Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday said he would not seek a vote of confidence from parliament against the backdrop of an escalating row with the judiciary and military as his government did not want any clash between state institutions. "I have no need for a vote of confidence," Gilani told a special session of the National Assembly or lower house of parliament that was convened by the ruling coalition after the Supreme Court warned action could be taken.
Continuing with his agenda, Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has sought a civil nuclear agreement with the United States and other atomic powers and asked for the adoption of 'non-discriminatory' criteria. Gilani raised the issue on Monday, during a working dinner hosted by United States President Barack Obama for the world leaders, which kicked off the 47-nation two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
US President Barack Obama on Sunday asked Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice, saying this would help improve the security situation in the region. Obama also did not commit any civilian nuclear deal with Pakistan on the lines of that of India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has indicated that his government would consider if Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh could be pardoned. He said Sarabjit's case was being reviewed by the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Law-Justice and Human Rights. Gilani added that he has advised President Pervez Musharraf to stop the execution of Sarabjit. Sarabjit, accused of terror attacks in Lahore in 1990, has been languishing in Pakistani prisons.
"Today's match brought the peoples and leadership of the two countries together. This, I believe, is the positive outcome of today's semifinal," Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said in a message.
Launching cricket diplomacy to give a fresh impetus to bilateral ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday invited President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to watch the India-Pakistan cricket encounter in Mohali on March 30 when he will also be present.
A day after his conviction for contempt by Pakistan's Supreme Court, a defiant Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday dared the opposition to move a vote of no-confidence against him and said only the Speaker could disqualify him.
Presenting some of the most scintillating pictures from around the globe in the last 24 hours
Pakistan's ambassador to United States Hussain Haqqani on Tuesday tendered his resignation after appearing before the country's civil and military leadership and explaining his position on the controversy over a secret memo. Haqqani expressed his readiness to face an enquiry before Pakistan's top military and political leadership at the Presidency.Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has accepted Haqqani's resignation after the Pakistani envoy answered all questions.
"Pakistan has made very important contribution to international counter terrorism cooperation as well as great sacrifices," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said, as Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, began a key visit to the country, declaring China as his country's best friend.
While hearing the petitions filed against the National Assembly Speaker's ruling in the contempt case against Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that a "convicted person is representing a population of 180 million people". "A prime minister does not only represent a party, but is also a country's representative," The Express Tribune quoted Justice Chaudhry as saying.
The army chief, the chief justice and the Opposition leader is bent upon dislodging the Zardari government which is apparently not going to back down without a fight this time, reports Amir Mir from Islamabad.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has summoned envoys in key world capitals for a meeting to review Pakistan's strategy on important foreign policy issues like the war on terrorism and relations with countries like the United States and India. Pakistan's envoys to the US, India, Afghanistan and several European countries are among those who have been asked to provide recommendations for forming strategies in the wake of the cross-border NATo raid.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said cricket and diplomacy between India and Pakistan should be kept separate and the game should allowed to remain a game.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is not the only one to support Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 'cricket diplomacy' in inviting Pakistan President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to visit India and watch Wednesday's semi-final game between India and Pakistan at Mohali.
It was evident that no preparatory exercise for political and inter-departmental consensus-building in New Delhi before embarking on the trust-building exercise in Islamabad was undertaken.
In an unexpected shift of strategy, Pakistan occupied Kashmir's Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider has asked the Yusuf Raza Gilani-led Pakistan government not to link the controversial Kashmir issue with the renewed deliberations with India.Haider said that instead of linking the resolution of Kashmir issue with the ongoing negotiations with India, the government should first try to resolve other 'small irritants'.
Leading rights activist Ansar Burney has asked the Pakistan government to immediately free three Indian prisoners who have either completed their jail terms or whose release has been ordered by the court. Indian national Surjeet Singh alias Makhan Singh had completed his prison term on October 30, 2010 but he continues to be held in prison, Burney said in letters sent to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left Seoul for home on Tuesday after concluding a four-day visit, during which he attended the Nuclear Security Summit, held bilateral talks with the South Korean president and had informal discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani. During his stay, India and South Korea agreed to step up political and security cooperation and vowed to double the bilateral trade to an ambitious $40 billion by 2015.
