ISLAMABAD: Pakistani javelin ace Arshad Nadeem, who created history by ending the country’s 32-year Olympics medal drought, on Friday received his gold medal for winning men’s javelin final with a massive throw of 92.97 meters.
The winning podium was set in the Champions Park near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with Pakistan’s flag hoisted high and the national anthem playing in the background.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to France Asim Ahmed also attended the ceremony where Nadeem received his gold medal, according to the Pakistani embassy in France.
“Arshad is the first athlete from Pakistan to win an individual gold medal at Olympics in forty years,” the embassy said on X.
Amb @Asimiahmad at Stade de France where he attended Arshad Nadeem's GOLD MEDAL CEREMONY
Arshad set a new Olympic record of 92.97M in Men's Javelin Throw Finals in Paris Olympics 2024
Pakistan's national anthem was played in a special ceremony held at the Athletics Stadium… pic.twitter.com/oHTlGnQDid
Nadeem, 27, registered the new Olympic record with his 92.97-meter throw in the second round. He broke the record of Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen who set it at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Nadeem was also the only athlete to surpass the 90-meter mark twice, with his final throw being 91.79 meters.
India’s Neeraj Chopra finished second with his season-best throw of 89.45 meters, while two-time world champion Grenadian Anderson Peterson received the bronze medal with his fourth-round throw of 88.54m.
ISLAMABAD: United States President Joe Biden has said his country’s relations with Pakistan are important for regional security and stability, according to an official statement released by Pakistan’s embassy in Washington on Thursday, expressing his appreciation for the counterterrorism cooperation between the two states.
The US and Pakistan have shared a complex history of bilateral relations, dating back to the Cold War when they first established ties. Over the decades, the relationship has seen fluctuations, marked by periods of both cooperation and tension.
The two countries joined forces during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 1970s, but their relations were later tested by the US-led war in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Despite these challenges, the two nations have continued collaborating on regional security and counterterrorism since the withdrawal of US-led international forces in Afghanistan in August 2021.
The US president issued the statement about the relations between both countries as Pakistan’s new envoy to Washington, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, presented his Letter of Credence to him at Blair House.
“Our countries stand united in the face of significant challenges posed by climate change, regional security threats, and global health security,” Biden was quoted as saying by the statement shared by the Pakistani diplomatic mission. “We should continue highlighting common interests in security, trade and investment, economic growth, the US-Pakistan ‘Green Alliance’ framework, and prosperity.”
“The relationship between our two countries remains important for regional stability and security,” he continued. “We appreciate US-Pakistan cooperation on countering terrorist threats. We share a desire to build upon our bilateral relationship and strengthen US-Pakistan ties moving forward.”
He also described the arrival of the new Pakistani ambassador to his country significant on many levels.
“It signifies more than 75 years of friendship between our nations and our enduring commitment to economic engagement, security cooperation, people-to-people ties, and cultural exchange,” he maintained, adding the partnership between the two nations was critical to ensuring the security of their people and people around the world.
“The United States will continue to stand with Pakistan to tackle the most pressing global and regional challenges of our time,” he added.
Earlier, Ambassador Sheikh conveyed greetings to Biden from the Pakistani leadership and recalled US assistance to his country, especially during the nascent phase of Pakistan’s statehood.
“Pakistan-US economic partnership is the core of our engagement, and the United States continues to be the largest destination for Pakistani exports,” he said.
Highlighting the significant trade potential between the two countries, he noted that Pakistan was ready to enhance its trade with the US and absorb American investments in alternative energy, green technology, industry, digital platforms, higher education and other areas of mutual benefit.
Ambassador Sheikh emphasized the important role being played by Pakistan’s large and dynamic diaspora community in the US, describing them as a bridge between the two countries.
He also highlighted the need for structured, broad-based, and result-oriented periodic dialogues in both security and non-security realms to give fresh impetus to the relationship and promote mutual interests.
The new Pakistani envoy replace Ambassador Sardar Masood Khan who was appointed by his country in 2022.
Pakistan Navy ship partakes in bilateral exercise with UK frigate in Gulf of Oman
PNS Shamsheer takes part in bilateral exercise with UK Royal Navy Ship Lancaster
Exercise aimed at improving coordination between the two navies, says state media
Updated 18 min 22 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy’s PNS Shamsheer this week took part in a bilateral exercise in the Gulf of Oman with British Royal Navy Ship Lancaster in a bid to bolster regional maritime security and enhance cooperation, state media reported.
