Hussain

MEMORANDUM **

Zahid Hussain, native citizen of Pakistan, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) decision affirming without opinion an immigration judge’s (“IJ”) denial of his application for asylum and withholding of removal. Because the BIA affirmed the IJ’s decision without opinion, we review the IJ’s decision as the final agency determination. Falcon Carriche v. Ashcroft, 350 F.3d 845, 849 (9th Cir.2003). We review credibility findings for substantial evidence. Farah v. Ashcroft, 348 F.3d 1153, 1156 (9th Cir. 2003), and we deny the petition.

Substantial evidence supports the IJ’s adverse credibility finding because the contradiction between Hussain’s testimony and asylum application concerning whether false charges had been filed against him by Pakistani federal agents went to the heart of his asylum claim. See Chebchoub v. INS, 257 F.3d 1038, 1043 (9th Cir.2001).

Because Hussain failed to establish eligibility for asylum, he necessarily failed to meet the more stringent standard for withholding of removal. See Alvarez-Santos v. INS, 332 F.3d 1245, 1255 (9th Cir.2003). *212 Because Hussain does not challenge the denial of his application for…