Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan said on Wednesday that he expected a Supreme Court corruption investigation to topple Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and repeated his calls for Sharif to resign immediately.

 
The court on Tuesday agreed to Khan&#39;s request to set up a judicial commission to probe Khan&#39;s corruption allegations against Sharif, stemming from revelations that his children owned offshore companies in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands.

 
Khan then backed down on his threat to paralyse Islamabad by bringing in a million protesters, defusing tensions after days of clashes between his supporters and the police.&nbsp;

 
Instead he decided to hold a &quot;celebratory&quot; rally on the edge of the capital, where he accused Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz, the chief minister of Punjab province, of being responsible for the clashes between police and supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

 
&quot;Hopefully within this month ... we will see the end of the dark night of the Sharifs,&quot; the former cricketer told tens of thousands of supporters.

 
&quot;My anger is against these two cowards, these jackals of Pakistan, for making (Pakistanis) fight one another.&quot;

 
The Supreme Court is due to hold its first substantive hearing on the matter on Thursday.

 
Sharif&#39;s ruling party has said it will participate in an investigation into Panama Papers revelations but rejected an opposition demand that it should focus principally on Sharif&#39;s family. The Court has said it will set the terms of the commission itself if the parties cannot agree on them at once.

 
Khan&#39;s challenge stems from documents leaked from the Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm that appeared to show that Sharif&#39;s daughter and two sons owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands.

 
Sharif&#39;s family denies wrongdoing, and there was no mention of Sharif himself owning any offshore companies.

 
Holding offshore companies is not illegal in Pakistan, but Khan has implied that the money and London apartments held by the companies, amounting to millions of dollars, were gained by corrupt means.&nbsp;

 
Khan&#39;s threat of a &quot;shutdown&quot; protest had sparked fears of a repeat of demonstrations in 2014, where thousands of his supporters paralysed Islamabad&#39;s government quarter for several months over allegations of election rigging.&nbsp;

 
In a bid to foil the &quot;shutdown&quot;, authorities arrested scores of PTI supporters and shut a major motorway leading from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Khan&#39;s political heartland.

 
The capital was calm on Wednesday, though there was still a heavy police presence.

 
Khan admitted in May that he himself had used an offshore company to legally avoid paying British tax on a London property sale.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The court on Tuesday agreed to Khan's request to set up a judicial commission to probe Khan`s corruption allegations against Sharif

Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan said on Wednesday that he expected a Supreme Court corruption investigation to topple Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and repeated his calls for Sharif to resign immediately. The court on Tuesday agreed to Khan's request to set up a judicial commission to probe Khan's corruption allegations against Sharif, stemming from revelations that his children owned offshore companies in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands. Khan then backed down on his threat to paralyse Islamabad by bringing in a million protesters, defusing tensions after days of clashes between his supporters and the police. Instead he decided to hold a "celebratory" rally on the edge of the capital, where he accused Sharif and his younger brother Shahbaz, the chief minister of Punjab province, of being responsible for the clashes between police and supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. "Hopefully within this month ... we will see the end of the dark night of the Sharifs," the former cricketer told tens of thousands of supporters. "My anger is against these two cowards, these jackals of Pakistan, for making (Pakistanis) fight one another." The Supreme Court is due to hold its first substantive hearing on the matter on Thursday. Sharif's ruling party has said it will participate in an investigation into Panama Papers revelations but rejected an opposition demand that it should focus principally on Sharif's family. The Court has said it will set the terms of the commission itself if the parties cannot agree on them at once. Khan's challenge stems from documents leaked from the Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm that appeared to show that Sharif's daughter and two sons owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands. Sharif's family denies wrongdoing, and there was no mention of Sharif himself owning any offshore companies. Holding offshore companies is not illegal in Pakistan, but Khan has implied that the money and London apartments held by the companies, amounting to millions of dollars, were gained by corrupt means. Khan's threat of a "shutdown" protest had sparked fears of a repeat of demonstrations in 2014, where thousands of his supporters paralysed Islamabad's government quarter for several months over allegations of election rigging. In a bid to foil the "shutdown", authorities arrested scores of PTI supporters and shut a major motorway leading from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Khan's political heartland. The capital was calm on Wednesday, though there was still a heavy police presence. Khan admitted in May that he himself had used an offshore company to legally avoid paying British tax on a London property sale. (Reuters)

Imran Khan says he expects Pakistani Supreme Court probe to topple Sharif

Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court&nbsp;has agreed to open a probe into Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s alleged hidden wealth.

Panama leaks suggest&nbsp;that PM Sharif&#39;s three children own&nbsp;offshore companies and assets not shown on official records.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the court asked Nawaz Sharif-led party Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Imran Khan&#39;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to define the structure of the panel that will probe the prime minister&#39;s involvement in the undisclosed assets case.

In case the two parties fail to evolve consensus, the court will prepare the structure of the panel.

&quot;The commission will report to the Supreme Court,&quot; the court said, adjourning the hearing to November 3, adding the&nbsp;commission would wield power&nbsp;equal to the country&#39;s supreme court.

Imran Khan hails court&#39;s decision

The court&#39;s decision comes in the wake of PTI chairman Imran Khan&#39;s war cry to his supporters to put Pakistan&#39;s capital city of Islamabad on lockdown and stage massive anti-graft protests across the city.

Khan had called for a citywide strike on November 2 in order to force Sharif to step down from his position due to his name cropping up in the infamous Panamagate.

But Tuesday&#39;s court verdict was hailed by Khan, saying the November 2 lockdown will be celebrated as a rally of &quot;thanksgiving&quot;.

&quot;I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif&#39;s [alleged corruption] will begin day after tomorrow,&quot; Khan said.

&quot;Go home and rest,&quot; Khan told his supporters, Dawn reported. &quot;You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground.&quot;

According to Panama Papers, three of Sharif&#39;s four children &mdash;&nbsp;Maryam, Hasan and Hussain &mdash;&nbsp;owned offshore companies and &quot;were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies.&quot;

Sharif has denied these allegations. He had said the insinuations were made up by people who wanted to target his family for &quot;political gains&quot;.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

This comes after opposition leader Imran Khan urged his supporters to put Islamabad on lockdown and launch massive anti-government protests

Pakistan's Supreme Court has agreed to open a probe into Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's alleged hidden wealth. Panama leaks suggest that PM Sharif's three children own offshore companies and assets not shown on official records. On Tuesday, the court asked Nawaz Sharif-led party Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to define the structure of the panel that will probe the prime minister's involvement in the undisclosed assets case. In case the two parties fail to evolve consensus, the court will prepare the structure of the panel. "The commission will report to the Supreme Court," the court said, adjourning the hearing to November 3, adding the commission would wield power equal to the country's supreme court. Imran Khan hails court's decision The court's decision comes in the wake of PTI chairman Imran Khan's war cry to his supporters to put Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad on lockdown and stage massive anti-graft protests across the city. Khan had called for a citywide strike on November 2 in order to force Sharif to step down from his position due to his name cropping up in the infamous Panamagate. But Tuesday's court verdict was hailed by Khan, saying the November 2 lockdown will be celebrated as a rally of "thanksgiving". "I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif's [alleged corruption] will begin day after tomorrow," Khan said. "Go home and rest," Khan told his supporters, Dawn reported. "You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground." According to Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children — Maryam, Hasan and Hussain — owned offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." Sharif has denied these allegations. He had said the insinuations were made up by people who wanted to target his family for "political gains". (WION with inputs from agencies)

Panamagate: Pakistan's top court agrees to probe PM Nawaz Sharif's family wealth

Police in Pakistan used tear gas on hundreds of anti-government protesters to stop the crowd headed for capital Islamabad, news agency Reuters reported.

Islamabad high court ruled that opposition politician Imran Khan could hold a mass protest this week. The court dismissed the government&#39;s objection to Wednesday&#39;s protests but ordered that the demonstration be held on a parade ground far from the city&#39;s main government and commercial districts, Geo Television reported.

The court, however, warned that demonstrations should not disrupt life for citizens, according to media reports.&nbsp;

Barricades were set up on major roads, particularly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ruled by Khan&#39;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, on Monday morning.

The crowd approached roadblocks amid clouds of tear gas near the town of Swabi, about 70 kilometres from Pakistan&#39;s capital Islamabad, Reuters reported.

Around 5,000 party workers were trying to remove the police barricades using cranes near the Swabi Interchange, The Dawn reported.

Khan has vowed to bring millions of people out onto the streets to agitate against prevailing corruption and Panama Papers&#39; revelations about his family&#39;s offshore wealth. He has threatened to &quot;shut down&quot; Islamabad in his bid to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom Khan accuses of corruption linked to the &quot;Panama Papers&quot; leak.

Escalating political tensions have led to periodic clashes between supporters of Khan&#39;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the police, who have arrested scores of opposition workers and used tear gas to disperse protesters.&nbsp;

Party lawmaker Arif Alvi and another senior party official, Imran Ismail, were briefly arrested on Monday.&nbsp;They were released on orders of the interior ministry soon after.

Ismail posted a tweet about his arrest and a picture of the two men smiling.

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Aressted brutally
&mdash; Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranIsmailPTI/status/793014969474379776">October 31, 2016</a></blockquote>

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Sha <a href="https://t.co/tvQTfki6I4">pic.twitter.com/tvQTfki6I4</a>
&mdash; Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranIsmailPTI/status/793015168250814464">October 31, 2016</a></blockquote>

&nbsp;

A gathering of more than five people was outlawed last week in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi.

The Panama documents show that Sharif&#39;s children owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands, Reuters reports, but Sharif&#39;s family has denied any wrongdoing. Khan admitted that he owned an offshore company in May. He claims it was to legally avoid paying taxes in Britain on a London property sale. The case regarding the allegations will be heard in Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court on Tuesday.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Around 5,000 party workers tried to remove the police barricades using cranes near Swabi town

Police in Pakistan used tear gas on hundreds of anti-government protesters to stop the crowd headed for capital Islamabad, news agency Reuters reported. Islamabad high court ruled that opposition politician Imran Khan could hold a mass protest this week. The court dismissed the government's objection to Wednesday's protests but ordered that the demonstration be held on a parade ground far from the city's main government and commercial districts, Geo Television reported. The court, however, warned that demonstrations should not disrupt life for citizens, according to media reports. Barricades were set up on major roads, particularly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ruled by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, on Monday morning. The crowd approached roadblocks amid clouds of tear gas near the town of Swabi, about 70 kilometres from Pakistan's capital Islamabad, Reuters reported. Around 5,000 party workers were trying to remove the police barricades using cranes near the Swabi Interchange, The Dawn reported. Khan has vowed to bring millions of people out onto the streets to agitate against prevailing corruption and Panama Papers' revelations about his family's offshore wealth. He has threatened to "shut down" Islamabad in his bid to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom Khan accuses of corruption linked to the "Panama Papers" leak. Escalating political tensions have led to periodic clashes between supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the police, who have arrested scores of opposition workers and used tear gas to disperse protesters. Party lawmaker Arif Alvi and another senior party official, Imran Ismail, were briefly arrested on Monday. They were released on orders of the interior ministry soon after. Ismail posted a tweet about his arrest and a picture of the two men smiling. Aressted brutally — Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) October 31, 2016 Sha pic.twitter.com/tvQTfki6I4 — Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) October 31, 2016 A gathering of more than five people was outlawed last week in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi. The Panama documents show that Sharif's children owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands, Reuters reports, but Sharif's family has denied any wrongdoing. Khan admitted that he owned an offshore company in May. He claims it was to legally avoid paying taxes in Britain on a London property sale. The case regarding the allegations will be heard in Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday. (With inputs from Reuters)

Pakistan: Clash between police and anti-government protesters, tear gas fired

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan yesterday accused Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of pursuing his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi&rsquo;s interests in the country after the government cracked the&nbsp;whip on his supporters, news agency Press Trust of India reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

At least 100 supporters of Khan&#39;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested on Sunday.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;About 450 people entered Islamabad today,&quot; Pakistan&#39;s interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was quoted as saying by Iran&#39;s television network, Press TV Iran.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Police intercepted them but most of them ran away, many leaving their cars behind. Police arrested more than 100 of them,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to media reports, police resorted to&nbsp;force and used tear-gas and baton to stop the PTI activists from reaching Bani Gala residence of Khan in Pak&#39;s capital, Islamabad. However, no PTI worker suffered serious injuries.

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the PTI chief lashed out at the government saying: &ldquo;When Nawaz Sharif went to London for whatever kind of surgery, he on the hospital bed first telephoned Modi instead of his mother or children.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Addressing a press conference outside his Bani Gala residence here, he was referring to Sharif&rsquo;s open heart surgery at a London hospital in May, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A day after Pakistan information minister Pervaiz Rashid was sacked over the recent &ldquo;leaked&rdquo; media report about a rift between the civilian and military leaderships on support to militancy, Khan took a jibe at the Nawaz Sharif government.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Nawaz is following Modi&rsquo;s &lsquo;interests&rsquo; in Pakistan. Nawaz is behind the security leaks story which defamed the armed forces. Actually, his and Modi&rsquo;s agenda is same,&rdquo; Khan was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He claimed that &quot;everybody knows&quot; that the sacked minister cannot leak sensitive information to the media on his own.

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Rashid is a darbari (courtier) and he did what Nawaz told him to do so.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;The whole state machinery is being used to save a corrupt Prime Minister. I will not accept a &lsquo;suspect&rsquo; as Prime Minister of Pakistan. As long as I am alive I will not go after Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s corruption,&rdquo; the 64-year-old political leader told the press.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Khan went on to say that there was no difference between Pervez Musharraf&rsquo;s dictatorship and Sharif&rsquo;s democracy. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Islamabad police said they recovered five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol and three tear gas shells from PTI leader Amin Gandapur&rsquo;s car outside Bani Gala.

