The Afghan embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday denied reports that Afghan government representatives had met with a key Taliban commander imprisoned in Pakistan to discuss peace negotiations. "No such meeting has taken place. We completely deny any meeting between Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Afghan officials," Zardasht Shams, spokesman for the Afghan embassy in Islamabad, told AFP.
A source close to Mullah Baradar's family told AFP that Afghan delegates were not given access to Baradar in jail but family members had passed him a message from the Afghan government on reconciliation.
Baradar, a powerful Taliban military chief who has been described as the insurgents' second in command was arrested in 2010 in Pakistan.
At the time, the Afghan government and the former UN envoy to Afghanistan said his detention had adversely affected efforts to talk to the insurgents in a bid to end the decade-long Afghan war.
Mohammad Ismail Qasimyar, a member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, on Monday said Afghan government officials and members of the Afghan embassy in Pakistan held secret talks with Baradar in prison two months ago.
A Pakistani security official confirmed Monday an official delegation from Afghanistan had made an initial contact with Baradar two months ago, but the Pakistani government later denied a meeting.
"The news reports about a meeting between Afghan officials and Mullah Baradar are baseless and incorrect," said the Pakistani interior ministry in a short statement issued late Monday.
President Karzai has long sought to negotiate with the Taliban but the Islamist militia has in public refused to deal with his administration, branding it an American puppet.
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Saturday, June 8, 2013
Ribery, Benzema face trial over underage escort
French international footballers Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema are to face trial for allegedly soliciting an underage prostitute, judicial sources said on Tuesday. The footballers are among eight people that investigating magistrate Andre Dando has sent for trial as well as the Zaman Cafe on Paris' Champs Elysees where the meetings with Zahia Dehar took place.
Some of the defendants will be prosecuted for "aggravated pimping", according to judicial papers.
Paris prosecutors had in 2011 requested that the case against the two French football stars be dropped on the grounds that they did not know that Dehar was aged under 18.
Dehar, now 20, told police she was paid for sex with Ribery in 2009 and Benzema in 2008 when she was aged 16. She claimed that both players were not aware that she was under age.
The affair broke during 2010 and tarnished the image of the France football team just weeks ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.
Ribery, 29, plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and 24-year-old Benzema with Primera Liga giants Real Madrid.
Both face a possible three years in prison or a 45,000 euro fine.
Ribery and Benzema have been named in France coach Didier Deschamps' squad for the friendly game against Uruguay in the northern city of Le Havre on Wednesday.
But Deschamps refused to comment on the situation, calling it "a delicate subject".
"I won't be commenting on it as it has a private dimension. It's in the court's hands. It will not change my demands about players' behaviour on and off the pitch with respect to the French team," he told reporters.
"I am concentrating on the essentials so tomorrow (Wednesday) we see a France team that wants to go forward and wants to win."
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Some of the defendants will be prosecuted for "aggravated pimping", according to judicial papers.
Paris prosecutors had in 2011 requested that the case against the two French football stars be dropped on the grounds that they did not know that Dehar was aged under 18.
Dehar, now 20, told police she was paid for sex with Ribery in 2009 and Benzema in 2008 when she was aged 16. She claimed that both players were not aware that she was under age.
The affair broke during 2010 and tarnished the image of the France football team just weeks ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.
Ribery, 29, plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and 24-year-old Benzema with Primera Liga giants Real Madrid.
Both face a possible three years in prison or a 45,000 euro fine.
Ribery and Benzema have been named in France coach Didier Deschamps' squad for the friendly game against Uruguay in the northern city of Le Havre on Wednesday.
But Deschamps refused to comment on the situation, calling it "a delicate subject".
"I won't be commenting on it as it has a private dimension. It's in the court's hands. It will not change my demands about players' behaviour on and off the pitch with respect to the French team," he told reporters.
"I am concentrating on the essentials so tomorrow (Wednesday) we see a France team that wants to go forward and wants to win."
Tweet Bookmark Print Badge the Comments! Give badges to the best comments you see! You will get four badges a day 0 Comments To have full access to the interactive features available in Haveeru Online please register or sign in. or Post a Comment Loading comments... Please wait
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