SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS

epubdos : Afghanistan

Prepared for the U.S. Department of State

Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

By TechMIS
www.TechMIS.com

Mobile User Copy

TO:	SCA & Staff
DATE:	Wednesday, April 10, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan

Taliban’s plans to curtail access to Facebook in Afghanistan alarm critics (VOA)

VOA [4/9/2024 2:37 PM, Ayaz Gul, 761K, Neutral]
Media freedom advocates are expressing alarm over the Taliban’s proposal to restrict or completely ban access to Facebook in Afghanistan and have urged the fundamentalist rulers to reconsider the move.

Najibullah Haqqani, minister of telecommunications and Information, announced last week on a local TV news channel that he has finalized a proposal to limit access to the social media platform, pending approval by the Taliban.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, has urged the Taliban not to move ahead on a measure that it said would “further impede the free flow of information in Afghanistan.”

In a statement issued on Monday, the U.S.-based advocate of media freedom highlighted Facebook’s widespread use by Afghan news outlets to disseminate news and information in the country.

“Social media platforms, including Facebook, have helped to fill a void left by the decline of the Afghan media industry since the Taliban’s August 2021 takeover and the ensuing crackdown on press freedom,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator.

“The proposed ban highlights the worsening censorship by the Taliban,” she added.

The CPJ statement quoted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as telling the U.S.-based watchdog that “Facebook will not be banned, but restrictions will be imposed on it.”

Taliban officials themselves heavily rely on social media platforms, including Facebook and X, to announce policy statements and propagate the return of so-called economic, security and political stability to Afghanistan.

Since regaining control of the war-ravaged country nearly three years ago, the Taliban have detained journalists, shut down Afghan news websites and restricted access to foreign media outlets, including VOA. Activists say the restrictions have severely curtailed press freedom in Afghanistan.

In February, the Taliban governor of the southern province of Kandahar ordered his staff and security forces not to allow photographs or videos during their formal or informal meetings.

Later that month, the Taliban minister for the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice warned media representatives at a meeting in the capital, Kabul, of the possibility of a ban on female journalists and guests if they did not comply with a strict dress code, requiring that only their eyes be visible during broadcasts.

U.S. Senate leaders push for release of Dansville man held by Taliban since 2022 (Hornell Evening Tribune)

Hornell Evening Tribune [4/9/2024 1:11 PM, Neal Simon, 13914K, Neutral]
Top U.S. senators are pressing for the release of a Dansville man who has been held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for more than 600 days.

In a joint resolution this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) called for the immediate and unconditional release of Ryan Corbett, who has been detained without charges and held in an underground cell by the Taliban since Aug. 10, 2022.

The leaders asked for the Senate to pass the resolution before Corbett’s birthday, which is April 13.

Corbett, 40, founded Bloom Afghanistan − a social enterprise focused on strengthening Afghanistan’s private sector − in 2017.

A year after the last U.S. troops left the country, Corbett traveled back to Afghanistan to renew his visa and pay the local staff of his non-profit when he was taken without cause, explanation, or any semblance of due process, Schumer said.

Corbett has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of State as “Wrongfully Detained.”

Corbett’s wife, Anna, has been relentlessly advocating for his release, hoping to reunite Corbett with his family in Dansville as soon as possible. The Corbetts have three children. Ryan Corbett’s parents reside in Kentucky.

"This resolution is proof that Ryan is not forgotten by his country, despite what his captors would have him believe," said Anna Corbett. "I am grateful to Majority Leader Schumer for all the care and support he has shown my family for the more than 600 days that Ryan has been wrongfully detained.”

Anna Corbett has testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and she attended President Biden’s State of the Union speech last month as a guest of Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-24th District).

In a Senate floor speech, Schumer said the Corbett family has "been brave through this tragic situation and I am in constant awe of their strength and resolve."

According to the Free Ryan Corbett advocacy group, Corbett is held in a basement cell without regular access to a bathroom, sunlight, or medical care.

Several months ago, westerners released from the prison where Corbett is being held reported on his deteriorating health and not receiving adequate medical care, supporters said.

Schumer said Anna Corbett has spoken with Ryan a handful of times during his captivity and concerns about his health have only heightened in recent weeks.

"So, time is of the essence to get him back," Schumer said.

Pakistan

Pakistan deploys more than 100,000 police and paramilitary forces ahead of Eid al-Fitr (AP)

AP [4/9/2024 7:27 AM, Munir Ahmed, 2565K, Neutral]
Pakistani authorities have deployed more than 100,000 police and paramilitary forces at mosques and marketplaces across the country ahead of the massive Eid al-Fitr holiday, officials said Tuesday.

Eid al-Fitr, which means feast, will be celebrated in Pakistan on Wednesday, subject to sighting of the moon. The three-day holiday marks the end of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month of fasting.

Though attacks during Eid are rare in Pakistan, Intelligence agencies alerted the Interior Ministry that militants could use the holiday to target civilians, government and military buildings, and compounds housing police, officials said. The country has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in recent years, mostly claimed by Pakistani Taliban and separatists who mainly operate from the southwestern Baluchistan province.

Security was also being beefed up at places where high-profile personalities are expected to say their Eid prayers.

Taliban spokesperson for the Interior Ministry Abdul Mateen Qani said forces were fully alert to ensure security during Eid al-Fitr in Afghanistan. He said security forces will be deployed in all crowded areas, including mosques.

In addition, the police chief office in the capital, Kabul, has requested that citizens avoid setting off fireworks or otherwise disturbing the peace.

Abdullah Khan, a senior defense analyst and managing director of the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, said he had no specific information about possible attacks, but “militants can hit soft targets, as people in a large number say their Eid prayer at mosques and open places.”

On Tuesday, people were shopped as usual at various markets, with women buying bangles, jewelry and clothes for themselves and their children.

More than 52,000 police were being deployed at mosques as part of a security plan under which about 8,000 police were sent to sensitive places and markets in the provincial capital Lahore, according to a statement issued by Punjab police. Punjab is the country’s most populous province and the home city of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was elected in March by lawmakers in Pakistan’s National Assembly despite protests and allegations that the election was rigged.

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Visits Saudi Arabia (The Diplomat)

The Diplomat [4/9/2024 6:19 AM, Umair Jamal, 201K, Neutral]
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia earlier this week on his first foreign visit since being elected in February.

In Mecca, the premier and his delegation met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In addition, Sharif held a private meeting with the Crown Prince. What was discussed at the one-on-one meeting has not been disclosed, but Pakistan said the two leaders agreed to strengthen ties.

It is customary for Pakistani premiers to visit Saudi Arabia after being sworn into office, underlying the close ties between the two countries. However, Sharif’s recent visit is important for many reasons that go beyond just following a tradition.

To begin with, Pakistan’s current civil-military leadership is keen to persuade its partners and allies that after a turbulent period of political unrest, stability has returned to Pakistan. Pakistan’s close allies, especially those in the Gulf, have been asking Islamabad for some time to restore a semblance of stability so that they can respond positively to Pakistan’s requests for financial concessions and investments. Sharif’s trip to the Saudi kingdom signals that stability.

It is important to recognize that Pakistan is facing serious economic challenges. Last year, Pakistan’s economy worsened to such an extent that talks about its defaulting on loans dominated headlines for several months. The situation deteriorated further when Pakistan’s allies refused to give the country substantial financial assistance to bail it out of the crisis.

During the recent talks, Riyadh may have urged Pakistan to restore monetary stability through an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to gauge its commitment to stabilization and reform.

There are signs that Pakistan has succeeded in both areas to initiate talks with Saudi Arabia about future investment. It has successfully concluded its current agreement with the IMF and plans to initiate talks with the organization for a longer program. Similarly, there has been a noticeable decline in political turmoil in Pakistan following the elections and installation of a new government.

These developments are backed by the economic reforms that the country initiated over the last year. During his previous tenure as prime minister (April 2022-August 2023), Sharif took steps to privatize huge loss-making state-owned enterprises like Pakistan International Airlines.

Under the outgoing interim government, the reform process took modest strides and is currently gaining momentum under the current administration. This continuity of policy over the last couple of years has perhaps convinced the Saudi leadership that Pakistan will not only protect its investments, but also become a stable partner.

Pakistan’s policy approach may have begun to pay dividends. After Sharif met Salman, Riyadh committed to accelerating the initial round of a $5 billion investment package that had been previously discussed but was not materialized, in part because of the political unrest in Pakistan.

In addition, the Crown Prince has agreed to travel to Pakistan. Several significant initiatives will probably be launched during that visit. This may include the long-discussed Saudi involvement in the Reko Diq mining project and the commencement of construction on a $10-billion oil refinery at Gwadar Port.

Sharif may have requested the Saudis for a new oil subsidy during his recent visit. A fresh subsidy would serve as a hedge against any future increases in the international oil market price that would jeopardize Pakistan’s economic goals. This is especially concerning in Islamabad because of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, which could spread across the Middle East. High-priced oil imports have the potential to increase Pakistan’s current account deficit and strain its declining foreign exchange reserves.

Sharif’s visit to the Kingdom is expected to restore confidence in Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations. The country must avoid another round of political turmoil in the upcoming months to preserve its ally’s trust.

Pakistan rocked by claims judges threatened in ex-PM Khan case (Nikkei Asia)

Nikkei Asia [4/9/2024 10:30 PM, Adnan Aamir, 293K, Negative]
Pakistan’s judiciary is in the grips of its biggest scandal in memory as senior judges accuse the country’s powerful security service of using violence and intimidation to strong-arm them into jailing former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The explosive allegations by six top judges of the Islamabad High Court -- including claims that one jurist’s brother-in-law was abducted and tortured with electric shocks -- were laid out in a letter to Pakistan’s Supreme Court, which is hearing the claims. The government has separately launched a probe into the allegations which first surfaced in late March.

Claims of intimidation are not unknown in Pakistan’s legal system. But this is the first instance in its history that multiple judges have collectively leveled such serious accusations against the state intelligence agency, observers said.

"These allegations have been documented and brought on record. Now this issue cannot be put on the backburner," said Tahir Naeem Malik, a professor of international relations at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad.

The alleged intimidation also included secret surveillance inside the judges’ homes in what they claimed was an attempt to pressure them into ruling against Khan in his myriad legal cases.

The popular cricket star-turned-politician was handed a 10-year prison term for leaking state secrets in February and a separate 14-year sentence for illegal sales of state gifts.

Khan -- who denies all wrongdoing and says the charges are trumped up by the military-backed government -- had already been jailed since August on corruption allegations and barred from running in Pakistan’s national elections, triggering large protests by his supporters.

"Senior judges incriminating officials working under the government, of spying on their private life to pivot a way for getting court decisions against former Prime Minister Imran Khan or any other politician, is actually a charge sheet against the government," a spokesperson for Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said in a statement.

