<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pakistan-denied-acting-against-pulwama-terror-attack-demands-more-proof-206082">Pakistan</a> on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sought-further-evidence-from-india-on-pulwama-terror-attack-pakistan-foreign-ministry-206076">preliminary findings</a>" with New Delhi.

Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said.

"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said.

It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared "preliminary findings" of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

"Subsequently, the diplomatic corps in Islamabad was briefed as well," the FO said.

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India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.

The FO said soon after receiving the dossier, Pakistan constituted an investigation team, detained a number of people for investigation and initiated work on the technical aspects of social media content, a main basis of the Indian documents.

The Indian dossier contains 91 pages and six parts, out of which only part two and three pertain to the Pulwama attack, it said.

"Other parts are generalised allegations. Pakistan is focusing on those parts which relate to Pulwama incident," it said.

The FO claimed that during the course of investigations, all aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the "confessional" video of Adil Dar, "claim" of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of the Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps.

Service Providers have been requested for data including relevant details of activities and contacts of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) number provided by India, it said.

A request for assistance from Whatsapp has also been made to the US government, it said, adding that the said additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations.

"Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion," the FO added.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.

India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

Pakistan on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi.

Pakistan on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. "While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said. "Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said. It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared "preliminary findings" of its investigations with India along with a set of questions. "Subsequently, the diplomatic corps in Islamabad was briefed as well," the FO said. × India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan. The FO said soon after receiving the dossier, Pakistan constituted an investigation team, detained a number of people for investigation and initiated work on the technical aspects of social media content, a main basis of the Indian documents. The Indian dossier contains 91 pages and six parts, out of which only part two and three pertain to the Pulwama attack, it said. "Other parts are generalised allegations. Pakistan is focusing on those parts which relate to Pulwama incident," it said. The FO claimed that during the course of investigations, all aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the "confessional" video of Adil Dar, "claim" of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of the Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps. Service Providers have been requested for data including relevant details of activities and contacts of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) number provided by India, it said. A request for assistance from Whatsapp has also been made to the US government, it said, adding that the said additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations. "Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion," the FO added. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14. India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

No terror camps exist on 22 locations shared by India: Pak on Pulwama attack

Balochistan should be oozing with optimism as Chinese and Saudi investment pours into the troubled Pakistani province. It is not. Instead, Balochistan, a key node in China’s Belt and Road initiative that borders Iran, is gripped by anger, fear and uncertainty.

Local residents are waiting with bated breath Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan’s visit this week for the Gwadar Expo 2019 and groundbreaking of several infrastructure and development projects, including an international airport, a power plant, a vocational training institute and a hospital.

Against the backdrop of a history of neglect and underdevelopment, resource-rich Balochistan struggles with a failing health and education system, drought, and lack of basic infrastructure.

“The historical lack of investment in basic economic and social infrastructure in the province – except for extraction of natural gas for use in other provinces – has resulted in a low level of economic activity, implying a narrow tax base and limited fiscal resources to invest in development,” said economist Kaiser Bengali in a recently published study.

Beyond looking at Balochistan as a source of resource wealth, successive governments in Islamabad alongside the powerful military have viewed the province predominantly through the lens of security and law enforcement driven by domestic and geopolitical concerns.

Kech, Balochistan’s second most populous region known to be the province’s intellectual heartland from which many of its most prominent politicians, scholars, bureaucrats, poets, and writers hail, is a case in point. Access to the internet and 3G and 4G mobile services was cut off in Kech two years ago for security reasons. It is yet to be re-established.&nbsp;

Theoretically, all of that could change with massive Chinese and Saudi investment as well as Balochistan’s increased geopolitical significance given that it borders on Iran’s equally troubled Sistan and Baluchistan province.

Balochistan’s Chinese-supported port of Gwadar takes on added importance as Iran looks to its Indian-backed port of Chabahar, a mere 70 kilometres up the coast of the Arabian Sea, as a way to blunt the impact of crippling US sanctions.

The sanctions were imposed last year after the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program. Chabahar is the only Iranian port exempted from the sanctions in a nod to India.

China has invested in recent years an estimated $19 billion in Gwadar as well as roads and other infrastructure in Balochistan as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China and Pakistan envision CPEC as a crown jewel of Beijing’s infrastructure- and energy driven Belt and Road initiative.

For its part, Saudi Arabia is looking to pump more than $10 billion into the building of a refinery in Gwadar and the development of a &nbsp;gold and copper mine on the Iranian border.

The problem is that the lack of a trickle-down effect has so far served to fuel anger rather than spark a sense of optimism among local Baloch. The Baloch have seen jobs being handed out to workers from other parts of Pakistan as well as China, parts of Gwadar being developed into a no-go zone for locals, and fishermen being banned from their traditional fishing ponds.

In addition, predictions that Balochistan’s indigenous population of 70,000 will be dwarfed by an estimated two million immigrants from other parts of Pakistan, as well as China, have reinforced a prevailing sense of uncertainty.

Some of that anger and uncertainty has been channelled into anti-Chinese and anti-Pakistani nationalist sentiment with intermittent attacks on Chinese targets as well as militant religious assaults on the Pakistani military, law enforcement and judicial outposts.

Similarly, Balochistan’s strategic geopolitical position is as much an asset as it is a problem. The Saudi investment coupled with the US and Saudi determination to force Iran to change its regional policies, if not its regime, have made the province alongside its equally underdeveloped neighbouring Iranian counterpart potential battlefields.

Cross border attacks and suicide bombings have added to uncertainty fuelled by statements coming out of Washington and Riyadh as well as reports of funds from Saudi Arabia flowing into militant anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian madrassas or religious seminaries that dot the Pakistani-Iranian border.

The attacks together with the Saudi investment and evolving US and Saudi strategy has put strains on Pakistani-Iranian relations with each side pointing a finger to the other. In the media and among policy wonks, the finger pointing often amounts to the kettle calling the pot black.

“Fact (is) that there is a problem in Sistan-o-Balochistan where people are struggling for their political rights in their own province. It is a common grudge amongst the Baloch population in the Iranian Balochistan that they are under-represented in the government, bureaucracy and armed forces… Sectarian divide is another major source of friction in the province where overwhelming majority of Baloch are Sunnis… Poverty amongst the Baloch is the highest if compared to rest of the country,” said former Pakistani ambassador Assif Durrani who was last posted in Tehran.

Durrani’s comments were equally applicable to the Baloch province of his own country.

Returning from a recent visit to Balochistan, Pakistani policy analyst Muhammad Amir Rana described “an environment of fear; the local journalists cannot report much about residents’ issues, not even water supply problems.”

Rana expressed hope that Khan, the prime minister, would “help locals retreat from the jaws of uncertainty and fear.”

To do that, Khan will have to do more than talk the walk and inaugurate projects.

He will have to ensure equitable economic and social policies and address indeed both immediate concerns and existential fears.&nbsp;

He will also have to manage an explosive geopolitical environment despite increasing economic and financial dependence on key external players. That could prove to be a tall order. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

Balochistan should be oozing with optimism as Chinese and Saudi investment pours into the troubled Pakistani province. It is not. Instead, Balochistan, a key node in China’s Belt and Road initiative that borders Iran, is gripped by anger, fear and uncertainty.

Balochistan should be oozing with optimism as Chinese and Saudi investment pours into the troubled Pakistani province. It is not. Instead, Balochistan, a key node in China’s Belt and Road initiative that borders Iran, is gripped by anger, fear and uncertainty. Local residents are waiting with bated breath Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan’s visit this week for the Gwadar Expo 2019 and groundbreaking of several infrastructure and development projects, including an international airport, a power plant, a vocational training institute and a hospital. Against the backdrop of a history of neglect and underdevelopment, resource-rich Balochistan struggles with a failing health and education system, drought, and lack of basic infrastructure. “The historical lack of investment in basic economic and social infrastructure in the province – except for extraction of natural gas for use in other provinces – has resulted in a low level of economic activity, implying a narrow tax base and limited fiscal resources to invest in development,” said economist Kaiser Bengali in a recently published study. Beyond looking at Balochistan as a source of resource wealth, successive governments in Islamabad alongside the powerful military have viewed the province predominantly through the lens of security and law enforcement driven by domestic and geopolitical concerns. Kech, Balochistan’s second most populous region known to be the province’s intellectual heartland from which many of its most prominent politicians, scholars, bureaucrats, poets, and writers hail, is a case in point. Access to the internet and 3G and 4G mobile services was cut off in Kech two years ago for security reasons. It is yet to be re-established. Theoretically, all of that could change with massive Chinese and Saudi investment as well as Balochistan’s increased geopolitical significance given that it borders on Iran’s equally troubled Sistan and Baluchistan province. Balochistan’s Chinese-supported port of Gwadar takes on added importance as Iran looks to its Indian-backed port of Chabahar, a mere 70 kilometres up the coast of the Arabian Sea, as a way to blunt the impact of crippling US sanctions. The sanctions were imposed last year after the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear program. Chabahar is the only Iranian port exempted from the sanctions in a nod to India. China has invested in recent years an estimated $19 billion in Gwadar as well as roads and other infrastructure in Balochistan as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China and Pakistan envision CPEC as a crown jewel of Beijing’s infrastructure- and energy driven Belt and Road initiative. For its part, Saudi Arabia is looking to pump more than $10 billion into the building of a refinery in Gwadar and the development of a gold and copper mine on the Iranian border. The problem is that the lack of a trickle-down effect has so far served to fuel anger rather than spark a sense of optimism among local Baloch. The Baloch have seen jobs being handed out to workers from other parts of Pakistan as well as China, parts of Gwadar being developed into a no-go zone for locals, and fishermen being banned from their traditional fishing ponds. In addition, predictions that Balochistan’s indigenous population of 70,000 will be dwarfed by an estimated two million immigrants from other parts of Pakistan, as well as China, have reinforced a prevailing sense of uncertainty. Some of that anger and uncertainty has been channelled into anti-Chinese and anti-Pakistani nationalist sentiment with intermittent attacks on Chinese targets as well as militant religious assaults on the Pakistani military, law enforcement and judicial outposts. Similarly, Balochistan’s strategic geopolitical position is as much an asset as it is a problem. The Saudi investment coupled with the US and Saudi determination to force Iran to change its regional policies, if not its regime, have made the province alongside its equally underdeveloped neighbouring Iranian counterpart potential battlefields. Cross border attacks and suicide bombings have added to uncertainty fuelled by statements coming out of Washington and Riyadh as well as reports of funds from Saudi Arabia flowing into militant anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian madrassas or religious seminaries that dot the Pakistani-Iranian border. The attacks together with the Saudi investment and evolving US and Saudi strategy has put strains on Pakistani-Iranian relations with each side pointing a finger to the other. In the media and among policy wonks, the finger pointing often amounts to the kettle calling the pot black. “Fact (is) that there is a problem in Sistan-o-Balochistan where people are struggling for their political rights in their own province. It is a common grudge amongst the Baloch population in the Iranian Balochistan that they are under-represented in the government, bureaucracy and armed forces… Sectarian divide is another major source of friction in the province where overwhelming majority of Baloch are Sunnis… Poverty amongst the Baloch is the highest if compared to rest of the country,” said former Pakistani ambassador Assif Durrani who was last posted in Tehran. Durrani’s comments were equally applicable to the Baloch province of his own country. Returning from a recent visit to Balochistan, Pakistani policy analyst Muhammad Amir Rana described “an environment of fear; the local journalists cannot report much about residents’ issues, not even water supply problems.” Rana expressed hope that Khan, the prime minister, would “help locals retreat from the jaws of uncertainty and fear.” To do that, Khan will have to do more than talk the walk and inaugurate projects. He will have to ensure equitable economic and social policies and address indeed both immediate concerns and existential fears. He will also have to manage an explosive geopolitical environment despite increasing economic and financial dependence on key external players. That could prove to be a tall order. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Against the backdrop of history of neglect, Balochistan is gripped by fear and uncertainty

A leading newspaper in Pakistan has reported that the "religious minorities in the country were more vulnerable than safe".

