Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif leaves for London to see his ailing wife

Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday left for London along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz to see his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, despite the country's anti-graft body's request to put their names on the Exit Control List (ECL) fearing they may not return to face corruption cases in court. Sharif, 68, and his daughter left for London via Qatar from the Lahore airport this morning. "Leaving for London. We will be back next week. Can't wait to meet and hug Ami (mother)," Maryam tweeted. Leaving for London. Back next week IA. Can’t wait to meet & hug Ami. Request all for special dua for her health. May Allah bless you all. — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) June 14, 2018 Kulsoom is in an advanced stage of throat cancer and is undergoing treatment in London. On the other hand, the caretaker government has neither rejected nor accepted the National Accountability Bureau's to place the Sharif family members on the ECL. The caretaker government could not decide whether to entertain NAB's request or not in this regard, an official of interior ministry said.

Russia-Pak friendship new, Moscow has no influence in Islamabad: US

Amid increased bonhomie between Russia and Pakistan, the White House believes that Moscow does not have a great influence on Islamabad, a senior Trump Administration official has said.

"I don't particularly believe that there is a great deal of influence that Russia is asserting (over Pakistan) even though I do acknowledge they have a better relationship than they had five years ago," a senior administration official has said.

The official was responding to questions on the recent increase in relationship between Russia and Pakistan and how much influence it has over Islamabad.

"But Russia as of now does not have a great deal of influence over Pakistan, with which its ties is relatively new," the official said who on condition of anonymity.

"I think the Russia-Pakistan relationship is still something relatively new," the senior administration official said noting that Pakistan, being an independent country is making its own assessment and doing what it considers is in its own interests.

However, the official said that the Russian thinking that the Taliban can help fight ISIS is a flawed approach.

Most of the US soldiers who perished last year were in operations against ISIS in Afghanistan.
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LeT men are patriotic, let them form a political party: Musharraf

Former Pakistan president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf on Saturday said he was ready to enter into an alliance with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) for Islamabad's 'safety and security'.

This statement has come almost a month after he claimed he was the biggest supporter of the two parties.

"They (LeT and JuD men) are patriotic people, they have laid their lives for Pakistan, who can object if they form a political party," ARY News quoted Musharraf, as saying.

So far the two parties have not approached him but if they desire to enter into an alliance with his party, he has no objection, he added.

He further said, "I am a liberal and a moderate but that doesn't mean that I detest religious elements, I am the biggest supporter of Lashkar-e-Taiba and I know that they too like me, the people from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)."

Musharraf, a month back, had said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him.

The former president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state.

The US had strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.
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China temporarily stops funding CPEC road projects over corruption reports

China has decided to temporarily stop funding at least three major road projects in Pakistan, being built as part of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, following reports of corruption, a decision that has left officials in Islamabad "stunned", a media report said on Tuesday.

The decision by the Chinese government is likely hit over Rs 1 lakh crore-worth road projects of the Pakistan's National Highway Authority (NHA), and initially, may delay at least three such ventures, Dawn newspaper reported.

According to a senior government official, the funds would be released after Beijing issues 'new guidelines'.

The nearly $60 billion CPEC, a flagship project of China's prestigious One Belt One Road, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It links China's restive Xinjiang region with Pakistan's Balochistan province.

The road projects that are likely to be affected include 210-km-long Dera Ismail Khan-Zhob Road, being built at an estimated cost of Rs 8,100 crore. Of this, Rs 6,600 crore would be spent on construction of road while Rs 1,500 crore on land acquisition.
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Bank of China becomes operational in Pakistan, first branch in Karachi

The Bank of China (BoC) became operational in Pakistan as it inaugurated its first branch in Karachi on Tuesday.

Emphasising that it was "a great honour" for the bank to be launched in Pakistan, BoC Chairman Chen Siqing noted that the Karachi branch was its first in South Asia.

The Dawn quoted him as saying that the bank would strengthen the "brotherly relations" between the two countries in the financial sector.

Siqing also highlighted that the bank could help Pakistan effectively reap the benefits of Beijing's economic prosperity.

Welcoming the bank to Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Tariq Bajwa, said that the increased diversity of foreign banks would increase the country's economic resilience.

He also expressed hope that Pakistan would learn from BoC's expertise in the small and medium enterprises sector.

Speaking during the launch, Acting Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Zhao Lijian said that the opening of the bank "marked the confidence of the Chinese corporate sector in Pakistan's economic situation."

President Mamnoon Hussain, who was also present on the occasion, expressed confidence that the newly-launched bank will help accelerate infrastructure development and overall economic growth of the country.
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Pak PM Abbasi assures Tillerson of co-operation in war against terrorism

Under pressure to dismantle terror safe havens in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday assured US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that his country is committed to the war against terrorism.

Tillerson arrived here on a whirlwind visit to reset bilateral ties strained after President Donald Trump accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorist groups.

"The US can rest assured that we are strategic partners in the war against terror and that today, Pakistan is fighting the largest war in the world against terror," Abbasi told Tillerson just before their closed-door talks began.

