Tag: America

  • US is confident of Pakistan’s ability to keep its nuclear assets safe and secure

    US is confident of Pakistan’s ability to keep its nuclear assets safe and secure

    The United States (US) has said that it is confident of Pakistan’s ability to keep its nuclear assets safe and secure.

    “The United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure nuclear assets,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told journalists in Washington shortly after a meeting between Ambassador Masood Khan and Counselor Derek Chollet.

    The statement came after US President Joe Biden made a off-the-cuff remark on Pakistan’s nuclear programme last week while at a private Democratic Party fundraiser in California where he was talking about challenges faced by President Xi Jinping of China, a close ally of Pakistan.

    “And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” Biden said, according to a White House transcript.

    Patel, responding to questions, gave a detailed answer regarding what was said about Pakistan by President Biden, and said: “The US has always viewed a secure and prosperous Pakistan as critical to US interests. And more broadly, the US values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan.”

    The two countries “enjoy a strong partnership”, said the State Department official, adding that Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visited Washington recently where he met Secretary Blinken as well.

    He recalled that Counselor Chollet also visited Karachi and Islamabad during the floods, as did USAID Administrator Sam Power.

    “So, this is a relationship we view as important, and it’s something that we’re going to continue to remain deeply engaged in,” said Patel, pointing out that US and Pakistani officials meet regularly.

    But when the journalist insisted on a response to his question about President Biden’s remarks, the US official said: “I don’t have any specific conversation to read out, but the United States is confident of Pakistan’s commitment and its ability to secure its nuclear assets.”

  • Pakistan to summon US Ambassador for demarche over Biden’s nukes remark: FM Bilawal

    Pakistan to summon US Ambassador for demarche over Biden’s nukes remark: FM Bilawal

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said that the incumbent government has decided to summon United States (US) Ambassador Donald Blome for an official demarche on US President Joe Biden’s remarks on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

    In a press conference at the Bilawal House in Karachi today, he went on to say that Pakistan had nothing to do with Biden’s statement. “We will call their ambassador and issue a demarche, but I don’t think this was an official function […] it wasn’t an address to the parliament or an interview.”

    “It was a fundraiser […] it was an untraditional conversation in which this sentence was used so it should be [looked at] in this manner, I think we will look at this statement in this way,” he elaborated.

    However, at the same time, Bilawal said that the nation should desist from “getting into conspiracy theories”.

    The foreign minister said that Pakistan’s nuclear assets “meet each and every international standard in accordance with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as far as security and safety is concerned”.

    “Pakistan is adamant about ensuring its integrity and safety. Security questions, if any, should be raised on the nuclear weapons of India that recently fired a missile into Pakistani territory by accident,” he observed. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also stated that, “This is not only irresponsible and unsafe but raises genuine and serious concerns about the safety of nuclear-capable countries,” he pointed out.

    “I am surprised by the remarks of President Biden […] I believe this is exactly the sort of misunderstanding that is created when there is a lack of engagement,” he said.

    Bilawal responds to Khan’s remarks on the government’s failed foreign policy

    Bilawal said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was a liar and it was the government’s responsibility to expose his reality in front of the nation.

    The FM claimed that Khan failed to fulfill any of the promises he made to the people. Bilawal criticised Khan’s foreign policy, claiming that it created huge losses for the country and he compromised Pakistan’s bilateral ties with friendly countries.

    “Today, we are trying to correct that loss […] we will have to work hard but I’m satisfied that the direction of our foreign policy is now right.”

    Going on, he recalled that Imran has passed “irresponsible statements” on the country’s nuclear assets in the past. “When he had to leave the prime minister’s seat, he publicly said that it was better that an atomic bomb was dropped on Pakistan. Find me one example in world history, where a person who is a former premier, says such things about his own country,” he said.

    It is pertinent to mention here that US President Joe Biden has said that Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.

    The remark came about during the US president’s address at a democratic congressional campaign committee reception.

