In Jammu and Kashmir, Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated today with traditional religious gaiety and fervour, as lakhs of Muslims will be attending congregational Eid prayers in Eidgahs, Masjids and shrines across the Indian state.&nbsp; 
 
Eid-ul-Fitr, is the festival of thanksgiving and celebrated after the culmination of holy month of Ramadan.With the sighting of Shawaal Crescent late last evening, the Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated today across Jammu and Kashmir. 
 
This is for the first time in the past many decades that Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated on the same day in Arab countries, Pakistan and JK. 
 
The biggest Eid prayer gatherings will be held at historical Eid Gah Ground, Hazratbal Shrine, Polo Ground and other places in summer capital Srinagar. Similar gatherings will be held in Jammu city and district headquarters in all the three regions of the state, including Kargil and Leh districts. 
 
Men, women and children across state were seen walking towards Eid Gah grounds, mosques and other religious places to offer Eid congregational prayers.The state administration has made adequate arrangements for the facilitation of the devotees and security arrangements have also been made to maintain law and order.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

This is for the first time in the past many decades that Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated on the same day in Arab countries, Pakistan and JK

In Jammu and Kashmir, Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated today with traditional religious gaiety and fervour, as lakhs of Muslims will be attending congregational Eid prayers in Eidgahs, Masjids and shrines across the Indian state. Eid-ul-Fitr, is the festival of thanksgiving and celebrated after the culmination of holy month of Ramadan.With the sighting of Shawaal Crescent late last evening, the Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated today across Jammu and Kashmir. This is for the first time in the past many decades that Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated on the same day in Arab countries, Pakistan and JK. The biggest Eid prayer gatherings will be held at historical Eid Gah Ground, Hazratbal Shrine, Polo Ground and other places in summer capital Srinagar. Similar gatherings will be held in Jammu city and district headquarters in all the three regions of the state, including Kargil and Leh districts. Men, women and children across state were seen walking towards Eid Gah grounds, mosques and other religious places to offer Eid congregational prayers.The state administration has made adequate arrangements for the facilitation of the devotees and security arrangements have also been made to maintain law and order. (ANI)

Amid traditional religious gaiety, Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations begin in J&K

US senator John McCain has expressed support for Pakistan&#39;s efforts in the fight against the Taliban after visiting a key tribal district recently retaken by the military, the Pakistani foreign ministry said Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
A four-member, bipartisan US Senate delegation led by the former presidential candidate went to North Waziristan, where in 2014, under US pressure, the army launched an operation to wipe out militant bases and end the near decade-long Islamist insurgency. 
 
Pertinently, in May, the army announced it had successfully cleared the area of militants.&nbsp; 
 
The foreign ministry statement said that the US delegation had met with Pakistani Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz and held talks on Pakistan-US ties as well as the situation in Afghanistan. 
 
Aziz &quot;appreciated Senator McCain for his positive comments regarding the importance of Pakistan-US relations at a time when the region was facing complex challenges,&quot; the statement said. 
 
&quot;Good delegation mtg w/ Chief of Army Staff of #Pakistan Gen Raheel Sharif &amp; discussing regional security challenges,&quot; McCain said on his verified Twitter account, also posting photos of the delegation`s visit to Waziristan. 
 
Strained Pakistan-US ties&nbsp; 
 
The relationship between the two nations has been strained at times with some in Washington believing Pakistan has not done enough to bring its influence to bear and to persuade the Taliban to renounce violence.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Pakistan was also angered over a recent US drone strike which killed the Taliban&#39;s leader Mullah Akthar Mansour in May in southwestern Balochistan province. 
 
The US Congress also blocked the subsidised sale of eight F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan in May accusing of it of being lax in the fight against militants. 
 
The US has carried out hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan, mainly in the border tribal regions with Afghanistan, and leaked documents show Islamabad had quietly consented despite publicly protesting. 
 
Drone attacks have proven extremely controversial with the Pakistani public and rights groups.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Drone attacks carried out by US in border tribal regions with Afghanistan have proven extremely controversial

US senator John McCain has expressed support for Pakistan's efforts in the fight against the Taliban after visiting a key tribal district recently retaken by the military, the Pakistani foreign ministry said Sunday. A four-member, bipartisan US Senate delegation led by the former presidential candidate went to North Waziristan, where in 2014, under US pressure, the army launched an operation to wipe out militant bases and end the near decade-long Islamist insurgency. Pertinently, in May, the army announced it had successfully cleared the area of militants. The foreign ministry statement said that the US delegation had met with Pakistani Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz and held talks on Pakistan-US ties as well as the situation in Afghanistan. Aziz "appreciated Senator McCain for his positive comments regarding the importance of Pakistan-US relations at a time when the region was facing complex challenges," the statement said. "Good delegation mtg w/ Chief of Army Staff of #Pakistan Gen Raheel Sharif & discussing regional security challenges," McCain said on his verified Twitter account, also posting photos of the delegation`s visit to Waziristan. Strained Pakistan-US ties The relationship between the two nations has been strained at times with some in Washington believing Pakistan has not done enough to bring its influence to bear and to persuade the Taliban to renounce violence. Meanwhile, Pakistan was also angered over a recent US drone strike which killed the Taliban's leader Mullah Akthar Mansour in May in southwestern Balochistan province. The US Congress also blocked the subsidised sale of eight F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan in May accusing of it of being lax in the fight against militants. The US has carried out hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan, mainly in the border tribal regions with Afghanistan, and leaked documents show Islamabad had quietly consented despite publicly protesting. Drone attacks have proven extremely controversial with the Pakistani public and rights groups. (AFP)

In bid to improve relations, US senator reassures Pakistan of support in terror fight

Pakistan today rejected media reports about its involvement in the terrorist attack in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka that killed 20 foreigners including an Indian as &quot;baseless, irresponsible and provocative&quot;. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria issued a statement in response to media queries regarding reports of the involvement of Pakistan&#39;s spy agency ISI in last week&#39;s terror attack on a popular restaurant in Dhaka. 
 
&quot;These are highly regrettable, irresponsible and provocative stories being carried in the Indian media. They are utterly baseless and unfounded. Pakistan strongly rejects such allegations,&quot; he said in the statement. 
 
He drew attention to the statement by the adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Gowher Rizvi, refuting a media report that was attributed to him regarding Pakistan&#39;s involvement in the attack, as proof of the Indian media&#39;s &quot;malicious intent&quot;. 
 
&quot;Prof Rizvi contacted Pakistan&#39;s High Commissioner to Bangladesh to confirm that he has not issued any statement against Pakistan and that the Indian media reports are false. He also advised Pakistan&#39;s High Commissioner to convey this clarification to the Government of Pakistan, to avoid any misunderstanding between the two countries,&quot; the Foreign Office spokesman said. 
 
He said Pakistan deeply appreciates Rizvi&#39;s timely rebuttal of the reports. 
 
Zakaria said Pakistan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Dhaka and &quot;expressed solidarity with the government and the brotherly people of Bangladesh and offered condolences and sympathised with the families of the victims&quot;. 
 
&quot;Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Being itself one of the biggest victims of terrorism, Pakistan welcomes Prof Gowher Rizvi&#39;s call for international cooperation to fight the menace of terrorism,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

'These are highly regrettable, irresponsible and provocative stories being carried in the Indian media'

Pakistan today rejected media reports about its involvement in the terrorist attack in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka that killed 20 foreigners including an Indian as "baseless, irresponsible and provocative". Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria issued a statement in response to media queries regarding reports of the involvement of Pakistan's spy agency ISI in last week's terror attack on a popular restaurant in Dhaka. "These are highly regrettable, irresponsible and provocative stories being carried in the Indian media. They are utterly baseless and unfounded. Pakistan strongly rejects such allegations," he said in the statement. He drew attention to the statement by the adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Gowher Rizvi, refuting a media report that was attributed to him regarding Pakistan's involvement in the attack, as proof of the Indian media's "malicious intent". "Prof Rizvi contacted Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh to confirm that he has not issued any statement against Pakistan and that the Indian media reports are false. He also advised Pakistan's High Commissioner to convey this clarification to the Government of Pakistan, to avoid any misunderstanding between the two countries," the Foreign Office spokesman said. He said Pakistan deeply appreciates Rizvi's timely rebuttal of the reports. Zakaria said Pakistan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Dhaka and "expressed solidarity with the government and the brotherly people of Bangladesh and offered condolences and sympathised with the families of the victims". "Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Being itself one of the biggest victims of terrorism, Pakistan welcomes Prof Gowher Rizvi's call for international cooperation to fight the menace of terrorism," he said. (PTI)

Pakistan rejects reports of ISI involvement in Dhaka terror attack

Pakistan&#39;s adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has said that the strengthening US-India relations were not a matter of concern for Islamabad, as long as the co-operation between the two did not increase the strategic and conventional gap between the nuclear-armed rivals of the subcontinent. 
 
Aziz said in an interview that the United States has constantly assured Pakistan that both countries were of equal importance to them.&quot;I think US has itself emphasised number of times that our relations with India are not at the cost of Pakistan; both are important for us. India is important in the south Asian and east Asian context whereas Pakistan is important in west Asia and central Asian context.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are one of the largest Islamic, democratic country, and we have a role vis a vis Afghanistan and in this region,&quot; Aziz said. 
 
He also stated that the United States is an independent country and in terms of economic and other relations it can go ahead with India as it desires and as its national interests require. 
 
Aziz asserted that there is only one dimension which they have been emphasising and that is that their co-operation with India should not increase the gap, strategic and conventional military, between India and Pakistan. 
 
&quot;If that happens, then of course we have to respond. So the objective of strategic stability should be kept in view in whatever co-operation they extend, and they have acknowledged that these are legitimate concerns because they don&#39;t want an arms race - a nuclear arms race - in the subcontinent. 
 
So that&#39;s the only dimension on which we are concerned. Otherwise, the US and India relationship are not a matter of concern,&quot; he added. 
 