Shortly after the high court judges made the allegations, another 18 judges from the Supreme Court, Lahore High Court, and IHC received threatening letters with some initially thought to contain anthrax, but later determined to be arsenic, local media reported.

Official complaints about intimidation were bound to happen after years of coercive tactics by state agencies, said Shahid Maitla, a political analyst based in Islamabad.

"Every institution and individual has a threshold to absorb coercion," he added. "Beyond that [it] results in revolt."

Immediately after the judges’ letter surfaced, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and then formed a one-man inquiry commission, headed by former Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani.

Jillani later recused himself from heading the probe, without giving reasons.

In response, more than 300 lawyers called on the Supreme Court to start hearings into the allegations. It was unclear how long the top court hearing will last.

But a security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Nikkei that the judges’ accusations are frivolous and played no role in Khan’s legal woes.

"The cases against the former prime minister Imran Khan are purely legal and have nothing to do with law enforcement agencies," the official said. "Intelligence officials expect a free and fair hearing of the case."

Syed Muhammad Ali, a political analyst based in Islamabad, questioned the timing of the jurists’ intimidation claims.

"These allegations and their timing clearly indicate an attempt to politicize the judiciary and create problems between different state institutions," Ali said. "The track record of [IHC] judges and their disproportionate concern for [Imran Khan] and [PTI] in the past few years clearly reflects their bias in this case."

The Supreme Court may take steps to limit interference with the judiciary, but it was unlikely to issue punitive sanctions, observers said.

"Irrespective of the senior judges involved in this case, it is very difficult to take a significant decisive action which can change the actions or intervention of intelligence agencies," said Asma Hyder, a professor of economics at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi. "This is just another episode in the judicial history of the country."

India

India Court Rejects Delhi Chief Minister’s Plea Against Arrest (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg [4/9/2024 7:23 AM, Shruti Mahajan, 5543K, Negative]
An Indian court has upheld the arrest of Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a key leader in the opposition alliance fighting upcoming national polls against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement, the federal anti-money laundering agency, last month in relation to a now-scrapped liquor sales tax scheme in Delhi.

Kejriwal had petitioned the court questioning the propriety and timing of his arrest by the federal agency just weeks ahead of the national poll. His legal team argued that Kejriwal’s arrest and incarceration dent the principles of democracy and free and fair elections. India heads to the polls starting April 19, with the results out on June 4.

The agency defended its move saying that the law applies equally to all and Kejriwal cannot seek immunity on account of being the chief minister. He now has the option of appealing the decision before the Supreme Court.

Kejriwal is among the several senior leaders of his party who have been arrested over allegations that the government in Delhi skewed the state’s alcohol pricing in return for bribes. The party and its leaders deny the allegations.

The chief minster is currently imprisoned in Delhi from where he continues to run his government. At least two petitions seeking his removal from the post have failed before the court.

In a reprieve for Kejriwal’s party, its senior leader Sanjay Singh was released on bail by the country’s top court earlier this month after six months of imprisonment.

Top opposition politicians protested the arrests of Kejriwal and other key political leaders earlier this month. They called for free and fair elections in the country.

India court rejects plea challenging Delhi chief minister’s arrest in graft case (Reuters)

Reuters [4/9/2024 12:08 PM, Sakshi Dayal, 5239K, Negative]
An Indian court on Tuesday rejected an appeal against the arrest of opposition leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a graft case, an order that disappointed the opposition 10 days before general elections.

Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by financial crime-fighting agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with corruption allegations related to Delhi’s liquor policy, sparking protests in the capital and the northern state of Punjab, also governed by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

A city court last week extended Kejriwal’s detention until April 15 and moved him to Delhi’s Tihar jail, where two senior AAP leaders are also held in the same case. A third AAP leader detained in the case was given bail this month after being imprisoned for six months.

In its order on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court said Kejriwal’s arrest was not in contravention of the law and "cannot be termed as illegal".

AAP said it would appeal to the Supreme Court and reiterated its position that the high-profile leader was arrested in a "fabricated" case in an attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to "finish" him.

The government and BJP have denied the accusations.

"It is the biggest conspiracy of India’s history ... to finish Arvind Kejriwal, his political party, and his two governments in Delhi and Punjab," AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters.

"We are not satisfied with this decision and we will go to the Supreme Court against this decision," he said.

The BJP said the court’s decision was based on hard facts and had "shattered the arrogance" of AAP and its "self-proclaimed honest" leader.

An alliance of 27 opposition parties called ‘INDIA’, of which AAP is a member, has thrown its weight behind Kejriwal since his arrest, criticising ED and other federal agencies for what it says is their "politically motivated" investigations.

India’s main opposition Congress party has accused Modi’s government of "tax terrorism", saying the tax department had sought to cripple it financially through huge tax demands just before the elections.

The action against opposition groups is aimed at denying them a level playing field, the INDIA alliance says. It has appealed to the Election Commission to intervene.

The government denies the accusations and says enforcement agencies are only doing their job by pursuing violations.

American Investors Embrace a Less-Democratic India (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal [4/9/2024 7:00 AM, Megha Mandavia, 810K, Neutral]
A popular opposition figure is in prison. Another major party’s election funds have been seized. As India, the world’s largest democracy, gears up for elections in less than two weeks, investors from the world’s oldest democracy are embracing it like never before.

American businesses are attracted to an economy that is slated to grow 7.5% this year, according to the World Bank—more than three times the global pace. India, which had long frustrated foreign businesses with its sometimes chaotic political system, might have the world’s third-largest economy by the end of the decade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to sail through general elections held once every five years, potentially surpassing his previous vote tally but worrying some observers. The Sweden-based V-Dem Institute, which had downgraded India to the status of “electoral autocracy” in 2018, expects Modi’s third term to lead to further deterioration. The U.S. government funded research group Freedom House, which rates India as partly-free, said the ruling BJP party has increasingly used government institutions to target political opponents.

With the rift between the U.S. and China widening, the U.S. State Department calls the relationship with India one of the most strategic and consequential of the 21st century. It has also made a tepid call to India’s government for “a fair, transparent and timely legal process” for imprisoned opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal and cited an opposition party’s allegations that its bank accounts were frozen. The statements were met with strong objections from New Delhi.

The bonhomie is clear when one looks at investment and trade figures. Foreign direct investment from the U.S. into India has risen substantially since Modi came to power in 2014, CEIC data shows, and is likely to keep growing. The U.S. is now India’s largest trading partner, ahead of China, with bilateral trade in goods and services between the allies likely crossing $200 billion in the financial year ended March 2023, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. That has doubled since 2014 when Modi took office and America’s ambassador to India has said there is potential for it to increase to $500 billion annually.

During the 2023 financial year, the U.S. was the third-largest source of FDI into India accounting for almost 9% of total FDI equity inflows, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

It is clear why many foreign investors are rooting for Modi. With his re-election, the government is likely to focus on more politically contentious reforms, including land acquisitions, labor reforms and further liberalization of FDI limits. An outright BJP victory should enable a sustained revival in private investments and lead to higher medium-term growth closer to about 7.0% to 7.5%, according to Nomura.

An unexpected win by the opposition coalition, on the other hand, could hurt governance in the near-term as a chaotic collection of parties tussles over issues of leadership, cabinet berths and a reflationary and populist government agenda. Capital expenditure on public infrastructure could take a hit to make fiscal space for consumption-focused policies.

For India to successfully meet the challenge of becoming a serious alternative to China and make good on its promises to American businesses such as Apple and possibly Tesla adopting the “China+1” policy, labor and land reforms are critical and so is continuous investment in infrastructure.

The previous coalition government under the Indian National Congress struggled to get the ball rolling on manufacturing and focused more on entitlements and policies such as the right to education, food security and job guarantees for the rural population.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh failed to break the legislative gridlock among lawmakers and pass economic reforms required to lure foreign capital and kick-start the economy during his second term. Morgan Stanley had lumped India among the “Fragile Five” emerging markets in 2013. Business confidence regularly took a hit and policy flip flops were common. For instance, U.K. telecom player Vodafone was slapped with billions of dollars in back taxes in 2012 after laws were changed.

It isn’t all hunky-dory now either, though. American businesses will have to master the art of maintaining a fine balance as the Indian government gets hypersensitive about criticism or opposition, whether actual or perceived. A top Indian government official recently lambasted Google’s Gemini AI tool for a response that Modi has been accused by some of implementing policies characterized as “fascist.” India’s businesses and press find it hard to criticize the government too.

Modi might have the ability to push through hard reforms to accelerate economic growth and win votes, but that also comes with a penchant for making decisions that are dramatic, performative and sometimes not well thought-out. For example, abruptly scrapping high-denomination bank notes accounting for about 85% of India’s currency by value in 2016 hurt the economy severely.

Strongmen bring their own set of risks, as learned from China’s zero-Covid policy and the crackdown on its tech sector. For now, though, American business is lauding the new India.

India’s influencers rally millions to vote for Modi (Agence France-Presse)

Agence France-Presse [4/9/2024 11:06 PM, Staff, 11975K, Positive]
Indian folk singer Maithili Thakur thought she was successful, with millions following her Hindu devotional tunes on social media -- but then Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent her popularity into the stratosphere.

With India’s marathon general elections set to start on April 19, critics say Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has co-opted the vast youth fan bases of hugely influential social media stars -- in fields ranging from music to culture, and fashion to fitness -- to push their political message.

Thakur was among 24 influencers handed prizes last month at the first government-organised National Creators Awards to promote "storytellers of a confident, assertive New India".

Many of the social media stars have a striking similarity in their promotion of India’s Hindu-majority culture, and several back the BJP’s right-wing ideology.

"There are many influencers who are collaborating with the current ruling government and making videos," said Thakur, who has 14 million followers on Facebook, and more than 4.5 million each on Instagram and YouTube.

But critics say the chance to maximise their followers and income from social posts by collaborating with the BJP may encourage influencers to uncritically back the ruling party, which is widely expected to win.

‘Incentives’

Thakur, 23, already a popular reality TV star for her classical singing, shot to even wider attention when Modi shared her devotional song on social platform X during the inauguration of a contentious Hindu temple in Ayodhya in January.

"So much buzz was created," said Thakur, who was named Cultural Ambassador of the Year at the Creators Awards -- where she shared videos of meeting Modi.

The temple to the deity Ram was built at the site of a centuries-old mosque that was razed by a mob of Hindu zealots in 1992.

The close ties between the government and major social media stars worry Prateek Waghre, from digital rights organisation Internet Freedom Foundation.

"There is enough to be concerned about just by the nature of these collaborations," said Waghre, noting influencers wanted to both earn money from their posts and win new followers.

"Purely on the question of incentives, you can see how this will skew them to engage in discourse that’s overwhelmingly positive, or at least non-critical."

While political parties across the board use social media, critics see the government’s links with influencers as part of a sophisticated soft-power campaign policy by the Hindu-nationalist BJP.

Waghre said he also fears the offers of cash or attention could woo influencers to back a party "irrespective of their own political beliefs".

