Blog: The developing new world order and Pakistan

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Friday, 7 March 2014

By Danish Kazi | Published in the XReports.net, on March 7th, 2014

Its probably my first piece on international political influence on Pakistan. I strongly feel that with the developing situation. We soon might need to choose sides again and I hope that we choose the right ones this time. We don’t want to side with a situation that it would take a generation to correct our mistakes as currently we face in Pakistan for our past mistakes.

At the center we have a government whose forte might not be the global policy but it is clearly a regional political player for obvious reasons. It may be a blessing and at the same time might back fire as well depending on how our regional allies are aligned to which global partner emerges or re-emerge.

As I write this piece . Russians have started to sound the horn that they want to regain the lost position they had till the 90’s . After many years its current President Vladamir Putin who was a darling for the West until a few years ago is trying to stretch his muscles. Now it could be that he intend to create a distraction for keeping power for a few more years or it could be well possible that he has achieved monetarily and technologically for his armed forces where he feels that he can now confront the world powers left ruling the world after the fall of USSR; after decades of equal supremacy. Either ways his actions could have an out reaching effect.

Now I have been hearing that he might be not very certain about the military threat to the Ukraine but lets not forget that the regimes that Russia has backed i.e. in Libya and Syria have been either wiped out as in the case of the former and is struggling as in the case of the former. Now seeing the change of anti Russian government right at its border and that too backed by the United States might be too much for him to handle. I am sure they would not let this one slide in their back yard without a fight physical or diplomatic.

Now how does it impact Pakistan in my view. Finally, some force equal in size and capability is again getting up to confront the United States view of the world. So US knowing that no other nation holds the capability to hit its shores but Russia would now look towards the North to confront or contain the rising Russian threat. Means simply that they would need another war machine in the region of Middle East and South Asia to out source its battles. I am sure that whilst the US looks north. They would not want a situation that a gap is created for China to form a stronghold to access the warm waters of Arabian Sea and might add to their troubles.

At the same time whilst they would confront Iran on the diplomatic front. With Russia coming out open against United States . It could mean a bigger group of Nations who have been anti US lately or in-fact its (US’s) victims might look to Russia for the new big brother. I feel Hamid Karzai who has recently been snubbed by Barack Obama might think as well. I am not sure how the Taliban would react to this news but I am sure they would like to sit on a couch and watch this out.

Pakistan’s role becomes more strategic in my point of view as I feel that with the developing situation United States which was planning to pull out forces from Afghanistan would now like to continue holding its forces there to create a flanking strategy in case Russia becomes too over ambitious to challenge its writ. As I am sure the closest port giving them with land access is through Pakistan. Though Iran provides the same but I feel how much the US might want; Israel would never let that proximity happen. So the dependency on Pakistan is significant.

We heard the recent news that Saudi Arabia is in talks with the Pakistan government to send a few army divisions or a division to the Kingdom to safeguard their interest as they see the unrest simmering in the Eastern Province having proximity to Iran. With Bahrain still restless but under control. At the same time Syria and even Egypt in turmoil closer to their borders means a menacing situation for the rulers . Suddenly Saudi Arabia is feeling that they are in need to have more soldiers on the ground. With distrust on the United States on the ground there as some feel that the unrest in the East is because of the US itself. Fearing that it might create another wave of Al Qaeda type fighters if they look to the US again this time and with wars so close to their border. They know for sure that they would have to look to ancillary options like Pakistan; a brotherly state for the same purpose. I am sure this could be an amicable solution for all as US would now like to focus on Russia and as well at the same time with Iraqi oil under their control would not like to be embroiled in the Saudi issue as it might impact their relationship with the government in Iraq as they (Iraqi government) are now closer to Iran. US would like to out source this to the next best war machine with able bodied men in the region. Pakistan is that ideal fit.

