Indian students swept away in dam release, 4 dead

NEW DELHI: Rescuers in boats were searching a Himalayan river Monday for dozens of students swept away when a dam released a rush of water without warning, and police said four bodies had been found.

The 25 students from the southern IT-city of Hyderabad had been taking photographs Sunday evening at the banks of the Beas River when they were hit by the rush of water from the Larji hyropower station near the mountain resort town of Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

They had been part of a larger field trip of some 48 students spending 10 days near the mountain resort town of Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Some students at the river banks managed to scramble to safety.

"We saw a wall of water hit those who were on the banks. They fell flat and disappeared under the waves," one student, identified only as Sumiran, told The Indian Express newspaper.

A Manali police officer, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said four bodies had been recovered Monday morning after a search resumed with the dawn. But police said the search operation was challenged by a shortage of boats and divers.

"Officials there are fearing the chances of finding survivors were slim," said Anurag Sharma, police director general in the state of Telangana where Hyderabad is located.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh demanded the dam´s engineer be suspended while the incident is investigated.

Telangana´s government on Monday sent police officials and parents of the missing to the search site, 530 kilometers (330 miles) north of New Delhi.

Anxious friends and relatives gathered at Hyderabad´s Vigyan Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology waiting for news of the missing.

Taliban release video of Bowe Bergdahl's handover

KABUL: The Taliban on Wednesday released dramatic footage of their handover of army sergeant Bowe Bergdahl to US forces after five years in captivity.

"Don´t come to Afghanistan again. Next time, nobody will release you," one of the gun-toting militants is heard telling Bergdahl in the 17-minute video.

It shows a US military helicopter landing in a valley, kicking up small clouds of dust as a jittery-looking Bergdahl waits just a few feet away flanked by militants clutching a white flag.

After a brief exchange of handshakes between insurgents and US soldiers, Bergdahl moves unsteadily towards the helicopter. Bergdahl -- the only US soldier held by the Taliban after being captured in Afghanistan -- was freed on Saturday in exchange for five senior Taliban militants detained at Guantanamo Bay in a deal brokered by Qatar.

His release has evoked sharp criticism from some US politicians, who fear they could return to the battlefield and pose a threat to Americans abroad.

The Taliban video, entitled "Ceremony of the American soldier exchange", at one point also displays the words "Don´t Come Back to Afghanistan" superimposed over footage of Bergdahl. A male voiceover in the video -- laced with religious music and chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) -- said the exchange occurred in the eastern Afghan province of Khost.

"The Americans contacted us and asked us where was a good place to meet. We contacted tribal elders to come and join us, because we do not trust them (Americans)," the voiceover said. "I congratulate all the mujahideen for this victory. "The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified by AFP.

US defence officials have said dozens of US special forces troops backed up by helicopters were sent for the handover. "Fortunately, no shots were fired," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday. "There was no violence. It went as well as we not only had expected and planned, but I think as well as it could have.

"Bergdahl is now being treated at a US military facility in Germany. The US military´s top officer General Martin Dempsey said Tuesday that Bergdahl may be disciplined if the army holds him guilty of misconduct, after claims from members of his unit that he had been captured in 2009 after abandoning his post.

Ukraine separatists open to swap for OSCE release

 

AP A Lithuanian paratrooper gets to hold a US solder's weapon as the first American troops arrived at the Lithuanian air force base in Siauliai, Lithuania, on Saturday.

A leader for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine said on Saturday that a group of foreign military observers who have been detained as suspected “NATO spies” could be released in exchange for jailed pro-Russian activists.

“They are officers from NATO member states,” said Vyacheslav Ponomaryev, self-proclaimed mayor of the eastern city of Slovyansk. “As we found maps on them containing information about the location of our checkpoints, we get the impression that they are officers carrying out a certain spying mission.”

The German-led, eight-member team was travelling under the auspices of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe when they were detained in Slovyansk.

Germany’s Defense Ministry said it had had lost contact with the team, which it said also included five Ukrainians. Tim Guldimann, the OSCE’s special envoy for Ukraine, told German public radio WDR on Saturday that “efforts are being made to solve this issue.” He declined to elaborate.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on late Friday to press for the release of the observers. A Russian embassy official was also called into the German Foreign Ministry to receive the same message.

Russia’s envoy to the OSCE, Andrei Kelin, told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti in Vienna that Russia was taking “all possible steps” to free the military observers.

With tensions rising in Ukraine, the United States and its partners in the Group of Seven said on Friday night by the White House that they were prepared to impose additional economic sanctions on Russia. The White House said an announcement could come as early as Monday.

The West has accused Russia of using covert forces to encourage unrest in Ukraine, and says Moscow has done nothing to pressure separatist militias to free police stations and government buildings in at least 10 cities across the region.

Condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the G-7 said- “We will now follow through on the full legal and practical consequences of this illegal annexation, including but not limited to the economic, trade and financial areas.”