  • Putin grants Russian citizenship to Edward Snowden, who disclosed top secret US surveillance

    Putin grants Russian citizenship to Edward Snowden, who disclosed top secret US surveillance

    Edward Snowden, a former security expert who exposed top-secret American surveillance programmes and is still wanted by Washington on espionage charges, was granted citizenship by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

    In order to avoid punishment, Snowden, who considers himself a whistleblower, left the United States and has been residing in Russia since that country gave him refuge in 2013.

    In a decree that Putin signed, Snowden, 39, was one of 72 foreigners who received citizenship.

    His attorneys stated at the time that he was filing for a Russian passport without renunciating his American citizenship when he was given permanent status in 2020.

    The state-run news agency RIA Novosti was informed on Monday by Snowden’s attorney, Anatoly Kucherena, that Snowden’s wife, Lindsay Mills, is also in the process of seeking for Russian citizenship. In 2014, Mills accompanied Snowden to Moscow. In 2017, they got married, and now they have a son together.

    Additionally, Kucherena stated that because of Snowden’s lack of combat experience, he would not be subject to the partial military mobilisation that Putin ordered last week to support Russia’s waning war in Ukraine. Putin claimed that only individuals with prior experience would be called up for partial mobilisation, but there have been several stories of other people receiving summonses, including those detained during anti-mobilization protests.

    According to CNN, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to comment on Snowden’s new passport, and instead referred questions to the prosecutors seeking his extradition. “Soc, since I believe there have been criminal charges brought against him, we would point you to the Department of Justice for any specifics on this,” Jean-Pierre said.

    Snowden’s revelations were the largest security breach in American history as it exposed the top-secret NSA programme PRISM’s use of surveillance and the collection of a wide spectrum of digital data.

    Putin stated in a documentary directed by American Oliver Stone in 2017 that he did not view Snowden as a “traitor” for disclosing official information.

    “As an ex-KGB agent, you must have hated what Snowden did with every fiber of your being,” Stone says in the clip.

    “Snowden is not a traitor,” Putin said. “He did not betray the interests of his country. Nor did he transfer any information to any other country which would have been pernicious to his own country or to his own people. The only thing Snowden does, he does publicly.”

    Snowden justified his decision to submit a dual citizenship application in 2020.

    “After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our son. That’s why, in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we’re applying for dual US-Russian citizenship,” Snowden wrote on Twitter at the time.

    “Lindsay and I will remain Americans, raising our son with all the values of America we love — including the freedom to speak his mind. And I look forward to the day I can return to the States, so the whole family can be reunited,” Snowden added.

  • Muslim killings in US: Police arrest Muslim immigrant

    Police in New Mexico, United States (US), have arrested a Muslim Afghan immigrant named Muhammad Syed, 51, in connection with the deaths of Muslim men in Albuquerque city. The police have charged Syed with two murders.

    A total of four murders took place. All victims were of Afghan or Pakistani descent. One was killed in November, and the other three in the last two weeks.

    It was speculated that Shia and Sunni tensions may have led to Syed’s actions. However, the police said that while they are aware of the sectarian narrative, the motive is still being “explored” by investigators. 

    Albuquerque police deputy commander Kyle Hartsock stated: “We have heard those things, but we’re not sure if that’s the only motivation”, reports CNN.

    In a statement, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) said, “As their detectives prepared to search Syed’s home in Southeast Albuquerque on Monday, he drove from the residence in the Volkswagen Jetta that detectives believe was used in at least one of the murders.”

    “Detectives discovered evidence that showed the suspect knew the victims to some extent and an interpersonal conflict may have led to the shootings,” the police statement added.

    The APD said Syed was being charged with two of the homicides, the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein and the August 1 murder of Muhammad Afzaal Hussain.

    “Detectives connected those homicides using bullet casings found at the scenes. The gun used in these shootings was discovered during the overnight search of [Syed’s] home,” the police said.

    The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement about the arrest in which the organisation “strongly condemned the anti-Shia hatred that may have motivated the killings”.