With over half of India’s 1.4 billion people aged under 30, according to government health figures, using social media is a "tactic" to reach out to young voters, Thakur added.

The government’s online platform, MyGov, also carried interviews with the prize-winning influencers praising Modi.

India’s 462 million YouTube users are the platform’s largest audience by country, according to market tracker Statista.

‘Influence’

"By approaching the youth, you are trying to influence the major population of India," said Thakur, speaking to AFP from a room in her New Delhi home, which she uses as a recording studio, its walls adorned with colourful traditional paintings.

But Thakur has also been appointed as an election commission ambassador, which means she can only encourage people to take part in polls, not promote a party.

Others are more direct.

Ex-wrestler Ankit Baiyanpuria, winner of the national fitness creator award, urged his eight million Instagram fans to vote for Modi’s BJP.

BJP stalwarts, including Trade Minister Piyush Goyal and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, have also featured on social media star Ranveer Allahbadia’s channels -- with the videos tagged "Collaboration with @MyGov".

Janhvi Singh, 20, who makes posts on culture and religion -- from explaining Hindu scriptures to showcasing traditional dress -- was given the Heritage Fashion Icon Award.

She called her collaboration with the government an "opportunity", and said she valued the BJP’s focus on Hinduism because she feared India was "forgetting our roots and culture".

She noted that she did not directly tell her followers who to vote for.

"I don’t share any such political views on social media openly," she said. "But I think it is important to spread this message that you should vote."

But she was clear her loyalties lay with Modi.

"I think there is no other leader who is doing good for the country," she said.

Uttarakhand’s Civil Code Breeds an Indian Surveillance State (The Diplomat)

The Diplomat [4/9/2024 11:27 AM, Sadaf Javed and Reecha Das, 201K, Neutral]
When the state enters people’s private lives, it sets the stage for debate and discord.

In February, the Uttarakhand Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code Bill, marking the first legislation in an Indian state that proposes uniform rules for marriage, divorce, inheritance, and – contentiously – live-in relationships for people across all religions.

While conversations around a uniform civil code are not new, implementing it in a diverse and culturally pluralistic society like India poses several problems. A primary criticism is its potential to stifle personal choice and autonomy.

Live-in relationships, which have gained acceptance and legal protection as a legitimate lifestyle choice, could face more regulation and surveillance under the code. Such interference infringes upon people’s rights to privacy and freedom of association and perpetuates conservative social norms that deem certain relationships morally unacceptable.

The code must be considered in the larger, changing legal landscape where laws on conversion and “freedom of religion” scrutinize religious conversions on grounds of marriage, especially conversions to Islam.

By requiring live-in relationships to be registered and investigated by the registrar, the state is positioning itself as a guardian or parental figure, exemplified in cases like Hadiya vs. the State of Kerala.

Registering live-in relationships is part of the state’s mechanism to govern love. Requiring couples to submit forms and subject themselves to an investigation by a state official for intending to enter a live-in relationship seems like an inconvenience not just for the couples but for the state, whose resources are stretched.

The government is motivated to do so to appear as efficiently run and position itself as a parental figure for women, especially Hindu women, who it views as inherently vulnerable, incapable of making rational personal decisions, and in need of protection. It also allows the state to surveil citizens, especially those in what they deemed as transgressive relationships like interfaith and inter-caste romantic relationships.

Deeper State: Surveillance and Moral Policing

The Uniform Civil Code Code is a mechanism to receive the state’s approval of a romantic relationship, going beyond the consent of two individuals.

For relationships the state disapproves of, the code allows the registrar to investigate an application by a live-in couple for 30 days before issuing a registration document. It is vague on what happens if the registrar refuses to issue a registration document. Will couples need to break up?

On a more menacing note, the registration of live-in relationships, especially those seen as undesirable by the majority – such as interfaith relationships – will contribute to a database of couples that could have serious, even fatal, repercussions.

This new dataset could empower the state and state-supported vigilante groups to regulate and influence the dynamics of love within cohabiting relationships. Such measures may inadvertently foster vigilantism through platforms like housing societies and reinforce the concept of the “deeper state,” which operates as a clandestine entity employing surveillance techniques.

The implementation of the code should also be seen in light of rising cases of vigilantism against cow slaughter under the larger context of bovine politics in Uttarakhand. The notion of “affective labor for bovine love” – love for the cow framed as love for the state – intertwined with the code discourse on “love jihad” in a sacred Hindu geography is particularly concerning.

In framing the code as a means to uphold traditional Hindu values and protect sacred geography lies the risk of perpetuating a form of Hindu nationalism that prioritizes homogeneity over diversity and tramples individual freedom of choice in the matter of courtships.

Conspiracy theories like love jihad – which claims that romantic relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women are ploys by Muslim men to convert women to Islam – were often used by right-wing Hindu vigilantes. This is now entering the state’s language and policy. This theory that Muslim men trap “innocent” Hindu women into marriage is not only blatantly false but is a dangerous conspiracy theory that undermines women’s autonomy and portrays Muslim men as hypersexualized enemies.

Supporters of the code celebrate that these provisions will offer protection to women but conversely, it undermines their ability to make decisions. It infantilizes adult women, suggesting they require parental oversight and support for personal choices, reinforcing the notion of women’s dependence on external guidance and refuge.

Legality of Live-in Relationships

Romantic relationships between consenting adults who choose to cohabitate are not illegal but are considered a cultural taboo. The Supreme Court of India has in several cases pointed out that live-in relationships are not an offense, most notably in Lata Singh vs. State of U.P. in 2006. Despite this, couples still face harassment and discrimination for basic amenities like housing.

Live-in relationships are also legally recognized under the category of “domestic relationships” under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

Despite legal recognition by the highest court, there are many examples of state representatives using their own standards of morality to approach unmarried couples. An Allahabad High Court judge recently stated that live-in relationships are “timepass” and “temporary.”

The Uttarakhand Code is yet another example of attempting to legislate on the grounds of morality. Its supporters argue that registering live-in relationships is progressive and will extend recognition and protection to those in such relationships, such as allowing for claims of maintenance and recognizing children born from such unions.

However, there are several issues with its provisions and how they may be implemented in reality, given the current socio-political climate in India.

The code defines a “live-in relationship” as “a relationship between a man and a woman, who cohabit in a shared household through a relationship in the nature of marriage.” This definition is much narrower than the Domestic Violence Act. By defining the gender of the partners, the code excludes queer or same-sex relationships from legal recognition. In addition, the age criteria for both partners is listed as 21. This is inconsistent with marriage laws where the minimum age of women and men to enter wedlock are 18 and 21, respectively. If live-in relationships are to be viewed as the “same as marriage,” then the different age limits are meaningless.

Another problem is that parents or guardians will be notified if the partners are under 21 or for any other reason the registrar might find necessary. This could prove restrictive as, in many jurisdictions, some registrars contact parents and guardians for registration of love marriages based on their own moral assumptions, even though both parties are of legal age and permission is not required.

That means, for live-in relationships, it is highly likely that parents and guardians will be contacted, which defeats the purpose of having the autonomy to enter into a relationship of your own choice.

Perhaps the most dangerous provision of the code is that it will criminally punish those who fail to register their relationships with the state. This begs the question – why register at all?

To avoid inflicting harm on many couples, policymakers have to approach the issue of live-in relationships under the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code with sensitivity and caution. To function well, any proposed legislation has to be inclusive, respecting the diversity of beliefs and lifestyles within the country while upholding fundamental rights and principles of equality and privacy before the law.

Efforts to address social issues should not be co-opted for political gain or used to further divisive agendas that undermine the secular fabric of the nation. Only through genuine dialogue, empathy and a commitment to pluralism can India navigate the intersection of law, politics, and culture in a manner that promotes harmony and justice for all its citizens.

BBC splits news operation in India (BBC)

BBC [4/9/2024 9:37 PM, Noor Nanji, 14.2M, Neutral]
The BBC in India will separate in two from Wednesday, as it seeks to meet the country’s foreign investment rules.

The BBC will retain its newsgathering team in India for its English language digital, television and radio outlets headquartered in London.

A new, independent, Indian-owned company called the Collective Newsroom will now produce content for the BBC’s six other Indian language services.

The move comes a year after BBC India’s offices were searched by authorities.

Those searches by income tax officials came weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary in the UK - but not in India - critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BBC India offices searched by income tax officials
Gaurav Bhatia, a spokesman from Mr Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said at the time that the timing of the raids had nothing to do with the documentary, which the government attempted to block being shared in India.

When the BBC announced the formation of Collective Newsroom in December, it said the new entity would enable it to meet its commitment to audiences in India and globally, while also complying with Indian FDI law.

The corporation has said it remains "committed" to the country, where it has an average weekly audience of 82 million people across its English and languages output.

The BBC has a long history in the country’s media landscape, having first launched the Hindi language service in 1940.

The Hindi service will now be produced by the Collective Newsroom, along with Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu - as well as a YouTube channel BBC News India in English.

But the Collective Newsroom - which was formed by four BBC staff members and will employ about 200 former BBC employees - will also be able to make content for other news providers across India and globally.

The remaining 90 BBC staff members will still work directly for the broadcaster in news gathering operations for television, radio and online in English, reporting to editors in London. Their work will still be available to Indian audiences, although it will not be published in India.

The BBC has also applied for a 26% stake in the new company, a first for the broadcaster’s global operations anywhere.

Rupa Jha, chief executive of Collective Newsroom, said the new company has "a clear, ambitious mission to create the most credible, creative and courageous journalism".

She added: "Audiences will quickly come to know Collective Newsroom as an independent news organisation that leads with the facts, works in the public interest and hears from diverse voices and perspectives."

India-U.S.-South Korea tech cooperation has strategic logic (Nikkei Asia – opinion)

Nikkei Asia [4/10/2024 5:00 PM, Saurabh Todi, 293K, Neutral]
In their own way, the U.S., South Korea and India each have come to realize their potential vulnerability to supply chain cutoffs and trade coercion.

Now the trio have begun working together on a joint initiative, the Trilateral Technology Dialogue (TTD), that aims to make technology supply chains more resilient, bring technology solutions to the broader Indo-Pacific region and spur innovation and economic growth.

The TTD convened for the first time last month in Seoul and is already showing promise.

For South Korea, the initiative signals a willingness to openly strengthen strategic cooperation with members of the Quad on sensitive issues, regardless of China’s potential reaction. For India, the TTD can be a platform to enhance its strategic partnership with one of Asia’s most technologically advanced economies.

The Seoul session concluded with a pledge by the three nations to cooperate in areas ranging from semiconductors and digital public infrastructure to artificial intelligence, space and biotechnology.

Semiconductor technology would indeed mark a logical place to start. To address economic and strategic vulnerabilities, each of the three TTD governments is providing incentives to domestic and foreign companies to set up semiconductor manufacturing plants on their territory.