&nbsp;

&#39;Mass protests no danger to democracy&#39; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

A lockdown has been announced by&nbsp;Khan&#39;s PTI&nbsp;in a bid to create pressure on Sharif to resign over Panama Papers&#39; revelations about his family&#39;s offshore wealth.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While talking to international news agency Reuters, Khan&nbsp;dismissed accusations that the November 2 shutdown in Islamabad can lead to a military coup.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;How can a democrat want the military to come in?,&quot; Khan&nbsp;was quoted as saying by Reuters as he dismissed allegations that he wanted the&nbsp;army to topple Sharif.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;He has to answer. He can&#39;t hide behind `democracy in danger`.&quot;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Khan&nbsp;has pledged to bring a million people out on roads to &quot;protest against corruption&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

However, the Pakistan government has accused Khan of endangering democracy by attempting to draw Pakistan`s powerful military into a political dispute, Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

In a bid to foil the protests, the government has already blocked provincial roads to the capital and arrested around 1,000 Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf workers so far.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters, PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The opposition leader also accused Pakistan Prime Minister of leaking sensitive information which defamed the armed forces

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan yesterday accused Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of pursuing his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s interests in the country after the government cracked the whip on his supporters, news agency Press Trust of India reported. At least 100 supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested on Sunday. "About 450 people entered Islamabad today," Pakistan's interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was quoted as saying by Iran's television network, Press TV Iran. "Police intercepted them but most of them ran away, many leaving their cars behind. Police arrested more than 100 of them," he added. According to media reports, police resorted to force and used tear-gas and baton to stop the PTI activists from reaching Bani Gala residence of Khan in Pak's capital, Islamabad. However, no PTI worker suffered serious injuries. Meanwhile, the PTI chief lashed out at the government saying: “When Nawaz Sharif went to London for whatever kind of surgery, he on the hospital bed first telephoned Modi instead of his mother or children.” Addressing a press conference outside his Bani Gala residence here, he was referring to Sharif’s open heart surgery at a London hospital in May, news agency PTI reported. A day after Pakistan information minister Pervaiz Rashid was sacked over the recent “leaked” media report about a rift between the civilian and military leaderships on support to militancy, Khan took a jibe at the Nawaz Sharif government. “Nawaz is following Modi’s ‘interests’ in Pakistan. Nawaz is behind the security leaks story which defamed the armed forces. Actually, his and Modi’s agenda is same,” Khan was quoted as saying. He claimed that "everybody knows" that the sacked minister cannot leak sensitive information to the media on his own. “Rashid is a darbari (courtier) and he did what Nawaz told him to do so." “The whole state machinery is being used to save a corrupt Prime Minister. I will not accept a ‘suspect’ as Prime Minister of Pakistan. As long as I am alive I will not go after Nawaz Sharif’s corruption,” the 64-year-old political leader told the press. Khan went on to say that there was no difference between Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship and Sharif’s democracy. Meanwhile, Islamabad police said they recovered five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol and three tear gas shells from PTI leader Amin Gandapur’s car outside Bani Gala. 'Mass protests no danger to democracy' A lockdown has been announced by Khan's PTI in a bid to create pressure on Sharif to resign over Panama Papers' revelations about his family's offshore wealth. While talking to international news agency Reuters, Khan dismissed accusations that the November 2 shutdown in Islamabad can lead to a military coup. "How can a democrat want the military to come in?," Khan was quoted as saying by Reuters as he dismissed allegations that he wanted the army to topple Sharif. "He has to answer. He can't hide behind `democracy in danger`." Khan has pledged to bring a million people out on roads to "protest against corruption". However, the Pakistan government has accused Khan of endangering democracy by attempting to draw Pakistan`s powerful military into a political dispute, Reuters reported. In a bid to foil the protests, the government has already blocked provincial roads to the capital and arrested around 1,000 Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf workers so far. (WION with inputs from Reuters, PTI)

Sharif pursuing Modi's interests in Pakistan: Imran Khan

Opposition leader Imran Khan was granted permission today by a Pakistan high court to hold November 2 protests against the Nawaz Sharif government, international news agency Reuters reported today.&nbsp;The court, however, warned that demonstrations should not disrupt life for citizens, according to media reports.&nbsp;

Khan has vowed to bring millions of people out onto the streets&nbsp;to agitate against prevailing corruption&nbsp;and Panama Papers&#39; revelations about his family&#39;s offshore wealth.&nbsp;

According to Reuters, the Islamabad high court dismissed government challenges to the protests.&nbsp;However, it ordered Khan to hold the agitation on a parade ground far from the city&#39;s main government and commercial districts, Geo Television reported.

The government has also been ordered by justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui to ensure protection for the fundamental rights of residents of the capital to go about their daily lives, Geo reported.

Escalating political tensions have led to periodic clashes between supporters of Khan&#39;s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the police, who have arrested scores of opposition workers and used tear gas to disperse protesters.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

The Islamabad high court, however, warned that demonstrations should not disrupt life for citizens

Opposition leader Imran Khan was granted permission today by a Pakistan high court to hold November 2 protests against the Nawaz Sharif government, international news agency Reuters reported today. The court, however, warned that demonstrations should not disrupt life for citizens, according to media reports. Khan has vowed to bring millions of people out onto the streets to agitate against prevailing corruption and Panama Papers' revelations about his family's offshore wealth. According to Reuters, the Islamabad high court dismissed government challenges to the protests. However, it ordered Khan to hold the agitation on a parade ground far from the city's main government and commercial districts, Geo Television reported. The government has also been ordered by justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui to ensure protection for the fundamental rights of residents of the capital to go about their daily lives, Geo reported. Escalating political tensions have led to periodic clashes between supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and the police, who have arrested scores of opposition workers and used tear gas to disperse protesters. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Pak court clears way for Imran Khan's Nov 2 protest

Pakistan&#39;s opposition leader Imran Khan on Friday vowed he would go ahead with his November 2 plans to shut down capital Islamabad to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign for alleged corruption.

Imran Khan&#39;s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) &nbsp;and Sheikh Rasheed-led Awami Muslim League (AML) are determined to go ahead with their protests against the government.

&quot;To hide his corruption, he does not respect any law... to hide his corruption, he uses the language of Modi against Pakistan Army,&quot; Pakistan daily Dawn quoted Imran Khan as saying.

&quot;Is this a kingdom or a democracy?&quot; the PTI chief raged outside his Bani Gala residence near the capital, Pakistan daily Dawn reported. &quot;What crime have we committed? Why did they stop me from going to Rawalpindi?&quot;

Imran Khan, who has been confined to his residence, was stopped by the police when he was on his way to Rawalpindi to prepare for the sit-in on November 2. &nbsp;He also questioned &quot;why Bani Gala was sealed,&quot; also warning the government that illegal arrests would trigger protests and paralyse life across the country.&nbsp;

The situation in Islamabad and Rawalpindi turned tense after police stormed a youth convention of the party in Islamabad and arrested activists on Thursday. Section 144 was imposed in the cities on Thursday which bans public gatherings.

The PTI called for protests across the country the next day.

AML chief Sheikh Rasheed also dared the government to try and arrest him, Dawn reported. He said he would show during the Islamabad protest &quot;what the power of people actually is&quot;.

Police and opposition activists clashed at Rawalpindi&#39;s Committee Chowk near the Lal Haveli residence of Sheikh Rasheed on Friday, Dawn reported. &nbsp;

All roads leading to Rashid&#39;s residence, where PTI Chairman Imran Khan was also earlier due to address a gathering, have remained sealed since Friday.

The AML, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) of Tahirul Qadri, Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q) have announced they will be a part of the &#39;lockdown&#39; on November 2.

Panama Papers

PTI has stepped up its attacks against the government ever since the names of &nbsp;Nawaz Sharif&#39;s family appeared in the Panama Papers leaks.

Imran claims the revelations in Panama Papers are proof of Nawaz Sharif&#39;s corruption and that that he should resign. &nbsp;Sharif and his party, the Pakistan Muslim League, have refuted the allegations.

Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court on Friday constituted a larger bench to hear petitions in connection with the Panama Papers leaks.

Pakistan's opposition leader also questioned why the roads to his residence were sealed

Pakistan's opposition leader Imran Khan on Friday vowed he would go ahead with his November 2 plans to shut down capital Islamabad to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign for alleged corruption. Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sheikh Rasheed-led Awami Muslim League (AML) are determined to go ahead with their protests against the government. "To hide his corruption, he does not respect any law... to hide his corruption, he uses the language of Modi against Pakistan Army," Pakistan daily Dawn quoted Imran Khan as saying. "Is this a kingdom or a democracy?" the PTI chief raged outside his Bani Gala residence near the capital, Pakistan daily Dawn reported. "What crime have we committed? Why did they stop me from going to Rawalpindi?" Imran Khan, who has been confined to his residence, was stopped by the police when he was on his way to Rawalpindi to prepare for the sit-in on November 2. He also questioned "why Bani Gala was sealed," also warning the government that illegal arrests would trigger protests and paralyse life across the country. The situation in Islamabad and Rawalpindi turned tense after police stormed a youth convention of the party in Islamabad and arrested activists on Thursday. Section 144 was imposed in the cities on Thursday which bans public gatherings. The PTI called for protests across the country the next day. AML chief Sheikh Rasheed also dared the government to try and arrest him, Dawn reported. He said he would show during the Islamabad protest "what the power of people actually is". Police and opposition activists clashed at Rawalpindi's Committee Chowk near the Lal Haveli residence of Sheikh Rasheed on Friday, Dawn reported. All roads leading to Rashid's residence, where PTI Chairman Imran Khan was also earlier due to address a gathering, have remained sealed since Friday. The AML, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) of Tahirul Qadri, Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q) have announced they will be a part of the 'lockdown' on November 2. Panama Papers PTI has stepped up its attacks against the government ever since the names of Nawaz Sharif's family appeared in the Panama Papers leaks. Imran claims the revelations in Panama Papers are proof of Nawaz Sharif's corruption and that that he should resign. Sharif and his party, the Pakistan Muslim League, have refuted the allegations. Pakistan's Supreme Court on Friday constituted a larger bench to hear petitions in connection with the Panama Papers leaks.

Nawaz Sharif stifling democracy to 'hide his corruption': Imran Khan

Pakistani authorities raided a youth convention called by the&nbsp;opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) as the government banned all public gatherings in the capital Islamabad for two months.&nbsp;

The police charged the activists with batons and arrested 40 party supporters, who were planning a major anti-government protest.&nbsp;

Infuriated by the police action, party chief Imran Khan vowed protests against the crackdown across the country, challenging the government to arrest him.

&quot;Tomorrow I will protest throughout Pakistan, our workers will protest throughout Pakistan, especially over the way women were mishandled,&quot; Khan told reporters. &quot;If (the) government wants to arrest me, they may go ahead, but for how long they can keep us inside, we will again hit roads after our release,&quot; he asserted.&nbsp;

The party, due to hold a protest on November 2, is demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down over recent corruption allegations.&nbsp;

&quot;The government has proved that there is no democracy in Pakistan, it is a monarchy,&quot; PTI lawmaker Asad Umar told reporters from the scene. Nazish Altaf, a PTI youth leader, added: &quot;We will not be deterred by arrests and more people will join us on November 2.&quot;

The planned protest comes at a sensitive time for Sharif, with Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court due to start hearing a case into the Panama Papers revelations about Sharif&#39;s family involvement on November 1. Sharif is under growing pressure from opposition parties over his children&#39;s offshore bank accounts that were revealed in the Panama Papers leak.&nbsp;

With a confrontation now appearing inevitable in the days to come, heavy police presence is expected in the capital to deter gatherings.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Undeterred by the arrests, the opposition leader Imran Khan vowed to hold Nov 2 protests demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ouster

Pakistani authorities raided a youth convention called by the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) as the government banned all public gatherings in the capital Islamabad for two months. The police charged the activists with batons and arrested 40 party supporters, who were planning a major anti-government protest. Infuriated by the police action, party chief Imran Khan vowed protests against the crackdown across the country, challenging the government to arrest him. "Tomorrow I will protest throughout Pakistan, our workers will protest throughout Pakistan, especially over the way women were mishandled," Khan told reporters. "If (the) government wants to arrest me, they may go ahead, but for how long they can keep us inside, we will again hit roads after our release," he asserted. The party, due to hold a protest on November 2, is demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down over recent corruption allegations. "The government has proved that there is no democracy in Pakistan, it is a monarchy," PTI lawmaker Asad Umar told reporters from the scene. Nazish Altaf, a PTI youth leader, added: "We will not be deterred by arrests and more people will join us on November 2." The planned protest comes at a sensitive time for Sharif, with Pakistan's Supreme Court due to start hearing a case into the Panama Papers revelations about Sharif's family involvement on November 1. Sharif is under growing pressure from opposition parties over his children's offshore bank accounts that were revealed in the Panama Papers leak. With a confrontation now appearing inevitable in the days to come, heavy police presence is expected in the capital to deter gatherings. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Pakistan police arrest opposition activists after protest ban in capital

Pakistan on Monday said it was willing to take action against terrorist forces operating out of the country provided it was given concrete evidence.

&nbsp;

While speaking to the press in New Delhi, Pakistan&#39;s High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, criticised India for trying to isolate it globally on the issue of terrorism and said sustained diplomacy could improve relations between the two countries, news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Basit said his country was being unnecessarily being blamed for the Uri terror attacks and called for an international probe before drawing a premature conclusion. He instead maintained that his country had &quot;zero tolerance&quot; for terrorism and did not need &quot;misplaced jingoism and hypernationalism&quot; to pursue its foreign policy objectives.

&nbsp;

He reiterated Pakistan&#39;s old stand that the &quot;root cause&quot; for all problems between India and Pakistan was the issue of Jammu and Kashmir which &quot;has made us mutually antagonistic. Let its just resolution unite us in peace and prosperity.&quot;

&nbsp;

&quot;How on earth is it possible to isolate a country on terrorism when that country itself is the worst victim of terrorism,&quot; Basit said at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

&nbsp;

&quot;As far as Pakistan is concerned there is zero tolerance for terrorism. When Uri attack was underway, Pakistan was being blamed, when we were not knowing as to what was happening. We didn&#39;t know what was happening on ground, and we were referred to as a terrorist state,&quot; Pakistan&#39;s High Commissioner to India said.

&nbsp;

Asked about the deterioration of &nbsp;Indo-Pak relations after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Burhan Wani, Basit said &quot;We have seen time and again as to how the development in Jammu and Kashmir has affected the Indo-Pak relations. To claim that the hundreds and thousands who attended Burhan Wani&#39;s funeral were instigated by Pakistan is wrong. We need to move from symbolism to substance and from conflict management to conflict resolution. If would serve better purpose if we tone down the rhetoric and build new bridges of trust.&quot; &nbsp;Nawaz Sharif had slammed India for Burhan Wani&#39;s death at the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.

&nbsp;

The Pakistan&#39;s high commissioner&#39;s statement comes amid increasing international pressure to take action against terrorist groups in its country. US state department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner had said last week that his country was pushing Islamabad to take action against terrorist groups and pushing for more dialogue between India and Pakistan.

&nbsp;

Casting doubts on Islamabad&#39;s intention to fight terrorism, India&#39;s interior minister Rajnath Singh said last week that if Pakistan was serious about fighting terror, then India was ready to help them eradicate it.

&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan has forgotten the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters. Terrorism in India is mostly sponsored from across the border...If Pakistan is serious about fighting terror then we are ready to help them eradicate terror, but their intention is not that,&quot; Singh said, referring clearly to the September 18 Uri terror attack.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan's high commissioner to India Abdul Basit said 'the country itself is the worst victim of terrorism'

Pakistan on Monday said it was willing to take action against terrorist forces operating out of the country provided it was given concrete evidence. While speaking to the press in New Delhi, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, criticised India for trying to isolate it globally on the issue of terrorism and said sustained diplomacy could improve relations between the two countries, news agency PTI reported. Basit said his country was being unnecessarily being blamed for the Uri terror attacks and called for an international probe before drawing a premature conclusion. He instead maintained that his country had "zero tolerance" for terrorism and did not need "misplaced jingoism and hypernationalism" to pursue its foreign policy objectives. He reiterated Pakistan's old stand that the "root cause" for all problems between India and Pakistan was the issue of Jammu and Kashmir which "has made us mutually antagonistic. Let its just resolution unite us in peace and prosperity." "How on earth is it possible to isolate a country on terrorism when that country itself is the worst victim of terrorism," Basit said at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. "As far as Pakistan is concerned there is zero tolerance for terrorism. When Uri attack was underway, Pakistan was being blamed, when we were not knowing as to what was happening. We didn't know what was happening on ground, and we were referred to as a terrorist state," Pakistan's High Commissioner to India said. Asked about the deterioration of Indo-Pak relations after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Burhan Wani, Basit said "We have seen time and again as to how the development in Jammu and Kashmir has affected the Indo-Pak relations. To claim that the hundreds and thousands who attended Burhan Wani's funeral were instigated by Pakistan is wrong. We need to move from symbolism to substance and from conflict management to conflict resolution. If would serve better purpose if we tone down the rhetoric and build new bridges of trust." Nawaz Sharif had slammed India for Burhan Wani's death at the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. The Pakistan's high commissioner's statement comes amid increasing international pressure to take action against terrorist groups in its country. US state department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner had said last week that his country was pushing Islamabad to take action against terrorist groups and pushing for more dialogue between India and Pakistan. Casting doubts on Islamabad's intention to fight terrorism, India's interior minister Rajnath Singh said last week that if Pakistan was serious about fighting terror, then India was ready to help them eradicate it. "Pakistan has forgotten the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters. Terrorism in India is mostly sponsored from across the border...If Pakistan is serious about fighting terror then we are ready to help them eradicate terror, but their intention is not that," Singh said, referring clearly to the September 18 Uri terror attack. (WION with inputs from agencies)

'Pakistan has zero tolerance for terrorism'

Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court today issued notice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers&nbsp;case.

Apart from Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Capt (R) Safdar, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, director general Federal Investigation Agency, chairman Federal Board of Revenue, and the attorney general were also issued the notice, Pakistan daily, the Dawn reported.&nbsp;

The Panama Papers refers to an investigation conducted by the International Consortium of International Journalists, and 107&nbsp;media outlets from over 80 countries from&nbsp;around the world, which examined 11.5 million leaked documents&nbsp;showing&nbsp;how the rich and powerful avail themselves of offshore tax havens, in this case in Panama, to reduce their tax burden. There were also descriptions of elaborately complex&nbsp;shell companies set up with the same aim.

The Panama Paper contained revelations of various celebrities and politicians, and the journalists were careful to note that being named in the Papers does not necessarily mean that they were guilty of anything&nbsp;illegal.&nbsp;But nonetheless, protests in the wake of the Panama Paper&nbsp;revelations forced the Prime Minister of Iceland to resign, and caused other upheavals and embarassment around the world.

While the Panama Papers was a major story when it first broke, back in early April&nbsp;of 2016, the total amount of leaked data&nbsp;was so vast, and the information in it was so convoluted,&nbsp;that revelations&nbsp;from them&nbsp;is still emerging.

According to the daily, a&nbsp;three-judge apex court bench, constituting of &nbsp;Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, heard the petitions seeking Sharif&#39;s disqualification. The hearing, however, was adjourned for two weeks.

After the hearing, PTI chief Imran Khan talked to reporters and vowed to bring &quot;king&quot; Sharif under law.&nbsp;

He requested the SC for speedy trial of the case and said the court hearing was the first step in the accountability process.

(WION)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A three-judge bench heard a petition seeking PM's disqualification over Panama Papers case

Pakistan's Supreme Court today issued notice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case. Apart from Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Capt (R) Safdar, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, director general Federal Investigation Agency, chairman Federal Board of Revenue, and the attorney general were also issued the notice, Pakistan daily, the Dawn reported. The Panama Papers refers to an investigation conducted by the International Consortium of International Journalists, and 107 media outlets from over 80 countries from around the world, which examined 11.5 million leaked documents showing how the rich and powerful avail themselves of offshore tax havens, in this case in Panama, to reduce their tax burden. There were also descriptions of elaborately complex shell companies set up with the same aim. The Panama Paper contained revelations of various celebrities and politicians, and the journalists were careful to note that being named in the Papers does not necessarily mean that they were guilty of anything illegal. But nonetheless, protests in the wake of the Panama Paper revelations forced the Prime Minister of Iceland to resign, and caused other upheavals and embarassment around the world. While the Panama Papers was a major story when it first broke, back in early April of 2016, the total amount of leaked data was so vast, and the information in it was so convoluted, that revelations from them is still emerging. According to the daily, a three-judge apex court bench, constituting of Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, heard the petitions seeking Sharif's disqualification. The hearing, however, was adjourned for two weeks. After the hearing, PTI chief Imran Khan talked to reporters and vowed to bring "king" Sharif under law. He requested the SC for speedy trial of the case and said the court hearing was the first step in the accountability process. (WION)

Panama Papers probe: Pakistan's top court issues notice to PM Sharif?

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan is ready for talks with India if New Delhi was serious to resolve the Kashmir issue which, he said, is the &quot;main cause of unrest&quot; in the region. Pakistan had offered talks on outstanding issues several times but India did not reciprocate, he told reporters in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he wrapped up a three-day visit.

&quot;Kashmir was (the) main cause of unrest in the region and India must show seriousness for resolution of the issue and honour its commitment under United Nations Security Council Resolutions,&quot; Sharif was quoted as saying by Associated Press.&nbsp;

Pakistan was committed to peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, he said. Sharif dismissed India&#39;s allegations that Pakistan was behind the attack on an Indian army base camp in Uri, saying India levelled allegations against Pakistan within six hours of the incident. He said no infiltration took place across the Line of Control (LoC).

Sharif&#39;s statement comes amid strains in the relations between Pakistan and India in the wake of the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed last month.

(PTI)

Pakistan had offered talks on outstanding issues several times but India did not reciprocate, Sharif said

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan is ready for talks with India if New Delhi was serious to resolve the Kashmir issue which, he said, is the "main cause of unrest" in the region. Pakistan had offered talks on outstanding issues several times but India did not reciprocate, he told reporters in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he wrapped up a three-day visit. "Kashmir was (the) main cause of unrest in the region and India must show seriousness for resolution of the issue and honour its commitment under United Nations Security Council Resolutions," Sharif was quoted as saying by Associated Press. Pakistan was committed to peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, he said. Sharif dismissed India's allegations that Pakistan was behind the attack on an Indian army base camp in Uri, saying India levelled allegations against Pakistan within six hours of the incident. He said no infiltration took place across the Line of Control (LoC). Sharif's statement comes amid strains in the relations between Pakistan and India in the wake of the Uri terror attack in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed last month. (PTI)

Pakistan ready for talks only if India is serious about Kashmir: Nawaz Sharif

&nbsp;

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s special Kashmir envoy has said that Pakistan is willing to eliminate terrorism.&nbsp;

Mushahid Hussain, one of the two special envoys said,&quot;Campaign against terrorism has to be comprehensive, clear and has to be all out.&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan has waged one of the most difficult and successful against inland terrorists inside the country,&quot; he told the audience at an event organised in Washington by US think-tank Stimson Center.&nbsp;

&quot;There is no two view about that. We are going against the largest war against terrorism inside the country. There is a certain consensus inside the country. We are against terrorism. We would go against remnants,&quot; he said in response to a question.

&quot;We consider terrorism and extremism as the number one security threat in Pakistan. There is a consensus on this,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

When asked by moderator Michael Krepon if Pakistan was facing international isolation, Hussain denied it and said Islamabad had the support of China, Russia, Iran, Turkey.&nbsp;

&quot;Right now, Pakistan is not isolated,&quot; and said the Organisation of Islamic Countries and Human Rights Council backed Pakistan.

Hussain was however contradicted by the other special envoy on Kashmir, Shazra Mansab who said Pakistan does &quot;not fear isolation.&quot;

&quot;We have this feeling that the huge sacrifices that Pakistan has not been recognised by the US and other countries. No other country in the world has taken so much step as we have done,&quot; she said.

&quot;We are against militancy. But we do not fear isolation,&quot; Mansab said.

&quot;First, resume the back channel. Second have confidence building measures (CBMs) in Kashmir and finally give nod to Sharif for the SAARC summit in Pakistan. Let 2017 be the year of decision and year of peace,&quot; he suggested to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve Indo-Pak issues.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from dna)

&nbsp;

Mushahid Hussain said Pakistan has waged a successful war against inland terrorists but there are still 'remnants'

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's special Kashmir envoy has said that Pakistan is willing to eliminate terrorism. Mushahid Hussain, one of the two special envoys said,"Campaign against terrorism has to be comprehensive, clear and has to be all out." he said. "Pakistan has waged one of the most difficult and successful against inland terrorists inside the country," he told the audience at an event organised in Washington by US think-tank Stimson Center. "There is no two view about that. We are going against the largest war against terrorism inside the country. There is a certain consensus inside the country. We are against terrorism. We would go against remnants," he said in response to a question. "We consider terrorism and extremism as the number one security threat in Pakistan. There is a consensus on this," he added. When asked by moderator Michael Krepon if Pakistan was facing international isolation, Hussain denied it and said Islamabad had the support of China, Russia, Iran, Turkey. "Right now, Pakistan is not isolated," and said the Organisation of Islamic Countries and Human Rights Council backed Pakistan. Hussain was however contradicted by the other special envoy on Kashmir, Shazra Mansab who said Pakistan does "not fear isolation." "We have this feeling that the huge sacrifices that Pakistan has not been recognised by the US and other countries. No other country in the world has taken so much step as we have done," she said. "We are against militancy. But we do not fear isolation," Mansab said. "First, resume the back channel. Second have confidence building measures (CBMs) in Kashmir and finally give nod to Sharif for the SAARC summit in Pakistan. Let 2017 be the year of decision and year of peace," he suggested to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve Indo-Pak issues. (WION with inputs from dna)

Pakistan not isolated: Sharif's envoy

Amid brewing tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan&#39;s top diplomat, Sartaj Aziz, today said that the two South Asian countries have decided to reduce tensions, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Referring to the first contact between the national security advisors &nbsp;(NSA) &nbsp;of the two countries following the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir that killed at least 19 Indian soldiers, the adviser to Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister on national security and foreign Affairs, Aziz, informed that India&#39;s NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua spoke over the&nbsp;phone and talked about diffusing tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two countries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan wants to reduce tensions on LoC and focus on Kashmir,&quot; Pakistani broadcaster Geo News quoted him as saying.

&nbsp;

Indian Army last week said that it had carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday across the terror launch pads. The surgical strikes were viewed as a retaliation to the militant attacks in Uri.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A&nbsp;militant attack was also reported at the headquarter of Baramulla area of Kashmir on Sunday night that killed one security personnel.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Aziz also referred to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s recent remarks at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and said that Sharif had explained to the world leaders that the incidents of border tensions would continue between both countries without the resolution of Kashmir dispute.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Indo-Pak border skirmishes&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, both the nations continue to accuse each other of violating ceasefire along the Indo-Pak border.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Indian Army today claimed that Pakistan targeted army posts and civilian post areas in the border town of Poonch, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Public relations officer of Indian defence ministry, Manish Mehta, was quoted as saying by the international news agency that Indian forces gave a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations.

