Current Final

Tag: Donald Trump

  • I didn’t ask PM Imran for Iran mediation, he offered: Trump

    The United States (US) President Donald Trump has said that he did not speak to Prime Minister Imran Khan for mediation with Iran, it was Imran who thought it would be a good idea, Voice of America reported.

    According to the details and from the tweet of Voice of America Deewa (VoA Deewa), contrary to what PM Imran claims that Trump had asked him to mediate between the US and Iran, Trump has said it was Imran Khan who approached him for mediation.

    “Well, he’d like to do that, and we have a very good relationship. And there’s a chance that that could happen. But, no, I haven’t spoken. He actually asked me. He thought it would be a good idea to meet, VoA quoted President Trump as saying.

    Imran Khan had earlier said that US President Trump had asked him to help defuse tensions with Iran. He also said that prior to arriving in New York he had visited Saudi Arabia and spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who also asked him to talk to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

    PM added, “I immediately spoke to Rouhani after the meeting with Trump, but I can’t say anything right now more than this except that we’re trying and mediating”.

    Tensions run high between Tehran and Washington since May last year when Trump abandoned a 2015 nuclear deal and began reimposing sanctions on Iran in a stated campaign of “maximum pressure”.

  • PM Imran second most searched leader at UN General Assembly

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has become the second most searched personality among the leaders currently in the United States (US) for the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

    According to Google Trends, PM Imran has secured the second slot in the list of most searched UNGA leaders on Google, while Indian PM Narendra Modi stands fifth and United States (US) President Donald Trump has topped the list.

    Among other most searched UNGA leaders are British PM Boris Johnson at the third place and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on the fourth. The Brazilian president had recently made headlines after severe criticism over his lack of efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest.

  • ‘The entire world wants to meet me, but I want to meet Imran Khan’

    ‘The entire world wants to meet me, but I want to meet Imran Khan’

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister (PM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Development Zulfi Bukhari has quoted United States (US) President Donald Trump as saying that “the entire world wants to meet him, but he wants to meet Imran Khan”.

    “Trump said that Imran Khan is a world leader whom he has faith in,” Bukhari said while speaking to a private media outlet after the two leaders’ meeting in New York on Monday night.

    He said it was a proud moment for Pakistanis all around the globe, and that the Pakistani community was overjoyed to have PM Imran with them in the US.

    “Trump has also said that the US has increased trade with Pakistan by 5 per cent and working to improve Pak-US ties will help in generating employment opportunities.”

    IMRAN MEETS TRUMP:

    Earlier, the premier met US president on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) 74th session in a televised event.

    The two spoke about the ongoing situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), with PM Imran telling Trump that he felt that it was “the beginning of a crisis”.

    Addressing the US president and the reporters, he said, “Trump heads the most powerful country in the world. And the most powerful country in the world has a responsibility.

    “I honestly feel that this crisis could become much bigger. We look to the US to put out flames in the world,” Imran said.

    Responding to PM Imran’s concerns, Trump said “he thinks he would be an extremely good arbitrator”.

    “I’ve done it before, believe it or not. And I’ve never failed as an arbitrator. I’ve been asked to arbitrate disputes — pretty big ones — from… friends. And I’ve done it in a good, successful fashion. If I can be of help, you know that, if I can be of help, let me know,” he added.

    The US president said his predecessors did not trust Pakistan but that he did. “I trust Pakistan, but people before me didn’t, but they didn’t know what they were doing.”

    “You know what I do? I trust this gentleman right here and I do trust Pakistan,” he noted while referring to PM Imran. “I will tell you this… you have a great leader. He’s a good man… a nice man. Happens to be a great athlete.”

  • A must read for all: How Democracies Die

    A must read for all: How Democracies Die

    On World Democracy day, (and even if it wasn’t) the one book that every Pakistani should read is How Democracies Die by two Harvard professors, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

    Even though the book refers primarily to the Trump administration and how the United States is starting to kill its own democracy, it has got pages and chapters which are so starkly similar to our past and present, that it will shock you.

    Donald Trump going to the White House after being elected President

    The book, written in 2018, talks about how countries that are democratic have systems in place to do ‘democracy checks’. These systems, some unofficial, make sure that countries do not elect individuals, or parties that go against the core belief of their country’s value system. And if there are times when people with power arise to challenge this system, ruling parties and oppositions, stick together for the greater good to keep them out.

