Tag: us pakistan

  • American retailer sells Pakistani Servis Cheetahs as ‘Taliban’s favourite shoe,’ priced over Rs30,000

    American retailer sells Pakistani Servis Cheetahs as ‘Taliban’s favourite shoe,’ priced over Rs30,000

    An American online shopping platform known as “Americana Pipedream” is offering Pakistani Servis Cheetah high-top shoes, which are advertised as “The Taliban’s Favourite Shoe” and are priced at approximately Rs30,500 ($99). 

    Screenshot from Americana Pipedream Website

    The website lists these shoes for individuals who wish to emulate the Taliban’s style, and the company claims that “the Servis Cheetah is a highly popular running and sports shoe in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Much of its notoriety stems from its use by the Taliban, Mujahideen, and even Afghan Security Forces over the past 40 years. 

    These Servis Cheetahs are brand new and originate from Pakistan, a shoe brand that is not commonly found in the American market. 

    Interestingly, despite the platform’s strong promotion of these shoes as the “Taliban’s favourite,” the details section acknowledges that they are rare to come by in the United States and suggests that the quality may not be top-notch due to their Pakistani origin. 

    Furthermore, upon conducting research, it was discovered that the exact same shoes are sold by Servis Pakistan for Rs2,799. 

    Screenshot from official Servis Pakistan Website

    The website appears to specialise in promoting clothing and accessories associated with the Taliban and similar themes. Other products featured on the website include Afghan War Rugs & Accessories, new apparel and accessories, books, camping and outdoor gear, axes and knives, tactical gear, pipes and accessories, vintage clothing, Phantomleaf camouflage, clearance items, night vision devices, and various military surplus items categorised by style and country of origin, including Swiss Surplus, Balkan Surplus, Greek Surplus, German & Austrian Surplus, Romanian Surplus, Vintage US Military Clothing, and British Surplus. 

  • PM Khan to present ‘secret letter’ in parliament today

    PM Khan to present ‘secret letter’ in parliament today

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has decided to present a ‘secret letter’ before parliament, as the National Assembly (NA) session will resume on Thursday (today) after a recess of three days. The secret “threat letter” was shown to the cabinet members on a TV screen.

    PM Khan also called a selected group of TV anchors and informed them about the contents of the letter. However, the letter was not shown to them.

    National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar in a tweet said, “If the parliamentary leaders from the government and the opposition side agree, the issue of the sensitive letter can be discussed at an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.”

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry while speaking with Dawn said, “An in-camera session of the National Assembly or a joint sitting of parliament will be held in which the letter will be shared not only with the treasury benchers but also with those MNAs sitting on the opposition benches.”

    State Department says no US government agency or official sent a letter to Pakistan

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government confirmed on Wednesday that its allegation about a foreign conspiracy against the premier was based on a “diplomatic cable”.

    During the meeting with journalists, the media persons were informed that a Pakistani envoy was told by a senior official of the host country that they had issues with PM Khan’s foreign policy, especially his visit to Russia and the stance on the ongoing Ukrainian war.

    The Pakistani envoy was further conveyed that the future trajectory of relations between the two countries was dependent upon the fate of the no-confidence motion that the Opposition parties were then planning to bring against the premier. The envoy was warned of serious implications if PM Khan survived the no-trust vote.

    It was also reported that the cable was sent by Pakistan’s then-ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed Khan on the basis of his meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.

    Meanwhile, Americans deny in private discussions that any specific message was delivered to the Pakistani envoy, says Dawn.

    Responding to questions from Dawn about the alleged letter and US involvement in the no-confidence motion against the PTI government, a State Department spokesperson said: “There is no truth to these allegations.”

    Dawn further quotes a discussion with a few diplomats in accordance with the letter.

    According to some diplomatic sources in Washington, the letter could be a diplomatic cable from Washington, drafted by a senior Pakistani diplomat. “The contents of the letter, apparently, are based on informal discussions between Pakistani and other officials,” one diplomatic source said.

    A Western diplomat thinks that it has happened because someone had to be scapegoated for the current political crisis and there could have been no better option than the United States.

  • US Senator indirectly urges President Biden to call PM Khan

    United States (US) Senator Bob Menendez said that he has asked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge President Joe Biden to have a conversation with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in an effort to rebuild the Pak-US relationship, reports Geo News.

    While addressing a fundraising event, Menendez said, “I think it would serve us well to have such a conversation and, you know when we have these conversations, they are honest, and that means they are also transparent.”

    “Where there is an agreement, we build upon it and where there is disagreement, we talk about how do we get through that disagreement,” said Menendez.

     “I hope, I can expand on it — not just about Pakistan in the context of a military or security dimension, but much greater– talking about an incredibly large population that is very young; there is tremendous opportunity to build upon the economic dynamism that we create,” he told the members of the American-Pakistani Political Action Committee (APPAC).

    US President Joe Biden, who assumed office in January this year, has not yet telephoned PM Khan.

    Earlier this month, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R Sherman on her visit to Pakistan said, “I am sure that this contact [between President Biden and PM Khan] will take place soon, so I don’t think it should mean anything else.”

    However, in August, the premier himself commented on the situation and said he was “not waiting for a phone call from the US President”.

  • Shaukat Tarin returns to Washington as talks between govt and IMF progress for $6 billion loan

    Shaukat Tarin returns to Washington as talks between govt and IMF progress for $6 billion loan

    Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin returned to Washington to join the on-going discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), his spokesperson Muzzammil Aslam announced in a tweet.

    The director of IMF Middle East and Central Asia Department, Jihad Azour stated that the talks between IMF and the Pakistan government for the six billion dollars Extended Fund Facility (EFF) had progressed towards a “very good step”, reported Dawn.

    Earlier this week, while in New York, Tarin rejected a media report which claimed that the talks [earlier this month] have failed because of differences over a macroeconomic framework and uncertainty over the country’s economy.

    The advisor said, “Some people have created an impression in Pakistan that we have failed, and the talks have been unsuccessful. That is completely false.”

    “We are working on final details and in a few days, you will see the talks moving towards success. Give us some time and we will fix it”, he said, while adding that he and his team are committed to fixing Pakistan’s economy.

    Pakistan and the IMF held their latest talks in the US capital from October 4 to 15 for the release of a one billion dollars tranche from a six billion dollars extended loan facility, which was approved in 2019.

    Recently, the rupee hit a record low of 173.20 against the US dollar.

  • US Deputy Secretary of State receives cold reception upon her arrival in Pakistan

    US Deputy Secretary of State receives cold reception upon her arrival in Pakistan

    United States (US) Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R Sherman, following her visit to India, received a cold reception upon her arrival in Islamabad as per The News.

    She was welcomed by a mid-level diplomat, instead of her counterpart, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood.

    Well aware of Pakistan concerns: Wendy R Sherman

    Before coming to Pakistan, Sherman in Mumbai had made it very clear that the US was not interested in a broad relationship with Pakistan, beyond Afghanistan.

    She stated, “My visit to Pakistan is for a very specific narrow purpose and the United States does not see itself building a broad relationship with Pakistan and we have no interest in returning to days of hyphenated [India and Pakistan]. That is not where we are. That is not where we’re going to be.”

    “My visit to Pakistan in the context of Afghanistan is in a bid to make sure that Pakistan has the capabilities to ensure everybody’s security, including India’s and the US”, she said as she left India.

    According to The News, the government was shocked at Sherman’s undiplomatic statements that she had made in India.

    Sherman met with the National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf where he stressed that the world “must maintain contact” with the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan.

    Furthermore, Yusuf blatantly said that Indian human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) also pose a threat to regional peace.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi met the Deputy Secretary on Thursday but he didn’t tweet about the meeting. However, Sherman tweeted, “I met today with Pakistan FM to discuss Afghanistan’s future and the important and long-standing US-Pakistan relationship. We look forward to continuing to address pressing regional and global challenges.”

    Sherman also met Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa where matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, and collaboration in humanitarian measures in Afghanistan were discussed.

    Apart from the meetings, while talking to The News’ editors, Sherman said she believed US President Joe Biden will soon talk to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. She said, “We have an idea that every country wants to have a telephone conversation with US President. I am sure that this conversation will be held with PM Khan soon.” 

    “I am sure that this contact will take place soon, so I don’t think it should mean anything else,” she added.

    Moreover, while replying to a question about a bill presented in September by 22 Republican senators targeting Pakistan, Sherman assured, “We get hundreds of bills; thousands of people are behind them but we are well aware of Pakistan’s concerns and are closely looking at the situation.”