Pakistani delegation, led by Army chief Munir, reaches Iran for peace talks
Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan's Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reached Tehran on Wednesday for talks with the Iranian leadership as part of his country's efforts to resolve the conflict between the US and Iran.
Munir is part of a delegation that includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the military, said in a statement.
"Field Marshal Asim Munir... and Mr Mohsin Naqvi, Interior Minister, along with the delegation, arrive at Tehran as part of the ongoing mediation efforts,” it said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed the delegation members upon their arrival in Tehran, according to the Iranian media.
"The purpose of the visit is to deliver a US message to the Iranian leadership and to plan the next round of negotiations," Iran's state-run Press TV reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei in Tehran confirmed that the exchange of messages continued with the US through Pakistan after Islamabad talks over the weekend ended without a breakthrough.
"Since Sunday, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran, several messages have been exchanged through Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run Irna news agency.
He said that if negotiations are "based on one side imposing conditions on the other, that is not negotiation; that is dictation and imposition. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian nation will never accept such imposition."
The diplomatic push comes as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarked on official visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye on Wednesday.
Citing sources, Geo News reported that officials and security agencies in Pakistan have been instructed to make necessary administrative and security arrangements ahead of the next round of talks.
A day earlier, US President Donald Trump said that a second round of talks with Iran could be held in Islamabad "over the next two days".
"You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," Trump told The New York Post.
PM Shehbaz's visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar will be in the bilateral context, where the Prime Minister will meet the leadership of the two countries to discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation as well as regional peace and security, the Foreign Office said.
The visits are part of an effort to facilitate the US and Iran to reach a deal to end the ongoing conflict.
The US and Iran held rare direct talks in Pakistan over the weekend aimed at ending their conflict, but the talks ended early Sunday without any agreement.
US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, said the talks failed to reach a deal, citing Tehran not forgoing its nuclear programme as one of the key sticking points.
Iran, however, said that the Islamabad talks failed due to "excessive demands" made by the American side.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian Parliament Speaker who led his country's delegation in marathon peace talks, said that his team raised "forward-looking initiatives, but the opposite side ultimately failed to win the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations.”
According to Pakistani officials, the second round is expected in the coming days for which Pakistan has been making all-out efforts.
The conflict began after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, paralysing global energy markets and disrupting trade.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
