ISLAMABAD: Pakistani prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan called for more “trustworthy” ties with the United States which have frayed amid US accusations that Pakistan is aiding Islamist insurgents waging war in Afghanistan, something Islamabad denies.
Khan, who is due to be sworn-in as premier next week after his July 25 election victory, met acting US Ambassador to Pakistan John F. Hoover on Wednesday and said the ups and downs in relations had led to a “trust deficit.”
Washington has suspended aid and military assistance to Pakistan.
“(My party) wants to build a relationship with United States based on trust and mutual respect and hence our government will engage with US to make this relationship more balanced and trustworthy,” Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said in a statement late on Wednesday, attributing comments to Khan.
Khan added that there was a need to “transform” the diplomatic ties between the two countries. The US Embassy in Pakistan has not commented on the meeting.
In January, USPresident Donald Trump further strained relations with a withering attack on Pakistan on Twitter, accusing Pakistan of playing a “double game” on fighting terrorism and vowing a tougher approach.
In the same tweet he said the United States has been rewarded with “nothing but lies and deceit” for “foolishly” giving Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid in the past 15 years.
Last week, the United States angered Islamabad by raising the prospect of opposing any future International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for Pakistan, which its economy badly needs, due to concerns the money would go toward paying off Chinese loans.
The United States is wary of the closer ties between Pakistan and China, which have deepened in recent years on the back of Beijing’s pledge to fund $57 billion in infrastructure as part of its vast Belt and Road initiative.
Khan’s party said the former cricketer also discussed Afghanistan with the US envoy, stressing that a political solution was needed rather than more fighting.
“Stability in Afghanistan, he said, is (in) the larger interests of Pakistan, America and the region and hence should be earned through viable political engagements,” said Khan, according to the PTI statement.
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Pakistan’s Imran Khan calls for more “trustworthy” ties with US
Pakistan’s Imran Khan calls for more “trustworthy” ties with US
- The US is wary of the closer ties between Pakistan and China
- The United States angered Islamabad by raising the prospect of opposing any future International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for Pakistan
Driver behind Liverpool football parade ‘horror’ warned of long jail term
- His rampage “generated horror in those who had attended what they thought would be a day of joyfulness,” the prosecution said
LONDON: A driver who unleashed road rage horror on fans celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League victory, injuring over 100 people by plowing into them with his car, broke down Monday at his sentencing hearing.
Paul Doyle wiped away tears as prosecutors relayed how the 54-year-old lost his temper and drove into the crowds.
His rampage “generated horror in those who had attended what they thought would be a day of joyfulness,” the prosecution said.
Doyle dramatically changed his plea during his trial in November, admitting to deliberately driving his car through the crowds in Liverpool city center in May.
“The defendant had used the vehicle as a weapon,” injuring 134 people over the course of less than 10 minutes as he lost his temper, prosecuting lawyer Paul Greaney told Liverpool Crown Court as the two-day sentencing hearing opened.
“Paul Doyle just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to. In a rage he drove into the crowd, and when he did so, he intended to cause people within the crowd serious harm,” Greaney told the court.
Doyle pleaded guilty to 31 criminal charges last month, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent, affray and dangerous driving.
Judge Andrew Menary told Doyle to prepare for “a custodial sentence of some length.”
The maximum sentence for the most serious offenses is life imprisonment.
Doyle had previously denied the criminal charges against him, and prosecutors said he had planned to contest them by arguing that he drove into crowds after panicking.
But he made the unexpected U-turn on the second day of his trial, pleading guilty to each of the 31 counts, which relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77 years old.
Doyle left the cul-de-sac where he lived with his family in a Liverpool suburb on May 26 in his grey Ford Galaxy Titanium.
He was due to collect his friend who had joined the hundreds of thousands of fans celebrating Liverpool’s victory in claiming a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.
- ‘Serious harm’ -
In what appears to be an extreme case of road rage, over the course of seven minutes, Doyle instead drove his nearly two-ton vehicle seemingly indiscriminately into pedestrians.