The report published on Wednesday, days after two minor Hindu sisters were allegedly abducted and were forced to embrace Islam and married&nbsp;said, "The state has a responsibility to preserve and protect the right to freedom of religion, guaranteed under Article 20 of our Constitution."

"But it is impossible to deny the fact that religious minorities are, in many ways, more vulnerable than safe in Pakistan," it said.

The editorial published in Dawn also added that the latest abduction was one of only a handful of the many claims of forced conversions in Sindh.

The daily also highlighted that the majority of new conversions in Sindh took place in socio-economically vulnerable Hindu families and most of the victims of the conversions were minor girls.

Two girls aged 13 and 15, were allegedly kidnapped from their home in Sindh's Ghotki district by a group of "influential" men on March 20, a day before Holi.

A video of a priest purportedly solemnising the marriage of the two girls went viral soon after, triggering nationwide outrage.

&nbsp;

A leading newspaper in Pakistan has reported that the "religious minorities in the country were more vulnerable than safe". The report published on Wednesday, days after two minor Hindu sisters were allegedly abducted and were forced to embrace Islam and married said, "The state has a responsibility to preserve and protect the right to freedom of religion, guaranteed under Article 20 of our Constitution.

A leading newspaper in Pakistan has reported that the "religious minorities in the country were more vulnerable than safe". The report published on Wednesday, days after two minor Hindu sisters were allegedly abducted and were forced to embrace Islam and married said, "The state has a responsibility to preserve and protect the right to freedom of religion, guaranteed under Article 20 of our Constitution." "But it is impossible to deny the fact that religious minorities are, in many ways, more vulnerable than safe in Pakistan," it said. The editorial published in Dawn also added that the latest abduction was one of only a handful of the many claims of forced conversions in Sindh. The daily also highlighted that the majority of new conversions in Sindh took place in socio-economically vulnerable Hindu families and most of the victims of the conversions were minor girls. Two girls aged 13 and 15, were allegedly kidnapped from their home in Sindh's Ghotki district by a group of "influential" men on March 20, a day before Holi. A video of a priest purportedly solemnising the marriage of the two girls went viral soon after, triggering nationwide outrage.

Religious minorities vulnerable in Pakistan: Pak Daily

Pakistan denied acting against Pulwama terror attack, demands more proof

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry moved on Wednesday to cool a row with Afghanistan over reported comments by Prime Minister Imran Khan that were taken to suggest that Kabul should set up an interim government to help smooth peace talks with the Taliban.

The comments, made to Pakistani journalists on Monday, prompted a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-slams-pakistan-over-imran-khans-remarks-summons-pak-diplomat-recalls-its-envoy-205858">furious reaction in Afghanistan</a> and led to the government recalling its ambassador to Islamabad in protest at what it described as "irresponsible" remarks by Khan.

It was the third time in just over a month that Kabul has demanded an explanation from Islamabad over comments related to peace talks aimed at ending 17 years of war in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Khan's comments, reported in various forms by Pakistani media outlets and picked up in Afghanistan, had been taken out of context and misinterpreted.

"In his comments, the PM had referred to Pakistan's model where elections are held under an interim government. The comments should not be misinterpreted to imply interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs," the statement said.

"Pakistan has no other interest in Afghanistan but to promote peace through an 'Afghan-owned' and 'Afghan-led' political process."

Under the Pakistani system, a neutral caretaker government is appointed shortly before national elections are held to take care of running business during the election campaign.

President Ashraf Ghani, whose mandate officially expires in May, faces a re-election battle this year, but amid gathering political uncertainty the election date has been twice postponed and is now due to take place on September 28.

US and Taliban officials have held several rounds of talks but the Taliban have refused to talk to the Afghan government which they consider an illegitimate "puppet" regime.

Shut out from the talks, Ghani has faced pressure from political rivals to step aside and allow a caretaker government to take over, a suggestion he has rejected.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry moved on Wednesday to cool a row with Afghanistan over reported comments by Prime Minister Imran Khan that were taken to suggest that Kabul should set up an interim government to help smooth peace talks with the Taliban.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry moved on Wednesday to cool a row with Afghanistan over reported comments by Prime Minister Imran Khan that were taken to suggest that Kabul should set up an interim government to help smooth peace talks with the Taliban. The comments, made to Pakistani journalists on Monday, prompted a furious reaction in Afghanistan and led to the government recalling its ambassador to Islamabad in protest at what it described as "irresponsible" remarks by Khan. It was the third time in just over a month that Kabul has demanded an explanation from Islamabad over comments related to peace talks aimed at ending 17 years of war in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Khan's comments, reported in various forms by Pakistani media outlets and picked up in Afghanistan, had been taken out of context and misinterpreted. "In his comments, the PM had referred to Pakistan's model where elections are held under an interim government. The comments should not be misinterpreted to imply interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs," the statement said. "Pakistan has no other interest in Afghanistan but to promote peace through an 'Afghan-owned' and 'Afghan-led' political process." Under the Pakistani system, a neutral caretaker government is appointed shortly before national elections are held to take care of running business during the election campaign. President Ashraf Ghani, whose mandate officially expires in May, faces a re-election battle this year, but amid gathering political uncertainty the election date has been twice postponed and is now due to take place on September 28. US and Taliban officials have held several rounds of talks but the Taliban have refused to talk to the Afghan government which they consider an illegitimate "puppet" regime. Shut out from the talks, Ghani has faced pressure from political rivals to step aside and allow a caretaker government to take over, a suggestion he has rejected.

Imran Khan's comments taken out of context and misinterpreted: Pak clarifies to Afghanistan 

Police have detained at least seven people, including a Nikah Khwan (marriage officiator), allegedly involved in the abduction, forced conversion from Hinduism to Islam, and underage marriage of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/abducted-hindu-girls-in-pakistan-sushma-swaraj-says-restore-them-to-their-families-immediately-205671">two minor Hindu girls</a>.

Members of civil society also gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday to protest against the alleged abduction and forced conversion of two Hindu girls to Islam.

Dawn reported that the two minor Hindu sisters, belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, were abducted from their home in Daharki taluka of Ghotki district in Sindh on the occasion of Holi last week (March 21).

During the demonstration, the protestors reminded the Sindh government of the Child Marriage Restraint Act, passed in 2014, which states that the minimum age of marriage is 18 years and making a person younger than that age marry is a punishable offence.

The protestors criticised the Sindh police for not taking appropriate action into the matter and demanded that the girls should be returned safely to their homes. On Sunday, the two girls approached a court in Bahawalpur seeking protection.

The incident came to light after the girls' father and brother revealed the details in videos that went viral on social media. In a separate video, however, the girls can be seen saying that they accepted Islam out of their own free will.

"Two girls whose videos on social media show them embracing Islam are only 16 and 14 years of age and thus too young to be married," the protestors said.&nbsp;

"There is also another video of their poor father helplessly beating himself outside a police station, begging the police to do something. The girls had recently lost their mother and their father is also not doing well," they added.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday asked for an "immediate" probe in the case of abduction and forced conversion of two Hindu girls.

On the same day, India shared its concerns through an official note to Pakistan Foreign office over the incident, said sources.

India has asked that suitable remedial action is taken by the Pakistan government to protect and promote safety, security, and welfare of its own citizens, especially from the minority communities.

Pakistan Human rights activists have further claimed that this is another case of forced conversion and abduction, which are becoming increasingly common in the southern region of Sindh.&nbsp;

Police have detained at least seven people, including a Nikah Khwan (marriage officiator), allegedly involved in the abduction, forced conversion from Hinduism to Islam, and underage marriage of two minor Hindu girls.

Police have detained at least seven people, including a Nikah Khwan (marriage officiator), allegedly involved in the abduction, forced conversion from Hinduism to Islam, and underage marriage of two minor Hindu girls. Members of civil society also gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday to protest against the alleged abduction and forced conversion of two Hindu girls to Islam. Dawn reported that the two minor Hindu sisters, belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, were abducted from their home in Daharki taluka of Ghotki district in Sindh on the occasion of Holi last week (March 21). During the demonstration, the protestors reminded the Sindh government of the Child Marriage Restraint Act, passed in 2014, which states that the minimum age of marriage is 18 years and making a person younger than that age marry is a punishable offence. The protestors criticised the Sindh police for not taking appropriate action into the matter and demanded that the girls should be returned safely to their homes. On Sunday, the two girls approached a court in Bahawalpur seeking protection. The incident came to light after the girls' father and brother revealed the details in videos that went viral on social media. In a separate video, however, the girls can be seen saying that they accepted Islam out of their own free will. "Two girls whose videos on social media show them embracing Islam are only 16 and 14 years of age and thus too young to be married," the protestors said. "There is also another video of their poor father helplessly beating himself outside a police station, begging the police to do something. The girls had recently lost their mother and their father is also not doing well," they added. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday asked for an "immediate" probe in the case of abduction and forced conversion of two Hindu girls. On the same day, India shared its concerns through an official note to Pakistan Foreign office over the incident, said sources. India has asked that suitable remedial action is taken by the Pakistan government to protect and promote safety, security, and welfare of its own citizens, especially from the minority communities. Pakistan Human rights activists have further claimed that this is another case of forced conversion and abduction, which are becoming increasingly common in the southern region of Sindh.

