Six percent of Pakistanis are fully vaccinated. Today, the U.S. sent 3.7 million Pfizer vaccine doses to help increase those numbers. #USEmbassy #USPAK #USAID https://t.co/4moZ5bAhrT
In addition to the 5.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine delivered to Pakistan, the United States is delivering a third tranche of 3.7 million Pfizer doses as part of our ongoing solidarity with the people of Pakistan as they recover from this devastating pandemic.
In the thread ....
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have delivered $63 million in COVID-19 assistance through our partnership with the Pakistani government. Together, we will continue to build a world that is safer and more secure against the threat of infectious disease. https://t.co/ktek7YLvSe
Now I was wondering ....
No no ....you are absolutely wrong ...never mind the six percent ....you know how we are as a nation ...for the past Seventy years ....or maybe longer ....Proud Pakistani are doing The Hajj and Umra pilgrimage to Mecca on fake immunization certificate which is compulsory .
But that is not the issue here ....neither it is ..that why US wants to donate the vaccine to Pakistan ..when they know very well that all of it will be sold to the best international buyers ...
I wants to know ...that if we are in the CPEC and there is the One Belt One Road program then Why not One Virus One Vaccine ?
Anyways .....
The good News is that Phophi Jaan and Mrs Saeed our neighbors are believed to have survived the Pandemic . I saw a aga Khan testing lab van parked on the street two days ago it took about ten minutes for the technician to get dressed with PPE and just one to collect the samples .
They must be charging at least ten thousand rupees for the home collection of samples . Maybe more ..
It's a rich mans disease .....
The poor are living their miserable lives as they used to no change .
The deadlines for Pandemic related restrictions has be revised ....now it's 30 the September 2021 .
There was one more news on the news channels yesterday ...
Involving payment through the NBP
For booster shots .....must be for the foreign traveling folks ....
A U-turn is expected very soon ..,
Since we are discussing the US Policy ...you would be glad to know that the United State states department send the night watchman for their consulates in Karachi ☠️ and Lahore
The U.S. Consulate General in Lahore is pleased to introduce newly arrived Consul General William “Wil” K. Makaneole. He is the 33rd American to lead the U.S. diplomatic presence in Lahore, where the United States has been strengthening ties with the people of Punjab since 1947. https://t.co/X59iPOCZVW
Join us in welcoming our new Consul General, Mark Stroh!
CG Mark Stroh is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service who most recently served in Washington, DC as Acting Assistant Secretary & Managing Director for International Media in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs https://t.co/oEGXc8P6vg
And now to the presidential actions after the blast in Kabul
A Proclamation Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Kabul,Afghanistan
As a mark of respect for the U.S. service members and other victims killed in the terrorist attack on August 26, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, August 30, 2021. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-sixth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
the Speech.
Statement by President JoeBiden on the Evacuation Mission inKabul
This morning, I met with my national security team in Washington and my commanders in the field. We discussed the strike that U.S. forces took last night against the terrorist group ISIS-K in Afghanistan. I said we would go after the group responsible for the attack on our troops and innocent civilians in Kabul, and we have. This strike was not the last. We will continue to hunt down any person involved in that heinous attack and make them pay. Whenever anyone seeks to harm the United States or attack our troops, we will respond. That will never be in doubt. I thanked General McKenzie for his leadership of that mission, and for his commitment to the safety of our troops in Afghanistan.
The situation on the ground continues to be extremely dangerous, and the threat of terrorist attacks on the airport remains high. Our commanders informed me that an attack is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours. I directed them to take every possible measure to prioritize force protection, and ensured that they have all the authorities, resources and plans to protect our men and women on the ground. They assured me that they did, and that they could take these measures while completing the mission and safely retrograding our personnel.
Despite the treacherous situation in Kabul, we are continuing to evacuate civilians. Yesterday, we brought out another 6,800 people, including hundreds of Americans. And today, we discussed the ongoing preparations to help people continue to leave Afghanistan after our military departs.
The 13 service members that we lost were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our highest American ideals and while saving the lives of others. Their bravery and selflessness has enabled more than 117,000 people at risk to reach safety thus far. May God protect our troops and all those standing watch in these dangerous days
Just as the American television wrestling tournament ....a wild card entry of isil k .., confirmation that it's over now ...nothing can be done to make Afghanistan safe for the US and Allies Soldier and Army ever Again .
