Pak govt’s snub to Holbrooke?
US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, has called off a visit to Islamabad after he was informed that no important officials would be available to meet him because of prior commitments.
Mr Holbrooke had planned to visit Islamabad on June 9 for discussions on the just concluded India-US strategic dialogue, secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s visit to China, the Afghan peace jirga and the Pakistan-US official-level talks beginning on June 11.
However, he was informed that President Asif Zardari and foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi would not be in Islamabad on that date.
Mr Zardari is scheduled to visit Uzbekistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet and Qureshi will travel to Turkey for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia summit.
“Mr Holbrooke’s visit on (June 9) has been cancelled,” a senior official at the foreign office was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
This would have been Mr Holbrooke’s eighth visit to Pakistan since assuming office early last year, and the third this year.
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Clerics ban Taliban’s Swat entry
Peshawar : Islamic clerics and prayer leaders in the restive Swat district of northwest Pakistan have announced a ban on the entry of Taliban militants in the area and backed efforts by security forces to maintain law and order.
Around 250 “Ulema-e-Karam” and “Pesh Imams” from Swat said they will extend total support to forces for maintaining peace and harmony that was vitiated by the Taliban during the past two years. The clerics, prayer leaders and members of a peace jirga from Kabal sub-division, a former hub of militants, announced their decision to ban Taliban’s entry to their area when a delegation led by Maulana Hake-emullah and Mufti Asmatullah met Brig. Salman Akbar, the Army officer leading operations against the Taliban in the area.
There is no room for terrorism in Islam and some vested elements are trying to misguide innocent people in the name of religion for their ulterior motives, the religious leaders said.
Taliban militants led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah had created a parallel administration across Swat. The Army has cleared most parts of the valley of militants after launching an operation in the region last year. —PTI
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