While the U.S. has its CHIPS and Science Act and South Korea last year enacted the K-Chips Act, India has agreed to dole out support for chipmakers investing on its territory including American producer Micron Technologies and Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.

Through the TTD, the three members could work together to capitalize on each other’s competitive advantages.

For example, India has emerged as a significant player in semiconductor design, with all major players including Intel and Samsung Electronics now operating design centers in the country.

Chip manufacturing, though, remains at an early stage in India. Capital infusions and technical training from South Korean and U.S. companies could help India get up to speed.

Moreover, given mounting delays with U.S. semiconductor plants planned by companies like Intel, Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) due to labor shortages and rising costs, it might make financial sense for the partners to center some stages of chip production in India.

The TTD could also provide a platform for better coordination among the three partners that could defuse tensions over issues like U.S. restrictions affecting South Korean chipmakers’ imports of advanced production equipment for their Chinese factories.

Nuclear energy would be another area ripe for increased cooperation. All three countries have robust domestic nuclear power programs and are investing in developing new-generation nuclear reactors, such as small modular reactors (SMRs).

South Korean and U.S. companies have already reached technical agreements regarding nuclear supply chains and the manufacture of SMRs. With India looking to triple its nuclear power generating capacity to over 22 gigawatts by 2031, the TTD could productively bring the partners together to work on deploying SMRs.

The TTD could also be pivotal for the pharmaceutical sector where all three partners are seeking to mitigate supply chain risks around active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the vital components that determine a drug’s efficacy.

China accounted for 40% of traded APIs in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic showed the vulnerability of such concentrated supply chains.

Both the U.S. and India are now providing incentives to companies to increase domestic API production with an eye toward reducing reliance on China. India would seem particularly well placed to help its partners address this supply chain risk through leveraging its cost competitiveness.

Yet while the TTD looks poised to serve as a platform to coordinate policies, promote mutually beneficial investment and build trusted technology ecosystems, participation will not be risk-free.

The U.S. overtaking China as South Korea’s top export market, for example, could potentially lead to new tensions at a time of intense political debate about trade. Even Japan has not been immune from suspicions in this charged environment, with President Joe Biden declaring his opposition last month to allowing Nippon Steel to take control of U.S. Steel.

In similar fashion, Indian officials complain that the country’s 2010 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with South Korea has fueled a widening trade imbalance that reached $14.5 billion in the fiscal year that ended in March 2023.

Indian producers of electronics, steel and petrochemicals insist they are under undue pressure from Korean imports. The two governments aim to reach agreement on amendments to their pact later this year.

The TTD trio already have numerous initiatives to address strategic and trade vulnerabilities including the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, the Quad Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group, the U.S.-ROK Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies Dialogue and the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology.

The TTD though marks a fresh approach and a welcome step toward improving security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. While there is a risk that it fails to develop into more than a discussion forum, the TTD offers great potential for three of the region’s largest economies to work together for mutual gains.

India can grow fast with or without Narendra Modi (Reuters – opinion)

Reuters [4/9/2024 11:20 PM, Una Galani, 5239K, Neutral]
India is about to stage the world’s biggest election from next week, but Narendra Modi can already claim credit for the next decade of growth. While the world economy struggles, the Asian behemoth will keep motoring. The prime minister is hot favourite to win, but his country’s economic development doesn’t depend on him.

Modi’s Hindu nationalist government is so confident of securing a third term that it’s already mapping out future goals. "We see 6%-8% consistent growth rate over the next full decade", a top minister told Reuters in January.

It’s an impressive-sounding forecast, especially because the world economy is likely to experience sluggish growth in the coming years. But it’s also wide enough to mask diverging outcomes. Sure, near the low end of that range, India - currently the world’s fifth largest economy - will overtake Germany and Japan by 2028. Yet even if output expands by 8% a year, India would fall short of its goal of achieving developed country status by 2047, the 100th year since it won independence from British rule.

In any case, India will have to improve on its previous ten years. The economy has grown at an average annual rate of 5.8% since Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014. That’s no mean feat, given that it ruled through a global pandemic. Even before Covid-19 struck, India’s economy had a reckoning with bad corporate debt and was hit by Modi’s ban on high-denomination banknotes.

Still, the prior government had presided over nearly 8% average annual GDP growth between 2004 and 2013, albeit underpinned by reckless lending that caused a financial crisis.

Modi has tackled some of those issues, cleaning up the financial system, and pushing through reforms such as a bankruptcy code, a levy on goods and services and new real estate rules. India today is more efficient, more open to foreign capital and has better protection for creditors. The government has also made it harder to dodge taxes.

On its current path, India can achieve at least 6% average annual growth by the end of the decade, says Santanu Sengupta, Goldman Sachs’ India economist. Increasing overall investment and labour force participation ratios up to previous highs could add another 150 basis points, and, with a few more reforms – including in land and labour markets - long-term potential growth of 8% is achievable, he adds.

Economic optimism is justified. For a start, India’s "twin deficits", in its fiscal and current account balances, are now under control. Exports are booming, especially in IT services with companies following Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab and JPMorgan (JPM.N) to set up global capability centres – an evolution of back-offices - in the country. Double-digit headline inflation is in the past and the rupee is trading in a remarkably tight range – good news for companies and investors focused on U.S. dollar returns.

SURVIVING OR THRIVING?

But quickening the economic pace will require India Inc to do more. Public and private investment accounts for about a third of India’s GDP, below a peak of 40% in 2010 to 2011. The government increased its share during the pandemic, but it needs to cut back to curb public debt that reached 82% of GDP, up from 70% in 2018.

The country’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), recently made headlines by throwing a lavish pre-wedding party for his son with Meta Platform’s (META.O) Mark Zuckerberg and pop star Rihanna in attendance. But he and fellow tycoon Gautam Adani of the eponymous group, are also spending billions of dollars on renewable energy projects. Less powerful families who were burnt during the debt crisis are opting for less capital-intensive projects. Ministers and businesses predict a flood of foreign direct investment, but the annual inflow is shrinking. Growth is also uneven.

“New India" which comprises high-tech manufacturing, IT services and startups, employs 5% of the workforce but powers 15% of GDP, says Pranjul Bhandari, Chief India economist at HSBC. The rest of the economy, made up of small companies and agriculture, is lagging. Some benefits trickle down to rural and migrant workers but for higher, sustainable annual growth of about 6.5%, "Old India" needs lifting up, she says.

Rich Indians are buying expensive Dyson air purifiers and holidaying in the Maldives but overall private consumption, which typically contributes about 60% of GDP, is forecast to grow at 3% this year - the slowest pace in two decades - despite net household savings sitting at a 50-year low. Some 800 million Indians are poor enough to qualify for the government’s free food grain scheme for another five years. That implies most Indians are surviving rather than thriving.

Indeed, the population is booming but so are its struggles in finding employment. Their interest in working at current wages has also declined. The ratio of the working-age population in the labour market has dropped to 55%, from a high of 61% in 2000.

THE MODI FACTOR

For all of Modi’s successes he represents neither the start nor the end of India’s growth story and challenges.

His government provided bank accounts, built toilets, and offered free cooking gas to help the poor, but it also met fierce resistance where change is overdue. He tried and failed to overhaul India’s farming sector, which remains hugely inefficient: agriculture generates just 15% of GDP even though more than half the population relies on it for its livelihood. The government is also in a race to find the immense resources needed to fight climate change. Any leader would hit similar hurdles trying to push for the next leg of reforms.

But growth does not depend on Modi either. Stocks would probably tumble if he were voted out and a return to coalition government might slow down policymaking. But his reforms are hard to reverse and the opposition alliance, led by the Congress party that ruled India for decades after its independence, is broadly aligned with the BJP’s business agenda. In past elections both camps have pledged to retain fiscal discipline.

India’s five southern states are ruled by largely regional parties that are rivals of the BJP, and some have thrived. Where the top politicians disagree most is on how much India should embrace its Hindu versus secular identity.

Under Modi, international groups dub India “partly free” and an “electoral autocracy”, opens new tab, where freedom of expression and association is curbed. The government dismisses these categorisations of its democracy as misplaced, but they may worry investors thinking long-term. Such labels also underscore the extraordinary political stability the leader has provided. Modi will almost certainly win India’s elections, but the economy will have to wrestle with rapid growth with or without him.

CONTEXT NEWS

India will hold its general election between April 19 and June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4. Nearly one billion people are eligible to vote.

More than 2,400 political parties are expected to put up candidates for 543 seats in India’s Lok Sabha, or lower house of parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to win more than the required 272 seats needed for a simple majority.

His main opposition, the Congress party, which has ruled India for much of its time since independence in 1947, formed a 28-party alliance called INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to jointly fight the BJP.

NSB

Tens of thousands of protesters demanding a restoration of Nepal’s monarchy clash with police (AP)

AP [4/9/2024 7:42 AM, Binaj Gurubacharya, 22K, Negative]
Riot police used batons and tear gas to halt tens of thousands of supporters of Nepal’s former king who attempted to march to the center of the capital on Thursday to demand the restoration of the monarchy and the nation’s former status as a Hindu state.

The protesters, waving the national flag and chanting slogans supporting former King Gyanendra, gathered on the edge of Kathmandu and attempted to move toward the center of the city. Riot police blocked them, beating them with bamboo batons and firing tear gas and a water cannon. There were minor injuries on both sides.

Authorities had banned protests in key areas of the city prior to the rally.

“We love our king and country more than our lives. Bring back the monarchy. Abolish the republic,” the crowd chanted.

Supporters of the former king came to Kathmandu from all over the country to demand the return of the monarchy that was abolished in 2008. They accused the government and political parties of corruption and failed governance.

Weeks of street protests in 2006 forced then-King Gyanendra to abandon his authoritarian rule and introduce democracy.

Two years later, a newly elected parliament voted to abolish the monarchy and declared Nepal a republic with a president as head of state.

Since then, Gyanendra has been living as a private citizen with no power or state protection. He still has some support among the people but little chance of returning to power.

The demonstrators also demanded that Nepal be turned back into a Hindu state. The Himalayan nation was declared a secular state in 2007 by an interim constitution.

Central Asia

Russia, Kazakhstan evacuate 100,000 people in worst flooding in decades (Reuters)

Reuters [4/9/2024 11:21 PM, Guy Faulconbridge, Ozhas Auyezov, and Lidia Kelly, 761K, Negative]
Russia and Kazakhstan ordered more than 100,000 people to evacuate after swiftly melting snow swelled mighty rivers beyond bursting point in the worst flooding in the area for at least 70 years.

The deluge of melt water overwhelmed scores of settlements in the Ural Mountains, Siberia and areas of Kazakhstan close to rivers such as the Ural and Tobol, which local officials said had risen by metres (yards) in a matter of hours to the highest levels ever recorded.

Late on Tuesday, levels of the Ural River in Orenburg, a city of around 550,000, reached 9.31 metres (30.5 feet), exceeding the critical level of 9.30 metres, the regional governor said. He urged residents in areas at risk to evacuate.