However, he said that Pakistan would not compromise on adequate deterrence, so the United States must persuade India not to expand its nuclear power. 
 
&quot;When they (India) started the Cold Start doctrine in which they moved 10 cantonments close to the Pakistan border so they can act on our forces at short notice and from across the border, the tactical nuclear weapons were a response to that particular threat.&nbsp;So the independent variable in this case is India. We are the dependent variable,&quot; he said. 
 
He further stated that if the US has to persuade Pakistan to respond in a positive way, they have to persuade India not to expand its nuclear and initiate the dialogue to reduce tensions and resolve disputes. 
 
&quot;But Pakistan has of course clarified that the decision: what is adequate deterrent, how to protect our security, this is our own national sovereign right. This we cannot share with anyone,&quot; Aziz said. 
 
It should be noted that the US and many other Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) member countries have supported India&#39;s inclusion based on its non-proliferation track record.The US, however, did not subsidise the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Aziz, however, said that US cooperation with India should not increase strategic and conventional military gap between India and Pakistan

Pakistan's adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has said that the strengthening US-India relations were not a matter of concern for Islamabad, as long as the co-operation between the two did not increase the strategic and conventional gap between the nuclear-armed rivals of the subcontinent. Aziz said in an interview that the United States has constantly assured Pakistan that both countries were of equal importance to them."I think US has itself emphasised number of times that our relations with India are not at the cost of Pakistan; both are important for us. India is important in the south Asian and east Asian context whereas Pakistan is important in west Asia and central Asian context." "We are one of the largest Islamic, democratic country, and we have a role vis a vis Afghanistan and in this region," Aziz said. He also stated that the United States is an independent country and in terms of economic and other relations it can go ahead with India as it desires and as its national interests require. Aziz asserted that there is only one dimension which they have been emphasising and that is that their co-operation with India should not increase the gap, strategic and conventional military, between India and Pakistan. "If that happens, then of course we have to respond. So the objective of strategic stability should be kept in view in whatever co-operation they extend, and they have acknowledged that these are legitimate concerns because they don't want an arms race - a nuclear arms race - in the subcontinent. So that's the only dimension on which we are concerned. Otherwise, the US and India relationship are not a matter of concern," he added. However, he said that Pakistan would not compromise on adequate deterrence, so the United States must persuade India not to expand its nuclear power. "When they (India) started the Cold Start doctrine in which they moved 10 cantonments close to the Pakistan border so they can act on our forces at short notice and from across the border, the tactical nuclear weapons were a response to that particular threat. So the independent variable in this case is India. We are the dependent variable," he said. He further stated that if the US has to persuade Pakistan to respond in a positive way, they have to persuade India not to expand its nuclear and initiate the dialogue to reduce tensions and resolve disputes. "But Pakistan has of course clarified that the decision: what is adequate deterrent, how to protect our security, this is our own national sovereign right. This we cannot share with anyone," Aziz said. It should be noted that the US and many other Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) member countries have supported India's inclusion based on its non-proliferation track record.The US, however, did not subsidise the sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. (ANI)

US-Indo ties not a matter of concern for Pak: Sartaj Aziz

Flash floods caused by torrential rains have killed at least 33 in northern Pakistan, including 31 from a village near the border with Afghanistan, officials said today. 
 
The rains began late Saturday and were concentrated mainly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakthunkwa, which has been badly affected by flooding in recent years that some scientists have linked to climate change. 
 
The worst hit district was Chitral, on the country&#39;s northwest border, where flood waters swept away a mosque, several houses and army post in the remote village of Ursoon, district mayor Maghfirat Shah told AFP. 
 
Osama Waraich, another senior local official, added that eight bodies of the missing villagers had been found from the Afghan side and six soldiers were still missing. 
 
Separately, two Chinese engineers were killed and five Pakistani workers injured when the roof of a construction site collapsed at Tarbela 
Dam owing to the rains that began late Saturday, Latifur Rehman, spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. 
Rescue and relief operations were underway, he added. 
 
In April rains and landslides killed 127 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan region and Pakistani Kashmir. 
 
Poorly built homes across Pakistan, particularly in rural areas, are susceptible to collapse during the annual spring and monsoon rains in July-August, which are often heavy. 
 
Severe weather in recent years has killed hundreds and destroyed huge tracts of prime farmland. 
 
During the rainy season last summer, torrential downpours and flooding killed 81 people and affected almost 300,000 people across the country. 
 
The worst flooding in recent times occurred in 2010, which covered almost a fifth of the country&#39;s total land mass, killed nearly 2,000 people and displaced 20 million. 
 
(AFP)

The worst hit was Chitral along Pakistan's northwest border where flood waters swept away 31, a mosque, several houses and an army post.

Flash floods caused by torrential rains have killed at least 33 in northern Pakistan, including 31 from a village near the border with Afghanistan, officials said today. The rains began late Saturday and were concentrated mainly in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakthunkwa, which has been badly affected by flooding in recent years that some scientists have linked to climate change. The worst hit district was Chitral, on the country's northwest border, where flood waters swept away a mosque, several houses and army post in the remote village of Ursoon, district mayor Maghfirat Shah told AFP. Osama Waraich, another senior local official, added that eight bodies of the missing villagers had been found from the Afghan side and six soldiers were still missing. Separately, two Chinese engineers were killed and five Pakistani workers injured when the roof of a construction site collapsed at Tarbela Dam owing to the rains that began late Saturday, Latifur Rehman, spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said. Rescue and relief operations were underway, he added. In April rains and landslides killed 127 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan region and Pakistani Kashmir. Poorly built homes across Pakistan, particularly in rural areas, are susceptible to collapse during the annual spring and monsoon rains in July-August, which are often heavy. Severe weather in recent years has killed hundreds and destroyed huge tracts of prime farmland. During the rainy season last summer, torrential downpours and flooding killed 81 people and affected almost 300,000 people across the country. The worst flooding in recent times occurred in 2010, which covered almost a fifth of the country's total land mass, killed nearly 2,000 people and displaced 20 million. (AFP)

33 killed in flash floods in northern Pakistan

The United States on Friday lifted the lid on one of the most controversial tactics of President Barack Obama&#39;s secretive counter-terror campaign, detailing for the first time the number of those killed in air strikes in countries like Pakistan and Libya. 
 
At the same time, the White House released an executive order outlining the steps that should be taken to reduce civilian casualties in America&#39;s ongoing battle against violent extremism. 
 
In a much-anticipated report, the director of national intelligence (DNI) provided fatality estimates for the 473 strikes between 2009 and 2015 that he said were conducted outside America&#39;s principal war zones in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. 
 
The DNI said somewhere between 64 and 116 civilians were killed in the strikes, and up to 2,581 terrorists. 
 
Such attacks are typically conducted via drones, though manned warplanes and missiles have also been used. 
 
Though the US military routinely releases information on strikes targeting the Islamic State group and other organizations, mainly in Iraq and Syria, it is the first time the Obama administration has published a toll from its strikes elsewhere, in countries like Libya, Somalia and Pakistan. 
 
The release comes after rights groups and the media for years demanded better accounting of such military actions under Obama, and many questioned the legality of the strikes. 
 
Critics have long alleged that US strikes, especially by drones, kill far more civilians than the administration claims, and Friday&#39;s release did not appear to change that narrative. 
 
Observers also say that without better transparency, it is impossible to gauge the accuracy of US fatality assessments.&nbsp; 
 
The American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, welcomed the release of information but said it was too narrow in scope and left the US public unsure if the government deploys lethal force legally. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s hard to credit the government&#39;s death count, which is lower than all independent assessments,&quot; said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU&#39;s National Security Project. 
 
&quot;The government continues to conceal the identities of people it has killed, the specific definitions it uses to decide who can legitimately be targetted, and its investigations into credibly alleged wrongful killings,&quot; Hina added. 
 
Even the DNI seemed to acknowledge the possible weakness of its own numbers. 
 
&quot;Although the US government has access to a wide range of information, the figures released today should be considered in light of the inherent limitations on the ability to determine the precise number of combatant and non-combatant deaths given the non-permissive environments in which these strikes often occur,&quot; the DNI said in a statement. 
 
Often, neither the military nor US intelligence agencies are able to send an operative to the scene of a drone strike, making it all but impossible to definitively assess how many people were hit. 
 
Laura Pitter, senior US national security counsel at Human Rights Watch, said Obama had failed to explain who the campaign targets and why, so there is no way to verify the purported casualty figures. 
 
&quot;Unless details are provided on specific incidents, it&#39;s not possible to determine if individuals killed were civilians, and thus whether the US is complying with its own policy and with international law,&quot; she said.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, The White House released an executive order that sets out the best practices that can be applied to future strikes, regardless of where they are conducted. 
 
&quot;Civilian casualties are a tragic and, at times, unavoidable consequence of the use of force in situations of armed conflict,&quot; Obama&#39;s order states.&nbsp; 
 
Among its provisions are requirements for the US government to acknowledge responsibility for civilian casualties and to offer condolences and payments to injured civilians and the relatives of those killed. 
 
&quot;The US failure to even acknowledge strikes in the past, let alone compensate for harm caused, has generated an enormous backlash in many communities,&quot; Pitter noted. 
 
The order also undertakes to consider information from other sources, such as non-government organizations, in determining civilian casualties. 
 
However, a future president can easily scrap the order, and critics point to the irony of its timing - coming at the end of Obama&#39;s eight-year term, during which he kept his counter-terror strikes under close wraps. 
 
&quot;If we can press this administration to make good on the commitments that are in this executive order, it could be huge,&quot; said Naureen Shah, a program director at Amnesty International, USA. 
 
