ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the high-level segment of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York from September 23 to 27, Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday.
Each September, world leaders and delegates gather at the UN Headquarters in New York to discuss the most pressing global issues within the framework of the UN Charter. The UNGA opened the 79th session on September 10, with the high-level general debate scheduled to begin on September 24 and conclude on September 30.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the high-level segment for the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York from 23rd to 27th of September,” the foreign office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said during her weekly news briefing in Islamabad.
She noted that Sharif would be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other senior government officials.
In his address to the world body, the prime minister will emphasize the importance of addressing longstanding issues on the Security Council’s agenda, including the question of Palestine and the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, she added.
“The prime minister will attend several high-level meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA session including the high-level meeting on existential threat posed by sea level rise and the UN Security Council’s open debate on leadership for peace,” she said, adding that his program would also include bilateral meetings with world leaders and members of the Pakistani diaspora.
INDUS WATER TREATY
Asked about the notice sent by India to Pakistan under Article 33 of the Indus Water Treaty, calling for the reassessment of the agreement on a bilateral basis, Baloch said Pakistan expected India to remain committed to the accord.
India sent a notice to Pakistan on August 30, requesting a review of the water-distribution mechanism outlined in the treaty, signed by the two countries on September 19, 1960, citing “fundamental and unforeseen” changes in circumstances.
The treaty, brokered by the World Bank, grants India control over the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, while Pakistan controls the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers. Both nations can seek arbitration from the World Bank in case of any water disputes.
In 2016, Pakistan requested arbitration over India’s Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects. While India claims its water usage complies with the treaty, Pakistan opposes some of these projects, arguing they violate the agreement, which is crucial for its agriculture as 80 percent of the country relies on the Indus River.
“The Indus Waters Treaty is an important treaty that has served both Pakistan and India well over the last several decades,” Baloch said, adding that Pakistan believed it was a “gold standard” of bilateral treaties on water sharing.
“Pakistan is fully committed to its implementation, and we expect India to also remain committed to the treaty,” she added.
The spokesperson said Pakistan believes it is a collective responsibility to maintain ecological balance, protect the environment, and avoid measures that may have adverse implications for the region’s climate.
“The two countries have a mechanism of water commissioners, and we believe all issues pertaining to this treaty can be discussed in this mechanism,” she added.
PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL ANTHEM
Responding to a query about the incident of purported disrespect toward Pakistan’s national anthem during a ceremony in Peshawar by an Afghan diplomat, Baloch said Pakistan had rejected the explanation the acting consul general provided for his actions and lodged a strong protest with Afghan authorities.
Videos circulated on social media showed Afghan Consul General Mohibullah Shakir seated while the Pakistani anthem was played during a religious conference, as others stood in respect. According to a representative of the Afghan diplomatic mission, Shakir had no intention of disrespecting Pakistan, explaining that he did not stand because of the background music.
He further maintained that Afghan authorities had banned their own national anthem for the same reason.
The Afghan Taliban believe music is forbidden in Islam, though several schools of thought within the same religion do not agree with their stance.
“We have raised this issue with the Afghan authorities and conveyed our strong displeasure on this and we also reject the explanation that the acting council general has given for his actions,” Baloch said, adding that Pakistan believed this action had hurt the sentiments of its people.
Asked about a media report suggesting that Shakir had been staying in Pakistan without valid documentation, she said, according to available data, the acting Afghan consul general was in possession of a valid visa and enjoyed diplomatic status.
She also mentioned Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Durrani’s recent termination from his position, saying such appointments were made by the government based on the country’s requirements at specific times.
“Ambassador Asif Durrani was appointed as Special Representative of Pakistan for Afghanistan in May 2021 and after serving three years in this position, the government has decided to terminate his contract,” she said, adding it had been done in keeping with the present requirements.
“No decision has been made so far on his replacement,” she added.
Pakistan PM to attend UNGA from Sept. 23-27, focus on highlighting Gaza and Kashmir
https://arab.news/pbuu9
Pakistan PM to attend UNGA from Sept. 23-27, focus on highlighting Gaza and Kashmir
- PM to attend several high-level sideline meetings including on existential threat of sea level rise, leadership for peace
- UNGA opened the 79th session on Sept. 10, with high-level general debate scheduled to begin on Sept. 24
Jemima Goldsmith says concerned about welfare of ex-husband Imran Khan
- Khan has been embroiled in more than 200 legal cases since he was ousted in a no-trust vote in 2022
- The former prime minister has been detained since August last year and barred from standing for office
LONDON: The ex-wife of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday called for his immediate release, citing “serious and concerning” reports about his treatment in prison.
Jemima Goldsmith said the Pakistani authorities had stopped all visits to him by his family and lawyers, postponed court hearings, and prevented him from calling his two sons since early September.
Electricity had been cut to his cell and he was no longer allowed out at any time, while the jail cook had been sent on leave, she wrote in a lengthy post on social media platform X.
“He is now completely isolated, in solitary confinement, literally in the dark, with no contact with the outside world,” said Goldsmith, who was married to the former Pakistan cricket team captain from 1995 to 2004.