"I am calling for caution and for those in flooded districts to evacuate promptly," Denis Pasler said on Telegram.

City residents paddled along roads as though they were rivers. Dams and embankments were being strengthened.

Upstream on the Ural, floodwaters burst through an embankment dam in the city of Orsk last Friday.

Regional officials said water levels in Orsk had subsided by 21 centimetres (8.27 inches) and now stood at 9.07 meters -- still well over the official danger level of about 7 metres. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said water levels had declined in a number of areas but described the situation as "still difficult".

The Ural is Europe’s third longest river, which flows through Russia and Kazakhstan into the Caspian.

EVACUATION ORDER

Sirens in Kurgan, a city on the Tobol river, a tributary of the Irtysh, warned people to evacuate immediately. Regional officials said floodwaters would continue to rise for three days and predicted a "difficult situation" until the end of April.

A state of emergency was also declared in Tyumen, a major oil producing region of Western Siberia - the largest hydrocarbon basin in the world. Russian news agencies said Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov had arrived in the city as part of a regional tour assessing flood danger.

"The difficult days are still ahead for the Kurgan and Tyumen regions," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "There is a lot of water coming."

President Vladimir Putin spoke to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, where over 86,000 people have been evacuated due to flooding. Tokayev said the flooding was probably the worst in 80 years.

The most severely hit areas are Atyrau, Aktobe, Akmola, Kostanai, Eastern Kazakhstan, Northern Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions, most of which border Russia and are crossed by rivers originating in Russia such as the Ural and the Tobol.

In Russia, anger boiled over in Orsk when at least 100 Russians begged the Kremlin chief to help and chanted "shame on you" at local officials who they said had done too little.

The Kremlin said Putin was getting updated on the situation but had no immediate plans to visit the flood zone as local and emergency officials were doing their best to tackle the deluge.

In Kurgan, a region with 800,000 residents, drone footage showed traditional Russian wooden houses and the golden kupolas of Orthodox Churches stranded alongside an expanse of water.

Russian officials have said some people ignored calls to evacuate. Kurgan Governor Vadim Shumkov urged residents to take the warnings seriously.

"We understand you very well: It is hard to leave your possessions and move somewhere at the call of the local authorities," Shumkov said.

"It’s better that we laugh at the hydrologists together later and praise God for the miracle of our common salvation. But let’s do it alive."

In Kurgan, water levels were rising in the Tobol and Russia said 19,000 people were at risk in the region.

Rising waters were also forecast in Siberia’s Ishim river, also a tributary of the Irtysh, which along with its parent, the Ob, forms the world’s seventh longest river system.

It was not immediately clear why this year’s floods were so severe as the snow melt is an annual event in Russia. Scientists say climate change has made flooding more frequent worldwide.

Kremlin Warns Worse To Come As Floods Ravage Russia, Kazakhstan (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [4/9/2024 9:51 AM, Staff, 223K, Negative]
The Kremlin has warned that water levels have yet to peak in several regions of the country as tens of thousands in southern Russia -- and in neighboring Kazakhstan -- scrambled to avoid some of the worst flooding in decades as unseasonably warm temperatures melt snow faster than usual.

More than 10,000 homes have already been flooded by water cascading from the Ural Mountains and Siberia, with thousands more at risk, according to local officials.

In northern Kazakhstan, the situation is said to be worse, with more than 86,000 people evacuated.

Several regions in both countries have declared states of emergency as officials scramble to coordinate their response.

"Difficult days are still ahead," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on April 9. "There is a lot of water coming."

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin held telephone talks with his Kazakh counterpart, Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, on joint efforts to deal with the disaster.

"Close collaboration of the two nations’ corresponding agencies that have been jointly monitoring and forecasting the situation, outlining and implementing coordinating measures to react to the situation were emphasized during the talks," a statement on the Kremlin website said, adding that "the leaders of the two countries agreed to intensify emergency efforts."

In Russia, the worst flooding has been in the Orenburg region, where a local dam has ruptured three times in the city of Orsk since April 5.

At least five people have died during the floods, and on April 8 local residents picketed the local government headquarters in Orsk, demanding increased official action and urging Putin to intervene.

Peskov told reporters on April 9 that Putin did not plan to visit the Orenburg region at the moment, stressing that the president "is taking care of the issue" without being at the site.

According to the latest information from Kazakhstan’s Emergencies Ministry, 3,365 private homes and 348 households remain under water in the country’s Atyrau, Aqmola, Aqtobe, North Kazakhstan, and Qostanai regions.

It said that 15 trucks with 300 tons of humanitarian aid, including food, tents, clothes, flashlights, and energy generators, had arrived in four flood-affected regions.

Russian energy ministry rejects report it asked Kazakhstan about gasoline (Reuters)

Reuters [4/9/2024 9:07 AM, Olesya Astakhova, 5239K, Negative]
Russia’s energy ministry said on Tuesday it has not asked Kazakhstan to set up a reserve of gasoline for possible supplies to Russia, denying a Reuters report.

Three industry sources told Reuters that Russia had asked Kazakhstan to stand ready to supply it with 100,000 tons of gasoline in case of shortages exacerbated by Ukrainian drone attacks and outages.

"The Russian energy ministry has not approached Kazakhstan with a request to set up a reserve or supply motor gasoline to the Russian domestic market," the ministry said.

"At the same time, it remains possible to supply up to 285,000 tons per year of gasoline from Russia to Kazakhstan even during the period of the export ban on the export for this type of motor fuel from Russia, and these supplies are being carried out."

It also said that Russia’s domestic market is fully supplied with gasoline and available inventories are enough to meet rising domestic demand.

Kazakh Central Bank Seeks to Break Lenders’ Grip on Payments (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg [4/9/2024 10:59 AM, Nariman Gizitdinov, 5543K, Neutral]
Kazakhstan’s central bank wants to weaken the hold of the country’s two largest lenders over payments by introducing early next year a new system to facilitate transactions with universal access.

“I told the banks’ chiefs, ‘we must make a system that will be available for all,’” National Bank Governor Timur Suleimenov said in an interview. Two lenders may have built an oligopoly in the Kazakh banking system, controlling 80%-90% of payments, he said, without naming the banks.

The central bank plans to introduce a pilot program for a QR-code-based payment system and extend it to all lenders in the country during the first half of next year, he said. That project may lead to less earnings for some banks, he said.

In 2022, Kazakhstan launched a domestic, interbank card payment system, which featured two services: tenge transfers between individuals and QR-code payments. Under that system, transfers are available for customers at nine of the country’s 21 lenders, but that doesn’t include the two biggest banks.

The banking industry is dominated by the country’s two largest lenders, which in turn currently facilitate the vast majority of payments. Kaspi.kz alone handles about a 70% share of transfers and payments and Halyk Bank about 8%, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data from the lenders and the central bank.

Kaspi.kz serves 14 million monthly users in Kazakhstan, which has a population of 20 million people. Part of its offering is the QR application, “which is the backbone of our proprietary payment network,” Chief Executive Officer Mikheil Lomtadze said during a February conference call. Customers using other banks’ applications can’t pay with Kaspi QR, which the lender says is Kazakhstan’s most widely accepted payments method.

“We will always support steps to make digital payments even more accessible,” Kaspi.kz told Bloomberg News. “In fact, we encourage the National Bank of Kazakhstan to go even further and introduce an open banking platform, which will lead to more competition between payments providers and will make payments and money transfers for consumers and businesses more seamless.”

The lender stressed its application was “popular with consumers” even “with global companies such as Mastercard, Visa, Apple Pay and Google Pay competing against successful local players including Kaspi.kz, Halyk Bank and others.” Halyk Bank didn’t reply to a request for comment.

Kaspi.kz shares were down as much 4% at 10:46 a.m. in New York, while Halyk Bank fell 0.2% at 3:47 p.m. in London.

Meanwhile, a credit boom sweeping Kazakhstan has emerged as a major vulnerability for the $226 billion economy of the world’s biggest uranium miner. The country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, said in 2022 that a high credit burden among consumers risks financial instability. Since then, the nation has sought to make banking services, including lending, less expensive for customers.

The central bank has proposed raising to 25% from 20% a tax on income from retail loans to push banks to increase their corporate lending instead, Suleimenov said. The credit burden on individuals is a concern, and “we see the need to differentiate taxes” for corporate and retail loans, he said.

The central bank is considering other measures to stimulate lending to businesses and reduce credit to consumers, Suleimenov said. That includes forcing lenders to keep more reserves, but the bank will wait to see how other regulators’ restrictions work before acting, he said.

If retail lending keeps growing at a pace of 30%-40% a year, the central bank will use its arsenal to stop that, Suleimenov said.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan: Bridging the water gap (EurasiaNet)

EurasiaNet [4/9/2024 4:14 PM, Brawley Benson, 57.6K, Neutral]
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are strengthening their trans-Caspian relationship. Closer bilateral ties can provide a big boost to the development of the Middle Corridor trade route.

Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, has sought to reinforce relations with Central Asia’s Turkic states, likely as part of an overall strategy to minimize Baku’s susceptibility to pressure from the United States and European Union over its poor rights record. In a speech shortly after he secured another presidential term in February, Aliyev announced: “Our family is the Turkic world … Can there be a stronger union than this? Of course not!”

Within the family of Turkic states, Aliyev clearly considers Kazakhstan like a favorite cousin. The Azerbaijani leader welcomed his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, for a state visit in mid-March, showcasing the growth in bilateral ties.

During their two-day summit, the leaders attended a virtual ceremony marking the arrival of a Europe-bound freight train at Baku’s Absheron station. The train’s cargo originated at a new Kazakh-Chinese-built facility in Xi’an, China, and transited Kazakhstan before crossing the Caspian. They also presided over the signing of an agreement to increase Kazakh oil flowing through Azerbaijan’s Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Tokayev additionally made a stop in newly reconquered Nagorno-Karabakh to help Aliyev drum up interest in international investment in the territory.

Perhaps the most important development, though, was the creation of a joint $300-million investment fund, plans for which were finalized March 11. “This will strengthen Kazakhstan’s partnership with Azerbaijan and bring income [because] this will be solely a commercially based investment fund,” said Nurlan Zhakupov, chairman of Kazakhstan’s Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund, a key player in the initiative.

A development fund is not a particularly new concept. Azerbaijan already has similar arrangements with a number of Turkic states, including Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. But the Kazakh fund has the potential to be far more consequential because it gives Baku and Astana more bandwidth to develop trans-Caspian trade infrastructure, Mahammad Mammadov, a research fellow at the Baku-based Topchubashov Center, told Eurasianet.

The fund can also be used to finance projects in other Central Asian and European countries – including Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Turkey – presumably to develop energy transit and trade. These countries all stand to gain economically from a route known as the Middle Corridor, which is designed to facilitate Chinese-EU trade via the Caspian Basin.

