Row erupts in Pakistan over PM Shehbaz Sharif's 1st foreign visit to Saudi

After PTI raised questions about this visit, Pakistan Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb responded on Monday, saying Shehbaz Sharif would travel to Saudi Arabia at his own expenses

Ahead of Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, the newly-elected Pakistan Prime Minister has been caught in the controversy over his plans to travel privately along with a large entourage. Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the next few days. Dozens of officials and political leaders will accompany the Pakistan Prime Minister on his maiden visit to the Kingdom.

After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raised questions about this visit, Pakistan Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb responded on Monday, saying Shehbaz Sharif would travel to Saudi Arabia at his own expenses. She slammed PTI leaders for spreading “lies” about the trip set to take place later this week. “Contrary to lies being propagated by PTI, Prime Minister will be travelling to Saudi Arabia later this week on a commercial flight at his own expense,” Marriyum said on Twitter….

Pak PM Imran Khan blames US for deteriorating situation in Afghanistan

 Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has blamed the United States for creating a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan that is affecting millions of people and allowing it to worsen.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has blamed the United States for creating a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan that is affecting millions of people and allowing it to worsen. “A man-made crisis is being created despite knowing that it can be averted if (Afghanistan’s) accounts (in the US) are unfrozen and liquidity is put into their banking system,” the Prime Minister said, Dawn newspaper reported.

The Prime Minister made these remarks at a ceremony held at Foreign Office to celebrate the successful holding of the extraordinary session of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers on Tuesday. On the other hand, amid the deteriorating economic situation in Afghanistan, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday (local time) said that Washington is looking intensely at ways to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy so as to provide money to the people of the cash-strapped nation….

Pak PM Imran Khan to visit Qatar 2 days before US-Taliban deal signing

This will be Pak PM’s second visit to Qatar after assuming office in 2018

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will embark on a day-long visit to Qatar on Thursday, just two days before the US and Afghan Taliban would sign a landmark peace deal in Doha.

“As part of regular exchange of high-level visits, Prime Minister Imran Khan will be visiting Qatar on February 27, 2020 to meet His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar,” The Express Tribune quoted a Foreign Office statement as saying on Wednesday night.

This will be the premier’s second visit to Qatar after assuming office in 2018. Khan, however, would not attend the signing ceremony which is scheduled for Saturday. Instead Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will represent Pakistan at the ceremony to be attended by delegates from over two dozen countries. The 18-month gruelling talks have now resulted in an imminent agreement between the militant group and the US under which foreign troops would be withdrawn from the war-torn country. In return, the Taliban have agreed not to allow the Afghan soil to be used against any other country.