Technology firms to urge Trump to alter US travel ban: sources

Several technology companies plan to send a letter to US President Donald Trump on Monday urging his administration to follow through on proposed changes to a travel ban on seven mainly Muslim nations, sources familiar with the letter said Sunday.

"We welcome the changes your administration has made in recent days in how the Department of Homeland Security will implement the Executive Order," according to a draft of the letter.

The technology companies expected to sign the letter include Apple Inc, Facebook Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Twitter Inc, Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc.

The sources did not want to be identified because discussions regarding the letter were ongoing.

On Jan 27, Trump issued an executive order imposing a 90-day ban affecting citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and a 120-day bar on all refugees. Those travel bans caused chaos by trapping some travelers at airports and stranding others overseas.

A federal judge on Friday put a temporary nationwide block on that week-old executive order, leading the Republican president to criticize the judge and the court system.

"We stand ready to help your administration identify other opportunities to ensure that our employees can travel with predictability and without undue delay," the technology companies, some of which have had a frosty relationship with Trump since the campaign, said in the letter.

"We are concerned... that your recent Executive Order will affect many visa holders who work hard here in the United States and contribute to our country's success... our ability to grow our companies and create jobs depends on the contributions of immigrants from all backgrounds."

Technology companies Amazon.com Inc and Expedia Inc, both of which are based in Washington, filed a brief in support of the Washington judge's temporary stay.

Source: The Dawn News

No change in visa policy for Pakistan: US embassy

ISLAMABAD: The United States embassy has clarified its position regarding the permit of visa policy for Pakistanis was not under consideration to be changed and President Donald Trump’s administration has not issued any exclusive instructions regarding the country.

A spokesperson for the embassy said that visa policy for Pakistanis same as it was before Trump took charge.

Trum's executive order has drawn criticism at home and abroad which sets limit for citizens hailing from seven Muslim-majority countries for travelling to the US, as well as barring the refugees. This has led to wide scale protests across US as the travellers are stranded at airports and the public is aware and sensitive to the Syrian conflict.

Despite that Pakistan’s name was not mentioned in the list, there been wide held apprehension that the country might be next on the ban list when it will be reviewed in few months.

The White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, had defended Trump’s decision, “You can point to other countries that have similar problems like Pakistan and others – perhaps we need to take it further.”

Source: The Nation

Zardari off to Dubai

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamen­tarians chief Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday evening left for Dubai, where he would stay for a few days before proceeding to the United States.

The former president, who returned to the country late last month after spending about 18 months in a self-imposed exile, is likely to reach Washington before Jan 20 to attend the swearing-in ceremony of US president-elect Donald Trump, according to sources.

He is also expected to undergo a medical check-up during his stay in the US.

Surendar Valasai, the spokesman for the media cell at Bilawal House, confirmed that Mr Zardari had left for the UAE, but expressed ignorance about his plans for visiting the US.

The last time Mr Zardari left the country was in June 2015, after he had delivered a hard-hitting speech in which he accused the military establishment of overstepping its domain.

In his speech, he had said that army chiefs “come and go every three years” but the political leadership was here to stay.

“We know the country better and we know how to run its affairs,” he had said. He abruptly left the country soon afterwards.

Meanwhile, the sources said that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would be leaving for the US in the last week of this month. He would stay in the US for about two weeks.

He is expected to meet officials of the American administration as well as Congress members to exchange views on affairs of mutual interest, according to the sources.

Source:The Dawn News

Read more about:

Pervaiz Elahi   Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain  Moonis Elahi  PMLQ

Donald Trump Will Deport Upto 3 Million Immigrants

As the world now eagerly awaits what will be America's new working strategy, Donald Trump the new elected president has his teeth bare against illegal immigrants living in the US. While his intentions are certainly for the benefit of his country, Moonis Elahi fears many Pakistani citizens living without documents in the US would soon be sent back home.

Moonis Elahi is of view the current government should start making arrangements before hand to receive Pakistanis deported from America. Pakistan has always wanted to have better relations with USA and our consulate in USA should work to assist all those people who would be sent back to their homeland.