    They discuss the rise of authoritarian regimes and how they played the game to get into power, the rise and selection of Hitler and then focus on how America, a country that has historically managed to keep true to its system, is now deteriorating.

    Adolf Hitler of Germany

    The book is simply written and easy to understand. It explains, very simply, how democracies start to rot and then slowly die, as elected officials and people in power ask citizens to stand up against democratically-elected governments, the media is censored and also indulges in self-censorship and then rules are changed to suit the will of a few than the hope of many.

    The book is a must read for everyone who wants to understand how countries evolve and devolve. The book says that, ” History doesn’t repeat itself. But it rhymes.,” and the reason why we need to read it is to know that when that is happening. “The promise of history is that we can find the rhymes before it is too late”.

  • Trump tweets ‘classified’ photo; Internet investigators decode it

    Trump tweets ‘classified’ photo; Internet investigators decode it

    Oops, he did it again!

    US President Donald Trump and Twitter King on August 30 tweeted out a photograph which he captioned: “The United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the Safir SLV launch at Semnan Launch Site One in Iran. I wish Iran best wishes and good luck in determining what happened at Site One.”

    Internet sleuths immediately noticed the high resolution of the photograph and pegged it as likely ‘classified’. It is now declassified since the US President tweeted it. Many experts told news agencies that they were concerned that the declassified photo could reveal unknown information about US drone or satellite surveillance.

    Amateur satellite trackers reverse-engineered the image and figured out that it likely came from the highly classified USA 224 satellite. USA 224 is suspected to be a KH-11 surveillance satellite, a classified piece of equipment about which the public knows little.

    The only confirmed photos from a KH-11 satellite were leaked in 1984 by a Navy intelligence analyst who ended up serving two years in prison for espionage.

  • US knew about India’s plans for occupied Kashmir: report

    US knew about India’s plans for occupied Kashmir: report

    With Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) being robbed of its special status, it has emerged that the United States (US) already knew about the development that could lead to a Muslim genocide in the troubled valley.

    In a move to tighten its grip on occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India on Monday dropped a constitutional provision that allowed the disputed territory to make its own laws.

    According to The Print, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi-led government’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had told his American counterpart Mike Pompeo of his government’s plan last week.

    It, however, wasn’t the first time Washington was briefed on the matter as two days after February 14’s Pulwama attack, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had also called his US counterpart John Bolton and shared New Delhi’s plans to do away with the special status, reports said.

    While the decision to bifurcate the state came much later than the Doval-Bolton phonecall, Jaishankar’s meeting with the US secretary of state came on the sidelines of the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bangkok on August 1.

    Jaishankar had also reiterated to Pompeo that the US does not need to mediate in the Kashmir dispute and that any discussion on this issue, “if at all warranted”, will only be with Pakistan unilaterally.

    The Modi government did not want to take any chances when it came to the US, and so, all necessary safeguards were taken, the report quoted sources as saying.

    KASHMIR ROBBED OF SPECIAL STATUS:

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on Monday revoked the disputed Himalayan territory’s special status by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution.

    With IoK’s autonomy snatched, people from the rest of India would have the right to acquire property in the valley and settle there permanently.

    Kashmiris fear the move would lead to a demographic transformation of the region from majority-Muslim to majority-Hindu, paving way for Modi’s hardliner BJP and resulting in major setbacks to their freedom struggle.

  • PM Imran’s US trip cost taxpayers Rs11 million

    PM Imran’s US trip cost taxpayers Rs11 million

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s visit to the United States (US) has cost the national treasury around Rs11 million ($67,180), it was revealed Thursday.

    According to the breakdown of expenses released by the government, Rs1.35 million were spent on accommodation for PM’s 27-member delegation, while the PM chose to stay at Pakistan Embassy.

    An amount of Rs92,120 were incurred on transport, Rs142,000 on gifts, Rs6,075,800 on airfare, miscellaneous expenditures stood at Rs1,287,460, tips at Rs706,001 and meals at Rs1,389,077.

    There was no TA/DA for any official and the ministers accompanying PM Imran.

    WAY LESS THAN NAWAZ, ZARDARI’S EXPENSES:

    The premier set an example of simplicity and austerity by saving millions of rupees of the national exchequer as he spent much less than the visits of former PM Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

    His spendings were 11 times less than Zardari and eight times less than Nawaz, who spent $752,688 and $549,853 on their visits to the US, respectively.

    Earlier, PM Imran travelled to the US on a commercial flight instead of a special aircraft. He stayed at the residence of Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington DC instead of a 7-star hotel, while he bore his family’s expenditure himself.

