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London mayor praises PM Shehbaz’s statesmanship in US-Iran peace talks

London: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Pakistan’s role in supporting peace efforts between the US and Iran, stressing that the premier has shown considerable statesmanship and deserves lots of credit for the role he has played.

Speaking to Geo News at the Vaisakhi celebrations in Trafalgar Square of London, Mayor Khan said: “PM Shehbaz deserves great credit. We’ve seen Vice President JD Vance in Pakistan. We’ve seen the Iranian team in Pakistan. We want this ceasefire to be permanent. It’s really important to recognise the importance of peacekeeping. Disputes are solved amicably and peacefully, and diplomacy is really important.”

President Donald Trump has openly and repeatedly criticised Khan. In fact, the London mayor was among the first to be targeted by Trump, and Khan has responded to him in a similar manner through the media.

Khan said, smiling, that President Trump is not known for appreciating people, but the fact that he has been praising PM Shehbaz and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir says a great deal about the significance Pakistan has achieved through its peace efforts.

He said: “President Trump is praising PM Shehbaz. We’ve got to recognise that had this meeting not taken place in Pakistan, had Pakistan not offered to host as a trusted partner, and the big thing about Pakistan being a trusted partner is that both Iran and the US agreed to go to Islamabad and have these talks.

“We’ve got to hope, Inshallah, that there is peace that this ceasefire holds, because look, it’s affecting all of us. It’s affecting the economy in Pakistan. It’s affecting the economy in the UK. It’s affecting the economy in Europe because of Iran and the US. And so peace is good for everyone, and Pakistan should be very proud of the role it has played.”

Mayor Khan joined Vaisakhi celebrations in Trafalgar Square, praising the Sikh community and describing the festival as a joyful and important occasion.

He said people could be proud to be Londoners, British, English, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh at the same time. Thousands of Sikhs gathered in the Square to celebrate the festival by singing, dancing, praying, eating and playing Gatka.

The London mayor used the event to highlight the importance of unity and respect, while warning about the rise in anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia.

He said that only a few weeks ago, he was attacked for hosting the Eid ul Fitr event at the same venue by right-wingers and nativists — from Reform, the Tories, some sections of the media and racist groups — who claimed Muslims had shown dominance by praying in the Square and that Eid celebrations should be banned.

He asked what the same people would say about the fact that he was now celebrating a Sikh event, had celebrated a major Christian event two weeks earlier, and would soon host Hindu, Jewish and other festivals at the same venue.

He said that such criticism was unfair and baseless, and showed how there has been, across the UK and “across the globe, an increase in hatred, anti-Muslim hatred, Islamophobia”.

“We are deeply suspicious across the globe. You’ve got right-wing, nativist populists bringing to the centre views that are unacceptable. The good news, we’ve got fantastic allies. Keir Starmer defended the British values of respect and celebration. But also many others came to our defence. The Jewish community came to our defence as well during Ramadan. We’ll be celebrating Eid, we’ll be fighting for it again. Happy Vaisakhi!” he concluded.

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Pakistani Students’ UK Visa Delays Raised by Azam Nazeer Tarar with British High Commissioner

Azam Nazeer Tarar with UK High Commissioner

ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner Jane Marriott called on Federal Minister for Law & Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar. The meeting discussed Pakistan-UK bilateral relations, matters of mutual interest and ways to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, the Federal Minister raised the issue of delays in UK visas for Pakistani students and conveyed the Government of Pakistan’s concern to the British High Commissioner.

Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said that hundreds of Pakistani students were facing difficulties due to delays in visa processing, with a risk that the delays could result in the loss of their academic year. He stressed the need to remove obstacles faced by Pakistani students seeking education abroad and facilitate them in this regard.

The Federal Minister briefed the British High Commissioner that, on the directives of the Prime Minister, a committee under his chairmanship was working to improve the legal and institutional framework concerning Pakistani students studying abroad.

He further informed the High Commissioner that, on the Prime Minister’s directives, the committee had finalized its recommendations on the matter, and work was underway to further improve the legal and institutional framework for Pakistani students pursuing education abroad.

The Federal Minister said that the legal and institutional framework for Pakistani students seeking education abroad was being improved to develop an effective mechanism for addressing the issues faced by students.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott assured the Federal Minister that the issue of delays in visas for Pakistani students would be addressed.

The meeting also discussed further strengthening educational linkages between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, as well as enhancing institutional cooperation and engagement between the two countries.

Minister of State for Law, Justice and Human Rights Barrister Aqeel Malik was also present during the meeting.

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Naqvi Sets September 30 Deadline for Completion of Islamabad Safe City Expansion

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, accompanied by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, visited the Islamabad Safe City Headquarters on Friday and chaired a special meeting to review progress on the Safe City Expansion Project, directing officials to complete the ambitious initiative by September 30.

During the briefing, officials informed the minister that overall work on the expansion project has reached 85 percent completion. Installation of the new surveillance network is also 85 percent complete, while 415 kilometres of optical fibre have been laid to support the upgraded system. Work on the data centre, cyber architecture, and cybersecurity infrastructure has also reached approximately 80 percent completion.

Expressing satisfaction over the pace of work, Naqvi stressed that the remaining tasks must be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

He said the government’s vision is to transform the Islamabad Safe City into a modern, smart, and world-class institution comparable to those in developed countries.

The interior minister said the technologically advanced Safe City system would significantly strengthen public safety through enhanced surveillance, effective monitoring, and rapid emergency response capabilities.

He noted that the project would play a vital role in improving law enforcement efficiency and ensuring better security for residents of the federal capital.

Naqvi also assigned officials the task of completing the state-of-the-art Fusion Centre within the next three months, describing it as a critical component of the upgraded Safe City network.

He further directed the relevant authorities to finalise the Safe City Bill at the earliest and present it before the National Assembly without delay to provide the legal framework necessary for the project’s long-term operation and expansion.

The meeting was attended by the Federal Secretary for Interior, the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), senior Safe City officials, and other relevant officers, who briefed the minister on the progress and future roadmap of the expansion project.

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PM Shehbaz, high-level delegation perform Umrah; pray for country’s progress

MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, along with his high-level delegation, performed Umrah here on Friday.

He was accompanied by his delegation including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.

The door of Khana Kaaba was opened specially for the prime minister and his delegation.

Following the completion of the Umrah rituals, the prime minister, field marshal, and other members of the Pakistani delegation offered special prayers for the progress and prosperity of the country, the safety and unity of the Muslim Ummah, and for regional and global peace.

The prime minister arrived in Jeddah on Thursday evening for a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Besides meeting with his Saudi counterpart, he will also pay a visit to the Roze-e-Rasool (PBUH) in Madinah.