Pakistan has taken several initiatives, including the revival of back channel diplomacy, to improve ties with India, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has "survived" but not "triumphed" as had been envisaged, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said while lamenting the postponement of the eight-member grouping's Islamabad summit.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in Turkey on a day-long official visit to hold discussions with the country's top leadership on the Yemen crisis.
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There are 'no plans' for a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, external affairs ministry said on Tuesday.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday inaugurated construction work on a China-backed USD 10 billion (approximately Rs 654 crore) nuclear power plant in Karachi.
India is 'patiently' awaiting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's response to the invitation for swearing in of Narendra Modi as 'short duration bilateral meetings' are being set up with all the other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation leaders, who have decided to attend the ceremony on May 26.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday ruled out use of force to dislodge the protesters, led by Imran Khan and populist cleric Tahirul Qadri, camping in the heart of the Pakistani capital.
The announcement of results was delayed beyond normal, giving air to speculation about vote rigging.
Modi's meeting with Dr Singh, totally unexpected and unique in all respects, will take place perhaps after Monday's swearing-in ceremony, and before his bilateral meeting with visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday.
The civilian leadership informed the military authorities that Sharif's hour-long meeting with Jindal was a part of back-channel diplomacy. And Jindal had the backing of some important Indian officials for the meeting to defuse ongoing tension between the two countries, the report said.
The meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi drew mixed reactions in Pakistan, with most of the political parties accusing Sharif of failing to highlight Kashmir but the media was generally positive.
'Fears in Washington began to intensify when it was realised that subsequent Pakistani and Indian attacks on major military facilities -- which were significant in terms of geographic scope and intensity -- could rapidly take both sides to where neither actually wanted to go.' 'The US objective was to stop the fighting as soon as possible. Everything else was secondary.'
Sharif said the Kashmir issue is the bone of contention between the two neighbours and it will have to be resolved for peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan's anti-government protesters had a quiet day in Islamabad's high security area where they have been camping demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation, even as opposition leader Imran Khan vowed to continue the sit-in until goals achieved.
The lawmakers expressed concerns about "pre- and post-poll rigging in Pakistan's recent parliamentary elections" and urged the US Congress to "withhold recognition of a new government in Pakistan until a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation of election interference has been conducted".
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said he will not allow Pakistan to become a "sanctuary of terrorists" and asserted that the military operation against the Taliban in North Waziristan tribal region would continue until militants are eliminated.
'Will Muhammad Habib Zahir -- who was part of the team that arrested Kulbhushan Jadhav and went missing in Nepal -- figure in a Jadhav-for-Zahir deal?' asks Aditi Phadnis.
He directed officials to speed up work on the leads given by India, sources said.
Hitting out at Nawaz Sharif over the ceasefire violations, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday maintained that these incidents cannot be without the consent of the Pakistan prime minister.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia and will react strongly if there is a threat to its integrity, but kept mum on Riyadh's request for military assistance to fight Houthi rebels in war-ravaged Yemen.
Sharif's younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met army chief on Thursday evening.
'Nawaz Sharif asked: "What if I invited him and he declined?"' 'I said I will check.' 'Vajpayee liked the idea. He said I should see him on my return.' Shekhar Gupta reveals how Sharif wanted to make peace, but was tripped by the army and notes the lessons it has for Imran Khan.
War with India is not an option as use of force could only worsen the situation, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said while hoping to resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries.
Sharif is accompanied by 11-member high-level delegation that includes senior ministers, Punjab and Balochistan Chief Ministers and top officials.
Civilian government informs military of growing isolation of Pakistan, seeks consensus on several key actions.
The appointment of General Raheel Sharif as the new army chief of Pakistan has come as a surprise to many. Rajiv Dogra, former ambassador and India's last Consul General to Karachi, speaks to Aabhas Sharma about the appointment, what it says about the priorities of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and most importantly, what it means for India.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 15 of 20 seats up for grabs in the politically crucial province of Punjab on Sunday, dealing a major blow to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his 13-party alliance led by the ruling PML-N.
The 'surgical strikes' by India have made the army in Pakistan look unprepared. To prove itself the army will need to hit back: It could be in Kashmir or outside
Sharif raises Kashmir issue at UNGA, renews plebiscite demand.
At the core of Sharif's initiatives is the belief that Pakistan's economic revival is not possible until it has improved and tension-free relations with neighbouring countries, particularly India and Afghanistan, said Tariq Fatemi, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs.
Maryam, who is being groomed as Sharif's political successor, appeared in the court for the first time on Monday.
As the Pakistan government and the outlawed Taliban prepare for peace talks, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said he wants to overcome both terrorism within the country and outstanding issues with India through dialogue as peace is vital for reviving the country's economy.
Sharif said that India hastily blamed Pakistan without any investigation. He said India behaved in an "irresponsible way" when it blamed Pakistan "without any evidence".
Remaining in the denial mode, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday termed as "India's long-time habit" the assertion that his country was behind the Uri attack.
Adiala jail authorities have limited the movement of Sharif after some prisoners started chanting slogans against him as he was out for a stroll in the courtyard of his barrack on Thursday morning.
'One good outcome of Operation Sindoor -- perhaps, its best outcome -- could be that India has resumed meaningful contact directly with Pakistan at the military-to-military level,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The attack had a negative impact and disturbed the talks with India which were 'going in the right direction' after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, he said.
But contempt petitions against sitting prime ministers are nothing new in Pakistan.
The biggest success of Nawaz Sharif's visit to India is that it will lessen mistrust between the two countries, writes Amir Mateen from Islamabad.
Whenever tenures of army chiefs were extended in the recent past, prime ministers were subsequently eased out of office by the same army chief, notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
