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Malala returns to Pakistan, meets PM Khaqan Abbasi

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Malala returns to Pakistan, meets PM Khaqan Abbasi

Details of her visit kept secret for security reasons

In a sudden development, Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai returned to Pakistan, late Wednesday night,  in her first visit since she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman six years ago for advocating  for girls’ education. She is accompanied by her parents.

According to The News International, Malala,20, arrived unannounced at Islamabad airport. Social media was flooded with people’s reaction: some appreciating her bravery while others says that her visit will foment dissent.

Malala, 20, is widely known as respected activist for women education and empowerment while conservatives view her as a Western agent on a mission to shame her country.

She came into prominence after surviving an attack on her life. A gunman boarded her school bus in Swat on October 9, 2012, asked “Who is Malala?” and shot her. She was sent to UK for treatment where she also completed her schooling.

Malala returns to Pakistan, meets PM Khaqan AbbasiAfter her arrival in Islamabad on Thursday, Malala met with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi which set the tone of her engagements in her home country. However, details of her visit are being kept secret for her security. Earlier Malala met Abbasi during UN General Assembly meeting in New York last year when she advocated for improving education facilities for women.

However, Dawn reports that the 20-year-old Oxford University student is currently in Pakistan on a four-day visit.

After meeting PM Abbasi, Malala told media persons, “I continued my education there [in the United Kingdom], but I have always wanted to move freely in Pakistan. I want to invest in the education of children.Pakistan women should be empowered.”

PM Abbasi, while addressing the journalists after Yousafzai,  Welcomed her and that said he was happy that a daughter of the nation has returned to her homeland.

“You were a 13-year-old girl when you left and now you are the most famous citizen of the country. The entire world gave you honour and respect and Pakistan will [also].It is your home. Now you are not an ordinary citizen, your security is our responsibility.”

He also described the details of Pakistan’s fight against terrorism after Malala was attacked. “After your departure, we have fought a difficult war in which 6,500 soldiers, 25,000 policemen, paramilitary forces and civilians embraced martyrdom. Terrorism has been eliminated and still, we are fighting a war against terrorism. Set aside what the world says about us, Pakistan is fighting the largest war against terror. More than 200,000 soldiers are engaged in the war,” he said.

Yousafzai, who belongs to Swat, has been living in the UK after surviving a Taliban attack in 2012, which necessitated her departure abroad for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, Muhammed Faisal, spokesman for the Foreign Office told media persons, “She will be meeting several people here but her itinerary is not being disclosed due to security reasons.”

“We welcome Malala…. She is back home. It is a positive development,” he said, calling her “one of our young and brilliant daughters” and adding that Pakistanis should respect her.


The youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, Malala  has continued to be a vocal advocate for girls´ education while pursuing her studies at Oxford University.

Hamid Mir, a leading Pakistani journalist has issued a plea for opposition politicians and commentators to exercise restraint when talking about the visit.”International media is highly focused on her return and this (bad language) will damage Pakistan´s image,” he said.

One of the twitter users Shahira Lashari wrote, “Dear Pakistanis! Malala is not your enemy. Your enemies were those monsters who shot her point blank on her way to school.”

Malala began her campaign for girl education at the age of just 11, when she started writing a blog — under a pseudonym — for the BBC´s Urdu service in 2009 about life under the Taliban in Swat, where they were banning girls´ education.

In 2007 the militants had taken over the area, which Malala affectionately called “My Swat”, and imposed a brutal, bloody rule. Brutal Taliban terrorists murdered their opponents, people were publicly flogged for supposed breaches of sharia law, women were banned from going to market, and girls were stopped from going to school.

Malala has got more than a million followers within eight months of opening a Twitter account on her last day of school in July 2017. “I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education,” Malala wrote at the time.

Malala returns to Pakistan, meets PM Khaqan AbbasiDuring a recent appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos,  Malala urged women to “change the world” without waiting for the help of men.

She said, “We won´t ask men to change the world, we´re going to do it ourselves. We´re going to stand up for ourselves, we´re going to raise our voices and we´re going to change the world.”

In March 2015, Malala Yousufazai and Indian child rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi had received the Noble Peace Prize awards. The Noble committee described both laureates as “champions of peace”.

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Trump rejects Iran’s 7-day peace plan, says deal can come after US polls

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s seven-day proposal to end hostilities and indicated that a deal could come after the US midterm elections in November.

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Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest proposal aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing conflict, while indicating that a possible agreement could come after the US midterm elections in November.