Fall Asleep 😴
5:42 am Woke up
Did Wazu
Prayed 🛐 fajr prayer with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
Karachi ☠️ the most dangerous city in the world , proved 🎓
Until this week nobody forgot the baldia town garment factory fire that bring about the downfall of MQM . Or maybe cleansed it don't know . Anis Qaimkhani and Mustafa Kamal left the MQM and tried to servive without MQM .
With a Bang they were rejected .
Bang Bang ...
So now this mehran town factory fire killing over a dozen and injuring many
Some similar conditions ....workers were burned or suffocated because they were trapped inside ...the exit door was locked ..there were no fire escapes or windows .
And now they say that it was also illegal factory on a residential plot .
At least 16 people died after a fire broke out at a factory in Karachi's Mehran Town on Friday, police and rescue officials said.
Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Additional Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that 16 bodies had been brought to the hospital so far, adding that more were expected.
She said 12 of the bodies had been identified and were taken away by relatives, while four could not be identified immediately. All of the deceased were aged between 18 and 38, she added.
Sun 20th Muharram 1443H
31°C
12:21 pm Good Morning !
Woke up a little while ago ...
Made tea ☕
Weather is cloudy but hot and humid ...no wind ..
Skipped Sunday Brunch
Also give up on plan to go out to the market ...
Tea time .... Actually my siblings were having some trouble with the foodpanda app for couple of days ....
The following was ordered just to check if it's working ...also we were not sure about the lockdown / shutdown of shops due to the opposition rally in town nearby ....at Jinnah ground Shahrah e Quaidein
I am in Wazu after the Zuhr prayer with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
Waiting for the Asr prayer Azan ....
Usually I recite the Holy Quran while waiting ... but right now I thought that I have not updated the blog since the morning tweet so I better update it ...
The US flag in mourning ...
So far no explosion heard in town ...not even the firecracker sounds ....
Let's hope the day passes by peacefully or else ....
A little while ago Doctor Saab called and told that the concelled hot water pipes in his house got burst yesterday ...and he had to get them fixed to save his neighbors ceiling and electric wiring .....He himself had been facing a similar water leak from the neighbors up above ....but nobody helped not even the union ...and now he would be spending a lot of money ...for no fault of his ....builders use very bad building material and they don't even guarantee it .
Anyways his weekend must be completely ruined ....so there is no chance of a Chaapa today .
Okay time for Asr prayer 🛐 with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
5:06 pm Break ( 1955 words)
4:53 am fajr 🛐 time ...had really great night ..,.
Did not eat anything ....feeling really great ..
There are rumors of a lockdown revival ...for two weeks in September ....
The US state of New Orleans is expecting a category 4 hurricane ...thank God none of my family or friends live there .
Our mango and monsoon season is almost over ...Amen 🙏
Okay time for prayer 🛐 with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
And this is my the Sunday Blog № 281 ( Two Hundred and Eighty one ) .
So first of All let me remind myself that I have been here last Sunday on the 15th of August , When I believed everything was mushi mushi goodie good ..in fact awesome .....
Later on as the week progressed ...we begin to learn ....some bad things about the recent past .....the happy Independence day celebration and the hope of an non American Islamic Raw public of Afghanistan was just an illusion .
The most unbelievable visual came from the Kabul Airport , where hundreds of non Taliban Non American Humans were seen chasing a US AIRFORCE C 17 on the runway .
The scenes from the inside of this plane was indeed disturbing ...according to the media reports there were more than 640 passengers on board ....but the more shocking news is that some choose to hang on to anything they could hold on to or set their foot on ...two people are reported to have fallen to ground ...
Obviously the Taliban did not kill them ....
But who cares ....as Joe Biden says ...
" As known in history, it's the graveyard of empires,"
Cunning and treachery never works for the United States of America .they were playing so well until this plane cames along ....and changes everything .
Everybody begin to ask ....Why there are so many Americans , allies , Afghan support still in harm's ways
When the capital Kabul fall . Especially if the drawdown was to be completed on 31st of August 2021 .
Obviously , they never intended to leave Afghanistan ever . All they wanted was to shut the world and perhaps the coalition partners and allies out . And live happily ever after .....
That explains the .... Absolutely Not !
as Well ...very well indeed .
Look at the way Bagram AFB was vacated ....was it done in a professional matured sensible way ...or was it done to send the message to the "Afghan People " that it is up for grabs .....
Was there any Ryme or reason to give up the most important exit route before the completion of evacuation of US citizens , and drawdown of the troops .
