tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63115708274982941122024-03-13T09:43:32.120+05:00WASIQ1'S PAKISTAN Blogwasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.comBlogger2635125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-44127324912897394462021-09-02T06:13:00.004+05:002021-09-02T06:40:09.593+05:00Syed Ali Shah Gillani passed away he was 92 <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYT47WPYgQonSaU66fKhc7ZevgRl4UJMmPtR_7ufIsNceqzDX-CevAVtHxsKnA7iXoUOFMNqPLwGgUYHapL96zeEAX2eNajFPh9T2VbepfBn02AutvHLJbKQL0X5TA6LXHtQ59Fg_E1M/s1080/IMG_20210902_060511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1080" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYT47WPYgQonSaU66fKhc7ZevgRl4UJMmPtR_7ufIsNceqzDX-CevAVtHxsKnA7iXoUOFMNqPLwGgUYHapL96zeEAX2eNajFPh9T2VbepfBn02AutvHLJbKQL0X5TA6LXHtQ59Fg_E1M/s320/IMG_20210902_060511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOl9_OchOD39U7Qeslr7WiRK5v7g85rmMBDRAtF1kJJS8lmo6EuQfv3Xn0DX6u0orDeVyyhI5OVVwBny9DH58-wNL-L8rXixGNUyseloXbwDCaC8djFbseSH_Tg8qoiRXfl4DEd3u20e8/s1024/IMG_20210902_060547.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="1024" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOl9_OchOD39U7Qeslr7WiRK5v7g85rmMBDRAtF1kJJS8lmo6EuQfv3Xn0DX6u0orDeVyyhI5OVVwBny9DH58-wNL-L8rXixGNUyseloXbwDCaC8djFbseSH_Tg8qoiRXfl4DEd3u20e8/s320/IMG_20210902_060547.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB_CKJ13c0usebhl8bIvWvrCK0vxp6YatVYY9ePr1MVMmOJ8q9I2GDVQfF5L54sxaVaI8kuZPU2Mui83OwOYYVqwZiuR7nHEqgbS_rcG0vqJFTRlqIFjMBwYTBh6ToELB10S75P1qZ9Q/s860/IMG_20210902_060630.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB_CKJ13c0usebhl8bIvWvrCK0vxp6YatVYY9ePr1MVMmOJ8q9I2GDVQfF5L54sxaVaI8kuZPU2Mui83OwOYYVqwZiuR7nHEqgbS_rcG0vqJFTRlqIFjMBwYTBh6ToELB10S75P1qZ9Q/s320/IMG_20210902_060630.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WLFVjygxYIA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <div><br /><div><a href="https://youtu.be/pP5Uuebtn9s" target="_blank">YouTube Link</a><br /></div><div><br /> <b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Syed Ali Shah Geelani</b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">(29 September 1929 – 1 September 2021)</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-5" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[5]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">was a pro pakistan</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-6" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[6]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">separatist leader</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-7" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[7]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">in</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_(state)" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jammu and Kashmir (state)">Jammu and Kashmir</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">.</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[8]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[9]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">He was previously a member of</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaat-e-Islami_Kashmir" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir">Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">but later on founded</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehreek-e-Hurriyat" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Tehreek-e-Hurriyat">Tehreek-e-Hurriyat</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">. The hardliner Islamist leader</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-10" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[10]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">served as the chairman of</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Parties_Hurriyat_Conference" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="All Parties Hurriyat Conference">All Parties Hurriyat Conference</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">, a conglomerate of separatist parties in</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_(state)" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jammu and Kashmir (state)">Jammu and Kashmir</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">. He was an MLA from the Sopore constituency of Jammu and Kashmir in 1972, 1977 and in 1987.</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-11" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[11]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-12" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[12]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">He quit the</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurriyat" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Hurriyat">Hurriyat</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">in June 2020.</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-13" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[13]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-14" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[14]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-15" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[15]</a></sup><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">.</span><p></p><section class="mf-section-0" id="mf-section-0" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><table class="infobox vcard" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid rgb(234, 236, 240); display: flex; flex-flow: column nowrap; flex: 1 1 100%; float: none; font-size: 14.4px; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 1em; margin: 1em 0px 2em; max-width: 100%; overflow: auto hidden; position: relative; width: 345.261px;"><tbody style="display: flex; flex-flow: column nowrap;"><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-above" colspan="2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><div class="fn" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Syed Ali Shah Geelani</div></th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td class="infobox-image" colspan="2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><a class="image" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Syed.jpg" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Syed.jpg" data-file-height="120" data-file-width="160" decoding="async" height="120" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Syed.jpg" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="160" /></a><div class="infobox-caption" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0.2em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geelani in 2009</div></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td class="infobox-full-data" colspan="2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-header" colspan="2" style="background: lavender; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; line-height: normal; padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 337.508px;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_Legislative_Assembly" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly">Member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly</a></th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td class="infobox-full-data" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In office</b></span><br />1987–1990</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td class="infobox-full-data" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In office</b></span><br />1977–1982</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td class="infobox-full-data" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In office</b></span><br />1972–1977<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ThePrint_2020_1-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-ThePrint_2020-1" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[1]</a></sup></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-label" scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">Constituency</th><td class="infobox-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopore_(Vidhan_Sabha_constituency)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Sopore (Vidhan Sabha constituency)">Sopore</a><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-2" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[2]</a></sup></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-header" colspan="2" style="background: lavender; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;">Personal details</th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-label" scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Born</th><td class="infobox-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">29 September 1929<br /><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandipora" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Bandipora">Bandipora</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_(princely_state)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)">Jammu and Kashmir</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Raj" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="British Raj">British Raj</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-label" scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Died</th><td class="infobox-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">1 September 2021 (aged 91)<br />Hyderpora, Srinagar</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-label" scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Nationality</th><td class="infobox-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Indian</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-label" scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Political party</th><td class="infobox-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaat-e-Islami_Kashmir" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir">Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir</a> (until 1993), <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehreek-e-Hurriyat" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Tehreek-e-Hurriyat">Tehreek-e-Hurriyat</a> (until 2020)</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-label" scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_mater" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Alma mater">Alma mater</a></th><td class="infobox-data" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Punjab" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="University of the Punjab">University of the Punjab</a><br /><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_College" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Oriental College">Oriental College</a><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-aljazeera.com_3-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-aljazeera.com-3" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[3]</a></sup></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th class="infobox-label" scope="row" style="border: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Awards</th><td class="infobox-data" style="border: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishan-e-Pakistan" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Nishan-e-Pakistan">Nishan-e-Pakistan</a> (2020)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-auto_4-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-auto-4" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[4]</a></sup></td></tr></tbody></table></section><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading open-block" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small mf-mw-ui-icon-rotate-flip indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-0" aria-expanded="true" class="mw-headline" id="Early_life" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Early life</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="1" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=1" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: visible; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Early life">Edit</a></span></h2><section class="mf-section-1 collapsible-block open-block" id="content-collapsible-block-0" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Syed Ali Geelani was born in a town Sopore Baramulla, North Kashmir, on 29 September 1929. He was educated at <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopore" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Sopore">Sopore</a>, and finished his studies at the Oriental College, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahore" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Lahore">Lahore</a> (in present-day Pakistan).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-aljazeera.com_3-1" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-aljazeera.com-3" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[3]</a></sup></p></section><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading open-block" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small mf-mw-ui-icon-rotate-flip indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-1" aria-expanded="true" class="mw-headline" id="Political_activity" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Political activity</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="2" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=2" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: visible; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Political activity">Edit</a></span></h2><section class="mf-section-2 collapsible-block open-block" id="content-collapsible-block-1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geelani has been viewed as a key <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmiri_separatist_movement" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Kashmiri separatist movement">separatist</a> leader in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Kashmir">Kashmir</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-16" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[16]</a></sup> <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Abdullah" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Omar Abdullah">Omar Abdullah</a>, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has blamed Geelani for the rise in militancy and bloodshed in Kashmir, while Omar's father and former Union Minister <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farooq_Abdullah" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Farooq Abdullah">Farooq Abdullah</a> has urged Geelani to follow a path which would "save Kashmiri people from further destruction".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Farooq,_Omar_lash_out_at_Geelani_17-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-Farooq,_Omar_lash_out_at_Geelani-17" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[17]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Farooq_asks_Geelani_to_adopt_a_path_which_can_save_people_18-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-Farooq_asks_Geelani_to_adopt_a_path_which_can_save_people-18" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[18]</a></sup> In October 2013 he was re-elected for the fourth time to serve three-year term as the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), a faction of the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Parties_Hurriyat_Conference" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="All Parties Hurriyat Conference">All Parties Hurriyat Conference</a>, which split up in 2003.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-19" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[19]</a></sup> He founded the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehreek-e-Hurriyat" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Tehreek-e-Hurriyat">Tehreek-e-Hurriyat</a> party, to which he was separately reelected as chairman for a three-year term in September 2013.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-20" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[20]</a></sup></p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geelani has called for numerous <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_strike" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="General strike">general strikes</a> or shutdowns, in response to the deaths of unnamed suspected militants, local militants and death of civilians in Kashmir.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-21" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[21]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-22" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[22]</a></sup></p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Syed Ali Shah Geelani received the invitation to participate in the annual meeting of the foreign ministers of member states of the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_of_Islamic_Cooperation" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Organisation of Islamic Cooperation">Organisation of Islamic Cooperation</a> (OIC) and the Kashmir Contact Group to be held in New York from 27 September 2015.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-23" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[23]</a></sup></p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After the death of <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burhan_Muzaffar_Wani" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Burhan Muzaffar Wani">Burhan Muzaffar Wani</a> and the ongoing <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Kashmir_Unrest" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="2016 Kashmir Unrest">2016 Kashmir Unrest</a> that lasted for five consecutive months, to restore normalcy in Kashmir, Geelani sent a letter to <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United Nations">United Nations</a> listing six <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_building_measures" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Confidence building measures">Confidence Building measures</a> (CBMS).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-24" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[24]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-25" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[25]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-26" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[26]</a></sup></p><h3 class="in-block" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Sedition_charge" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 312.941px;">Sedition charge</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="3" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=3" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Sedition charge">Edit</a></span></h3><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On 29 November 2010, Geelani, along with writer <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundhati_Roy" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Arundhati Roy">Arundhati Roy</a>, activist <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varavara_Rao" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Varavara Rao">Varavara Rao</a> and three others,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-27" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[27]</a></sup> was charged under "sections 124A (<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Sedition">sedition</a>), 153A (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of peace) and 505 (false statement, rumour circulated with intent to cause mutiny or offence against public peace...) to be read with Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967". The charges, which carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, were the result of a self-titled seminar they gave in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="New Delhi">New Delhi</a>, "<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Self-determination">Azadi</a>-the Only Way" on 21 October, at which Geelani was heckled.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-28" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[28]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-29" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[29]</a></sup></p><h3 class="in-block" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Electoral_politics" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 312.941px;">Electoral politics</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="4" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=4" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Electoral politics">Edit</a></span></h3><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geelani had appealed to people of Kashmir to boycott the 2014 <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Jammu_and_Kashmir_Legislative_Assembly_election" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election">Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections</a> completely, not accepting the proposals for self-rule or autonomy that had been offered by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Democratic_Party_(India)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="People's Democratic Party (India)">People's Democratic Party</a> and the then ruling National Conference.