ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman, speaking on the US fund unfreeze on Afghanistan, said, \u201cUS President Joe Biden has made a decision to unfreeze the Afghan Central Bank assets and give half of the seven billion dollars to the victims of 9\/11. The US spent several trillion dollars in its war in Afghanistan, which could have been given to the victims of 9\/11. Right now, Afghanistan is facing a humanitarian crisis. Over 20 million people, which account for 60% of Afghanistan\u2019s population, including mothers, children and pregnant women are facing famine.<\/p>\n
According to the UN, 97% of Afghans are living below the poverty line. A perilous fate has befallen the Afghan people who are not responsible for the privations they are being put through .\u201d<\/p>\n
She continued, \u201cWhile we must hold the Taliban accountable for their human rights violations, every great\u00a0 power must also be held to the same standard. That money is Afghan money. We must use this forum today to appeal to the US to defer to its more humane voices and send the money where it belongs. If they do not want to give it to the Taliban directly, third parties can be utilised to funnel that money into Afghanistan and to pull the Afghan people out of the humanitarian crisis; Sanctions have already put a heavy burden on the Afghan people; any more hardship will only turn the country into a republic of famine.\u201d<\/p>\n
With regards to the NewsOne ban she said, \u201cNewsOne has been taken off the air, due to a segment in Gharida Farooqi\u2019s show which featured criticism of the government. This decision needs to be reversed immediately. Freedom of speech and freedom of press are enshrined in our constitution and reporters have the right to question and offer due criticism of the government. Journalism is the cornerstone of democracy and Pakistan was placed as the 8th least democratic country in the world, according to Economist Intelligence Unit\u2019s Democracy Index 2021. Promoting censorship is no way to rectify this issue. Being a journalist in Pakistan is becoming increasingly dangerous and this draconian push for censorship across the country is highly condemnable.\u201d<\/p>\n