Reports suggesting Kashmir not on OIC meeting agenda are part of 'false Indian propaganda': FO

Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri on Thursday denied reports that the Kashmir issue was not part of the upcoming Council of Foreign Ministers' (CFM) meeting, terming them a "part of false Indian propaganda".

During a weekly press briefing, Chaudhri said that the Kashmir issue was a "permanent item" on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and recalled that the body has been "unambiguously pronouncing itself on the issue for decades, through a succession of summits as well as CFM resolutions".

Tomorrow's CFM meeting, which will be held in Niger's capital Niamey, would be the first after India repealed occupied Kashmir's special status in August last year, the spokesperson told reporters.

"It is expected that the session would reiterate its strong support to the Kashmir cause. Let me confirm that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute continue(s) to be amongst the longest standing items on the OIC agenda," insisted FO spokesperson.

He further said that the OIC had spoken on the Kashmir issue multiple times and has "called for a settlement [...] with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions". The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has met thrice in the past 15 months, Chaudhri said, adding that a meeting of the group with foreign ministers was held in June this year.

"The final communique of that meeting called upon India to rescind its illegal actions and stop egregious human rights violations in the illegally occupied territory," said the FO spokesperson.

No mention of Kashmir

Despite the FO's insistence, the OIC statements, both in English and Arabic, issued for tomorrow's CFM meeting in Niamey made no specific mention of Kashmir in the agenda announced in Riyadh.

OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen was quoted in the official statement as having said that the meeting would discuss the Palestinian cause, the fight against violence, extremism and terrorism, Islamophobia and defamation of religion, the situation of Muslim minorities and communities in non-member states, fundraising for the Rohingya case at the International Court of Justice, as well as the promotion of dialogue among civilisations, cultures and religions, and other emerging matters.

The agenda of the Niamey meeting also includes discussion on the political, humanitarian, economic, social and cultural and other issues related to science and technology, the media and the progress made in the implementation of the “OIC-2025: Plan of Action” document. It would, moreover, feature a brainstorming session on “Security and Humanitarian Challenges Confronting African Sahel States Members of the OIC”.

Pakistan has since the annexation of occupied Kashmir by India been demanding a special meeting of the OIC foreign ministers on the dispute. The meeting has not been convened so far because the Saudis, who wield a virtual veto in the 57-member bloc of Muslim countries, have not supported Islamabad’s move.

The latest omission of Kashmir from the agenda of the regular foreign ministers’ meeting comes at a time when ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia/UAE remain strained over what Pakistani diplomats say are “unfulfilled expectations”.

In today's FO briefing, when asked about the change of visa policy by the United Arab Emirates — under which the Arab state temporarily stopped issuing new visas to citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan and several mostly Muslim majority countries — Chaudhri said it has not been confirmed. At the same time, he denied that the step was taken due to security concerns, as reported by multiple media outlets.

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Six members of Pakistan squad in New Zealand test positive for coronavirus

Six members of the Pakistan contingent that have travelled to New Zealand have tested positive for the coronavirus, confirmed the New Zealand Cricket Board on Thursday.

"NZC was made aware today that six members of the Pakistan touring squad, currently in managed isolation in Christchurch, have tested positive for COVID-19," said the board in a statement.

The board said that two out of the six were cases of reinfection, while the other four were marked as "new". It added that following the test results the six individuals will be moved to the "quarantine arm of the managed isolation facility".

"The Pakistan team’s exemption to train while in managed isolation has been put on hold until investigations have been completed," said the board following the test results.

It is important to mention that the squad had tested negative four times before leaving Lahore.

Some squad members violated isolation SOPs

The New Zealand Cricket Board also said that some members of the team had "contravened protocols on the first day of managed isolation".

"We will be having discussions with the tourists to assist them in understanding the requirements," said the board.

Squad divided into groups

Earlier, it was reported that the 54-member Pakistan Cricket squad has been divided into four different groups on arrival in New Zealand – each group isolated from other groups, residing in separate blocks.

An official confirmed that players and officials will remain in isolation for 14 days, the duration will be calculated from the day of arrival in Christchurch.

“They will have the training and other movements at their respective decided times. It is like a different bubble for each group. Virtually every group is isolated from other groups and living in their own bubble,” he said.

“It is like four different bubbles within the biosecure environment set for the team,” the official explained.

