Latest news with #Pashto
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Poland moves to curb migrant crossings
Poland said Friday that it had launched an information campaign abroad to deter migrants from trying to cross into the European Union through its border with Belarus. Warsaw has blamed Belarus and its ally Russia for what it calls a hybrid operation to increase migratory pressure at its eastern border in a bid to destabilise the bloc, allegations both countries deny. In March, the Polish government suspended the right to seek asylum, a move intended to deter irregular migrants that was met with outrage from rights groups. "Poland protects its borders effectively. We've launched an information campaign in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Pakistan and Egypt that is aimed at illegal migrants," Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on X. He linked to one of the campaign's videos that showed Polish border guards escorting individuals, as well as other images like barking dogs, stop signs, handcuffs and money. "If someone illegally crosses the border, they will not receive asylum," the narrator says in Pashto.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Afghan jalebi: How a Patna building became hotbed for immigrants with multiple voter IDs
An Afghan National's Arrest At Lko Airport On May 22 Has Led Intel Sleuths To A Sophisticated Racket Of Forged IDs, Illegal Stay & Activities PATNA: Just five-minute walk from the bustling Patna Junction, stands an unassuming two-storey building painted ivory white. Known locally as Wakil Anwer House, this structure tucked in the congested lane off Jamal Road under Kotwali jurisdiction is home to about two dozen rooms. To the casual observer, it's just another residential building in Bihar's capital. But to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and intelligence agencies, it's a curious anomaly—a hub of questionable identities, with electoral rolls showing eerie duplications of names, ages, and fathers' identities. On May 22, the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA) in Lucknow, some 500 km away, became the stage for a dramatic arrest. Jandullah Dad Mohammad, a 29-year-old Afghan national from the volatile Paktika province, was arrested by Bureau of Immigration (BoI) sleuths. He wasn't traveling as Jandullah. Instead, he carried an impeccable suite of Indian identity documents under the alias Rehan, son of Kabir, claiming residency at Wakil Anwer House. His Indian passport (C6978659), Aadhaar card (322874855132), PAN card (ETXPR8222K), driving license (BR0120210005369), SBI bank passbook, municipal corporation Patna issued birth certificate (B-2019 10-90097 025254), voter ID and even a ration card painted a convincing picture of an Indian citizen. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Understanding the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project (Learn More) Search Ads | Advancing Sustainability Search Now Undo But a junior immigration officer's routine verbal check unraveled the façade. 'Aap Patna ke hain? Kahaan se hain wahan?' the officer asked. Rehan's Pashto accent, a remnant of his roots in Paktika—a rugged region bordering Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan—betrayed him. He fumbled basic questions about Patna, a city he claimed as home. His tone was 'all wrong,' the officer. Among his possessions, the BoI recovered an Afghan passport (P01694227) identifying him as Jandullah Dad Mohammad and an expired Indian medical visa (VL2796501) from December 2019. The discovery of $1,600 USD, 3,000 UAE Dirham, Rs 21,000, a UAE visa, hotel bookings, and three mobile phones—including a gleaming iPhone 16 Pro—only deepened the mystery. To the untrained eye, he was just a Bihari heading to Sharjah for work or leisure. But Jandullah's journey from Paktika to Patna to Lucknow's airport has left authorities scrambling to piece together a complex puzzle. A house of suspect identities The ECI's consolidated electoral list, published on January 7, 2025, under a special summary revision, revealed startling details about Wakil Anwer House. Located in the Bankipur assembly constituency and Patna Sahib parliamentary constituency, the building is listed under part name 147, Rajkiye Kanya Uchcha Vidyalay Dakbangla Road (Purvi Bhaag). The list records 12 male occupants, all in their 20s and 30s except one, with no women registered. Alarmingly, at least four of them—including Jandullah's supposed brother Mansur—shared identical details: same age, same father's name (Kabir), and multiple Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs). Rehan's EPIC (AFS3853934) lists him as 29, son of Kabir. Mansur, 30, son of Kabir, holds two EPICs (AFS4130290 and AFS4127999). Mohammad Sher Khan, 43, son of Mohammad Abbas Khan, also has two EPICs (AFS4129953 and AFS4125266). Other occupants include Imtiyaz Khan (25), Salim (26), Eshan Khan (26), Abdul Rehman Khan (24), Iqbal Khan (23), Shafi Khan (22), and Sharo Khan (22). Speaking to TOI, electoral registration officer (ERO) Raghvendra Pratap Singh revealed that investigations pointed to irregularities. 