Here’s what’s happening across the border: Imran Khan says Pakistan Army has supported all his decisions so far; China welcomes opening of the Kartarpur Corridor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger vows to visit Pakistan to highlight climate vulnerability
Hollywood star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his meeting with Pakistan prime minister’s adviser for climate change Malik Amin Aslam has vowed to visit the country to bring to the world’s attention of its extreme climate vulnerability, reported The Express Tribune.
Aslam represented Pakistan at the 24th Conference of the parties (COP24) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change happening in Poland. The event was also visited by Schwarzenegger.
Post the meeting, Aslam tweeted, “Just met with Schwarzenegger who’s promised to come to Pakistan to highlight our extreme climate vulnerability COP24.”
Just met with @Schwarzenegger who’s promised to come to #Pakistan to highlight our extreme climate vulnerability #COP24 pic.twitter.com/kzpTjQXkEw
— Malik Amin Aslam (@aminattock) December 3, 2018
Imran Khan talks civil-military relations, economy in interview broadcast
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday spoke on a wide range of issues concerning the country including its ailing economy, civil-military relations, his views about the opposition and corruption, among others.
The premier in a pre-recorded interview answered questions of senior journalists who were representing various media organisations in the country, reported Dawn.
Asked about the government’s equation with the country’s military, Khan said the Pakistani Army “is currently totally standing by PTI’s [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] manifesto”.
The former cricketer added, “We have no problems at present.” He also claimed that there has not been any “civil-military discord” in his government tenure till now, unlike during the tenure of past governments.
“There is not a single decision that was not taken by me, and there is not a single decision behind which the Pakistan Army does not stand,” said Khan.
On the economic front, Khan said that the last week’s plunge in the value of the Pakistani rupee as against the dollar was the decision taken by the State Bank of Pakistan. He said that his government was “trying to autonomise institutions”.
He added that “the (rupee) adjustment is a temporary phenomenon”.
Khan also said that his government wants to “replicate” the Chinese model of creating export zones with foreign investment and employing local labour.
On the issue of corruption, Imran Khan again brought out the example of China and praised it for tackling the issue successfully. “China is sailing past the US in economy, they have convicted 400 ministers during the past five years.”
During the interview, Khan also disclosed that US President Donald Trump wrote a “very nice letter” to him asking for Pakistan’s cooperation in negotiating peace talks in Afghanistan by bringing Taliban on board.
Honour killing over a selfie
A 19-year old girl was allegedly poisoned to death in Karachi and her fiancé was shot dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat region after they were accused of “meeting and taking selfies” last month, reported Dawn.
The girl was allegedly poisoned by her own father while her fiancé, also her maternal cousin, was shot to death in Swat, said the Karachi police.
Ayaz Brohi, SHO of the Pirabad area in Karachi, said that the girl was killed on 7 November.
“Next day, the father and other relatives buried her body by claiming that she had committed suicide. No autopsy was conducted,” said Brohi.
The deceased girl’s mother later lodged a complaint before the district and session judge who directed the police to register the murder case.
A case was then registered against the girl’s father Abdul Raheem and grandfather Abdul Hakeem. They were later sent on a judicial remand.
The complainant informed the police that objections were expressed by the girl’s relatives when the couple took pictures together after the her fiancé had come to visit Swat a few days before the incident.
The father has, however, claimed that his daughter instead committed suicide inside their house.
China welcomes India and Pakistan’s Kartarpur Corridor move
China Monday welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims, reported Pakistan Today.
“We have noted the relevant report. We are glad to see very good interactions between Pakistan and India,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang during his regular news briefing.
Explaining that the stability of relations between India and Pakistan was crucial for South Asia, Shuang added, “We sincerely hope that these two countries can strengthen coordination and dialogue to properly address their differences and improve relations for peace and stability.”
Both India and Pakistan recently performed their respective groundbreaking ceremonies for the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor.
Pakistan will develop the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur while India will build the rest of it from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab up to the border.
Finance Minister Asad Umar not stepping down, clarifies ministry
Pakistan’s Finance Ministry Monday dispelled rumours and rejected media speculations that Finance Minister Asad Umar was resigning, reported Geo TV.
The ministry, in an official statement, also quashed reports of a verbal spat between Umar and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) party leader Jehangir Tareen.
The ministry asserted, “Some elements are spreading disinformation to achieve their objectives. There is no truth in them.”
“As far as differences are considered, our party holds a discussion on every matter and every minister and adviser shares their point of view after which a final discussion is taken,” the statement read.
The ministry clarified that the Umar “has neither resigned nor has any plan to”.
PTI leader Jehangir Tareen too made it clear that he “did not have any altercation with Umar on any matter.”