'During the 5-day visit, Amir Khan Muttaqi would have, conceivably, bumped into our powerful security agencies one way or another and some interaction would have ensued, which, in turn, can lead to future dealings.' 'Indeed, this will be the one crucial template of the Indo-Afghan relationship that Pakistan will be monitoring closely,' points Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Congress on Wednesday termed Chinese claims of mediation between India and Pakistan concerning and said the people of India need clarity on the issue.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will begin a four-day official visit to India on Friday to carry forward the peace process between the two countries and address outstanding issues like Kashmir.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that the suicide bomber involved in the deadly Islamabad bombing was an Afghan national. The announcement follows a suicide bombing in Islamabad and another attack in South Waziristan.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said his country will go to war if India denies Islamabad its fair share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri said the US secretary of state appreciated Pakistan's help in securing peace and stability in Afghanistan.
The Indian government has relaxed foreign direct investment (FDI) norms for countries sharing land borders with India, including China, a move that amends press note 3 of 2020.
He added that opposition parties were assured that their concerns regarding the impact of the West Asia situation on India and the safety of Indian citizens were addressed in detail.
Trump's 'Board of Peace' is being projected by Washington, DC as a new international body to usher in peace and stability in Gaza and beyond, triggering speculation that it could throw a challenge to the United Nations.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing that the meeting, however, does not indicate any change in India's policy towards Pakistan.
The foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have supported Pakistan's call for a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the accidental firing of a projectile into the country from India earlier this month.
Qureshi said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj sent a letter on Sunday to congratulate Prime Minister Imran Khan and mentioned about talks to resolve issues.
Russia has expressed strong concern over a US-Israeli strike on the Iranian port of Bandar Anzali, a key transit hub on the INSTC, warning of the risk of drawing Caspian states into the ongoing conflict.
The funeral prayer for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday in Dhaka. Foreign dignitaries are expected to attend.
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
"Let me explain to you that we were not trapped by your 'googlies'. Our two Sikh Ministers went to Kartarpur Sahib to offer prayers in the Holy Gurudwara", she said.
Pakistan launched a military operation targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan following a series of attacks, including a suicide bombing that killed Pakistani soldiers. The action comes after repeated calls for the Afghan Taliban to prevent terrorists from using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan.
China on Tuesday called for a 'comprehensive and lasting ceasefire' between India and Pakistan, urging both countries to properly handle their differences through dialogue.
'Pakistan wanted India out of Afghanistan to which again the Taliban told Pakistan to take a walk.' 'Six months after they came back to power in 2021 India was back in Afghanistan at the request of the Taliban.' 'The Taliban realised that India has no agenda of its own in Afghanistan.'
Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have resumed peace talks in Istanbul, aiming to address cross-border terrorism and prevent further escalation. The talks follow recent clashes and a temporary ceasefire, with Pakistan demanding that Afghan soil not be used for terrorism.
'Can a nuclear-armed nation sustain itself indefinitely under overt military rule without catastrophic consequences for itself and the region? History suggests otherwise.'
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are actively pushing Trump to take the war to its bitter finish and 'erase' Iran's presence in the geopolitics of the region. Simply put, the two most powerful Sunni Arab oligarchies are on the same page as Israel. Such interference increases the risk of a breakdown in dialogue between the US and Iran, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang will travel to India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting being held in Goa on May 4 and 5, the foreign ministry in Beijing announced on Tuesday.
The India release of the Oscar-nominated film 'The Voice of Hind Rajab', based on the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces, is facing delays as the distributor awaits a censor certificate.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa instructed Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to immediately rush to Pakistan on Tuesday, hours after the terrorist atack on Sri Lankan cricket team which left six cricketers injured.
The scheduled visit of Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to Agra has been cancelled. The cancellation was confirmed by officials, though no reason was provided. Muttaqi is currently on a six-day trip to India, the first such visit by a senior Taliban minister in four years.
A day ahead of her visit to India for crucial peace talks, Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Monday said bilateral parleys on Kashmir issue should not be only "for the sake of dialogue" and should yield "constructive results".
Relations with India experienced a downturn during Yunus's tenure, while ties with Pakistan saw positive developments.
The attack came less than three months after a suicide bomber killed 12 people in a blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad.
The funeral of Bangladesh's former prime minister Khaleda Zia will be held on Wednesday, and she will be buried with full state honors beside her husband, late president Ziaur Rahman.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and setting up of 'mechanisms' to ensure lasting peace after days of violent clashes along the border that left several soldiers, civilians, and terrorists dead on both sides, officials said on Sunday.
Pakistan confirms that talks with the Afghan Taliban to address cross-border terrorism have failed, citing a lack of commitment from Kabul to control militancy. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of supporting anti-Pakistan terrorists and blames India for the failure of the talks.
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.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in Moscow on a four-day visit to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the SCO of which both India and China are members.
Naqvi assured Siriwiratnay that the visiting team players and officials were state guests in Pakistan.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended the swearing-in ceremony of Bangladesh's new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, conveying India's support for Bangladesh's democratic and progressive development and extending an invitation from PM Modi to visit India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit India, conveying his best wishes to the newly sworn-in leader.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances