Doha. 06 September 2020

Defence Day of Pakistan was observed with due solemnity and reverence at the Embassy of Pakistan, Doha on Sunday, 6th of September.

To pay homage and tributes to Shuhada and Ghazis of Pakistan Armed Forces, Syed Ahsan Raza Shah, ambassador of Pakistan to State of Qatar participated in flag hoisting and cake cutting ceremonies. The event was held at the premises of Pakistan Embassy, Doha, Qatar.

Present on the occasion to pay homage and tributes to the Shuhada and Ghazis of Pakistan Armed Forces who rendered supreme sacrifice in defence of the motherland were members of Pakistani Armed Forces on deputation and Embassy staff.

National Anthem was played and Ambassador Syed Ahsan Raza Shah hoisted the national flag. A smartly turned out military contingent gave salute. Later, the participants witnessed an emotional and heart-warming documentary paying tribute to heroes of the nation who were awarded the highest gallantry award, the Nishan-e-Haider.

Speaking on the occasion, Syed Ahsan Raza Shah  highlighted the importance of the Defence Day in the history of Pakistan. He mentioned the sacrifices of members of Pakistan Armed forces in the line of duty, adding that the day not only is a remembrance of the martyrs and Ghazis, but also refreshes the enthusiasm and rejuvenates the resolve to work for the progress and prosperity of the motherland.  He said that the day inspires all Pakistanis to serve the country with greater dedication and to keep the green and white flag, which symbolizes the nation’s hopes and aspirations, flying even higher.

Pakistani envoy said that Pakistan strives for peace in the region and around the globe, and supports resolution of all disputes through peaceful means. However, the Pakistani nation and its armed forces are always fully geared up to confront any challenge threatening the national security, he added.  He also referred to the sacrifices of Pakistan in the global war against terror and mentioned the significant contribution of the Pakistan Armed Forces in UN peace-keeping operations and in providing humanitarian assistance globally in case of natural disasters.

He highlighted that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Qatar are based on historical bonds of a shared faith, heritage and culture. He expressed confidence at the excellent bilateral defence relations stating that a large number of veterans of Pakistan Armed Forces are rendering services in Qatar Armed Forces while Qatar Armed Forces officers and personnel regularly avail training facilities in Pakistan.

Shah expressed pride in the contribution of the Pakistani community, which is a living bridge between the two countries, in the remarkable progress and prosperity of the State of Qatar.

Reiterating complete solidarity with the Kashmiri people, he called upon the international community to play its due role in seeking an end to the brutalities, violation of human rights and the reign of terror unleashed by Indian forces. Pakistan reiterates its unwavering political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle for the realisation of the inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions, the envoy added.

The ceremony concluded with prayers for progress, prosperity and solidarity of Pakistan.

Doha, 05 Sept. 2020 (AlJazeera News)

A Taliban delegation has returned to Qatar, paving the way for the start of peace talks with the Afghan government that are expected to take place in the Gulf state.

The delegation's arrival early on Saturday was announced by Taliban officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

The negotiations are part of a peace deal the United States signed with the Taliban in February in Doha.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Afghans on both sides of the conflict to get started with their negotiations to decide what a post-war Afghanistan might look like.

The US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien held a telephone call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week. The US officials have also pressed neighbouring Pakistan to get the Taliban to the table.

Relentless delays over the exchange of prisoners - 5,000 held by the Afghan government and 1,000 by the Taliban - have hindered efforts to get intra-Afghan talks started.

In late August, a delegation led by the Taliban's political office head and the chief negotiator of the February deal with the US, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, visited Pakistan. While little was revealed about the details of his meetings with Pakistani officials, it is believed he was pressed to get started with intra-Afghan talks.

With many of the Taliban leadership council living in Pakistan, Islamabad has been pressed by Washington to use its influence to push negotiations forward. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said he wants peace talks started and a military solution for Afghanistan is an impossibility.

Pakistani officials reportedly met a second time with Baradar on Friday before his return to Doha, again pressing for a swift start to Afghan peace talks.

US and Afghan officials have said they want to see a reduction in violence in the conflict going into talks with the Taliban, but the group maintains that a ceasefire would only be on the agenda once talks begin.

Washington's February agreement with the Taliban was reached to allow the exit of US troops after nearly 20 years at war in keeping with a promise President Donald Trump made during the 2016 US election campaign.

The withdrawal, which has already begun, is not dependent on the success of the Afghan negotiations but rather on commitments made by the Taliban to fight armed groups and ensure Afghanistan cannot be used to attack the US or its allies.

