Tag: USA

  • Biden puts sanctions on Russia but has no intention of fighting its long rival

    Biden puts sanctions on Russia but has no intention of fighting its long rival

    United States (US) President Joe Biden has announced that they are imposing the first tranche of sanctions against Russia for launching an invasion of Ukraine and warned that more would come if there are further incursions.

    In a video, Biden said, “We are implementing full blocking sanctions on two large Russian financial institutions and comprehensive sanctions on Russia’s sovereign debt. We have cut off Russia’s government from Western financing.” He added that the US will also impose sanctions on Russia’s elites and their family members.

    Speaking at the White House, the US President lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries [Donetsk and Luhansk] that belonged to his neighbour [Ukraine].”

    Biden said that the US would continue to provide “defensive assistance” to Ukraine but has no intention of fighting Russia. He said that the authorised additional movements of US forces are already stationed in Europe to strengthen Baltic allies Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

    He further revealed that the decision has been taken by the US and its allies. “I have told Putin to his face more than a month ago that we (US and allies) would act together if Russia invaded Ukraine,” he stated.

    According to Russian news agencies, Putin did not watch Biden’s speech and Russia will first look at what the US has outlined before responding, reports Reuters. Previously, Putin said, “They are trying to blackmail us again. They are threatening us again with sanctions” adding that the US just needs “an excuse to impose sanctions”.

    The development came a day after Putin recognised pro-Moscow separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities and allowed Russian troops to enter this region.

    Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly called up the country’s reservists and warned that Ukraine could face a battle.

    Ukraine is deeply divided, with a large Russian-speaking minority. Since fighting broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014, separatist rebels of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have been accused of being proxies for Russian interests.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is going to Russia today (Wednesday) on a two-day visit.

  • ARY News paid Rs1 million to forensics firm to check Saqib Nisar’s audio: Dawn

    ARY News paid Rs1 million to forensics firm to check Saqib Nisar’s audio: Dawn

    Primeau Forensics, the United States of America’s (USA) forensic audit company, confirmed on Wednesday that inspected the leaked audiotape of former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar forwarded by a private news channel of Pakistan, ARY News, reports Dawn.

    “It was a specific thing that we did for our client and we are not discussing it with anyone,” a company representative told Dawn. “We have no press release.”

    He said the client, ARY News, had the report, and “only they can share the details with others”.

    ARY asks for forensic audit:

    “According to ARY News, the audit of this 45-second file showed two reverberences in the voice as the person spoke from two different locations. The voice was clearer during the last 20 seconds as it came from a closer range.”

    “ARY News claimed that when it asked Primeau Forensics if the recording was of the original conversation or came from an edited tape, the company said the two parts of 20 and 25 seconds each were recorded in a different environment.”

    “Primeau Forensics told ARY News that it believed the unknown Fact Focus clip was generated from at least two different sources”.

    “They observed two different reverberences, indicating that the first portion of the audio was likely recorded in a different environment than the second portion”.

    Primeau Forensics, an audio-video image forensic expert- has more than 30 years of experience in the field. As per their official website, their experts have processed over 5,000 audio, video, and image forensic investigations and provided expert testimony in over 500 cases in local, state, and federal courts.

    ARY News claimed that it had paid Rs1 million for the audit.

    The US-based company has worked for attorney generals of multiple US States, CNN, AP, and other major organisations. ARY News claimed that it had paid Rs1 million for the audit.

    ‘Please run the news in UK/USA. Only in Pakistan, these news channels can lie & defame’: Ahmed Noorani

    Ahmed Noorani, the journalist who broke the news of the leaked audio of Saqib Nisar, tweeted, “Anxiously waiting for the ARY to air news against me and my expose of Saqib Nisar audio in UK & USA so I can send a legal notice & proceed against it.”

    “I am disappointed so far. Please, run the news in UK/USA. Only in Pakistan, these news channels can lie & defame. Stop being cowards.”

    Leaked audio of Saqib Nisar:

    In November, leaked audio of a conversation allegedly claimed that Saqib Nisar was the person who passed on the directions of handing down conviction to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz only because the “institutions” wanted the former prime minister penalised in order to bring ahead Imran Khan.

    As per the leaked audio, reported by Ahmed Noorani for Fact Focus, Chief Justice Nisar instructed that Mian Sahib (Nawaz Sharif) and his daughter (Maryam Nawaz) must be sentenced even though it is unfair.

    “Whether it is fair or not, it has to be done,” he conveyed to the person on the other end. “Regardless of the merit, we will have to do it (sentence Nawaz Sharif), and even to his daughter,” said Justice Nisar.

