Musharraf returns to active politics, talks about Kashmir
PTI, Islamabad:
Kashmir is in the blood of Pakistan, the former military ruler of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, said on Monday, marking his return to active politics.
General (retd) Musharraf, now based in Dubai, also referred to Kargil conflict, and claimed that India was repeatedly threatening Pakistan despite Islamabad’s peace overtures.
UN racism rapporteur criticises Dutch
burqa ban
AP, The Hague
A U.N. racism rapporteur has criticized the recently implemented Dutch burqa ban as doing “more harm than good.”
Tendayi Achiume, a rapporteur for the U.N. Human Rights Council, said Monday that the small number of women who wear face-covering Islamic veils reported suffering more harassment since the law went into force on Aug. 1.
While the law bans all sorts of face-covering clothing on public transportation, in government buildings and at health and education institutions, Achiume said “the political discourse surrounding it has made clear that Muslim women are its intended targets.”
Iran opposes Syria military action, says Zarif
AFP, Tehran
Iran’s top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone call that Tehran is opposed to military action in Syria, the foreign ministry said. “Zarif voiced opposition to military action” and “urged respect for Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” Zarif was quoted as saying in a statement issued late Monday. The Iranian foreign minister also “stressed the need for the fight against terrorism and for the establishment of stability and security in Syria”.
N Korea criticises upcoming UNSC meeting
AP, United Nations
North Korea on Monday denounced a scheduled U.N. Security Council discussion of its latest test of an underwater-launched ballistic missile, calling it “dangerous” and saying it will increase “our desire to defend our sovereignty.”
The council scheduled closed consultations Tuesday on recent North Korean tests at the request of the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