Abbasi said Pakistan is "committed in the war against terror."

He said Pakistan has produced "results" in its war against terrorism and it was looking forward to moving ahead with the US and building a tremendous relationship.

Tillerson's maiden visit to Islamabad comes days after he made a major policy speech on America's growing strategic relations with India and Trump's move to offer a bigger say to India in war-torn Afghanistan.

Ahead of his visit to India, Tillerson during a surprise visit to Afghnaistan indicated that he will firmly tell Pakistan to stop providing safe havens to terror groups on its soil to improve bilateral ties.
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As Rex Tillerson heads to Pak, Islamabad wary of deepening India-US ties

Nuclear-armed Pakistan, a staunch US  Cold War ally and key player in the US -backed invasion of Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, has watched warily as Washington has in recent years pivoted towards its arch-foe.

Islamabad views its much-bigger neighbour as an existential threat and the two nations have fought three wars since their violent separation at the end of colonial rule in 1947.

Tillerson, due to meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pakistan’s powerful military chiefs in a one-day visit, is expected to urge Pakistan to do more to root out Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network militants operating on its soil.

But he is also expected to hear Pakistani officials warn him that drawing nuclear-armed India deeper into Afghanistan would destabilise the region and do little to end the 16-year war that is now America’s longest military conflict.

“Bringing India into the mix is like adding kerosene to fire,” said Miftah Ismail, a state minister and close ally of Prime Minister Abbasi.

“It’s a complete red line. India has no political role to play in Afghanistan as far as we are concerned.”
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Don't seek material or money, treat us with respect: Pak Army chief to US

Pakistan is not seeking material or financial help from the US, but Washington must trust and treat it with respect, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday told the US envoy in Islamabad, a day after President Trump asked Islamabad to stop providing safe havens to terrorists.

While announcing America's new Afghanistan and South Asia policy — which calls for greater US troop deployment and Indian involvement in Afghanistan — Trump had hit out at Pakistan for offering sanctuaries to "agents of chaos."

The US Ambassador David Hale met General Bajwa at the Army's Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where the latter was briefed on the US's new South Asia policy announced by President Trump, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — the Pakistani military's media wing.

"We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations," the US president had said.
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Flights resume at Islamabad airport after 38-hour internet disruption

Flight operations at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport were restored on Sunday after a 38-hour-long disruption caused by a fault in international submarine internet cable systems, which has since been repaired.

Internet services have been restored across the country after a 38-hour-long disruption caused by a fault in the India-Middle East-Western Europe (I-ME-WE) submarine cable that caused consumers and businesses across Pakistan to experience major internet disruptions, with many customers complaining of slow browsing speeds, a Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) representative said.

The disruption in the India-Middle East-Western Europe submarine cable prevented airport officials confirming flight schedules and ticket bookings, as a result of which at least eight flights domestic and international flights were cancelled earlier today, Dawn news quoted airport officials as saying.

Many domestic and international flights were cancelled. Flights to Medina, Manchester and Karachi have also been cancelled.PI-211, which was scheduled to reach Islamabad from Dubai, was cancelled as well. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, which was to reach Jeddah from Karachi were cancelled.

Pakistan Telecommunications Limited (PTCL) stated the company has successfully arranged for additional bandwidth through our international cable systems & partners.

The loss of these three submarine cables leaves Pakistan relying on SEA-ME-WE 3, SEA-ME-WE 5 and the AAE-1 submarine cables, out of which SEA-ME-WE 3 operates in a limited capacity.
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Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan Senate to debate ICJ verdict

Pakistan's Senate on Monday decided to debate the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order staying the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav after a senator of a hardline party tabled a motion saying the verdict hinted that Islamabad was not fully prepared to fight the case.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani admitted the adjournment motion by Jamaat-I-Islami Senator Sirajul Haq for regular debate and issued notices to the foreign ministry and the attorney general to brief the upper house of the parliament.

Haq made a forceful plea in the Senate about his motion, saying the judgment by the ICJ at The Hague to stay Jadhav's death sentence hinted that Pakistan was not well-prepared to fight the case brought by India.

"These and similar statements have been passed around, which are creating confusion," Haq said.

On May 18, the ICJ in a setback to Pakistan restrained it from executing Jadhav, 46, who was convicted of espionage and sentenced to death by a Pakistan military court after a secret trial.

India took the matter to the ICJ, citing that it had been repeatedly denied consular access to Jadhav in violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention. New Delhi believes that Jadhav was abducted from Iran and brought to Pakistan.

The senator said Pakistan did not act according to the expectations and steps taken by it in the case has only caused embarrassment to the nation.

Though Jadhav's arrest was a major success, Haq said, Pakistan wasted an opportunity to bring forth the facts about the Indian national and India's subversive activities inside the country on the international stage.

He also said India has adopted aggressive attitude after Jadhav's sentencing. "India is constantly issuing threats to Pakistan regarding Jadhav's case.
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