US left Bagram Airbase at night with no notice, Afghan commander says
IMAGE SOURCE,EPA
Image caption,
An Afghan army soldier surveys belongings left by the US military when it departed Bagram Airbase
So it is true isn't it ?
it took United States of America 4 presidents, trillions of dollars, million of lives and 20 years to replace Taliban with Taliban.
I believe I can fly I believe I can touch the sky I think about it every night and day Spread my wings and fly away I believe I can soar I see me running through that open door I believe I can fly I believe I can fly I believe I can fly (woo)
See I was on the verge of breaking down Sometimes silence can seem so loud There are miracles in life I must achieve But first I know it starts inside of me, ho-oh
If I can see it (woo), then I can be it If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
I believe I can fly I believe I can touch the sky I think about it every night and day Spread my wings and fly away I believe I can soar I see me running through that open door I believe I can fly I believe I can fly Oh, I believe I can fly (woo)
Hey, 'cause I believe in me Ohh
If I can see it (woo), then I can do it (I can do it) If I just believe it, there's nothing to it (hey!)
I believe I can fly (woo!) I believe I can touch the sky I think about it every night and day Spread my wings and fly away I believe I can soar I see me running through that open door I believe I can fly (I can fly) I believe I can fly (I can fly) I believe I can fly (I can fly)
Hey, if I just spread my wings (I can fly) I can fly (I can fly) I can fly (I can fly) I can fly, hey (I can fly) If I just spread my wings (I can fly) I can fly (I can fly, I can fly) (Woo!) (I can fly)
Fly-eye-eye
Reality bites ! No matter what I believe or not believe ...we still have to listen to the fairytales from the Whitehouse ....
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I want to speak today to the unfolding situation in Afghanistan: the developments that have taken place in the last week and the steps we’re taking to address the rapidly evolving events.
My national security team and I have been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and moving quickly to execute the plans we had put in place to respond to every constituency, including — and contingency — including the rapid collapse we’re seeing now.
I’ll speak more in a moment about the specific steps we’re taking, but I want to remind everyone how we got here and what America’s interests are in Afghanistan.
We went to Afghanistan almost 20 years ago with clear goals: get those who attacked us on September 11th, 2001, and make sure al Qaeda could not use Afghanistan as a base from which to attack us again.
We did that. We severely degraded al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We never gave up the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and we got him. That was a decade ago.
Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation building. It was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralized democracy.
Our only vital national interest in Afghanistan remains today what it has always been: preventing a terrorist attack on American homeland.
I’ve argued for many years that our mission should be narrowly focused on counterterrorism — not counterinsurgency or nation building. That’s why I opposed the surge when it was proposed in 2009 when I was Vice President.
And that’s why, as President, I am adamant that we focus on the threats we face today in 2021 — not yesterday’s threats.
Today, the terrorist threat has metastasized well beyond Afghanistan: al Shabaab in Somalia, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Nusra in Syria, ISIS attempting to create a caliphate in Syria and Iraq and establishing affiliates in multiple countries in Africa and Asia. These threats warrant our attention and our resources.
We conduct effective counterterrorism missions against terrorist groups in multiple countries where we don’t have a permanent military presence.
If necessary, we will do the same in Afghanistan. We’ve developed counterterrorism over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on any direct threats to the United States in the region and to act quickly and decisively if needed.
When I came into office, I inherited a deal that President Trump negotiated with the Taliban. Under his agreement, U.S. forces would be out of Afghanistan by May 1, 2021 — just a little over three months after I took office.
U.S. forces had already drawn down during the Trump administration from roughly 15,500 American forces to 2,500 troops in country, and the Taliban was at its strongest militarily since 2001.
The choice I had to make, as your President, was either to follow through on that agreement or be prepared to go back to fighting the Taliban in the middle of the spring fighting season.
There would have been no ceasefire after May 1. There was no agreement protecting our forces after May 1. There was no status quo of stability without American casualties after May 1.
There was only the cold reality of either following through on the agreement to withdraw our forces or escalating the conflict and sending thousands more American troops back into combat in Afghanistan, lurching into the third decade of conflict.
I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces.
That’s why we were still there. We were clear-eyed about the risks. We planned for every contingency.
But I always promised the American people that I will be straight with you. The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.
So what’s happened? Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight.
If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced that ending U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision.
American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves. We spent over a trillion dollars. We trained and equipped an Afghan military force of some 300,000 strong — incredibly well equipped — a force larger in size than the militaries of many of our NATO allies.
We gave them every tool they could need. We paid their salaries, provided for the maintenance of their air force — something the Taliban doesn’t have. Taliban does not have an air force. We provided close air support.