“The purpose of these exercises was to improve coordination between the two navies and to demonstrate their ability to conduct joint operations in the region,” Radio Pakistan said about the exercise which took place on Wednesday.
Pakistan Navy is also active in anti-piracy and counter-narcotics operations in the Indian Ocean under the Combined Maritime Forces, Radio Pakistan said.
It said that PNS Shamsheer is currently deployed on a regional maritime security patrol in the Gulf of Oman.
“Pakistan Navy is maintaining presence in the Indian Ocean to keep the national and international sea lines of communications under surveillance,” the navy said in a statement.
It added that the Pakistan Navy actively collaborates with regional and international partners deployed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to foster a collective effort to counter piracy and promote anti-narcotics operations.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari this week rejected the regional election in the internationally disputed Jammu and Kashmir region administered by India, calling on the international community to hold New Delhi accountable for alleged international rights violations in the area.
The three-phased regional election started in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, with voters casting their ballots for the first time in a decade and in a new political setting after the Indian government stripped the region of its autonomy.
The election will be held in stages until Oct. 1 to elect a 90-member local assembly instead of remaining under the direct rule of New Delhi. The result will be announced on Oct. 8.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has categorically rejected the election for the Legislative Assembly of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that these polls are no substitute for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
Indian-administered Kashmir is part of the larger Kashmiri territory, which has been the subject of international dispute since the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Both countries claim Kashmir in full and rule in part. Indian-administered Kashmir has, for decades, witnessed outbreaks of separatist insurgencies to resist control from the government in New Delhi.
Speaking to a delegation of migrants from Indian-administered Kashmir, Zardari said such an election is unacceptable to the people of Kashmir and called upon the international community to hold the Modi government accountable for the alleged human rights violations in the area.
“He further urged the need to take concrete steps toward conducting a plebiscite in line with relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions,” the state broadcaster said.
Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to provide moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir.
Indian-administered Kashmir has been without a local government since 2018 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party brought down a coalition government elected in 2014, forcing the assembly to dissolve.
A year later, Modi’s government repealed Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted the region its semi-autonomy and downgraded it from a state to a federally controlled territory.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information minister on Wednesday said the government was building a “wider consensus” on constitutional amendments seeking to reform the judiciary, as prominent lawyers and opposition parties in the country rejected the proposals which they say compromise the independence of the judiciary.
The package of reforms, widely believed to include as many as 22 amendments to the constitution, is expected to increase the retirement age of superior judges by three years and change the process by which the Supreme Court chief justice is appointed.
The amendments have raised widespread concerns among opposition parties and legal experts who say the moves are aimed at increasing the government’s power in making key judicial appointments and dealing with the defection of lawmakers during house votes.
The ruling coalition comprising the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is short of at least 13 lawmakers in the National Assembly and four in the Senate to complete the required two-thirds majority required for the amendments to pass. Both parties have since engaged various political players, including the leader of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Fazl-ur-Rehman, to garner his support for the amendments.
“The process for a wider consensus on the constitutional amendments is continuing as all political parties have talked about it and tried to build a consensus,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters at a news conference.
One of the key proposals is to create a new federal Constitutional Court alongside the Supreme Court. Tarar defended the proposal, saying it would make life easy for thousands of litigants in the country.
“The constitutional matters go to the constitutional court so that no obstruction should be created in way of justice for common litigants,” he said.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Rehman said his party had “completely rejected” the proposed draft of the amendments presented to the opposition. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party of jailed former premier Imran Khan has also criticized the amendments, alleging that they are meant to grant an extension to incumbent Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is widely believed to be aligned with the ruling coalition led by PM Shehbaz Sharif and in opposition to its chief rival, the PTI.
Tarar said the government is engaged with the JUI chief to build a consensus on the document.
At a news conference in Islamabad, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said the bill will not be introduced in parliament till the cabinet approves it.
“When it [bill] is introduced in the assembly, then it can be said the government has brought this bill and which amendments it would be able to get passed and which one it would withdraw,” the law minister said.
PPP lawmaker Sehar Kamran told Arab News that after the government’s failure to build consensus on the matter, her party’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had decided to engage other political parties to do the same.