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Tantry_30-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-Tantry-30" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[30]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-31" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[31]</a></sup> But despite repeated boycott appeals, 2014 assembly election recorded record voters' turnout of more than 65% which was highest in 25 years of history.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-32" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[32]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-33" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-33" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[33]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-34" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[34]</a></sup> After record voting percentage in Kashmir, Geelani, along with other separatists, were criticised by Indian media for misleading people of Kashmir and for not representing true sentiments of Kashmiri people.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-35" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[35]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-36" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[36]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-37" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[37]</a></sup></p></section><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading open-block" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small mf-mw-ui-icon-rotate-flip indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-2" aria-expanded="true" class="mw-headline" id="Personal_life" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Personal life</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="5" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=5" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: visible; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Personal life">Edit</a></span></h2><section class="mf-section-3 collapsible-block open-block" id="content-collapsible-block-2" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geelani lived in Hyderpora, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinagar" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Srinagar">Srinagar</a>. Geelani has 2 sons; Nayeem and Naseem, and four daughters; Anisha, Farhat Jabeen, Zamshida, and Chamshida.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-38" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[38]</a></sup> Anisha and Farhat are Geelani’s daughters from his second marriage. Nayeem and his wife are both doctors who used to live and practise medicine in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rawalpindi" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Rawalpindi">Rawalpindi</a> Pakistan, but they returned to India in 2010.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-39" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[39]</a></sup> Geelani's younger son, Naseem works at an agricultural university in Srinagar.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-40" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[40]</a></sup> Geelani's grandson Izhaar is a crew member in a private airline in India. Geelani's daughter Farhat is a madani teacher in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeddah" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jeddah">Jeddah</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> and her husband is an engineer there.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-tribuneindia_41-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-tribuneindia-41" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[41]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-42" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[42]</a></sup> Geelani's other grandchildren are studying in leading schools of India. His cousin Ghulam Nabi Fai is presently in London.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-43" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[43]</a></sup> Ruwa Shah, daughter of Kashmiri separatist Altaf Ahmad Shah (SAS Geelani's son-in-law) is a journalist.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-44" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[44]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-45" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[45]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-46" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[46]</a></sup> She previously worked as a journalist in India with organisations including the dawn,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-47" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[47]</a></sup> IANS, Quint and The Indian Express, since 2014.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-48" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[48]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-49" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[49]</a></sup></p><h3 class="in-block" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span id="Health_issues.2C_passport_suspension_and_house_arrest" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Health_issues,_passport_suspension_and_house_arrest" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 312.941px;">Health issues, passport suspension and house arrest</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="6" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=6" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Health issues, passport suspension and house arrest">Edit</a></span></h3><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geelani's passport was seized in 1981 due to accusations of "anti-India" activities. With the exception of his <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajj" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Hajj">Hajj</a> pilgrimage in 2006, he has not been allowed to leave India.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; white-space: nowrap;">[<i style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers"><span style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="The date of the event predicted near this tag has passed. (October 2015)">needs update</span></a></i>]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Ailing_Kashmiri_separatist_50-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-Ailing_Kashmiri_separatist-50" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[50]</a></sup> He was diagnosed with <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renal_cancer" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Renal cancer">renal cancer</a>, and advised treatment from abroad in the same year. On the then Indian Prime Minister <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Manmohan Singh">Manmohan Singh's</a> intervention, the government returned Geelani's passport to his son.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-India_Daily_51-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-India_Daily-51" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[51]</a></sup> In 2007, his condition worsened,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-kashmirdispatch_52-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-kashmirdispatch-52" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[52]</a></sup> although in the early stages of the cancer, it was life-threatening and surgery was advised. Geelani was set to travel to either the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="UK">UK</a> or the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States">United States</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Cancer-hit_Geelani_awaits_travel_documents_53-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-Cancer-hit_Geelani_awaits_travel_documents-53" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[53]</a></sup> However, his visa request was rejected by the American government citing his violent approach in Kashmir conflict and he went to <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Mumbai">Mumbai</a> for surgery. His supporters and family alleged that this was a "human rights violation".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-US_visa_denial_is_rights_violation_54-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-US_visa_denial_is_rights_violation-54" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[54]</a></sup></p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On 6 March 2014, Geelani fell ill with a severe chest infection, shortly after returning to his home in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinagar" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Srinagar">Srinagar</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-55" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[55]</a></sup> He has been under house arrest for most of the time since 2010,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-56" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[56]</a></sup> and was put under house arrest again on his return.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-57" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[57]</a></sup> In May 2015, Geelani applied for passport to visit his daughter in Saudi Arabia. The Indian government withheld it citing technical reasons, including the fact that he deliberately failed to fill in the nationality column required in the application.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-58" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[58]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-59" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[59]</a></sup> On 21 July, the Government granted him a passport on humanitarian grounds, with a validity of nine months, after Geelani acknowledged his nationality as an Indian.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-60" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[60]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-61" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[61]</a></sup></p><h3 class="in-block" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="mw-headline" id="Death_rumour" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 312.941px;">Death rumour</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="7" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=7" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Death rumour">Edit</a></span></h3><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On 12 March 2014, rumors of Geelani's death, spread by edits to his Wikipedia entry, "a particular Hindi news channel", and pages on Facebook led the government of Kashmir to suspend internet and phone service, according to some sources.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-hindustantimes_62-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-hindustantimes-62" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[62]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-kashmirwatch_63-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-kashmirwatch-63" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[63]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-authint_64-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-authint-64" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[64]</a></sup> However, the then Chief Minister <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Abdullah" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Omar Abdullah">Omar Abdullah</a> said that the failures had nothing to do with Geelani's health and were due to a snapped power line as well as an optical fibre cut due to heavy snowfall, which left most of the valley without power. The cuts in Internet service, hours after a statement by Hurriyat that Geelani would be flown to New Delhi for medical treatment, were blamed for spreading the rumours.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-65" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[65]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-66" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[66]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-67" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[67]</a></sup></p><h3 class="in-block" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><span class="mw-headline" id="FEMA_case" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 312.941px;">FEMA case</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="8" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=8" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: FEMA case">Edit</a></span></h3><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Pulwama_attack" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="2019 Pulwama attack">2019 Pulwama attack</a>, India took stronger action against pro-Pakistan separatists including Geelani. The <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enforcement_Directorate" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Enforcement Directorate">Enforcement Directorate</a> levied a penalty of ₹14.40 lakh and ordered confiscation of nearly ₹6.8 lakh in connection with a <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Exchange_Management_Act" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Foreign Exchange Management Act">Foreign Exchange Management Act</a> case against him for illegal possession of foreign exchange.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-68" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[68]</a></sup></p></section><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading open-block" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small mf-mw-ui-icon-rotate-flip indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-3" aria-expanded="true" class="mw-headline" id="Death" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Death</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="9" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani&action=edit&section=9" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: visible; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Death">Edit</a></span></h2><section class="mf-section-4 collapsible-block open-block" id="content-collapsible-block-3" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Geelani reportedly developed <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortness_of_breath" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Shortness of breath">breathing complications</a> and passed away on 1 September 2021 at his Hyderpora residence in Srinagar due to his prolonged illness.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-69" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-69" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[69]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-70" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-70" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[70]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Ali_Shah_Geelani#cite_note-71" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[71</a></sup></p></section></div></div>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-82962601448369506702021-07-09T06:22:00.004+05:002021-07-09T06:35:33.683+05:00Biden Says <p><a href="https://youtu.be/i003fwmOPDc" target="_blank">YouTube Link</a> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i003fwmOPDc" width="320" youtube-src-id="i003fwmOPDc"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><div><a href="https://youtu.be/EsaROV1NQ4I" target="_blank">YouTube Link</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EsaROV1NQ4I" width="320" youtube-src-id="EsaROV1NQ4I"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://youtu.be/0QUdPExR3u8" target="_blank">YouTube Link</a> <br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0QUdPExR3u8" width="320" youtube-src-id="0QUdPExR3u8"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-47378042756190043472021-07-02T05:47:00.029+05:002021-07-09T05:59:24.339+05:00Bagram AFB FREED<p><a href="https://youtu.be/p2dJmSDfMDQ" target="_blank">YouTube Link</a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p2dJmSDfMDQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="p2dJmSDfMDQ"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-25016351206543733602021-06-09T04:52:00.003+05:002021-06-09T04:55:15.442+05:00Black truck run over a Punjabi family from Lahore in Canada <p> The driver of a pickup truck in London, Ontario, who ran down five pedestrians, killing four of them, targeted his victims because they were Muslim, the police said on Monday. https://t.co/vjZBKSJhOJ</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlgHOmeYhO4g6VYQkW_sieQPjtpQ87QO70ceDLhEIaRU2DbOTkA30wBLW-UEivBjPU1LRkjMs80FTyUG7NzR3Q4cisjmpNUBIFxQEScsEWbVaAApl6vxvhaN6JDqKHaEYz2cDBqTPXyM/s1200/london-attack-family.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlgHOmeYhO4g6VYQkW_sieQPjtpQ87QO70ceDLhEIaRU2DbOTkA30wBLW-UEivBjPU1LRkjMs80FTyUG7NzR3Q4cisjmpNUBIFxQEScsEWbVaAApl6vxvhaN6JDqKHaEYz2cDBqTPXyM/s320/london-attack-family.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.25008px; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px;">The family has identified them as Salman Afzaal, 46, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Afzaal and Afzaal’s 74-year-old mother.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.25008px; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px;">Nine-year-old Fayez Afzaal suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.</p><div class="l-article__part" data-shortcode="readmore" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.25008px; margin-bottom: 27px;"><p class="c-readmore" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 28px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="c-readmore__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 800; margin-right: 7px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">READ MORE: </span></span><a class="c-readmore__link" data-track-region="content-read-more" href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7930589/london-attack-justin-trudeau-terrorist-attack/" style="border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 82, 204, 0.2); box-sizing: border-box; color: #0052cc; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 600; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_top" title="‘This is a terrorist attack’: Trudeau condemns tragedy in London, Ont. that left 4 dead">‘This is a terrorist attack’: Trudeau condemns tragedy in London, Ont. that left 4 dead</a></p></div><p></p>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-87067528624217217142021-05-08T01:52:00.005+05:002021-05-08T02:11:37.428+05:00Amazon Vs Alibaba <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvtLd2C6smoCmiHq3sTavnKls1_VMg1TfWWLMYTysr26Y9PPvZtj2oOdvlcBktoL1qUZmZ1JKXGqoz6qSwG_fxeVSV8l9jAQPR7CYovZu3EF-_miH_t85VV9vO1wjYRqz-whATvLotTg/s2048/Screenshot_20210508-015852.