We gave them every chance to determine their own future. What we could not provide them was the will to fight for that future.
There’s some very brave and capable Afghan special forces units and soldiers, but if Afghanistan is unable to mount any real resistance to the Taliban now, there is no chance that 1 year — 1 more year, 5 more years, or 20 more years of U.S. military boots on the ground would’ve made any difference.
And here’s what I believe to my core: It is wrong to order American troops to step up when Afghanistan’s own armed forces would not. If the political leaders of Afghanistan were unable to come together for the good of their people, unable to negotiate for the future of their country when the chips were down, they would never have done so while U.S. troops remained in Afghanistan bearing the brunt of the fighting for them.
And our true strategic competitors — China and Russia — would love nothing more than the United States to continue to funnel billions of dollars in resources and attention into stabilizing Afghanistan indefinitely.
When I hosted President Ghani and Chairman Abdullah at the White House in June and again when I spoke by phone to Ghani in July, we had very frank conversations. We talked about how Afghanistan should prepare to fight their civil wars after the U.S. military departed, to clean up the corruption in government so the government could function for the Afghan people. We talked extensively about the need for Afghan leaders to unite politically.
They failed to do any of that.
I also urged them to engage in diplomacy, to seek a political settlement with the Taliban. This advice was flatly refused. Mr. Ghani insisted the Afghan forces would fight, but obviously he was wrong.
So I’m left again to ask of those who argue that we should stay: How many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghans — Afghanistan’s civil war when Afghan troops will not? How many more lives — American lives — is it worth? How many endless rows of headstones at Arlington National Cemetery?
I’m clear on my answer: I will not repeat the mistakes we’ve made in the past — the mistake of staying and fighting indefinitely in a conflict that is not in the national interest of the United States, of doubling down on a civil war in a foreign country, of attempting to remake a country through the endless military deployments of U.S. forces.
Those are the mistakes we cannot continue to repeat, because we have significant vital interests in the world that we cannot afford to ignore.
I also want to acknowledge how painful this is to so many of us. The scenes we’re seeing in Afghanistan, they’re gut-wrenching, particularly for our veterans, our diplomats, humanitarian workers, for anyone who has spent time on the ground working to support the Afghan people.
For those who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan and for Americans who have fought and served in the country — serve our country in Afghanistan — this is deeply, deeply personal.
It is for me as well. I’ve worked on these issues as long as anyone. I’ve been throughout Afghanistan during this war — while the war was going on — from Kabul to Kandahar to the Kunar Valley.
I’ve traveled there on four different occasions. I met with the people. I’ve spoken to the leaders. I spent time with our troops. And I came to understand firsthand what was and was not possible in Afghanistan.
So, now we’re fercus [sic] — focused on what is possible.
We will continue to support the Afghan people. We will lead with our diplomacy, our international influence, and our humanitarian aid.
We’ll continue to push for regional diplomacy and engagement to prevent violence and instability.
We’ll continue to speak out for the basic rights of the Afghan people — of women and girls — just as we speak out all over the world.
I have been clear that human rights must be the center of our foreign policy, not the periphery. But the way to do it is not through endless military deployments; it’s with our diplomacy, our economic tools, and rallying the world to join us.
Now, let me lay out the current mission in Afghanistan. I was asked to authorize — and I did — 6,000 U.S. troops to deploy to Afghanistan for the purpose of assisting in the departure of U.S. and Allied civilian personnel from Afghanistan, and to evacuate our Afghan allies and vulnerable Afghans to safety outside of Afghanistan.
Our troops are working to secure the airfield and to ensure continued operation of both the civilian and military flights. We’re taking over air traffic control.
We have safely shut down our embassy and transferred our diplomats. Our dip- — our diplomatic presence is now consolidated at the airport as well.
Over the coming days, we intend to transport out thousands of American citizens who have been living and working in Afghanistan.
We’ll also continue to support the safe departure of civilian personnel — the civilian personnel of our Allies who are still serving in Afghanistan.
Operation Allies Refugee [Refuge], which I announced back in July, has already moved 2,000 Afghans who are eligible for Special Immigration Visas and their families to the United States.
In the coming days, the U.S. military will provide assistance to move more SIV-eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan.
We’re also expanding refugee access to cover other vulnerable Afghans who worked for our embassy: U.S. non-governmental agencies — or the U.S. non-governmental organizations; and Afghans who otherwise are at great risk; and U.S. news agencies.
