Latest news with #FO
Business Recorder
13 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Dar defends decision to nominate Trump for Nobel prize
ISLAMABAD: Defending the decision to nominate US President for Nobel Peace Prize, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan still backs its choice and considers Donald J Trump as a 'Man of Peace'. 'The decision rests with the Norwegian committee. We are uncaring to the outcome, having only acknowledged what Donald Trump initiated,' Dar told this during a news conference here at the Foreign Office (FO) on Friday to brief the media about his recent multi-nation foreign tours. The foreign minister clarified that both the government and the establishment recommended US President for the peace prize in a letter signed on June 11. 'We consider Donald Trump the 'Man of Peace' and I myself signed the nomination letter,' he remarked. Pakistan recommends US President for Nobel Peace 'Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in raising the Kashmir issue, as this matter had been sidelined since the former US President Bill Clinton era,' Dar added. He; however, claimed that Trump's willingness to arbitrate to settle Kashmir dispute and assure a peaceful resolution marked a significant shift in global perception. He stated that a tariff accord with the United States is set to be announced on 'win-win' basis. Dar announced that China has principally agreed to Pakistan's proposal to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan. In addition, Pakistan and Uzbekistan are set to sign a trilateral railway framework agreement with Afghanistan in the near future for better regional connectivity and economic cooperation. He said that Pakistan and the UAE have signed a protocol during the Pakistan-UAE Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting in Abu Dhabi for visa exemption for Pakistan's diplomatic and official passports holders. With regard to economic cooperation, the Emirate leadership has agreed to invest in Pakistan in a manner similar to its previous deposits with the State Bank of Pakistan, Dar said. He disclosed there were positive developments in long-stalled negotiations with Etisalat to settle the issue pending for last 18 years. To a query, Dar said Pakistan continues to plead for improved visa processes for its citizens. Responding to questions, DPM/ FM reiterated that Pakistan did not seek or begged a ceasefire with India but agreed to it in a dignified manner. 'Pakistan is always ready for dialogue— on terrorism, trade, Kashmir, and the Indus Waters Treaty— but only through a composite framework,' he stated. On Israel, he reaffirmed Pakistan's stand, stating there would be no recognition until a two-state solution is realised. Pakistan will assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in July, with peaceful resolution of disputes set to be a central theme, Dar announced. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Palestine, IIOJK: Pakistan concerned over systemic torture
ISLAMABAD: Expressing serious concern, Pakistan said the people of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continued to be subjected to the worst forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the occupying powers to suppress their right to self-determination. 'Pakistan remains gravely concerned at the widespread and systematic use of torture as an instrument of oppression in situations of foreign occupation,' Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stated this in a statement on Thursday issued on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The spokesperson added, 'Pakistan stands in solidarity with the victims of torture worldwide and reaffirms its continued commitment to eradicating torture and upholding human dignity.' Gunmen kill dozens of civilians in IIOJK He remarked that Islam upholds the sanctity and dignity of every human being. Any act of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment is incompatible with the values of justice, mercy, and compassion that are at the core of Islamic teachings, he asserted. Guided by these values and its international obligations, Ambassador Khan reiterated Pakistan remains committed to eradicating torture and strengthening protections for all individuals. Legal reforms, institutional safeguards, and oversight mechanisms continue to be strengthened by Pakistan to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law, the spokesperson said, adding measures are also being taken to provide victims with medical, legal, and psycho-social support. On this day, Pakistan reiterates its call on the international community to condemn the crimes of these occupying powers and to hold them accountable, in addition to helping end the plight of the victims of their torture and oppression. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. It marks the moment when in 1987 the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into effect. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India says defence gathering in China unable to adopt joint statement
NEW DELHI/BEIJING: Defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in China were unable to adopt a joint statement at the end of their talks due to a lack of consensus on referring to 'terrorism', the Indian foreign ministry said on Thursday. SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian security and political grouping whose members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iran. Their defence ministers' meeting was held as a precursor to the annual summit of its leaders set for the autumn. 'Certain members, member countries, could not reach consensus on certain issues and hence the document could not be finalised on our side,' Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a weekly media briefing. 'India wanted concerns on terrorism reflected in the document, which was not acceptable to one particular country and therefore the statement was not adopted,' he said, without naming the country. FO dismisses speculation about Asif-Singh's meeting in China Indian media reported that New Delhi had refused to sign the document after it omitted reference to the April 22 attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK) , in which 26 people were killed. India blamed Pakistan for the attack but Islamabad rejected the accusation. The attack led to the worst fighting in decades between the nuclear-armed neighbours after India struck what it called 'terrorist infrastructure' in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir. Pakistan denied that the targets had anything to do with 'terrorism' and that they were civilian facilities. The foreign ministries of China and Pakistan did not immediately respond to a request for comment on India's statement. Earlier on Thursday, when asked about the joint statement, a Chinese defence ministry spokesperson said the meeting had 'achieved successful results', without elaborating. It was the first time that senior ministers from India and Pakistan had shared a stage since their clash in May.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan reaffirms commitment to eradicating torture, stands with global victims
Pakistan said on Thursday that it stands in solidarity with the victims of torture worldwide and reaffirms its continued commitment to eradicating torture and upholding human dignity. On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Islam upholds the sanctity and dignity of every human being. 'Any act of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment is incompatible with the values of justice, mercy, and compassion that are at the core of Islamic teachings.' The FO also said that Pakistan remains committed to eradicating torture and strengthening protections for all individuals and that legal reforms, institutional safeguards, and oversight mechanisms continue to be strengthened by Pakistan to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law. Measures are also being taken to provide victims with medical, legal, and psycho-social support, the press release said. 'The people of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continue to be subjected to the worst forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the occupying powers to suppress their right to self-determination,' said the FO. 'On this day, Pakistan reiterates its call on the international community to condemn the crimes of these occupying powers and to hold them accountable, in addition to helping end the plight of the victims of their torture and oppression.'