Army not happy over prisoners release, says Prof Ibrahim

PESHAWAR: Political leaders striving for restoration of peace through talks have expressed concern over the deadlock-like situation between the government and the militants after silence on both sides following the end of the ceasefire announced by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

“There is a deadlock-like situation in the talks process after silence from both the sides (the government and TTP),” Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, a member of the Taliban negotiation committee and provincial chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), told reporters here on Friday.

He said the army was not happy over the release of prisoners. “We can only pray that the talks restart, so that peace could be restored in the country,” he added.The second round of direct talks between the government negotiators and the TTP Shura was expected during the current week for which the date and venue were being decided. However, the process seems to have been delayed due to the new developments, including the ongoing clashes between two TTP factions of Mehsud tribal militants.

After the Islamabad fruit market blast on Wednesday, Prof Ibrahim had said that the ceasefire announced by the TTP was still intact and that the bombing was an effort to sabotage the peace process.

The TTP, in a statement, had denied its involvement in the Islamabad blast. The ceasefire first announced by the TTP on March 1 ended on April 10. Meanwhile, addressing a function of party workers, JI local leader Bahrullah expressed concern over the creation of hurdles in the talks. “The province can’t afford burying more bodies of those killed in terrorist attacks,” said Bahrullah.

He asked the government to take the military leadership into confidence over the peace process. “Talks are the only solution to the issue of terrorism, not a military operation,” claimed Bahrullah.

Aitzaz Ahsan wants Taliban to release Gilani, Taseer sons

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, Aitzaz Ahsan Monday called upon the Taliban militants to set free the abducted sons of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab governor Salman Taseer.

“I don’t think the ongoing negotiations with the Taliban will yield a positive result,” he said during his interaction with the media persons here.

He said the Taliban should also release the non-combatants.

Aitzaz Ahsan said the Election Commission had reopened record of one Punjab constituency, NA-124 which revealed that one of the bags did not carry the official seal, exposing the transparency of the general elections.

 

Govt to release all non-combatant prisoners phase-wise: Rustam Shah

PESHAWAR: Government negotiation committee member, Rustam Shah Mohmand on Monday said that the government has agreed to phase-wise release all those prisoners against whom no evidence of their being involved in militancy available.

Talking to Geo News representative, Shakil Farman Ali here, Rustam Shah said that Taliban and the government holding each other’s prisoners, however, both perhaps didn’t have readily available the exact number of their prisoners.

Rustam Shah said that besides the matter relating to the release of prisoners, dispensation of polio drops to children would also be discussed in the next meeting with Taliban Shura.

He further said that Taliban would be pursued for permanent ceasefire in a bid to cover all issues. With the environment of trust and confidence the dialogues could be held in nearby areas also, he said.

Army taken into confidence on release of Taliban prisoners

 

ISLAMABAD: The Army has been taken into confidence on the release of Taliban prisoners, an important source attached to the talks told ‘The News’ here on Sunday.
The sources further said that all the institutions were working in line with the vision of the prime minister to ensure the success of the talks.They informed that the government had received a list of 400 Taliban prisoners. Out of these 400, the release of innocent and non-combatant prisoners had been initiated, the sources stated.

The sources denied that the government had handed over a list to the Taliban for the release of prisoners held by the outfit.They said that none of the two parties held “prisoners of war”. They elaborated that the Taliban abducted sons of Yousuf Raza Gilani and Salman Taseer, and Vice Chancellor Dr Ajmal for ransom. Likewise, the government held the wanted Taliban for creating a law and order situation. Therefore, nothing like an exchange of prisoners was under way, they clarified.

The release of non-combatant Taliban will be accompanied by the arrangement of meetings of the under arrest Taliban with the members of their families and those found innocent will be released on a case-to-case basis, the sources claimed.

It has been made clear to the Taliban that the government has no demand other than the establishment of peace and elimination of terrorism. If these demands of the government are met, the Taliban will be ensured the same rights as other peaceful citizens of the country.

The next phase of the government-Taliban talks will start within two or three days. More measures for building confidence and creating goodwill need to be taken.The decision to cease fire made by Taliban was a difficult one but they were told, “When you threw away the Kalashnikov, the prime minister closed F-16 in the garage.” With the assistance of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made impossible things possible despite facing opposition from institutions, Parliament, the cabinet and his own party.

It was for the first time in 12 years of war on terror that chances for peace increased, as in the initial phase of the talks, the Taliban leadership was told that the sons of important personalities should be released without ransom and they should not demand compensation from the government for killing Taliban.

The sources said that in a meeting of the talks committees of the government and Taliban, chaired by Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, it was decided to proceed in a cautious way for success of the next round of the negotiation process by doing away with misunderstandings.

Govt to release 13 Taliban prisoners: Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that those who were opposing talks should see how much lives have been saved since the process began.

