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Khalilzad: Put Pakistan on list of state sponsors of terrorism
A number of U.S. lawmakers called for cutting financial aids and imposing sanctions against Pakistan while former diplomats urged to designate Pakistan on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
“Pakistan now is a state sponsor of terrorism. There is no question that ISI supports the Haqqani network, which we regard as a terrorist network,” Zalmay Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and UN who was speaking at a Congressional hearing said on Tuesday.
“It is also clear that the Pakistani military and intelligence provide sanctuary and support to the Taliban,” Khalilzad who played key role in shaping American policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after 9/11 said.
He described that Pakistan understands that its double-game is risky, but it believes that the risk is manageable.
Narrating his travel to Pakistan when he was serving as the U.S. ambassador for Afghanistan he said,” I asked Gen. Musharraf why Pakistan was sponsoring the Taliban, he denied that there were any Taliban in Pakistan.
He added,” Musharraf instead insisted that I provide him with the names and phone numbers of the Taliban in Afghanistan”.
He continued, “Years later, when he was no longer his country’s leader, he boasted to the world of his country’s support for the extremist group”.
Pointing to the killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a U.S. drone strike top former U.S. ambassador called for additional drone attacks against terrorist groups.
But he also suggested specific sanctions against Pakistani military and governmental officials saying drone strikes alone will not be enough without corresponding political and financial pressure.
“U.S. can impose financial and travel restrictions on senior Pakistani officials known to be complicit in the insurgency, and freeze funds in U.S. banks belonging to Pakistani entities – both military and corporate – involved in financing the Taliban,” he recommended in a prepared statement.
At the same time Congressman Brad Sherman who joined Salmon and other lawmakers in seeking action against Pakistan added,” Those who suggest giving aid to Pakistan need to give justification for using the tax payer’s money”.
The hearing titled ‘Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism?’ has been jointly convened by the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
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More than 800 Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan in two days
As many as 837 Afghan refugees have been forced to return to their country through Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings in the last two days, officials announced on Saturday.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said in a statement that 90 families comprising 468 people returned through Torkham crossing.
Another 67 families comprising 369 people returned through Spin Boldak crossing, it said.
The returnees have been introduced to international organizations to receive aid, and the Islamic Emirate has also paid 10,000 Afghanis to each family.
Pakistani government launched the second phase of deporting illegal refugees five days ago.
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Iran executes four Afghan prisoners
Iran executed four Afghan prisoners in Vakliabad Prison in Mashhad on Thursday morning, a human rights group reported.
Haalvsh said that the individuals had been arrested in 1398 over drug-related charges and then sentenced to death by the court.
This organization announced the names of the executed prisoners as Zaman Taheri, Salam Taheri, Gholam Qadir Samani and Ebrahim Noorzahi.
Zaman Taheri and Salam Taheri were brothers.
Iranian officials have not commented about the matter so far.
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Roof collapse kills two in Helmand
Two people were killed after roof of their house collapsed in southern Helmand province on Friday night, officials said.
Abdul Bari Rashid, head of information and culture in Helmand, told Ariana News that the incident occurred in Tajkan village of Gershak district due to heavy rain.
According to him, the dead include a woman and a child. A man was injured in the incident.
This comes as 10 people have died and six others have been injured as a result of the floods in Helmand province in the last one week.
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