&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan army carried out unprovoked ceasefire violations in Poonch sector in Shahpur area, using small arms, automatic (weapons) and mortar (shells). We have given them a befitting reply and ceasefire violation is still continuing,&quot; Mehta said in Jammu city.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Presently, we don&#39;t have any report of loss to civilians. However, we have not suffered any kind of causality or any kind of loss,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While on the other hand, AFP quoted a&nbsp;statement by Pakistan&#39;s military that read: &quot;Indian troops yet again resorted to unprovoked firing after midnight at the Line of Control (LoC) in Iftikharabad sector and Pakistani troops befittingly responded.&quot; &nbsp;According to the statement, the exchange ended in the morning.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

While diplomatic efforts are on to diffuse tensions, the two South Asian countries today accused each other of ceasefire violations

Amid brewing tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan's top diplomat, Sartaj Aziz, today said that the two South Asian countries have decided to reduce tensions, Indian news agency PTI reported. Referring to the first contact between the national security advisors (NSA) of the two countries following the September 18 Uri attack in Kashmir that killed at least 19 Indian soldiers, the adviser to Pakistan's Prime Minister on national security and foreign Affairs, Aziz, informed that India's NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua spoke over the phone and talked about diffusing tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between the two countries. "Pakistan wants to reduce tensions on LoC and focus on Kashmir," Pakistani broadcaster Geo News quoted him as saying. Indian Army last week said that it had carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday across the terror launch pads. The surgical strikes were viewed as a retaliation to the militant attacks in Uri. A militant attack was also reported at the headquarter of Baramulla area of Kashmir on Sunday night that killed one security personnel. Aziz also referred to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's recent remarks at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and said that Sharif had explained to the world leaders that the incidents of border tensions would continue between both countries without the resolution of Kashmir dispute. Indo-Pak border skirmishes Meanwhile, both the nations continue to accuse each other of violating ceasefire along the Indo-Pak border. Indian Army today claimed that Pakistan targeted army posts and civilian post areas in the border town of Poonch, Reuters reported. Public relations officer of Indian defence ministry, Manish Mehta, was quoted as saying by the international news agency that Indian forces gave a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations. "Pakistan army carried out unprovoked ceasefire violations in Poonch sector in Shahpur area, using small arms, automatic (weapons) and mortar (shells). We have given them a befitting reply and ceasefire violation is still continuing," Mehta said in Jammu city. "Presently, we don't have any report of loss to civilians. However, we have not suffered any kind of causality or any kind of loss," he added. While on the other hand, AFP quoted a statement by Pakistan's military that read: "Indian troops yet again resorted to unprovoked firing after midnight at the Line of Control (LoC) in Iftikharabad sector and Pakistani troops befittingly responded." According to the statement, the exchange ended in the morning. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan, India NSAs agree to reduce tensions across border: Sartaj Aziz

The upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)&nbsp;Summit to be held in Islamabad in November could be postponed, Pakistan hinted on Wednesday after India and three other members pullet out of the summit.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan indirectly blamed Pakistan for creating an environment which is not conducive for holding the meet, &nbsp;a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided not to attend the SAARC summit citing &quot;the prevailing circumstances&quot;, according to Indian news agency PTI.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;As per SAARC rules, the summit will not be held if any member-country refused to attend,&quot; Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, was quoted as saying by PTI.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He, however, said this was not the first time that India was not attending the regional summit and that it had earlier also caused the summit to be postponed four times.

&nbsp;

Aziz added that although it is possible to postpone the summit, the SAARC secretariat has not officially informed the government so far.

&nbsp;

A formal announcement to this effect will be made by Nepal, the current chair of the SAARC, &nbsp;Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said earlier.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The four SAARC members, including India, informed the SAARC Chair their unwillingness to attend the summit that was scheduled for November 9-10.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Founded in 1985, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) currently has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members.

&nbsp;

Under the SAARC charter, the summit is automatically postponed or cancelled even if one member country skips the event. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Amid brewing tensions between &nbsp;India and Pakistan following September 18 Uri attack that killed 18 Indian soldiers, cancellation of SAARC summit is likely to draw the world attention yet again after the two countries engaged into a war of words at UN General Assembly.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The development comes a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided not to attend the summit citing 'prevailing circumstances'

The upcoming South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit to be held in Islamabad in November could be postponed, Pakistan hinted on Wednesday after India and three other members pullet out of the summit. Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan indirectly blamed Pakistan for creating an environment which is not conducive for holding the meet, a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided not to attend the SAARC summit citing "the prevailing circumstances", according to Indian news agency PTI. "As per SAARC rules, the summit will not be held if any member-country refused to attend," Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's advisor on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, was quoted as saying by PTI. He, however, said this was not the first time that India was not attending the regional summit and that it had earlier also caused the summit to be postponed four times. Aziz added that although it is possible to postpone the summit, the SAARC secretariat has not officially informed the government so far. A formal announcement to this effect will be made by Nepal, the current chair of the SAARC, Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said earlier. The four SAARC members, including India, informed the SAARC Chair their unwillingness to attend the summit that was scheduled for November 9-10. Founded in 1985, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) currently has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka as its members. Under the SAARC charter, the summit is automatically postponed or cancelled even if one member country skips the event. Amid brewing tensions between India and Pakistan following September 18 Uri attack that killed 18 Indian soldiers, cancellation of SAARC summit is likely to draw the world attention yet again after the two countries engaged into a war of words at UN General Assembly. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Pakistan hints SAARC may be postponed after India and three other members pull out

Urging both the nuclear states to &quot;ease it off&quot; as war of words rages between India and Pakistan, &nbsp;Britain has raised serious concerns over increasing tensions the two neighbouring nations following September 18 attack on Indian Army base in Uri sector of Kashmir.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Britain wants easing of tension between Pakistan and India as it is concerned over the current situation (in the wake of Uri attack),&quot; British high commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew said on Saturday, according to Pakistan daily Dawn. 
 
The British high commissioner met with Pakistan&#39;s Punjab province chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, on Saturday to &quot;discuss matters of mutual interest, bilateral relations and situation in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir,&quot; The Dawn reported. 
 
As Drew &quot;lauded&quot; Pakistan for its &quot;responsible attitude in the current situation&quot;, according to the daily, he added that Britain is against violation of human rights anywhere in the world. 
 
Both India and Pakistan have accused each other of indulging into human rights violations in Kashmir Valley and Balochistan, respectively, drawing the&nbsp;attention of world leaders in the recent weeks.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif has asked Britain to help resolve the Kashmir issue in the wake of the UN resolution, Indian news agency, Press Trust of India, reported.&nbsp; 
 
India&#39;s external affairs minister to address UN over Kashmir issue 
 
India&#39;s external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, will be addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday and is expected to respond to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif&#39;s &quot;diatribe&quot; on Kashmir, said official sources.&nbsp; 
 
The Pakistan Prime Minister said on Saturday that the Uri attack could have been a response to the human rights violations in Kashmir.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_fq3a0-20160925031607.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
India&#39;s external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj in her address to the UNGA on Monday, is expected to offer a stinging response to Pakistan PM&#39;s Kashmir speech.
</div>
 
First secretary in the permanent mission of India to the UN Eenam Gambhir, within hours of Sharif&#39;s speech hit back saying, &quot;the worst violation of human rights is terrorism&quot;. 
 
India sees in Pakistan as &quot; &#39;a terrorist state&#39; which uses billions of Dollars from international&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, &nbsp;&quot;terrorism&quot; will be the main focus of Swaraj&#39;s address, &quot;reform of the UN Security Council, sustainable development, climate change and peacekeeping&quot; are some issues which will be discussed in the UNGA, India&#39;s envoy to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, said.&nbsp; 
 
Swaraj will discuss India&#39;s &quot;vision document&quot;, whose contents have not been disclosed but according to Vikas Swaroop, spokersperson for the ministry of external affairs, said &quot;the whole world and the entire country is waiting to hear what the external affairs minister has to say but I think the broad themes that Akbaruddin has outlined are definitely going to be a part of our presentation at this most important forum in the international community&quot;. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

British high commissioner in Pakistan has asked both the nuclear states to 'ease it off' as war of words rages on in the wake of Uri attack

Urging both the nuclear states to "ease it off" as war of words rages between India and Pakistan, Britain has raised serious concerns over increasing tensions the two neighbouring nations following September 18 attack on Indian Army base in Uri sector of Kashmir. "Britain wants easing of tension between Pakistan and India as it is concerned over the current situation (in the wake of Uri attack)," British high commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew said on Saturday, according to Pakistan daily Dawn. The British high commissioner met with Pakistan's Punjab province chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, on Saturday to "discuss matters of mutual interest, bilateral relations and situation in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir," The Dawn reported. As Drew "lauded" Pakistan for its "responsible attitude in the current situation", according to the daily, he added that Britain is against violation of human rights anywhere in the world. Both India and Pakistan have accused each other of indulging into human rights violations in Kashmir Valley and Balochistan, respectively, drawing the attention of world leaders in the recent weeks. Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif has asked Britain to help resolve the Kashmir issue in the wake of the UN resolution, Indian news agency, Press Trust of India, reported. India's external affairs minister to address UN over Kashmir issue India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, will be addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday and is expected to respond to Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's "diatribe" on Kashmir, said official sources. The Pakistan Prime Minister said on Saturday that the Uri attack could have been a response to the human rights violations in Kashmir. India's external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj in her address to the UNGA on Monday, is expected to offer a stinging response to Pakistan PM's Kashmir speech. First secretary in the permanent mission of India to the UN Eenam Gambhir, within hours of Sharif's speech hit back saying, "the worst violation of human rights is terrorism". India sees in Pakistan as " 'a terrorist state' which uses billions of Dollars from international Meanwhile, "terrorism" will be the main focus of Swaraj's address, "reform of the UN Security Council, sustainable development, climate change and peacekeeping" are some issues which will be discussed in the UNGA, India's envoy to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, said. Swaraj will discuss India's "vision document", whose contents have not been disclosed but according to Vikas Swaroop, spokersperson for the ministry of external affairs, said "the whole world and the entire country is waiting to hear what the external affairs minister has to say but I think the broad themes that Akbaruddin has outlined are definitely going to be a part of our presentation at this most important forum in the international community". (WION with inputs from agencies)

Britain 'worried' over Indo-Pak strain

The Uri attack could be a result of the ongoing Kashmir unrest, feels Pakistan Prime MInister Nawaz Sharif. 
 
&quot;The Uri attack can be the reaction of the atrocities in Kashmir, as the close relatives and near and dear ones of those killed and blinded over the last two months were hurt and outraged,&quot; Sharif told reporters on Friday. 
 
Sharif was referring to the civil unrest that has gripped Kashmir ever since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter by Indian security forces on July 8. 
 
The killing sparked massive statewide protests, some of which degenerated into clashes with Indian forces. Eighty one Kashmiris have been killed in the clampdown so far. 
 
Sharif also seemed nonplussed as to how India blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack just a few hours after it took place. He said India was &quot;irresponsible&quot; for blaming Pakistan &quot;without any evidence&quot;. 
 
&quot;How could India accuse Pakistan only hours after the Uri incident without holding any inquiry or investigation,&quot; Sharif told Pakistani media reports, Reuters reported. 
 
Sharif, who had stopped over in London during his journey back to Islamabad from the UN session in New York, put the spotlight on the &quot;brutalities being perpetrated against innocent Kashmiris&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
He also urged India to probe the deaths of Kashmiri protesters. 
 
Eighteen soldiers were killed when four armed men launched a fidayeen attack on a heavily-guarded army camp in Uri, Kashmir, on September 18. 
 
The Indian government blamed Pakistan for helping Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives in perpetrating one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in Kashmir in the last 20 years.&nbsp; 
 
India has since then upped the ante on Pakistan&#39;s patchy terrorism record in global fora, with its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj expected to raise the issue again during her UN speech on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Nawaz Sharif also criticised India for blaming Pakistan 'without any evidence'

The Uri attack could be a result of the ongoing Kashmir unrest, feels Pakistan Prime MInister Nawaz Sharif. "The Uri attack can be the reaction of the atrocities in Kashmir, as the close relatives and near and dear ones of those killed and blinded over the last two months were hurt and outraged," Sharif told reporters on Friday. Sharif was referring to the civil unrest that has gripped Kashmir ever since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter by Indian security forces on July 8. The killing sparked massive statewide protests, some of which degenerated into clashes with Indian forces. Eighty one Kashmiris have been killed in the clampdown so far. Sharif also seemed nonplussed as to how India blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack just a few hours after it took place. He said India was "irresponsible" for blaming Pakistan "without any evidence". "How could India accuse Pakistan only hours after the Uri incident without holding any inquiry or investigation," Sharif told Pakistani media reports, Reuters reported. Sharif, who had stopped over in London during his journey back to Islamabad from the UN session in New York, put the spotlight on the "brutalities being perpetrated against innocent Kashmiris". He also urged India to probe the deaths of Kashmiri protesters. Eighteen soldiers were killed when four armed men launched a fidayeen attack on a heavily-guarded army camp in Uri, Kashmir, on September 18. The Indian government blamed Pakistan for helping Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives in perpetrating one of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces in Kashmir in the last 20 years. India has since then upped the ante on Pakistan's patchy terrorism record in global fora, with its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj expected to raise the issue again during her UN speech on Monday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Uri attack could be reaction of people to situation in Kashmir: Sharif

India today called Pakistan a &quot;terrorist state&quot; and accused it of carrying out &quot;war crimes&quot; against Indians through its &quot;long-standing policy&quot; of sponsoring terrorism, hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raked up Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly session. 
 
In a strong rebuttal, India said the terrorists designated by the UN continued to roam Pakistan&#39;s streets freely and operate with State support. 
 
Exercising India&#39;s Right of Reply to Sharif&#39;s &quot;long tirade&quot; about the situation in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, first secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Eenam Gambhir said &quot;the worst violation of human rights is terrorism.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;When practised as an instrument of state policy it is a war crime. What my country and our other neighbours are facing today is Pakistan&#39;s long-standing policy of sponsoring terrorism, the consequences of which have spread well beyond our region,&quot; she said. 
 
Gambhir said India sees in Pakistan &quot;a terrorist state&quot; which channelises billions of dollars, much of it diverted from international aid, to training, financing and supporting terrorist groups as militant proxies against it neighbours. 
 
In a reference to terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, she said terrorist entities and their leaders, including many designated by the UN, continue to roam the streets of Pakistan freely and operate with State&#39;s support. 
 
&quot;With the approval of authorities, many terrorist organisations raise funds openly in flagrant violation of Pakistan&#39;s international obligations,&quot; Gambhir said. 
 
She said while Pakistan&#39;s nuclear proliferation record is marked by &quot;deception and deceit,&quot; it talks about restraint, renunciation and peace. 
 
&quot;Similar false promises it has made to us - the international community on terrorism. Perhaps renunciation of lies and self-restraint on threats could be a good place for Pakistan to start,&quot; Gambhir said. 
 
India also strongly slammed Sharif for glorifying Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, who was killed on July 8 by the Indian forces. 
 
