Tag: Pakistan Embassy

  • ‘Porn attack’ during Zoom meeting by Pakistan Embassy in US leaves internet divided

    ‘Porn attack’ during Zoom meeting by Pakistan Embassy in US leaves internet divided

    An alleged “porn attack” by unknown cybercriminals during an online meeting of the Pakistan Embassy in the United States (US) has left the internet divided.

    As per the details, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh on November 18 hosted a virtual town hall meeting with members of the Pakistani community in the US. The aim of the meeting was to engage with Pakistani expats in the US and address their consular-related concerns.
     

    The Zoom meeting, however, was interrupted by a “cyberattack playing offensive/obscene material violating all norms of civility and decency”, the embassy said in an official statement.
     

    “Regrettably, the E-Kacheri [town hall meeting] hosted by the Mission yesterday was interrupted by a cyber-attack playing offensive/obscene material violating all norms of civility and decency [sic],” the statement read.
     

    It added that the embassy disconnected the meeting and resumed it shortly after removing the disruptor.
     

    “The matter was explained to the participants, who also condemned the incident, which is under investigation. Attempts to politicize, abuse, and exploit a forum purely facilitative for the diaspora, and motivated attempts to twist facts are unfortunate, counterproductive, and should be avoided,” it added, maintaining that the embassy remained resolutely committed to serving the diaspora.
     

    The statement from Pakistan’s mission in the US came as participants took to social media and alleged that the embassy had “faked” the attack to evade tough questions aimed at the ambassador.

    “At the virtual town hall [with] @PakinUSA, I asked Ambassador Sheikh how he could sleep at night representing an autocratic regime that cracked down on pro-democracy activists, targeted women and children, and disappeared HR defenders?” Mehlaqa Samdani, a Pakistani expat who attended the meeting, posted on X.

    “Rather than respond as one would to a concerned Pakistani-American, he spoke to me as if I were a representative of the US government. He said and I paraphrase: ‘No country should have the audacity to lecture us on good governance/human rights, especially those who support Israel, those with the largest budget deficits in the world, and those financed by the rest of the world through currency reserves’,” she added.

    Samdani went on to claim that the meeting was interrupted when she asked a follow-up question. “When I tried to ask a follow-up question, the town hall was conveniently ‘hacked’ with pornographic material, and the meeting had to be shut down.”

    Samdani’s account of the meeting has sparked a debate among netizens over the veracity of the cyberattack.

  • Historic Pakistan embassy building in the US capital sold for $7.1 million

    Historic Pakistan embassy building in the US capital sold for $7.1 million

    After several months of persistent efforts, Pakistan has successfully sold a historic building in the United States capital for $7.1 million. The vacant property, which had remained unoccupied since 2003, was recently acquired by a Pakistani entrepreneur named Hafeez Khan.

    The government of the District of Columbia had reclassified the building owned by the Pakistan Embassy, resulting in an increased tax assessment on its value. This decision was taken as the building had significantly deteriorated over time.

    Known as the R Street building, this establishment once served as a chancery. It was put up for auction in late 2022, and the Pakistani government received three bids. However, the entire bidding process was later canceled by the Pakistani authorities without providing any explanation. The highest bid received for the property was $6.8 million, and its prime location in the heart of the city added to its desirability. Prior to the auction, the building had been evaluated at $4.5 million on an “as is” basis, serving as a benchmark.

    The building has remained unoccupied for well over a decade, and its diplomatic status was revoked in 2018, subjecting it to local government taxes. Furthermore, the local authorities downgraded the property’s status earlier this year, which placed additional financial burdens on the national treasury.

    In accordance with building codes, the real estate classification system consists of four categories: Class 1 denotes improved residential real property used exclusively for non-transient residential dwelling purposes, Class 2 signifies commercial property, Class 3 represents vacant property, and Class 4 designates blighted property.

    According to The News, official documents from the District of Columbia indicate that the Pakistani government did not receive any tax relief for the property starting from 2018. Consequently, the building was initially categorised as Class 2 in 2018 and 2019 due to its commercial nature. However, it was later reclassified as Class 3 between 2020 and 2022 due to its vacancy. In April 2023, the property’s classification was further downgraded, designating it as Class 4 due to its deteriorated condition.