    His visit was termed a success owing to the mammoth crowd he pulled at Washington’s Capital One Arena and his meeting with President Donald Trump wherein the two leaders forged good chemistry.

  • Twitter Theory: Why didn’t Bushra Bibi accompany PM Imran on US trip?

    Twitter Theory: Why didn’t Bushra Bibi accompany PM Imran on US trip?

    Since the first lady did not accompany Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on his maiden trip to the United States (US), a theory to address the concerns of the people has been introduced by Twitterati.

    After meeting President Donald Trump as well as top US govt officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, PM Imran on Wednesday left for Pakistan, marking the end of his three-day visit to Washington.

    While some termed the premier’s trip as a “historic” one owing to the chemistry he forged with President Trump and the crowd he pulled for the event at Capital One Arena, a group of social media users pointed out that Bushra Bibi was not accompanying PM Imran.

    Multiple theories made their way to Twitter as people started guessing why the first lady was nowhere to be seen; however, the most popular one remained that the premier was actually “saving taxpayers’ money”.

    “I, as a taxpayer, do not want my taxes wasted on irrelevant persons’ airfare and accommodation,” wrote one user.

    “Because our PM saves taxpayers’ money. It’s not a family tour,” wrote another.

    https://twitter.com/DCOP_Says/status/1153606504538419200

    Some, on the other hand, seemed to believe that the first lady’s choice of attire was the reason behind her absence in Trump’s America.

    https://twitter.com/ahmadmuzaf/status/1153672736721559552

    No official statement regarding Bushra Bibi’s absence has yet been released.

  • Who won at the White House: Modi or Imran? FLOTUS’ Instagram account reveals all

    Who won at the White House: Modi or Imran? FLOTUS’ Instagram account reveals all

    Melania Trump’s official account as First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is pretty interesting. This account has 3.2 million followers but only follows one account — that of her husband President Donald Trump.

    The account has 453 posts in total. The latest post says “Delighted to host PM and Mrs. Morrison of Australia for a State Visit at the White House”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0PAoZ_A2KD/

    Yesterday, she posted three pictures with Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House.

    “Great to have Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan at the White House today!”

    The post has 65,700 likes so far and 1,369 comments.

    In June 2017, she had posted a picture with Prime Minister Modi. It said: “Welcome to the White House Prime Minister Modi!”

    Flotus’ post with Modi has 43,281 likes and 639 comments.

    Three pictures with PM Khan vs one with PM Modi? PM Khan’s pictures got more likes and comments too! We think the Trumps (and the people) like PM Khan more. What do you think?

  • VIDEO: Trump says he’s ‘honoured to be with one of greatest athletes, very popular PM Imran’

    VIDEO: Trump says he’s ‘honoured to be with one of greatest athletes, very popular PM Imran’

    United States (US) President Donald Trump has described Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan as “one of the greatest athlete and a very popular PM”, and jokingly said that he would help him get re-elected.

    “It’s my great honour to have the very popular and, by the way, great athlete — one of the greatest — but very popular prime minister of Pakistan,” Trump said while welcoming PM Imran to the Oval Office for the two leaders’ maiden meeting.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    PM Imran is currently on a three-day official visit to the US on Trump’s invitation. This is his first visit to the country since coming to power last year.

    During the more than 40 minutes meeting, the two leaders spent time with the media — responding to a volley of questions. The mood and atmosphere in the Oval Office was quite comfortable.

    PM Imran appeared to be at ease and confidently answering questions. During the unusually lengthy question and answer session with the media, wherein they gave almost all the Pakistani journalists present an opportunity to ask questions — the two leaders appeared to have forged good chemistry instantly, laughing and joking several times.

    “We should be doing tremendous business together. So, I look forward to it,” Trump said as he concluded his welcome remarks for PM Imran. “InshaAllah,” Khan said, adding that he has been looking forward to this meeting since he assumed office of the country’s chief executive.

    Trump described it as a “very important meeting”. “I think the potential with Pakistan and likewise, the opposite way, I think we have not even come close to meeting it. There is tremendous potential between our country and Pakistan.”

    In fact, in response to a question, Trump said that he would love to visit Pakistan, but he has not received an invitation yet. “Well, I can’t say that yet because, so far, he has not extended me an invitation,” he said.

    In response to another question, Trump said he would help PM Imran in his re-election. “I’m going to campaign for you. I’m going to help him win his campaign,” said the US president.