In the slopes overlooking downtown Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city, gun-toting gangs reign over vast stretches of neighbourhoods, overseeing the local drug trade, demanding extortion fees from businesses and enforcing rules about who comes and goes on their turf.

Now, such gangs, which employ up to 14,000 people, have declared that they are ready to give it all up. On June 2, after nine months of secret meetings with officials, 16 gang leaders — imprisoned at a maximum security prison outside of Medellin — announced that they would officially begin dialogues with the government to discuss their disarmament and reintegration into society.

“We want to start down a different path: one of peace, of forgiveness and of reconciliation,” said Sebastian Murillo, a spokesperson for the gangs and a jailed leader of La Oficina, a drug-trafficking group originally founded as part of Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel.

Since the 1980s, Colombia has pursued talks with the politically motivated rebel and paramilitary groups that have fuelled a nearly six-decade-long conflict in the countryside. But for the first time, Colombia is now using a similar approach to dismantle urban gangs, seeking to end criminal rule in the cities.

“One way that Colombia has learned to reduce violence is through peace processes,” said German Valencia, a researcher at Antioquia University’s Institute of Political Studies. “But a peace process doesn’t have to necessarily be political.”

In the wake of a 2016 peace deal between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government, violence has returned to pockets of the country.

More than 50 armed groups now compete for lucrative drug routes and illegal mine networks abandoned by the FARC. President Gustavo Petro has pledged to cut down the number of groups through dialogue and negotiation, as part of his “Total Peace” strategy.

The National Liberation Army (ELN), a leftist rebel organisation, and a dozen other groups control large swaths of Colombia’s rural areas nowadays. On Friday, the ELN signed a temporary ceasefire with the government — a major milestone — while the other armed groups have likewise expressed interest in government dialogue.

But to curb the proliferation of violence, Medellin is key, experts said. Approximately 40 percent of Colombia’s armed groups have a presence in the city.

“It doesn’t make sense to think of a ‘Total Peace’ if the dynamics of urban violence in Colombia aren’t also taken into account,” said Mariana Duque, a political science researcher at the Pontifical Bolivarian University in Bogota.

Because of the armed conflict and the mass displacement of more than eight million people in the country, a majority of Colombians — about 80 percent — now live in cities. There, conflict has remained prevalent, with gangs recruiting youth, extorting businesses and trafficking drugs.

While rates of violence have plummeted in Medellin, a city once known as the murder capital of the world, experts said that non-violent crimes like extortion have actually increased as gangs expand throughout the city.

“It’s more of a psychological violence where they control through fear and no one dares to talk about,” said a community leader, “Ciro”, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. His neighbourhood, Comuna 13, has otherwise been hailed as an example of Medellin’s positive transformation.

But studies have shown that between 350 to 400 street gangs, organised in larger mafia-like alliances, exert influence in virtually all low-income and middle-income neighbourhoods. With offers of money, security and prestige attracting youths to their ranks, Medellin gangs now boast more members than many armed groups in Colombia’s conflict-ridden countryside.

To weaken the gangs’ influence, government dialogues aim to reduce the number of people participating in their activities, said Valencia, the political studies researcher.

About 90 percent of Medellin gangs have confirmed their interest in dialogues, according to government officials, but questions remain about whether they will actually demobilise. Despite pledges to institute ceasefires and stop the sales of fentanyl and heroin, experts worry that criminal groups have little incentive to disarm.

Because the criminal organisations in Medellin are generally not motivated by political ideology — unlike rebels in the ELN and other groups — the government has decided to frame dialogues with them differently.

Congress is currently ironing out a set of non-negotiable terms that participants from the criminal organisations must accept, without presenting their own demands.

So far, under the proposed bill, gangs and cartels that demobilise, disclose information on criminal networks, and provide reparations to victims will receive reduced prison sentences. They can also keep up to 6 percent of their illegal assets, capped at approximately $2.7m.

Still, experts doubt whether the proposed benefits will be attractive enough for thousands to disarm. Top gang leaders, who are in jail, may be motivated by reduced sentences. But less clear is what will draw mid- and low-ranking gang members, whose criminal activities may not be known to the authorities — and whose livelihoods hang in the balance.

“A street gang leader is making between five and 10 million pesos [about $1,200 to $2,400] a month,” said Duque, the political science researcher. “What needs to change for a person like this to move away from the illegal economies?”