I know that there are concerns about why we did not begin evacuating Afghans — civilians sooner. Part of the answer is some of the Afghans did not want to leave earlier — still hopeful for their country. And part of it was because the Afghan government and its supporters discouraged us from organizing a mass exodus to avoid triggering, as they said, “a crisis of confidence.”
American troops are performing this mission as professionally and as effectively as they always do, but it is not without risks.
As we carry out this departure, we have made it clear to the Taliban: If they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the U.S. presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful. We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary.
Our current military mission will be short in time, limited in scope, and focused in its objectives: Get our people and our allies to safety as quickly as possible.
And once we have completed this mission, we will conclude our military withdrawal. We will end America’s longest war after 20 long years of bloodshed.
The events we’re seeing now are sadly proof that no amount of military force would ever deliver a stable, united, and secure Afghanistan — as known in history as the “graveyard of empires.”
What is happening now could just as easily have happened 5 years ago or 15 years in the future. We have to be honest: Our mission in Afghanistan has taken many missteps — made many missteps over the past two decades.
I’m now the fourth American President to preside over war in Afghanistan — two Democrats and two Republicans. I will not pass this responsibly on — responsibility on to a fifth President.
I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference. Nor will I shrink from my share of responsibility for where we are today and how we must move forward from here.
I am President of the United States of America, and the buck stops with me.
I am deeply saddened by the facts we now face. But I do not regret my decision to end America’s warfighting in Afghanistan and maintain a laser-focus on our counterterrorism missions there and in other parts of the world.
Our mission to degrade the terrorist threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and kill Osama bin Laden was a success.
Our decades-long effort to overcome centuries of history and permanently change and remake Afghanistan was not, and I wrote and believed it never could be.
I cannot and I will not ask our troops to fight on endlessly in another — in another country’s civil war, taking casualties, suffering life-shattering injuries, leaving families broken by grief and loss.
This is not in our national security interest. It is not what the American people want. It is not what our troops, who have sacrificed so much over the past two decades, deserve.
I made a commitment to the American people when I ran for President that I would bring America’s military involvement in Afghanistan to an end. And while it’s been hard and messy — and yes, far from perfect — I’ve honored that commitment.
More importantly, I made a commitment to the brave men and women who serve this nation that I wasn’t going to ask them to continue to risk their lives in a military action that should have ended long ago.
Our leaders did that in Vietnam when I got here as a young man. I will not do it in Afghanistan.
I know my decision will be criticized, but I would rather take all that criticism than pass this decision on to another President of the United States — yet another one — a fifth one.
Because it’s the right one — it’s the right decision for our people. The right one for our brave service members who have risked their lives serving our nation. And it’s the right one for America.
So, thank you. May God protect our troops, our diplomats, and all of the brave Americans serving in harm’s way.
4:21 P.M. EDT
Few hours later ...
Remarks by PresidentBiden on Evacuations inAfghanistan
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. I’ve just met with the Vice President, Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, National Security Advisor Sullivan, and other members the national security leadership team in the Situation Room to discuss our ongoing efforts to evacuate American citizens, third-country civilians, Afghan allies, and vulnerable Afghans. And I want to provide the American people with a brief update and the — on the situation in Afghanistan.
Since I spoke to you on Monday, we’ve made significant progress. We have secured the airport, enabling flights to resume. Not just military flights, but civilian charters and other — from other countries and the NGOs taking out civilians and vulnerable Afghan — vulnerable Afghans.
And now we have almost 6,000 troops on the ground, including the 82nd Airborne providing runway security, the Army 10th Mountain Division standing guard around the airport, and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit assisting the civilian departure.
This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history. And the only country in the world capable of projecting this much power on the far side of the world with this degree of precision is the United States of America.
We’ve already evacuated more than 18,000 people since July and approximately 13,000 since our military airlift began on August the 14th. Thousands more have been evacuated on private charter flights facilitated by the U.S. government.
These numbers include American citizens and permanent residents, as well as their families. It includes SIV applicants and their families — those Afghans who have worked alongside us, served alongside of us, gone into combat with us, and provided invaluable assistance to us, such as translators and interpreters.
The United States stands by its commitment that we’ve made to these people, and it includes other vulnerable Afghans, such as women leaders and journalists.
In fact, working in close coordination with the management of the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, we have successfully evacuated all 204 of their employees in Afghanistan on U.S. military aircraft earlier this week.
We have established the flow of flights, and we’ve increased the number of people we are moving out of the country.
