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Pakistan’s Digital Diplomacy Moves into a new era with Pakistan Joining multilateral Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) as Founding Member Pakistan has join...ed the pioneering Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) as a founding member as announced by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the official launch of the DCO today. The DCO is the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and includes Pakistan’s partners in the international community: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, with the UAE and Egypt also expected to join. The launch ceremony of the Digital Cooperation Organisation was addressed by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi as well as by Ministers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait and the President of the World Economic Forum H.E Børge Brende and Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) H.E. Houlin Zhao. In Pakistan, in attendance at the event were Mr Emran Akhar, Advisor to the Foreign Minister on Public Diplomacy, Director General United Nations Usman Jadoon, Director United Nations Syed Atif Raza and key members of the Foreign Minister’s digital diplomacy consultative group, Imran Ghazali, General Manager Digital Media Wing, Ministry of Information and Arslan Khalid, the Prime Minister’s focal person on digital media. Digital Diplomacy has been a core component of Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s Public Diplomacy Initiative. Indeed Foreign Minister Qureshi chairs a dedicated digital diplomacy working group comprising some of Pakistan’s brightest digital minds, to bring innovation and the enhancement of Pakistan’s digital diplomatic footprint. At a time when the global digital economy is worth more than 11 trillion dollars and is set to expand further in the aftermath of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the creation of DCO, and Pakistan’s joining of it as founding member, answers an historic need, promoting cooperation and unity in the digital economy. DCO affords a platform to lead the global digital agenda, in the scientific, health, educational, commercial, social, agricultural, investment and security spheres. For taking this far-sighted initiative, Foreign Minister Qureshi commended His Excellency Abdullah Al Swaha, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and highlighted, for countries like Pakistan with a rich, well trained human resource sought globally, the information revolution presents a unique opportunity to leapfrog the development deficit. #DCO #VisionFO

Prime Minister Imran Khan is received by President ashraf ghani at ARG Presidential Palace in Kabul. #PMIKinKabul

Foreign Minister meets Secretary General OIC in Niamey Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi met OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen in Niame...y, today. The meeting took place in the run up to the 47th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), being held in Niamey on 27-28 November 2020. The Foreign Minister emphasized that Pakistan, as a founding member of the OIC, attached utmost importance to the Organization as the sole and most prominent voice of the Muslim Ummah. The exchange of views covered wide range of issues confronting the Muslim Ummah, including rising Islamophobia, the situation in IIOJK and Palestine, and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foreign Minister conveyed Pakistan’s deep concern at the aggravating human rights and humanitarian situation in IIOJK, and India’s moves to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory, in clear violation of UN Resolutions and International Law including the 4th Geneva Convention. Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed appreciation at the OIC’s consistent and historic support for the Kashmir cause. The Foreign Minister also apprised the Secretary General about the initiative by Pakistan for adoption of a resolution on Islamophobia by the 47th CFM. The Secretary General appreciated Pakistan’s role as a founding and active member of the OIC. The Secretary General reaffirmed OIC’s steadfast support on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute. He noted that his Special Envoy on Jammu & Kashmir visited Pakistan and AJK earlier this year and that the Special Envoy’s report would be submitted to the CFM. The Secretary General also shared his perspective on the issue of Islamophobia and apprised that the latest report of OIC’s Islamophobia Observatory was also due to be released at the CFM. The OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Jammu & Kashmir Ambassador Yousef Al-Dodeay, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the OIC and other senior officials were also present. Islamabad 26 November 2020