    ‘Strongly stand with Muslim community’: US President Biden condemns killing of Muslim men in New Mexico

    Earlier, US President Joe Biden condemned the killing of four Muslims — two of them Pakistanis, in Albuquerque, a city in the southern state of New Mexico. The local authorities are describing the killings as targeted attacks.

    “I am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque. While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community,” tweeted US President Biden.

    “These hateful attacks have no place in America,” he added.

    Four Muslim men killed in New Mexico

    The latest victim was gunned down on Friday night. The police said he was in his mid-20s, Muslim, and a native from South Asia.

    The local Islamic leaders said that the horrific incident occurred shortly after he had attended funeral services for two others slain during the past couple of weeks.

    Before this killing, two of the previous victims were Muslim and Pakistani men. A 27-year-old’s body was found on August 1 and a 41-year-old’s body was discovered on July 26.

    According to Tahir Gauba, spokesperson for the Islamic Centre of New Mexico, the three latest victims belonged to the same mosque.

    Detectives are now investigating whether these murders are connected to the death of a Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed on November 7, 2021.

    Mayor Tim Keller said state authorities were working to provide an “extra police presence at mosques during times of prayer”.

  • Twitter sues Indian government over content removal directives

    Twitter sues Indian government over content removal directives

    Twitter has sued the Indian government to challenge some of its takedown orders, a source familiar with the matter revealed, further escalating the tension between the American social giant and India.

    In its lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Karnataka High Court, Twitter alleges that New Delhi has abused its power by ordering it to remove several tweets from its platform.

    The lawsuit follows a rough year and a half for Twitter in India, a key overseas market for the firm, where it has been asked to take down hundreds of accounts and tweets, many of which critics argue were objected because they denounced the Indian government’s policies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Twitter partially complied with the requests but sought to fight back against many challenges. Under India’s new IT rules, which went into effect last year, Twitter has little to no room left to individually challenge the takedown orders.

    The tension between the two was apparent on May 24 last year, when Delhi police, controlled by India’s central government, visited two offices of Twitter — in the national capital state of Delhi and Gurgaon, in the neighboring state of Haryana — to seek more information about Twitter’s rationale to label one of the tweets by ruling partly BJP spokesperson as “manipulated media.”

    Delhi police said it had received a complaint about the classification of the spokesperson’s tweet and visited the offices to serve Twitter India’s head a notice of the inquiry. In a statement, the police said Twitter India’s managing director’s replies on the subject had been “very ambiguous.”

    Twitter at the time described the episode as “intimidation.”

    The company has “concerns with regards to the use of intimidation tactics by the police in response to enforcement of our global Terms of Service, as well as with core elements of the new IT Rules,” it said.

    Twitter India managing director resigned from the firm last year.

    Twitter is not the first tech giant to sue the Indian government. WhatsApp sued New Delhi last year, challenging new regulations that could allow authorities to make people’s private messages “traceable,” and conduct mass surveillance.

    It’s unclear if the new lawsuit will impact Twitter’s proposed acquisition by Elon Musk.

  • ‘Made a mistake, want to fix matters’: Khawaja Asif says Khan wants to make amends with the US

    ‘Made a mistake, want to fix matters’: Khawaja Asif says Khan wants to make amends with the US

    The United States (US) State Department restated its claim that there is no truth to the allegations that Washington was involved in a conspiracy to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    The reiteration came on Sunday after media reports that PTI’s Secretary of the Office of International Chapters (OIC) Dr Abdullah Riar had contacted the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and asked him to forget the past and move forward.

    A US State Department spokesperson, when asked about Riar’s reported contact with Lu, said: “As a standard practice, we do not comment on private diplomatic meetings,” reports Dawn.

    Imran Khan’s claim of the US involvement in ousting him reiterated: “As we have said before, there is no truth to these allegations.”

    Khan wants to fix matters with America

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that there was evidence of a meeting of the PTI leader and an apology to the US government.

    Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Khawaja Asif said: “We [the coalition government] have obtained all records regarding PTI’s apology to Lu. Evidence has been received regarding PTI leaders’ meeting with the US government where they tendered an apology.”

