Neighbourhood News Digest: 1st February, 2019

PAKISTAN

UK govt tells India it won't interfere in Kashmir Day event: report: Dawn
February 1, 2019

After the Indian government lodged a protest with the United Kingdom over a Kashmir solidarity event to be held in the British parliament on Feb 4, the UK government said it would not interfere in the matter, India Today reported on Friday. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a media briefing on Thursday that Delhi had taken the matter of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pakistan's event ─ scheduled to be held in the House of Commons ─ highlighting human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir "very strongly" with the UK. Click here to read... [2]

40pc of work on Kartarpur Corridor project done: Dawn
February 1, 2019

Up to 40 per cent of construction work on the phased Kartarpur Corridor Project has been completed and with the launch of the corridor in nine months, Narowal will become an international city, say officials. Construction work is underway round-the-clock on the corridor and extension of Guru Dwara Baba Guru Nanak, founder of Sikh religion, at village Kartarpur. Under the project, construction of roads from the Gurdwara Baba Guru Nanak to Indo-Pak border, an immigration terminal and extension of the temple has been completed by 40 percent. Click here to read... [3]

AFGHANISTAN

Trump Insists On Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan: Tolo News
February 1, 2019

The US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that “tremendous amount of good things are happening” and that Afghanistan is talking about “settling” for the first time in the past 18 years. Trump said that Afghanistan is talking about “making an agreement” adding that if that happens, he will withdraw troops from the country. “You even look at what’s going on, and I can’t tell you that this is a guarantee because we’re going into close to 19 years in being in Afghanistan, and for the first time they’re talking about settling,” Trump said. “They’re talking about making an agreement and we bring our people back home, if that happens,” Trump said. Click here to read... [4]

CHINA

Donald Trump hails trade talks’ progress, says meeting Xi Jinping ‘possible’ on trip to meet Kim Jong-un: South China Morning Post
February 1, 2019

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he may meet Chinese President Xi Jinping more than once as they look to finalise a deal to end a trade war now entering its seventh month. Click here to read... [5]