Tag: Tajikistan

  • India invites Pakistani FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to SCO

    India invites Pakistani FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to SCO

    In a surprise move, India has invited Pakistan’s Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to attend an upcoming meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) scheduled to be held in Goa in May, The Indian Express has reported.

    The invitation to the meeting of SCO ministers has been sent by the office of S Jaishankar, the Minister for External Affairs and has been forwarded by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

    Were Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to accept the invitation, the visit would mark the first visit of a Foreign Minister to India in 12 years. The last minister to visit the neighbouring country was Hina Rabbani Khar who travelled to India in July 2011.

    The unexpected development comes a few weeks after Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope that relations between the two arch rivals will improve. In an interview with a UAE-based media outlet, the Pakistani Premier asked for “sincere and serious” talks with India.

    The SCO moot in Goa will also be attended by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

  • President of Tajikistan to come to Pakistan for the second time tomorrow

    President of Tajikistan to come to Pakistan for the second time tomorrow

    Tajik President Emomali Rahmon will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow (Wednesday) on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    This is the second time that President Rahmon will be meeting PM Shehbaz this year. This tour will be his second visit to Pakistan within two years.

    According to the Pakistani Foreign Office (FO), during Rahmon’s visit, the two sides will exchange views on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas and are expected to sign multiple bilateral agreements and memorandum of understanding (MoU).

    The FO also termed Tajikistan an “important partner of Pakistan in Central Asia”.

    PM Shehbaz and President Rahmon had last met in September this year at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

    At that time, the Pakistani prime minister thanked Tajikistan for its support to the flood affectees in Pakistan and shared details of the devastation caused by the massive floods.

    President Rahmon last visited Islamabad in June 2021 when former PM Imran Khan was in power.

  • Conspiracy behind NZ tour cancellation, says Sheikh Rasheed

    Conspiracy behind NZ tour cancellation, says Sheikh Rasheed

    Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed in a press conference said, “The New Zealand (NZ)authorities do not have substantive proof of threat in Pakistan.”

    “New Zealand took a unilateral decision to cancel the Pakistan tour despite the country’s tight security arrangements for the team,” said Rasheed.

    The interior minister said NZ team’s security in-charge spoke to government officials in the morning and informed them of a threat. When the officials asked for further details, the NZ security in-charge “did not have any”, he added.

    Pakistan had deployed commandos from Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG), soldiers, and 4,000 policemen for the matches in Rawalpindi, Sheikh Rasheed said.

    “We also tried to convince them to play the match without spectators. But they did not agree to it,” he disclosed.

    “None of our intelligence agencies, which are among the best in the world, have any information about a threat. Pakistan is playing a major role in the region and they do not want us to prosper.”

    Indian media was “defaming Pakistan”, said the interior minister, adding that its designs would be foiled.

    “We have sacrificed before and peace will prevail here at all costs,” he stressed.

    Following this, the Pakistani officials spoke to Prime Minister Imran Khan — who is currently in Tajikistan.

    “The prime minister was briefed on the matter. He then called New Zealand Prime Minister [Jacinda Ardern] and assured her that there was no security threat,” the interior minister said.

    However, Ardern said the NZ government had “received intelligence that the team could be attacked when it steps out to go to the stadium”, Sheikh Rasheed added.

    “It is their decision. We had deployed heavy security for the team. Pakistan is a peace promoter in the world. And this tour was cancelled through a conspiracy. It is their (NZ’s) problem and what they decide.”

  • PM Khan arrives in Tajikistan for SCO summit, Taliban leaders to be present

    PM Khan arrives in Tajikistan for SCO summit, Taliban leaders to be present

    Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe on Thursday on a two-day visit to attend the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO’s) Heads of State Summit.

    “The prime minister was received by Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda and was accorded a red carpet welcome at Dushanbe International Airport,” according to a tweet by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    PM Khan, while addressing Pakistan-Tajikistan Business Forum, said, “We just wish and pray that finally after 40 years of conflict there will be peace in Afghanistan. It is extremely important for our [Pakistan and Tajikistan] trade for that region to be at peace so there would be better connectivity.”

    “Your president and I will be trying everything to make sure that there is peace especially between the two major communities [Pashtuns and Tajiks] so they get together and there is an inclusive government in Afghanistan”, he added.

    Right after his speech, PM Khan met President of Kazakhstan H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at Dushanbe on the side-lines of SCO.

    PM Imran’s talks with the Tajik president will cover “the entire gamut of bilateral relations, especially enhancing trade, economic and investment ties with a particular focus on regional connectivity”, reports Radio Pakistan.

    Moreover, the premier will be holding bilateral meetings with other participating leaders as well during the summit.

    The SCO summit is the first meeting of the heads of states since the Taliban entered Kabul so all eyes will be on the Afghan representative at the meeting.

    According to details, if there will be representation from Afghanistan, it will be PM Khan’s first interaction with the Afghan interim government, as per The News.

    This is the third visit of the prime minister to Central Asia.

    The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China.