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Islamabad: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that he stands by his statement regarding Kashmir, maintaining that his comments were made with reason and justification. He stated that he was responding to remarks made by others and had provided arguments to support his position.

Speaking on a point of order during a National Assembly session, Khawaja Asif said that he had also addressed the matter through a social media post. He remarked that a person does not become Kashmiri or Pakistani merely through a birth certificate. Referring to the Kashmir issue, he said that while Kashmiris had sacrificed their lives, Pakistanis had also made sacrifices and fought five wars, questioning what reward had been received in return.

The defence minister said that the country witnessed severe political tensions during the 1990s. He noted that former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto decided to reduce those tensions. Recalling parliamentary conduct during that period, he said various incidents took place in the House and remarked that former PTI leader Murad Saeed used to run across the assembly desks.

Khawaja Asif urged political forces to correct the mistakes of the past collectively. He invited opposition members to become part of the Charter of Democracy and sign on to its principles. Criticizing previous parliamentary practices, he said that 55 pieces of legislation had been passed within half an hour and alleged that one individual, while occupying the Speaker’s chair, dissolved the National Assembly. He acknowledged that the country’s political past was not admirable but said efforts had been made to improve it.

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The minister further said that the current prime minister had approached the opposition leader, but claimed that such a gesture would have been unimaginable during Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister. He added that some politicians were so fearful of Imran Khan that they would not even associate with his political camp.

Khawaja Asif also launched a strong criticism of former prime minister Imran Khan, stating that no one had caused as much damage to politics as he had. He accused Khan of inflicting the greatest harm on the Constitution and democratic traditions. Referring to veteran politician Mahmood Khan Achakzai, he remarked that Achakzai appeared out of place sitting among Khan’s allies.

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) High Court has issued a significant ruling in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), directing the Election Commission to register the party as a political entity.

Following the court’s decision, PTI candidates in AJK will be able to contest elections using the party’s electoral symbol, the bat.

The verdict was announced by a larger bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice Shahid Bahar. The petition had been filed by PTI AJK President and former Prime Minister Abdul Qayyum Niazi.

PTI had approached the court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to revoke the party’s registration and political status. After hearing the case, the court ruled in favour of the petitioner and directed the Election Commission to take the necessary steps.

Meanwhile, the larger bench of the High Court has also issued notices to the Election Commission of AJK and the AJK government for further proceedings in the matter and has sought detailed replies from both authorities.

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ISLAMABAD: Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday along with a high-level delegation for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and discussing regional developments.

According to details, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar received the Iranian president upon his arrival. A 21-gun salute was presented in his honour.

Before departing for Pakistan, President Pezeshkian praised Pakistan’s role in the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, saying Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts in making the negotiation process successful were commendable.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, during his visit President Pezeshkian will hold important meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Chairman Senate, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Foreign Minister.

The spokesperson said the meetings will include detailed discussions on Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations, trade, border security, people-to-people contacts and the promotion of regional cooperation. Matters of mutual interest in the context of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding will also come under discussion.

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The Foreign Office stated that the visit aims to acknowledge Pakistan’s positive and constructive role and review progress on the implementation of the agreement reached between the United States and Iran.

According to diplomatic circles, the Iranian president’s visit could prove to be an important step towards further strengthening political, economic and regional cooperation between the two countries.

The Foreign Office spokesperson has announced that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will visit Pakistan tomorrow, during which he will hold discussions with the country’s leadership on bilateral relations.

According to the spokesperson, President Pezeshkian will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising ministers and other senior officials. During the visit, he will meet President Asif Ali Zardari and also hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The Iranian president is also scheduled to meet the Chairman Senate, the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. This will be Dr Masoud Pezeshkian’s second visit to Pakistan as President of Iran.

During the visit, both sides will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and discuss cooperation in various sectors, including trade, energy, border security and regional connectivity.

The spokesperson said the visit would provide an important opportunity for dialogue following the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. The visit reflects the shared desire of both countries for peace, stability and sustainable development in the region.

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Sources said President Pezeshkian is expected to thank the prime minister for Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the United States and Iran. The two sides will also discuss bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and the promotion of high-level engagements.

The meetings will further review progress and implementation of previous agreements on bilateral economic cooperation. The overall regional situation, mutual cooperation and issues of shared interest will also come under discussion during the visit.

In the election for the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Imran Nadeem was elected Speaker, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Kifayat ur Rehman Advocate was elected Deputy Speaker.

The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly session was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Nazir Ahmed, during which the process for electing the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker was completed.

Addressing the session, Speaker Nazir Ahmed announced that PPP’s Imran Nadeem had been elected Speaker and PML-N’s Kifayat ur Rehman Advocate had been elected Deputy Speaker unopposed.

He further stated that no objection to the election process was raised by the PTI-backed independent member of the assembly.

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It is pertinent to mention that PPP, PML-N and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) had already reached a consensus regarding the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. As a result, Imran Nadeem and Kifayat ur Rehman secured the posts unopposed with the joint support of the three parties.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, PPP and IPP will jointly form the government. PML-N will vote in favour of PPP during the election for the Chief Minister but will not become part of the cabinet and will instead sit in the opposition benches.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated Amjad Hussain Advocate for the office of Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Amjad Hussain Advocate is currently serving as the President of PPP Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to sources, this is the first time that the PPP has nominated a candidate from the Gilgit region for the post of Chief Minister.

It is pertinent to mention that in the recent Gilgit-Baltistan elections, the PPP emerged as the largest party by securing nine seats.

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