'During our investigation, we were told by the occupants of Wakil Anwer House that Rehan had come to Patna some five years ago. His supposed brother Mansur left for Dubai six months ago, and there is no information about their father, Kabir,' ERO said. Jandullah's real father, Dad Mohammad Khan, suggests the name 'Kabir' was part of the fabricated identity. An Indian passport (U2145507) of Kabir was issued on Feb 4, 2020, however a death certificate of his 'supposed' wife, designates him late Kabir. The deceased woman was identified as Bibi Danagai, who died on September 9, 2018. However, in Kabir's passport his wife's name is Bibi Dano, while in the birth certificate of Rehan's, Kabir's wife's name was mentioned as Bibi Aisha. Meanwhile, the ERO has ordered the cancellation of Mansur's and Mohammad Sher Khan's duplicate EPICs, noting, 'One individual cannot have two EPICs.' The remaining occupants claim their ancestors have lived in India for decades, working as daily wage earners selling dry fruits, carpets, sarees, bangles, and shawls. Singh has demanded their documents for verification to ascertain their nationality. Legacy of Afghan migration Wakil Anwer House's history adds another layer to the story. Syed Akbar Ahmad, one of the property's owners, spoke to the TOI team about its long-standing Afghan connection. 'Rehan's father came from Afghanistan many years back. Five years ago, his son Rehan came, but I don't have any idea about their whereabouts anymore,' Ahmad said. He said, "It never came to our mind for the rent agreement or the police verification of the Afghans as they were living for several years. However, the new occupants now sign a rent agreement and have to follow the police verifications." He further claimed that Afghan tenants have resided on his property for over 70 years, with some families dating back to their grandfathers' time. 'The tenants who started living on my property several decades back have never left or been replaced,' he added. Shayab Khan, a tenant in his early 50s, echoed this sentiment. 'My grandfather migrated to Patna around 70–80 years ago,' he told The Times of India. 'I have all identity proofs as a resident of India, including an Aadhaar card, voter card, driving license, and other documents. I have voted in both assembly and parliamentary elections at least 15 times since I became an eligible voter.' Khan's claim aligns with the historical migration of Pashtuns from Afghanistan to India, particularly before 1947, when many settled in cities like Patna to engage in trade. Web of forgery Jandullah's case points to a sophisticated document racket likely operating out of Patna. After entering India on a six-day medical visa in December 2019, he vanished from Delhi's radar. By 2020, he had acquired a full suite of fake Indian IDs, passing himself off as Rehan from Kotwali Patna. Authorities suspect a local network facilitated this transformation, providing everything from Aadhaar to voter IDs. The BoI's seizure of his documents has triggered a broader investigation into Wakil Anwer House and its occupants. 'We have asked the house owner to bring all related documents, including the rent agreement, to aid the investigation,' ERO Raghvendra Pratap Singh said. 'The case raises pressing questions: Who provided Jandullah with these forged identities? How did he and others secure multiple EPICs? What did he do for a living during his five years in Patna? And who else at Wakil Anwer House might be living under false pretences?,' said an intelligence officer. At least the ECI is working on the ground to verify the identities of all occupants, a process complicated by the lack of women in the electoral list. Broader context Jandullah's arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny of immigration and citizenship in India. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), offers a pathway for Afghan nationals of certain religious communities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) who entered India before December 31, 2014, to apply for citizenship. However, Jandullah, whose religion remains unspecified in reports, appears to have bypassed legal routes, opting for forged documents instead. For Afghan nationals who settled in India before 1947, like some occupants of Wakil Anwer House claim, citizenship may be attainable through registration under Section 5 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, or the CAA if they belong to eligible communities. Yet, Jandullah's attempt to flee to Sharjah suggests a different motive—perhaps evading scrutiny or seeking opportunities abroad under a false identity. Though his e-visa copy read that Jandullah alias Rehan identified himself as a sales representative and was heading UAE for 30 days on tourist visa.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who was Mukul Dev? The Dastak actor who was also a trained pilot