So at the same time whilst I feel that the US is going no where from Afghanistan any time soon to not only keep a check on Russia but also fearing that if Karzai goes the Russian way . The block of Russian-Iran-Afghanistan could mean disaster for their interests in the region. So I feel dependency on Pakistan would increase and at the same time I am sure they would like to focus on one enemy at the time. Means either they would like to clean up the Taliban issue before Russian juggernaut wakes up completely or would like to have peace with Taliban. Now I am sure whilst US may for a moment gulp down their ego and drink to that with a big grin on the face. I doubt the radicals within Taliban would be forgiving and some might continue to fight . Again which means US needs to be closer to Pakistan as an ally to make sure that whilst they focus on Russia they are not attacked from the rear in form of Taliban.

It could be a possibility that Russian might enter an alliance with Taliban to avenge the US for their defeat in the late 80’s . I am sure that Taliban would have less trouble engaging with the Russians now as they are a religious state unlike the communists mindset they earlier had in the past as they were USSR.

So its time that Pakistan plays its cards well. I strongly feel that they should not be an easy ally for United States but should take severe advantage from the arising situation if it reaches that level and bargain properly. If I would be in the government . My first list of demand would be 5000 MW worth of Nuclear Power Facilities across the country. Second on the list would be Desalination Plants at the coast to ensure adequate water supplies for the future and Third to write off its loans by at least 50% . Last but not the least give us the F-16’s which never came as promised . Well I am sure there are more like health care etc but I am sure that our rulers are smart enough to ask otherwise.

I am sure they would all find an opportunity to become richer by selling themselves off. Maybe setting a steel mill in the US or may be in Russia if I am a Sharif. And if I am a Zardari . I would go for a dinner with Cate Blanchett followed by a castle in California. But I wish had it been Gen Pervez Musharraf. He could have negotiated it better. Now don’t tell me that he gave in 2001. He ensured that he get Pakistan bank rolled and at the same time contained the war and also remained with the wealth which he accumulated by serving the Pakistan Army as seen recently that not a single case of corruption has been discovered against him though the hounds chase him.

But lets see how it goes. The situation in Ukraine and its end would determine the future or else I would seem over optimistic after a few months if some one reads this piece. I feel that Ukraine issue can bring the balance to the force. At the same time I wish it reduces pressure on our mother land and serves better for us. Pakistan Zindabad!

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of The XReports.

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Millions of Yahoo webcam images intercepted by UK — US agencies

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Friday, 28 February 2014

LONDON: British and American surveillance agencies teamed up to develop a system that collected millions of images from the webcams of unsuspecting and innocent internet users, new leaked documents reveal.

This “Optic Nerve” program — administered by the UK’s GCHQ with the assistance of the National Security Agency — routinely intercepted and stored those webcam images in secret starting in 2008, according to documents disclosed by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and published by The Guardian on Thursday.

The program indiscriminately collected millions of images from people who used Yahoo’s webcam chat function, the Guardian’s Spencer Ackerman and James Ball reported, “including substantial quantities of sexually explicit communications.”

According to the journalists, the GCHQ relied on Optic Nerve to experiment with facial recognition programing to monitor existing targets and search for new persons of interest.

But the GCHQ didn’t stop at targeting solely suspected terrorists, the report continues, and instead collected intelligence by seemingly anyone unfortunate enough to log-in to Yahoo’s webcam chat feature, at least between 2008 and 2012.

“Yahoo webcam is known to be used by GCHQ targets,” reads a portion of the classified documentation published by the paper.

The GCHQ did not limit their surveillance to just those target, however. According to the leaked Snowden document, 1.8 million Yahoo users had their webcam images collected by the agency during just a six-month span shortly after Optic Nerve was first rolled out.

When reached for comment by the British paper, a representative for Yahoo said the GCHQ program as explained demonstrates a “whole new level of violation of our users’ privacy.”

Elsewhere in the leaked documentation, GCHQ agents admitted that a large portion of the imagery collected contained “undesirable nudity.”

“Unfortunately … it would appear that a surprising number of people use webcam conversations to show intimate parts of their body to the other person,” one internal document cited by The Guardian reads.“Also, the fact that the Yahoo software allows more than one person to view a webcam stream without necessarily sending a reciprocal stream means that it appears sometimes to be used for broadcasting pornography.”

And although the program was carried out by British spies, Ackerman and Ball acknowledged that millions of Americans may have had their own likeness — clothed or not — captured in the process.