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvtLd2C6smoCmiHq3sTavnKls1_VMg1TfWWLMYTysr26Y9PPvZtj2oOdvlcBktoL1qUZmZ1JKXGqoz6qSwG_fxeVSV8l9jAQPR7CYovZu3EF-_miH_t85VV9vO1wjYRqz-whATvLotTg/w360-h640/Screenshot_20210508-015852.png" width="360" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Z_7hm5sjEuw2yiQcO-aVJGNJFYOKUbmqWWFueWJ_O3uCcQP3cf4BHOk99PybuDK7_VyHPP4zWt7KItOt3SRqBwWHRaR7wmuLrg36qTdgtdTgsNuV4uBW6slU6n6sJSMmRmteJM_NvWg/s2048/Screenshot_20210508-012404.png" style="margin-left: 1em; 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<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/193029443&color=%2300ff21&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ruellemusic" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Ruelle">Ruelle</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ruellemusic/war-of-hearts" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="WAR OF HEARTS">WAR OF HEARTS</a></div><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ruellemusic/war-of-hearts" target="_blank">SoundCloud link</a>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-2027139605113664302021-05-06T06:05:00.002+05:002021-05-06T06:05:40.856+05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S4TwhLfh4iE" width="320" youtube-src-id="S4TwhLfh4iE"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-60701846698918363102021-02-22T23:00:00.001+05:002021-02-23T15:42:58.847+05:00Day 33 : 500000 Americans Dead by Covid-19 Corona Pandemic<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgthMd-n1uIpFBn24G__HbntVsDo5TTyLdAfwp5g3bYTHb7Mf00oZRrDX0Ng3aB3516jmh-AwDLcQcrKTlY5slL30VTWqqzR5bi04Q4eCQB4X8Eo0pRPxkDtBsaPygGVRbyRPtezMCes/s300/downloadfile-7.bin" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="300" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgthMd-n1uIpFBn24G__HbntVsDo5TTyLdAfwp5g3bYTHb7Mf00oZRrDX0Ng3aB3516jmh-AwDLcQcrKTlY5slL30VTWqqzR5bi04Q4eCQB4X8Eo0pRPxkDtBsaPygGVRbyRPtezMCes/w400-h225/downloadfile-7.bin" width="400" /></a></div><br />President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have asked Americans to join them in a moment of silence this evening when they host a candle lighting ceremony at the White House to remember nearly 500,000 people in the U.S. who have died from Covid-19. https://t.co/cCooKPXEG6<p></p><p><br /></p><p>500,000 lives lost to COVID-19. Please join us in a moment of silence to honor and remember those who were taken from us too soon. https://t.co/CMAl2hVFbw</p>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-59440548666972060212021-02-04T23:30:00.000+05:002021-02-05T03:08:13.754+05:00Day 16 : POTUS visits State Dept Thanks Spouses and Families for Sacrifice <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbeuvkQp5iaq8jYt0pdI8shGShdVW6gxGeymxnoqQwWOYvTAmE0hitdvUxhgPr_STQzIb3_yIsZRjlJsQlSrp6INRIOu00ghdJSf_5A0BPCL0dC9-2ILtn_GIAuz0j-7HI0_Xd4SFn80/s870/FB_IMG_1612469647329.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbeuvkQp5iaq8jYt0pdI8shGShdVW6gxGeymxnoqQwWOYvTAmE0hitdvUxhgPr_STQzIb3_yIsZRjlJsQlSrp6INRIOu00ghdJSf_5A0BPCL0dC9-2ILtn_GIAuz0j-7HI0_Xd4SFn80/w331-h400/FB_IMG_1612469647329.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N6qBbFshOEo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-40081798795011299192021-01-30T08:39:00.004+05:002021-01-30T09:18:37.896+05:00Blinken All the way ....<p> <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1355225195976544256?s=19" target="_blank">Spoke with @SMQureshiPTI on ensuring accountability for convicted terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and others responsible for Daniel Pearl’s murder. The Foreign Minister and I underscored the importance of continued U.S.-Pakistan cooperation in supporting regional stability.</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrRnPhROHd8CbwKQ8BjwpZp6ctBWrVTq0bsDas5ixJnuVyPiXRu_g41gkXOdPbTE0R_3RJgbrpDARvj36ufiwZMYRIj7tDN7iIl8wF3YydniTSmfLIHAyc263k5AhD_ywTwZ1J-yRrCk/s656/An-old-photo-of-Antony-Blinken-and-his-wife-Evan-Ryan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrRnPhROHd8CbwKQ8BjwpZp6ctBWrVTq0bsDas5ixJnuVyPiXRu_g41gkXOdPbTE0R_3RJgbrpDARvj36ufiwZMYRIj7tDN7iIl8wF3YydniTSmfLIHAyc263k5AhD_ywTwZ1J-yRrCk/s320/An-old-photo-of-Antony-Blinken-and-his-wife-Evan-Ryan.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaecsPzLvP9cdGFTGgfmTB15RaP8UI__djsIdrYIsgjYWnOLEBdlwbqivSvJ9wWS5TbUO19v5vF3rW-It24YeKv7H1qC8UjiydofFiKjQfJk7gjZkKUfJXhc-wCRwkzzZD5xPwqJgfKGU/s1390/pasadena-ca-29th-july-2017-evan-ryan-pictured-during-the-censorship-JN1M5H.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="866" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaecsPzLvP9cdGFTGgfmTB15RaP8UI__djsIdrYIsgjYWnOLEBdlwbqivSvJ9wWS5TbUO19v5vF3rW-It24YeKv7H1qC8UjiydofFiKjQfJk7gjZkKUfJXhc-wCRwkzzZD5xPwqJgfKGU/s320/pasadena-ca-29th-july-2017-evan-ryan-pictured-during-the-censorship-JN1M5H.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCoB8q1MxNhXi3QXlSmfhDQrWbLMIvt3oxJyO0ck9H2TEH5sQgS0-yOk6btcBTVOP_Na9x-50trYdM2VYILoJlqkhMPsNn1rBYQHpT8oPuEmAVjap8JEeYKTa0mWHswDCE_lo2sg65hQ/s1390/JP007X.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1390" data-original-width="889" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNCoB8q1MxNhXi3QXlSmfhDQrWbLMIvt3oxJyO0ck9H2TEH5sQgS0-yOk6btcBTVOP_Na9x-50trYdM2VYILoJlqkhMPsNn1rBYQHpT8oPuEmAVjap8JEeYKTa0mWHswDCE_lo2sg65hQ/w256-h400/JP007X.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><b style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Antony John Blinken</b><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">(born April 16, 1962) is an American government official and diplomat serving as the</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Secretaries_of_State_of_the_United_States" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="List of Secretaries of State of the United States">71st</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">and current</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_secretary_of_state" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States secretary of state">United States secretary of state</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">. He previously served as</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_National_Security_Advisor_(United_States)" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Deputy National Security Advisor (United States)">Deputy National Security Advisor</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">from 2013 to 2015 and</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Deputy_Secretary_of_State" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States Deputy Secretary of State">Deputy Secretary of State</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">from 2015 to 2017 under President</span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a><span style="color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">.</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-auto_1-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-auto-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[1]</a></sup><p></p><section class="mf-section-0" id="mf-section-0" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><table class="infobox vcard" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid rgb(234, 236, 240); display: flex; flex-flow: column nowrap; flex: 1 1 100%; float: none; font-size: 14.4px; margin-bottom: 2em; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 1em; margin: 1em 0px 2em; max-width: 100%; overflow: auto hidden; position: relative; width: 22em;"><tbody style="display: flex; flex-flow: column nowrap;"><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th colspan="2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><div class="fn" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18.72px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Antony Blinken</div></th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><a class="image" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antony_Blinken.jpg" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Antony Blinken.jpg" data-file-height="2755" data-file-width="2204" decoding="async" height="275" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Antony_Blinken.jpg/220px-Antony_Blinken.jpg" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="220" /></a><div style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0.2em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Official portrait, 2015</div></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th colspan="2" style="background: lavender; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; line-height: normal; padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 337.508px;">71st <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_State" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States Secretary of State">United States Secretary of State</a></th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><div style="background: none lavender; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 323.268px;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incumbent" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Incumbent">Incumbent</a></b></div></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Assumed office</b></span><br />January 26, 2021</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">President</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Joe Biden">Joe Biden</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Preceded by</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Pompeo" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Mike Pompeo">Mike Pompeo</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th colspan="2" style="background: lavender; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; line-height: normal; padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 337.508px;">18th <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Deputy_Secretary_of_State" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States Deputy Secretary of State">United States Deputy Secretary of State</a></th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In office</b></span><br />January 9, 2015 – January 20, 2017</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">President</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Preceded by</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Joseph_Burns" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="William Joseph Burns">William Joseph Burns</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Succeeded by</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Sullivan_(diplomat)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="John J. Sullivan (diplomat)">John Sullivan</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th colspan="2" style="background: lavender; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; line-height: normal; padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 337.508px;">26th <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_National_Security_Advisor_(United_States)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Deputy National Security Advisor (United States)">United States Deputy National Security Advisor</a></th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In office</b></span><br />January 20, 2013 – January 9, 2015</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">President</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Barack Obama</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Preceded by</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_McDonough" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Denis McDonough">Denis McDonough</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Succeeded by</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avril_Haines" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Avril Haines">Avril Haines</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th colspan="2" style="background: lavender; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; line-height: normal; padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 337.508px;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_the_Vice_President_of_the_United_States" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Office of the Vice President of the United States">National Security Advisor to the Vice President</a></th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><td colspan="2" style="border-bottom: none; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In office</b></span><br />January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2013</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Vice President</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Joe Biden</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Preceded by</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_P._Hannah" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="John P. Hannah">John P. Hannah</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><span class="nowrap" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Succeeded by</span></th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Sullivan" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jake Sullivan">Jake Sullivan</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th colspan="2" style="background: lavender; border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; width: 323.268px;">Personal details</th></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Born</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="nickname" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Antony John Blinken</div><br />April 16, 1962<span class="noprint ForceAgeToShow" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> (age 58)</span><br /><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonkers,_New_York" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Yonkers, New York">Yonkers, New York</a>, U.S.</td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Political party</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(United_States)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Democratic Party (United States)">Democratic</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Spouse(s)</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><div style="background: none; border: 0px; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;"><div style="background: none; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Ryan" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Evan Ryan">Evan Ryan</a></div> <div style="background: none; border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div>(<abbr style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="married">m.</abbr> 2002)<wbr></wbr></div></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Father</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_M._Blinken" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Donald M. Blinken">Donald M. Blinken</a></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Relatives</th><td style="border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="plainlist" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ul style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Blinken" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Alan Blinken">Alan Blinken</a> (uncle)</li><li style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: inherit; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pisar" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Samuel Pisar">Samuel Pisar</a> (stepfather)</li></ul></div></td></tr><tr style="display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; min-width: 100%;"><th scope="row" style="border: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;">Education</th><td style="border: 0px; flex: 1 0 0%; padding: 7px 10px; vertical-align: top;"><div class="plainlist" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ul style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Harvard University">Harvard University</a> (<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Arts" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Bachelor of Arts">AB</a>)</li><li style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: inherit; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Columbia University">Columbia University</a> (<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Juris Doctor">JD</a>)</li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">During the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Bill_Clinton" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Presidency of Bill Clinton">Clinton administration</a>, Blinken served in the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_State" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States Department of State">State Department</a> and in senior positions on the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Security_Council" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States National Security Council">National Security Council</a> from 1994 to 2001. He was a senior fellow at the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Strategic_and_International_Studies" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Center for Strategic and International Studies">Center for Strategic and International Studies</a> from 2001 to 2002. He advocated for the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_invasion_of_Iraq" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="2003 invasion of Iraq">2003 invasion of Iraq</a> while serving as the Democratic Staff Director of the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_Foreign_Relations" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations">Senate Foreign Relations Committee</a> from 2002 to 2008.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-2" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[2]</a></sup> He was a foreign policy advisor for <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Joe Biden">Joe Biden</a>'s unsuccessful <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden_2008_presidential_campaign" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Joe Biden 2008 presidential campaign">2008 presidential campaign</a>, before advising the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_transition_of_Barack_Obama" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Presidential transition of Barack Obama">Obama–Biden presidential transition</a>.</p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">From 2009 to 2013, Blinken served as <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Assistant_to_the_President" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Deputy Assistant to the President">Deputy Assistant to the President</a> and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_the_Vice_President_of_the_United_States" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Office of the Vice President of the United States">National Security Advisor to the Vice President</a>. He later served as <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_National_Security_Advisor_(United_States)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Deputy National Security Advisor (United States)">Deputy National Security Advisor</a> from 2013 to 2015 and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Deputy_Secretary_of_State" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States Deputy Secretary of State">Deputy Secretary of State</a> from 2015 to 2017. During his tenure in the <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama_administration" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Obama administration">Obama administration</a>, he helped craft U.S. policy on <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Pakistan">Pakistan</a>, and the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_program_of_Iran" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Nuclear program of Iran">nuclear program of Iran</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Columbia14_3-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-Columbia14-3" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[3]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Sanger_4-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-Sanger-4" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[4]</a></sup> After leaving government service, Blinken moved into the private sector, co-founding <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WestExec_Advisors" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="WestExec Advisors">WestExec Advisors</a>, a consulting firm.</p></section><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading open-block" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small mf-mw-ui-icon-rotate-flip indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-0" aria-expanded="true" class="mw-headline" id="Early_life_and_education" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Early life and education</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="1" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antony_Blinken&action=edit&section=1" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: visible; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Early life and education">Edit</a></span></h2><section class="mf-section-1 collapsible-block open-block" id="content-collapsible-block-0" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blinken was born on April 16, 1962, in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonkers,_New_York" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Yonkers, New York">Yonkers, New York</a>, to <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jews">Jewish</a> parents, Judith (Frehm) and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_M._Blinken" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Donald M. Blinken">Donald M. Blinken</a>, the former <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_Hungary" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="United States Ambassador to Hungary">United States Ambassador to Hungary</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-twp_5-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-twp-5" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[5]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JVL_6-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-JVL-6" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[6]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-7" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[7]</a></sup> His maternal grandparents were Hungarian Jews.