Experts agree that the dialogues must also result in increased employment and access to healthcare and education in the peripheries of the city, where the state has less of a presence. These measures would help to guarantee the long-term reintegration of youth into society.

Otherwise, the talks run the risk of worsening the conflict, Valencia said.

Gangs in Medellin have formed alliances and treaties over the decades to decide who controls what turf. According to Valencia, the talks may result in one of two outcomes. Either the talks are a success, reducing violence and crime in the city — or a partial demobilisation will unravel the gangs’ treaties, causing more violence.

“We hope that the talks will become an example of how the country can attain urban peace,” he said.

Islamabad, Pakistan – More than 80 senior members of Imran Khan’s political party have quit in recent weeks amid a nationwide crackdown in the aftermath of the violence that followed the ex-Pakistani prime minister’s arrest last month.

The public announcements largely followed a striking identical script: The party leader would typically call a news conference, often after being released from jail. They would begin their address by condemning the unrest before declaring their abiding commitment and love for Pakistan and its influential military. They would then conclude by saying they were quitting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and taking a “break” from politics or, in some cases, announce a complete retirement.

The flurry of defections hitting the PTI has come after the arrest of thousands of party supporters, including top leaders, in the dramatic events that surrounded the arrest of Khan on corruption charges, which he has denied.

The government has alleged that Khan’s supporters ran amok in various cities while he was in custody on May 9 and 10, damaging private and public properties, including military sites and monuments. Controversially, it has moved to try those accused of targeting military installations in military courts. The PTI has rejected allegations that its members were involved in vandalism.

And while party leaders have insisted publicly that the decision to quit was taken entirely on their own, without any external pressure, the circumstances of their announcements have raised questions about whether these were an act of preservation or the result of coercion.

Khan himself has argued that PTI leaders were being pressured into leaving the party, without saying who was behind it.

“People are not quitting, they are be­ing forced to leave the party at gunpoint. Political parties cannot be dismantled through such tactics,” the cricketer-turned-politician said.

Political analyst Mehmal Sarfraz noted that the arrests happened in a politically charged atmosphere, as PTI leaders and supporters had warned that Khan’s arrest would be a “red line”.

“Khan says a reaction was bound to happen if he was arrested. Unfortunately for his party leaders, this ‘reaction’ also landed them in hot waters,” she told Al Jazeera. “Some may have left of their own accord following the crackdown on PTI, but many privately say they had to make a choice due to ‘pressure’.”

Pakistan’s military has historically played a dominant role in domestic politics, having ruled the country directly for more than 30 years. Its overt influence has often been blamed for forced defections and the switching of allegiances from one party to another in Pakistan’s tumultuous politics.

The latest political crisis began in April last year when Khan was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in parliament. Since then, the former prime minister has been demanding snap elections. Some observers suggest that the PTI has been in the crosshairs of the establishment since Khan’s removal – with the defections being the latest twist in the saga.

Hassan Javid, a professor of politics at the University of Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, told Al Jazeera that in some cases involving certain leaders, “it is quite clear that the decision to ‘leave’ the PTI is one that has been made under duress.” He cited the departure of top Khan aide Shireen Mazari, who was detained several times since she was first arrested on May 12 over the protests that followed Khan’s arrest.

When she announced her decision to leave politics, Mazari said the ordeal had an impact on her health and her family.

Al Jazeera reached out to Mazari, as well as former PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry and Secretary General Asad Umar for comment on their decisions to quit the party, but the senior leaders did not answer.

But another former PTI member, who served as a lawmaker in the country’s National Assembly and recently announced his decision to quit the party, reluctantly agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.

The leader, who was not among those arrested, said it becomes difficult to resist pressure for too long when such a “massive state crackdown” is taking place.

“When there is an ailing family member alone at home, and police conducts raids at your house multiple times at night, you are left with one choice: To take care of the family member, or to stick with the party,” the politician said, without elaborating.

Others, however, were more forthcoming about their reasons to leave the PTI.

Raja Yasir Humayun, a former minister in the PTI-led regional government in Punjab province, who announced his decision to quit on May 30, said he had been considering leaving the party since last year.

Humayun added he had shared his concerns with the leadership about the party’s direction following Khan’s removal as prime minister.

“Since the time he was removed, Khan was surrounded by sycophants who did not allow any contrarian view around Khan. He also liked people who only presented hawkish views,” Humayun told Al Jazeera. “He is a fast bowler. He does his politics like a fast bowler as well, by always being aggressive.”