    Saqib Nisar denies the audio clip, says never contacted any judge

    While speaking to Fact Focus, Justice Saqib Nisar said that he never contacted any judge of accountability court to order him to pass any verdict against Nawaz Sharif or his daughter. “Why I would do that,” Saqib Nisar questioned adding, “I have no grudges against Mian Nawaz Sharif.” He said that no one from the Pakistan Army or the ISI ever contacted him or pressured him on this count.

    Samaa News claims CJP Nisar’s leaked audio ‘pieced together’

    Later, Samaa TV, a private news channel ran a news story and claimed that the former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar’s clip appears to be pieced together from two separate speeches of former CJP.

  • ‘Women are not property,’ Taliban ban forced marriages

    The Taliban issued a decree that bans forced marriages in Afghanistan on Friday, saying women should not be considered “property” and must consent to marriage, reports Al Jazeera.

    It was annouced by Taliban Chief Hibatullah Akhunzada. The international community, which has frozen billions of dollars in funds for Afghanistan, has made women’s and human rights a key element of any future engagement with Afghanistan.

    The decree said, “Both women and men should be equal. No one can force women to marry by coercion or pressure.”

    However, it didn’t mention a minimum age for marriage, which previously was set at 16-years-old.

    The Taliban also allowed a window to re-marry after 17 weeks of her husband’s death. Moreover, the Taliban leadership has ordered Afghan courts to treat women fairly, especially widows seeking inheritance as next of kin.

    The development was hailed on social media by some social media users while most of them shared their concerns.

    https://twitter.com/Nedahalim/status/1466926067323523073?s=20

    During the Taliban’s previous rule from 1996 to 2001, it banned women from leaving the house without a male relative, full face and head covering and girls were made compulsory and restricted from getting education.

    However, now they claim that they have changed but many women, advocates and officials remain skeptical.

  • Pak Embassy in Washington ran out of funds to pay salaries for four months: report

    Pak Embassy in Washington ran out of funds to pay salaries for four months: report

    The Embassy of Pakistan in the United States (US) had reportedly run out of funds and was unable to pay salaries of four months to the embassy’s locally recruited contractual staffers, reveals The News’ sources in a report by Journalist Wajid Ali Syed.

    It was reported that a total of five staffers faced delays and non-payment of their monthly wages from August onwards. One staffer, who had been working there for the past ten years, resigned in September because of the on-going pay crisis.

    Several sources disclosed that the Pakistan Community Welfare (PCW) fund, from which these unpaid staffers were paid out collapsed last year because the money was diverted to purchase ventilators and other medical equipment last year, after the pandemic. The embassy had to borrow money from other account-heads to keep up with the monthly salaries for the staffers hired locally.

    As a result of this, the staffers wrote to the Pakistani ambassador in October. The ambassador repeatedly raised the issue with the Foreign Office (FO) in Islamabad and managed to secure all salaries just last week. The embassy’s spokesperson confirmed that “currently there is no salary-related issue being faced by the Embassy staff.”

    These local staffers’ salaries range from 2,000 to 2,500 dollars per month. They do not get the perks and privileges that FO employees enjoy. The domestic staffers are usually hired to help with the ‘Consular section’ that provides visa, passport, notarization and other consular services.

  • 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.”

  • At least 1 million Afghan children at risk of starvation, warns UNICEF director

    At least 1 million Afghan children at risk of starvation, warns UNICEF director

    At least one million children in Afghanistan will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year and could die without proper treatment, warned United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Please help us,” she said.

    According to a report by CNBC, Fore implored the international community and wealthy nations to help avert further suffering after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

    “Nearly 10 million girls and boys depend on humanitarian assistance just to survive,” she said at a UN ministerial-level meeting on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan.

    Fore also emphasised UNICEF’s ability to operate in Afghanistan. She said, “UNICEF has been on the ground in Afghanistan for more than 70 years. We know what needs to be done for children. And we can get it done.”

    According to Fore, during the last week of August, UNICEF provided 4,000 severely malnourished children under five with life-saving therapeutic treatment.

    “Please help us. There has never been a more urgent time to stand with the children of Afghanistan and the people who serve them,” she said.

  • US right-wing journalist praises PM Khan for saving Afghan’s lives

    US right-wing journalist praises PM Khan for saving Afghan’s lives

    A right-wing television presenter, Glenn Beck has thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan in a series of tweets for his support in getting Afghans out from the war-torn country.

    Beck, who has a charity organisation called Mercury One, has been assisting with evacuations from Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover, revealed that Pakistan’s leadership helped with the release and departure of three flights.

    In a tweet, he stated that, “We reached out and asked numerous leaders in political and civil society around the world for help. The silence was shocking as was the outpouring of help on a humanitarian basis. We received an immediate response to our requests from PM Imran Khan of Pakistan who then acted on his willingness to assist.”

    “Pakistan has once again proven to be a valued partner in all seasons for the United States, despite recent criticisms from some sections of US media,” he added.

