Pakistan releases seven Afghan Taliban detainees

Islamabad, Sep 7 2013: Pakistan has freed seven more Afghan Taliban detainees "to further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process", the country's foreign ministry said Saturday.

A total of 32 Taliban rebels have been freed, reports Xinhua.

Pakistan had started the process to release Afghan Taliban prisoners on the request of the Afghan government in November last year.

"In order to further facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process, Pakistan is releasing seven Taliban detainees," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

These releases are in addition to 26 Taliban detainees released last year, it said.

The freed Taliban figures include commander Mansoor Dadullah, the brother of Mulla Dadullah Akhud, the Taliban senior commander who was killed by American and British troops in southern Afghanistan in May 2007.

Mansoor Dadullah was arrested by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan in February 2008.

The foreign ministry's list of those released excluded Taliban second-in-command Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was arrested in Karachi in 2010.

Though the Afghan government has been demanding Baradar's release since his arrest, Islamabad is unwilling to free him.

--IANS (Posted on 07-09-2013)

Source: New Kerala.
Link: http://www.newkerala.com/news/story/64046/.html.

Pakistani premier to meet opposition after coalition partner quits

Mon, 03 Jan 2011

Islamabad - Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani held talks Monday with opposition leaders to explore the possibility of a new alliance after a key party left the ruling coalition.

Sunday's announcement by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the second-largest party in the coalition, to switch to the opposition, has left Gilani with 12 votes short of the required 172 seats to retain a parliamentary majority.

The MQM, which has 25 seats in the 342-member parliament, said that it was quitting because of a recent massive increase in the price of oil products.

The political crisis came as the country is struggling against the Taliban-led Islamist insurgency and the aftermath of floods that affected more than 20 million people last year.

Gilani was expected to meet with Mian Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of the province of Punjab, and leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.

"The meeting is being held today on the request of the prime minister. The two leaders will discuss the political situation that emerged after the MQM left the coalition," said a PML-N spokesman.

The PML-N, the largest opposition force, is lead by Sharif, a two-time former premier, and holds 91 seats in the lower house of parliament.

The premier is also expected to meet Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, leader of the second-largest opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), which has 50 members in the National Assembly.

Gilani's government does not face immediate collapse since the President Asif Ali Zardari is unlikely to ask the prime minister for a parliamentary vote of confidence. Zardari heads the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.

The PML-N has also shown little interest in introducing a confidence vote.

But Gilani's government would need new allies to get legislation through parliament.

The MQM was the second coalition party to abandon the government.

Last month, a smaller ally, Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam, an Islamist party, quit over the sacking of one minister from the party.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/360485,opposition-coalition-partner-quits.html.

Pakistani prime minister addresses Turkish parliament - Summary

Tue, 07 Dec 2010

Istanbul - Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani gave a speech to the Turkish parliament on Tuesday that focused on strengthening already good relations between the two Muslim nations and applauded Turkey's democratic efforts as a model for Pakistan.

Gilani, who arrived in Ankara on Monday for a three-day official visit to Turkey, is the first prime minister of Pakistan to address the Turkish parliament.

The Pakistani leader commended Turkey on the constitutional referendum that was passed by voters in August, saying the reforms will strengthen democracy in Turkey. He described Turkey's constitutional reform process as a source of inspiration for Pakistan.

"We are greatly impressed by your success. My administration in Pakistan has begun a constitutional reform process that aims to be a turning point in the same way. We are continuing our commitment to the ideals of democracy and protecting freedom of speech."

The Pakistani premier thanked Turkey for its assistance during the devastating flooding that Pakistan suffered this past summer. The Turkish government sent 10 million dollars' worth of humanitarian aid to Pakistan, while Turkish business organizations and private individuals also contributed financially to the effort.

Gilani also stressed the importance of increasing trade between the two countries, saying he hoped their trade volume would reach two billion dollars in 2012.

The Pakistani prime minister was scheduled to co-chair, with his Turkish counterpart, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the inaugural meeting of a High Level Cooperation Council between Turkey and Pakistan on Tuesday evening. The council is conceived of as a strategic platform to guide relations between the two countries.

In a ceremony earlier Tuesday, Turkish President Abdullah Gul presented Gilani with a state medal of honor. The Pakistani leader also visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey's secularizing founder, in Ankara.

Gilani's trip comes during a week marked so far by violence in Pakistan, where on Monday two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a government building in the tribal district of Mohmand, killing 43 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the carnage.

On Tuesday, a suicide bombing on a convoy transporting the chief minister of the south-western province of Baluchistan injured nine people, though the minister was unhurt.

Gilani and his Turkish hosts are expected to discuss security issues in Pakistan and Afghanistan during the visit, which concludes Wednesday with a meeting with business leaders and a ceremony at Marmara University in which he will receive an honorary doctorate.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357040,turkish-parliament-summary.html.

Pakistani PM to join first council meeting in Turkey

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, will arrive in Turkey on Monday on a four-day official trip.

Sunday, 05 December 2010

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, will arrive in Turkey on Monday on a four-day official trip.

Gilani will be in Turkey between December 6 and 9 upon an invitation by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Ministry said on Sunday.

During Gilani's trip, the first meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council will take place with the participation of ministers from both countries.

Prime Minister Gilani will be received by Turkish President Abdullah Gul and meet Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin.

Gilani will meet Turkish businesspeople in Istanbul.

President Gul will decorate Gilani with a "Medal of Republic" as a symbol of the friendly and historic relations between the two countries.

Gilani will address the Turkish Parliament.

Prime Minister Gilani's visit will strengthen the comprehensive cooperation between Turkey and Pakistan, the Turkish Prime Ministry also said.

Source: World Bulletin.
Link: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=67051.

Pakistan premier: India and Pakistan cannot afford war, must talk

Thu, 28 Jan 2010

New Delhi - India and Pakistan should resume their dialogue as neither can afford a war, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani said Thursday in an interview to an Indian television channel. Referring to the Mumbai terrorist attack of November 2008, Gilani said: "If we are hostage to one incident then the beneficiaries are terrorists and, therefore, we should move ahead."

A bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan was stalled after 10 gunmen belonging to the Pakistan-based militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba attacked the Indian city of Mumbai with guns and bombs, killing 166 people including 26 foreign nationals.

India has said the stalled dialogue to resolve contentious issues, including differences over their border and the disputed Kashmir region, could resume only after Pakistan took tangible action against the Mumbai plotters.

Gilani, during the interview to CNN-IBN television channel, repeated Pakistan's stand that India needed to provide more evidence about the role of Hafiz Saeed, suspected mastermind of the Mumbai attacks and the other accused, before they could be prosecuted.

India has so far given Pakistan seven dossiers linking Pakistani nationals with the Mumbai attacks.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/306363,pakistan-premier-india-and-pakistan-cannot-afford-war-must-talk.html.

Pakistani prime minister begins Germany visit - Summary

Berlin (Earth Times - dpa) - Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani began Monday a four-day official visit to Germany to promote economic cooperation and discuss the insurgency in the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was set to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at her office on Tuesday. He met briefly Monday with the German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle.

The Foreign Ministry said Westerwelle met Pakistan's foreign minister, Mahmood Qureshi, and praised Pakistan's efforts in the fight against terrorism.

Gilani told reporters before leaving that Germany was Pakistan's "important economic partner" and the main agenda of his visit would be strengthening bilateral relations especially in trade, economics, science and technology, health and education.

Germany is Pakistan's fourth-largest trading partner and its biggest in the European Union.

During his talks with Merkel, Gilani is expected to discuss the new Afghanistan and Pakistan policy that US President Barack Obama is expected to announce on Tuesday.

Pakistan has expressed concerns over the surge in western troops in Afghanistan, saying that it could create further troubles for the country struggling against Taliban militants in its tribal region adjoining Afghanistan.