Humayun vehemently denied that he quit the PTI under any external pressure, saying it was the events of May 9 which convinced him to take a decision had been pondering for some time.

“I just don’t believe in this kind of violent politics. As a senior party official in Punjab, when you see such a situation, there is guilt and questions of why I am continuing if I don’t agree with party politics,” he added.

Malik Amin Aslam, a former adviser to Khan during his tenure as prime minister who announced his decision to quit on May 18, blamed the PTI for “the path it has taken”.

“The incidents of May 9 could not have happened without prior planning, and it was obvious how specific targets were picked. This is not why I joined the PTI for,” he told Al Jazeera.

While acknowledging his gratitude to Khan for providing a platform for work on climate change, Aslam said he had raised his reservations to the party leader multiple times in the last months on the aggressive stance adopted by the party, but he felt “sidelined”.

“When the leader of the party was in the jail and chaos was spreading outside, it was an opportunity for party leadership to fully condemn it and ask for intra-party investigation and disassociate from miscreants. However, this did not happen, which only reinforced my decision to quit,” Aslam said.

But Raoof Hassan, PTI’s central information secretary, said the defections were only going to help strengthen the party.

“Some of those who left the party are ideologically fully aligned with us, but they had no choice but to leave due to the incredible pressure they faced. Then, there are others who we call migratory birds, and for them, the decision to quit the party is in fact, an act of cleansing,” Hassan said.

“We feel that this will only benefit us. This gives us strength, and courage, and we can see that Imran Khan’s popularity is only increasing.”

World leaders congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he won re-election in a historic run-off that posed the biggest challenge to his 20 years in power.

Erdogan won Turkey’s presidency with 52.14 percent of the votes, said the head of the Supreme Election Council, Ahmet Yener, on Sunday, making the results official.

With 99.43 percent of ballot boxes opened, Erdogan’s rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu received 47.86 percent of votes, Yener said. With a gap of more than two million votes between candidates, the rest of the uncounted ballots will not change the result, he added.

The elections, in which more than 64 million Turks at home and abroad were entitled to vote, took place against a background of a cost-of-living crisis that saw inflation peak at 85 percent in October and earthquakes in February that killed more than 50,000 people.

Erdogan, 69, who came to power in 2003, initially as prime minister, offered a vision of further development, promising to extend the improvements made by his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.

NATO member Turkey’s longest-serving leader was tested like never before in what was widely seen as the country’s most consequential election in its 100-year history as a post-Ottoman republic.

Without formally conceding defeat, Kilicdaroglu said: “My real sadness is about the difficulties awaiting the country.”

Here are some of the reactions from other countries:

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Erdogan’s victory was evidence that the Turkish people appreciated his selfless work and independent foreign policy.

“The election victory was a natural result of your selfless work as the head of the Republic of Turkey, clear evidence of the support of the Turkish people for your efforts to strengthen state sovereignty and conduct an independent foreign policy,” Putin said in a message to Erdogan, according to the Kremlin.

“We highly appreciate your personal contribution to the strengthening of friendly Russian-Turkish relations and mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas,” Putin said.

Qatar

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani wished Erdogan success in his new term.

أخي العزيز رجب طيب أردوغان مبارك لكم الفوز، وأتمنى لك التوفيق في ولايتك الجديدة، وأن تحقق فيها ما يطمح له الشعب التركي الشقيق من تقدم ورخاء، ولعلاقات بلدينا القوية مزيداً من التطور والنماء.

— تميم بن حمد (@TamimBinHamad) May 28, 2023

Translation: My dear brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan, congratulations on your victory. I wish you success in your new term, and that you achieve through it what the Turkish people aspire to in terms of progress and prosperity, and progress and growth for our strong bilateral relations.

Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Erdogan on his victory and said he hoped for a “strengthening of the strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries, as well as the strengthening of cooperation for the security and stability of Europe”.

Erdogan’s government had purchased Russian missile-defence systems, which prompted the United States to oust Turkey from a US-led fighter-jet project. But Ankara also helped broker a crucial deal that has allowed Ukrainian grain shipments and averted a global food crisis.

Germany

In congratulating Erdogan, Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted how “deeply intertwined” the people and economies of both countries are, adding that “together we want to advance our common agenda with a fresh impetus!”

Germany and Türkiye are close partners and allies, our people and economies are deeply intertwined. Congratulations to President Erdoğan – together we want to advance our common agenda with a fresh impetus!

— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) May 28, 2023

Saudi Arabia

Ruler King Salman congratulated Erdogan on his presidential win, state news agencies reported.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron said France and Turkey “will continue to move forward”.

La France et la Turquie ont d’immenses défis à relever ensemble. Retour de la paix en Europe, avenir de notre Alliance euro-atlantique, mer Méditerranée. Avec le Président Erdogan, que je félicite pour sa réélection, nous continuerons à avancer.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 28, 2023

“France and Turkey have huge challenges to face together. Return of peace to Europe, future of our Euro-Atlantic Alliance, Mediterranean Sea. With President Erdogan, whom I congratulate on his re-election, we will continue to move forward,” Macron wrote on Twitter.

European Union

EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Erdogan on winning an election run-off on Sunday.

“Congratulations @RTErdogan for your reelection as President of Türkiye. I look forward to working with you again to deepen EU-TR relations in the years to come,” Michel said in a tweet.

Congratulations @RTErdogan for your reelection as President of Türkiye.

I look forward to working with you again to deepen - relations in the years to come.

— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) May 28, 2023

Von der Leyen also tweeted her congratulations.

“I look forward to continue building the EU-Türkiye relationship. It is of strategic importance for both the EU and Türkiye to work on advancing this relationship, for the benefit of our people,” she said in a tweet.

I congratulate @RTErdogan on winning the elections.

I look forward to continue building the EU-Türkiye relationship.

It is of strategic importance for both the EU and Türkiye to work on advancing this relationship, for the benefit of our people.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 28, 2023

Armenia

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he looked forward to working towards “full normalisation” between the two countries.

Congratulations to President @RTErdogan on his re-election. Looking forward to continuing working together towards full normalisation of relations between our countries.

— Nikol Pashinyan (@NikolPashinyan) May 28, 2023

Sweden

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson extended his congratulations via Twitter, stressing that the two countries’ security “is a future priority”.

Erdogan’s government vetoed Sweden’s bid to join NATO after accusing Stockholm of providing safe haven to members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria, both of which Ankara considers “terrorist” groups.

Congratulations @RTErdogan on your re-election. Our common security is a future priority.

— SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) May 28, 2023

Israel

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said he was “convinced” that he and Erdogan “will continue to work together to strengthen and expand the good ties” between their countries.

pic.twitter.com/M5RswVd3uq

— Office of the President of Israel (@IsraelPresident) May 28, 2023

 

Libya

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah described Erdogan’s “election victory” as a renewal of the Turkish people’s confidence in the president’s successful projects and policies.

Dbeibah’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity is backed by Turkey against an eastern-based rival government.

Hungary

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed Erdogan’s “unquestionable election victory!”

Congratulations to President @RTErdogan on his unquestionable election victory! Tebrikler, Sayın Cumhurbaşkanı! pic.twitter.com/I1IR7g3EWe

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) May 28, 2023

Palestine

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh lauded Erdogan and the Turkish people for their “election victory”.

The head of Hamas’s political office Ismail Haniyeh said: “I congratulate President Erdogan on winning and I applaud the [Turkish] people’s civilised stance. We look forward to [their] support for our cause and our Jerusalem.”

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Erdogan in a phone call and invited him to Baku.

Iran

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi called Erdogan’s re-election “a sign of continued valuable trust of Turkish people”.

“Our relationship with Turkey in the next stage will continue on the basis of good neighbourliness and shared interests,” he added.

Sudan

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the military commander leading Sudan’s army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, congratulated Erdogan on winning a new term.

Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated Erdogan and the Turkish people for their “election victory”.

Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a tweet that Erdogan’s re-election was a “historic” one.

“He has been a pillar of strength for the oppressed Muslims & a fervent voice for their inalienable rights,” he said.

Heartiest congratulations to my dear brother H.E. President @RTErdogan on his historic re-election as President, Republic of Turkiye. He is one of few world leaders whose politics has been anchored in public service. He has been a pillar of strength for the oppressed Muslims & a…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 28, 2023

Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he celebrated the “triumph” of “brother and friend” Erdogan.

United Arab Emirates

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was among leaders to congratulate Erdogan in the Middle East, where he has asserted Turkish influence, at times with military power.

Brazil

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wished Erdogan a “good term with a lot of work” for the Turkish people.

Lula wrote on Twitter that Erdogan can “count on Brazil’s partnership in global cooperation for peace, in the fight against poverty and for the development of the world”.

