News Updates
15 May - 31 May, 2019
- PM Imran congratulates Modi, 'looks forward to working for peace' in the region
"I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia," the prime minister said on Twitter. (Dawn, May 23, 2019)
- Qureshi, Swaraj hold 'informal dialogue' on sideline of SCO meet in Bishkek
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj held an informal dialogue on the sideline of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday.
"Today [I] met Sushma Ji. She had a complaint that we sometimes talk in a bitter manner. She brought sweets today so we could also speak sweetly," Qureshi was quoted as saying by the Foreign Office. (Dawn, May 22, 2019)
- Qureshi makes light of no invitation for PM to Modi’s oath-taking
Pakistan has played down a decision by the Indian government not to invite Prime Minister Imran Khan to Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying India’s ‘internal politics’ did not permit him to extend an invitation.
“His [Modi’s] entire focus [during the election campaign] was on Pakistan-bashing. It was unwise to expect that he can get rid of this narrative [soon],” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news channel in the evening.
Earlier, a Reuters report had said New Delhi would not invite PM Khan to Mr Modi’s oath-taking ceremony. (Dawn, May 28, 2019)
- Indians harass guests at Iftar hosted by Pakistan HC: reports
Guests arriving at the Pakistan high commission for the traditional Iftar were harassed by Indian security personnel, in a repeat of a similar happening during the Pakistan Day celebrations in New Delhi in March, reports said on Wednesday.
“There may be prospects of a thaw in the Indo-Pak relations but ties at the ground level continue to be hostile as the latest incident that occurred outside the Pakistan High Commission shows,” The Tribune said. (Dawn, May 30, 2019)
- US legislators ask govt to help ease Pakistan crisis
US lawmakers have urged the Trump administration to help Pakistan overcome the current economic crisis while asking Islamabad to focus its attention on creating more opportunities for its people.
At the annual bipartisan Iftar of the Pakistani American Political Action Committee (PAKPAC) on Tuesday evening, the lawmakers also advised the Trump administration not to go to war with Iran as it would destabilise the entire region. (Dawn, May 23. 2019)
- China says it will blacklist ‘unreliable’ companies and individuals in response to technology ban
In a counterattack that further deepens the rift with the United States, China announced that it would establish a blacklist of “unreliable” foreign companies and organizations, effectively forcing companies around the world to choose whether they would side with Beijing or Washington. Chinese state media reported that the new “unreliable entities list” would punish organizations and individuals that harm the interests of Chinese companies, without detailing which companies would be named in the list or what the punishments would include.(The Washington Post, May 31, 2019)
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