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-8" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[8]</a></sup> Blinken's uncle, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Blinken" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Alan Blinken">Alan Blinken</a>, served as the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ambassadors_of_the_United_States_to_Belgium" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="List of ambassadors of the United States to Belgium">American ambassador to Belgium</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-9" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[9]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-10" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[10]</a></sup> His paternal grandfather, Maurice Henry Blinken was an early backer of Israel who helped establish the American Palestine Institute, and commissioned an economic feasibility study which argued that an independent Jewish state was economically viable there.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-11" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[11]</a></sup></p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blinken attended the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_School" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Dalton School">Dalton School</a> in New York City until 1971.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JVL_6-1" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-JVL-6" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[6]</a></sup> He then moved to Paris with his mother Judith and attorney <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pisar" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Samuel Pisar">Samuel Pisar</a>, whom she married following her divorce from Donald. Pisar was the only Holocaust survivor of the 900 children of his Polish school, who had found refuge in a US tank after making a break into the forest from a Nazi death march.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CMMTRY_12-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-CMMTRY-12" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[12]</a></sup> In Paris, he attended <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Jeannine_Manuel" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="École Jeannine Manuel">École Jeannine Manuel</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-13" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[13]</a></sup></p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Blinken attended <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Harvard University">Harvard University</a> from 1980 to 1984,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-:4_14-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-:4-14" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[14]</a></sup> where he majored in social studies and co-edited the weekly art magazine of <i style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Harvard_Crimson" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="The Harvard Crimson">The Harvard Crimson</a></i>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-twp_5-1" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-twp-5" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[5]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-:3_15-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-:3-15" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[15]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-16" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[16]</a></sup> Blinken also wrote a number of articles on current affairs for the <i style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Crimson</i>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-17" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[17]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-:4_14-1" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-:4-14" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[14]</a></sup> Blinken worked as an intern for <i style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Republic" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="The New Republic">The New Republic</a></i> for around a year after graduating from Harvard.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-JVL_6-2" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-JVL-6" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[6]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-:4_14-2" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-:4-14" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[14]</a></sup> He entered <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Law_School" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Columbia Law School">Columbia Law School</a> in 1985 and earned his <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Juris Doctor">J.D.</a> in 1988.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-:2_18-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-:2-18" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[18]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-19" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[19]</a></sup> After graduation, he practiced law in New York City and Paris.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-nj_20-0" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-nj-20" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[20]</a></sup> Blinken worked with his father Donald to raise funds for <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dukakis" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Michael Dukakis">Michael Dukakis</a>, the Democratic nominee in the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_United_States_presidential_election" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="1988 United States presidential election">1988 United States presidential election</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-twp_5-2" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-twp-5" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[5]</a></sup></p><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In his monograph <i style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ally versus Ally: America, Europe, and the Siberian Pipeline Crisis</i> (1987), Blinken argued that exerting diplomatic pressure on the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Soviet Union">Soviet Union</a> during the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urengoy%E2%80%93Pomary%E2%80%93Uzhhorod_pipeline#Controversies" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline">Siberian pipeline crisis</a> was less significant for American interests than maintaining strong <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_United_States#Europe" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Foreign relations of the United States">relations between the United States and Europe</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-21" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[21]</a></sup> <i style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ally versus Ally</i> was based on Blinken's undergraduate thesis.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-:3_15-1" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-:3-15" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[15]</a></sup></p></section><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-1" aria-expanded="false" class="mw-headline" id="Early_career" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Early career</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="2" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antony_Blinken&action=edit&section=2" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Early career"></a></span></h2><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-2" aria-expanded="false" class="mw-headline" id="Secretary_of_State" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Secretary of State</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="8" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antony_Blinken&action=edit&section=8" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Secretary of State"></a></span></h2><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-3" aria-expanded="false" class="mw-headline" id="Foreign_policy_positions" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Foreign policy positions</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="11" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antony_Blinken&action=edit&section=11" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Foreign policy positions"></a></span></h2><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading open-block" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small mf-mw-ui-icon-rotate-flip indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-4" aria-expanded="true" class="mw-headline" id="Personal_life" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Personal life</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="12" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antony_Blinken&action=edit&section=12" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: visible; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Personal life">Edit</a></span></h2><section class="mf-section-5 collapsible-block open-block" id="content-collapsible-block-4" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #202122; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><p style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2002, Blinken married <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Ryan" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Evan Ryan">Evan Ryan</a> in a bi-<a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denominational" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Denominational">denominational</a> ceremony officiated by a rabbi and priest at <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity_Catholic_Church_(Washington,_D.C.)" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.)">Holy Trinity Catholic Church</a> in Washington, D.C.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-:2_18-1" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-:2-18" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[18]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-twp_5-6" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-twp-5" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[5]</a></sup> He is fluent in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="French language">French</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-96" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-96" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[96]</a></sup> He plays guitar and has three songs available on <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotify" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Spotify">Spotify</a> by the alias ABlinken<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-97" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-97" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[97]</a></sup> (pronounced like "<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Abraham Lincoln">Abe Lincoln</a>").<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-98" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-98" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[98]</a></sup> Blinken is <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jewish">Jewish</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-99" style="background: none; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Blinken#cite_note-99" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #6b4ba1; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[99]</a></sup></p></section><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-5" aria-expanded="false" class="mw-headline" id="Publications" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">Publications</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="13" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antony_Blinken&action=edit&section=13" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: Publications"></a></span></h2><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-6" aria-expanded="false" class="mw-headline" id="References" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">References</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-edit-base20 edit-page mw-ui-icon-flush-right" data-section="14" href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antony_Blinken&action=edit&section=14" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1.25em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1.25em; line-height: 0; margin: -0.75em -0.75em -0.75em 0px; min-height: 1.25em; min-width: 1.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.75em; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; visibility: hidden; white-space: nowrap; width: 1.25em;" title="Edit section: References"></a></span></h2><h2 class="section-heading collapsible-heading" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(234, 236, 240); border-bottom-style: solid; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; clear: left; color: #202122; cursor: pointer; display: table; font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0.5em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><div class="mw-ui-icon mw-ui-icon-mf-expand mw-ui-icon-element mw-ui-icon-small indicator mw-ui-icon-flush-left" style="appearance: none; background: none transparent; border-radius: 2px; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; color: transparent; display: inline-block; flex-basis: 1em; font-family: inherit; font-size: initial; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1em; line-height: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 0px -0.5625em; min-height: 1em; min-width: 1em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0.5625em; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; transition: background-color 100ms ease 0s; vertical-align: middle; white-space: nowrap; width: 1em;"></div><span aria-controls="content-collapsible-block-7" aria-expanded="false" class="mw-headline" id="External_links" role="button" style="background: none; border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 287.843px;" tabindex="0">External links</span></h2>
<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/30568448&color=%2300ff21&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/johnnyduvel" title="johnnyduvel" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">johnnyduvel</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/johnnyduvel/01-hoochie-coochie-man" title="Hoochie Coochie Man" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Hoochie Coochie Man</a></div>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-61354703386649987232021-01-22T01:56:00.003+05:002021-01-22T02:05:05.934+05:00Day 1,2,3<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BernieSanders?s=09">#BernieSanders</a> memes</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIxuOb7XSU9d_gAt1A07s6ACkbXUvkST7gaW2ZykGgT0-mZl889c1tHSihwJuMbrtdOsznGCMtIkiISI9iKA6hMvq5jMxUtuBRKWE-p7LC0KeVKyJ6fQWzNzY1vVKZnnacBvTmzEooJw/s320/IMG_20210122_020354.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-55131619618276013192021-01-18T10:50:00.003+05:002021-01-18T11:00:41.208+05:00Washington DC lockdown <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOv4snFTZWMng7WksQCn0pUaAJWSsJ0otsBI6gSrv4uNl1_2MCrYkoWzvARsVre6t_V0dUz66LbsWqoc9xInDlk8U4HQ9P8uSTs2nLVkpSDvUXiLqjF9b4a69dIjPzcMcrUNAjfJ17ng/s873/IMG_20210118_020534.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="873" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOv4snFTZWMng7WksQCn0pUaAJWSsJ0otsBI6gSrv4uNl1_2MCrYkoWzvARsVre6t_V0dUz66LbsWqoc9xInDlk8U4HQ9P8uSTs2nLVkpSDvUXiLqjF9b4a69dIjPzcMcrUNAjfJ17ng/s320/IMG_20210118_020534.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHd8F0HmDDczjEY7v9aEUi3D_MOrpwsiCX-pWQ2Q2j9DUrCsGZXmlo2wIc38LJMdRXSzJ_tQe6os3lyQSIQ4nDYY5uSFkXzY2wfGyATV2DdiOoAhuC3GEm7FTEnN5qQrPzxU0yioRBZqs/s2048/IMG_20210118_021506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHd8F0HmDDczjEY7v9aEUi3D_MOrpwsiCX-pWQ2Q2j9DUrCsGZXmlo2wIc38LJMdRXSzJ_tQe6os3lyQSIQ4nDYY5uSFkXzY2wfGyATV2DdiOoAhuC3GEm7FTEnN5qQrPzxU0yioRBZqs/s320/IMG_20210118_021506.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/318653302&color=%2300ff21&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/mutharabbas" title="Muthar Abbas" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Muthar Abbas</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/mutharabbas/yaar-dadhi-quratulain-baloch" title="Yaar Dadhi - Quratulain Baloch - QB" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Yaar Dadhi - Quratulain Baloch - QB</a></div>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-88366741579398564272020-10-20T05:55:00.004+05:002020-10-20T05:59:29.103+05:00Bahrain recognize isreal <iframe class="BLOG_video_class" allowfullscreen="" youtube-src-id="EHtmsPf2Who" width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EHtmsPf2Who"></iframe><p> </p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JLlkpfnK88g" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-87013217383720438802020-08-14T03:33:00.000+05:002020-08-14T03:33:02.085+05:00Happy 😆 Independence Day 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iJ7-Gfyk1LY" width="320" youtube-src-id="iJ7-Gfyk1LY"></iframe></div> <p></p>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-91363701930522878222020-05-01T13:19:00.001+05:002020-05-01T13:21:49.451+05:00Dubai UAE under FATF watch <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The #UAE faces major illicit finance risks and must act to effectively combat money laundering. This includes pursuing professional launderers, closing loopholes in gold and property markets, and making company structures more transparent. FATF report: https://t.co/xCMQ0RFx2i 1/5 https://t.co/Jxtm8x69lr<br />
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The UAE has improved its legal framework to combat illicit financing. But law enforcement agencies are not routinely identifying and targeting major laundering cases in line with the UAE’s risk profile. There were just 33 convictions for money laundering 2013-2018. 2/5<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/FATFNews?s=09" target="_blank">Check out FATF (@FATFNews):</a> https://twitter.com/FATFNews?s=09</div>
wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-48429842399639911792020-04-30T17:50:00.001+05:002020-04-30T17:50:16.145+05:00Wagah border Eid day competition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-76174407101180075792020-04-23T04:17:00.001+05:002020-04-23T04:17:17.173+05:00Olympian Wrestler died of Corona virus in New York <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
.Former Olympian & Sher e Pakistan Haji Muhammad Afzal Pehalwan lost his life at the age of 85 years due to Corona Virus in USA https://t.co/4ut81gi82V.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6F5n3i5yk15zGyDPCvuKn-aIFHhc7FHOm1fbRyjDbgpz5xpPQgVqi5rM6yuG_yTByQlJZoHjQtsYoyd4C0d9mCywdSxJx3G27HL4_1qmGDbzFC6JMt2El49u522NyJfJxkVI_3JTzHR0/s1600/IMG_20200423_040320.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="976" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6F5n3i5yk15zGyDPCvuKn-aIFHhc7FHOm1fbRyjDbgpz5xpPQgVqi5rM6yuG_yTByQlJZoHjQtsYoyd4C0d9mCywdSxJx3G27HL4_1qmGDbzFC6JMt2El49u522NyJfJxkVI_3JTzHR0/s640/IMG_20200423_040320.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgRt2VlIkdJUkqxOxL3xy_KH1qHDzdJm4RjuVPhbLkzQqrPK3ANhQoQ-vjbEFmDqQTVZEcwIW545Kremuz27gRinoH3OQzN6TK1IkUZOfrHemOdnGt-E3aXhqg1HcQxC0o2HPNm7m_bQ/s1600/8c82c7d6-cd6a-4016-a9a1-e2d6eee3b8db.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="624" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgRt2VlIkdJUkqxOxL3xy_KH1qHDzdJm4RjuVPhbLkzQqrPK3ANhQoQ-vjbEFmDqQTVZEcwIW545Kremuz27gRinoH3OQzN6TK1IkUZOfrHemOdnGt-E3aXhqg1HcQxC0o2HPNm7m_bQ/s640/8c82c7d6-cd6a-4016-a9a1-e2d6eee3b8db.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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’شیرِ پاکستان‘ نیویارک میں کورونا کے باعث وفات پا گئے<br />
