Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 22 (APP): Former Prime Minister of Afghanistan and Chief of Hizb-e-Islami Engineer Gulbuddin Hekmatyar while appreciating Pakistan’s efforts for the peaceful settlement of the Afghan conflict on Sunday said that India should also play positive role for peace in Afghanistan.

New Delhi should focus on its internal issues instead of issuing statements regarding the future of Afghanistan, Hikmatyar said while talking to Pakistani media in Kabul.

The former Prime Minister of Afghanistan said the Indian government should not fight Kashmir war from Afghan soil.

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Sunday dispelled speculations regarding visit of the country's foreign minister to Kabul, according to the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan.

"No visit by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to Kabul is scheduled. Any speculation in this regard is baseless," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (APP): The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will convene an extraordinary session of the OIC Executive Meeting in Saudi Arabia’s city Jeddah on August 22 (tomorrow) to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, the OIC Secretary General informed Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday.

OIC Secretary General Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen in a telephonic conversation apprised FM Qureshi that the meeting would gather ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to deliberate on the rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 21 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday paid tribute to an employee of Forest Department, who had laid his life while saving the forests from fires.

He termed forester Jamshid Iqbal of Forest Department Chitral a “hero”, who embraced Shahadat in the line of duty while fighting a forest fire in Chumurkun-Gole Protected Forest Compartment No.01, on August 19.

“These are our heroes protecting our forests for a Green Pakistan,” the prime minister tweeted.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 20 (APP): The national flag carrier – PIA, with the support of Pakistan embassy and local authorities brought back another 350 passengers from Kabul to Islamabad on Friday, as part of its massive airlift efforts to evacuate the people, wishing to leave Afghanistan after the take over by the Taliban.

According to the available details around 350 passengers including around 250 staff members of the World Bank were brought back to Islamabad aboard two Boeign 777 flights.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP): Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned the use of tear gas shells and firing of warning shots on Muslims taking part in peaceful Muharram procession in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Dozens of Kashmiris have reportedly been detained and journalists have also been subjected to baton charge, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP): While most of the western countries are frantically evacuating staff from Afghanistan and have shut down their missions, the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul continues to extend consular services for Pakistanis, Afghans and nationals of other countries and help them leave the country.

Islamabad, Aug 18 (PTI) Asserting that Pakistan is reaching out to all Afghan leaders for a peaceful settlement of the current crisis in the neighbouring nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the international community to stay engaged, particularly to support the people of the war-ravaged nation economically.

The Prime Minister's Office in a late night statement on Tuesday said Khan received a telephone call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the two leaders exchanged views on the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (APP): President Dr Arif Alvi has said that Pakistan would like to have similar assurance from the Taliban, as given to China and the United States, that the soil of Afghanistan would not be used against them or any other country.

“We will always like assurances, the ones which were given to China and the United States, that the Afghan territory will never be used against any other country,” the president said in an interview with TRT’s Strait Talk.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that in the current situation, great responsibility rested on the Afghan leaders to work constructively together to lead Afghanistan on the path of sustainable peace, stability and development.

He underscored the importance of all sides working to secure an inclusive political solution.

The Prime Minister expressed these views during the meeting here with a delegation of political leaders from Afghanistan.