We paused flights in Kabul a few hours this morning to make sure we could process the arriving evacuees at the transit points, but our commander in Kabul has already given the order for outbound flights to resume.
Even with the pause, we moved out 5,700 evacuees yesterday, and we’re working on a variety — to verify that number of the Americans that are still in the country as we work on this because we’re not — don’t have the exact number of people who are — Americans who are there. And those who may have come home to the United States, we’re not — we want to get a strong number as to exactly how many people are there, how many American citizens, and where they are.
Just yesterday, among the many Americans we evacuated, there were 169 Americans who, over the — we got over the wall into the airport using military assets.
We’re also facilitating flights for our Allies and our partners, and working in close operational coordination with NATO on this evacuation.
For example, we provided overwatch for the French convoy bringing hundreds of their people from the French embassy to the airport.
These operations are going — are going to continue over the coming days before we complete our drawdown.
We’re going to do everything — everything that we can to provide safe evacuation for our Afghan allies, partners, and Afghans who might be targeted if — because of their association with the United States.
But let me be clear, any American who wants to come home, we will get you home.
But make no mistake: This evacuation mission is dangerous. It involves risks to our armed forces, and it is being conducted under difficult circumstances.
I cannot promise what the final outcome will be or what it will be — that it will be without risk of loss. But as Commander-in-Chief, I can assure you that I will mobilize every resource necessary.
And as an American, I offer my gratitude to the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who are carrying out this mission. They’re incredible.
As we continue to work the logistics of evacuation, we’re in constant contact with the Taliban, working to ensure civilians have safe passage to the airport. We’re particularly focused in our engagements on making sure every American who wants to leave can get to the airport. Where we have been — seen challenges with Americans — for Americans, we have thus far been able to resolve them.
We’ve been able — we’ve made — look, we’ve made clear to the Taliban that any attack — any attack on our forces or disruption of our operations at the airport will be met with a swift and forceful response.
We’re also keeping a close watch on any potential terrorist threat at or around the airport, including from the ISIS affiliates in Afghanistan who were released from prison when the prisons were emptied. And because they are, by the way — to make everybody understand — that the ISIS in Afghanistan are the — have been the sworn enemy of the Taliban.
I’ve said all along: We’re going to retain a laser-focus on our counterterrorism mission, working in close coordination with our allies and our partners and all those who have an interest in ensuring stability in the region.
Secretary Blinken, who is with me today, met this morning with our NATO Allies in consultation about the way forward so that Afghanistan cannot be used as a — in the future as a terrorist base of attack — to attack the United States or our Allies.
For 20 years, Afghanistan has been a joint effort with our NATO Allies. We went in together and we’re leaving together, and now we’re working together to bring our people and our Afghan partners to safety.
In the past few days, I’ve also spoken directly with the British Prime Minster, Mr. Johnson; Chancellor Merkel of Germany; and President Macron of France.
We all agreed that we should convene and we will convene the G7 meeting next week — a group of the world’s leading democracies — so that together we can coordinate our mutual approach, our united approach on Afghanistan and moving forward.
We are united with our closest partners to execute the mission at hand.
We’ve also discussed the need to work with the international community to provide humanitarian assistance, such as food, aid, and medical care for refugees who have crossed into neighboring countries to escape the Taliban; and to bring international pressure on the Taliban with respect to the treatment of Afghan peo- — the Afghan people overall, but including Afghan, particularly, women and girls.
The past week has been heartbreaking. We’ve seen gut-wrenching images of panicked people acting out of sheer desperation. You know, it’s completely understandable. They’re frightened. They’re sad — uncertain what happens next.
I don’t think anyone — I don’t think any one of us can see those pictures and not feel that pain on a human level.
Now we have a mission — a mission to complete in Afghanistan. It’s an incredibly difficult and dangerous operation for our military.
We have almost 6,000 of America’s finest fighting men and women in Ka- — at the Kabul Airport.
And we’re putting their lives on the line — they’re doing it — in a dangerous place to save other Americans, our Afghan allies, and citizens of our al- — our allies who went in with us.
You know, I — I talk — I talk to our commanders on the ground there every single day, as I just did a few hours — an hour or so ago. And I made it clear to them that we’ll get them whatever they need to do the job. They’re performing to the highest standard under extraordinarily difficult and dynamic circumstances.
Our NATO Allies are strongly standing with us — their troops keeping sentry alongside ours in Kabul.
As is the case whenever I deploy our troops into harm’s way, I take that responsibility seriously. I carry that burden every day, just as I did when I was Vice President and my son was deployed to Iraq for a year.