The couple have two sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, who live in London.
A panel of UN experts in July criticized Pakistan for arbitrarily detaining Khan in breach of international law to apparently prevent him for running for political office.
Khan, 72, was prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, and has been embroiled in more than 200 legal cases since he was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote he claims was orchestrated by the country’s powerful generals.
He has been detained since August last year and barred from standing for office. He has since applied to become the next chancellor of Britain’s Oxford University.
Goldsmith said Khan’s family had also been targeted, and his sisters and nephew arrested and jailed unlawfully, while she had faced rape and death threats from her ex-husband’s political opponents.
The release of Khan, his nephew and sisters, plus the re-establishment of contact with his sons will provide “assurance first-hand that he is well and not being mistreated,” she added.
“I disagree with IK on many political issues,” she wrote. “But this is not about politics — it’s about my children’s father, his human rights & international law.”
Pakistan PM discusses trade, investment and connectivity with Central Asian leaders on SCO summit margins
- Top officials from China, Russia, India, Iran and several Central Asian states are attending the two-day summit in Islamabad
- On Tuesday, PM Shehbaz Sharif warmly greeted the visiting dignitaries, including Indian FM, at a dinner he hosted in their honor
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met with Central Asian leaders and discussed trade, investment and regional connectivity on the sidelines of a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad, Sharif’s office said.
The prime ministers of China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as well as Iran’s first vice president and the Indian external affairs minister are in Islamabad to attend the summit on October 15-16.
The Pakistani government has declared a three-day holiday in the federal capital of Islamabad since Monday, with schools and businesses closed to ensure security of foreign leaders attending the high-profile regional summit.
In a meeting with Kazakhstan PM Olzhas Bektenov on Tuesday, Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to work with all member states in advancing the SCO’s principles and purposes, according to the Pakistan PM’s office.
“Noting the warm and excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized the need to enhance trade and investment, while also focusing on regional connectivity and security,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
To achieve this shared objective, he stressed the need to maintain regular and high-level contacts, including through institutional mechanisms of bilateral engagement.
In his meeting with Tajikistan PM Qohir Rasulzoda, the Pakistan premier said both countries should further cement cooperation across all spheres of shared interest, according to Sharif’s office.
He conveyed Pakistan’s strong desire to strengthen ties with Kyrgyzstan in trade and investment during a meeting with Akylbek Japarov, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. In his meeting with Turkmen Foreign Affairs Minister Rashid Meredov, Sharif welcomed the participation of Turkmenistan in the summit as a “special guest.”
During the meetings, Central Asian leaders congratulated the Pakistani premier on the successful organization of the SCO summit and lauded Pakistan’s positive role as the SCO chair, Sharif’s office said.
Pakistan wants to position itself as a regional trade hub and to leverage its strategic geopolitical position and enhance its role as a pivotal trade and transit hub connecting China and Central Asia with the rest of the world. In recent months, there has been a flurry of visits, investment talks and economic activity between Pakistan, China and Central Asian states, including Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
In a bilateral meeting with Belarusian PM Roman Golovchenko, Sharif noted that regular high-level exchanges had added positive momentum to the cordial ties between the two countries.
“This momentum needed to be sustained so as to realize the full potential of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, agricultural machinery and joint production of tractors and connectivity,” he was quoted as saying.
On Tuesday, Sharif also hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting foreign dignitaries, wherein he was seen greeting and shaking hands with the attendees, including Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Sharif is due to preside over a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government and deliver the opening remarks on Wednesday, followed by statements from leaders of participating countries during the session, according to the Pakistani foreign office. The documents reflecting outcomes of the meeting will also be signed during the session, which will conclude with Sharif’s closing remarks.
Foreign office said Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming will interact with media to share a communiqué after the concluding session on Wednesday.
Pakistani authorities have locked down the capital to ensure security of foreign leaders attending the SCO summit. The government has deployed troops and blocked key roads, announcing alternate routes for the residents.
Ghulam says ‘wait is over’ after century on Pakistan debut
- The 29-year-old made 118 on the opening day of the second Test, anchoring Pakistan to 259-5
- Since his first-class debut in 2013, Ghulam has piled on runs in all three formats of the game
MULTAN: One of a dozen brothers, Kamran Ghulam got used to waiting his turn for a bat as a child.
He then had to wait for his Pakistan debut, but it all seemed worth it on Tuesday when he scored a century against England in Multan.
The 29-year-old debutant made a terrific 118 on the opening day of the second Test, anchoring the hosts to 259-5.
Dawood, one of the 10 older brothers, said Ghulam had learnt to be patient from very early on.
“We used to play cricket at our village and would not allow Kamran to bat on the pretext that ‘you are very small’,” Dawood told AFP from Peshawar, in Pakistan’s northwest, on the phone.
“He was a good fielder so we used to order him to field only and like a very obedient boy he would follow, and that patience has seen him through difficult times.”
Six of the brothers played for the same club in their village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would often be at loggerheads over who should bat first.
