ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned the killing of two Pakistani soldiers in a suicide attack in the country’s northwest and promised to wipe out militancy, Pakistani state media reported.
The soldiers were killed after a vehicle-borne suicide bomber exploded himself near a convoy of security forces in the Dera Ismail Khan district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Pakistani Taliban have claimed previous attacks on security forces in the northwestern region.
Denouncing the attack, PM Sharif expressed his unwavering resolve to wipe out militancy from the South Asian country, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The war against terrorism will continue until the menace is completely eradicated from the country,” PM Sharif was quoted as saying in the report.
The attack came amid a surge in militancy in Pakistan’s western regions that border Afghanistan. Violence initially picked up after the Pakistani Taliban called off their fragile, months-long truce in Nov. 2022.
The Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are a separate group that has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.
On Monday, Pakistan targeted TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, drawing condemnations from Kabul.
Pakistan says Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are giving shelter to TTP fighters across the unruly border. The Afghan Taliban government insists it doesn’t allow anyone to use Afghan soil for violence in any country.
Pakistan PM condemns killing of two soldiers in northwest, vows to wipe out militancy
https://arab.news/zqwc2
Pakistan PM condemns killing of two soldiers in northwest, vows to wipe out militancy
- A vehicle-borne bomber exploded himself near a convoy of security forces in the Dera Ismail Khan district
- No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Pakistani Taliban have previously claimed attacks in region
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.