Zahir-ul-Islam's appointment as the chief of the intelligence agency was the outcome of a consensus between the political and military leadership of Pakistan, says B Raman
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani held 'very good talks' in a 'free and frank' manner, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters, after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit, for 50 minutes on Thursday.Dr Singh told Gilani that cooperation between the two nations was vital for the progress of SAARC's goals and peace in south Asia.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Sunday acknowledged that the Kashmir issue would have to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy as Pakistan "cannot afford wars" in the 21st century. Four wars have already been fought on the Kashmir issue and the region still "was a flashpoint", he said, but admitted that in the 21st century "we cannot afford wars". "We want to resolve issues through dialogue, diplomacy, prudent policy and national consensus," he said.
Pakistan's embattled former ambassador to United States, Husain Haqqani, fears he will be murdered if he leaves his sanctuary in the official residence of the Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, a media report said on Wednesday.
Yusuf Raza Gilani, despite being Pakistan's elected prime minister, has little or no control over the country's nuclear arsenal and the armed forces, explains Amir Mir
India on Tuesday strongly objected to Pakistan's attempt to link Kashmir issue to terrorism in the region and maintained that the bilateral dialogue would resume only when Islamabad creates conditions for it. "It (terrorism) has nothing to do with Kashmir. Terror, whether it is in Kashmir, in Mumbai or elsewhere, is abominable," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said. He was responding to Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's remarks.
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday called on India and Pakistan to strengthen their peace process and trade relations, saying the time is ripe for the two countries to replace the mistrust of the past with opportunities for mutual progress.Cameron, who made a day-long visit to Islamabad at the invitation of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, said Britain wants a strong relationship with both India and Pakistan.
Pakistan has ruled out any possibility of involving the United States to resolve its outstanding issues with India as it clearly stated that both Islamabad and New Delhi should endeavour to "take ownership of their own affairs" without the interference of any third country.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that India and Pakistan should put their "ancient animosities" behind them and a "permanent reconciliation" was required so that the two neighbours "live with dignity and honour".
India's billion-strong population will be calling in sick to work, shutting shops early and even cancelling doctor's appointments to make sure they watch Wednesday's much-hyped World Cup semi-final match against arch rivals Pakistan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday left for Colombo to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation summit beginning on Saturday, during which terrorism is expected to be one of the main topics of discussion. Singh is expected to meet his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the summit and is likely to convey India's concerns over the recent spurt in cross-border terrorism and ceasefire violations.
Pakistan cricket has come under the spotlight after a newspaper report alleging players had been bribed to bowl pre-determined no-balls in the fourth Test against England. We feature some reactions to the scandal.
Contending that the relations with Pakistan had undergone 'transformation," India on Thursday said it had decided to have dialogue after assurance at the level of Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani that India's 'core concern' with regard to terrorism would be addressed adequately.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will come face to face for the first time since they crossed swords over the memo issue, when a cabinet committee meets on Saturday to discuss crucial issues related to national security and relations with the US.
Cornered back home for his "man of peace" remarks about his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani at the ongoing SAARC summit in Maldives, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday went on the offensive stating that the ties between the two countries were far from normal.
China and Pakistan on Thursday signed two agreements and MoUs pertaining to space technology and energy as Beijing pledged $190 million for a satellite project.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who addressed party Members of Parliament on Thursday, backed Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the joint statement signed between Pakistani PM Yusuf Raza Gilani and him in Sharm-el-Sheikh.
Leader of opposition L K Advani on Tuesday led a delegation of 146 members of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and met President Pratibha Devisingh Patil to intervene in the row triggered by the joint-statement issued after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani at Sharm-el Sheikh, Egypt -- wherein the issue of Baluchsitan was mentioned for the first time.
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Thursday defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on the joint statement issued after his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Egypt.However, his statement had few takers, and most experts feel that the reference to Baluchistan in the joint statement would prove to be a costly blunder.The Bharatiya Janata Party has also criticised Dr Singh.
Ali Haider Gilani, son of ex-premier Gilani, has been recovered from Afghanistan's Ghazni province, Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement.
Calibrated acceleration of the re-engagement process under the supervision of the two prime ministers is the need of the hour, says B Raman
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