ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday issued a strongly worded statement against Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, accusing him of interfering in the internal matters of its country.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan strongly condemned the recent remarks made by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on the domestic affairs of Afghanistan,” said the statement.
“The Government of Afghanistan believes that relying on policies of good-neighborliness, Pakistan needs to take practical steps toward enhancing bilateral ties in various areas and refrain from making such irresponsible statements regarding the internal affairs of Afghanistan,” it added.
Qureshi had urged the Afghan government to implement the prisoner swap agreed between the United States and Taliban while signing a peace deal in Qatar on Saturday.
This was in response to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s objection to the arrangement as a precondition to direct talks between the insurgent group and his government.
Ghani’s decision to turn down the understanding also led to the resumption of Taliban attacks in the northeast of the country, making the Pakistani foreign minister urge the two warring factions to show restraint and reach a negotiated settlement.
Pakistan also played an important role in bringing the United States and Taliban together, allowing the two sides to work out their differences and bring an end to the 19 years of conflict in the war-torn country.
“Such statements can only lead to creating an environment of distrust and cannot be effective in enhancing the relationship between the two countries,” said the official Afghan statement. “Unless and until such statements are avoided, taking effective steps toward consolidating bilateral relations will not be feasible.”
Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of interfering in its domestic matters
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Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of interfering in its domestic matters
- Says such ‘irresponsible’ statements make it difficult to consolidate bilateral relations
- Qureshi had urged Kabul to honor the prisoner swap agreed between the US and Taliban
Bangladesh approves new rice imports from Pakistan amid price pressures
- The deal follows Bangladesh’s resumption of direct rice trade with Pakistan earlier this year for the first time since independence in 1971
- Diplomatic ties between the two nations have improved since the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina after mass protests last year
DHAKA: Bangladesh has approved the import of 50,000 metric tons of white rice from Pakistan under a government-to-government deal as part of efforts to stabilize domestic prices, officials said on Tuesday.
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase cleared the deal at $395 per ton, reinforcing Dhaka’s renewed trade engagement with Islamabad.
Rice prices in Bangladesh have jumped by between 15 percent and 20 percent over the past year, with medium-quality rice selling at about 80 taka ($0.66) per kilogram. Despite increased imports and the removal of duties to ease supply constraints, prices for the staple grain remain stubbornly high.
The deal follows Bangladesh’s resumption of direct rice trade with Pakistan earlier this year for the first time since independence in 1971. In February, it imported 50,000 tons of rice from Pakistan at $499 per ton under a similar agreement.
Diplomatic ties between the two South Asian nations have improved since an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took office after mass protests forced then prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to neighboring India last year.
Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh gained independence after a nine-month war in 1971, and relations with Pakistan have remained fraught in the decades since the conflict.
Separately, the government approved another 50,000 tons of parboiled rice through an international tender, part of a series of recent purchases aimed at cooling local prices. India’s Pattabhi Agro Foods secured the contract with the lowest bid of $355.77 per ton.
