China on Tuesday assured Pakistan of firm support to protect its territorial integrity and dignity during a high-level bilateral strategic dialogue in Beijing. At this meeting, Islamabad had raised the “rapidly deteriorating” situation in Kashmir and called on New Delhi to relook its policies in the state.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Pakistan foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, Wang Yi appreciated Islamabad’s efforts to ease tensions with India following the attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama, Hindustan Times reported.

Last week, China had for the fourth time put a technical hold on listing JeM chief, Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN security council, saying it needed more time to study the case.

Pakistan and Chinese foreign minister addressed a joint press conference in Beijing. Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that his country ‘did exercise restraint’ in the conflict with India. Wang reiterated Beijing’s backing for Islamabad.

“No matter how things change in the world and the region, China will firmly support Pakistan upholding its independence and territorial integrity and dignity,” he said.

Wang said China has always believed that peace and stability in south Asia was in the joint interests of countries in the region and is what the international community wishes.

“China appreciates Pakistan’s constructive efforts to ease the situation and calls on Pakistan and India to continue to exercise restraint and resolve the differences that exist via dialogue and peaceful means,” Wang said.

The two ministers were addressing the press after the first-ever China-Pakistan Foreign Minister-level strategic dialogue.

Qureshi, meanwhile, raised Kashmir issue and the human rights violations during his dialogue with Wang.

“I also briefed the foreign minister on the rapidly deteriorating situation on the Indian side of Kashmir, intensification of human rights violations, especially after Pulwama,” he said, referring to where the attack took place.

“This is a concern because that leads to a reaction and that reaction at times creates tensions in the region which must be avoided,” Qureshi added.

“I think there’s a need for a new assessment on how the situation on the Indian side of Kashmir should be handled by the Indians. There are now voices within India that are questioning the efficacy of the policy that they’ve followed for the last so many years,” Qureshi said.

He said “Pakistan was always ready and is still ready” for talks with India to resolve differences.

Courtesy Hindustan Times

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for threatening to send Australians “back in a coffin” following the Christchurch attacks.

Scott Morrison told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that Erdogan’s comments were “very offensive.”

He said that he would summon the Turkish ambassador to Australia to demand an explanation, Xinhua reported.

“I find it a very offensive comment and I will be calling in the Turkish ambassador to meet with me and discuss these issues,” Morrison told the ABC.

On March 15, Brenton Tarrant, 28, of Australia, a self-described white supremacist, live-streamed the attack on Facebook as he killed 50 and injured 50 more in what is New Zealand’s worst attack.

Agencies 

Wellington: For the first time in history, the session of the New Zealand Parliament was started with the recitation of Holy Quran to express solidarity with those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on Christchurch mosques Inaugurating the special meeting of Parliament, the New Zealand

Prime Minister started speech with Muslims method of greeting”Al-Salaam Alaikum

New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has urged the public to follow her lead and avoid giving the gunman the fame he so obviously craves.

In her passionate speech to the special session of the Parliament on Tuesday, Jacinda Ardern said “I implore you, speak the names of those who were lost rather than the name of the man who took them. He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless.

The Prime Minister said the attacker sought many things from his act of terror, but one is notoriety and we in New Zealand will give him nothing, not even his name.

Jacinda Ardern called on social media platforms to do more to combat terror, after the gunman in Christchurch live-streamed his attack on Facebook.

Ms. Ardern assured MPs that the attacker would face the full force of the law.She encouraged New Zealanders to acknowledge the grief of the Muslim community this Friday – which is the Muslim day of worship and will mark one week since the shooting.

Later talking to reporters, the New Zealand Prime Minister declared that she will do everything to deny the accused mosque gunman a platform for elevating his white supremacist views.

Agencies