Pakistan-mediated Iran-US talks begin in Islamabad amid truce
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Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan-mediated talks between Iran and the US commenced in Islamabad on Saturday, official sources said.
The sources said the talks began with messages being exchanged through Pakistani officials, indicating that the engagement was initially indirect.
If there is a positive development, the talks could also be held directly, they said. The Iranian delegation, led by Speaker Mohammad Baqir Galibaf, arrived in Islamabad on Friday night, while the US delegation, headed by Vice President JD Vance, arrived on Saturday morning.
A senior Pakistani official told PTI that the Foreign Office is likely to issue a statement after the conclusion of the first round of "direct talks".
The US side includes President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, while Iran is also represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior leaders.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who held separate meetings with both delegations, reiterated Pakistan’s desire for a “durable peace” in West Asia and affirmed Islamabad’s commitment to facilitating dialogue.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi were present during the interactions.
The Prime Minister’s Office shared visuals of Sharif hugging and warmly greeting Ghalibaf and Araghchi.
According to Iranian media reports, the dialogue is being viewed as a step towards implementing a ceasefire.
The talks are taking place during a two-week halt in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which began with attacks on February 28 and spread across the Middle East, impacting global economies.
The pause in hostilities followed a temporary ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8.
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BTech student arrested for crashing SUV into bike taxi killing two in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): A final-year BTech student was arrested in connection with a road accident in which two young men -- a ride hailing service driver and his customer -- were killed, police said on Saturday.
The two men on a scooter when a speeding SUV on the wrong side hit them on the Golf Course Extension road in the Sector 56 police station area in the early hours of last Saturday.
The driver fled abandoning the vehicle. An FIR was registered at the Sector 56 police station.
Police traced the car driver using the registration number and arrested him.
According to the police, the accused BTech student was identified as Akreet Yadav (21), a resident of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. A final-year BTech student at Jaypee College, Noida, he was later released on bail.
Police had identified the deceased as Kartik Suresh (24), a resident of Sector 60, Gurugram, and Roshan (28), from Motihari, Bihar. Kartik was a student at a private university. Roshan worked at a call centre and also rode a scooter part-time for an app-based service.
Kartik had booked a ride with Roshan. Kartik had left home on Friday night to attend a friend's birthday. At about 2.40 am on Saturday, the SUV coming via Dharam Marg road, struck the scooter while driving in the wrong direction. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital, where they died, police said.
"The accused is a student of Jaypee college, Noida. He had come to Gurugram from Noida to attend a party, and the accident occurred when he was returning to Noida. He was released on bail and a further probe is underway," said ASI Deepak Kumar, the investigating officer.
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