ISLAMABAD: European Union’s acting special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, concluded a three day trip to Pakistan on Thursday, and said the EU would make “every effort” to support the peace process in Afghanistan.
Afghan government and Taliban negotiators have met in Qatar’s capital Doha over the past two weeks to discuss the peace process after a pause when negotiations largely stalled earlier this year.
Talks began in September but the already-slowing negotiations largely broke off in April, when the United States announced it would withdraw its forces by September 11, after a May 1 deadline the Trump administration had agreed with the Taliban.
“The European Union will make every effort to support the peace process, which should protect and strengthen progress on human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans, with special relevance to women and girls, laying the foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan,” Niklasson, who arrived in Pakistan on June 14, said in a statement issued by the EU office in Islamabad.
“During the three-day visit, Special Envoy Niklasson held meetings with both civil and military leadership including Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, MoFA Director General (Iran/Afghanistan/Turkey) Asif H. Memon, Chief of General Staff Lt. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Deputy Director General ISI General Tabassum Habib,” the statement said, adding:
“The Special Envoy also met with several ambassadors to Pakistan, including from the European Union Member States, members of think tanks and local and international journalists during his visit.”
Niklasson said his meetings with Pakistani leaders had “reaffirmed the position of both the EU and Pakistan, that only a political settlement through inclusive dialogue, offers hope for durable peace.”
Early this week, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said the world community increasingly viewed Pakistan as part of the solution, not the problem, in Afghanistan as the war-torn country makes a final push for a political deal between the Kabul government and Taliban insurgents.
Violence has sharply increased across Afghanistan since the United States announced the withdrawal plans.
EU special envoy concludes Pakistan visit, vows to support Afghan peace process
https://arab.news/cq6zv
EU special envoy concludes Pakistan visit, vows to support Afghan peace process
- Says peace process should strengthen progress on fundamental freedoms of all Afghans, with special relevance to women
- Says Pakistan visit reaffirmed shared stance that only “political settlement through inclusive dialogue” offered hope for peace
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.