    Asif said that Imran Khan has sent a message to America that we have made a mistake, he wants to fix matters with America and the process should start from where it was broken.

    ‘Let’s move on’: Is PTI trying to be friends with Donald Lu?

    Reports suggest that Dr Abdullah Riar sent a message to Donald Lu.

    According to media reports, Riar in a message to Lu has said, “Let’s move on.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that Lu is the same person who has been accused by the PTI Chairperson Imran Khan of being behind the conspiracy to remove him from power. Khan accused Lu of using undiplomatic language to threaten his government in the wake of the no-confidence motion.

    Khan in his interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson said that Lu should be sacked for his sheer arrogance.

    The PTI chairman said that the US diplomat told Pakistan’s ambassador that unless “you get Imran Khan removed in a vote of no-confidence — which was not tabled but he seemed to know about it — Pakistan will suffer consequences”.

    “And then goes on to say, of course, if you get rid of him through the vote of no-confidence, all will be forgiven — such arrogance […] by the way Becky, this guy should be sacked for bad manners and sheer arrogance,” said Khan.

  • ‘Is say zaida Allah ki kya lanat hogi ke Madina mein aap ke khilaaf naray lagay’: Khan

    ‘Is say zaida Allah ki kya lanat hogi ke Madina mein aap ke khilaaf naray lagay’: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said that the incumbent government was cursed by Allah to the point that even when they [governemnt officials] were in Madina, people couldn’t stop themselves from chanting slogans against these corrupt leaders. Khan was addressing a lawyers’ convention in Peshawar.

    “What was our [PTI’s] fault if ordinary people chanted slogans against these people in Madina? We had kept a Shab-e-Dua on the day it happened. We came to know through social media that slogans had been chanted against them,” said Khan.

    I am the chief executive of the country. Who is being addressed by the US, saying that Imran Khan needs to be removed?

    Khan once again criticised the government and blamed it for conspiring with the United States (US) to take him out of power.

    “This is the first time a democratic government was taken out of power. Since our government was not removed because of corruption, people took to the streets instead of distributing sweets,” said Khan.

    Khan explained the conspiracy against him and said that the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu threatened the Pakistani ambassador to the US that you need to remove Imran Khan.

    “When I saw the cipher, I thought to myself: I am the prime minister of the country. I am the chief executive of the country. Who are they addressing when they say that Imran Khan needs to be removed?”

    “When they say that once he [Imran Khan] is removed, you will be forgiven. I immediately got to know that forgiveness was being given to Cherry Blossom [ Shehbaz Sharif].

    They are compromised bootlickers

    Khan said that Pakistan has been ruled by the military but two political families [Sharifs and Zardaris] monopolised the political arena and remained in power for the last 62 years.

    “They [the then opposition] comprised bootlickers, that’s why the US wanted to bring them back to power.”

    “I ruled for three-and-a-half years and they started having issues with my government just because Pakistan wanted to maintain friendly relations with other countries but refused to fight their wars,” he said.

    “We had no relation with 9/11. I will not give Pakistan’s bases to America.”

    Khan also said that Pakistan neither wanted bad relations with any country nor did it want to become their slave.

    I have never seen anyone more filthy than this family

    “I have never seen anyone more filthy than this family,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif killed a record number of people between 1997-1998 in police encounters.

    Khan took a jibe at the PML-N and said that the Supreme Court had rightly called the Sharif family a “Sicilian Mafia”.

    ‘I will come back … this Jihad for me’: Khan

    “If these people stay in the government, the rule of law in the country will be destroyed,” said Khan.

    Talking about PTI’s Azadi March, Khan said that the party has approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP).

    “We are approaching the SC tomorrow. We will be taking a ruling from the Supreme Court and ask them if we have a democratic right to protest or not. Why were we stopped? How can they stop the chief minister of KP and Gilgit Baltistan?”

    Khan said he decided to stop because of police brutality and shelling. “I was afraid that there would be bloodshed and people will die.”