“GCHQ does not have the technical means to make sure no images of UK or US citizens are collected and stored by the system, and there are no restrictions under UK law to prevent Americans’ images being accessed by British analysts without an individual warrant,” they wrote.

But Vanee Vines, a spokesperson for the NSA, told the Guardian that the US spy agency “does not ask its foreign partners to undertake any intelligence activity that the US government would be legally prohibited from undertaking itself.”

“A key part of the protections that apply to both US persons and citizens of other countries is the mandate that information be in support of a valid foreign intelligence requirement, and comply with US Attorney General-approved procedures to protect privacy rights. Those procedures govern the acquisition, use, and retention of information about US persons,” Vines said.

In an op-ed published in The Guardian also on Thursday, acclaimed security expert and cryptographer Bruce Schneier said even safeguards in place to prevent these images being viewed by any GCHQ staffer should be questioned.

“Is it really okay for a computer to monitor you online, and for that data collection and analysis only to count as a potential privacy invasion when a person sees it? I say it’s not, and the latest Snowden leaks only make more clear how important this distinction is,” he wrote.

Published in the XReports.net, on March 1st, 2014 | Lahore Times

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Major rift blows up in PTI, funds from US stop

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Wednesday, 7 August 2013

08-08-2013 | Courtesy: The News
WASHINGTON: A major internal rift in the PTI over donations of millions of dollars from the US has almost choked all flow of dollars to the party and Imran Khan has given a shut up call to the Texas medical doctor who was the main coordinator of collecting funds for years.

“Nasrullah stop writing this nonsense. Had credited u with more intelligence,” the PTI chief wrote to Dr Nasrullah M Khan of Texas on Monday, July 29 in an Email. When the Dr replied in detail explaining what he wanted, an angry Imran Khan gave a one line message from his Blackberry: “Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 10:31:52 +0000: Please don’t send me anymore emails”.

Dr Nasrullah is the second top PTI supporter and fundraiser in the US after Fauzia Kasuri who has travelled all over the US raising millions and sending them to Pakistan, all legally and with a full record and formalities.

He was the main person who kept all records, looked after the legal requirements and followed all the US laws to send money to Pakistan.

The issue has been rolling on, on the social media for many weeks but is now bursting out in the mainstream newspapers and at a private sitting in Washington on Tuesday night where I saw some of the top PTI donors and supporters, the issues appeared to be far more serious than so far considered.

The issue at the centre of the PTI problems is that the donors and the people who raised these millions in the US want some explanations as to how and where the amount had been spent. They want an audit but the PTI donors say whenever any leader had raised this issue before Imran Khan, he brushed it aside and those who raised the question were sidelined, for one reason or another.

In one of his messages to Imran Khan, Dr Nasrullah had stated: “We the overseas PTI workers are very disappointed and have not gotten any answer. I want to communicate to the PTI leadership that we have very dedicated far more intelligent and top class people in every field and they are not sheep and goats. These people are far more superior and honest and have good morals and people around. The leaders sitting in central office are a bunch of low level intelligence and have no morals.”

Dr Nasrullah also had a note of warning for these people around Imran Khan. “We know how to handle them no matter what it takes. It is a match they cannot win.”

In his message to the PTI leadership, Dr Nasrullah says: “This is the party we worked day and night taking time away from family, children, business and collected the record amount of funds in the hope that we will have a change in Pakistan. The leader made us believe in full ‘Eman’ and gave us examples of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions….Why PTI is exempt from all of this. I am asking this question for a long time. Is there any place in PTI where we can complain? Talking about moral collapse of the nation, is this not a moral collapse of all the top leadership?

“Has anyone the courage to ask for an independent accountability from top to bottom. All they need is money from overseas Pakistanis and then we the hardworking people are disposed of as a tissue paper.”

“I want to let the leadership know that this is not going to go away as business as usual. We will do everything in our power to get PTI come to a straight path no matter what it takes.”

The US donors say Dr Nasrullah ran the PTI USA, LCC account and it is wide open and any one can look at it.

Messages were sent to Imran Khan, PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari, MNA from Lahore Shafqat Mahmood, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Javed Hashmi, Asad Umar, Azam Khan Swati, Jehangir Tareen and Fauzia Kasuri for an official PTI response to these allegations and release of emails and data by donors here in Washington.

