ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Friday officially announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be undertaking a visit to China from May 23-26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his weekly press briefing, he said, \u201cAt the invitation of the People\u2019s Republic of China, PM Shehbaz will undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to 26.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that the premier\u2019s visit assumed special significance as the two countries were also commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe visit will provide an opportunity to reaffirm the abiding strength of the Pakistan-China all-weather strategic partnership and advance a shared vision of building an even closer Pakistan-China community of a shared future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrabi said that during the visit, the premier would hold meetings with the Chinese leadership, including President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe two sides will review bilateral relations, and cooperation in political, economic and strategic domains,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe visit is expected to further strengthen and deepen political trust, strategic coordination, expand political cooperation and consolidate the long-standing friendship between the two countries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FO spokesperson stated that the premier will begin his visit from the Chinese city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, where he will chair the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn Beijing, the prime minister will attend a reception hosted by the Chinese People\u2019s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to commemorate the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations,\u201d Andrabi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later, the FO also shared these details of the PM\u2019s upcoming visit to China in a separate statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the briefing, Andrabi was also asked about India\u2019s rejection of a May 15 supplemental award <\/a>by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) over the Indus Water Treaty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Responding to the query, Andrabi maintained that the rejection held \u201cno political or legal value\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPakistan rejects this legally untenable attempt to dismiss the PCA\u2019s supplemental award,\u201d he said, adding that the mechanism was constituted under the IWT and its awards were \u201cfinal and binding\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andrabi stressed that India\u2019s \u201crefusal to participate cannot invalidate lawful proceedings\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spokesperson reiterated the state\u2019s position on the award, stating that it \u201creaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s long-standing position that the treaty imposed substantive limits on India\u2019s water control capabilities on the western rivers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIndia\u2019s claim to hold the IWT in abeyance is equally without legal basis, and the treaty remains in force,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andrabi also called on the international community and the United States to take note of the continued human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He recalled that May 21 marked the death anniversary of Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq in 1990 and Abdul Gani Lone in 2002, both of whom were shot dead by unidentified gunmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paying \u201crich tribute\u201d to the leaders, Andrabi said, \u201cPakistan salutes the courage of countless Kashmiri martyrs who have laid down their lives in pursuit of their inalienable right to self-determination\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andrabi held that the killing of innocent Kashmiris and their leaders was a \u201cchilling example of the brazen impunity that defines the deplorable human rights situation in the India-occupied Kashmir\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In that regard, Andrabi urged the international community to \u201chold India accountable and ensure a just solution\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andrabi also expressed concern at the \u201ccontinued politically motivated questionable cases\u201d against Kashmiri leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy suppressing legitimate Kashmiri voices and through arbitrary detention and sham trials [..] India continues to misuse its judiciary to pursue a political vendetta against the Kashmiri leadership,\u201d Andrabi stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He called for the release of political prisoners, human rights defenders, and civil society activists in Indian-occupied Kashmir, once again urging the international community, including the US, to play a \u201cconstructive role\u201d by holding India accountable for its human rights abuses and ensuring the release of political prisoners in occupied Kashmir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andrabi also said he could neither deny nor confirm reports about a \u201chigh-level delegation\u201d visiting Iran from Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He made these remarks when asked about reports of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir visiting Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe can neither confirm not deny these reports,\u201d Andrabi said in his response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio\u2019s recent statement was in reference to Interior Mohsin Naqvi\u2019s visit to Iran and not any other visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rubio said yesterday he believed that \u201cPakistanis will be travelling to Tehran today\u201d, while Naqvi is already in Tehran and has been holding meetings with the political leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andrabi also said that Pakistani leadership was in contact with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, adding that \u201cthis is part of engagements with neighbouring countries\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Friday officially announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would be undertaking a visit to China from May 23-26. During his weekly press briefing, he said, \u201cAt the invitation of the People\u2019s Republic of China, PM Shehbaz will undertake an official visit to China from May 23 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":126390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>\u2018World must play constructive role against human rights abuses in IoK\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>FO mum on reports of \u2018high-level\u2019 delegation\u2019s visit to Iran<\/h2>\n\n\n\n