Pakistani PM, German foreign minister vow to work closely for regional peace

Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan (center) meets German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (fifth right) in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 31, 2021. (Photo courtesy: PID)
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Updated 31 August 2021
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Pakistani PM, German foreign minister vow to work closely for regional peace

  • German FM in Islamabad, says still remains to be seen if Taliban form inclusive government in Afghanistan
  • Pakistani foreign minister warns against economic collapse and political vacuum in the war-torn country 

ISLAMABAD: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, with both leaders vowing to work closely for regional peace.
Maas said on Tuesday it was important for his country that all Afghan factions were represented in the future political setup in Kabul, adding it remained to be seen if the Taliban would allow an "inclusive" administration.
The German official issued the statement during a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad.
The German leader's visit to the region comes a day after US and NATO forces completed their pullout from Afghanistan after fighting a war that lasted about two decades.
“The Prime Minister underscored that both Pakistan and Germany should work closely for the promotion of shared interests relating to regional peace and stability,” PM Khan said in a tweet.

During a presser with Qureshi, Maas said the Taliban were “going to present a new government and it remains to be seen if this government is as inclusive as we demanded it to be.”
“It is important for us that all Afghans, Afghans who do not support the Taliban, are represented by this government, and it remains to be seen if the Taliban will take this into account,” the German FM said. 
He thanked Pakistan for playing a constructive role in the evacuation of German citizens along with vulnerable Afghan nationals from the war-torn country in the last two weeks.
“Pakistan as a neighbor of Afghanistan is fully experiencing the effect of this crisis,” Maas acknowledged, adding that Germany had already provided one million euros in humanitarian assistance and pledged further 500 million euros for projects and measures in Afghanistan’s neighboring countries for projects like preventing extremism.
He said that some German nationals were still stuck in Afghanistan and his government was closely coordinating with Pakistan for their safe evacuation.
“We are also preparing in close cooperation with others to organize charter flights as soon as Kabul airport is operable again,” he said. “We need procedures to bring these people to Germany if they are eligible for admission.”
Maas said the Taliban had promised to allow civilians to leave Afghanistan on flights from Kabul airport, but it was yet to be seen if their “commitments are reliable.”
Pakistan’s foreign minister, meanwhile, urged the international community not to abandon Afghanistan and allow humanitarian assistance to ensure peace and stability in the war-ravaged country.
“This is a pivotal moment in Afghanistan’s history,” he said. “The international community must remain engaged … Don’t let the economic collapse in Afghanistan take place as vacuum and instability is in nobody’s interest,” he added.
Germany was one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the European Union, Qureshi said while urging his German counterpart to enhance bilateral trade and develop economic linkages in areas like renewable energy, housing and electric vehicles.
Qureshi also said Pakistan had helped evacuate over 10,000 people safely from Afghanistan between August 15 and August 30.
He also warned the international community against the role of "spoilers" in Afghanistan and said a governance vacuum was not favorable, hoping the Taliban would announce the formation of a government in the next few days.
Maas also met Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday. 
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, overall regional security situation including latest developments in Afghanistan and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed,” the army’s media wing said. “The German dignitary acknowledged Pakistan’s continuous efforts for peace and stability in the region and thanked the COAS [army chief] for assistance rendered by Pakistan during evacuations from Kabul.”


Punjab imposes curbs ahead of Basant kite festival’s return after 18-year hiatus

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Punjab imposes curbs ahead of Basant kite festival’s return after 18-year hiatus

  • Basant to be celebrated in Lahore from Feb. 6-8 for first time since 2007, officials say
  • Section 144 enforced to bar religious and political imagery on kites amid security concerns

ISLAMABAD: Punjab authorities have enforced Section 144 and imposed strict limits on kite materials and imagery ahead of the Basant kite-flying festival, which is set to return in Lahore next month for the first time since 2007 under tight safety and public-order conditions.

The move comes as the three-day Basant celebration — a traditional spring cultural festival marked by kite flying — is scheduled from Feb. 6 to 8 under the Punjab Kite Flying Act 2025, ending an 18-year hiatus after years of ban amid deadly accidents and safety concerns.

Basant, once a vibrant tradition signaling the arrival of spring with colorful kites and rooftop festivities, was outlawed in the mid-2000s after authorities linked metal-coated kite strings and celebratory gunfire to multiple deaths and injuries.

“A 30-day ban has been imposed under Section 144 on the manufacture, sale, purchase and use of kites bearing religious or political symbols or imagery,” the Punjab Home Department said in a statement.

“Kites displaying the image of any country’s flag or a political party’s flag will also be prohibited,” it added. “The manufacture, transportation, storage, sale and use of kites in violation of these restrictions have been declared punishable offenses.”

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure allows authorities to impose different kinds of restrictions to maintain public order and safety.

The statement highlighted “concerns that provocative elements could use religious or political symbols during Basant.”

It said that authorities have permitted only plain or multicolored kites during the event.

“The Punjab government has allowed Basant as a recreational festival under a ‘safe Basant’ framework,” the statement added. “No violations of the law will be permitted during Basant.”