In a prompt response to the issues raised in the story, PTI Chairman Imran Khan sent the following message to me late on Wednesday night: “Shaheen we always have our accounts audited. Currently our accounts are being audited. We already have the preliminary report and I can assure u that there is no sign of any wrongdoing. We expect our final report to be published in a couple of weeks. The curt reply was because of Nasrullah’s rude emails .....nothing to do with not having our accounts audited.”

Immediately after Imran Khan’s response, Dr Shireen Mazari also sent her response. She stated in her Email: “Just wanted to clarify: One, the exchange between Nasrullah and Imran Khan was a personal one and has nothing to do with the procedure undertaken for funds from overseas.

“Two, there is a regular audit procedure undertaken yearly for all PTI accounts — for overseas donations and other local accounts. The ECP requirements are also fulfilled every year in terms of submission of party accounts.

“Three, on receiving any complaints or questions about donations to PTI, the Party immediately takes note and the Finance committee examines these issues as well as bringing in outside auditors. This process is presently going on as a regular routine.

“Four, Imran Khan does not handle accounts or financial matters of the Party. There is a proper Finance Committee as well as a Finance Secretary.

“Five, Shaheen you have to remember that personal groupings and rivalries exist amongst the PTI overseas supporters also and sometimes in staking out their claims they get a little carried away.”

Asad Umar, in response said he had referred the issue to Dr Shireen Mazari, the Information Secretary. Others did not respond immediately.

Another important PTI leader who was its Central Information Secretary wrote what he called “Ramadan Confessions” on his Facebook page and gave a lot of details of what is going on.

Akbar S Babar described some of the close associates of Imran Khan as “Lounge Lizards” and wrote about party funds after the 2005 floods: “How many sheds were built at what cost nobody knows. There was no audit and no third party validation of the resources and the output. When a senior PTI member from Rawalpindi raised concerns with evidence about alleged corruption in the way the money was spent, he was sidelined and no independent inquiry was conducted. The amounts were not big but a threshold was crossed unnoticed.”

“Many months later, Imran Khan asked me about the real estate venture and I explained my fears and the reasons for opting out. He said ‘Akbar but how could you trust lounge lizard ‘A?’ IK loves to play games with people, pitching one against the other sometimes even at his own and/or party’s expense.”

“My real reason for refusing any party position again was the news that kept trickling in about the PTI lounge lizards taking full control over its resources and acting like a mafia.
Whenever I would confront IK that PTI had become a private limited company and needs to go back to its original status, IK’s usual response would be ‘I will take care of it,’ or ‘either they will be reformed or removed,’ Akbar wrote on Facebook.

All these concerns were raised in the Tuesday’s private sitting with PTI donors in Washington. It raises many questions as the immediate impact is that the PTI has stopped getting donations from the US. Whether this situation will also have an adverse impact on the fundraising for Shaukat Khanum Hospital is another matter.

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Geo/Jang group seeks 3 million dollars from USA against Pakistan’s judiciary

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Sunday, 28 July 2013

28-07-2013
This is leaked document from Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation (I.I Chandigarh which is the governing NGO of Jang/Geo Group). This Document was Submitted to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), United States Department of State on 30th June 2013 for acess to Justice: Media Campaign - “A proposal to change judiciary according to Geo/Jang group’s willingness with the blessing of US as 3 million dollar donation.”

MKRF foundation claiming in their own document about running different campaigns in Pakistan. Ironically, campaign against Islamic laws (Hudood ordinance) and Aman Ki Asha are the most proudly owned in this document. What a Pakistani channel is campaigning against Islamic laws the very existence of Pakistan. The reality of Aman Ki Asha was also revealed through media commission report two weeks before and now can be proved yet again through MKRF’s document. Anyone including Salim Safi and Ansar Abbasi still have any doubt that GEO is foreign funded for running campaigns in Pakistan. If still GEO employees claims that they are Patriotic nationalists, then they are all part of this conspiracy against Pakistan.