&quot;Even today we have heard support by the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a self-acknowledged commander of a known terrorist organisation,&quot; she said. 
 
Gambhir said Pakistan was a democracy deficit country and practises terrorism on its own people. 
 
&quot;It extends support to extremist groups, it suppresses minorities and women and denies basic human rights including through draconian laws,&quot; she added.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

India said the terrorists designated by the UN continued to roam Pakistan's streets freely and operate with State support.

India today called Pakistan a "terrorist state" and accused it of carrying out "war crimes" against Indians through its "long-standing policy" of sponsoring terrorism, hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raked up Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly session. In a strong rebuttal, India said the terrorists designated by the UN continued to roam Pakistan's streets freely and operate with State support. Exercising India's Right of Reply to Sharif's "long tirade" about the situation in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, first secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Eenam Gambhir said "the worst violation of human rights is terrorism." "When practised as an instrument of state policy it is a war crime. What my country and our other neighbours are facing today is Pakistan's long-standing policy of sponsoring terrorism, the consequences of which have spread well beyond our region," she said. Gambhir said India sees in Pakistan "a terrorist state" which channelises billions of dollars, much of it diverted from international aid, to training, financing and supporting terrorist groups as militant proxies against it neighbours. In a reference to terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, she said terrorist entities and their leaders, including many designated by the UN, continue to roam the streets of Pakistan freely and operate with State's support. "With the approval of authorities, many terrorist organisations raise funds openly in flagrant violation of Pakistan's international obligations," Gambhir said. She said while Pakistan's nuclear proliferation record is marked by "deception and deceit," it talks about restraint, renunciation and peace. "Similar false promises it has made to us - the international community on terrorism. Perhaps renunciation of lies and self-restraint on threats could be a good place for Pakistan to start," Gambhir said. India also strongly slammed Sharif for glorifying Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani, who was killed on July 8 by the Indian forces. "Even today we have heard support by the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a self-acknowledged commander of a known terrorist organisation," she said. Gambhir said Pakistan was a democracy deficit country and practises terrorism on its own people. "It extends support to extremist groups, it suppresses minorities and women and denies basic human rights including through draconian laws," she added. (PTI)

India to UN: Pakistan is a 'terrorist state', carries out war crimes

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addressed the United Nations General Assembly session in New York amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan&nbsp;expressed readiness for a &quot;serious and sustained dialogue&quot; with India for peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, especially Jammu and Kashmir. 
 
Sharif insisted resolution of the long-standing Kashmir dispute is imperative to achieving peace in the region.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Confrontation should not be a strategy in South Asia, we want peace with India, we have gone a long way to start talks. India has put preconditions to talks. But I must say these talks are no favour to Pakistan. It is in the interest of both India and Pakistan to address the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Peace cannot be reached without talks on Kashmir,&quot; he said. 
 
But Pakistan&#39;s repeated attempts to raise the Kashmir issue at international fora have gained little traction. Pakistan has been on the backfoot after India claimed it had evidence that the recent Uri attack on the Indian Army base was carried out by Pakistan&#39;s banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).&nbsp; 
 
India asserted that Pakistan is in complete denial of the recent Uri attack on the Indian Army base.&nbsp;Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup took to Twitter to slam Nawaz Sharif&#39;s UNGA speech. 
 
Swarup said Sharif&#39;s statement glorifying&nbsp;slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani at the UN shows&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s continued attachment to terrorism. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Pak PM Sharif at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hash">#UNGA</a> glorifies Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani in UN&#39;s highest forum. Shows continued Pak attachment to terrorism.
&mdash; Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/778660066794680321">September 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
The Pakistan Prime Minister had referred to slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani as a &quot;young leader&quot; and said he has &quot;emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Sharif said an indigenous uprising has been noted in the Indian state of Kashmir that has been met by brutal oppression from the Indian forces.&nbsp; 
 
Sharif called for a fact-finding mission to be sent by the United Nations to Kashmir to probe the atrocities. He said Pakistan &quot;fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I demand an independent inquiry into the extrajudicial killings in Kashmir, demand an end to the curfew.&quot; 
 
Sharif said Pakistan will also share a dossier with United Nations Secretary-General on the alleged Indian brutalities in Kashmir. 
 
Responding to Sharif&#39;s allegations, Swarup said India&#39;s only condition for talks is an end to terrorism. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
PM Sharif at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hash">#UNGA</a> says India poses unacceptable conditions to dialogue. India&#39;s only condition is an end to terrorism. This not acceptable?
&mdash; Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/778659426098044929">September 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
Sharif stressed that economic development was Pakistan&#39;s priority but the goal can only be achieved through peace and stability in the region.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;My country has been the principal victim of terrorism including that &nbsp;supported, sponsored, financed from abroad. Thousands of our people have been injured in these terrorist attacks. &quot; 
 
He said such attacks have only strengthened Pakistan&#39;s resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism. 
 
&quot;We will not allow externally sponsored terrorism and threats of destabilisation to cause turbulence in Pakistan.&quot; 
 
He termed terrorism a global phenomenon and urged the international community to take collective action, &quot;The international community must take action, collectively and not unilaterally to fight the problem.&quot; 
 
&quot;We will not win the fight against violent extremism so long as we do not address the roots causes of violent extremism like socio-political injustice, denial of legitimate rights of nations and people,&quot; said Sharif. 
 
(WION)

India asserted that Pakistan's statement at the UN confirms it is harbouring banned terrorists and is in complete denial of the Uri attack

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addressed the United Nations General Assembly session in New York amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Pakistan expressed readiness for a "serious and sustained dialogue" with India for peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, especially Jammu and Kashmir. Sharif insisted resolution of the long-standing Kashmir dispute is imperative to achieving peace in the region. "Confrontation should not be a strategy in South Asia, we want peace with India, we have gone a long way to start talks. India has put preconditions to talks. But I must say these talks are no favour to Pakistan. It is in the interest of both India and Pakistan to address the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Peace cannot be reached without talks on Kashmir," he said. But Pakistan's repeated attempts to raise the Kashmir issue at international fora have gained little traction. Pakistan has been on the backfoot after India claimed it had evidence that the recent Uri attack on the Indian Army base was carried out by Pakistan's banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). India asserted that Pakistan is in complete denial of the recent Uri attack on the Indian Army base. Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup took to Twitter to slam Nawaz Sharif's UNGA speech. Swarup said Sharif's statement glorifying slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani at the UN shows Pakistan's continued attachment to terrorism. Pak PM Sharif at #UNGA glorifies Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani in UN's highest forum. Shows continued Pak attachment to terrorism. — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 21, 2016 The Pakistan Prime Minister had referred to slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani as a "young leader" and said he has "emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement." Sharif said an indigenous uprising has been noted in the Indian state of Kashmir that has been met by brutal oppression from the Indian forces. Sharif called for a fact-finding mission to be sent by the United Nations to Kashmir to probe the atrocities. He said Pakistan "fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination". "I demand an independent inquiry into the extrajudicial killings in Kashmir, demand an end to the curfew." Sharif said Pakistan will also share a dossier with United Nations Secretary-General on the alleged Indian brutalities in Kashmir. Responding to Sharif's allegations, Swarup said India's only condition for talks is an end to terrorism. PM Sharif at #UNGA says India poses unacceptable conditions to dialogue. India's only condition is an end to terrorism. This not acceptable? — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 21, 2016 Sharif stressed that economic development was Pakistan's priority but the goal can only be achieved through peace and stability in the region. "My country has been the principal victim of terrorism including that supported, sponsored, financed from abroad. Thousands of our people have been injured in these terrorist attacks. " He said such attacks have only strengthened Pakistan's resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism. "We will not allow externally sponsored terrorism and threats of destabilisation to cause turbulence in Pakistan." He termed terrorism a global phenomenon and urged the international community to take collective action, "The international community must take action, collectively and not unilaterally to fight the problem." "We will not win the fight against violent extremism so long as we do not address the roots causes of violent extremism like socio-political injustice, denial of legitimate rights of nations and people," said Sharif. (WION)

Pakistan PM Sharif glorifies Hizbul's Burhan Wani in UN speech, India says it proves Pakistan supporting terrorism

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised the Kashmir issue with almost every world leader he has held talks with on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, but his efforts to internationalise the dispute with India appeared to have gained no traction. 
 
Sharif raised the issue with the leaders of the US, the UK, Japan and Turkey and sought their intervention in resolving the matter. He met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here yesterday. 
 
&quot;PM Sharif briefed Japanese PM about the grave turn that the situation in occupied Kashmir is taking. Reminded him about UNSC resolutions,&quot; Pakistan&#39;s envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi tweeted. 
 
&quot;PM Nawaz Sharif also apprised his Japanese counterpart of the human rights violations being committed by Indian occupation forces in Kashmir,&quot; Lodhi said in another tweet. 
&nbsp;
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>According to a readout of his meeting with Kerry, Sharif told him more than 107 people have been &#39;assassinated&#39;&nbsp;in Kashmir, thousands injured and the &#39;worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level&#39;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=According to a readout of his meeting with Kerry by the Pakistan mission, Sharif told him that more than 107 people have been &quot;assassinated&quot; in Kashmir, thousands injured and &quot;worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level.&quot;" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
 
Erdogan and Sharif &quot;agreed that Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Human Rights should send a fact-finding mission&quot; to Kashmir, Lodhi said. 
 
On Monday, Sharif held bilateral talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and UK Prime Minister Theresa May. 
 
According to a readout of his meeting with Kerry, Sharif told him more than 107 people have been &quot;assassinated&quot; in Kashmir, thousands injured and the &quot;worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level.&quot; 
 
&quot;I still remember President (Bill) Clinton&#39;s promise that US will play its role to help out in resolving bilateral disputes and issues between Pakistan and India,&quot; Sharif said, according to the release. 
 
&quot;I expect US Administration and Secretary Kerry to use his good offices to help in resolving bilateral issues between Pakistan and India,&quot; he added. 
 
In his meeting with May, Sharif urged her to play a role in convincing India to stop the use of force against the people of the region. 
 
He said Pakistan&#39;s support for Kashmiri people &quot;in their legitimate struggle for self-determination and its commitment to the Kashmir cause are non-negotiable.&quot; 
 
However, Sharif&#39;s repeated calls to the UN to help resolve the Kashmir dispute appeared to be gaining little traction as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made no reference to Kashmir in his final speech as UN chief to the UNGA. 
 
At the opening session of the General Debate yesterday, Ban touched upon a cross-section of global issues including the Syrian crisis, the Palestinian issue, the refugee and migrant movements and tension in the Korean Peninsula. 
 
Kashmir will be the focal point of Sharif&#39;s address to the UN General Assembly today. 
 
Tensions have heightened between India and Pakistan in the wake of the attack by heavily-armed militants, suspected to be from Pakistan, on an army base in Uri, Kashmir in which 18 soldiers died. 
 
Ban has repeatedly said his &quot;good offices&quot; are available to help resolve the Kashmir dispute only if both India and Pakistan request for it, a clear indication that the issue is bilateral and should be solved by the two countries only. 
 
(PTI)&nbsp;

It will also be the focal point of Nawaz Sharif's address to the UN General Assembly today

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised the Kashmir issue with almost every world leader he has held talks with on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, but his efforts to internationalise the dispute with India appeared to have gained no traction. Sharif raised the issue with the leaders of the US, the UK, Japan and Turkey and sought their intervention in resolving the matter. He met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here yesterday. "PM Sharif briefed Japanese PM about the grave turn that the situation in occupied Kashmir is taking. Reminded him about UNSC resolutions," Pakistan's envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi tweeted. "PM Nawaz Sharif also apprised his Japanese counterpart of the human rights violations being committed by Indian occupation forces in Kashmir," Lodhi said in another tweet. According to a readout of his meeting with Kerry, Sharif told him more than 107 people have been 'assassinated' in Kashmir, thousands injured and the 'worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level' Erdogan and Sharif "agreed that Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Human Rights should send a fact-finding mission" to Kashmir, Lodhi said. On Monday, Sharif held bilateral talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and UK Prime Minister Theresa May. According to a readout of his meeting with Kerry, Sharif told him more than 107 people have been "assassinated" in Kashmir, thousands injured and the "worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level." "I still remember President (Bill) Clinton's promise that US will play its role to help out in resolving bilateral disputes and issues between Pakistan and India," Sharif said, according to the release. "I expect US Administration and Secretary Kerry to use his good offices to help in resolving bilateral issues between Pakistan and India," he added. In his meeting with May, Sharif urged her to play a role in convincing India to stop the use of force against the people of the region. He said Pakistan's support for Kashmiri people "in their legitimate struggle for self-determination and its commitment to the Kashmir cause are non-negotiable." However, Sharif's repeated calls to the UN to help resolve the Kashmir dispute appeared to be gaining little traction as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made no reference to Kashmir in his final speech as UN chief to the UNGA. At the opening session of the General Debate yesterday, Ban touched upon a cross-section of global issues including the Syrian crisis, the Palestinian issue, the refugee and migrant movements and tension in the Korean Peninsula. Kashmir will be the focal point of Sharif's address to the UN General Assembly today. Tensions have heightened between India and Pakistan in the wake of the attack by heavily-armed militants, suspected to be from Pakistan, on an army base in Uri, Kashmir in which 18 soldiers died. Ban has repeatedly said his "good offices" are available to help resolve the Kashmir dispute only if both India and Pakistan request for it, a clear indication that the issue is bilateral and should be solved by the two countries only. (PTI)

Pakistan PM Sharif raises Kashmir issue with world leaders on sidelines of UN meet

US Secretary of State John Kerry has asked Pakistan to stop jihadists from using their country as safe havens. 
 
&quot;(Pakistan) Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) and Secretary Kerry expressed strong concern with recent violence in Kashmir - particularly the army base attack - and the need for all sides to reduce tensions,&quot;&nbsp;State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said, The Times of India reported. 
 
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner also urged India and Pakistan to &quot;work closely&quot; to tackle the menace in the subcontinent.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve seen some progress; we want to see more,&quot; he said. 
 
