RAWALPINDI, JAN 27 (DNA) – Major General Yousef Ahmed Al-Hnaity, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Jordan Armed Forces called on General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), today.

During the meeting matters of mutual & professional interest and regional security situation were discussed.

COAS said that Pakistan values its brotherly relations with Jordan and Pakistan Army looks forward for enhanced defence and security cooperation with Jordan Armed Forces.

Visiting dignitary appreciated professionalism of Pakistan Army and its continuous efforts for regional peace and stability.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, JAN 27 – The 5^th Round of Pakistan-Italy Annual Bilateral Political Consultations was held virtually today. Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood led the Pakistan side, while Secretary General of Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Elisabetta Belloni led the Italian delegation. Entire spectrum of bilateral relations including fight against the Pandemic; political, trade and economic relations; energy; defence; migration and people-to-people exchanges were reviewed during the Consultations. Views were also exchanged on regional and global issues.

Agreeing that Pakistan and Italy have exemplary relations based on mutual trust and principles of cooperation, the two sides resolved to further expand the relationship in all dimensions.

Foreign Secretary expressed condolences over loss of lives in Italy due to Covid-19 and commended the efforts of the Italian Government in containing the pandemic. He briefed his counterpart on the measures taken by the Government of Pakistan to control the second wave of Covid-19, while saving lives, securing livelihoods, and stimulating the economy. The two sides exchanged views on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic and discussed ways of mitigating the adverse effects.

The Foreign Secretary also briefed the Italian side on the vast investment opportunities and avenues in Pakistan and assured that Italian companies and investors will be fully facilitated in all sectors. He thanked the Italian side for its support on GSP Plus status for Pakistan with the European Union. The Foreign Secretary emphasized the need to increase business-to-business interface as soon as the Covid situation subsides.

The Foreign Secretary highlighted the importance of strong Pakistani diaspora in Italy, which acts as a bridge between the two countries. He appreciated Pakistan’s re-inclusion in the seasonal visa program and non-seasonal work visas and stated that the two sides should work together to streamline matters related to migration.

The Foreign Secretary briefed on the grave human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) and the attempts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory. He stressed that the international community must take full cognizance of the deteriorating situation in IIOJK and support peaceful settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

With regard to Afghanistan, the Foreign Secretary underlined that there was no military solution to the conflict and that a negotiated political settlement was the only way forward. He highlighted Pakistan’s positive contributions to the Afghan peace process and stressed the importance for the Afghan stakeholders to seize this historic opportunity to secure durable peace and stability in Afghanistan. The Foreign Secretary underlined the need for reduction of violence leading to ceasefire and the imperative of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process.

The Foreign Secretary congratulated Italy on assuming Presidency of G-20 and co-Presidency of COP-26. The two sides expressed satisfaction on existing strong cooperation at international fora, in particular at the United Nations, including on the issue of Security Council Reforms. They agreed to work together to further deepen mutual cooperation in the multilateral arena.

The next round of Bilateral Political Consultations will be held next year on mutually agreed dates.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, JAN 27 – The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) stated in a report on Wednesday that Over 2,000 civilians were killed or wounded in targeted assassinations and attempted assassinations last year.

According to a report, this attack method mainly targets civilian government employees, journalists, members of civil society, religious scholars, influential and prominent figures, members of the National Assembly and human rights defenders.

The AIHRC report further said that a total of 2,250 people were killed or injured in targeted assassination attacks and attempts including 1,078 killed and 1,172 injured last year. “Unfortunately, civilian casualties from assassinations and targeted killings in 2020 have almost tripled to 169 per cent compared to 2019,” the report stated. In 2019, a total of 834 civilians were killed and injured as a result of the use of assassination methods and targeted attacks. AIHRC stated that 65 women and 74 children were among the victims of this tactic who were killed, and 95 women and 290 children were among the wounded.

The watchdog noted in its report that suicide attacks had decreased by 23 per cent in 2020 compared to the previous year. Despite this, the number of civilian casualties from suicide attacks remained very high, AIHRC said. In 2020, civilian casualties from Taliban suicide attacks decreased by 44 per cent compared to 2019. In 2019, 1,195 civilians were killed or wounded in Taliban suicide attacks, killing 301 and wounding 894 while in 2020, that number dropped to 528 victims, including 65 killed and 463 injured.

In the civilian casualties caused by ISIS (Daesh Afghanistan) suicide attacks, in 2020, compared to 2019, there was a 33 per cent increase. In 2019, the total number of civilian casualties resulting from ISIL (Daesh Afghanistan) suicide attacks was 194 killed and wounded. In 2020, that number rose to 258 killed and injured.