Talks between military officials from India and Pakistan ended in a stalemate; Pakistan Supreme Court orders arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf; Pakistan to release all Afghan Taliban detainees including Mullah Baradar
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Whatsapp
  • Linkedin
  • Print

    • According to reports, talks between military officials from Pakistan and India ended in a stalemate on January 15 with the two sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire at their heavily-militarised de facto border in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region. A brigadier-level flag meeting was held at Chakan-da-Bagh in Ponch Sector on the LoC to defuse tensions triggered by the recent border skirmishes, which killed four soldiers from both sides. During the 30-minute meeting, both sides refused to budge on their previously stated positions, accusing each other of provoking the shootings and lodged protests against each other. 1

    In another development, reports noted that the Pakistan Supreme Court on January 15 directed the authorities to arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. PM Ashraf has been accused of receiving kickbacks in the case during his tenure as minister of water and power. 2

    According to reports, Pakistan plans to release all Afghan Taliban prisoners still in its detention, including the group’s former second-in-command Mullah Baradar, Pakistan’s foreign secretary Jalil Jilani said on January 18. the clearest signal yet that it backs reconciliation efforts. “The remaining detainees, we are coordinating, and they will be released subsequently,” Jilani said at a news conference in Abu Dhabi. 3

    Top