ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Thursday that the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) should be strengthened to prevent any false flag operation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Qureshi announced that the government would launch an awareness campaign from Saturday to sensitize people about the ongoing situation in Kashmir. He added that the campaign would include photo exhibitions, solidarity rallies and seminars.
Among other events, he continued, the prime minister would address the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad and speak at a public rally in Mirpur on February 5.
India, he noted, was being “deceitful” by trying to create and impression that Pakistan was blowing the situation in Kashmir out of proportion.
The foreign minister reminded the participants of the gathering that the people of Indian-administered Kashmir were under a security lockdown for the last 175 days, adding that the administration in New Delhi had trampled their fundamental rights and transformed the region into a prison for its eight million residents.
Qureshi also expressed his government’s resolve to highlight the recent developments in Kashmir until its people were allowed to exercise their right to self-determination.
He said that Pakistan was doing its best to take up the issue “at the highest level,” noting that Prime Minister Imran Khan discussed it during his meeting with United States President Donald Trump and briefed the American leader on the complexity of the situation and its likely outcomes.
The foreign minister said it was due to the government’s efforts that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently arranged two important sessions on Kashmir after about 50 years.
In its latest meeting on the subject on January 17, the world body was briefed about the ongoing situation in Kashmir by the UN political department and UNMOGIP.
Qureshi talked about his own meeting with the UN secretary general and the president of the Security Council after the session and how he gave them a low down on what was going on in the disputed Himalayan territory.
He reiterated that the world needed to take stock of developments in Kashmir since any dispute between two nuclear-armed neighbors would prove disastrous for everyone.
Pakistan calls for strengthening UN military observer group in Kashmir
https://arab.news/5758k
Pakistan calls for strengthening UN military observer group in Kashmir
- FM Qureshi says the government will launch a Kashmir awareness campaign from Jan. 25
- The PM will address the legislative assembly in Muzaffarabad and a public rally in Mirpur on Feb. 5
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to enhance cooperation in energy, mineral sectors
- In recent years, Saudi Arabia has positioned itself as a leader in the global minerals and energy sectors
- Both sides reaffirm commitment to enhance partnership and promote mutually beneficial investments
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to enhance cooperation in energy and mineral sectors, the Pakistani information ministry said on Friday, as the two sides seek to deepen economic ties and promote joint investment.
The development comes weeks after Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef at the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh that saw participation from 13 public and private Pakistani firms.
Pakistan petroleum ministry said Alkhorayef had pointed out “vast opportunities” for cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the minerals sector, adding that the Kingdom would support the development of Pakistan’s mining industry through its knowledge and technical expertise.
On Friday, Malik held a meeting with Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, to discuss areas of mutual cooperation and further strengthen bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries, according to the information ministry.
“Both sides reviewed ongoing collaboration and explored new avenues for cooperation, particularly in the energy and minerals sectors,” it said in a statement. “They reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing economic partnership and promoting mutually beneficial investment opportunities.”
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has positioned itself as a leader in the global minerals and energy sectors and accelerated investments in green technologies, sustainable mining practices and international collaborations that are shaping the future of the mines and mineral industry.
Pakistan, on the other hand, organized a minerals summit in April 2025 that saw participation from major international companies, including the Canada-based Barrick Gold and officials from the US, Saudi Arabia, China, Türkiye, UK, Azerbaijan and other nations.
Malik expressed confidence that longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would translate into tangible outcomes, fostering investment, technology exchange, and sustainable development initiatives for mutual benefit.
Ambassador Al-Malki appreciated Pakistan’s active participation in the Future Minerals Forum, which offered significant opportunities for regional collaboration, according to the statement.
“Both sides agreed to maintain close coordination to further strengthen economic and strategic cooperation in the coming period,” the information ministry added.
