FAISALABAD: The industrial phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is going to kick off soon under which Chinese investors would be allowed to set up only high tech industries, which would not have any negative impact on Pakistan’s existing industry, said CPEC Acting Project Director Hasan Dawood. Speaking to a delegation of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI), he said that CPEC has three major perspectives including geo strategic, regional integration and…
Posts published in “Day: December 13, 2016”
URUMQI, China — The regional government of China’s far western region of Xinjiang, which has grappled with ethnic violence, has put into effect strict regulations that punish people for spreading “false information” online. The regulations appear to be aimed at criminalizing people living in Xinjiang who make online postings about ethnic conflict or tensions, as well as related violence and terrorism. In recent years, Xinjiang and central government officials have said they are concerned about…
The Iran-Pak gas pipeline has been a thorn in the side of the Pak-Iran relationship ever since its inception. The plan itself is sensible and once completed, will serve to address the energy crisis of the country and will be the friendship pipeline it was supposed to be, but the inordinate delay taken over completion has led to potential legal and contractual troubles for Pakistan. A hefty fine for a daily penalty of $1 million…
KABUL: General John Nicholson, the commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan, said on Thursday that the Pak-Afghan region had the highest ratio of terrorists in the world. Speaking with reporters at the Bagram air base, north of Kabul, General John Nicholson said it was important for the United States to remain committed in Afghanistan. “Our policy of having an enduring counterterrorism effort alongside our Afghan partners is, in my view, very sound and…
The US-Pakistan relations were ensconced in the Cold War ontology of international relations wherein choices were limited for the developing countries that either sided the USSR or the US led bloc. Pakistan chose to ally with the US due to multiple reasons that included elite bias with the west to the ideological hate of communism. In a Pakistan led by the civil-military bureaucracy in 1950s, the discourse of foreign policy was determined by the former.…
WASHINGTON: Both chambers of the United States Congress have finally passed the 2017 National Defence Authorisation Act, which includes $1.1 billion for reimbursing the nations supporting US military operations in Afghanistan. The largest chunk from this amount, $900 million, is available for reimbursement to Pakistan but almost half of it, $400m, has been put out of its reach. To get those $400m, Pakistan will have to get a ‘good conduct’ certificate from the US defence…
TWO initiatives currently under way provide an example of how Pakistan’s regional integration potential goes far beyond CPEC and needs to be pursued on multiple fronts simultaneously. One includes the talks centring on the renewal of the free trade agreement signed with China in 2007. The other is the move within the government about restarting talks with Iran on the import of natural gas through the pipeline project by seeking a renegotiation of the power…
Afghan Senate members have certified the existence of documents affirming that Taliban collected endorsements from both Iran and Russia. Indeed, Taliban members are located in the cities of Mashhad, Yazd and Kerman in Iran, according to a report published by Al Arabiya on Thursday. They often travel to and from between the two countries, according to locals at the border of Afghanistan. The Iranian foreign ministry, however, denied these reports. A number of deputies of…
WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday told Pakistan they were concerned about “safe terror havens” being provided to the Afghan Taliban groups such as the Haqqani Network. “We have consistently expressed our concerns to the highest levels of Government of Pakistan about their continued tolerance for Afghan Taliban groups such as the Haqqani Network operating from Pakistan soil,” State Department Deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said about the meeting. “We continue to encourage the Government of…
KABUL, Afghanistan — On his last planned trip to Afghanistan as defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter on Friday said that the United States remained committed to the country even as the war here has worsened. The unannounced visit by Mr. Carter was part of his “round-the-world trip to thank deployed U.S. troops for their service over the holidays” as well as meet with allies, the Pentagon said in a statement. In Afghanistan, Mr. Carter’s remarks…