ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution rejecting India’s unilateral revocation of held-Kashmir’s special status, which was approved with consensus, amid opposition from one lawmaker. The Youm-i-Istehsaal-i-Kashmir Day Resolution, tabled by Safron and Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam, demanded that India release Kashmiri political prisoners, provide humanitarian aid, stop the ongoing violations of human rights and sincerely implement …

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said India’s actions in the held Kashmir since August 5, 2019, demonstrated a complete disregard for international laws, the aspirations of the Kashmiris and the UN Security Council resolutions. In his message on Youm-i-Istehsal — observed on Aug 5 to mark the Indian government’s action of revoking Kashmir’s special status — the president criticised New Delhi for its …

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has announced that Pakistan will observe Youm-i-Istehsal (Exploitation Day) on Monday, to mark the fifth anniversary of India revoking Kashmir’s special autonomy and to show solidarity with Kashmiris, the state-owned PTV News reported on Sunday. On August 5, 2019, India’s Narendra Modi-led government stripped the Muslim-majority territory of its special status by repealing Article 370 of the constitution, splitting the former state into two …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday called on the international community to pressure India to restore the special status of Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir, end repression in the Valley, and foster conditions conducive to resolving the longstanding dispute threatening regional stability. The call was made during a briefing for Islamabad-based foreign diplomats at the Foreign Office, where Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi detailed the …

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday advocated for the normalisation of relations with India, expressing Pakistan’s openness to dialogue, while also outlining conditions aimed at easing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have long been embroiled in disputes. Speaking at the 51st founding anniversary of the government-run think tank Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Mr Dar, …

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Thursday that Washington supports direct talks between India and Pakistan but will not tell them how to conduct those discussions. At the regular news briefing in Washington, spokesperson Matthew Miller also emphasised a strong counterterrorism partnership with Pakistan, stating that both countries are committed to maintaining this relationship. “We value our important relationships …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces on Wednesday rejected India’s “false propaganda” concerning the brutal murder of former Army officer Brigadier (R) Amir Hamza, saying that the propaganda had no no relevance with ground realities involving the attack on the retired army officer. Brig (R) Amir Hamza was assassinated by unknown assailants two days back while he was travelling with his wife and …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has said India has no right to object to the references made to Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan-China joint statement issued in Beijing after talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang on June 8, and reiterated it is an established fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally-recognised disputed territory. “It is an …

DELHI: Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday said his country wanted to “find a solution to the issue of years-old cross-border terrorism” with Pakistan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in on Sunday for a record-equalling third term at a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s palace in New Delhi, attended by leaders of seven regional countries, underlining …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected a fresh order by the Indian Sup­reme Court, which upheld its earlier ruling that endorsed the Modi government’s unilateral decision to revoke the special status of held Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution. “We reject the fresh order of the Indian Sup­reme Court just as we had rejected the earlier order of December …