Interesting part of this purposed document that they are planing against judiciary and lawyers from October 2013 when current Chief Justice Mr. Iftikhar Chaudhary will depart from the scene. Currently you will see no twist or speak about judiciary on Geo/Jang Group, but what they planned against Judiciary in October is presented to you here Right Now.

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Drone attacks were carried out with the consent of Pakistan: Ex-ISI Chief reveals

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Tuesday, 9 July 2013

09-07-2013
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan reached an understanding with the United States on drone strikes targeting Islamist militants and the attacks can be useful, according leaked remarks from a former intelligence chief.

Pakistan publicly condemns US missile attacks on Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives as a violation of its sovereignty, but the new revelations are the latest sign of double-dealing in private.

Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who headed Pakistan's premier Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency at the time of bin Laden's killing in 2011, told investigators that drone strikes had their uses.

"The DG (director general) said there were no written agreements. There was a political understanding," the report said.

He also confirmed that Shamsi air base, in southwestern Pakistan, had been used for US drone strikes against people in the country.

Pasha said US arrogance "knew no limits" and accused the Americans of waging "psychological warfare" over the whereabouts of Taliban leader Mullah Omar and bin Laden's successor Ayman al-Zawahiri.

He quoted a US intelligence officer as saying "you are so cheap... we can buy you with a visa," and said himself that systemic failures showed Pakistan was a "failing state".

News image of Express.pk

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PTI leader receives Rs40m US fund - Report

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Monday, 19 November 2012

19-11-2012 | The Gulf Today
ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jehangir Tareen has received American funding of over Rs40 million through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for his private business firm and family NGO working in Lodhran from where he is poised to contest the upcoming general elections instead of Rahim Yar Khan.

When contacted, the PTI leader, who heads the party’s policy wing and think tank, confirmed that his Tareen Education Foundation (TEF) and Ali Tareen Farm got the money from the USAID, but said he received the funding before he joined Imran Khan’s squad.

The TEF got approximately Rs20.75 million grant from the USAID’s Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Programme (SGAFP). The Ali Tareen Farm (ATF) received Rs20 million from another USAID project called FIRMS.

Documents show that the TEF is a society, set up by Tareen in 2010, to work for improvement of education in Lodhran. In the same year of 2010, the two-time member of the National Assembly, Tareen, fell out with his close relative, Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood, a powerful political figure of Rahim Yar Khan, and decided to contest elections from Lodhran where he also has the ATF.

Tareen started working through the TEF for improvement of schools in six union councils of Lodhran in order to improve his visibility in NA-154 constituency.

While the SGAFP provided the grant of about Rs20.75 million to the TEF, the NGO’s contribution to project is proposed to be Rs14 million, which will be spared by Tareen’s business concerns. Tareen launched himself in this constituency in a gathering of TEF in 2011, using the US funds to further his political prospects, according to the available record. The board of management of the TEF, registered in Lahore under 1860 Societies Act in April 2010, comprises Tareen’s daughter Mareem, and some friends and employees.

The SGAFP are two grant programmes launched by the USAID to help Pakistani communities implement their initiatives. Grants under the US Ambassador’s Fund for projects of up to one year time duration support broad impact community level initiatives. Grants under the USAID’s Small Grants Programme for projects of one to three-years time duration support promising proposals and pilot initiatives, which are consistent with USAID’s strategic priorities.

Documents showed that thirty government schools in district Lodhran, adopted by the TEF, are being upgraded by these US funds. The FIRMS gave the grant to the ATF under its Mango Muawan project for developing and processing export quality mangos, and help them get international certification for mango export, which went a long way in furthering Tareen mango export business.

Tareen said that both the programmes were signed with USAID before he got associated himself with the PTI. He said first programme of ATF was regarding export of mangoes adding that the USAID planned to export fresh mangoes to US. This agreement was signed in 2010 and came to end in 2011.

“The ATF is one of the leading farms in Pakistan considering its technology and management. As a result of this deal, we exported Pakistani mango to the US and the first consignment of the fruit went from my farm. This deal benefited Pakistan’s economy and mango growth,” Tareen said.

He said that he has spent a lot of money from his own pocket for the TEF and adopted 85 government schools in Lodhran, which are not private. He said most of the money spent on this project came from his resources and he provided 100 teachers in the schools, which were facing such shortage.

