Curfew remains in force for third day in Leh town
Leh, Sep 26 (PTI) A home ministry team held a series of meetings here to review the overall security situation as curfew remained in force for the third consecutive day in Leh town on Friday, officials said.
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere, officials said.
The curfew was clamped in the town on Wednesday evening after widespread violence resulted in the death of four persons and injuries to 90 others during a shutdown called by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) to advance talks with the Centre on demand for statehood and extension of the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh.
“The overall security situation remained peaceful across Ladakh.The restrictions are likely to be relaxed later in the day to allow people to buy essential commodities,” a police official said.
Over 50 persons were detained following the widespread clashes, while strict restrictions under prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more persons also remained in force in other major towns, including Kargil.
Police and paramilitary personnel in riot gear were seen patrolling the deserted streets to maintain law and order.
People in many areas complained that they are running short of essential supplies including ration, milk and vegetables.
Leh District Magistrate Romil Singh Donk has ordered closure of all government and private schools, colleges, and other educational institutions for two days from Friday. Besides, anganwadi centres will also remain closed, the DM had said.
The officials said a high-level team of officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs reached Leh on Thursday to review the security situation.
They had held a series of meetings with the Lt Governor and civil and police officers besides the representatives of the LAB.
“The meeting decided that a preparatory meeting with the Home Ministry will take place in New Delhi on September 27 or 28, subject to confirmation of date by the MHA. The meeting will be attended by three representatives each from the LAB and KDA (Kargil Democratic Alliance) besides Ladakh MP (Mohd Hanifa Jan).
“The preparatory meeting shall be followed by an immediate official meeting of the Home Ministry with a High Powered Committee comprising seven members each from LAB and KDA on four-point agenda,” a joint statement issued by LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang and co-chairman Chering Dorjay said.
LAB and the KDA have been jointly spearheading an agitation over the past four years in support of their demands – statehood, extension of sixth schedule of the constitution, separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil and Public Service Commission.
They have held several rounds of talks with the government in the past, reaching an agreement on job guarantees and the additional Lok Sabha seat which will be decided by the delimitation commission, leaving the focus on the demand for statehood and sixth schedule. The next round of talks with the Centre is scheduled for October 6.
Meanwhile, shops and business establishments opened in Kargil this morning after a day-long closure in response to a call given by KDA. However, policemen have been deployed in strength and were seen patrolling the sensitive areas of the town.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