There’ll be plenty of time to criticize and second-guess when this operation is over. But now — now I’m focused on getting this job done.
I would ask every American to join me in praying for the women and men risking their lives on the ground in the service of our nation.
As events evolve over the coming days, my team and I will continue to share the information and update the American people on exactly where things are.
We’ll use every resource necessary to carry out the mission at hand and bring to safety American citizens and our Afghan allies. This is our focus now.
And when this is finished, we will complete our military withdrawal and finally bring to an end 20 years of American military action in Afghanistan.
Thank you, and may God bless you, our troops, our diplomats, and all those serving in harm’s way.
And now I’ll take questions. AP, Zeke Miller.
...
Fajr Azan 5:11 am
Okay it's time to forget about Afghanistan and pray fajr prayer with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
5:13 am Break ( 4955 Words) )
Sun 13th Muharram 1443 H
31°C
1:03 pm Good Morning !
Woke up a little before noon .
Made tea .
Mostly sunny no chance of rain today . This is one of the most dry August in recent years .
Moon: 99.7% Next Full Moon:22 Aug 2021, 17:01
Time to prepare the Sunday brunch
My foodpanda challenge reward was expiring tomorrow ....so soon after waking up I ordered the Galaxy jewels box that I have been craving for .... unfortunately the prices are higher today ...for example a 500 ml Pepsi which is usually Rs 50 is @ 63 Rs ...
And 345 ml which is RS 29 is @ 38 Rs ...
Anyways ...I had breakfast with Galaxy jewels
And also there was water in the tap ....so it must be my lucky day .
Believe it or not ...I never ever dreamed in my life of seeing a day and a US President being SO USEFUL to myself as Mr Joe Biden has been today ....the copy and paste of his speech from the Whitehouse website has already made the five thousand words mark for this my the Sunday Blog № 281 ( Two Hundred and Eighty one ) . And I feel like I have not even begun .
Okay so before I take a prayer and brunch break ....
Let me begin with the Covid-19 Corona Pandemic update .
My dear phophi Jaan was tested positive last week after being very ill and complaining about fever and other symptoms . Due to lack of communication I cannot fully update about her condition right now ...but from whatever I have heard from my dear siblings her condition is very serious and she is unable to eat , walk or talk . So we are praying for her and her family . Amen !
Our oldest neighbor Mrs Saeed who is a very regular walker member of the club is also unable to walk . Her married daughter's new car with driver has been parked outside her gate for almost two weeks now ....also saw somebody bringing the oxygen cylinder one day .....yesterday I finally saw her being taken in the car she could hardly walk to the car holding hands and need help to get in and out of the car ....not really sure where she went for about an hour in the afternoon ... probably to see the doctor or get tested . The good thing is that she was not hospitalized .
Most of the neighbors do not care about the Covid-19 Corona patient , they follow their routines as usual except for the black widow ....who locked her house left a guard and driver at the gate and went to karbala Iraq .
A month ago she did the same and celebrate the Bakra Eid in Naran , kpk .
Everytime they return they call the mobile wheels balancing truck for on the spot computerized checking and repairs before returning the rented cars .
Allah ta'ala sub parosano ( neighbors) Kay karobaar main khair O barkat ata farmaay
Aameen 🤲
Okay time for break ...for lunch and prayer with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
Actually it wasn't really planned....I only asked if there is any chicken leftovers so I can cook some rice for it ...
And the cooking mafia got started ...
She had yakhni already in the fridge all she had to do is put it on the stove and add rice to it ...and in about fifteen minutes or less I smell the awesome smells from the kitchen ...
We skipped the final step of cooking the perfect Indian Pulao ....it's call dam deyna ...when you low the flame and let moisture in the rice to dry ....it makes the ricesoft and dry ... otherwise if you open the lid and let the steam out ...the rice don't dry and becomes sticky ...some people prefers that other abhors it .....
Who cares ....
Hum Hain Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gay Haan Jeetain Gay. Hum Hain Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gay Haan Jeetain Gay. Har Maidaan Mein, Har Toofan Mein, Har Muskil Mein Jeetain Gay. Har Maidaan Mein, Har Toofan Mein, Har Muskil Mein Jeetain Gay.
Hum Hain Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gay Haan Jeetain Gay. Hum Hain Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gay Haan Jeetain Gay. Har Maidaan Mein, Har Toofan Mein, Har Muskil Mein Jeetain Gay. Har Maidaan Mein, Har Toofan Mein, Har Muskil Mein Jeetain Gay.