(AFP)

It's hard to credit the government's death count, which is lower than all independent assessments: American Civil Liberties Union director

The United States on Friday lifted the lid on one of the most controversial tactics of President Barack Obama's secretive counter-terror campaign, detailing for the first time the number of those killed in air strikes in countries like Pakistan and Libya. At the same time, the White House released an executive order outlining the steps that should be taken to reduce civilian casualties in America's ongoing battle against violent extremism. In a much-anticipated report, the director of national intelligence (DNI) provided fatality estimates for the 473 strikes between 2009 and 2015 that he said were conducted outside America's principal war zones in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The DNI said somewhere between 64 and 116 civilians were killed in the strikes, and up to 2,581 terrorists. Such attacks are typically conducted via drones, though manned warplanes and missiles have also been used. Though the US military routinely releases information on strikes targeting the Islamic State group and other organizations, mainly in Iraq and Syria, it is the first time the Obama administration has published a toll from its strikes elsewhere, in countries like Libya, Somalia and Pakistan. The release comes after rights groups and the media for years demanded better accounting of such military actions under Obama, and many questioned the legality of the strikes. Critics have long alleged that US strikes, especially by drones, kill far more civilians than the administration claims, and Friday's release did not appear to change that narrative. Observers also say that without better transparency, it is impossible to gauge the accuracy of US fatality assessments. The American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, welcomed the release of information but said it was too narrow in scope and left the US public unsure if the government deploys lethal force legally. "It's hard to credit the government's death count, which is lower than all independent assessments," said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU's National Security Project. "The government continues to conceal the identities of people it has killed, the specific definitions it uses to decide who can legitimately be targetted, and its investigations into credibly alleged wrongful killings," Hina added. Even the DNI seemed to acknowledge the possible weakness of its own numbers. "Although the US government has access to a wide range of information, the figures released today should be considered in light of the inherent limitations on the ability to determine the precise number of combatant and non-combatant deaths given the non-permissive environments in which these strikes often occur," the DNI said in a statement. Often, neither the military nor US intelligence agencies are able to send an operative to the scene of a drone strike, making it all but impossible to definitively assess how many people were hit. Laura Pitter, senior US national security counsel at Human Rights Watch, said Obama had failed to explain who the campaign targets and why, so there is no way to verify the purported casualty figures. "Unless details are provided on specific incidents, it's not possible to determine if individuals killed were civilians, and thus whether the US is complying with its own policy and with international law," she said. Meanwhile, The White House released an executive order that sets out the best practices that can be applied to future strikes, regardless of where they are conducted. "Civilian casualties are a tragic and, at times, unavoidable consequence of the use of force in situations of armed conflict," Obama's order states. Among its provisions are requirements for the US government to acknowledge responsibility for civilian casualties and to offer condolences and payments to injured civilians and the relatives of those killed. "The US failure to even acknowledge strikes in the past, let alone compensate for harm caused, has generated an enormous backlash in many communities," Pitter noted. The order also undertakes to consider information from other sources, such as non-government organizations, in determining civilian casualties. However, a future president can easily scrap the order, and critics point to the irony of its timing - coming at the end of Obama's eight-year term, during which he kept his counter-terror strikes under close wraps. "If we can press this administration to make good on the commitments that are in this executive order, it could be huge," said Naureen Shah, a program director at Amnesty International, USA. (AFP)

In a first, US releases death toll from drone strikes in Libya, Somalia and Pakistan

The US has said the pace and scope for a dialogue on Kashmir depends entirely on India and Pakistan, while asserting that normalisation of relations between the two countries is vital. 
 
&quot;The normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India is vital to both countries and the region,&quot; state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. 
 
&quot;Steps that initiate closer regional economic ties can also create jobs, lower inflation, and increase energy supply,&quot; he said. 
 
The spokesperson was responding to questions on the statement by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz that India is shying away from talks on Kashmir and other bilateral issues. 
 
&quot;We believe that the pace, scope, and character of dialogue on Kashmir is for India and Pakistan to determine,&quot; Toner said. 
 
&quot;However, India and Pakistan stand to benefit from practical cooperation and we encourage India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue aimed at reducing tensions,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;The United States strongly supports all efforts between India and Pakistan that can contribute to a more stable, democratic, and prosperous region, but this is an issue that must be determined by the two sides,&quot; Toner said.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

US said India and Pakistan need a dialogue about Kashmir to improve energy and economic security

The US has said the pace and scope for a dialogue on Kashmir depends entirely on India and Pakistan, while asserting that normalisation of relations between the two countries is vital. "The normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India is vital to both countries and the region," state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. "Steps that initiate closer regional economic ties can also create jobs, lower inflation, and increase energy supply," he said. The spokesperson was responding to questions on the statement by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz that India is shying away from talks on Kashmir and other bilateral issues. "We believe that the pace, scope, and character of dialogue on Kashmir is for India and Pakistan to determine," Toner said. "However, India and Pakistan stand to benefit from practical cooperation and we encourage India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue aimed at reducing tensions," he added. "The United States strongly supports all efforts between India and Pakistan that can contribute to a more stable, democratic, and prosperous region, but this is an issue that must be determined by the two sides," Toner said. (PTI)

Normalisation of Indo-Pak relations vital to both countries -US

The US should adopt a policy of &quot;total isolation&quot; against Pakistan to send a signal that it faces the prospect of becoming a &quot;second North Korea&quot; if it continues destabilising Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network, a former top American diplomat has said. 
 
&quot;In the aftermath of the US drone attack killing Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, this is the time to increase the pressure by suspending all assistance to Pakistan -- military and civilian -- and move towards isolating Pakistan internationally, including not supporting IMF renewal of financial support,&quot; Zalmay Khalilzad, a former top American diplomat in the Bush Administration, told PTI. 
 
Khalilzad, who played a key role America&#39;s policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after 9/11 terror attack, said the US should adopt a policy of &quot;total isolation&quot; against Pakistan. 
 
Such a policy, he argued would send a signal to Pakistan that it faces the prospect of becoming a &quot;second North Korea&quot; unless it changes its course on Afghanistan. 
 
Khalilzad was the highest ranking Muslim American in the history of the United States. He was the US ambassador to the United Nations under former president George W Bush. 
 
He also served as the US ambassador to Afghanistan and headed the country&#39;s diplomatic mission in Iraq. 
 
&quot;If Pakistan truly changes course, then the US should be willing to be supportive in a significant way. But we have to substantially escalate the cost of Pakistan&#39;s hostile policy in Afghanistan,&quot; he said. 
 
Khalilzad also called for retaining the current level of forces in Afghanistan and more flexible rules of engagement for US forces until the next President reviews the situation in Afghanistan and decides on a new policy. 
 
&quot;While there are some potential risks in isolating Pakistan, there are real risks with continuing the current course in Afghanistan and Pakistan,&quot; he said and called for having a contingency plan to deal with the nuclear scenario risks. 
 
&quot;In fact (US forces) being in Afghanistan would help in addressing such challenges promptly,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;The choice we have made hasn&#39;t really worked for the last 15 years in terms of changing Pakistan&#39;s two-faced policy. The time has come to adjust that policy. In my view a better option is international isolation of Pakistan,&quot; Khalilzad argued. 
 
&quot;The role that Pakistan has played....Is that of a double game. It has signalled on the one hand that it wants to be helpful to the United States in fighting terrorism and stabilising Afghanistan. But on the other hand, in reality, it has been energetically supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network to achieve the very opposite. That has been the essence of the Pakistan policy on Afghanistan,&quot; he said. 
 
Noting that Pakistan&#39;s Afghan policy is determined by the Army and the ISI, Khalilzad said that the reason for such a policy is that they believe that by supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, they can achieve the goal of dominating Afghanistan. 
 
&quot;An alternative explanation is that the status quo of an unstable Afghanistan with ongoing fighting, in which they have relationship with the Taliban and the Haqqani network and key players, is seen by Pakistan as favorable to its interests. 
 
&quot;In my view they want peace and stability in Afghanistan only if the country is controlled by a group, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network which they control or have strong influence over,&quot; he claimed. 
 
&quot;Pakistan is the landlord and the Taliban is living in the house that Pakistan owns. This gives them huge leverage. Actually the relationship is even stronger than a landlord and tenant. It is one of sponsor and sponsorees,&quot; he said. 
 
Currently, chairman of the Atlantic Council&#39;s South Asia Center&#39;s advisory board, and president of Gryphon Partnerson, Khalilzad will deliver a talk on his new book &#39;The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World&#39; at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on July 1. 
 
(PTI)

He said Pakistan faces the prospect of becoming a second 'North Korea' if it continues to destabilise Afghanistan by supporting Taliban

The US should adopt a policy of "total isolation" against Pakistan to send a signal that it faces the prospect of becoming a "second North Korea" if it continues destabilising Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network, a former top American diplomat has said. "In the aftermath of the US drone attack killing Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, this is the time to increase the pressure by suspending all assistance to Pakistan -- military and civilian -- and move towards isolating Pakistan internationally, including not supporting IMF renewal of financial support," Zalmay Khalilzad, a former top American diplomat in the Bush Administration, told PTI. Khalilzad, who played a key role America's policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after 9/11 terror attack, said the US should adopt a policy of "total isolation" against Pakistan. Such a policy, he argued would send a signal to Pakistan that it faces the prospect of becoming a "second North Korea" unless it changes its course on Afghanistan. Khalilzad was the highest ranking Muslim American in the history of the United States. He was the US ambassador to the United Nations under former president George W Bush. He also served as the US ambassador to Afghanistan and headed the country's diplomatic mission in Iraq. "If Pakistan truly changes course, then the US should be willing to be supportive in a significant way. But we have to substantially escalate the cost of Pakistan's hostile policy in Afghanistan," he said. Khalilzad also called for retaining the current level of forces in Afghanistan and more flexible rules of engagement for US forces until the next President reviews the situation in Afghanistan and decides on a new policy. "While there are some potential risks in isolating Pakistan, there are real risks with continuing the current course in Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said and called for having a contingency plan to deal with the nuclear scenario risks. "In fact (US forces) being in Afghanistan would help in addressing such challenges promptly," he said. "The choice we have made hasn't really worked for the last 15 years in terms of changing Pakistan's two-faced policy. The time has come to adjust that policy. In my view a better option is international isolation of Pakistan," Khalilzad argued. "The role that Pakistan has played....Is that of a double game. It has signalled on the one hand that it wants to be helpful to the United States in fighting terrorism and stabilising Afghanistan. But on the other hand, in reality, it has been energetically supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network to achieve the very opposite. That has been the essence of the Pakistan policy on Afghanistan," he said. Noting that Pakistan's Afghan policy is determined by the Army and the ISI, Khalilzad said that the reason for such a policy is that they believe that by supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, they can achieve the goal of dominating Afghanistan. "An alternative explanation is that the status quo of an unstable Afghanistan with ongoing fighting, in which they have relationship with the Taliban and the Haqqani network and key players, is seen by Pakistan as favorable to its interests. "In my view they want peace and stability in Afghanistan only if the country is controlled by a group, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network which they control or have strong influence over," he claimed. "Pakistan is the landlord and the Taliban is living in the house that Pakistan owns. This gives them huge leverage. Actually the relationship is even stronger than a landlord and tenant. It is one of sponsor and sponsorees," he said. Currently, chairman of the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center's advisory board, and president of Gryphon Partnerson, Khalilzad will deliver a talk on his new book 'The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World' at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on July 1. (PTI)

US should adopt policy of total isolation against Pakistan: former American diplomat

Pakistan has extended by six months a deadline for Afghan refugees to register with the government, a refugee official said on Wednesday, a day before the deadline was set to expire. 
 
