epubdos : Afghanistan
SCA MORNING PRESS CLIPS
Prepared for the U.S. Department of State
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs
TO:
SCA & Staff
DATE:
Thursday, July 11, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Afghanistan
Tenuous Taliban control gives life to al-Qaida, Islamic State (VOA)
VOA [7/10/2024 10:46 PM, Jeff Seldin, 4032K, Neutral]
Taliban efforts to solidify the group’s control over Afghanistan are bringing a measure of peace and stability to its residents, but intelligence gathered by United Nations member states suggests the reprieve is not likely to last.

A report issued late Wednesday by the U.N. sanctions monitoring team warns that Afghanistan will almost certainly remain a source for insecurity with terror groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State either finding safe haven or finding ways to exploit the Taliban’s weaknesses.

“The country continues to be perceived as permissive or friendly territory by terrorist groups,” the report warns. “Continued Taliban tolerance of a range of terrorist groups, based across many Afghan provinces, sets the conditions for terrorism to project into neighboring States.”

Al-Qaida, in particular, continues to thrive, taking advantage of its long-term ties to the Taliban despite being forced to keep a low-profile.

Al-Qaida expansion

U.N. member states contend al-Qaida has used the past year to reorganize and recruit, building out its network of training camps and safe houses across at least five Afghan provinces, including bases in the eastern city of Jalalabad and offices in Kabul.

The expansion has also attracted more al-Qaida operatives, including some that the U.N. report described as “experienced instructors” from outside of Afghanistan, whose mission is “to enhance the security of dispersed cells.”

The report further alleges that de facto al-Qaida leader Saif al-Adel, believed to be in Iran, has sent ethnic Arab operatives to the Afghan provinces of Kunar and Nuristan to improve training and facilitate communication with the group’s core leadership.

Other key al-Qaida figures in Afghanistan have also found added safety thanks to the Taliban.

Taliban protection

Abu Ikhlas al-Masri, an al-Qaida commander captured in 2010 and held in a prison at Bagram air base until U.S. forces left in 2021, was placed in protective custody, the report says, "reflecting Taliban concerns that foreign intelligence agencies were looking for him."

Two other al-Qaida officials, described in the report as “weapons engineers,” were also given protection by the Taliban, while an al-Qaida official from Libya was reportedly given an Afghan passport and a position at the Interior Ministry.

“The intent behind these activities is not clear, nor are the consequences for the group’s capabilities, but the activities cause significant concern,” the report says of al-Qaida.

US assessment

The U.N. assessment stands, in some ways, in contrast to assessments shared late last year by the United States.

“Al-Qaida is at its historical nadir in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and its revival is unlikely,” National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid said in a statement marking the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S. that killed almost 3,000 people.

But such views are at odds with the picture put together by the U.N., which maintains al-Qaida has between 30 and 60 senior officials in Afghanistan, along with hundreds of fighters and almost 2,000 family members.

Islamic State-Khorasan

While al-Qaida may be seeing the start of a revival thanks to the Taliban rule of Afghanistan, the intelligence shared in the new U.N. report finds the Islamic State terror group is coming under pressure.

U.N. member states "credit Taliban efforts to counter the threat from [IS-Khorasan],” it says. “But [they] question the Taliban’s counter-terrorism capabilities and have concerns about continued [IS-Khorasan] recruitment and dispersal.”

The result, according to the report, is an Islamic State affiliate that is slowly positioning itself to undermine Taliban rule while actively carrying out attacks as far afield as Iran and Russia.

IS-Khorasan capacity “remains strong,” according to the report, noting the group’s deadly attacks in Kerman, Iran, this past January and on a Moscow concert hall this past March.
IS-Khorasan spreading

The intelligence suggests IS-Khorasan has expanded into a number of adjacent Central Asian states.

IS-Khorasan “is using Afghan nationals to conduct attacks in Pakistan, Pakistani nationals to conduct attacks inside Afghanistan, Tajik nationals to conduct attacks in Iran (Islamic Republic of) and the Russian Federation and has used a Kyrgyz national to carry out an attack in the Taliban’s heartland of Kandahar,” the U.N. report says.

The terror group also appears to be growing in parts of Afghanistan.

“[It] has strengthened in northern regions of Afghanistan, increasing recruitment within Tajik and Uzbek communities and stockpiling arms and explosives in remote mountainous areas," according to the report.

And one of the U.N. member states warned it sees indications IS-Khorasan may be preparing to try to reestablish territorial control in some areas.

IS undercover

Other intelligence shared with the U.N. by its member states raises concerns that IS-Khorasan may be preparing to take down the Taliban from within.

The report says there is evidence that IS-Khorasan operatives have infiltrated the Taliban’s Interior and Defense ministries, as well as its General Directorate of Intelligence.

There is also concern that the group is finding ways to hide its true presence.

The report estimates IS-Khorasan has 2,000 to 3,500 fighters, with members of other IS affiliates in Afghanistan helping to swell that number to as many as 6,000.

But U.N. member states allege the group is embedding its fighters in as many as four other terror groups, including some that get training and welfare benefits from the Taliban-run government.

IS special forces

There is also some evidence to suggest IS-Khorasan has set up a special operations force in Iran.

According to two U.N. member states, the force is made up of mostly Tajik and Uzbek nationals, charged with carrying out attacks on Shia shrines, clergy and Iranian police.

One of the two U.N. member states said the force could have as many as 300 fighters and appears to be operating along Iran’s borders with Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Iraq.

Central Asia

As with the U.N. assessment of al-Qaida’s fortunes in Afghanistan, the U.N. assessment of a large and possibly growing IS presence in the country also runs counter to some U.S. assessments, which see a much smaller footprint.

But more recent U.S. intelligence estimates have raised concerns about the ability of IS-Khorasan to project power into Central Asia and beyond.

A top U.S. counterterrorism official last month warned that IS appeared to be trying to take advantage of changing migration patterns that are sending more Central Asians to the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

Treasury Department sanctions unveiled last month also pointed to the involvement of an IS operative in Uzbekistan and the emir of the IS affiliate in the Republic of Georgia in a plot to smuggle operatives to the U.S.

Global reach

Some analysts say the additional details in the U.N. report are evidence that IS-Khorasan, also known as ISKP, remains on a worrisome trajectory.

“ISKP intensified its Central Asia outreach after the U.S.-withdrawal from Afghanistan and rolled out Tajik and Uzbek media arms in 2022,” according to Lucas Webber, a research fellow at the global intelligence firm, The Soufan Center.

“This initiative continues to expand,” he told VOA, pointing to the introduction of a new IS Tajik language magazine days after the group’s terror attack in Moscow.

And there are other worrisome signs.

“There has been an uptick in ISKP-linked arrests throughout Central Asia in the last few months,” Webber added, saying that could indicate the recent high-profile attacks could be “just the start of what the group has planned.”
UK should restore diplomatic presence to help Afghan women, says aid chief (The Guardian)
The Guardian [7/10/2024 7:01 PM, Patrick Wintour, 86157K, Neutral]
The UK should consider restoring its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan to support Afghan women and to help monitor the impact of British aid, a commissioner for the official UK aid watchdog has suggested.

Hugh Bayley, who visited Kabul in May, said he believed Afghan women and NGOs would welcome more western diplomats to represent the opinions of women to the Taliban as he released a report by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) on the effectiveness of the UK programme, which is the second largest operated by Britain.

The UK pulled all diplomatic representation out of Afghanistan as the Taliban took over in 2021, and since then Afghan bank assets held overseas have been frozen, and the economy has nosedived. Yet as much as $2.9bn (£2.3bn) of aid has been sent to the country, largely to NGOs rather than to Taliban-directed ministries.

No state recognises the Taliban as the Afghan government, although countries including Russia, China, Iran, Turkey and India have opened diplomatic missions in Kabul.

Bayley said the benefits of a British presence had been put to him by NGOs, on top of the regular visits to Kabul from the UK mission in Doha.

“The UK’s £150m programme in Afghanistan is currently our second biggest bilateral programme anywhere in the world, second after Ukraine, and ICAI’s view is that if you are dispensing that amount of British taxpayer’s money, you need eyes on the ground to see how it has been spent,” he said.

“If western countries don’t have a presence on the ground and don’t engage with both Afghan civil society and the Taliban, then the western aid funded approach will achieve less,” he said, pointing out that although the UK government has a target for 50% of its aid to reach women, “it is impossible in the case of Afghanistan without a presence on the ground to know if the target is being met”.

Bayley added that he had been told the absence of diplomatic missions made it harder for international NGOs because they were identified as the voices of the western world. A senior UN official had told him: “If we do not engage with Afghan citizens including the Taliban we will burn one bridge after another.”

He said although women were genuinely beneficiaries of aid, Afghanistan could be “heading for a catastrophe since gender restrictions imposed by the Taliban means the number of trained midwives is rapidly declining, storing up trouble in the future.

“Multiple power struggles are going on between the Taliban, Afghan citizens and especially women. Women in local NGOs are actively and bravely resisting pushing back against the Taliban in meetings, and it was clear that despite the effort to marginalise women, some are still going to work, including midwives that say to men, “If you want babies to die, stop me from going to work.’”

Bayley also said he heard that many hospital counsellors were reporting deep distress bordering on the suicidal among girls of school age, who the Taliban had removed from education. “I was told these women of secondary school age are in the depths of despair,” he said.

He said he had been told women found it more difficult to access food aid because they cannot use public transport and taxis were expensive.

“You’re bound to have an emotional reaction to the intense cruelty and marginalisation of women and girls,” Bayley said, but at the same time he hailed the “tremendous courage” with which so many were resisting. He also praised the UK for diverting a lot of its reduced Afghan aid budget to NGOs.

More broadly he urged the world not to allow Afghanistan to become a forgotten humanitarian crisis, or for aid to become exclusively humanitarian. “Over the next two to five years we have to transition to development, humanitarian assistance without development is not sustainable,” Bayley said.

The numbers in Afghanistan classified as in humanitarian need had dropped to 23.7 million last year, down from 28.3 million. This was partly due to an improved harvest and the appreciation of the local currency.

But Bayley said UN humanitarian aid appeals for Afghanistan were not being backed. The 2024 UN humanitarian needs overview for the county, released last December, appeals for $3.06bn. Less than a quarter (23%) of this has been funded as of 9 May this year.

The ICAI aid report said Afghanistan’s mean annual temperature had increased by almost twice the global average since 1951. It added that climate-crisis models predicted future temperatures would continue to rise faster than the global average. Annual droughts are predicted to become the norm in many parts of the country by 2030.

“It’s necessary for the international community to move beyond a crisis response to a response that builds capacity and resilience within Afghanistan,” Bayley said. “Unless these problems are addressed, the humanitarian crisis is going to continue for years and decades, and the plight of ordinary Afghan people will get worse and worse.”
Pakistan
Pakistan says 1.45 million Afghans can stay for another year following UN refugee chief’s visit (AP)
AP [7/10/2024 2:01 PM, Munir Ahmed, 31180K, Negative]
Pakistan announced Wednesday it is extending the stay of 1.45 million Afghan refugees who legally reside in the country, a day after a visit by the U.N. refugee agency.

Afghan refugees with proper documentation will be able to remain in Pakistan until June 30, 2025, according to a statement issued by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office. On Tuesday, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged Pakistani authorities to extend the validity of their registration cards — critical identity documents.

The previous stay extension issued by Pakistan’s government ended June 30, causing broad uncertainty and fear they may be repatriated.

The decision came following a widely criticized anti-migrant crackdown that started last year targeting anyone without valid documentation regardless of nationality, according to Pakistani authorities, forcing an estimated 600,000 Afghans to return home..