Talking to media on Saturday, he said talk process would bring peace in Pakistan. He, however, added that there was a need to show patience to steer the country out of difficulties.

He said that the government wanted to establish peace in the country through talks within the parameters of the Constitution and the law.

Nisar said that the government had decided to release 13 Taliban prisoners as confidence building measure. He said that process of release of non-combatant prisoners was being initiated from both sides.

The minister said that the Taliban should also release non-combatant and innocent prisoners. He said that the government had also raised the issue of release of Prof Ajmal and sons of Yousuf Raza Gilani and late Salman Tasir.

He said that the government had released Taliban prisoners as a good will gesture.

 

Govt to release 13 more Taliban prisoners

 

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday that the government has decided to release 13 more Taliban prisoners for confidence-building with the hope that the Taliban will show the same spirit and release non-combatants.
The minister said some of the 13 prisoners were included in the list provided by the Taliban to the government.

Chaudhry Nisar made this announcement while talking to media persons here at the Punjab House after a meeting of the government and the Taliban negotiations committees. He said the only demand of the government was permanent peace in the country. He said the negotiations process was passing though a sensitive phase as the unnecessary expression of views could harm the talks process. “We need commitment and positive thinking at this stage,” Chaudhry Nisar said.

“A few people are criticising the negotiations process but a majority of people are supporting the talks as every citizen wants peace in the county,” he said, adding, “What we achieved through negotiations is visible as no serious incident has occurred since the last few weeks.”

He said a military operation was not the solution to the issue, adding that it was very easy to conduct military operations or to adopt the option of hostility and aggression but the government needed a permanent solution to the issue, which was peace through negotiations.

The minister also objected to the role of the media in covering the peace talks. “Peace talks are no news for the media whereas sixes and fours are glorified,” he said, adding that the media highlights bomb blasts but undermines the peace talks.

“We will present our clear points before the Taliban during the second phase of talks, which are starting next week and the same is expected from the other side,” he said.

He said the second phase was very important and sensitive. “The government is pursuing a single point agenda — establishing peace in the country while remaining within the ambit of the Constitution.”

Chaudhry Nisar said all violent activities must stop. “As a goodwill gesture the government has decided to release at least 12 to 13 Taliban, and a few among them have also figured in the list provided by the Taliban to the government,” he said. He added that the government has already released 19 Taliban prisoners in the month of March. “This is a continuation of the programme to release non-combatant Taliban prisoners,” the minister said.

He said the government expected a similar gesture from the Taliban for the release of non-combatantant abductees, including Professor Ajmal, the sons of Yusuf Raza Gilani and Salman Taseer and many other government employees and foreigners who have nothing to do with the war.

Chaudhry Nisar said it was being misreported that the Taliban wanted a free zone in Fata while the fact was that they wanted a passage where they and the government committee could freely come and go during the peace talks.

He said that during the second phase, the government may release more than 30 Taliban prisoners. “The release of detainees would lead to peace,” Chaudhry Nisar said, but added that it needed to be done from both sides. He maintained that the government would take all decisions within the ambit of prevailing laws and in the greater national interest.

Chaudhry Nisar said a number of issues came up for discussion during the course of talks and it wouldn’t be proper to divulge the details of the same. He assured that the government would take parliament into confidence once the parties reach some settlement. “The federal cabinet will also be brought on board at an appropriate time,” he said.

The minister termed the impression as ridiculous that the armed forces were not on board in the process of talks.

To a question about the comments offered by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that talks are just like asking the way from the blind, Chaudhry Nisar said he wouldn’t like to comment on the views of a child but the views have actually come from Asif Ali Zardari through his son. “They are the ones who have ruined this country and kept sleeping over the unabated destruction,” he said.

Maulana Samiul Haq, chief of the Taliban committee, who also addressed the media, said the process of actual dialogue has yet to commence but the ambience needed for the result-oriented talks has been created.

He said the atmosphere for talks has improved as a result of the government and TTP’s efforts.

To a query, the Maulana said the question of release of war prisoners would come at the end of the talks. He expressed the hope that the ceasefire would be extended further as the talks proceed in a positive manner.

Meanwhile, sources said government committee member Fawad Hasan Fawad and Chaudhry Nisar have submitted a preliminary report of the talks at the Punjab House to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Rahimullah Yusufzai also voluntarily provided assistance to the committees in the talks.

Senate panel votes to release CIA torture report

 of the Bush administration's record when it comes to waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques." The panel voted 11-3 to order the declassification of almost 500 pages of the 6,300-page review, which concludes the harsh methods employed at CIA-run prisons overseas were excessively cruel and ineffective in producing valuable intelligence.
Even some Republicans who agree with the spy agency that the findings are inaccurate voted in favor of declassification, saying it was important for the country to move on.