Mukul Dev Movies and Early life Mukul Dev Death Reason Live Events He had isolated himself after the death of his parents Mukul's friend said- he never talked about his health Debut with a TV show in 1996 Acting across languages and platforms Mukul Dev: A pilot before an actor Mukul Dev's Final screen appearance (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Actor Mukul Dev , best known for his debut in Dastak and a career spanning multiple film industries, passed away on Friday night at the age of 54. According to a report by IANS, friends reached his residence on Saturday after hearing the news. The cause of death has not been revealed. Family and friends are in shock and mourning his sudden demise. The news was confirmed by actress Deepshikha Nagpal, who shared an old photo of the two on Instagram with the caption 'RIP.'Mukul Dev was born in New Delhi into a Punjabi family with roots near Jalandhar. His father, Hari Dev, was an assistant commissioner of police and introduced him to Afghan culture. He was fluent in Pashto and had his first brush with performance in class 8 when he was paid for imitating Michael Jackson in a Doordarshan dance show. His formal debut in Bollywood came in 1996 with the film Dastak, opposite Sushmita had also worked extensively in TV serials, web series and music videos. The industry is shocked by his death and people are paying tribute to him on social to the information, Mukul Dev died on 23 May 2025. He was unwell for the last few days and was in the ICU. The 54-year-old actor is survived by his brother Rahul Dev. Vindu Dara Singh, who worked with Mukul in 'Son of Sardar', confirmed this news to India Today. He expressed grief and said that Mukul will not be able to see himself on the big Dara Singh said, 'After the death of his parents, Mukul was isolating himself. He would not even step out of the house and meet anyone. His health deteriorated in the last few days and he was in the hospital. My condolences to his brother and all those who knew and loved him. He was a wonderful person, and we will all miss him.'Mukul's friend and actress Deepshikha Nagpal also posted a photo with the late actor on Instagram. Speaking to India Today, she said that Mukul never talked to anyone about his health. He had a group of friends on WhatsApp in which he used to talk often. She became emotional and said, 'I woke up with this news in the morning. I have been calling his number since then, hoping he will pick up the phone.'Mukul Dev was born on 17 September 1970 in a Punjabi family in New Delhi. He made his acting debut with the TV serial 'Mumkin' in 1996. Later, along with TV, he worked in more than 60 films in Hindi as well as Punjabi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada and was last seen on the big screen in the film 'Ant The End' in 2022. On TV, he appeared in the role of Gul Badshah in the serial '21 Sarfarosh' in 2018. While he was seen in the web series 'State of Siege: 26/11' on OTT in his debut, Dev acted in several Hindi and Punjabi films and became known for his diverse roles in both cinema and television. His performances in films such as Son of Sardaar, R... Rajkumar, and Jai Ho were well received. He also appeared in TV serials and hosted the first season of a stunt-based reality worked in multiple languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, Bengali, and his full-time acting career, Mukul Dev completed his aviation training at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi in Raebareli. He worked as a commercial pilot for nearly a decade and also ran an aeronautical training Deepshikha Nagpal, a close friend, expressed her grief on Instagram, writing: 'Can't believe this. Rest in peace.'Dev's last film appearance was in Anth The End, released in 2022. The film was directed by K. S. Malhotra and featured Divya Dutta, Dev Sharma, Samikssha Batnagar, and Mukul Dev. It was a mystery thriller with a runtime of around 106 minutes.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kari Lake brought back a skeleton crew to Voice of America. They're ‘angry most of the time'
While a federal appeals court appears to have given its blessing to the Trump administration's efforts to completely gut Voice of America, the bare-bones staff that Kari Lake brought back earlier this month has been wracked with low morale and confusion. 'I am angry most of the time I'm in there,' one staffer told Poynter this week. In March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA and its sister outlets, to reduce staffing down to the 'statutory minimum.' Lake, the failed Arizona politician who now serves as senior adviser overseeing the agency, subsequently laid off hundreds of contracted employees and placed the rest of VOA's staff on indefinite leave. Following a series of lawsuits from VOA employees and executives, Lake was ordered by a district court judge last month to restore Voice of America and bring back its workforce. Additionally, the judge ruled that the administration needed to reinstate Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. 