After wrapping up his three-day visit in which he met Afghan refugees and Pakistani officials, Grandi issued a statement, expressing his appreciation that the repatriation of undocumented persons has been suspended.

Grandi’s statement stunned Pakistani officials who say no such understanding was given to him. On Wednesday, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, refuted Grandi’s claim, saying “This is not true.”

In a statement, she said “no such understanding has been given by Pakistan to the UNHCR, including in recent meetings with the High Commissioner for Refugees.” She said the crackdown, which is known as the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” was still in place and is being “implemented in an orderly and phased manner.”

U.N. agencies have decried the forced expulsion of Afghans from Pakistan, saying it could lead to severe human rights violations — including the separation of families and deportation of minors. Although Pakistan had been routinely deporting Afghans who came here without valid documents in recent years, the ongoing crackdown is unprecedented in scale

Pakistan has long hosted an estimated 1.7 million Afghans, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country. More than half a million others escaped Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021, with thousands waiting for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere.

The undocumented Afghans are separate from refugees who are registered with the authorities and the UNHCR, though the crackdown has raised concerns among refugee communities as well. Pakistan has said that the crackdown was not specific to Afghans, and it was aimed at deporting those foreigners living illegally in Pakistan.
Pakistan extends Afghan refugee registration cards for one year (Reuters)
Reuters [7/10/2024 11:22 AM, Charlotte Greenfield, 42991K, Negative]
Pakistan will extend expired registration cards given to almost 1.5 million Afghans for a year, the prime minister said on Wednesday, after the U.N. refugee commissioner asked for a pause in the country’s plan to repatriate refugees.

It was not immediately clear whether the extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards that expired in June would exempt holders from any future deportations, and the Pakistani foreign office said the repatriation plan would continue.

"The cabinet accepted (the proposal) of a one-year extension of the PoR cards of 1.45 million Afghan legal residents that expired on June 30, 2024," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said in a statement.

The cards, which the U.N. describes as a "critical" identity document, would now be valid until June 30, 2025.

Islamabad began expelling undocumented foreigners, mostly Afghans, in November last year amid a row over accusations that Afghanistan harbours Pakistani Islamist militants, a charge its ruling Taliban deny.

Pakistan says it is also struggling to host millions of refugees as it grapples with an economic crisis.

Last year, Pakistan announced a huge drive to repatriate foreigners without visas, mostly the roughly 4 million Afghans who crossed the border during 40 years of armed conflict in their home country and after the Taliban seized power in 2021.

More than 500,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan since the campaign was announced, according to U.N. figures.

The first phase of the plan targeted those who were not formally registered, though advocates and some of the PoR card holders said that in some cases they were also pressured by local authorities to leave.

Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, earlier this week wrapped up a three-day visit during which he called for the extension of the registration cards and said the international community should find more solutions for refugees and host countries such as Pakistan, a UNHCR statement said.

It said Grandi also appreciated that the repatriation plan had been suspended and sought assurances it would stay on hold.

A spokeswoman for Pakistan’s foreign office denied that the plan was on hold. "It may be noted that no such understanding has been given by Pakistan to the UNHCR, including in recent meetings with the High Commissioner for Refugees," she said.

"IFRP (Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan) remains in place and is being implemented in an orderly and phased manner."
Pakistan allows lawful Afghan refugees to stay for another year (VOA)
VOA [7/10/2024 2:24 PM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Negative]
Pakistan announced Wednesday it had extended the stay of more than 1.4 million lawful Afghan refugees for another year.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said the decision was made during a cabinet meeting he chaired in Islamabad.

The statement noted that the meeting approved extending the validity of proof of registration cards, or PoR, for Afghan refugees legally residing in the country to June 30, 2025. It added that the cards had expired last month on June 30.

The document enables refugee families in Pakistan to access health, educational, and banking facilities and protects them from forced deportations to Afghanistan.

The cabinet meeting occurred a day after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, wrapped up a visit to Islamabad, where his discussions with Sharif and other senior officials focused on the problems facing the Afghan refugee community.

A post-visit UNHCR statement issued on Tuesday noted that its chief “called for the timely extension” of the PoR cards, describing them as a “critical identity document” held by Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Refugee controversy

“Grandi expressed appreciation that the ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan [IFRP]’ had been suspended and sought assurances that it would remain on hold,” the UNHCR said.

Pakistan implemented the plan last October and began expelling foreigners, primarily Afghans, who do not possess legal documents or have their visas expired. The crackdown stemmed from rising terror attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians. More than 600,000 Afghans have since been forced to return to their home country.

A senior Pakistani official privy to Grandi’s meetings in Islamabad on Tuesday confirmed to VOA that his government had halted expulsions of undocumented Afghans under the IFRP. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

However, on Wednesday, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson disputed the UNHCR’s assertions about Islamabad suspending the IFRP.

“This is not true,” Mumtaz Baloch told VOA in a written statement.

“It may be noted that no such understanding has been given by Pakistan to the UNHCR, including in recent meetings with the High Commissioner for Refugees,” Baloch emphasized.

She noted the “IFRP remains in place and is being implemented in an orderly and phased manner.”

Afghanistan’s Taliban government, as well as human rights groups, have condemned Islamabad’s plan to forcefully send Afghans back, saying it is in violation of refugee and international laws.

Rights activists also cited sweeping restrictions the fundamentalist Taliban have placed on women, barring them from most jobs and public places and prohibiting girls’ education beyond the sixth grade.

The Taliban have denied allegations Afghan refugees are responsible for security issues facing Pakistan. Islamabad says the Taliban have allowed anti-Pakistan militants to take refuge on Afghan soil and stage cross-border terrorist attacks, charges Kabul rejects.

Meanwhile, Pakistani officials announced Wednesday they had launched a new phase of scholarships for Afghan students, including girls.

Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan, revealed the information through his X social media platform.

“Glad to launch the third phase of Allama Iqbal scholarships for Afghan students. In the coming five years, 4,500 Afghan students will pursue studies in social and natural sciences in various universities of Pakistan,” Durrani wrote.
Pakistan says registered Afghan refugees can stay for one more year (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera [7/10/2024 12:16 PM, Abid Hussain, 20871K, Neutral]
Pakistan has announced it will extend the registration cards of nearly 1.5 million Afghan refugees after a senior UN official urged the country to halt its deportation plan.

“The federal cabinet approved one-year extension of the validity of POR (Proof of Registration) cards of 1.45 million Afghan refugees. Their PoR cards have been expired on June 30, 2024. The extension has been granted until June 30, 2025,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement after the conclusion of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The announcement followed the discussion on the status of the refugees between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Filippo Grandi, chief of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), who visited Pakistan earlier this week.

Sharif told Grandi that the international community must recognise the “burden being shouldered” by Pakistan as it hosts a large refugee population, and demonstrate “collective responsibility”, according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office on Tuesday.

Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The latest influx started in August 2021 when the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, prompting some 600,000 to 800,000 Afghans to seek refuge in neighbouring Pakistan.

Last November, Pakistan launched a widely criticised repatriation programme aimed at returning millions of Afghans, regardless of their legal status.

According to the government, Pakistan currently hosts nearly three million Afghans, with close to 2.4 million possessing some form of legal documentation. Of these, almost 1.5 million hold a UNHCR Proof of Residence card, and another 800,000 possess an Afghan Citizenship Card (ACC).

An official at the Afghan Commissionerate, the government agency responsible for Afghan refugees in the country, stated that more than 600,000 refugees have returned to Afghanistan to date, with more than 30,000 being deported and the rest returning voluntarily.

UNHCR Chief Grandi acknowledged the challenges faced by Pakistan and acknowledged his appreciation that the repatriation programme has now been “suspended”, expressing hope that it will remain so, according to a statement by the UNHCR.

“We need to seize this opportunity to accelerate solutions and have a broader vision for the Afghan people in Pakistan,” Grandi said.

The official at the Afghan Commissionerate, who requested anonymity, also confirmed that the plan has been temporarily paused, with no expulsions or deportations occurring from border crossings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Balochistan provinces.

“These days, there is complete calm at the border, and Afghan families are not facing harassment or arrests,” the official told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
UN Refugee Chief Welcomes Pakistan Suspending Expulsions Of Undocumented Afghans (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/10/2024 6:40 AM, Staff, 1530K, Neutral]
The UN’s high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, has commended Pakistan for suspending its forced deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants and called for increased efforts toward long-term solutions for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said.

Grandi expressed appreciation that the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan had been suspended and sought assurances that it would "remain on hold," the UNHCR said in a statement on July 9.

Islamabad suspended the deportation of Afghan refugees following talks between Grandi and top Pakistani officials during the former’s three-day visit to Pakistan.

Grandi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, and Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, along with senior officials from the ministries of the interior and foreign affairs.

The commissioner called for a permanent solution to the problem of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the statement said, adding that he also called for "the timely extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards."

PoR cards are a crucial identity document for the more than 1.3 million legal Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

The number of undocumented Afghans who sought refuge in neighboring Pakistan rose steeply following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2022 following the departure of the U.S.-led international forces.

There is no accurate figure for the total number of Afghans in Pakistan, but UN estimates put the number in October last year at nearly 3.7 million. Pakistani authorities, however, put the number at 4.4 million.

Last year, Pakistan’s interim government decided to deport 1.7 million undocumented Afghan refugees from the country and send them back to Afghanistan.

Since the decision in November last year, an estimated 500,000 Afghan refugees have been returned to Afghanistan.

“We need to seize this opportunity to accelerate solutions and have a bigger, broader vision for the Afghan people in Pakistan,” Grandi was quoted as saying in the statement.
Outrage follows as Pakistan allows spy agency to tape citizens’ calls (VOA)
VOA [7/10/2024 10:47 AM, Ayaz Gul, 4032K, Neutral]
Pakistan has officially authorized its military-run main spy agency to intercept citizens’ phone communications, sparking outcry and concerns from political opponents and advocates of civil liberties.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government has defended the controversial measure, saying the new powers for the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, will enable authorities to track “anyone who misuses the law.”

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told parliament on Tuesday that phone monitoring would be restricted to tracking criminal and terrorist activities. He said the government would ensure it does not violate Pakistanis’ privacy.

According to the July 8 directive, “The federal government, in the interest of national security and in the apprehension of any offence, is pleased to authorize [ISI] officers … to intercept calls and messages or to trace calls through any telecommunication system.”

Critics have slammed the notice as unconstitutional and an assault on civil liberties, saying it would enable ISI to further strengthen its alleged hidden role in national politics.

Politicians, including former Pakistani prime ministers, have long accused the ISI of manipulating or undermining elected governments at the behest of the powerful military, which has staged several coups and governed the country for nearly half of its independent history.

Lawmakers affiliated with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan strongly opposed the phone tapping permission given to the ISI and promised to launch a legal challenge against it.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, or HRCP, said in a statement Wednesday it was “deeply concerned” by the government’s decision to give intelligence personnel “carte blanche” to intercept phone calls of any citizen.

The watchdog decried the measure as a “flagrant violation of citizens’ constitutionally protected rights to liberty, dignity and privacy.”

The HRCP stated, “Given the poor track record of governments and intelligence agencies alike, this measure will invariably be used to clamp down on political dissent through means of blackmail, harassment, and intimidation.”

Several members of the Pakistan Bar Council, the country’s highest elected body of lawyers, issued a joint statement dismissing the government’s notice as a “blatant disregard” for the rule of law and judicial independence.

“Such sweeping powers granted are alarming and unjustified. The issuance of this notification is in direct violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan,” the council said.

