Egypt, Pakistan Agree to Boost Cooperation in Fight Against Terrorism, Extremism

Egyptian President receives Pakistani Foreign Minister on Wednesday, Feb 18, 2021. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President receives Pakistani Foreign Minister on Wednesday, Feb 18, 2021. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt, Pakistan Agree to Boost Cooperation in Fight Against Terrorism, Extremism

Egyptian President receives Pakistani Foreign Minister on Wednesday, Feb 18, 2021. (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President receives Pakistani Foreign Minister on Wednesday, Feb 18, 2021. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met on Wednesday with visiting Foreign Minister of Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in the presence of Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry.

The two leaders discussed means of boosting security and economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as combining efforts to fight terrorism and extremism.

Qureshi conveyed to Sisi a message from Pakistani President Arif Alavi, inviting him to visit Pakistan and expressing Islam Abad's keenness to boost bilateral cooperation with Cairo.

The message also affirmed that the stability of Egypt is the pillar of stability in the Middle East and the Islamic world as a whole.

"Pakistan looks at the Egyptian development experience with appreciation and looks forward to benefiting from it in light of the similar situations in the two friendly countries and the common challenges facing them," the message read.

Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency said Sisi stressed that Egypt welcomes the development of bilateral cooperation and exchange of experience in various fields with Pakistan.

He also expressed Egypt’s keenness to enhance coordination and consultation with Pakistan on various regional issues of common interest, on top of which is combating terrorism and the extremist ideology.

The two leaders further highlighted means of exploring prospects for cooperation between Gwadar Port in Pakistan and the Suez Canal Economic Zone to establish industrial projects.

For his part, Shoukry also held separate talks with Qureshi.

"We've agreed to intensify cooperation in the coming stage to completely obliterate terrorism, whose confrontation requires consolidating international efforts," Shoukry told reporter in a joint press conference with Qureshi following their talks.



Director of Yeyha al-Houthi's Office Arrested for Allegedly Spying for US

The Houthi have intensified their crackdown on people who refuse to support them. (EPA)
The Houthi have intensified their crackdown on people who refuse to support them. (EPA)
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Director of Yeyha al-Houthi's Office Arrested for Allegedly Spying for US

The Houthi have intensified their crackdown on people who refuse to support them. (EPA)
The Houthi have intensified their crackdown on people who refuse to support them. (EPA)

The Iran-backed Houthi militias continued their wave of arrests, reaching the highest ranks of the Houthi command.

Under the supervision of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) experts, they arrested Ali Abbas, the director of the office of Yehya al-Houthi – the militias’ leader – on alleged charges of spying for the United States.

Political sources in Sanaa told Asharq Al-Awsat that Houthi intelligence, which operates under the IRGC, arrested Abbas and deputy at the Ministry of Education Ahmed al-Nunu on spying charges.

The sources said the arrests were based on investigations the Houthis have carried out with dozens of detainees who used to work for United Nations offices and other international organizations, as well as former staff at the US embassy in Yemen and the Netherlands.

The legitimate Yemeni government condemned the Houthis for kidnapping Nunu.

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said the arrest sheds light on the ongoing oppression the Houthis practice in regions under their control.

“No one is safe from their violent practices, not even people who have worked for them since their coup,” he added.

The Houthis had kidnapped other senior Education Ministry officials, professor Mohammed al-Mekhlafi and expert Mujib al-Mekhlafi, nine months ago.

Eryani said the Houthis also executed educational expert Sabri al-Hakimi while in detention because he refused to join their effort to change curricula that would promote the militias’ goals.

He called on the international community, UN and rights organizations to speak out against these “heinous crimes.”

He also called for the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization and for the international community to offer real and effective support to the government so that the state can impose its control throughout the country and end the violations against the Yemeni people.