Afghanistan

Maulvi Abdul Kabir, the caretaker prime minister, said: “I congratulate President Erdogan on winning the Turkish election and on being elected president of Turkey.”

Malta

Malta’s Foreign Minister Ian Borg said: “Our heartfelt congratulations on this important victory for President Erdogan”.

Algeria

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune congratulated Erdogan on winning a new term.

The horror of nuclear war has been highlighted by world leaders attending the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

Hiroshima, Japan – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has sought to use the G7 summit in Japan to highlight the horrors of nuclear war and promote his vision of a world without nuclear weapons.

On Friday, G7 and European Union leaders visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which commemorates the victims of the atomic bomb that United States forces dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

At the museum, which contains graphic descriptions of the devastation wrought by the world’s first nuclear attack, the G7 leaders signed the guest book for visitors.

Below are the messages the leaders wrote:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

As Chair of the G7, I am gathering here together with the leaders of G7 countries on this historic occasion of the G7 Summit to realise a world without nuclear weapons.

US President Joe Biden

May the stories of this Museum remind us all of our obligations to build a future of peace. Together let us continue to make progress toward the day when we can finally and forever rid the world of nuclear weapons. Keep the faith!

French President Emmanuel Macron

With emotion and compassion, it is up to us to contribute to the duty of remembrance of the victims of Hiroshima and to act in favour of peace, the only fight [the fight] that deserves to be fought.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

This place is a reminder of inconceivable suffering. Today, together with our partners, we renew here the pledge to protect peace and freedom with all determination. Nuclear war must never be waged again.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Today we pause and remain in prayer. Today we remember that darkness has not prevailed. Today we remember the past in order to build, together, a future of hope.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Shakespeare tells us to “give sorrow words”. Yet language fails in the light of the bomb’s flash. No words can describe the horror and suffering of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But what we can say, with all our hearts, and all our souls, is no more.

European Council President Charles Michel

An immense tragedy took place here almost 80 years ago. It reminds us what we – as G7 – are defending. And why we are defending it. Peace and freedom. Because it’s what all human beings want most.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

What happened in Hiroshima is still today haunting humanity. It is a stark reminder of the terrible cost of war – and our everlasting duty to protect and preserve peace.

US federal lawmakers are expanding their efforts to track the potential use of cryptocurrency by Russian leaders and oligarchs to evade sweeping sanctions imposed on the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine. Economic advisers and crypto researchers have warned that bitcoin and other currencies could be used to fund Russia’s war efforts, and protect the wealth of its oligarchs.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday, a group of senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, asked about the agency’s plans to monitor crypto networks for evidence of Russian leaders moving money and to enforce sanction compliance. “Criminals, rogue states, and other actors may use digital assets and alternative payment platforms as a new means to hide cross-border transactions for nefarious purposes,” the senators wrote, citing the Treasury’s own 2021 report that warned of crypto’s ability to undermine the efficacy of US sanctions.

Last year, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued guidance for evaluating and mitigating the risks that crypto markets pose to sanctions. An OFAC report asked technology companies and crypto users to decline to engage in “dealings with blocked persons or property.”

This new letter reiterates those same concerns and asks specifically how OFAC is working with foreign governments to enforce its guidance and what roadblocks have prevented it from doing so.

At the same time the letter was sent, US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a new interagency task force, KleptoCapture, which will be dedicated to enforcing sanctions and other economic restrictions that the US has imposed on Russia. “The Task Force will be fully empowered to use the most cutting-edge investigative techniques,” such as cryptocurrency tracing, to arrest and prosecute individuals found in violation, the announcement noted.

While these coinciding announcements do not appear to be a joint effort, together they mark the most formalized attempt to investigate the role of crypto networks in Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

In the last week, Ukraine has asked crypto exchanges to block all Russian accounts. “It’s crucial to freeze not only the addresses linked to Russian and Belarusian politicians, but also to sabotage ordinary users,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation, tweeted on Sunday.

So far, the crypto industry has largely ignored or condemned calls to freeze Russian holdings. ​​Changpeng Zhao, founder of the world’s largest crypto exchange Binance, told BBC Radio 4 that the company was “not in a position to sanction, like, populations of people,” and said Binance would only respond to requests regarding specific individuals. Another large exchange, Coinbase, told Motherboard that it will not comply with Ukraine’s request in the interest of “economic freedom.”