Pakistan has the world&#39;s second largest refugee population, with more than 1.5 million registered, and about a million unregistered, refugees from Afghanistan, most of whom fled the Soviet occupation of their country in the 1980s. 
 
The number of Afghans voluntarily returning home has plunged this year as violence worsens in Afghanistan, where the government and its US allies are fighting a stubborn Taliban insurgency. 
 
&quot;The prime minister has approved another six-month extension in the deadline,&quot; Imran Zeb Khan, the chief commissioner for Afghan Refugees, told Reuters in an interview. 
 
&quot;But Pakistan can&#39;t ensure that these refugees will return. That cannot happen without support from Afghanistan and the international community which need to create the right conditions for their repatriation.&quot; 
 
Khan said Pakistan would hold a tripartite meeting with Afghanistan and the United Nations refugee agency on July 19 to plan the way forward. 
 
The comments came soon after officials told Reuters at least 500 Afghan refugees were arrested in a northwestern border province and deported as a security risk. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper reported that more than 2,000 refugees were arrested in the last month, and 400 deported to Afghanistan. 
 
There are only 100,000 registered refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the site of the arrests, said provincial information minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t suggest any aggressive campaign against Afghan refugees, but we have been hosting them for the past 35 years and it is time they should go back to their country,&quot; Ghani said. 
 
Unregistered Afghans had become a major security issue for the government, he added. About 6,000 Afghans have chosen to return home from Pakistan in 2016, well below last year&#39;s figure of 58,211, the United Nations&#39; refugee agency has said. 
 
Registration cards allowing a temporary legal stay for Afghan refugees last received a six-month extension after they expired in December 2015. 
 
Many Afghans have lived in Pakistan for decades and contribute significantly to its labour force. 
 
But Afghan refugee camps have become &quot;safe havens for terrorists&quot;, Pakistani foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz told a Pakistani television channel last week. 
 
Pakistani federal minister for states and frontier regions, Abdul Qadir Baloch, also warned that Pakistan was not willing to host Afghan refugees indefinitely. 
 
Visiting Pakistan last week, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said he had made the case to the government for extending the June 30 deadline. 
 
(Reuters)

Pakistan has the world's second-largest refugee population, with about 2.5 million from Afghanistan

Pakistan has extended by six months a deadline for Afghan refugees to register with the government, a refugee official said on Wednesday, a day before the deadline was set to expire. Pakistan has the world's second largest refugee population, with more than 1.5 million registered, and about a million unregistered, refugees from Afghanistan, most of whom fled the Soviet occupation of their country in the 1980s. The number of Afghans voluntarily returning home has plunged this year as violence worsens in Afghanistan, where the government and its US allies are fighting a stubborn Taliban insurgency. "The prime minister has approved another six-month extension in the deadline," Imran Zeb Khan, the chief commissioner for Afghan Refugees, told Reuters in an interview. "But Pakistan can't ensure that these refugees will return. That cannot happen without support from Afghanistan and the international community which need to create the right conditions for their repatriation." Khan said Pakistan would hold a tripartite meeting with Afghanistan and the United Nations refugee agency on July 19 to plan the way forward. The comments came soon after officials told Reuters at least 500 Afghan refugees were arrested in a northwestern border province and deported as a security risk. Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that more than 2,000 refugees were arrested in the last month, and 400 deported to Afghanistan. There are only 100,000 registered refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the site of the arrests, said provincial information minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani. "We don't suggest any aggressive campaign against Afghan refugees, but we have been hosting them for the past 35 years and it is time they should go back to their country," Ghani said. Unregistered Afghans had become a major security issue for the government, he added. About 6,000 Afghans have chosen to return home from Pakistan in 2016, well below last year's figure of 58,211, the United Nations' refugee agency has said. Registration cards allowing a temporary legal stay for Afghan refugees last received a six-month extension after they expired in December 2015. Many Afghans have lived in Pakistan for decades and contribute significantly to its labour force. But Afghan refugee camps have become "safe havens for terrorists", Pakistani foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz told a Pakistani television channel last week. Pakistani federal minister for states and frontier regions, Abdul Qadir Baloch, also warned that Pakistan was not willing to host Afghan refugees indefinitely. Visiting Pakistan last week, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said he had made the case to the government for extending the June 30 deadline. (Reuters)

Pakistan extends deadline for Afghan refugees to register with the government

Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari has hit out at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government for allocating public funds to a privately-owned Islamic seminary known for &quot;its links with the Taliban and other militant groups&quot;. 
 
The provincial government, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in its budget for fiscal 2016-17, has reportedly set aside Rs 300 million for the Nowshera-based Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary of Maulana Sami-ul Haq. 
 
&quot;This is nothing but legitimisation of militancy and militant Taliban that will undermine the nation&#39;s resolve to fight militants to the finish,&quot; the Express Tribune quoted him, as saying. Zardari`s statement was released by his spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar. 
 
Babar said Zardari, also the Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party,has expressed concern over the use of public money for a private seminary which is reportedly known for promoting private jihads.&nbsp;&quot;The resources should have been spent on human development instead of on a seminary whose claim to fame lies in its promotion of militant Islam and the worldview of Islamic militants,&quot; Zardari said. 
 
Zardari pointed out that the current head of the seminary is an acknowledged sympathiser and undeclared spokesperson of the Taliban. He was of the opinion that in the wake of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor`s killing in a U.S. drone strike in Balochistan, it appears that some elements are reviving the &#39;jihadi project&#39;. 
 
&quot;Recently, conservative religious parties led by a proscribed organisation held congregations in Islamabad protesting Mullah Mansoor&#39;s death. Now a privately owned pro-Taliban madrassa has been given Rs300 million,&quot; he added. However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has last week defended the decision to allocate money to the seminary, noting that about 2.2 million students in the province studied in seminaries as compared to 800,000 in English-medium schools.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

Asif Ali Zardari pointed out that the current head of the seminary is an acknowledged sympathiser and undeclared spokesperson of the Taliban

Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari has hit out at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial government for allocating public funds to a privately-owned Islamic seminary known for "its links with the Taliban and other militant groups". The provincial government, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in its budget for fiscal 2016-17, has reportedly set aside Rs 300 million for the Nowshera-based Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary of Maulana Sami-ul Haq. "This is nothing but legitimisation of militancy and militant Taliban that will undermine the nation's resolve to fight militants to the finish," the Express Tribune quoted him, as saying. Zardari`s statement was released by his spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar. Babar said Zardari, also the Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party,has expressed concern over the use of public money for a private seminary which is reportedly known for promoting private jihads. "The resources should have been spent on human development instead of on a seminary whose claim to fame lies in its promotion of militant Islam and the worldview of Islamic militants," Zardari said. Zardari pointed out that the current head of the seminary is an acknowledged sympathiser and undeclared spokesperson of the Taliban. He was of the opinion that in the wake of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor`s killing in a U.S. drone strike in Balochistan, it appears that some elements are reviving the 'jihadi project'. "Recently, conservative religious parties led by a proscribed organisation held congregations in Islamabad protesting Mullah Mansoor's death. Now a privately owned pro-Taliban madrassa has been given Rs300 million," he added. However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has last week defended the decision to allocate money to the seminary, noting that about 2.2 million students in the province studied in seminaries as compared to 800,000 in English-medium schools. (ANI)

Former Pak President calls funding to private seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 'legitimisation of millitancy'

The Pakistan government has reportedly said that it will decide whether or not to allow Indian investigators to visit the country in connection with their probe into a deadly terror attack on an Indian airbase after Eid-ul-Fitr.&nbsp; 
 
This year, on January 2, a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the India`s Western Air Command, killing six Indian security personnel. New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based jihadi group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) for orchestrating the brutal assault.&nbsp; 
 
To discuss India&#39;s request for a visit by its investigators and issues related to bilateral dialogue between the two neighbours, a high-level meeting to be attended by top civil and military officials will be convened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after he returns from London, reports the Express Tribune. 
 
The Express Tribune has quoted a senior official, who is part of the government`s core team dealing with India, that the meeting would decide whether to allow a team from India&#39;s National Investigation Agency (NIA) to travel to Pakistan for carrying forward the probe into the Pathankot attack. 
 
It may be recalled that a five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan had visited India between March 27 and 31 to collect evidence with regard to the attack. The team comprising officials from police and intelligence agencies had met officials from National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi and had also been given access to the Pathankot airbase where the attack took place.Islamabad, however, contended that its investigators were given limited access as they were not allowed to meet eyewitnesses. 
 
