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US terms Pakistan ‘major’ non-Nato ally, Nato partner

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  • US to work with Pakistan on regional security, defence cooperation.
  • State Dept avoids delving into details on COAS visit.
  • COAS Asim Munir is currently on an official US visit.

WASHINGTON: The United States acknowledges Pakistan’s significance as a “major” ally and plans to partner with it on regional security and defence cooperation.

Responding to a question during a presser on Tuesday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Pakistan is a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) ally and a Nato partner.

The US comment comes at a time when Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir is on his maiden official visit to the US since assuming office in November last year.

The visit comes a day after the conclusion of a two-day stay of US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West in Pakistan.

The army chief, during his visit, is scheduled to meet senior military and other government officials. However, details of the COAS’s visit have not been disclosed by the military’s media wing.

Responding to a question about the army chief’s official visit, the spokesperson did not delve into the details of his prospective meetings. However, it did share Washington’s wish to partner with Pakistan on regional security and defence cooperation.

“Generally speaking, we look forward to partnering with them on regional security and defence cooperation,” the spokesperson said.

Indian SC ruling on Article 370

In response to another question, the State Department mentioned it is keeping an eye on the developments in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) after India’s top court upheld Delhi’s controversial decision to revoke the special status of the state.

“We continue to follow developments in Jammu and Kashmir closely, noting the Supreme Court’s recent ruling,” the US State Department spokesperson said responding to The News.

“We look forward to further steps by the Indian government to fulfil its pledges to restore political normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir including by holding assembly elections as stipulated in the Supreme Court’s ruling,” it said.

It should be noted that the army chief’s visit coincides with the Indian Supreme Court’s verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370, which strips the IIOJK of its special status.

This also means that during the visit by the COAS, discussion could be held on this pressing issue.

The Indian SC stated that the occupied territory was an integral part of the country.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in August 2019 unilaterally abrogated the special status of the occupied valley and deployed tens of thousands of troops in a bid to ward off protests against the illegal move.

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Imran Khan’s bail request in the Toshakhana-II case has had its objections dismissed.

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In the Toshakhana-II case, the Islamabad High Court has dismissed the objections to PTI founder Imran Khan’s bail request.

IHC instructed the registrar’s office to schedule the hearing for the case for Monday.

Imran Khan’s attorneys, Shaheena Shahab, Ayesha Khalid, and others, arrived in court today as IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the case.

The registrar’s objections to the plea were questioned by Justice Aurangzeb. In the Toshakhana-II case, Imran Khan submitted a bail application, according to counsel Ayesha Khalid.

Justice Miangul said that previous rulings in circumstances comparable to this one adhered to the consistency principle. In this instance, the petitioner was a man, he added.

Bushra Bibi was given bail because she was a woman, according to the justice, and an application like this one was denied yesterday.

Given that the case action date was November and the power of attorney was executed in July, Justice Aurangzeb raised a concern about the timing.

Justice requested the help of Advocate Shah Khawar in this case.

When an applicant was held in jail, Shah Khawar retorted that it was standard procedure to obtain signatures on required documents, such as a power of attorney.

Imran Khan’s attorney, Shaheena Shahab, asked the court to send out notices regarding the bail plea. A judge named Aurangzeb said that the law would be observed.

Following arguments, the court dismissed the registrar office’s objections and ordered that the case hearing be scheduled for Monday.

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PTI presents seven nominations to Imran Khan for the judicial commission.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has proposed seven individuals to its founder, Imran Khan, for consideration as founding members of PTI for membership in the next Judicial Commission.

None of the nominated individuals are attorneys; rather, the roster includes four Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and three senators.

The proposed MNAs are Umar Ayub, Asad Qaiser, Ali Mohammad Khan, and Aamir Dogar, while the senators are Shibli Faraz, Mohsen Aziz, and Aun Abbas Bapi. Sources suggest that the Judicial Commission will include one opposition member from both the National Assembly and the Senate.

The PTI founder will evaluate and endorse two names from the suggested list, which will then be sent to the Speaker for future actions.

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Miller confirmed that Biden’s administration got a letter from a congressman requesting the release of the PTI founder.

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Following his removal as prime minister in 2022, Khan started a protest movement against a coalition of his enemies led by current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Since then, he has been in jail since August 2023 and has been involved in hundreds of cases.

In response to ARY News’ question over the congressmen’s letter during a media briefing in Washington on Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “We will respond in due course to the members.”

The United States wants to see Pakistan maintain its democracy, Miller stated.

The release of the PTI founder’s wife and sisters was a result of a meeting between the US Deputy Assistant Secretary and a Pakistani government representative in Islamabad, which was further questioned during the press briefing.

“I won’t be addressing that,” Miller said when asked if the United States was involved in their release. Miller did, however, affirm that the conference included the defense of Pakistan’s basic liberties and rights.

Sixty-two members of the US Congress urged President Joe Biden on October 24 to support the release of Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, and other political prisoners.

The congressmen, who included well-known Muslim members Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, said in their letter that the Biden administration should ask Pakistani authorities to guarantee the safety of PTI founder Imran Khan.

They also underlined that US policy should concentrate on Pakistan’s human rights situation and asked that US ambassadors attend the PTI leader’s incarceration.

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