The government of Pakistan should hold serious talks with the Taleban in the larger interest of the country, said the central leader of the Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) party, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, here on Monday.
Talking to Arab News before leaving for Pakistan after performing Umrah, Haideri said he strongly believed that if serious efforts are made to bring Taleban to the negotiating table, progress could be achieved in improving the law and order situation in the country.
Responding to a question over Pakistan’s ties with India, the JUI leader said India would never be able to realize its dream of becoming a superpower in the region. Referring to the checkered history of the two countries, he said that India always accused Pakistan of everything that went wrong on its side of the border.
“Be it the Mumbai attacks of 2008 or the attack on the Indian Parliament, India instantly starts a blame game without providing incriminating evidence. We can never accept India as a superpower.”
He said that Kashmir was a key issue and no secret deal would be allowed on this matter. “We will never allow anyone to betray the trust of the Kashmiris.”
JUI, Haideri said, would continue to maintain its current stance on India.
Describing the recently held elections — which saw for the first time in the history of Pakistan, transition of power from one elected government to another — as rigged, the JUI leader said he had never experienced such elections in his lifetime.
Haideri accused members of the Frontier Constabulary and other government officials of casting bogus votes. He said that results of the elections were carefully manipulated to confine the Pakistan People’s Party to Sindh, to throw Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf out of Punjab and to strip religious parties of whatever mandate they enjoyed.
Criticizing the previous PPP-led government over its failure to solve the basic problems of the people, Haideri advised the current government — which his party is a part of — to make all-out efforts for the eradication of the problems facing the nation.
He said that his party joined the government to help it solve the ongoing problems as according to him all political parties had to play their roles in that regard.
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Pakistan must talk to Taleban, says JUI leader
Pakistan must talk to Taleban, says JUI leader
Zimbabwe pulls out of US health aid talks
HARARE: Zimbabwe has pulled out of negotiations with the United States on a new health deal intended to replace the aid program disbanded by President Donald Trump, the US embassy in Harare has said.
The US has been striking new health?aid agreements across Africa after Trump tore down the long?standing USAID agency and curtailed the role of NGOs.
But critics say the deals give Washington broad access to health data and risk shifting control of disease?response systems away from national authorities.
The embassy confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that Zimbabwe had ended the talks.
“We believe this collaboration would have delivered extraordinary benefits for Zimbabwean communities especially the 1.2 million men, women and children currently receiving HIV treatment through US-supported programs,” ambassador Pamela Tremont was quoted as saying.
“We will now turn to the difficult and regrettable task of winding down our health assistance in Zimbabwe.”
The deal would have provided $367 million in funding over five years, according to the statement.
AFP also obtained a letter late Tuesday from the secretary for foreign affairs, dated December 23, stating that Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa had directed officials to halt the negotiations because the terms threatened the country’s autonomy.
“Zimbabwe must discontinue any negotiation, with the USA, on the clearly lop-sided MoU that blatantly compromises and undermines the sovereignty and independence of Zimbabwe,” said the letter, which had not previously been made public.
The US last year began pursuing one?on?one health agreements under its “America First” strategy, aiming to counter China’s influence on the continent — where Beijing’s spending has long centered on large infrastructure projects financed through loans.
The first pact was signed with Kenya in December but has since been challenged in court by a Kenyan senator alleging constitutional breaches.
More than a dozen countries have signed on including Rwanda, Uganda, Lesotho and Eswatini.
The US has been striking new health?aid agreements across Africa after Trump tore down the long?standing USAID agency and curtailed the role of NGOs.
But critics say the deals give Washington broad access to health data and risk shifting control of disease?response systems away from national authorities.
The embassy confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that Zimbabwe had ended the talks.
“We believe this collaboration would have delivered extraordinary benefits for Zimbabwean communities especially the 1.2 million men, women and children currently receiving HIV treatment through US-supported programs,” ambassador Pamela Tremont was quoted as saying.
“We will now turn to the difficult and regrettable task of winding down our health assistance in Zimbabwe.”
The deal would have provided $367 million in funding over five years, according to the statement.
AFP also obtained a letter late Tuesday from the secretary for foreign affairs, dated December 23, stating that Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa had directed officials to halt the negotiations because the terms threatened the country’s autonomy.
“Zimbabwe must discontinue any negotiation, with the USA, on the clearly lop-sided MoU that blatantly compromises and undermines the sovereignty and independence of Zimbabwe,” said the letter, which had not previously been made public.
The US last year began pursuing one?on?one health agreements under its “America First” strategy, aiming to counter China’s influence on the continent — where Beijing’s spending has long centered on large infrastructure projects financed through loans.
The first pact was signed with Kenya in December but has since been challenged in court by a Kenyan senator alleging constitutional breaches.
More than a dozen countries have signed on including Rwanda, Uganda, Lesotho and Eswatini.
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