"The purpose of this review was to uncover the facts behind the secret program and the results, I think, were shocking," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the committee chairwoman, said. "The report exposes brutality that stands in sharp contrast to our values as a nation. It chronicles a stain on our history that must never be allowed to happen again. This is not what Americans do."

The intelligence committee and the CIA are embroiled in a bitter dispute related to the three-year study. Senators accuse the agency of spying on their investigation and deleting files. The CIA says Senate staffers illegally accessed information. The Justice Department is reviewing competing criminal referrals.

As a result of Thursday's vote, the CIA will start scanning the report's contents for any passages that could compromise national security. That has led to fears in the committee that a recalcitrant CIA might sanitize key elements of their investigation, and demands for President Barack Obama to ensure large parts of the report aren't blacked out.

Obama, said Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., should "hold onto the redaction pen himself."

White House press secretary Jay Carney on Thursday restated Obama's support for declassifying the document and said intelligence officials would be instructed to conduct the work quickly. CIA spokesman Dean Boyd said his agency would "carry out the review expeditiously," but suggested the process may be difficult.

"We owe it to the men and women directed to carry out this program to try and ensure that any historical account of it is accurate," Boyd said.

The report was produced exclusively by Democratic staffers. It concludes among other things that waterboarding and other harsh techniques provided no key evidence in the hunt for Osama bin Laden, according to congressional aides and outside experts familiar with the document.

Feinstein and other senators also have cited a series of misleading claims by the CIA over the years about the effectiveness of the program, including in statements the agency made to President George W. Bush and Congress.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the intelligence committee's top Republican, joined the vote in favor of declassification despite criticizing the report as a "waste of time." He said the U.S. public should be able to see the report alongside reservations among the GOP members of the committee.

"This is a chapter in our past that should have already been closed," Chambliss told reporters. He said Republicans would dispute some of the conclusions in their own report and insisted the CIA interrogations "led not only to the takedown of bin Laden, but to the interruption and disruption of other terrorist plots over a period of years."

Members of the intelligence community have criticized the investigation for failing to include interviews from top spy agency officials who authorized or supervised the brutal interrogations. They questioned how the review could be fair or complete.

"Neither I or anyone else at the agency who had knowledge was interviewed," said Jose Rodriguez, the CIA's chief clandestine officer in the mid-2000s, who had operational oversight over the detention and interrogation program. "They don't want to hear anyone else's narrative," he said of the Senate investigation. "It's an attempt to rewrite history."

Rodriguez himself is a key figure in the Senate report, not least for his order in 2005 to destroy 92 videotapes showing waterboarding of terror suspects and other harsh techniques.

Senate investigators were unable to talk to relevant CIA officials because of legal constraints posed by a separate investigation ordered by Attorney General Eric Holder. At Holder's direction, John Durham, an independent prosecutor, conducted several criminal probes related to interrogation methods and evidence destruction before dropping them altogether in 2012 - shortly before the Senate panel wrapped up its work.

Congressional aides said the CIA's own field reports, internal correspondence, cables and other documents described day-to-day handling of interrogations and the decision-making and actions of Rodriguez and others.

Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Dan Coats of Indiana and Jim Risch of Idaho voted against releasing the report.

"Too much time, energy and too many resources have been spent investigating a CIA program that ended more than six years ago," Coats said.

Bad blood between Senate aides and the CIA ruptured into the open last month when Feinstein took to the Senate floor to accuse the agency of improperly monitoring the computer use of Senate staffers and deleting files, undermining the Constitution's separation of powers.

Thus far, both senators and the agency have tried to keep the declassification issue separate from their ongoing dispute.

Feinstein expressed hope that most of the summary and findings would escape CIA censors and reach the public within 30 days.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said the report's public release is "the only way we can get this relationship with our intelligence agencies right again."

Taliban inmates release: PM House withdraws denial

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister House has withdrawn the statement which was issued to deny the news report by Reuters that claimed 16 Taliban prisoners were released on the order of Nawaz Sharif in a bid to revive peace talks with militants.

The Reuters citing a political agent in FATA reported that 16 Taliban prisoners were released on orders of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The Prime Minister House came into action and denied the news report, saying that no Taliban prisoner was released on the orders of Sharif.

It said that the report regarding the release of prisoners was baseless since the prime minister had not ordered the release of any Taliban inmate.

Later, interior ministry issued details of the 19 released non-combatant Taliban prisoners. According to the ministry official, three prisoners were released on March 21 and five prisoners on March 25 while eleven prisoners were freed on March 28.

The ministry official said all the released prisoners belonged to Mehsud tribe. He said these prisoners were arrested on the basis of intelligence reports and suspicion.

It is policy of the government and the Armed Forces that those arrested persons who are proven innocent after investigations should be freed, the official added.

The Prime Minister House withdrew denial following the issuance of details by the interior ministry about 19 released Taliban inmates.

