Sherry reacts to Gandapur s remarks over Zulfikar Bhutto in parliament dailytimes.com.pk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailytimes.com.pk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Culture of Consensus Stopped Public Service From Tackling China Threat Early: Think Tanks
A culture of consensus held back the Australian Public Service from recognising, and acting, on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), leading think tank experts argue.
Peter Jennings of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said there was a “remarkable degree of conformity” within the debate in the public service, particularly around foreign affairs.
“There’s not a lot of warmth or welcome towards people who challenge that conformity. You could argue that perhaps that’s a product of the design of the federal capital, which means that foreign and defence policy is very much a public service business inside the Australian Capital Territory and that, unlike Washington or London, it’s not troubled by a broader exposure to a range of views,” he told the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade.
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a landmark bill criminalising torture and custodial deaths.
The torture and custodial death prevention and punishment bill, moved by the PPP parliamentary leader in the upper house, was also welcomed by the treasury benches, indicating that it would sail through the National Assembly to become an act of the parliament after assent by the president.
“It is a much-needed bill. It is necessary and urgent,” Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari said when a leave was sought to introduce the bill.
The bill prescribes a punishment with imprisonment for a term not less than three years, which may extend to 10 years, and with fine, which may extend to Rs2 million, to those who commit, abet or conspire to commit torture.
By News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday said the strengthening of the ranks of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was not in Pakistan’s interests and categorically stated the country would not favour any sort of Talibanisation.
“The comeback of the TTP is not in Pakistan’s interest. We do not want the Talibanisation of our country,” the foreign minister said in his remarks at a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, here at the Parliament House.
Qureshi’s remarks to the committee come as Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Hanif Atmar sought Pakistan’s help to end the conflict in Afghanistan, saying that he hoped Islamabad would persuade the Taliban to return to talks again, according to an exclusive Geo News report.
Kabul seeks Pak help to bring Taliban to talks
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Hanif Atmar has sought Pakistan s help to end the raging conflict in Afghanistan, saying that he hoped Islamabad would persuade the Taliban to return to talks again.
The situation in Afghanistan has taken a turn for the worse, with the Taliban launching a blistering campaign and capturing key districts of the country, drastically emboldened as US and other foreign forces gear up to leave the country.
In an exclusive interview with Geo News, Atmar said Kabul had great expectations from Pakistan. We are hopeful Pakistan will help Afghanistan disrupt the Taliban s supply and brutal campaign , said the Afghan minister.