K-P emergency proposal not linked to PTI long march: Tariq Fazal

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Thursday linked the proposed emergency or governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the province’s worsening security situation, saying it had nothing to do with the PTI’s planned long march. Speaking to a private television programme, the minister attributed the worsening security situation to what he described as the provincial government’s lack of cooperation with the federal government in the fight against terrorism. Talking about the government-PTI talks scheduled for Friday, Chaudhry said political issues would also be discussed during the talks, adding that if the party sought any favour or concession from the federal government, it would be considered within the constitutional and legal framework. Read: President, PM form committee to initiate talks with PTI leadership However, he said the issue of the provincial government’s non-cooperation in the fight against terrorism was equally important. Chaudhry said it should be made clear that postponing the long march would not end the issue of a possible emergency in K-P. “If it is being thought that if the talks result only in postponing the long march, the issue of emergency will be over, then this should be made clear: the long march has nothing to do with the imposition of emergency,” he said. He said discussions on the imposition of an emergency had begun despite repeated efforts to explain to the provincial government that terrorism was increasing in the province. According to the minister, the provincial government was not cooperating with the federal government and law enforcement agencies, resulting in an increase in casualties and making it difficult to establish full control over the situation. Talking about the comparisons being drawn between terrorism in Balochistan and K-P, he expressed regret over the incident in Balochistan but said the provincial government there stood with the federal government in measures to stop terrorism and was on the front line in the fight against it. “In K-P, the provincial government is standing like a wall in front of the law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies and the federal government’s measures to crush terrorism. It does not cooperate, which is why terrorism cannot be brought under control there,” he said. Also Read: Govt 'seriously' considering imposing emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa: Tariq Fazal He also criticised the PTI’s governance in the province, saying poor governance had contributed to the growing nexus between terrorism, crime and smuggling, which was indirectly facilitating terrorists. Chaudhry said the issue would also be discussed during talks with the PTI and that the party would have to provide the federal government with the cooperation required to bring terrorism under control in the province. He said it was the PTI’s responsibility, politically and otherwise, to stand with the federal government in dealing with terrorism. On the possibility of an emergency, Chaudhry said all ministers and government spokespersons had maintained that the matter was being seriously considered and that a final decision would be taken after consultations. He said work had already been carried out on the issue, including an assessment of its pros and cons and the possible consequences of its implementation in K-P. However, he said the PML-N and its main ally, the PPP, had maintained from the outset that if the grievances of both sides could be resolved through dialogue and mutual understanding, it had always been the position of the prime minister and every member of the cabinet to pursue that course. The minister’s comments came after the government formed a committee to hold talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership on the current political situation in the country. The decision was taken during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Aiwan-e-Sadr, according to a statement issued by the President House. The decision was taken during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at Aiwan-e-Sadr, according to a statement issued by the President House. The meeting also expressed concern over the security situation in K-P and reviewed the country’s overall security situation.

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Pakistani national indicted in US over alleged $126m postage fraud

A federal grand jury in Florida has indicted a Pakistani national for allegedly operating a website that sold more than 5.1 million counterfeit United States postage labels, causing over $126m in losses to the US Postal Service (USPS). The US Department of Justice said on Monday that Faheem Akram, 33, of Punjab's Khanewal district, operated LabelsBank.com, an online website that allegedly sold counterfeit US postage at a fixed rate — typically $2 per label — regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination. LabelsBank.com was not authorised to sell USPS products and services, the department said. Read: US charges 2 Pakistanis for alleged involvement in $10m health care scheme fraud It added that the counterfeit labels allegedly allowed customers to ship packages at rates far below legitimate USPS prices, resulting in substantial lost revenue and shipping costs to the Postal Service. “The alleged scheme was simple but massive: sell counterfeit postage online at fixed, cut-rate prices, as little as $2 per label, regardless of a package’s weight, size, or destination, enabling customers to avoid legitimate postal service charges,” US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said. “The indictment alleges more than 5.1m counterfeit labels and more than $126m in losses,” he said, adding that the website had been shut down, its domain seized and federal charges brought against its alleged operator. The department said the investigation found that more than 5,200 individuals used LabelsBank.com to purchase more than 5.1m counterfeit shipping labels, resulting in over $126m in alleged losses to USPS. In conjunction with the indictment, USPS obtained a court order authorising the seizure and shutdown of the website, according to the department. “Our reach goes beyond our borders,” Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division said. “Transnational criminal organisations defrauding the postal service and targeting US consumers by pushing phoney postage will be found and brought to justice,” he added. Also Read: US launches online portal to report suspected visa fraud Akram was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the US and to make and sell counterfeit postage stamps, five counts of making and selling counterfeit postage stamp labels and four counts of wire fraud, the department said. If convicted, Akram faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy and counterfeit postage counts and 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count, according to the department. The USPIS Miami Division is investigating the case.

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