Latest news with #UN-based
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry: Pak ISPR chief is the son of UN-designated terrorist
Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry, the media face of Pakistan's military during tensions with India after Pahalgam terror attack, is the son of Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a UN-designated terrorist and has been a close aide of Osama Bin Laden. read more Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry, the Pakistani media face echoing the voice of the Pindi-based Pakistani force, is the son of Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a man Pakistan hails as a nuclear scientist, but whose affiliations reveal a darker legacy, with being designation as a UN-based terrorist. Chaudhry is a three-star General in the Pakistan Army and currently serves as the 22nd Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Of late, he has become the principal spokesperson of the Rawalpindi-based military, frequently justifying its actions and its deep-rooted policy of sponsoring terrorism, and later, blatant aggression rather than merely explaining the acts. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Father builds extremist organisation His father, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, founded Ummah Tameer-e-Nau (UTN) in 1999—an extremist Islamic organisation that was banned and sanctioned by the United States in 2001. Although Pakistan celebrates Mahmood's contributions to its nuclear programme, international agencies have long viewed him with grave concern. DGISPR Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry is the son of a UN and US designated global terrorist Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood. His father provided Osama Bin Laden information about chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. — Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) May 10, 2025 UN sanctioned terrorist Mahmood was listed and sanctioned by the United Nations' Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in December 2001. Additionally, he was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which even listed his address as the Al-Qaeda safe house in Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul. Though Chaudhry continues to legitimise Pakistan's radical actions through official narratives, his familial ties to global terror networks cannot be overlooked. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His father, now reportedly living in anonymity in Islamabad, has authored several books on the supposed connection between Islam and science. Among his more bizarre and widely ridiculed claims is the idea that electricity can be generated by capturing djinns. Father is close aide of Osama bin Laden His father was close to Osama bin Laden and came under US scrutiny. Pakistan remains an economic failure, producing little of significance, and its constant nuclear threats only strengthen its image as an irresponsible state. Recently, the world has been reminded of Pakistan's involvement in numerous major terrorist attacks, from 9/11 to the London bombings and the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, further embarrassing Islamabad. India has accused Pakistan of having direct links to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were brutally killed by Pakistan-based militants. Pakistan's long-standing policy of harbouring and weaponising terrorists as instruments of statecraft has once again come under international scrutiny. In response, India launched a highly successful anti-terror operation, Operation Sindoor , on 7 May, targeting terror camps and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Indian army's precise attack on terror The Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes on nine identified terror camps, including key locations and headquarters in Bahawalpur and Muridke, long-time strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), respectively. The operation employed advanced military assets including Rafale jets equipped with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs, BrahMos cruise missiles, and loitering munitions. At a press briefing on Saturday, the Indian government said it does not seek escalation but will respond to any provocation. At a joint briefing with the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said India has responded to all Pakistani military actions and that the armed forces are in a high state of operational readiness.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry: Pak ISPR chief is the son UN-designated terrorist
Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry, the media face of Pakistan's military during tensions with India after Pahalgam terror attack, is the son of Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a UN-designated terrorist and controversial figure in Pakistan's nuclear programme. read more Ahmed Shareef Chaudhry, the Pakistani media face echoing the voice of the Pindi-based Pakistani force, is the son of Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a man Pakistan hails as a nuclear scientist, but whose affiliations reveal a darker legacy, with being designation as a UN-based terrorist. Chaudhry is a three-star General in the Pakistan Army and currently serves as the 22nd Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Of late, he has become the principal spokesperson of the Rawalpindi-based military, frequently justifying its actions and its deep-rooted policy of sponsoring terrorism, and later, blatant aggression rather than merely explaining the acts. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Father builds extremist organisation His father, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, founded Ummah Tameer-e-Nau (UTN) in 1999—an extremist Islamic organisation that was banned and sanctioned by the United States in 2001. Although Pakistan celebrates Mahmood's contributions to its nuclear programme, international agencies have long viewed him with grave concern. UN and US designated terrorist Mahmood was listed and sanctioned by the United Nations' Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in December 2001. Additionally, he was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which even listed his address as the Al-Qaeda safe house in Wazir Akbar Khan, Kabul. Though Chaudhry continues to legitimise Pakistan's radical actions through official narratives, his familial ties to global terror networks cannot be overlooked. His father, now reportedly living in anonymity in Islamabad, has authored several books on the supposed connection between Islam and science. Among his more bizarre and widely ridiculed claims is the idea that electricity can be generated by capturing djinns. India has accused Pakistan of having direct links to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were brutally killed by Pakistan-based militants. Pakistan's long-standing policy of harbouring and weaponising terrorists as instruments of statecraft has once again come under international scrutiny. In response, India launched a highly successful anti-terror operation, Operation Sindoor, on 7 May, targeting terror camps and infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indian army's precise attack on terror The Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes on nine identified terror camps, including key locations and headquarters in Bahawalpur and Muridke, long-time strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), respectively. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The operation employed advanced military assets including Rafale jets equipped with SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs, BrahMos cruise missiles, and loitering munitions.
Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
India suspends postal exchange with Pak: No exchange of daak for over 4 years now, say officials
Speaking to The Indian Express, Lakshmikanta Dash, deputy director general (DDG), International Relations and Global Business, India Post, said: 'The Government of India has decided to suspend the exchange of all kinds of postal mail and parcels from Pakistan via both air and land routes.' However, practically, the postal services between the two countries have remained suspended for the last five years now, after Islamabad had 'unilaterally stopped accepting postal bags from India' at Wagah border (land route) and other points of exchange including air route in August 2019 following abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir. It was first in the history of both the countries. Even through the three wars that two countries have fought, the exchange of daak had remained unaffected. The services resumed in November 2019 for a brief period, before again being stopped by Pakistan in 2020. India however had still kept the window open and hadn't issued any written order banning postal exchange with Pakistan at that time. The Saturday's order is a first by New Delhi officially banning postal exchange with Pakistan. The exchange in November 2019 had resumed after India shot off a letter to UN-based agency Universal Postal Union (UPU) headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, apprising them of Pakistan's 'unilateral' decision and that it has 'defied UPU norms' by not serving any prior notice before suspending the service. The international postal service across the world is regulated by UPU. However, according to India Post officials, Islamabad again stopped the postal exchange 'without any prior notice somewhere in 2020.' Dash said since over four years now, 'Pakistan was not accepting postal mail bags from India.' 'Today it's the first such order from our side suspending the exchange. Pakistan has not accepted our mails for at least four years now. In 2020, our department had tendered a reply in the Parliament that no mails were being exchanged between both countries. In fact, the Indian side had requested Islamabd to accept the letters keeping in view some fishermen who happen to be in Pakistan jails and their family members want to connect with them but there was no positive outcome,' said Dash. There are three agreements signed between both countries covering postal exchange. The oldest one is Exchange of Value Payable Article, 1948 followed by 'Exchange of Postal Article, 1974' and 'International Speed Post Agreement, 1987.' For the people of the two countries, with loved ones on both sides of the border, daak or khat, was an important link even in the times of emails, WhatsApp and video calls. A postal department official from Amritsar division said: 'After Pakistan resumed the postal exchange via Attari-Wagah border, the vans from both sides used to swap mail bags but it stopped again during Covid in 2020. It never resumed thereafter and Wagah border was also removed as a point of exchange, and entire operations were shifted to Foreign Post Office (FPO), Delhi'. Earlier, the two countries used to exchange mailbags via air-route almost on a daily basis and land route (Wagah border), and Delhi and Mumbai Foreign Post Offices (FPOs) were designated to handle mail for Pakistan. Delhi-based Devika Mittal, who runs a peace initiative Aaghaz-e-Dosti, under which schoolchildren from both countries are encouraged to communicate with each other via letters, said: 'Until 2017, we were posting those letters and children in both countries could feel that love and emotion by holding those letters in their hands. However, even then, it would take ages for letters to get delivered. The postal exchange was a silent but powerful medium for people of both countries to connect. Now, we just scan the letters and teachers take print-outs and give them to children to read'. Chandigarh -based Navsangeet Kaur, founder of White Faclon Publishing House, says: 'Knowing the importance of letter writing between people of both countries and how those letters are now a part of invaluable heritage, we published a book 'Chitthi Sarhad Paar Se' (A letter from across the border) which is a compilation of such letters from both sides.' August 23, 2019: Pakistan 'unilaterally' stops postal exchange with India following abrogation of Article 370 from J&K. India writes to Universal Postal Union (UPU), Switzerland; says Pakistan has 'defied UPU norms' by not issuing prior notice before suspending service October 2019: India stops postal bookings for Pakistan, says not being picked up by the other side. November 2019: Pakistan Post issues order to 'partially resume' services with India, 'only to the extent of letter mail and Express Mail Service (EMS) documents'; exchange of parcels, merchandise etc still banned
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starmer has lost sight of the national interest
The Government is sinking deeper into the mire of the Chagos arrangement it has sought to reach with Mauritius. How this deal benefits the country is anyone's guess. The Prime Minister is now arguing that there are mysterious national security reasons for this baffling decision. In order to secure the long-term use of the military base on Diego Garcia, part of the archipelago, he said it was necessary to hand the islands over to Mauritius, a country more than 1,200 miles away, and to pay it £9 billion for the privilege of doing so. 'Without legal certainty the base cannot operate in practical terms as it should,' Sir Keir said. Are we really expected to believe that a non-binding judgment by a UN-based international court has made it impossible for the UK and the US to continue operating from Diego Garcia as they have done for decades? On what possible basis can that be true, other than in the most abstruse legalistic terms? It is emblematic of the Prime Minister's willingness to accept any legal opinion as gospel. Sir Keir is in thrall to fellow human rights lawyers like the Attorney General Lord Hermer and his friend Philippe Sands KC, who advised Mauritius. He has lost sight of the national interest in a thicket of legal documents. We need to see the details of the deal, how much it costs, who benefits and the alleged national security reasons cited by Sir Keir must be spelled out. The agreement is on hold pending the opinion of President Trump. But if Washington says no, will the Prime Minister proceed anyway and jeopardise UK relations with the White House? He needs to back down now. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