New Delhi, in return, requested Pakistan to allow its investigators to visit the country to question alleged masterminds of the attack including JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother.&nbsp; 
 
So far, Pakistan has not officially responded to the Indian request. One of the reasons behind the government`s reluctance has been reported that it thinks India may use the visit to ridicule Pakistan. 
 
&quot;We will take the final decision after Eid,&quot; the Express Tribune quoted an official as saying. The official on being asked about the prospects of resumption of the bilateral dialogue said India appears to be &#39;hiding behind the Pathankot incident&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
The Pathankot attack led to the cancellation of crucial foreign secretary-level talks, which were to take place in mid-January. India`s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, last week at a news conference in New Delhi, said that foreign secretary-level talks were not cancelled but New Delhi is only awaiting probe from Pakistan side on the Pathankot attack. Though the prospects of resumption of talks at present are at grim, officials are hoping that the both nations will eventually return to the negotiating table before the next Saarc summit scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in November this year. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

The Pathankot attack led to cancellation of crucial foreign secretary-level talks between the neighbours

The Pakistan government has reportedly said that it will decide whether or not to allow Indian investigators to visit the country in connection with their probe into a deadly terror attack on an Indian airbase after Eid-ul-Fitr. This year, on January 2, a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the India`s Western Air Command, killing six Indian security personnel. New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based jihadi group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) for orchestrating the brutal assault. To discuss India's request for a visit by its investigators and issues related to bilateral dialogue between the two neighbours, a high-level meeting to be attended by top civil and military officials will be convened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after he returns from London, reports the Express Tribune. The Express Tribune has quoted a senior official, who is part of the government`s core team dealing with India, that the meeting would decide whether to allow a team from India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) to travel to Pakistan for carrying forward the probe into the Pathankot attack. It may be recalled that a five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan had visited India between March 27 and 31 to collect evidence with regard to the attack. The team comprising officials from police and intelligence agencies had met officials from National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi and had also been given access to the Pathankot airbase where the attack took place.Islamabad, however, contended that its investigators were given limited access as they were not allowed to meet eyewitnesses. New Delhi, in return, requested Pakistan to allow its investigators to visit the country to question alleged masterminds of the attack including JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother. So far, Pakistan has not officially responded to the Indian request. One of the reasons behind the government`s reluctance has been reported that it thinks India may use the visit to ridicule Pakistan. "We will take the final decision after Eid," the Express Tribune quoted an official as saying. The official on being asked about the prospects of resumption of the bilateral dialogue said India appears to be 'hiding behind the Pathankot incident'. The Pathankot attack led to the cancellation of crucial foreign secretary-level talks, which were to take place in mid-January. India`s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, last week at a news conference in New Delhi, said that foreign secretary-level talks were not cancelled but New Delhi is only awaiting probe from Pakistan side on the Pathankot attack. Though the prospects of resumption of talks at present are at grim, officials are hoping that the both nations will eventually return to the negotiating table before the next Saarc summit scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in November this year. (ANI)

Pakistan likely to consider India's request to investigate airbase attack after Eid

A group of clerics in Pakistan declared marriage between transgender individuals permissible in Islam, saying they have a right to be buried in Muslim ceremonies, according to a copy of a religious edict Reuters obtained today. 
 
Transgender people also have full rights under Islamic inheritance law, the Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat Pakistan, a little-known clerical body in the eastern city of Lahore, said in its fatwa. 
 
&quot;It is permissible for a transgender person with male indications on his body to marry a transgender person with female indications on her body,&quot; said the document, signed by 50 clerics and issued on Sunday. 
 
&quot;Also, normal men and women can also marry such transgender people as have clear indications on their body.&quot; 
 
But it did not say what these indications were. 
 
In 2012, Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens, including the right to inherit property and assets, preceded a year earlier by the right to vote. 
 
Pakistani marriage law remains murkier, however. It denies homosexual couples permission to marry, with male homosexuals having been charged under anti-sodomy laws in the past. 
 
Sunday&#39;s fatwa declared marriage with any individual possessing both male and female &quot;indications&quot; to be against Islamic principles. 
 
Shunned by mainstream society, transgender individuals in the country of 190 million are often forced into begging, prostitution or dancing to earn a living. 
 
Late last month, Alisha, a 23-year-old transgender woman, died after being shot and then refused treatment at the largest public sector hospital in Peshawar, in northwest Pakistan. 
 
Her death sparked debate over the rights of transgender people, with an inquiry concluding that senior doctors at the hospital were responsible for &quot;criminal negligence&quot;, and recommending that criminal charges be filed. 
 
Transgender people are, however, also sometimes venerated in the South Asian tradition of according spiritual powers to eunuchs and others who fall outside traditional gender divisions. 
 
Although the Lahore clerics&#39; fatwa is not legally binding, it also recommended that people consider harassment of transgender people a crime under Islam. 
 
&quot;Making noises at transgender people, making fun of them, teasing them, or thinking of them as inferior is against sharia law, because such an act amounts to objecting to one of Allah&#39;s creations, which is not correct,&quot; it added. 
 
(Reuters)

50 clerics declared that a transgender person with male indications on his body can marry a transgender with female indications on her body

A group of clerics in Pakistan declared marriage between transgender individuals permissible in Islam, saying they have a right to be buried in Muslim ceremonies, according to a copy of a religious edict Reuters obtained today. Transgender people also have full rights under Islamic inheritance law, the Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat Pakistan, a little-known clerical body in the eastern city of Lahore, said in its fatwa. "It is permissible for a transgender person with male indications on his body to marry a transgender person with female indications on her body," said the document, signed by 50 clerics and issued on Sunday. "Also, normal men and women can also marry such transgender people as have clear indications on their body." But it did not say what these indications were. In 2012, Pakistan's Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens, including the right to inherit property and assets, preceded a year earlier by the right to vote. Pakistani marriage law remains murkier, however. It denies homosexual couples permission to marry, with male homosexuals having been charged under anti-sodomy laws in the past. Sunday's fatwa declared marriage with any individual possessing both male and female "indications" to be against Islamic principles. Shunned by mainstream society, transgender individuals in the country of 190 million are often forced into begging, prostitution or dancing to earn a living. Late last month, Alisha, a 23-year-old transgender woman, died after being shot and then refused treatment at the largest public sector hospital in Peshawar, in northwest Pakistan. Her death sparked debate over the rights of transgender people, with an inquiry concluding that senior doctors at the hospital were responsible for "criminal negligence", and recommending that criminal charges be filed. Transgender people are, however, also sometimes venerated in the South Asian tradition of according spiritual powers to eunuchs and others who fall outside traditional gender divisions. Although the Lahore clerics' fatwa is not legally binding, it also recommended that people consider harassment of transgender people a crime under Islam. "Making noises at transgender people, making fun of them, teasing them, or thinking of them as inferior is against sharia law, because such an act amounts to objecting to one of Allah's creations, which is not correct," it added. (Reuters)

Pakistani clerics declare transgender marriages permissible under Islamic law

Pakistan&#39;s army chief General&nbsp;Raheel Sharif flew to Karachi today for security meetings following high-profile attacks that have raised fears of a slide back into chaos in the busy metropolis once known as the world&#39;s most violent megacity. 
 
Sharif ordered commanders to leave &quot;no stone unturned&quot; in finding the attackers who killed a popular singer and gunmen who kidnapped the son of the provincial chief judge, a statement from the military&#39;s press wing said. 
 
The killing of Amjad Sabri, one of the most popular singers of &quot;qawwali&quot; Sufi devotional music, on Wednesday was the latest in a high-profile series of attacks in Karachi, a megacity of 20 million plagued by political, ethnic and sectarian violence. 
 
A spokesman for a branch of the Pakistani Taliban claimed the killing. 
 
Two days earlier, unknown gunmen had kidnapped Awais Ali Shah, the son of Sindh high court chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah, in an upscale shopping area. 
 
Improved security in Karachi has been one of the showcase successes for the army&#39;s ongoing security crackdown. 
 
Karachi&#39;s murder rate fell by 50 per cent after the paramilitary Rangers, who answer to the interior ministry and the army, launched a sweeping crackdown in 2014 against suspected militants and criminals. 
 
Political activists have accused the Rangers of heavy-handed tactics including summary executions and targeting political parties. 
 
(Reuters)

General?Raheel Sharif said 'no stone' should be left unturned in tracing the attackers who killed popular qawwali singer, Amjad Sabri

Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif flew to Karachi today for security meetings following high-profile attacks that have raised fears of a slide back into chaos in the busy metropolis once known as the world's most violent megacity. Sharif ordered commanders to leave "no stone unturned" in finding the attackers who killed a popular singer and gunmen who kidnapped the son of the provincial chief judge, a statement from the military's press wing said. The killing of Amjad Sabri, one of the most popular singers of "qawwali" Sufi devotional music, on Wednesday was the latest in a high-profile series of attacks in Karachi, a megacity of 20 million plagued by political, ethnic and sectarian violence. A spokesman for a branch of the Pakistani Taliban claimed the killing. Two days earlier, unknown gunmen had kidnapped Awais Ali Shah, the son of Sindh high court chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah, in an upscale shopping area. Improved security in Karachi has been one of the showcase successes for the army's ongoing security crackdown. Karachi's murder rate fell by 50 per cent after the paramilitary Rangers, who answer to the interior ministry and the army, launched a sweeping crackdown in 2014 against suspected militants and criminals. Political activists have accused the Rangers of heavy-handed tactics including summary executions and targeting political parties. (Reuters)

Pak army chief attends security meetings in Karachi following high profile attacks

Militants killed eight police officials and injured 21 when they attacked a security convoy in Jammu &amp; Kashmir on Saturday, a police spokesman said, in an attack claimed by Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). 
 
Two men attacked a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on a highway near the Pampore town, 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the state capital Srinagar. The militants were killed by CRPF officials who were guarding the highway, police spokesman Bhavesh Kumar Choudhary said. 
 
Dr Abdullah Gaznavi, a spokesman for LeT, told Reuters by phone that the attack was carried out by members of the group&#39;s suicide squad. Gaznavi claimed 13 CRPF police officials were killed in the fighting that lasted for an hour. 
 
In the wake of the attack, Indian&nbsp;home minister Rajnath Singh today clearly accused Pakistan of trying to destabilise India even as he said lapses, if any, in yesterday&#39;s incident&nbsp;will&nbsp;be looked into and status of infiltration ascertained. 
 
A three-member team comprising of Indian&nbsp;home ministry officials will visit Kashmir on Tuesday to find out if there were any lapses involved in the attack in Pampore, the deadliest one on security forces in recent years. 
 
The team will look into the possible increase of cross border Infiltration and practices being followed during the movement of paramilitary forces convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian officials said. 
 
After the attack, the&nbsp;CRPF has moved about half-a-dozen heavy-armoured mine protected vehicles (MPVs) which were earlier used for&nbsp;operations against&nbsp;Left wing extremists, to the&nbsp;Kashmir Valley to effectively secure its troops deployed there. 
 
Violence in Kashmir has spiked against a backdrop of rising social tension and separatist sentiment in the Muslim-majority region, which for decades has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan. 
 
In May, militants shot dead three policemen at point-blank range. In February, militants attacked a bus carrying police reservists near Srinagar, before breaking into a training institute. 
 
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, which they both claim in full, but rule in part. 
 
India accuses Pakistan of training and arming the rebels in the portion it controls and sending them to the Indian side, a claim its neighbour denies. 
 
Mehbooba Mufti,&nbsp;chief minister of Indian Kashmir, condemned Saturday&#39;s attack. &quot;The only purpose of such blood-spattered acts of violence is to add to the tragedies and miseries of the people,&quot; she said in a statement. 
 
Observing that such attacks &quot;defame&quot; the state, she highlighted that the strike had been carried out during Ramzan, the holy month when &quot;people should be seeking forgiveness and expiation for past sins&quot; and &quot;making sure not to hurt others.&quot; 
 
(Agencies)

Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba claims responsibility, says strike carried out by organisation's suicide squad

Militants killed eight police officials and injured 21 when they attacked a security convoy in Jammu & Kashmir on Saturday, a police spokesman said, in an attack claimed by Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Two men attacked a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on a highway near the Pampore town, 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the state capital Srinagar. The militants were killed by CRPF officials who were guarding the highway, police spokesman Bhavesh Kumar Choudhary said. Dr Abdullah Gaznavi, a spokesman for LeT, told Reuters by phone that the attack was carried out by members of the group's suicide squad. Gaznavi claimed 13 CRPF police officials were killed in the fighting that lasted for an hour. In the wake of the attack, Indian home minister Rajnath Singh today clearly accused Pakistan of trying to destabilise India even as he said lapses, if any, in yesterday's incident will be looked into and status of infiltration ascertained. A three-member team comprising of Indian home ministry officials will visit Kashmir on Tuesday to find out if there were any lapses involved in the attack in Pampore, the deadliest one on security forces in recent years. The team will look into the possible increase of cross border Infiltration and practices being followed during the movement of paramilitary forces convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian officials said. After the attack, the CRPF has moved about half-a-dozen heavy-armoured mine protected vehicles (MPVs) which were earlier used for operations against Left wing extremists, to the Kashmir Valley to effectively secure its troops deployed there. Violence in Kashmir has spiked against a backdrop of rising social tension and separatist sentiment in the Muslim-majority region, which for decades has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan. In May, militants shot dead three policemen at point-blank range. In February, militants attacked a bus carrying police reservists near Srinagar, before breaking into a training institute. India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, which they both claim in full, but rule in part. India accuses Pakistan of training and arming the rebels in the portion it controls and sending them to the Indian side, a claim its neighbour denies. Mehbooba Mufti, chief minister of Indian Kashmir, condemned Saturday's attack. "The only purpose of such blood-spattered acts of violence is to add to the tragedies and miseries of the people," she said in a statement. Observing that such attacks "defame" the state, she highlighted that the strike had been carried out during Ramzan, the holy month when "people should be seeking forgiveness and expiation for past sins" and "making sure not to hurt others." (Agencies)

Eight police officials killed, 21 wounded in militant attack in Indian Kashmir

The plight of a lonely elephant in a Pakistani zoo has inspired help from pop icon Cher, who has sent a representative to oversee improvements in his living conditions. 
 
Cher first became aware of 29-year-old Kavaan&#39;s plight when pictures of the elephant in chains with only a dilapidated shed for shelter and a small, dirty pond to play in spread on social media. 
 
Cher sent her representative, Mark Cowne, to Islamabad to check up on Kavaan, who has been kept chained for 27 years at the Maraghazar Zoo in Islamabad. 
 
&quot;Mark got Kaavan Water, Shade &amp; Unchained. MARK IS TRYING EVERYTHING TO FREE HIM,&quot; Cher tweeted after Cowne visited the zoo. 
 
Cowne told Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper that Cher would soon launch an international campaign to help elephants in captivity. 
 
Kavaan&#39;s caretakers last week said they had never heard of Cher or her music, but were grateful for her help. 
 
&quot;We hope this will change things for him,&quot; said Kavaan&#39;s caretaker, Muhammad Jalal, as another caretaker sprayed the animal with a high-pressure hose while he bathed in a pond of muddy water. 
 
Zoo management did not respond to calls seeking comment but told reporters last month that they were trying to get a new mate for Kavaan from Sri Lanka. 
 
Kavaan was given to Pakistan by Sri Lanka in the 1980s. His only companion died in 2012. 
(Reuters)

She first became aware of 29-year-old Kavaan's plight when pictures showed him chained, with a dilapidated shed and a small dirty pond

The plight of a lonely elephant in a Pakistani zoo has inspired help from pop icon Cher, who has sent a representative to oversee improvements in his living conditions. Cher first became aware of 29-year-old Kavaan's plight when pictures of the elephant in chains with only a dilapidated shed for shelter and a small, dirty pond to play in spread on social media. Cher sent her representative, Mark Cowne, to Islamabad to check up on Kavaan, who has been kept chained for 27 years at the Maraghazar Zoo in Islamabad. "Mark got Kaavan Water, Shade & Unchained. MARK IS TRYING EVERYTHING TO FREE HIM," Cher tweeted after Cowne visited the zoo. Cowne told Pakistan's Dawn newspaper that Cher would soon launch an international campaign to help elephants in captivity. Kavaan's caretakers last week said they had never heard of Cher or her music, but were grateful for her help. "We hope this will change things for him," said Kavaan's caretaker, Muhammad Jalal, as another caretaker sprayed the animal with a high-pressure hose while he bathed in a pond of muddy water. Zoo management did not respond to calls seeking comment but told reporters last month that they were trying to get a new mate for Kavaan from Sri Lanka. Kavaan was given to Pakistan by Sri Lanka in the 1980s. His only companion died in 2012. (Reuters)

I got you babe: Cher moved by lonely, chained elephant in Pakistan

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has said he will wage a &quot;war&quot; against India to get Pakistani rivers &quot;freed&quot;. 
 
&quot;We are going to wage jihad (war) against India to get our rivers freed,&quot; Saeed said while addressing a gathering of JuD workers in Pakistan&#39;s Sialokot district of Punjab province yesterday. 
 
Saeed, on whose head the US has put a bounty of $10 million, claimed &quot;freedom movement&quot; of the Kashmiris is &quot;gaining momentum day by day&quot;. 
 
Saeed said Dukhtraan-e-Milat&#39;s head Asiya Andrabi told him that situation in Kashmir has &quot;changed&quot; now. 
 
&quot;Asiya Bibi told me by telephone that those who were talking about Independent Kashmir are no more on the scene while young leadership has come forward and it will give a fresh impetus to the freedom campaign,&quot; said Saeed, who founded the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. 
 
Saeed said Pakistan should take serious notice of the United States&#39; warnings which have raised the curtain from its &quot;evil designs&quot; against it. 
 
&quot;Time is ripe now for Pakistan to change its foreign policy with US, Iran and India,&quot; he said. 
 
Saeed also vowed to foil every conspiracy aimed at damaging the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. 
 
(PTI)

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed vows to foil conspiracies aimed at the China-Pakistan Economic corridor

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has said he will wage a "war" against India to get Pakistani rivers "freed". "We are going to wage jihad (war) against India to get our rivers freed," Saeed said while addressing a gathering of JuD workers in Pakistan's Sialokot district of Punjab province yesterday. Saeed, on whose head the US has put a bounty of $10 million, claimed "freedom movement" of the Kashmiris is "gaining momentum day by day". Saeed said Dukhtraan-e-Milat's head Asiya Andrabi told him that situation in Kashmir has "changed" now. "Asiya Bibi told me by telephone that those who were talking about Independent Kashmir are no more on the scene while young leadership has come forward and it will give a fresh impetus to the freedom campaign," said Saeed, who founded the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Saeed said Pakistan should take serious notice of the United States' warnings which have raised the curtain from its "evil designs" against it. "Time is ripe now for Pakistan to change its foreign policy with US, Iran and India," he said. Saeed also vowed to foil every conspiracy aimed at damaging the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. (PTI)

26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind pledges to wage war to 'free' Pak rivers from India

At least three people were killed and another 20 injured when a bomb ripped through a busy square in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan province, police said today. 
 
The bomb was planted on a motorbike parked along the road in Almo Chowk of Quetta city and it exploded when people were busy in shopping during the holy month of Ramzan. 
 
&quot;Three people were killed and 20 injured in the attack,&quot; a police official said. 
 
The victims were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta, where some of them were said to be in critical condition. 
 
Security personnel rushed to the place of attack and have started investigations, he said. 
 
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban and Baloch nationalist militants are active in the area. 
 