Release of 19 Taliban will cool tempers, extend ceasefire

 

ISLAMABAD: The release of 19 Taliban prisoners on Thursday and the expected freeing of over 100 similar detainees from the security agencies’ custody in the coming days is the consequence of the government’s decision to help get the talk process succeed.
Now the pressure is on the TTP to release the likes of Dr Ajmal, Shahbaz Taseer and Ali Gillani besides announcing the extension of ceasefire for an indefinite period.The release of 19 Taliban detainees from the government custody would also considerably help in dispelling the impression about any differences between the civilian and military leadership on the issue of dialogue.

Rustom Shah Mohmand, member of the government committee, found this development very positive. He indicated that more such Taliban detainees would be released in the future and the same was the consensus in the official meetings of the committee.

“There was unanimity that those Taliban detainees against whom there was no evidence and no case, should be released,” Rustom Shah Mohmand said, adding that this would not only resume the talk process but would also help bridge the mistrust between the two sides.

He said that the release of prisoners would also add value to the government committee on whose recommendation this step has been taken by the government.Professor Ibrahim of Jamaat-e-Islami, a member of the Taliban committee, appreciated the government’s move and indicated that in a few days time, the ceasefire would be extended. He said that the two committees were likely to meet on Friday following which the TTP would be contacted for an extension of ceasefire and to further the talks process.

The one-month ceasefire announced by the TTP on March 1 has already expired amid the proscribed organisation’s statement that their non-combatant detainees were not released by the government. They also alleged that several of their detainees were extrajudicially killed in official custody during the same period.

In this scenario, some of the Taliban factions on Wednesday showed aggression and talked about ending the ceasefire. Now after the government’s commendable move, such aggression from within the Taliban factions is expected to cool down.

Political Agent of South Waziristan Islam Zeb was quoted by a foreign news agency as saying that the 19 Taliban detainees were released on April 1. “They are innocent tribals who were arrested during different search operations in South Waziristan in the last two to three years,” Zeb was quoted as saying.

Zeb added that all the released prisoners belonged to the Mehsud tribe, a major Pashtun tribe living in South Waziristan, and added that the names of another 100 prisoners on the Taliban’s list were being processed and would be released in the next few days.

Contrasting statements on release of Taliban prisoners

 

ISLAMABAD: Contrasting statements emerged from the government over the release of Taliban prisoners on Thursday as the Prime Minister’s House denied ordering any such move, while the Interior Ministry confirmed the release of 19 non-combatant detainees.
The Interior Ministry spokesman said 19 non fighting Taliban, belonging to the Mehsud tribe, had been released from different jails of the country. The spokesman said three Taliban were freed on March 21, five on March 25 and 11 were released on March 28.

The spokesman said they were arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities on intelligence reports. “This is a mutual decision of the government and armed forces that innocent people who were not involved in terrorist activities would be released after investigation,” the spokesman said.

Earlier, in the day, the Prime Minister’s House denied the release of the Taliban prisoners. In a statement, the PM House said no authorisation had been given from the prime minister in this regard. It said the release of some prisoners involved in petty crimes by the political administration had been wrongly termed as release of Taliban prisoners.

Mushtaq Yusufzai adds from Peshawar: Official sources on Thursday said that the government had freed 16 low-level suspected militants belonging to the Mehsud tribe in the militancy-affected South Waziristan Agency.

Senior government officials said the men had been arrested by the law-enforcement agencies on suspicion during raids in Wana and Tiarza subdivision two years ago.The news was flashed by the local TV channels and was widely covered by the national and international media.

It generated a controversy after Political Agent South Waziristan Islam Zeb Khan reportedly told some journalists that they had released 16 militants. However, he backtracked on his statement when this correspondent approached him on the phone.

“What the media has reported is not true. The security forces had taken these people into custody during search operations in South Waziristan but the security agencies after interrogation declared them white, meaning they were innocent. They handed them over to the political administration and thus we freed them after fulfilling all the security procedures,” Political Agent Islam Zeb Khan explained.

He argued that their release was not linked to demands of the Taliban militants, who had been asking the government to free their non-combatant prisoners.A senior government official said on condition of anonymity that these men were taken into custody two years ago on suspicion of having links with the militants.

He said the suspected militants were brought to the Zari Noor Army Camp in Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan, and handed over to the political administration.“Actually, the statement of the political agent created confusion in the media as he was not aware of the situation. It was decided by the government and Taliban negotiation committees that all the non-combatant prisoners should be released. It is a set process that the military hands over people to the political administration for release,” he maintained.

Some reports said that tribal cleric and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islami-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator from South Waziristan Maulana Saleh Shah played a role in the release of the Mehsud tribesmen. When contacted, Senator Saleh Shah said he had called the political agent to argue that there was no justification in holding the suspects in custody after the military had declared them innocent.

“Some people informed me about this issue. I contacted the political agent to ask him to release these people on my guarantee. All of them were Mehsud tribesmen and had nothing to do with the militants,” Saleh Shah told this correspondent on phone from Islamabad.

