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May 19, 2022: National / International Current Affairs
1. Bilawal, Blinken look to shore up economic and commercial ties
• In their first faceto-face meeting in New York on May 18, 2022, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken affirmed their shared desire for a strong and prosperous bilateral relationship, said a statement issued in Washington.
• Before going into the meeting room with their close aides for an almost hour long talks, the two leaders also made brief remarks to the media.
• `We want to focus on the work we`re doing to strengthen our economic and commercial ties between the United States and Pakistan; of course, focus on regional security,` Secretary Blinken said
2. Kabul mediation yields truce with Tehreek-i-Taliban
• The government of Pakistan and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan have agreed on a temporary ceasefire during talks in the Afghan capital on May 18, 2022, spokesmen from the Afghan Taliban and TTP confirmed in separate statements.
• Formal talks between `high level committees` of the two sides that began in Kabul on Monday made `significant progress on related issues`, tweeted spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabihullah Mujahid.
• `Talks were held between the Government of Pakistan and the Taliban Movement of Pakistan with the mediation of the Islamic Emirate.
• `During the talks a temporary ceasefire was also agreed upon,`Mujahid said. While he did not give any time frame for the ceasefire, TTP spokesman Mohammad Khurasani in a separate statement said the ceasefire would last till May 30
3. Indian diplomat handed over demarche for framing fake charges against Yasin Malik
• Pakistan on May 18, 2022 condemned the framing of fabricated charges against Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yasin Malik by Indian authorities and handed over a demarche to the Indian charge d`affaires.
• The Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handed over the demarche conveying Pakistan`s strong condemnation of the framing of fabricated charges against Mr Malik, who is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail, said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
• The Indian diplomat was conveyed Pakistan`s grave concern that in a bid to suppress the voice of indigenous Kashmiri leaders, Delhi had started implicating them in fictitious and motivated cases
4. PM kicks off anti-polio drive, seeks concerted efforts to defeat menace
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on May 18, 2022 kicked off the polio eradication campaign in the country by administering vaccination drops to some children and directed the federal and provincial governments to address the challenges of persistently missed children and fake finger marking.
• The second countrywide vaccination campaign will be launched from May 23 to 27. The drive is aimed at reaching approximately 43.3 million children under the age of five.
• Speaking at a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication convened for the purpose, the prime minister stressed the need for joint efforts of all stakeholders including federal agencies, provincial governments and international agencies to eradicate the disease from the country
5. Barrister Jadoon appointed Islamabad advocate general
• President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday appointed Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon as Advocate General Islamabad and denotified Advocate Niazullah Niazi as.Advocate General Islamabad.
• Niazi was appointed during the previous regime.
• Jadoon is affiliated with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Lawyer Forum and during the earlier stint of PML-N government he served as Deputy Attorney General.
• He, however, tendered his resignation a few months after assuming the charge of his office to resume legal practice.
• Before his appointment as Advocate General, he actively defended journalists in the cases registered under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) during the PTl regime.