After UNGA setback, Pakistan PM Imran Khan removes UN official

Agencies

October 1, 2019

Islamabad, Oct 1: Pakistan PM Imran Khan has abruptly removed his country’s Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi after failing to make headway in his Kashmir campaign at the General Assembly’s high-level meeting

Pakistani media reported on Monday that Maleeha Lodhi will be replaced by Munir Akram, who had done a stint as the permanent representative. Akram was involved in an alleged domestic violence incident in 2002 just as Pakistan was taking its place on Security Council as an elected member and the US asked his country to lift his diplomatic immunity so he could be prosecuted. But he managed to stay on till 2008.

Despite Maleeha Lodhi's campaign at the UN and Khan's intense diplomatic activity, only three countries, China, Malaysia and Turkey, joined Pakistan in raising the Kashmir issue - which meant they did not have any influence on the other 189 countries in the 193-member UN. Khan acknowledged the failure, saying when he returned home, "Whether the world stands with Kashmiris or not, Pakistan is standing by them."

Lodhi survived a major snafu in 2017 when she held up a picture of an injured Palestinian girl in the General Assembly claiming that she was a Kashmiri and the hoax was exposed. She tweeted after Monday's announcement of her removal, "I had planned to move on after UNGA following a successful visit by the PM."

Lodhi has previously served twice as ambassador to the US, the second time covering the crucial period of the 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks on the US and the US-led action in Afghanistan in which Pakistan became involved as a logistics provider. A former journalist, she has also been Pakistan's High Commissioner in Britain. About Akram's appointment, Pakistan Today wrote, "Akram is a veteran diplomat and is one of the ambassadors who believe in hardcore approach towards India instead of appeasement."

He was Permanent Representative from 2002 to 2008 and has been the foreign secretary. In 2002, a woman called New York police to an apartment complaining that she was being assaulted. Police, who responded to the complaint, said the 35-year-old woman, Marijana Mihic, who described herself as Akram's "girlfriend," had bruises to her head and abrasions to her knees. She told them that Akram had bashed her head against a wall.

Police said they could not arrest him because he had diplomatic immunity. The Manhattan prosecutor's office said at that time that it would prosecute him if his diplomatic immunity was lifted. The mayor's office requested the State Department to get his immunity waives so that he could be prosecuted. The US did not press its request to Islamabad to waive his immunity. Pakistan was a member of the Security Council and the US was preparing to invade Iraq at that time. He told the New York Post, "My government sent me here to represent my country. I came to stay - and my government wants me to stay."

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‘No guarantee for BJP govt’s 4th term, but...’: Nitin Gadkari jokes in Nagpur

News Network

September 23,2024

Nagpur: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday teased his cabinet colleague Ramdas Athawale over his ability to hold onto his cabinet spot across multiple governments. "It may not be guaranteed that our government will return for a fourth term, but what is definitely guaranteed is that Ramdas Athawale will become a minister," he remarked at an event in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

The playful jibe, with Mr Athawale present on stage, was followed by Mr Gadkari clarifying that he was "just joking."

Mr Athawale, leader of the Republican Party of India (RPI), has served as a minister three times and expressed confidence in continuing his streak if the BJP returns to power.

Mr Athawale on Sunday said his party RPI (A), an ally in the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, should get to contest on at least 10 to 12 seats in the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing a press conference in Nagpur, Mr Athawale said the RPI-A will contest the election on its party symbol and ask for three to four seats in Vidarbha, including north Nagpur, Umred (Nagpur), Umarkhed in Yavatmal and Washim.

Mr Athawale's party is part of the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's NCP.

The Union minister said, "The RPI-A has made a list of 18 probable seats, which it will be sharing with the Mahayuti partners in a few days and expects to get at least 10 to 12 seats in the seat-sharing pact." He said the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP should give four seats each from their quota for his party.

In Palghar earlier this week, Mr Athawale claimed that due to the inclusion of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the Mahayuti government, the RPI (A) did not get any ministerial berth in the state despite a promise.

He claimed that the party was promised cabinet positions, chairmanship of two corporations, and roles in district-level committees, but all this could not happen because of Pawar's inclusion.

The elections to 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra are likely to be held in November.

In the current assembly, the BJP is the single largest party with 103 MLAs, followed by Shiv Sena 40, NCP 41, Congress 40, Shiv Sena (UBT) 15, NCP (SP) 13 and others 29. Some seats are vacant.

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