Some of the suspected militants freed were identified as Abdullah Jan Mehsud, Mir Jan Mehsud, Samad Khan, Bacha Gul, Abdul Aziz, Noor Zada, Saddam Hussain, Ziauddin Khan, Sherpao, Raza Ali and Iqbal Khan.

The Pakistani Taliban said they had heard about the release of the 16 Mehsud men through the media but they were not in a position to confirm if their names were included in the 800-member civilian prisoners’ list given to the government.

“We came to know about their release on Thursday evening. There was no way we could have confirmed if their names were on the list we had sent to the government. We have convened a meeting on Friday (today) to check it and then discuss other matters related to the suspended peace talks,” a senior leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said.

Pleading anonymity, he said though the duration of one-month ceasefire had expired on March 31, they were still abiding by it as long as the peace talks were underway with the government.

Rustam Shah Mohmand, member of the government negotiation committee and former chief secretary, welcomed the step and said that hopefully it would be in favour of the peace process.

“There was a consensus that if there was no proof against the prisoners in jails, they should be released whether the Taliban demanded it or not,” he told this correspondent.Rustam Shah Mohmand said he was not aware if the names of the freed men were part of the Taliban’s list of civilian prisoners. He said it might remove suspicion from the minds of the militants about the government intentions.

He said efforts were underway for the second face-to-face meeting with the TTP political Shura members to discuss with them an extension in the ceasefire and lifting the ban on anti-polio campaign in the tribal areas.

Progress likely on prisoners release: Sami

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Samiul Haq has said that progress was likely on the issue of prisoners’ release in talks between the Taliban and the government.

Speaking to Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council on Sunday, Samiul Haq said that the prime minister and the interior minister were playing positive role in the negotiation process.

He said that the national wanted peace and anti-talk elements would not succeed, adding that ceasefire will also continue.

 

Khursheed seeks release of sons of Gilani, Taseer

SUKKUR: Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah has said that if Ali Haider Gilani and Shahbaz Taseer were not released after negotiations with the Taliban, then no one will recognise the peace talks.

He stated this while talking to the media here at the Sukkur airport on Saturday.

Shah said that he had written a letter to Shahbaz Sharif regarding the threat letter sent to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He demanded of the Punjab government to investigate the matter.

He said that the PPP never opposed talks with the Taliban but had asked the PM not to confuse the nation with his unclear policy.

He clarified that there is no reality in the media reports pertaining to the removal of CM Qaim Ali Shah.

Govt steps can lead to release of Gilani, Taseer sons: Rustam Shah

PESHAWAR: Member government committee, Rustam Shah Mohmand says government steps can lead to the release of the abducted sons of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and late Punjab Governor Salman Taseer. Shah adds that soon officials would be informed of these steps.

Taliban refuse to release Gilani’s, Salmaan Taseer’s sons

 

ISLAMABAD: During the first round of direct talks between the government and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Wednesday, the latter flatly refused to release the sons of ex-prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and ex-governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer and demanded the establishment of a free zone for the Taliban and evacuation of the army from Waziristan.
Seriousness as well as tense and lighter moments enveloped the lengthy talks between the two committees, constituted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the TTP for the dialogue process, with Major (retd) Aamir attending the deliberations on the special invitation in the tribal area.

It transpired during a chat with some participants that the Taliban would release Prof Ajmal Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Islamia College University, Peshawar, provided the government set free two of their “companions” arrested on the charge of Khan’s kidnapping. About the abducted Ali Haider, the son of Yusuf Raza Gilani, and Shahbaz, the son of (late) Salmaan Taseer, the TTP interlocutors made it clear that they were not “non-combatant” prisoners, and, therefore, could not be freed.

Explaining, the TTP leaders said that the PPP was not only still engaged in the campaign again the Taliban including attacks on them through Twitter (a thinly veiled reference to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s strong tweets), but had also earlier carried out operations against them.

In addition, the Taliban said, their colleagues confined in Sindh jails were being inhumanly tortured and paraded naked to humiliate them.One participant told The News that the Taliban nominees made it clear more than once that there would be no violation of the ceasefire announced by them, as they considered its breach against the Shariah. This was music to the ears of the government committee.

Major Aamir informed the TTP negotiators in categorical terms that the government agencies had no women or children, related to any Taliban, in their custody. “The director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) told me that his spy agency has no such people with it, and Fawad Hassan Fawad said that army chief General Raheel Sharif has informed the prime minister that there were no such persons in the custody of the military.”

The participant said the Taliban accepted this reply and thus the issue of release of this category of non-combatants came to an end. “Authorities made it clear that being Muslims, it was not possible to hold women and children not involved in terrorism,” the TTP leaders were told.

