Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has said that comprehensive arrangements are being made for the hosting of the SCO Summit in Islamabad.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad today, he pointed out Pakistan is hosting such a mega event after many decades which is an honour for the country. He mentioned that the heads of government from the member countries will attend the conference.

The Information Minister said Pakistan is securing successes on the foreign policy front under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said the visits of foreign delegations to the country are a manifestation of it.

He said the visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister remained successful which will help promote bilateral relations between the two countries in diverse fields. He said Malaysia has expressed interest in importing rice and meat from Pakistan.

Attaullah Tarar said a Saudi high-level delegation is also visiting Pakistan in the next few days.

Alluding to the improved economic indicators, the Information Minister said the world institutions and leaders are also recognizing the fact and it is also for the opposition to accept it.

He said improving the lives of common man is the priority of the government.     

Islamabad (APP): Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim on Friday departed here after completing his three-day state visit to Pakistan which he said held a “great personal significance.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had received Anwar Ibrahim on his arrival on Wednesday, also saw him off at the airport, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal cabinet members and senior officials.

During the visit, Anwar Ibrahim, accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials, held a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, led the delegation-level talks and held “productive discussion” with President Asif Ali Zardari.

Following the visit, the Malaysian prime minister wrote on his X timeline that the “engagements with my counterpart Shehbaz Sharif and President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, alongside discussions with industry representatives, resulted in productive outcomes encompassing a wide array of mutual interests.”

He said that these interactions underscored the commitment of the highest leadership to enhance relations.

Both sides signed three MoUs to enhance bilateral cooperation in varying sectors. It was also agreed that Pakistan would export Halal meat worth $200 million and 100,000 tonnes of Basmati rice to Malaysia.

“Certainly, there will be increased cooperation in all areas of trade and agricultural technology including meat, rice and palm oil imports by Pakistan, and the two countries will also expand cooperation in the skilled worker sector through critical areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital and semiconductors,” Ibrahim added.

Prime Minister Ibrahim was also conferred the Nishan-i-Pakistan award by President Zardari in a special investiture ceremony. He was also conferred an honorary PhD Degree by the National University of Science and Technology, where he also delivered a public lecture.

Tehran (AFP): Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is set to lead Friday prayers and deliver a public sermon that could shed light on the Islamic Republic’s plans after a massive missile attack on enemy Israel.

Khamenei’s rare Friday sermon – a first in almost five years – comes three days before the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, triggered by the Iran-backed Palestinian group’s October 7 attack.

The supreme leader, who wields the highest authority in Iran, will lead Muslims in prayer at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran, his official website said.

The prayer will follow “a commemoration ceremony” at 10:30 am (0700 GMT) for Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of the Tehran-backed Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who answer to Khamenei, said Tuesday’s barrages of some 200 missiles were in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Nasrallah alongside Guards commander Abbas Nilforoushan in a late September strike on Beirut, and of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

Khamenei last led Friday prayers in January 2020 after Iran fired missiles at a US army base in Iraq, in response to a strike that killed revered Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani.

In Tehran on Thursday, crowds waving Hezbollah and Iran flags gathered outside the former US embassy building in Tehran to denounce Israeli “crimes” in the Gaza Strip and in Lebanon, Iranian media reported.

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Khamenei had declared public mourning in Iran for Nasrallah and on Wednesday said that the Hezbollah chief’s death was “not a small matter”.

Hamas, Hezbollah and other armed groups in the Middle East are part of the Iran-aligned “axis of resistance” opposed to Israel and its ally the United States.

Analysts said Iran’s missile attack – its second-ever directly targeting Israel – was meant to counter a string of setbacks suffered by Tehran and its regional allies.

Iran has said this week’s attack was carried out in “self-defence” and warned of “crushing attacks” on Israel if it retaliated.

The Islamic Republic has also warned the US – Israel’s top arms provider – against intervening, threatening “a harsh response” if it did.

Washington has said Iran must suffer “consequences”, which may be coordinated with Israeli officials, for the ballistic missile fire.

US President Joe Biden said Thursday he was discussing possible Israeli strikes on Iranian oil sites.

In April Tehran had sent missiles and drones against Israel in retaliation for a deadly Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus.

In both attacks, nearly all missiles were intercepted by Israel or its allies, according to Israeli authorities.