LAHORE: A Pakistani court on Monday acquitted the owner and editor-in-chief of the country’s largest independent group of newspapers and television stations in a 35-year-old case related to allegations of tax evasion in a real estate purchase.
Mir Shakilur Rehman was arrested in 2020 after authorities accused him of purchasing government land more than three decades ago in violation of rules. Rehman, who has denied the charge, was acquitted by the court on Monday, according to Rana Jawad, a senior official at Rehman’s Geo News TV station.
Rehman’s Jang Group of Newspapers, which includes Geo TV, has been critical of the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Rehman was granted bail by a court last year.
Pakistan is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work. The Islamic nation has witnessed harassment of journalists, human rights workers, and members of civil society.
Human rights activists say Khan, elected in 2018, has failed to protect freedom of speech in Pakistan. Before becoming prime minister, Khan often publicly said that he would have Rehman arrested if he came into power.
In May 2021, Geo TV banned a prominent journalist, Hamid Mir, from hosting a popular talk show after he criticized the country’s powerful military.
Since then, Mir has been off air. Rehman’s TV station took action against Mir after he made a fiery speech at a rally in support of a fellow reporter, Asad Ali Toor, who was beaten up by unidentified men in his apartment in Islamabad. No one was arrested in connection with the attack on Toor.
Pakistani court acquits TV mogul in tax evasion case
https://arab.news/vfx8c
Pakistani court acquits TV mogul in tax evasion case
- Mir Shakilur Rehman was arrested in 2020 after authorities accused him of purchasing government land
- Rehman’s Jang Group of Newspapers, which includes Geo TV, has been critical of the government of PM Khan
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.