They were also told that they gave the list of their detainees to their intermediaries, led by Maulana Samiul Haq, before the formation of the present official committee and which was delivered to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. They were told had they handed it to the current body, it would have had worked on it.

However, the official delegation said the government committee and the Taliban intermediaries, accompanied by the representatives of the security agencies, would work together and go to different areas to locate the people when the TTP gave the new list.

According to the source, the TTP delegates were also told that the interior minister had worked hard to locate two women who, according to the Taliban, were picked up near Tarnol. This demonstrates the official earnestness, and the search is still continuing.

As the inside story narrated by some participants goes, the inaugural meeting started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Samiul Haq followed by his brief opening remarks.

He stressed that the Pakistan Constitution was Islamic and the fact that the religious leaders (including his father) were also its signatories, reinforces its sanctity.

Samiul Haq was addressed by some Taliban negotiators as “Ustad-e-Mohtram” (respected teacher). He underlined the need for peace and an end to mayhem and chaos, and said the purpose of peace talks was to allow the two sides to hammer out their differences amicably, without use of force.

As he wrapped up his introductory remarks, Major Aamir interceded to say in a lighter vein that though the Constitution was Islamic, it must have something un-Islamic for the mere reason that Pervez Musharraf violated it twice. This caused an instant laughter.

Then, Rustam Shah Mohmand, a member of the official committee, who is known for his straightforwardness, came in and took on the Taliban in a very harsh tone. Addressing them, he said the TTP’s violence was not Jihad. “If you want to wage Jihad, you should go to Palestine because there is nothing in Pakistan against which you are fighting.

“You have destroyed the peace and culture of the tribal areas and deprived even the women and children of their homes. The tribal area has never faced such a monumental tragedy that you have caused.”

Major Aamir asked him to communicate in Urdu, but Rustam Shah Mohmand replied that he would speak in Pashto as he feels comfortable by using his language.Mohmand’s hard-hitting remarks infuriated Qari Shakil, armed with lethal weapons, who told him that he was a fake Mohmand whereas “I am a genuine Mohmand, who can speak on the behalf of the tribe better than you.”

Seeing the tension, Major Aamir intervened and dilated on the responsibilities of the host as per the Pashtoon traditions. He told the TTP leaders that Rustam Shah had been defending the Taliban for the last several years on every forum, including TV talk shows by opposing the military operation. This cooled down the atmosphere.

Major Aamir said the official sincerity to make the dialogue process a success was evident from the fact that everybody, who matters in decision making, was sitting in the session. The nominees of the federal government, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration (represented through Rustam Shah), the ISI and the prime minister are participating in the talks, which makes it abundantly clear that authorities are unquestionably serious in resolving the issue through peaceful means, he said.

He told them that even Fawad, who was the king of bureaucracy and runs the entire government and who gives appointments after months because of his preoccupation, was also included in the official delegation.

Besides, Major Aamir also said that not only the government, but the children of Sheikhul Quran Maulana Tahir (his father) and Sheikhul Hadith (Samiul Haq’s father) were also sitting before the Taliban delegation.

The TTP leaders demanded that a peace zone should be declared for their free movement in it. They told the government side that their delegation had reached the venue of the meeting after two-day travel, including walking on foot.

The government committee, particularly Major Aamir, repeatedly emphasised the sincerity of the prime minister and interior minister. “At one stage, a Taliban delegate remarked to Major Aamir that he has made him a lover of the prime minister,” the source said.

Overall, the TTP negotiators openly acknowledged the sincerity of Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar for the peace process despite the strong opposition even from their own party and cabinet, the participant said.

He said that whenever Fawad spoke, he dilated on different points impressively, intelligently and prudently. The attitude of all the members of the both sides was positive and constructive, he felt.

The participant said that after their helicopter landed in Thall, they were driven nearly 10 miles by the Frontier Corps (FC). At a certain point, the Taliban took the charge and drove them another 12 miles with armed Taliban fighters standing guard on both sides of the road and rooftops of nearby houses. From this point, the FC came back.

Not only every member of the hardcore Taliban advisory council but also the FC personnel asked a similar question: will peace return and the violence end? Everyone prayed for the success of the process.

The same was the case when a member of the official committee visited the ISI headquarters in Islamabad and met the chief of the agency on Thursday.At one point of the deliberations, a participant narrated a joke to explain that the “shop” (of projection) being run by Maulana Yousaf Shah and Prof Muhammad Ibrahim because of their participation in talk shows, hosted by male and female TV anchorpersons, will close down if the talks succeeded.

The joke involved the travel of a village couple and its children on a horse-driven cart with the woman sitting on the backseat with the mentally unstable brother of the rider and her children and spouse occupying the front seats. This again caused a hearty laughter.Qari Shakil, Azam Tariq, Maulvi Bashir, Maulana Ahmed and Dr Hussain, who are members of the TTP political advisory council, represented the Taliban in the crucial deliberations.

