Tag: #washington

  • ‘Using threatening letter as evidence of coup meaningless’: Noam Chomsky

    ‘Using threatening letter as evidence of coup meaningless’: Noam Chomsky

    Renowned Scholar and Professor Noam Chomsky said that there is no meaningful evidence of a coup against former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Responding to those who believe that such “threatening messages” are usually the way regime changes take place, Chomsky said, “By that logic, there are regime changes being planned constantly all over the world.” He added that the connecting of the dots was “meaningless.”

    Chomsky pointed out that he does not consider the cable of Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed, as “substantial evidence” of American intervention for a regime change in Pakistan.

    According to Chomsky, “The US is powerful, but not all-powerful. There is a tendency to attribute everything that happens in the world to the CIA or some diabolical Western plan. There is plenty to condemn, sharply. And the US is indeed powerful. But it’s nothing like what is often believed.”

    Khan has multiple times said that US is behind his government dismissal and has used a piece of paper to support his claim.

    On the contrary, Washington has thoroughly denied the allegations.

  • UK PM Boris Johnson begins his India tour from Modi’s home state Gujrat

    British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson arrived in India on Thursday for his first-ever visit. He is expected to offer his help to India cut reliance on Russian oil and defense equipment, reports Reuters.

    Johnson has begun his two-day tour from Indian PM Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. On Friday, Johnson will visit New Delhi to meet his counter partner, where the two of them will have a take on certain topics including a new defense partnership and a free trade agreement.

    Western countries have urged Delhi to speak out against the war in Ukraine. India, which imports Russian oil and is the world’s biggest buyer of its weapons, abstained in a United Nations (UN) vote condemning the invasion and has not imposed sanctions on Moscow.

    However, Indian PM Modi has expressed concern over the killing of civilians.

    Earlier this month, the United States (US) President Joe Biden told Modi that buying more oil from Russia is not in India’s interest. According to Johnson’s spokesperson, “Johnson will not lecture Modi on the matter.”

    It is pertinent to mention that the United Kingdom (UK) has been at the forefront in providing military aid and support to Ukraine. Johnson recently visited Kyiv to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

    Previously, the India trip has been twice postponed because of Covid flare-ups in each country.

  • ‘Punish disobedient Imran Khan’: Russia lashes out at US for ‘plotting against Pakistan’

    ‘Punish disobedient Imran Khan’: Russia lashes out at US for ‘plotting against Pakistan’

    Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday declared that Russia is well aware of the events that led to the dissolution of the National Assembly (NA) in Pakistan.

    In a statement, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, “Immediately after the announcement of the upcoming working visit of Imran Khan to Moscow on February 23-24 this year. The Americans and their Western associates began to exert rude pressure on the Prime Minister, demanding an ultimatum to cancel the trip.”

    “When he nevertheless came to us, United States (US) Deputy Secretary of State for South Asia D Liu [Donald Lu] called the Pakistani ambassador in Washington and demanded that the visit be immediately interrupted, which was also rejected.”

    “According to the Pakistani media, on March 7 this year. in a conversation with Pakistani Ambassador Asad Majeed, a high-ranking American official (presumably the same D Liu) sharply condemned the balanced reaction of the Pakistani leadership to the events in Ukraine and made it clear that partnerships with the United States are possible only if Imran Khan is removed from power.”

    Zakharova further added, “The situation leaves no doubt that the United States decided to punish the ‘disobedient’ Imran Khan: a group of deputies of the same party of the prime minister ‘suddenly’ went over to the Opposition and the question of a no-confidence motion against the head of the incumbent government (Prime Minister) was immediately tabled in the parliament, the vote on which was scheduled for April 3rd.”

    “There is another attempt of shameless US interference in the internal affairs of an independent state for its own selfish purposes. The above facts eloquently testify to this. The Pakistani Prime Minister himself has repeatedly stated that the conspiracy against him was inspired and financed from abroad.”

    “We hope that Pakistani voters will be informed about these circumstances when they come to the elections, which should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly,” read the statement.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan is in a state of political chaos as the no-confidence motion against Khan was dismissed abruptly on Sunday. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said that the no-confidence motion, presented on March 8, should be according to the law and the Constitution. “No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the points raised by the minister were “valid”.

  • ‘You heard from me last week’, US repeats stand on Pakistan political situation

    ‘You heard from me last week’, US repeats stand on Pakistan political situation

    The US State Department on Tuesday once again rejected Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s allegations that the United States of America (USA) has aided and abetted the Pakistani opposition in tabling a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly to topple the PTI government.

    US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that there is absolutely no truth in that allegations as “you heard from me last week.” “We [US] support the peaceful upholding of constitutional democratic principles in Pakistan.”

    “We do not support one political party over another, we support the broader principles, the principles of rule of law, and equal justice under the law,” he added.