Pakistan’s renowned English-language newspaper Dawn criticized the granting of new powers to ISI as another “example of how extensively constitutional freedoms are being encroached upon” in the country.

“To be clear, this was already being done, albeit without warrants or legal sanction. It will now continue with legal sanction, but likely still without warrants,” the paper said Wednesday in an editorial.

“Suppressing a restless public and blocking dissent will only create more frustrations, which may spill over in unforeseen ways,” the editorial cautioned.
Shootout between Pakistani Taliban and police during raid kills 4 security officials, 3 insurgents (AP)
AP [7/10/2024 2:38 PM, Staff, 31180K, Negative]
Security forces raided a hideout of the Pakistani Taliban on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar on Wednesday, triggering a shootout that killed four officers and three insurgents, police said.

A militant commander, Abdul Rahim, was among the insurgents killed in the raid which took place in the town of Mattani, according to a local police officer, Ashfaq Khan.

In a statement, the military said Raheem was wanted by the law enforcement agencies, who had offered a reward of 6 million rupees ($21,500) for his capture.

The military said Raheem “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities” and was also responsible for the “martyrdom” of army Captain Hussain Jehangir Shaheed and another soldier in a May attack.

It said two policemen and two soldiers were killed in the shooting with the insurgents.

There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani Taliban — who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP — and are an ally of the Afghan Taliban.

TTP has stepped up its attacks on security forces since the Afghan Taliban seized power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.

Pakistani officials often accuse Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of giving shelter to TTP fighters, a charge Kabul rejects. TTP denies using Afghan soil for attacks in Pakistan.

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.
India
Modi’s Embrace of Putin Irks Biden Team Pushing Support for Kyiv (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [7/10/2024 11:42 PM, Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Peter Martin, and Iain Marlow, 5.5M, Neutral]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s embrace of Vladimir Putin on the eve of President Joe Biden’s pivotal NATO summit in Washington has frustrated US officials who have made closer ties with the Asian nation a cornerstone of their foreign policy.

Biden officials, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters, say the Indian leader’s first visit to Russia in five years provided fodder for groups inside and outside of the US government who are critical of closer ties with Modi’s government. Under Biden, the US has pledged to collaborate with India on technology such as artificial intelligence and committed to the co-production of sensitive defense technologies.

During the visit, Modi embraced Putin in a bear hug and hailed the Russian leader as a “friend.” The trip yielded deeper civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries, as well as the announcement of an expanded diplomatic presence for India in Russia.

Modi’s arrival in Moscow came after at least 38 people were killed and nearly 200 wounded on Monday in a wave of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine, including a strike that hit the main children’s hospital in Kyiv. It also occurred as the Biden administration prepared to host a NATO summit it views as crucial to shoring up support for Ukraine and demonstrating the president’s credibility as the Democratic Party’s candidate with pressure mounting for him to step aside ahead of the November election.

US officials said they were confident that the US-India relationship would overcome the episode through continued frank conversations, but said that the visit was difficult and uncomfortable for the Biden team. American officials expressed those concerns during a series of meetings and phone calls with Indian counterparts in recent weeks, according to US and Indian officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations.

During one such call, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed concern about the visit to Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, explaining that the visit’s timing was particularly problematic for Washington.

Nevertheless, Campbell told his counterparts that the US understands that India has longstanding ties with Russia and welcomed the appointment of the nation’s new ambassador in Washington, the officials said. Campbell is widely seen a strong advocate for stronger U.S. diplomatic and security ties with India.

The US has repeatedly encouraged the Indians to push Putin to end the war in Ukraine, according to the officials. It has also highlighted areas where Indian exports or commercial cooperation are supporting Russia’s war machine.

An official with the US National Security Council called India a strategic partner and said the two nations engage in frank dialogue, including on the South Asian nation’s relationship with Russia. Those ties give India the ability to urge Putin to end the war and achieve an enduring peace for Ukraine, the official said.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday morning.

The Indian government gave the US advance notice of Modi’s plans following speculation in the Russian media and assured the US that the trip would be light on substance, according to US officials.

Aware of its rising economic heft and increased clout in a shifting geopolitical order, India under Modi has insisted on charting its own course, and pursued a policy of strategic autonomy in line with its decades-old policy of not being drawn into formal alliances.

India is a major buyer of Russian oil and military hardware supplies. But its long-standing relationship with Russia, which has historic roots in Cold War-era ties with the Soviet Union, represents a difficult balancing act for Modi, who has also sought investment and technology from the US.

‘Jarring’

Indian officials have partly justified Modi’s embrace of Putin by saying that the outreach could help to prevent Russia from falling too far into China’s orbit. Relations between India and China have been stuck at a low point since a border dispute erupted into violence in 2020, though the two sides have agreed to talks to resolve the disagreement.

India is watching carefully as Russia draws closer to China, which has served as an economic and diplomatic lifeline amid sanctions over the Kremlin’s grueling war on Ukraine. During a security summit in Kazakhstan last week, Putin described relations with China as the “best in history.”

For its part, the US sees India as a partner in its rivalry with China, but the relationship has at times frustrated Washington. Modi has declined to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine even as it has pushed for diplomacy. He told Putin this week that there was “despair” over the recent killing of children in Ukraine and that a resolution can’t be found on the battlefield.

US prosecutors are also investigating an alleged murder-for-hire plot on American soil that they say involved senior Indian officials. India has said it’s probing the matter.

“The timing of the visit demonstrates an apparent disregard toward US interests that is somewhat jarring, considering how much progress had been made in US-India relations over the last year,” said Lisa Curtis, a former White House official and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington. “India is performing a balancing act between Russia and the US, but this time the balance seemed to tip too far in Russia’s direction.”
No disagreements between Putin and Modi at Moscow meeting, India and Russia say (Reuters)
Reuters [7/10/2024 12:25 PM, Staff, 85570K, Negative]
Both India and Russia on Wednesday denied there had been any disagreement between President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at their talks in Moscow this week.

Modi delivered an implicit rebuke to Putin on Tuesday, the day after a lethal strike on a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, when he told him the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters a decision to cancel a session of talks between Russian and Indian delegations was taken for scheduling reasons and because the entire agenda had been covered.

"This has absolutely nothing to do with any disagreements or problematic situations," he said.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra denied reports of friction between the two leaders, saying they were incorrect and misleading.

He also denied there were any cancellations during the visit, saying the two leaders "far exceeded" the time planned for their meetings.

"To the best of my knowledge there were no cancellations of any particular programming element during the prime minister’s visit to Moscow," Kwatra said at a press briefing in Vienna.

"Whether it is war, conflict or a terrorist attack, any person who believes in humanity is pained when there is loss of lives," Modi said in Moscow on Tuesday, in remarks made during a meeting with Putin.
In Moscow, Modi Treads Fine Line Between Russia And The West (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/10/2024 8:35 AM, Dragan Stavljanin, 1530K, Neutral]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up a high-stakes visit to Moscow on July 9 -- his first to Russia since 2019 -- that highlighted the fine line New Delhi treads as it bolsters relations with Russia while courting closer ties with the West.

On the second and final day of Modi’s visit to the Russian capital, India and Russia set out nine key areas for closer cooperation, ranging from nuclear energy to medicine, with officials from both sides saying they aimed to boost bilateral trade by more than half to hit $100 billion by 2030.

While the 22nd India-Russia annual summit focused on bilateral cooperation, it took place against the backdrop of wider geopolitical turmoil sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Notwithstanding a personal chemistry between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and Modi, bilateral relations are weighed down by several issues, first and foremost the war in Ukraine and, linked to that, how New Delhi should navigate relations with China and the West.

The meeting in Moscow on July 9 also coincided with the opening of a high-profile summit of NATO leaders in Washington, as well as the Russian bombing of a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

Modi did appear to reference that attack in comments to Putin on July 9, saying that "when innocent children are murdered, one sees them die, the heart pains and that pain is unbearable."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had slammed Modi’s visit, posting on social media that it was a "huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day."

The U.S. State Department said on July 8 that it had raised concerns with India about its relationship with Russia.

Modi: War Cannot Solve Problems

Modi said that a solution to the war in Ukraine "cannot be found on the battlefield...we have to find peace through talks." Those comments echoed remarks he made on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in September 2022, when -- in an apparent snub to the Russian leader -- he said that "this is not the era of war."

On July 9, Putin hailed the "very long-standing friendship" and now a "specially privileged, strategic partnership" between Russia and India.

Despite his remarks of concern, Modi was not likely to confront Putin directly over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sources close to the Indian prime minister’s office said. The Indian leader seems rather to be engaging Russia as part of a broader balancing act between East and West, which is at the crux of his multifaceted foreign policy.

India has taken a neutral stance, neither condemning nor condoning Russia’s war on Ukraine, and has said the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

New Delhi fears that if it condemns Russia and joins Western sanctions, it will alienate Moscow and push it ever closer to China and Pakistan, both archrivals to India.

For that reason, India refused to sign a joint communique at the recently held Ukrainian-initiated peace summit in Switzerland, pitching for Russia’s presence at the negotiating table as a prerequisite for a durable and lasting peace.

It remains to be seen if Modi heeded Western calls to emphasize Ukraine’s territorial integrity during his meeting with Putin in Moscow.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine does impact India, including having a human cost.

Modi raised the issue in Moscow of Indian citizens who had signed up for so-called "support jobs" with the Russian military, following reports some had been killed after allegedly being forced to fight in Ukraine.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on July 9 that Russia had pledged to begin discharging Indian nationals who had been "misled" into joining its military.

He added that the situation affected an estimated 35-50 Indians, of whom 10 had already been brought home.

The China Factor

The partnership between Moscow and New Delhi has become more complicated as Russia, facing growing international isolation, has edged closer to China since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Those growing Russian-Chinese ties are said to have factored into Modi’s decision to stay away last week from an SCO summit in Kazakhstan.

"Moscow’s growing dependence on Beijing and Xi’s foreign policy assertiveness has made China the key fulcrum in SCO maneuvers. India is circumspect about this," explained Ved Shinde, a former researcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi.

The snubbing of the SCO gathering contrasted starkly with Modi’s presence at an outreach session of the Group of Seven summit in Italy in June, his first trip abroad since he was reelected for a third term.

For India, the most critical strategic challenge is China’s expansionism at its borders, said Ajay Bisaria, a former Indian diplomat.

"It will tend to look at all its relationships through that prism. The China factor makes for an additional driver for India’s engagement not just with China’s strongest global competitor, the U.S., but also with its closest ally, Russia", added Bisaria.

At the same time, India is a member of the Quad security grouping involving the United States, Japan, and Australia, which serves as a bulwark against China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Still Dependent On Russian Arms

As the world’s biggest arms importer, India still mostly relies on Russian technology for traditional arms. In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union was the source of about 70 percent of Indian army weapons, 80 percent of its air force systems, and 85 percent of its navy platforms.

However, India’s dependence on Russian arms has dropped as it diversifies, in part to prop up domestic defense manufacturing, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

India is also being forced to eye other sources as the war in Ukraine has stretched Russia’s arms supplies thin. However, 60 percent of India’s military equipment and systems are still of Russian origin.

India’s importance as a key trade partner for Russia has steadily grown since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Apart from China, India has become a key buyer of Russian oil, sold at discounted prices, providing Russia a crucial financial lifeline amid Western sanctions.
Modi engages Austrian leader on Ukraine conflict, offers support for peace (VOA)
VOA [7/11/2024 4:03 AM, Staff, 4032K, Neutral]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday in Vienna that India supports efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.