Pakistan: Seven arrested for alleged abduction, forced conversion of Hindu girls

Germany is hopeful that all European Union member states will back the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/european-union-begins-discussions-on-declaring-masood-azhar-a-terrorist-204354">listing of Masood Azhar as a terrorist</a> under in its territory.&nbsp;

A text has been circulated among the member states of the EU on the listing of the chief of Pakistan based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Speaking to WION, the spokesperson of the German embassy Hans Christian Winkler said, "Important thing is that all 27 (28 with UK) members countries have to accept the text. European security and foreign policy working on unanimity. This can take a certain time. Germany is on board, we have to bring everyone too and we are hopeful on that."

Germany is one of the countries that has circulated the text on designating Masood Azhar as a terrorist by Brussels.

In early March, France had announced it will be putting a freeze on the assets of Azhar and will raise the issue with EU. 
&nbsp; 
A joint release by French Foreign, Interior and Finance ministry said, "We will raise this issue with our European partners with a view to including Masood Azhar on the European Union list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts, based on this decree."

The development comes after China blocked the listing of Azhar as a terrorist under the United Nations. In the past, China has blocked the listing of Azhar three times--2009, 2016 and 2017.

JeM is the group responsible for the Pulwama terror attack on March 14 that killed more than 40 CRPF Personnel.

Germany is hopeful that all European Union member states will back the listing of Masood Azhar as a terrorist under in its territory. A text has been circulated among the member states of the EU on the listing of the chief of Pakistan based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Germany is hopeful that all European Union member states will back the listing of Masood Azhar as a terrorist under in its territory. A text has been circulated among the member states of the EU on the listing of the chief of Pakistan based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Speaking to WION, the spokesperson of the German embassy Hans Christian Winkler said, "Important thing is that all 27 (28 with UK) members countries have to accept the text. European security and foreign policy working on unanimity. This can take a certain time. Germany is on board, we have to bring everyone too and we are hopeful on that." Germany is one of the countries that has circulated the text on designating Masood Azhar as a terrorist by Brussels. In early March, France had announced it will be putting a freeze on the assets of Azhar and will raise the issue with EU. A joint release by French Foreign, Interior and Finance ministry said, "We will raise this issue with our European partners with a view to including Masood Azhar on the European Union list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts, based on this decree." The development comes after China blocked the listing of Azhar as a terrorist under the United Nations. In the past, China has blocked the listing of Azhar three times--2009, 2016 and 2017. JeM is the group responsible for the Pulwama terror attack on March 14 that killed more than 40 CRPF Personnel.

Hopeful that all EU member states will back listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar as terrorist: Germany

Fifty-five per cent of Indians are happy with the way things are going in the country even as the public satisfaction level has gone down by 15 points to 70 per cent, according to a Pew survey released late Monday night.

Conducted in India among 2,521 respondents from May 23 to July 23, 2018, the Washington-based Pew Research Centre study said a majority of Indians voiced concern about terrorism and the threat posed to their country by <a href="Conducted in India among 2,521 respondents from May 23 to July 23, 2018, the Washington-based Pew Research Centre study said a majority of Indians voiced concern about terrorism and the threat posed to their country by Pakistan.">Pakistan</a>.

According to the survey, conducted much before <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/crpf-convoy-attacked-in-jammu-kashmirs-pulwama-death-toll-climbs-to-40-197468">the ghastly Pulwama terrorist attack</a>, about 76 per cent of Indians believe Pakistan is a threat to the country. Only seven per cent do not see Pakistan as a danger to India.&nbsp;

Roughly two-thirds (65 per cent) said the financial situation of average people in India is better today than it was 20 years ago. Only 15 per cent said things are worse.&nbsp;

The survey said lack of employment opportunities is seen by the public as India's biggest challenge. Seventy-six per cent said employment is a very big problem and little has changed over the past year. While just one in five persons (21 per cent) said job opportunities have become better, 67 per cent believed it has gotten worse.&nbsp;

In 2018, despite an estimated 3.5 per cent formal unemployment rate, 18.6 million Indians were jobless and another 393.7 million work in poor-quality jobs vulnerable to displacement, according to estimates by the International Labour Office.

The study said 73 per cent believe inflation is a very big problem in India. As many as 65 per cent said prices have gotten worse.&nbsp;

Noting that Indians voiced strong frustration about elections and elected officials, the study said nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of the Indians said most politicians are corrupt (including 43 per cent who very intensely hold this view). Notably, nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) of both BJP and Congress supporters share the view that elected leaders are corrupt, it said.

Another 58 per cent opined that no matter who wins an election, things do not change very much. This includes a majority of both BJP and Congress supporters, it said.

According to the survey, 71 per cent believe trade is good for India. While 59 per cent of youths aged between 18 and 29 believe that trade generates new employment, 50 per cent of older Indians (aged 50 and above) shares similar view.&nbsp;

Fifty-five per cent of Indians are happy with the way things are going in the country even as the public satisfaction level has gone down by 15 points to 70 per cent, according to a Pew survey released late Monday night.

Fifty-five per cent of Indians are happy with the way things are going in the country even as the public satisfaction level has gone down by 15 points to 70 per cent, according to a Pew survey released late Monday night. Conducted in India among 2,521 respondents from May 23 to July 23, 2018, the Washington-based Pew Research Centre study said a majority of Indians voiced concern about terrorism and the threat posed to their country by Pakistan. According to the survey, conducted much before the ghastly Pulwama terrorist attack, about 76 per cent of Indians believe Pakistan is a threat to the country. Only seven per cent do not see Pakistan as a danger to India. Roughly two-thirds (65 per cent) said the financial situation of average people in India is better today than it was 20 years ago. Only 15 per cent said things are worse. The survey said lack of employment opportunities is seen by the public as India's biggest challenge. Seventy-six per cent said employment is a very big problem and little has changed over the past year. While just one in five persons (21 per cent) said job opportunities have become better, 67 per cent believed it has gotten worse. In 2018, despite an estimated 3.5 per cent formal unemployment rate, 18.6 million Indians were jobless and another 393.7 million work in poor-quality jobs vulnerable to displacement, according to estimates by the International Labour Office. The study said 73 per cent believe inflation is a very big problem in India. As many as 65 per cent said prices have gotten worse. Noting that Indians voiced strong frustration about elections and elected officials, the study said nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of the Indians said most politicians are corrupt (including 43 per cent who very intensely hold this view). Notably, nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) of both BJP and Congress supporters share the view that elected leaders are corrupt, it said. Another 58 per cent opined that no matter who wins an election, things do not change very much. This includes a majority of both BJP and Congress supporters, it said. According to the survey, 71 per cent believe trade is good for India. While 59 per cent of youths aged between 18 and 29 believe that trade generates new employment, 50 per cent of older Indians (aged 50 and above) shares similar view.

55% Indians happy with way things are going in the country, public satisfaction dips 15 points: US survey

Pakistan Supreme court on Tuesday granted six weeks bail to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nawaz-sharif-refuses-to-shift-to-hospital-says-prefer-death-over-political-victimisation-201646">Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif</a> on medical grounds.

Nawaz Sharif’s counsel had pleaded bail on medical grounds for 8 weeks.&nbsp;The counsel will reapply for an extension in bail with a report after 6 weeks

Sharif is also barred from travelling abroad during his bail period.

After complaining about high fever, headache&nbsp;and severe body pain, Sharif was shifted to Jinnah Hospital from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore last month.

Sharif is currently serving a seven-year jail term in connection with Al-Azizia graft case.

Pakistan Supreme court on Tuesday granted six weeks bail to Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds. Nawaz Sharif’s counsel had pleaded bail on medical grounds for 8 weeks.

Pakistan Supreme court on Tuesday granted six weeks bail to Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds. Nawaz Sharif’s counsel had pleaded bail on medical grounds for 8 weeks. The counsel will reapply for an extension in bail with a report after 6 weeks Sharif is also barred from travelling abroad during his bail period. After complaining about high fever, headache and severe body pain, Sharif was shifted to Jinnah Hospital from Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore last month. Sharif is currently serving a seven-year jail term in connection with Al-Azizia graft case.

Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif gets bail of six weeks on medical grounds

India has strongly dismissed reports in the Pakistani media that it denied Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad the right to fly over India during his recent visit to Pakistan. Indian government sources said the reports were "false and motivated."

Mohamad had been chief guest at Pakistan's National Day on February 23.&nbsp;

WION has learnt that the Malaysian PM had to take a longer route to Pakistan despite the Directorate General of Civil Aviation saying he could fly over India since Pakistan had blocked its airspace to flights overflying India.

The government sources told WION that it was strange that Pakistan did not make an exception even for the chief guest of their National Day, thereby forcing him to fly a longer route.&nbsp;

The Indian Air Force had on February 26 conducted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/iaf-operation-in-balakot-india-calls-pakistans-nuclear-bluff-199844">an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot</a> in the Khyber Pakhtunwa province. The air strike was in retaliation for the February 14 suicide attack on a security convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which left <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/awantipora-crpf-convoy-hit-by-explosives-laden-vehicle-several-jawans-killed-197418">over 40 CRPF personnel dead</a>.&nbsp;

A day later, on February 27,&nbsp;the Pakistan Air Force dropped bombs on Indian territory from its side of the Line of Control.

Pakistan said the bombs were aimed at displaying its "deterrence capabilities". India says the bombs were aimed at military installations but that they missed their targets.&nbsp;

Pakistan's airspace has remained partially closed since February 27. And the country's civil aviation authority has since then denied permission to planes overflying India to enter Pakistani airspace, including apparently that of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.&nbsp;

India has strongly dismissed reports in the Pakistani media that it denied Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad the right to fly over India during his recent visit to Pakistan.

India has strongly dismissed reports in the Pakistani media that it denied Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad the right to fly over India during his recent visit to Pakistan. Indian government sources said the reports were "false and motivated." Mohamad had been chief guest at Pakistan's National Day on February 23. WION has learnt that the Malaysian PM had to take a longer route to Pakistan despite the Directorate General of Civil Aviation saying he could fly over India since Pakistan had blocked its airspace to flights overflying India. The government sources told WION that it was strange that Pakistan did not make an exception even for the chief guest of their National Day, thereby forcing him to fly a longer route. The Indian Air Force had on February 26 conducted an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot in the Khyber Pakhtunwa province. The air strike was in retaliation for the February 14 suicide attack on a security convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which left over 40 CRPF personnel dead. A day later, on February 27, the Pakistan Air Force dropped bombs on Indian territory from its side of the Line of Control. Pakistan said the bombs were aimed at displaying its "deterrence capabilities". India says the bombs were aimed at military installations but that they missed their targets. Pakistan's airspace has remained partially closed since February 27. And the country's civil aviation authority has since then denied permission to planes overflying India to enter Pakistani airspace, including apparently that of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Did not deny Malaysia PM Mahathir Bin Mohamad right to fly over India: Government sources

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered a probe into reports of abduction, forced conversion and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/two-teenage-girls-forcibly-married-off-converted-to-islam-in-pakistans-sindh-province-205064">underage marriages of two teenage Hindu girls</a> in Sindh province and to take immediate steps for their recovery, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday.

