Islamabad

OIC pledges to help free Afghanistan's frozen assets

20 Dec 2021; MEMO: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) yesterday pledged to coordinate with the United Nations as part of efforts to free hundreds of millions of US dollars in frozen Afghan assets, to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.

The 57-member OIC delegates said, during an emergency meeting held in Pakistan, they would work "to unlock the financial and banking channels to resume liquidity and flow of financial and humanitarian assistance."

Pakistan reiterates call for US to unfreeze Afghanistan's assets

13 Nov 2021; MEMO: Pakistan's Prime Minister on Friday reiterated the need for the US to release Afghanistan's frozen assets to "prevent an economic meltdown" in the country.

In a meeting with the Taliban's acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and a visiting Afghan delegation, Imran Khan "underscored the urgent need to release Afghanistan's frozen assets and facilitation of banking transactions to prevent an economic meltdown," according to a statement by the premier's office.

Pakistan removes Iran from COVID-19 travel restrictions list

Islamabad, IRNA -- Pakistan has lifted COVID-19 travel restrictions from the Islamic Republic of Iran while announcing new conditions for air travel to the country.

National Command Operation Center on Wednesday in a meeting decided to relax coronavirus-related restrictions after the enforcement of obligatory vaccination for inbound travelers.

Accordingly, six countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was previously on List C of the air travel ban to Pakistan, were removed from the list.

Pakistan seeks trade deals with Saudi, UAE, Oman

26 Sep 2021; MEMO: Pakistan will pursue individual trade deals with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, a Pakistani official said on Sunday, as talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council remain stalled, reports Reuters.

The GCC, which includes those three countries plus Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, started free trade talks with Pakistan in 2004. It has not implemented a free trade deal since 2015.

Pakistan, Qatar press for release of frozen Afghan assets

11 Sep 2021; MEMO: Pakistan and Qatar urged the US today to unfreeze Afghanistan's assets to save the country from total economic collapse, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said protecting the interests of the Afghan people must be a top priority.

Pakistan prepared to thwart any plot hatched to hamper peace: Prez in region

Islamabad, Sep 6 (PTI) Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Monday said that his country was fully cognisant of the developments in its neighbourhood and prepared to thwart any plot hatched to hamper peace in the region

Alvi, in his message to the country on the occasion of Defence Day, pledged to continue supporting the people of Kashmir.

Pakistan's COVID-19 death toll crosses 26,000

Islamabad, Sep 3 (PTI) Pakistan's coronavirus death toll crossed the grim figure of 26,000 on Friday, even as the country reported 3,787 new cases during the last 24 hours.

So far the country has recorded 1,171,578 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 26,035 total deaths since the first patient was diagnosed on February 26, 2020, the Ministry of National Health Services reported.

US troops' stay in Pakistan only temporary: Pak Interior Min

Islamabad, Aug 31 (PTI) Pakistan on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of allowing the long-term presence of US troops coming from Afghanistan in Islamabad, saying the American forces' stay in the country would be for a limited period.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad's response came after pictures of US troops at Islamabad airport circulated on social media, sparking rumours about a possible long-term presence of American forces on Pakistani soil.

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