Tag: US

  • PTI govt accused of sidelining China to appease US

    PTI govt accused of sidelining China to appease US

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed has accused the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government of “downgrading relations with China to appease the United States (US)”.

    Addressing the joint parliament session on Wednesday, he alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government deliberately slowed down the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) while Islamabad negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.

    “They also shared details of the CPEC with the US, against national interests,” he said, adding that the premier, during his Washington trip, also “completely miscalculated President Donald Trump’s mediation offer on Kashmir as it was deception, decoy and a trap”.

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    The senator said that the US Department of State had clearly supported the Indian narrative according to which the Kashmir issue was an internal matter between Pakistan and India, and the US should not intervene.

    “The government sidelined China and thought that the US would help solve all its problems,” the senator said and added that the opposition had warned the ruling PTI that the move would upset the Chinese.

  • Twitter Theory: Why didn’t Bushra Bibi accompany PM Imran on US trip?

    Twitter Theory: Why didn’t Bushra Bibi accompany PM Imran on US trip?

    Since the first lady did not accompany Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on his maiden trip to the United States (US), a theory to address the concerns of the people has been introduced by Twitterati.

    After meeting President Donald Trump as well as top US govt officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, PM Imran on Wednesday left for Pakistan, marking the end of his three-day visit to Washington.

    While some termed the premier’s trip as a “historic” one owing to the chemistry he forged with President Trump and the crowd he pulled for the event at Capital One Arena, a group of social media users pointed out that Bushra Bibi was not accompanying PM Imran.

    Multiple theories made their way to Twitter as people started guessing why the first lady was nowhere to be seen; however, the most popular one remained that the premier was actually “saving taxpayers’ money”.

    “I, as a taxpayer, do not want my taxes wasted on irrelevant persons’ airfare and accommodation,” wrote one user.

    “Because our PM saves taxpayers’ money. It’s not a family tour,” wrote another.

    https://twitter.com/DCOP_Says/status/1153606504538419200

    Some, on the other hand, seemed to believe that the first lady’s choice of attire was the reason behind her absence in Trump’s America.

    https://twitter.com/ahmadmuzaf/status/1153672736721559552

    No official statement regarding Bushra Bibi’s absence has yet been released.

  • Trying to get a travel-friendly passport? Canada, US no longer hotspots

    Trying to get a travel-friendly passport? Canada, US no longer hotspots

    If you’re thinking about applying for a US or Canadian passport, then you might have to think again.

    According to the Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries based on the power of their passports, Japan and Singapore have topped the list of the world’s most travel-friendly passports. Both countries’ passports allow access to 189 countries.

    South Korea, Finland and Germany are in the second tier, with citizens of all three countries able to visit 187 countries around the world without a prior visa. Finland has recently benefited from changes to Pakistan’s formerly highly restrictive visa policy which now offers an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) to citizens of 50 countries, including Finland, Japan, Malta, Spain, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

    Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg are on third place in the index, with visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 186 countries, while France, Spain and Sweden are in the fourth slot, with a score of 185.

    The US and the UK have slipped down to the 6th place, the lowest position either has held since 2010.

    Meanwhile, at No. 106, Pakistan is one of the worst passports in the world considering its citizens need a prior visa for all but 30 destinations worldwide. Afghanistan is at the bottom of the rankings, with its citizens needing a prior visa for all but 25 destinations worldwide.