US has made Pakistan a slave without invading it, says former Pak PM Imran Khan
Lahore, May 16: The US has made Pakistan a slave without invading it, ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed, asserting that the people will never accept an "imported government."
Khan, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, was voted out of power last month through a no-confidence motion, which he alleges was plotted by the US with the help of local players over his pursuance of an independent foreign policy.
After his ouster, Khan has held several public rallies in different cities, labelling the new government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as traitors and corrupt rulers allegedly imposed at the behest of the US.
Following his ouster, he has blamed the US for conspiring against his government an allegation the US and the incumbent government here have refuted.
"The US has made Pakistan a slave without having to invade it. The people of Pakistan will never accept the imported government," he said while addressing a rally in Faisalabad in Pakistan's Punjab province on Sunday.
The former premier accused the US of being a self-centred country that does not help others without seeing its own interest.
Khan on Sunday said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will "beg" for money from the US Secretary Antony Blinken so that he (Khan) cannot come back to power.
An invitation was extended by Blinken for Pakistan's participation in the Ministerial meeting on Global Food Security to be held in New York on May 18.
Khan accused Bilawal and his father Asif Ali Zardari of being corrupt and stashing their wealth across the globe.
"Since all of Bilawal's wealth is stored outside of the country, he cannot dare to upset the US, otherwise he will lose everything," Khan said at the rally.
The former Prime Minister on Saturday claimed that a conspiracy to assassinate him was being hatched in Pakistan and abroad, warning that if anything happens to him, the people will come to know about the perpetrators through a video message he has recently recorded and placed in a safe place.
Khan has already announced a long march in Islamabad. He said the date of the march would be made public after May 20.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
ALSO READ: Four arrested in cattle theft case after encounter in UP's Kaushambi
The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