The the two girls were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls.

In a separate video, the minor girls can be seen saying that they accepted Islam of their own free will.

In a Twitter post in Urdu on Sunday, Information Minister Chaudhry said that the prime minister has asked the Sindh chief minister to look into reports that the girls in question have been taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab.

Chaudhry said the prime minister has also ordered the Sindh and Punjab governments to devise a joint action plan in light of the incident, and to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.

"The minorities in Pakistan make up the white of our flag and all of our flag's colours are precious to us. Protection of our flag is our duty," he said.

On Saturday, Chaudhry said that the government had taken notice of reports of the forced conversion and underage marriages of the two girls.

The Hindu community in Pakistan has carried out massive demonstrations calling for strict action to be taken against those responsible, while reminding Prime Minister Khan of his promises to the minorities of the country.

Last year, Khan during his election campaign had said his party's agenda was to uplift the various religious groups across Pakistan and said they would take effective measures to prevent forced marriages of Hindu girls.

Sanjesh Dhanja, President of Pakistan Hindu Sewa Welfare Trust, an NGO, earlier urged Prime Minister Khan to take note of the incident and prove to everyone that minorities were indeed safe and secure in Pakistan.

"The truth is minorities suffer from different sorts of persecution and the problem of young Hindu girls being kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to convert to Islam or get married to much older men is widespread in Sindh, he said.

Dhanja said the Hindu community had staged several sit-ins in Ghotki district after which police reluctantly registered FIR against the accused persons.

The Hindu community leaders have claimed that the accused belonged to the Kohbar and Malik tribes in the area.

Following the incident, an FIR was filed by the girls' brother, alleging that their father had an altercation with the accused sometime ago and on the eve of Holi they armed with pistols forcibly entered their home and took the sisters away.

A Pakistan Muslim League-Functional MPA Nand Kumar Goklani, who had initially moved a bill against forced conversions, urged the government to get the law passed immediately.

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.

Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows.&nbsp;

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered a probe into reports of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of two teenage Hindu girls in Sindh province and to take immediate steps for their recovery, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered a probe into reports of abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of two teenage Hindu girls in Sindh province and to take immediate steps for their recovery, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday. The the two girls were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls. In a separate video, the minor girls can be seen saying that they accepted Islam of their own free will. In a Twitter post in Urdu on Sunday, Information Minister Chaudhry said that the prime minister has asked the Sindh chief minister to look into reports that the girls in question have been taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab. Chaudhry said the prime minister has also ordered the Sindh and Punjab governments to devise a joint action plan in light of the incident, and to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening again. "The minorities in Pakistan make up the white of our flag and all of our flag's colours are precious to us. Protection of our flag is our duty," he said. On Saturday, Chaudhry said that the government had taken notice of reports of the forced conversion and underage marriages of the two girls. The Hindu community in Pakistan has carried out massive demonstrations calling for strict action to be taken against those responsible, while reminding Prime Minister Khan of his promises to the minorities of the country. Last year, Khan during his election campaign had said his party's agenda was to uplift the various religious groups across Pakistan and said they would take effective measures to prevent forced marriages of Hindu girls. Sanjesh Dhanja, President of Pakistan Hindu Sewa Welfare Trust, an NGO, earlier urged Prime Minister Khan to take note of the incident and prove to everyone that minorities were indeed safe and secure in Pakistan. "The truth is minorities suffer from different sorts of persecution and the problem of young Hindu girls being kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to convert to Islam or get married to much older men is widespread in Sindh, he said. Dhanja said the Hindu community had staged several sit-ins in Ghotki district after which police reluctantly registered FIR against the accused persons. The Hindu community leaders have claimed that the accused belonged to the Kohbar and Malik tribes in the area. Following the incident, an FIR was filed by the girls' brother, alleging that their father had an altercation with the accused sometime ago and on the eve of Holi they armed with pistols forcibly entered their home and took the sisters away. A Pakistan Muslim League-Functional MPA Nand Kumar Goklani, who had initially moved a bill against forced conversions, urged the government to get the law passed immediately. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country. Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan orders probe into forced conversion and marriages of two teenage Hindu girls

India on Sunday shared its concern regarding the abduction and forcible marriage of&nbsp;Hindu girls and called for suitable remedial action by Pakistan government.&nbsp;

Sources told WION that in an official note to Pakistan Foreign office, India told Islamabad&nbsp;to "protect and promote safety, security and welfare of its own citizens, especially from the minority communities."

The development comes after India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asking Indian high commissioner in Pakistan on Twitter to send a report on the abduction of Hindu girls drawing an angry response from Pakistan's information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Swaraj responded to Chaudhry's response by saying, "I only asked for a report from Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad about the kidnapping and forced conversion of two minor Hindu girls to Islam. This was enough to make you jittery. This only shows your guilty conscience."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Mr.Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fawadchaudhry</a> - I only asked for a report from Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad about the kidnapping and forced conversion of two minor Hindu girls to Islam. This was enough to make you jittery. This only shows your guilty conscience. <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainPakistan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainPakistan</a>
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/1109740418151772160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

<img alt="Sushma Swaraj" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="54a947e1-7fee-411b-9692-aa03fd7737d5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ch%20fawad%20hussain_0.JPG" />

According to the Pakistan Information Minister, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab that girls should immediately be recovered.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Hindu Council has called for strict action against clerics Miyan Mithu Barchundi, Pir Ayub Jaan Sirhindi who the minorities in the Sindh region accuse of abducting the girls. The committee is headed by Ramesh Vankhwani, member of National Assembly member, and a Hindu.

The Sarhandi shrine in Samaro in Umerkot and Barchundi Sharif in Sindh's Mirpurkhas District are active in religious conversions of Hindus and claimed to have converted thousands of Hindu girls and young women to Islam.

New Delhi's strong stance will irk Pakistan that has been raising the issue of minorities in India for months now.

On December 25, 2018, the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted, "Naya Pakistan is Quaid’s Pakistan and will ensure that our minorities are treated as equal citizens, unlike what is happening in India"

Statistics in recent years have revealed that Sindh in southern Pakistan has a higher percentage of Hindus than the rest of Pakistan. Its three districts - Mirpurkhas (with 33% Hindu population), Tharparkar (with 36% Hindu population) and Umerkot (with 49% Hindu population) contribute to the significant Hindu community in the country. But these are the districts were most forced conversion &amp; marriages of underage Hindu girls in Pakistan have been reported.

In the past also India has strongly taken up the matter of situation of minorities in Pakistan. These cases include the abduction of two 16-year-old Hindu girls in January 2019, forceful conversation of another 16-year-old in June 2017 and kidnapping of a 17-year-old Sikh girl who was married off to a local in Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

New Delhi has taken up cases of intimidation of Sikhs, Hindus, as also the desecration of their places of worship, with the Pakistan government in February 2019, June 2018 and December 2017.

India on Sunday shared its concern regarding the abduction and forcible marriage of Hindu girls and called for suitable remedial action by Pakistan government. Sources told WION that in an official note to Pakistan Foreign office, India told Islamabad to "protect and promote safety, security and welfare of its own citizens, especially from the minority communities.

India on Sunday shared its concern regarding the abduction and forcible marriage of Hindu girls and called for suitable remedial action by Pakistan government. Sources told WION that in an official note to Pakistan Foreign office, India told Islamabad to "protect and promote safety, security and welfare of its own citizens, especially from the minority communities." The development comes after India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asking Indian high commissioner in Pakistan on Twitter to send a report on the abduction of Hindu girls drawing an angry response from Pakistan's information minister Fawad Chaudhry. Swaraj responded to Chaudhry's response by saying, "I only asked for a report from Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad about the kidnapping and forced conversion of two minor Hindu girls to Islam. This was enough to make you jittery. This only shows your guilty conscience." Mr.Minister @fawadchaudhry - I only asked for a report from Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad about the kidnapping and forced conversion of two minor Hindu girls to Islam. This was enough to make you jittery. This only shows your guilty conscience. @IndiainPakistan — Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 24, 2019 × According to the Pakistan Information Minister, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab that girls should immediately be recovered. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Hindu Council has called for strict action against clerics Miyan Mithu Barchundi, Pir Ayub Jaan Sirhindi who the minorities in the Sindh region accuse of abducting the girls. The committee is headed by Ramesh Vankhwani, member of National Assembly member, and a Hindu. The Sarhandi shrine in Samaro in Umerkot and Barchundi Sharif in Sindh's Mirpurkhas District are active in religious conversions of Hindus and claimed to have converted thousands of Hindu girls and young women to Islam. New Delhi's strong stance will irk Pakistan that has been raising the issue of minorities in India for months now. On December 25, 2018, the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted, "Naya Pakistan is Quaid’s Pakistan and will ensure that our minorities are treated as equal citizens, unlike what is happening in India" Statistics in recent years have revealed that Sindh in southern Pakistan has a higher percentage of Hindus than the rest of Pakistan. Its three districts - Mirpurkhas (with 33% Hindu population), Tharparkar (with 36% Hindu population) and Umerkot (with 49% Hindu population) contribute to the significant Hindu community in the country. But these are the districts were most forced conversion & marriages of underage Hindu girls in Pakistan have been reported. In the past also India has strongly taken up the matter of situation of minorities in Pakistan. These cases include the abduction of two 16-year-old Hindu girls in January 2019, forceful conversation of another 16-year-old in June 2017 and kidnapping of a 17-year-old Sikh girl who was married off to a local in Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. New Delhi has taken up cases of intimidation of Sikhs, Hindus, as also the desecration of their places of worship, with the Pakistan government in February 2019, June 2018 and December 2017.

