WASHINGTON: Pakistan is doing the “bare minimum” to squeeze the Taliban and terror groups, a senior US administration official said Friday, despite Washington’s threat to freeze two billion dollars’ worth of aid.
The official’s comments also come as Pakistan is trying to avoid being put on a global watch list over terrorism financing that could hamper its ability to receive foreign investment.
“The Pakistanis have wanted to appear responsive,” the official said on condition of anonymity, sketching out the need for increased pressure.
“They have done the bare minimum to appear responsive to our requests,” the official added, citing the need to prod the Taliban toward the negotiating table and round-up militants.
“We continue to make very specific requests, and when provided with very specific information they have responded, but we have not seen them pro-actively take the steps that we expect and know they are capable of.”
It is more than 200 days since President Donald Trump announced America’s latest strategy to win the long war in Afghanistan, focusing on pushing the Taliban to the negotiating table.
The plan demanded Pakistan move against Taliban leaders who support a continuation of the war, under the threat of cutting US military assistance and Afghanistan coalition funding to Islamabad.
So far, the strategy has borne only limited fruit, limiting the Taliban’s march on the battlefield.
But, according to Washington, there is little sign that Islamabad has made a decision to end its support for group which the country’s powerful security services see as safeguarding its interests and against bulwark against Indian influence in Kabul.
“We didn’t think this would be easy,” the official said. “We need to sustain the pressure.”
“I don’t think that we can just the efficacy of the strategy right now. We should give it more time, it deserves more time,” the official added, suggesting an August anniversary of Trump’s strategy speech may be a good time to reflect.
Members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an anti money-laundering watchdog based Paris, voted last month to place Pakistan on its grey list of nations which are not doing enough to combat terror financing in June, reportedly under US pressure.
That gives Pakistan three months to make enough changes to avoid the listing.
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Pakistan doing ‘bare minimum’ to help US — official
Pakistan doing ‘bare minimum’ to help US — official
In Pakistan, ‘Eternal Love’ has no place on YouTube
- YouTube blocked the Urdu-language dating show after complaints that it violated cultural and religious norms
- YouTube blocked the Urdu-language dating show after complaints that it violated cultural and religious norms
ISLAMABAD: YouTube has hit pause on a dating show that whisked eight men and women from conservative Pakistan to a sun-soaked Istanbul villa, where the strangers mingled, flirted and searched for chemistry.
What was meant to be a glittering escape into modern-day romance sparked a storm back home, turning the rose-petal drama into a cultural, traditional and religious flashpoint.
Dating and sex outside of marriage are prohibited by law in the Muslim-majority country, where public displays of affection can draw penalties.
The show “Lazawal Ishq,” or “Eternal Love,” aired 50 episodes before it was recently taken off YouTube in Pakistan, though it is still available elsewhere.
The format, reminiscent of the British reality hit “Love Island,” pushed boundaries that Pakistani entertainment typically avoids.
“Our program might not be watchable in Pakistan due to political reasons,” the show posted on its Instagram page.
It advised Pakistani viewers to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to continue watching.
YouTube did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment on why the show was suspended.
The show’s trailer starts with the host, actress Ayesha Omer, entering the villa in a white dress, where she meets contestants who are to choose a partner of their liking and test their compatibility through 100 episodes.
Omer swiftly came under fire online for wearing a “Western dress” and hosting a show that “promotes obscene and immoral content,” an increasingly common reaction to celebrities who deviate from Pakistan’s conservative expectations.
Omer countered on Instagram that “this is not a Pakistani show... it is a Turkish production, but of course people in Pakistan can watch it.”
A LOT OF COMPLAINTS
The Urdu-language show proved popular, with the inaugural trailer getting over two million views.
The online buzz underscored a growing divide between Pakistan’s younger, digitally connected audience and traditional gatekeepers anxious about changing values.
“It was something fun to watch. A show that showed that people in Pakistan can and do date even though it is frowned upon,” said one viewer who requested anonymity to speak freely.
But someone soon filed a petition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), it said, seeking a ban and claiming the show goes against “Pakistan’s religious and social values by showing unmarried men and women living together.”
The regulator acknowledged receiving “a lot of complaints” about “Eternal Love” but said it did not have jurisdiction over digital platforms.
PEMRA advised petitioning the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which oversees online content. It did not respond to requests for comment.
It is not the first time YouTube has taken down a program deemed offensive by conservative Pakistanis.
Last year, the show “Barzakh,” a family drama that touched on topics including love and spirituality, was removed on claims it promoted LGBTQ relationships.