'Not only is there an absence of 'reasoned analysis' from the defendants; there is an absence of any analysis whatsoever,' Judge Royce C. Lamberth wrote. Earlier this month, however, a three-judge appellate court panel decided to freeze the lower court's injunction, saying it needed more time to consider the merits of the case. On Thursday, the full appellate court said it would not intervene at this time. 'We are devastated and concerned that this ruling might lead to further adverse reactions from the administration,' Patsy Widakuswara, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit and VOA's White House bureau chief for Voice of America, told The Independent about the appeals court decision. 'But our day in court is not over yet, and we are committed to fighting until we can return to our congressionally mandated right to broadcast factual, balanced, and comprehensive new.' After Lamberth's initial order to return Voice of America to the air and staff it back up, a small group of 30 employees – from a staff of 1300 workers on leave – was brought back by Lake earlier this month. In an article for Poynter, Liam Scott – VOA's press freedom reporter until he was placed on leave in March and informed he would be terminated this month – spoke to several of the staffers who returned this month and described the 'grim and confusing' atmosphere in VOA headquarters. 'People who are in there do not see this as some kind of hopeful return,' one employee told Scott. 'I am angry most of the time I'm in there… They can't credibly say that they haven't shut us down when zero people are working,' Prior to the president's executive order, VOA broadcast in 49 languages around the world to a weekly measured audience of roughly 360 million people, some of whom live in highly censored authoritarian states. Now, according to those at the pared-down network, Voice of America's content is only translated into Dari, Mandarin Chinese, Pashto and Persian. 'The amount of programming that's being produced is not a credible replacement for what was on air before,' a staffer said. 'We were a 24/7 news operation. Now we're a five-minutes-a-day, five-days-a-week operation,' another source added. 'We all know that this is not what this place is meant to be doing.' Voice of America's primary English-language newsroom, meanwhile, produces just one television segment and a handful of articles a day, which are then translated into four different languages and published, according to Poynter. Notably, with press freedom experts expressing concern about Kremlin propaganda filling the airspace left vacant by VOA's absence, the network is not publishing in Russian in its current depleted state. At the same time, the small cohort that is currently working to produce what little VOA content they can is still following the network's charter, noting that they haven't received any editorial requests from the agency since returning. Interestingly, despite Lake's recent announcement that VOA had partnered up with MAGA cable channel One America News to provide a news feed, Voice of America has yet to air any OAN content. 'No one's really in charge,' a staffer told Poynter, noting the lack of clear leadership at VOA right now. Mike Abramowitz, the network's director, remains on administrative leave. The Independent has reached out to Lake and the USAGM for comment. While fewer than three dozen employees man the ship, hundreds of other full-time VOA staffers remain on the sidelines and in limbo as they wait to hear from the administration about their fate. All the while, Lake has cut other 'frivolous expenditures' from VOA and its sister broadcasters. In March, for instance, she canceled the agency's contracts to carry reporting from wire services such as Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. The media agency also reneged on a 15-year lease for new office headquarters – even though it actually saved the government more than $150 million. Though much of the network's full-time staff remains on administrative leave, such as Widakuswara, hundreds of others have already been told they are gone. Last week, Lake announced that 584 total employees were terminated across the agency, the majority of whom came from VOA. 'We will continue to scale back the bloat at [the agency] and make an archaic dinosaur into something worthy of being funded by hardworking Americans,' she told The Washington Post of the terminations before adding: 'Buckle up. There's more to come.' Widakuswara, meanwhile, bluntly described how she feels that Lake and the administration are treating the VOA staff at the moment. 'My assessment of the situation is that this is just more emotional terror that they're applying to us,' she told The Independent. 'There's no rhyme or reason why they're bringing people back and then kicking them out. To me, it feels like emotional terror to ensure obedience.'
