Here’s what’s happening across the border: Imran Khan says Pakistan has arranged peace talks between US and Taliban; journalists in northwestern Pakistani city threaten protest over colleagues’ arrest.
Imran Khan’s sister asked to pay Rs 29.4 million for owning benami properties
The Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday directed Aleema Khanum, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister, to pay Rs 29.4 million as taxes and fine for owning benami properties abroad, reported Dawn.
During a hearing against 44 politically exposed individuals or their benamidars who own properties in the United Arab Emirates, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said that Khanum’s properties would be confiscated if she didn’t abide by court orders.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the agency that monitors crime related to taxation and money laundering, told the court that it had placed a fine and a tax of Rs 29.4 million on Khanum as she was identified as a benamidar of a property.
On Thursday, Khanum told the court that she had bought the property in Dubai in 2008 for $3,70,000, but sold it last year. She also said that she had arranged for half the amount of the property through a loan.
As per her written testimony to the Federal Investigation Agency, Khanum owned properties in East UAE which were acquired through money earned from businesses owned abroad.
“I sold my properties and the FBR was notified about this development in advance,” Khanum’s testimony said.
Imran Khan says Pakistan has arranged peace talks between Taliban and US
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday announced that the country has arranged for talks between Afghan Taliban and the US at the behest of the latter, reported The News.
The talks are scheduled for 17 December.
Khan was speaking in Peshawar at an event organised to evaluate the 100-day agenda of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government.
The premier once again brought up the fact that the US “that had been asking us to ‘do more’” is now requesting Pakistan to broker talks with the Afghan Taliban.
In the context of the Afghanistan war, US President Donald Trump last month told Fox News that Pakistan didn’t do a “damn thing for us [the US]”. However, two weeks ago, he wrote to Khan requesting Pakistan’s cooperation in advancing the peace process in Afghanistan.
Khan said he was always insistent on negotiations but was ridiculed as ‘Taliban Khan’.
Given the peace efforts, he also expressed hope that the city Peshawar would develop as a commerce hub in the near future.
Journalists in a Khyber Paktunkhwa city threaten protest over colleagues’ arrest
Journalists in a northwestern Pakistani city have warned of staging protests if police authorities don’t withdraw a case filed against two of their colleagues for covering a pro-Pashtun rights rally, reported Gandhara.
Members of the press club in Khyber Paktunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan city have urged the officials to retract the police report.
In the report, Sailab Mehsu, a contributor to RFE/RL’s Radio Mashal, and a local TV correspondent Zafar Wazir have been accused of participating in a local Pashtun rights rally on 8 December.
According to the police report filed the same day, the two journalists were alleged to have participated in the rally along with 20 others chanting anti-state slogans and “inciting hatred and violence”.
Both Sailab and Wazir have refuted claims of their participation in the rally. They clarified that they were merely covering the protest organised by the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement.
Voice of America expresses concern after Pakistan blocks its sites
International news broadcast organisation Voice of America (VOA) has urged Pakistan to lift a ban on its Urdu and Pashto websites, reported Dawn.
“In the interest of press freedom, VOA calls upon those responsible for blocking our content to immediately remove these constraints,” VOA director Amanda Bennett said in a statement.
“Any attempt to block our websites deprives Urdu and Pashto speakers in the region access to a trusted news source,” she said, adding that the agency was “troubled” by the government’s move.
VOA’s bureau chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ayesha Tanzeem confirmed on Twitter two days ago that Pakistan has blocked the two sites. She shared a report published in the English edition of VOA that alleged that Pakistan was filing police cases against VOA journalists for writing about pro-Pashtun rights local rallies
Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry justified the move, accusing VOA of indulging in “false and prejudiced reporting”. He was referring to the organisation’s coverage of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement and its rallies demanding rights for Pakistan’s significant minority group.