Afghan President Briefed on Draft US Taliban Peace Deal
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08 Tuesday, September 3, 2019 Pakistan / Europe / Americas German main parties Pakistan grants India vow to fight rise of Afghan president briefed on far-right after polls access to spy Jadhav DPA BERLIN draft US Taliban peace deal on death sentence GERMAN Chancellor An- gela Merkel’s conserva- AFP suring that Shri Jadhav receives tive Christian Democrats The draft includes provision for ‘intra-Afghan’ talks to reach a broader political settlement ISLAMABAD justice at the earliest and returns and their Social Demo- and end the fighting between the Taliban and the Western-backed government in Kabul safely to India,” Kumar added, us- crat coalition partners PAKISTAN granted consular ing a common Indian honorific. vowed Monday to step up REUTERS access to an alleged Indian spy Pakistan officials, however, said the fight against the far- KABUL on death row Monday, sparking they provided “un-impeded, unin- right after a surge in sup- claims from New Delhi that the terrupted consular access to India port for the Alternative AFGHAN President Ashraf prisoner was under “extreme to Commander Jadhav” during a for Germany in two state Ghani has been briefed on a pressure” and unable to speak two-hour meeting in the presence elections. draft accord between the Unit- freely during the meeting. of Pakistani authorities, according Despite suffering ed States and the Taliban and The consular visit comes to a statement issued late Monday heavy losses, the CDU will look at details of the deal weeks after the International by the foreign ministry. and the SPD managed to before giving an opinion, his Court of Justice in July or- Jadhav, a former Indian beat back a major chal- spokesman said on Monday, dered Islamabad to provide naval officer, was arrested in lenge from the AfD in after meetings with the chief US the prisoner and alleged spy – March 2016 in Pakistan’s res- the elections in Saxony peace negotiator. Kulbhushan Jadhav–with con- tive southwestern province of and Brandenburg, with The draft accord, reached sular access but rejected India’s Balochistan -- a region where the right-wing populists after months of negotiations, demand he be freed. Islamabad has long accused now the second-biggest agrees a ceasefire and a phased “While we await a compre- New Delhi of backing separatist party in both states’ par- withdrawal of US forces from hensive report, it was clear that rebels. According to Indian of- liaments. their longest ever war in ex- Shri Jadhav appeared to be un- ficials, Jadhav retired from the While the CDU clung change for a Taliban commit- der extreme pressure to parrot navy in 2001 and was running to power in Saxony, the ment that they will not allow a false narrative to bolster Paki- a “logistics” business in the Ira- SPD was able to maintain Afghanistan to be used by mili- stan’s untenable claims,” said In- nian port of Chabahar. its position in govern- tants to plot attacks on the Unit- dia’s foreign ministry spokesman New Delhi insists he was ment in Brandenburg, ed States and its allies. Raveesh Kumar in a statement. taken captive in Iran before be- as a result helping to It includes provision for The spokesman added that ing moved to Pakistan and then head off any immediate so-called “intra-Afghan” talks India would decide its next moves forced to confess. Tensions have threat to the Merkel-led to reach a broader political set- after receiving a detailed report soared between the arch-rivals coalition that many SPD tlement and end the fighting from its deputy High Commis- in recent weeks following Prime members see as dragging between the Taliban and the sioner in Pakistan Gaurav Ahlu- Minister Narendra Modi’s down support for the Western-backed government Afghan President Ashraf Ghani meets with US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in walia who met with Jadhav. “The move last month to revoke the centre-left party. in Kabul. However details of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. (REUTERS) government remains committed autonomy of its portion of the any future negotiations remain to continue to work towards en- disputed Kashmir region. unclear, with the Taliban so far US-Taliban deal would see US pull sensus before the deal is signed. refusing to deal directly with the A Western diplomat privy to the government, which it considers troops from five bases: US envoy talks between Khalilzad and the News an illegitimate “puppet” regime. KABUL: The US military is set to pull troops from five Afghan bases Taliban said Ghani will share his Ghani met Zalmay Khal- under a proposed deal with the Taliban, the US envoy leading talks views in the next 48 hours. in brief ilzad, the Afghan-American dip- with