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.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is “carefully watching” the Taliban’s advance in Afghanistan, a spokesperson said on Friday, but added it was too early to predict the economic spillover in neighbouring IMF programme countries like Pakistan.

Taliban insurgents tightened their grip on Afghanistan on Friday, wresting control of its second and third biggest cities.

“The IMF is carefully watching the fast-moving situation on the ground in Afghanistan,” an IMF spokesperson told Reuters. “It is premature to speculate on the outcome and potential economic spillovers to Pakistan”.

“We stand ready to continue supporting Pakistan achieve the objectives of debt sustainability and strong and sustainable growth,” the IMF spokesperson said.

“No date is currently set for concluding these (review) talks, as we are focused on the reforms and policy steps needed to achieve the programme objectives,” which include reducing debt and reforming the country’s energy sector, the spokesperson added.

Pakistan has a $6 billion IMF programme that began in 2019. The government and the Fund’s staff have been in talks in recent months to try to finalise the programme’s latest progress review but are yet to reach agreement.

Pakistan and the IMF have been working to implement IMF-supported economic reforms, in particular tax collection, aimed at stabilising the economy and shoring up a yawning fiscal deficit.

In March this year, the IMF had released the third tranche of $500 million for the country after disbursing $1.45bn in previous two tranches, bringing the total disbursements to $2bn.

In June, the IMF had said it was holding open, constructive discussions with Pakistan, insisting further talks were needed about the country’s fiscal spending plans, structural reforms, particularly in the tax and energy sectors, and social spending.

“We stand ready to continue to support Pakistan,” IMF spokesman Gerry Rice had said. “As the recovery gains strength, it will be important to accelerate the implementation of policies and reforms needed to address some of the long-standing challenges facing the Pakistani economy.”

The same month, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin had said it was not possible for Pakistan to get out of the IMF programme at a time when the economy is reviving.

Apart from the 39-month loan, the minister had on Thursday said that Pakistan will receive $2.77b ‘unconditional’ funds from the IMF on Aug 23.

The minister said the $2.77b were part of the $650b general allocation the Washington-based lending agency made to all its members to boost international liquidity challenged by the global health pandemic.

Islamabad (DNA) Islamabad D. Watson Lions Club organized Independence Day celebrations. The chief guest of the function was Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The flag was hoisted in the first part of the ceremony. Then Independence Day cake was cut.

Apart from Chief Guest Sardar Yasralias Khan, President ICCI, President Islamabad D Watson Lions Club Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari

Other participants include Waqar Bakhtawari (Coordinator Religious Harmony Public Coordinating Committee Islamabad), Chaudhry Nadeem Gujjar, Khalid Chaudhry, Nisar Mirza, Babar Chaudhry, Chaudhry Nasir, Zarif Khan, Mohsin Khalid Malik,Zia Chaudhry and others

On the occasion, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry praised the services of the D Watson Lions Club and congratulated them on the occasion of Independence Day. The way Ahsan Bakhtawari and D Watson Lions Club have worked in this epidemic is commendable.Speaking on the occasion, President D Watson Lions Club Ahsan Bakhtawari said that Pakistan is an ideological Islamic country and Islam teaches us tolerance, brotherhood and fraternity. Remembering the golden lesson, we should take care of our compatriots and especially the poor and for this purpose we distributed rations to the flood affected people at D Watson Lions Club Islamabad a few days ago and inshallah we will continue our mission.

Minsk, AUG 13 /DNA/ – The Embassy of Pakistan in collaboration with the Art Gallery of the University of Culture in Minsk organized the opening ceremony of an Art/Photographic Exhibition titled “Journey of Pakistan”, as part of the Independence Day of Pakistan celebrations. The exhibition primarily showcases paintings, by famous Pakistani Artists Sadquain, Jimmy Engineer and touristic attractions by Hamid Hussain. The exhibition will continue till 13 September 2021.

Performances by Belarusian duo violinists Neringa and Diana on Pakistani instrumentals and singing of “Dil Dil Pakistan” by Tatiana Kremis were also part of the colourful event. Towards the end, a reception was also held for the participants of the event, whereby select items from Pakistani national cuisine was served.