English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

Saudi Aircraft picks Shahbaz Sharif for important meetings

Published

on

Saudi Aircraft picks Shahbaz Sharif for important meetings

US proxy Saudi Arabia plays important role, admits PML-N leader

In another big brotherly act, Saudi Arabia suddenly sent a special aircraft to Lahore to pick Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday evening for “important meetings” and perform Umrah, a mini pilgrimage at Mecca, the holiest site for world Muslims.

An unanimous Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PML-N leader told Dawn  that for many years US used to play its role in Pakistani politics through Saudi Arabia and the chief minister’s visit should be seen in that perspective.

Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Admiral Nawaf Ahmad Al Maliki, along with envoys of around two dozen countries, had called on Shahbaz Sharif two days ago.

Shahbaz Sharif’s sudden visit to Saudi Arabia came at a time when he was recently nominated as PML-N candidate for the Prime Minister office.

Shahbaz Sharif is the most important political figure of Pakistan Muslim League (N) after resignation of Nawaz Sharif from then highest political office after being disqualified by Supreme Court in Panama papers scam. The ruling came in July after a probe into his family’s wealth following the 2016 Panama Papers dump linking his children to offshore companies.

Saudi Aircraft picks Shahbaz Sharif for important meetings

In May 2007, Saudi Arabia had hosted more than fifty heads of the governments and states of Muslim countries for arranging audience for US President Donald Trump in November this year.

This resembles to what Riyadh did with Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri  in early November. He was suddenly called to visit Riyadh on November 3. He was not received by any dignitary; instead his cell phone was confiscated. He was given a pre-written resignation to read in front of TV cameras.

New York Times, on December 25, has confirmed that Saad Hariri announced his short-lived resignation under heavy duress from Riyadh government. The report was based on the accounts of Lebanese, Western and regional officials and others figures close to Hariri.

Similarly, Mehmoud Abbas, President of Palestinian Authority was called to direct to consent for the proposed American peace plan with Israel. However, situation is completely changed with Trump’s Jerusalem move.

Dawn, quoting an official press release reports that during his visit Shahbaz Sharif will hold meetings with important Saudi officials and perform Umrah. The Saudi ambassador had a meeting with Shahbaz three days ago, after which he left for the visit, sources say.

However, Federal Minister Mushahidullah Khan has said that various issues of international and international importance would be discussed during CM’s meetings with Saudi officials. He called his visit a “good news” but did not elaborate.

Rana Sanaullah, a minister in the provincial government and a close aide to the chief minister has said: “Mian Shahbaz Sharif will definitely discuss issues of national importance — not just of Punjab — with his Saudi hosts. Saudi Arabia has been our trusted brotherly country for decades and we are relying on it in many economic and other matters of international importance.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said they’re concerned at the visit undertaken without any prior notice to any authority or institution. He said people should be taken into confidence about the purpose and objectives of the visit.

Sharif family has been enjoying  good relations with the Saudis for several decades. Riyadh rescued them from military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf in 2000. The whole family spent its seven-year exile in Jeddah. But the relations were negatively affected after Islamabad refused to send its forces to participate in Saudi- led war against Yemen.

Latest world news

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.

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

India News

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.

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

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.

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com