Sept 1-15, 2021 - Vol 2, Issue 5
INDIA NEWS
WORLD NEWS
Pakistan, India issue diplomatic visas Pak mullahs hail Taliban to each other following 28-month gap victory in Afghanistan IANS
have been on ice since 2019. Pakistan and India have issued a large number of assignment visas to each other's diplomatic staff recently, the Express Tribune reported.
New Delhi, August 24 (IANS): Islamabad and New Delhi have issued assignment visas to each other's diplomats after a gap of around 28 months as both sides are seeking to normalise ties that
Both countries have issued visas on all applications submitted by March 15 this year. Pakistan issued visas to 33 Indian officials, while seven Pakistani diplomats received assignment visas from India.
Sources said there was a possibility of an agreement between Pakistan and India to issue visas on assignment applications by June 15. The two countries are likely to issue more visas to each other's diplomats after that. In March this year, Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on India and Pakistan to "bury the past" and move towards cooperation.
US President keeps Aug 31 deadline to complete Afghan evacuation Wikipedia
Washington, August 25 (IANS): US President Joe Biden on August 24 told Group of Seven (G7) leaders that the United States aimed at completing Afghan evacuation by August 31, while asking for contingency plans to adjust the timeline if necessary. Biden attended a virtual G7 summit over Afghanistan earlier in the day, during which he confirmed “we are currently on pace to finish by August 31st," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported. The statement came as multiple U.S. news outlets reported that
Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns held a secret meeting with Taliban senior leader Abdul Ghani Baradar on August 23 in Kabul, which likely covered the August 31 deadline issue. Earlier on August 24, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid made it clear that the US should withdraw all troops and contractors from the country before the deadline and no extension for the ongoing evacuation process would be possible. Biden is facing pressure from allies and lawmakers to extend the ongoing evacuation beyond August 31. According to media reports, Britain and France had expected Biden to leave US troops in Kabul for additional days for the evacuation. In an August 24 interview with FOX News, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged the president to "forget about the August 31st deadline" and to continue the evacuation. Some congressional Democrats also questioned whether the evacuation could be completed in
days. Biden in April ordered all US troops to leave Afghanistan before September 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into its longest war. He then brought forward the deadline to August 31 in July. The US has been scrambling to evacuate Americans and its Afghan partners from the country since the Taliban entered the capital Kabul on August 15. The White House said on August 24 that around 21,600 people had been evacuated during a 24 hourperiod ending early August 24 morning. In total, approximately 58,700 people had left the country since August 14. The Pentagon said later in the day that "approximately 4,000 American passport holders plus their families" had been evacuated. The Biden administration thus far cannot provide a precise number of US citizens who remain in Afghanistan. US media estimated that the number is between 10,000 and 15,000.
Sikh holy book, 46 Indian passport holders arrive in India New Delhi, August 23 (IANS): Three Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book and 46 Afghan Hindus & Sikhs with Indian passport holders arrived in India on August 23 amid growing tension in Afghanistan. The source had confirmed that the stranded Indian nationals and 46 Afghan Hindus & Sikhs, with 3 Sri Guru Granth Sahib, previously inside the Hamid Karzai International Airport at Kabul would reach India on August 23. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management committee and SAD leader Manjinder S. Sirsa said, "3 Sri Guru Granth Sahib and 46 Indian passport holders will arrive in India on August 23. We thank the Government of India & PM Modi for helping Hindus-Sikhs in Afghanistan. We're in touch with
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minorities in Kabul who wish to be evacuated." In a separate development, one more private plane carrying Indian nationals landed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on August 23 morning. However, out of a total of 30 persons who have been evacuated from Kabul via Qatar, two have tested positive for Covid-19. "Two persons out of 146 people who have returned to India from Afghanistan have tested positive for Covid-19", said Rajinder Kumar, Nodal Officer (Delhi govt) for Covid testing of Afghanistan returnees. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the government is committed to the safe return of all Indian nationals from Afghanistan. Prime Minister
Modi has asked the foreign ministry to brief floor leaders of political parties on developments in Afghanistan. India is evacuating stranded Indian Citizens from Afghanistan and has been allowed two flights per day from Kabul. External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar tweeted, "In view of developments in Afghanistan, PM Modi has instructed that MEA brief Floor Leaders of political parties. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi will be intimating further details." India on August 22 evacuated 168 passengers including 107 Indian nationals through Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft which landed at the Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad.