Tareen said he spent around Rs70 million per annum from his pocket. He said the USAID had a project under which they used to construct new rooms in government schools. The TEF signed an agreement with USAID for building 34 new rooms and boundary walls in these schools in 2011. This project facilitated the children of the poor, who are now studying in the good environment. This was a one-year programme and ended on Oct.30, 2012.

On a political note, the PTI said that since the PTI has ideological differences with US on its drone attacks and its intervention in Pakistan, he has stopped making any deal with any US organisation. “I have many other options and offers but I will not indulge into any deal with US now.” Previously his strategy was: American dollars are good, policy is bad.

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Sexual Harassment against US Military women increases

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Saturday, 7 April 2012

07-04-2012
Washington: The so-called ambassador of Human Rights, USA, is such a model society that even its military women are not safe from sexual harassment from their male counterparts and the increase in sexual harassment cases against US millitary women has increased by 100% in the last few years.

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Fraud claims against Mansoor Ijaz surface: Report

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Tuesday, 28 February 2012

28-02-2012
NEW YORK: Mansoor Ijaz, the principal character in the Memogate case, has come under speculation for fraud, Indian News paper reported on Monday.
According to the report, Ijaz had raised over $1.5 million from a San Marino bank on the pretext that he had the backing of a politically-influential Indian business family.
Letters filed by Ijaz before the New York Supreme Court, where he is seeking an extension to repaying his loans, show that he had told the court he had the backing of an investor, with close ties with Tata Motors in India to “invest close to $10 million in a company which would produce the world’s most energy-efficient powertrains.”
The contract for the deal had been signed in February 2008. He told the bank that he would provide details after a visit to India scheduled for late March, 2008. “Much hard work,” he wrote in a message to Banca Sammarinese di Investimento’s directors citing temporary business reverses for his default, “has gone into correcting the situation, above all to protect my political reputation and future role in American politics.”
However, the paper reported that Tata Motors denied that it ever had any dealings whatsoever with Ijaz, or his powertrain company EcoDrive. No publically available information could confirm whether Ijaz, or his company ever started work on the powertrain.
Indian Newspaper further reported that immigration authorities could not offer evidence of any trip undertaken by Ijaz to India during that time.
Even after Ijaz was sentenced in September, 2010 to payback BSI sums upto $1.74 million, he was yet to do so.

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Dr Afia gets pregnant, contracts cancer in US jail

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Saturday, 21 January 2012

Karachi: Pakistani scientist Dr Afia Siddiqui, who is serving 86-year imprisonment in a US prison cell, has contracted cancer and allegedly become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse during her confinement.
Talking to The News Agency, her sister Dr Dr Fouzia Siddiqui said she had come to know through Pakistani Consul General in Houston that Dr Afia Siddiqui had been diagnosed with a cancer. She added that earlier there were reports that the Pakistani scientist had become pregnant due to alleged sexual abuse during imprisonment. However, the Pakistan Embassy has not playing its role in either confirming or rejecting the reports.
She said that former Pakistan Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani was called back the next day when he told us the condition of Dr Afia.
She quoted Pakistan Consul General Aqil Nadeem as saying that he was requesting the jail authorities for providing medical facilities to the Pakistani scientist.
Dr Fouzia said keeping in view the reputation of the Roswell jail and the nature of her sister’s disease the request was insufficient.
She urged the Pakistan Embassy to arrange a team of physicians comprising doctors from jail as well as from private sector for Dr Afia Siddiqui.
Dr Fouzia said that newly-appointed Pakistan Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman had assured her all possible help before leaving for America to take up her new assignment. However, despite making contact with her, the envoy has not given any response in this regard.
Speaking about the reports of Dr Afia’s alleged pregnancy, she said that her family was told about it after the Pakistani scientist showed some symptoms in the women jail.
Dr Fouzia appealed to the US and Pakistani authorities to arrange a telephonic conversation of her mother with Dr Afia.
Earlier, British journalist and human rights activist Yvonne Ridley had declared the long punishment of Dr Afia as just ‘one step away from death’. 
Talking about attitude of Pakistani politicians being adopted on the Dr Afia issue, she said that she would not believe in their statements until and unless her sister returns to Pakistan. Dr Fouzia complained that the politicians had only exploited the Dr Afia issue just to gain political mileage.
She said that the Pakistani scientist had been provided substandard food, which led to health problems at the jail as she had complained of it during her earlier telephonic conversations.
 According to Pakistani TV anchor Aamir Liaquat Hussain, he had received information from his friends in the US that Dr Afia had contracted cancer and will be killed during confinement.
The renowned anchor said that the Pakistani scientist can be brought back through diplomatic efforts.
In a video uploaded on Youtube, Hussain said that Dr Afia had become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse in jail.
A UK-based bilingual news website has approached Pakistan Ambassador to US Sherry Rehman through an email to get her point of view on the issue but received no response till the filing of this news.