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تفصیلات: https://t.co/K2r1I5uPT5 https://t.co/whP5OhsHxe</div>
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wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-63371253408093233202020-04-21T15:44:00.000+05:002020-04-21T15:44:02.759+05:00Stuck in Islamabad ...A Corona virus pandemic lockdown story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-85443818624148521012020-04-21T04:05:00.002+05:002020-04-21T04:21:59.395+05:00Oil price goes negative <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJ57ptD05U0kOnzpSeG_igLMt6Nstuy2H_qoztOdxvkLpe0Awauq8tLpXRnTdf0uhtf6sc0oqnLuzHYqFcEcvl8YYQJVm5TEb1QlU7Rv-HyBnQfS6Wf59aUNdP9pCZeTT61TLUZItlrs/s1600/IMG_20200421_033450.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJ57ptD05U0kOnzpSeG_igLMt6Nstuy2H_qoztOdxvkLpe0Awauq8tLpXRnTdf0uhtf6sc0oqnLuzHYqFcEcvl8YYQJVm5TEb1QlU7Rv-HyBnQfS6Wf59aUNdP9pCZeTT61TLUZItlrs/s640/IMG_20200421_033450.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="720" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjYGtVvXxF5yabHaiS3k_lGGuCg0ZjHQZXGozd4QBDuwFMW4OjW-3l-SEd7m9FGnBQRKxeopFivNJRiYVtmAEjIt2JnKRJioeJ7h0n1QssJpo8uKdOPGMQvfhr0UHDgkP14uP3pIu97Q/s1600/IMG_20200421_041936.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfjYGtVvXxF5yabHaiS3k_lGGuCg0ZjHQZXGozd4QBDuwFMW4OjW-3l-SEd7m9FGnBQRKxeopFivNJRiYVtmAEjIt2JnKRJioeJ7h0n1QssJpo8uKdOPGMQvfhr0UHDgkP14uP3pIu97Q/s640/IMG_20200421_041936.jpg" width="396" height="640" data-original-width="634" data-original-height="1024" /></a><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GDBzG8SrGcY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GDBzG8SrGcY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div><br />
</div>wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-74219724438195925342020-04-18T10:16:00.001+05:002020-04-18T10:16:06.616+05:00US helps against Corona Virus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-34100922054947444762020-02-29T00:27:00.000+05:002020-02-29T00:27:07.587+05:00President Alvi on Corona Virus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-8774399550596691562020-02-20T21:58:00.000+05:002020-02-21T20:00:26.083+05:00Pakistan Super League 2020 Opening Ceremony | PSL Opening ceremony 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-3528036175856061252019-11-24T04:12:00.000+05:002019-11-24T04:12:32.074+05:00A Conversation with Ambassador Alice Wells on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<section class="module featured-content page-header " style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: url("../images/wavy-navy.jpg") 0px 0px repeat rgb(10, 49, 77); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; display: block; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; overflow: visible; padding: 109px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="row" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: white; column-gap: 4.16%; display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(8, 1fr); margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1260px; padding: 0px 40px; position: relative; width: 1076.8px;">
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A Conversation with Ambassador Alice Wells on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor</h1>
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REMARKS</div>
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THE WILSON CENTER</div>
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WASHINGTON, DC</div>
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NOVEMBER 21, 2019</div>
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</section><div class="row" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; column-gap: 4.16%; display: grid; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; grid-template-columns: repeat(8, 1fr); letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1260px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px 40px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; width: 1076.8px; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<div class="p1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As delivered.</em></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mr. Kugelman:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Good afternoon, everyone.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you for coming today.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>My name is Michael Kugelman.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m the Senior Associate for South Asia here at the Wilson Center. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We are delighted to welcome to the Wilson Center Ambassador Alice Wells, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia at the U.S. Department of State.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Ambassador Wells is here to speak about China’s Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, and particularly the Pakistan component of BRI, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CPEC is significant for a number of reasons.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It involves two countries that figure prominently in U.S. strategic thinking.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It is one of the more operationalized components of the wider BRI enterprise with a number of new projects having been launched.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It is also a case of one of America’s top strategic rivals, expanding its investments and influence in a country where Washington is arguably less present and less popular.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At the same time, CEPC is also a high stakes risk for China and Pakistan given very real concerns about financing and transparency among other things.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It is not all that common for Senior U.S. Officials to speak publicly on BRI and CPEC so we’re really very fortunate this afternoon to have Ambassador Wells with us to give a U.S. perspective on CPEC, and we really are very much looking forward to hearing her out.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Just a very quick word about the Wilson Center.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The Wilson Center was chartered by Congress in 1968 as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We are the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for the policy community, and we seek to bridge the gap between policy and academia in honor of Woodrow Wilson, the only U.S. President to have held a PhD — a piece of trivia I’m sure that you all knew.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally, I wanted to thank the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on the U.S. and China, our institutional cosponsor for today’s vent.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So now I will turn things over to my colleague and friend, Ambassador Bill Milam who will introduce Ambassador Wells and moderate this event.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Bill is a Senior Fellow here at the Wilson Center.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>He’s a retired Senior U.S. Diplomat.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>He was Ambassador to several countries including Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So Bill, over to you.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you, Michael.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is a pleasure I’ve been waiting a long time to have, but I knew it was coming sooner or later.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s to introduce Alice Wells who is now I think the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary but she’s in charge of the South Asia and Central Asia Bureau.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So I wanted to sort of make that clear.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve known her since 1998, and after just a few minutes I thought, I’ll probably be introducing this lady sometime or other in front of a large audience.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Before taking over the South and Central Asia Bureau, she’s been an Ambassador to Jordan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>She’s had a number of jobs, I suppose you’ve got her biography so I don’t need to go over this very much, but she had a number of jobs in Washington.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And she was, when I first met her, the star of our political section in Islamabad, in the embassy in Islamabad in Pakistan. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But I know you didn’t want to hear much from me.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Alice, take over.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to speak at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and I appreciate so much President Harmon’s leadership.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m certainly one of the many legions of national security professionals, both men and women, who’ve been inspired by her commitment to public service and to the security of our nation. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m also, of course, very honored to be on the same stage as Ambassador Milam who was my boss and a tough boss I would add, but who helped me learn the trade.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m very grateful.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It was terrific to have Michael Kugelman bring me in because this is somebody whose writings enrich all of our understandings of the region.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So thank you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think that today there’s an important debate that’s putatively over models of development, but it’s really about sovereignty and the freedom that nations can expect and that their citizens can enjoy.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And America’s position really is unambiguous.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Good governance, long term capacity building, and market policies.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>These are the factors that enable the private sector to flourish and that are essential for sustained development growth.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And whether it’s Europe, Japan, Asian Tigers, India, the U.S. approach to development has driven unprecedented economic expansion since the 2</span><span class="s2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><sup style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</sup></span><span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span> </span>World War, lifting billions out of poverty.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And as Secretary Pompeo noted last month, the grounding or the foundation for that progress has really been a free and open international order that the United States helped create and that at its core consists of a transparent, competitive, market-driven system that’s mutually beneficial for all involved.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the greatest beneficiaries of that U.S.-led system of international rules and norms has undoubtedly been the Chinese people.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 1978 Deng Xiaoping announced his open-door policy, encouraging foreign firms to come to China for trade and investment and implementing sweeping market-based reforms to attract foreign businesses.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And U.S., European and Japanese companies answered that call and played a central role in the Chinese people’s remarkable economic progress, bringing technology and expertise.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But perhaps most critically, they brought the rigors and demands of operating in a rules-based global economy.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As China’s largest investor, the United States has celebrated this remarkable result.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>China’s extreme poverty fell from 88.3 percent in 1981 to probably under one percent today, lifting more than 850 million out of poverty.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And as the Secretary said, we Americans indeed have a long-cherished tradition of friendship with the Chinese people.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But as we all know, or as we all should know, the Chinese Communist Party is not the same as the Chinese people.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What we see today is the Chinese Communist Party promoting its own brand of development — the One Belt One Road Initiative — or what President Xi has called “a project of the century”.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Around the world, and certainly in my area of responsibility — South and Central Asia — we see Beijing pressing countries to sign OBOR MOUs emphasizing peace, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning, and win/win cooperation.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That sounds great.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And this vision is attractive for governments facing enormous development challenges and infrastructure needs.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And we in the United States must welcome and do welcome any investment and trade that promotes sustainable, responsible development and growth.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But after seeing OBOR in practice for the last few years, there are reasons to question the Chinese Communist Party’s largesse.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>For example, China offers substantial financing, usually as loans, but Beijing is not a member of the Paris Club and has never supported globally recognized transparent lending practices.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>According to an estimate released by the Kiel Institute, Communist China is the world’s largest official creditor, lending over $5 trillion worldwide, but China does not publish or even report overall figures on its official lending.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So neither rating agencies nor the Paris Club nor IMF are able to monitor those financial transactions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now Chinese Communist Party officials recognize they need to use the language of openness and accountability, but the fact remains that the People’s Republic stands outside of global efforts including those of the IMF and World Bank to improve transparency that enhances policy-making, prevents fiscal crises and deters corruption.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And this lack of transparency also hides risk to borrowing countries that already face substantial fiscal challenges, particularly since Chinese state companies undertaking OBOR projects have a clear incentive to inflate costs and encourage corruption.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Failure to repay those huge loans raises roadblocks to further development and leads to a surrender of strategic assets and it diminishes sovereignty.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’d like to note a few real-world examples.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>During his term the former Maldivian President Yameen’s administration awarded construction contracts to Chinese companies without transparent bidding and at inflated prices.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So, for example, the Maldives Airports Company, Ltd. awarded a 400 million, no-bid contract to China’s Beijing Urban Construction Group to build a new runway after they’d abruptly canceled an existing contract with an Indian company which, by the way, later sued and won $270 million in arbitration.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The result of this Chinese project and others is that the Maldives, a country of less than half a million people, now faces an enormous debt that constrains the next generation of Maldivians and half of this external debt is owed to Chinese lenders.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In Sri Lanka, even though multiple feasibility studies repeatedly rejected the commercial viability of a largescale port facility at Hambantota, Beijing went ahead and loaned the government over one billion dollars for the project.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The result: Sri Lanka struggled to service those loans and eventually handed over a 99-year lease on the port to Beijing in return for debt relief.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We also see in Sri Lanka a number of Chinese-financed projects sitting vacant and unused, including a $104 million telecommunications tower and a $209 million international airport in the south with zero regularly-scheduled flights.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Indeed, the Center for Global Development found in 2018 that eight OBOR recipient countries including Pakistan, Maldives, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, were at high risk of debt stress due to Chinese financing.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>In one instance because of the threat of drowning in unpayable debt, Burmese officials massively downscaled a deep-water port project in Rakhine State by over 80 percent — from $7.3 billion to $1.3 billion.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Alarmed by problematic Chinese practices elsewhere, Burmese leaders reversed course from a prior administration’s decision.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now the flagship of OBOR is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>CPEC is the Chinese communist party’s largest OBOR Initiative, reflecting over $60 billion in regionally pledged commitment for projects in Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, has repeated the off-used characterization of CPEC as a game-changer for Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>In fact, the Ambassador has said that China wants to see its relationship with Pakistan serve as an example for its relations with other states.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now that might in fact be the case, because just as in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, after four years of CPEC, people in Pakistan are beginning to ask tough questions about what kind of deals their prior government struck with Communist China and what Pakistan really gains.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s easy to understand why Pakistan’s previous government leapt at the opportunity to conclude a CPEC MOU.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Just like many other countries in the region, Pakistan has huge infrastructure and development needs and for many of my friends in the audience who have spent time in Pakistan, you’ve experienced first-hand those energy shortages.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pakistan has a sovereign right to answer those questions for itself, but I want to make a few observations on cost, debt, transparency and jobs.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On cost.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>According to Pakistani government statistics, for each megawatt generated by a completed CPEC thermal energy project, developers spent an estimated 1.5 million.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>In comparison, the cost per megawatt of building non-CPEC thermal plants is half of that, or 750 million. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Similarly, CPEC’s most expensive single project is upgrading the railway from Karachi to Peshawar.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>When the project was initially announced, the price was set at $8.2 billion.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>In October of 2018, Pakistan’s Railway Minister announced that they had negotiated the price down to $6.2 billion, a savings of $2 billion, and he explained, Pakistan’s a poor country, we can’t afford the huge burden of these loans.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But recent media reports claim the price has now risen to $9 billion.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So why doesn’t the Pakistan public know the price for CPEC’s most expensive project or how it’s being determined?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On debt.