Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Kaira hopes for positive outcome from Pak-US strategic dialogue

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 26 (APP): Pakistan was re-elected Monday to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the economic arm of the UN, for the third consecutive year, with Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon calling it a “fabulous victory”. “It’s a fabulous victory for Pakistan. It reflects the prestige Pakistan enjoys in the international community,” the top Pakistani diplomat told APP after Pakistan polled 149 votes in balloting at the 192-member General Assembly.

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (APP): Pakistan has a role to play in Afghan reconciliation process and a political element is important to resolving the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, according to a senior United States envoy. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke rejected the assertion that Pakistan army is opposed to Afghan reconciliation.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 25 (APP): Pakistan was re-elected Monday to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the economic arm of the UN, for the third consecutive year, with Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon calling it a “fabulous victory”. “It’s a fabulous victory for Pakistan. It reflects the prestige Pakistan enjoys in the international community,” the top Pakistani diplomat told APP after Pakistan polled 149 votes in balloting at the 192-member General Assembly.

LONDON, Oct 25 (APP)- Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, the former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and leader of the People’s Muslim League (PML), underscored the need to resolve the Kashmir issue, which, he said, remained a flash point for a major conflagration not only in South Asia but for world at large.

LONDON, Oct 25 (APP)-The UK-based Association of Pakistani Lawyers on Monday condemned terrorist bomb attack at the shrine of “Baba Farid Ganj Shakkar” in Pakpattan and demanded a stern action against those outlawed elements in the state.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi hoped his beleaguered side is focused enough to counter a spirited South African team in the back-to-back Twenty20 matches starting in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Pakistan’s recent tour to England was rocked by spot-fixing allegations which prompted a Scotland Yard investigation and the suspension of three of their players by the International Cricket Council, a private TV channel reported.

KARACHI, Oct. 25 (APP)- Former President International Cricket Council (ICC) Ehsan Mani is disgruntled over the conduct of the game’s ruling body in connection with Indian Test batsman Suresh Raina. Controversy hit the Indian cricket when a news report claimed that during the recent tour of Sri Lanka, Indian batsman Suresh Raina was seen in the company of a woman known to be an associate of a man allegedly linked to a bookmaker.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): President of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has said US $400,000 donation from international governing body of football (FIFA) vice president Chung Mong Joon will go a long way in helping Pakistani football stand back on its feet.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): Top ranked tennis players have confirmed their participation in the 8th Subh-e-Nau (SN) National Clay Court Tennis Championship, starting from Wednesday at Pakistan Tennis Federation Complex Tennis Courts here.

ISLAMABAD, Oct 23 (APP)- Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday hoped for a positive outcome from Pak-US strategic dialogue.In an telephonic talk with PTV from Qatar, he said the meeting of Pakistani officials with US authority was held in cordial atmosphere and both the countries reiterated their commitment to maintain the relations on permanent basis and to further improve them.The Minister said there are few countries in world with whom the US has strategic relations and Pakistan is one of them adding which itself speaks the importance of Pak-US relations.

“We think the US President is in conformity with Pakistan’s point of view on war on terror”, Kaira said.
He said the new dimensions of Pak-US relations would emerge in the days to come.
To a question, he said that it is a good gesture that US President has accepted the invitation to visit Pakistan.
Kaira said the US President would visit Pakistan during the first quarter of year 2011 adding he has also invited President Asif Ali Zardari to visit USA.
The Foreign offices of the two countries would settle a date in this connection, he said.
President Obama has assured Islamabad of US commitment to economic and democratic development of Pakistan and said he is alive to the country’s regional security concerns, Kaira added.
He said Obama recalled his long association with Pakistan. “Obama said the US wants stability in Pakistan and has no evil designs toward the country and the US does not want to see Pakistan weak militarily and economically”, Kaira added.
The US President said he considers US-Pakistan strategic dialogue process as very important and wishes to see benefits of this partnership on the lives of Pakistani people, the minister said.
Kaira said that Pakistan-US Strategic dialogue has imparted a new vigor to bilateral ties as the two countries made progress towards concrete cooperation in development areas and the top American leadership renewed its commitment to enduring partnership with Pakistan.
“We set timeliness for progress in a number of development and capacity-building areas for Pakistan - a $ 2.29 billion new security package was announced --- and the U.S. president’s reaffirmation of commitment to Pakistan has invigorated the process,” he said.
He said the two sides also discussed US support for Islamabad’s flood recovery and reconstruction effort ahead in the flood zones, the issues of public diplomacy and outreach and mutual perceptions during deliberations by various working groups.
The minister said, as stated by top US officials, the two sides also discussed Pakistan’s quest for civilian nuclear technology cooperation from the United States as part of efforts to meet the country’s fast-expanding energy needs.
On President Barack Obama’s expression of support for Pakistan, Kaira said the US leader clearly stated that he wants to see the strategic partnership move forward.
The US president’s expression of support has strengthened the bilateral cooperation process --- we believe there would be progress in all sectors in days to come and this dialogue has added a new vitality to the bilateral process, Kaira remarked.

Islamabad, Pakistan

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