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Nawaz Sharif’s loyalist Shahid Abbasi elected interim Prime Minister of Pakistan

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Shahid Abbasi elected interim Prime Minister of Pakistan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The former petroleum minister is expected to hold office only for 45 days as Nawaz has made it clear that his brother and chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif lead the government as soon as he is elected to the Pakistan National Assembly

Days after the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified Nawaz Sharif from his membership of the country’s National Assembly forcing him to step down as Prime Minister, lawmakers in Pakistan elected Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a long-time loyalist of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief as the country’s interim Premier.

Abbasi was, on Tuesday evening, administered the oath of office by Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House, making him the 18th Prime Minister of the country.

Through the day the streets and even the Pakistan National Assembly saw high drama – both by supporters of Nawaz Sharif and his detractors. Sharif was disqualified by a five-judge Bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court on July 28 in a case related to last year’s Panama Papers leak which had revealed how his family amassed wealth through dubious means and invested it through shady deals.

While it was clear that Sharif’s brother Shahbaz would be the former Prime Minister’s choice for succeeding him, the name of Abbasi was among the few probables that was doing the rounds for being chosen as the interim Prime Minister.

As such Abassis tenure is expected to be á short one. The country’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has already named Shahbaz Sharif as his brother’s obvious successor to the Premier’s post. Since Shahbaz holds only a provincial seat, he must first enter parliament by contesting the seat left vacant by Nawaz Sharif. He will also have to resign as member of the state legislative of Punjab and a new Chief Minister will have been identified.

Until Shahbaz is elevated to the high office, Abbasi would basically be serving the purpose of keeping the Prime Minister’s seat warm for the ‘rightful heir’ to Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N too is resigned to this reality.

Abbasi, 58, hails from the famous hill resort of Murree in Rawapindi district of Punjab province and was minister for petroleum in the ousted government. A die-hard supporter of Sharif, he put up a strong defence of the ousted leader after being elected interim Prime Minister, saying that Nawaz Sharif may have been disqualified by the Supreme Court but remains the people’s premier”.

“I am grateful to you all, for following the democratic process — whether you voted for or against me. I am grateful to the people of Pakistan, and I am grateful to the ‘people’s prime minister’, Nawaz Sharif,” Abbasi said soon after winning the vote in the lower house of Pakistan’s National Assembly to be named the interim Prime Minister.

In a tongue-in-cheek taunt at Nawaz Sharif’s arch rival, former cricketer and Opposition leader Imran Khan who led the campaign for Nawaz’s disqualification, Abbasi said: “I am also grateful to the opposition and Imran Khan for remembering us in their daily slandering.”

“Everybody wants the [prime minister’s] chair. Tell me, who in this house doesn’t? It is to the PML-N’s credit that all party members rallied unanimously behind whoever was nominated by our leader (Nawaz Sharif). Within four days, the democratic process is back on track. There were no defections. There was no dissension in our ranks”, Abbasi added.

In ä passionate address, the interim Prime Minister said: “Justice mandates that though a 1,000 guilty people may go free, not even one innocent person should be wrongfully convicted. I will not go into details of Friday’s (Supreme Court) decision — I only want to say that there will soon be another court — one held by the people. There will be no Joint Investigation Team there.”

Abbasi conceded that he was going to hold the office only for a short period saying, “I am the country’s prime minister — be it for 45 days or 45 hours” but added  that he wasn’t elected “just to keep the seat warm.”

“If I am here for 45 days, I will try to complete the amount of the work that requires 45 months,” he vowed.

One of the wealthiest parliamentarians in Pakistan, Abbasi was part of Nawaz Sharif’s team which was tasked to address the energy crisis in the country.

A staunch loyalist, Abbasi had stood by Nawaz Sharif when his government was toppled in 1999 by General Pervez Musharraf in a military coup that followed the Kargil War between India and Pakistan.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

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India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

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Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

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US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

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US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

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Donald Trump

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

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