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>What are the long-term effects in Pakistan of Chinese financing practices?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And what are the burdens that have fallen on the new government to manage, now with an estimated $15 billion in debt to the Chinese government and another $6.7 billion in Chinese commercial debt?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Because it’s clear, or it needs to be clear, that CPEC is not about aid.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>This is almost always the form of loans or other forms of financing, often non-concessional, with sovereign guarantees, or guaranteed profits for Chinese state-owned enterprises that are repatriated to China.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now together with non-CPEC Chinese debt payments, China’s going to take a growing toll on the Pakistan economy, especially when the bulk of payments start to come due in the next four to six years.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Even if loan payments are deferred, they’re going to hang over Pakistan’s economic development potential, hamstringing Prime Minister Khan’s reform agenda.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On transparency, the lack of transparency can increase CPEC costs and foster corruption resulting in an even heavier debt burden for Pakistan.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For example, last year a Pakistani Senate Committee Report expressed astonishment at what they called the controlled bidding process for construction on the recently inaugurated Sukkur to Multan Motorway.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>According to the Committee, Beijing had allowed only three firms — all Chinese — to participate in that tender, while the entire project was financed by a Chinese loan with the risk entirely borne by the people of Pakistan.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now given the lack of transparency, that road project has unsurprisingly been the subject of corruption allegations against officials from the previous government including accusations of cost inflation and misappropriation of funds.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Meanwhile the China State Construction Engineering Corporation which was awarded the contract claimed to be extremely shocked by what they characterized as groundless allegations of corruption, asserting that the company came to Pakistan in the spirit of win/win cooperation.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But importantly, in 2009, just a few years before this Pakistani contract, that same Chinese state firm was banned for six years from World Bank projects for what the Bank called engaging in collusive practices, in other words, corruption in bidding.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And this is just one example.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We know that Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau has a number of CPEC-related investigations ongoing.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The new Pakistani government prioritizes rooting out corruption, but the recently announced CPEC authority has immunity from corruption prosecutions.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Again, those interested in Pakistan’s development are asking hard questions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lastly, on jobs.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We hear the familiar Chinese catch phrase win/win cooperation and mutual benefit.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But really, CPEC relies primarily on Chinese workers and supplies even amid rising unemployment in Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And for these projects, Chinese companies are importing materials and equipment from China rather than giving that business to Pakistani companies which would actually create jobs for locals.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CPEC is even bringing in Chinese workers who earn money in Pakistan, take the wages back to China, leaving very little in the local economy.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now China’s statistics on how many thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan are so inconsistent and so unreliable that we don’t actually know how many are there.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But this is all the more extraordinary because Pakistan has an abundance of young, eager and capable workers.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>According to the UNDP, 64 percent of the population is younger than 30 years old.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>They are Pakistan’s future and they’re hungry for opportunities.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So when we evaluate CPEC, I ask you to keep in mind this contradiction.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Communist China’s own economic rise began with profound reforms that improved the business environment and attracted foreign companies from places like the U.S., Europe and Japan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And those U.S., European and Japanese firms trained local Chinese who in turn were able to build China into the industrial giant that it is today.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CPEC doesn’t give Pakistani young people, it doesn’t give Pakistani companies the same opportunities that the Chinese themselves enjoyed decades ago, and that’s one of the reasons why Pakistan’s trade relationship with the People’s Republic remains so lopsided.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2018, Pakistan’s exports to China constituted $1.8 billion while Pakistan’s imports from China totaled $14.5 billion. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There is a different model.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The United States-Pakistan Business Development Partnership stands in contrast to CPEC.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>U.S. businesses strive to contribute to sustainable economic growth and U.S. government grants — and I underscore grants — have developed Pakistan’s infrastructure and capacity in education, health, energy, agriculture and law enforcement.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Worldwide we see that U.S. companies bring more than just capital.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>They bring values, processes, and expertise that build the capacity of local communities.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For example, in Kazakhstan, Chevron and ExxonMobil have worked to maximize the employment of local workers through development of national expertise.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Training, drilling, project management and cost engineering skill sets.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Indeed, both companies employ locals for over 80 percent of the Kazakhstan work force.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>In Bangladesh, Chevron has a work force that’s over 95 percent Bangladeshi.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>U.S. companies also bring superior quality and technology.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We often hear Pakistani leaders praise U.S. companies like Cargo and Corteva, that are passing critical technology and driving enormous productivity gains in Pakistan’s huge agricultural sector.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">U.S. corporate social models are also outstanding vehicles that create jobs and opportunities for communities associated with these foreign investments.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, for instance, fosters cooperation between American and private sector, Pakistani private sector, to mentor women and girls.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>An iconic American brand, KFC, supports the education of children with hearing disabilities and other underprivileged young people, partnering with schools throughout Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Proctor & Gamble’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program has provided 875 million liters of clean drinking water to Pakistani communities in need.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And that’s the kind of private sector driven business model that we think Pakistan should continue to attract.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">During Prime Minister Khan’s visit to the United States in July, President Trump was extremely enthusiastic about the potential for increasing and expanding our U.S.-Pakistan trade and investment relationship.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And both our governments are working very hard to find practical ways to do that.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We commend Pakistan for surging 28 slots on the World Bank’s 2020 Ease of Doing Business ranking and also being highlighted as one of the top ten reformers globally.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The World Bank report highlighted Pakistan’s ambitious reform strategy.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The U.S. Commerce Department has already stepped up its activity in Pakistan with 15 trade delegations planned for the next year.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And once the new expanded Development Finance Corporation or DFC is stood up, Pakistan is going to be a country of great interest.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The DFC will have more than double the investment cap than OPIC, increasing from 29 billion to 60 billion, enabling projects that have high standards and are financially sustainable over the long haul.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Because mind you, unlike Communist China, the United States doesn’t tell U.S. business where to go.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>They go where they see the greatest opportunities for mutual benefit, and in that way true sustainable development is really a marathon and not a sprint.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It requires the development of effective regulatory framework, strong rule of law, fiscal health, and an enabling business climate.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’d like to highlight just a few commercial connections underway that offer a sense of the direction that we envision.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The U.S. firm Accelerate is prepared to potentially invest more than $300 million to upgrade a floating storage regassification unit in Pakistan’s first LNG terminal.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>ExxonMobil has been working to support Pakistan’s ambitious effort to access new LNG supplies.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Over the last five years PepsiCo has invested $800 million to expand its infrastructure and diversify products, and Coca-Cola has invested $500 million in the last couple of years, providing thousands of jobs for Pakistanis.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Uber Technologies entered the Pakistani market in 2016 and currently operates across nine cities, providing employment opportunities for thousands of Pakistanis.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And further, the United States government partners with Pakistan to adopt reforms, empower local communities and achieve self-reliance and prosperity.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And just to be crystal clear, the U.S.-Pakistan Development Partnership has primarily taken the form of grants — not loans.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One could cite a litany of examples of the impact of this development assistance.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’ve added over 3500 megawatts to Pakistan’s power supply, benefiting more than 42 million Pakistanis as well as mobilizing more than 1.7 billion in private investment for energy projects in Pakistan, as well as helping Pakistan finance its first LNG terminal.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’ve trained 45,000 teachers and school administrators reaching 1.8 million public school learners.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’ve provided 19,000 scholarships to Pakistanis to attend higher education in Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’ve funded over 800 Pakistani students a year to study in the United States, including the world’s largest Fulbright program and an alumni network of over 29,000.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’ve trained over 91,000 law enforcement officials since 2010, providing vehicles, communication and protective gear.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’ve provided almost ten million women and children with health care services and built or renovated over 1800 kilometers of road; 2500 health, education and other facilities; and 1100 small water and power projects with programs benefiting over one million rural households.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Over the decades, we can take pride in the fact that the United States has helped establish some of Pakistan’s most prestigious educational institutions and centers including Lahore University of Management Sciences, the Institute for Business Administration, the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre; the Center for Advanced Studies in Energy at the National University of Science and Technology. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And lastly, the Commerce Department and USAID have provided key technical assistance to help Pakistan improve its business climate.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>From intellectual property rights protections to streamlined electronic system for trade to reduced time for cross-border transit of goods. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In closing, we understand the road to sustainable development and growth is not easy.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It can be difficult to marshal the finances and it must involve a lot of necessary but very painful reforms.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And that’s where OBOR really raises the greatest concerns.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We hope Pakistanis will ask Beijing the tough questions and insist on accountability, fairness and transparency.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Ask the Chinese government why it’s pursuing a development model in Pakistan that significantly deviates from what brought China its own economic success. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In contrast to the Chinese Communist Party, the United States leads a vision for the Indo-Pacific region that is free and open.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s comprised of nations that are independent, strong and prosperous.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And as Vice President Pence stated, our relationships in the Indo-Pacific flow from a spirit of respect built on partnership and not domination.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For more than seven decades, U.S. economic and commercial engagement, security cooperation and development initiatives, have advanced freedom, openness and economic prosperity across the region, enabling nations like Pakistan to develop their own strengths.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And drawing on these pillars we really do look and seek to deepen our partnership with Pakistan and others in the region as we work together to realize a better vision for this region and for the world.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank you very much.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you very much.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I learned a lot and I’d like to ask you a few questions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I don’t have a choice.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Well, yeah you do.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>There’s a door back there.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>[Laughter]. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By the way, you said the magic words, Paris Club.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Because I was a representative to the Paris Club for a long time, actually, in two different jobs, so that really alerted me as to really the depth of the problem.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But my question is why is it, I have several questions, but let me start with the one that came to me yesterday.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I was at another meeting, not this big a meeting.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>There was a Pakistani of quite good repute who was taking about changes in Pakistan and how Pakistan was better.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And I asked him about CPEC.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>He said first, right off the top.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>He said it’s the best thing that ever happened to any country.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s a direct quote.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s an exact quote.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Secondly, he was talking in the lead-up to all of this as if the economy of Pakistan was leaping ahead because, and he didn’t mention CPEC being the cause but it sounded like things were much, much better.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For example, he said it now has surplus energy for the first time in a long, long time, it has surplus energy.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>He said it was swarming with foreign investors — not necessarily from the U.S. but from Asia-Pacific regions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I wondered to myself, well, if that’s true, are the linkages developing that should develop to drive the economy?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Because as you mentioned, the debt thing is going to be serious, and in order to even come close to paying, keeping up with it, they’re going to need to grow at a lot faster rate than they have grown in the past decade, I think, and that they were programmed to grow in the future, particularly under an IMF program.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So why do you think, and I hear this from Pakistanis everywhere, CPEC is the be all and end all, and they don’t quite see all of the flaws you’ve pointed out, which I think I agree with totally.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I think there’s been a tendency to conflate CPEC with grant assistance rather than understanding it to be the loans, and loans not at concessional rates, that it is.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So when you break down individual projects, and again, I’m not questioning Pakistan’s need for infrastructure.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>There is a crying need and remains a crying need for infrastructure.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And when CPEC was negotiated in 2015 the government faced a severe energy crisis and there as a priority placed on developing energy resources.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But I think what CPEC exemplifies is what happens when you delink investment and development from established best practices and infrastructure development.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Because if you don’t have the right policy framework, if you haven’t undertaken the necessary reforms, there are consequences to some of the development decisions.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Energy, coal, electricity production plants can be built, but if distribution is not simultaneously reformed you’re producing for a system that can’t carry the load and the government is still committed as a sovereign guarantee to pay for the cost of energy that can’t be accessed by consumers.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So it’s the conundrum of development.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>You have to get all the pieces right.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Individual projects done quickly and one-off without the system that supports and integrates those infrastructure projects, they’re not going to be as successful.