(PTI)

Nobody has claimed responsibility yet but Taliban and Baloch nationalist militants are active in the area

At least three people were killed and another 20 injured when a bomb ripped through a busy square in Pakistan's Balochistan province, police said today. The bomb was planted on a motorbike parked along the road in Almo Chowk of Quetta city and it exploded when people were busy in shopping during the holy month of Ramzan. "Three people were killed and 20 injured in the attack," a police official said. The victims were shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta, where some of them were said to be in critical condition. Security personnel rushed to the place of attack and have started investigations, he said. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban and Baloch nationalist militants are active in the area. (PTI)

3 killed, 20 injured in bomb explosion in Pak's Balochistan

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the applications of Pakistan and India for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) could not be considered in isolation from the goal of maintaining strategic stability in South Asia. 
 
&quot;It has been Islamabad&rsquo;s consistent position that the question of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership for non-NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory) states must be dealt with in accordance with a single, uniform, non-discriminatory and fair criteria,&quot; said Pakistan&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs&nbsp;spokesperson Mohammed Nafees Zakaria, while answering a question on efforts put in by Pakistan to block India&#39;s entry in the NSG during a media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. 
 
He added, &quot;It is absolutely essential for the NSG to consider the Indian and Pakistani applications simultaneously and in an even-handed manner.&quot; And that Islamabad has been making efforts to muster support of the NSG members for its membership, 
 
Zakaria also said&nbsp;&quot;Pakistan&#39;s NSG membership is in the interest of nuclear trading countries as it will further promote NSG&rsquo;s non-proliferation objectives by the inclusion of a state with nuclear supply capabilities and its adherence to NSG Guidelines.&quot; 
 
Earlier in the day, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that exception for NSG membership could disturb strategic stability in South Asia. 
 
&quot;Pakistan has made notable efforts over the years to strengthen its export controls, command and control and nuclear safety and security. The President also said that any exception given for NSG membership could disturb strategic stability in South Asia,&quot; MoFA said in a statement. 
 
PaHussain, who held a bilateral meeting with the Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Head of State Council Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), discussed the subject of Pakistan&#39;s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).India is seeking its induction into the elite group of NSG. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Membership of Pakistan, it added, is in the interest of nuclear-trading countries

The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the applications of Pakistan and India for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) could not be considered in isolation from the goal of maintaining strategic stability in South Asia. "It has been Islamabad’s consistent position that the question of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership for non-NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory) states must be dealt with in accordance with a single, uniform, non-discriminatory and fair criteria," said Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammed Nafees Zakaria, while answering a question on efforts put in by Pakistan to block India's entry in the NSG during a media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. He added, "It is absolutely essential for the NSG to consider the Indian and Pakistani applications simultaneously and in an even-handed manner." And that Islamabad has been making efforts to muster support of the NSG members for its membership, Zakaria also said "Pakistan's NSG membership is in the interest of nuclear trading countries as it will further promote NSG’s non-proliferation objectives by the inclusion of a state with nuclear supply capabilities and its adherence to NSG Guidelines." Earlier in the day, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that exception for NSG membership could disturb strategic stability in South Asia. "Pakistan has made notable efforts over the years to strengthen its export controls, command and control and nuclear safety and security. The President also said that any exception given for NSG membership could disturb strategic stability in South Asia," MoFA said in a statement. PaHussain, who held a bilateral meeting with the Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Head of State Council Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), discussed the subject of Pakistan's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).India is seeking its induction into the elite group of NSG. (ANI)

India-Pak applications to NSG cannot be considered in isolation: Pakistan Foreign Ministry

India, the world&#39;s biggest cotton producer, has contracted to import 20,000 bales from Pakistan for shipment this month after Indian prices jumped because of limited supply, industry officials told Reuters. 
 
The move is a role reversal from earlier this year when Pakistan was buying cotton from India after its output had been hit by bad weather. 
 
&quot;About 20,000 bales have been imported from Pakistan. Landed cost of imported cotton is lower than local prices,&quot; Dhiren Sheth, president of the Cotton Association of India (CAI), told Reuters. 
 
Indian cotton prices have risen by 28 per cent since the start of 2015-16 season on October 1 to 40,800 rupees per 356 kg candy (77.4 cents per lb) as two years of drought took its toll on output. 
 
Pakistani supplies are available at about 70 cents per lb on a free-on-board basis, said one Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm. 
 
&quot;Supplies are dwindling in both countries. The sharp rally in Indian prices is making imports viable from Pakistan, but it has limited quantity for exports,&quot; the dealer said. 
 
India has so far imported about 1.2 million bales in 2015-16 and needs another 400,000 bales before the new crop starts arriving from the end of September, Sheth said. 
 
The country has exported about 6.5 million bales of cotton this season, with Pakistan accounting for nearly 2 million bales. 
 
Purchases from India have been pushing up prices in Pakistan, said Shahzad Ali Khan, chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginner&#39;s Association. 
 
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association has urged the Pakistan government to restrict cotton exports to India in an attempt to provide raw material for domestic textiles production. 
 
Indian industry officials, including Sheth of the CAI, said that Pakistan should not restrict exports since it imported cotton when it was in need. 
 
Global cotton prices could rally sharply in the coming months as stocks become further depleted in key producing countries, one Karachi-based dealer said. 
 
(1 bale = 170 kg) 
 
(Reuters)

Landed cost of imported cotton is lower than local prices, says chief of Cotton Association of India

India, the world's biggest cotton producer, has contracted to import 20,000 bales from Pakistan for shipment this month after Indian prices jumped because of limited supply, industry officials told Reuters. The move is a role reversal from earlier this year when Pakistan was buying cotton from India after its output had been hit by bad weather. "About 20,000 bales have been imported from Pakistan. Landed cost of imported cotton is lower than local prices," Dhiren Sheth, president of the Cotton Association of India (CAI), told Reuters. Indian cotton prices have risen by 28 per cent since the start of 2015-16 season on October 1 to 40,800 rupees per 356 kg candy (77.4 cents per lb) as two years of drought took its toll on output. Pakistani supplies are available at about 70 cents per lb on a free-on-board basis, said one Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm. "Supplies are dwindling in both countries. The sharp rally in Indian prices is making imports viable from Pakistan, but it has limited quantity for exports," the dealer said. India has so far imported about 1.2 million bales in 2015-16 and needs another 400,000 bales before the new crop starts arriving from the end of September, Sheth said. The country has exported about 6.5 million bales of cotton this season, with Pakistan accounting for nearly 2 million bales. Purchases from India have been pushing up prices in Pakistan, said Shahzad Ali Khan, chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginner's Association. The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association has urged the Pakistan government to restrict cotton exports to India in an attempt to provide raw material for domestic textiles production. Indian industry officials, including Sheth of the CAI, said that Pakistan should not restrict exports since it imported cotton when it was in need. Global cotton prices could rally sharply in the coming months as stocks become further depleted in key producing countries, one Karachi-based dealer said. (1 bale = 170 kg) (Reuters)

India imports cotton from Pakistan as domestic prices climb

<div paraeid="{1d5cfa07-f5ca-48f0-b618-b546694e76c3}{135}" paraid="1126324420">China&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;continued to make ambivalent statements on India&#39;s bid for NSG membership amid clear indications that it was unrelenting in its opposition. 
&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{f2672013-37e9-4b95-9075-801549769a5c}{53}" paraid="1565737457" >Clubbing India and Pakistan once again, the Chinese&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;ministry said members of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group&nbsp;(NSG)&nbsp;had three round of unofficial discussions on the membership of the two countries.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{f2672013-37e9-4b95-9075-801549769a5c}{110}" paraid="296017869" >Beijing maintained that the entry of the two countries was not on the agenda of the two-day NSG plenary in the South Korean capital Seoul starting&nbsp;Thursday.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{f2672013-37e9-4b95-9075-801549769a5c}{165}" paraid="1159525383" >Pakistan&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;claimed that it had successfully blocked India&#39;s bid for NSG membership.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{f2672013-37e9-4b95-9075-801549769a5c}{205}" paraid="129087424" >Chinese&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;ministry spokesperson Hua&nbsp;Chunying&nbsp;also underlined the differences within NSG members, saying &quot;parties are yet to see eye-to-eye on this issue&quot;. On it&#39;s part Beijing will play a constructive role in the discussions, she said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{1d5cfa07-f5ca-48f0-b618-b546694e76c3}{157}" paraid="1509916973">Meanwhile,&nbsp;the Indian government has&nbsp;dispatched&nbsp;its foreign secretary S&nbsp;Jaishankar&nbsp;to Seoul, South Korea, where the NSG&nbsp;is meeting.&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{1d5cfa07-f5ca-48f0-b618-b546694e76c3}{163}" paraid="2035353146">The preliminary meeting began on&nbsp;June&nbsp;20. The five-day event will conclude with a plenary, which is likely to decide on India&#39;s membership, on 24 June.&nbsp;Argentina is the current chair of the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{1d5cfa07-f5ca-48f0-b618-b546694e76c3}{170}" paraid="276324824">New Delhi is hoping that the talks between Indian&nbsp;Prime&nbsp;Minister Narendra&nbsp; Modi and Chinese&nbsp;President Xi Jinping,&nbsp;on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation&nbsp;Organisation&nbsp;summit at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on&nbsp;June&nbsp;23,&nbsp;will enable it to secure China&#39;s support for India&#39;s membership of the NSG.&nbsp;</div>

<div paraeid="{1d5cfa07-f5ca-48f0-b618-b546694e76c3}{172}" paraid="1756108920"> 
(WION&nbsp;and Agencies)&nbsp;</div>

It had earlier said that the group was yet to decide on the inclusion of new members

China on Wednesday continued to make ambivalent statements on India's bid for NSG membership amid clear indications that it was unrelenting in its opposition. Clubbing India and Pakistan once again, the Chinese foreign ministry said members of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) had three round of unofficial discussions on the membership of the two countries. Beijing maintained that the entry of the two countries was not on the agenda of the two-day NSG plenary in the South Korean capital Seoul starting Thursday. Pakistan on Tuesday claimed that it had successfully blocked India's bid for NSG membership. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also underlined the differences within NSG members, saying "parties are yet to see eye-to-eye on this issue". On it's part Beijing will play a constructive role in the discussions, she said. Meanwhile, the Indian government has dispatched its foreign secretary S Jaishankar to Seoul, South Korea, where the NSG is meeting. The preliminary meeting began on June 20. The five-day event will conclude with a plenary, which is likely to decide on India's membership, on 24 June. Argentina is the current chair of the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group. New Delhi is hoping that the talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on June 23, will enable it to secure China's support for India's membership of the NSG. (WION and Agencies)

China unrelenting on opposition to India's NSG bid?