Iran seeks UN’s help for release of border guards

 

TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the United Nations to help secure the release of Iranian border soldiers abducted by extremists, the media reported on Thursday.
Zarif sent a message to UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday evening demanding action from the international community, saying “mere condemnation of acts of terrorism is not enough.” His urgent plea to the UN chief came after Jaish-ul Adl, the rebel group operating in southeast Iran, claimed to have killed one of the five abducted soldiers and threatened further executions. Ban had on Tuesday condemned the reported killing as an “appalling act” and urged that the perpetrators be brought to justice.

The young soldiers, who were serving their 24-month mandatory military service, are believed to have been taken into neighbouring Pakistan after being kidnapped in February. Zarif linked the abduction to what he termed a series of “terrorist atrocities against Iranian citizens, including diplomats and other officials”, according to a copy of his letter to Ban posted on his Facebook page.

He decried action against Iran by “state-sponsored extremist groups, with similar patterns of funding, coordination, support and direction”. Zarif did not name any countries but Iranian officials have pointed the finger of blame at regional rivals for a number of attacks against Iranian diplomatic missions in Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen.

A diplomatic source in Tehran said the letter could pave the way for a debate within the UN as “state-sponsored terrorism” was a regional issue. Jaish-ul Adl warned of further executions should Tehran refuse to release their prisoners. It claimed responsibility for killing a local prosecutor and 14 Iranian border guards in an ambush in 2013.

Ties with Islamabad have taken hit since the abduction, with Iran criticising what it calls Pakistan’s inability to secure its borders and purge its soil of militants. In a phone call with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani demanded “serious and swift action” to free the soldiers.

Our correspondent adds: Meanwhile, Pakistan categorically denied that the recent killing of an Iranian Border Guard took place on the Pakistan territory and said that managing any border was the responsibility of both the sides.

“We are neither apologetic nor we are expected to be aggressive. As both the sides have repeatedly said, we have a very strong relationship and we will continue to work together with Iran to further strengthen it,” said the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson.

Five Iranian Border Guards disappeared 10-15 kilometres inside the Iranian territory in the Sistan-Baluchestan province, but Pakistani authorities, after thorough investigations, could not find them nor were there any signs that they were brought inside Pakistan, the FO spokesperson said.

About the recent Iranian rhetoric mostly for domestic consumption, Pakistan says it does not want to take up a very sensitive issue using the media.“We have condemned the killing of the Iranian guard and we have full sympathy with the families and with the Iranian government. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We stand ready, as we have done in the past, to help Iran locate them but we have no indication that they are in the Pakistani territory,” said the spokesperson.

Taliban refuse to release abducted sons of Gilani, Taseer

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban have refused to release the abducted sons of Late Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
 

However, the Taliban told the government’s committee that they are ready to release Professor Ajmal with a condition that the government would release their two men.

The Taliban claimed the Sindh government is committing atrocities against their prisoners.

Over release of two Taliban men, the government committee told the Taliban Shura that it would respond to the offer after talking to the Sindh government.

The government committee further said that issues relating to the release of non-combatants prisoners should be dealt separately.

Talks Progressing: Professor Ibrahim

Taliban peace committee member Professor Ibrahim has said that negotiations between the government and the Taliban are progressing in a positive way.

Exclusively talking to Geo News, Professor Ibrahim said the process of confidence building has begun, adding that they wanted to settle all issues amicably.

Future of talks depends on release of prisoners

 

ISLAMABAD: The future of the dialogue process between the government and the TTP greatly depends on the release of non-combatant women, children and elderly men alleged to be in the custody of the security forces.
Though the much-awaited face-to-face first meeting between the TTP and the government committees was itself a major development yet it ended without any breakthrough as the Taliban sought the release of their non-combatant women, children and old men. They offered that in return they would also release the likes of Dr Ajmal, Shahbaz Taseer and Ali Haider Gilani.

Without any formal announcement, according to informed sources, the TTP indicated that the ceasefire would continue till the continuation of the peace process. The TTP handed over a list of their non-combatant persons to the government committee, which assured them that they would probe the matter.

According to a source, the government will now have to seriously look into the TTP’s demand for the release of non-combatant women, children and old men from the alleged illegal custody of the armed and security forces.

The source said although the list contained a few hundred names yet the early release of a few dozen of such detainees would not only save the future of the talks process but would also produce fruitful results.

The military authorities have already denied that they have any such non-combatant Taliban prisoners. Now Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will have to seriously look into this matter.

The government committee wanted an extension of the ceasefire for an indefinite period or for a reasonable time period but the Taliban did not give a clear word and hinted that the ceasefire would continue till the continuation of the talks.

The TTP, however, complained to the government committee about the alleged raids on the Taliban and their detention, the extrajudicial killing of their men and some targeted operations in Mohmand and Bajaur after the announcement of the ceasefire. The government committee talked about the terrorist attacks during the same period.