“Feasibility of these projects [is] quite questionable, yet it provides Baku and Astana some platform to leverage their pivotal position in CaspianSea-Black Sea energy and connectivity geopolitics,” Mammadov said.

At a joint news conference with Aliyev on March 11, Tokayev stressed that trans-Caspian cooperation is the fundamental building block of the bilateral relationship. “The struggle for access to transport and logistical opportunities is intensifying all over the world. This is a strategic sphere,” Tokayev said. “It is gratifying that both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan closely cooperate here as natural partners.”

The Azerbaijani-Kazakh fund could help catalyze a US-facilitated economic framework unveiled in March at a meeting of Central Asian government and business leaders. Dubbed the B5+1 process, the framework strives to eliminate trade barriers and foster a common economic space in Central Asia. Doing so could make it easier to attract Western investment and make the Middle Corridor the most profitable and efficient route for East-West trade. At the inaugural B5+1 meeting in Almaty, multiple speakers emphasized a need for Central Asian states to bring Azerbaijan into the process to ensure the smooth operation of trans-Caspian routes that bypass sanctions-bound Russia.

Aliyev, for his part, seems eager to enhance the trans-Caspian route to bolster Azerbaijan’s regional relevance. The sea “is not an obstacle today,” Aliyev said at the joint news conference with Tokayev. “The Caspian Sea is a bridge not only between our countries, but also between many other states.”

While optimism abounds at present, the trans-Caspian trade route faces challenges ahead, mainly for Kazakhstan, which must balance the Middle Corridor’s lucrative possibilities with economic considerations involving its two largest neighbors, Russia and China.

Kazakhstan would like to diminish its dependence on Russia for the export of its most precious commodity – oil. The question is, how tolerant will Moscow be of Astana’s efforts to diversify export routes? If history is any guide, not very.

Likewise, an East-West tug of war could be brewing over another precious commodity that Kazakhstan possesses in abundance – lithium, a key component for batteries in electric cars and other green energy sources. Demand for lithium in both China and the West is set to rise dramatically for industrial production purposes, potentially forcing Kazakhstan to make delicate trade decisions.

According to Mammadov, those choices will undoubtedly have important ramifications for trans-Caspian trade. “The Trans-Caspian route gains new meaning in this context,” he said. “Azerbaijan will need to go a long way to keep its cool.”

Tajik President Calls Current Global Situation ‘Cold War’s New Phase’ (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [4/9/2024 4:14 PM, Staff, 235K, Neutral]
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon called the current global situation "a new phase of the Cold War" and called on his compatriots to be politically vigilant amid "growing tensions as the process of the world’s repartitioning is intensifying." "In these difficult and dangerous circumstances, we should not let our citizens, our children, turn into toys in the hands of the groups involved in the global standoff," Rahmon said in a statement on April 9, the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the month of Ramadan. Of the 11 men in custody as suspects in the Crocus City Hall massacre claimed by Islamic State, 10 are Tajik.

Turkmen Pop Star’s Fate Unknown After Reported Drug Arrest In Iran (Radio Free Europe)

Radio Free Europe [4/9/2024 4:08 PM, Farangis Najibullah, 235K, Neutral]
Having been previously convicted of a felony, imprisoned, and enduring widespread allegations of drug use, Turkmen pop star Nazir Habibov is no stranger to controversy.

But recent reports surrounding Habibov’s latest troubles have shocked his fans, as it’s claimed the 35-year-old singer was detained in Iran for narcotics possession and attempted drug smuggling.

Habibov is "awaiting trial in Iran" after being arrested with one of his band members on the Turkmen-Iranian border in March "with 20 grams of heroin," the independent Turkmen.news reported.

The men were arrested while they were "under the influence of drugs and in possession of drugs," which they attempted to smuggle into Turkmenistan, the Europe-based news site reported, citing an unnamed source.

It also published photos that purportedly show the two men -- with their faces obscured -- as they were detained and the alleged drugs confiscated from them. Turkmen.news claimed the photos were provided by a source at a Turkmen ministry.

RFE/RL cannot independently verify the allegations.

The Turkmen.news source claimed that despite Iran’s harsh punishment for drug-related crimes, it was unlikely that Habibov would face imprisonment or the "death penalty" in Iran.

"Turkmen authorities, most probably, will seek his extradition to try him at home," it reported.

Weeks later, the fate of the ethnic Azerbaijani singer and his alleged companion remains unknown.

Officials in secretive Turkmenistan have not publicly commented on the allegations, and the strictly controlled Turkmen media has made no mention of it. There have also been no reports in the Iranian media on the allegations surrounding the two Turkmen citizens.

Meanwhile, Habibov’s wife, Margarita, has shared several posts on the pop star’s Instagram site that hint at "trouble" and a "misunderstanding." She expressed hope that "everything will work out" and thanked Habibov’s nearly 400,000 Instagram followers for their support.

Margarita didn’t explicitly say her husband was in detention, but in response to online comments she indicated the family had been facing a "problem."

"There has been news all over social media that Nazir was released in Iran," a social-media user commented under Margarita’s Instagram post.

"May God allow it to be so. There’s been a misunderstanding here, we’ll have to wait," Margarita replied.

"Trust me, they are sorting it out now, they say there has been a mistake," Margarita replied to another comment about Habibov’s situation on social media.

Margarita also heaped praise on the country’s authoritarian president, Serdar Berdymukhammedov, thanking him "enormously for his help to his people" and praying for "his health and many more years in power."

"Despite my current circumstances, I am very happy that we have such president," she wrote, with Habibov’s overly flattering song about the president playing in the background.

Comments on social media indicate mixed feelings about Habibov’s alleged detention. Most commenters expressed support for Habibov and his wife, telling them to "stay strong," while others criticized the singer, saying that "he should have known better."

One Instagram user offered help, writing, "I live in the Iranian city of Mashhad, I can help you with anything I can, if you need."

"I just want to hug you and support you," another fan wrote. "Everything will be fine."

"Your husband is very naive and it’s difficult for such people to survive in this cruel world full of setups, even by friends," another wrote.

One Instagram user wrote that "justice must prevail" and that Habibov "must face the punishment he deserves before the law." Referring to Habibov’s previous conviction, the Instagram user wrote that the state will not "forgive a drug user a second time."

In 2016, Habibov was convicted of the possession and distribution of narcotics. There were conflicting reports about the length of his sentence, with some sources saying it was for 12 years, while others reported it as 15 years. The singer was freed early in an amnesty in 2022.

Habibov has since released several songs praising the country’s current and former presidents -- Serdar Berdymukhammedov and his father, Gurbanguly, who still holds great power in the country.

In October 2016, Turkmen state television paraded Habibov before the media handcuffed and remorseful over his "repeated drug use." It’s unknown if his confession was genuine or made under duress.

Uzbekistan Aims to Allow Private Medical Institutions to Deliver Babies (The Diplomat)

The Diplomat [4/9/2024 8:33 AM, Niginakhon Saida, 201K, Negative]
Uzbekistan may soon authorize private medical institutions to practice the delivery of newborns starting from 2025. A draft presidential decree is up for discussion until April 19, but so far, no comments have been received from the public in the online portal.

While this move marks another step in the country’s privatization efforts and aims to address issues such as overcrowding and corruption in state-run maternity facilities, it also presents a new set of challenges.

Uzbekistan has come a long way in loosening the grip of the state on medical services, but with the new government in charge since 2016, things have been changing very fast. Previously, private medical entities were restricted to offering only 50 out of 177 types of services. However in 2017, Tashkent expanded the list of services that can be offered by private medical facilities to 168. Additionally, from 2021, medical professionals with a university degree are no longer required to have at least five years of experience to join private clinics.

Child delivery and abortion are among the very few medical procedures that are exclusively conducted by state medical entities under the above mentioned 2017 presidential decree. These practices, along with others such as organ and blood donation procedures, treatment of tuberculosis, rabies, or leprosy, and any form of medical-forensic examinations, are restricted from private sector involvement. Presumably, these restrictions are meant to prevent human and organ trafficking as well as to prevent a sanitary-epidemiologic crisis given there is a risk of medical negligence and corruption.

Human trafficking has decreased in recent years significantly, from 574 cases registered in 2012 to just 93 in 2022. However, there continue to be reports of babies being sold. Just in March, a 27-year-old woman was sentenced to eight years (under the article 135 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan on human trafficking) for attempting to sell her own child for around $800. Between 2017 and 2021, 206 such cases were identified by the police. There are many cases of baby sales that are arranged with the help of medical personnel, and the fear is that in private medical institutions, without proper government oversight, this might escalate.

In Uzbekistan, adopting a baby is difficult and for many, impossible. In 2021, Commander of the National Guard Rustam Jurayev said that there were 504 children in orphanages and 5,792 people on the waiting list for adoption. Annually, only about 200 children are adopted through state institutions and preference is given to relatives of adoptees, their step-parents, and those who previously lost a child. That’s why some families who cannot have their own child try to buy infants, mostly before the child turns 1 year old.

Medical personnel are sometimes involved as a mediator in the process, forging abortion procedure paperwork, as well as death and/or birth certificates for the adoptees. Given the low salary of medical personnel (the nominal accrued average monthly wage in the healthcare and social services industry is $200 in Uzbekistan) and the high corruption rate in the country, this comes as no surprise.

One reason for Tashkent to reverse course on the issue of births in private medical facilities could be the growing number of newborns. In the early 2000s, 500,000 to 600,000 babies were born annually. However, in 2023, almost 1 million births were registered. If this trend continues, public maternity facilities might struggle to accommodate the growing demand for the services. In 2007, there were 26.9 hospital beds per 10,000 women aged 15-49 for labor and delivery purposes. As of 2022, this number stands at 19.4.

Some officials also hope that the introduction of private maternity complexes will reduce corruption in the system, which has been a longstanding issue. Corruption and bribery at maternity complexes is often criticized. This is especially common in Tashkent.

In some cases, doctors and nurses, if not given some cash for taking care of a new mother and a newborn – for being a bearer of good news (“suyunchi”) – neglect them. If obstetricians are not properly bribed in advance, chances are high that they will push women to have an unnecessary C-section. Although the state covers all medical expenses for birth-care, some corrupt doctors request pregnant women or their relatives pay. Fathers are still “asked” to donate blood “to increase the blood supply of the maternity ward” or pay for it. Partial privatization of birth-care might reduce these practices, since private entities will operate as a business.

How successful this proposed plan will be is yet to be seen. Back in 2019, Uzbek authorities announced that private maternity hospitals would be allowed to operate, if they met certain conditions. It’s not clear if any were able to do so. Now the new decree suggests another governmental push to expand the number of facilities able to offer maternity and birth care.

After deadly attack, Russia’s Central Asian workers report rising racism (Al Jazeera)

Al Jazeera [4/9/2024 8:10 AM, Niko Vorobyov, 2060K, Negative]
Assel Asanbayeva has worked in Russia since 2019, having arrived in Moscow from her native Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia.

