Latest news with #UN-mediated
Yemen Online
3 days ago
- Business
- Yemen Online
UN Envoy: Houthi Currency Issuance Violates Yemen's Economic De-escalation Agreement
The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has condemned the Houthi group's recent issuance of new currency as a violation of the economic de-escalation understandings reached between Yemeni parties in July 2024. In a statement released Thursday, Grundberg expressed deep concern over the Houthis' unilateral decision to mint 50-rial coins and print 200-rial banknotes, warning that such actions threaten to undermine Yemen's fragile economy and deepen institutional and monetary divisions. 'These unilateral measures are not a viable solution to liquidity challenges,' Grundberg said. 'They risk eroding trust, destabilizing financial frameworks, and complicating efforts to restore economic stability.' The envoy urged all parties to refrain from unilateral steps and instead pursue coordinated approaches that foster dialogue and support broader stabilization efforts. He emphasized the need to prioritize restoring confidence, strengthening institutions, and delivering tangible relief to the Yemeni population. The currency issuance comes despite a UN-mediated agreement in 2024 that called for halting all economic escalations and maintaining neutrality in financial policy as part of a broader roadmap for de-escalation.
Yemen Online
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yemen Online
Yemen : Houthis say ready to swap all prisoners with govt
Yemen's Houthi group announced on Friday its readiness to exchange all prisoners with the Yemeni government, a significant proposal put forward by the group since the outbreak of the civil war in late 2014. The Houthi-run Saba news agency cited a statement by Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the Houthis' committee for prisoners' affairs, as saying that the group is prepared to carry out "a full exchange process that includes all prisoners from all parties without exception." Al-Murtada called on the Saudi government to pressure the Yemeni government "to respond to the initiative without preconditions." The internationally recognized Yemeni government is yet to comment. The Yemeni government and the Houthi group implemented a UN-mediated major prisoner swap in 2023, exchanging around 900 prisoners. Another major exchange took place in 2020, with approximately 1,000 prisoners and detainees released from both sides. Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi group seized control of much of northern Yemen, forcing the Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. Clashes between the Houthis and the Yemeni government have diminished since April 2022, following a UN-mediated truce.
Express Tribune
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Asif declares Simla agreement a 'dead document'
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has declared the 1972 Simla Agreement "dead" in the current geopolitical context, stating that Pakistan has effectively returned to the 1948 position regarding Kashmir, and the Line of Control (LoC) should now be viewed as a ceasefire line. In an interview with a private television channel on Wednesday, the minister said that while the Simla Agreement had initially committed both India and Pakistan to resolving disputes bilaterally, that framework had collapsed due to unilateral Indian actions in recent years. "The Simla Agreement is now a dead document. We are back to the 1948 position, when the United Nations declared the LoC a ceasefire line following the ceasefire and resolutions," he said, referring to the UN-mediated cessation of hostilities in the first India-Pakistan war. "Going forward, these disputes will be dealt with multilaterally or internationally." He also cast doubt over the status of other bilateral arrangements, stating that "whether the Indus Waters Treaty is suspended or not, Simla is already over." Commenting on regional tensions, Asif said the threat of war with India remains present. "Pakistan does not desire war, but if it is imposed on us, the response will be even stronger than before," he warned. The minister touched upon post-conflict developments, stating that Pakistan had emerged as a strengthened defensive power after its past wars with India. "We have become a defensive force. Orders for our JF-17 Thunder fighter jets are coming in," he said, highlighting Pakistan's growing defence capabilities. On the issue of Afghan refugees, Asif reiterated that Afghans should now return to their homeland. "Afghans must settle in their own country. They have no loyalty to our soil," he remarked, adding that the time had come to address this issue firmly.
Express Tribune
04-06-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Khawaja Asif declares Simla agreement a 'dead document'
Listen to article Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has declared the 1972 Simla Agreement 'dead' in the current geopolitical context, stating that Pakistan has effectively returned to the 1948 position regarding Kashmir, and the Line of Control (LoC) should now be viewed as a ceasefire line. In an interview with a private television channel on Wednesday, the minister said that while the Simla Agreement had initially committed both India and Pakistan to resolving disputes bilaterally, that framework had collapsed due to unilateral Indian actions in recent years. 'The Simla Agreement is now a dead document. We are back to the 1948 position, when the United Nations declared the LoC a ceasefire line following the ceasefire and resolutions,' he said, referring to the UN-mediated cessation of hostilities in the first India-Pakistan war. 'Going forward, these disputes will be dealt with multilaterally or internationally.' He also cast doubt over the status of other bilateral arrangements, stating that "whether the Indus Waters Treaty is suspended or not, Simla is already over." Commenting on regional tensions, Asif said the threat of war with India remains present. 'Pakistan does not desire war, but if it is imposed on us, the response will be even stronger than before,' he warned. The minister touched upon post-conflict developments, stating that Pakistan had emerged as a strengthened defensive power after its past wars with India. "We have become a defensive force. Orders for our JF-17 Thunder fighter jets are coming in," he said, highlighting Pakistan's growing defence capabilities. Also Read: 'Ready but not desperate' for talks with India: Dar On the issue of Afghan refugees, Asif reiterated that Afghans should now return to their homeland. 'Afghans must settle in their own country. They have no loyalty to our soil,' he remarked, adding that the time had come to address this issue firmly. The defence minister also highlighted the issue of tax evasion in the country, stressing that billions of rupees are lost to tax theft annually. 'We must plug this leakage and divert these funds towards national defence,' he concluded.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Top Pakistani general flags ‘Kashmir' in Singapore, warns of ‘destructive escalation'
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman, joint chiefs of staff committee, Pakistan Armed Forces, center, comes out from a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore (Picture credit: AP) ISLAMABAD: Kashmir remains the 'core' of India-Pakistan animosity and not addressing it through dialogue or third-party mediation carries the risk of 'destructive escalation', Islamabad's designated military representative to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore said Sunday in another attempt to internationalise an issue that Delhi insists is bilateral. Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, sought to spotlight Kashmir as a 'dispute' that warranted international intervention during a session on 'regional crisis management mechanisms'. Pushing for 'conflict resolution aligned with Security Council resolutions', Gen Mirza reeled off a list of countries that he claimed could be third-party mediators, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, China, Turkiye and UAE. The military officer said meeting the 'aspirations of the Kashmiri people' was essential for sustainable peace. He accused India of having an 'extremist mindset' and warned that it could be 'too late to avert damage and destruction' if this continued. Gen Mirza said the threshold for conventional warfare had 'significantly degraded', suggesting the possibility of rapid escalation in a nuclear-armed region. India has consistently dismissed Pakistan's call for UN-mediated solutions, while asking Islamabad to stop sponsoring terrorism in the region.