Pakistan gets a taste of its own medicine as India strongly raises the issue of abducted Hindu girls in Sindh

Not so long ago most Indians were rejoicing in their globe-trotting Prime Minister’s diplomatic conquests. He received rockstars welcome and charged the People of Indian origin with frenzy.&nbsp;

New ‘strategic partnerships’ were forged with potential allies ranging from the US to Japan. The neighbourhood wasn’t neglected either. Narendra Modi invited leaders of all SAARC nations to his oath-taking ceremony and followed it up by lavishing special attention on Nepal. An Olive Branch was extended to Pakistan and the warm welcome extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping arousing hopes of further ‘normalisation’ of relationship with the usually belligerent ‘superpower in the making.’&nbsp;

From G20 summits to BRICS conclaves and sessions at UN the Indian Prime Minister performed in dazzling contrast with his lacklustre predecessor-timid and tongue-tied Dr Manmohan Singh. It appeared for a few shining moments that India had arrived.&nbsp; 
 
As the nation goes to polls that many consider a decisive moment, a possible turning point, foreign policy is strangely forgotten in public discourse. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pulwama and retaliatory air strikes across the border the many ‘achievements’ of past five years in the realm of international relations are not even being mentioned as an aside.&nbsp;

It seems that nothing matters more than an inimical Pakistan next door. Protected by China and forever propped up by the US it continues to cripple us like the proverbial albatross round the neck. The myriad options explored by Modi apparently were not enough to redress the imbalance tilting against our vital national interest in South Asia. The country seems to be back at square one.&nbsp;

What is even more distressing is that the election campaign has been highjacked by supercharged ‘Patriots’ and the ‘Traitors’ targeted by them. The dangerous labelling of political opponents as ‘jingoist chauvinists’ or ‘traitors and enemy agents’ has made it impossible to take stock of the challenges confronting the nation. Rhetoric devoid of reason is trying to sway voters it's way. The traditional consensus in matters of foreign policy has been almost entirely eroded.&nbsp;

We forget at our peril that in ultimate analysis foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy. It is an instrument to safeguard the independence and autonomy in the formulation of economic policies, to enjoy the freedom to live according to ones cultural preferences-inherited as well as acquired. In short, the task of foreign policy is not confined to protecting the borders from external invasions.&nbsp; 
 
This is where Pakistan has succeeded in distorting our perspective disastrously. Be it the perpetual turmoil in the valley of Kashmir or legislation affecting customary practices of Muslim Indian citizen those at the helm try to steal a look towards Islamabad. It isn’t surprising that this has resulted in an incurable painful squint. Either the secular-supposedly liberal- regime at the helm bends backwards to appease the self-styled leaders of minorities-Muslims, Sikhs and Christians- or those who have proclaimed themselves to be custodians of tradition and swadeshi &nbsp;culture, begin hounding anyone who dares to dissent- issuing ultimatums to ‘Go to Pakistan!’ or face the lynch mobs. Discussion on foreign policy has been reduced to a farce.

The response to China’s bullying isn’t very different. Few Indians have displayed the wisdom to assess the long term Chinese ‘threat’ dispensing with the Pakistani looking glass. It is the Chinese Veto shielding Azhar Masood that blinkers our eyes. China’s tentacles in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar remain invisible but the Dragon can bare its fangs and claws at will. China, today, no longer has to irritate India with Doklam like cleverly engineered crisis on the border. Fomenting resentment against India among its smaller neighbours. We occasionally express nominal concern about the Garland of Poisoned Pearls it has trigged to strangle us but remain blind to the traps it is laying for us in distant lands where we are China’s principal competitors in the domain of food and energy security.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan and China keep us so preoccupied that the rest of foreign policy is forgotten. Election sloganeering deafens us to alarm bells ringing from West Asia to Europe. Let us wake up to the harsh realities of life. Foreign Policy isn’t some luxury that you can dispense with when elections are underway.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

Not so long ago most Indians were rejoicing in their globe-trotting Prime Minister’s diplomatic conquests. He received rockstars welcome and charged the People of Indian origin with frenzy.

Not so long ago most Indians were rejoicing in their globe-trotting Prime Minister’s diplomatic conquests. He received rockstars welcome and charged the People of Indian origin with frenzy. New ‘strategic partnerships’ were forged with potential allies ranging from the US to Japan. The neighbourhood wasn’t neglected either. Narendra Modi invited leaders of all SAARC nations to his oath-taking ceremony and followed it up by lavishing special attention on Nepal. An Olive Branch was extended to Pakistan and the warm welcome extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping arousing hopes of further ‘normalisation’ of relationship with the usually belligerent ‘superpower in the making.’ From G20 summits to BRICS conclaves and sessions at UN the Indian Prime Minister performed in dazzling contrast with his lacklustre predecessor-timid and tongue-tied Dr Manmohan Singh. It appeared for a few shining moments that India had arrived. As the nation goes to polls that many consider a decisive moment, a possible turning point, foreign policy is strangely forgotten in public discourse. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pulwama and retaliatory air strikes across the border the many ‘achievements’ of past five years in the realm of international relations are not even being mentioned as an aside. It seems that nothing matters more than an inimical Pakistan next door. Protected by China and forever propped up by the US it continues to cripple us like the proverbial albatross round the neck. The myriad options explored by Modi apparently were not enough to redress the imbalance tilting against our vital national interest in South Asia. The country seems to be back at square one. What is even more distressing is that the election campaign has been highjacked by supercharged ‘Patriots’ and the ‘Traitors’ targeted by them. The dangerous labelling of political opponents as ‘jingoist chauvinists’ or ‘traitors and enemy agents’ has made it impossible to take stock of the challenges confronting the nation. Rhetoric devoid of reason is trying to sway voters it's way. The traditional consensus in matters of foreign policy has been almost entirely eroded. We forget at our peril that in ultimate analysis foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy. It is an instrument to safeguard the independence and autonomy in the formulation of economic policies, to enjoy the freedom to live according to ones cultural preferences-inherited as well as acquired. In short, the task of foreign policy is not confined to protecting the borders from external invasions. This is where Pakistan has succeeded in distorting our perspective disastrously. Be it the perpetual turmoil in the valley of Kashmir or legislation affecting customary practices of Muslim Indian citizen those at the helm try to steal a look towards Islamabad. It isn’t surprising that this has resulted in an incurable painful squint. Either the secular-supposedly liberal- regime at the helm bends backwards to appease the self-styled leaders of minorities-Muslims, Sikhs and Christians- or those who have proclaimed themselves to be custodians of tradition and swadeshi culture, begin hounding anyone who dares to dissent- issuing ultimatums to ‘Go to Pakistan!’ or face the lynch mobs. Discussion on foreign policy has been reduced to a farce. The response to China’s bullying isn’t very different. Few Indians have displayed the wisdom to assess the long term Chinese ‘threat’ dispensing with the Pakistani looking glass. It is the Chinese Veto shielding Azhar Masood that blinkers our eyes. China’s tentacles in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar remain invisible but the Dragon can bare its fangs and claws at will. China, today, no longer has to irritate India with Doklam like cleverly engineered crisis on the border. Fomenting resentment against India among its smaller neighbours. We occasionally express nominal concern about the Garland of Poisoned Pearls it has trigged to strangle us but remain blind to the traps it is laying for us in distant lands where we are China’s principal competitors in the domain of food and energy security. Pakistan and China keep us so preoccupied that the rest of foreign policy is forgotten. Election sloganeering deafens us to alarm bells ringing from West Asia to Europe. Let us wake up to the harsh realities of life. Foreign Policy isn’t some luxury that you can dispense with when elections are underway. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Moving away from China and Pakistan, Indian foreign policy needs a major overhaul

Gravitas: Three minor hindu girls forced to convert to Islam in Pakistan

A man suspected to have assisted in solemnising the wedding of two Pakistani Hindu minor girls, who were reportedly abducted and forcefully converted to Islam, was arrested on Sunday, as the teenagers approached a court in Pakistan's Punjab province seeking protection, according to a media report.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/two-teenage-girls-forcibly-married-off-converted-to-islam-in-pakistans-sindh-province-205064">The two girls</a>, were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls, triggering nationwide outrage.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had also ordered a probe into the issue.

According to Geo TV, the teenagers approached a court in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province seeking protection.&nbsp;

"Police have meanwhile arrested a man from Khanpur who is suspected to have assisted in the nikah (marital contract) of the girls," it said.&nbsp;

However, it is not confirmed whether the arrested man is the cleric who performed their marriage.&nbsp;

Earlier there were reports that the cleric who performed the minor girls' marriage was arrested from Khan Pur in Sindh.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, a war of words broke out between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry over the reported abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of the two Hindu teenagers.&nbsp;

The spat started soon after Swaraj sought details from the Indian envoy in Pakistan into the reported abduction of two Hindu teenaged girls.

Swaraj, while tagging a media report about the incident, tweeted that she has asked the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to send a report on the matter.

Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry responded to her tweet, saying it was his country's "internal issue".

In a Twitter post in Urdu on Sunday, Chaudhry said the prime minister has asked the Sindh chief minister to look into reports that the girls in question&nbsp; 
have been taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab.

He said the prime minister has also ordered the Sindh and Punjab governments to devise a joint action plan in light of the incident and to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening again.

The Hindu community in Pakistan has carried out massive demonstrations calling for strict action to be taken against those responsible while reminding Prime Minister Khan of his promises to the minorities of the country.

Last year, Khan during his election campaign had said his party's agenda was to uplift the various religious groups across Pakistan and said they would take effective measures to prevent forced marriages of Hindu girls.

Pakistan Hindu Council chief and Member of National Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Ramesh Kumar Vankwani condemned the incident and demanded that the bill against forced conversion, which was unanimously passed by Sindh Assembly in 2016 and then reverted due to pressure of extremist elements, must be resurrected and passed in the assembly on priority basis.

Rights activist Jibran Nasir tweeted that the sisters were converted at the Dargah Barchundi Sharif and were taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab following their marriages.&nbsp;

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province.&nbsp;

According to media reports, approximately 25 forced marriages to take place every month only in Umerkot district in Sindh province.

A man suspected to have assisted in solemnising the wedding of two Pakistani Hindu minor girls, who were reportedly abducted and forcefully converted to Islam, was arrested on Sunday, as the teenagers approached a court in Pakistan's Punjab province seeking protection, according to a media report.

A man suspected to have assisted in solemnising the wedding of two Pakistani Hindu minor girls, who were reportedly abducted and forcefully converted to Islam, was arrested on Sunday, as the teenagers approached a court in Pakistan's Punjab province seeking protection, according to a media report. The two girls, were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls, triggering nationwide outrage. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had also ordered a probe into the issue. According to Geo TV, the teenagers approached a court in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province seeking protection. "Police have meanwhile arrested a man from Khanpur who is suspected to have assisted in the nikah (marital contract) of the girls," it said. However, it is not confirmed whether the arrested man is the cleric who performed their marriage. Earlier there were reports that the cleric who performed the minor girls' marriage was arrested from Khan Pur in Sindh. Earlier in the day, a war of words broke out between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry over the reported abduction, forced conversion and underage marriages of the two Hindu teenagers. The spat started soon after Swaraj sought details from the Indian envoy in Pakistan into the reported abduction of two Hindu teenaged girls. Swaraj, while tagging a media report about the incident, tweeted that she has asked the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to send a report on the matter. Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry responded to her tweet, saying it was his country's "internal issue". In a Twitter post in Urdu on Sunday, Chaudhry said the prime minister has asked the Sindh chief minister to look into reports that the girls in question have been taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab. He said the prime minister has also ordered the Sindh and Punjab governments to devise a joint action plan in light of the incident and to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents from happening again. The Hindu community in Pakistan has carried out massive demonstrations calling for strict action to be taken against those responsible while reminding Prime Minister Khan of his promises to the minorities of the country. Last year, Khan during his election campaign had said his party's agenda was to uplift the various religious groups across Pakistan and said they would take effective measures to prevent forced marriages of Hindu girls. Pakistan Hindu Council chief and Member of National Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Ramesh Kumar Vankwani condemned the incident and demanded that the bill against forced conversion, which was unanimously passed by Sindh Assembly in 2016 and then reverted due to pressure of extremist elements, must be resurrected and passed in the assembly on priority basis. Rights activist Jibran Nasir tweeted that the sisters were converted at the Dargah Barchundi Sharif and were taken to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab following their marriages. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province. According to media reports, approximately 25 forced marriages to take place every month only in Umerkot district in Sindh province.