Each group has a set of players and officials with them so that players' training can be managed aptly with the best available coaching staff.

Pakistan will play three T20Is and two Test matches in New Zealand next month. On the sidelines, Pakistan Shaheens will also play two 4-day games against New Zealand A on the tour.

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Sudan's former premier Sadiq al-Mahdi passes away in UAE

Leading Sudanese politician and former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi died from a coronavirus infection three weeks after being hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates, according to family sources and a party statement early on Thursday.

Mahdi, 84, was Sudan’s last democratically elected prime minister and was overthrown in 1989 in the military coup that brought former president Omar al-Bashir to power.

The moderate Umma Party was one of the largest opposition parties under Bashir, and Mahdi remained an influential figure even after Bashir was toppled in April 2019.

Last month, al-Mahdi’s family said he had tested positive for COVID-19, and was transferred to the UAE for treatment a few days later following a brief hospitalisation in Sudan.

In a statement, the Umma Party said Mahdi would be buried on Friday morning in the city of Omdurman in Sudan.

Mahdi had returned to Sudan in December 2018, following a year-long self-exile, just as protests over worsening economic conditions and Bashir’s rule gathered steam. His daughter Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, deputy leader of the Umma Party, was among those detained during the demonstrations.

While a successor to the party head has not yet been announced, she has been the most visible party leader in political negotiations and the media in recent years.

Opposition parties were weakened greatly under Bashir’s three-decade regime, and are jostling for power with the military during Sudan’s transition, making the Umma Party’s continued unity crucial to maintaining the balance of power.

After the military forced Bashir out from power, Mahdi pushed for a transfer to civilian rule, warning in interviews with Reuters of the risks of a counter-coup and calling for the powerful, paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to be integrated.

 

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Pakistanis join final trials for China-made coronavirus vaccine

Scores of volunteers from across Pakistan are flocking to research hospitals to join the final-stage clinical trials of a Chinese-made vaccine for coronavirus.

It is the first time Pakistan has participated in such a trial, which comes amid a string of positive vaccine announcements by Western pharmaceutical companies this month.

The vaccine is being developed by CanSinoBio and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology China.

"I have volunteered myself for a noble cause that will help humanity," said a volunteer at Islamabad's Shifa hospital, where hundreds of participants are being paid about $50 for their trouble.

Others should "step forward and take part in this noble cause which will save lives," he added.

For years, China has focused much of its attention in Pakistan on mammoth development projects, bankrolling the construction of roads, power plants and a strategic port.

Moderna Inc's MRNA.O: Can the new coronavirus vaccine be stored in ordinary refrigerators?

Beijing has now tapped one of its closest allies to participate in the vaccine trials, despite Pakistan's chequered history with inoculation campaigns.

"We hope to have some findings ready about the accuracy and efficacy of the vaccine in two to three months," Ejaz Ahmad Khan, the principal researcher overseeing the trial in Pakistan, told AFP.

Officials said Pakistan has already inoculated about 7,000 of the 10,000 participants expected to receive a jab.

The trials come with intensive care wards across the country nearing capacity as a second, deadlier wave of the coronavirus spreads and officials struggle to counter public indifference to the pandemic.

The country has confirmed more than 382,000 cases including over 7,800 deaths since the virus arrived in late February.

Less than a year after the coronavirus that has claimed 1.4 million lives began spreading across the globe, a number of highly promising COVID-19 vaccines are on the cusp of release.

Four separate drug makers have recently announced that their vaccines are effective for most people.

Due to lingering suspicions over vaccines, Pakistan is one of just two countries where polio continues to spread, sparking fears that a new drive to inoculate the population against the coronavirus will fail.

The Chinese vaccine is also undergoing phase 3 trials — or large-scale testing on humans — in several other nations including China, Russia, Chile, Argentina and Saudi Arabia.

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Reports suggesting Kashmir not on OIC meeting agenda are part of 'false Indian propaganda': FO

Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri on Thursday denied reports that the Kashmir issue was not part of the upcoming Council of Foreign Ministers' (CFM) meeting, terming them a "part of false Indian propaganda".

During a weekly press briefing, Chaudhri said that the Kashmir issue was a "permanent item" on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and recalled that the body has been "unambiguously pronouncing itself on the issue for decades, through a succession of summits as well as CFM resolutions".

