Islamabad, AUG 13 /DNA/ – On the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Dr. Arif Alvi will pay an official visit to Turkey on 14-16 August 2021.

The two leaders will hold talks on bilateral relations as well as exchange views on regional issues.

President Alvi will also interact with the media and leading Turkish businessmen.

The fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkey are deeply embedded in common faith, culture and history and underpinned by exceptional mutual trust and respect.

The strategic relationship between the two countries continues to grow for strength to strength, with increasing focus on the economic dimension.

The frequent leadership-level exchanges and regular coordination on a range of issues between the two countries signify the commonality of views and strength of the bilateral relationship.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 13 /DNA/ – “From the very start, the state of India had not been at peace with itself.” This was stated by General Zubair Mahmood Hayat , NI (M),  Former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff  Committee  at the launch of  the book titled “India’s Relations with Neighbours: Cooperation or Confrontation?” by India Study Centre (ISC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), on August 13, 2021. Other speakers at the occasion included Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, Vice Chancellor, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad; Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah, Vice Chancellor, Karakorum International University, Gilgit – Baltistan; and  Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Rector, International Islamic University, Islamabad. 

He said that the way India is behaving in the neighbourhood, it actually wants to create a new norm.  It likes to maintain a dominant position and as a result, every effort of peace like SAARC dies.

Prof. Dr. Kaleem Abbasi said that this book is a great collection of research articles. It provides comprehensive knowledge about India’s relations with its neighbours.  By compiling this book based on rigorous research, the ISSI has contributed not only for academicians, military officials and strategist but also for the students of History and International Relations.   

Prof. Dr. Attaullah Shah said that this book has provided a holistic picture of Indian intervention in neighbouring countries. India has been actively involved in confrontation with all its neighbours. He stressed that for a peaceful region, all nations of this region should understand the importance of peace and believe in co-existence.

Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai said that this book will go a long way for readers to get correct perspectives. RSS- a staunch Hindu organisation  is a force behind India’s ruling party that does not believe in the concept of secular India. The long cherished dream of Akhand Bharat is not only creating trouble for the minorities inside India but also for its relations with its neighbours.

The Director ISC Dr. Saif Malik, TI (M) said that ISC is the first ever think tank that focuses on different aspects of India as well as the issue of Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In a short span of time, ISC has organised number of events in multiple formats to create awareness regarding Hindutva driven Modi’s policies and its implications in the short and long term.  Projecting national narrative and promotion of scholarship on specified theme is one of prime objective of ISC. He said this book would be useful for policy makers, academia as well as ordinary readers.

The event was attended by people from different fields who appreciated the book and its contributors.

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan can’t afford another influx of Afghan refugees, the Foreign Office said Friday. In a media briefing in Islamabad, Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri reiterated that Pakistan is the biggest wisher of peace in the region. “But we believe that Afghanistan needs to end the war itself.”

Pakistan has a clear position that the withdrawal of US troops should not create a security vacuum in the region.

“India has always played the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan, which was been proven and revealed in the international media time and again,” Chaudhri said. “Our reports have shown that the Afghan soil is being used by the NDS and RAW for terrorism.”

The reports have been shared with the international community and will be presented in the United Nations as well.

The spokesperson added that a meeting of the Extended Troika including special envoys from Pakistan, the US, China, and Russia was held in Doha yesterday [August 12].

The deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan was discussed in it, along with ways of expediting the intra-Afghan peace talks. They will help achieve an inclusive political settlement in the land-locked country and bring an end to the four decades-long conflicts in Afghanistan, he said.

These were Extended Troika countries discussed the following points:

• There was a need for urgent measures to reduce violence leading to a ceasefire in Afghanistan.
• There was no military solution to the Afghan conflict.
• The Afghan govt should put forward its peace plans on a priority basis so that progress is made towards a political roadmap.
• There is a need for all sides to respect human rights and not indulge in any violations.

Dasu attack

In a meeting of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the use of Afghan soil for terrorism in Pakistan was deeply concerning and disappointing.

On Thursday, he revealed that India’s RAW and Afghanistan’s NDS were involved in the planning and executions of the Dasu explosion in which 13 Chinese men were killed.

Qureshi said the investigations also revealed that the perpetrators’ primary intention was to attack the Diamer Bhasha Dam site and failure to execute the plan lead them to target the Chinese nationals.