16-09-2021 The Asian Independent

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
ASIA
16-09-2021 to 30-09-2021
3
US to re-assess its relations with Pakistan
Islamabad: The hasty withdrawal
of the US and NATO
forces from Afghanistan has
sparked a debate in the US
Congress, with US Secretary of
State Anthony Blinken going
through a tough session
answering some serious questions
raised by the
Congressmen.
Blinken stated that the US
will look into its relationship
with Pakistan and re-assess as
to how it can be of use to
ensure a better future for
Afghanistan.
Blinken's statement came in
response to multiple demands
and questions over taking a
harder and more strict approach
towards Pakistan.
"Pakistan has a multiplicity
of interests with some that are
in conflict with ours," he said.
"It is one that is involved
hedging its bets constantly
about the future of Afghanistan,
it is one that is involved in harboring
members of the Taliban,
it is one that's also involved in
different points of cooperation
with us on counterterrorism,"
Blinken added.
It was in this regard that
Blinken confirmed before the
House of Representatives'
Foreign Affairs Committee that
Washington would be reassessing
its relationship with
Pakistan.
"This is one of the things we
are going to be looking at in the
days and weeks ahead... the
role that Pakistan has played
over the last 20 years, as also
the role we would want to see it
play in the coming years and
what it will take for it to do
that," he said.
Blinken also highlighted that
Washington has called on
Pakistan to deny legitimacy to
the Taliban-led government in
Afghanistan unless it doesn't
meet the international demands
and expectations, which
include inclusive government
and rights to women.
"What we have to look at is
an instance that every country,
to include Pakistan, make good
on the expectations that the
international community has of
what is required of a Talibanled
government if it's to receive
any legitimacy of any kind," he
insisted.
"So Pakistan needs to line up
with a broad majority of the
international community in
working toward those ends and
in upholding these expectations,"
he added.
Various demands on taking a
hardline stand on Pakistan were
put forward, which included
removal of its status as a major
non-NATO ally, which gives it
privileged access to the US
weaponry.
It is pertinent to mention
here that the US and other
western countries are in a difficult
position to balance out
their position in the aftermath
of the hasty withdrawal from
Afghanistan, as the decision
has sparked a debate in global
quarters.
What has also now become a
major debate is how to engage
with the Taliban, especially
when aid pledges are being
made to prevent Afghanistan
from a massive humanitarian
crisis.
Afghan women protest Taliban's
hijab diktat by sharing photos in
colourful dresses
New Delhi,: Afghan women
around the world are protesting
the Taliban's new hijab diktat in
schools by posting photos of
themselves wearing colorful
traditional dresses on social
media, CNN reported.
The Taliban have mandated
the segregation of genders in
classrooms and said that female
students, lecturers and employees
must wear hijabs in accordance
with the group's interpretation
of Sharia law.
Photos have emerged of a
group of female students wearing
head-to-toe black robes and
waving Taliban flags in the lecture
hall of a government-run
university in Kabul.
Other Afghan women
responded by posting pictures
of themselves in bright and colorful
traditional Afghan dresses
-- a stark contrast to the black
hijab mandate outlined by the
Taliban.
Bahar Jalali, a former faculty
member of the American
University of Afghanistan
according to her LinkedIn profile,
helped kick off the picture
posting campaign, according to
other women who shared photos
on Twitter., CNN reported.
Jalali tweeted a picture of a
woman in a full black dress and
veil and said: "No woman has
ever dressed like this in the history
of Afghanistan. This is
utterly foreign and alien to
Afghan culture. I posted my pic
in the traditional Afghan dress
to inform, educate and dispel
the misinformation that is
being propagated by Taliban."
Other Afghan women soon
followed her lead on social
media, the report added.
Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi, head
of the Afghan service at DW
News, tweeted a picture of herself
in traditional Afghan dress
and headdress with the comment:
"This is Afghan culture
and this is how Afghan women
dress."
Shekiba Teimori, an Afghan
singer and activist who fled
Kabul last month, told CNN
that the "hijab existed before
Kabul's fall. We could see
Hijabi women, but this was
based on family decisions and
not the government."
She said before the Taliban
came to Afghanistan, her
ancestors were "wearing the
same colorful Afghan dresses
you see in my pictures".
Now Bihar farmer turns
'crorepati' with Rs 52 cr in a/c
Patna: Crores of rupees keep
pouring into individual bank
accounts of people in Bihar
these days. The latest incident
is from Singari village in
Muzaffarpur district. Ram
Bahadur Shah, an elderly
farmer has received Rs 52 crore
in his bank account.
The incident came to light
on Friday when Shah went to
the CSP outlet in Katra to
inquire whether the elderly
pension was credited to his
account or not.
The operator of CSP,
logged-in his account and was
shocked to see Rs 52 crore in
the available balance ledger.
The news spread like wild
fire in the area.
"We are poor villagers
dependent on farming. We urge
the state government to give me
some amount so that the rest of
my life becomes easy and
smooth," Shah said.
His son Sujit Shah said: "We
are facing a problem after the
money is credited in the
account of my father. We are
farmers and we need help from
the government."
"I don't know how this
money is credited in my
father's account but the bank
should give the interest to my
father from the day the money
was credited in the account. It
is not our fault. It is the fault of
the bank," Sujit Shah said.
"We have learnt from the
local sources that an elderly
person has received Rs 52 crore
in the bank account. The intimation
has been given to senior
officials of the district, as well as
the concerned bank. The investigation
is on," said Manoj Pandey,
sub-inspector of Katra police station.
This is not the first case in
Bihar. In fact, two school students
of Class 6 of Katihar became millionaires
on Thursday. Katihar
DM Udayan Mishra however
claimed that it was a technical
error. Besides, a person named
Ranjit Das of Khagaria district
also received Rs 5.5 lakh in the
bank account. Das refused to
return the amount. He claimed
that PM Narendra Modi had
promised Rs 15 lakh to every
country man and it was the first
instalment. As he did not return
the money, the bank had registered
an FIR against him. He is
currently lodged in jail.