Bloomberg reported that the White House’s National Security Council and the Treasury Department similarly asked exchanges to aid their efforts. And while crypto networks seem unilaterally opposed to blanket bans, companies like Coinbase are working with the Biden administration to block the accounts of Russians targeted by sanctions.

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated on Friday by a gunman who shot him as he appeared at a campaign event.

Abe’s death has sent shockwaves through Japan, where deadly violence and shootings are extremely rare, and around the world.

The 67-year-old was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, having held office twice from 2006 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2020.

World leaders who worked alongside Abe during his time as prime minister expressed their grief and distress at his death.

Arrests made as government deploys the army to help end deadly unrest sparked by Khan’s arrest three days ago.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has accused Pakistani authorities of arresting a senior leader as the government deploys the army to help end deadly unrest sparked by Khan’s arrest three days ago.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Thursday alleged Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who served as foreign minister in Khan’s cabinet during his four-year premiership, was arrested overnight.

Two other senior leaders of PTI, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, were also arrested on Wednesday.

The violence sparked by Khan’s arrest on Tuesday by the country’s anti-corruption agency has aggravated instability in the country of 220 million people as it grapples with a severe economic crisis and a delay to an International Monetary Fund bailout since November.

Protesters have stormed military buildings and ransacked the residence of a top army general in the eastern city of Lahore. Other state buildings and assets have been attacked and set ablaze by protesters.

At least five people have died in the violence.

The federal government on Wednesday approved requests from two of Pakistan’s four provinces – Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, both Khan strongholds – and the federal capital Islamabad to deploy troops to restore order.

The Islamabad police said on early on Thursday that troops have reached the capital city.

Police have arrested more than 1,300 protesters in Khan’s home province of Punjab for violence.

Separately, Khan was indicted by a Pakistani court in an unrelated case on Wednesday for unlawfully selling state gifts during his premiership between 2018 and 2022.

The corruption cases against Khan are two of more than 100 cases registered against him since his removal in April 2022 in a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

He has not slowed his campaign against his removal even after being wounded in a November attack.

After more than a decade of negotiations, EU wants Balkan neighbours to settle on plan and put hostilities to rest.

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have returned to Brussels for talks to normalise ties and implement a European Union 11-point normalisation plan.

Tuesday’s meeting follows one in February when both leaders backed the EU plan after 12 years of talks. They also met in March in North Macedonia, where Belgrade and Pristina tentatively agreed on how to implement it.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will convene the meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

The leaders are expected to discuss creating an association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, which was once part of Serbia and whose overall population is more than 90 percent ethnic Albanian.

They are also expected to tackle the issue of the more than 1,600 people still officially missing since the 1998-99 Kosovo War, which erupted when ethnic Albanian separatists rebelled against Serbia’s rule and Belgrade responded with a brutal crackdown.

About 13,000 people died, mostly ethnic Albanians. In 1999, a NATO military intervention forced Serbia to pull out of the territory.

The EU proposal covers the normalisation of relations between the two countries and their future path towards peace and EU membership.

Miroslav Lajcak, Borrell’s envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, said the meeting is “a crucial step forward, and it’s important to avoid any actions that could worsen the atmosphere”.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Brussels and the United States have increasingly intervened to calm tensions between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, which Serbia does not recognise. Serbia still regards Kosovo as a breakaway province, and bad relations between the two Balkan neighbours have raised fears of a return to war.

 

A sticking point has been Belgrade’s insistence that Pristina implement a 2013 agreement to establish an association of northern Kosovo municipalities with Serb-majority populations. Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has declared that plan unconstitutional.

Serbia said progress in the talks is only possible after this issue is tackled.

Referring to the association agreement, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said: “Everyone was thrilled that it was a historic act. Ten years passed, and the association of Serb municipalities did not happen.”

Local elections were held last month in northern Kosovo’s Serb-dominated communes after Serb representatives left their posts last year, but the vote was overwhelmingly boycotted by ethnic Serbs.

Vucic praised the boycott and criticised Western officials, calling them liars and frauds. He said the Serb minority would no longer tolerate foreign “occupation”.

The US says the arrests ‘represent a troubling escalation by the Tunisian government against perceived opponents’.

Several global powers have condemned the arrests of political opponents in Tunisia, including the main opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi, warning against the escalating crackdown launched by President Kais Saied.

In a statement on Wednesday, the US government said the arrest on Monday of former Speaker of Parliament Ghannouchi and the closure of the Ennahdha party headquarters “are fundamentally at odds with the principles Tunisians adopted in a constitution,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said.

He said the arrests “represent a troubling escalation by the Tunisian government against perceived opponents”.

He added that said respect for freedom of expression and human rights were essential “to the US-Tunisia relationship”.

Since early February, authorities in the North African country have arrested more than 20 political critics and personalities who have accused Saied of a coup for his moves to close parliament and rule by decree before rewriting the constitution.

Following Ghannouchi’s arrest on Monday, a Tunisian investigative judge then ordered his imprisonment on Thursday, the politician’s lawyer told Reuters.

Ghannouchi, 81, is accused of plotting against internal state security and the decision to imprison him followed an investigation that lasted eight hours, she added.

“It was a ready decision to imprison Ghannouchi only because of Ghannouchi’s expression of his opinion,” lawyer Monia Bouali told Reuters.

Ghannouchi’s official Facebook page published a comment by him after the judge’s decision, which said: “I am optimistic about the future … Tunisia is free.”

Further condemnations

On Thursday, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it was “deeply concerned” about the latest developments in Tunisia.

“Owing to his health and age, we appeal for special consideration and mercy to be accorded to Mr Rached Ghannouchi during this blessed month of Ramadan,” Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Zambry Abdul Kadir, said in the statement.

Earlier in the week, the European Union recalled the “importance of respect for the rights of the defense as well as the right to a fair trial” in Tunisia.

“We also underline the fundamental principle of political pluralism,” the statement said on Tuesday. “These elements are essential for any democracy and form the basis of the European Union’s partnership with Tunisia.”

Also on Tuesday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he would speak to authorities in Tunisia to convey his concern over the arrest of Ghannouchi.

“We have not yet been able to contact the authorities in Tunisia over the phone but will continue to try to reach them,” Erdogan said in a televised interview.

“If we are able to speak to them, we will tell them that we do not find this appropriate,” he added.

The Islamist-inspired opposition Ennahdha party held the most seats in Tunisia’s parliament before President Saied dissolved the chamber in July 2021 in a power grab allowing him to rule by decree.

Saied, 65, claims those detained were “terrorists” involved in a “conspiracy against state security”.

Opponents have dubbed his actions a “coup” and a return to autocratic rule in the only democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings in the region more than a decade ago.

Speaking at a ceremony on Tuesday, Saied called on the judiciary – of which he seized control last year – to “fulfil its role in this phase the country is going through”.

Ghannouchi was exiled for more than two decades under late dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, but returned following the country’s 2011 revolution to become a dominant figure in Tunisian politics.

In recent months, he made at least 10 court appearances over an array of accusations including corruption, money laundering and helping armed fighters travel to Iraq and Syria.

In March, Chad’s interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby had pardoned 380 jailed members of a rebel group accused of killing his father in 2021.

With the midday sun high over Chad’s capital N’Djamena, Alhadj Barh embraced his wife for the first time in more than two years. It marked a new start for a man who, until earlier that day, had been in jail for fighting in a rebel army accused of killing the president.

In an apparent peace gesture, Chad’s interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby in March pardoned 380 jailed members of the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), a rebel group accused of killing his father – longtime ruler Idriss Deby – in 2021.

Barh was among a group of pardoned detainees to be released near the capital in early April.

Seated at home beside his wife and four daughters, Barh said he was eager to help facilitate peace if the government pursued an inclusive approach.

“We are not bullies,” he said. “If the situation changes, I will actively contribute to national reconciliation.”

The military government led by the younger Deby has launched peace talks with various rebel groups who had long challenged his father’s regime, but FACT has not taken part, insisting the transitional authorities first free its members.

While hundreds have been pardoned, most of the group’s senior leadership, including leader Mahamat Mahadi Ali, remain in custody.

Another newly released detainee, former maths teacher and FACT member Ouckonga Guelmine Kemnda, said calls for unity would ring hollow without their release.

“The government says it is open to dialogue and yet the person with whom it must dialogue is condemned,” the 46-year-old said, sitting among his extended family.

“When we want to talk to someone, we have to stay open,” he added.

The transitional authorities have not commented on the detainees’ statements or the outlook for the continuing peace negotiations. The government is set to stay in office at least through elections slated for October 2024.

In August 2022, government representatives signed an agreement began engaging of negotiations in what was called a “pre-dialogue” with hundreds of rebels and civil society society, with the Qatari government as mediator.