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PTI Leader Aurangzeb Hoti faced jail in US for drugs smuggling

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Monday, 19 December 2011

Published in The News Tribe
Islamabad: Nawabzada Aurangzeb Hoti who has recently joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had completed three year jail sentence in United States in the case of drugs smuggling.
Aurangzeb Hoti in the decade of 80’s arrested in US for drug smuggling; later on an American convicted him for three years imprisonment.
He and his cousin Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti had joined PTI in public meeting in the presence of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi on December 16.

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PTI ready to work with the US - Imran Khan

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Monday, 12 December 2011

Published in The Express Tribune
LAHORE: Sloganeering and public rhetoric aside, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would be willing to partner with the United States, party leaders say.
Party Chairman Imran Khan, at a recent meeting with the US ambassador, indicated that his party would be ‘absolutely comfortable’ working with the US on all issues, including the war on terror, since both countries have strong mutual interests.
Contrary to popular perception, the US sees Imran Khan and the PTI as essential to their assessment of Pakistan’s political scenario, a prominent PTI leader said while talking to The Express Tribune.
“There is no love lost between the PTI and US,” the leader said, adding that “the US is striving hard to gain popular public support, and in the face of Imran Khan, this support could serve its purpose.”
The US ambassador also reportedly assured Imran that his country was comfortable with PTI and its ideology.
“After the 2008 elections, the PPP and PML-N, who were riding on the wave of public approval, did very little to mitigate or tone down the anti-US sentiments in the country,” the PTI leader said.
“In the face of Imran Khan, however, a clean and popular figure would emerge, whom Washington would be happy to work with,” the leader said, adding “It would also provide a sharp contrast to the decaying images of President Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.”
“We told the US that we would not do anything which could destroy the precious Pak-US relations, nor do we intend to provoke the superpower,” the source said.
During the meeting both, the US ambassador and Imran, agreed that a strong Pakistan would benefit all concerned, including the United States,” the source added.
The PTI leadership had initially denied the Imran-Munter meeting, until the US ambassador admitted on a talk show that he had met Imran more than once, but never in the presence of DG ISI General Shuja Pasha.
Party’s central Information Secretary Omar Cheema said that during the meeting, Imran put forward the party’s position on Pak-US relations.
“Imran Khan told the US ambassador that Pakistan wanted a relationship based on honour and dignity and Pakistan’s sovereignty should not be violated,” said Cheema.
Swelling party ranks
The party leader, who wished to remain anonymous, said that former federal minister Jehangir Tareen would soon join the party, along with 12 provincial ministers.
“The joining of Tarin and his group would tilt the balance in PTI’s favour, in southern Punjab,” the leader said.
“At the moment it’s like a gold rush. Former PPP leaders, including Nisar Akbar from Faisalabad, Ghulam Sarwar Cheema from Wazirabad and Zafar Waraich from Rahim Yar Khan, have also joined the party,” the source added.
On Shah Mahmood joining the party, the source said that the former foreign minister didn’t have much choice.
Links with the establishment
The PTI leader said his party was “not one bit bothered” by talk of the establishment’s tacit support.
“There may be people around in the party who might have links with the security agencies but let me tell you, Imran Khan understands that more than the PTI needing the establishment, the establishment needs us,” the source said.
He said there was strong resentment in the party on the inclusion of certain politicians, and the young cadre was adamant to clean up, but Khan has tried to allay their fears and asked them to trust him.

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