Top Pakistani diplomat Jalil Abbas Jilani, who was expelled by India in 2003 after being accused of funnelling funds to Kashmiri separatists, has been named as the next foreign secretary, official sources said on Wednesday.
Today's situation in the Shaksgam Valley is the consequence of what happened in Gilgit in 1947. But is India ready to militarily get back its territories? asks Claude Arpi.
Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday night targeted two bases of the Balochi militant group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan's border town of Panjgur in Balochistan province.
"International law doesn't recognise India's unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019. The judicial endorsement by the Indian Supreme Court has no legal value. Kashmiris have an inalienable right to self determination in accordance with the relevant UN SC resolutions," Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said in a post on X.
Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has included Mishaal Hussain Malik, wife of jailed terrorist and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, in his cabinet.
Pakistan President Arif Alvi has stirred a controversy by proposing a 'one-state solution' to the Palestine problem in a significant departure from established policy, prompting the caretaker government to distance itself from the remarks and calls for his resignation.
The development comes amidst officials of the foreign ministries from the two sides exchanged goodwill messages.
Pakistan's foreign office on Friday called Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal to lodge a protest over the death of a Pakistani soldier in an incident of firing along the Line of Control, which has witnessed a string of clashes since the weekend.
Certain stakeholders in Pakistan have 'some reservations' about giving Most Favoured Nation-status to India and the issue will be discussed at an upcoming meeting between the two sides, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said on Thursday.
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani arrives in New Delhi on Tuesday to hold talks on Wednesday with his Indian counterpart Ranjan Mathai during which arrest of LeT terrorist Zabiuddin Ansari, who revealed Pakistan's involvement in November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is expected to be raised by New Delhi.
India on Thursday made it clear to Pakistan that bringing those guilty in the 2008 Mumbai attacks to justice is the biggest confidence building measure that Islamabad could do.
Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold talks in Delhi on July 4-5 to discuss peace and security, including Confidence Building Measures and Kashmir. As part of the second round of resumed dialogue process between India and Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani.
Pakistan on Friday released 45 Indian prisoners as a gesture of goodwill though confusion surrounded the move as Indian authorities in New Delhi were not informed about it.
No dossier, no amount of dramatic TV debates will help in countering Pakistan's use of terrorism against India. Only an effective and deniable deterrent power and in the form of our capability to carry out deniable covert actions against terrorists based in Pakistani territory can help.
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani began their talks in New Delhi on Wednesday during which India is expected to strongly flag the issue of terror activities being planned from Pakistani soil in the backdrop of arrest of Laskar-e-Tayiba terrorist Abu Jundal, who has revealed Pakistani involvement in Mumbai terror attacks.
On the eve of Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks, India on Tuesday regretted that 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed is moving freely in Pakistan, which needs to do more on tackling terrorism.
Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan would meet on June 29 in New Delhi to prepare the ground for the crucial meeting of the foreign ministers planned for the middle of July in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said in Beijing on Wednesday.
Bashir, who served as foreign secretary from May 2008 to March 2012, has been named Pakistan's new high commissioner to India and is expected to take up the post next month.
Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Ambassador to the European Union Jalil Abbas Jilani are among possible contenders to replace Husain Haqqani, who resigned as the country's envoy to the US because of the "Memogate" controversy.
The working groups set up by the two sides as part of the dialogue could go into session next month around the time of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's visit to Washington before the beginning of the UN General Assembly session. However, the resumption of the strategic dialogue next month has been ruled out.
Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Thursday spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani and asked him to expedite the handing over the body of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh who died in a Lahore hospital early on Thursday morning after battling for life for nearly a week.
Ahead of the Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani on Tuesday said he has been "mandated" by his leadership to move the peace process forward and was looking forward to a "very constructive" dialogue with his Indian counterpart on Tuesday.
"The request comes a day after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said they planned to send nuclear centrifuges to the agency for investigation relating to Iran's nuclear programme," Pakistan Foreign office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani was quoted in
Pakistan on Thursday said that the country's air force struck terrorist hideouts in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province, a day after Islamabad recalled its ambassador from Tehran in the wake of Iranian missile and drone strikes in Balochistan.
"We strongly condemn this attack. The bus service is a humanitarian gesture to reunite the divided families. The innocent travellers have committed no crime," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani told PTI.
Indian officials have recently said 802 fishermen and 171 civilian prisoners were in Pakistan's custody.
The Indian side, led by Road Transport Joint Secretary Alok Rawat, suggested during the talks that passengers travelling on the proposed service be made to carry entry permits along with passports.
Indian High Commission officials here said no lists of prisoners were provided by India through the mission.
India immediately rejected the charge, saying it was carrying out operations to stop large-scale infiltration from across the border.
The granting of visas to envoys on both sides is expected to lower diplomatic tensions, which has so far seen staff strengths at the high commissions being reduced by over 60 per cent.
Veteran Pakistani diplomat and current Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani is expected to be appointed the country's ambassador to the US ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to Washington this month.
Pakistan government is holding internal discussions on formulating a policy to deal with the new Indian government under Narendra Modi.
Pakistan on Thursday appointed career diplomat Abdul Basit as its new high commissioner to India. Basit, 55, was earlier tipped to take over as foreign secretary but the government recently made several changes in proposed appointments.
Visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday met United States Secretary of State John Kerry and discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, the state department said.
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