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Saudi Arabia calls Nawaz Sharif to Riyadh for consultation

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Saudi Arabia calls Nawaz Sharif to Riyadh for consultation

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Turkish PM mediates between royal court and Sharif family

In another development Saudi Arabia’s growing role in Pakistan’s politics was evident when ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif  arrived in Riyadh on an unscheduled visit on Saturday to meet King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on “matters of national interest and not for personal reasons”.

His elder brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is already in Riyadh. He is nominated to be the next Prime Minister in the Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz (PML-N).

Meanwhile, Dawn, quoting Senator Pervaiz Rashid , a close aide to Nawaz Sharif said  that PML-N has dismissed the reports about the possibility of  another National Reconciliation Order (NRO). “Those claiming that an NRO is being prepared should at least know that it is signed secretly and not so openly,” he said.

Pakistani media has been discussing Sharif brothers’ Riyadh visit as a part of the Saudi efforts for reaching a possible deal between the embattled Sharif family and the military establishment. Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also been critical of the sudden visits of the two most important brothers: Shahbaz and Nawaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia’s capital.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid said, “Mian (Nawaz) Sahib’s visit is that of national interest as it has nothing to do with his personal interest. It will not be good to talk about the matters of sensitive nature before they take final shape.”

He further said that Saudi Arabia was observing developments in Pakistan closely. He was quoted saying, “At times the two friendly countries need each other’s help on certain matters. Those who are claiming that Mian Sahib’s visit to Saudi Arabia is aimed at achieving personal and party’s interests are in fact unaware of the nature of relations between the two brotherly states,” he said and advised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan to better keep quiet over Mr Sharif’s visit as his “irresponsible statements” were not only hurting Saudi Arabia but also causing problems for Pakistan.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi Arabian aircraft suddenly picked Shahbaz Sharif from Lahore for Riyadh for “important meetings” and performing Umrah, a mini pilgrimage at Mekkah. An unanimous PML-N leader had told Dawn that for many years US used to play its role in Pakistani politics through Saudi Arabia and Shahbaz Sharif’s visit should be seen in that perspective.

Shahbaz Sharif is likely to accompany Nawaz Sharif during meetings with the top Saudi leadership, including King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. On Thursday Shahbaz Sharif met visiting Turkish PM Binali Yildirim in Riyadh.

Observers believe that Turkish PM has been working as mediator to restore friendly relations between Saudi rulers and most powerful Sharif brothers in Pakistan. Riyadh was unhappy over Islamabad’s refusal to send its forces to fight Saudi-led war against Yemen.

On the other hand Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has tweeted a loaded message against Sharif family alleging of plundering national wealth.

Dismissing the possibility of Sharif’s exile in Saudi Arabia after their meetings with the royal family, Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former PM tweeted: “Exile will be the fate of dictators and those who toppled democracy instead of the elected representatives of the people.”

Nawaz Sharif had resigned in July when country’s Supreme Court disqualified the Prime Minister over long running corruption allegations against him and his family over Panama Papers’ leak linking his family to lucrative offshore businesses.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin.

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin today denied a US media report that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president-elect Donald Trump had spoken on the phone last week about the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier on Sunday, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Pution on call, urging him not to inflame the conflict. Speaking on the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media that the report was completely false information, and denied any phone call took place.

It was reported that US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine. It said that Donald Trump held the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his stunning election victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris. The report also mentioned that both the leaders expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.

Notably, Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin. However, the US President elect has not said how he intends to strike a peace deal or what terms he is proposing.

Donald Trump’s election is seen as carrying the potential to upend the almost three-year Ukraine conflict, as he insists on a quick end to the fighting and casts doubt on Washington’s multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, with the Republican’s billionaire backer Elon Musk also notably joining them on the call. Volodymyr Zelensky described the call as excellent, adding that he and Trump had agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation.

Additionally, the outgoing Democratic administration of President Joe Biden has confirmed that it will send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House aims to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar’s press conference

The MEA said that these actions yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar's press conference

A few hours after Australia Today aired External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s press conference in Australia, Canada banned the outlet. The External Affairs Minister gave remarks on the India-Canada diplomatic standoff. 

Reacting to this, India on Thursday said it was surprised by Canada’s move to ban the outlet and emphasized that it highlighted Ottawa’s hypocrisy towards freedom of speech. Australia Today, which is an important outlet for the Indian community in the country, had aired the joint press conference of S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra.

In a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that they understand that the social media handles, pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, have been blocked and are not available for viewers in Canada. He continued that this happened just an hour or a few hours after this particular handle carried the press conference of S Jaishankar with Penny Wong. He called out the incident, mentioning that they are surprised, and the matter looks strange to them.

He further underlined that these are the actions which yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech. He noted that the External Affairs Minister spoke about three things: Canada making allegations and a pattern had developed without any specific evidence, surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, which he termed as unacceptable, and  the political space which has been given in Canada to anti-India elements. 

With this one can draw conclusions, why Australia Today channel was blocked by Canada, the spokesperson said. Australia Today focuses on news and analytical pieces related to the Indian community in Australia and elsewhere across the world.

This incident follows days after devotees were attacked by pro-Khalistani at a Hindu temple in Canada’s Brampton, with S Jaishankar calling it deeply concerning. Furthermore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack and said that there were cowardly attempts to intimidate Indian diplomats.

The diplomatic standoff between India and Canada began in September last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents might have been involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a claim outrightly rejected by New Delhi.

Later in October 2024, ties between both the countries nosedived when Canada termed the Indian High Commissioner a person of interest in its investigation into Nijjar’s murder. Issuing a strongly worded statement, India dismissed the fresh charge and recalled the envoy and some diplomats, while expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner.

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PM Modi congratulates Donald Trump on winning US President election

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the 2024 US Presidential election and said he is looking forward to renewing their collaboration to further strengthen the India-US partnership.

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

“Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” PM Modi posted on his X handle.

With the results being announced for the 2024 US election on November 6, Trump became the 47th President of the United States.

Former US President Trump appeared to be on track for a remarkable political comeback in the White House race. Projections suggested that he was poised to secure the necessary 270 electoral college votes, effectively blocking Democratic candidate Kamala Harris from winning the election.

The relationship between Trump and Modi has been characterised by robust diplomatic ties, strategic collaboration, and a noticeable personal rapport. Their friendship was prominently displayed during major events such as “Howdy, Modi” in Houston in 2019 and “Namaste Trump” in Ahmedabad in 2020, where they addressed large audiences and expressed their mutual respect.

On a strategic level, Trump and Modi found common ground in matters of defense and security, both adopting a strong stance against terrorism, which reinforced their alliance, particularly concerning threats from Pakistan.

As he approaches a notable victory in the US election, Republican Presidential candidate Trump expressed gratitude to his supporters today, calling it a magnificent victory for the American people. He also referenced the assassination attempt on July 13, stating, “God spared my life for a reason.”

The 78-year-old candidate is currently projected to secure 267 electoral college votes, just three shy of the decisive 270, while his opponent, incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, holds 224 electoral votes.

Trump described the Republican campaign as the greatest political movement of all time, asserting, “We are going to help our country heal, secure our borders, and we made history for a reason tonight. This is an incredible political victory. I want to thank the American people. I will fight for you and your family with every breath I have.”

He noted that Democrats are now looking at a projected total of 315 electoral votes.

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