Category: South East Asia

China says U.S. representative will attend Afghanistan meeting in China

A U.S. representative will be present at a meeting of foreign ministers of neighbouring countries of Afghanistan being held on Wednesday and Thursday in China, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, said on Tuesday. Wang’s comments came at a regular briefing in Beijing. The meeting of foreign ministers will take place in Tunxi, in central China’s Anhui province, […]

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Pakistan’s Parliament Takes Up No-Trust Motion Against PM Khan

Pakistan’s parliament Monday began a no-confidence vote process aimed at ousting Prime Minister Imran Khan for allegedly misruling the country. Opposition parties have jointly moved the no-confidence resolution in the legislative lower House of Parliament, known as the National Assembly. The 342-member house will begin a debate on the motion Thursday and a vote is expected to be held in […]

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Pakistan army says security forces kill 6 separatists

The Pakistani army said Saturday that security forces killed six Baluch militants during a raid at their hideout in the country’s volatile southwest. In a statement, the military said the raid was conducted in the Nagao mountains near the Sibbi district of Baluchistan. Militants opened fire triggering a shootout in which six of them were killed. One soldier was also […]

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Russia-Ukraine Conflict Adds Uncertainty to Asian Economy

Reconfiguration of supply chains, fragmentation of payment networks, and changes in reserve currency holdings are some of the effects stemming from the Ukrainian conflict. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has added uncertainty to the Asian economy, which already has to battle a COVID-19 surge and brace for tighter financial conditions, said Changyong Rhee, the director of the Asia and Pacific Department at […]

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Sri Lanka softens ‘terror’ law after EU trade pressure

Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties are withholding support for the amendments, saying they do not stop the arbitrary arrest of dissidents. The Parliament of Sri Lanka has amended controversial “anti-terror” legislation after a European Union threat to withdraw lucrative trading status, but opposition lawmakers said the changes would not stop abuses under the law. The EU last year warned that […]

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Afghans longest-suffering people: Pakistan PM

For the first times in the last four decades, there is no conflict in Afghanistan, says the Pakistani prime minister. Addressing the inaugural session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Islamabad, Imran Khan called the Afghans the longest-suffering people. In his keynote address on Tuesday, Khan said: “The only danger now is through sanctions and non-recognition, which […]

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China backs efforts for Afghanistan’s reconstruction

China has pledged all possible cooperation with efforts for peace, development and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Chinese Foreign Minister Wangi Yi held out the promise while speaking at the inaugural session of the 48th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Islamabad. “China stands ready for cooperation with the Islamic world,” he said, signaling Beijing’s readiness to work for regional […]

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Pakistan’s PM calls for active engagement with IEA’s government

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that after 40 years of war, Afghanistan has a real chance of attaining peace and security and that members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must act to prevent a crisis in the country. In an article for Arab News, Imran Khan said: “After 40 years, there is a real opportunity to […]

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Pakistan parliament to convene this week for no-confidence move against PM Khan

Pakistan’s parliament will convene on Friday to take up a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the lower house speaker’s office said on Sunday, in what shapes up as his toughest test since coming to power in 2018. An alliance of opposition parties filed the motion against Khan this month, saying he had lost his parliamentary majority after over […]

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Pakistan to recognise Taliban on basis of regional consensus

Pakistan says it will recognise the Taliban government when a regional consensus emerges on the issue. Pakistan’s UN envoy Munir Akram said this after the Security Council voted to establish formal ties with Afghanistan without recognising the Islamic Emirate. The resolution drew overwhelming support from the powerful UN council, with 14 members voted for the resolution and Russia abstaining. Seeking […]

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