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Imran Khan poised to become Pak PM, though party 22 short of majority

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Imran Khan poised to become Pak PM, though party 22 short of majority

Imran Khan is poised to become the new prime minister of Pakistan with his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, emerging on top in the general elections – although falling short of majority by 22 seats.

Results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan today showed PTI had won 115 seats. The National Assembly has 272 seats in total and the halfway mark is 137 for a simple majority. The former cricket star will need to form alliances and cobble up a coalition to make good the shortfall.

Khan’s direct rival and jailed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party PML-N won 62 seats.

The left-of-centre Pakistan People’s Party or PPP led by Bilawal Bhutto, son of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto, won 43 seats.

Results from some seats are still being counted, reports said.

“(PML-N) would play the role of a strong opposition,” said Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N president and brother of Nawaz Sharif, according to the English-language Dawn newspaper.

Imran Khan’s party also appears to have succeeded in wresting control of the local assembly in Pakistan’s biggest province, Punjab, from the Sharifs, according to the official but incomplete results. Punjab is home to more than half of Pakistan’s 208 million people and had been the power base of the Sharif family for more than three decades.

During a presidential style address on Thursday night, Imran Khan offered to investigate opposition claims of rigging after a bitter campaign in which Pakistan’s powerful military was accused of tilting the race in favour of Khan, and trying to erase democratic gains made since the last military regime ended in 2008.

Imran Khan vowed to improve relations with India and Afghanistan, while calling for mutually beneficial ties with the US.

Khan, who came to power after what he called 22 years of struggle, pitched for development, stability and improvement of Pakistan’s economy. Khan shared his vision for his nation and vowed to make Pakistan’s institutions stronger under which everyone will be held accountable. He also promised to make a “Naya Pakistan” which would be an Islamic welfare state.

The elections in the hostile neighbourhood are watched with keen interest in India, just as developments here evoke huge response there.

There has been concern in India about the outcome of the elections in Pakistan. It has been pointed out that a hardline party at the helm will affect the security of the people in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the rest of India in view of Pakistan’s tacit support to terror.

In his address on Thursday night, the 65-year-old former captain of Pakistan cricket team said he was a “little disappointed” the way Indian media has portrayed him “like a Bollywood villain… as though all will be bad if I come to power”.

“I have widely travelled in India because of cricket and I want good relations with India,” he said.

Elaborating on his foreign policy and his views of relations with India towards the end of his address, Khan said the two countries also need to have a dialogue on Kashmir.

“The biggest dispute between us is about Kashmir. We need to talk about Kashmir… We’re still on Square 1. India sees Baluchistan, we see Kashmir… this blame game has to stop. We are ready to take two steps forward if you take one,” he said. “The situation in Kashmir, the human rights violations, deploying army there… Kashmiris have suffered. The leadership has to find a way out,” he added.

He underscored the importance of trade ties with India. “The number one priority of any government should be trade ties with India,” he said.

In India, media reports quoting experts in India-Pakistan affairs said there would be no sudden turnaround in the relationship with Pakistan. The army will continue dictating Islamabad’s policy towards New Delhi.

Khan’s critics allege that he has the army’s backing, despite his own denials. He has endeared himself to the army and also echoed right-wing Islamist voices on certain issues.

Some analysts saw this as making it easier for India to talk to Pakistan: for once, there would not be the problem of Pakistan government saying one thing and its army pulling in another direction.

Traditionally, the foreign and defence policies of Pakistan have larger imprints of its army, the sixth largest in the world.

“To me this is like the early days of Nawaz Sharif when he pandered to the right-wing religious elements and wrongly believed that such elements could be handled politically,” said MK Bhadrakumar, a former career diplomat who headed the ministry of external affairs’ PAI (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) division, according to a report in The Hindustan Times (HT).

The election results mean little for Pakistan or the region, said strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellany. “The Pakistani military will remain the puppet master calling the shots from behind the scenes,” Chellaney said. “Imran Khan is its latest civilian puppet. Khan’s support of Islamists and his defence of Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws will ensure Pakistan remains a jihadist dungeon.”

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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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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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