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I guess what I would point to is that Pakistan is now in an IMF program.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>A large and reform-oriented IMF program that was precipitated in large part by the run on reserves and the lack of foreign currency reserves.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And there you see the double whammy of a CPEC project.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>When, for instance, the Port Qasim electricity plant, I read in the report 99 percent of the inputs came from China.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So the fact that Pakistan has imported all of the inputs for these projects while repatriating profit to the Chinese peristatal has had an immediate impact.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So those statistics on only 1.8 billion in exports to China and 14-plus imports from China reveal the immediate cost of CPEC.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think there’s — we want China to be a responsible supporter and funder of infrastructure.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The Indo-Pacific region alone requires 27 trillion in infrastructure investments by the year 2030.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>No one country can do that.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We all need to help work to ensure that countries have meaningful choices for sustainable and quality infrastructure.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And I guess what I think we all need to question and where we all need to push is, why isn’t China adopting international standards?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Now the second Belt and Road Initiative, you saw President Xi under some pressure to demonstrate that they heard the criticism on quality and lack of standards, but we still haven’t seen Chinese commitments to increased standards, commitments to a green Belt and Road, implemented in practice.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>There are just some simple things I would throw out.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why not adopt Paris Club standards?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Why not increase your concessional loans as well as incorporate grants as part of your development assistance to lesser developed countries?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Why not abide by the infrastructure principles at the G20 of which China obviously is a member, has adopted?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Why not be transparent?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Report your official lending to other countries.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Right now neither the IMF nor any other multilateral organization truly knows the indebtedness of countries who are involved in these One Belt One Road projects, and that creates its own risks and can have its own knock-on effect.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So the simple request is be a global good citizen.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Be transparent.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Adopt the high standards that G20 nations should be promulgating.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Good.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m going to go to the audience in a few minutes, but I’m going to finish a couple of other questions first, if you don’t mind.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The second question I had leading from what you said is, I mean I think the incentives for China to change its habits are rather minimal right now, but maybe they’ll get better.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But wouldn’t it help if, and why is it that Pakistan and other countries have been so open to Chinese, these Chinese investments without really investigating them?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And the second part is, it seems to me like American investors and other Western investors, other Asia-Pacific investors for that matter, are missing a bet in Pakistan and other places.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But could that be because of Pakistan’s reputation as a dangerous country?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Could it be because they’ve been through how many IMF programs?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>A dozen at least, and none of them have ever worked very well.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>What do you think is holding the West back on trying to move in on that?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We lead with our private sector.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>If you look at the companies who are already very active in Pakistan, they tend to be some of our largest and most well-known multinational companies who have a lot of experience dealing with risk and can deal with exposures and uncertainties of a Pakistani market.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But what’s going to attract additional private investment is going to be the hard reforms that have to be implemented to create rules of law, contract enforcement, dispute resolution, currency stabilization. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think there’s a tendency to believe that Special Economic Zones might be the cure to difficulties in attracting investors and I don’t think that’s our experience.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Our experience is demonstrating that the framework for doing transparent business and predictable business is available.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So it’s sometimes harder to work with the Western model.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I as an American Ambassador don’t walk in with a state-owned company and a financial package in hand.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Other countries can do that.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I think what’s incumbent upon the United States and like-minded partners is that we work very hard to ensure that countries have meaningful alternatives.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And you’ve seen that launched under the Trump administration through the Indo-Pacific Strategy, for instance, where we are in the governance space and in the economic promotion and in particular in trying to enhance energy markets and digital connectivity and infrastructure development.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’re providing more resources and more programs and technical assistance to countries, and at the same time working with countries like India, Australia and Japan with whom we share principles and I think you’re starting to see a difference.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m very proud, for instance, of our Millennium Challenge programs where in Nepal we are helping through over a 500- million-dollar grant to create hydro-electricity and better roads and hydro-electricity that’s going to end up in a transmission line between India and Nepal.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So enhancing regional connectivity, creating export markets, and it’s that kind of thoughtful development.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We have another MCC that we’re launching soon in Sri Lanka that will undertake the same kind of nitty-gritty reforms in land registration and motorway harmonization that will, we determine, you help unlock economic development.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So we have to do our work, and that involves working in closer partnership with our private sector, but we’re proud of the fact that already the United States has almost a trillion dollars in Foreign Direct Investment in the Indo-Pacific and over $1.5 trillion in bilateral trade.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So we’re very much a power in the Pacific.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And these days a billion is chump change, so I’m glad it’s a trillion.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One more question and then we’ll move to all the people out here.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is a sort of, you mentioned a lot about the region, the South Asia region.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I went to another meeting yesterday about Nepal where it turns out Nepal is trying to have a federal system installed and while the Chinese are pouring money into the federal side without paying much attention to the other parts of the government.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I see in Bangladesh that the Chinese are reputed to be pouring money in and they offered I think use of some of the seaports there to the Chinese.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And I see Sri Lanka and others.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>This economic diplomacy, basically this is what you were talking about in — [blank spot on recording].</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For example, take Nepal, maybe it will, the federal system won’t work.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Maybe they’ll be bribed to go back to a central system which seems to me like China would like.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Who knows what will happen in Pakistan or Bangladesh?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Bangladesh is already about as authoritarian as you can get.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In any case, that’s me editorializing, not you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do you think my worries about this has any real meaning?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Is it worth worrying about?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>China’s obviously very active globally.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Belt and Road is a global initiative for China.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And in the Indian Ocean region you have a strong Chinese presence and infrastructure projects.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But in a country like Bangladesh, don’t lose sight of the fact that we’re the largest single foreign direct investor.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We are Bangladesh’s largest export market.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We have, whether it’s through Chevron as the anchor to significant American investment, there’s intense interest in American companies in expanding their footprint in Bangladesh.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We can do so using the new tools of the Development Finance Corporation which are significantly more flexible than what was available under OPIC.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It allows us to have equity investment to work with other development partners.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So we’re actively trying to see how we can collaborate more closely with Japan and with Australia and India, which is also obviously a very active investor in Bangladesh.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So this is not, and sometimes it’s painted as if it’s a zero sum competition.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s not.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Again, $27 trillion in infrastructure need that will not be met by one country.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So how do we ensure that developing countries can access infrastructure investment that’s going to enhance their prosperity?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our global good, what the United States created after World War II, was an economic system that really, truly lifted all boats.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We have a stake in seeing that system sustained.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s been good for private sector.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Our companies have done well.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’ve benefited by being able to create jobs in the United States through our exports.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And the values that undergird our private sector model of growth are values that we’re proud of.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Free, open, sovereign.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s very well said.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think we’ll now move to the audience if anybody has questions out there. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you so much.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>My name is [Ariva Khalid].<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I have been a member of the Parliament of Pakistan for ten years.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So thank you very much.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Your vision and your approach, I really appreciate the way you told everything very honestly, very straight forwardly.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We also have these concerns, what you said.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But my concern is, my question is very simple.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s just that, like I have seen the problem of electricity.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’ve seen the energy crisis, the gas crisis, and I have myself lived there when we had no electricity for more than 12 hours and it’s not easy in a very hot country.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So you tell me a country which is, there are many people who are below poverty line.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So what do you think, I mean what would they do if there is an impression that oh, that’s a bad country to go and work, and once they bend towards China for whatever they offer, they have many questions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is my question, why America is not participating, even in CPEC?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>They can also come and join hands in the companies and for the next phase, they can play their role which I think Pakistanis would really welcome.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s my question.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I agree, again, countries are driven because they need infrastructure and they have urgent needs for infrastructure, and you certainly saw that in Pakistan with the energy crisis.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s why America was involved in helping to support the 3200 megawatts that were added to the grid.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But ultimately the quickest fix isn’t necessarily going to be the wisest fix over the longer term.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Building energy, building electricity production plants without addressing distribution grids, without addressing the pricing structure and the subsidy structure, you know, leaves Pakistan with a circular debt that is very much the focus of this IMF program.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And so we would encourage that the right policy environment be developed and the right regulatory frameworks be introduced.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>In which case you really unlock a multitude of investors who want to come to Pakistan.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Whether it’s the ExxonMobils or the Accelerate or others that have a track record already in Pakistan, there is intense interest in energy development throughout South Asia.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So don’t think that the private sector isn’t motivated to come, but they’re going to be looking for that commitment to overarching reform as well.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">GE is a company that has been I think our most successful company in partnering in some CPEC projects in part because they bring to the table turbines for which there are few competitors.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And so they have found Chinese partners that they have worked together on projects that meet international standards, that are transparent, that uphold the principles that GE and American firms stand for.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And I always like to point out, in Nepal, for instance, there’s a U.S.-Chinese joint project to drill a tunnel.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We are perfectly capable of working together with Chinese companies in transparent projects, transparently, competitive bid that meet standards.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>This is a question about standards.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I guess the one additional element I would put, or the one question that I would put on the table, is why is it that so little of Chinese development monies go through the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank, which has been implemented primarily by ADB, so multilateral standards.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And why has so much gone through One Belt One Road?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>To me it’s pretty clear.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>One is upholding harder standards, and the other is relying on local standards. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So our goal is to see all major infrastructure developers ensuring that the world is able to advance in a way that the benefits are reaped by the citizens without the kind of environmental or ultimately white elephant projects that have been so notorious in some countries.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m Will Embry from DynCorp International.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alice, how will CPEC and the Belt and Road Initiative impact Afghanistan’s effort to increase its economic ties in the region?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>China has not been a real player in Afghanistan development.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>China is not a provider of any significant grant assistance.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It has invested or it has laid claim to a copper mine, a significant cooper mine, but has never developed the copper mine.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Right now I would say I see opportunities for the United States and China to be important partners in reinforcing the need for a negotiated political settlement, and you see Ambassador Khalilzad regularly consulting with his Chinese counterpart among other regional actors, but I haven’t seen China take the steps that would make it a real contributor to Afghanistan’s stabilization, much less stitching it back into the Central Asia and the international community.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most of the regional connectivity initiatives have come from the neighboring Central Asia states.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Whether it’s Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, all of whom are developing rail lines, electricity lines, cross-border trade.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Very positive developments that we’ve seen over the last two years in particular with the opening of Uzbekistan.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Is China helping them fund some of those projects that will connect them to Afghanistan?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Not to my knowledge.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>My name’s Jon Danilowicz, I’m an associate with Bower Group Asia.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have a question that pivots on, it’s related to CPEC but it’s about the other kind of major foreign investment that Pakistan’s been receiving recently which is from the Persian Gulf.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The LNG relationship is increasingly critical to the bilateral U.S.-Pakistani economic relationship.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>However, American LNG firms, with the exception of Accelerate, kind of working on this FSRU front haven’t really been able to tap into the market for actual factual LNG because of the high presence of these long-term FSAs from the Gulf.