Iran had proposed a seven-day framework under which hostilities could be brought to an end, the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and negotiations over its nuclear programme could resume.

Iran’s seven-day proposal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had put forward the proposal through intermediaries. Under the plan, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the end of the seventh day if specified conditions were met, while broader nuclear discussions would restart.

The proposal was based largely on an earlier understanding reached between Washington and Tehran, but Iran sought to implement the latest framework much faster. The earlier arrangement had provided a longer period for negotiations.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway for global energy shipments, making its reopening a key element of any effort to ease the wider conflict.

Trump points to US midterm elections

Trump, speaking at the United Nations, showed no indication that he was ready to immediately resume negotiations on the terms proposed by Tehran.

He called for the economic isolation of Iran and said he believed a deal could be reached after the US midterm elections in November. Trump also said Iran was waiting to see how he performed in the midterm elections.

The remarks came as Iranian officials signalled that they remained open to diplomacy and described the UN General Assembly as an opportunity to revive negotiations.

Nuclear talks remain part of Iran proposal

Iran’s latest plan links the easing of hostilities with the resumption of negotiations over its nuclear programme.

The proposal follows the collapse of an earlier US-Iran arrangement. According to reporting on the latest proposal, the new framework is intended to compress the timeline for implementing commitments that had previously been discussed by the two sides.

For now, Trump’s remarks indicate that Washington is not accepting Tehran’s seven-day framework as presented, while Iran continues to put diplomacy and negotiations forward as part of its proposal.

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Iranian President Pezeshkian at UN says Iranians have been victims of US terrorism

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at the UN General Assembly that Iranians had been victims of US terrorism and insisted that Iran had acted in self-defence.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of subjecting Iranians to what he described as terrorism while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

Pezeshkian said Iran had defended itself against attacks and rejected the characterisation of the country as a terrorist actor. His remarks came during a rare wartime appearance at the UN as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high.

Pezeshkian accuses US and Israel of attacks

Speaking at the General Assembly, Pezeshkian said Iranian civilians had been targeted by attacks and described the actions against his country as aggression.

“We have only defended ourselves. We are not terrorists,” he said, according to the report.

Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of attacking Iran, while maintaining that Tehran’s response was an act of self-defence.

The Iranian president displayed photographs of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolchildren who, according to his account, were killed during the early days of the conflict.

Iran’s message at the UN

Pezeshkian’s address came against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and heightened tensions in the region.

Iranian officials had indicated ahead of the UN visit that they intended to highlight what Tehran considers attacks against its people and raise concerns over the international response to the conflict.

The Iranian delegation’s visit to New York also comes amid restrictions imposed by the United States on the delegation’s movement and other aspects of its stay, according to reporting ahead of the address.

Pezeshkian says Iran defended itself

Pezeshkian’s central message at the UN was that Iran’s military actions should be viewed as a response to attacks rather than terrorism.

His description of the conflict and the allegations against the United States and Israel represent the Iranian government’s position. They should therefore be attributed to Pezeshkian rather than presented as independently established facts.

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PM Modi’s Canada visit could help wrap trade talks, says Canada PM Mark Carney

Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is looking forward to hosting PM Narendra Modi, with both countries aiming to conclude their ongoing trade negotiations.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India and Canada continue efforts to advance their bilateral relationship and conclude ongoing trade negotiations.

The two countries have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides previously setting a target to conclude the negotiations in 2026.

Carney and Modi have held discussions on strengthening economic ties between India and Canada, including trade and investment. Their engagement has gained momentum following Carney’s visit to India earlier this year.

India-Canada trade talks

India and Canada formally resumed efforts towards a broader trade agreement after a period of strained bilateral ties. The two sides have committed to advancing negotiations on a CEPA covering their economic relationship.

In June, Carney and Modi reviewed progress in bilateral economic cooperation during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. They expressed satisfaction with the progress in CEPA negotiations and reaffirmed their shared objective of concluding the talks in 2026.

During Carney’s visit to India in March, the two leaders had also agreed to accelerate negotiations on the CEPA and work towards finalising the agreement during 2026.

Modi’s proposed Canada visit

Carney had invited PM Modi to visit Canada in 2026, and the two leaders agreed to remain engaged through diplomatic channels to work towards a mutually convenient date for the visit.

The proposed visit comes as New Delhi and Ottawa seek to build on renewed diplomatic and economic engagement, with trade negotiations remaining a key part of the relationship.

The focus on completing the trade talks comes as both countries look to expand commercial ties and establish a broader economic framework through the proposed CEPA.

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