Hype Malaysia
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Concert Review: An Electrifying Weekend With Heineken Refresh At Genting Featuring ZEDD, HYO & Many More
What's better than icy cold beers and banging electronic music with the cool highland winds brushing the sweat as you dance the night away? Well, this is exactly what went down at Heineken Refresh 2025! Over the weekend (21st June 2025), Heineken Malaysia revived its annual 'Heineken Refresh' in Resorts World Awana, Genting Highlands for a day filled with genre-blending beats, icy cold beers and that cold highland air. The event brought over 10,000 attendees as the venue was packed with strangers all under the same love of rediscovering music. As you enter the grounds, you're greeted by the ticket redemption booth, where attendees can retrieve two wristbands: one that permits entry into the event and another, a light-up wristband that changes colours with the push of a button. What differs from this year's 'Heineken Refresh' from its predecessors is that the event allows a special two-way communication for attendees to feel included in the set, in which the crowd would get to decide what beat the next drop would be, whether it be Techno, Hard Dance, House or even K-pop! We honestly enjoyed this feature during the event as you're filled with a sense of camaraderie within the crowd, as people rush to change their wristband colours to the genre of their choice. However, no losers here if the genre of their choice was not chosen, as the organisers aim to bridge the gap between genres and introduce as much variety to the music as possible. Opening the event were the two hypnotic twin DJs, Beautiful Mistakes, with a colourful mix of house and techno in their set. Where the drops remain exciting and it's peak time electric, the crowd were on their feet despite its low show at the beginning of the set. As the sun began to set and the air grew chillier, local techno icon Jovynn, with a face-to-face set with Ann Jo, took over the reins to ramp up the BPM for a hard techno set. With two powerhouse DJs playing b2b, attendees expected an ultra-feminine, bold, industrial and downright gritty track selection, which they served from the start to the end of their set. Handing over the stage to BLINK, as he sets a new experimental sound, reminiscent of the club scene, where everything goes. The flow of his set was energetic and uplifting, mixing hardstyle and fengtao, which kept people bumping and singing along. As expected from the headlining acts, HYO and ZEDD, the crowd had fallen silent as BLINK ended his last song and the lights dimmed for the next act. As a summary, HYO's electronic set was one to remember, where people came to only see ZEDD, and HYO had won favours that night. She starts with a complete choir ensemble as she plays her first track, Girls' Generation's 'Into The New World', erupting cheers from fellow SONEs in the crowd. Her entire set was pedal to the metal, well, somehow, as she delivers track after track of bangers, which felt more like a story than a concert. With a final goodbye, HYO ends her set with another Girls' Generation track, 'FOREVER 1', an uplifting goodbye to an amazing set. With pyrotechnic shows of fire and confetti, it was finally time to witness the main headliner, EDM icon ZEDD. As anticipated by everyone, his performance was nothing short of magical. His onstage performance was both visually and audio appealing, playing into the Tomorrowland vibes with his blast-to-the-past set. A wave of nostalgia immediately hit as he opened with 'Alive', rippling waves of cheers from attendees. His track selections were mostly his popular tracks, such as 'The Middle', 'Stay The Night', and 'Beautiful Now', playing heavily on the nostalgic feel. We're not complaining, it was an eclectic experience. Ending his set, Zedd says his final goodbye to Malaysia, vowing to come here more often for shows. A scenic view of fireworks and confetti erupts as Zedd closes his set with 'Clarity', ending the night. The experience was nothing short of memorable as this year's 'Heineken Refresh' lineup had attendees enjoying all genres of music under one event. Venue-wise, the cold air and ample space helped a lot; however, over-crowding could be an issue if security was not in order. Vendors for food had reasonably priced options for all to enjoy while sipping on Heineken beers, and there were ample amounts of restrooms to be used. Key takeaways from the event were the lack of hydration points and the price of water was upsold, as well as the muddy ground due to the rain, which could have been a hazard for the crowds of people in attendance. Overall, 'Heineken Refresh 2025' was a memorable experience of a shared love of music that unites people together. With its stellar lineup and appropriate venue, we believe that this year might just be the best one yet. Alyssa Gabrielle contributed to this article. What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0