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has asserted that India has always tried to &#39;maintain its hegemony &#39; in the South Asian region, but Islamabad has effectively stood in New Delhi&#39;s way. 
 
The Dawn quoted Aziz&#39;s interview with Samaa TV, where he said,&nbsp;&quot;But Pakistan rejected this hegemony and has effectively protected its interests and its stance over Kashmir, nuclear deterrence and conventional balance.&quot; 
 
He maintained that &quot;protecting Pakistan&#39;s sovereignty and vital interests is a great achievement as a nation&quot;. 
 
This comes in the wake of the upcoming Nuclear Suppliers&#39; Group (NSG) meeting in Seoul on June 23 and 24 where the membership bid of India and Pakistan will be raised. 
 
Earlier, Aziz reportedly had telephonic conversations with his counterparts in Russia, South Korea and New Zealand in a bid to get their nod for Pakistan&#39;s NSG membership. 
 
In its case against India&#39;s bid in the NSG, Pakistan has claimed that adding India in the elite group could &#39;affect the strategic stability of South Asia&#39;. 
 
Meanwhile, with China playing a dampener saying that India&#39;s admission to the elite NSG is not on the agenda of the grouping which began its plenary session in Seoul on Monday, the United States has called on the participating governments of the NSG to support India&#39;s application. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

The foreign affairs adviser's remarks come before the NSG meeting in Seoul on Thursday where the bid for India and Pakistan will be raised

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has asserted that India has always tried to 'maintain its hegemony ' in the South Asian region, but Islamabad has effectively stood in New Delhi's way. The Dawn quoted Aziz's interview with Samaa TV, where he said, "But Pakistan rejected this hegemony and has effectively protected its interests and its stance over Kashmir, nuclear deterrence and conventional balance." He maintained that "protecting Pakistan's sovereignty and vital interests is a great achievement as a nation". This comes in the wake of the upcoming Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) meeting in Seoul on June 23 and 24 where the membership bid of India and Pakistan will be raised. Earlier, Aziz reportedly had telephonic conversations with his counterparts in Russia, South Korea and New Zealand in a bid to get their nod for Pakistan's NSG membership. In its case against India's bid in the NSG, Pakistan has claimed that adding India in the elite group could 'affect the strategic stability of South Asia'. Meanwhile, with China playing a dampener saying that India's admission to the elite NSG is not on the agenda of the grouping which began its plenary session in Seoul on Monday, the United States has called on the participating governments of the NSG to support India's application. (ANI)

Pakistan only hurdle to Indian hegemony in South Asia: Sartaj Aziz

A heavily pregnant woman and her husband have been shot dead by her brother in Pakistan&#39;s Punjab province for marrying a man without the family&#39;s consent, the latest incident of &quot;honour killing&quot; in Pakistan days after another pregnant woman was killed by her mother. 
 
Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his wife Aqsa, 26, were killed for &quot;honour&quot; by Aqsa&#39;s brother who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, police said. 
 
The couple were married for four years, and lived in Thikriwala village in the province. 
 
Four days ago Aqsa&#39;s brother along with their mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couple&#39;s home and beat them mercilessly. Then they took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them, the Express Tribune reported. 
 
The bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night. 
 
Shakil worked at a government school in Faisalabad and Aqsa worked as a health visitor in Rural Health Centre. 
 
Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakil&#39;s father, Khushi Muhammad. 
 
An autopsy revealed the deceased were killed by gun shots to their head. Injury marks were found on their bodies. 
 
The autopsy report showed Aqsa was pregnant and was likely to deliver a baby in about four days, the report said. 
 
The police said that one suspect has been arrested while others were on the run. 
 
Two days ago, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her own mother in the province&#39;s Gujranwala for contracting marriage against their families&#39; will. 
 
Last week an 18-year-old teen was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her choice. 
 
At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. 
(PTI)

The woman and her husband were first beaten by her brother, uncle and another accomplice for. The bodies were recovered from a canal

A heavily pregnant woman and her husband have been shot dead by her brother in Pakistan's Punjab province for marrying a man without the family's consent, the latest incident of "honour killing" in Pakistan days after another pregnant woman was killed by her mother. Muhammad Shakil, 30, and his wife Aqsa, 26, were killed for "honour" by Aqsa's brother who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, police said. The couple were married for four years, and lived in Thikriwala village in the province. Four days ago Aqsa's brother along with their mother, maternal uncle and another accomplice barged into the couple's home and beat them mercilessly. Then they took the couple to an unidentified location and shot them, the Express Tribune reported. The bodies were recovered from Gujra-Jang Branch canal on Thursday night. Shakil worked at a government school in Faisalabad and Aqsa worked as a health visitor in Rural Health Centre. Thikriwala Police Station has registered a case in this regard after a complaint by Shakil's father, Khushi Muhammad. An autopsy revealed the deceased were killed by gun shots to their head. Injury marks were found on their bodies. The autopsy report showed Aqsa was pregnant and was likely to deliver a baby in about four days, the report said. The police said that one suspect has been arrested while others were on the run. Two days ago, a 22-year-old pregnant woman was killed by her own mother in the province's Gujranwala for contracting marriage against their families' will. Last week an 18-year-old teen was burnt alive by her mother in Lahore for marrying a man of her choice. At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour. (PTI)

Pregnant Pakistani woman shot dead by brother for 'honour' after marrying a man without family's consent

A&nbsp;Pakistani actor has been banned from hosting a popular Ramzan TV show by the country&#39;s media regulator for allegedly violating its &quot;code of conduct&quot; by promoting controversial religious and sectarian views. 
 
The&nbsp;Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said it banned Hamza Ali Abbasi from hosting the show after receiving numerous complaints from viewers over the show&#39;s controversial content which it claimed violated the media regulator&#39;s &quot;code of conduct.&quot; 
 
Abbasi surprised the&nbsp;Pakistani audience by speaking against the oppression of the minority, the Ahmadis, on his show Ishq-e-Ramazan. 
 
Abbasi also promised to have open discussions on his show on the country&#39;s controversial blasphemy laws and the government&#39;s decision to declare the minority Qadiani sect as non-Muslims. 
(PTI)

The?country's media regulatory authority banned actor Hamza Ali Abbasi for allegedly voicing sectarian views on the television show

A Pakistani actor has been banned from hosting a popular Ramzan TV show by the country's media regulator for allegedly violating its "code of conduct" by promoting controversial religious and sectarian views. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said it banned Hamza Ali Abbasi from hosting the show after receiving numerous complaints from viewers over the show's controversial content which it claimed violated the media regulator's "code of conduct." Abbasi surprised the Pakistani audience by speaking against the oppression of the minority, the Ahmadis, on his show Ishq-e-Ramazan. Abbasi also promised to have open discussions on his show on the country's controversial blasphemy laws and the government's decision to declare the minority Qadiani sect as non-Muslims. (PTI)

Pakistani?actor banned from hosting Ramzan TV show for promoting controversial religious views

It is blame game between Afghanistan and Pakistan after seven people died during firings at the border crossing of Torkham.&nbsp; 
 
On Sunday, Pakistan constructed defence facilities in a disputed area nearby the border. An action that fuelled tensions between the two country`s security forces, resulting in an exchange of several rounds of fire.&nbsp; 
 
Three Afghan border guards, two Afghan civilians and two Pakistani troops lost their lives. 39 more men got injured from both sides.&nbsp; 
 
The two sides are now observing a temporary ceasefire, and are willing to end the crisis through negotiation.&nbsp; 
During separate press conferences, Government officials of the two countries have blamed each other for provocative activities that caused the clashes.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They are the ones who built facilities along the border, and opened fire first. There is no doubt that it is the Afghan people and its security forces&#39; legal rights to defend themselves when they are under attack,&quot; said Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani .&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Whatever activities are being undertaken over there, they are part of the border management. These are part of our counter-terrorism effort, essentially part of counter-terrorism effort,&quot; said Nafees Zakaria, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman. 
 
In an attempt to mitigate the climate Afghan deputy spokesman said his government was ready to open negotiations on the incident. &quot;Afghanistan upholds the opinion that violence is not the way to settle the issue. We are seeking a negotiated settlement to this dispute. We hope the Pakistani counterpart can hold the same point of view,&quot; he said. &nbsp; 
(Reuters)

Seven border security forces died and 39 got wounded

It is blame game between Afghanistan and Pakistan after seven people died during firings at the border crossing of Torkham. On Sunday, Pakistan constructed defence facilities in a disputed area nearby the border. An action that fuelled tensions between the two country`s security forces, resulting in an exchange of several rounds of fire. Three Afghan border guards, two Afghan civilians and two Pakistani troops lost their lives. 39 more men got injured from both sides. The two sides are now observing a temporary ceasefire, and are willing to end the crisis through negotiation. During separate press conferences, Government officials of the two countries have blamed each other for provocative activities that caused the clashes. "They are the ones who built facilities along the border, and opened fire first. There is no doubt that it is the Afghan people and its security forces' legal rights to defend themselves when they are under attack," said Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani . "Whatever activities are being undertaken over there, they are part of the border management. These are part of our counter-terrorism effort, essentially part of counter-terrorism effort," said Nafees Zakaria, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman. In an attempt to mitigate the climate Afghan deputy spokesman said his government was ready to open negotiations on the incident. "Afghanistan upholds the opinion that violence is not the way to settle the issue. We are seeking a negotiated settlement to this dispute. We hope the Pakistani counterpart can hold the same point of view," he said. (Reuters)

Afghanistan and Pakistan spar after fatal exchange of fire across border

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