He held talks with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, in what he described as the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Austria in 41 years.

Modi’s trip to Austria followed a visit by the Indian leader to Russia, which was criticized by Kyiv.

Nehammer said it was important for Austria to understand India’s stance on Ukraine and that it was an "important and significant signal" that India took part in a recent peace summit in Switzerland. Nehammer said Austria would be able to play a role as a mediator in advancing peace initiatives for Ukraine.

Modi told reporters in Vienna: "This is not an age of war. Problems cannot be solved on the battlefield."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized a photo of Modi hugging Putin earlier in the week, describing it as "a devastating blow to peace."

Modi’s trip to Moscow, where India has longstanding ties, marked his first visit there since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

While in Moscow, Modi reaffirmed India’s neutrality regarding the invasion. He referred to the Monday attack in which Russian missiles hit multiple locations in Ukraine, including the largest children’s hospital in Kyiv, and which resulted in the deaths of at least 42 people, including children, across the country.

"Be it war, a struggle or a terrorist attack, every person who believes in humanity, when there is loss of life, he is pained," Modi said Tuesday.
China says India has no right to develop contested border region (Reuters)
Reuters [7/10/2024 8:29 AM, Colleen Howe and Sarita Chaganti Singh, 42991K, Neutral]
India has no right to carry out development in the area China calls South Tibet, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in response to a Reuters report on New Delhi’s plans to speed up hydropower projects in the border state.

"South Tibet is China’s territory," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.

It said India had no right to carry out development there and the establishment of what India calls Arunachal Pradesh on Chinese territory is "illegal and invalid".

Reuters reported on Tuesday that India plans to spend $1 billion to expedite the construction of 12 hydropower stations in the northeastern Himalayan state.

India’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on China’s statement.

India says its remote state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country, but China says it is a part of southern Tibet, and has objected to Indian infrastructure projects there.

Last week, India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Kazakhstan where the two agreed to intensify efforts to resolve issues along their border.
India Can Boost Growth by 0.5 Points by Adding Factory Jobs, IMF Says (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg [7/10/2024 7:23 AM, Preeti Soni, 27296K, Positive]
India can boost its economic growth rate by as much as 0.5 percentage points by driving more workers from agriculture to manufacturing, according to researchers from the International Monetary Fund.

The estimates are based on the assumption that 5% of agricultural workers can be absorbed in manufacturing, the researchers said in an IMF working paper this week. To do that, the government will need to undertake a number of economic reforms to increase the supply of jobs in manufacturing, they said.

“India needs to create productive, well-paying jobs in labor intensive sectors for its growing population,” IMF economists Cristian Alonso and Margaux MacDonald wrote in the paper. “This could accelerate sustainable, inclusive growth and raise wages for India’s workers.”

India has been posting relatively strong growth rates of more than 7% in recent years, and although employment has grown, it’s largely been in lower productivity sectors.

Half of India’s workforce have low-paying farm or construction jobs, according to the IMF researchers. The agriculture sector still accounts for the highest share of workers even though there has been a decline in farm jobs by 17 million between 1995 and 2019, they said in the report. In addition, the services sector hasn’t been able to grow formal, and high productivity jobs needed to raise economic growth, they said.

Manufacturing has remained sluggish and has added only 15 million jobs between 1995 and 2019, according to the researchers. Shifting India’s farm workers to factory jobs would require additional reforms on land use, promoting larger firm sizes, hiring more female workers, and re-skilling the workforce, the IMF researchers said.
India’s top court says Muslim women entitled to alimony under secular law (The Independent)
The Independent [7/10/2024 8:42 AM, Namita Singh, 56358K, Neutral]
Alimony isn’t charity but a right, India’s supreme court said while ruling that divorced Muslim women are entitled to seek maintenance.

Justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih dismissed a Muslim man’s challenge to a state high court’s verdict ordering him to pay his former wife Rs 10,000 (£93.5) a month in alimony.

The man, Mohd Abdul Samad, argued that a divorced woman is not entitled to alimony under the Muslim Personal Law, which he said should prevail over secular law.

But the court said the right to seek maintenance under the country’s criminal code is a “secular provision” applicable to all married women, regardless of their religion.

A family court in southern Telangana state had directed Mr Samad to pay an alimony of Rs 20,000 (£187) per month to his former wife after she filed a petition in 2017 claiming that he had divorced her under the instant divorce practice known as triple talaq.

The controversial practice recognised by certain schools of Islamic jurisprudence requires a man to merely say “talaq”, the Arabic word for divorce, three times to divorce his wife.

The supreme court in 2017 ruled the practice to be unconstitutional and violative of the fundamental rights of Muslim women.

Mr Samad said he divorced his wife in accordance with the prevailing Muslim Personal Law in 2017 and he has a divorce certificate to that effect but it was not considered by the family court. He went to the Telangana high court, which declined to set aside the family’s court order but reduced the alimony amount to Rs 10,000.

Mr Samad then moved the supreme court where his lawyer argued that a divorced Muslim woman can seek recourse under the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Divorce Act, 1986, which is part of the personal law governing matters of marriage, succession, inheritance and charities for the minority community.

But amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal countered that the personal law does not take away a woman’s entitlement to relief under the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The court agreed. "This right transcends religious boundaries, reinforcing the principle of gender equality and financial security for all married women,” it said.

The court also underlined “the necessity for husbands to provide financial support to their wives”. Among the practical measures it suggested “maintaining joint bank accounts and sharing ATM access to ensure economic stability for women within the household”.
The Modi-Putin Summit Wasn’t All Bad News for Washington (Foreign Policy – opinion)
Foreign Policy [7/10/2024 5:35 PM, Michael Kugelman, 2014K, Positive]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow this week underscored a long-standing point of tension in U.S.-India relations: India’s deep partnership with Russia, forged during the latter decades of the Cold War and still formidable today.

Indian officials—including Modi—frequently describe Russia as India’s most trusted and dependable friend. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, India has increased its imports of Russian oil and maintained defense cooperation with Moscow. Modi’s visit reinforced the bilateral relationship and produced several new agreements, including initiatives on science, trade, and climate change.

The Biden administration signaled its concern about the trip from the start. Washington is particularly worried about New Delhi’s embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Monday—a day when Russia struck civilian targets, including a children’s hospital, across Kyiv—a beaming Modi enveloped Putin in a bear hug. The United States also fears the security implications of transferring arms and sensitive military technologies to an Indian defense sector that is still receiving Russian military equipment.

Despite all of this, Modi’s visit—and the broader India-Russia relationship—doesn’t bode quite as badly for Washington as some may think.

First, Modi’s visit, with all its pageantry, was meant to boost a partnership that has less favorable trend lines than it used to. Russia remains India’s largest arms supplier, but in recent years, India has decreased its share of Russian arms imports while increasing its share from the United States. (Notably, no new arms deals were announced during Modi’s visit.) India is also diversifying its pool of arms suppliers through stepped-up arms trade with France and Israel.

Additionally, India and Russia are diverging on their geopolitical alignments. New Delhi is moving closer to the West: It’s pursuing unprecedented levels of security cooperation with Washington and embracing its Indo-Pacific strategy, which Moscow rejects. Russia, by contrast, is moving closer to China, India’s main strategic competitor, and flirting more frequently with Pakistan, India’s perennial rival. Moscow is also trying to assert more leadership in groupings such as BRICS (which also includes Brazil, India, China, South Africa, and four recently added nations) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which aim to counter the West.

India straddles these divides through its long-standing principle of foreign-policy balancing: It belongs to BRICS and SCO as well as the Indo-Pacific Quad, and it aims to serve as a bridge between the global south—which generally has good relations with Moscow—and the developed world. But as Russia is increasingly bogged down in Ukraine and facing isolation from the West, the reality is that India will find more opportunities for global engagement without Russia than with it.

Furthermore, India opposes Russia’s war in Ukraine. The conflict has hurt India’s food and energy security, brought Russia closer to China, and tested India’s policy of balancing ties. Although New Delhi has not condemned the war, it has repeatedly called for it to end—a message that Modi delivered directly (and not for the first time) to Putin this week. Putin won’t heed Modi’s pleas for peace, but they still strengthen international pressure on Russia to de-escalate.

Finally, the India-Russia partnership actually serves as a modest check on a growing Russia-China relationship—a development that worries Washington as much as it does New Delhi. India is one of Russia’s few powerful friends that isn’t China. Even as it becomes more reliant on Beijing for economic and defense support, Moscow can’t afford to jeopardize its time-tested commercial and defense ties with New Delhi. That means there will be limits to what Moscow and Beijing describe as their “no limits” partnership—including, most likely, an unwillingness from Russia to back China in the event of an India-China conflict.

The Modi-Putin summit made for an awkward few days for U.S.-India relations. But it also provided a reminder that the Russia factor is a manageable challenge—and not a paralyzing problem—for the partnership between the world’s two biggest democracies.
Modi’s Visit Reaffirms the West’s Failure to Isolate Putin (The Diplomat – opinion)
The Diplomat [7/10/2024 10:35 AM, Mohamed Zeeshan, 1156K, Neutral]
For over two years, the United States and its allies have tried to isolate Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on the world stage. But in less than a month, Putin has scored two separate wins with two important U.S. partners in Asia, even as the bombardment of Ukraine has continued.

Last month, Putin went to Vietnam where he signed deals on energy cooperation and thanked that country’s “balanced position” on the war in Ukraine. This week, Putin received India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Moscow where the two leaders pledged to strengthen bilateral ties and discussed ways to evade Western sanctions.

The two visits are significant because they serve to demonstrate not just the limits of Washington’s efforts to isolate Putin but also the limits of U.S. foreign policy in Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

For years, America has courted India and Vietnam as allies in a joint effort to counterbalance China’s rising influence in the Indo-Pacific. Economic and military ties have surged. Vietnam has been a key beneficiary of U.S. investment as Washington has tried to decouple from the Chinese economy. India is a partner in the Quad alongside Australia and Japan. Yet, none of this has stopped either India or Vietnam from steadily ramping up ties with Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine war.

In one sense, the historical basis on which these ties were founded has weakened. Russia has been a key supplier of weapons to India and Vietnam since the Cold War, but has lost out to competitors in both countries more recently.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia accounted for as much as 83 percent of Vietnam’s arms imports between 2010 and 2019. But since 2020, it has accounted for only 39 percent. In India, Russia made up 65 percent of total imports between 2010 and 2019. But since 2020, that figure has fallen to 36 percent.

Even as military cooperation has declined, ties have surged in other areas. India was once a marginal importer of oil from Russia. But since the beginning of the war, that has changed dramatically. In June, Russia made up 43 percent of India’s total oil imports, making India the second-biggest consumer of Russian oil behind China. In Vietnam, similarly, Russian energy companies have increasingly been involved in marquee oil exploration projects, including in the contentious South China Sea.

To some analysts in Washington, all of this might seem baffling and appalling. Why would countries that face threats from an expansionist China engage with an expansionist Russia? Russia’s weakening military footprint in the two countries would only add more mystery to that question. Driven by losses in the battlefield and pressures on its own defense industry, Russia has become a significantly less appealing military partner. In recent weeks, Russia’s military supplies have been so far stretched that Putin had to turn to North Korea for support.

Yet, even as the hard power rationale for ties with Russia has declined, the soft power strategic rationale has increased precisely because Russia is getting weaker. For India and Vietnam, a world without Putin is a world where they would be more vulnerable to the West. Russia’s exit from the club of world powers would restrict geopolitical space for countries like India and Vietnam, which seek to function within a raucous multipolar landscape where they stand a better chance at fending off U.S. hegemony.

