Bashir arrives in India to prepare ground for Khar
Salman Bashir is in India to firm up the agenda of talks between Hina Rabbani Khar and SM Krishna before she arrives in New Delhi tomorrow. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Accompanied by senior officials, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir arrived here Monday evening and will hold talks on Tuesday with his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao on a wide range of bilateral issues with a view to firming up agenda for talks between External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday. Khar arrives in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Rao and Bashir, who will be meeting after a month, are expected to review entire gamut of bilateral issues and firm up deliverables that will be unveiled by foreign ministers on Wednesday. An increase in frequency of cross-LoC (Line of Control in disputed Kashmir) bus links between Srinagar & Muzaffarabad and Poonch & Rawalakot, an increase in number of trading days across LoC, and opening of more trading points are expected to be tangible outcomes of talks.
Also to be discussed, sources said, would be measures to liberalize visa regime though there may not be any immediate agreement on this. After talks between foreign ministers, two sides will announce a slew of CBMs aimed at lowering barriers to expanded trade and travel across LoC.
Ahead of talks, both sides have struck a positive tone, but are keen not to raise the expectations. India will emphasize need for “an atmosphere free from terror” for meaningful talks. New Delhi will also seek to expand scope of dialogue by including new people-centric areas of cooperation like agriculture, health, telecommunications. India is ready to discuss “all issues with an open mind”.
The meeting between the foreign ministers marks the high point of the peace process India resumed with Pakistan in February after an over two-year hiatus following Mumbai 26/11 attacks.
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New Delhi, July 21 : External Affairs Ministers of India S M Krishna and the newly appointed Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Kher will meet in New Delhi on July 27 for a day-long talk, to discuss all aspects of the bilateral relations, particularly focussing on issues like terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, trade and promotion of bilateral exchanges.
ReplyDeleteIt will be preceded by a meeting of Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on July 26, it was officially announced today by the External Affairs Ministry. A similar statement was issued by the Pakistan Foreign Office in Islamabad.
A host of key issues including Jammu and Kashmir, India’s concerns over terror, Siachen, Sir Creek, trade, confidence-building measures and people-to-people contact will be discussed.
At the talks, India is expected to raise concern over the slow pace of 2008 Mumbai attack probe and trial in Pakistan.
The issue of Mumbai attacks came up during the talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistan counterpart Salman Bashir in Islamabad last month.
In the meeting, India had pressed for “satisfactory closure” of the trial in Pakistan of Mumbai terror attack accused, saying it would help in normalisation of ties.
After a break since 26/11 attack, the two countries in February decided to resume talks on all bilateral issues, which were earlier being discussed under Composite Dialogue.
New Delhi, July 20: Hina Rabbani Khar, the newly appointed Pakistan Foreign Minister, is congratulated by S M Krishna, External Affairs Minister, for her appointment. He has also said that he is looking forward to meeting her and working with her in establishing friendly and cooperative Indo-Pak ties.
ReplyDeleteKrishna sent a letter of felicitations to Khar, soon after learning of her appointment yesterday, Ministry of External Affairs said today. She is the youngest person and the first woman to have given this post in Pakistan.
Krishna said he “looked forward to meeting her in New Delhi soon and to working closely with her in achieving the common goal of establishing friendly and cooperative bilateral relations, which was in the interest of the peoples of both countries,” the ministry said.
The appointment is made just a week ahead of crucial peace talks with India. Khar is to travel to New Delhi for talks with Krishna on July 26-27.
Pakistan made news today appointing the first female foreign minister in the country's history. But there is something else ground-breaking about Hina Rabbani Khar -- her age. At 34, she is the youngest foreign minister in the world. In fact, there are only a handful of other chief diplomats under age 40.
ReplyDeleteBelow, a list of a some top diplomats who also happen to be members of Generation X.
Karachi/Islamabad - The appointment of Hina Rabbani Khar as Pakistan's new foreign minister has evoked mixed responses in the country, with some saying that she will essentially be a figurehead, and others describing her as the rising star of Pakistan politics.
ReplyDeleteAt 34, Hina Rabbani Khar is the youngest Pakistan politician and foreign minister. The appointment, according to an editorial in the Daily Times, appears to have been rushed to enable India and Pakistan to have foreign minister-level talks next week.
She was previously the junior foreign minister for five months and minister of state for economic affairs and statistics.
'This will not be an easy ride because of the complex issues being faced by Pakistan and the way the foreign policy is formulated within the country, where there are many influence groups which she will have to work with,' said former finance minister Shaukat Tarin.
He added: 'This will really test her maturity.'
'I think that she will be a figurehead. It's nothing to do with her per se, it's about the government's capacity to wrangle control of foreign policy from the military,' said Ayesha Siddiqa, an expert on the Pakistani military and the author of 'Military Inc.'
Siddiqa said much of the Foreign Ministry's bureaucracy ' headed by Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, whose brother is the head of the navy (Admiral Noman Bashir) ' is geared to serve the military's purposes.
President Asif Ali Zardari said in a statement that her appointment is 'a demonstration of the government's commitment to bring women into the mainstream of national life.'
Read more: http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/topnews/210321/as-new-pak-foreign-minister-hina-khar-faces-challenges-both-abroad-and-at-home-experts/#ixzz1T9JQZiXF
He also said it would 'send positive signals about the soft image of Pakistan'.
ReplyDelete'Although international relations is complex these days, I am confident she will learn very quickly,' said Ashfaque Hasan Khan, former special secretary and now dean of NUST business school in Islamabad.
Tarin added: 'My impression is if properly guided and coached by the seniors in the party, she will become an effective foreign minister.'
Hina is from a political family in southern Punjab; her father is a large feudal landholder from Muzaffargarh. She is Pakistan's 26th and youngest foreign minister.
Reportedly, a keen trekker and polo-enthusiast, Hina owns Lahore's upscale Polo Lounge, an elite club where the city's wealthy and influential rub shoulders.
Read more: http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/topnews/210321/as-new-pak-foreign-minister-hina-khar-faces-challenges-both-abroad-and-at-home-experts/#ixzz1T9JWGJBz
Hina Rabbani Khar Marriage Details
ReplyDeleteHina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs since 20 July 2011.
She is married to Feroz Gulzar, a businessman and they have two sons and one daughter. She is co-owner of the Polo Lounge, an upscale, popular restaurant located on the Lahore Polo Grounds.
She was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on February 11, 2011, as part of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani's new cabinet. She is the first female Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Pakistan's history. After Shah Mehmood Qureshi was dismissed as Foreign Minister, she became Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs on February 13, 2011