POLITICAL ISSUES

IRAN

Pakistan-Iran to form railway committee

Islamabad, Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Railways Minister Rashid Ahmed and the Iranian envoy Mehdi Hoonardost proposed the formation of an expert technical committee for resolving the bilateral railways-related issues, during a meeting held at the Railways Ministry in Islamabad. Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

Five abducted Iranian border guards freed

Islamabad, Thursday, 15 November 2018

Five of the 12 Iranian border guards, abducted by militants in October from Lulakdan area near the Pakistan-Iran border, were freed by the Pakistan military forces and were handed over to Iran. Source: Dawn, Karachi

Iran-Pakistan contemplate over anti-terrorism cooperation

Islamabad, Sunday, 18 November 2018

Iran’s Interior Minister Abdul Reza Rahmani Fazli expressed willingness to conduct joint border operations and intelligence sharing with Pakistan for combating terrorism. Source: Times of Islamabad, Islamabad

ISRAEL

Islamabad denies any links with Israel

Quetta, Monday, 12 November 2018

Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the news report regarding relations with Israel as fake and malicious. Source: Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad

OMAN

Islamabad-Muscat sign MOU

Islamabad, Wednesday, 21 November 2018          

A Pakistan Senate delegation led by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani visited Muscat to sign a MoU with Oman’s State Council to strengthen bilateral parliamentary cooperation. Source: Pakistan Observer, Islamabad

QATAR

Special visa assistance centres to open in December  

Islamabad, Tuesday, 13 November 2018   

A five-member delegation led by director of Qatar’s Visa Support Department Khalifa al-Hamnadi visited the headquarters of National Vocational and Technical Training Center, Islamabad to work out the details of new visa support centres to be opened in Islamabad and Karachi in December. Source: Business Recorder, Karachi, Associated Press of Pakistan, Islamabad  

SAUDI ARABIA

Pakistan-Saudi Arabia to ink Hajj agreement  

Islamabad, Wednesday, 28 November 2018          

Riyadh and Islamabad would ink a new Hajj agreement in December to finalise a cut in the Hajj quota of Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs) and increase quota of government Hajj scheme, arrange nearby residences, improve transport and food facilities for the pilgrims. Source: The News International, Karachi

Pakistan lauds Saudi investigation on Khashoggi  

Islamabad, Friday, 16 November 2018      

Islamabad appreciated Riyadh’s decision to hold joint investigation with Turkey on journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Source: Business Recorder, Karachi

TURKEY

Turkish envoy meets Balochistan governor

Quetta, Friday, 16 November 2018

Turkish envoy Mustafa Yurdakul met Governor Balochistan Justice (R) Amanullah Khan Yasinzai in Quetta to discuss the bilateral ties. Source: Daily Baluchistan Express, Quetta      

UAE

Foreign Minister represents Pakistan at international conference

Islamabad, Saturday, 17 November 2018  

During his two-day visit to UAE for the ninth annual Sir Bani Yas Forum, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi discussed bilateral issues with his Emirati counterpart Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Source: Pakistan Today, Lahore

Imran Khan-led delegation visits UAE

Islamabad, Monday, 19 November 2018   

Prime Minister Imran Khan led a high-level delegation comprising Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, Petroleum Minister, Power Minister and Army Chief to the UAE to work out a comprehensive roadmap for a strategic long-run partnership.  Source: The Nation, Lahore

YEMEN

Pakistan offers to mediate in Yemen conflict

Islamabad, Thursday, 8 November 2018   

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in conversation with Yemen’s envoy Motahar Alashabi, expressed Pakistan’s willingness to mediate in the Yemen conflict by finding a political rather than military solution. Source: The News International, Karachi

ECONOMIC ISSUES

QATAR

Qatar Sheikh pays official visit to Pakistan  

Islamabad, Wednesday, 28 November 2018          

Pakistan President Arif Alvi held a meeting with Jabor Al-Thani, member of Qatar’s ruling family in Islamabad, where the two dignitaries discussed important matters including linking of Karachi Port with Hamad Port, labour export to Qatari job market and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. Source: Radio Pakistan, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad

SAUDI ARABIA

Riyadh to release first instalment of aid

Islamabad, Wednesday, 14 November 2018          

Saudi envoy to Pakistan Nawaf Al-Malki assured the release of the first instalment of Saudi aid worth US$3 billion and an additional US$3 billion worth of oil imports on deferred payment facility to assist the debt-ridden economy. Source: Dawn, Karachi

TURKEY

Balochistan CM invites Turkey to invest

Quetta, Thursday, 15 November 2018

Balochistan’s Chief Minister Kamal Khan Aliyani during meeting with Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Yurdakul highlighted Baluchistan’s rich resources and invited Ankara to explore investment avenues. Source: Daily Baluchistan Express, Quetta

DEFENCE ISSUES

UAE

UAE Naval commander visits Islamabad

Islamabad, Tuesday, 27 November 2018   

UAE’s Naval Forces Commander Rear Admiral Hamdan Al Nehyan met his counterpart Admiral Zafar Abbasi at the Naval Headquarters (NHQ) Islamabad to discuss avenues of cooperation including training and joint naval exercises. Source: The Nation, Lahore

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

TUNISIA

Pakistan-Tunisia to further educational cooperation  

Islamabad, Thursday, 22 November 2018 

Federal Education and Professional Training Minister Shafqat Mahmood called on Tunisian envoy Adel Elarbi in Islamabad to discuss the scope of educational collaborations and chalk out the framework for creating linkages between Pakistani and Tunisian universities. Source: Business Recorder, Karachi

As part of the policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spellings and date format to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy