Tag: US

  • Khan video released asking if his ‘khitaab’ will be shown in the US

    Khan video released asking if his ‘khitaab’ will be shown in the US

    An exclusive video of former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has been released by 24News Channel, in which he can be heard asking if his virtual address be shown in the United States (US).

    The former PM was preparing for an address to overseas Pakistanis when he got curious about the broadcasting of his video.

    Upon asking, Khan was told that US residents would not be able to see the video because of the time difference between the two countries. Only Europe and England residents would be able to see his address, one of the people on set said.

    Khan, further can be heard saying that 20 minutes are enough for the address.

    It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) wants the right to vote for Pakistani residents living abroad. On multiple occasions both Khan, his former ministers and party members made several addresses for Pakistanis living abroad.

  • Pakistan to broaden ties with US for the bright future of IT sector

    Pakistan to broaden ties with US for the bright future of IT sector

    Pakistan is taking steps to establish a welcoming environment for the digital industry, and now is the right time to elevate tech relations with the United States (US) according to Ambassador Masood Khan.

    The United States is willing to assist, and we are ready to join the IT revolution by integrating and adopting breakthroughs in US technologies, Khan said at the Pakistan Tech Summit 2022 in Silicon Valley, California.

    According to the Pakistani ambassador, the Forum provides a venue for Pakistani business leaders, tech startups, and technology professionals to come together and establish affinities, expand contacts between Silicon Valley and the Pakistani startup ecosystem, and team up for Pakistan’s better future.

    He said that more than 64 per cent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, and the country’s burgeoning middle class is likely to surpass the 100 million mark in the near future. This youth bulge, paired with a rising middle class, envisioned a bright future for the country’s IT sector.

    He claimed that tech entrepreneurs in Pakistan have made half a billion dollars in the last 18 months, largely due to US funding, and that the sector is poised to create tens of billions of dollars in the next decade.

    Ambassador Khan stated that the Pakistani government will continue to take initiatives to make the tech industry more welcoming. He stated that laws are being made more business-friendly, that ease of doing business is a focus, and that venture capitalists are being offered incentives.

    The Envoy mentioned many incentives being offered to boost the tech sector, including the ability for investors to return their funds, data protection legislation in the works, and intellectual property challenges being handled.

    Read more: US launches $23 million project to enhance Pakistan’s power sector

    “We want to open a consulate general in the Bay Area to connect Silicon Valley with Pakistan in order to promote and assist the growth of entrepreneurs in Pakistan,” the Ambassador continued.

    During the conference, he invited participants to share the results of their discussions and to identify areas where the government and embassy could assist.

  • BBZ follows ZA Bhutto, becomes Foreign Minister in 30s

    BBZ follows ZA Bhutto, becomes Foreign Minister in 30s

    Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken oath as 30th Foreign Minister of Pakistan today (Wednesday).

    The 33-year-old minister joined Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif-led cabinet in an oath-taking ceremony held at Aiwan-i-Sadr, Islamabad.

    He was elected as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) in the general elections 2018. It is for the first time he will be serving as a member of the federal cabinet.

    Former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto first took the charge of the Ministry of Foreign Ministry in 1963 at the age of 35 during the regime of General Ayub Khan.

    As foreign minister, Bhutto significantly transformed Pakistan’s hitherto pro-Western foreign policy. Moreover, he began asserting a foreign policy course for Pakistan that was independent of the United States (US) influence.

    Bhutto worked to establish stronger relations with China. Bhutto also signed the Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement on March 2, 1963, which transferred 750 square kilometers of territory from Azad Kashmir to Chinese control. 

    Moreover, Bhutto advocated hardline and confrontational policies against India over the Kashmir conflict and other issues.

  • US think tank Brookings urges Biden to call PM Shehbaz

    US think tank Brookings urges Biden to call PM Shehbaz

    Brookings, a United States (US) think tank has urged President Joe Biden to call the newly-elected Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to amend ties between the two countries.

    According to Brooking’s report, Biden should initiate a high-level dialogue with Sharif. The writers of the report Bruce Riedel and  Madiha Afzal argued that “the end of American involvement in Afghanistan and the change in leadership in Pakistan presents the US with an opportunity to reset its long-troubled relationship with the world’s fifth-most populous country.”

    They argued, “Now Washington can engage with Islamabad without prioritising Afghanistan issues at the expense of our broader interests in regional stability with India and China, encouraging development in South Asia, and supporting the strengthening of the elected democratic forces in Pakistan.”

    Further, they pointed out that the US gave a ‘cold shoulder’ to Pakistan. Biden didn’t call the former PM Imran Khan while Khan was in the office although Brookings argued Bided should have.

    It is pertinent to mention that the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan strained the already fraught relations between Pakistan and America.

  • Global oil prices rise amid supply concerns

    Global oil prices rise amid supply concerns

    Oil prices increased on April 20, swamped by fears about tightening supply as the European Union (EU) considers a possible ban on Russian oil imports, which would further impede global oil commerce.

    After reaching a high of $109.80, Brent oil futures finished up $1.53 to close at $108.33 a barrel. After earlier reaching a high of $105.42, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures ended up $1.60, or 1.6 per cent, at $103.79.

    Consumers also reacted to continued disruptions in Libya, where blockades at major fields and export terminals have resulted in a loss of about 550,000 barrels per day of oil supply.

    Brent has climbed about 8 per cent in the last seven days of trading, but the advance has been calm and steady, unlike the frenzy that surrounded Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February and again in mid-March.

    Last week, US crude exports increased to more than 4 million barrels per day, slightly countering Russian crude losses caused by US and European bans.

    Read more: Pakistani rupee plunges by Rs1.05 against the US dollar

    The oil market is still constrained, with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its affiliates, led by Russia, striving to achieve output commitments and US crude inventories plunging dramatically in the week ending April 15.

  • UK court issues order to extradite Julian Assange to US to face trial

    UK court issues order to extradite Julian Assange to US to face trial

    On Wednesday, a United Kingdom (UK) court issued an official judgment extraditing Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, to the United States to face charges related to the publishing of secret material linked to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

    Priti Patel, the interior minister, now has the final say, albeit Assange has 14 days to appeal any decision to allow the transfer.

    A magistrate’s decision in central London on Wednesday takes the lengthy legal dispute in the UK courts nearer to a resolution.

    However, Assange’s attorneys have promised to make submissions to Patel and, if necessary, to launch more arguments on other issues in the case.

    His lawyers, Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, stated in a statement last month that “no appeal to the High Court has yet been made by him in respect of the other critical points he highlighted earlier”.

    “Of course, that distinct appeal process has yet to be started”.

    Last month, Assange was denied permission to appeal to the UK Supreme Court against deportation to the United States, where he might face a life sentence.

    America wants him prosecuted for the leak of 500,000 secret military files from the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    The 50-year-old Australian looked to have earned a relief in January of last year, claiming that being held in solitary confinement at a maximum-security US institution would put him at risk of suicide.

    The US government filed an appeal, and its attorneys cited diplomatic assurances that Assange would not be kept in harsh isolation at a federal jail and would get sufficient care during a two-day appeal hearing in October.

    Read more: Pakistani artist Shehzil Malik’s artwork makes it to ‘Ms Marvel’

    Assange appealed the decision, and in January, two judges granted him permission to file an application with the nation’s highest court on “laws of general public significance”.

    However, the court denied the appeal, stating that the application “didn’t establish an arguable question of law”.

  • ‘Our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one’: US

    ‘Our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one’: US

    United States Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said that his country wants to work closely with the newly-formed government of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on regional and international issues and termed the US-Pakistan relationship as a “vital one”.

    In a press briefing, he said: “For almost 75 years our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one.” “We look forward to continuing that work with the new government in Pakistan across regional and international issues. This is work that has the potential to promote peace and prosperity in Pakistan and throughout the region.”

    Price added that the US viewed Pakistan as an “important stakeholder and partner” with whom the country is engaging to bring about a stable and secure Afghanistan.

    The statement is of great significance for bilateral relations as it has come after a series of allegations by Shehbaz’s predecessor Imran Khan. He had repeatedly blamed the US for backing the joint Opposition to oust him from power through a no-trust motion. Khan also came forward with a threatening letter that he claims is from the US.

    It is pertinent to mention that since Biden came into power and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, US-Pakistan relations have been standing on the edge of a precipice.

    Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the new Prime Minister of Pakistan and vowed to continue cooperation with the new government.

  • Fact check: Did Judge Nasira Iqbal write a statement in favour of Imran Khan?

    Fact check: Did Judge Nasira Iqbal write a statement in favour of Imran Khan?

    Claim: Justice (R) Nasira Iqbal made a statement in favor of Imran Khan, validating his conspiracy theory

    Fact: It was a doctored statement that Nasira Iqbal denied having ever made

    A message attributed to Justice (retd) Nasira Javed Iqbal is being widely shared on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.

    “I will tell you what crime you committed Dear IK. I have been asking why IK had to be removed immediately rather than wait for 16 months to complete the term. So here is the answer,” says the message, which then goes on to state that there was a conspiracy to oust Khan because he was taking measures that would have made Pakistan “come out of slavery” and thus the United States (US) was left with no choice but to remove him from power.

    When asked by anchorperson Abdullah Sultan on Geo News if the message being circulated was indeed written by her or reflect her views, Justice Nasira denied this and said it was a fake message being falsely attributed to her.

    “I am not on social media. I don’t subscribe to Facebook. I have not given any statement. I don’t like giving political statements in any case. I don’t know who these troublemakers are who have put out something in my name. And why do they use Allam Iqbal’s name? This is quite inappropriate. Whether Imran Khan is right or wrong does not concern me,” said Justice Nasira Javed Iqbal.

    Verdict: FALSE

  • Punjab sports minister meets criminal wanted by the US, invites him to Lahore

    Punjab sports minister meets criminal wanted by the US, invites him to Lahore

    Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Bhatti met Daniel Joseph in March. Joseph is a criminal wanted by the United States (US) Department of State with a reward being offered up to $500,000 for information about him.

    Daniel is said to be the member of a criminal gang allegedly involved in heinous crimes around the world, including murder, trafficking in firearms and narcotics.

    Taimoor Khan Bhatti shared a picture on his Twitter account last month in which Daniel Joseph can be seen sitting with him. He also said that he is looking forward to hosting Daniel Joseph in Lahore. In one of the pictures, he can be seen giving him some kind of shield.

    “Met @probellum on aligning vision on boxing for Punjab & how to make this sport bigger for our youth. Looking forward to hosting Daniel in Lahore to discuss Pakistan’s first International fight with foreign world-class boxers InshAllah. Will share more info in the upcoming weeks,” tweeted Bhatti.

  • BTS’s Jin and HYBE shed light on ‘plan’ for mandatory military service

    Korean pop group, BTS has recently performed their concert, Permission To Dance in Las Vegas, The United States (US). The group had attended a press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

    While responding to a question during the press conference, BTS member Jin said: “I talked a lot with the company and entrusted all military service-related tasks with the company.”

    Their agency HYBE CCO, Lee Jin Hyung also addressed the concerns related to BTS mandatory military service, “The BTS members have currently left the matter of their military service in the hands of the company. BTS has already conveyed the message multiple times that they will accept the call of duty whenever the nation calls them, and they have not changed this opinion. However, the policy on military service has changed a little, and as the members are experiencing changes to the Military Service Act that they did not expect, they are currently monitoring the situation while discussing the matter with the company.”

    It is to be noted that South Korea has set the threshold of maximum age limit for a man to get enrolled for mandatory service at 28 years. However, according to a new amendment to a law that was passed in December 2020 was dubbed as “BTS military service amendment”. This law allows artists who receive recognition from the government could delay their military enlistment till they are 30 years old. The changes were done because of the group’s contribution to the economy during the pandemic.

    Jin will turn 30 years this year in December so he has to enlist before the end of the year 2022. However, some members proposed a bill in the Korean National Assembly to exempt BTS from mandatory military enlistment on the account of their contribution to the South Korean economy. Currently, this bill is under debate in the National Assembly and has not reached a final agreement on the bill.

    CCO further added, “To put it precisely, the policy on military service is changing, and it’s true that the BTS members are having a hard time because it’s difficult for them to predict the timing [of their military service]. Since it’s difficult for them to make plans, both the BTS members and the company are currently keeping a close eye on the proposed amendment.”

    In South Korea, every mature man between 18 and 28 age is required to fulfill their military enlistment for about 2 years. Those people who cannot enlist in mandatory military service on the basis of health issues, personal, and religious beliefs can enroll in alternatives such as public service workers.