Dr Singh's invitation to Pakistan's head of State and head of government is an important but risky gesture which could have political consequences, believes B Raman
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that the Constitution has explicitly spelt out ways to remove him from his position, and added that no one can force him out. Gilani said that he would not step down through unconstitutional means, and would exhaust all means to have a fair trial.
A special aircraft carrying Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and several federal ministers made an emergency landing on Tuesday shortly after taking off from a military airbase in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi. The aircraft, which was going to Sukkur in Sindh province, returned to Chaklala airbase shortly after take-off and made an emergency landing as it had developed technical problems, TV news channels quoted officials as saying.
President George W Bush on Friday assured Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of the US administration's continued support for the democratic government in Pakistan in the wake of former President Pervez Musharraf's resignation.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday chaired a meeting of Pakistan's top civil and military leadership ahead of the resumption of a trilateral initiative with Afghanistan and the US to boost the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.
A special session of Pakistan Parliament will be convened on Friday to elect a new premier following Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's disqualification by the supreme court.
Days after Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar contradicted President Asif Ali Zardari during a meeting with a visiting United States diplomat, speculation is rife that her portfolio may be changed.
The Pakistan government's top law officer told the supreme court on Monday it had no role to play in the disqualification of the Prime Minister, which could be decided only by the National Assembly speaker or the election commission.
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.
Haider's release was the second successful instance of a dramatic rescue in a high-profile kidnapping case after slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer's son Shahbaz, who was abducted in 2011, was found in March after spending nearly five years in captivity.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday, that he was hopeful that the upcoming meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and India will pave the way for "progress of structured dialogue".
But contempt petitions against sitting prime ministers are nothing new in Pakistan.
While it was a meet and greet encounter between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Reza Gilani on Monday evening, no doubt disappointing journalists on both sides, United States President Barack Obama singled out Dr Singh for a warm hug at the dinner South Korean President Lee Myung-bak hosted for leaders attending the second Nuclear Security Summit, reaffirming in a sense their effusive personal relationship.
A Pakistani court has issued notices to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and many other politicians in response to a petition seeking the disclosure of their assets abroad.
Ahead of a possible meeting between their prime ministers in Thimphu, Pakistan on Tuesday said it wanted the resumption of composite dialogue with India at the political level, as the outcome of parleys between the foreign secretaries had been 'disappointing'."I don't think a forward movement can take place at the foreign-secretary level," Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, adding, "If you want real progress, it will have to come from the political leaders"
Pakistan and China are disagreeing over whether Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has given the Chinese a gift, an entire naval base at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
The political leaders of India and Pakistan should build "bridges and not walls" as talks are the only way forward for the two neighbouring countries, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Thursday.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday asked the world community to help the country in the crucial process of rehabilitation and reconstruction in the militancy-hit areas in the northwest.
Pakistan's mighty military establishment and a defiant judiciary seems to have joined hands to give a tough time to a fragile Pakistan People's Party government at a critical time -- just before the election of the new prime minister following the disqualification of Yousaf Raza Gilani by the supreme court on contempt charges. Amir Mir reports.
The ruling Pakistan People's Party has nominated senior leader Makhdoom Shahabuddin for the post of premier following the Supreme Court's disqualification of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. Shahbuddin is also a Sajjada Nashin or the descendant of a Sufi saint like his predecessor Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday expressed his "strong desire" to build "further momentum" to carry forward relations with India in a constructive manner. Gilani made the remarks when Pakistan's High Commissioner-designate to India, Salman Bashir, called on him before his departure to New Delhi to assume his new assignment.
Pakistan appears to have piped down on Saturday after two days of acrimony with India with its leaders saying it wanted continuation of the bilateral dialogue and is serious about normalisation of Indo-Pak ties.
India and Pakistan should end their "long legacy of hostility and distrust" and work towards a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Friday.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, asked by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza to cut short her visit to the US amid growing tensions between the two countries, will return to Pakistan after addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
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
Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned the serial blasts in Delhi, terming those responsible as 'enemies of humanity'.In separate messages, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed shock and grief over the loss of precious human lives.Gilani said the elements involved in such 'heinous acts are enemies of humanity'.
Pakistan's top leadership reacted angrily on Saturday to a resolution introduced in the United States Congress seeking the right to self-determination for Baloch people, with Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani describing the move as an attack on the country's sovereignty. Gilani condemned the resolution moved in the US House of Representatives by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on Friday.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the Shunglu Committee report on alleged irregularities in the conduct of Commonwealth Games was being analysed by various ministries.
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.
Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday appeared before the Supreme Court to face a contempt notice for not reopening graft cases against Asif Ali Zardari, saying he was unable to act as the president enjoyed complete immunity under the Constitution.
The series of domestic political crises has sipped into Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's diplomatic agenda. He will be addressing the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 24, September.
'Not another coup, please', was the advice given by the Pakistani media on Thursday to the powerful military, which is engaged in a major stand-off with the weak civilian government over the memo scandal.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said unless the "core issues" of Kashmir and sharing of river waters are resolved, ties between India and Pakistan cannot improve.
Pakistan's ruling coalition leaders have decided to call an urgent session of parliament on Thursday in the wake of a warning from the Supreme Court that action could be taken against the president and prime minister for failing to reopen high-profile corruption cases.
Pakistan on Thursday said no meeting has been fixed as yet between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan to take forward the bilateral process. Foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit said no meeting between the foreign ministers had been fixed, in the wake of the decision by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to revive the peace process between the two countries.
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.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be meeting his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit to be held in the Maldives next week.
Close on the heels of President Obama's announcement of the revamped Afghan strategy, Pakistan has said that it is concerned about the negative implications of the new US policy in Afghanistan.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has decided to surrender his presidential powers related to the dissolution of assemblies and the appointment of services chiefs to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Krishna was with Dr Singh for about 30 minutes during which he gave a detailed account of his talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
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