    The Department of Buildings of the local government determines a building as blighted if it poses a threat to the community’s health, safety, or general welfare, such as being unsafe, unsanitary, or otherwise hazardous. This determination is based on several factors, including whether the building is boarded up, if its doors, windows, and other openings are weather-tight and secure, if its exterior walls are free of holes, graffiti, and decay, if all exposed metal and wood surfaces are protected against deterioration, and if balconies, porches, signs, and similar features are safe and well-maintained.

    It is also worth noting that Class 3 properties are taxed at a rate of $5 per $100 of assessed value, while Class 4 properties are taxed at a rate of $10 per $100 of assessed value. Unfortunately, due to insufficient maintenance, the building experienced significant deterioration, despite the approval of repair works by former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani through a $7 million loan from the National Bank of Pakistan in 2010.

  • ‘Great people’: Indians praise Pakistan Embassy for assisting their students in evacuation from Ukraine

    Pakistan has won the hearts of Indian citizens after assisting their students in evacuation from Ukraine.

    Indian students were left alone as they could not find any Indian embassy officials who could help them evacuate safely from war zone areas.

    According to media reports, Indian nationals have been facing discrimination in Ukraine since India abstained from the right to vote against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    When Indian students reached Lviv, a town 70 kilometers away from Poland, they did not find any Indian embassy officials to facilitate them.

    A Sweden-based Professor, Ashok Swain, shared a video in which a student has described the current situation sitting with other Pakistani nationals in a dining hall of a building at the Romanian border.

    He said, “Only four of us are Indian. The rest of them are Pakistanis. You can see. There were many people when we reached Lviv yesterday from Kharkiv. There were no officials from Indian Embassy. We have tried many times to find them.”

    Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also confirmed the news about the facilitation given to Indian students from Pakistan Embassy in Ukraine.

    He said that Pakistani embassy officials helped Indian students in Ukraine on humanitarian grounds as they were in distress.

    Indian Twitter user, Gaurav Sabnis, appreciated the gesture shown by the Pakistani Embassy staff.

    He said, “First with that vandalized temple reconstruction and now this, the Pakistani government is showing that it has a much better grasp on the concept that doing the right thing can actually be good for your public image too. That you can ‘win’ with generosity.”

    Another Indian has shared his experience of hospitality when some Pakistanis helped him in the United Kingdom.

  • Pakistan embassy warns stranded nationals in Poland not to go anywhere else

    Pakistan embassy warns stranded nationals in Poland not to go anywhere else

    The Pakistan embassy has given a serious warning to stranded Pakistani nationals who were transported to Poland from Ukraine. This warning was given after 15 Pakistanis were arrested while trying to flee to Germany on Saturday, reports Samaa News.

    The embassy said that they would stop evacuation if Pakistanis did not follow said rules and regulations. Poland has given 15 days visas on a humanitarian basis to all Pakistanis who were evacuated from Ukraine.

    They have to return back to Pakistan after their visa expiration. They are also strictly not allowed to leave Poland during this duration.

    The embassy said that whoever tries to enter another country from Poland would face serious consequences.

    Pakistan Embassy has updated the evacuation details on their Twitter. Until now, 411 Pakistanis have been evacuated from Ukraine. Some people are on their way to Lviv from Kharkiv, Poltava, and Kyiv.

    The evacuation process has been delayed due to a rush of people wanting to escape the country.

    The embassy has requested all nationals to stay in contact with the authorities “for smooth evacuation as soon as possible.” 

  • Shehbaz involved in Nawaz leaving fraud, bring him back or face investigation says, Fawad Chaudhry

    Shehbaz involved in Nawaz leaving fraud, bring him back or face investigation says, Fawad Chaudhry

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, while addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting, said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is not seeking medical treatment for the past 17 months.

    “Shehbaz Sharif was the guarantor of Nawaz Sharif,” said the minister.

    “The drama of Nawaz Sharif’s health was created here,” said Fawad, adding that Nawaz went out of Pakistan through fraud.

    Fawad further stated that the High Court ordered that Nawaz Sharif would remain in touch with the Pakistani embassy in London, adding, “the Pakistan embassy contacted Nawaz twice, but he did not respond.”

    “[PML-N President] Shehbaz Sharif is involved in this fraud. According to his statement, Shehbaz Sharif should take steps to bring Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan,” said Fawad.

    “The Federal Cabinet has decided to approach the High Court on the false affidavit of Shehbaz Sharif,” said the minister.