Prime Minister’s visit to Afghanistan 19 November 2020 Prime Minister Imran Khan paid a day-long visit to Kabul today at the invitati...on of President Ashraf Ghani. This was the Prime Minister’s first visit to Afghanistan since assuming office in August 2018. The Prime Minister had wide-ranging talks with President Ashraf Ghani to review efforts during the past two years to promote shared objectives of strengthening Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations and achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan. He reiterated his long-standing view that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a negotiated political settlement was the only way forward for enduring peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan called on all sides for taking necessary measures for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire to protect Afghan lives. Underscoring the importance of an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement, the Prime Minister underlined that Pakistan will respect the decisions made by Afghans in the peace process. He also cautioned against those who could spoil the peace efforts. During the Prime Minister’s visit, Pakistan and Afghanistan also issued a document titled Shared Vision between Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Support Peace and Stability in Both Countries and the Wider Region. The Shared Vision is aimed at advancing a forward-looking cooperative partnership between the two countries for political, economic and people-to-people exchanges. The two leaders agreed to constitute Committees to pursue security and peace-related matters. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at increasing high-level leadership exchanges imparting a steady momentum to bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. In this regard, he appreciated that the recent visit of Advisor on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood to Kabul from 16-18 November led to important breakthroughs for commencement of negotiations on Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), progress in revision of APTTA, Customs Assistance Agreement, and understanding to have MoU for cooperation between two Central Banks. The two leaders also agreed to expedite infrastructure and energy connectivity projects. They also discussed development of new rail-road projects between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Prime Minister extended an invitation to President Ashraf Ghani to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience. Islamabad 19 November 2020

Prime Minister Imran Khan has arrived at Kabul. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, DG ISI Lt. Gen. Faiz Hamid, Forei...gn Secretary Sohail Mehmood, Special Representative for Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq and senior officials are accompanying. Upon arrival at Kabul airport, the Prime Minister and his delegation was received by Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar and Afghan President's Special Representative for Pakistan Mohammad Umer Daudzai and senior officials. Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan and Embassy officials also present.

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Pakistan strongly condemns extrajudicial killing of four more innocent Kashmiris in IIOJK Pakistan strongly condemns the extra-judicial killing of four more inn...ocent Kashmiris in a fake encounter outside the city of Jammu by the Indian occupation forces in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In the last one year alone, Indian occupation forces have martyred more than three hundred innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, in fake encounters and so-called cordon and search operations in complete violation of the fundamental precepts of international humanitarian law. The toxic ‘Hindutva’ ideology, preached and practiced by the RSS-BJP mix, has resulted in the systematic targeting of Kashmiri youth through extra-judicial killings, torture in custody, enforced disappearances and incarcerations under the cover of draconian laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Pakistan calls for immediate and transparent judicial inquiry, under international scrutiny, into the extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris including these four. We also urge the international community to take immediate cognizance of the rampant state terrorism being perpetrated in IIOJK and hold India accountable for its serious crimes against humanity. India must eschew the use of state-terrorism as an instrument of state policy, end its egregious violations of human rights of the Kashmiri people, and take concrete steps towards the resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute as per the Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. Islamabad 19 November 2020

Pakistan joins the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) as a founding member Pakistan has joined the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) as a founding memb...er. Established under an initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, other countries that have been invited to join as founding members include Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and the UAE. The Organisation was launched at a virtual event today, hosted by H.E. Mr. Abdullah Al-Swaha, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi participated with a video statement. Lauding the far-sighted initiative of the Saudi Minister of Communication and Information Technology, the Foreign Minister noted that, at a time when the digital economy is estimated to be worth over USD 11 trillion and is set to expand further in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the creation of DCO would cater to the growing need of international cooperation and collaboration in the digital domain. DCO would offer a platform to promote the global digital agenda in the scientific, health, educational, commercial, social, agricultural, investment and security spheres. Digital Diplomacy has been a core component of the Foreign Minister’s Public Diplomacy Initiative. The Foreign Minister chairs a dedicated Digital Diplomacy working group comprising some of Pakistan’s brightest IT experts, to bring innovation and enhance Pakistan’s digital diplomacy footprint. For countries like Pakistan, with a talented and well-trained pool of human resource sought globally, the information revolution presents a unique opportunity to leapfrog the development deficit. Pakistan’s membership of DCO would contribute to the attainment of that objective. Islamabad 26 November 2020

Prime Minister Imran Khan was received by President Ashraf Ghani upon arrival at Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul. #PMIKinKabul