the insurgents said Monday, in some of the first confirmed The peace talks have taken lomat leading the talks with the details of a much-anticipated accord. place against a backdrop of re- Taliban and will “study and as- Zalmay Khalilzad, who has spent about a year negotiating lentless violence, with the Tali- Defiant Bolsonaro vows sess” details of the draft, spokes- with the Taliban, said the draw-down would occur within about four ban mounting two large-scale to defend Amazon policy man Sediq Sediqqi told report- months of a final deal being approved -- provided the Taliban stick attacks on the major northern ‘in wheelchair’ at UN ers. “But for us, a meaningful to their commitments. cities of Kunduz and Pul-e peace or a path to a meaningful “We have agreed that if the conditions proceed according to the Khumri over the weekend. SAO Paulo: Brazil’s Presi- peace is the end of violence and agreement, we will leave within 135 days five bases in which we are Afghan security forces dent Jair Bolsonaro vowed direct negotiation with the Tali- present now,” Khalilzad told Tolo News, according to an excerpt of pushed back Taliban fighters Monday to defend his ban,” he said. an interview the Afghan TV station published on Twitter. (AFP) from both cities but a suicide controversial Amazon policy Many Afghan government bomber detonated his explo- at this month’s UN General officials have resented the ex- whether Ghani had been given with Taliban representatives, is sives on Monday in Kunduz, Assembly even if he had to clusion of the government from a copy of the agreement, or sim- scheduled to hold meetings with killing at least six policemen do so “in a wheelchair.” “I will the US-Taliban talks. There ply shown it. Khalilzad, who has a number of Afghan leaders in and wounding 15, officials A car carrying Indian diplomats arrives at the Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry appear before the UN even in was some uncertainty about completed nine rounds of talks Kabul this week to build a con- and the Taliban said. to meet Kulbhushan Jadhav, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday. (EPA-EFE) a wheelchair, on a stretcher. I will appear because I want to talk about the Amazon,” Bolsonaro told reporters outside his official residence UK PM threatens an election ahead PM Khan: Pakistan would not use nuclear in Brasilia. Bolsonaro is due to undergo surgery next Sun- day to correct an incisional of battle over Brexit in parliament weapons first, amid tensions with India hernia, his fourth operation since he was stabbed nearly REUTERS “I want everybody to know REUTERS status, New Delhi blocked the a year ago during the presi- LONDON there are no circumstances ISLAMABAD region’s right to frame its own dential campaign. Doctors in which I will ask Brussels laws and allowed non-residents said Bolsonaro would need PRIME Minister Boris Johnson to delay: we are leaving on 31 PAKISTAN would not use to buy property there. 10 days’ rest following the on Monday ruled out ever ask- October, no ifs or buts,” John- nuclear weapons first, Prime Delhi said the change would operation. (AFP) ing the European Union to de- son said in a hastily organised Minister Imran Khan said on help Kashmir’s development, to lay Britain’s departure from the statement at a lectern outside Monday, amid tensions with the benefit of all, but its move US to look again bloc, making an implicit warn- Number 10 Downing Street. arch-rival India after New angered many residents of the at some deferral ing to lawmakers that he would “We will not accept any at- Delhi revoked the special sta- region and was strongly con- deportations requests be forced to call an election if tempt to go back on our prom- tus of its part of the disputed demned by Pakistan. they tied his hands on Brexit. ises,” Johnson said. “I don’t Kashmir region. Khan has so far focused on US: The Trump administration, Johnson’s promise to take want an election. You don’t “We both are nuclear-armed Pakistan Prime Minister a global diplomatic campaign facing criticism over deporta- the country out of the Euro- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. want an election. Let’s get on countries. If these tensions in- Imran Khan. condemning India’s actions, tions from lawmakers and civil pean Union on Oct. 31 with with the people’s agenda.” crease, the world could be in accusing Modi of committing rights groups, said on Monday or without a divorce deal has ers are plotting with rebels in Johnson, the face of the danger,” Khan said, addressing stone-throwing protesters and human rights violations and it would reopen consideration propelled the United Kingdom Johnson’s party to block a no- Vote Leave campaign in the members of the Sikh religious the valley remains under lock- atrocities in the valley.