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Islamabad, August 24 (IANS): A close examination of the various religious organisations based in Pakistan indicates that there is a growing rhetoric among them favouring the Taliban victory in Afghanistan. Such a strong narrative can indeed be damaging to the interest of Pakistan and the region at large.
In addition, Maulana Haq has announced that on November 2 in commemoration of the death of Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, major conferences will be held in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. In these conferences, the Taliban leaders will also be invited. On this occasion, rallies will be carried out across the nation.
Chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-lslam (S) and Difa-e-Pakistan Council, Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq Haqqani termed the victory of the Taliban as the victory of the ideology of Maulana Sami-ul-Haq and his thoughts and announced on 27 August they would observe 'Youm-e-Tashkkur', that is thanking Allah for the victory of the Taliban. Maulana Hamid said that the world shouldn't force its so-called democratic system on Afghanistan, as the Taliban had learnt a lot in the last 20 years. Maulana Hamid demanded that the world should immediately acknowledge the government of the Taliban and revive diplomatic ties. Maulana Hamid was addressing a gathering at the Lahore Press Club after a session of Shura of JUI.
Maulana said that they thanked Rabta Alami Islami for extending support to the Taliban. The borders of Pakistan will be secure now after the government of the Taliban has taken-over in Afghanistan. Haq said that they will try to form a religious alliance in Pakistan and if all religious forces unite then Pakistan can be like a state of Madina in the true sense of it. Prior to the press conference, Maulana Hamid had said in the Shura of the JUI that they will call a session of religious and political parties to discuss the Afghan issue and to extend support to the Taliban. In the session, problems and difficulties faced by the Taliban will be given attention.
The Maulana further thanked Allah for the latest development in Afghanistan and said that by announcing amnesty to all, the Taliban have won the hearts of Afghan people, the world forces were playing with blood and fear in Afghanistan for the last 40 years and there were pro-India and American governments in Kabul for 20 years. He mentioned that the Taliban have freed their country from the occupied forces and have entered Kabul peacefully. The people have welcomed them, if there would have been contradictions in saying and deeds of the Taliban, they would have not won this victory, he said.
Separately, Tahaffuz-e-Khatme-Nabuwat (TKN), an alliance of 13 major religious parties has issued a statement (Aug 22) and rejected a resolution of the European Union about ending Khatm-e-Nabuwat Laws or making it ineffective or releasing accused of blasphemy. The TKN mentioned that the EU resolution was an open interference in the laws of Pakistan and a violation of the international laws. The European Union resolution had hurt religious sentiments of 22 crore Pakistanis, the statement mentioned. They further demanded that the EU should apologize and withdraw the resolution and mentioned that any conspiracy on the Khatm-eNabuwat will be an attack on the faith of 2 billion Muslims.
CIA director conducts secret meeting with Taliban leader in Kabul Kabul, August 25 (IANS): Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns on August 23 held a secret meeting with Taliban senior leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul, the US media reported on August 24.
Citing officials familiar with the matter, multiple media outlets said the meeting between Burns and Baradar was the highestlevel face-to-face engagement between the Biden administration and Taliban to date, Xinhua news agency reported. The Washington Post first reported the secret meeting, which likely covered the issue of an impending August 31 deadline for the US military to complete its evacuation operation in Afghanistan. The CIA declined to comment on the meeting, according to reports. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on August 23 that the
US is engaging with the Taliban "on a daily basis through both political and security channels".
US President Joe Biden is facing pressure at home and abroad to extend the ongoing evacuation beyond August 31, the date he previously set to end the US military mission in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid made it clear on August 24 at a press conference that the US should withdraw all troops and contractors before the August 31 deadline. The spokesman also said Afghan citizens would not be allowed to leave the country through the US evacuation process after the deadline. The US has been scrambling to evacuate Americans and its Afghan partners from the country since the Taliban entered the capital Kabul on August 15.
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