Pakistan: Minor Hindu girls approach court, man suspected to have assisted in their wedding held

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/if-only-a-similar-deterrent-action-was-taken-after-mumbai-attack-sitharaman-on-balakot-airstrikes-205237">Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</a> on Sunday accused the opposition of politicising the air strike in Pakistan's Balakot.

The Defence Minister said: "The Opposition is the one who is politicising the airstrike issue and indulging in false allegations."

She was speaking at an event at Butta Convention Centre in Madhapur, Hyderabad.

"Why is the opposition asking for proof after we attacked Balakot? They ask if we have taken selfies with the killed terrorists or not," she said.

"Airforce personnel say it was their honour to carry out the airstrike. We have given freedom to our armed forces and they will take the call," she said.

The Defence Minister said the first Rafale jet will be delivered in September 2019 and the remaining will be delivered in 2022.

"The war memorial was built in the nation after 70 years by Prime Minister Modi led BJP government," she said, adding that Rs 35,000 crore was given under 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) to the armed forces.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday accused the opposition of politicising the air strike in Pakistan's Balakot. The Defence Minister said: "The Opposition is the one who is politicising the airstrike issue and indulging in false allegations.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday accused the opposition of politicising the air strike in Pakistan's Balakot. The Defence Minister said: "The Opposition is the one who is politicising the airstrike issue and indulging in false allegations." She was speaking at an event at Butta Convention Centre in Madhapur, Hyderabad. "Why is the opposition asking for proof after we attacked Balakot? They ask if we have taken selfies with the killed terrorists or not," she said. "Airforce personnel say it was their honour to carry out the airstrike. We have given freedom to our armed forces and they will take the call," she said. The Defence Minister said the first Rafale jet will be delivered in September 2019 and the remaining will be delivered in 2022. "The war memorial was built in the nation after 70 years by Prime Minister Modi led BJP government," she said, adding that Rs 35,000 crore was given under 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) to the armed forces.

Opposition is politicising Balakot air strike, says Nirmala Sitharaman

By Saurabh Bose&nbsp;and Ayushi Agarwal 

The alleged forced conversion and marriage of minor girls from the Hindu and minority communities in Pakistan have kicked up a furore.&nbsp;

The most recent example is of two Hindu sisters who were allegedly abducted in Daharki, Sindh on Holi eve, and forcibly married in a dargah after having being converted to Islam. With the shocking incident surfacing in international media and exerting heat on the authorities in Pakistan, the alleged perpetrators fled to Punjab.

When the two minors are produced in court on Monday, both the inadequate handling of the case by the government as well as the existing legislation in the country will come under further scrutiny.

The Sindh assembly bars the conversion of minors in the absence of their parents or elders till the age of 18. In 2015, the Sindh assembly passed a law to curb child marriages; that law enables the arrest of a priest who marries off such a minor and all others who were part of the gathering.

Pakistan MP and Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, spoke to WION and disclosed that he is bringing in a five-point resolution seeking to end the kidnapping of Hindu girls and forced conversions. The resolution will&nbsp;be tabled in the next session of the National Assembly.&nbsp;

"The bill against forced conversions which was unanimously passed by Sindh Assembly in 2016 and then reverted due to the pressure of extremist elements, must be resurrected and passed in the Assembly on priority basis," the draft of the resolution says.

The resolution also mentions that the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights —&nbsp;and the Sindh Assembly — has already unanimously approved the draft bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Act, raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 years.&nbsp;

According to Dr Ramesh Kumar, the bill must be passed in National Assembly on an urgent basis and implemented throughout the country in letter and spirit.

"These cases are not new. Since Rinkle Kumari and Asha Kumari cases we have been witnessing that such crime in the past as well,''&nbsp;Pakistani journalist Veengas told WION.

In fact, Veengas&nbsp;added, the Sindh Police's version helped the culprits escape to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab.

By Saurabh Bose and Ayushi Agarwal The alleged forced conversion and marriage of minor girls from the Hindu and minority communities in Pakistan have kicked up a furore.

By Saurabh Bose and Ayushi Agarwal The alleged forced conversion and marriage of minor girls from the Hindu and minority communities in Pakistan have kicked up a furore. The most recent example is of two Hindu sisters who were allegedly abducted in Daharki, Sindh on Holi eve, and forcibly married in a dargah after having being converted to Islam. With the shocking incident surfacing in international media and exerting heat on the authorities in Pakistan, the alleged perpetrators fled to Punjab. When the two minors are produced in court on Monday, both the inadequate handling of the case by the government as well as the existing legislation in the country will come under further scrutiny. The Sindh assembly bars the conversion of minors in the absence of their parents or elders till the age of 18. In 2015, the Sindh assembly passed a law to curb child marriages; that law enables the arrest of a priest who marries off such a minor and all others who were part of the gathering. Pakistan MP and Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, spoke to WION and disclosed that he is bringing in a five-point resolution seeking to end the kidnapping of Hindu girls and forced conversions. The resolution will be tabled in the next session of the National Assembly. "The bill against forced conversions which was unanimously passed by Sindh Assembly in 2016 and then reverted due to the pressure of extremist elements, must be resurrected and passed in the Assembly on priority basis," the draft of the resolution says. The resolution also mentions that the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights — and the Sindh Assembly — has already unanimously approved the draft bill to amend the Child Marriage Restraint Act, raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 years. According to Dr Ramesh Kumar, the bill must be passed in National Assembly on an urgent basis and implemented throughout the country in letter and spirit. "These cases are not new. Since Rinkle Kumari and Asha Kumari cases we have been witnessing that such crime in the past as well,'' Pakistani journalist Veengas told WION. In fact, Veengas added, the Sindh Police's version helped the culprits escape to Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab.

Forced conversions place Pakistani leadership, legislation under scrutiny

A frantic mother cradling her seven-month-old baby rushes towards the special paediatric ward in a desolate Pakistan town, his eyes are blank and he is smaller than most newborns.

He is starving in a country that has no shortage of food, but which has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and where malnutrition is rife.

The infant weighs just 2.5 kilograms -- the average for a healthy child of that age is almost three times that.&nbsp;

His case is not unique for the doctors at the Mithi Civil Hospital in hunger-stricken Sindh province where millions survive on less than $1 a day.&nbsp;

Of the 150-250 patients who come in each day, roughly one fifth are suffering from malnutrition, Dr Dilip Kumar, head of the paediatric department, tells AFP.

Inside the ward, nine other malnourished infants are crying inside glass incubators. A young mother, Nazeeran, clutches the hand of her toddler.

"Her weight is dropping, even though we consulted many doctors," the 25-year-old says.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a poverty and hunger watchdog, estimates around one in five of Pakistan's more than 200 million people are malnourished.&nbsp;

And yet, the nation is not short of food -- in fact, according to the US Department of Agriculture, it is projected to export 500,000 tons of wheat from May 2018 until April 2019, and 7.4 million tons of rice in the same period.

Dawn, the English-language daily newspaper, even reported a potato glut earlier this month.

Extreme deprivation&nbsp;

The issues, experts say, are socio-economic -- that is, just because food is available, does not mean people can access it.

"There are four key pillars of food security in Pakistan: The first is availability, then accessibility, utilisation and stability," says Dr Ambreen Fatima, senior research economist at the Applied Economic Research Centre of the Karachi University.

In Tharparkar, where Mithi Civil Hospital is, all four are lacking, she explains, adding that in other parts of the country they are present only to varying degrees.&nbsp;

"Pakistan is quite well off in wheat production," comments Dr Kaiser Bengali, a veteran economist, who has done field research on poverty and hunger in the country, but adds that much of it is sold for export.&nbsp;

This means ordinary people in the country may not have access to it, and if they do they may not have the resources to pay for it.&nbsp;

"Affordability is the biggest challenge here in Pakistan," he says.&nbsp;

Karachi is Pakistan's financial capital, but Bengali says he has seen alarming examples of poverty and deprivation there.

"In our surveys we came across the kids who had never eaten an apple, and when we offered him an apple he was reluctant to take the bite wondering whether it was an edible thing or not," Bengali reveals.

"In another case a family had never had eggs in their whole lives," he adds.

A survey of the state-run Planning Division in 2017 found that 40 per cent of Pakistan's population lives in multi-dimensional poverty.

That means they are not just short of money but are also facing a shortage of basic needs, including health, clean water, and electricity, among other factors -- all of which can impact their access to food.

Cycle of malnutrition&nbsp;

"Poor physical infrastructure, particularly in the remote rural areas throughout Pakistan is also a limitation on access to food and influences market prices," according to a recent statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

"This is also linked to inadequate water and sanitation, education and health service delivery, which together with the lack of awareness of appropriate dietary intake contributes to greater food insecurity and malnutrition."

Tharparkar district is frequently highlighted in Pakistan's media because of its high rate of child deaths, with politicians blaming the situation on drought -- but economists and physicians say that is not the sole explanation.

"Causes of malnutrition are multiple pregnancies, young-aged marriage, iron deficiency in mothers, (lack) of breastfeeding, weak immunization, and early weaning," Dr Kumar insists.

Bearing large numbers of children from a young age takes its toll on women's health, but also impacts the well-being of the foetus and ability to breastfeed a newborn.

In Pakistan, only 38 per cent of babies are fed breast milk exclusively during their first six months in line with UN recommendations.&nbsp;

This low figure is blamed on local traditions, the heavy workloads of mothers and powerful marketing by the milk industry.

Many mothers are told to feed their newborns tea, herbs, which can stunt growth. Some are unnecessarily persuaded to use formula instead of breastmilk by doctors.&nbsp;

This can introduce health problems if the water use to make it is unclean, or if poor families scrimp on the amount of powder to create the drink.

Sindh's high number of child deaths are the result of a vicious poverty cycle that begins with malnourished mothers, agrees Bengali.&nbsp;

He adds: "An infant is not fed with wheat or solid food."

