Karim is Dhaka’s new envoy to New Delhi

October 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - Former US envoy to Islamabad, William B Milam, has said the Pakistan Government made "a foolish move" by initiating the Kargil war with India as it resulted in disruption of peace dialogue with New Delhi. The Daily Times quoted Milam as saying that Nawaz Sharif "failed" to effectively fight terrorism during his second tenure as prime minister, while Pervez Musharraf's government was "reluctant and unwilling" to root out terrorism.

October 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Saturday condemned the "regrettable" move by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to name a special envoy for Kashmir, saying it has no locus standi in India's internal affairs. "It is regrettable that the OIC has commented on India's internal affairs.

September 17th, 2009 COLOMBO - US ambassador Patricia Butenis, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, presented her credentials to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday. Butenis was nominated by President Barack Obama as the US envoy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives May 27.

September 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The suspected mastermind of the attack on Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi has been arrested, police say. The attack which took place earlier this month injured Kazmi, while his driver and security guard were killed.

September 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With India going slow on the tri-nation gas pipeline, Iranian ambassador to India Seyed Mehdi Nabizadeh Tuesday said China is interested in the proposed multi-billion project but left the door open for New Delhi to rejoin the peace pipeline. The Iranian envoy, however, remained quiet on whether Iran is holding talks with China over the tri-nation pipeline involving Iran, India and Pakistan.

August 25th, 2009 SYDNEY - Special Australian security forces, the Diggers, have reportedly killed senior Taliban leader, Mullah Karim, in a special operation primarily targeting the hardcore extremists in the Oruzgan province of Afghanistan. The operation was carried out earlier this month, but details about it were disclosed on Tuesday by Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant-General Mark Evans.

August 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Setting the tone for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official visit to Washington in November, US ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer Wednesday said the "most tangible results of the partnership" would be announced during the trip.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's ambassador to Singapore S. Jaishankar was Friday named the envoy to Beijing and Nalin Surie, secretary (west) in the external affairs ministry, is New Delhi's new high commissioner in London.

July 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Wednesday assured India that it has no plans to appoint a special envoy for Kashmir as it considers it to be a matter between New Delhi and Islamabad. "I can assure you that we are not going to appoint a special Kashmir envoy," Assistant Secretary for South Central Asian Affairs Robert O.

July 12th, 2009 DHAKA - Bangladeshs trade deficit with its principal partners India and China will cross $5.5 billion this fiscal, keeping up the pattern of higher imports and lower exports. The economy would, however, be helped by remittances from its large manpower working abroad and the government is trying hard to sustain in the face of the global downturn, officials of Bangladesh Bank predict.

July 7th, 2009 LAHORE - Religious associations in Pakistan have raised fears about seminaries being used by the extremists as a store for their arms and ammunitions and planning attacks on important locations in the country. The Sunni Ittehad Council, an association of some groups of the Barelvi school of thought, has said that seminaries are patronizing terrorism.

July 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Warning of the "danger of the collapse of Pakistan" to the region, the European Union (EU) plans to expand cooperation with India in countering terrorism, with the EU's counter-terror coordinator expected in New Delhi soon. "Terrorism is a matter of great concern.

June 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States says it would support more dialogue between India and Pakistan but has ruled out the appointment of a special envoy to deal with Kashmir that Islamabad contends is the key issue with New Delhi. "No, there's - there are no plans to that effect," State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Tuesday when asked if there was any prospect of a special envoy to be appointed specifically for Kashmir.

May 24th, 2009 DHAKA - Tariq A. Karim, who served in India as Bangladesh's deputy high commissioner and was later ambassador to the US and to South Africa, may return to New Delhi to head the mission.

March 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With American President Barack Obama's new strategy envisaging a bigger role for India in stabilising Afghanistan, US special envoy Richard Holbrooke comes here next week to explore ways in which New Delhi could help in defeating the Taliban - a common enemy. Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is likely to be in India April 7, official sources told IANS.