Pompeo to visit Islamabad for talks with PM Khan
Islamabad, Aug 19 : US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is likely to visit Islamabad in September for consultations with Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team on issues of mutual interests, sources told Dawn news on Sunday.
Pompeo, who is expected in Islamabad on September 5, will likely be the first foreign dignitary to meet Khan, who was sworn-in as Pakistan's 22nd Prime Minister on Saturday.
During his talks with Pakistani officials, Pompeo may focus on two major issues: efforts to revive once close ties between the two states and Pakistan's support for a US-led move to jump-starting the Afghan peace process, the sources said.
Alice Wells, who heads the Bureau for South Asian affairs at the State Department, may also accompany Pompeo.
Earlier this week, US officials urged Pakistan to help end the Afghan war, adding that recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan have not discouraged them from negotiating peace with some Taliban factions.
On Saturday, the US State Department said that it recognises and welcomes the new Pakistani Prime Minister, dispelling the impression that Washington was not happy with Khan's election, reports Dawn news.
In an earlier statement, a senior US official had hoped that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government would work with the US for translating tough issues into mutual achievements.
"We recognise and welcome the newly elected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on taking the oath of office," Nauert said.
Relations between Pakistan and the US nosedived in January when President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of providing "safe haven" to the terrorists who kill American soldiers in Afghanistan while taking billions of dollars in aid from Washington.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