The statements come a day after&nbsp;Kerry met Sharif yesterday on the sidelines of the United Nationas General Assembly (UNGA) session. 
 
Prime Minister Sharif on Monday sought help from the United States to resolve tensions between India and Pakistan, as he raised the issue of alleged human rights violations and killings in the Indian state of Kashmir.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Prime Minister said that more than 107 people have been assassinated in Kashmir, thousands injured and worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level,&quot; according to a readout of the meeting issued by Pakistan. 
 
Sharif met US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the UN summit in New York, amid a fresh war of words between Pakistan and India after terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers in Kashmir. 
 
He urged Washington to &quot;play a role&quot; in the resolution of the long-standing dispute.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had two very productive meetings at the&nbsp;start of General Assembly visit with US Secretary of State John Kerry &amp; PM of New Zealand,&quot; Pakistan&#39;s envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi tweeted. 
 
&quot;PM urged the US to play a role in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and highlighted human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir,&quot; she said. 
 
Sharif told Kerry that he &quot;still remember President (Bill) Clinton&#39;s promise that the&nbsp;US will play its role to help out in resolving bilateral disputes and issues between Pakistan and India.&quot; 
 
&quot;I expect US Administration and Secretary Kerry to use his good offices to help in resolving bilateral issues between Pakistan and India,&quot; the statement quoted Sharif as saying. 
 
Sharif had earlier called on the permanent members of the UN Security Council demanding that India should be forced to stop its alleged brutalities in Kashmir. 
 
He has said he will highlight the Kashmir issue in his address at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. 
 
Sunday&#39;s attack on the Indian army in Uri by terrorists has sparked outrage and triggered calls for Pakistan&#39;s diplomatic isolation. &nbsp; 
 
India claimed the items carried by the four terrorists had Pakistani markings and that the initial reports indicated they belonged to the&nbsp;Pakistan-based Jaish-E-Mohammed terrorist group. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The comment comes a day after Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif met US Secretary of State John Kerry on sidelines of UN meet

US Secretary of State John Kerry has asked Pakistan to stop jihadists from using their country as safe havens. "(Pakistan) Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) and Secretary Kerry expressed strong concern with recent violence in Kashmir - particularly the army base attack - and the need for all sides to reduce tensions," State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said, The Times of India reported. US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner also urged India and Pakistan to "work closely" to tackle the menace in the subcontinent. "We've seen some progress; we want to see more," he said. The statements come a day after Kerry met Sharif yesterday on the sidelines of the United Nationas General Assembly (UNGA) session. Prime Minister Sharif on Monday sought help from the United States to resolve tensions between India and Pakistan, as he raised the issue of alleged human rights violations and killings in the Indian state of Kashmir. "The Prime Minister said that more than 107 people have been assassinated in Kashmir, thousands injured and worst human rights violations are being committed at the state level," according to a readout of the meeting issued by Pakistan. Sharif met US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sidelines of the UN summit in New York, amid a fresh war of words between Pakistan and India after terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers in Kashmir. He urged Washington to "play a role" in the resolution of the long-standing dispute. "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had two very productive meetings at the start of General Assembly visit with US Secretary of State John Kerry & PM of New Zealand," Pakistan's envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi tweeted. "PM urged the US to play a role in the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and highlighted human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir," she said. Sharif told Kerry that he "still remember President (Bill) Clinton's promise that the US will play its role to help out in resolving bilateral disputes and issues between Pakistan and India." "I expect US Administration and Secretary Kerry to use his good offices to help in resolving bilateral issues between Pakistan and India," the statement quoted Sharif as saying. Sharif had earlier called on the permanent members of the UN Security Council demanding that India should be forced to stop its alleged brutalities in Kashmir. He has said he will highlight the Kashmir issue in his address at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Sunday's attack on the Indian army in Uri by terrorists has sparked outrage and triggered calls for Pakistan's diplomatic isolation. India claimed the items carried by the four terrorists had Pakistani markings and that the initial reports indicated they belonged to the Pakistan-based Jaish-E-Mohammed terrorist group. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US urges Pakistan to do more to tackle terror menace

Amid renewed turbulence between India and Pakistan over the Uri attack in Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the 71st UN General Assembly where he is set to highlight the Kashmir issue. 
 
A terror strike on Indian Army base in Uri area of the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir left at least 17 Indian soldiers dead in what is being labelled as one of the worst such attacks in a decade. Indo-Pak ties have taken a major hit following the terror attack.&nbsp; 
 
Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh put the blame on Islamabad saying that Pakistan is a terrorist state and it should be identified and isolated as such. 
 
According to Pakistani daily Dawn, Pakistan&#39;s foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria called it &quot;a very reckless statement&quot; and refuted the allegations.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan is trying to draw the UN&#39;s attention towards the &quot;ruthless military campaign&quot; in the Kashmir Valley where at least 80 people have died and thousands have been injured since the outbreak of violence following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.&nbsp; 
 
Prime Minister Sharif is likely to devote a large part of his address to the UN General Assembly to talk about &#39;human rights abuses&#39; in Kashmir, Indian news agency ANI reported today.&nbsp; 
 
He will also call on the global community to intervene in Kashmir to enforce UN resolutions that promised a plebiscite.India is expected to raise the Baloch issue to counter Pakistan&#39;s position on Kashmir, claiming that Pakistan too is guilty of similar human rights violations in the province.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Nawaz Sharif is expected to talk about 'human rights abuses' in Kashmir in his address to the UN General Assembly

Amid renewed turbulence between India and Pakistan over the Uri attack in Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the 71st UN General Assembly where he is set to highlight the Kashmir issue. A terror strike on Indian Army base in Uri area of the northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir left at least 17 Indian soldiers dead in what is being labelled as one of the worst such attacks in a decade. Indo-Pak ties have taken a major hit following the terror attack. Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh put the blame on Islamabad saying that Pakistan is a terrorist state and it should be identified and isolated as such. According to Pakistani daily Dawn, Pakistan's foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria called it "a very reckless statement" and refuted the allegations. Pakistan is trying to draw the UN's attention towards the "ruthless military campaign" in the Kashmir Valley where at least 80 people have died and thousands have been injured since the outbreak of violence following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Prime Minister Sharif is likely to devote a large part of his address to the UN General Assembly to talk about 'human rights abuses' in Kashmir, Indian news agency ANI reported today. He will also call on the global community to intervene in Kashmir to enforce UN resolutions that promised a plebiscite.India is expected to raise the Baloch issue to counter Pakistan's position on Kashmir, claiming that Pakistan too is guilty of similar human rights violations in the province. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan PM Nawaz sharif arrives in New York, set to raise Kashmir issue at UN General Assembly

India and Pakistan are gearing up for a stormy debate on Kashmir during a United Nations session on Wednesday (September 21). 
 
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif plans to make the Kashmir issue central to&nbsp;his address next week&nbsp;at the&nbsp;United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).&nbsp; 
 
The Indian delegation, headed by foreign&nbsp;minister Sushma Swaraj, is expected to give a &quot;befitting&quot; reply to Pakistan&#39;s concerns. 
 
Kashmir has been on the boil ever since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was gunned down by Indian security forces on July 8. Hizbul Mujahideen is deemed as a terrorist organisation in India. 
 
Violent protests erupted across the India-administered&nbsp;Kashmir valley in the aftermath of Wani&#39;s killing.&nbsp; 
 
So far, 81 people have died during the unrest in the valley. A teenager named&nbsp;Momin Altaf Ganai became the latest casualty in the ongoing crisis, with&nbsp;Indian reports suggesting he succumbed to pellet injuries.&nbsp; 
 
On Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif vowed to &quot;highlight&quot; the Kashmir issue after meeting Kashmiri leaders in Muzaffarabad.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office reasserted Sharif&#39;s intent to &quot;focus on the the continuing grave violations of human rights by Indian occupation forces&quot; in Kashmir. 
 
&ldquo;He (PM Sharif) will call upon the international community and the United Nations to live up to their promise [about] the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,&rdquo; the Foreign Office further said, according to Pakistani media. 
 
The Indian side, meanwhile, expects Pakistan to make &quot;provocative&quot; statements at the world meet but they are confident of &quot;effectively&quot; countering their claims. 
 
(WION)

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif is expected to make the Kashmir issue central to his address, India is preparing a 'befitting' reply

India and Pakistan are gearing up for a stormy debate on Kashmir during a United Nations session on Wednesday (September 21). Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif plans to make the Kashmir issue central to his address next week at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The Indian delegation, headed by foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, is expected to give a "befitting" reply to Pakistan's concerns. Kashmir has been on the boil ever since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was gunned down by Indian security forces on July 8. Hizbul Mujahideen is deemed as a terrorist organisation in India. Violent protests erupted across the India-administered Kashmir valley in the aftermath of Wani's killing. So far, 81 people have died during the unrest in the valley. A teenager named Momin Altaf Ganai became the latest casualty in the ongoing crisis, with Indian reports suggesting he succumbed to pellet injuries. On Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif vowed to "highlight" the Kashmir issue after meeting Kashmiri leaders in Muzaffarabad. Pakistan's Foreign Office reasserted Sharif's intent to "focus on the the continuing grave violations of human rights by Indian occupation forces" in Kashmir. “He (PM Sharif) will call upon the international community and the United Nations to live up to their promise [about] the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the Foreign Office further said, according to Pakistani media. The Indian side, meanwhile, expects Pakistan to make "provocative" statements at the world meet but they are confident of "effectively" countering their claims. (WION)

India-Pak set for showdown over Kashmir at UN General Assembly

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is set to raise the problems unfolding in India&#39;s Kashmir at the United Nations. 
 
&quot;The prime minister has expressed grave concern over India&#39;s use of excessive force in Kashmir,&quot; a spokesperson of his office told Pakistan newspaper Dawn. 
 
The issue will be raised at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, the spokesperson further said, adding that it was a top priority issue for Sharif. 
 
The 71st session of UNGA will commence in New York from September 13. 
 
More than 70 people have been killed in Kashmir following the killing of&nbsp;Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by Indian security forces on July 8. 
 
The killing unleashed a wave of protests that devolved into clashes between India&#39;s security personnel and agitators.&nbsp; 
 
This is the worst civilian crisis in the restive state since 2010.&nbsp; 
 
(WION) 
 
&nbsp;

The premier has been concerned about India's use of 'excessive force' to quell protests in Kashmir

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is set to raise the problems unfolding in India's Kashmir at the United Nations. "The prime minister has expressed grave concern over India's use of excessive force in Kashmir," a spokesperson of his office told Pakistan newspaper Dawn. The issue will be raised at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, the spokesperson further said, adding that it was a top priority issue for Sharif. The 71st session of UNGA will commence in New York from September 13. More than 70 people have been killed in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by Indian security forces on July 8. The killing unleashed a wave of protests that devolved into clashes between India's security personnel and agitators. This is the worst civilian crisis in the restive state since 2010. (WION)

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to raise Kashmir issue in UN

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Pakistan has begun sending letters to more than 600 Pakistanis named in the Panama Papers for owning offshore companies, Pakistan daily &nbsp;the Express Tribune reported today.&nbsp; 
 
Federal Board of Revenue spokesperson Dr Mohammad Iqbal told The Express Tribune that the &quot;letters have been sent under Section 176 of the Income Tax Ordinance, which empowers tax officials to seek information about any transaction.&quot; 
 
Referring to the names of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s family members in the list, Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan demanded on Saturday that Sharif should be placed on Exit Control List (ECL) by the top court till the probe concludes.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Nawaz must tell the Pakistani nation how he made billions of rupees and then transferred it abroad. How much tax he paid on the money through which he purchased apartments in London,&quot; the Indian news agency PTI quoted him as saying. He was addressing a rally in Lahore to target the Pakistan Prime Minister over alleged corruption.&nbsp; 
 
Sharif wants the Panama Papers issue to be investigated according to laws dictated by his government, he further said.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;A fraction of the data leaked under the Panama Papers investigation that was published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in April this year included the names about 640 Pakistanis as beneficiaries of offshore holdings, according to the Express Tribune.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The data leaked under investigation in April this year included the name of about 640 Pakistanis including the kins of Prime Minister

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Pakistan has begun sending letters to more than 600 Pakistanis named in the Panama Papers for owning offshore companies, Pakistan daily the Express Tribune reported today. Federal Board of Revenue spokesperson Dr Mohammad Iqbal told The Express Tribune that the "letters have been sent under Section 176 of the Income Tax Ordinance, which empowers tax officials to seek information about any transaction." Referring to the names of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s family members in the list, Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan demanded on Saturday that Sharif should be placed on Exit Control List (ECL) by the top court till the probe concludes. "Nawaz must tell the Pakistani nation how he made billions of rupees and then transferred it abroad. How much tax he paid on the money through which he purchased apartments in London," the Indian news agency PTI quoted him as saying. He was addressing a rally in Lahore to target the Pakistan Prime Minister over alleged corruption. Sharif wants the Panama Papers issue to be investigated according to laws dictated by his government, he further said. A fraction of the data leaked under the Panama Papers investigation that was published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in April this year included the names about 640 Pakistanis as beneficiaries of offshore holdings, according to the Express Tribune. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Panama Papers: Pakistan's revenue board sends notices to more than 600 nationals

In a bid to gather support for its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a top Pakistan official on Tuesday embarked on a visit to Belarus and Kazakhstan.&nbsp; 
 
As a special envoy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi is undertaking visits to Belarus and Kazakhstan betweeen August 23 to 27, the foreign office said in a statement. 
 
&quot;The objective of the visits is to seek the two friendly countries&#39; support for Pakistan&#39;s membership of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group,&quot; it said. 
 
Fatemi, according to official sources, is carrying letters from Sharif addressed to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. 
 
&quot;In his letters, the Prime Minister has underscored the need for the NSG to adopt a non-discriminatory approach on the question of the membership for non-NPT states in order to promote strategic stability in South Asia and strengthen the global non-proliferation regime,&quot; the Foreign Office said. 
 
In Belarus, Fatemi will call on President Lukashenko and will hold meetings with foreign minister Vladimir Makei, deputy foreign minister Valentin Rybakov and minister of industry Vitali Vovk, it said. 
 