She’s been a dishwasher, a waitress and a cleaner to support her two children, paying up to half her salary to an agency that links her to clients.

On March 23, she was assigned to clean a recently renovated apartment.

It was the day after the attack at Crocus City Hall, a popular music venue on the northern outskirts of Moscow, during which at least 139 concertgoers were killed by gunmen affiliated with the Afghan branch of ISIL (ISIS).

Eleven suspects were apprehended by security forces, all of Central Asian background – mainly Tajik but also one of Kyrgyz origin, who had reportedly renounced his Kyrgyzstan citizenship in 2014.

Since then, xenophobia has mushroomed.

“It started from the very morning,” Asanbayeva told Al Jazeera by phone. “There were two of us, me and another girl. The lady of the house was yelling at us, standing behind us, pressing us psychologically. As the day went on, she kept raising her voice, threatening us.”

The client threatened the pair, saying her husband would “show all you non-Russians” before trying to attack them.

“As the day was coming to a close, my partner was telling her, ‘We’re almost finished. No need to stress.’ And then I saw her lunge at my partner with a screwdriver. At that moment, her husband walked in. He was a huge man, around 50 years old. He said, ‘I’m giving you three minutes to step off my private property.’ We were still covered in soap and wearing our work clothes, and we had to change outside.”

Officially, there are about 10.5 million migrants from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in Russia, many in low-paid jobs, such as taxi drivers and construction workers.

The remittances they send home are significant for Tajikistan, the poorest nation in the former Soviet Union. In December, remittances made up nearly half of its gross domestic product.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Central Asians and other ethnic minorities regularly endured violent racism, often accused of being narcotics peddlers by thuggish vigilantes. Some were stabbed, beaten and killed by neo-Nazi gangs.

Neo-Nazi violence peaked in 2008 with more than 100 racially motivated murders. This trend declined by the 2010s as the authorities took a tougher line.

But discrimination persists.

Valentina Chupik, a lawyer who offers free legal help for migrants, listed the abuses her clients endure on a daily basis.

“The police robbed, extorted bribes and illegally detained people on the streets, in public transport and other public places,” she said. “They illegally broke into homes, carried out illegal ‘checks’ at work, illegally imprisoned people in torturous conditions – without food, water, toilet access or communication in unheated, unventilated, cramped premises or even in the courtyards of police stations.”

Chupik said they also falsified “non-existent administrative offences” to justify their actions against migrants “or to deprive their ability to promptly appeal crimes against them”.

Since last month’s attack, police are accused of ramping up racial profiling, conducting checks and raiding hostels hosting guest workers.

The day after the concert hall attack, dozens of Kyrgyz men were detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport and reportedly held without any food or water for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the owners of a shopping mall in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth largest city, requested all businesses on the premises provide a list of their Central Asian employees.

“The authorities cover up and encourage police crimes against migrants, slandering migrants with myths about dirty, infectious, uncultured, unskilled, uneducated criminals, inflating migrantphobia in order to distract the population from the real problems created by the authorities,” Chupik told Al Jazeera.

“The population is willingly led to any xenophobia since they are too afraid not only to speak out against the authorities but even to think about who is really to blame for their problems so as not to take any civil responsibility for their lives and their government.”

‘We Asians are used to it’

Shamil, a 42-year-old from Kyrgyzstan, said the level of discrimination does not feel new to him.

“We Asians are used to it,” he told Al Jazeera. “Nowadays, Asians are leaving to Europe and the United States for work, and Russian employers are trying to hire from other countries and continents like Africa, Vietnam, Philippines.”

Russia’s has long offered Central Asians visa-free entry, but this has come into question after the March attack.

Sergey Mironov, a Russian politician who leads A Just Russia – For Truth, a party that is sympathetic towards President Vladimir Putin, touted a visa regime on March 25, saying: “It is necessary to regulate migration and counter terrorist attacks.”

The late anti-Kremlin activist and liberal politician Alexey Navalny had also berated Central Asian migrants and called for a visa regime.

“Racism in Russia towards [Central] Asians and Caucasians [people from the Caucuses] happens every day, every godforsaken day,” added Shamil, who worked in Russia in 2005, 2013 and 2019. He is now employed as a truck driver in Western Europe.

The storm of prejudice has engulfed Russians too.

After it emerged that one of the suspects in the Crocus Hall attack, 19-year-old Muhammadsobir Fayzov, worked at a barbershop in the town of Teykovo, northeast of Moscow, its employees began receiving death threats.

A widely circulated screenshot of a text conversation with a taxi driver read: “Hello, if you are Tajik, cancel the order, I will not go with you, or I will call the traffic police. Let them check your licence to transport passengers.”

Tajik residents in Moscow have complained about being suddenly evicted.

In a town on the Chinese border, a drunken man reportedly set fire to a stall manned by migrant workers.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs has even warned its citizens against travelling to Russia and urged those already in the country to carry their papers with them.

For his part, Putin has urged unity.

Days after the attack, he said: “We must never forget that we are a multinational, multireligious country. We must always treat our brothers, representatives of other faiths, with respect as we always do – Muslims, Jews, everyone.”

Russian media have lauded Islam Khalilov, a boy from a Kyrgyz immigrant family, as a hero for his response to the Crocus City Hall attack as well as his co-worker 14-year-old Artem Donskov.

Khalilov, a 15-year-old schoolboy, was working as a cloakroom attendant at Crocus when the attack began and led terrified guests through the corridors to emergency exits and safety, saving dozens of lives.

But this is all little comfort to Asanbayeva.

“[Racism’s] gotten worse, 100 percent,” she said.

“It’s a good idea to have 20,000 roubles ($215) on hand just in case you must quickly buy tickets and fly away. I’d leave right now, but it’s not so easy. I’ve got two children and my mother to support. I’d like our embassy to pay attention to these incidents and help our citizens because our embassy hardly does anything. It’s upsetting when you’re in Russia. You obey all the rules, and they still treat you like I don’t know what.”

Twitter

Afghanistan

Bilal Sarwary
@bsarwary
[4/9/2024 6:13 PM, 252.9K followers, 12 retweets, 23 likes]
Disturbing images depicting two young boys, who were brothers, murdered after their throats were slit have emerged from the Koarz area in the district of Nawzad in Southern Helmand province. According to locals, the two boys had dropped food for their father and were then killed. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Kandahar province, the sudden cancellation of the popular domestic cricket tournament Qoashtepa could not take place due to "technical problems”. Despite the fact that millions of Afghanis being spent on it, the event is now being moved to Kabul. These all are signs of visible increase in insecurity in Kandahar and much of Southern Afghanistan. Ordinary Afghans face an even more volatile security situation across the country. The threat of ISKP and the security and intelligence failures of the Taliban have created a climate of fear among the local population.

Bilal Sarwary
@bsarwary
[4/9/2024 3:21 PM, 252.9K followers, 8 retweets, 22 likes]
ISKP is intensifying its efforts to expand its influence, resources, and support base in eastern Afghanistan, particularly in the provinces of Kunar and Nuristan. Their strategy has evolved over the last year as they focus on number key tactics. ISKP has been actively encouraging families to persuade their sons working in Taliban security forces to leave their positions and are pressuring communities in various places in Kunar . Areas as Areet Shomaash, Badel valley , Mazar valley , Chapa Dara, Dewagal valley and Chalaas are targeted by the group not only to expand their supprot base but also extract natural resources. The group is aggressively pursuing resource extraction efforts to ensure the finances of its operations in the region. It appears that the group is plotting significant offensives possibly with the aim to capture strategic territories and exploit challenging terrain in the east of the country in the coming 1 to 2 years. ISKP has been acquiring weapons and explosives from corrupt Taliban commanders in the region. So they are not short of weapons to fight the Taliban. Additionally, the group has been employing brutal tactics, including recent beheading of several people in Kunar particularly as those associated with the Taliban. With no support from the former Afghan government and American forces, the burden to counter the group falls solely on the Taliban. However, ISKP proves to be a formidable adversary, showing resilience and determination comparable to Taliban’s insurgency against the former republic.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[4/10/2024 12:43 PM, 79.7K followers, 21 retweets, 48 likes]
Afghanistan: The release of education activist Seddiqullah Afghan is a positive development. He should not have been put in prison in the first place. @Amnesty once again demands the immediate and unconditional release of Ahmad Fahim Azimi and all other dissents arbitrarily detained and imprisoned for speaking up for education, human rights and justice. https://amnesty.org/en/documents/asa11/7663/2024/en/

Sara Wahedi
@SaraWahedi
[4/9/2024 10:08 PM, 77.2K followers, 11 retweets, 54 likes]
In the early months after taking over Afghanistan, the Taliban defaced an @ArtLordsNet mural in Kandahar. A schoolgirl holds pens beside an anti-corruption message. They blacked out her eyes and hands. Their intent to exclude women and girls was clear from the very beginning.

Pakistan

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[4/10/2024 3:05 AM, 6.7M followers, 11 retweets, 37 likes]
Enrolling out-of-school children is an essential national duty. I felt deeply fulfilled while inspecting the site for a new Daanish School in the Kuri area of the federal capital. It reminded me of the challenges we faced when we initiated the Daanish Schools back in 2009. With the grace of Allah, we are determined to expand this network nationally.

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[4/10/2024 12:16 AM, 6.7M followers, 164 retweets, 607 likes]
On the joyous occasion of Eid ul-Fitr, I would like to express my felicitations to my fellow countrymen residing both at home and abroad, as well as to the entire Muslim community. As we revel in the festivities of this auspicious event, let us not forget the importance of spreading joy and sharing our blessings with those who are less fortunate. I also urge Muslims around the world to remember their Palestinian and Kashmiri brothers and sisters who are facing the worst kind of atrocities of the occupation forces and they will be constrained to enjoy the joys of Eid. We all pray to Almighty Allah to ease their difficulties. May this blessed time bring peace, prosperity, and happiness to the people of our nation, the region, and the world. #EidMubarak

Shehbaz Sharif
@CMShehbaz
[4/9/2024 1:18 PM, 6.7M followers, 259 retweets, 901 likes]
Pleased to exchange warm Eid greetings with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Sultan of the Sultanate of Oman over a telephone call today. We prayed for the prosperity of Pakistan and Oman and unity of the Muslim Ummah. Reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to work closely with Oman in all areas of cooperation. We expressed our common resolve to further deepening and solidifying relations between the two brotherly countries. Invited His Majesty to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience and accepted His Majesty’s kind invitation for me to visit Oman. Alhamdulillah our bilateral ties have great potential for growth in the coming days, particularly in trade and investment.

