ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrived in Washington on Thursday, on the third leg of his Middle East peace mission, to hold talks with top officials, including US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Foreign Office said.
Pakistan’s efforts have contributed to reduction in regional tensions, said foreign office spokesperson, Aisha Farooqui, in a weekly press briefing in Islamabad.
“The foreign minister during his engagements in Tehran and Saudi Arabia put forward Pakistan’s point of view that war is in nobody’s interest and that we are a partner for peace,” Farooqui said.
According to a statement by the Foreign Office, Qureshi will meet Pompeo, National Security Adviser Robert O’ Brien and other senior US administration officials during his US visit.
He will also have meetings with members of the US Congress and the Pakistani diaspora.
Farooqui said that Qureshi will also highlight the deteriorating situation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
While talking to the media in New York, after attending a UN Security Council session on Kashmir on Wednesday, Qureshi said that he had also briefed the UN secretary general on “Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to defuse the dangerous tensions between Iran, Saudi Arabia and the US following recent events.”
“Pakistan has affirmed that it will not participate in any conflict in the region. It will be a partner for peace. To defuse tensions and promote peace, I visited Tehran and Riyadh earlier this week,” Qureshi said.
Earlier this week, the foreign minister visited Saudi Arabia and Iran as part of his tri-country diplomatic tour for Middle East peace efforts.
Qureshi embarked on his Middle East mission on the instruction of Prime Minister Imran Khan who asked him to travel to Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States to convey Pakistan’s willingness to play a constructive role for peace in the region.
Khan’s announcement came after the Middle East found itself on the brink of another conflict when the US killed a top Iranian military commander, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in an attack authorized by US President Donald Trump.
Qureshi in Washington for Middle East peace talks
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Qureshi in Washington for Middle East peace talks
- Islamabad’s efforts have contributed to reducing tensions in the region, Pakistan Foreign Office claims
- Pakistan foreign minister earlier visited Iran and Saudi Arabia as part of his Middle East peace mission
Pakistan police tighten New Year’s Eve security in capital, warn of jail time for aerial firing
- More than 350 traffic policemen have been deployed to ensure public safety and smooth traffic flow
- New Year celebrations in Pakistan witness heightened security to prevent one-wheeling, rash driving
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s capital police warned on Wednesday anyone engaging in aerial firing on New Year’s Eve in Islamabad could face jail time, as authorities deployed more than 350 traffic officers to ensure public safety and smooth traffic flow.
Around eight special traffic squads have been formed to curb one-wheeling and rash driving, according to Pakistani state media. The report quoted an Islamabad traffic police spokesperson urging parents to prevent minors from underage driving.
New Year’s Eve in Pakistan sees heightened security in major cities such as Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, with authorities increasing police presence to control incidents like aerial firing that have caused deaths in the past.
“Whoever fires in the air will go straight to jail,” said the law enforcement department in a post on X. “Islamabad Police will take strict action against those who fire in the air.”
The post said the police were “determined to ensure security and traffic flow on the occasion of the New Year.”
“One-wheeling is a crime that inevitably results in lifelong disability or loss of precious lives,” it added.
According to a report by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), heavy vehicles will be barred from entering Islamabad between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. It added that parking on roads will be prohibited, and police will remain on duty throughout the night.
Aerial firing is a common but dangerous practice in Pakistan during celebrations, and it has caused several fatalities in the past.
More than 20 people including two women were injured in multiple incidents of aerial firing in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on the last New Year’s Eve.
According to data compiled by Karachi Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed, 19 people were injured due to aerial firing in 2020, 11 in 2021, 20 in 2022, 40 in 2023 and 26 in 2024.