“It was normal to have a fight, but at the end of the day we always returned home happy and today we are at the height of our happiness,” said Dawood, 40.
“Our late father always wanted Ghulam to become a good player but he died 22 years ago.
“He would have been the happiest in the family.”
Since his first-class debut in 2013, Ghulam has piled on runs in all three formats of the game with his best coming in 2020-21 when he amassed 1,249 runs in 11 domestic matches.
That broke a 36-year record.
Ghulam was included in Pakistan’s preliminary squad for a home series against South Africa in 2021 but was not given a chance.
He said he knew his opportunity would come some day — as long as he was patient.
“They say the fruit of patience is always sweet and it is proved today,” said Ghulam after his opening-day heroics in Multan.
“I was eager for my chance and had always thought whenever it will come I will make it worthwhile.”
Last year Ghulam was in Pakistan’s squad against New Zealand in a one-day international in Karachi but he only got a chance as a substitute for Haris Sohail, who suffered concussion.
Ghulam’s full Test debut finally came as he replaced out-of-form Babar Azam following Pakistan’s innings defeat last week.
“There was pressure of replacing Azam so I had to do something special,” said Ghulam.
“So I am delighted that I am successful in achieving a feat and my wait is over.”
Pakistan Navy cadets win silver medal in international sailing competition in Brazil
- A total of nine teams from around the world competed in the J24 boat category
- Pakistan Navy team captain dedicates the victory to quality training by instructors
ISLAMABAD: Cadets of Pakistan Navy’s sailing team won the silver medal by securing second position in the 79th International Naval Academy Sailing Competition held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Pakistan Navy said on Tuesday.
A total of nine teams from around the world competed in the J24 boat category, according to the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy.
J24 is the world’s most popular keelboat class used in almost all major international championships, including the PanAm Games, World Sailing Games and Nations Cup.
“The PNA [Pakistan Naval Academy] team captain dedicated the victory to the quality training,” the DGPR said in a statement.
The participating teams included cadets from naval academies of Pakistan, Brazil, China, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and India, according to the DGPR.
“After securing first position during International Sailing Championship in Sri Lanka earlier in August this year, this is consecutive second extraordinary performance at international level during last three months by cadets of PNA,” it said.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, congratulated the victorious Pakistan Navy team and lauded the efforts of PNA faculty and instructors for the brilliant performances internationally.
India-Canada relations reach historic lows as top diplomats expelled
- Relations fraught since the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia last year
- Canadian PM says Indian officials identified as ‘persons of interest’ in the assassination plot
NEW DELHI: Relations between India and Canada have reached a historic low as the countries expelled each other’s diplomats in an ongoing row over the killing of a Sikh separatist activist on Canadian soil.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India’s government on Monday of “supporting criminal activity against Canadians here on Canadian soil,” and the country’s Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner.
The ministry said Canadian police had gathered evidence, which identified them as “persons of interest” in last year’s killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia.
India immediately rejected the accusations as absurd, and its Ministry of External Affairs said it was expelling Canada’s acting high commissioner, his deputy, and the embassy’s four first secretaries.
Before the announcement, it also summoned the Canadian charge d’affaires and said it was withdrawing its high commissioner and “other targeted diplomats,” contradicting Canada’s statement of expulsion.
“Prime Minister Trudeau has been making these public statements repeatedly, but the evidence that he claims to possess is not available to us so we cannot make any kind of a judgment,” Dr. Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi, told Arab News.
“This is the first time the relationship is so low … It has created a lot of problems and it has done damage to relationships between the two countries for the time being.”
This is not the first time India-Canada relations have been strained. In 1974, after India conducted its first nuclear weapon test, it drew outrage from Canada, which accused it of extracting plutonium from a Canadian reactor, a gift intended for peaceful use.
Ottawa subsequently suspended its support for New Delhi’s nuclear energy program.
“The relationship was also low in the 1980s with the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane and the bombing of the plane, in which many people died,” said Prof. Ronki Ram, political science lecturer at the Punjab University.
The explosion from a bomb planted by Canada-based militants killed 329 people — the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history. India had warned the Canadian government about the possibility of attacks and accused the Canadian Security Intelligence Service of not acting on it.
But the current strain in relations is the first in which diplomats have been withdrawn.
“This is the first time that the relationship has gone down so low,” Ram said.
“Allegations and counter-allegations will have serious implications both internationally and domestically. The Indian government should look into the allegations and try to address them.”
Nijjar, a Sikh Canadian citizen, was gunned down in June 2023 outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, which has a significant number of Sikh residents. He was an outspoken supporter of the Khalistan movement, which calls for a separate Sikh homeland in parts of India’s Punjab state.
The movement is outlawed in India, considered a national security threat by the government, and Nijjar’s name appears on the Indian Home Ministry’s list of terrorists.
Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside their native state of Punjab — about 770,000 or 2 percent of its entire population.
“Many Panjabi diaspora are in Canada, and a mini-Punjab has been established there,” Ram said.
“The government is taking an electoral interest in the landscape of Canada also. Those things are becoming very critical.”