Kaisa Bhee Ho Andhiera, Door Nahee Sawera Larna Hai Nafraton Sey, Pyar Key Dushmunon Sey Jeena Hai Sar Uthakey, Zulmo Situm Mita Key Duniya Haseen Banayein, Paas Dilon Ko Laayein Aangun, Aangun Khushiyaan Baataein Aaney Waley Dour Key Insaan Humsey Jeena Seekhein Gay Aaney Waley Dour Key Insaan Humsey Jeena Seekhein Gay Hum Hai Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gay Haan Jeetain Gay
Dekhey Jo Milkey Humney, Pourey Wo Khawab Hongay Gham Na Koyee Sahey Ga, Khoun Nahee Bahey Ga Ab Na Kisee Jawan Key, Zehir Badan Mein Hoga Phool Har Eik Taaza, Aapney Chamun Mein Hoga Ankhein Saree Roshun Hongee Dard Ka Suruj Dhal Jayey Ga Wo Din Bhee Hum Dekhein Gay Dard Ka Suruj Dhal Jayey Ga Wo Din Bhee Hum Dekhein Gay Hum Hain Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gay Haan Jeetain Gy
Aaney Waley Dour Key Insaan Humsey Jeena Seekein Gay Aaney Waley Dour Key Insaan Humsey Jeena Seekein Gay Hum Hain Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gay Haan Jeetain Gay. Har Maidaan Mein, Har Toofan Mein, Har Muskil Mein Jeetain Gay. Hum Hain Pakistani Hum To Jeetain Gey Haan Jeetain Gay. Har Maidaan Mein, Har Toofan Mein, Har Muskil Mein Jeetain Gay.
So anyways i had food coma soon after
Woke up a little after 6 pm
Had lots of tea ☕
And when I realized who I am and where I am ....
I did Wazu with the last of dripping water in the tap ....
And first I prayed the Asr prayer with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
When I finished there was about twenty minutes to the Maghrib Azan ...
Wanted to pray the next prayer with the same Wazu so I skipped watching TV and Kurulus Osman season 2 today's episode and instead enjoyed fresh air . After azan I prayed 🛐 with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
So now I am very relaxed ....as there is no hurry for the next prayer , next meal and next soap .
Ever since the Turkish soap of Ertugrul ( Çağlar Ertuğrul ) Finished I have lost interest in Kurulus Osman season 2
And the weekend soap on urdu1 tv
Zalim Istanbul ( Cruel İstanbul )
Now my main focus is on the shajar e Mamnoon ( Yasak Elma) where we are only half way ...bolum 52 of the 111 . In our television terms we are at episode 182 of season 3 .
It got so interesting this week that I had to cheat and turn the pages and watch bolum 51 and 52 to know what happens next .....funny think is that I cannot understand the Turkish language but I can understand the sequences and expression of the main characters .
11:58 pm Okay ...so ...I had a long unscheduled break .....had Facebook Meetup with my siblings ....
Cooked an eggs omelette for the three on request of the cooking mafia
After dinner I did absolutely nothing for almost hour and a half .
Actually we were waiting for the water tanker but then we were told that it is not coming tonight ...
So then we got relaxed and remembered the sick , Mrs Zareen Asim Hussain wife of Dr Asim Hussain of Zia uddin hospital ....and all those relatives who died at the Zia uddin hospitals ....
Momani Jaan passed away recently at ziauddin Clifton branch
Allah ta'ala Momani Jaan ki Maghfirat farmaay Aameen 🤲
I asked my siblings if they could think of any relative who got well and returned healthy from the Ziauddin hospital any branch ....and they only added to the list of dead patient .....like our old neighbors wife and mother of ahsan mian Qurashi Saab
Okay just before the midnight I prayed the Isha prayer 🛐 with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
And here I was before the midnight .
One of my favorite Urdu poets amjad Islam says ....
19 hours ago — Sindh had earlier announced schools would reopen from Aug 30. Sindh education minister had said
Now let's see what happens today
Prayed 🛐 fajr prayer with a prayer for my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi
May the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah have mercy on my dearly departed parents Papa and Ammi and may they be blessed by the dear merciful Lord All Mighty Allah and Their Souls may rest in peace in heaven. Amen!
اللہ پاک میرے پیارے والدین ، پاپا
اور امی پر رحم فرمائے ، اور ان کو اللہ تعالی کی رحمت نصیب ہو ، اور ان کی روح کوجنت میں آرام نصیب ہو ۔ آمین!
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