A frantic mother cradling her seven-month-old baby rushes towards the special paediatric ward in a desolate Pakistan town, his eyes are blank and he is smaller than most newborns.

A frantic mother cradling her seven-month-old baby rushes towards the special paediatric ward in a desolate Pakistan town, his eyes are blank and he is smaller than most newborns. He is starving in a country that has no shortage of food, but which has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and where malnutrition is rife. The infant weighs just 2.5 kilograms -- the average for a healthy child of that age is almost three times that. His case is not unique for the doctors at the Mithi Civil Hospital in hunger-stricken Sindh province where millions survive on less than $1 a day. Of the 150-250 patients who come in each day, roughly one fifth are suffering from malnutrition, Dr Dilip Kumar, head of the paediatric department, tells AFP. Inside the ward, nine other malnourished infants are crying inside glass incubators. A young mother, Nazeeran, clutches the hand of her toddler. "Her weight is dropping, even though we consulted many doctors," the 25-year-old says. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a poverty and hunger watchdog, estimates around one in five of Pakistan's more than 200 million people are malnourished. And yet, the nation is not short of food -- in fact, according to the US Department of Agriculture, it is projected to export 500,000 tons of wheat from May 2018 until April 2019, and 7.4 million tons of rice in the same period. Dawn, the English-language daily newspaper, even reported a potato glut earlier this month. Extreme deprivation The issues, experts say, are socio-economic -- that is, just because food is available, does not mean people can access it. "There are four key pillars of food security in Pakistan: The first is availability, then accessibility, utilisation and stability," says Dr Ambreen Fatima, senior research economist at the Applied Economic Research Centre of the Karachi University. In Tharparkar, where Mithi Civil Hospital is, all four are lacking, she explains, adding that in other parts of the country they are present only to varying degrees. "Pakistan is quite well off in wheat production," comments Dr Kaiser Bengali, a veteran economist, who has done field research on poverty and hunger in the country, but adds that much of it is sold for export. This means ordinary people in the country may not have access to it, and if they do they may not have the resources to pay for it. "Affordability is the biggest challenge here in Pakistan," he says. Karachi is Pakistan's financial capital, but Bengali says he has seen alarming examples of poverty and deprivation there. "In our surveys we came across the kids who had never eaten an apple, and when we offered him an apple he was reluctant to take the bite wondering whether it was an edible thing or not," Bengali reveals. "In another case a family had never had eggs in their whole lives," he adds. A survey of the state-run Planning Division in 2017 found that 40 per cent of Pakistan's population lives in multi-dimensional poverty. That means they are not just short of money but are also facing a shortage of basic needs, including health, clean water, and electricity, among other factors -- all of which can impact their access to food. Cycle of malnutrition "Poor physical infrastructure, particularly in the remote rural areas throughout Pakistan is also a limitation on access to food and influences market prices," according to a recent statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). "This is also linked to inadequate water and sanitation, education and health service delivery, which together with the lack of awareness of appropriate dietary intake contributes to greater food insecurity and malnutrition." Tharparkar district is frequently highlighted in Pakistan's media because of its high rate of child deaths, with politicians blaming the situation on drought -- but economists and physicians say that is not the sole explanation. "Causes of malnutrition are multiple pregnancies, young-aged marriage, iron deficiency in mothers, (lack) of breastfeeding, weak immunization, and early weaning," Dr Kumar insists. Bearing large numbers of children from a young age takes its toll on women's health, but also impacts the well-being of the foetus and ability to breastfeed a newborn. In Pakistan, only 38 per cent of babies are fed breast milk exclusively during their first six months in line with UN recommendations. This low figure is blamed on local traditions, the heavy workloads of mothers and powerful marketing by the milk industry. Many mothers are told to feed their newborns tea, herbs, which can stunt growth. Some are unnecessarily persuaded to use formula instead of breastmilk by doctors. This can introduce health problems if the water use to make it is unclean, or if poor families scrimp on the amount of powder to create the drink. Sindh's high number of child deaths are the result of a vicious poverty cycle that begins with malnourished mothers, agrees Bengali. He adds: "An infant is not fed with wheat or solid food."

Millions malnourished in Pakistan despite abundance of food

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-submits-trump-russia-report-clamour-grows-for-its-quick-release-204966">Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, clamour grows for its quick release</a>

Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed in a confidential report on his investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election and any potential wrongdoing by US President Donald Trump, setting off a clamour from lawmakers in both parties for the document's quick release.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995">Pakistan national day: PM Modi writes </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995">letter</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995"> to Pak PM as part of customary practice; calls for terror-free South Asia</a>

India has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written a letter to Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan as part of the diplomatic practice of writing to the Heads of state/Govt on their respective National Days. The letter is sent to all countries with whom India shares diplomatic relations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-asks-un-council-to-uphold-resolutions-on-golan-heights-204971">Syria asks UN council to uphold resolutions on Golan Heights</a>

Syria on Friday asked the UN Security Council to uphold resolutions declaring that Israel withdraws from the Golan Heights after President Donald Trump said the United States would recognize Israel's annexation of the territory.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/muslims-return-to-christchurch-mosque-as-new-zealand-works-to-move-on-204991">Muslims return to Christchurch mosque as New Zealand works to move on</a>

Muslims returned to Christchurch's main mosque on Saturday for the first time since a white supremacist massacred worshippers there, as New Zealand sought to return to normality after the tragedy.

The Al Noor mosque was taken over by police for investigations and security reasons after alleged gunman Brenton Tarrant attacked Muslims gathered there and at a smaller mosque for Friday prayers, killing 50 people.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-bjp-releases-list-of-36-candidates-sambit-patra-to-contest-from-puri-204967">Lok Sabha polls: BJP releases list of 36 candidates, Sambit Patra to contest from Puri</a>

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 36 candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Odisha ahead of the general elections.

The party has fielded Girish Bapat from Pune (Maharashtra), its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri (Odisha), Dilip Kumar Kilaru from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Bharati Pawar from Dindori (Maharashtra) and Sanbor Shullai from Shillong (Meghalaya).

Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, clamour grows for its quick release Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed in a confidential report on his investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election and any potential wrongdoing by US President Donald Trump, setting off a clamour from lawmakers in both parties for the document's quick release.

Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, clamour grows for its quick release Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed in a confidential report on his investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election and any potential wrongdoing by US President Donald Trump, setting off a clamour from lawmakers in both parties for the document's quick release. Pakistan national day: PM Modi writes letter to Pak PM as part of customary practice; calls for terror-free South Asia India has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written a letter to Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan as part of the diplomatic practice of writing to the Heads of state/Govt on their respective National Days. The letter is sent to all countries with whom India shares diplomatic relations. Syria asks UN council to uphold resolutions on Golan Heights Syria on Friday asked the UN Security Council to uphold resolutions declaring that Israel withdraws from the Golan Heights after President Donald Trump said the United States would recognize Israel's annexation of the territory. Muslims return to Christchurch mosque as New Zealand works to move on Muslims returned to Christchurch's main mosque on Saturday for the first time since a white supremacist massacred worshippers there, as New Zealand sought to return to normality after the tragedy. The Al Noor mosque was taken over by police for investigations and security reasons after alleged gunman Brenton Tarrant attacked Muslims gathered there and at a smaller mosque for Friday prayers, killing 50 people. Lok Sabha polls: BJP releases list of 36 candidates, Sambit Patra to contest from Puri The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 36 candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Odisha ahead of the general elections. The party has fielded Girish Bapat from Pune (Maharashtra), its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri (Odisha), Dilip Kumar Kilaru from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Bharati Pawar from Dindori (Maharashtra) and Sanbor Shullai from Shillong (Meghalaya).

News brief: Big stories of the day

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-eyes-900-million-investment-deals-during-malaysian-pms-visit-204687">Pakistan and Malaysia</a> Friday agreed to elevate their bilateral relation to strategic level and decided to strengthen economic and commercial ties as Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad here.

The deliberations are part of Malaysian Prime Minister's ongoing 3-day visit to the Muslim-majority nation. He arrived in Islamabad on Thursday.

Mahathir held talks with Khan at one-on-one and delegation level, according to a joint statement.

"Both Leaders agreed that the existing relations between Pakistan-Malaysia be elevated to a strategic partnership. It marked a new level of the bilateral cooperation between both countries in various fields, namely trade in palm oil, agricultural products, food retail, halal products, automotive parts, energy, science and technology, and telecommunication investment," according to joint statement.

Both sides reaffirmed their shared desire to maintain close high-level contacts, deepen friendly exchanges of visits and cooperation in all fields, as well as, to actively promote Pakistan-Malaysia relations.

The two side agreed to promote cooperation in the automotive industry and the two Prime Ministers jointly officiated the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony of PROTON plant in Islamabad to boost the manufacturing and services industry for both countries.

The two nations reaffirmed the importance of the cooperation between the private sectors of both countries and both leaders witnessed the signing of agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for investment and cooperation, particularly in the telecommunication sector.

Earlier, Advisor to Prime Minister Khan on Commerce Razzak Dawood said that MoUs worth USD 800-900 million would be singed but their exact worth was not declared after signing ceremony.

However, Finance Minister Asad Umar told the media that MoUs were about five big projects?. He also said that Malaysia was interested in buying JF-17 Thunder jets from Pakistan.

Umar also said that Pakistan would provide anti-tank missiles to Malaysia.&nbsp;

According to the joint statement, the two leaders acknowledged that MoU singed for the investment would serve to promote and strengthen the economic ties between both countries.

Malaysia expressed hope that Pakistan would continue to import more Malaysian palm oil and palm oil-based products, as well as, remove any non-tariff barriers on Malaysian goods and products.

Both stressed that terrorism cannot be associated with any religion or belief.&nbsp;

The two leaders also spoke against rising Islamophobia and agreed that steps should be taken to address this issue.

"Pakistan and Malaysia both understand the need to find ways to combat Islamophobia. This is our priority. We must work to improve the perception of Muslims in the world. We must change the prevailing atmosphere of fear. We must also realise that fighting back does not always mean killing each other," said Mahathir.

Mahathir will be the guest of honour at Pakistan Day parade on Saturday.

Pakistan and Malaysia Friday agreed to elevate their bilateral relation to strategic level and decided to strengthen economic and commercial ties as Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad here.