Imran Khan
@ImranKhanPTI
[4/10/2024 2:47 AM, 20.6M followers, 2.2K retweets, 4.1K likes]
Message from the illegally incarcerated founding Chairman of PTI to the nation on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. To Muslims worldwide and to our nation in particular, I extend heartfelt wishes for the completion of the blessed month of fasting, and on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Fasting in Ramazan instils qualities such as patience, sacrifice, discipline, and devotion to God, harmonizing Muslim society with the philosophy of Islamic life. The illegitimate power-holding clique in Pakistan today has set aside all fundamental teachings of Islam, ethics, morality, and the law, subjecting the entire nation to oppression and tyranny. However, the ultimate authority over dignity, humiliation, livelihood, life and death is held by Allah, who instructs His servants not to bow before falsehood but to uphold the word of truth. Rather than compromising with the oppressor out of fear, we must rely on the promise of justice from Allah and confront the oppressor with the word of truth: the noblest form of jihad. We believe in the oneness of Allah and count ourselves among the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and therefore, we will not be subjugated by these tyrants. I want to commend the sacrifices of our innocent citizens & workers, who laid down their lives for our Haqeeqi Azadi, as well as those who endure the burden of imprisonment, onslaught of vengeance, and face personal and financial losses with utmost courage and resilience. Haqeeqi Azadi is the destiny of this nation, and it cannot be delayed by any force, oppression, coercion, or any hidden or open conspiracies. On the occasion of Eid, let us pray for the safety and security of Pakistan and seek patience, perseverance, and victory over both state and non-state criminals. Let us also pray for the people of Gaza facing genocide and the Kashmiris struggling against the ruthless Indian Occupation.

Madiha Afzal
@MadihaAfzal
[4/9/2024 11:37 AM, 42.6K followers, 2 retweets, 35 likes]
PML-N had a choice about who the next generation of its party leadership would be. Because it chose the younger Sharifs, it lost some of its most professional and seasoned politicians. It’s a real loss.

India

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/10/2024 1:24 AM, 97.1M followers, 2K retweets, 7.3K likes]
Family run Congress and DMK can never fulfill aspirations of Tamil Nadu’s youth. People are supportive of the NDA’s positive work. Speaking at a rally in Vellore.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 12:51 PM, 97.1M followers, 2.5K retweets, 15K likes]
Pained by passing away of Thiru RM Veerappan Ji. He will be remembered for his contribution to public service and popularising the ideals of the great MGR. He also played an active role in the world of films. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 10:53 AM, 97.1M followers, 10K retweets, 58K likes]
Chennai has won me over! Today’s roadshow in this dynamic city will remain a part of my memory forever. The blessings of the people give me strength to keep working hard in your service and to make our nation even more developed. The enthusiasm in Chennai also shows that Tamil Nadu is all set to support NDA in a big way.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 10:53 AM, 97.1M followers, 892 retweets, 3.4K likes]
I assure my sisters and brothers of Chennai that our Government will keep working for the welfare of this vibrant city. Over the last few years, I have come here very often to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for key projects which will boost ‘Ease of Living.’ At the root of this is connectivity. Recently, the new integrated terminal building at Chennai airport was inaugurated. In the coming times, railway stations here including Egmore Station are going to be redeveloped.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 10:53 AM, 97.1M followers, 899 retweets, 3.5K likes]
Thanks to Vande Bharat express, connectivity between Chennai-Coimbatore and Chennai-Mysuru has also been enhanced. The Chennai Metro network is being expanded, thus helping the professionals working in the city. Key road projects like the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway and the expansion of other existing road projects will improve commerce and connectivity.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 10:53 AM, 97.1M followers, 741 retweets, 2.4K likes]
In the housing sector, remarkable work is underway. Lakhs of houses have been built across Tamil Nadu under PM-Awas Yojana. Sometime ago, many houses built as a part of Light House Project were inaugurated thus giving wings to several aspirations. Our Government is also working on projects like a Multi Modal Logistics Park and a Discovery Campus at IIT-Madras, which will boost business as well as innovation.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 10:53 AM, 97.1M followers, 775 retweets, 2.5K likes]
Our Government accords topmost respect to Tamil culture. I felt so proud that I got an opportunity to speak a few words in Tamil language at the UN! We will continue to make Tamil culture and language popular at the world stage. Two years ago, the Central Institute of Classical Tamil was inaugurated which will further popularise aspects of Tamil culture. Earlier this year, the revamped channel DD Tamil was launched which will again be instrumental in celebrating the culture of this great state.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 10:53 AM, 97.1M followers, 1.4K retweets, 4.5K likes]
The NDA Government will keep working in sectors like roads, ports, urban transportation, culture, commerce, connectivity, energy and more. At the same time, we will address key issues in Chennai like strengthening the disaster management apparatus, which makes us better prepared when calamities like floods strike. We will also keep supporting the MSME sector, a vital pillar of economic growth.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[4/9/2024 10:53 AM, 97.1M followers, 1.5K retweets, 4.6K likes]
For years, DMK took votes from the people of Chennai but did nothing much for the city. DMK is busy furthering corruption and family rule. Their MPs are not accessible to the people, particularly whenever the times are challenging. The recent public information on the Katchatheevu surrender point to how Congress and DMK were complicit in harming our strategic interests and the well-being of our fishermen and fisherwomen. No wonder this time, Chennai is all set to reject DMK and Congress.

President of India
@rashtrapatibhvn
[4/10/2024 1:57 AM, 24.5M followers, 131 retweets, 746 likes]
LIVE: President Droupadi Murmu addresses the World Homoeopathy Day celebration in New Delhi https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJOyozLavKR

Dr. S. Jaishankar
@DrSJaishankar
[4/9/2024 12:25 PM, 3.1M followers, 884 retweets, 5.1K likes]
Today, India’s nominee Ms Jagjit Pavadia has been re-elected to the International Narcotics Control Board at elections held in New York, for the term 2025-2030. India secured the highest number of votes amongst all elected members states to the Board. Good work @IndiaUNNewYork, #TeamMEA.

Milan Vaishnav
@MilanV
[4/9/2024 4:14 PM, 42.1K followers, 5 retweets, 5 likes]
New #GrandTamasha out now: @carnegienpp colleague @nktpnd joins me to discuss India’s recent MIRV missile test, its nuclear posture, and the emerging missile age in the Indo-Pacific. Listen here: https://bit.ly/3TRizHB

NSB

Sabria Chowdhury Balland
@sabriaballand
[4/10/2024 2:50 AM, 5.2K followers, 1 retweet]
Bangladeshis are well aware of the fact that Indian unwanted intereference is what has kept the illegal Awami League regime of Sheikh Hasina in power without a mandate for the last 15 years. They are also well aware that it was India’s interference which led to yet another undemocratic and falsified elections in Bangladesh. BFDF joins the vast majority of Bangladeshis in strongly protesting and condemning India’s use of unprincipled and unashamed subterranean force. #IndiaOut #BoycottIndianProducts #Bangladesh https://bfdf.chrdbangladesh.org/2024/04/10/condemnation-of-indias-interference-and-false-allegations-regarding-us-ambassador-peter-haas/

Sabria Chowdhury Balland
@sabriaballand
[4/10/2024 12:44 AM, 5.2K followers, 1 retweet, 5 likes]
The US Department of State spokesperson, Matthew Miller, has denied an accusation reportedly made by a former Indian ambassador to #Bangladesh that the US ambassador in Dhaka, Peter Haas, was in hiding just before Bangladesh’s immediate past general election due to alleged Indian pressure. US denies ‘Peter Haas’ hiding’ during Bangladesh election https://newagebd.net/article/229891/us-denies-peter-haas-hiding-during-bangladesh-election

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[4/9/2024 5:40 AM, 357K followers, 15 retweets, 84 likes]
1/ I summoned a meeting in @ParliamentLK of stakeholders to plan operations of the 4-year delayed climate controlled agri warehouse in Dambulla. After pushing the government so much it looks like the building will be completed end May. But for operations to start …

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[4/9/2024 5:43 AM, 357K followers, 8 likes]
2/ … many preparations need to be made. The concession agreements must be signed by operators who will compete and cooperate to run the warehouse. We had almost all in the industry participate at the meeting today. Happy to note they are all very excited about the prospects to…

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[4/9/2024 5:46 AM, 357K followers, 8 likes]
3/ … finally participate in this public private farmer venture; which will be the first of its kind in #SriLanka. In fact this will be the first such facility outside Colombo and the first public facility as well. In the meantime farmer awareness need to begin asap. It must…

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[4/9/2024 5:49 AM, 357K followers, 1 retweet, 5 likes]
4/ … be understood this is not just a warehouse BUT one of the many links to create an efficient market for agri produce. A huge step in improving the efficiency and income of the farmer. My vision for tech in agriculture encompasses the entire supply chain, and this is just…

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[4/9/2024 5:54 AM, 357K followers, 2 retweets, 6 likes]
5/ one component. Many crooked and powerful people are waiting to see this fail and will do everything for that to happen. But I am taking the challenge to get this done. Can not rush. Will need at least 6 more months to launch properly. First will be onion farmers in the area.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[4/9/2024 5:57 AM, 357K followers, 1 retweet, 12 likes]
6/ This is yet another example that one does not have to necessarily be in government to help the people. I have fought for this since November 2019 and finally I see light at the end of the tunnel without the support of the multiple ministers thus far.

Harsha de Silva
@HarshadeSilvaMP
[4/9/2024 6:02 AM, 357K followers, 1 retweet, 9 likes]
7/ original cost of the project was LKR 525m, of which LKR 300m was a grant (not a loan) from @IndiainSL and rest from my then ministry of economic reform and public distribution. I thank all those genuine people who helped me to push this through even though being in opposition.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[4/10/2024 1:06 AM, 79.7K followers, 3 retweets, 3 likes]
SRI LANKA: During 2022 and 2023, authorities responded to unprecedented protests in #SriLanka with unlawful use of tear gas, water cannon, and misuse of batons. The suppression of protest must stop, and authorities must uphold the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Sri Lanka. Read @amnesty’s new report which investigates Sri Lankan authorities’ unlawful force against protesters: http://bit.ly/3TStCQP #ProtectTheProtest #HumanRights #Amnesty

Central Asia

UNODC Central Asia
@UNODC_ROCA
[4/9/2024 7:48 AM, 2.3K followers, 1 retweet, 3 likes]
UNODC is proud to cooperate with UNOCT-UNCCT and SCO RATS on preventing and combatting the illicit trafficking of SALW and their illicit supply to terrorists in Central Asia.

MFA Kazakhstan
@MFA_KZ
[4/9/2024 11:46 AM, 51.2K followers, 9 retweets, 14 likes]
Meeting at #MFA notes Importance of Developing Cooperation with #OSCE PA https://gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/746035?lang=en

Furqat Sidiqov
@FurqatSidiq
[4/10/2024 12:11 AM, 1.3K followers]
Delighted to host the delegations from #Uzbekistan and #Kazakhstan, visited the U.S. for the LYN Community initiative to discuss ways of promoting interfaith dialogue and tolerance. Grateful to all our guests who made this event so meaningful and enlightening.

{End of Report}

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