In Kazakhstan, the Special Assistant&#39;s programme would include meetings with Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan M Ashikbayev. 
 
Arguably, Pakistan faces a tough challenge in gaining entry into the nuclear trading club as it has failed to get the support of the US which is pushing for India&#39;s membership. 
 
China is leading opposition to a push by the United States to bring India into the NSG which aims to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation by stopping the sale of items that can be used to make nuclear arms.&nbsp; 
 
Last week, India and China agreed to continue discussions to narrow down their differences over New Delhi&#39;s membership of the elite NSG during Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi&#39;s visit to the country, &nbsp;foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup informed.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Pakistan faces a tough challenge in gaining entry into the nuclear trading club as it has failed to get the support of the US which is pushing for India's membership

In a bid to gather support for its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a top Pakistan official on Tuesday embarked on a visit to Belarus and Kazakhstan. As a special envoy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi is undertaking visits to Belarus and Kazakhstan betweeen August 23 to 27, the foreign office said in a statement. "The objective of the visits is to seek the two friendly countries' support for Pakistan's membership of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group," it said. Fatemi, according to official sources, is carrying letters from Sharif addressed to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. "In his letters, the Prime Minister has underscored the need for the NSG to adopt a non-discriminatory approach on the question of the membership for non-NPT states in order to promote strategic stability in South Asia and strengthen the global non-proliferation regime," the Foreign Office said. In Belarus, Fatemi will call on President Lukashenko and will hold meetings with foreign minister Vladimir Makei, deputy foreign minister Valentin Rybakov and minister of industry Vitali Vovk, it said. In Kazakhstan, the Special Assistant's programme would include meetings with Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov and Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan M Ashikbayev. Arguably, Pakistan faces a tough challenge in gaining entry into the nuclear trading club as it has failed to get the support of the US which is pushing for India's membership. China is leading opposition to a push by the United States to bring India into the NSG which aims to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation by stopping the sale of items that can be used to make nuclear arms. Last week, India and China agreed to continue discussions to narrow down their differences over New Delhi's membership of the elite NSG during Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's visit to the country, foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup informed. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Pakistan's NSG bid: Nawaz Sharif's envoy embarks on visit to Belarus, Kazakhstan

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is considering an array of factors as the country braces up for the appointment of next army chief, the Dawn has reported.&nbsp; 
 
Lieutenant general Zubair Hayat, lieutenant&nbsp;general Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed, lieutenant&nbsp; general Javed Iqbal Ramday, and lieutenant &nbsp;general Qamar Javed Bajwa are the four prospective candidates to take over lieutenant general Raheel Sharif, the report says.&nbsp; 
 
Interestingly, the daily mentions that among that the Pakistan Prime Minister is relying on intelligence inputs for the selection process and &#39;India factor&#39; would also be one of the aspects that would be considered &nbsp;by Sharif.&nbsp; 
 
The prospective candidates&#39; views on foreign policy issues, particularly ties with India, is another point of consideration for Shairf, the Dawn says.&nbsp; 
 
Quoting an anonymous politician, who is close to Sharif, the daily says that the Pakistan Prime Minister has considered officers who have been directly in contact with him. 
 
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Bajwa is said to consider extremism a bigger threat for the country than India even after his extreme involvement in Kashmir and northern areas, the report reads.&nbsp; 
 
While on the other hand, Lt Gen Hayat has worked in the artillery and is currently serving in the chief of general staff. Further, Lt Gen Ramday is ex-president of the National Defence University in Islamabad and now leads the Bahawalpur corps, it says.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Gen Raheel Sharif would not like to become controversial and would not like the Prime Minister to use his recommendation as an excuse to distort the seniority list,&quot; a retired general was quoted as saying. 
 
(WION)&nbsp;

'The prospective candidates' views on foreign policy issues, particularly ties with India, is point of consideration for Pakistan PM'

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is considering an array of factors as the country braces up for the appointment of next army chief, the Dawn has reported. Lieutenant general Zubair Hayat, lieutenant general Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmed, lieutenant general Javed Iqbal Ramday, and lieutenant general Qamar Javed Bajwa are the four prospective candidates to take over lieutenant general Raheel Sharif, the report says. Interestingly, the daily mentions that among that the Pakistan Prime Minister is relying on intelligence inputs for the selection process and 'India factor' would also be one of the aspects that would be considered by Sharif. The prospective candidates' views on foreign policy issues, particularly ties with India, is another point of consideration for Shairf, the Dawn says. Quoting an anonymous politician, who is close to Sharif, the daily says that the Pakistan Prime Minister has considered officers who have been directly in contact with him. Meanwhile, Lt Gen Bajwa is said to consider extremism a bigger threat for the country than India even after his extreme involvement in Kashmir and northern areas, the report reads. While on the other hand, Lt Gen Hayat has worked in the artillery and is currently serving in the chief of general staff. Further, Lt Gen Ramday is ex-president of the National Defence University in Islamabad and now leads the Bahawalpur corps, it says. "Gen Raheel Sharif would not like to become controversial and would not like the Prime Minister to use his recommendation as an excuse to distort the seniority list," a retired general was quoted as saying. (WION)

Pakistan's next army chief may be decided based on 'India factor', reports Dawn?
?

Amid growing strain in ties, India today summoned Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit and issued a strong demarche over Pakistan&#39;s continued support to cross-border terrorism in Kashmir, which has fuelled unrest in the Valley. 
 
Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar called Basit to his south block office and lodged a strong protest over the issue as he made a specific reference to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and Pakistani national Bahadur Ali, who was captured recently in north Kashmir during an encounter. 
 
Jaishankar called in the Pakistan envoy and issued a strong demarche on continuing cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. 
 
&quot;Demarche made specific reference to LeT terrorist and Pak national Bahadur Ali who was apprehended recently,&quot; foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. 
 
Ali, born in the Zia Bagga village of Pakistan, was arrested by Indian authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on July 25 with weapons (AK 47 rifle, live rounds, grenades, grenade launcher etc) as also sophisticated communication equipment and other material of Pakistani/ international origin, according to the demarche issued to Basit. 
 
&quot;Bahadur Ali has confessed to our authorities that after training in Lashkar-e-Toiba camps, he was infiltrated into India. He was thereafter in touch with an &#39;operations room&#39; of LeT, receiving instructions to attack Indian security personnel and carry out other terrorist attacks in India,&quot; it said. 
 
Basit&#39;s summoning comes on a day when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to people of Kashmir, which has been witnessing widespread unrest for over a month triggered by the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with the security forces. As many as 55 people have lost their lives in these incidents of violence. The ties between India and Pakistan have seen growing bitterness after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Wani&#39;s killing on July 8. 
 
Not only did Sharif praise Wani and hailed him as a &quot;martyr&quot; but he also asserted &quot;Kashmir will one day become Pakistan&quot;, a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country &quot;will not be realised even at the end of eternity&quot;. 
 
The chill in bilateral relations was on full display during Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh&#39;s visit to Islamabad for a SAARC ministerial meet last week when he and his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan not only avoided a proper handshake but Singh also left without attending the lunch hosted by Khan. 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

'Demarche made specific reference to LeT terrorist Bahadur Ali who was apprehended recently,' foreign ministry spokesperson said

Amid growing strain in ties, India today summoned Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit and issued a strong demarche over Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorism in Kashmir, which has fuelled unrest in the Valley. Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar called Basit to his south block office and lodged a strong protest over the issue as he made a specific reference to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and Pakistani national Bahadur Ali, who was captured recently in north Kashmir during an encounter. Jaishankar called in the Pakistan envoy and issued a strong demarche on continuing cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. "Demarche made specific reference to LeT terrorist and Pak national Bahadur Ali who was apprehended recently," foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Ali, born in the Zia Bagga village of Pakistan, was arrested by Indian authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on July 25 with weapons (AK 47 rifle, live rounds, grenades, grenade launcher etc) as also sophisticated communication equipment and other material of Pakistani/ international origin, according to the demarche issued to Basit. "Bahadur Ali has confessed to our authorities that after training in Lashkar-e-Toiba camps, he was infiltrated into India. He was thereafter in touch with an 'operations room' of LeT, receiving instructions to attack Indian security personnel and carry out other terrorist attacks in India," it said. Basit's summoning comes on a day when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to people of Kashmir, which has been witnessing widespread unrest for over a month triggered by the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with the security forces. As many as 55 people have lost their lives in these incidents of violence. The ties between India and Pakistan have seen growing bitterness after Pakistan and its Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made provocative statements on the Kashmir situation in the wake of Wani's killing on July 8. Not only did Sharif praise Wani and hailed him as a "martyr" but he also asserted "Kashmir will one day become Pakistan", a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country "will not be realised even at the end of eternity". The chill in bilateral relations was on full display during Indian interior minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Islamabad for a SAARC ministerial meet last week when he and his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan not only avoided a proper handshake but Singh also left without attending the lunch hosted by Khan. (PTI)

India summons Pak envoy Abdul Basit over cross-border terror, issues strong demarche

Afghanistan scrambled today to free six crew members of a Pakistani helicopter taken hostage by the Taliban after it crash-landed in the country&#39;s volatile east. 
 
Militants set the Mi-17 transport helicopter on fire and took the six crew to a Taliban-controlled area after it made an emergency landing in Logar province on Thursday, local authorities said. 
 
The crew included retired Pakistani military officers and a Russian navigator, Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper reported citing senior local officials. 
 
&quot;We have launched an investigation into the incident... and the government has instructed security forces to spare no efforts to secure the release of the crew members,&quot; the Afghan defense ministry said in a statement. 
 
The ministry said Pakistan had sought permission to fly a helicopter, being sent to Russia for overhauling, over Afghan air space. 
 
But it added it was investigating whether the crashed chopper was the one for which permission had been granted. 
 
Kabul has long been suspicious of Pakistan, which it accuses of nurturing Taliban sanctuaries on its soil in the effort to maintain influence in Afghanistan. 
 
Pakistani army chief seeks US intervention&nbsp; 
 
Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif tweeted that he had telephoned Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to secure the release of the crew. 
 
&quot;President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
Pakistan army spokesman said that General Sharif also called NATO and US forces top commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson to get back the crew. 
 
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also stated federal government is in constant touch with the relevant authorities in Afghanistan and the state&#39;s resources are fully utilised to rescue the personnel who were onboard in the helicopter. 
 
&quot;Formal and informal channels are being used to ensure safe recovery of the entire crew,&quot; he said in a statement. 
 
&quot;We are profoundly concerned about the safety of the whole team that was travelling on the helicopter. We have formally requested the Government of Afghanistan to help in their safe recovery, at the earliest possible,&quot; he said further. 
 
Russia&#39;s foreign ministry said it was checking media reports that one of their citizens had been taken hostage, adding it was in contact with Afghan and Pakistani authorities to secure his release. 
 
The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan&#39;s military uses Russian-made MI-17 helicopters, several of which have crashed in recent years. 
 
In February, an army officer was killed when a military helicopter crashed in northern Pakistan on a routine night training mission. 
 
In May 2015, the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines, the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors, two pilots and a crew member were killed when the Pakistani Mi-17 carrying them crashed in northern Naltar valley. 
 
(AFP, PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Six crew members were taken hostage after militants set Mi-17 transport helicopter on fire as it made emergency landing in Logar province

Afghanistan scrambled today to free six crew members of a Pakistani helicopter taken hostage by the Taliban after it crash-landed in the country's volatile east. Militants set the Mi-17 transport helicopter on fire and took the six crew to a Taliban-controlled area after it made an emergency landing in Logar province on Thursday, local authorities said. The crew included retired Pakistani military officers and a Russian navigator, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported citing senior local officials. "We have launched an investigation into the incident... and the government has instructed security forces to spare no efforts to secure the release of the crew members," the Afghan defense ministry said in a statement. The ministry said Pakistan had sought permission to fly a helicopter, being sent to Russia for overhauling, over Afghan air space. But it added it was investigating whether the crashed chopper was the one for which permission had been granted. Kabul has long been suspicious of Pakistan, which it accuses of nurturing Taliban sanctuaries on its soil in the effort to maintain influence in Afghanistan. Pakistani army chief seeks US intervention Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif tweeted that he had telephoned Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to secure the release of the crew. "President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard," he tweeted. Pakistan army spokesman said that General Sharif also called NATO and US forces top commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson to get back the crew. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also stated federal government is in constant touch with the relevant authorities in Afghanistan and the state's resources are fully utilised to rescue the personnel who were onboard in the helicopter. "Formal and informal channels are being used to ensure safe recovery of the entire crew," he said in a statement. "We are profoundly concerned about the safety of the whole team that was travelling on the helicopter. We have formally requested the Government of Afghanistan to help in their safe recovery, at the earliest possible," he said further. Russia's foreign ministry said it was checking media reports that one of their citizens had been taken hostage, adding it was in contact with Afghan and Pakistani authorities to secure his release. The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident. Pakistan's military uses Russian-made MI-17 helicopters, several of which have crashed in recent years. In February, an army officer was killed when a military helicopter crashed in northern Pakistan on a routine night training mission. In May 2015, the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines, the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors, two pilots and a crew member were killed when the Pakistani Mi-17 carrying them crashed in northern Naltar valley. (AFP, PTI)

Afghanistan scrambles to free Pakistan chopper crash hostages

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced it will release the last instalment of a $6.6 billion economic bailout package to Pakistan, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hailed an end to the country&#39;s reliance on the lender. 
 
The decision to release the final tranche worth $102 million of the three-year programme came after a review of the country&#39;s economic performance that found it was meeting most reform indicators but still needed to broaden the tax net. 
 
IMF delegation head Harald Finger said growth was projected to reach five per cent supported by a construction boom linked to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, an ambitious infrastructure upgrade project intended to link China&#39;s western Xinjiang region to Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea. 
 
&quot;All indicative targets and structural benchmarks (SB) were met, except for the delayed notification of multi-year tariffs for three power distribution companies,&quot; Finger said Thursday in Dubai, referring to measures intended to reduce major fluctuations in electricity costs. 
 
