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U.S. to let flights between Iran and Iraq’s Najaf under sanctions waiver: source
US President Donald Trump’s administration was set to grant a limited waiver to its Iran sanctions program on Monday to allow for flights carrying Shi’ite Muslim religious pilgrims between Iran and Iraq, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The source, who is involved in the deliberations, said the US Treasury Department waiver would allow Iraqi Airways to fly back and forth between Iran and the Shi’ite holy city of Najaf in Iraq for one month, with a more permanent waiver potentially following.
Iraq halted flights to and from Iran on Friday, in line with US sanctions.
The source said the move aimed to ease pressure on the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who has sought to deepen ties with Washington while also balancing a strong relationship with Iraq’s influential neighbour, Iran.
Trump’s effort to impose a crippling economic blockade on Iran is forcing regional governments to scale back ties with Iran, creating potential backlash against those states, particularly those that balance their ties with both Washington and Tehran.
Zaidi’s office over the weekend said that Iraq was seeking an exemption for travel between Iran and Iraq for medical treatment, education and pilgrimage.
An Iraqi official said the Iraqi government was in talks with the US about the Najaf exemption and expected flights between Iran and Najaf to resume within 48 hours.
The US State Department referred questions to the Treasury Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In recent days, countries including Turkey, the UAE and Iraq have cancelled direct flights with Iran as a result of US pressure. In response, Iranian officials have threatened to halt regional air travel if Iran’s air links continued to be cut.
With Shi’ite religious pilgrims travelling between Iran and Iraq each year to visit key shrine cities, Iraq is perhaps in the most sensitive position.
Najaf, a center for religious study, draws millions of pilgrims a year to the shrine of Imam Ali, the first Shi’ite leader, and the world’s largest and oldest active Islamic cemetery.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East.
The source said that barring flights between the two countries could cause severe backlash against Iraq’s government by uniting Shi’ites who follow Iran’s supreme leader and those who follow Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, undermining US efforts to reduce Iranian influence in Iraq.
Zaidi has offered to provide safeguards for the flights, including rigorous screening and information sharing as well as ensuring the flights are not used for transfer of weapons, sanctioned individuals or illicit money, the source said.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has asked all intending pilgrims enrolled under the government’s Hajj Scheme 2027 to deposit their second instalment by October 20, the last date for depositing the dues.
“Pilgrims must pay by the deadline to avoid cancellation of their Hajj applications,” the ministry added.
The ministry’s spokesperson said that so far over 97,000 pilgrims have deposited the second instalment and total revenues through the National Information Technology Board’s (NITB) digital Hajj portal have reached Rs61 billion.
Of these pilgrims, 45,245 paid using One Link and 3,685 paid with debit or credit cards. Another 47,563 cleared their dues via bank challans.
Those pilgrims who have not yet paid have been asked to complete the process through NITB’s Hajj online or Pak Hajj mobile application.
The government has also made it necessary for all prospective pilgrims to undergo medical checkup. They have to download the medical fitness certificate from Hajj portal, get it validated by a registered doctor and upload it on the portal.
Pilgrims have been encouraged to keep checking Pak Hajj app for latest information and official instructions about Hajj 2027.
— The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off on a bullish note on Tuesday with the benchmark KSE-100 Index rising more than 400 points in early trade.
The index rose to 166,425 points at the start of the second trading session of the business week, indicating better market performance.
The KSE-100 Index closed down 453 points at 165,966 points in the last trading session.
The benchmark index turned positive during early trading after falling in the previous session. The latest gains were made as the benchmark index went into positive territory during early trading.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has issued notices under Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, in connection with the ongoing inquiry regarding Dr Amjad Ali, MPA and Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa dysfunctional Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Housing.
The inquiry is into claims of acquisition of assets beyond known sources of income, corruption and unscrupulous behaviour.
NAB has called four witnesses, Bacha Syed, Muhammad Arif Shah, Siraj Ahmed and Naveed Ahmed, to record their statements and furnish relevant documents between October 20 and 22.
The agency also asked for data relating to allotment, ownership and payment of plots in connection with Islamabad’s Eighteen Housing Society and Jalozai Housing Scheme.
Read More: Rs920m scam uncovered in KP education department
Besides, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Accounts Department has been instructed to provide record of salary, allowances, incentives and travel expenditures of Dr Amjad Ali.
NAB has cautioned that non-availability of sought records may invite initiation of legal action including prosecution against the concerned persons.
The probe remains focused on the charges under investigation, and the issue of summons notifications does not, by itself, demonstrate misconduct.
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