    Last week, Washington reacted to the allegations levelled by Imran Khan. White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said, “There is absolutely no truth in these allegations.”

    At the time, US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price also seconded Kate’s statement saying, “We are closely following developments in Pakistan. We respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law. But when it comes to those allegations, there is no any truth.”

    On March 27, Khan accused the US of interfering in Pakistan’s politics and plotting to oust him through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly (NA). In a public gathering, he also brandished a ‘threat letter’ [which he claimed is from the US].

    Following this, based on this ‘threat letter’, the deputy speaker Qasim Suri rejected the no-trust motion against the PM. Later, acting on the PM’s advice, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly.

    This act of the government, however, plunged Pakistan into a constitutional crisis as the matter is being heard by the Supreme Court (SC) currently.

  • 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.

  • Biden faces backlash for keeping $3.5 billion for 9/11 victims from Afghan assets

    United States (US) President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to release and split the Afghan assets worth $7 billion between humanitarian aid for war-torn Afghanistan and a fund for September 11 attacks victims, reports Associated Press (AP).

    In a statement, Washington said, “The order is designed to provide a path for the funds to reach the people of Afghanistan while keeping them out of the hands of the Taliban and malicious actors.”

    Half of the frozen assets worth $3.5 billion would go to trust funds for distribution through humanitarian groups for Afghan relief and basic needs. However, the other $3.5 billion would stay in the US and remain “subject to ongoing litigation by US victims of terrorism” as still, 9/11 victims’ relatives have ongoing lawsuits.

    Moreover, the Biden administration states that the procedure for the release of Afghan assets will take months.

    Afghanistan has more than $9 billion in reserves, including just over $7 billion in reserves held in the US. The rest is largely in Germany, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Switzerland. The amount is largely derived from donations by the US and other nations to Afghanistan. 

    In response, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem lashed out at the US. He tweeted, “The theft and seizure of money frozen by the United States of the Afghan people represent the lowest level of the human and moral decay of a country and a nation.”

    Twitterati criticised Biden’s decision and urged the US to release the funds to prevent famine in Afghanistan. Presently, the country is facing a major humanitarian crisis.

    It is pertinent to mention that Afghanistan’s economy is on the verge of collapse. The United Nations (UN) has said 96 per cent of Afghans could fall into poverty in 2022.

  • ‘Pakistan is our strategic partner’: US responds to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks

    ‘Pakistan is our strategic partner’: US responds to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks

    The United States (US) has responded to Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in the Indian parliament, Lok Sabha, that the policies adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have brought Pakistan and China closer.

    The US State Department spokesperson Ned Price refused to “endorse” such a statement on Washington’s behalf and said, “Pakistan is our strategic partner.”

    “I’ll let Pakistanis and the PRC (People’s Republic of China) speak for themselves about their relationship. These remarks will certainly not be endorsed by me,” Price said during a regular press briefing.

    The US said it values its relationship with Pakistan while emphasising that there was no requirement, as far as Washington was concerned, for other countries to choose between the US and China.

    “We’ve made the point all along that it is not a requirement for any country around the world to choose between the United States and China,” Ned Price told reporters when asked if Pakistan and China have become closer because “they feel abandoned” by the US.

    Rahul, while speaking in Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on President’s address during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament on Wednesday, said, “India’s single most important strategic goal has been to keep China and Pakistan apart but what you have done has only brought them together.”

  • 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.

  • Shaukat Tarin leaves US without concluding talks with IMF

    Shaukat Tarin leaves US without concluding talks with IMF

    Adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin left Washington on Thursday without concluding the talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), reports Dawn.

    The minister, however, left Finance Secretary Yousaf Khan behind to further carry on the talks for the resumption of a $6 billion loan facility that would bring immediate relief to the government by delivering a suspended tranche of $1billion.

    Tarin first came to Washington in early October and went to New York on October 15.

    Tarin met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and other officials twice, and after both meetings, each side expressed the hope that the consultations would soon lead to a positive conclusion.

    However, Tarin quietly left Washington on Thursday. He may join PM Khan who is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia this weekend.

  • News channel accidentally airs porn video during weather report

    News channel accidentally airs porn video during weather report

    A news channel based in Spokane, Washington, aired a short pornographic clip during their 6pm weather report.

    The video shows Meteorologist Michelle Boss, along with her co-anchor, Cody Proctor, giving the weather update when the clip was aired in the background. The weather expert and the anchor did not react to the video and continued with their report before the explicit video was stopped.
    The news outlet apologised for the incident hours later.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey-qetPMjtc&t=11s

    Read More: Ex-Southwest pilot confesses to exposing himself, watching porn in cockpit

    Some of the viewers reported the incident to the police and the cops are currently investigating the matter, although no one has been held responsible so far. The department said it would investigate how the video was played and the channel is cooperating fully with the police.