UN appoints first Special Envoy for humanitarian affairs for Pakistan

September 28th, 2009 NEW YORK - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has assured Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq that his government will continue to support Kashmir politically and morally. On Monday, Zardari met Farooq to discuss various issues including affairs relating mutual interest and Kashmir.

September 27th, 2009 NEW YORK - The Indian and Pakistan foreign ministers began crucial talks Sunday with India focusing on terror emanating from across the border and Islamabad still hedging its bets over action against the 26/11 Mumbai terror perpetrators. Hours before External Affairs Minister S.M.

August 19th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) delegation met with US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke on Tuesday and conveyed the party's concerns over the expansion in the US embassy in Islamabad and the drone attacks, besides raising the issue of Dr Aafia Siddiqui's detention. According to The News, the delegation comprising JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch and Naib Ameer Dr Muhammad Kamal met the US special envoy at the US Embassy.

July 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke on Wednesday announced that the US would extend further aid of 165 million dollars for the displaced persons in Pakistan. Addressing a news conference along with State Minister for Finance Hina Rabbani Khar, the US envoy said from the above aid 40 million dollars will be for infrastructure development in the affected areas of Malakand; 2.5 millions for reconstruction of houses; 30 millions for small schemes and; 3 million dollars for repatriation of the IDPs.

July 18th, 2009 PARIS - France has named Thierry Mariani as its special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, a media report said Saturday. The 50-year-old diplomat, a member of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing ruling party, will replace Pierre Lellouche, who was elevated to become minister for Europe last month, the Online news agency reported.

July 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States has once again clarified that it would not appoint any special envoy to address the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, and that the conflict should be resolved by the two neighbouring countries itself. Addressing South Asian journalists at a briefing here, US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asian Affairs, Robert Blake said Washington, as part of its long-term strategy, does not support the idea of appointing an envoy to Kashmir.

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.

June 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US is to give Pakistan $3.20 billion during 2009 for various tasks, including industrial aid and the war on terror, the country's envoy here has said. Of this, $950 million would be given as industrial aid, $700 million for the war on terror and $910 million as compensation for the losses Pakistan had faced in the war on terror, Online news agency quoted ambassador Hussain Haqqani as saying.

June 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has said that the huge humanitarian and military aid being offered to Pakistan is critical for America's security interests. "Pakistan needs our help and that help is in our own national security interests.

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.

June 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke on Wednesday said the United States is seeking an extra 200 million dollar in emergency aid to help Pakistanis displaced by a military offensive in the northwest against the Taliban. "Today, the president has asked me to inform you and your government that he has requested the Congress of the United States to allocate an additional 200 million dollars," The News quoted Holbrooke, as saying.

June 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - With millions of people forced from their homes due to intense fighting in Pakistan's northwestern provinces, the US special envoy Richard Holbrooke will head to the region later this week to assess the humanitarian situation, the State Department said Monday. Holbrooke, who was named by President Barack Obama in January as an envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, will travel to Pakistan from Wednesday to Friday, according to State Department spokesman Robert Wood.

May 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States on Tuesday quashed all speculations of a military takeover in Pakistan, saying that it would be terrible if it happened. S special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke touched on a number of sensitive issues in his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

May 6th, 2009 LAHORE - The United States Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke has termed the Swat peace deal as 'dead', the Daily Times reported. Addressing the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in Washington, Holbrooke said Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari had already informed the United States that the accord, signed between the NWFP government and the Taliban, would not stand for long.

April 25th, 2009 LAHORE - US Special Representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has said there is no evidence that India is supporting violence in Pakistan. "If the Indians were supporting those miscreants in Pakistan that would be extraordinarily bad, really dangerous, but they are not doing so.