Tomorrow's CFM meeting, which will be held in Niger's capital Niamey, would be the first after India repealed occupied Kashmir's special status in August last year, the spokesperson told reporters.

"It is expected that the session would reiterate its strong support to the Kashmir cause. Let me confirm that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute continue(s) to be amongst the longest standing items on the OIC agenda," insisted FO spokesperson.

He further said that the OIC had spoken on the Kashmir issue multiple times and has "called for a settlement [...] with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions". The OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has met thrice in the past 15 months, Chaudhri said, adding that a meeting of the group with foreign ministers was held in June this year.

"The final communique of that meeting called upon India to rescind its illegal actions and stop egregious human rights violations in the illegally occupied territory," said the FO spokesperson.

No mention of Kashmir

Despite the FO's insistence, the OIC statements, both in English and Arabic, issued for tomorrow's CFM meeting in Niamey made no specific mention of Kashmir in the agenda announced in Riyadh.

OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen was quoted in the official statement as having said that the meeting would discuss the Palestinian cause, the fight against violence, extremism and terrorism, Islamophobia and defamation of religion, the situation of Muslim minorities and communities in non-member states, fundraising for the Rohingya case at the International Court of Justice, as well as the promotion of dialogue among civilisations, cultures and religions, and other emerging matters.

The agenda of the Niamey meeting also includes discussion on the political, humanitarian, economic, social and cultural and other issues related to science and technology, the media and the progress made in the implementation of the “OIC-2025: Plan of Action” document. It would, moreover, feature a brainstorming session on “Security and Humanitarian Challenges Confronting African Sahel States Members of the OIC”.

Pakistan has since the annexation of occupied Kashmir by India been demanding a special meeting of the OIC foreign ministers on the dispute. The meeting has not been convened so far because the Saudis, who wield a virtual veto in the 57-member bloc of Muslim countries, have not supported Islamabad’s move.

The latest omission of Kashmir from the agenda of the regular foreign ministers’ meeting comes at a time when ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia/UAE remain strained over what Pakistani diplomats say are “unfulfilled expectations”.

In today's FO briefing, when asked about the change of visa policy by the United Arab Emirates — under which the Arab state temporarily stopped issuing new visas to citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan and several mostly Muslim majority countries — Chaudhri said it has not been confirmed. At the same time, he denied that the step was taken due to security concerns, as reported by multiple media outlets.

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PTI GBLA members bag speaker, deputy speaker positions

Two PTI members on Thursday safely secured the positions of speaker and deputy speaker in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.

PTI candidate Syed Amjad Ali was elected to the position of speaker, while advocate Nazir Ahmed secured the seat of deputy speaker.

The outgoing speaker, Fida Muhammad Nashad administered the oath to the newly-elected speaker.

For the position of speaker, Ali secured 18 votes, while joint opposition candidate Ghulam Mohammad secured eight votes.

For the post of deputy speaker, advocate Ahmed grabbed 22 votes, while opposition candidate Rehmat Khaliq was able to get nine votes.

Later, Ali chaired a meeting of the newly-elected lawmakers and thanked them for electing him as speaker.

"It is our duty to meet the expectations of the nation," he said.

PTI has secured 22 out of the 33 seats in the assembly.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of 33 seats — 24 of which are contested through direct elections. The remaining nine are reserved seats — six for women and three for technocrats and professionals.

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PTI GBLA members bag speaker, deputy speaker positions

Two PTI members on Thursday safely secured the positions of speaker and deputy speaker in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly.

PTI candidate Syed Amjad Ali was elected to the position of speaker, while advocate Nazir Ahmed secured the seat of deputy speaker.

The outgoing speaker, Fida Muhammad Nashad administered the oath to the newly-elected speaker.

For the position of speaker, Ali secured 18 votes, while joint opposition candidate Ghulam Mohammad secured eight votes.

For the post of deputy speaker, advocate Ahmed grabbed 22 votes, while opposition candidate Rehmat Khaliq was able to get nine votes.

Later, Ali chaired a meeting of the newly-elected lawmakers and thanked them for electing him as speaker.

"It is our duty to meet the expectations of the nation," he said.

PTI has secured 22 out of the 33 seats in the assembly.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly consists of 33 seats — 24 of which are contested through direct elections. The remaining nine are reserved seats — six for women and three for technocrats and professionals.

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