Pakistan and Malaysia Friday agreed to elevate their bilateral relation to strategic level and decided to strengthen economic and commercial ties as Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad here. The deliberations are part of Malaysian Prime Minister's ongoing 3-day visit to the Muslim-majority nation. He arrived in Islamabad on Thursday. Mahathir held talks with Khan at one-on-one and delegation level, according to a joint statement. "Both Leaders agreed that the existing relations between Pakistan-Malaysia be elevated to a strategic partnership. It marked a new level of the bilateral cooperation between both countries in various fields, namely trade in palm oil, agricultural products, food retail, halal products, automotive parts, energy, science and technology, and telecommunication investment," according to joint statement. Both sides reaffirmed their shared desire to maintain close high-level contacts, deepen friendly exchanges of visits and cooperation in all fields, as well as, to actively promote Pakistan-Malaysia relations. The two side agreed to promote cooperation in the automotive industry and the two Prime Ministers jointly officiated the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony of PROTON plant in Islamabad to boost the manufacturing and services industry for both countries. The two nations reaffirmed the importance of the cooperation between the private sectors of both countries and both leaders witnessed the signing of agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for investment and cooperation, particularly in the telecommunication sector. Earlier, Advisor to Prime Minister Khan on Commerce Razzak Dawood said that MoUs worth USD 800-900 million would be singed but their exact worth was not declared after signing ceremony. However, Finance Minister Asad Umar told the media that MoUs were about five big projects?. He also said that Malaysia was interested in buying JF-17 Thunder jets from Pakistan. Umar also said that Pakistan would provide anti-tank missiles to Malaysia. According to the joint statement, the two leaders acknowledged that MoU singed for the investment would serve to promote and strengthen the economic ties between both countries. Malaysia expressed hope that Pakistan would continue to import more Malaysian palm oil and palm oil-based products, as well as, remove any non-tariff barriers on Malaysian goods and products. Both stressed that terrorism cannot be associated with any religion or belief. The two leaders also spoke against rising Islamophobia and agreed that steps should be taken to address this issue. "Pakistan and Malaysia both understand the need to find ways to combat Islamophobia. This is our priority. We must work to improve the perception of Muslims in the world. We must change the prevailing atmosphere of fear. We must also realise that fighting back does not always mean killing each other," said Mahathir. Mahathir will be the guest of honour at Pakistan Day parade on Saturday.

Pakistan, Malaysia agree to elevate their bilateral relation to strategic level 

Australia captain Aaron Finch scored a century as they beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the opening one-day international at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Chasing 281 to win, the tourists reached their target with an over to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with Finch making 116 and Shaun Marsh unbeaten on 91.

Unbeaten Haris Sohail's maiden ODI ton had helped Pakistan reach 280 for five in 50 overs after skipper Shoaib Malik, standing in for the rested Sarfraz Ahmed, won the toss and elected to bat.

Sohail, who scored his first test century against Australia in October, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 101 off 115 balls including six fours and a six before late fireworks by Imad Wasim ensured they would defend a challenging total.

The victory was Australia's fourth in a row in the format and follows their 3-2 series triumph in India.

Finch and Marsh put on a 172-run stand after Usman Khawaja was dismissed for 24. The pair paced their innings perfectly on a wicket that improved under lights before Finch was dismissed by debutant pace bowler Mohammad Abbas in the 43rd over.

The captain hit eight fours and four sixes en route to his 12th century. Peter Handscomb ensured Australia crossed the finish line without any problems, scoring an unbeaten 30.

Earlier, Pakistan's openers started sluggishly, with Imam-ul-Haq scoring 17 before being dismissed by spinner Nathan Lyon while debutant Shan Masood was castled by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for a 62-ball 40.

Sohail and Umar Akmal combined for a 98-run partnership before the latter, dropped by Peter Handscomb in the 27th over, was caught at mid-off just short of his half-century as he looked to increase the scoring rate.

Malik was bowled by Glenn Maxwell for 11 shortly afterwards and was replaced in the middle by Faheem Ashraf, who helped steady the innings with a handy 28.

Sohail, playing in his first ODI in over four months, edged closer to his century before completing it with a single off Coulter-Nile in the final over of the innings.

Pakistan scored 55 runs in the last five overs thanks to all-rounder Wasim, who made an unbeaten 28 from 13 balls to boost the total.

The second game takes place at the same venue on Sunday.

Australia captain Aaron Finch scored a century as they beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the opening one-day international at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Australia captain Aaron Finch scored a century as they beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the opening one-day international at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. Chasing 281 to win, the tourists reached their target with an over to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with Finch making 116 and Shaun Marsh unbeaten on 91. Unbeaten Haris Sohail's maiden ODI ton had helped Pakistan reach 280 for five in 50 overs after skipper Shoaib Malik, standing in for the rested Sarfraz Ahmed, won the toss and elected to bat. Sohail, who scored his first test century against Australia in October, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 101 off 115 balls including six fours and a six before late fireworks by Imad Wasim ensured they would defend a challenging total. The victory was Australia's fourth in a row in the format and follows their 3-2 series triumph in India. Finch and Marsh put on a 172-run stand after Usman Khawaja was dismissed for 24. The pair paced their innings perfectly on a wicket that improved under lights before Finch was dismissed by debutant pace bowler Mohammad Abbas in the 43rd over. The captain hit eight fours and four sixes en route to his 12th century. Peter Handscomb ensured Australia crossed the finish line without any problems, scoring an unbeaten 30. Earlier, Pakistan's openers started sluggishly, with Imam-ul-Haq scoring 17 before being dismissed by spinner Nathan Lyon while debutant Shan Masood was castled by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile for a 62-ball 40. Sohail and Umar Akmal combined for a 98-run partnership before the latter, dropped by Peter Handscomb in the 27th over, was caught at mid-off just short of his half-century as he looked to increase the scoring rate. Malik was bowled by Glenn Maxwell for 11 shortly afterwards and was replaced in the middle by Faheem Ashraf, who helped steady the innings with a handy 28. Sohail, playing in his first ODI in over four months, edged closer to his century before completing it with a single off Coulter-Nile in the final over of the innings. Pakistan scored 55 runs in the last five overs thanks to all-rounder Wasim, who made an unbeaten 28 from 13 balls to boost the total. The second game takes place at the same venue on Sunday.

AUSvsPAK, 1st ODI: Aaron Finch century helps Australia beat Pakistan by 8 wickets

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Indian External Affairs Minister spokesperson on Friday said that India has decided to not send any representative to Pakistan National Day reception in New Delhi after Islamabad extended invitation to Hurriyat leaders.

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India has been one of the fastest growing large economies in the world, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, asserting that the country has carried out several key reforms in the last five years, but more needs to be done.

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&nbsp;

Any attempt by Pakistan to engage with Hurriyat will not be taken lightly: India Indian External Affairs Minister spokesperson on Friday said that India has decided to not send any representative to Pakistan National Day reception in New Delhi after Islamabad extended invitation to Hurriyat leaders.

Any attempt by Pakistan to engage with Hurriyat will not be taken lightly: India Indian External Affairs Minister spokesperson on Friday said that India has decided to not send any representative to Pakistan National Day reception in New Delhi after Islamabad extended invitation to Hurriyat leaders. Trump's unfortunate statement on Golan Heights brings region to edge of new crisis: Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday warned US President Donald Trump's pledge to recognise Israel's disputed annexation of the Golan Heights would risk a "new crisis". Video: China protests US sanctions on shipping firms China has lodged a diplomatic protest with the United States after Washington sanctioned two Chinese shipping companies for doing business with North Korea, the foreign ministry said Friday. India one of world's fastest-growing large economies: IMF India has been one of the fastest growing large economies in the world, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, asserting that the country has carried out several key reforms in the last five years, but more needs to be done. China's new Silk Road gets bumpy as Xi Jinping visits Italy Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off a whistlestop European tour in Rome on Friday amid growing Western unease over Italy joining the ever-expanding Asian giant's new Silk Road project.

Islamabad: Indian diplomats will not attend Pak Day

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-eyes-900-million-investment-deals-during-malaysian-pms-visit-204687">Cash-strapped Pakistan</a> will receive over $2 billion loan&nbsp;from its "all-weather" ally China by Monday to provide a boost to its ailing economy, the Finance Ministry has announced.

Ministry's adviser and spokesperson Khaqan Najeeb Khan said that "all procedural formalities" for the transfer of the $2.1 billion loan being provided by the Chinese government have been completed, and "the funds will be deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan's account by Monday, March 25", the Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistan has received $1 billion each from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as part of the bailout packages by the two Gulf nations to help shore up Islamabad's dwindling foreign currency reserves.

Saudi Arabia's assistance was part of the $6 billion bailout package - $3 billion balance-of-payments support and another $3 billion in deferred payments on oil imports - which Riyadh had agreed in October last year. 
Islamabad is also in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package.

The loan facility "will further strengthen foreign exchange reserves and ensure balance of payment stability," the spokesperson said.

Following a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Imran Khan in November 2018, China said that it was willing to offer assistance to Pakistan to help it weather its current fiscal woes but the terms of such aid were still being discussed.

Shortly after, Chinese Consul General Long Dingbin had said during an interview that in order to "boost Pakistan's economy", Beijing was investing in multiple sectors and launching business ventures instead of providing loans.

Earlier, Pakistan officials said that Islamabad would seek around $8 billion from the IMF which would be the biggest package by the Fund for Islamabad.

Although the Pakistan government has secured a breathing space from Saudi Arabian and the UAE loans, an IMF programme is essential to unlock access to resources from other multilateral lenders like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, as well as the global capital markets.

Cash-strapped Pakistan will receive over $2 billion loan from its "all-weather" ally China by Monday to provide a boost to its ailing economy, the Finance Ministry has announced.

Cash-strapped Pakistan will receive over $2 billion loan from its "all-weather" ally China by Monday to provide a boost to its ailing economy, the Finance Ministry has announced. Ministry's adviser and spokesperson Khaqan Najeeb Khan said that "all procedural formalities" for the transfer of the $2.1 billion loan being provided by the Chinese government have been completed, and "the funds will be deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan's account by Monday, March 25", the Dawn newspaper reported. Pakistan has received $1 billion each from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as part of the bailout packages by the two Gulf nations to help shore up Islamabad's dwindling foreign currency reserves. Saudi Arabia's assistance was part of the $6 billion bailout package - $3 billion balance-of-payments support and another $3 billion in deferred payments on oil imports - which Riyadh had agreed in October last year. Islamabad is also in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package. The loan facility "will further strengthen foreign exchange reserves and ensure balance of payment stability," the spokesperson said. Following a meeting in Beijing between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Imran Khan in November 2018, China said that it was willing to offer assistance to Pakistan to help it weather its current fiscal woes but the terms of such aid were still being discussed. Shortly after, Chinese Consul General Long Dingbin had said during an interview that in order to "boost Pakistan's economy", Beijing was investing in multiple sectors and launching business ventures instead of providing loans. Earlier, Pakistan officials said that Islamabad would seek around $8 billion from the IMF which would be the biggest package by the Fund for Islamabad. Although the Pakistan government has secured a breathing space from Saudi Arabian and the UAE loans, an IMF programme is essential to unlock access to resources from other multilateral lenders like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, as well as the global capital markets.

Pakistan to receive $2 billion loan from China by March 21

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