Comey Testimony; SCO Summit; British Elections; Qatar Crisis

[Riaz Haq]

What are the key takeaways from fired FBI Director James Comey testimony to the Senate about his interactions with President Trump? Will this testimony help or hurt President Trump? Will it lead to charges by Special Counsel Robert Mueller against Mr. Trump for perjury or obstruction of justice? Can the President be indicted? Will the President be impeached by Republican Congress?

What does the membership of Pakistan and India in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) mean? Is it a confirmation that India has failed in its attempts to isolate Pakistan? Will SCO leaders help defuse tensions in South Asia?

What caused the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations led by Saudi Arabia to isolate and blockade Qatar? What is the US position on the situation? How will it affect American troops and CentCom regional HQ located in Qatar? How will this affect Iran and the Gulf? Is there a risk that Pakistan will be sucked into this crisis?

Why did British PM Theresa May misjudge the public mood when she called early parliamentary elections? Will the outcome with reduced Tory representation hurt Brexit negotiations with the European Union? How many British Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis got elected to the British parliament this time? Could they with their humble backgrounds have had similar success in their countries of origin?

Viewpoint From Overseas host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with panelists Misbah Azam and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com)


https://youtu.be/KQV-flkfzBs





Related Links:

Haq's Musings

FBI Director Comey's Firing

Flynn Seeks Immunity

India Succeeding in Isolating Pakistan?

Iran-Saudi Conflict

Brexit Vote

Talk4Pak Youtube Channel

Talk4Pak Vimeo Channel

[Riaz Haq]

#Turkey, #Iran, #Pakistan see big trade boost with #Qatar after #Saudi led blockade @AJENews

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/turkey-iran-pakistan-big-trad...

The move by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan to increase bilateral trade with Qatar, following a Saudi-led blockade, has benefited all four countries, according to experts.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a land, air and sea blockade on it on June 5.

Speaking on Sunday on the sidelines of the Gulf Studies Forum in Qatar's capital, Doha, analysts said the crisis has helped Iran, Pakistan and Turkey increase bilateral trade with Qatar, as well as open new commercial routes and strengthen political ties.

-----

Pakistan, which has historically held strong ties with all GCC countries, chose to stay neutral in the immediate aftermath of the blockade. However, its then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Riyadh in an offer to mediate between the GCC countries.

Sharif, who spent seven years in exile in Saudi Arabia following a military coup against his government in 1999, urged all countries to "find an early resolution to the impasse" in a statement issued from his office following his return.

However, the statement went on to reaffirm "the strong commitment of the government of Pakistan to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Saudi kingdom".

This subtle tilt towards Saudi Arabia was down to Sharif's long history with the Kingdom and its rulers, according to Zahid Shahab Ahmed, of Pakistan's National University of Science and Technology.

"Sharif has long-standing personal interests in Saudi Arabia. His family has invested heavily in the country while they were in exile there," Ahmed told Al Jazeera.

Sharif also relied on Qatari leadership in his fight against the Panama Papers corruption charges, which is why "Pakistan found itself in a situation where it was stuck in a fight between two brothers.

"It opted for the middle ground and it has benefited Pakistan's relationship with Qatar. There has been the opening of a direct trade route between Pakistani and Qatari ports, Pakistan has agreed to send more workforce to Qatar and the LNG agreement was already in place," said Ahmed.