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How can the United States more effectively argue to get U.S. LNG truly into Pakistan as a major source of energy as opposed to just a source of this importation infrastructure?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We stand ready to advocate on behalf of American companies and to seek the regulatory environment and the conditions that would allow them to compete fairly.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>There are major companies currently exploring opportunities in Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The role of the Gulf has been interesting over the last couple of years.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>As Pakistan was entering its latest economic crisis we saw Saudi Arabia and Qatar inject infusions of capital into Pakistan which again had the effect of illustrating that this is not a problem money can solve.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s a problem that has to be solved by reform.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And whether it’s the energy pricing structures or regulations or currency management and Central Bank independence.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>You know, it’s all of those very difficult but necessary reforms that are going to be the solution.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Alice, we started a little late.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Do you have a little time?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Or do you have to run off?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I have time.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Okay, I’m going to take several questions at one time.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>[Karam Sajjad], 92 News from Pakistan.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The U.S. position, since the beginning of CPEC, U.S. position is of observers of the project.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>One of Pakistan’s senators mentioned Pakistan is not only sharing the land but maritime road during the CPEC project.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>My question is all this commotion which is coming from U.S. is now because, do you think U.S. is feeling threat in the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Ocean and Indian Ocean?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>U.S. is having the threat of losing its primacy in that region?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>May name is Micah Kyler.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m an intern at the Hudson Institute just across the street.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I wanted to ask what is keeping China from developing a more responsible model for its BRI projects?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Is it something that the communist party doesn’t want to give up because it benefits the country and they’re not concerned about other countries in the region?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>What is the factor preventing them from developing a more responsible model?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>My name is [Saldari Marantiq].<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m a proud Pakistani-American.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My question, do you have any recommendations for the American Pakistanis like me to do something regarding what is happening in our part of the region?</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I don’t think the United States is feeling threatened.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We’re very proud of the long history of military to military cooperation that we’ve enjoyed with Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We continue to have increasingly constructive relations with Pakistan.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Pakistan has been a very important actor in anti-piracy effort where we’ve collaborated together in the Gulf, where Pakistan has had a liaison officer in Bahrain where the 5</span><span class="s2" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><sup style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</sup></span><span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span> </span>Fleet is located.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And this administration is actually asking for more from neighboring countries to burden-share on whether it’s anti-piracy or Iran’s malicious efforts to complicate shipping through the Arabian Gulf.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I actually don’t think that is a motivation at all, and I think that there is potential if Pakistan takes steps to move away and to restrict the ability of non-state sort of terrorist proxies, that the potential for our relationship to grow ever deeper is there.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>You saw that in Prime Minister Kahn’s excellent visit to the United States this summer and the very warm and constructive meeting that he had with President Trump.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With motivations, like why isn’t China overnight more transparent.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m not a China expert, but probably my East Asia Pacific colleagues don’t welcome me opining, but obviously the program was designed in part to be able to export excess labor, excess capital, excess production facilities.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So China was trying to solve one of its own domestic problems and it solved its domestic problem sometimes at the expense of the receiving country.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are over 95 state-owned enterprises that are part of this Belt and Road Initiative and that have been engaged in infrastructure projects overseas, Chinese state-owned enterprises.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And so I imagine there’s a degree of difficulty in coordination.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But I do think we have to be clear-eyed.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The rhetoric we’ve heard recently, including at the second Belt and Road Summit is much better.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>If you read the rhetoric on green technology and a green One Belt One Road, that’s all positive.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But wait to see whether it’s implemented.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s where the truth is.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I would start again from the very basic building block that needs to occur in transparency.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So when you talk about why American firms haven’t been more active, because American firms half the time have no clue that a One Belt One Road project is being bid.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Or the bids are restricted only to Chinese companies.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Or the project information is not made available to the bidders in a transparent fashion.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I would just keep circling back to transparency.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Ask for transparency.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Let’s normalize what China is doing and make them a good global citizen in the development space.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’re very grateful for our diaspora communities.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Whether it’s Pakistan-American communities, Indian-American communities, I benefit because of the energy and the interest that you bring to relationships, to your advocacy and engagement with Congress, to your serving as sort of the tip of the sphere in humanitarian educational projects, people to people.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s a gift. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I would say stay active.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Keep being a bridge between Pakistan and here.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Let us know how we can support your own initiatives.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We look for ways to highlight and engage and work with members of the community.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Good afternoon.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>This is [Javidia Tarin] and I’m coming from Baluchistan where the CPEC is happening and I’m running an independent think tank there which is Baluchistan Institute of Research and Development.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We closely work with the government of Baluchistan because I’m part of the task force as well.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And I’m a Fulbright Scholar, too because in 2013 and ’14 I got the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship and I studied from Arizona State University.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And the State Department honored me to come and speak with the alumni network as an alumni and to look at the current fellows.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The people in Baluchistan, they are really looking forward for CPEC.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>They do think that this is a game-changer.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>But as a citizen of Pakistan and Baluchistan, we do have a reservation when it comes to the legislation for the citizens because we want that to be the same as in you know, Gulf countries.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>The Chinese are coming, we welcome that. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The second thing is we have seen that, because I represent the civil society as well in my background as a journalist.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So we have seen that since last few years the NGO sector and civil society has not been provided a lot of opportunities so is there, because I met the World Bank President as well, and I requested him that in Pakistan we really need that support to empower civil society.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So that is also very important.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That is a request.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>John [Saverly] from [Inaudible] TV News, Pakistan.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pakistan right now is taking investment from all over the world, especially from America.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So is there any change in the travel advisory for the American investors or is Pakistan still a dangerous place?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m Allen [Cronstet], Congressional Research Service.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells, that was a masterfully delivered speech and left me to wonder why you are not a Congressionally-confirmed Assistant Secretary.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>That’s a comment.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>[Laughter].</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I’m glad it’s a comment.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Question:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>My question though has to do with India.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Obviously India’s a major economy that has rejected participation in the BRI and looks to what is going on in Pakistan with CPEC as a potential entrenchment or a new level of entrenchment of China and Pakistan’s economy, also other South Asian projects that include building and in some cases running ports that have the potential for future military use.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Given the Indian concern about strategic encirclement I’m wondering if you can comment on the dynamics there and maybe as well how you engage with the New Delhi government in this context.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s great to have a Fulbrighter in the audience, and we’re really proud of the Fulbright program.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s our flagship, largest Fulbright program and it’s created I think a great community of Pakistanis and Americans who better understand one another.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So I’m delighted that you’re here.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Baluchistan is interesting because there have been tensions in Baluchistan and at various times protests over Gwadar Port development, and it really airs some of the tensions involved in these massive infrastructure projects when you don’t have the outreach to the local citizenry, you don’t have the corporate social responsibility that a lot of our major firms do in trying to build buy-in among the community and stakeholders and ensure that locals feel like they’re benefiting personally.<span> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And many of the complications associated with Gwadar including now the very long-term lease that’s been given to the Chinese, the question of how profits are going to be distributed between Pakistan and China.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>These are all very real questions that civil society media need and should shine a light on.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where we draw the line, obviously, because we fully support that kind of questioning and that debate.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Where we’ve been crystal clear in drawing the line is that we don’t support violence.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And so you saw the United States designate the Baluchistan Liberation Army as a terrorist organization after they committed several attacks including against a Chinese associated with the One Belt One Road project.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think Gwadar is sort of a classic example.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It also feeds into Indian anxieties because it’s not clear the commercial basis on which Gwadar is being developed.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And this has been a project very long in the making and not very evident to outsiders what’s the economic rationale that drives it.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think India has been crystal clear from the outset that they saw the geopolitical nature of elements of the One Belt One Road.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We share India’s concerns over projects that don’t have an economic basis and that lead to countries ceding sovereignty. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sri Lanka’s not the only country that has ceded, effectively ceded sovereignty over a key asset.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>You’ve had reports out of Tajikistan over land swaps in order to get out of excessive debt.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And this is a real issue.</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">All I can say is that however much you might dislike the World Bank or IMF, they don’t take 99-year leases or strip away the sovereignty of countries that they engage in.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So let’s be very clear-eyed about the terms that multilaterals bring to the table, versus the terms that are being imposed under some of these programs.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where we’ve been able to work I think effectively with India in a new way is in that Quad format.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>So literally, it’s very powerful to sit down with like-minded countries.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>To sit down with Australia, Japan, India and us and to look at the world, and are we engaged enough, are we reinforcing one another’s activities, are there possibilities through the Millennium Challenge Corporation to do cross-border connectivity?</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve been involved with the Quad since we founded it about 2.5 years ago.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We just had our first Ministerial-level Quad.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So I see that as a real strong manifestation of our seriousness and being able to provide realistic alternatives for countries looking for infrastructure.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On the travel advisory, it’s something we evaluate every six months.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>We want to see improvements in Pakistan’s security situation so that we can reflect that in a travel advisory.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Some of the steps I think<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>that are very important are Pakistan’s implementation, full implementation of the Financial Action Task Force requirement to counterterrorism financing, to prosecute and seize the assets of members of terrorist organizations.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>And as Pakistan is taking these steps, it will be reflected I think in how, in both the safety and security situation and in our ability to look at the travel advisory in the future.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Alice, I think we’ve gone on for over an hour.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>I think probably there are more questions, but I suspect you really have to go.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It sounds like your voice is giving out too.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambassador Wells:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>You’ve been a great audience.<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to talk to you.</span></div>
<div class="p3" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.25px; line-height: 28px; margin: 18px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="s1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moderator:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Hasn’t she been a great speaker?<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span> </span></span>Thank you all very much for coming.</span></div>
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Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Central Asian (C5) Foreign Ministers</h3>
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wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-490544491244051912019-10-20T05:39:00.002+05:002019-10-20T05:52:05.164+05:00Day 90 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
</div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q78zrhZKXlc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-22473006196085184362019-10-01T03:16:00.001+05:002019-10-01T03:16:54.096+05:00Pakistan's permanent UN representative reshuffled
https://www.geo.tv/amp/249449-munir-akram-replaces-maleeha-lodhi-as-pakistans-representative-to-un?__twitter_impression=truewasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6311570827498294112.post-45723626487655184142019-08-16T17:47:00.000+05:002019-08-16T17:47:20.789+05:00Kuchlak Blast : many killed during Juma Prayers <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IPH9FWoylYEsvpCwe_A11gZecbqyHDXU1RKbRTAS57XEvZz8YGJzFrC8rwbDKyZMPpPDh7Gpi2VA02aYK58H9x8sjq1F2qXXz5J31tE_esUTatQgy3EaSus_WO6VLfX-lkPJ9u2Y3V8/s1600/kuchlak+blast.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="1133" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IPH9FWoylYEsvpCwe_A11gZecbqyHDXU1RKbRTAS57XEvZz8YGJzFrC8rwbDKyZMPpPDh7Gpi2VA02aYK58H9x8sjq1F2qXXz5J31tE_esUTatQgy3EaSus_WO6VLfX-lkPJ9u2Y3V8/s640/kuchlak+blast.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<img alt="Blast In Quetta Kuchlak Area Madrasa Martyrs Four, Injures More Than A Dozen" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" height="600" src="https://www.parhlo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/BeFunky-collage-64.jpg.webp" width="1280" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A blast in the mosque of Quetta. This mosque was situated in Tehsil Kuchlak, a town 25km on the outskirts of Quetta. The blast took place in the afternoon after Friday prayers. This mosque also has a Madarsa attached to it.</b></span></div>
wasiq1http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885907718998699947noreply@blogger.com1