WASHINGTON: The United States said Friday that it had suspended tax exemption privileges enjoyed by Pakistani diplomats due to parallel disputes with Islamabad in the latest dust-up between the countries.
Under the 1961 Vienna Convention, diplomats around the world do not pay taxes in countries where they are posted, with embassy staffers in Washington routinely flashing State Department-issued exemption cards when dining out or shopping.
The State Department said it withdrew tax exemptions for Pakistani diplomats and their dependents as of May 15, citing pending tax issues faced by US diplomats in Pakistan.
“The issue is the subject of ongoing bilateral discussions, and we hope to be able to resolve the issue and restore the tax privileges,” a State Department spokesman said.
While the latest issue was not linked to politics, the United States last year restricted Pakistani diplomats in Washington from traveling outside a 25-mile (40-kilometer) radius around the US capital after charging that Pakistani police routinely harass US diplomats, including through time-consuming traffic stops.
The Pakistani embassy in Washington said that 22 officials enjoyed the tax exemption.
In a statement, it also said that discussions were underway “on the basis of the principle of reciprocity.”
Pakistan is a Cold War ally of the United States but the two countries have had bumpy relations in recent years, with President Donald Trump cutting off some $300 million in military aid, saying Islamabad had failed to curb Islamist extremists who stage attacks in Afghanistan and India.
Pakistan has tried to revive ties by using its contacts with the Taliban to facilitate negotiations with the Trump administration, which wants to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and end America’s longest war.
US pulls tax exemption from Pakistani diplomats
US pulls tax exemption from Pakistani diplomats
- Withdraws privileges citing pending tax issues faced by US diplomats in Pakistan
- Under Vienna Convention, diplomats do not pay taxes in countries where they are posted
Pakistan expresses solidarity with Australia as gunmen kill at least 12 in Bondi Beach shooting
- Gunmen targeted people gathered at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach to celebrate Jewish Hannukah festival
- Pakistan, itself a victim of “terrorism,” condemns violence against innocent civilians, says President Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed solidarity with Australia on Sunday as gunmen killed at least 12 people and wounded a dozen others in the Bondi Beach shooting that targeted the Jewish community in the country.
New South Wales (NSW) police said two people had been taken into custody, and the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said one of at least two gunmen was among those killed. Around a dozen people were taken to local hospitals after the shooting, an NSW ambulance spokesperson said.
The attackers targeted a large group gathered at the northern end of Sydney’s Bondi Beach, near or at Bondi Park playground, as per news reports, when the attack happened. Gunmen attacked people who were there to celebrate an event related to the Jewish festival of Hannukah.
“President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed sorrow over the tragic shooting in Sydney, conveyed condolences to the victims’ families & wished the injured a speedy recovery,” the president of Pakistan’s official account on X wrote.
“Pakistan itself a victim of terrorism, stands in solidarity with & condemns violence against innocent civilians.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the Sydney attack, expressing condolences with victims of the incident.
“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he wrote on X.
As per international media reports, one of the gunmen has been identified as Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s southwest. His country of origin remains unclear.
One of the world’s most famous beaches, Bondi is typically crowded with locals and tourists, especially on warm weekend evenings.
Videos circulating on X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard. One video showed a man dressed in a black shirt firing a large weapon before being tackled by a man in a white T-shirt who wrestled his weapon off him. A different man was seen firing a weapon from a pedestrian bridge.
Another video showed two men pressed onto the ground by uniformed police on a small pedestrian bridge. Officers could be seen trying to resuscitate one of the men. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.
The attack came almost exactly 11 years after a lone gunman took 18 people hostage at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney. Two hostages and the gunman were killed after a 16-hour standoff.
