ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday visited the headquarters of Pakistan’s premier Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency to chair a special meeting of the newly established National Intelligence Coordination Committee, the PM Office said in a statement.
ISI Director General Faiz Hamid welcomed the prime minister and senior members of the federal cabinet at the agency’s head office in Islamabad.
The National Intelligence Coordination Committee is “a platform for intelligence coordination and cooperation for unified and wholesome national intelligence assessment,” said the official statement released by the PM Office.
It added that the body was notified earlier this year on January 22.
“A comprehensive briefing followed by discussion on enhanced intelligence cooperation was held,” the statement continued, saying that the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the performance of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, and heads of services’ intelligence agencies, Intelligence Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency attended the meeting.
PM Khan has been regularly visiting the ISI headquarters since assuming the country's top political office in 2018.
He also received a briefing on regional and national security issues during a visit to the ISI headquarter on May 24 along with other civil and military leaders of the country.
PM Khan chairs security meeting at headquarter of Pakistan’s premier spy agency
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PM Khan chairs security meeting at headquarter of Pakistan’s premier spy agency
- The meeting of the newly established National Intelligence Coordination Committee was arranged to ensure greater harmony among various intelligence agencies
- The event was also attended by senior members of the federal cabinet and other high-profile officials
US freezes immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, including Pakistan
- Immigrant visas to be suspended from Jan 21, tourist visas unaffected
- Move targets “public charge” concerns as Trump revives hard-line immigration rules
ISLAMABA: The United States will pause immigrant visa issuances for nationals of 75 countries, including Pakistan, from January 21, the State Department said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump presses ahead with a hard-line immigration agenda centered on financial self-sufficiency.
In an update published on its website, the State Department said it was conducting a comprehensive review of immigration policies to ensure that migrants from what it described as “high-risk” countries do not rely on public welfare in the United States or become a “public charge.”
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the department said.
The pause applies specifically to immigrant visas, which are issued to people seeking permanent residence in the United States. The department said applicants from affected countries may still submit applications and attend interviews, but no immigrant visas will be issued during the suspension.
According to the State Department, the affected countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Brazil, Thailand and dozens of others across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.
The department said tourist and other non-immigrant visas are not affected, and that no previously issued immigrant visas have been revoked. Dual nationals applying with a valid passport from a country not on the list are exempt from the pause.
The State Department did not indicate how long the visa pause would remain in effect, saying it would continue until its review of screening and vetting procedures is completed.
The announcement underscores the breadth of the Trump administration’s renewed immigration crackdown. Since returning to office last year, Trump has revived and expanded enforcement of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law, which allows authorities to deny entry to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
During his previous term, Trump imposed sweeping travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, a policy widely referred to as a “Muslim ban,” which was challenged in courts before a revised version was upheld by the Supreme Court and later rescinded under former president Joe Biden.
The visa freeze also comes amid an intensifying domestic enforcement push. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded operations nationwide, drawing scrutiny over its tactics. Last week, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a US citizen, during a federal operation in Minneapolis, sparking protests and renewed debate over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