That cause has only become more urgent to policymakers in New Delhi and elsewhere in the wake of a proliferation of Western sanctions around the world. Many countries in the Global South — or what Putin now calls the “World Majority” — believe that their continued dependence on Western economic systems and institutions leaves them vulnerable, if they were to fall afoul of the West down the line.

To that end, in Moscow, Modi and Putin were reported to have continued talks on a bilateral payment system to bypass restrictions on Russia’s use of the SWIFT channel for cross-border bank transactions. Countering the preponderance of the dollar and its concomitant institutions has also been a recurring theme at the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in recent years.

All of this also serves to highlight a key point of difference between U.S. foreign policy objectives in Asia and the strategic goals of its partners in Asia — especially emerging powers like India and Vietnam.

The U.S. sees China as a threat on a wide range of issues. Washington perceives China as a strategic competitor to its power and influence on the world stage. But America’s partners in Asia see no real skin in that game. They would like to counteract China’s ability to intrude and occupy their territory. But they are also interested in ensuring a healthy balance of power in the region between China and the U.S. They calculate that Russia will be an important player in making that happen.
NSB
Anger over jobs reserved for war heroes’ children (BBC)
BBC [7/11/2024 2:20 AM, Annabelle Liang, 65.5M, Neutral]
Thousands of university students in Bangladesh have been staging protests against a recruitment system that they say favours children of war heroes and certain groups for high-paying government jobs.

The protesters say the system is discriminatory and they are calling for recruitment to be based on merit.

A third of posts are kept for the children of those who fought to win the country independence in 1971. Some are also reserved for women, ethnic minorities and the disabled.

Critics say the system unfairly benefits the children of pro-government groups that support Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who won her fourth straight election in January.

Ms Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Earlier this week, students blocked roads and highways in the capital Dhaka and other major cities, bringing traffic to a halt. The protests have been called the Bangla Blockade.

Some laid logs on a railway track in the capital, disrupting train services to northern parts of the country.

Bangladesh’s top court temporarily suspended the system on Wednesday, but protests are expected to continue until it is permanently removed.

The system was reinstated by a separate court just last month. It had been halted since 2018, following weeks of protests.

"We will not return to classrooms until our demand is met," protest leader Rasel Ahmed told the AFP news agency.

"My demand is not to cancel the system. My demand is for quota reform," one protester told BBC Bangla.

Another student said he would keep protesting until a "permanent solution" is found.

Government jobs are highly coveted in Bangladesh because they pay well. In total, more than half of the positions - amounting to hundreds of thousands - are reserved for certain groups.

Earlier this month, Ms Hasina condemned the protests, saying students were "wasting their time", while adding there was "no justification for the anti-quota movement".

Bangladesh, which was once one of the poorest countries in the world, is now one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia.

Its per capita income has tripled in the last decade and the World Bank estimates that more than 25 million people have been lifted out of poverty over the last two decades.

But its economy spun into turmoil in mid-2022 following the pandemic and the global economic slowdown.
Bangladeshi University Students Protest Quota System Reforms (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [7/10/2024 4:14 PM, Saqlain Rizve, 1.2M, Neutral]
A recent wave of protests at Bangladesh’s universities has brought the nation’s attention to two significant issues: the reinstatement of the quota system in government jobs and the introduction of the Prottoy pension scheme. Both have sparked widespread dissent among students and teachers, leading to a series of protests and strikes that have disrupted academic activities across almost all of the country’s public universities.

Student-led demonstrations resurfaced following the Supreme Court’s affirmation in early July of a High Court ruling that reinstated the quota system for government jobs.

Thousands of students from the University of Dhaka, Rajshahi University, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Begum Rokeya University, and more took to the streets, blocking major highways to voice their opposition. The students, carrying placards and chanting slogans such as “Let the weapon of 2018 roar again,” “Quota or Merit,” “Students’ action, direct action,” and “No more tears for the meritorious,” demanded the abolishment of the quota system.

The 2018 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement was a significant event in the country’s history. The movement demanded reforms in policies regarding recruitment in the Bangladesh government. It was initiated by the Bangladesh General Students’ Right Conservation Council (Bangladesh Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Songrokkhon Parishad), The protests began on February 17, 2018, and had spread country-wide by April 8. The movement rapidly gained popularity among students of different universities and colleges, forcing the government to announce changes in its policy.

Under the existing Bangladesh government recruitment system, 56 percent of entry-level government positions were reserved for specific “entitled” classes: 30 percent for children/grandchildren of 1971 “freedom fighters,” 10 percent for women, 10 percent for districts based on population, 5 percent for ethnic minorities, and 1 percent for people with disabilities. As a result, only 44 percent of job candidates were able to secure positions on the basis of merit, causing discontent among a large section of students. On October 4, 2018, the government issued a circular abolishing all the 56 percent quotas in the public service in the wake of protests by university students and jobseekers demanding reforms to the quota system that had been introduced in 1972.

In a country where a significant number of students remain unemployed after graduation, only 44 percent of candidates for government job exams are selected based on merit. The rest gain entry through the various quotas. Although they have to sit for the exam, they enjoy some special facilities. During a protest on July 8 at the capital’s Shahbag area, some protesters told The Diplomat, “The remaining 44 percent shouldn’t be classified as meritorious; they should also be subject to quotas.”

The students argue that the quota system is discriminatory and hinders merit-based appointments in government jobs. Md. Sahabuddin, a student of Rajshahi University and son of a freedom fighter, told The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi media outlet, “Even being the son of a freedom fighter, I don’t want any quota system. I want this quota movement to be successful.” This sentiment is echoed by many students who believe that the quota system undermines the principles of equality and fairness.

The protests began on July 1 with students from various public universities participating. However, the movement escalated on July 6, when students from Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Bangabandhu Bridge highway.

The students’ discontent stemmed from the perceived discrimination and hindrance to merit-based appointments in government jobs due to the quota system. The protests intensified on July 7, with a nationwide blockade program called the “Bangla Blockade,” during which students across the country boycotted classes and exams and blocked major highways and roads in front of educational institutions.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s stance has changed significantly regarding the student protest compared to the past protest in 2018. Back then, she was more amenable to the students’ demands. She commented, “there is nothing to get angry at, the students are demanding. I totally accept it.” This comment clearly indicated a willingness to consider the students’ requests for reforming the quota system in government jobs. At that time Hasina’s Awami League was enjoying their second consecutive tenure. The 11th general election was held later in 2018.

However, this time Hasina’s tone has changed. She has dismissed the anti-quota movement as unjustified, especially after a court verdict. “Students are wasting their time unnecessarily in the name of the movement. After the verdict of the court, there is no justification for the anti-quota movement,” she said during a greeting exchange program. This statement reflects a firmer stance against the protests, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the judicial process and court decisions.

The difference between her comments in 2018 and 2024 highlights a change from an initial openness to dialogue and reform to a more definitive rejection of the protesters and their demands. In her recent comments, the prime minister also questioned the benefits of abolishing the quota system, pointing out that women and people from remote areas were disadvantaged without it. “This is the reality,” she added, suggesting that the quota system had its merits in ensuring equal opportunities. Her comments in 2024 underscore a commitment to uphold the High Court’s verdict and a call for students to focus on their studies rather than protest.

The unarmed student protesters faced numerous attacks from the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) in 2018 and this year, too. On multiple occasions, BCL activists disrupted gatherings and attacked students who were part of the quota reform movement. For instance, on June 30, 2018 BCL activists reportedly attacked quota demonstrators, thwarting their scheduled press conference. Two days later, on July 2, another attack occurred in the Central Shahid Minar area. These actions led to widespread criticism.

Fast forward to 2024, a fear is still working inside the minds of protesters for the BCL activists as they are already barring students from joining the protest.
Bhutan: Urgently Reform Justice System, Prison Conditions (Human Rights Watch)
Human Rights Watch [7/10/2024 9:00 PM, Staff, 2.1M, Neutral]
A man who served 30 years in a Bhutanese prison for distributing political pamphlets has said that political detainees like him are surviving on meager rations and are reduced to using rice sacks for clothing and bedding, Human Rights Watch said today. The Bhutanese government should immediately free its remaining political prisoners, who are kept in appalling conditions and are serving lengthy sentences following unfair trials and torture.

Ram Bahadur Rai, 66, spoke with Human Rights Watch after he was released after completing his sentence on July 5, 2024, and immediately expelled from the country. At least 34 prisoners convicted of political offenses are still believed to be in Bhutanese prisons. The tiny Himalayan kingdom has been a multi-party democracy since 2008, but it continues to hold people imprisoned earlier who were regarded as opponents of the former autocratic system.

“Bhutan’s government cultivates an enlightened international image by propounding the theory of ‘gross national happiness,’ but the blatantly abusive treatment of these prisoners tells a different story,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “While the Bhutanese government attempts to strengthen its ties with international partners, foreign governments and multilateral organizations should push for the release of political prisoners.”

In 2023, Human Rights Watch documented 37 inmates classified by Bhutan’s government as “political prisoners,” who were first detained between 1990 and 2008. Following the release of three people who completed their sentences in the past year, it is believed that at least 34 remain, many imprisoned for life without parole. Under Bhutanese law, only King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck can commute a life sentence.

Ram Bahadur Rai was among around 90,000 Nepali-speaking Bhutanese people who were forced to flee the country around 1990 due to violence and persecution under the government at that time.

Following his release from prison, he told Human Rights Watch that in 1994 he had returned to Bhutan and was involved in distributing pamphlets on behalf of a banned organization called the Bhutan People’s Party in the border town of Gelephu when he was arrested. He said he was then accused in a “fabricated” case of participating in political violence.

Rai said that before and during his trial, at which he had no defense lawyer, he was tortured so severely that he was hospitalized, only to be returned to jail and further tortured. By the time he was convicted and sentenced to 31 years and 10 months in prison, he said the torture had left him unable to write his own application for an appeal. The appeal was rejected, and he was warned that if he appealed again his sentence could be increased.

Rai said that since 2012, when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stopped arranging family contact for national security prisoners in Bhutan, he had had no communication with his family. Upon his release, he sent a photograph to his four children “so they can know what their father looks like.”

In Chemgang prison, near the capital, Thimphu, Rai was held in a block with 24 other prisoners termed “anti-national” by the Bhutanese authorities. Describing conditions there, he said, “It’s a very painful situation. The facilities have almost halved since the Red Cross left [in 2012].”

Prisoners are obliged to buy their own medication if they fall sick and can wait up to eight months if they need to see a doctor, meaning they frequently receive no treatment. Several are in “very poor” health, Rai said.

He said that after the ICRC’s engagement ended, guards had taunted the prisoners: “We are your parents now, we are your everything.”

Food rations have been reduced to half their previous level. Prisoners are supplied with a blanket every three years and a mattress every 18 months, although it is of such poor quality that it is “unusable after a month or two.” Rai said the clothes they are provided are too small. “We collected rice sacks to use for clothing and bedding.”

Rai said that the Bhutan Red Cross Society, which is supposed to have taken over the duties of the ICRC in supporting prisoners’ welfare, “don’t do anything” and that the remaining prisoners had asked him to appeal for the ICRC to resume its engagement.

Bhutan’s treatment of these men, who were convicted following torture and unsafe trials, is a stain on the reputation of the government, Human Rights Watch said.

Bhutan’s legal system is formally based on concepts in the Buddhist tradition such as compassion. The king, who is head of state while most government functions are the responsibility of an elected government, retains the power to grant “kidu,” or relief, including by commuting sentences.