“Now Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken up this job of engaging with all political forces to build consensus on at least two points, including the establishment of a constitutional court and increased parliamentary role in the appointment of the judges,” Kamran said.
She said the move was neither time-bound nor person-specific, saying that it was instead aimed at facilitating the public in the speedy dispensation of justice.
'ASSAULT ON UNITY OF NATION'
Meanwhile, prominent Pakistani lawyers rejected the proposed amendments, threatening to take to the streets against it.
“Lawyers are ready to play their role in stopping these amendments from being passed by the parliament as they are aimed at abolishing the independence of the judiciary,” Rabbiya Bajwa, former vice president of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) told Arab News.
She said the LHCBA was holding a convention on Thursday where lawyers from across the country would protest against the proposed constitutional amendment package.
Advocate Amanullah Kanrani, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), said the government’s constitutional package was “an assault on the unity of the nation” which must be thwarted.
“The government wants to dilute powers of the Supreme Court by establishing a parallel constitutional court for temporary benefits, but this will haunt the nation for time to come,” Kanrani said.
ISLAMABAD: Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said on Wednesday that Moscow would support Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS, an intergovernmental organization featuring the world’s leading emerging market economies.
Overchuk arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit with a high-level delegation. He held talks with his counterpart Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar after which both sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for bilateral cooperation relating to economy and trade.
In 2006, Brazil, Russia, India and China created the “Bric” group before South Africa joined in 2010, making it “Brics.” The bloc was founded as an informal club to provide a platform for its members to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies.
Countries like Pakistan who want to join BRICS see it as an alternative to global bodies viewed as dominated by the traditional Western powers and hope membership will unlock benefits including development finance, and increased trade and investment. Pakistan had last year applied to become a member of BRICS.
“We are happy that Pakistan has applied [to BRICS],” Overchuk said during a joint press stakeout with Dar. “And, of course, BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization are brotherly organizations, and we will be supportive of that.”
Dar held delegation-level talks with Overchuk where the two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation and agreed to pursue robust dialogue and cooperation in all areas.
Pakistan and Russia, once Cold War rivals, have warmed up to each other in recent years through regular business and trade interactions. As Islamabad seeks to enhance its role as a transit hub for landlocked economies in Central Asia, it has expressed interest in connecting with Russia through Central Asia for bilateral trade.
“We agreed today to identify specific projects in all areas of mutual interest on the bilateral agenda, including trade, economy, energy, connectivity, culture, educational relations and people-to-people contacts,” Dar said.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk (first from left in the second row) and his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar (second from left in the second row), oversee the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 18, 2024. (PID)
He said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Russia last year reached an “unprecedented” $1 billion mark, adding that efforts were underway to further enhance it.
“There is the Pakistan-Russia Trade and Investment Forum, which is taking place of its unique nature first time from September 30 to October 1 in Moscow, and we are looking into all areas of mutual cooperation, be it trade, connectivity, the road, railways, energy, agriculture and even education,” Dar said.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister said preparations were being made for the ninth session of the Pakistan-Russia Commission on Trade, Economy, Science, Technology, Culture which is scheduled to be held in Russia by the end of this year.
Overchuk said Russia is interested in expanding regional ties with Pakistan, especially with an important Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting set to take place in Islamabad next month.
“Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is expected to take part in this meeting,” he confirmed.
‘SIGNIFICANT VISIT’
Foreign affairs experts described the visit as a “significant” one considering Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen economic ties with Russia, the upcoming SCO summit and security challenges in Afghanistan.
“It is indeed a significant visit and a good thing that Pakistan is interacting with Russians as we have a very extensive agenda including trade, energy and economic challenges so we need to engage with them,” former Pakistani foreign secretary Salman Bashir told Arab News.
He said both sides would likely have discussed Afghanistan, as Pakistan is facing numerous challenges from the neighboring country, particularly those related to security.
Dr. Talat Shabbir, director of the China-Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies, said the visit benefits both countries as Russia is seeking to strengthen regional alliances amid gloal pressure from the Ukraine war.
“Russia is facing a lot of criticism on Ukraine war especially from Europe and Russia obviously wants maximum friends and especially in the region, therefore the visit is beneficial for both countries,” Shabbir told Arab News.