The release of the final tranche is subject to approval by the IMF&#39;s executive board though that is considered a formality.&nbsp; 
 
In Islamabad, Sharif told lawmakers from his party that his government had ended the country&#39;s reliance on foreign multilateral assistance and was saying &quot;goodbye&quot; to the Fund. 
 
&quot;With the grace of God, we will say goodbye to IMF after this (agreement),&quot; he said. 
 
Sharif had been under pressure from the opposition for seeking the loan in 2013 because its conditions included forcing the government to raise taxes and energy prices. 
 
The IMF note cautioned however that to consolidate and reinforce the gains achieved in the last three years, it was important to &quot;strengthen public finances and external buffers, broaden the tax net, (and) improve public financial management,&quot; among other measures. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

International Monetary Fund to release final instalment of $6.6 bn loan to Pakistan after satisfactory review of its economic performance

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced it will release the last instalment of a $6.6 billion economic bailout package to Pakistan, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hailed an end to the country's reliance on the lender. The decision to release the final tranche worth $102 million of the three-year programme came after a review of the country's economic performance that found it was meeting most reform indicators but still needed to broaden the tax net. IMF delegation head Harald Finger said growth was projected to reach five per cent supported by a construction boom linked to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, an ambitious infrastructure upgrade project intended to link China's western Xinjiang region to Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea. "All indicative targets and structural benchmarks (SB) were met, except for the delayed notification of multi-year tariffs for three power distribution companies," Finger said Thursday in Dubai, referring to measures intended to reduce major fluctuations in electricity costs. The release of the final tranche is subject to approval by the IMF's executive board though that is considered a formality. In Islamabad, Sharif told lawmakers from his party that his government had ended the country's reliance on foreign multilateral assistance and was saying "goodbye" to the Fund. "With the grace of God, we will say goodbye to IMF after this (agreement)," he said. Sharif had been under pressure from the opposition for seeking the loan in 2013 because its conditions included forcing the government to raise taxes and energy prices. The IMF note cautioned however that to consolidate and reinforce the gains achieved in the last three years, it was important to "strengthen public finances and external buffers, broaden the tax net, (and) improve public financial management," among other measures. (AFP)

Pakistan ends reliance on foreign lending, says 'goodbye' to IMF

India&#39;s home minister Rajnath Singh arrived in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Wednesday (August 03) to a flurry of protests across the country. 
 
Singh is in Islamabad to attend the one-day meeting of home ministers from countries belonging to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). 
 
The SAARC group includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. 
 
Early in the day, Syed Salahuddin, supreme commander of the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, staged a sit-in on the road leading from Islamabad airport to the capital city, blocking the road for several hours. 
 
Mishal Malik, wife of Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik staged a token hunger strike in front of the press club in Islamabad. 
 
&quot;This is a 12-hours&#39; token hunger strike. We have been protesting here since the morning,&quot; Mishal told Reuters TV. 
 
&quot;The basic reason for the strike is that Kashmiris are being subjected to a bloodbath for the past 27/28 days. At the same time, their home minister Rajnath Singh has been instigating the Indian forces to kill more and more Kashmiri people. According to the reports we are getting, the death toll has crossed 78, approximately, and more that 5,000 people are severely injured. More than 200 people have been blinded. Our message is that the Pakistani government should lodge a strong protest that Rajnath and the Indian government should stop their atrocities, give up the occupation of Kashmir as soon as possible, and give Kashmiri people their birth right.&quot; 
 
In the port city of Karachi, activists belonging to Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), an Islamist charity linked to outlawed militant group Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) rallied on the streets chanting anti-India slogans. 
 
&quot;The visit of the Indian home minister is not justifiable in any way, especially at a time when a massacre is taking place in Kashmir on the orders of this man. There is a continuous curfew there. Life has been made hell for children, women and the elderly. At this time, this man&#39;s coming to Pakistan will not only give a negative message to the Kashmiri nation, but also shake the confidence of the Pakistani nation. This visit will, in fact, encourage terrorism, lawlessness and extremism,&quot; Muzzamil Iqbal Hashmi, Chief of JuD Karachi told reporters. 
 
In Lahore, Jud chief Hafiz Saeed, lambasted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for hurting the feelings of the Kashmiri nation by allowing Singh to come to Pakistan. 
 
&quot;Today the Kashmiris are standing at a crossroad, and in Islamabad he (Indian home minister) is being welcomed. I want to clearly announce that after this there will not be any agreement with India, God willing. And no agreement with India will be allowed, God willing,&quot; Saeed said. 
 
Singh is the first high-level official to come to Pakistan since December 2015, when Narendra Modi landed in Lahore to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. 
 
However, Rajnath Singh along with his SAARC counterparts will call on Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.&nbsp; 
 
Accompanied by a delegation comprising officials from his ministry and external affairs, Singh, will be underlining the need for meaningful cooperation among the South Asian countries.&nbsp; 
 
Apart from terrorism, other key issues to be discussed include liberalisation of visa, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms and how to make coordinated and concerted efforts to combat such menace. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Militant group Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Salahuddin staged a sit-in on the road leading from Islamabad airport to the capital city

India's home minister Rajnath Singh arrived in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Wednesday (August 03) to a flurry of protests across the country. Singh is in Islamabad to attend the one-day meeting of home ministers from countries belonging to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The SAARC group includes India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Early in the day, Syed Salahuddin, supreme commander of the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, staged a sit-in on the road leading from Islamabad airport to the capital city, blocking the road for several hours. Mishal Malik, wife of Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik staged a token hunger strike in front of the press club in Islamabad. "This is a 12-hours' token hunger strike. We have been protesting here since the morning," Mishal told Reuters TV. "The basic reason for the strike is that Kashmiris are being subjected to a bloodbath for the past 27/28 days. At the same time, their home minister Rajnath Singh has been instigating the Indian forces to kill more and more Kashmiri people. According to the reports we are getting, the death toll has crossed 78, approximately, and more that 5,000 people are severely injured. More than 200 people have been blinded. Our message is that the Pakistani government should lodge a strong protest that Rajnath and the Indian government should stop their atrocities, give up the occupation of Kashmir as soon as possible, and give Kashmiri people their birth right." In the port city of Karachi, activists belonging to Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), an Islamist charity linked to outlawed militant group Lashkar-e Taiba (LeT) rallied on the streets chanting anti-India slogans. "The visit of the Indian home minister is not justifiable in any way, especially at a time when a massacre is taking place in Kashmir on the orders of this man. There is a continuous curfew there. Life has been made hell for children, women and the elderly. At this time, this man's coming to Pakistan will not only give a negative message to the Kashmiri nation, but also shake the confidence of the Pakistani nation. This visit will, in fact, encourage terrorism, lawlessness and extremism," Muzzamil Iqbal Hashmi, Chief of JuD Karachi told reporters. In Lahore, Jud chief Hafiz Saeed, lambasted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for hurting the feelings of the Kashmiri nation by allowing Singh to come to Pakistan. "Today the Kashmiris are standing at a crossroad, and in Islamabad he (Indian home minister) is being welcomed. I want to clearly announce that after this there will not be any agreement with India, God willing. And no agreement with India will be allowed, God willing," Saeed said. Singh is the first high-level official to come to Pakistan since December 2015, when Narendra Modi landed in Lahore to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. However, Rajnath Singh along with his SAARC counterparts will call on Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Accompanied by a delegation comprising officials from his ministry and external affairs, Singh, will be underlining the need for meaningful cooperation among the South Asian countries. Apart from terrorism, other key issues to be discussed include liberalisation of visa, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms and how to make coordinated and concerted efforts to combat such menace. (Reuters)

Indian home minister's arrival in Pak for SAARC meet met with flurry of protests

Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said the country is committed to jointly working with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries for fighting terrorism, corruption and organised crimes. 
 
Addressing the inaugural session of the SAARC home ministers&#39; conference, Sharif cited Pakistan&#39;s anti-terror operations in restive tribal areas and National Action Plan to emphasise &quot;the government&#39;s determination to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from our soil for good&quot;. 
 
He said the SAARC region is blessed with tremendous human and natural resources. &quot;So, SAARC can and should provide a platform to optimally harness the regional potential for peace and prosperity of our people.&quot; 
 
Sharif said such an approach is in sync with his government&#39;s vision of &quot;peace for development and peaceful neighbourhood&quot;. &quot;Pakistan has always been supportive of initiatives taken by SAARC to advance its ideals and objectives as enshrined in its charter,&quot; he said. 
 
He said Pakistan has also been a&nbsp;strong advocate of stepping up regional efforts to ensure energy security through sharing of indigenous sources. 
 
The Prime Minister said Pakistan shares the perception that connectivity is critical to the progress and prosperity of the region and supports, in principle, road, air, rail and water connectivity within the region. 
 
&quot;Realisation of the goals and objectives envisaged in SAARC charter is our collective responsibility,&quot; he said. 
 
Addressing the inaugural session, SAARC secretary general Arjun Bahadur Thapa said there is a need to take effective measures to tackle the menace of terrorism, narcotics, cyber crimes and other transnational crimes. 
 
The day-long 7th meeting of the eight-member grouping is being held to review the progress on decisions taken in previous meetings. SAARC comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 
 
(PTI)

'Realisation of the goals and objectives envisaged in SAARC charter is our collective responsibility,' Nawaz Sharif said

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said the country is committed to jointly working with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries for fighting terrorism, corruption and organised crimes. Addressing the inaugural session of the SAARC home ministers' conference, Sharif cited Pakistan's anti-terror operations in restive tribal areas and National Action Plan to emphasise "the government's determination to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from our soil for good". He said the SAARC region is blessed with tremendous human and natural resources. "So, SAARC can and should provide a platform to optimally harness the regional potential for peace and prosperity of our people." Sharif said such an approach is in sync with his government's vision of "peace for development and peaceful neighbourhood". "Pakistan has always been supportive of initiatives taken by SAARC to advance its ideals and objectives as enshrined in its charter," he said. He said Pakistan has also been a strong advocate of stepping up regional efforts to ensure energy security through sharing of indigenous sources. The Prime Minister said Pakistan shares the perception that connectivity is critical to the progress and prosperity of the region and supports, in principle, road, air, rail and water connectivity within the region. "Realisation of the goals and objectives envisaged in SAARC charter is our collective responsibility," he said. Addressing the inaugural session, SAARC secretary general Arjun Bahadur Thapa said there is a need to take effective measures to tackle the menace of terrorism, narcotics, cyber crimes and other transnational crimes. The day-long 7th meeting of the eight-member grouping is being held to review the progress on decisions taken in previous meetings. SAARC comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. (PTI)

Pak PM: We are committed to working with SAARC to combat terror

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh today arrived here to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) interior ministers&#39; conference tomorrow during which he is expected to raise the issue of most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and cross border terrorism. 
 
Accompanied by a delegation comprising officials from his ministry and external affairs, Singh, who is on his maiden visit to Pakistan, will be underlining the need for meaningful cooperation among the South Asian countries. Before leaving for Islamabad to attend the day-long SAARC home ministers conference, the home minister said he was &quot;looking forward to underscore the imperative of meaningful cooperation within the region against terrorism and organised crime.&quot; 
 
&quot;This Conference provides a platform to discuss issues pertaining to security,&quot; said Singh, who is expected to tell Pakistan to stop sponsoring terror in India and rein in groups like Lashker-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Singh&#39;s visit comes notwithstanding threat by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, who warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan by his outfit if Singh arrives in Islamabad to attend the SAARC ministerial conference. 
 
Tomorrow&#39;s meeting is preceded by the 7th Meeting of the SAARC interior/home secretaries which is being held today. The union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, who is leading the Indian delegation, arrived here yesterday. There is little possibility of Singh having a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the wake of strain in Indo-Pak relations after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8. 
 
Not only did Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif praise Wani but he also remarked that &quot;Kashmir will one day become Pakistan&quot;, a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country &quot;will not be realised even at the end of eternity&quot;. 
 
Apart from terrorism, other key issues to be discussed include liberalisation of visa, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms and how to make coordinated and concerted efforts to combat such menace. 
 
The three-tier meeting began at the joint secretary-level and then moves on to secretary and home minister-level meetings. The focus of the meeting will also be on strengthening networking among police forces of SAARC member-countries and also enhance information-sharing among law enforcement agencies. 
 
(PTI)

Singh is expected to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism and underline the need for cooperation among South Asian countries

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh today arrived here to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) interior ministers' conference tomorrow during which he is expected to raise the issue of most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and cross border terrorism. Accompanied by a delegation comprising officials from his ministry and external affairs, Singh, who is on his maiden visit to Pakistan, will be underlining the need for meaningful cooperation among the South Asian countries. Before leaving for Islamabad to attend the day-long SAARC home ministers conference, the home minister said he was "looking forward to underscore the imperative of meaningful cooperation within the region against terrorism and organised crime." "This Conference provides a platform to discuss issues pertaining to security," said Singh, who is expected to tell Pakistan to stop sponsoring terror in India and rein in groups like Lashker-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Singh's visit comes notwithstanding threat by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, who warned of a countrywide protest in Pakistan by his outfit if Singh arrives in Islamabad to attend the SAARC ministerial conference. Tomorrow's meeting is preceded by the 7th Meeting of the SAARC interior/home secretaries which is being held today. The union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, who is leading the Indian delegation, arrived here yesterday. There is little possibility of Singh having a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the wake of strain in Indo-Pak relations after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8. Not only did Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif praise Wani but he also remarked that "Kashmir will one day become Pakistan", a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who said his dream of the state becoming a part of his country "will not be realised even at the end of eternity". Apart from terrorism, other key issues to be discussed include liberalisation of visa, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms and how to make coordinated and concerted efforts to combat such menace. The three-tier meeting began at the joint secretary-level and then moves on to secretary and home minister-level meetings. The focus of the meeting will also be on strengthening networking among police forces of SAARC member-countries and also enhance information-sharing among law enforcement agencies. (PTI)

Indian home minister Rajnath Singh arrives in Pakistan to participate in SAARC meeting

nawaz-sharif

Nawaz Sharif, News on Nawaz Sharif, stories on Nawaz Sharif, articles on Nawaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif stories at Wion, Nawaz Sharif news, Nawaz Sharif latest news

nawaz sharif