“King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck could end the unjust suffering of these prisoners and their families with a stroke of a pen, as both he and his father have previously done in other cases,” Ganguly said. “Sixteen years since Bhutan’s transition to democracy, all of the remaining political prisoners should finally be released.”
Nepal: Same-sex couples face hurdles on road to recognition (Deutsche Welle)
Deutsche Welle [7/10/2024 11:55 AM, Sweckhya Raut, 15592K, Neutral]
Nirmala and Milan Bastola are about to celebrate their silver jubilee as a same-sex couple this year.

They come from Mangalpur, a small village in Nepal’s Chitwan district, nearly 190 kilometers (118 miles) south of the capital Kathmandu.

The couple faced enormous challenges and social pressure as they fought for acceptance of their relationship.

"It was worth every effort. There was discouragement, yet we focused more on the support we received from our friends and family," Milan, a transgender person, told DW.

The couple adopted a newborn child in 2009, and for years they felt everything was going according to plan.

But their lives were disrupted two years ago when their daughter needed a birth certificate for school.

Obtaining it was a struggle, and both Nirmala and Milan had to do rounds of government appointments for months.

After an onerous and complicated process, authorities issued a birth certificate. Milan, however, was only listed as a "guardian." As the couple’s marriage was not legally recognized, they could not be considered parents of their adopted child, officials said.

The painful experience made them fearful of facing more problems in the future.

"Until then, we had lived as we wished. We never felt the need for paperwork. However, after that incident, we realized the value of a single piece of official documentation," Milan said.

Authorities dragging their feet

The case shows that Nepal, despite being the first country in South Asia to legally recognize same-sex marriages, still has a long way to go in terms of ensuring equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2007, the nation’s Supreme Court had ordered the government to change existing legal provisions to allow same-sex marriages.

But successive governments failed to pass required legislation.

In June 2023, the top court then ordered the administration to establish a "transitional mechanism" and an "interim registry" for same-sex marriages until existing marriage legislation could be amended.

Following the ruling, Surendra Pandey, a cisgender man, and Maya Gurung, a transgender woman, filed a petition in Kathmandu District Court seeking legal recognition of their marriage.

In 2017, Pandey and Gurung were married in a Hindu wedding ceremony.

The couple had expected the registration process to go smoothly. However, both the Kathmandu District Court and another high court refused to register the marriage, claiming that federal law only allowed the registration of heterosexual couples. This came despite the Supreme Court ruling.

Long and hard battles for recognition

The lower courts based their rulings on Nepal’s civil code, which defines marriage as between a man and woman.

The Supreme Court ruling had attempted to get around this by creating the interim registry until the law was changed, but local authorities claimed national law would have to be changed before they recognized Pandey and Gurung’s marriage.

After a long, hard-fought legal battle, authorities registered their marriage, making Pandey and Gurung the first same-sex couple in Nepal to have their marriage officially recognized.

"No one will be able to compensate for the level of stress we bore during this process of getting official recognition for our marriage," Pandey told DW.

"At one point, we felt like quitting. But we took it as a movement, not just for us but for the entire LGBTQ+ community. We had to spend a lot of time, money and effort to get it, even though it is a fundamental right," Pandey added.

Call for political action

Despite the legal victories, LGBTQ+ rights groups say urgent parliamentary action is needed to enact legislation governing various aspects of same-sex marriages.

These include joint property ownership, inheritance, child adoption, divorce, and guardianship in cases of separation.

They also call for amending the civil code, which currently defines marriage as between a man and woman.

Sarita KC, an LGBTQ+ activist, said that this definition "is one of the major barriers for the recognition of LGBTQ couples, as it doesn’t address marriage between two ‘individuals’ regardless of their gender and sexual orientation."

Sujan Panta, a lawyer, echoed this view.

"To address these issues, either the Nepal government should enact separate laws for gender and sexual minorities, or the Supreme Court should amend the definition of marriage and related provisions," he said.

The lawyer noted that the Supreme Court’s ruling last year was an encouraging step, but it only marked the beginning of a change.

Social change since court ruling

Nevertheless, Pandey and Gurung say that societal perspective toward them has changed since the registration of their marriage.

"The society which hated us before now celebrates our marriage. This is the biggest change the court ruling made," Gurung said, adding that she’s glad people stopped questioning their relationship and began to accept them.

"Previously, it was difficult to explain our relationship and convince landlords to rent us a home. People used to stare and gossip. We had to ignore them. Now, we can sense how much the public mindset has shifted."

Nirmala and Milan Bastola also called for a law that recognizes parental rights.

"We wish to enjoy the same rights as any other, heterosexual couple. Most importantly, we want a law that recognizes us as parents, as mom and dad," Milan said.
A railway union strike in Sri Lanka leaves tens of thousands of commuters stranded (AP)
AP [7/10/2024 6:06 AM, Bharatha Mallawarachi, 456K, Neutral]
A railway union strike stopped most trains across Sri Lanka on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands of passengers to brave the few dangerously overcrowded trains that kept running or be stranded at the station.

The Station Masters’ Union launched the strike to demand that vacancies be filled and other administrative issues be resolved.

Hundreds of scheduled train journeys were canceled Wednesday due to the strike, leaving the very few trains that ran jam-packed with passengers. Local TV stations showed people risking their lives to get to school and work, barely hanging on to the sides of the train while balancing on footboards made slippery by the rain.

Some of the passengers opted to simply go back home.

Anura Samantha, 43, who serves as a clerk at a retail shop in the capital, Colombo, said he decided not to go to work because of the strike.

“It’s really disgusting. I waited for about one hour, but couldn’t get into a train. Buses are also crowded. Now, there is no time to go to work. I will take a leave today,” said Samantha who travels daily from Gampaha, a suburb town about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Colombo.

Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena condemned the strike, saying the union launched the strike in an arbitrary manner when the government was taking steps to resolve the issues they raised.

During a similar strike in September, two passengers were killed while traveling on packed trains: One was traveling on the roof of a compartment when his head hit an overhead railway bridge, and the other succumbed to injuries after he fell from the train’s footboard.

Sri Lanka’s train services are substandard, with poorly maintained compartments and tracks because of years of mismanagement and a lack of proper planning. Frequent and sudden strikes have exacerbated the situation, with most trains experiencing delays.
Central Asia
How Kazakhstan’s SCO Chairmanship Has Navigated East-West Tensions (The Diplomat)
The Diplomat [7/10/2024 3:01 PM, Nigel Li, 1156K, Neutral]
Last week, leaders of Eurasian nations gathered at the Independence Palace in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In attendance were the heads of state and government of Kazakhstan, China, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, the UAE, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. The SCO represents more than 3 billion people, with the organization covering more than 60 percent of Eurasia.

Unlike the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or ollective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the SCO is not a security pact. The organization seeks to enhance mutual-trust, good neighborliness, and to fight what it calls the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism, and extremism.

Established in 2001, the SCO emerged from what was known as the “Shanghai Five” consisting of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan which was an effort to delineate and stabilize the post-Soviet borders of Central Asia. The SCO has expanded its membership from five to ten, with this year’s summit welcoming Belarus as a full member.

With decision-making requiring unanimity among its members, the SCO has been evaluated by observers as a Eurasian “talk shop.” Expecting total alignment of interests between all SCO member states would be unrealistic. Nevertheless, the organization remains a significant platform for the Eurasian continent in managing the region’s security concerns.

Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship

Kazakhstan has chaired the SCO over the past year, championing an initiative titled “On World Unity for Just Peace, Harmony, and Development,” which was unanimously adopted at last week’s summit. Around 25 documents and agreements were signed in total, including one addressing illicit drug trafficking, resulting in a five-year “Anti-Drug Strategy” and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center. Despite the Taliban’s ban on poppy cultivation a year after returning to power in 2021, Central Asian authorities have reported the continuation of drug production in underground laboratories in Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the SCO reflects the country’s “middle power” status, pursuing a pragmatic foreign policy, balancing its relations with major powers. This role has provided Kazakhstan the opportunity to raise new priorities for the organization. At the summit, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined strategic areas for the “Shanghai 10.” He emphasized strengthening mutual trust and security cooperation by addressing the global crisis in international affairs, and combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism.

The Kazakh leader highlighted the importance of enhancing cybersecurity through information exchange and infrastructure protection. Tokayev also focused on expanding trade and economic ties, proposing an integrated platform for investment projects and a financial support mechanism via the Astana International Financial Center. Lastly, he stressed the need for stronger transport connectivity by building efficient corridors, aligning China’s Belt and Road Initiative with regional routes, and establishing a network of strategic ports and logistics centers within the SCO.

Located between China and Russia, the Central Asian states have developed pragmatic relations with both since gaining independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. These efforts have been reinforced by geopolitical realities.

“While China is the primary trade partner for almost all Eurasian states, they are well below the investment and interest that China has in other global subregions,” saidDr. Roger Kangas, academic dean and professor of Central Asian Studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. “This allows for some flexibility in the region as the Central Asian states have created numerous ‘C5 plus one’ dialogues.”

Kazakhstan’s growing role in international institutions and initiatives is an observable development. This year, in addition to the SCO, the country is chairing five other international organizations, including the CSTO, the Organization of Turkic States, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, the Islamic Organization for Food Security, and International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. It will also serve as the chair for the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty in Geneva.

In line with its expanding international influence, Kazakhstan is also focusing on alternative connectivity routes that bypass Russia. Greater attention has been given to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, which Kazakhstan has leveraged. Earlier this year, the European Union announced a $10.75 billion investment for the project, greatly benefiting infrastructure development in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia. On July 3, a day before the SCO summit, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Tokayev attended the opening ceremony of the “Trans-Caspian international transportation route.”

Institutionalized Competition Between Moscow and Beijing?

Despite the convergence of interests between Moscow and Beijing and the much-referred-to “no-limits partnership,” the greater Eurasian region remains an arena for Russia-China competition. Prior to the war in Ukraine, the phrase “Moscow holds the gun and China holds the wallet” characterized the symbiotic relationship between the two great powers. New geopolitical realities have undoubtedly changed this dynamic, but a division of labor still remains. “China needs Russia for raw materials and commercial access to other, more lucrative markets. This dynamic is ultimately unequal,” Kangas said.

Xi complemented his attendance at the SCO summit with state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan while Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kazakhstan. Although largely symbolic, the fanfare surrounding Xi’s visits signifies a growing mutual interest between China and the Central Asian region that is independent of Russia’s concerns.

The SCO presents itself as an “alternative” multilateral institution to Western institutions. In seeking international legitimacy for a multipolar vision, Xi and Putin are incentivized to set aside differences in a show of strength and resolve against the so-called “Collective West.” Amidst these dynamics, Kazakhstan wants to serve as a stabilizing force between the major powers. While China and Russia may adopt a confrontational stance towards the West, Kazakhstan is keen to promote dialogue and cooperation between all sides, including through increased trade between Asia and Europe. As Tokayev noted recently, this approach is grounded in the country’s commitment to multilateral cooperation and adherence to the principles of United Nations Charter.

The Future of the SCO: Into the Dustbin of History or a Pillar for Multipolarity?

The broader effectiveness of the SCO is a subject of intense debate among Eurasian watchers. However, there is some consensus on the organization’s positive contributions through its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), which has created mechanisms for information sharing and coordination of military exercises. The Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow and the recent attacks in the Russian region of Dagestan resurrect concerns about the threat of terrorism in Eurasia. Can the SCO’s RATS function effectively if Russia, a major sponsor, is facing significant challenges in its own anti-terrorism efforts?