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
In Virginia, a military stronghold becomes a haven for Afghan refugees
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Kat Renfroe was at Mass when she saw a volunteer opportunity in the bulletin. Her Catholic parish was looking for tutors for Afghan youth, newly arrived in the United States. There was a personal connection for Renfroe. Her husband, now retired from the Marine Corps, had deployed to Afghanistan four times. 'He just never talked about any other region the way he did about the people there,' she said. She signed up to volunteer. 'It changed my life,' she said. That was seven years ago. She and her husband are still close to the young man she tutored, along with his family. And Renfroe has made a career of working with refugees. She now supervises the Fredericksburg migration and refugee services office, part of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington. That faith-based work is now in peril. As part of President Trump's immigration crackdown, his administration banned most incoming refugees in January and froze federal funds for the programs. Across the country, local resettlement agencies like hers have been forced to lay off staff or close their doors. Refugees and other legal migrants have been left in limbo, including Afghans who supported the U.S. in their native country. The upheaval is particularly poignant in this part of Virginia, which boasts both strong ties to the military and to resettled Afghans, along with faith communities that support both groups. Situated south of Washington and wedged among military bases, Fredericksburg and its surrounding counties are home to tens of thousands of veterans and active-duty personnel. Virginia has resettled more Afghan refugees per capita than any other state. The Fredericksburg area now has halal markets, Afghan restaurants and school outreach programs for families who speak Dari and Pashto. Many of these U.S.-based Afghans are still waiting for family members to join them — hopes that appear on indefinite hold. Families fear a new travel ban will emerge with Afghanistan on the list. A subset of Afghans already in the U.S. may soon face deportation as the Trump administration ends their temporary protected status. 'I think it's tough for military families, especially those who have served, to look back on 20 years and not feel as though there's some confusion and maybe even some anger about the situation,' Renfroe said. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced in April that it was ending its decades-old partnership with the federal government to resettle refugees. The move came after the Trump administration halted the program's federal funding, which the bishops' conference channels to local Catholic Charities. The Fredericksburg Catholic Charities office has continued aiding current clients and operating with minimal layoffs thanks to its diocese's support and state funds. But it's unclear what the local agency's future will be without federal funding or arriving refugees. 'I'll just keep praying,' Renfroe said. 'It's all I can do from my end.' Religious groups have long been at the heart of U.S. refugee resettlement work. Until the recent policy changes, seven out of the 10 national organizations that partnered with the U.S. government to resettle refugees were faith-based. They were aided by hundreds of local affiliates and religious congregations. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington has been working with refugees for 50 years, starting with Vietnamese people after the fall of Saigon. For the last 10 years, most of its clients have been Afghans, with an influx arriving in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power. Area faith groups like Renfroe's large church — St. Mary's in Fredericksburg — have been key to helping Afghan newcomers get on their feet. Volunteers from local congregations furnish homes, provide meals and drive families to appointments. 'As a church, we care deeply. As Christians, we care deeply,' said Joi Rogers, who led the Afghan ministry at her Southern Baptist church. 'As military, we also just have an obligation to them as people that committed to helping the U.S. in our mission over there.' Rogers' husband, Jake, a former Marine, is one of the pastors at Pillar, a network of 16 Southern Baptist churches that minister to military members. Their flagship location is near Quantico, the Marine base in northern Virginia, where nearly 5,000 Afghans were evacuated to after the fall of Kabul. With Southern Baptist relief funds, Pillar Church hired Joi Rogers to work part time as a volunteer coordinator in the base's makeshift refugee camp in 2021. She helped organize programming, including children's activities. Her position was under the auspices of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which the government contracted to help run the camp. For Pillar's founding pastor, Colby Garman, the effort was an easy decision. 