All of 34, Hina Khar Rabbani, Pakistan's first woman and youngest foreign minister, was thrust into the spotlight as she landed in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The United States and the world community are aware that Pakistan's nuclear installations are well secured, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told the media. Pakistanis are a progressive and moderate nation and there is no question of nuclear installations or materials falling into the hands of militants, he said.
Bevan, who will take up his appointment in November 2011, has studied Social Anthropology at Sussex University before joining the Foreign Office in 1982 and has served in a number of bilateral and multilateral missions overseas.
Pakistan on Thursday refused to comment on reports that the Chilean police had arrested the brother of Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, who was accused of coordinating the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane.
Pakistan on Thursday dismissed reports that Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar was being treated in a Karachi hospital, with the help of officials of the Inter Services Intelligence, after he suffered a heart attack."This is hackneyed speculation with no substance whatsoever," said Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit.He said such reports were aimed at maligning Pakistan and creating misgivings.
Pakistan may appoint Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir as its next High Commissioner to India to replace current incumbent Shahid Malik, whose term is set to end in June.
Pakistan on Wednesday said that India had not produced witnesses belonging to the security forces before its Joint Investigation Team on the Pathankot terror attack.
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.
Terming as "unacceptable" the incident where an Indian woman's hand was chopped off by her employer in Saudi Arabia, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said the matter has been taken up with Saudi authorities.
The United States has sought access to records of all passengers flying out from Pakistan and permission to deploy American security officials at airports as part of an effort to prevent terror suspects reaching its soil, according to a media report published on Monday.
The Dawn reported that the alleged Indian intelligence personnel, whose cover was blown off in the media leak include commercial counsellor Rajesh Kumar Agnihotri, first secretary, press and culture Balbir Singh, first secretary, commercial Anurag Singh, visa attache Amardeep Singh Bhatti, visa assistants Dharmedra, Vijay Kumar Verma and Madhavan Nanda Kumar, and assistant, personnel welfare office Jayabalan Senthil.
Pakistani and foreign journalists on Thursday staged a token walkout of the weekly news briefing at the Foreign Office here to protest the killing of Asia Times Online bureau chief Syed Saleem Shahzad, whose body was found in Punjab province a day after he was reported missing.
Three Pakistani soldiers were killed and another three injured when North Aatlantic Treaty Organisation helicopters shelled a Pakistani outpost in the restive tribal belt bordering Afghanistan on Thursday, in the fourth cross-border attack into Pakistan in less than a week.
Pakistan has sought a clarification from India regarding errors in a list of 50 most wanted terrorists and criminals that New Delhi had asked Islamabad to hand over, Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua has said.
Pakistan has called on India to make 'fool-proof arrangements' for the security of the cricket World Cup in the wake of media reports about possible terrorist attacks on the venues of the tournament.
Pak-US ties are sliding down the hill due to difference over handling of peace issue in Afghanistan and US' growing defence tie with India.
Pakistan on Thursday criticised Home Secretary G K Pillai's remarks that the country's efforts to persecute the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks are a "facade", saying such comments were "misleading".
Pakistan criticised a multi-billion-dollar agreement finalised by France to sell twonuclear reactors to India, saying the deal would create"mistrust" and have "serious security implications" in South Asia.
Pak warned of "appropriate action" if India violates the Indus Water Treaty and said it is closely monitoring the situation, amid reports that New Delhi may revisit the key water sharing accord.
The kind of blanket immunity Washington is pressing for (US official Raymond) Davis is not endorsed by the official record of the Foreign Ministry," said Qureshi, who declined to join Pakistan's new cabinet last week after he was not reallocated the foreign affairs portfolio.
The battle to manage the international environment over Kashmir has just begun, but what is expected to help is the lifting of internal controls. All eyes are now on that exercise. Aditi Phadnis reports.
On the eve of foreign secretary-level talks in Thimphu, Pakistan on Saturday came out with a provocative statement saying that India's handling of the Samjhauta Express train bombing case showed that it lacked "courage to unearth culpability of Hindu extremists".
Pakistani authorities have rejected the demand of the United States to release an American diplomat who shot dead two youths in Lahore, saying the matter would be handled in court according to the country's laws. Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told a TV news channel on Sunday that the matter was already in court and the Punjab police were investigating the shooting incident in Lahore on Thursday. "It would not be appropriate to publicly talk on this issue," he said.
Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram''s comments that Islamabad was playing a role in instigating the Kashmiri population to commit acts of violence. Describing the statement as highly irresponsible and indicative of New Delhi not being serious about solving the Kashmir issue, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said instead of passing such statements, India should focus on halting and human rights abuse taking place in J&K.
"The Prime Minister thanked the Prime Minister of Pakistan for his telephone call and greetings," MEA said.
The wife of an Indian diplomat, who had reportedly sought asylum in the United Kingdom after allegedly being assaulted by her husband, has to leave the country along with her family, the British Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
Pakistan has once again blamed India for playing a blame game over their bilateral disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan on Monday asked India to provide an early update on the probe into the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing in the wake of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha leader's confession about the involvement of Sangh activists in the attack, in which most of the victims were Pakistanis.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who will be leaving for India on Wednesday to watch the much awaited World Cup semi-final match at Mohali, is likely to discuss all bilateral issues with his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh.
In an apparent reference to Swami Aseemanand's confession to a special court in New Delhi, a statement issued by the Foreign Office said the Indian diplomat's "attention was drawn to the recent reports in the media on the investigations into the Samjhauta Express blasts of February 2007".
"As far as the Indian suggestion is concerned, that will be dealt with according to our own laws and we will respond to India in due course," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters.
Pakistan on Thursday accused India of adopting an 'untenable, illegal and amoral' position on the issue of Kashmir and said New Delhi should come forward for meaningful and result-oriented talks aimed at resolving the decades-old issue.
India has sought a meeting between External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, diplomatic sources said.
Pakistan sought an "early and full resumption" of the dialogue process with India, saying it wants constructive, sustained and result-oriented talks on all issues, including the Kashmir problem.
According to sources, India is to present all actionable evidence against Pakistan if required at international bodies.
Pakistan on Friday said it is going to the upcoming foreign-secretary level parleys with India with an 'open mind' and was hopeful of a 'constructive attitude' from it so that the stalled peace process can be resumed. Referring to the upcoming meeting between the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India on the margins of the SAARC Council of Ministers meeting in Bhutan, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said, "Pakistan is going to Thimphu with an open mind".
Pakistan slammed Afghan National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta for alleging that the country and its military intelligence were linked to terrorists, saying it would not be "distracted by such unfair remarks".
Sartaj Aziz has blamed India for allegedly "creating hurdles" in the way of process to normalise the relations between the two countries.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday called his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani and offered more assistance in handling the devastation caused by the floods even though that country rejected the India's aid offer of $5 million.
Needling India, Pakistan on Thursday said that Kashmiri people were resolved to get their right to self-determination and New Delhi should read the 'writing on the wall.'