“He was prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through,” Greaney said.
Some 50 people required hospital treatment, according to Merseyside Police.
Doyle’s youngest victim was a six-month-old baby who was flung from his pram, but was miraculously unhurt.
Police swiftly declared that the incident was not terrorism, and it was later clarified that Doyle was “completely sober.”
Dashcam footage from his car played in court showed Doyle getting increasingly angry as he drove his vehicle through his crowd, hurling insults and screaming as he veered directly into people.
The harrowing clip showed pedestrians thrown against the car’s bonnet and others getting stuck under the vehicle, amid cries of horror.
The car eventually stopped after several people including children became trapped beneath it and a pedestrian jumped inside for the final 16 seconds of its ill-fated journey, according to prosecutors.
A man who got in the vehicle pushed the gear into park, helping bring it to a stop.
Doyle briefly joined the Royal Marines after school, according to media reports, later working in IT and cybersecurity.
People who knew him told UK media he was a “family-man” interested in fitness and well-liked by his neighbors.
He was registered as the owner of a headwear business, FarOut Caps, and appeared to use the company’s social media account to post about cryptocurrency and video games.
Paul Doyle wiped away tears as prosecutors relayed how the 54-year-old lost his temper and drove into the crowds.
His rampage “generated horror in those who had attended what they thought would be a day of joyfulness,” the prosecution said.
Doyle dramatically changed his plea during his trial in November, admitting to deliberately driving his car through the crowds in Liverpool city center in May.
“The defendant had used the vehicle as a weapon,” injuring 134 people over the course of less than 10 minutes as he lost his temper, prosecuting lawyer Paul Greaney told Liverpool Crown Court as the two-day sentencing hearing opened.
“Paul Doyle just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to. In a rage he drove into the crowd, and when he did so, he intended to cause people within the crowd serious harm,” Greaney told the court.
Doyle pleaded guilty to 31 criminal charges last month, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent, affray and dangerous driving.
Judge Andrew Menary told Doyle to prepare for “a custodial sentence of some length.”
The maximum sentence for the most serious offenses is life imprisonment.
Doyle had previously denied the criminal charges against him, and prosecutors said he had planned to contest them by arguing that he drove into crowds after panicking.
But he made the unexpected U-turn on the second day of his trial, pleading guilty to each of the 31 counts, which relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77 years old.
Doyle left the cul-de-sac where he lived with his family in a Liverpool suburb on May 26 in his grey Ford Galaxy Titanium.
He was due to collect his friend who had joined the hundreds of thousands of fans celebrating Liverpool’s victory in claiming a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.
- ‘Serious harm’ -
In what appears to be an extreme case of road rage, over the course of seven minutes, Doyle instead drove his nearly two-ton vehicle seemingly indiscriminately into pedestrians.
“He was prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through,” Greaney said.
Some 50 people required hospital treatment, according to Merseyside Police.
Doyle’s youngest victim was a six-month-old baby who was flung from his pram, but was miraculously unhurt.
Police swiftly declared that the incident was not terrorism, and it was later clarified that Doyle was “completely sober.”
Dashcam footage from his car played in court showed Doyle getting increasingly angry as he drove his vehicle through his crowd, hurling insults and screaming as he veered directly into people.
The harrowing clip showed pedestrians thrown against the car’s bonnet and others getting stuck under the vehicle, amid cries of horror.
The car eventually stopped after several people including children became trapped beneath it and a pedestrian jumped inside for the final 16 seconds of its ill-fated journey, according to prosecutors.
A man who got in the vehicle pushed the gear into park, helping bring it to a stop.
Doyle briefly joined the Royal Marines after school, according to media reports, later working in IT and cybersecurity.
People who knew him told UK media he was a “family-man” interested in fitness and well-liked by his neighbors.
He was registered as the owner of a headwear business, FarOut Caps, and appeared to use the company’s social media account to post about cryptocurrency and video games.
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