ‘irrefutable proofs’ of Indian funding of terrorism in Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: “The [specific] evidence presented by Pakistan provides a concrete proof of Indian financial and material sponsorship of multiple terrorist organisations, including UN-designated terrorist organisations Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Balochistan Liberation Army and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.”

    What is the reason for Pakistan to hold talks with a RAW and NDS-funded/supported terrorist outfit when we have broken its back in our country? And now that we have a friendly government in Kabul, what is the need to hold talks with an enemy outfit? Should the Afghan Taliban not help reign in the TTP and take action against those who are carrying out attacks against Pakistan from Afghan soil? Or, is it true that the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban both have the same ideology, even if the targets of their attacks are different? The people of Pakistan – who have been killed and maimed by the TTP over the years – deserve an answer.

    The government needs to be transparent. This decision cannot be taken just by the government alone. All political parties must have a debate on this issue and the people of Pakistan have to be taken on board as well. We cannot forget what the TTP did to our nation. We lost more than 70,000 lives at their hands. There must be a consensus about the talks and also the government should be transparent about the negotiations. Don’t keep us in the dark, dear government, for we were told that we will never forget their heinous crimes.