'It was affecting so many of the lives of our families here who had served in Afghanistan.' 'We've been told to love God and love our neighbor,' Garman said. 'I said to our people, this is an opportunity, a unique opportunity, for us to demonstrate love for our neighbor.' Within five months, as the Afghans left the base for locations around the country, the support at the camp transitioned to the broader community. Pillar started hosting an English class. Church members visited locally resettled families and tried to keep track of their needs. For one Pillar Church couple in nearby Stafford, Va., that meant opening their home to a teenager who had arrived alone in the U.S. after being separated from her family at the Kabul airport — a situation they heard about through the church. Katlyn Williams and her husband Phil Williams, then an active-duty Marine, served as foster parents for Mahsa Zarabi, now 20, during her junior and senior years of high school. They introduced her to many American firsts: the beach, homecoming, learning to drive. 'The community was great,' Zarabi said. 'They welcomed me very well.' She attends college nearby; the Williamses visit her monthly. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this spring, they broke fast with her and her family, now safely in Virginia. 'She has and will always be part of our family,' Katlyn Williams said. Her friend Joi Rogers, while careful not to speak for Pillar, said watching the recent dismantling of the federal refugee program has 'been very hard for me personally.' Veterans and members of the military tend to vote Republican. Most Southern Baptists are among Trump's staunch white evangelical supporters. For those reasons, Pillar pastor Garman knows it may be surprising to some that his church network has been steadfast in supporting refugees. 'I totally understand that is the case, but I think that is a bias of just not knowing who we are and what we do,' Garman said after a recent Sunday service. Later, sitting in the church office with his wife, Jake Rogers said, 'We recognize that there are really faithful Christians that could lie on either side of the issue of refugee policy.' 'Regardless of your view on what our national stance should be on this,' he said, 'we as Christ followers should have a heart for these people that reflects God's heart for these people.' Later that week, nearly two dozen Afghan women gathered around a table at the Fredericksburg refugee office, while children played with toys in the corner. The class topic was self-care, led by an Afghan staff member. Along the back wall waited dishes of rice and chicken, part of a celebratory potluck to mark the end of Ramadan. Sitting at the front was Suraya Qaderi, the last client to arrive at the resettlement agency before the U.S. government suspended new arrivals. She was in Qatar waiting to be cleared for a flight to the United States when the Trump administration started canceling approved travel plans for refugees. 'I was one of the lucky last few,' said Qaderi, who was allowed to proceed. She arrived in Virginia on Jan. 24, the day the administration sent stop-work orders to resettlement agencies. Qaderi worked for the election commission in Afghanistan, and she received a special immigrant visa for her close ties to the U.S. government. She was a child when her father disappeared under the previous Taliban regime. The return of the Taliban government was like 'the end of the world,' she said. As a woman, she lost many of her rights, including her ability to work and leave home unaccompanied. She studied Islamic law during her university years. She believes the Taliban's interpretation of Islam is wrong on the rights of women. 'Islam is not only for them,' she said. The resettlement office includes not only Catholic staffers, but many Muslim employees and clients. 'We find so much commonality between our faiths,' Renfroe said. Her Catholic faith guides her work, and it's sustaining her through the uncertainty of what the funding and policy changes will mean for her organization, which remains committed to helping refugees. 'I'm happy to go back to being a volunteer again if that's what it takes,' Renfroe said. Regardless of government contracts, she wants local refugee families to know 'that we're still here, that we care about them and that we want to make sure that they have what they need.' Stanley writes for the Associated Press.