 

Ankara (Turkey)

Turkish Forces celebrated 98th Victory Day anniversary on 30th August 2020

Some of the pictures of  Turkish soldiers took part in a parade from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) to the first Turkish Grand National Assembly building in Ulus district, Ankara, Capital city of Turkey. (Pictures by Anadolu News Agency)

Marking a key Greek forces defeat in the hands of Turkish Forces during country’s War of Independence 1919-1922.

Turkish nation prefer to disappear than survive as slave - A nation prefers self respecting and as honorable.  People of Turkey believe in adopting a foreign state’s protection is nothing but deprivation of human quality, weakness and numbness. 

The intention and the goal of the national struggle was to provide and to maintain complete independence and unconditional sovereignty. The Nation performed the necessary actions in the context of Misak-ı Milli ( National Oath ) to win its external independence. And she also determined her line of action with The Law of Teşkilat-ı Esasiye to manage to obtain her national sovereignty. (1923 )

Mustafa Kamal Ataturk has said ' We continued our war to defend our rights and independence and this is sacred for us. And I have a belief that no power could deprive a nation from its right to life'.

' Whether all sides of our territory is destroyed or left in flames we will be on a hill located in our territory and defend our country '.

Turkey’s Grand National Assembly abolished the Sultanate on 1 November 1922. Mehmed VI and his family sought refuge with the British military authorities in Istanbul. They were smuggled out of the city and eventually went into exile in San Remo, Italy, where the former monarch would die in 1926.

The Treaty of Lausanne was signed on 24 July 1923.

On 13 October Ankara officially became the capital of the new Turkish state.

On 29 October a republic was proclaimed, with Mustafa Kemal as its first president.

Doha, 03 September 2020 (QNA)

Qatar Airways announced Wednesday that it will resume flights to five destinations during September: Sialkot, Houston, Kathmandu, Mogadishu and

Philadelphia.

By mid-September, the national carrier of the State of Qatar will operate over 650 weekly flights to more than 85 destinations.

The airline said in a statement that it will continue to lead the industry in providing global connectivity by resuming flights to just over half the destinations it operated pre-COVID-19. Since the onset of the pandemic, Qatar Airways network has never fallen below 30 destinations with continuous services to five continents.

According to the statement, the airlines variety of fuel-efficient aircraft and strategic network management has also enabled it to increase frequencies in the following destinations, providing more flexible travel options to passengers: Ankara, Baghdad, Basra, Djibouti, Erbil, Ho Chi Minh City, London Heathrow, New York JFK and Sulaymaniyah.

HE Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, said: "The gradual rebuilding of our network has been focused on strengthening connections between our hub in Doha and key gateways around the world as well as major business and leisure destinations."

He indicated that the recovery of international travel will take time but returning to over 50% of the airline's pre-COVID-19 network is a significant milestone. "Restoring passenger confidence is key, and we are proud to lead the industry by offering one of the most flexible and generous booking policies that enables customers to plan their travel with confidence. By continuing to fly during the pandemic while others stopped," he said.

"We also remain in close contact with Australian authorities regarding flight restrictions as ensuring the ongoing repatriation of passengers to the country is becoming increasingly challenging. Despite the restrictions on passengers allowed to be carried into the country, we continue to fulfil our mission to facilitate ongoing repatriation for as many people as possible by operating a robust Australian network to five cities, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne (currently no inbound passengers permitted), Perth and Sydney, offering more flights than any other international airline," HE Al Baker added.

"While other airlines grounded operations, we maintained our flights, carrying almost 40% of all international travellers to and from Australia between April and June 2020, helping to take over 180,000 Australian and international travellers home since the start of the crisis. These flights have also helped maintain vital supply chains for Australian businesses with our airline carrying over 15,000 tonnes of Australian goods since 1 March 2020," he noted.

Doha, 02 Sept 2020 (QNA)

Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met at his office in Al Bahr Palace on Wednesday with Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to US President.

During the meeting, they reviewed the close strategic relations between the State of Qatar and the United States of America, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common concern, especially the peace process in the Middle East region.

Amir of State of Qatar affirmed, during the meeting, the State of Qatar's position that calls for a just settlement of the Palestinian cause on the basis of international legitimacy resolutions, Arab Peace Initiative and on basis of Two-State solution in a way that achieves security and stability in the region, Official News Agency of State of Qatar QNA released the news this evening.