ISLAMABAD: Former unified light-welterweight world champion, Amir Khan, has said that India should leave Kashmiris alone and let them live their life their way.
The boxer is currently in Pakistan and visited the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir into two parts each administratively controlled by Pakistan and India respectively, on Tuesday on a trip arranged by the Pakistan army.
“Everybody would want India to leave them [Kashmiris] alone and let them live their life,” he said in an exclusive interview to Arab News Wednesday night.
Khan said that he visited the LoC with the objective of drawing international attention to the misery of the Kashmiri people who have been living under a security lockdown in Indian Administered Kashmir since August 5 and suffering on Pakistani side of Kashmir owing to India’s cease-fire violations. “It’s a tough time through which Kashmiris are passing. We should all support them,” he said.
The internationally acclaimed boxer lauded the resilience shown by Kashmiri people living on the Pakistani side of the border in the face of “continuous crossfire” at the LoC.
“Literally one kilometer out there (on the Pakistani side), people were out, they were shopping and living a normal life. Their kids were going to schools and everything seemed normal. But near the border, the security was very tight,” he added.
He said that during his LoC visit, he had been just around 40 meters away from an Indian bunker and could see Indian army soldiers carrying weapons across the border.
“I did feel a little bit unsafe there but I went to the areas to see everything. I wanted to meet the people who were injured and are in hospital,” Khan said.
Asked if he would like to visit Indian-administered Kashmir, Khan said he wouldn’t given the conflict and chaos there.
“To be honest I would not like to go to Indian side of Kashmir as I have kids and family so I don’t want to put my life at risk by going there,” the boxer said. “The reason I don’t want to go there as there are a lot of killing going on there. The whole area and cities are closed down there.”
Khan urged the prime ministers of Pakistan and India to “sit together” with the people of Kashmir and resolve the crisis over the disputed region in a manner that there was no more bloodshed.
“I think both prime ministers of Pakistan and India along with Kashmiris should sit down together and resolve this [conflict] in a way that there is not going to be any killings,” Khan told Arab News in an interview. “There should not be any more killings there [Indian-administered Kashmir) … I feel the best way to do it is by sitting down and speaking about it [the conflict] to resolve the situation.”
He also urged the world community and the United Nations to intervene to resolve the Kashmir conflict.
“The UN definitely has to be involved in this,” the boxer said. “If the UN gets involved, I think it will make a big difference.”
Seeking to tighten its grip on the region, India on August 5 withdrew special rights for Jammu and Kashmir state, and anticipating unrest against the move, cut off almost all communications, prohibited assemblies of more than four people and detained hundreds of political and separatist leaders.
The constitutional change will mean that non-residents will be able to buy property, get government jobs and take college places in the state, infuriating Kashmiris who say India is trying to change the demographics of its only Muslim-majority state and impose its will on the region without giving the people a chance of self-determination.
Protests have broken out in the valley after August 5, with media reporting at least 500 protests and incidents of stone throwing, in which over 100 civilians have been injured.
India should let Kashmiris be, says boxer Amir Khan after visiting LoC
India should let Kashmiris be, says boxer Amir Khan after visiting LoC
- Says the visit aims to catch international attention to the suffering of Kashmiri people
- Urges Indian and Pakistani leaders to “sit together” to resolve Kashmir issue
Two Pakistani men indicted in $10 million Medicare fraud scheme in Chicago
- Prosecutors say defendants billed Medicare and private insurers for nonexistent services
- Authorities say millions of dollars in proceeds were laundered and transferred to Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani nationals have been indicted in Chicago for allegedly participating in a $10 million health care fraud scheme that targeted Medicare and private insurers, the US Justice Department said on Thursday.
A federal grand jury charged Burhan Mirza, 31, who resided in Pakistan, and Kashif Iqbal, 48, who lived in Texas, with submitting fraudulent claims for medical services and equipment that were never provided, according to an indictment filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Medicare is the US federal health insurance program primarily serving Americans aged 65 and older, as well as certain younger people with disabilities.
“Rooting out fraud is a priority for this Justice Department, and these defendants allegedly billed millions of dollars from Medicare and laundered the proceeds to Pakistan,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
“These alleged criminals stole from a program designed to provide health care benefits to American seniors and the disabled, not line the pockets of foreign fraudsters,” he added. “We will not tolerate these schemes that divert taxpayer dollars to criminals.”
Prosecutors said that in 2023 and 2024, the defendants and their alleged co-conspirators used nominee-owned laboratories and durable medical equipment providers to bill Medicare and private health benefit programs for nonexistent services.
According to the indictment, Mirza obtained identifying information of individuals, providers and insurers without their knowledge and used it to support fraudulent claims submitted on behalf of shell companies. Iqbal was allegedly linked to several durable medical equipment providers that filed false claims and is accused of laundering proceeds and coordinating transfers of funds to Pakistan.
Mirza faces 12 counts of health care fraud and five counts of money laundering. Iqbal is charged with 12 counts of health care fraud, six counts of money laundering and one count of making a false statement to US law enforcement. Arraignments have not yet been scheduled.
Three additional defendants, including an Indian, previously charged in the investigation, have pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges and are awaiting sentencing.
An indictment contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
