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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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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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