“When a major terrorist attack takes place in a member state,” wrote Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, “all that can be found on the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure’s website are press releases expressing condolences.”

“The main differentiating factor of the SCO is inclusivity,” said Dr. Asif Shuja, founding director of Geopoconsult, a geopolitics research and management consultancy. “Western security alliances are premised on force projection, which has proven unable to solve current geopolitical challenges, from the Russia-Ukraine War to threats emerging from Afghanistan.”

Perhaps less focus should be given to Russia’s Greater Eurasian vision, and more attention should be directed toward how other members of the SCO, such as Kazakhstan and India, see opportunities for reshaping and redirecting the trajectory of the organization. What is considered as institutional bloat could, in fact, serve Beijing’s interest in pursuing regional development and solidarity alongside members of the Global South.

“Countries like India see the SCO as a development-oriented organization rather than an anti-West alliance,” Shuja noted. “The organization provides India an opportunity to plan its policy to deal with bilateral conflicts with its primary rivals such as Pakistan and China.”

Still, for all its institutional issues, the SCO remains a core institution in Eurasia with a wide-ranging agenda aimed at addressing the region’s chronic challenges.

“How the SCO addresses these will determine whether it can be a real force in the international community. It would behoove the U.S. to engage with the SCO and better understand the motivations of each participating nation,” Kangas said.

Kazakhstan’s chairmanship over the past year and its attempts to reinvigorate the SCO at a time of East-West confrontation are commendable efforts considering the institutional limitations that exist. Expanding membership risks a loss of focus for the organization, but Kazakhstan has left a vision worth revisiting for fellow Central Asian governments to continue. China has taken the rotating chairmanship of the SCO for the next year, which could herald a grander agenda integrating Beijing’s “Global Security Initiative” and the consolidation of a multipolar world order.
Kyrgyz Opposition Politician Loses Appeal Against His Conviction (Radio Free Europe)
Radio Free Europe [7/10/2024 7:28 AM, Staff, 1530K, Negative]
The Bishkek City Court on July 10 rejected an appeal filed by the leader of the United Kyrgyzstan opposition party, Adakhan Madumarov, against his conviction on charges he calls "ungrounded." In late March, the Birinchi May district court in Bishkek found Madumarov guilty of financial fraud and of ignoring Kyrgyzstan’s interests while signing a Kyrgyz-Tajik border deal in 2009 when he led the country’s Security Council. The court did not sentence Madumarov due to the statute of limitations. Madumarov was released on April 26 after the court’s decision took force.
China constructing secret military base in Tajikistan to crush threat from Taliban (The Telegraph)
The Telegraph [7/10/2024 3:30 PM, Sophia Yan, 29812K, Neutral]
China is constructing a secret military base in Tajikistan, satellite images reveal, as it seizes on the rising threat to security posed by Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Beijing has been building the base in one of the most remote corners of the world for almost a decade.

The facility, carved out of mountains that rise 13,000ft high, has look-out towers and troops from both countries, which now hold regular joint military drills shown on Chinese state media.

Neither government has publicly acknowledged the existence of the base, which extends a former Soviet outpost. But the images show a steady pace of construction, including access roads to the base.

China has sought to expand its military footprint on all its borders, notably pushing into Indian territory in the Himalayas.

Concern is rising that Beijing plans to do the same in neighbouring nations, as it boosts relations with Tajikistan at a time when Russia, its usual economic and security partner, is embroiled in its invasion of Ukraine.

On July 4, president Xi Jinping cemented growing ties with Tajikistan in his third state visit.

“The situation is that of a vacuum, and the vacuum is filled by China,” said Parviz Mollojonov, a political scientist and acting country director for International Alert, a UK-based NGO that promotes peace.

“Since the deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan, China uses the concern of the Tajik government to build in the security sector.”

Concern over Tajikistan’s 800-mile border with Afghanistan has escalated since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

China is also providing ammunition and technology to Tajikistan as part of its broader plans to “create an advanced line of defence,” said Mr Mollojonov. “But also there could be some other long-term unknown, not openly stated goals and plans.”

Beijing was the first to recognise an ambassador appointed by the Taliban, and has sought to build ties with the militant group in charge of Afghanistan.

But Beijing is increasing its presence in this corner of the world, because it wants to keep a tight lid on Uyghur Muslims in the far west region of Xinjiang – who have staged many anti-government demonstrations – so the ruling Communist Party can continue its economic expansion plans into Central Asia and Europe.

For Tajikistan, closer ties to China has also meant adopting the same “counter-terrorism” policy framework that Beijing instituted against the Uyghurs, which included locking upwards of one million people in “re-education” camps.

Tajik authorities outlawed the hijab last month, the latest in a range of 35 faith-related acts, aimed at “protecting national cultural values” and “preventing superstition and extremism”.

Police have also reportedly forcibly shaved off men’s long beards – considered a sign of “extremist” views.

Hundreds of mosques have been shut, teachings delivered by imams must fall within state-issued guidelines and minors are not allowed to enter places of worship without permission. Parents sending their children to study religion abroad are also penalised.

The government even issued a 367-page manual of acceptable outfits for women, detailing garment style, length and colour.

Security forces have violently dispersed protests over the reforms, and some women continue to defy the authorities by wearing hijabs.

Many have also chosen to go abroad to seek greater economic opportunity and religious freedom, though that puts migrants at risk of being targeted for recruitment by various extremist groups.

For Emomali Rahmon, the lifelong Tajik president, this is as much about keeping his grip on power as it is about sidling up to China.

Whether any of these policies have any impact on “counter-terrorism” concerns remains to be seen, especially as such restrictions are likely to backfire in Tajikistan, a country steeped in Islam in both fabric and identity.

Tajikistan seeks “good relations with our neighbours – with our bear friend and our dragon friend”, said Rustam Azizi, research director of Tahlil, a Tajik-based NGO that studies a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.
Links with Iran

Tajikistan has also made it a point to highlight links to Iran given a shared Persian heritage.

Two years ago, Tehran opened a drone factory in Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe – its first such facility abroad. The plant is reportedly focused on assembly, and supplies the Tajik army.

It is a delicate balance. On many levels, it is important for the country to cast away past Soviet influences and re-establish its Tajik identity. But Dushanbe also does not want to be isolated by the West if it is perceived as being too close to Tehran.

“The best option would be the preservation of the current status quo where nobody controls [Tajikistan],” said Mr Mollojonov. So for Tajikistan “not just to have Russian domination or Chinese domination, but to have its ‘multi-vector’ foreign policy.”

For many in Tajikistan, it looks like the “dragon” is very much in the ascendancy.

On his recent visit, Mr Xi inaugurated Chinese-funded government facilities in Dushanbe, including a presidential palace and a new parliament building, modelled on the US Capitol in Washington.

The whole project cost more than £300 million, according to AidData, a research lab at the College of William & Mary in the United States that tracks such spending.

China’s presence in Tajikistan has increased exponentially over the last decade, becoming the largest source of foreign investment.

At one point, China accounted for more than 60 per cent of Dushanbe’s external public debt; a figure that has recently fallen to about 40 per cent after much criticism.

Beijing has also secured numerous mining rights, as Tajikistan lacks the infrastructure and expertise to develop the industry in a country which is more than 90 per cent mountainous.

Sentiments about greater Chinese influence are mixed in Ayni, a remote town in the north where the main traffic comes from sluggish cows.

For Mihirgul Noibova, it has meant booming business at the canteen she used to run.

Chinese people working on a massive road project – the same one that now connects Ayni to Dushanbe about 90 miles away – frequented her small restaurant so frequently that she was able to save enough to construct a large house for her family.

“I built this thanks to the Chinese,” said Ms Noibova, 56, gesturing to her multi-storey green and white house, flanked by towering mountains.

When Chinese investment first started flowing into Tajikistan, many workers were brought in from China. While the Chinese are still typically brought in for senior management positions, Tajiks say that there is now more work available than before at junior levels, or in blue-collar jobs.

Environmental concerns

Almost all, however, said they were worried about the long-term impact on their health and the surrounding environment.

“There are maybe 300 trucks passing each day here,” said a shopkeeper in downtown Ayni. “They’re creating so much dust, and I’m concerned about this, because there are no regulations.”

Entire villages, too, have disappeared in order to make space for expanding Chinese mining interests in Ayni.

The village of Kumarg, just next to the main mining site, is now an eerie ghost town. At the entrance, a guard blocks access to the empty houses.

It was home to about 60 households but were all reportedly paid to move away about a year ago when mining activity expanded.

All across Tajikistan, there are reminders of a fast-growing Chinese presence – from electric power boxes outside the national museum in Dushanbe to rubbish bins labelled with Chinese characters rather than Tajik words in public parks.

Vendors at the city’s main market sell Chinese noodles and sweets. One shopkeeper even runs a small-scale unofficial exchange service – Chinese customers come in and transfer him renminbi on a Chinese digital wallet app, and he hands them cash in Tajik somoni.

There has been so much Beijing-backed construction – complete with the red propaganda banners that would normally adorn building sites in China – that Dushanbe feels and looks much like a newly-developing Chinese city.

Ms Noibova benefitted from a Chinese-funded road connecting Dushanbe to towns in the far north, such as Khujand, sandwiched between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It has cut down travel time from one day to a few hours.

Such infrastructure showcases Chinese prowess – some parts of the road have a gradient as steep as 12 per cent, and are carved directly into the mountainside. A series of tunnels along the way burrow through stone and protect from rock falls.

But it also highlights a growing dependency on China in trade and technical expertise.

Dushanbe’s taxi fleet, for instance, is almost entirely made up of Chinese electric vehicles. They are usually fitted with Chinese voice recognition that many Tajik drivers do not understand.

That means less pollution on the streets for the city of 1.5 million people, but it also means that any repairs or upgrades require Chinese-made parts and expertise.

“There is a great financial dependency [on China],” said Mr Mollojonov.

“But many people are criticising the local governments, saying that economic dependence sooner or later turns into political dependence and dependence in the security sector.

“Because at any time in the future, the Chinese government could state they have investments in the region, and it has the right to defend those investments.”

And that means that Tajikistan could one day see a greater Chinese military presence – a de facto occupation – under the banner of protecting Beijing’s interests.
Twitter
Afghanistan
SIGAR
@SIGARHQ
[7/11/2024 3:30 AM, 170.4K followers, 1 like]
(1/2) Last quarter, U.S. Special Envoy Rina Amiri & Special Rep Thomas West each issued statements on X in support of Afghan women on International Women’s Day. Amiri said, “we honor the extraordinary courage of Afghan women and girls as they defend their…

SIGAR
@SIGARHQ
[7/11/2024 3:30 AM, 170.4K followers]
(2/2) “…rights against the Taliban’s extreme, systemic & relentless edicts.” West noted that women’s and girls’ rights are “matters of stability for Afghanistan and the region.” https://sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2024-04-30qr.pdf#page=49

Yalda Hakim
@SkyYaldaHakim
[7/10/2024 8:11 PM, 220K followers, 50 retweets, 96 likes]
“We cannot wait any longer”. @Malala spoke to me ahead of Malala day on July 12th, calling for world leaders to step up and push for the rights of Afghan girls. Three years after the Taliban takeover, Afghan women and girls are still barred from high school, university, playing sports and most public places.

Sami Mahdi
@SamiullahMahdi
[7/10/2024 12:00 PM, 102.2K followers, 16 retweets, 30 likes]
In an unprecedented move the Taliban have banned Shias from inviting Sunnis to Muharram rituals in Afghanistan. According to this document Shias are not allowed to invite any Sunni to Ashura ceremonies, Shias are not allowed to go to their mosques in groups and are can have their religious rituals only for 3 days instead of 10. Sunnis and Shias have lived in Afghanistan in harmony and peace for centuries. These discriminatory measures by the Taliban can spark sectarian tensions.

