There were speculations galore about the Pakistan premier's early departure in the wake of the Indo-Pak bilateral talks, reports Prasanna D Zore from Addu
The police guard who gunned down Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was assigned to protect key personalities, including Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani. Self-confessed killer Mumtaz Qadri was detailed on protection duties on as many as 509 occasions in the past three years, including for United States delegations, which are prime targets for terrorists.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was on Monday indicted by the Pakistan Supreme Court on contempt charges for refusing to revive graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, a move that may force the beleaguered leader to quit. Gilani, 59, the first Pakistani prime minister to be arraigned for contempt by the apex court, pleaded not guilty in the packed court room.
Pakistan Prime Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday wrapped up his high-profile visit to Beijing after securing China's open backing to counter-balance his country's tense ties with the United States, following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osma bin Laden, besides garnering a large economic and defence package.
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'.
Former Pakistani premier Yusuf Raza Gilani's son Ali Musa was on Friday arrested by the army-run Anti-Narcotics Force in connection with a case related to alleged irregularities in the import of Ephedrine, a controlled drug. Ali Musa was arrested at the gates of the Supreme Court when he arrived on Friday morning to seek pre-arrest bail. He was taken to an ANF office in Rawalpindi and detained in a room.
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.
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.
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".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday received his Pakistan counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani at the cricket stadium in Mohali where they will watch the Indo-Pak World Cup semi-final and hold bilateral talks.
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.
Dear readers, please help the prime minister figure out how to mix business with cricket. Kindly suggest five things the good doctor should tell Yusuf Raza Gilani.
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.
No bilateral meeting has been fixed so far between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani in Bhutan during the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said on Thursday."As of now, no such meeting has been set up between the prime minister and Gilani," she said, adding that Dr Singh will have separate meetings with leaders from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan.
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.
Powerful United States senator John Kerry asked Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to present before India Pakistan's plan of action for fighting terrorism if it was "really serious" in resuming Indo-Pak dialogue, but the Premier expressed concern that the public would not support the idea.
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 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.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's son Ali Musa has said he is ready to face trial in a case of alleged irregularities in the import of a large amount of the controlled drug Ephedrine. Ali Musa cut short his honeymoon in South Africa and returned to Pakistan on Saturday after being named as an accused in the case by the Anti-Narcotics Force.
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.
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.
Calibrated acceleration of the re-engagement process under the supervision of the two prime ministers is the need of the hour, says B Raman
"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.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to join him to watch the much awaited World Cup semi final between India and Pakistan, and also to join in a special dinner organised in honour of visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday night.
Two days before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh plays host to his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani at Mohali during the World Cup semi-final match between the two neighbours, the home secretaries of India and Pakistan are scheduled to hold talks on a range of bilateral issues at New Delhi on Monday. The talks are scheduled to start at the Ashoka hotel in the capital at 10 am.Pakistan Home Secretary Chaudhary Qamar Zaman arrived in India on Sunday.
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.
As he endeavours to reduce trust deficit between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent a consignment of mangoes to his counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday. About 20 kgs of special Alphonso mangoes were despatched to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, which will pass these on to the Prime Minister's office there, sources said.
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.
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.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has claimed that world's most wanted terrorist Osama Bin Laden is not in his country and said no distinction could be made between a good and a bad Taliban. The Pakistan prime minister admitted he had little information on the whereabouts of the Al Qaeda chief and said that the Pakistan army had conducted widespread operations in region such as Swat, South Waziristan and Orakzai tribal region.
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.
US President Barack Obama will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Premier Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, the White House said on Tuesday.
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.
Pakistan's powerful Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was on Thursday night given a three-year extension in service, ending months of speculation over his continuance.
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.
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.
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