    “If the Supreme Court gives us the protection that is one strategy, otherwise I am telling you, I will use my other strategy. We plan ahead for all the hindrances being planted our way. We were not prepared this time. This is Jihad for me. I will not accept this imported and corrupt government.”

    “

  • US Secretary of State calls Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    US Secretary of State calls Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

    United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday telephoned Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to congratulate him on becoming the country’s new foreign minister.

    Bilawal Bhutto and Antony Blinken tweeted about the telephonic contact between the two counterparts.

    The two also vowed to engage with mutual respect. 

    It is being reported that Blinken extended an invitation to Bilawal to visit the US this month.

    “An invitation was also extended by the Secretary of State for Pakistan’s participation in the Ministerial meeting on Global Food Security to be held in New York on 18 May 2022,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

    Building on the Pakistan-US cooperation in dealing with the Covid pandemic during the last two years, Secretary Blinken also invited Pakistan to the Second Global Covid Summit to be held virtually later this month.

  • Pakistanis can now stay for 60 days in Dubai on a tourist visa

    United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now allowed Pakistanis to stay for 60 days on a tourist visa as a standard policy from September. It will facilitate people who intend to stay for a long break in the country.

    The country also provides another visa type for job seekers that is called ‘ a job exploration entry visa ‘ which allows people to explore job opportunities in the region.

    The UAE government media office said, “Major improvements include facilitating the entry requirements for all visa types, offering flexible visa durations that meet the needs of the visitors and the purpose of the visit,” will be implemented.

    “In addition, all entry visas are available for single or multiple entry, can be renewed for similar periods, and are valid for 60 days from their issuance date.”

    In the past, UAE had a standard 30-days visa on arrival for many nations including Britain, America, and Australia. People who overstayed were given a nine-day grace period to return to their countries. Otherwise, they were subjected to fines that amounted to 200 dirhams for the first day and 100 dirhams for each consecutive day.

    Nations that do not have a visa on arrival policy such as India and Pakistan have to arrange for a visa through a travel agency before arrival in the UAE.

  • ‘Punish disobedient Imran Khan’: Russia lashes out at US for ‘plotting against Pakistan’

    ‘Punish disobedient Imran Khan’: Russia lashes out at US for ‘plotting against Pakistan’

    Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday declared that Russia is well aware of the events that led to the dissolution of the National Assembly (NA) in Pakistan.

    In a statement, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, “Immediately after the announcement of the upcoming working visit of Imran Khan to Moscow on February 23-24 this year. The Americans and their Western associates began to exert rude pressure on the Prime Minister, demanding an ultimatum to cancel the trip.”

    “When he nevertheless came to us, United States (US) Deputy Secretary of State for South Asia D Liu [Donald Lu] called the Pakistani ambassador in Washington and demanded that the visit be immediately interrupted, which was also rejected.”

    “According to the Pakistani media, on March 7 this year. in a conversation with Pakistani Ambassador Asad Majeed, a high-ranking American official (presumably the same D Liu) sharply condemned the balanced reaction of the Pakistani leadership to the events in Ukraine and made it clear that partnerships with the United States are possible only if Imran Khan is removed from power.”

    Zakharova further added, “The situation leaves no doubt that the United States decided to punish the ‘disobedient’ Imran Khan: a group of deputies of the same party of the prime minister ‘suddenly’ went over to the Opposition and the question of a no-confidence motion against the head of the incumbent government (Prime Minister) was immediately tabled in the parliament, the vote on which was scheduled for April 3rd.”

    “There is another attempt of shameless US interference in the internal affairs of an independent state for its own selfish purposes. The above facts eloquently testify to this. The Pakistani Prime Minister himself has repeatedly stated that the conspiracy against him was inspired and financed from abroad.”

    “We hope that Pakistani voters will be informed about these circumstances when they come to the elections, which should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly,” read the statement.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan is in a state of political chaos as the no-confidence motion against Khan was dismissed abruptly on Sunday. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said that the no-confidence motion, presented on March 8, should be according to the law and the Constitution. “No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the points raised by the minister were “valid”.