Pak, Russia determined to bolster trade, defence ties: FO
FO says Pakistan affirms Russia s role for Afghan peace; asks for world s intervention to resolve Kashmir issue
Foreign Office Spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri. PHOTO: APP/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Russia, during the recent visit of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Islamabad, have agreed to intensify efforts to deepen cooperation in a myriad of sectors, the Foreign Office said on Friday. During the delegation-level talks, the two sides agreed on the need to intensify efforts to deepen cooperation in all areas, including economy and trade, energy, counter-terrorism, security and defence, education, and people-to-people exchanges, said FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri in the weekly briefing in Islamabad today.
Indian police clamp curbs on media coverage of IIOJK gunbattles
Journalists say the new rules are meant to coerce them into not reporting.
Reuters
April 09, 2021
SRINAGAR:
Police in the Himalayan region of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have asked journalists to refrain from live coverage of gun battles with freedom fighters fighting Indian rule in the territory or protests, calling such reports a provocation amounting to interference in their duties.
India has deployed tens of thousands of police and soldiers to keep the peace in the disputed Muslim-majority region after revoking its constitutional autonomy in 2019 to weld the region more tightly to the country.
Daily Times
April 8, 2021
Despite Covid-19 wrecking havoc across the country, India continued to clamp down on civil liberties and restrictions on communications services in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), a new report by the Amnesty International revealed on Wednesday.
“Political leaders such as Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who were administratively detained in 2019, were released in 2020. However, the union government continued to silence those who demanded accountability and imposed a harsh media blackout,” the report added.
On August 5, 2019, the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stripped Kashmiris of the special autonomy they had for seven decades through a rushed presidential order. By repealing Article 370 of the constitution, people from the rest of India now have the right to acquire property in the occupied territory and settle there permanently.
Pakistan to receive Russian weapons
Top Story
April 8, 2021
ISLAMABAD: In a sign of improving bilateral relations, Russia reached out to Pakistan on Wednesday and said it was ready to strengthen Pakistan’s efforts in countering terrorism by supplying it with military equipment, and also announced further joint exercises between the two countries.
Assurance was also given to soon provide 150,000 more doses of Sputnik-V vaccine to Pakistan, while both sides also discussed possibilities of setting up of a vaccine plant in Pakistan.
Russia also welcomed ‘normalisation’ process, which has started between Pakistan and India. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday while earlier he held delegation level talk with his counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office, followed by a press conference.
Top commanders express satisfaction over positive developments in Afghan peace process
Corps Commander Conference chaired by COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa held at GHQ. SCREENGRAB
The Pakistan Army top commanders reviewed the overall security situation and held detailed discussion on situation along the Line of Control (LoC) particularly after Pakistan and India last month agreed to observe a ceasefire along the de facto border.
“[The] CCC [Corps Commander Conference] chaired by #COAS held at GHQ [General Headquarters] today. The participants undertook a comprehensive review of global, regional & domestic security environment,” a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.