    While stressing that the US should recognize Pakistan’s assistance at this point, he tweeted, “We will not forget this support that has enabled America and its allies to make good on their promises to those who helped them without pause or reflection.”

    “Let no one fool you, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) female athletes are out because of you and Imran Khan”, he concluded in his last tweet.

    Earlier, there were reports that six chartered planes by Beck’s charity were seeking to evacuate at least 1,000 people, including more than 100 Americans. During his efforts, his supporters praised him for doing “more for Americans than all of Biden’s supporters combined.” 

    According to the statement made by Pakistan Foreign Office in early September, 12,000 people had been evacuated from Afghanistan with the help of Pakistan.

    Beck is one of the most controversial media figures in the US and quite well-known among conservative circles. 

  • US apologises for killing civilians, children in Kabul drone attack

    US apologises for killing civilians, children in Kabul drone attack

    Head of the US Central Command General Frank McKenzie, has apologised for a drone strike in Kabul last month at Hamid Karzai Airport that killed as many as 10 civilians, including seven children.

    “Our investigation now concludes that the strike was a tragic mistake,” McKenzie told reporters. Earlier, while defending the attack, the US had said that the strike was targeting a suicide bomber of the militant Islamic State group and had described it as “righteous”, reports Al Jazeera.

    The US general offered his condolences to the families of the victims and stated that those who were killed had no connection with local Islamic State affiliates or posed any direct threat to US forces.

    Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the drone strike had killed a civilian, Mr Ahmadi, who worked for a non-profit called Nutrition and Education International.

    “They were innocent, helpless children,” Aimal Ahmadi, whose nieces and nephews were killed in the attack, told Al-Jazeera.

    Ahmad Naser who was among the victims had been a translator for the US forces. The youngest child, Sumaya, was just two years old, as per BBC.

    Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, confirmed at the time that the strike had killed seven people.

  • HRW releases report on 9/11 calling US to end global war on terror

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a report on September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States titled, ‘9/11 Unleashed a Global Storm of Human Rights Abuses’.

    The report says, “The brutal rulers [US leaders] figured out that the best way to get away with mass abuse was to label it a fight against terrorism.”

    Furthermore it states, “The war paradigm was also used to justify killing suspects wherever they were found, often on the flimsiest of evidence. However, international human rights law requires law enforcement officials to arrest suspects whenever possible and to use lethal force only as a last resort to stop an imminent threat to life.”

    “They [US] not only mistreated the people of Afghanistan but its citizens also had to face discrimination. Globally, Muslims are the primary victims of terrorism. The US has always treated ‘presumed terrorists’ as combatants,” the report reads.

    HRW also has discussed the ill-treatment of one million Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China and the bombings on Gaza by Israel.

    “It is a time to condemn the evil of terrorism. It is also the time to close Guantanamo, by releasing all of the 39 aging detainees still there, who have not been charged and giving the rest a fair trial in a proper court,” the report concluded.

    People from all over the world remembered the horrifying episode today on social media, while some of them share their stories.

    Since 2001, the notorious military prison at Guantanamo has become a symbol of US human rights abuses. Many detainees — mostly Muslim men — were tortured or held for years and even decades without charges, trials, or basic legal rights.

    The 9/11 attacks are the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil in US history. It was a series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed by 19 militants associated with al-Qaeda.

  • Pakistan may send experts to replace Afghan brain drain

    Pakistan may send experts to replace Afghan brain drain

    Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Pakistan, Shaukat Tarin has said that Pakistan may have to send experts to Afghanistan because of the country’s major experts have left the country which has complicated the Taliban’s administration, reports The News.

    While giving an extensive briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance on Thursday, Mr Tarin said that the government was building up strategic reserves of essential food commodities to meet domestic as well as Afghanistan’s requirements.

    According to him, “they [Afghanistan} require assistance and we may have to dispatch experts because of the brain drain in Afghanistan. The situation is fluid and we are analysing it. The West has stopped foreign reserves of Afghanistan to the tune of $10 billion, as the IMF has stopped $400 million and many others so Kabul will be facing a scarcity of foreign exchange. Our bilateral trade will surge but we may have to undertake bilateral trade in the Pak rupee.”

    Talking about Pakistan’s economic situation he stated, “Pakistan’s trade deficit stands at $4 billion and remittances are hovering around $2.5 billion.”

    “On tax revenue, FBR revenues are ahead of target by 23 percent. The track and trace system will be placed for five major sectors. The Point of Sale (POS) will integrate receipts and standardised and frivolous notices will be withdrawn,” he assured.

    More than 120,000 people evacuated from Afghanistan are qualified professionals from civil servants to lawyers.

    Michael Barry, a specialist on Afghanistan who taught at the American University in Kabul, said that many members of the Taliban are from rural areas and lack the knowledge to run the state bureaucracy, as per Agence France-Presse (AFP).