Habib Khan
@HabibKhanT
[7/10/2024 12:30 PM, 228.3K followers, 18 retweets, 37 likes]
This resident of Afghanistan’s Ghazni province took a patient to the regional hospital overnight, only to find it deserted with the lights off and no staff present. Ghazni province has a population of around a quarter million residents, and this hospital serves patients not only from Ghazni but also from surrounding provinces. The Taliban are not capable of managing access to basic services in Afghanistan. Most of them are mullahs who have no knowledge of public administration and governance.

Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office
@amnestysasia
[7/10/2024 10:19 AM, 81.8K followers, 17 retweets, 27 likes]
Afghanistan: "The arbitrary, inconsistent and ambiguous record of morally policing the people of Afghanistan, with an institutionalized system of discrimination that disproportionately impacts women and girls, has had a decaying effect on human rights in the country. Urgent need for Taliban to roll back on moral policing " New UN Report stresses urgent need for Taliban to roll back on moral policing https://amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/07/afghanistan-new-un-report-stresses-urgent-need-for-taliban-to-roll-back-on-moral-policing/ @UNAMAnews
Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
@GovtofPakistan
[7/10/2024 8:47 AM, 3.1M followers, 9 retweets, 28 likes]
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses the federal cabinet, today in Islamabad.

Government of Pakistan
@GovtofPakistan
[7/10/2024 3:56 AM, 3.1M followers, 7 retweets, 22 likes]
In June 2024, workers’ remittances stood at US$3.2 billion marking an increase of 44.4% on YoY basis. This rise underscores the significant contribution of overseas workers to the nation’s economy.

Anas Mallick
@AnasMallick
[7/11/2024 2:47 AM, 73.1K followers, 1 retweet, 7 likes]
Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet has decided to extend the [Afghan] POR card holders in Pakistan, says @ForeignOfficePk spox in her weekly briefing. #Pakistan #Afghanistan

Asif Durrani
@AsifDurrani20
[7/10/2024 7:53 AM, 9.2K followers, 39 retweets, 114 likes]
Glad to launch the third phase of Allama Iqbal scholarships for Afghan students. In the coming five years, 4500 Afghan students will pursue studies in social and natural sciences in various universities of Pakistan.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[7/10/2024 10:51 PM, 211.1K followers, 3 retweets, 5 likes]
I’m quoted here on Pakistan’s struggles to provide security for Chinese investments: "The bottom line is that one of Pakistan’s closest allies and most important donors is now the foreign entity that is the most vulnerable to terrorism in Pakistan." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/world/asia/pakistan-china-attacks.html

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[7/10/2024 10:51 PM, 211.1K followers, 2 retweets, 6 likes]
"Pakistan’s economy is in a very precarious state. Islamabad can’t afford to have one of its most critical donors feel that level of vulnerability. The stakes are very high."

Habib Khan
@HabibKhanT
[7/10/2024 1:12 PM, 228.3K followers, 16 retweets, 78 likes]
Support Gilaman Wazir, a Pashtun activist brutally attacked by individuals connected to the Pakistani establishment. He is currently in a coma and has five children. Please donate to this fundraising led by the iconic Afghan singer Naghma. https://www.gofundme.com/f/x48s7-support-gilaman-wazirs-family-after-tragedy?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=twitter
India
Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[7/10/2024 12:36 PM, 99.8M followers, 5.8K retweets, 48K likes]
Had an excellent meeting with Nobel Laureate Anton Zeilinger. His work in quantum mechanics is pathbreaking and will continue to guide generations of researchers and innovators. His passion for knowledge and learning was clearly visible. I talked about India’s efforts like the National Quantum Mission and how we are nurturing an ecosystem for tech and innovation. I am also delighted to receive his book along with a very touching message.

Narendra Modi
@narendramodi
[7/10/2024 6:53 AM, 99.8M followers, 4.4K retweets, 27K likes]
Had an excellent meeting with Chancellor @karlnehammer. This visit to Austria is very special because it is after several decades that an Indian Prime Minister is visiting this wonderful country. It is also the time when we are marking 75 years of the India-Austria friendship.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[7/10/2024 1:26 PM, 211.1K followers, 7 retweets, 81 likes]
The Modi-Putin summit was about reasserting the strength of the India-Russia relationship and addressing the few areas of concern (ie trade imbalance). Lots of signaling on expanding cooperation (connectivity, trade, logistics). But the summit itself produced few big new deals.

Michael Kugelman
@MichaelKugelman
[7/10/2024 8:08 AM, 211.1K followers, 10 likes]
I did an interview with @dwnews on the Modi-Putin summit, why the India-Russia relationship has endured, and what role if any India could potentially play to help end the war in Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=329&v=3wS4zc3f7cA&feature=youtu.be
NSB
Awami League
@albd1971
[7/10/2024 10:55 AM, 639.3K followers, 24 retweets, 59 likes]
President of China HE Xi Jinping assured PM #SheikhHasina today that his country will continue supporting #Bangladesh’s development journey. He said China will help Bangladesh economically in four ways of loans and grants. https://albd.org/articles/news/41488 #BangladeshChinaFriendship

Awami League
@albd1971
[7/10/2024 9:49 AM, 639.3K followers, 30 retweets, 81 likes]
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has announced #economic assistance of $1 billion for #Bangladesh, said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud MP. Earlier today, PM #SheikhHasina had a meeting with the Chinese PM at the Great Hall of People. https://albd.org/articles/news/41485 #BangladeshChinaFriendship

Awami League
@albd1971
[7/10/2024 8:21 AM, 639.3K followers, 25 retweets, 58 likes]
#Bangladesh and China on Wednesday (July 10, 2024) announced seven outcomes, including that conclusion of joint feasibility study on Bangladesh-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Other announced outcomes are
- commencement of negotiation on the optimisation of Bangladesh-China bilateral investment treaty;
- completion of the Modernization of Telecommunication Network for Digital Connectivity project;
- completion of trial run of the Single Point Mooring with Double Pipe Line project;
- commencement of Rajshahi WASA Surface Water Treatment Plant;
- MoU between Shandong Agricultural University and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur;
- construction of Luban Workshop in Bangladesh.
https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/dhaka-beijing-announce-7-outcomes-including-completion-of-feasibility-study-on-fta/139061#google_vignette
#BangladeshChinaFriendship #SheikhHasina #NewsUpdate #BangladeshUpdate #AwamiLeague

Awami League
@albd1971
[7/10/2024 6:07 AM, 639.3K followers, 44 retweets, 196 likes]
Prime Minister #SheikhHasina had a meeting with the President of China HE Xi Jinping today at the Great Hall of People in Beijing. Earlier, PM had a meeting with Chinese PM Li Qiang at the same venue. #Bangladesh #BangladeshChinaFriendship

M U M Ali Sabry
@alisabrypc
[7/10/2024 10:58 PM, 5.9K followers, 2 retweets, 7 likes]
I was happy to attend as the Chief Guest for the convocation at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI). During my speech, I emphasized the significance of addressing current challenges and the importance of continuous education of world affairs for those aspire leadership position. I also stressed the need to zealously safeguard Sri Lanka’s strategic interests and conduct ourselves with other nations as sovereign equals. I also spoke of the importance of always staying informed of not only our local challenges but of those all over the world, and understanding opportunities and challenges in an ever evolving world @BidtIlk @MFA_SriLanka

M U M Ali Sabry
@alisabrypc
[7/10/2024 10:54 PM, 5.9K followers, 5 likes]
The ceremony marking the commencement of construction for the three-story building at #Kalutara Muslim Balika Maha Vidyalaya filled me with immense pride and joy. This occasion held special significance for me, as my father was one of the school’s founders, alongside a group of like-minded individuals, who convinced MP for Kalutara, Hon. Cholomondley Goonewardena, back in 1956 to establish a girls school for the community. Over the years, the school has provided invaluable service to the community, nurturing intellectuals and well-rounded students who have achieved remarkable success. I am confident that it will continue to thrive and make significant contributions to our nation in the years ahead.

Ranil Wickremesinghe
@RW_UNP
[7/10/2024 5:33 AM, 321.5K followers, 55 retweets, 310 likes]
I want to thank the non-executive government employees who reported for duty on July 8th and 9th. Your commitment during these challenging economic times exemplifies true patriotism and integrity. As a mark of our gratitude, the Cabinet has approved a special salary increment following my proposal. This increment recognises your efforts to strengthen the country and support its people when Sri Lanka needs you the most.

Binod Chaudhary
@BinodKChaudhary
[7/11/2024 12:24 AM, 385.1K followers, 1 retweet, 12 likes]
Sri Lanka has taken a bold step and changed its 28-year-old telecommunications law to bring in Elon Musk’s Starlink, taking a big step towards modern technology and attracting international investments. This new law will help improve the country’s ICT sector by attracting foreign investments, increasing rural internet access, and aiming for the ICT industry to reach $15 billion by 2030. This move is similar to what other countries are doing, promoting global innovation in satellite internet services. https://bizmandu.com/content/20240710132922.html
Central Asia
Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[7/11/2024 2:02 AM, 195.6K followers, 2 retweets, 8 likes]
President of #Uzbekistan, Shavkat #Mirziyoyev, has been introduced to proposals to strengthen financial control over budget expenditures. These new measures include the external audit of the consolidated budget and the strategic audit of national programs. These initiatives aim to enhance the effectiveness of the use of funds, through the implementation of a "Remote Control Center". This will ensure transparency and accuracy in the allocation of public funds, ultimately leading to more efficient use of resources.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s Press-service
@president_uz
[7/10/2024 5:09 AM, 195.6K followers, 2 retweets, 17 likes]
President Shavkat #Mirziyoyev received a briefing on the accomplishments in the field of #geology, with a particular focus on the development of coal deposits and the ongoing implementation of diverse investment projects. According to the latest data, coal production for this year is anticipated to increase by 1.4 million tons compared to last year, alongside a noticeable decline in imports. The President underscored the significance of scientific and technological research, issued directives to expand geological exploration and enhance the production of value-added products from the extracted raw materials.

Furqat Sidiqov
@FurqatSidiq
[7/10/2024 12:01 PM, 1.4K followers, 3 retweets, 4 likes]
Busy and fruitful day on the Hill. Today, @SodyqSafoev, First Deputy Chairperson of UZ Senate @OSenati, met w/ @RepDavidKustoff, @RepCarolMiller and @RepMikeRogersAL. Exchanged views on enhancing the relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States in all areas.

Javlon Vakhabov
@JavlonVakhabov
[7/11/2024 12:36 AM, 6K followers, 1 retweet]
On the sidelines of the Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan Conference, Director Sanjar Mukambetov and I inked a Memorandum of Understanding on Research Cooperation between recently established National Institute for Strategic Initiatives under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (NISI) and the International Institute for Central Asia (@IICAinTashkent). This promising agreement extends collaboration areas between the two think tanks as the National Institute for Strategic Studies and the Institute for Strategic Analysis and Assessment of Kyrgyzstan have been merged into the NISI earlier this year.

Navbahor Imamova
@Navbahor
[7/10/2024 6:15 PM, 23.5K followers, 1 retweet, 5 likes]
Battling corruption in Uzbekistan: Candid, intense conversation with @AntikorUz head @akmalburhanov as part of @USAGMgov #SolutionsJournalism workshop in Tashkent. Thanks for this heated two-hour exchange!

{End of Report}
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